IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND MULES FOR SPINNING
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathaniel Topp, of Farnworth, in the County of
Lancaster, Spinner, John Holt, of the same Place, Spinner, and John
Partington, of the same Place, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
Sealed the 27th April 1855, and dated the 3rd November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathaniel Topp, John
Holt, and John Partington at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 3rd November 1854.
We, NATHANIEL TOPP and JOHN HOLT, Spinners, and JOHN PARTINGTON,
Mechanic, all of Farnworth, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND MULES FOR SPINNING"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, in a method of applying and bringing into
action a break to hand mules, so as to check the motion of the machine when
the carriage arrives to the end of the stretch. A pulley and friction strap, or
two friction pullies or other break, is mounted upon the upright driving shaft,
or upon the rim or horizontal shaft, and levers extending therefrom are
operated upon by the carriage, when running out, arriving. in contact with a
rod connected therewith. This rod we provide with an adjustable-part, so as to

page_text: cause the carriage to move the same, more or less, as may be desired, by which
means we are enabled to regulate the time and force of the operation of the
break. When yarns are spun which require a twisting of the head, we cause
the break to be applied by means of a worm wheel or tappet, attached to a
revolving shaft, receiving motion from the rim shaft or other part, and so
formed as to effect the required operation after the requisite twisting has been
effected.
Another part of our Invention relates to a method of facilitating the
backing-off. To effect this, we cause a revolving shaft, during the running out of
the carriage, to compress a metallic or other spring, the elastic force of which,
when the said shaft ceases to be driven, will afford it a tendency to turn in the
other direction. This may be illustrated by the following arrangement:-
Suppose the break above described to be mounted loosely upon the upright
driving shaft; within the pulley thereof we mount a spiral spring, and upon
the said shaft a projecting-arm, which as the carriage runs out arrives in
contact with the spring, and thereby carries the friction pulley round loosely
upon the shaft; when, however, the stretch has been performed, and the break
is put on, the said pulley will be prevented from revolving, and the spring will
become compressed, so as to assist the backing-off by its expansion, as above
mentioned.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nathaniel Topp, John Holt, and John Partington in the.
Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, NATHANIEL
TOPP, of Farnworth, in the County of Lancaster, Spinner, JOHN HOLT, of the
same Place, Spinner, and JOHN PARTINGTON, of the same Place, Mechanic,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in-the-year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Nathaniel Topp, John Holt, and John Partington, Her especial
licence that we, the said Nathaniel Topp, John Holt, and John Partington;
our executors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as we, the said
Nathaniel Topp, John Holt, and John Partington, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from. time to

page_text: time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND MULES FOR SPINNING," upon the condition,
amongst others, that we, the said Nathaniel Topp, John Holt, and John
Partington, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of one of us, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next. and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Nathaniel Topp, do hereby declare
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
Our Invention consists, firstly, in a method of applying and bringing: into
action a break, so as to check the motion of the machine when the carriage
arrives towards the end of the stretch; secondly, in a method of facilitating
the backing-off, by the agency of a spring compressed during the running out
of the carriage by a revolving shaft.
.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood, we have appended
to this our Specification a Sheet of Drawings, exhibiting the several improve-
ments combined. Fig. i is a. view in section of a portion of a mule;
and Figs. 2 and 3 are detached views, shewing particularly the brake and
backing-off spring. The ordinary upright driving shaft is shewn at a,
upon which the fast and loose pullies are supposed to be mounted. Upon
this shaft is a rim pulley b (which we will at present consider to be fast);
the periphery of which is situate within a hoop brake. c, turning at one
end- upon. a fixed pin d, and adapted at the other to a lever e, mounted
upon a centre pin f, attached to the stationary framework. The lower end
of the lever e is situate behind a rod g, capable of sliding in guides h, and
furnished at its end g* with an inclined plane, capable of acting against the
above-mentioned lever e. At the other end of the rod is a projecting. piece i,
adapted so as to be moved backward or forward by means of a screw j.
Behind the sliding rod 9 is a lever k, turning upon á fixed centre 1, and
furnished with a projecting pin m, so situate as to be capable of acting against
the piece i. Suppose the carriage A to be moving in the direction of the
arrow; to effect the stretch, a projecting part, as at n, will arrive in contact
with the pendant lever k, which, being thereby caused to turn upon its centre,

page_text: will push the rod g forward through the agency of the pin m, by which means
the inclined plane at g* will turn the lever e upon its centre f, whereby the
upper end thereof will force the friction hoop c on to the periphery of the
pulley b, so as to check the impetus of the machine; previously to or during
which operation the driving strap has been shifted on to the loose pulley by
the ordinary means.. The time at which this effect shall come into operation.
may be determined by turning the screw j, so as to alter the position of the
piece i. When yarns are spun which require a twisting at the head, we cause
the rod g to be moved, so as to apply the brake, by means of a worm wheel or
tappet attached to a revolving shaft, receiving motion from the rim shaft or
other part, and so formed as to effect the said operation after the requisite
twisting has been effected.
The foregoing description has reference to the application of the break
only, but we will now describe that part of our improvements relating
to the backing-off. For this purpose, we will suppose the rim pulley b to
be loose upon the shaft a, but provided with the friction hoop c and its
appurtenances, as above described. Within the pulley b are affixed two
studs o, carrying a circular rod p, upon which is placed a coiled spring q.
To the shaft a is affixed an arm r, through one end of which the circular
rod p. passes freely, so as to cause the said arm to be capable of acting
against the spring q. "During the travelling of the carriage for the perform-
ance of the stretch, the break c not being applied, the arm r will carry the
loose pulley b round, through the medium of the spring q, which will not be
compressed; but upon the brake being applied as above described, the said
pulley will be prevented wholly or in part from revolving; in consequence of
which, the arm r, moving with the shaft a, will compress the spring q upon its
circular rod p; and upon the said shaft being turned by hand in the reversed
direction as usual for backing-off, the elastic force of the spring, tending to its
original position, will exercise a power for assisting the operative; but the
clastic force of the spring will generally be found sufficient without manual
power. Upon the rod p is another spring s, for the purpose of checking the
reaction of the arm r. In order to gain the means of obtaining a variation
in the amount of elastic force exerted-upon the arm 7, wo sometimes-adapt-a-
second spring, as at t, the stud u of which may be adjusted so as to allow
more or less compression to take place, as may be necessary. If a twisting
at the head be required, the break may be brought into operation, as above
mentioned, and consequently the compression of the spring may be timed
accordingly. The usual bar communicating with the apparatus for shifting
the driving strap is shewn at v, to which is adapted a slight rod w,, connected

page_text: at its lower end to the rod g; by which means, therefore, the operative has it
in his power to raise the said rod g, so as to withdraw it from the range of the
pin m, and thereby liberate the break. We have described a certain con-
struction of brake, but, if desired, friction pullies or other equivalent apparatus
may be employed. We have also described the said brake, and also the
spring, as situate upon the upright driving shaft; but, if desired, they may be
applied to the usual horizontal or rim shaft, or twist pulley shaft z. We
would also observe, that instead of the arm being caused to compress the
spring, it may, if desired, expand it.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim, as secured to us under the above in part recited
Letters Patent,―
Firstly, the arrangement above described whereby a brake is brought into
operation.
Secondly, the adjustible part i, for regulating the action of the break.
Thirdly, the method of applying a spring for the purpose of assisting or
wholly effecting the backing-off.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathaniel Topp, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
NATHANIEL TOPP. (L.S.)
NATHANIEL TOPP. (L.S.)