IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Curtis, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, William Henry Rhodes, of Gorton, in the said
County. Mechanic, and John Wain, of Greenacres Moor, Oldhani, in
the said County, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CERTAIN MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 21st November 1854, and dated the 23rd August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Curtis, William
Henry Rhodes, and John Wain at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd August 1854.
We, MATTHEW CURTIS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, WILLIAM HENRY RHODES, of Gorton, in the said County,
Mechanic, and JouN WAIN, of Greenacres Moor, Oldham, in the said
County, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of our Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:-
Our said improvements are applicable to certain machines for the before-
mentioned purposes of the kind commonly known as self-acting mules and
twiners, and consist,-.
First, in causing motion to be communicated from the winding-on barrel, or

page_text: any equivalent therefor, or from any wheel, shaft, or other part deriving motion
from such barrel, or equivalent, to the apparatus used for turning the screw of
the quadrant or radial arm, whereby it is made to revolve at different velocities,
receiving the greatest at the cominencement of forming tlie cop bottom, and
diminishing it as is formed.
Secondly, in the application of a brake or friction motion, to regulate the
going in of the carriage, in lieu of the scroll band at present used, to prevent
the carriage going in too quickly.
Thirdly, in the application of a differential motion, to cause the carriage at
the termination of its inward run to be drawn up to and held against the
buffers or other stops, and the yarn continues to be wound on the spindles
while the position of the fallers is changed.
Fourthly, in the arrangement of a train of wheels in communication with
the drawing out shaft, whereby its speed can be varied by causing them to act
variously on each other, by which means a jacking or after-draught motion
can be obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Matthew Curtis, William Henry Rhodes, and John Wain
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MATTHEW
CURTIS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, WILLIAM
HENRY RHODES, of Gorton, in the said County, Mechanic, and JoHN WAIN,
of Greenacres Moor, Oldham, in the said County, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria did, by Her
Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
give and grant unto us, our executors, administrators, and assigns, Her
especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said
Matthew Curtis, William Henry Rhodes, and John Wain, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term
of fourteen years, therein expressed, make, use, exercise, and vend, within
Her said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CERTAIN MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that

page_text: thirteenth year of Her present Majesty's reign, and which Specification was
inrolled on or about the Twelfth day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty. The construction, parts, and operations of the self-acting mule being
familiar to persons conversant with spinning machinery, we shall not herein
describe or refer to the same further than as may be necessary for the
explanation of our present improvements. Before proceeding to describe our
various improvements, we will enumerate some of the parts of the mule shewn
in the Drawings, which are made in the usual way. The frame sides are
marked A, the driving or rim shaft B, friction cone B', fast pulley B², loose
pulley B³, change shaft C, wheel for driving same C', pinion for driving
friction cone C, bevil for driving scroll C³, front drawing roller shaft D,
carriage cross or square E, radial arm F, screw in it F', and bevil wheels used
for turning that screw F2 and F. To the bevil F is attached the grooved
pulley F. The drawing-out shaft is marked G, driving wheel for same G',
scroll shaft H, scroll H³, drawing-in cord H2, winding-on barrel shaft I, faller
shaft J, counter faller shaft K, drawing roller catch box N, and bevils N¹ for
driving same.
We will now proceed to describe our various improvements, which we have
arranged under four divisions.
First, on the shaft I is keyed the wheel b, gearing with the pinion a, which
rotates on a stud in the fixing .d, in which are also bearings for the shaft c,
on which are keyed the weighted lever c¹ and cranked lever c. The shaft e is
supported at one end by the fixing e', the other passes through a slot in the
fixing d, and rests at the bottom of it; on this shaft are keyed the grooved
pulleye and friction pulley e. The friction pulley ", and the boss of the
pinion a are covered with leather, to increase the friction when they are put
in contact. The pulley frotates on a stud in the lever f, supported on a stud
in the fixing f. The endless band F' passes round or over the pullies,
F, F, F, and Fs. The chain f³, attached to the finger J¹ and counter faller
lever f', passes under and supports the pulley f, and the link f³ connects the
lever with the finger K'. The finger J' is fastened on the faller, and the finger
K' on the counter faller. The link f connects the levers f¹ and c', and must be
so adjusted, that when the winding on of the yarn on the spindles is proceeding
at a proper rate for the taking up of the yarn at an even tension, it will hold
up the weighted end of the lever c' sufficiently high to prevent the cranked
lever from lifting up the shaft c, and putting the pulley 3 in contact with
the boss of the pinion a. Being so adjusted, it will be evident that when the
winding on of the yarn is right, no motion will be communicated from the boss
of the pinion a to the pulley ; but so soon as the winding on of the yarn

page_text: becomes too tight, then the tension of the yarn (as is well known) acts on the
counter faller and depresses it, lowers the chain f³, lever f', and links fo and fo;.
and allows the weighted end of the lever c' to descend, and in so doing it.
partially turns the shaft c, and causes the cranked lever to lift up the shaft e
and put the pulley on it, into contact with the boss of the pinion a, from
which it will then receive motion, and through the shaft e and pulley es com-
municates it to the band F, and thence through the pulley F, and wheels
F and F to the screw F', when the nut on it, to which the winding-on chain
is attached, will be raised, the winding on of the yarn will be slackened, the
counter faller will resume its proper position, and the pulley will descend,
from being in contact with the boss of the pinion a, and motion will there-
upon cease to be given to the band F. Some mules have the radial
arm attached to the carriage square, the screw in the radial arm being
made to revolve by means of a train of wheels, one of which, geering with a
rack fast to the floor, as the carriage moves in and out receives motion
therefrom, and when the winding on is too tight and the counter faller
depressed, a catch box connected with the wheels is put into geer, which
causes motion to be given to the screw, and raises the nut on it. Instead
of giving motion to the wheels above alluded to by the rack on the floor, we
propose doing so by placing one wheel of the train on the tin roller
shaft, or when drums are used, on the shaft which drives them.
may also be driven by placing a wheel to geer with it, either on
or the drum shaft, instead of on the shaft I, as before described.
the above cases it will be requisite to make the wheel on the tin roller or on
the drum shaft, and the pinion or wheel with which it geers of such sizes
respectively as to give the required speed. As the tin roller or the drum shaft
during the time of winding on receives motion from the winding-on barrel, the
varying velocity which the latter has will be communicated to the former. It
will be perceived that, whichever of the modes we have described is used, the
same result will be obtained, namely, that of giving a variable motion to the
apparatus used for turning the screw of the radial arm, and thereby to
the screw itself, such motion being greatest at the commencement of forming
a cop bottom, and diminishing as its formation proceeds. And we declare, in
reference to this first part of our improvements, that what we claim as of our
Invention is, the application and use of the friction pinion and pulley herein-.
before described, and marked in the Drawings a and e³, in combination with
the parts connected therewith, as also described, for causing motion to be
communicated when required to the screw of the radial arm, either from the
winding-on barrel, or from the tin roller shaft, or from the shaft which drives
The pinion a
the tin roller
In either of
"

page_text: the drums, by which means the screw of the radial arm is made to revolve at
different velocities, revolving with the greatest velocity at the commencement
of forming the cop bottom, and with a diminishing velocity as the bottom is
formed.
Secondly, in the frame L, fastened to the square E, are the fixed studs or
shafts and i. Loose on the stnd h are the brake h' and wheel h²; this wheel
geers with, and as the carriage goes in or out, receives motion from the rack M,
fastened to the floor. Loose on the stud i is the pinion i, having on one side
a boss, on which is keyed the friction or brake pulley . The wheel h² geers
with and imparts motion to the pinion i'. The cranked lever n' is supported
by a stud, fastened in the square E. On studs in the upper part of this lever
are the ratchet wheel 22 and catch n. The lever is supported at one end by
the stud o, which forms its fulcrum, and at the other end by the stud 1, in the
lower part of the lever n'. The link serves to connect the lever and
brake . The spring a³ is at one end attached to the fixing n', and at the
other to a stud in the lever n', acting on which it has a tendency to depress
the lower part of this lever, the stud 1 in which depresses the lever k,, and
causes the link to pull the brake ' down on to the friction pulley . The
cord is at one end fastened to the fixing j¹, is then passed once or twice
round the pulley 7, keyed on the scroll shaft II, and has the weight attached
to its other end, which causes the cord to act as a brake or drag on the
pulley, and prevents the scroll shaft turning more than is required to allow
the cord 12 being unwound off the scroll during the outgoing of the carriage.
Instead of a weight, a spring might be applied, or the cord might be drawn
tight and fastened at each end. The drawing-in cord II' is attached to the
scroll in the usual manner, and passes thence partially round the pulley n" to
the eye cast on the boss of the ratchet wheel n³, where it is fastened. In
working, when the carriage is required to commence its inward run, the scroll I'
begins winding on the cord II which tightens it, and, overcoming the action
of the spring n³, causes it to pull the upper part of the lever n', until its
further progress is stopped, by the nut 1 coming in contact with the fixing 2,
in the direction of the arrow, and causes the lower end to lift up the brake off
the pulley ; and so long as the carriage does not come in quicker than it is
drawn in by the cord, the brake will be kept from being in contact with the
pulley; but so soon as the carriage requires an impetus inwards quicker than
that given by the cord, then the cord becomes slack, and allows the spring n
to draw the lever in the contrary direction to that indicated by the arrow,
and causes the lever k, through the link ³, to put the brake h¹ in contact with
the pulley, when the friction between them will check the inward run of the

page_text: carriage, until such time as the scroll II', acting on the cord II, draws it up
sufficiently again to overcome the action of the spring n. From the foregoing.
description it will be seen that the brake h', with the parts in connection
therewith, enables us to dispense with the scroll band usually employed to
prevent the carriage going in too quickly. And we declare, in reference to
this second part of our improvements, that what we claim as of our Invention
is, the application of a break or friction motion to regulate the going in of the
carriage, instead of the scroll band at present used, to prevent the carriage
going in too quickly
Thirdly, the wheels C' and C' are fast on the shaft C, loose on which are:
the bevil wheel C³, the carrier C, tlie pinion C³, and the sliding half of the
catch box Co. The pinion C3 has cast with it at one end the wheel C', and at
the other end one half of the catch box C. On the pivot 6 of the carrier C³
is the mitre wheel C, which geers with the wheels C' and C. The wheel C¹
has a boss, in which is a claw coupling, which fits with another at the end of
the sliding half of the catch box C. To the wheel C is cast the cylinder or
casing C, which is bored cut to fit the part 4 of the carrier C, and thus
forms a covering for it. The cylinder forms a guard for the wheel Cs, and
prevents it coming off the pivot. In the inner part of the cylinder is cast the
feather or projection 3, which passes in between the projections 2 and 2, cast
on the carrier C³; the connection thus formed enables the carrier to give
motion to the bevil C. On the boss of the fast pulley B is keyed the ratchet
wheel B', on the boss of which is loose the plate 1. The catch B° swivels on
a stud in a projection of the friction cone B'; this catch has a flange cast
with it, on the lower part of which is cast the piece 5, which passes into the
opening 4 in the plate B³. The foregoing are best seen in Figures 7 to 15,
both inclusive. On a stud in the frame side is the lever P, having at its upper
part a clip which passes into a groove in the loose half of the catch box Co.
The spring " is at one end hooked on a stud in the frame side, and at the
other on one in the lever P, which it pulls, and causes it to keep the catch.
box C in geer, until the, action of the spring is overcome, as herein-áfter
described. In mules Leretofore made on the plan we have referred to, the
pinion C and bevil C³ are keyed on the shaft C, and move with it; in the
present arrangement they are, as before stated, loose thereon, but though loose,
5 so long as the catch box C is kept in geer, they will all revolve together same
as if fast, and the effect will be the same. The catch box is taken out of geer
by the square E, which, near the termination of the inward run of the carriage,
comes in contact with the lower part of the lever P, and as it goes in pushes
that lever with it, overcoming the spring P, and the upper part takes the

page_text: catch box out of geer.
The carriage should have about one and a half inches
to go
in when the catch box is thrown out of geer, and if the square is so
made that it will not take it out by that time, then a fixing must be attached
to it to do so, or the lower part of the lever can be bent to come in contact
with the square at the right time. When the catch box C is taken out of
geer, motion to the pinion C3 and the carrier C³ ceases to be given therefrom,
but will be communicated from the wheel C through the wheel C8, which will
either rotate on its own axis, and thereby give motion through the wheel C
to the pinion C2, or it will cause the carrier C³ to rotate on its axis, and thereby
give motion to the wheel C, and thence to the scroll shaft. Whichever of the
above offers the least resistance will first receive motion, and it will generally,
if not always, he found that the carrier C³ does so; for, in the first place the
carriage will have acquired during its inward run a certain amount of momen-
tum, which assists to take it on towards the buffers, requiring, in fact, little
assistance to enable it to arrive there, while, on the other hand, the motion
which the friction cone B' had previously acquired has to be overcome; for
when it is turned through the wheel C7, it will revolve in a contrary direction
to that in which it previously did when driven through the catch box C".
When the carriage has been drawn up against the buffers or stops, its further
progress inwards will be prevented; this will also prevent the carrier C³ from
rotating, and will cause the entire motion to be passed through the wheel C',
and thence to the friction cone B', which carries with it the catch B°; the
piece 5, on the flange of which, carries the plate B' round with it; but before
it can move the plate, the resistance of the latter causes the catch to dip down-
wards and take into a tooth of the ratchet wheel B, which it will then carry
with it, and through the fast pulley B², rin shaft B, and rim pulley thereon,
will cause motion to be conveyed to the spindles, which will be continued till
stopped, as follows:-When the carriage terminates its inward run, the fallers
are liberated in the usual way; but instead of putting the clutch box, employed
to make the required changes into geer, by means of a trigger catch on a fixing
attached to the carriage end, and which, as the carriage went in, came in con-
tact with a lever, and put the clutch box into geer, we place a finger on the
faller shaft J, which, as the faller rises, comes in contact with the lever, and
lifts it up in place of the trigger. The motion communicated from the wheel
C to the carrier C and the pinion C is continued, until by the outgoing of
the carriage the spring P' is allowed to pull the lever P, and again put the
catch box C into geer; this continuation of motion ensures not only the car-
riage being drawn to and held against the buffers until the carriage is required
again to move outward, but also the coiling of the yarn on the spindles

page_text: during the rise of the fallers. When the change has been made, though
this motion still continues, it is rendered ineffectual, for by the change the
catch box which communicates motion to the scroll is taken out of
geer, and
the motion given to the rim shaft from the fast pulley being greater than that
given from the ratchet wheel, that wheel overruns the catch, which is conse-
quently inoperative.
And we declare, in reference to this third part of our improvements, that
what we claim as of our Invention is, the application of a differential motion,
to cause the carriage at the termination of its inward run to be drawn up to
and held against the buffers or other stops, and the yarn continues to be
wound on the spindles until the position of the fallers is changed, as herein-
before described.
Fourthly, on the front roller shaft D is fast the pinions, which geers with
the wheel s', and on the boss of the loose half of the catch box N is fastened
the pinion 1, which geers with the wheel u'; this wheel has a boss on which
the wheels rotates, and at the end of this boss is the pinion u, which must
either be cast with or fastened to it. On a stud in the wheel s² is the carrier
pinions, which geers with the pinion and the internal teeth of the wheel s'.
The wheels s', s², s, u, and w², are shewn detached in Figures 16, 17, 18, 19,
20, and 21. These wheels (except 3) rotate on the stud s in the lever R,
which is supported by the fulcrum stud R'. The other end of this lever rests
at the bottom of a slot in the fixing R², the sides of the slot forming guides for
it. The wheel R³ geers with and is driven by the wheel s²; it has a boss cast
with it, which acts as a shaft; this passes through a boss in the lever R, and
on its outer end the wheel R' is keyed; this wheel geers with the wheel G'.
The lever S is supported by a stud, which passes through bearings in the
fixing S'; the link S connects this lever with the lever R. In the upper part
of this link is a slot, through which the stud passes. The length of the link S³
must be so adjusted that the stud shall rest at the bottom of the slot when the
wheels R' and G¹ are in geer, as shewn in the Drawing. The fixings S³ and
S are attached to the carriage square, and are shewn in Figures 1 and 2. The
lever T is supported by a stud in the fixing T. bolted to the frame side.
When the carriage is coming out, the bevils N¹ give motion through the catch
hox N to the rollers in the usual way, and through the pinions s and u, and
wheels u', s', s², R³, R, and G. to the drawing-out shaft G, the wheels u¹, s¹,
and s, rotating together as one wheel, so long as they receive motion from
both of the pinions & and u. When sufficient roving has been delivered by the
rollers, the catch box N is taken out of geer in the usual way, and motion

page_text: ceases to be given to the front roller shaft and pinion s on it; but as the loose
half of the catch box, on which the pinion u is fast, continues to receive
motion, so also does that pinion.
The wheels, which so long as the wheels and s both received motion
was carried round by and revolved with them, will still continue to revolve, but
at a slower speed, receiving motion as follows:-The wheel u continues to
receive motion from the pinion u, so also does the pinion u², which geers with
the carrier pinion s3, causing it at the same time to rotate on its own stud, and
also to revolve round the internal toothed surface of the wheel s', which, from
the circumstance of that wheel being at that time stationary, it is compelled to
do, and in so doing it carries along the stud on which it is placed, and causes
the wheel s in which the stud is fastened to rotate, but as before stated, at a
slower speed; and as the speed of the drawing-out shaft will thereby be propor-
tionately reduced, and the rollers being stopped, a jacking or after-draught
motion is produced, without the wheels, which give motion to the drawing-out
shaft, being taken out of geer with each other, whereby the jerk occasioned by
taking the wheels ordinarily employed out of geer is avoided. By varying the
number of teeth in the pinion u², or those of the internal wheel s², the speed
of jacking may be varied at pleasure; to reduce the speed, either the number
of teeth in the pinion must be diminished, or the internal teeth of the wheel
s increased, and, as a consequence to increase the speed, the contrary must be
the case. To stop the after-draught motion, the fixing S must be so set as to
come in contact with the lever T and push it, so that the projection at its
lower end will be withdrawn from under the end of the lever S; this leaves
the weight S at liberty to depress that end of the lever on which it is placed,
which it does, and thereby raises the other end, and causes the link S² to lift
up the end of the lever R sufficiently high to take the wheel R' out of geer
with the wheel G', which at once stops the motion of the drawing-out shaft.
The lever R, when the link S which lifted it up ceases to hold it up, as
berein-after mentioned, is afterwards held up by the motion hitherto usually
employed to lift it up, and which keeps it up during the inward run of the
carriage, and until the change to take the carriage out again is made in the
usual way. The fixing S' must be so set, that as the carriage comes in,
the bowl or pulley S, which revolves on a stud in the fixing, will come in con-
tact with that end of the lever S to which the link S is attached, and depress
them both, the slot in the upper part of the link allowing it to be depressed
without depressing the lever R. When the weighted end of the lever S has
been sufficiently raised by the depression of the other to allow the projecting

page_text: part of the lever T to again pass under, it immediately does so by its own
gravity, and being there, it holds the weighted end up until again taken off by
the impulse of the fixing St.
And we declare, in reference to this fourth part of our improvements, that
what we claim as of our Invention is, the arrangement of a train of wheels
in communication with the drawing-out shaft, whereby its speed can be
varied by causing the wheels to act variously on each other, by which means
a jacking or after-draught motion is obtained, in manner herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Curtis, on behalf of myself and
the said William Henry Rhodes and John Wain, have hereunto set
my hand and, seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said
Matthew Curtis, in the presence of
JOHN P. ASTON,
Attorney,
Manchester.
MATTHEW CURTIS. (L.S.)