IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING, DOUBLING, AND TWISTING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
THOMPSON, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and JOHN
HEWITT, of Salford, aforesaid, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Wesminster, the Twenty-seventh day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the fifteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant, unto us, the said
William Thompson and John Hewitt, our exors, admors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power,' sole privilege and authority, that we, the said
William Thompson and John Hewitt, our exors, admors, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said William Thompson and John Hewitt, our exors, admors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SPINNING, DOUBLING, AND TWISTING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;".
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the 'said:
William Thompson and John Hewitt shall cause a particular description of
the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same. is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under
the hand and seal of either of us, to be enrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after.
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
William Thompson and John Hewitt, do hereby declare that the nature of
our Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
particularly described and ascertained in and by this present Specification or
instrument in writing, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed
(that is to say) -
Our Invention consists, first, in a new combination of parts for changing the
position of the fallers of self-acting mules and other machines of the like nature
when the carriage arrives at the end of the stretch, and for throwing the
putting-up catch-box into gear.
Secondly, in an improved combination of parts for moving the strap from the
twist pulley to the loose pulley, and for putting the break on the twist pulley.
Thirdly, in an improved mode of putting the drawing-out wheels into gear.
Fourthly, in a new combination of parts for effecting the putting-up of the
carriage.
Fifthly, in an improved mode of connecting the winding-on chain to the
radial arm.
Sixthly, in improved machinery for giving motion to the screw nut of the
radial arm when a screw is used; or for moving the worm wheel when a rack
'is employed as a substitute for the screw for changing the position of the
winding-on chain according to the tension of the yarn.
Seventhly, in an improved combination of parts for building and shaping the
cops.
And, lastly, in certain machinery for throwing the driving strap from the fast
to the loose pulley, and thereby stopping the machine in case of accident.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation, taken partly in section, of a machine
for spinning, known by the name of a "self-acting mule." Figure 2 is a plan
view of the same; in this view the driving shaft is omitted, in order to shew
the parts beneath it more clearly. Figure 3 is an end view of the head stock,
looking at the back; and Figure 4 is another end view, looking at the front of
the head stock. The different parts of the mule are shewn in the Drawing
in the positions they occupy when the carriage is going out, that is to say, when.
the drawing rollers are delivering the cotton or other fibrous substance, and the
spindles are revolving at their greatest velocity, in order to give the requisite
twist to the yarn. The machinery for taking out the carriage is similar to that
now known and in use, and consequently does not require to be particularly
described. It will, however, be necessary to refer to many of the parts shewn

page_text: in the Drawings, which are not new, in order to illustrate our Invention.
a represents the main driving shaft, and a¹ is the driving pulley by which the
whole mule is put in motion. Near one end of the shaft is a spur pinion a*
(shewn in red in Figure 1); this pinion gears into a carrier wheel a³, revolving
loose on a stud, as seen in Figure 3. The carrier a³ gives motion to the wheel
6 fixed on the same shaft as the pinion 6', which gears into the wheel c; this
wheel is fixed to a shaft c¹, near the other end of which is a bevil pinion c*
gearing into a bevil wheel d, keyed to the end of a diagonal shaft d', seen best
in the Plan, Figure 2, and in dotted lines in Figure 1. The lower end of the
diagonal shaft d' is supported in a swivel bearing d³, and the bevil pinion d³,
fixed on the shaft d', gears into the wheel e, keyed on the shaft e¹, which
answers the purpose of taking out and putting up the carriage. At the other
end of the shaft e¹ is fixed the drum e, round which is wound the band f, which
is carried over the guide pulleys fl and f³, and then made fast to the square of
the carriage in the ordinary manner, as seen in Figure 1. We wish to remark
here that the carriage may also be drawn out by a pinion working into a rack,
instead of by the band f; the drum e would in this case be dispensed with,
and the pinion e³, represented in red in the plan, would be fixed to the shaft e¹,
and would work in a rack attached to the carriage square. The requisite
motion is given to the front drawing roller g, seen best in Figure 2, by the
wheel c, shewn by a red circle in Figure 1. This wheel gears into a pinion g',
loose on the shaft g2, which forms the prolongation of the drawing roller g, but
is connected to it by a clutch box g³, which is now in gear with the clutch on
the back of the pinion g', and consequently imparting motion to the drawing
rollers. The spindles h, one of which is seen in Figure 1, are now revolving
at their greatest speed, and motion is given to them in the ordinary manner by
the drum a' on the main driving shaft, which gives motion by a strap to the
pulley on the shaft i, on which is fixed the rim . The twist band ³ passes
round the rim 22, and causes the horizontal shaft h¹ to revolve by passing round
the pulley h, as clearly shewn in Figure 1. The horizontal shaft h¹ gives
motion to the drums in the carriage, by which the spindles are set in motion,
as usual,
Having now briefly enumerated how the main parts of the mule are set in
motion, we will describe the improved mode of changing the position of the
fallers marked J and J¹ when the carriage arrives at the end of the stretch.
To the carriage square, which is marked k, is fixed a bracket k¹ supporting a
little bowl, which, when the carriage is nearly out, comes in contact with
the under side of the catch 1. This catch is hinged to the framing of the head
stock, and the upper end of it serves as a stop for the escape rod 1, which rod

page_text: is supported from the frame side by the bracket P, and is hinged at the other
'end to the escape lever 'm, which is pulled in the direction of the arrow by the
spring m¹, seen in the Figure 1, consequently when the bowl k has raised the
lower end of the catch 1, the upper end of the catch is depressed, and the escape
rod is drawn forward by the action of the spring m', until the second notch,
marked, comes against the end of the catch 7. When the escape lever m is
moved, the notch projecting from it is liberated from the first stop on the escape
plater, thereby allowing the contact pulley, which is furnished with three
recesses, and is put in motion in the manner herein-after described, to perform
the third of a revolution. The taking out wheels d and e are drawn out of
gear by the cam 70, which moves the double elbow lever connected to the
swivel bearing d² by the jointed 'rod r. This rod is made of two 'pieces, con-
nected together by a strong spring 10, the object of which is to prevent the
breaking of the teeth of the taking out wheels d' and e when the same 'are
'thrown into gear, or when any obstruction occurs during the going out of the
carriage. It is evident that if the teeth come against each other, instead of
into gear with each other, the spring 70 allows the two parts of the rod 7 to
expand, and the teeth of the wheels slip into gear the moment the shaft d' has
'performed a small portion of a revolution, and if an obstruction occurs in the
"going out of the carriage, the spring yields, and allows the wheels d' and'e
to 'slip out of gear. The action of the double-elbow lever also draws the
"clutch box gout of gear with the clutch at the back of the wheel g, and thus
'stops the drawing rollers. The drop catch y, which had been slightly elevated
by the action of the bowl, descends when the carriage is completely out and
falls on to the stud of the bowl *, thereby latching the carriage, and retaining
it at the end of the 'stretch. The strap from the drum' a' is now moved from
the fast pulley to the loose pulley in the following manner :-To the under
'side of the wheel o", on the twist shaft o (the means for driving which will be
'explained hereafter), is fixed a projection o, which now comes in' contact with
'and depresses the arm o' of the fork lever os, seen best in Figure 3, which thus
moves the driving strap from the pulley i to the pulley ; the break-i³ is
brought down upon the fast pulley by the projection o* on the upper side of
the wheel of acting upon the end of the lever o","connected to the break, as
seen best in 'Figures 1 and 2. The position of the fallers j'and j¹ is now
changed by the following mechanism:-The twist shaft o is put in motion by
'the worm a at the end of the driving shaft a, working in a worm wheel o¹.
'Near the end of the twist shaft is fixed the wheel o2, which gears into the
'pinion o³, revolving on a fixed stud; to this pinion is fixed a lever o*, which
"acts upon the bent-up end of the horizontal bar p, the other extremity of which

page_text: 13
is jointed to the lower end of the double lever p¹. When the carriage is out,
the upper end of the locking lever q, which is jointed to a stud projecting from
the end of the carriage, is in contact with the roller at the upper end of the
double lever p¹; consequently, when the bar p is moved in the direction of the
arrow by the action of the lever o, the position of the locking lever q is
changed, and the fallers are brought into the position they ought to be in
during the putting-up of the carriage by the system of levers shewn in red in
Figure 1, and which are similar to those in general use. While the bar p is
moving, as above described, the inclined plane p², seen best in Figure 2, and
by dots in Figure 1, comes against and depresses the pin 3 projecting from the
catch 1, and as the second notch * of the escape rod was at the same time
being held against the end of the catch 7, it is evident that the action of the
inclined plane p will again liberate the escape rod l, and the action of the
spring m¹ will move it until the pin comes in contact with the bracket P.
By this means the notch of the escape lever m is pulled beyond the reach of
the middle stop on the escape plate r, which is fixed to the cam shaft r', and
the contact pulley is again set at liberty to perform the third of a revolution.
The mode of actuating the contact pulley is shewn in Figures 1 and 3, and
consists of the wheel a gearing into the wheel fixed on a short shaft, near,
the other end of which is a friction pulley r acting on the contact pulley ² in
the usual manner. The action of the inclined plane på on the pin serves to
liberate the hook on the drop latch y from the stud of the bowl k², and thereby
releases the carriage, which is now at liberty to be put up; the last motion
given to the cam shaft brings the putting up catch box s into gear by the
action of the cam 1 on the elbow lever s', seen best in Figure 2. We will now
describe the improved machinery for effecting the putting up of the carriage, and
for imparting to it the varying speeds required while the carriage is running in
towards the drawing rollers. On the main driving shaft a is a bevil wheel a³,
which gears into the wheel t and gives motion to the upright shaft t, on
which is fixed a worm t³, the thread of which works between the little rollers
ts, revolving on pins projecting from the disk t. When the carriage is going
out this disk revolves loose on the shaft to, but as soon as the putting-up catch
box s is put into gear with the catch box on the back of the disk t', the
shaft begins to rotate. To the end of this shaft is fixed excentrically
the wheel to gearing into the pinion t fixed on the short shaft 8, which
revolves at varying velocities corresponding to the distance between the centre
of the wheel to and the centre of the shaft to. At the commencement of the
putting up, the wheel to and pinion t are in the positions indicated by red
circles in Fig. 3, and the shaft t is consequently revolving at its lowest

page_text: speed, but this speed is gradually increased about fourfold, when the largest
diameter of the wheel te is acting on the pinion t'; this proportion has been
found to give good results in practice, but other proportions may be found
advantageous in particular cases. The short shaft revolves in bearings
suspended from the circumference of the wheel to, in order that the teeth of
the wheel and pinion may remain at all times properly in gear, and near the
end of the shaft ts is a universal joint, giving motion to the shaft t", the other
extremity of which is supported by a swivel bearing, fitting loose on the
shaft e¹, which in combination with the drum es and band f answers the double
purpose of taking out and putting up the carriage. On the shaft to is a bevil
wheel to gearing into a similar wheel on the shaft e¹, thereby communicating
the variable speed obtained by the excentric wheel te to the putting up of the
carriage; to the bevil wheel is fixed the barrel for the letting off chain a,
which is connected to the radial arm u in the usual manner. The wheel to
performs nearly one revolution during the going in of the carriage; consequently
when the carriage is in the wheel t and pinion t have again assumed the
positions indicated by red circles in Fig. 3, or nearly so, but as the shaft is
in motion when the carriage is running in and going out, it is evident that
the excentric wheel to and its pinion t' will resume their proper positions for
bringing the carriage in at the end of every succeeding stretch. When the
carriage is nearly in, the strap is moved from the loose pulley * to the fast
pulley by the incline k¹, fixed to carriage square k, coming in contact with
the lever 08; at the same time the escape lever m is moved by the carriage
into the position in which it is now shewn in the Drawing, thereby liberating
the notch from the third stop on the escape plate r, and allowing the contact
pulley to perform the third of a revolution, which brings the first stop on
the escape plate r against the notch on the escape lever m, as shewn in
Fig. 1. The moving of the escape lever m also brings the escape rod and
catch into their original positions.
Our improved mode of connecting the winding-on chain to the radial
arm u is seen best in Fig. 4, on referring to which view it will be seen that the
shaft is supported in similar bearings, and is used as a substitute for the
screw generally employed. The shaft u¹ is made with a groove, into which
fits a key, fixed in the worm u; this worm takes into the teeth of a rack u³
fixed to the radial arm u, and when the shaft u¹ revolves, it causes the slide u*,
in which the worm u² is supported, to move up or down in the same way as
the screw acting on a screw nut. The winding-on chain 2 is fixed to the
slide u, and the winding-on barrel ¹ is put in motion from the horizontal
shaft h¹ in the usual manner, and as clearly shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.

page_text: The improved machinery for varying the distance of the winding-on chain s
from the fulcrum of the radial arm u, according to the tension of the yarn,
consists of the following parts:-The faller ; and counter-faller are con-
nected together in the ordinary manner by the chain j, seen in Fig. 4; this
chain passes under a groove pulley supported by a bridle j*, the lower end of
which is screwed and passes through a hole in the lever jo, the fulcrum
of which is a stud attached to the carriage square; this lever is also seen in
Figs. 1 and 2; the under edge of it, near its fulcrum, is bevelled so as to form
a catch, which takes into the teeth of the ratchet whell jo; this wheel and the
small pinion j revolve loose on a stud fixed to the carriage square.
A light
chain je, represented by a dotted line, Fig. 1, takes into the spaces between
the teeth of the pinion 7, and passes round the guide pulley je mounted on a
stud fixed to the frame side, and round the pulley 10, loose on a stud projecting
from the fulcrum of the radial arm . To the pulley jo is fixed the bevel
pinion j", which gears into a similar pinion u fixed on the shaft u', when our
improved mode of connecting the winding-on chain to the radial arm is
employed, or to the screw in mules of the ordinary construction. When the
tension on the yarn becomes greater than is required during the running-in
of the carriage, the counter-faller is depressed, and the catch at the under
side of the lever drops into gear with the ratchet wheel je; consequently the
pinion imparts motion to the pulley j", and increases the distance of
the end of the winding-on chainz from the fulcrum of the radial arm; but
if the tension of the yarn is right, the lever jo remains out of gear with the
ratchet wheel jo, and allows the carriage to run in without increasing
the distance of the slide u from the fulcrum of the radial arm; the yarn is
thus kept at its proper tension, and the winding-on chain is drawn off the
barrel ¹ in the proportion required by the tension of the yarn and the increasing
size of the cop.
The improvements relating to the shaping of the cops consist in forming
the copping rail and shaper plates of the same piece; thereby reducing the
number of parts and rendering the same less liable to get out of order. In
Fig. 1, v is a rail, the upper surface of which forms an inclined plane, along
which slides the pin from the copping lever v', shewn in red in Fig. 1. The
right-hand end of the rail v is guided by a pin fitting in a slot, and the under
part of the rail at 10 bears upon a screw nut v³, the position of which is
changed at every going-out of the carriage by the inclined plane, fixed
to the carriage, striking against the projecting end of the lever v³, seen best in
Fig. 4, the other end of which has a catch taking into a ratchet wheel fixed
to the screw in the usual manner. At the left-hand end the rail vis

page_text: guided by a grooved bracket, and rests at 8 upon a pin connected to the
nut by the rod v7. The rail v is shewn in the position it occupies when
the cops on the spindles h have just been begun, that is to say, when the
carriage has made a few stretches; the level of the rail is gradually lowered
during the building of the cop by the screw nut being moved after every
stretch slightly in the direction of the arrow below it; the shape of the inclined
and partly curved surfaces v1 and is such that they produce the varying
positions in the rail v, and therefore in the faller j, which are required for
building the bottom of the cop, and, after that is completed, for laying on the
yarn in successive layers until the cop is made.
In Figs. 3 and 5 we have shewn our self-acting machinery for throwing
the driving strap a from the fast to the loose pulley, and thereby stopping the
mule in case any obstruction should occur during the running-in of the
carriage. The upright shaft t, which is driven by the bevil wheels a³ and t
from the main driving shaft a, is supported below in a foot-step, and bears upon
the end of a pin 20 jointed to the weighted lever w¹; the under side of the bevil
wheel t is in contact with the upper end of a lever w³, fixed to the stop rod w
or to the stop lever w⭑. As long as the mule is working without interruption
the driving strap at remains on the fast pulley a', and the lever w¹ remains
about horizontal; the upright shaft t¹ being held in its place, and the bevil
wheels t and a in gear by the weight w, but if an obstruction of sufficient
force to overcome the weight w occurs, the bevil wheel t on the upright
shaft t¹ is forced out of gear with the wheel as on the driving shaft a, and the
lever w³ acting on the stop lever w* moves the strap from the fast to the loose
pulley and stops the mule. We wish to remark that this mode of stopping the
mule may be applied to other parts of the machine, and therefore we do not
limit ourselves to this particular arrangement; and we would also observe that
the application of our improvements to machinery for doubling and twisting is:
so evident that no further explanation would be required by persons conversant
with this class of machinery.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our Invention, we wish
it to be understood that we do limit ourselves to the combinations herein set
forth, so long as the peculiar character of our Invention be retained; but what
we do claim is,
First, the improved combination of parts for changing the position of the
fallers, and for throwing the putting-up catch box into gear, as herein-before
described with reference to the pieces marked o, p, p, 1, P, and y, and parts
in connection therewith.
Secondly, the improved combination of parts for moving the strap from the

page_text: twist pulley to the loose pulley, and for putting the break on the twist pulley,
as described with reference to the parts marked 0, 0, 0, 0º, and o".
Thirdly, the improved mode of putting the drawing out wheels into gear
for preventing the breaking of the teeth, and allowing them to draw out of
gear when an obstruction occurs in the going out of the carriage, as described
with reference to 7 and 10.
Fourthly, the improved combination of parts for putting up the carriage,
as described in reference to the parts marked t, t, tʻ, tº, and t'.
Fifthly, the improved mode of connecting the winding-on chain to the
radial arm, as described with reference to the parts marked u¹, u, u³, and u*.
Sixthly, the improved combination of parts for changing the position of the
winding-on chain according to the tension of the yarn, as described with
reference to the parts marked 3 and 1.
Seventhly, constructing the copping rail and shaper plates of the same piece,
as described in reference to v, vs, and v10.
And, lastly, the application of self-acting machinery for moving the driving
strap from the fast to the loose pulley during the running in of the carriage, as
described in reference to the parts marked w, w¹, w³, w³, w, and wo.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Thompson and John Hewitt
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-two.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1852, the aforesaid William Thompson and John
Hewitt came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.