IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND: OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Lakin, of the City of Manchester, Machinist,
and John Wain, of the same Place, Mechanic, for the Invention of.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON AND:
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 24th April 1867, and dated the 10th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Lakin and John
Wain at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 10th November 1866.
We, ROBERT LAKIN, of the City of Manchester, Machinist, and JOHN
WAIN, of the same Place, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
The nature of the first part of this Invention consists in an improved com-
bination of parts for preventing the rise of the faller in machines for spinning
and doubling until the spindles are turned round to coil the yarn up the
spindles, thereby preventing snarls; to the tin roller or drum shaft is fastened
a pulley, from which a band or strap conveys motion to another pulley
supported on a stud in a bracket on the carriage. Connected with the latter
pulley is a catch and ratchet wheel, and also a pinion which gears into a
sector attached to the faller. When the faller is unlocked the rise of the
faller acting on the sector, and the sector acting on the pinion, the catch being

page_text: thereby put into contact with the ratchet, the rise of the faller is governed or
regulated by the rotation of the pulley driven by the band.
The second part of this Invention consists in an improved mode of giving
motion to the middle bottom row of rollers in spinning mules. Usually this
row is driven from the back row of rollers either at the off end of the mule or
at the end near the headstock, the objection to which is that wheels of small
diameter must be used. To overcome this objection we give motion to the
middle row of rollers direct from the back or drawing-out. shaft of the mule.
As the back or drawing-out shaft rotates in one direction when drawing the
carriage out, and in the reverse when the carriage goes in, it is requisite that
a clutch box, ratchet wheel, and catch, or some other well-known mode of
disconnecting the motion be applied between the back shaft and middle row
of rollers, so as to cause the motion from the back shaft only to be given as
the carriage goes out. With such arrangement motion can be given either by
wheels gearing into each other, so as to connect the back shaft and middle
row of rollers, or by pulleys and a band. Occasionally the middle row of
rollers is driven from both ends of the back row, the objection to which is the
difficulty which exists in causing the wheels to be keyed on at each end
sufficiently accurate as to cause them to act equally and without torsion or
strain on the couplings. To obviate this objection instead of coupling the
rollers from end to end, so as to form a continuous row, we leave them
uncoupled at or near the middle of the row, by which means each portion of
the row is driven separate and independent of each other; or the middle row
may remain in one line and be driven as heretofore from the back row at the
end near the headstock, and the off end may be driven by a band and pulley
from the back shaft, the band being so arranged as not to be strong enough
to drive the middle row of itself, but strong enough to aid the gearing at
the other end, and thereby reduce the strain..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said Robert Lakin and John Wain in the Great Seal Patent Office 3
on the 10th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
LAKIN, of the City of Manchester, Machinist, and JOHN WAIN, of the same
Place, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3.
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord.

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of. Iler.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Robert Lakin and John Wain, Her special license that we, the said.
Robert. Lakin and John Wain, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or,
such others as we, the said Robert Lakin and John Wain, our executors,
administrators, and, assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,,
from time to 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 MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others);
that we, the said Robert Lakin and John Wain, our executors or adminis-,
trators,, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the 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 we, the said Robert Lakin and John Wain, do hereby,
declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following;
statement:-
1
Our Invention for convenience may be divided into two parts, the first of,
which relates to the fallers of self-acting mules and doublers, and consists in
an improved combination of machinery actuated by or from the tiu roller or
drum shaft to govern and regulate the rise of the faller when it is unlocked at
the completion of the inward run of the carriage; secondly, in an improved.
mode of giving motion to the middle bottom drawing roller of spinning mules.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily.
carried into operation we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of such parts of a spinning
mule as are necessary to describe the first part of our Invention; and
Figures 3, 4, and 5 are detached parts thereof, in which a is the tin roller
used for driving the spindles;. b, a grooved pulley of different diameters fixed
ou the tin roller shaft, which drives a corresponding grooved pulley c by the ;
cord d. To the carriage end e is bolted the faller fixing f, and to the faller
shaft g and counterfaller shaft h are fastened the fingers i and j which support.,
and guide the faller wires. The pulley c is supported by and rotates on a

page_text: .
stud which passes through a curved slot in an arm of the fixing f. To one
side of the pulley is cast the internal ratchet wheel c¹, see Figure 3, within
which is the boss k, on which is the spring 1; the inside of this spring is lined
with leather to produce a drag or friction on the bossk of the pulley c. To
the spring is attached the piece m, at one end of which is the pin n, which
takes into a slot of the click o swivelling on the stud p which projects from
the face of the plater, see Figures 4 and 5; to one side of the plate r is
cast the small wheel or pinion y; to the faller shaft 9 is attached the sector 8,
into which the pinion y gears. Before describing the mode of operation we
may observe that at the completion of the inward run of the carriage it is
usual to allow the faller when unlocked to rise suddenly and unchecked by
means of weights and springs employed for that purpose, the effect of which
is to liberate the various threads of yarn which often allows the same to pass
into snarls. Now the object of this part of our Invention is to prevent this
sudden rise of the faller when it is unlocked, and in lieu thereof to govern and
regulate its rise so as to cause the same to be in unison with the coiling of the
yarn on the spindles, and thereby to prevent snarls, and which we effect as
follows:-When the faller is unlocked it acts on the sector s geared with the
pinion y, and this pinion through the plater causes the stud p to act on and
put the click o in contact with one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel c' attached
to the pulley c; when this is effected the action of the faller will be governed
and regulated by the rotation of the pulley c, which derives its motion from
the pulley 6 on the tin roller shaft, and as the pulleys b and c have grooves of
different diameters the speed or movement of the faller can be accelerated or
retarded by changing the cord d from one groove to another. When the
faller has risen to its full extent the sector ceases to act on the pinion y, and
the click o passes out of contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel c', and
thereby terminates their connection. The pulleys b and c must be of such
size that the rotation of the pulley c will allow the faller to rise at such a speed
as will cause the faller wire to keep the threads sufficiently tight to prevent
snarls, but not so tight as to break them. In some cases (arising from the
bevel at which the spindles are set, the height of the spindles, or other causes,)
it is likewise found requisite at the commencement of the formation of a set
of cops to allow the faller wire to rise from one and a half inches to three
inches by the action of the usual weights and springs without being checked
by the apparatus. In this case when the faller is depressed at the commence-
ment of a set the teeth in the sector s must be so fixed that they will pass out
of gear with those of the pinion y to enable the faller to rise sufficiently high
before the teeth of the sector s come into contact with those of the pinion y;
b

page_text: when this is the case we apply the strap or cord v, weight, and adjustable
stop piece w, which is fastened to the carriage end (see Figure 1); the weight
* is attached to one end of the strap v, the other end of which is fastened to
the boss of the plater; in this plate we fix a stud or pin in such a position
that when the plate r is pulled back by the action of the weight & it will come,
in contact with and rest on the end of the stop piece w, which must be
adjusted to ensure the teeth of the pinion y being in such a position that when
the faller is raised the teeth of the sectors may take into them. In Figure 6
we exhibit a modification of this part of our Invention, in which instead of
using a ratchet wheel and click in, connection with the pulley c we dispense
with them, as also with the plater, and place the pinion y on the boss of the
pulley c, and instead of using the sectors as in Figure 1 we use a straight
rack or sector, as shewn in Figure 6, which is supported by a stud in the sector.
lever s', and on which it is free to move. The lower part of this rack passes
through an opening in the weighted lever t, which is supported by the same
stud as the wheel c, and on which it is free to move; this lever is used to keep
the racks in gear with the pinion y, the weighted end being heavy enough for
that purpose, but at liberty to yield to suit the motion of the racks, or when
the rack is raised to gear with the pinion y provided the tops of the teeth
should come against each other. In this arrangement the pulley c and
pinion y are always in motion when the mule is at work, but when the backing
off takes place they rotate in a different direction to that when spinning. The
length of the rack must be such that when the faller is raised the teeth will.
be out of contact with the pinion y, so as to leave it free to turn when spinning
without acting on the rack, and at the commencement of the formation of a.
set of cops that it will be raised sufficiently above the pinion as to allow the.
faller partially to rise, as before named, without being controlled by. the.
pinion y. When the backing-off takes place the faller wire is depressed by,
the usual means, and the racks will at the same time be raised, and the teeth.
of the rack and pinion will be brought in contact, and the speed at which the
rack is raised will govern that of the pinion y, and the cord d will at such
time have to slip if the motion of the two do not coincide, and when the
carriage is going in when the rack and pinion are in gear, which they will be
when the cop is partially formed, the cord will also have to slip, as the position
of the faller is governed by the copping motion.
The second part of our Invention is shewn in Figures 7, 8, and 9.
Figure 7 is
side elevation of part of the headstock side of a self-acting or
other mule, near to which the wheels for driving the rollers are fixed; Figure 8.
is a plan of a portion of the bottom rollers, headstock side, frame end, and

page_text: carriage end, and Figure 9 is an elevation of the frame end and carriage
end.
"
A is the front, B the middle, and C the back bottom drawing rollers, and
D the ordinary wheels for driving them; E is the headstock side, and F
the off frame end, and to them the ends of the roller beam are attached in the
usual way G represents one of the back shaft pulleys, around which the cords
H and I are coiled as usual, to effect the drawing' out of the carriage one end
of each of the cords is fastened to the back shaft pulley G, and the other ends
are connected as usual to the tension barrels J; these tension barrels and the
stud L' are attached to the carriage end M, but the carrier pulley N is on the
off frame end F. To the outer end of the middle roller B is fastened the plate O,
in the face of which is a stud, and loose on the end of the roller B is a pulley Q,
within which is an internal ratchet wheel, and on the boss of the pulley Qis
à friction spring and click. The plate O; pulley Q, and friction spring and
click are the same as those shewn in Figures 3, 4, and 5, and act in a similar
way. From this description of the parts it will be readily understood that the
band H passing around the pulley Q causes. this pulley to rotate alternately in
contrary directions, because the back or drawing out shaft rotates in one
direction when drawing the carriage out, and in the reverse direction when
the carriage goes in; it is; therefore, requisite that the ratchet wheel and catch
above described, or some other well-known mode of disconnecting the notion,
be applied between the back shaft and the middle drawing rollers, so as to
cause the motion from the back shaft only to be given to the roller as the
carriage goes out; by giving motion to the middle row of rollers in the manner
above described the small wheels hitherto employed for that purpose are
dispensed with. Instead of connecting the back shaft to the middle row of
rollers by pulleys and a band as described, they may be connected by a wheel
on the back shaft giving motion to a wheel on the end of the middle row of
rollers, and provided with a ratchet wheel and catch, as above described.
Occasionally the middle row of rollers is driven from both ends of the back
row, the objection to which is the difficulty that exists in keying the wheels
on at each end with a sufficient accuracy to cause them to act equally and with
out torsion or strain on the couplings. To obviate this objection, instead of
coupling the rollers from end to end so as to form a continuous row, we leave
them uncoupled at or near the middle of the row, by which means each portion
of the row is driven separately and independently of each other; or the middle
row of drawing rollers may remain in one line and be driven as heretofore
from the back row at the end near the headstock, and the off end may be
driven by a band and pulley from the back shaft as above described, the band.

page_text: being so arranged as not to drive the middle row of rollers by itself, but merely
applied to aid the gearing which determines the number of revolutions that
the roller makes, and thereby to reduce the strain.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, we declare that we claim,-
First, governing the rise of the faller in self-acting mules from a pulley on
the tin roller shaft, as described.
Secondly, driving the middle row of drawing rollers from the back or drawing-
out shaft of the mule, as described.
Thirdly, driving the middle row of drawing rollers from both ends
thereof, and disconnecting the rollers at or about the middle of the row, as
described.
And, lastly, driving the middle row of drawing rollers partly by gearing,
as usual, and partly by friction apparatus from the back or drawing-out shaft,
as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Lakin and John Wain, have
hereto set our hands and seals, the Eighth day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
ROBERT LAKIN. (L.S.)
JOHN WAIN.
(L.S.)