An Improvement in Self-acting Mules.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Dec., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Self-acting Mules.
JOSEPH BOWKER, Cotton Spinner, Beech Tree Bank, Prestwich, Manchester,
CHARLES BUTTERWORTH, Mill Manager 47 St. Thomas Street North, Oldham,
ABRAM FARROW, Mule Overlooker, 458 Manchester Road, Hollinwood, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In existing strap-relieving motions-to which this improvement refers—a lever,
giving motion to the strap guiders-through a connecting rod, is depressed by a
slipper or side attached to a bracket fixed to the square of the mule carriage.
This is made to a small extent adjustable by means of a slot and bolt-such
adjustment can only be used when the mule is stopped. Another adjustment is
also made by means of notching the end of the connecting rod. This can be
adjusted whilst the mule is working but has the disadvantage of preventing the
relieving motion from having full effect, and does not allow the strap to be moved
completely off the fast pulley.
Our improvement consists in dispensing with the notches in the connecting rod
and in place of the fixed or partially adjustable slipper on the square of the mule
carriage, we fix a bracket to the square under which we attach a movable slipper,
and secured to such bracket by slots and set-screws or otherwise, and having a rack
formed on its upper side, into which a small catch engages, this catch is fixed to the
bracket and has in a convenient position a projection for handling. Thus--this
slipper may at any moment required be drawn out or pushed in-coming in contact
with the lever before mentioned either sooner or later as required by the speed of
the engine or work in hand.
In the above arrangement the catch automatically secures the slide when drawn
out. In another form we secure it by means of a peg and holes in the slipper--this
also may be adjusted whilst at work."
In further explanation, the strap-relieving motion above referred to takes effect
as follows-
The strap effecting the running out of the mule is relieved of great strain and
wear, if it is thrown off on to the loose pulley-some time previous to the cam
motion (already in existance for throwing off this strap) coming into motion-and
thus allowing the carriage to finish its stretch by means of its own impetus.
speed of the motive power and other causes effecting a variation in this impetus
calls for the adjustments which form the subject of this application.
Reference to accompanying drawing:
a. Bracket attached to square of mule carriage.
b. Slipper sliding underneath this bracket.
c. Catch for securing slipper.
The

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Self-acting Mules.
We JOSEPH BOWKER of Beech Tree Bank, Prestwich, Cotton Spinner,
CHARLES BUTTERWORTH of 47 St. Thomas Street North, Oldham, Mill
Manager, and ABRAM FARROW of 458 Manchester Road, Hollinwood, Mule
Overlooker, all in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
drawings:-
66
Our invention relates to the part of a self acting mule which is known as the
strap relieving motion."
During the working of a mule which is provided with such motion the belt
which actuates the parts which take out the carriage is shifted on to the loose
pulley just before the carriage reaches the end of its outward run the momentum
of the parts enabling the carriage to complete the run. Shortly before the end of
the outward run of the carriage a part upon the carriage acts upon a lever
which is connected with the parts which shift the belt. For some time after
the mule has been started after a period of rest the mule runs heavier and
the momentum is not sufficient to carry the carriage to the end of the stretch. The
object of our invention is to render the part which acts upon the lever to effect the
shifting of the belt as aforesaid readily adjustable in order that the belt may be
allowed to remain for a longer period upon the fast pulley until the mule works
more freely.
In some cases two belts are employed in place of a single belt as in the case of
the example which we have selected for illustration.
The accompanying drawings represent our improvements as applied to a mule
fitted with Moorhouse and Ashton's duplex driving motion only the parts which
are necessary to the sufficient illustration of our invention appearing in the
drawings.
In the said drawings
Fig. 1 represents the parts in the positions they occupy at the commencement of
the outward run of the carriage.
Fig. 2 shows the parts in the positions they occupy at the time when the
carriage has almost arrived at the end of its outward run and just before the cam
shaft makes its change to disengage the drawing out and front roller catch-boxes
preparatory to the "backing-off" operation.
'
Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are detached views of parts of Figs. 1 and 2.
Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views.
In Figs. 1 and 2 a is part of the framing of the headstock, b is the "cam shaft"
and c is the strap cam which is secured to the cam shaft and which when the cam
shaft makes a "change" acts upon the bowl & which is fixed upon the top part of
the lever e as is well understood.
The lever e forming one part of the strap guide is mounted upon and secured to
the shaft. The strap lever g which carries the strap fork or eye g² is mounted
on the shaft and is free to turn thereon, the two levers e and g constituting a well
known form of strap guide.
The lever e is provided with an arm e¹ to which the adjustable end of the
spring is secured; the other end of the spring taking hold of the arm g' of the
strap lever g. A spring which keeps the bowl d against the cam c is attached by
one end to the arm e¹ and by the other end to a bracket which is bolted to the
headstock framing.
The elbow of the strap lever a forms a stop against which the head eo of the
lever e rests at times the spring e² always tending to bring these parts together.
By means of the spring connections the two levers are enabled at times to act as

page_text: one lever whilst at other times the lever g can be moved independantly of the
The fast pulleys on the rim shaft are shown at h and the loose
pulleys at i.
lever c.
A lever is mounted loosely on the shaft and at the upper end of this lever is
a projection which abuts against the strap lever g and is capable of moving it at
the proper times in the direction indicated by the arrow. The lower part of the
lever jis jointed to one end of a connecting rod k which is connected by the other
end to an incline lever which is mounted on a stud which is carried by the
bracket m which is secured to the floor or to a part of the framing. The rod k
passes through a bracket k¹ which is bolted to a cross rail which forms a part of the
headstock framing..
The rod is provided with a spring which bears by one end against the
bracket k and by the other end against an adjustable stop k upon the rod, the
spring being compressed so that it tends to push the rod in the direction
indicated by the arrow. A second adjustable stop k acts to prevent the spring
from pushing the rod too far in the indicated direction.
We do not lay claim to the parts as so far described. At n and n¹ a portion of
the "square" of the carriage appears in section. To the front part n is secured a
bracket o.
This part to which our invention is more directly applied is shown
drawn to a larger scale in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Fig. 3 being a side view Fig. 4
an end view and Fig. 5 a plan of the said bracket carrying a movable or sliding
shoe P which is separately represented by Figs. 6 and 7. The lower part o¹ of the
bracket extends below the square and constitutes a support and guide for the
sliding shoe. This shoe is intended to be mounted upon the bracket so that
the shoe can be slid in a straight line in the direction of the movements of the
carriage. In the example two rectangular projections p² p³ upon the shoe are
fitted to slide in slots in the bracket and the shoe is sustained by means of screws
or nuts and washers as clearly shown in the drawings. We may vary the method
of mounting the shoe so long as it is free to slide when acted upon by the mule
attendant.
A
The upper part of the shoe is provided with teeth p¹ in the form of a rack.
catch which is mounted loosely on a pin g secured to the bracket engages with
the teeth of the rack and whilst permitting the shoe to be moved in the direction
indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 prevents the shoe from being moved in the
opposite direction excepting when the catch has been disengaged from the teeth
of the rack.
The operation of the parts is as follows:-
At the commencement of the outward run of the carriage the several parts
occupy the positions indicated in Fig. 1 the driving belts being on the fast pulleys.
When the carriage during its outward run brings the curved end of the shoe P into
contact with the incline lever the said lever is turned on its centre into the
position indicated in Fig. 2 and acting through the rod k upon the lever j will
cause the part to press against the strap lever g whereby such strap lever will be
moved in the direction indicated by the arrows the driving belts being thereby
shifted from the fast pulleys on to the loose pulleys.
The momentum acquired by the rim shaft and other parts during the running
out of the carriage would under ordinary conditions be sufficient to complete the
outward run of the carriage. It will be obvious that the greater the momentum of
the parts and the earlier the shoe may be allowed to act upon the incline lever
without interfering with the continuous working of the mule and on the contrary
with reduced momentum such action should be later.
When the mule has been at rest for some time the attendant can disengage the
catch 9 and push in the shoe as far as he thinks desirable. The catch being then
dropped prevents the shoe from being pushed further in by the resistance of the
incline lever.
So soon as the mule begins to run "lighter" and with more momentum the shoe
can be drawn out without disengagement of the catch by the attendant and the

page_text: shoe will then act earlier upon the incline lever. The adjustment of the
position of the shoe can be readily effected during the time the mule is at work
and therefore it is not necessary to stop the mule when such adjustment is
desirable.
The arrangements for holding or locking the sliding shoe may be varied as
for example we may employ a catch or detent mounted to turn upon a vertical
axis or a sliding bolt actuated directly or by means of a lever such bolt engaging
with suitably shaped grooves recesses or holes in the shoe or a removable pin or
cottar might be used for the purpose.
We may act upon the shoe by means of a lever which could be extended
upward so that its upper end would be in a position to be more conveniently
operated by the attendant as compared with the catch 9.
The upper end of the lever might be held by means of a thumb nut or of a
detent engaging with a sector rack or notched bar or by other suitable means.
We e may provide the shoe or a sliding part taking its place with a bowl to run
upon the lever l.
We may mount the shoe so that it will be capable of being moved or turned
sideways a spring acting to keep the shoe in its position of rest in which position it
would engage with a fixed stud or catch the disengagement being effected by the
attendant drawing the shoe sideways.
We are aware that a part which has acted upon the incline lever has been made
adjustable previously to our invention but to effect the adjustment it has been
necessary to slacken holding bolts so that the adjustment could not be effected
during the working of the mule.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1) The bracket o the sliding shoe p and the catch gas and for the purpose set
forth.
2) In strap relieving apparatus for spinning mules mounting the shoe or part
which acts upon the incline lever to slide freely to and fro and providing a detent
or catch engaging with teeth upon the said shoe to hold the shoe in position when
drawn out as and for the purpose set forth.
3) In strap relieving motions for spinning mules mounting the part which acts
upon the lever or connection with the strap shifting apparatus so that it can be
readily drawn out by the attendant whilst the mule is at work and providing a
releasable catch detent or locking device to prevent the said part from being
moved back by the resistance of the said lever or connection substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1891.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester,, Agents.