Improvements
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1894
Specification Left. 6th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1895
Improvements
I EMANUEL SMETHURST of 30 Top Street Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
perative Cotton Spinner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
flows:
I
This invention relates more especially to mules commonly known as Platt's
ules, the object of my invention being to keep a more uniform rate of twist
n the yarn being spun than can at present be obtained, and to prevent undue
vear and tear of the twist banding.
For these purposes
so control the twist band that it is kept automatically at
uniform tension throughout the spinning of the yarns, and I also gradually
decrease or ease the tension on the said twist band as the spinning proceeds.
I further provide apparatus for automatically acting upon the stop rod so that as
soon as the twist band begins to break, or has been stretched to its furthest
limit, the mule will be stopped, and thus breakage of the yarn, or spinning when
the yarn is short of twist is prevented.
In a Platt's mule or mules of similar construction the carrier pulley, round
which the twist band is passed at the outer end of the headstock, is mounted
on a stud which is adjustable upon a screw turned by a handwheel by the
attendant as it is required to tighten up the twist band.
According to my invention in the first place I actuate this screw automatically,
and for this purpose I key or fix a ratchet wheel upon the said screw which
I actuate by a catch or pawl upon one end of a suitable lever, the other end
of which is or may be worked from the quadrant shaft in the following manner.
A catch mounted on the headstock prevents the ratchet wheel from turning
the screw back when the lever rises.
or stud to which
I attach one end of a chain, which is passed through a hole or slot in a bracket
carried by the lever which carries the pawl before named, and hangs loosely
in this bracket the said chain being weighted at the end.
Upon or into the said quadrant shaft I fix a short arm
A collar, stud or other projection is fixed to the chain and acting against the
0 bråcket on the lever, it will raise the lever (which is weighted) as the quadrant
shaft revolves in one direction.
The lever is further counterbalanced by a weight at the end of a chain attached
to the lever and passing upwards therefrom over a suitable pulley mounted on the
mule headstock. The lever is mounted loosely on the screw before named, and a
35 weight is adjustable on the said lever by means of a bevel wheel on the screw
gearing into a similar pinion on a screwed rod carried in bearings on the lever.
This screwed rod works through the weight which is drawn nearer to the centre
every time the lever is raised, as the pinion runs round the fixed bevel wheel.
When the quadrant shaft is reversed this weight draws down the lever fo
40 a certain distance, and the pawl slightly turns the screw which tightens up th
twist band, but the screwed rod on which the weight is mounted is not turned, a
the lever and the bevel wheel move together.
The twist band will not allow the weighted lever to drop more than a certai
distance owing to the tension on the said band, but. should the band become to
45 slack (say in the case of breakage or partial breakage thereof) the lever can dr
lower and a projection or bowl on the short end of the lever will come benea
'

page_text: an incline on a stop lever connected by a rod the end of which is cranked or
provided with an arin projecting below the stop rod of the mule.
This projection or bowl will raise the stop lever and lift the stop rod in its
bracket so that a suitable spring can move it outwards and stop the mule.
Another incline or bracket is fixed to the stop lever in such a position that
when the centre or stud of the pulley carrying the twist band has been drawn
out almost to the end of the screw it will come beneath this second incline or
bracket raise the stop lever and stop the mule.
By these means the twist band is constantly being tightened up by the
weighted lever as the spinning proceeds and in the same proportion the weight
is also gradually brought nearer the centre of the said lever and the pressure
on the tightening motion is gradually eased, so that the band is kept at the
proper tension and undue strain thercon is prevented.
Dated this 20th day of October 1894.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
improvements in Spinning Mules.
I EMANUEL SMETHURST of 30 Top Street Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Operative Cotton Spinner, 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:-
This invention relates more especially to mules commonly known as Platt's
mules, the object of the invention being to keep a more uniform rate of twist
in the yarn being spun than can at present be obtained, and to prevent undue
wear and tear of the twist banding.
For these purposes I so control the twist band that it is kept automatically
at a uniform tension throughout the spinning of the yarns, and I also, where
required, gradually decrease or ease the tension on the said twist band as the
spinning proceeds. 1 further provide apparatus for automatically acting upon
the stop rod so that as soon as the twist band begins to break, or has been
stretched to its furthest limit, the mule will be stopped, and thus breakage of
the yarn, or spinning when the yarn is short of twist is prevented.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have annexed hereto
two sheets of drawings and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof.
On Sheet 1 Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 an end view of so much of a mule
headstock as is necessary to illustrate the application of my invention to a Platt's
mule when the easing or gradual decrease of the tension on the twist band is not
required.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the lever for adjusting the screw which tightens up the
twist band.
On Sheet 2 Figs 2 and 3 are similar views to Figs. 2 and 3 illustrating the
invention when the easing or gradual decrease of the tension on the twist band is
required.
In a Platt's mule, or mules of similar construction, the carrier pulley a, round
which the twist band b is passed at the outer end of the headstock c, is mounted on
a stud a¹ which is adjustable upon a screw & turned by a handwheel by the
attendant as it is required to tighten up the twist band.
According to my invention in the first place I actuate this screw d automatically,
and for this purpose I key or fix a ratchet wheel e upon the said screw d which
I actuate by a catch or pawlf upon one end of a suitable lever g the other end of

page_text: which is or may be worked from the quadrant shaft in the following manner..
A catch mounted on the headstock c prevents the ratchet wheel e from turning
the screw d back when the lever g rises, the said catch f¹ engaging with a second
ratchet wheel e fixed on the screw d, upon which the lever is mounted loosely.
I prefer to form or fix upon the end of the lever g a forked bracket g¹ embracing
the framework cx (see Figs. 3 and 34) for guiding and steadying the end of the
said lever.
Upon or into the said quadrant shaft h I fix a short arm or stud or its equivalent
to which I attach one end of a chain which is passed through a hole k', or slot, in
a bracket & carried by the lever g (see Fig. 3) which carries the pawl
named the said chain i hangs loosely in this bracket being weighted at the end
at ix.
I
before
A collar, stud or other projection may be fixed to the chain and acting against
the bracket on the lever it will raise the lever (which is weighted at g*) as the
quadrant shaft revolves in one direction, or the weight may itself act against
the bracket k.
This action takes place just before the outward run of the mule carriage is
completed, and I prefer so to fix the chain i to the shaft that during the outward
run of the carriage the chain i is first uncoiled for one revolution of the said shaft h
and is then coiled upon the same to raise the weight against the bracket k.
When the quadrant shaft is reversed the chain is again uncoiled from the
shaft, the weight i* leaves the bracket k and the weight g* draws down the
lever g for a short distance and the pawlf slightly turns the screw & which tightens
up the twist-band b.
The twist band will not allow the weighted lever to drop more than a certain
distance owing to the tension on the said band b, but should the band become too
slack (say in the case of breakage or partial breakage thereof) the lever can drop
lower, and a projection or bowl p on the short end of the lever g will rise beneath
an incline or a bracket m on a stop lever n connected to a sliding rod o the end of
which is cranked or provided with an arm of projecting below the stop rod y of
the mule.
This projection or bowl p will raise the stop lever n and lift the stop rod 7 in its
bracket (Fig. 1) so that a suitable spring or equivalent device not shewn on the
drawing can move it outwards and stop the mule.
Another incline m* or bracket is fixed to the stop lever in such a position that
when the sliding nut or boss carrying the centre or stud a¹ of the pulley a carrying
the twist band has been drawn out almost to the end of the screw d it will
come beneath this second incline m* or bracket, raise the stop lever n and stop the
mule.
I also form or fix an arm n' upon the stop lever n which I form or provide with
a finger or stud n² or its equivalent projecting beneath the twist-band b (as seen
on Figs. 1, 2 and 2) so that should the latter break suddenly it will fall and
coming into contact with the finger or stud n² will raise the lever n and stop the
mule.
In some cases the lever g is or may be further counterbalanced by a weight y**
at the end of a chain g² attached to the lever g and passing upwards therefrom
over a suitable pulleys mounted on the mule headstock c (see Fig. 24), and the
weight g* may be adjustable on the said lever g by means of a bevil wheel t on the
screw d gearing into a similar pinion t¹ on a screwed rod t carried in bearings on
the lever g as seen on Figs. 2 and 3. This screwed rod works through the
weight g* which is drawn nearer to the centre every time the lever is raised, as
the pinion t¹ runs round the fixed bevel wheel t.
When the quadrant shaft is reversed as before described this weight 9* draws
down the lever g for a certain distance, and the pawl slightly turns the screw d
which tightens up the twist band, but the screwed rod t on which the weight o* is
mounted is not turned, as the lever g and the bevel wheel t move together.
By these means last described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3 the twist band b
•

page_text: .
s constantly being tightened up by the weighted lever g as the spinning proceeds and
the weight g* is also gradually brought nearer the centre or fulcrum of the said
lever g and the pressure on the tightening motion is gradually eased, so that the
band is kept at the proper tension and undue strain thereon is prevented..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination with the screw upon which the centre or stud carrying the
twist band pulley is mounted, of the mechanism for automatically turning the said
screw to keep a uniform tension upon the twist band substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The combination with the screw upon which the centre or stud carrying the
twist band pulley is mounted, of the mechanism for automatically keeping a uniform
tension upon the twist band and at same time gradually easing the tension as the
spinning proceeds, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination with automatic mechanism for keeping a uniform tension on
the twist band, of the means substantially as herein before described for causing the
stop rod to stop the mule as soon as the twist band begins to break.
4. The combination with automatic mechanism for keeping a uniform tension on
the twist band of the means substantially as herein before described for causing the
stop rod to stop the mule as soon as the twist band has been stretched to the furthest
limit desirable.
5. The improvements in spinning mules constructed and applied substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described with reference to the annexed
drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1895.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.