AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE TOP OF SELF-ACTING MULE CARRIAGES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Davies at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 8th September 1879. (A Commnication
from abroad by Emil Engels, of Engels, Kirchen, Prussia.)
GEORGE DAVIES, of 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent. "AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE TOP
OF SELF-ACTING MULE CARRIAGES." [A communication from abroad by Emil
Engels, of Engels, Kirchen, Prussia.]
It is well known to every cotton spinner that the cleaning of the carriage tops
of self-acting mules hitherto could not be done in a satisfactory manner and
without interruption in the working. All appliances hitherto made do not fulfill
the purpose in a perfect manner because in the immediate neighbourhood of the
spindles a narrow space remains uncleansed which necessitates (if a thorough
cleaning is required) à temporary stoppage of the mule. This space can be cleaned
only in a rather difficult manner by hand when the machine is stopped. To avoid
this loss of time and this troublesome and unsafe operation entirely, and to obtain
an efficient cleaning in a simple and safe way by means of the operation of the
machine itself is the purpose of the apparatus hereafter described.
The dirt which accumulates in the immediate neighbourhood of the spindles and
on the carriage tops consists of light cotton fluff; the cloth or other appliances in
use remove this dirt at each going in and outward run of the carriage, except on a
strip about an inch and a half wide near the spindles.
The new contrivance which is to remove the dirt also from this strip (usually
left uncleaned) consists of a smooth ledge which is screwed on the carriage top at a
distance of about an inch and a half, to two inches from the spindle, and of a
movable strip or piece of wood covered with plush on two sides.
The form of the movable strip of wood is such in section, that it will just fill in
the space between the fixed strip and the row of spindles, one edge being bevilled
to fit beneath the bottoms of the cops; this edge and underneath side are covered
with plush. The strip is about fourteen inches long, and is rounded at each
end. The fixed ledges (which must have every where precisely the same distance
from the spindles, and must be particularly smooth on the side turned towards the
spindles) do not reach entirely to both extremities of the carriage, where a space a
little longer than the length of the movable strip of wood remains open. The
latter has (at the bevilled edge covered with plush) a form corresponding to that
of the point of the cop bottom.

page_text: When the cops are spun so far that the pointed bottom part is made, the plush
covered strip of wood is laid in the space between the fixed ledge and the spindles
at the left hand extremity of the carriage, and loosely pressed against the spindles
on the going out of the carriage; the revolving spindles and cops take hold of the
strip of wood at once, and carry it along the ledge with such speed to the right
hand extremity of the carriage, that as a rule it arrives there before the outward
run of the carriage is completed, where it remains lying in the part not covered
by the ledge about one inch distant from the spindles. It is taken away from
here and made to travel along the other half of the carriage on the next outward
run of the same. The wood removes in passing all the accumulated dirt in a
perfect manner and cleans the spindles underneath the cops. It suffices to send
the strip of wood once or twice along the carriage for each set of cops to be spun.
The cops are in no way damaged if the ledge is laid down well and correctly.
The flat screw heads which generally are found on this part of the carriage
tops, present no obstacle because the bottom part of the movable strip of wood
is hollowed out. In new machines the way along which the movable strip of
wood travels can easily be improved by sinking the screw heads deeper.
If the arrangement is to be applied to old machines, it is necessay that the slide
between the ledge and spindles be carefully cleaned; it would be as well to have
it newly varnished with a good smooth lacquer.