CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING COTTON, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1842

page_text: PUITERS DI
ΠΟΤ
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
POTTER, of Manchester, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-fifth day of May, in the fifth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Potter, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said James Potter, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said James Potter, my exors, admňors, and assigns, should
agree with, and no other, 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 and Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING COTTON,
FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said James Potter, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Potter, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention of Certain
Improvements in Machinery for Spinning Cotton, Flax, and other Fibrous
Substances, to consist in certain various improvements or arrangements of
machinery to be applied to the spinning machine called the self-acting

page_text: mule, for which I obtained an English Patent, bearing date at Westminster,
Twenty-first December, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six; and the
'manner in which these improvements are to be constructed and applied to such
machines so as to perform or carry my Invention into effect, will be seen by
reference to the annexed Drawings and the following description. The scale
to which these Drawings are made is marked thereon, and the same letter or
figure of reference is used to denote the same part of the machinery in each
separate view, where such parts are seen on the same Sheet. As my improve-
ments, as set forth in the annexed Drawings, are applied to my mule for
which I obtained my former Patent, it will be necessary for the reader to
refer to the Specification of that Patent, wherein the nature of the machinery
to which my improvements are applied are fully described, and this descrip-
tion I do not consider it necessary again to repeat, but shall proceed to
enumerate the various movements in the machinery which my present im-
provements are designed to effect or to improve.
For spinning ordinary numbers of mule yarn, say under number 50°, the
stretch or coming out of the carriage is performed by one movement at
an equal and regular speed, while the rotation or spinning action of the
spindles is uniform from the commencement to the termination of the stretch;
but in spinning higher numbers of yarn it is found desirable to reduce the
coming-out speed of the carriage towards the termination of the stretch,
and to increase the speed of the spindles after the drawing rollers have ceased
to revolve. The reduced speed of the carriage is commonly called the "after
draft," and the increased velocity of the spindles the "double speed." These
two important movements for spinning fine numbers of yarn form part of my
improvements, which I shall now proceed to describe in the following order,
as they apply of the ordinary movements of a mule, which is the same
arrangement as I have adopted in my former Specification, in which the
nature of these four movements are fully explained; namely, 1st, the coming
out of the carriage, which I now connect with the "after draft" and the
"double speed;" 2nd, the putting down and guiding the faller wire; 3rd, the
backing off; 4th, the going in of the carriage, and the winding on of the yarn
in the form of a cop.
In the annexed Drawings, at Sheet 1, Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a
mule constructed under my former Patent, and having my present improve-
ments applied to it. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, as seen from the
front, the carriage being omitted; and the remaining Figures are detached
parts, which will be referred to hereafter. In these Figures, A represents the
front or delivering roller of the mule; and B2 the shaft by which motion is

page_text: conveyed to the carriage C. The first movement or the coming out of the
carriage is effected by the rotation of the wheel D', which geers into the
rack D attached to the under side of the carriage C, which is forced out at a
uniform speed until it arrives at the inclined plane N. Thus far the move-
ment is the same as in my former Patent, excepting that I have used the
rack D and geering instead of a band, and the depression of the inclined
plane N stops the delivery of the drawing rollers A, as already explained,
but, in the present arrangement, does not stop the motion of the carriage as
formerly, for at this period it is required to commence the "after draft," as
already explained. The driving motion of the wheel D¹ proceeds from the
oblique shaft B, and is conveyed by a bevil pinion to the wheel B³, see Fig. 1.
This wheel B' is connected to the same stud or shaft as the two pinions b, a, b,
which respectively drive the small spur wheels 26 and 36 supported on arms or
framing proceeding from the centre of the wheel B'; and on the respective
shafts of the wheels 2 and 36 are the pinions 6 and 5b, which periodically geer
into and drive the wheel D' connected with the framing or arms which support
the wheels. 26 and 86 is a third arm which proceed perpendicularly from the
same centre to an horizontal rod at B, and as this three-armed frame moves
freely on the centre of the wheel B', a small horizontal movement of the
rod B will connect or disconnect the pinion 6 and 6" with the wheel D¹, so that
during the stretch or first movement of the carriage the wheel D' is driven by
the pinion; but as soon as the carriage has depressed the inclined plane N
the same movements of the rod S which stops the drawing rollers A, also
moves the rod B in the direction of the arrow, and disconnects the pinion "b
at the same time that it connects the pinion 6 with the wheel D', and the
slower speed imparted by this pinion affects the "after draft" required. This
"after draft continues until the stud d, on the inner face of the wheel D¹,
comes in contact with the catch 'd, which moves freely on the axis of the D'
wheel, and has a constant tendency to remain in a perpendicular position (as
seen in Fig. 1) from the superior weight of its lower extremity; but as soon
as the stud d comes in contact with the upper part of the catch, 'd carries it
forward in the direction of the arrow until the point or extremity takes into
a tooth of the wheel 26, and forcing it up disengages the pinion 6 from the
wheel D. The amount of elevation imparted to the wheel 2 by the catch 'd
is adjusted so as to leave both pinions " and " disengaged, and held in that
position by the catch R³, and the wheel D¹, which is thus free and allows the
return of the carriage C to the front roller, while the rack D² replaces the
wheel D¹ in its original position and ready to recommence the succeeding
stretch; the cam T at the same time replaces the inclined plane N in the

page_text: elevated position, the pinion * is in geer, and the carriage moves out again.
I would here remark, that I have varied the form of the catch R from that
in my former Patent, and that the position in which it is now seen is that in
which the first stretch of the carriage is proceeding, driven by the pinion "b;
but when it is elevated by the depression of the inclined plane and lever N,
as shewn in dotted lines at Fig. 1, the rod S is released, and a powerful spring
under the front roller beam forces back the perpendicular lever R³, to which
the rod B³ is connected, and puts in geer the pinion * for the after draft, as
already described; and as soon as the after draft is terminated by the elevation
of the pinion "b, as already explained, the first notch in the catch R³ hold
both pinions 6 and 5 free of the wheel D¹ to admit of its reverse revolution
on the return of the carriage C to the front rollers at A. As soon as the
after draft commences and the movement of the drawing rollers A has ceased,
the double speed cómmences, which is effected in the following manner :-On
the inner surface of the wheel D¹ is a projecting flange "f" the greater part
of which is concentric and provided with two parts if and of, which hang by
their own weight, and move freely on the pins on which they are supported,
as seen at Fig. 8. On this flange f is supported, by a small friction roller,
the levers *f, until the wheel D' has revolved to that position at which the
part f (which is then closed by its own weight, as indicated by dotted lines),
passes over it, and as the wheel D₁ proceeds forward in the direction of the
arrow, the friction roller falls through the opening at 2f by the weight of the
lever. This fall of the small lever */f is conveyed through the rod of to the
bell crank / which vibrates the clutch box from the bos of the wheel of to
wheel f (see Fig. 2), and by the 'train of geering there represented conveys
to the rim of the accellerated or "double speed" required. This speed only
lasts during the second draft which corresponds with the period at which the
friction roller at the end the lever f is on the outside of the flange f, as
already explained. As soon as the "after draft" and double speed are com-
pleted, the catch 'd disengages the pinion 'b, and the wheel D₁ is free, when
the spinning having ceased, the carriage goes into the front roller A by the
movement described in my former Patent. The going in of the carriage
reverses the rotation of the wheel D' by the rack D, and replaces it in its
original position previous to recommencing the succeeding stretch. To restrain
the impetus given to the carriage in going in, I attach a band, seen in red at
Fig. 1, which passes over the grooved break pulley Ŕ placed under the
carriage. This band is held fast at both ends, and revolves the pulley R³ as
the carriage goes out, but, on its return in, it is held stationary by a catch and
ratchet placed on the same stud, which compels the band to slip on the

page_text: surface of the pulley and steady the carriage. The reverse rotation of the
wheel D', while the carriage is coming in, also replaces the lever f in its
former position by forcing the friction roller to the inside of the flange f, to:
which it passes by raising the part of as it moves up the inclined part "f, see
Fig. 3..
The second movement, or the putting down of the faller wire, if affected as
described in my former Specification, but the governing or guiding its posi-.
tion as the winding on proceeds is dependent on an inclined plane or shaper,
which is well known and in common use, the form of which is shewn separate.
at Fig. 8, Sheet 2. To form this incline so as to govern the faller correctly
for the varying winding on of the cop, I draw a parabola the distance from
P to P¹, Fig. 8, Sheet 2, equal to seventy inches, and measure the distance
from P¹ to Q, one and three quarters of an inch, and, to allow for the thickness
of the spindle, I cut off four inches from P to R, and the curve from R to
P¹ will be the curve required for the incline, answering any length of stretch
not exceeding sixty-six inches. Upon the parabola I place an incline, as seen.
at R, Fig. 1, Sheet 1, and Fig. 8, Sheet 2, which prevents too sudden a
descent of the faller wire, and protects the yarn from being broken down;
and my only additional improvement is the smaller lever seen at a, Fig. 4,
Sheet 1, which is connected to the under faller, so that by weighting this
Jever the tension of the ends of yarn can be regulated, and as soon as the
carriage arrives near the front roller the small inclined plane a elevates the
lever, and removes the under faller preparatory to the succeeding stretch.
x'
The third movement, or the "backing off," remains the same as described
in my former Specification, and the forth or "going in of the carriage" also,
with the exception of an improved shape of the scroll or pulley 6, as seen at
Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, which varies the speed of the going in of the carriage
according to the increased radius on which the crank or arm Facts, as
already described in the former Specification. The winding on, which
proceeds at the same time as the going in of the carriage, is effected by an
entire new movement, which is used in place of the cone Z, described in my
former Specification. This movement I shall now proceed to describe.
Referring to the former Drawing and Specification, the winding-on
apparatus will be there seen at Figs. 1 and 2, represented at cone Z, with
its appendages, as therein described. In applying the new winding-on
apparatus or movement, this cone Z, and its appendages, are entirely removed,
and on the shaft on which the cone was supported is placed the apparatus
shewn at Z, Fig. 2, Sheet 1, and on Sheet 2, at Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
The chain or band y' remains in the same perpendicular position as seen.

page_text: at Fig. 2, Sheet 1, in the former Specification, and the new or improved
winding-on apparatus is connected with the lower extremity of the chain,
similar to its connection with the cone in the former arrangement. The shaft
which formerly supported the cone Z, and now supports the new apparatus, is
marked 'A, Sheet 2 of the annexed Drawings, and the same letter which is
used as a reference to any part in one Figure on Sheet 2 is used for the
same part in the other Figures on this Sheet.
Referring to Sheet 2, Fig. 1 represents a circular disc or plate, provided
with a series of radiating slots or openings a, which guide the moving studs B,
forming the varying scroll on which the chain y' is wound, and Fig. 3 is the
reverse face of the same part. In Fig. 3 the moving parts B will be seen
provided with projecting circular studs, which fit into a series of scroll grooves
or openings C on the face of the Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a circular plate or flange
fitting on to the back of Fig. 1, for the purpose of keeping the chain y' on the
expanding scroll formed by the series of studs B. Fig. 5 represents an end
view of these three parts placed in their proper position, and Fig. 6, a back
view of the same. In placing these three circular plates together, it will be
remarked, that the part represented at Fig. 2 is placed between the parts
seen at Fig. 1 and 6, the former expanding or contracting the points B by
means of the scroll grooves C when revolved on its centre; and Fig. 6
regulating the direction of Fig. 2, while Fig. 4 acts only as a flange to keep
the chain y accurately on the points B, as they vary their position. The
part Fig. 4 is firmly attached to the part Fig. 1 and 3, by means of screws,
but the part Fig. 2 is allowed to revolve on the shaft 'A, to which the part
3
1 and 3, and 4, are firmly keyed. The star wheel z performs the same office
as the former cone arrangement, and gather a tooth at every revolution of the
new apparatus, excepting that it is now placed on the shaft of a screw or worm
d, which gradually revolves the worm wheel D, Fig. 6, and 5.
7
the wheel D is placed a snail z, Fig. 9, also seen in dotted
On the shaft of
lines at Fig. 6,
against which the stud z rest, and determines the position of a segmental rack.
This rack moves freely or its centre at ½-½ and geers into the segment of a spur
8
g
wheel z fixed on the scroll grooves plate, Fig. 2, so that every tooth gathered
in the star wheel z gradually revolves the scroll grooved plate, and allows the
studs B to recede towards the centre. Thus, supposing the studs B to run
out to their greatest distance from the centre of the apparatus, as seen in
dotted lines at Fig. 1, and the winding on the bare spindle to commence, the
greatest number of revolutions will be imparted to the spindles, as due to the
.

page_text: s
enlarged circumference of the studs B, over which the chain y¹ passes; but as
the winding on proceeds, and by the progressive rotation of the star wheel z
and scroll grooved part, Fig. 2, the parts B are contracted, and the winding-
on motion accommodates itself to the varying surface of the cop, which,
when it arrives at that state called the cop bottom, finds the studs B in the
position shewn in black lines at Fig. 1, where they remain till the cop is
completed. Before commencing a new set of cops, the ratchet wheel is
moved round by hand, which revolves the worm or screw d so as to force out
the studs B to their greatest distance from the centre, as seen in blue lines
at Fig. 1, care being taken that the chain y' is removed during this expand-
ing operation. The mule being then put in operation, the studs B gradually
contract, as already explained, till the cop bottom is formed, where they
remain stationary till the cop is complete in the position seen in black at
Fig. 1. The method of forming the curves on the plate Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is
by dividing the circumference into thirty-six parts, and setting off nine of
such divisions, as seen in red radii at Fig. 2, Sheet 2, then ascertain the
distance of one of the studs B, when it is nearest the centre, which is set
off at L' to L³, Fig. 2 and 7, Sheet 2; the greatest distance of the same stud
B must then be set off as at L³ to L', Fig. 7, Sheet 2, which is equal to the
distance on the red radii at Fig. 2, and the oblique line from L' to L³ will
intersect the intermediate radii at the proper distance from the centre, to form
the curve required. And I would here remark, that the same effect may
be produced by substituting twelve screws in place of the curves on the plate
at Fig. 2, as described.
The remaining improvement which I have added to this new winding-on
movement consists in giving a small rotation to the spindle after they
arrived up at the front roller, and when the fallen wires are moving out of
the way to recommence spinning the next stretch. Refering to Fig. 1,
Sheet 1, the rod O performs the same duty in raising the part I, (the form of
which I have varied to compensate for the varied inclination of the spindles in
mutes for fine spinning), when the faller wires are removed (preparatory to
commencing a stretch), as described in the former Specification; but in addition
to the raising the part I, it resolves the rachet wheel m by means of a catch m in
the direction of the arrow, seen in Fig. 1 and Fig. 6, where the additional part
0
6
7
is shewn separate in two views. This ratchet wheel m is placed on the same
shaft as the drum band pulley Q, so that a small rotation is conveyed to the
spindles at the same time and by the same motion which removes the faller
wires, while the carriage is up at the front rollers A, to prevent the poise and.

page_text: friction from the catch m resting on the ratchet wheel m during the spinning;
9
it is removed or elevated by means of the spring m as soon as the ratchet
10
is resolved, and passing back over the guide m, remains free till it has again
to revolve the ratchet, as before described. The form and construction of this
8
part m and the detached parts are shewn on an enlarged scale at Fig. 7, 8,
Sheet 1.
Having now described my various improvement, together with some
parts of my former Specification for the purpose of making the application of
such improvements better understood, I shall proceed to enumerate what I
claim as my present Invention, which consists,-
Firstly, in the combination of machinery by which I effect the double speed
required in fine spinning, as set forth and described.
Secondly, the mechanical arrangement commencing with the three wheel
B and ending with the large wheel D', which takes in the carriage with
the levers and catches, by which, including the after draft, I effect the coming
out of the carriage.
Thirdly, the application of the spiral drag pulley 6 by which, in conjunction.
with the crank F, I effect the bringing in of the carriage.
Fourthly, the application of a new mechanical movement to the self-acting
mule, for preventing snarles in the yarn at the time the faller wires are
removed for the commencement of the succeeding stretch, by giving a small
rotation to the spindle, and thus taking up the loose yarn. I am aware that
the same object may be obtained by giving the carriage or slight outward
motion, but I confine myself to the plan of preventing snarls above stated,
which I have fully set forth and described, but which movement may be
variously modified.
Fifthly, the improved winding-on motion, as set forth on Sheet 2, which,
although in part used in an imperfect form before the date of this Patent, did
not produce a correct winding on until I constructed the improved curves as
represented on Sheet 2, and which, together with the sector and ≈ and
7
B
spiral 2, regulate the position and form of such curves, by which, in conjunction
with the parabolic incline seen at Fig. 8, I produce a perfect result. I
would here remark, that by varying the curve of the incline, a corresponding
variation must be made of the curves, as seen at Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 2, but
which I consider to be only a modification of my present arrangement.
Sixthly, I claim the application of a spring for the purpose of encreasing or
diminishing the tension put upon the yarn during the winding on, as seen at

page_text: X, Fig. 4, Sheet 1; likewise the improved form of the lever I, which is
necessary when the spindles are much inclined, as in fine spinning; likewise
the arrangement of the grooved break pulley R as attached underneath the
carriage for restraining its impetus whilst going in, and likewise the rest for
the incline bowl, as represented at R, Fig. 8, Sheet 2, all of which are fully
set forth and described in the annexed Sheets and Drawings.
And lastly, with respect to the general arrangement of the self-acting mule
headstock, I do not materially vary the position of the various movements,
which arrangement I claimed in my former Specification; but I have to
remark, that in order to increase the stability of the machine, it is necessary to
place the rack D, which is attached underneath the carriage, and the wheel
D', as near the floor as possible; but I consider to be only a modification of
my
former arrangement, and, therefore, do not think it necessary to repeat
the claim.
The above six claims being, to the best of my knowledge and belief, new,
and never before used in that part of Her Majesty's Dominions called
England, I deliver this as a true and faithful Specification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Potter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal. this Twenty-third day of November, One thousand eight