IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI- NERY POR PREPARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Slater, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County
of Lancaster, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI-
NERY POR PREPARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Slater at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
April 1861.
I, WILLIAM SLATER, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES,' to be as follows:-
My said improvements consist, first, in an improved combination of mechanism
for effecting the changes of motion and traversing the strap on the cone drums
of slubbing, intermediate, roving, and jack frames. This object is effected by.
the use of four or more spur wheels or pinions, the first one being fixed on the
end of the top cone drum shaft, and which gives motion to all the others.
The second one is an intermittent wheel, and has a few teeth left out on two
opposite sides of its circumference; on the face of the second wheel is either
cast or attached an escape plate, upon the face of which are two snugs, which
are acted upon by an escape lever; this escape lever at its fulcrum works upon
a stud fixed to the framing, and the other end is acted upon by the lifting or

page_text: copping rail, or by the shortening motion attached thereto. The second wheel
has also connected to it an eccentric connected by suitable levers to the strike
shaft, or shaft which gives the alternate motion to the lifting rail. The last wheel
or pinion is fixed on the end of a screw, which works in suitable bearings at each
end; this screw carries the strap fork, which has a thread through the boss;
the said strap fork, together with the cone strap, is traversed a little at each
change of the lift.
Secondly, in the application to the quadrants or radial arms of self-acting mules
of an improved self-acting apparatus or mechanism for giving an increasing
number of revolutions to the spindles when winding on after the cop bottom
is formed; this may be effected by means of a small toothed quadrant, pinion,
and worm wheel, which are attached to the nut of the quadrant or radial arm
and travel with the said nut. An adjustable worm driven by a ratchet wheel
with a tumbler and retaining catch gears into the worm wheel when unlatched
by the nut or anything connected therewith; when the cop bottom is formed,
or nearly so, then the small quadrant together with an arm moves gradually
towards the winding-on chain, and presses upon the winding-on chain a little
more at each stretch until the cop is completed.
Thirdly, in the application to the quadrants or radial arms of self-acting
mulés of an improved self-acting apparatus or mechanism for giving an
increased number of revolutions to the spindles when winding on after or about
the time the cop bottom is finished; this may be effected by means of a worm
wheel fixed on the upper end of the winding-on screw, the said worm wheel
being driven by a worm driven by a ratchet wheel with a tumbler and re-
taining catch, which worm is unlatched about the time the cop bottom is com-
pleted, and which begins to turn the winding-on screw gradually in the opposite
direction to that in which it had been turned during the time the cop bottom
was forming, and it continues to turn the screw at each stretch until the cop
is completed.
And, lastly, in the application of a combination of mechanism for causing the
shaper bowl or stud which works or travels along the copping rail of self-
acting mules to be on the same level at the beginning of each stretch as at
the end. This I accomplish by a suitable lever or levers connecting the back
end of the shaper rail or the back: shaper plate to the shaper bowl or leg,
which carries the same when the carriage is out or at the greatest distance
from the roller beam; the object of this is to cause the yarn to be backed off
to the same point as that to which it had been wound on at the completion of
the preceding stretch.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Slater in the. Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th October 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SLATER, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster, Manager, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty: Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Slater, Her special licence that I, the said William
Slater, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others: as I,
the said William Slater, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, froin 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 MACHINERY FOR PREPARING AND SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Slater, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of 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 I, the said William Slater, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
The nature of my Invention consists, first, in certain improved combinations
of mechanism for effecting the changes of motion, and for traversing the strap:
on the cone drums of slubbing, intermediate, roving, and jack frames.
Secondly, in the application to the quadrants or radial arms of self-acting:
mules of an improved self-acting apparatus or mechanism for giving an in-
creasing number of revolutions to the spindles when winding on after the cop
bottom is formed.
:
:
Thirdly, in the application to the quadrants or radial arms of self-acting
mules, of an improved self-acting apparatus or mechanism for giving an in-

page_text: creased number of revolutions to the spindles when winding on, after or at
about the time when the cop bottom is formed.
1. And, lastly, in applying to the copping motion of self-acting mules a com-
bination of mechanism for causing the shaper bowl or stud which travels
along the copping rail to be at or near the same level at the beginning and
at the end of each stretch.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the five accompanying Sheets of Draw-
ings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a roving frame to which
the first part of my Invention is applied. On Sheet 2, Fig. 2 is an end eleva-
tion in section of the same machine. In these views a, a, are the drawing
rollers; b, the spindles; c, the top cone; d, the lower cone, and e, the screw
which works the strap guidef and strap f¹ from one end of the cones to the
other; g is the strike shaft, which is turned round alternately in contrary
directions by the vertical shaft g¹; these parts of the machine are constructed
in the usual manner, and the drawing rollers, spindles, and cones are driven
as shewn in the Drawing, or in any other approved manner. My improve-
ments, as before stated, consist in an improved combination of mechanism for
traversing the strap f¹ on the cone drums c and d, for effecting the changes
in the motion of the strike shaft g, and for shortening the traverse of the lifting
rail. To the shaft c¹ of the top cone c is fixed the spur pinion &, gearing
into the intermittent pinion c³, which has a few teeth left out on two opposite
sides of its circumference as shewn detached in Fig. 3; to the pinion c³ is
fixed or attached the escape plate c' having two studs, which are acted upon
alternately by the spring c. The escape lever c is jointed to the fulcrum
stud c; to the outer end of the escape lever c is suspended the rod c³; having
an adjustable stud c, which is acted upon alternately by the studs c° and c¹º,
forming part of the shortening motion connected to the lifting rail 6', which
will be described hereafter in reference to Figs. 4 and 5. To the intermittent
pinion c³ is fixed the pinion e¹, which by means of the carrier pinion gives
motion to the pinion fixed to the end of the screw e, by which the strap
guide is traversed along the cones. Between the intermittent pinion c³ and
the escape plate e is an eccentric shewn best in dots in Fig. 2; the bridle round
this eccentric is attached to a rod g³, the lower end of which is jointed to the
elbow lever g³ the vertical arm of which is connected by the rod g' to the
strike shaft g. The mode of operation is as follows:-As soon as one of the
studs or c¹0, acts on the stud c¹2 projecting from the rod c³, the escape
lever c is liberated from one of the snugs on the escape plate c; the spring c

page_text: acting on the escape plate, presses it partly round, or until the teeth on the
intermittent pinion c³ come into gear with the teeth in the pinion c² on the top
cone shaft, which then carries the intermittent pinion half round, or until
the opposite blank space in the pinion c³ comes directly under the pinion c².
At this time the other snug on the escape plate e comes against the escapé
lever c, and the motions are again arrested, but during the half rotation of the
intermittent pinion c³, the screw e has been turned round part of a revolution,
thus, traversing the strap f¹ a short distance, and the position of the eccentric
is also reversed, thereby moving the strike shaft g longitudinally, and drawing
the bevel wheel out of gear with the pinion g³, and bringing the bevel
wheel into gear with the said pinion. By means of these improvements
the machine is simplified, and the motions are performed with greater certainty
and with less power than heretofore.
In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shewn a modification of this part of my Invention
and my improved shortening motion. In these views the escape lever is
vertical instead of horizontal, as in Fig. 2, and it is hinged to the fulcrum
stud . The studs c and c¹ referred to in Fig. 2, form the extremities of
the slot levers h and h¹, which are hinged to the fulcrum h² attached to the
lifting rail ; to this rail are also fixed the bearings for the screw i, the
nut of which has projections with studs taking into the slots of the levers h
and h. To the end of the screw is fixed the ratchet wheel 2*, which is
moved round for one or more teeth at every lift of the rail by the tumbler.
catch 3 jointed to the frame side. The escape lever ef is cast or forged in:
the same piece as the lever c, which is acted upon alternately by the
studs co and clo, to liberate the catch plate c' before described in reference to:
Figs. 1 and 2. When the bobbin is empty the levers h and h¹ are furthest:
apart, and the nut 2 is about in the position shewn in Fig. 4. The lifting:
rail in rising brings the stud co in contact with the under side of the lever
c, thereby moving the escape.lever c³ towards the centre of the escape plate c':
and liberating it; the screw e for traversing the strap guidef is thus set in.
motion until the intermittent wheel has performed half a revolution. At
the descent of the lifting rail, the catch is moved to one side by the
ratchet wheel, and when the lifting rail is near the bottom, the stud.c acting
on the upper side of the lever c, again liberates the escape plate. Each
ascent of the lifting rail moves the ratchet wheel partly round, thereby.
turning the screw i, and moving the nut towards the extremities of the
levers h and h¹, thus reducing the distance between the studs and co, which
consequently act earlier on the lever c¹³, and shorten the traverse of the lifting
rail in the required proportion for tapering the ends of the bobbins.. .In this:

page_text: arrangement the vertical rod 93 terminates in a flat plate g³, having a curved
slot through it as shewn detached at Fig. 5*; the end of the rod g' is provided
with a projecting stud go taking into this slot, so that when the rod 9 is raised
and lowered by the eccentric on the escape plate c', the strike shaft is moved
longitudinally to bring the wheels 96 and 9' alternately in and out of gear
with the pinion g³.
The second part of my Invention is illustrated by the Figs. 6, 7 and 8, of
Sheet 3; in these views is the radial arin of a self-acting mule of the
usual construction; is the winding-on screw; the screw nut, and
part of the winding-on chain, all of which are made in the usual manner.
To the nut is jointed the toothed quadrant 1, to which is cast or fixed the
presser the quadrant 1 gears into the pinion 12, which with the worm wheel
are mounted on a stud also fixed to the nut . The worm wheel is driven
by the worm m, which is adjustable on the grooved shaft m², to the upper
end of which is fixed the ratchet wheel m², the number of teeth in this ratchet
must be varied according to the number of the yarn that is being spun, and
it is turned round one or more teeth at every stretch of the carriage of the
mule, by the catch m³, which is connected to the tumbler lever m', mounted
on the shaft m', and the ratchet wheel after being moved by the catch m³
is held by the retaining catch m³. The shaft m¹ revolves in bearings fixed
to the upper end of the radial arm K. The various parts are shewn in the
positions they occupy when the cop bottom is formed, or nearly so, and the
mode of operation is as follows:-
In Figs. 6 and 7, the radial arm is vertical, and the presser l' is raised
above the chain K³; when the carriage of the mule to which these improve-
ments are supposed to be connected is running in, the radial arm assumes
a diagonal position, and in so doing the tumbler lever m', shewn best in plan
in Fig. 8 drops by its own gravity a sufficient distance to move the ratchet
wheel m³ partly round, the action of the tumbler lever being governed by the
set screw m; this motion is transmitted by the shaft m', worm m, worm
wheel., and pinion, to the quadrant l, and partially lowers the presser A, and
causes it to act after each stretch with greater force on the winding-
on chain, thereby gradually tightening it and increasing the number
of revolutions given to the spindles during the winding on after the cop
bottom is formed.
It is evident that at the commencement of building a set of cops the nut
is near the fulcrum of the radial arm, and that the worm wheel only comes
into gear with the worm m when the nut has been moved partly up the
screw, or.until the cop bottom is completed, or nearly so; the worm m can

page_text: be fixed to any part of the shaft m³, so as to bring the parts into operation
earlier or later according to the size of the cop that is being spun.
* (1
The third part of my Invention is illustrated by the Figs. 9, 10 and 11 of
Sheet 4, The parts marked k, k, l, and k³, are similar to those on Sheet 3.
5 To the upper end of the winding-on screen ¹ is fixed the worm wheel k*; this
worm wheel is driven, when required, by the worm n, fixed on the shaft n', to
which is also fixed the ratchet wheel 22, driven by the catch ³, fitting in the
tumbler lever n; n³ is a retaining catch as before described. The shaft n¹
revolves in the upper end of the swivel bearing o, whose fulcrum is at o';
to the bearing o is jointed the catch lever o³, from which depends the rod o",
the lower end of which is guided in a socket fixed to the radial arm. The
catch P, for the catch lever o serves to hold the worm n out of gear with the
worm wheel, until the cop bottom is completed, or nearly so, at which time
the nut acting on the stud o projecting from the rod o³ raises this rod
until the catch lever o2 is raised above the catch p, when the spring p', acting
on the swivel bearing o, draws the worm n into gear with the worm wheel k';
each subsequent stretch after this causes the tumbler catch ³ to give a
partial motion to the ratchet wheel n, which motion being transmitted to the
winding-on screw k by the worm n and worm wheel causes this screw
to revolve in the contrary direction to that in which it had been revolving
during the formation of the cop bottom, thereby gradually lowering the screw
nut, and by increasing the length of winding-on chain drawn off the
winding-on drum, increasing also the number of revolutions of the spindles
until the set of cops is completed.
It will be apparent that the improvements shewn and described in referenco
to Sheets 3 and 4 are applicable to those mules, having radial arms with
quadrants, as shewn in the Drawings, and hinged to the headstocks as well
as to mules with the radial arms for winding on jointed to the carriage.
The last part of my Invention is illustrated by the Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15
of Sheet 5. Fig. 12 is an elevation of a copping motion for a self-acting
mule to which my improvements are applied; Fig. 13, a plan, Fig. 14, an
end view, and Fig. 15 another end view; r is the copping rail; and, the
shaper plates; s is the shaper bowl, which travels along the copping rail in
the usual manner; to the stud of the shaper bowls is also mounted the
small bowls, bearing upon the horizontal arm of the elbow levert, to the
vertical arm of this lever is jointed one end of the rod t', the other end being
jointed to the double lever t, the upper arm of which has a stud bearing on
the back end of the copping rail r from this arrangement of parts it will bo
apparent that as the back end of the copping rail lowers during the building

page_text: of a cop, the end of the lever t, on which the bowl s' rests, will also be lowered
to the same extent, thereby causing the shaper bowl s to be at or nearly the
same level at the beginning and at the end of each stretch, the object being to
regulate the descent of the faller wire so that it shall not descend too much
below the nose of the cop at any part of the building of the same.
The other parts of the copping motion are made in the usual manner.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First, the improved combinations of mechanism for effecting the changes
of motion in the lifting rail and for traversing the strap on the cone drums
of slubbing, intermediate, roving and jack frames, as shewn and described in
reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 5*.
Secondly, the application to the quadrants or radial arms of self-acting
mules of the improved self-acting apparatus or mechanism for giving a
gradually increasing number of revolutions to the spindles when winding on
after the cop bottom is formed, as shewn and described in reference to Figs. '6,
7, and 8.
Thirdly, the application to the quadrants or radial arms of self-acting mules
of the improved self-acting apparatus or mechanism for giving a gradually
increasing number of revolutions to the spindles when winding on after or at
about the time when the cop bottom is formed, as shewn and described in
reference to Figs. 9, 10, and 11.
And, lastly, applying to the copping motion of self-acting mules a combina-
tion of mechanism for causing the shaper bowl or stud which travels along the
copping rail, to be at or near the same level at the beginning and at the end of
each stretch, as shewn and described in reference to Figs. 12, 13, 14,
and 15.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Slater, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
TED
S
WILLIAM DE
(1.5.)