IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robertson, of the City of Manchester,
Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING."
Sealed the 10th August 1863, and dated the 13th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robertson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
February 1863.
I, WILLIAM ROBERTSON, of the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING," to be as follows, namely:-
My first improvement consists in constructing a conical scroll having the
same proportions as the cop to be spun. This scroll is fastened on a shaft on
a bracket on the carriage. Two bands are fastened to it and lapped around
it, so as when they are held one at each end of the stretch the scroll will be
made to revolve differentially by the motion of the carriage on which it is carried,
the bands being thereby alternately wound on and unwound from it. The
differential motion thus produced is communicated to a copping rail, whose
acting surface is a straight line, by either of the following methods, namely,
first, on the scroll shaft is fastened a pinion which gears with a rack fastened
to the builder stock or framing which carries the shaper plate and copping
rail.

page_text: Second, the scroll shaft is screwed and works in a nut on the builder stock
which carries the sharper plate and copping rail.
Third, the scroll shaft is suspended on the above-named stock, and its nut
being fastened on the carriage causes the builder stock to be moved differentially
back and forward with the motion of the carriage.
In each of these forms of application the straight line copping rail is made
in the usual manner, and worked in the usual manner, being raised and
lowered by the well-known action of the builder screw, its rectilinear surface
causing it to produce the same form of chase whatever be its length or
thickness; but the form in which I prefer to employ it is in connection with
a vertical screw and compensation lever; in this form the shaper plate is
dispensed with, and the screw nut instead of travelling the length of the
shaper plate descends only the length to which it is inclined. The com-
pensation lever of an L-form is jointed at the knee on a stud in the builder
screw nut, and rests at the top of its vertical arm, which is slightly bent
inwards against a vertical plane on a sliding bar which receives and transmits
motion in a horizontal direction from the copping rail. But as the motion
of the L-lever downwards with the screw would be a simple uniform motion,
and would give no variation suitable to produce the cop bottom, I cut a hollow
in the top of the plain, down one side of which the screw causes the head of
the L to descend, and up the other side of which it causes it to rise, thus
affording the compensation which is necessary. The horizontal motion of the
above plane against the head of the vertical arm produces a similar vertical
motion in its horizontal arm, and from this is conveyed to the fallers in the
usual manner. That the copping rail may communicate horizontal motion
to the plane above named, it is attached thereto by means of a stud, and is
placed vertically against a roller carried by the nut of the screwed shaft of the
cone, which imparts to the copping rail, according to the angle at which it is
set, a horizontal reciprocating motion corresponding to its own vertical motion
received as above described from the motion of the carriage. The copping rail
is inclined to equal depth at both ends, and is so constructed that when the
long end is moved so as to shorten the depth of its inclination, the short end
is moved along the bowl so as to shorten its travel thereon, thus the chase
down and up is kept uniform at all the stages of the cop. I accomplish
the same object by suspending the screw and cone shaft in a bracket capable
of oscillation on a stud fastened in the framing, by which its nut may be
brought to move with a more or less acute angle with the straight line copping
rail. The screw by which the cop is built I also attach to a nut adjustable
in the slot of a lever, which carries upon a stud the L-lever above referred to,
7

page_text: and by moving the point of action of the screw nearer to or farther from the
centre of this lever I dispense with change wheels for the builder. The
sliding bar which carries the plane above described I also suspend on two
parallel bars, which are also parallel with the vertical arm of the L-lever;
this secures greater freedom in its oscillations.
The forms described above are susceptible of various modifications, but
they involve the same features and are easily suggested by those already
described.
My second improvement consists in giving motion to the spindles during
the inward run of the carriage, either directly from the driving strap, or from
an independent strap or band, or by friction cones or brush wheels or multiple
grooved pullies, so that the motion thus imparted to the spindles would, if
unrestrained, always be in excess of that necessary to produce the winding
on of the yarn on the spindles. To restrain this motion to the degree suitable
for, winding on I place the radial arm, commonly used at the front of the head-
stock, at the back part thereof, and by suitable gearing with the Mendoza
shaft or squaring shaft impart to it the usual reciprocating motion, the chain
from it attached to the winding-on barrel in the carriage instead of communi-
cating motion to the barrel will take therefrom, according to the position of
the nut on the radial arm, a portion of the motion which would have been
imparted to it by the strap or other means employed to give motion to the
spindles. I connect the winding-on barrel with the tin roller shaft by means
of a clutch box during the running in of the carriage, and by the withdrawal
of this clutch box, on the carriage reaching the roller beam, motion is continued
in the spindles sufficient to take up the loose yarn caused by the rising of the
faller.
A friction clutch may be used for connecting the tin roller with the winding-
on barrel, which may also be made of small diameter and placed immediately
on the tin roller shaft. As the saving of room is oftentimes a matter of
considerable importance, and the radial arm as usually constructed occupies
considerable space, the arm may be made of balf the former length by working
it through half a circle instead of one-fourth. To obtain the differential rate
necessary to accommodate the motion of the arm to this change, I place a
scroll on the Mendoza or squaring shaft communicating with the pinion shaft
which gives motion to the arm; or a toothed scroll may be made to work into
the semicircle on which the arm is fastened, so as to give the motion to it
required by the winding on. The chain may also be worked double, which by
employing the method of differential driving above described will permit the
arm to be shortened nearly in the proportion of one to four, and as the strain

page_text: upon the chain is not nearly so great as by the former method, this mode of
application becomes more practicable.
My third improvement consists in an improved arrangement of parts for
regulating the rise of the faller at the roller beam, for this purpose an additional
ratchet wheel is placed on the tin roller shaft, the catch of which additional
ratchet wheel will be suspended on an arm or plate suitably constructed to
receive it, and connected to the faller in the usual way by a chain, the clip
spring made as light as possible, and looped to regulate the motion of the catch
being placed on a stationary boss, so that as the faller descends and the catch
plate (suitably weighted for the purpose) moves round with the motion of the
faller the clip spring will keep the catch out of gear, but when the faller
endeavours to rise at the roller beam, the clip spring will put the catch
into gear with the ratchet wheel and detain it at whatever rate the form of
the boss of the plate to which the chain is attached will determine. This boss
is made on the same principle as the one described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me in conjunction with John Mason on the
Eighteenth October, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, No. 2230.
The descent and rise of the faller will thus be independent, and each will be
capable of adjustment to the motion of the tin roller according to their own
requirements. When the catch on the second ratchet comes nearly to the
position which it occupies during the outward run of the carriage it comes
in contact with an inclined plane suitably placed, by which it is raised and
ustained out of gear until the completion of the stretch outward.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERTSON, of the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Robertson, Her special license that I, the said William Robertson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Robertson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,.

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robertson, my executors or adıministrators,
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 Robertson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, 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 improvements in or
applicable to the copping motion.
Secondly, in certain improved modes of communicating motion to the
spindles during the inward run of the carriage and at the roller beam.
And, thirdly, in an improved arrangement of parts for regulating the rise of
the faller when the carriage is up or near the roller beam.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
reference being bad to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the principal parts of a self-acting mule to which
my improvements are applied; Figure 2 is an end view of the headstock;
Figure 3 is a front view, and Figure 4 a plan, of parts of the same; Figure 5
another plan on a smaller scale, shewing part of the carriage and radial arm;
and Figure 6 is a detached view of part of the faller motion.
a is the rim shaft, to which are fixed the driving pulley a¹ and backing-off
friction cone a; c is the lower shaft, driven by the spur wheel a³, fixed to the
boss of the pulley a', loose on the rim shaft a; f is the front drawing roller, and
h the squaring shaft; i, the carriage supporting the spindles j and the faller and
counterfaller shafts k and l.
The parts above enumerated and all the others necessary to complete the
mule, and which are not more particularly referred to hereafter, are made in
the usual manner, or as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to Robert Halliwell on the Eleventh day of May One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-eight, Number 1058.
The first part of my Invention relating to improvements in the copping
motion is shewn in Figures 1 and 3; in these views m is a conical scroll fixed

page_text: to the shaft m', the upper portion of which is provided with a coarse screw, on
which fits the nut m², having a grooved bowl, against which the copping rail
bears, and from the traversing of which the copping rail receives oscillating
motion in a horizontal direction. The shaft m¹ is supported in bearings m³
and m, fixed to the framing of the carriage i. Two bands m³ and m® are
fastened to and coiled around the scroll m, so that when they are held by
adjustable ratchets m and m³, one at each end of the stretch, the scroll will be
made to revolve differentially by the motion of the carriage on which it is
carried the bands being thereby alternately wound on and unwound from it.
The differential motion thus produced is communicated to the copping rail n,
whose acting surface is a straight line, in the following manner:-o is the screw
by which the cop is built; to this screw is fixed the ratchet wheel o', which
when the carriage is out comes against and is turned partly round by the
catch of in the usual manner. The screw o is supported in a swivel bearing
fixed to the frame of the carriage in an adjustable slot, and it passes through
the nut o³, which is adjustable in the slot of the lever p', whose fulcrum is at
p by moving the swivel bearing above referred to; and the nut o³ nearer to or
further from the fulcrum stud på, the position of the wheel o¹ is varied, and the
amount of motion given to the lever p¹ can thus be regulated, thereby dis-
pensing with change wheels for the builder. At the lower end of the lever p¹
is a projecting arm p³, in which is a stud for the compensating elbow lever q;
on the top of the vertical arm of the elbow lever is the stud q', bearing against
the curved plane of the sliding bar n', forming part of or cast with the copping
rail ; this sliding bar n¹ is supported by the upper ends of the links n³ and n³,
the former of which is hinged to the fulcrum stud p², and the latter is hinged
to the stud fixed in the lever r, whose fulcrum is at . A projection p
from the lever p¹ comes against the lever r close to its fulcrum when the
lever p¹ is adjusted for commencing a set of cops, and raises the link n³ and
with it the copping rail n at the end next the screw on the shaft m¹, thereby
shortening the short incline at its upper end, and bringing the remainder of it
more nearly parallel with the said screw. The adjustable screw ³, as the set
advances towards completion, comes against the arm p³, which again causes
the link n³ to be raised, the short incline of the copping rail to be shortened,
and the long incline to be brought more nearly parallel with the screw m³, so
that the action of the levers 7 and ps upon the lever r produces a shortening
of the chase of the cop, through the varying incline of the copping rail n, when
the set of cops is beginning and when it is nearly completed, the form of
chase produced having always the same properties. To keep the lever r
always bearing against the levers p or p", one end of the spring is fastened

page_text: to the boss of the lever r, and the other to the carriage. To the faller shaft k
is fixed the lever k', to which is connected the link , stayed at the bottom by
the stud m². On the link is fastened the adjustable plate k³, which, as the
backing off proceeds and the faller is lowered upon the spindles, comes above
the bowl in the arm of the locking rod k, which relieves "the long lever "
usually employed for effecting the changes. As the carriage approaches the
roller beam a bowl on the stud k fixed to the locking rod comes in contact
with an inclined plane fastened to an adjustable bracket on the floor or fixed to
the headstock; by this means the rod k is moved, so that the bowl in its
arm no longer sustains the adjustable plate ³, thus permitting the fallers
to rise.
This part of my Invention may be modified so far as the screw m¹ and
copping rail n are concerned in the following manner :-On the scroll shaft is
fastened a pinion, which gears with a rack fastened to the builder stock or
framing which carries the shaper plate and copping rail; or the scroll shaft is
screwed and works in a nut on the builder stock which carries the shaper
plate and copping rail; or the scroll shaft is suspended on the above-named
stock, and its nut being fastened on the carriage causes the builder stock to be
moved differentially back and forwards with the motion of the carriage. In
each of these forms of application the straight line copping rail is made in the
usual manner, and worked in the usual manner, being raised and lowered by
the well-known action of the builder screw, its rectilinear surface causing it to
produce the same form of chase, whatever be its length or thickness; or instead
of the lever p' being employed in connection with the screw o for the purpose
of dispensing with change wheels, the screw o may be set vertical, and the
compensating lever q be placed to oscillate freely on a stud projecting from the
nut o.
The second part of my Invention, consisting of certain improved modes of
communicating motion to the spindles during the inward run of the carriage,
may be performed in the following manner:-In Figure 1, n* is the elbow lever;
p, the horizontal bar; p³, the vertical lever; s, the catch bar; s', the retaining
stud; and t, the strap fork lever. These parts are arranged in the manner
described, and by the letters of reference used in the Specification of Robert
Halliwell's Patent above referred to. The stud s¹ is connected to the upper
end of the vertical lever p by the chain or link s fixed on the stud so. When
the backing off has been performed in the manner described in the said Speci-
fication, the stud p' on the bar p strikes against the lower end of the lever
ps to the stud so, in the upper end of which one end of the chain or link s*
is attached, so that when the bar p causes the lever p to oscillate for the

page_text: purpose of separating the backing-off cones, it will at the same time, by
means of the links, place the driving strap partially upon the driving
pulley a'; the cord or link s being adjustable, the amount of strap placed
upon the pulley can be regulated according to the position of the studs in the
lever p. The strap must always be placed so far on the pulley a¹ that it will
communicate to the spindles a greater amount of motion than is necessary for
winding on.
When the
purpose of
This part of my Invention may be modified in the following manner, by the
use of an independent strap or band, or by friction cones or brush wheels, or
multiple-grooved pulleys, as shewn in Figure 2. On the lower shaft c the lever
cis hinged, carrying a stud c² supporting the pinion and multiple-grooved
pulley, taking into a corresponding pulley on the rim shaft. When the
lever c¹ is liberated by the action of the rod p, above described, the multiple-
grooved pulleys are brought into gear by the action of the spring c, the wheel c
fast on the lower shaft c communicating motion to the pinion . Simultaneously
with the release of the weight, by which the bar pis moved, the locking rod k³,
by means of the inclined plane k³, see Fig. 4, acting on a stud in the elbow
lever, will place the catch plate u close up to the face of the half-clutch
box u¹ fixed to the tin roller shaft u², as shewn by dotted lines. The position of
the parts, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, is when the faller is rising. The catch
plate u slides freely on keys fast to the boss of the pinion us, gearing into the
wheel u', fast on the vertical shaft of the winding-on barrel us.
strap or other equivalent gives motion to the tin roller for the
driving the spindles, the friction clip u moves the catch u into gear with the
teeth of the half-clutch box u', and establishes thereby a connection with the
winding-on barrel u³, and endeavours to wind the chain us thereon; this is
prevented or regulated by the radial arm v, see Figure 5, jointed to the stud v',
supported in a bracket in the carriage i, the other end of the winding-on
chain us being fastened to an adjustable ratchet v2, the bracket of which is
fixed to the floor; the radial arm v recives suitable motion from the generating
curve, also fixed to the floor, which as the carriage advances towards the
roller beam permits, by means of the pulley v, round which the chain us
passes, a greater or less amount of chain to be wound on the barrel u³. The
position of the pulley in the radial arm v is regulated in the usual manner
by a screw and nut. The position of the nut on the screw of the radial arm v
may be regulated by any of the well-known methods. When the carriage
reaches the roller beam, the rod k being withdrawn, as shewn in the Drawing,
for the purpose of releasing the faller, at the same time allows the catch u' to
press the plate u so far outward as to allow it to pass and remain in a position

page_text: opposite to that which it occupied during the winding on, as shewn by dotted
lines, in which position it will remain innocent should any accident place the
locking bar in the position suitable for winding on. The position the catch
occupies during the winding on is restored during the backing off by the
friction clip u.
Instead of the radial arm v and generating curve v³, shewn in Figure 5, this
part of my Invention may be modified in the following manner :-To restrain
the motion of the spindles to the degree suitable for winding on I place the
radial arm, commonly used at the front of the headstock, at the back part
thereof, and by suitable gearing with the Mendoza shaft or squaring shaft h
impart to it the usual reciprocating motion, which cause the chain us to act
on the barrel u in the manner above described.
The third part of my Invention, relating to the mechanism for regulating
the rise of the faller when the carriage is at or near the roller beam, is shewu
in Figures 1 and 6. On the tin roller is fixed the ratchet wheel z; a boss z¹ con-
centric with the tin roller shaft, prevented from turning by an arm attached
thereto and fastened to the carriage, receives a clip spring, which takes
into the catch 3 on a stud in the plate, loose on the tin roller shaft; on
the back of this plate 2 is a toothed pinion or snail wheel gearing into the
sector 26, whose teeth are adapted thereto; the arm atttached to the
sector has a slot, in which is fixed the stud 23, taking into a slot in the
link . By this arrangement when the faller attempts to rise by the action
of the spring usually employed for that purpose, the arm 7 through the
sector, and the ratchet wheel and catch above described, detain it at a rate
corresponding with the rotation of the tin roller, which rate may be varied
according to the formation of the snail wheel and sector, or the position of
the adjustable stud 28 in the arm 27. Instead of the sector and snail wheel a
chain passing around a snail pulley and a weight may be employed. The
snail wheel or pulley is formed in the manner described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me in conjunction with John Mason on the Eighteenth
day of October, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, Number 2230.
The descent and rise of the faller will thus be independent, and each will be
capable of adjustment to the motion of the tin roller according to their own
requirements. When the catch on the second ratchet wheel z comes nearly
to the position which it occupies during the outward run of the carriage it
comes in contact with an inclined plane or stop suitably placed on the
carriage, by which it is raised and sustained out of gear until the completion
of the stretch outward.
These three portions of my Invention are shewn combined together,

page_text: forming part of one machine usually employed for spinning and doubling the
finer counts of yarn. By the improved construction of the builder I obtain a
standard chase; by the improved construction of the winding-on apparatus I
obtain a perfectly controllable motion without possible over run, and at the
same time, at the completion of the inward run, during the rising of the faller,
I obtain a graduated motion of the spindles, which acting in conjunction-with
the third part of my Invention, which regulates the rise of the faller by the
rotation of the tin roller, I obtain a change at the beam without producing
snarls; and for very fine counts of yarn a graduated motion for starting the
outward run of the carriage may be obtained, the portion of the strap
on the driving pulley suitable for winding on being allowed to continue
unchanged for that purpose until the carriage begins to run outwards. Either
of these parts may be used separately, or they may be used for spinning and
doubling the ordinary counts of yarn.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First, the conical scroll and straight line copping rail, together with the
means herein-before described by which the cop is formed, and any size of
cop produced without change wheels.
Secondly, the apparatus herein-before described for winding the yarn on the
spindles, by which the spindles are driven by an excess of friction, detained
without over run by the action of a radial arm and chain, and likewise the
combination of this graduated motion during the rise of the faller and the
commencement of the outward run.
And, thirdly, the apparatus herein-before described for regulating the rise
of the faller by the rotation of the tin roller, the connection being established
by an extra ratchet wheel and clip spring on a fast boss and catch.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robertson, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
WILLIAM ROBERTSON. (L.S.)