IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Platt, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR
SPINNING." A communication.
Sealed the 12th June 1857, and dated the 17th December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said John Platt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th December
1856.
I, JOHN PLATT, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING," to be as follows:-
This Invention refers to such mules as are constructed upon that principle
known as "Sharp and Roberts'," and to those motions thereof which effect
the "taking in" and "backing off." According to the usual method a shaft
is employed for those purposes, known as the "long taking-in shaft," which
is at certain periods caused to revolvo through the medium of a clutch box.
This clutch we dispense with, and adapt fast and loose pullies to the said
shaft, upon either of which a driving strap is placed by the action of a cam
accordingly as the shaft is required' to revolve.'

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Platt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th June 1857.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PLATT, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by IIer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Platt, Her especial license that I, the said John Platt,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Platt, 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 terin 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
MULES FOR SPINNING," a communication," upon tho condition, amongst others,-
that I, the said John Platt, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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
amonths next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Platt, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 and accompanying. Drawings (that is to say) :-
"
This Invention refers to such "mules' as are constructed upon that
principlo known as "Sharp and Roberts"," and to those motions thereof which
eflect the "taking in" and "backing off." According to the usual method
a shaft is employed for those purposes known as the "long taking-in shaft,"
which is at certain periods caused to revolve through the medium of a clutch
box. This clutch we dispense with, and adapt fast and loose pullies to the
said shaft, upon either of which a driving strap is placed by the action of
a cam or other similar apparatus accordingly as the shaft is required to
revolve.
In order that this Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the same as shewn in the accompanying Drawing.
Fig. 1 being a face view of a mule head stock and apparatus attached

page_text: thereto; Fig. 2, a plan; and Fig. 3 an end view thereof. a is the frame-
work; b, the scroll shaft, upon which is mounted the bevil wheel c, taking
into the bevil pinion d, fast upon the "long taking-in shaft e, which is
carried at one end in a suitable bearing attached to the framework a; the
other end runs in a socket formed in the end of the shaft f, upon which
there is a loose pulley g, provided with a boss, on which is keyed the pulley
h. The pulleys 9 and h may receive motion from a counter-shaft, placed
in any suitable position. The wheel i is also keyed on to the boss of the
pulley 9, and takes into the spur wheel ; upon the short shaft k, which by
means of the pinion gives motion at suitable periods to the ordinary rim
shaft m, as hercin-after described. Upon the cam shaft n there is an eccentric
wheel o, which causes the rod p to act as a stop for the catch 7, attached
to a sliding rod or bar r, which is mounted in suitable bearings secured to
the framework a, and carries the strap forks and brake t fast upon it. To
a stud v upon the sliding bar or rod 7 there is attached a spring w, the other
end of which is secured to a stud a upon the framework a of the mule
headstock. The bar or rod r is also furnished with an arm u, which is
actuated at suitable periods (hereafter mentioned) by the faller sector, so
as to draw the sliding rod or bar r in the direction shown by the arrow,
thereby traversing the strap forks, together with the strap from the pulloy h,
on to the pulley g, at the same time bringing the brake t into contact with
the pulley h, which will gradually diminish the momentum of the shaft c,
and consequently of the scroll shaft b. It will be evident that the time of
operation for the fast and loose pullies h and g will bo when the backing
off is required, so that the excentric o and rod p then reloase the catch
and sliding bar 1, and the strap will then be traversed from the loose pulley
g on to the fast pulley h; the scroll shaft being then brought into operation
by means of the short shaft e and bevil wheels d and c. So soon, however,
as the change is required to take place and the carriage runs in, the faller
sector comes in contact with the arm u, as above described.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent detached views of the brake apparatus, enlarged
so as to shew the mode of attaching the same to the sliding bar r; and also
the form of the face of the brake, to admit of its traverse across the rim of
the pulley h, which will be readily understood from the Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be performed, I desire it to be understood that I do
not intend to confine myself to the particular arrangement herein shewn and
described, as, for instance, in the employment of a cam placed upon a suitable
shaft or stud, so as to actuate the strap fork; but I claim as secured to me

page_text: under the above in part recited Letters Patent, the use or application of
fast and loose pullies for the purposes above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Platt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
JOHN PLATT. (L.S.)