CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Mitchell Eccles and William Walker, both of the
Firm of Thomas Eccles, Sous, & Co., Cotton Spinners & Manufactureis, of
Walton le Dale, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING AND DOUBLING."
Sealed the 24th May 1878, and dated the 15th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Mitchell Eccles and
William Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th
December 1877.
THOMAS MITCHELL ECCLES and WILLIAM WALKER, both of the Firm of Thomas
Eccles, Sons, & Co., Cotton Spinners & Manufacturers, of Walton le Dale, in the
County of Lancaster. CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING AND
DOUBLING."
28
Our Invention consists of an arrangement of machinery for regulating the position
of the counterfaller wire of self-acting and hand mules during the running out of
the carriage.
To the counterfaller shaft is fixed an arm to which is suspended a link, at the
lower end of which is jointed a second link which is provided with a bowl running
on a rail fixed to the floor; this rail is tapered off at each end, and plain in the centre.
As the carriage runs out the counterfaller wire is depressed the required distance
from the under side of the yarn, and when the carriage arrives at the end of the
stretch, the counterfaller wire is raised to its original position near the yarns ready
for the backing off. By this means when one yarn breaks, it is held out of reach of
the adjacent yarns, and consequently does not break them.
Another part of our Invention consists in inaking the incline which acts on the
finger projecting from the faller shaft movable instead of rigid as heretofore, whereby
the time of depressing the counterfaller wire can be regulated in proportion to the
n

page_text: varying time at which the copping faller is unlocked between the top and bottom
of the set. To accomplish this we connect the said incline to a screw, to which is
fixed a ratchet wheel, which is acted upon by a catch at every stretch.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Mitchell Eccles and William Walker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th June 1878.
THOMAS MITCHELL ECCLES and WILLIAM WALKER, both of the Firm of Thomas
Eccles, Sons, and Co., Cotton Spinners and Manufacturers, of Walton le Dale, in the
County of Lancaster. "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MULES FOR SPINNING AND
DOUBLING."
Our Invention consists of an arrangement of machinery for regulating the position
of the counterfaller wire of self-acting and hand mules during the running out of the
carriage.
To the counterfaller shaft is fixed an arm, to which is suspended a link, at the
lower end of which is jointed a second link or lever, which is provided with a bowl
running on a rail fixed to the floor; this rail is tapered off at each end and plain in
the centie. As the carriage runs out the counterfaller wire is depressed the required
distance from the under side of the yarn, and when the carriage arrives at the end of
the stretch the counterfaller wire is raised to its original position near the yarns
ready for the backing off. By this means when one yarn breaks it is held out of
reach of the adjacent yarns, and consequently does not break them.
Another part of our Invention consists in making the incline which acts on the
finger projecting from the faller shaft movable instead of rigid as heretofore, whereby
the time of depressing the counterfaller wire can be regulated in proportion to the
varying time at which the copping faller is unlocked between the top and bottom
of the set. To accomplish this we connect the said incline to a screw to which is
fixed a ratchet wheel which is acted upon by a catch at every stretch.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings in
which,―
Fig. 1 represents a mule carriage when in at the roller beam, and ready to
begin its outward motion for spinning with the counterfaller wire in the ordinary
position.
Fig. 2 represents the mule carriage when it has travelled rather more than half
its ordinary distance with the counterfaller wire lowered to its improved position
whilst spinning.
a is the mule carriage; b is the faller shaft; c, the counterfaller shaft; b¹, is the
faller wire; and c³, the counterfaller wire; c² is an arm fixed to the counterfaller
shaft, and d is a link suspended to the arm c. This link works through a guide
fixed to the front of the carriage; at the bottom end of the link d is hinged a

page_text: second link or lever e, at the bottom end of which is a bowl on a stud; the other
end of the lever e is made sufficiently heavy, and of a shape to balance itself in the
position shewn in Fig. 1; f is a long rail nearly the length of the draw fixed to the
floor with inclines at each end.
The action is as follows:-When the carriage begins to move out the bowl at the
bottom end of the levere hinged to the bottom of the link & catches the incline in
front of the rail f, raises the link d, and brings the upper end of the lever o against
the stop d. The link d in rising lowers the counterfaller wire c¹ to about the
position shewn at Fig. 2, and keeps the wire in that position to within two or three
inches of the extremity of the draw, where there is another incline at the other end
of the rail f, which allows the counterfaller wire to rise gently to its old position
just when the draw is completed.
It will be quite apparent from the arrangement of the hinged levere at the bottom
of the upright link d, that the counterfaller wire will be at complete liberty to rise
and fall, whilst the carriage is going in and winding the yarn on to the cop in the
usual way without being affected by the rail f. By thus lowering the counterfaller
wire during the running out of the carriage, it is evident that in case of a yarn
breaking, the broken end falls out of reach of the adjacent yarns and consequently
does not become entangled with them, and cause them also to break.
Figs. 3 and 4 are two views of the second part of our Invention; g is the inclino
which acts on the finger 6 fixed to the faller shaft b; this incline is moved to and
fro on the plate h by the screw i which takes into a nut g' fixed to the incline g.
At the end of the screw i is the ratchet wheel i', which is acted upon by the catch j
hinged to the weighted lever k, which is mounted on a stud fixed to the bearing of
the screw i.
The upright arm of the weighted lover is acted upon at every stretch by a
projection from the carriage to move the ratchet wheel partly round. By this
means the time of depressing the counterfaller wire c' can be regulated in proportion
to the varying time at which the copping faller is unlocked between the top and
bottom of the set.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention and described a convenient mode
of performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not intend to limit
ourselves to the details given, as they may be varied, but what we do claim is,-
First. Lowering the counterfaller wire during the going out of the carriage of
self-acting and hand mules for the purpose described.
And, Secondly. Making the incline which acts on the finger projecting from the
faller shaft movable instead of rigid for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Walker, for myself and on behalf of the
within-named Thomas Mitchell Eccles, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Twelfth day of Juno, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
WILLIAM WALKER. (L.S.)