TAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS. PATENT to Henry Kilshaw, of Birch, near Middleton,
in the County of Lancaster, Manager, and Richard Hacking, of
Bury, in the same County, Machinist, for the Invention of
TAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SPINNING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Kilshaw
and Richard Hacking at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th November 1853.
We, HENRY KILSHAW, of Birch, near Middleton, in the County of
Lancaster, Manager, and RICHARD HACKING, of Bury, in the same
County, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SPINNING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates solely to that class of spinning machinery.
called "self-acting mules," and more particularly to one known as
"Smith's self-actor." Our improvements apply to three distinct motions
in such "mules;" first, to a "backing off" motion for "weft mules;"
secondly to a "backing off" motion for "twist mules;" and thirdly, to
a double speed "twist motion." In the accompanying sketch, Figure 1

page_text: are side and end views of part of a mule exhibiting the novel arrange-
ment of mechanism for "backing off" the spindles in a "weft" mule.
On the front of the spindle carriage, up to the "fallers," is fixed a
small frame A, to which is attached an incline B, under which is a block
C, for one end of it to rest upon, the other end having a pin fixed into
the frame, so that the angle of the incline can be altered'; this block is
moved up and down as required by a screw and ratchet wheel attached
to it, which is evident that a tooth taken of the ratchet wheel will rise
or fall the block, consequently alter the angle of the incline to what
may be required; on the front end of the "head, stock" is fixed a
bracket, on which hangs a stationary lever E, on one end of which is
fixed a small bowl or roller to work on the incline when coming in
contact with it; on the other end is fixed a chain 2, which passes over a
small pully 3, fixed on the end of the headstock to keep the chain in its
position; this chain, after passing over the pully, descends and is fixed
to a small drum 4, with rack wheel attached to it by a catch, the same
being on and fixed to the "winding on" shaft F; on the end of the
headstock is fixed a small catch which comes in contact with the
ratchet wheel of the incline, and takes a tooth every time the spindle
carriage runs out. Now it is evident that if the incline is set to a
certain angle, it will move the lever and chain through a certain space
every time it comes in contact with it, causing the latch fixed to the
chain drum to catch in the tooth of the rack wheel and reverse the
motion of the "winding on "shaft and spindles, until the incline recedes
from the lever, after which it is at rest until, the carriage makes another
draw or stretch. It is also evident that the ratchet wheel attached to
the incline, coming in contact with the catch fixed on the headstock,
will take a tooth every time the carriage comes out, and so cause the
block under the incline to fall, and so reduce the angle of the incline,
causing the lever and chain to pass through, a less space every time
there is a tooth taken, causing the spindles to "back off" less as
required. The weight W attached to the pully brings the lever always
to the same position. Figs. 2, are side and end views of part of a.
mule exhibiting the novel arrangement of mechanism for "backing.
off" the spindles in a "twist mule." On the swing A of the "mangle

page_text: wheel" is fixed a toothed quadrent B, working a slide rack C, with a
notch or incline fixed to it, 1; this notch when traversing comes in
contact with another sliding rack D, to which at one end is fixed a
chain which passes round a small drum on the winding on shaft E; on
the other end of the rack is a notch and incline which is caught by the
notch on the top rack, and driven forward by the quadrent until it
comes in contact with an incline 4, fixed to a screw 4, and moved by
ratchet wheel 4; on the bottom rack D there is a hinge 5, which
when the two inclines, the one on the rack 6,, the other on the screw 4,
come together, the hinge allows part of the bottom rack to move up, so
that the notch on the top rack can pass under and allow the quadrent
to move the top rack C, to its full space, and the bottom rack goes
back to its former position, and the bottom part of the notch on the
bottom rack being an incline allows the top rack to come back to its
place without moving the bottom one; then to the drum 2, on the
winding on " shaft, is a rack wheel attached to it by a catch, all being
and fixed on the winding on shaft E; the incline fixed to the screw 4,
and ratchet wheel 4, is moved a tooth every time the spindle carriage
comes out, consequently alters its position either further from or nearer
to the notch 6, or incline on the bottom rack. The moment the
bottom rack is moved, the catch on the small drum 2, lays hold of a
tooth of the rack wheel, and reverses the motion of the "winding on
shaft and spindles, until the two inclines, the one on the screw 4, and
the other on the bottom rack 6, come together, disengages the top rack
and allows it to pass through its own space, as driven by the quadrant.
Now it is evident that the further the incline on the screw is set from
the notch or incline on the bottom rack, and the more the spindles
will be reversed, and the nearer the less they will be reversed,
the ratchet wheel taking a tooth every draw or stretch will bring
the two inclines nearer together, and cause the spindles to "back
off" less as required. Fig. 3, exhibits a side elevation of part of a
mule shewing the novel arrangement of mechanism for effecting the
"double speed twist motion." On the ordinary "rim" shaft A, is a
bevel wheel 1, that drives a bevel wheel 2 on the shaft B; on the
bottom of the same shaft is a bevel wheel 3, which drives a bevel wheel
"

page_text: 4 on a cross pully shaft C; on the shaft C, is a double .catch box J,
and H, which slides or works loosely on the shaft C, and on that is a
fast bracket-5, fixed down to the floor, on which the "twist pullies "D
and E work loosely, so that when the catch box J is put in gear the
"twist pully "D. will move the spindles, and the other pully E will
run-loosely on the fixing 5, and when the catch box H is put in gear
the "twist pully". E will drive the spindles, and the twist pully D run
loosely on the fixing 5, the catch box being regulated by a lever and rod
attached thereto, and moved by the carriage, &c. On the "rim shaft"
A, is a coupling 7, which disengages the "twist motion" altogether at the
time the mule is "backing off," and "winding on," and is regulated by
the back shaft K, which gets its motion from the rim shaft A, which is
always running. On the end of the "rim shaft" A, is a worm 8, and
worm wheel 8, on short cross shaft S, on which are spur wheels con-
necting a short shaft T, on which is a bevel that drives the back shaft
K, on which is a finger 9, that comes in contact with a lever O, dis-
engaging the coupling box 7, on the "rim shaft," as before stated; on
the back shaft K, is another finger 10, that comes in contact with the
lever P, and disengages a catch box X, on the back shaft K, which is
at rest whilst the spindle carriage is going up or running in to the
rollers which puts it in gear again.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Kilshaw and Richard Hacking in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
HENRY KILSHAW, of Birch, near Middleton, in the County of Lan-
caster, Manager, and RICHARD HACKING, of Bury, in the same County,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Henry Kilshaw and Richard Hacking,

page_text: Her especial license that we, the said Henry Kilshaw and Richard
Hacking, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Henry Kilshaw and Richard Hacking, our 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, exercise, and
vend, within' the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Henry Kilshaw and Richard Hacking, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Henry Kilshaw, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is
to say):
Our Invention relates solely to that class of spinning machinery
called "self-acting mules," and more particularly to that known as
"Smith's self-actor." Our improvements apply to three distinct motions
in such "mules;" first, to a "backing off" motion for "weft mules;"
secondly, to a "backing off" motion for "twist mules;" and thirdly,
to a double speed twist motion. In the application of the first part of
our Invention to a "backing off" motion, a small framing is secured or
fastened to the carriage of the mule, in the interior of which a screw
works driven at the lower end by a wheel and scroll in conjunction
with a ratchet wheel and click, and supporting at the top of the screw
a small block, which, by the revolution of the screw to the right or left,
is relatively raised or depressed; this block supports the extreme end
of the lower or nearly horizontal side of an angular piece of metal
working upon a fixed axis, the upper side of such piece of metal being

page_text: consequently an inclined plane; as the carriage advances the inclined
plane is brought under the traverse of a small bowl or runner secured
to the framing, and in connection by means of a lever and chain with a
small drum or roller; when the bowl or runner has ascended to the top
of the inclined plane, it has necessarily depressed the lever and chain,
and so caused a partial revolution of the roller or drum, which in con-
nection with a disc and click has thrown over a ratchet wheel, and so
reversed the action; the carriage now recedes to the termination of its
traverse; a lever is caused, by mecting a stop on the framing, to advance
one notch on the ratchet wheel first mentioned, the effect of which is
the lowering of the inclined plane, and so ensuring (by diminishing the
race of the runner, and consequent less revolution of the disc) a less
amount of "backing off" of the spindles. But in order that our
improvements may be more fully explained in detail and better under-
stood, we have attached to these Presents three Sheets of Drawings,
drawn upon a scale about two inches to the foot.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1, represents a front elevation of the first part
of our improvements attached to a mule framing; Fig. 2, exhibits
a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 3, a bottom plan of the
box or frame a. On the front of the "spindle carriage," up to
the "fallers," is fixed a small frame a, to which is attached an
incline b, under which is a block c, for one end of it to rest upon,
the other end having a pin fixed into the frame so that the angle
of the incline may be altered as this block is moved up and down;
d, is a lever (acted upon by a stop at the end of the framing) carry-
ing a click e. which at each receding of the carriage takes or gives, as
may be required, a tooth of the ratchet wheel f, whereby through the
medium of the wheel g, and scroll h, the screw jis worked, and the
incline proportionately regulated. On the front end of the "headstock"
is fixed a bracket on which hangs a stationary lever, on one end of
which is fixed a small bowl or roller 1, to work on the incline when
coming in contact with it; on the other end is fixed a chair m, which
passes over a small pulley n, secured on the end of the headstock to
keep the chain in its position; this chain after passing over the pulley
descends, and is fastened to a small drum o, with ratchet wheel p, in

page_text: connection. with it, by a catch or click 2, the same being on the disc 2,
Now it is evident that if
which is fixed to the "winding on shaft s.
the incline is set to a certain angle it will move the lever and chain
through a certain space every time it comes in contact with it, causing
the latch fixed to the chain drum to catch in the tooth of the rack
wheel, and reverse the motion of the "winding on" shaft and spindles
until the incline recedes from the lever, after which it is at rest until
the carriage makes another draw or stretch. It is also evident that the
ratchet wheel attached to the incline coming in contact with the catch
or stop fixed on the headstock will take a tooth every time the carriage
comes out, and so cause the block under the incline to fall, and thus
reduce the angle of the incline, causing the lever and chain to pass
through a less space every time there is a tooth taken, and causing the
spindle to back off" less as required; the weight t attached to the
pulley brings the lever always to the same position. The same letters
are marked on similar parts of the machinery in Sheet 1.
In Sheet 2, Fig. 4, is a plan view; Fig. 5, a longitudinal clevation;
Fig. 6, a front elevation of the second part of our improvements in the
"backing off" the spindles in a "twist mule;" Fig. 7, is a diagram shew-
ing another method, by means of a quadrant and rack, of obtaining the
same effect as that attained by the arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
a, is a bent lever having a slot to receive a pin, which may be placed
as desired, and acted upon by a suitable fixing attached to any part of
the mule carriage; now it will be evident that upon the pin being
depressed at each advance of the carriage, the connecting click c will
be drawn up, taking with it a notch from the ratchet wheel d, and
communicating therefrom motion to the two small bevil wheels e¹, e, so
causing a partial revolution of the screw f, and a necessary advance of
the block g, carrying the incline h. On the swing of the connecting
beam j, a lever is fixed, carrying the incline m, which is brought to
bear upon the block of the incline n; the traverse having now com-
menced, the chain at the end of the lever o, causes a partial revolution
of the drum p, on the "winding on shaft, and so acts upon the disc
click and ratchet wheel (more fully described and shewn in Sheet 1)
as to reverse the action; but as at each advance of the carriage a tooth
is taken from the ratchet wheel d, and the incline m, is proportionately

page_text: advanced, so it is a necessary consequence that the inclines q, and n,
should become closer together, and as the lever bearing the block m, is
jointed, and the wheel r, in its course over the inclines, elevates to a
given height the hinder end of the lever, so that the less the distance
of the incline q, to the wheel r, the sooner in consequence of its eleva-
tion will the incline m fall (and immediately resume its place by the
aid of the weight t), and in proportion to the distance of the inclines so
will be the diminishing of the "backing off" of the spindles. Now it is
evident that the further the incline on the screw is set from the notch
or incline on the bottom jointed bar or lever, the more the spindles will
be reversed, and the nearer the less they will be reversed; the ratchet
wheel taking a tooth every draw or stretch will bring the two inclines
nearer together, and cause the spindles to "back off" a less amount of
yarn as required. In Figs. 4 and 5, on the "rim" shaft a, is fixed a
scroll b, acting on a wheel c, which gives motion to the two bevil wheels
g and h, through the gearing d, e, f, and thence to the catch box j; k,
is a connecting rod which is put in motion by the small catch on the
travelling carriage as it goes in and out, and by means of the irregular
slot, guiding by its backward and forward motion the pin m, the
lever n is drawn on either side, and the catch box thrown in or out of
gear, by which means the "twist" may be regulated as desired.
In Sheet 3, Fig. 8, exhibits a plan view of part of a "mule," shewing
the novel arrangement of mechanism for effecting the "double speed
twist motion." On the ordinary rim shaft a, is a bevil wheel 1, that
drives a bevil wheel 2 on the shaft I, on the bottom of the same shaft is
a bevil wheel 3, which drives a bevil wheel 4 on a cross pulley shaft c;
on the shaft C, is a double latch box j, h, which slides or works loosely
on the shaft c, and on that is a fast bracket 5, fixed down to the floor,
on which the "twist pullies" & and e work loosely, so that when the
catch box is fast in gear the "twist pulley" & will move the spindles,
and the other pulley e will run loosely on the fixing 5, and when the
catch box h is put in gear the twist pulley e will drive the spindles, and
the twist pulley d run loosely on the fixing 5, the catch box being
regulated by a lever and rod attached thereto and moved by the
carriage, &c. On the "rim shaft" a, is a coupling 7, which disengages
the "twist motion" altogether at the time the mule is "backing off"

page_text: and "winding on," and is regulated by the back shaft k, which gets its
motion from the "rim shaft" a, which is always running. On the end
of the "rim shaft" a, is a worm 8, and worm wheel 8, on the short
cross shafts, on which are spur wheels connecting a short shaft t, on
which is a bevil that drives the back shaft k, on which is a finger 1,
that comes in contact with a lever o, disengaging the coupling box 7,
on the "rim shaft," as before stated; on the back shaft k, is another
finger 10, that comes in contact with the lever P, and disengages a
catch box x, on the back shaft K, which is at rest whilst the spindle
carriage is putting up or running in towards the rollers, which puts it
in gear again.
Having thus particularly described the various portions of our im-
provements and their several arrangements or mode of application, we
wish it to be distinctly understood that we claim,-First, an inclined
plane capable of graduation, and being in connection with the click and
ratchet wheel applied to the "backing off" motion in "weft mules," as
clearly exhibited in the Drawings annexed, and herein particularly set
forth. Secondly, the peculiar arrangement of inclines actuated by the
ratchet wheel and screw or any other mechanical equivalents con-
stituting a "backing off" motion for "twist mules," as clearly
exhibited in the Drawings annexed, and herein particularly set forth,
as well as the catch box and shifting lever worked by any suitable
gearing for varying the twist. And lastly, we claim the peculiar
arrangement of a series of catch boxes throwing in and out of gear a
large and small pully and worked by any suitable arrangement of
machinery so as to gain a double speed "twist motion," as also clearly
exhibited in the Drawings annexed, and herein particularly set forth and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Kilshaw, have hereunto set
iny hand and seal, the Tenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
HENRY KILSHAW. (L.S.)