IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Beckett, of Preston, in the County of Lan-
caster, Overlooker, and William Seed, of the same Place, Machine
Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 28th December 1855, and dated the 6th July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Beckett and
William Seed at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 6th July 1855.
We, JAMES BECKETT, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Overlooker,
and WILLIAM SEED, of the same Place, Machine Maker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain adaptations and modifications of spinning
machinery, and more particularly to the machine known as Smith's self-acting
mule, whereby a more uniform quantity of twist is produced than by the mules
at present. in.use. The improvements consist of a peculiar arrangement of the
different working parts of the mule, whereby the spindle & carriage straps are
dispensed with and gearing substituted, by which arrangement a positive motion
is obtained. This is effected by the employment of fast and loose driving
pulleys on the shaft which works the spindles, such shaft having also keyed on

page_text: to it a small spur wheel, which gears. into a spur wheel working loose on a
carrier shaft. In the side of this wheel are placed a number of catches, which
bear against a ratchet wheel on the inner side of a second spur wheel on the
same shaft. When the strap is on the fast. driving, pulley, motion is commu-
nicated to the carriage by means of the ratchet wheel & catches, and the
spindles are at the same time at work; but when the carriage has to return,
the strap is lifted on to the loose pulley, on the boss of which is a small
toothed wheel, which communicates by gearing with the carriage shaft. As the
ratchet wheel is carried round independently.from the catches.they will have no
effect, the spur wheel to which they are attached standing still. The ratchet
wheel and catches may be applied in several different places with the same
effect; thus they may be attached to the driving pulleys, or a plate wheel may
be used, or they may be placed on the carriage shaft, when the arrangement of
fast and loose pulleys will be the reverse to that on the spindle shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Beckett and William Seed in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
BECKETT, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Overlooker, and WILLIAM
SEED, of the same Place, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant. unto us, the said
James Beckett aud, William Seed, Her special license that we, the said James
Beckett and William Seed, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said James Beckett and William Seed, our executors,, admi-
nistrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING COTTON
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said James Beckett and William Seed, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, or under the hand & seal of one of us, should parti-

page_text: cularly 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 we, the said James Beckett and William Seed, 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, reference, being had to the accompanying Draw-
ings, and to the letters, and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
Our said Invention relates to certain adaptations and modifications of
spinning machinery, and more particularly to the machine known as Smith's
self-acting.mule, whereby a more uniform quantity of twist is produced than by
the mules, at present.in use.
The improvements consist of a peculiar arrangement of certain of the work-
ing parts of the mule, whereby the spindle and carriage straps are dispensed
with, and a peculiar..arrangement of, ratchet gearing substituted, by which
arrangement, a positive motion is obtained.. This is effected by the employment
of fast and loose, driving pulleys on the shaft which works the spindles, such
shaft having, also keyed on to it a small spur wheel, which gears into a spur
wheel working loose, on a carrier shaft. . .In the side of this wheel are placed
one or more catches, which bear against a ratchet wheel on the inner side of a
second spur wheel on. the same shaft. When the strap is on the fast driving
pulley, motion is communicated to the carriage by means of the ratchet wheel
and catches, and the spindles are at the same time at work; but when the
spindles have to stop, the strap, is shifted on to the loose pulley, on the boss
of which is cast a small toothed wheel, communicating by gearing with the
carriage shaft. As the ratchet wheel is carried round independently, from the
catches they will have no effect, the spur wheel to which they are attached
standing still.
The ratchet wheel and catches may be applied in several different places
with the same effect; thus they may be attached to the driving pulleys, or a
plate wheel may, be used, or, they may be placed on the carriage shaft, when
the arrangement, of fast and loose pulleys will be the reverse to that on the
spindle shaft.
1
And in, order that, our said Invention may, be fully understood, we shall
now, proceed particularly, to describe the same, and. for that purpose we shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.

page_text: Figure 1 represents an elevation and partial section of one arrangement of
gearing for working the spindle and carriage shafts of Smith's self-acting mule.
A and B are respectively a fast and loose driving pulley, carried by the shaft C,
which drives the spindles, which shaft has also keyed on to it a small spur wheel
D, gearing into the spur wheel E, running loose on the carrier shaft F; this
wheel E carries a balance catch G, shewn more clearly in the enlarged detail,
Figure 4; the catch in this case, however, being fitted into a driving pulley in
place of a spur wheel, as will be herein-after described. This catch takes into
the teeth of a ratchet wheel H, formed or cast on the inner side of a second
spur wheel I (Figure 1), which wheel is keyed on to the carrier shaft, and
gears into the small spur wheel K fast on the carriage shaft L. M is a small
spur wheel, cast on the boss of the loose pulley B, and gearing into the spur
wheel I on the carrier shaft. The balance catch G works on the stud centre
N, and has a tail or lever arm O formed upon it, on the lower end of which
arm are fitted two studs or pins P, P', shewn more clearly in Figure 4.
Although only one catch is here shewn, a greater number may be used
if desired. Qis a friction blade spring, which works tightly round the
boss of the ratchet wheel H, whilst a portion of it is extended up between
the pins P, P', against either one or the other of which it presses. The
object of this spring is to throw the balance catch in or out of action.
This catch is thrown into action by the pin P' being driven against the tail of
the spring Q. When the strap is upon the fast pulley A, and when the strap
is on the loose pulley B, the catch is thrown out of action by the tail of the
spring being pressed against the pin P, the movement of the tail being
obtained by the friction round the boss of the ratchet wheel. When the
driving strap of the mule is on the fast driving pulley A, motion is communi-
cated from the spindle shaft C to the carriage shaft L by means of the wheel D,
which drives the wheel E; and as this wheel carries the balance catch G, which
takes into the teeth of the ratchet wheel II, it drives that wheel round, and
with it the spur wheel I, on to the side of which it is cast; this latter wheel I
gearing into and driving the wheel K on the carriage shaft L, which commu-
nicates motion by suitable gearing to the mangle wheel, which actuates the
carriage and rollers, the spindles "and carriage being thus at work at the same
time. When the carriage is nearly run out, the driving strap is changed on to
the loose pulley B, which turns with it the wheel M, and as this wheel gears
into the wheel I, the carriage shaft will be driven direct, whilst the spindle
shaft will be stationary, the ratchet wheel H in this case being rotated
without the aid of the balance catch, the wheel E remaining stationary.
But where the gearing is driven at a great speed, it is advisable that the

page_text: catch should be disengaged from the ratchet wheel during the revolution of
the latter, and this is effected by the pressure on the stud or pin P, which will
now be exerted by the friction of the spring Q, as herein-before described.
In the modification, Figure 2, the ratchet wheel H, in place of being cast
on to the side of a spur wheel, is cast on the boss of the loose driving pulley
B, and the catch G is carried by the fast pulley A, the same balance catch and
spring arrangement herein-before described being adopted, as shewn more
clearly in the enlarged details, Figures 4 and 5. In this arrangement, when
the strap is on the loose pulley B, the pinion M, cast upon its boss, gives
motion to the carriage shaft L through the wheels E and K, whilst at the
same time the spindle shaft C remains stationary. When the strap is on the
fast pulley A, the catch in that pulley will gear into the ratchet wheel H,
and carry the loose pulley B round with it.
Figure 6
Figure 3 represents a third modification, wherein the ratchet wheel H is
fast on the spindle shaft C, and the catch G is carried in the spur wheel E, cast
on the boss of the loose driving pulley B. When the strap is on the fast
pulley A, it gives motion to the loose pulley B and wheel E through the
ratchet wheel H, but when the strap is on the loose pulley B it has no
tendency to move the pulley A, as the catch will pass over the ratchet wheel
which is fast on the shaft C, from which motion is transmitted to the carriage
shaft L by the wheels E, I, & K. This last modification is also fitted with
the spring for engaging and disengaging the balance catch G.
represents one arrangement wherein a number of ordinary catches G are
employed in place of one balance catch and spring, as herein-before described.
When these ordinary catches are used, they may be worked either with an
external ratchet, as in Figure 6, or an internal ratchet, as in Figure 7. In all
cases when the movements of the parts are slow, the arrangement shewn at
Figure 6 may be used; but when the catch is applied to the driving pulleys,
or where the movement is rapid, then the disengaging balanced catch will be
found better adapted. Our ratchet and catch arrangement is obviously, by
slight modifications, applicable for the obtainment of either a slow stripping
motion or a quick putting up motion.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe, in conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of our said Invention; but what
we consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention

page_text: secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,- is, the
peculiar construction and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for working
or actuating the carriage and spindles of spinning, machines more particularly
known as Smith's self-acting mule, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Beckett and Williain Seed, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, the Second day of January, -One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.