CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
WHITWORTH, of Manchester, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain; bearing date
at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of November, in the seventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Whitworth, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Joseph Whitworth, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Joseph Whitworth, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
other, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR SPINNING AND DOUBLING COTTON,
WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso, that I, the said Joseph Whitworth, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the proviso, I, the said
Joseph Whitworth, do declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
in the Drawings hereto annexed, and to the following explanation thereof, that
is to say:-
My Invention of certain improvements in machinery for spinning cotton,
wool, and other fibrous substances, consist in certain additions to and variations
from the plan or mechanism of a self-acting mule, for which His present
Majesty King William the Fourth was graciously pleased to grant me His
Royal Letters Patent, dated at Westminster, Fourteenth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-five, the Specification of which Invention
was duly inrolled in Chancery, in the office of the Rolls Chapel, on or before the
Fourteenth day of October in the same year, to which Specification it may be
necessary to refer for the better understanding of the adaptation and arrange-
ment of my present improvements. The particular features of novelty which
constitute the subject of my present Invention my be described under two
heads; first, an improved arrangement of mechanism, constituting the head-
stock of a self-acting mule; and, second, an improved adaptation of expanding
pullies for winding the yarns on to the spindles.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a plan or horizontal view
of the general features of a self-acting mule, with my present improvements
applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the back of the same, the novel
mechanism being shaded, and the other parts delineated in outline; Fig. 3
is a sectional elevation taken transversely through the mule carriage near the
headstock; and Fig. 4 is a similar sectional elevation taken through the mule
carriage near the right-hand end of Fig. 1. For the better explanation of the
construction and arrangement of the improved headstock, I have represented it
upon an enlarged scale, and partly in section, at Figs. 5 and 6, which will tend
to elucidate the movements of the parts about to be described in reference to
the forgoing Figures, in all of which the same letters indicate the same parts
of the mechanism. A vertical shaft a, receiving its rotary motion from any
first mover, communicates that motion by means of the drum pulley and strap
b, b, to two pullies c and k, the former of which pullies is fixed upon an upright
shaft d, mounted in the headstock. The rotation of this shaft d, driven by the
strap b, and pulley c, gives motion through bevel gear e, e, e, to the drawings
rollers, as represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3. To the lower end of this shaft da
bevel pinion f is affixed, which takes into a bevel wheel g. turning loosely upon
the long horizontal shaft h, h, h, extending at the back of the mule. When this

page_text: which
loose wheel g is locked to the horizontal shaft h, by means of the clutch i, the
pinion f causes the shaft h to revolve, and by means of the bevel gear at the
end of the shaft to drive with an uniform velocity the worm shafts E*, E*, (as
in the Specification of my former Patent,) for the purpose of conducting the
carriage out, and giving the stretch to the yarns. Whilst the carriage is thus
running out, and the yarns are stretching, the operation of twisting is also to be
performed, which is effected by the following means:-The pully k, which is
exactly similar to the pully c, is fixed upon the upper end of a tube j, j, which
tube embraces the lower part of the upright shaft d, turning loosely upon it,
and to the lower end of this tube j, a grooved pulley is affixed, which carries
the endless band m, that drives the grooved pulley n mounted in the mule
carriage, as seen in Figures 1 and 3, and which gives rotary motion to the
drums that actuate the spindles. The mule carriage having proceeded nearly
to its extent, comes against a stop fixed upon a horizontal rod o, extending in a
transverse position from the lever p of the clutch i; and by the carriage thus
striking against the stop, the rod is made to draw the clutch lever p, and to
throw the clutch i back, and disconnect the shaft h from the driving gear,
instantly stops the progress of the mule carriage; at the same time an arm q,
having a slot near the end of the clutch lever p, acts against a vertical lever r,
and by drawing the lower end of that lever forward, releases the catch at its upper
end from the notch 1 of the vertical bolt 8, s, which carries the strap guider.
The bolt s slides in socketed brackets extending from a vertical standard, and
being loaded by a weight t, descends by its gravity as soon as released from the
catch, and in so doing, passes the driving strap 6 from the two pullies c and k,
on to the next pulley u, the bolt having fallen from the notch 1 to the notch 2,
which notch now rests upon the end of the lever r. The last-mentioned pulley
u turns loosely upon the tube j, and, therefore, at this time the shaft d remains
stationary, which is the period for what is technically called "backing-off,"
that is, unwinding a portion of the yarn off the spindles to the nose of the cop;
(at the lower end of the vertical bolt s, there is a small tumbler or trigger,
hanging upon a pivot, the end or operating part of which tumbler is formed as an
inclined plane, and as the bolts descends, this inclined plain presses against a
projecting finger near the end of a horizontal sliding spring bolt v, and pushes
the bolt back. The reverse end of this horizontal bolt v is inserted into a
notch in the side of a vertical bolt w, sliding in socketted brackets extending
from a standard in the frame of the headstock, which vertical bolt carries the
strap guider of the backing-off apparatus; and when the horizontal bolt v is
drawn away from the notch by the action of the tumbler, as described, the

page_text: vertical bolt w is brought down by the force of its spring, and the driving strap
is shifted from the pulley x to the pulley y. The strap of the backing-off appa-
ratus is driven by a pully z, which is fixed upon a shaft in connection by gearing
with the first driving shaft a; the pully a slides loosely upon the tube j, in
the headstock, but the pully y is fast to the tube j, and consequently when the
driving strap passes from the loose pully to the fast pully y, the tube j is made
to revolve in an opposite direction to its former rotation, and thereby to give
such movement to the band pully 7 as will cause the spindles to turn the reverse
way, and thereby back off the yarns. The carriage is now to be run in, which
is done by the following means:-The action of the faller in descending
causes a lever to operate upon and to bring forward the horizontal rod A,
which being connected to the lower end of the lever r, draws that end of the
lever with it, and thereby releases the bolts, which rested upon the top of that
lever, (this mode of taking forward the rod A, I do not, however, claim as
new, and therefore do not think it necessary more particularly to describe it);
the bolts being thus released, descends from the notch 2 to the notch 3, and
in so doing lets the driving strap pass down on to the pully B, which turns
loosely upon the tube j, and is hence made to revolve by the friction of the
driving strap. The same advancing movement of the rod A also causes a
tooth or inclined plain on its side to press against a pendant catch lever C,
and by pushing that lever back, to allow the weighted end of the lever D to
fall off the catch, when the reverse end of that lever rising, lifts the bolt w,
and passes the backing-off strap up on to the loose pully x. A pinion E is
made fast to the boss of the loose pully B, and consequently is driven round
with it, and this pinion E, taking into an intermediate wheel F, which is in
gear with the teeth of the scroll wheel G, causes the scroll wheel now to
receive a rotary movement. The periphery of the scroll wheel being of variable
radii, and winding round at different altitudes, it is necessary that the interme-
diate wheel F should advance and recede in accordance with the varying radii
of the scroll wheel, for the purpose of always keeping in gear with it, and that
the scroll wheel should ascend and descend, in order that the operating part of
its periphery should always be in coincidence with the intermediate wheel.
The intermediate wheel is brought into gear with the scroll wheel by its axle
being mounted in a swinging carriage H, which, turning loosely upon the tube
j, is kept in gear by a weighted cord attached to its arm I, as shewn in
Figure 1, 2, and 3. To the scroll wheel G, a screw K. is attached, which
works in a socket L affixed to the frame, and through the scroll wheel and screw
the vertical shaft M passes, and is locked thereto by a key and groove, which

page_text: allows the scroll wheel to slide up and down. It will now be perceived that as
the loose pully B is made to revolve by the driving strap, the pinion E affixed
to it will revolve also, and give rotary motion to the intermediate wheel F, and
that the teeth of this last, taking into the scroll wheel G, will cause that wheel
and its shaft M to revolve. As the scroll wheel G goes round, its screw K,
working in the concave worm socket L, causes it gradually to descend upon its
shaft, and thereby to bring the different radii of the scroll into operation with
the intermediate wheel, and though the driving pinion E and wheel F give a
uniform rotary movement, yet the periphery of the scroll wheel being of several
radii, the speed of different parts of its rotation, and that of its shaft M, must
vary according to the radius of that part of the scroll with which the inter-
mediate wheel F is in operation. At the lower part of the vertical shaft M, a
bevel wheel N is affixed, taking into a bevel pinion O on the horizontal shaft
h, extending along the back of the mule; hence the same variable speeds with
which the shaft M revolves will be communicated to the shaft h, and to the
transverse screw shafts, and consequently the carriage in running in will
have a correspondent variation of speeds.
It being now understood in what manner the carriage is brought in
by means of the worm shafts E*, E*, as described in my former Speci-
fication above referred to, I proceed to explain the contrivance for
winding the yarns on to the spindles by means of drum bands actuated by
variable or expanding pullies. In the horizontal or plan view of the mule
seen at Figure 1, and also in the transverse section, Figure 4, a straight rack
bar P is shewn securely fixed upon standards resting on the floor of the
mule room. Into this rack a pinion Q takes, which pinion is fixed on the
vertical shaft of the band pully R, mounted in the mule carriage, and conse-
quently as the carriage runs in, the band pully is made to revolve. From this
pully R an endless band extends round a corresponding pully S on a vertical
shaft mounted near the middle of the mule carriage, and causes the shafts R
and S to turn simultaneously. Upon the latter shaft a toothed wheel T is
fixed, taking into another toothed wheel U upon the shaft of the drum band
pully V, from which pully V the endless bands extend which drives the drums
that actuate all the spindles. It will be perceived that by thus deriving the
taking-up motions of the spindles from the running-in of the carriage, through
the agency of the rack P and pinion Q, that the velocities of the spindles
would always bear the same relation to the travelling speed of the returning
carriage. Such, however, must not be the case, for as the connical figures of
the cop bottoms are forming, and the cops are building up, different speeds of

page_text: the spindles will be required in order to wind the yarns with equal tension upon
the different diameters of the conical figure of the cop bottom. This necessary
variation of speed I effect by causing the band pullies R and S to increase
and decrease in their diameters during the running-in of the carriage, and
also by regulating their expansion and contraction in accordance with the
formation of the cop bottom.
Figure 7 represents in elevation the expanding pully R and its shaft detached,
and drawn upon an enlarged scale; Figure 8 is a horizontal view of the same,
as seen looking down upon the upper surface of the pully. The periphery of
the pully is formed by several moveable segments a, a, a, sliding upon the
arms b, b, b, of a wheel W, fixed upon the perpendicular shaft. Below this
wheel W there is a disc X, in which several convolute slots are cut corre-
sponding in number with the moveable segments a, a, a. Through each of these
slots a stud c, extending from the under sides of the respective segment pieces
a, is passed, for the purpose of guiding them, and keeping them firm in their
positions. The disc X is fixed upon the top of a lantern box Y, and with it
turns loosely on the shaft d. The lower part of this shaft d is made hollow,
and a spindle e, rising from a truck f, passes some distance up it. Through
the spindle, and through slots cut in the sides of the hollow part of the shaft d,
a transverse bolt g passes, the ends of which work in two opposite spiral
grooves i, i, formed in the sides of the lantern box Y. The truck f has small
antifriction rollers running upon a railway Z, mounted on the floor transversely
under the mule carriage (as seen in Figures 1 and 4), which is to be raised at
the front end from its horizontal position gradually whilst the cop bottom is
forming. The lifting of the front end of the railway may be progressively
effected by means of a click striking every time the carriage runs out against a
ratchet wheel on the screw standard h, or by any other convenient means, which
I do not intend to claim. When the railway Z has been thus made to form
an inclined plane, the running out of the mule carriage will cause the truck f
by ascending the railway, to raise the spindle e in the socket of the shaft d, and
consequently to pass the transverse bolt g higher up the spiral grooves i, i, of the
lantern box Y, which will shift the lantern box and the disc X a little distance
round, and thereby cause the sides of the convolute slots in the disc to press the
studs c inward, and consequently to contract the diameter of the pully R. A
corresponding railway placed at k, near the middle of the mule, parallel to Z,
is mounted upon the floor, and worked in a similar way, upon which a truck
asf runs, having a spindle passing up into a hollow within the shaft of the
wheel of the pully S. This pully, like R, is formed by several segments

page_text: a, a, a, sliding upon a wheel fixed upon an upright shaft, and these segments
have each a stud c at their under side, projecting through convolute slots in a
disc below. The convolute slots in the disc under the pully S curve in a con-
trary direction to those of the disc under the pully R, but the spiral grooves
i, i, formed in the sides of the lantern box, upon which this disc is fixed, curve
in the same direction as those of the lantern box Y; consequently it will be.
perceived, that by the running out of the carriage, the trucks passing up the
inclined railways Z and k, will cause the pully S to expand, whilst the pully R
contracts, and when the carriage runs in, and the trucks pass down the inclined
railways, this effect will be reversed, the pully S contracting and the pully R
expanding. The object of thus expanding and contracting the pullies R and S
is, that during the running in of the carriage variable speeds may be given to the
shaft of the pully S, in order that the pinion upon it may so act upon the shaft
of the drum band pully as to cause the series of spindles to turn with varying
but certain speeds whilst winding on the yarns, in forming the cop bottoms, and
in building up the cops, the utility of which in mule spinning is well understood
by practical spinners. The carriage in running in strikes against the end of a
horizontal spring bolt 1, 1, in the headstock, and pushes it back, and this bolt
having a long slot cut through it toward its hinder part, when so pushed back,
allows the vertical bolt m to descend by passing through its slot, and by means
of the weight and cord n, n, to lift the bolts of the strap guider, and shift the
driving strap from the pully B to the pullies c and k, when the evolutions of the
mule again commence, and go on as before described. As the carriage comes
in, an inclined arm affixed to the back of it comes in contact with a bent arm
extending from the weight of the lever D, and raises that lever up on to its
catch C, as represented in Figure 6. In order to raise the fallen bolt m and the
weight n, a loose pully o is placed upon the back horizontal shaft h, which
loose pully carries a click p, taking into a ratchet wheel q, fixed upon the said
shaft h, and a cord from the pully o passes to the top of the shaft of the bolt m.
In the running in of the carriage the shaft h revolves in a retrograde direction,
and in so doing, by friction alone causes the loose pully o to turn and bring the
click p up to the top of the ratchet wheel, when the click falls into the teeth of
the ratchet by its own gravity. On the carriage running out, the shaft h
turns the reverse way, and causes the ratchet wheel to drive the click p and
loose pully o round to the stop i, which pully by winding up the cords, attached
to it and to the bolt m, raises the fallen bolt m with its weight n, when the
horizontal spring bolt / returns to its place, and supports the falling bolt m, as
shown in Figure 6.

page_text: In conclusion, I desire it to be understood that I claim under the above
recited Letters Patent, the improved construction and arrangement of the
mechanism constituting the headstock of a self-acting mule, and the adaptation
and arrangement of the expanding pullies for actuating the spindles, with the
parts connected thereto for working the said pullies, as exhibited in the several
Figures of the accompanying Drawings above referred to.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Whitworth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
JOSEPH (L.S.) WHITWORTH.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighteenth day of May, in
the seventh year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth,
the said Joseph Whitworth came before our said Lord the King in His
Chancery, and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing
therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the Instru-
ment aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in
the fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Nineteenth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-seven

page_text: In the Matter of a Patent granted to Joseph Whitworth, of Man-
chester, in the County Palatine of Lancaster, Engineer, for his
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SPINNING
AND DOUBLING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," bearing
date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-six.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION entered by the
said Joseph Whitworth with the Clerk of the Patents of England, pur-
suant to an Act passed in the fifth and sixth years of His present Majesty's
reign, intituled An Act to amend the Law touching Letters Patent for
Inventions."
I, the said Joseph Whitworth, do hereby declare that since obtaining the said
Letters Patent, I have discovered that there are many practical difficulties in
the way of the application of my present improvements to "doubling" cotton,
wool, and other fibrous substances, and that the overcoming those difficulties
will be attended with much expence; that much time will be required to carry
this part of my Invention into practical use and effect; that I find it impossible
at the present time properly to describe and ascertain in a full and explicit
manner this part of my Invention, and, therefore, if I am now obliged to
specify my improvements in doubling cotton, wool, and other fibrous substances,
the Invention will not be of any practical utility, or of any benefit or advantage
to the public, and I would, therefore, rather leave out and omit for the present
such part of my Invention, and secure the same by further Letters Patent at a
future date, if His Majesty should be pleased to grant the same; and for
these several reasons aforesaid, I, the said Joseph Whitworth, do hereby disclaim
and omit all such part of the title of my said Patent as relates to the applica-
tion of my Invention to the doubling of cotton, wool, or other fibrous sub-
stances (that is to say) :-I, the said Joseph Whitworth, do hereby make the
following Disclaimer and omission of part of the title of my said Invention, and
for this reason, namely, in order to make the same consistent with what my
said Specification will describe my said Invention to be when such Disclaimer

page_text: and alteration as aforesaid shall have been entered as aforesaid, (that is to say,)
I disclaim the words "and doubling" in the said title.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Whitworth, have hereunto set my
hand, this Seventeenth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-seven.
Signed and acknowledged by the within-named
Joseph Whitworth in the presence of me,
JOSH WHITWORTH.
WM NEWTON.
To the Clerk of the Patents of England.
This is to certify that Joseph Whitworth, of Manchester, in the County
Palatine of Lancaster, Engineer, has applied to me for leave to enter with
the above-written Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration of part of the
title and of the Specification of a certain Invention for which Letters Patent
were duly grant to, under Great Seal, dated at Westminster, the 19th day
of November, 1836, and the Specification of which was enrolled on the 19th
day of May, 1837; and on considering of the said application, and no objection
having made thereto, I have accordingly granted leave to the said Joseph
Whitworth to file his said Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration,
pursuant to the Statute passed in the sixth year of the reign of His present
Majesty, entitled An Act to amend the Law touching Letters Patent for
Inventions.