IMPROVE. MENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINES USED IN PREPARING TO BE 'SHUN AND IN SPINNING COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Lakin, óf Ardwick, in the County of Lan-
caster, Machinist, and John Wain, of the City of Manchester, in the
said County of Lancaster, Mechanic, for the Invention 'of "IMPROVE.
MENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINES USED IN PREPARING TO BE 'SHUN AND IN SPINNING
COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 31st December 1861, aud dated the 5th July 1861, 1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left, by, the said Robert, Lakin at the
. Office of the Commissioners of. Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
July 1861..
We, ROBERT LAKIN, of Ardwick, in the County, of Lancaster, Machinist,
and JOHN WAIN, of the City, of Manchester, in the said County of Lancaster,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINES USED IN PREPARING TO BE SPUN AND IN SPINNING
COTTON, WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:..
Our said improvements are applicable to machines for the before-mentioned
purposes of preparing and spinning of the kinds commonly known by the
names of drawing, slubbing, and roving frames, and of mules and throstles.
Our said improvements consist in the following particulars, namely,―
First, in the application of vertical levers in combination with other suitable
parts for the purpose of forming a connection between the fallers of two or
more mule carriages when driven from one headstock only, in the manner
commonly called double decking, triple decking, or the like, according to the
number. of carriages connected, so that the motion given from the headstock

page_text: to the faller of one carriage may be communicated to the faller or fallers of
the other carriage or carriages.
Secondly, in constructing the cap bar slides and cap bars used to retain
the top rollers in the mule or throstle in their places in such manner as to
act as strippers in removing the fibres of cotton or other material which are
apt to gather round the pivots of such rollers.
Thirdly, in the improved construction of the cap bars and cap bar slides
in such a manner that the ordinary "saddles" may be dispensed with when
fluted top rollers are used in any of the machines before mentioned, and the
parts used for weighting the top rollers may be attached to the cap bars or
cap bar slides, whereby the parallelisin of the top and bottom fluted rollers
is less liable to be disturbed.
Fourthly, in the application of a click and ratchet wheel in combination
with pulleys of unequal diameters, to produce different speeds in the same
shaft.
Fifthly, in a combination and arrangement of mechanism whereby the
scrolls or equivalent parts used in putting up the mule carriage, and also
the friction wheel for performing the backing-off, are driven by gearing
attached to a countershaft, and through intermediate parts, instead of
being driven from the headstock in the usual manner.
Sixthly, in the application of a spring or brake to prevent the rotation of
the winding-on barrel or drum in mules constructed on the principle of
"Roberts's mules," during a short period before the carriage has completed
its outward run, and also after the carriage has commenced its inward run,
and thereby to allow an interval between the commencement of the inward
run and the commencement of the winding-on.
Seventhly, in the application of a catch box and incline in combination with
a snail and other suitable parts for the purpose of moving the mule carriage
inwards at a slow rate whilst twisting at the head, the motion being deter-
mined by the form of the snail which acts when the catch box is in gear,
the time of which is regulated by the incline.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Lakin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th January 1862.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Lakin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, KOBERT
LAKIN, of Ardwick, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, and JOHN WAIN,

page_text: of the City of Manchester, in the said County of Lancaster, Mechanic, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and. successors, give and grant unto us, the said Robert Lakin and
John Wain, our executors, administrators, and assigns, Her especial license
that we, the said Robert Lakin and John Wain, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Lakin and John Wain, our ex-
ecutors,administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years 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 CERTAIN MACHINES USED IN
PREPARING TO BE SPUN AND IN SPINNING COTTON. WOOL, AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said Robert
Lakin and John Wain, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, 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.
The
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said condition, we, the said
Robert Lakin and John Wain, do hereby declare that the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
description, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings on two Sheets,
in which the same letters or numbers of reference are used to indicate the
same or corresponding parts in all the Figures in which they occur.
scales to which the several Figures are drawn are stated on the Drawings.
Our said improvements are respectively applicable to machines for the
before-mentioned purposes of preparing and spinning of the several kinds
commonly known by the names of drawing, slubbing, and roving frames,
and of mules and throstles, as herein-after expressed, and consist in the
following particulars, namely,-
First, in the application of vertical levers,in combination with other suitable
parts, for the purpose of forming a connection between the fallers of two or
more mule carriages when driven from one headstock only in the manner
commonly called double decking, triple decking, or the like, according to the

page_text: number of carriages connected, so that'the motion given from the headstock
to the faller of one carriage may be communicated to the faller or fallers of
the other carriage or carriages.
ק'
t
.
Secondly, in constructing the cap bar slides and cap bars used to retain the
top rollers in the mule or throstle in their places in such manner as to act
as strippers in removing the fibres of cotton or other material which are
apt to gather round the pivots of such rollers.
Thirdly, in the improved construction of the cap bars and cap bar slides
in such a manner that the ordinary "saddles" may be dispensed with.
When fluted top rollers are used in any of the machines of the several kinds
before-mentioned, and the parts used for weighting, the top rollers may be
attached to the cap bars or cap bar slides, whereby the parellelism of the
top and bottom fluted rollers is less liable to be disturbed.
Fourthly, in the application in or to any of the machines of the several
kinds aforesaid of a click and ratchet wheel, in combination with pulleys of
unequal diameters, to produce different speeds in the same shaft:
Fifthly, in a combination and arrangement of mechanism whereby the
'scrolls or equivalent parts used in putting up the mule carriage, and also the
friction wheel for performing the backing-off, are driven by gearing attached
to a countershaft' and through intermediate parts, instead of being driven
from the beadstock in the usual manner...
J.....
Sixthly, in the application of a spring or brake to prevent the rotation of
the winding-on barrel or drum'in mules constructed on the principle of
"Roberts's mules "during a short period before the carriage has completed
its outward run, and also after the carriage has commenced its inward run,
and thereby to allow'an interval between the commencement of the inward
run and the commencement of the winding on." .....
Seventhly, in the application of a catch box and incline in combination
with a snail and other suitable parts, for the purpose of moving the mule
carriage inwards at a slow rate whilst twisting' at the head, the motion
'being determined by the form of the snail which acts when the catch box is
in gear, the time of which is regulated by the incline.
Before proceeding to describe the first of our improvements, it may be as
well to state, in reference thereto, that what is meant by the terms double.or
triple-decking, is the causing the motion given by one mule headstock to be
communicated to two or three mule carriages and other parts of a mule in
connection therewith, instead of applying a headstock to each carriage, for
which purpose it is usual to connect the carriage, which receives motion
direct from the headstock with the carriage or carriages which do not, by

page_text: means of bars of wood or iron, or by iron tubes or other means, two, three,
or more of such means of connection being applied as is deemed requisite
according to the length of the carriage:
We will now proceed to describe the first of our improvements. With
reference to Figurés 1 and 2, which represent the carriages of a pair of mules,
each of which receives motion direct from a headstock, and to each of
which our apparatus' is' applied. The apparatus is shewn in the Figures in
elevation, and the carriages 'in section; these carriages, when they are what
is termed coming out, do so in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows.
The vertical levers a and a vibrate on the studs 1 and 2 fastened to the
faller-stand 'ds, which is connected with the carriage by means of the
brackets a³ and a. The sector b'is' keyed on the faller shaft 3, and geers
with the rack at the upper part of the lever a, and the sector b' is keyed on
the counter-faller shaft 4, and geers with the rack at the upper part of the
lever a. The sickles h are those in common use, and A represents one of
the bars' of wood, previously named, for connecting the carriages to each
other. To each of the other carriage's those, namely, which do not receive
motion direct from the headstocks, similar apparatus is applied, motion being
communicated from 'the apparatus of one carriage to the apparatus of the
other or others; with which it is connected by means of the rods d and d¹.
The rodd is at one end attached to the lower end of the lever a, and at
the other end 'to a similar lever in the apparatus of the carriage connected
with it, and the rod d¹ is siinilarly attached to the lower end of the lever a¹,
and to the lower end of a like lever in the other carriage. The rod d passes
on one side of the bar A' and the rod d' on the other; these rods are sup-
ported by suitable bearings attached to the bar A.' The levers a and a¹in
the one' carriage being thus connected with similar levers in another, it will
be evident that the motion given to the faller shafts by the headstock in the
one carriage will be communicated to those in the other.
. It will be seen that, in Figure 1, the sectors 6 and 6' are keyed on so as
to be below the faller shafts, while those in Figure 2 are keyed on so as to
be above them. These are so keyed on 'to cause the rods & and d' in each
carriage of the pair, when 'acting so as to put the faller down, to do so in
the same direction, that is, to cause all the rods to have a pulling action at
such time, and which they would not 'all have were both the sectors either
above or below the fallers, owing to the fact, before mentioned, that the car-
riages move in contrary directions:**
In Figures 3 and 4, we have shewn a modification of this part of our
improvements, in which; in place of the sector's band b', (sliewn in Figures 1

page_text: and 2) we place the levers p and p¹, and in place of having a rack at the
upper ends of the levers a and a¹, we fasten a stud in each. Each of these
studs passes through a slot in the corresponding lever p and p¹ respectively,
so as to form a connection in place of the sector and rack.
The second of our improvements will be seen, by reference to Figure 5,
which is a plan, and Figure 6, which is an elevation, and in which the cap
bar is marked e', the cap bar slides e², and the top rollers es. In Figure 6,
it. will be seen that the part e of the cap bar and of the cap bar slides is
bevilled for about two-thirds of the extent the pivot passes into the recess,
instead of being straight as heretofore, and that part of the bevilled portion
against which the pivot of the top roller bears is only just in a line hori-
zontally with the centre of the top roller, the object of which is, that as the
top rollers revolve, which they do in the direction of the arrows, the last-
mentioned part shall act as a stripper to strip or remove the loose fibres of
cotton which are apt to gather round the pivots of such rollers.
The third of our improvements will be seen by reference to Figures 7, 8,
and 9. Figure 7 is an elevation, and Figures 8 and 9 are plans of such parts
as are requisite to explain this part of our improvements, in which F is the
roller stand; F the slide, fastened by the bolt F*. The bottom rollers are
marked B, and the top rollers, which are fluted, are marked T. G and G¹
are two cap bars. On the fingers of the upper one are the slides G³, which
bear on and keep in position the front top rollers. The fingers of the lower
cap bar G¹ are fixed, and hold in position the two back top rollers. The
slides G being moveable on the fingers, may be adjusted to suit the distance
left between the front and middle bottom roller. To the slides G² are
attached the wires G³, to which the weights for weighting the top rollers are
suspended. The under side of each finger of the cap bar G is made with a
projection to bear on a projection on the upper surface of the corresponding
finger of the cap bar G', and thereby supply the place of the ordinary saddles
to convey pressure to the back and middle top rollers. It will be seen that in
this arrangement the top rollers (as shewn in Figures 8 and 9) have no pivots
at the ends, but are kept in their places by the bearing in the middle only.
In reference to the fourth of our improvements, Figures 10 and 11 are
elevations of parts requisite to explain the same, in which the hangers H
attached to the ceiling support the shaft J; or this shaft may be supported in
the framing of the machine to which it may be applied. The pulleys J' and Ji
and ratchet wheel Js are fast on the shaft J, loose on which are the pullies J³
and J. In the boss of the ratchet wheel J³ is a groove, in which is the
spring J5, which operates on the click Je; this click is supported by a stud

page_text: fixed in an arm of the pulley J. Motion is communicated to the pulleys J¹
and J by means of straps, one to each pulley, which pass from other pulleys
on any driving shaft, and motion is communicated from one of the pulleys Ji
and J4 as required to the shaft J and pulley J. When a quick speed is
required, the straps remain on both these pulleys J and J4 when the pulley J¹
will coninmunicate motion to the shaft J and ratchet wheel J2, which will at
such time overrun the click J6, and the spring J5 keeps the click from being
in contact with the teeth. When a slow speed is required the strap on
pulley J¹ is traversed by any convenient means from off that pulley on to the
loose pulley J3, on which the shaft ceasing to receive motion from that source
begins to stop. So soon, however, as the velocity is reduced to a little less
than that of the pulley J4, then the spring J5 acts on the click J and puts
it into contact with one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel J2, thus forming a
connection between the pulley J4 and the ratchet wheel, and the pulley J4
theu communicates motion to the shaft J. The pulley J7 is the one which
conveys motion to the machine, which it does at a quick or slow speed, in
accordance to that which the shaft J receives, as aforesaid.
The fifth of our improvements is illustrated by Figures 12, 13, and 14,
which are elevations, and Figures 15 and 16, which are plans, in which the
mechanism employed is shewn. L represents the hangers; L'a countershaft,
and L,L³,and L4,the pulleys of the driving apparatus usually applied to self-
acting mules. The vertical shaft L5,or the lower part of it,is the one described
in the Specification of an Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to
Robert Lakin and William Henry Rhodes, on the Twelfth day of October,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, and numbered 12,805, and usually
employed to give motion through the catch box L,and bevil wheels L' and L³,
to the scroll L for putting up the carriage, and which vertical shaft receives
'motion from the shaft known as the change or side shaft. In our improved
arrangement we do away with the change shaft, and lengthen the shaft L5 so
as to extend up to one of the hangers L, by which it is supported at its upper
end, and instead of giving motion to the shaft L5 from a change shaft, we do
so from the countershaft L' by means of the bevil wheels L10 and L", the
wheel L being fastened to the shaft L, and the wheel L" to the shaft L³.
In addition to using the shaft L5 for its usual purpose, we also use it for the
purpose of communicating motion to the backing off friction cones, thereby
enabling us to dispense with the change shaft and its connected parts. One
mode of communicating motion to the backing off friction cones is to substi-
tute for the spur wheel usually employed the worm wheel L12, and to give
inotion to it by means of the worm L13. Another mode is to affix a stud L14

page_text: (Figure 16) to some convenient, part or fixing of the frame side, placing on
it the spur pinion L1 and bevil L¹, which are cast together, and fasten
to
the bevil L on the shaft L, by,which means motion will be given through
the bevils and pinion to the spur wheel L¹³.
manner.
1..
The sixth of our improvements is also illustrated in Figures 13 and 15, in
which n¹ is a bracket fastened to the framesi de $3, and 3 is, a bent spring or
brake attached to the carriage square n³, and which are the only new parts
applied. To explain their use, we may, observe that in mules constructed on
Roberts' principle," the chain used. for.,winding on is wound, on to the
barrel 4. during the time the carriage runs out, in order to perform the opera-
tion of winding on, which it does by turning the barrel n round, and with it
the spur wheels attached to it, and driving the spur pinion no fixed on the
tin roller shaft,bywhich means motion is given to the spindles in the ordinary
This operation being so well known need not further be described
than merely to state that so soon as the carriage commences going in the
chain which was wound tight on the barrel during the outward run of the
carriage causes the winding-on. motion to be put in action. In some cases,
more especially when spinning woollen yaru, the, carriage requires to move
inwards for a short distance during the operation of performing what is termed
twisting at the head, and during which period it is requisite that the parts
used for winding on should not be in operation. To prevent this, it is requisite
that a portion of the winding-on chain should be left slack, and not wound
up on the barrel n4. This we accomplish by causing the bracket n to be so
fixed and so formed at its lower surface, that at the time when, the carriage
by its outward run causes the spring n² to come in contact with it, it will
depress the spring on to the wheel ns, and thereby prevent its rotation, leaving
the chain which would have been wound on if the rotation of the barrel had
not been stopped slack, by which means. the carriage can go inwards until the
chain becomes tight without the winding-on motion being, put into operation.
The bracket n' being adjustable on the frame side, it can be placed so to
come sooner or later into contact with the spring, and thus vary the amount
of slack chain to the quantity required, taking care, that howover far it is
moved forward the under side is long enough to prevent the spring rising
until the time.the.winding-on motion is required to be put in operation.
We now proceed to describe our seventh improvement, which we shall
illustrate with reference to Figure 15, which is a plan, and Figures 13, 17,
and 18, which are elevations of parts of a mule in which the same is shewn,
and Figures 19,-20, 21, and 22, which are detached views of parts thereof.
The change motion. shaft S is the one,described.in the Specification of an In-
as

page_text: vention for which Letters Patent were granted to John Wain, dated the Tenth
day of November, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, No. 2393, but
which is in this improvement extended to nearly the whole length of the head-
stock. At the end near the worm S¹, it is supported by the bracket S2 fastened
to the frame side S³. The shaft S4 extends across the headstock, and is sup-
ported at one end by the bracket S3,and at the other by the bracket S attached
to the frame sides S³. The worm S' keyed on the shaft S, geers with and
communicates motion to the wheel S5; and to the half of the catch box S6,
which is cast with or attached to the wheel. The other half of the catch box,
which we term the sliding half, is at liberty to slide on a feather key attached
to the shaft S4, but must rotate with it when the two halves of the catch box
Se are put into contact, which they are when required by the spiral spring
So, which acts against the boss of the sliding half of the catch box and the
hoop u attached to the shaft S4. The snail S° is fastened on the shaft S4.
To the sliding half of the catch box Se is attached the plate S, having the
incline s on its outer edge, and the stud × on its side. The snail Sis
shewn detached in Figure 19, as is also the plate S in Figure 21, the bracket
N in Figure 20, and the bracket O in Figure 22. The brackets N and O
are bolted to the carriage square n³. To the bracket O is fixed the plate n
which is adjustable thereon.
"
We now proceed to describe the operation of the parts. The bevilled end
of the plate n must be so set that just before the carriage completes its out-
ward run, it will come in contact with the stud × on the plate S', and so that
by the time the carriage has completed its outward run it will have pushed
the stud X, and with it the sliding half of the catch box S° so far round that
the end of the plate S7 will have been carried past the end of the bracket S2,
against which it previously rested. When it has been so far carried round,
the spring So will cause the sliding half of the catch box S to go into contact
with the other half, and they will rotate together, and with them the shaft S
and snail S. As the snail S° rotates, it comes in contact with the bracket N,
and forces it and the carriage inwards to the required distance. The distance
the carriage is moved inwards can be varied either by varying the form or
size of the snail, or by so setting the bracket N on the carriage square that
the snail may act on it at once when it is put in motion, or it can be set back
so as to allow the snail to move a distance without being brought into con-
tact. Motion is continued to the shaft S4 until the halves of the catch box
are taken out of contact, which they are by the inclines of the plate S",
which rotates with the catch box during its rotation, coming in contact with
the incline m of the bracket S², which being fixed, forces the inclines and the

page_text: sliding half of the catch box Se outwards, so that by the time the end of the
plate S' is brought to bear against the end of the bracket S2 as shewn in the
Drawings, the halves of the catch box will be out of contact, and motion will
cease to be given to the shaft S4 until the halves of the catch box are again
put in contact. From the foregoing it will be seen that the halves of the catch
box are put in contact at the completion of each outward run of the carriage
and that the shaft S4 only makes one revolution each stretch.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, the
Third day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
above-named Robert Lakin and
John Wain, in the presence of
JOHN, P. ASTON, Attorney,
Manchester.
.
ROBERT LAKIN. (L.S.)
JOHN WAIN.
(L.S.)