Improvements in or applicable to Self-acting Mules.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1895
Improvements in or applicable to Self-acting Mules.
I WILLIAM NICHOLS of 217 Abbey Hill Road Oldham in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Fitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to self-acting mules, and consists in certain improvements
upon an invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date the
7th day of November 1891 No. 19294.
The nature of my said improvements and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to
the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawing is an elevation (partly in vertical section) of so much of a
nule headstock as is necessary to illustrate the application of my invention thereto,
and Figs. 2 and 3 are a face view and horizontal section of detached parts hereinafter
more particularly referred to.
a is part of the mule headstock supporting the rim shaft b and c is a friction cone
placed loosely thereon and gearing when required into the interior of the coned
pulley d for drawing out the spindle carriage e. The coned pulley d is mounted on
a long bushf which is keyed fast on the rim shaft b. At one end of this long
bush are four arms f carrying a ring of metal + provided with two driving
studs (see Figs. 2 and 3) which pass through holes in the disc of the friction
cone c. In the ring falso are fixed four screw bolts carrying two bridles & which
embrace the two ends of a bow spring k which has a hole at the centre through
which passes the neck of the boss ct of the friction cone c.
The normal tendency of this spring is to keep the friction cone c in gear with
the interior of the coned pulley d and it is kept in gear thereby during the going-out
of the carriage e.
The forked arm of a bell crank lever carries a bowl which is engaged in the
neck of the boss c+ of the friction cone, and the other arm has attached to it a
bar +, the lower end of which is jointed to a horizontal rod m, the other end of which
is jointed to a lever or finger pivotted to a bracket o fixed on the floor.
As the carriage e (moving in the direction of the arrow) arrives near to the end
of its stretch a bracket et fixed thereon comes against the lever or finger n and
draws the horizontal rod m along with it for a short distance and by means of the
bar and bell-crank lever pulls the friction cone e out of contact with the coned
pulley d against the action of the spring k, and thus stops the revolution of the rim
band pulley.
On the horizontal rod m is fixed a long collar m+ on which rests a stud P carried
by a balanced lever 9. As the rod m moves along with the carriage, the stud p
falls over the end of this collar the lever g being thereby tilted into the position
shown by dotted lines and thus locks the friction cone in the out-of-gear position.
As the carriage e runs up to the rollers the front part thereof comes against the
set screw + carried by the top arm of the lever and thus raising the stud p allows
the spring k to throw the friction cone into gear again.
I propose also if necessary to provide the rim shaft with antifriction rings (see
Fig. 1), one at a preferably in the form of a ring with a lubricator a which may
rest upon the ends of the forked lever (see detached view Fig. 14), and a second
at y in the form of a boss bearing against balls in a suitable race, see detached view
Fig. 1 (slightly enlarged).

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1.
The construction and application to self acting mules of the improved apparatus
for putting the friction cone into and out of year with the coned pulley on the rim
shaft by the action of the spindle carriage substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the drawings annexed:
Dated this 11th day of April 1895:
GEO: DAVIES & SON,
4; St: Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.