IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Macqueen, of 46, Ashton New Road,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Macqueen at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd January 1870.
I, JAMES MACQUEEN, of 46, Ashton New Road, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING MULES," to be as
follows:-
My improvements refer, firstly, to the driving shaft. I remove from
the driving shaft the backing off friction cones; and by fastening the
rim pulley upon the shaft close to the bearing I shorten the distance
over the back of the headstock and secure simplicity of construction.
My improvements refer, secondly, to the method of driving the
backing off. On the boss of the loose pulley I place a spur pinion into

page_text: which I gear a wheel upon a short shaft held in an adjustable bearing.
On the other end of this shaft I fasten a pinion which gears with a wheel
fastened on a shaft extending from the back to the front of the head-
stock. On the front end of the last-named shaft I fasten a bevil wheel
giving motion to another bevil on a short shaft in bearings fixed in the
front of the framing. On this shaft I place a spur pinion which gears
with the large spur wheel fastened to or cast with the backing off male
cone placed on a stud fastened in the front of the frame of the headstock.
On the same stud I place the female cone cast with or fastened upon
the ordinary return rim band pulley. By this arrangement I am enabled
to back off at a uniform rate independently of the changing of the rim
pulley. I am also enabled more easily than heretofore to change the
speed of the backing off by means of the shaft in the adjustable bearing
at the back of the frame which also changes the speed of the intaking
shaft. I am also enabled to change the speed of the backing off by
itself by changing the wheels at the front of the headstock above
described.
My improvements refer, thirdly, to the method of putting into gear
and releasing the backing off cones. Through an opening in the frame
at the outer end of the headstock I pass at right angles to the head-
stock a sliding rod upon which I place an expanded spiral spring. This
rod is acted upon as the carriage approaches the outer end of the
stretch by the radial arm for regulating the winding on coming in
contact with it, and putting the pressure of the spring upon a clutch
fork lever which takes into a ring groove in the boss of the male cone
for backing off. This action of the spring is deterred from taking effect
for a time by means of a bell crank connected with the strap fork
lever by a rod so that until the strap changes on the completion of the
twist the fork above named cannot receive the pressure of the spring
which puts the backing off into gear as above described. To release the
backing off I suspend on the shaft herein-before described a pendant
lever so weighted as to incline. it in a forward direction. To this
pendant lever I fasten an inclined plate, upon the face of which there
rests, when the carriage is at the outer end of the stretch, a lever acted
upon by the chain which puts down and locks the faller, so that when
the time for locking arrives this lever is set at liberty and acts upon the
incline of the pendant rod and throws it back. This pendant rod has a
stud in it which acts upon a lever on a stud fixed in the headstock foot,
which lever is turned upwards and has an angled slot in the top of it

page_text: into which a stud in the bottom of the fork lever which moves the
backing off cones takes, and when the pendant rod above described is
thrown back the angled slot removes the backing off cones from contact.
=
My improvements refer, fourthly, to the connection for putting in the
intaking cones. I place upon a stud, in the middle or thereabouts of
the headstock near the floor, a long lever acted upon at the out end of
the headstock by a spring prevented from acting until the faller is locked
by a stud on the pendant rod above described in my third improvement.
When the backing off is completed and the pendant rod is thrown back
as herein-before described the long lever is released and the spring
pulls its outer end up, and of course pulls down the back end which by
means of the rod which guides the intaking cones pulls them into
contact. By this arrangement I am enabled to have a more substantial
escapement than has heretofore been possible.
My improvements refer, fifthly, to the method of giving motion to the
radial arm for winding on. I place a shaft longitudinally upon the
headstock frame, on which I place or cast two substantial feathers
spirally upon it so as to give a correct motion to the radial arm. These
feathers have two sets of pulleys acting upon them, one above and the
other below each of the feathers, which pulleys are carried by two studs
fastened in brackets on the carriage square. As the carriage moves out
and in the stud pulleys above named acting upon the feathers cause the
longitudinal shaft to move partially round. or wholly round, as the case
may be. I communicate this motion to the radial arm by placing on
the end of the longitudinal shaft a bevil wheel which gears with a
quadrant bevil on the radial arm shaft and gives motion thereto.. This
motion may be modified by placing upon the longitudinal shaft a
number of skew wheels into which I gear a short rack fastened on the
square, which gives motion as above described to the radial arm by the
traversing of the carriage outwards and inwards.
35
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Macqueen in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd July 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MACQUEEN, of 46, Ashton New Road, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, send greeting,

page_text: .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Macqueen, Her special licence,
tliat I, the said James Macqueen, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Macqueen, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING
MULES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Macqueen, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should parti-
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 I, the said James Macqueen, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My improvements refer, firstly, to the driving shaft. I remove from
this shaft the backing off friction cones, and by fastening the rim fully
upon the shaft close to the bearing I shorten the distance over the back
of the headstock.
My improvements refer, secondly, to the method of driving the
backing off. On the boss of the loose pully I place a spur pinion into
which I gear a wheel upon a short shaft held in an adjustable bearing.
On the other end of this shaft I fasten a pinion which gears with a
wheel fastened on a shaft extending from the back to the front of the
headstock. On the front end of the last named shaft I fasten a bevil
wheel giving motion to another bevil wheel on a short shaft in bearings
fixed in the front of the framing: On this shaft I place a spur pinion
which gears with the large spur wheel fastened to or cast with the
backing off male cone placed on a stud fastened in the front of the frame
of the headstock. On the same stud I place the female cone cast with

page_text: or fastened upon the ordinary return rim band pulley. By this arrange-
ment I am enabled to back off at a uniform rate independently of the
changing at the rim pulley. I am also enabled more easily than here:
tofore to change the speed of the backing off by means of the shaft in
the adjustable bearing at the back of the frame, which also changes the
speed of the intaking shaft, I am also enabled to change the speed of the
backing off by itself by changing the wheels at the front of the head-
stock above described.
My improvements refer, thirdly, to the method of putting in gear and
releasing the backing off cones. Through an opening in the frame at the
outer end of the headstock I pass at right angles to the headstock a
sliding rod upon which I place an expanded spiral spring. This rod is
acted upon as the carriage approaches the outer end of the stretch by the
radial arm for regulating the winding on coming in contact with it and
putting the pressure of the spring upon a clutch fork lever, which takes
into a ring groove in the boss of the male cone for backing off. This
action of the spring is deterred from taking effect for a time by means
of a bell crank connected with the strap fork lever by a rod, so that
until the strap changes on the completion of the twist the fork above-
named cannot receive the pressure of the spring which puts the backing
off cones into gear as above described. To release the backing off I
suspend on the shaft herein-before described a pendant lever so weighted
as to incline it in a forward direction. To this pendant lever I fasten an
inclined plate, upon the face of which there rests, when the carriage is at
the outer end of the stretch, a lever acted upon by the chain which puts
down and locks the faller, so that when the time for locking arrives this
lever is set at liberty and acts upon the incline of the pendant rod and
throws it back. This pendant rod has a stud in it which acts upon a
lever on a stud fixed in the headstock foot, which lever is turned
upwards and has an angled slot in the top of it into which a stud in the
bottom of the fork lever which moves the backing off cones takes, and
when the pendant rod above described is thrown back the angled slot
removes the backing-off cones from contact.
.
My improvements refer, fourthly, to the connection for putting in the
intaking cones. I place upon a stud in the middle or thereabouts of the
headstock near the floor a long lever acted upon at the out end of the
headstock by a spring prevented from acting until the faller is locked by
a stud on the pendant rod above described in my third improvement.

page_text: When the backing off is completed and the pendant rod is thrown back
as herein-before described, the long lever is released and the spring pulls
its outer end up, and of course pulls down the back end which by means
of the rod which guides the intaking cones pulls them into contact. By
this arrangement I am enabled to have a more substantial escapement.
than has heretofore been possible.
My improvements refer, fifthly, to the method of giving motion to the.
radial arm for winding on. I place a shaft longitudinally upon the
headstock frame on which I place or cast two substantial feathers spirally
These feathers
upon it so as to give a correct motion to the radial arm.
have two sets of pullies acting upon them, one above and the other
below each of the feathers, which pullies are carried by two studs
fastened in brackets on the carriage square. As the carriage moves out
and in the stud pullies above named acting upon the feathers cause the
longitudinal shaft to move partially round or wholly round as the case
may be. I communicate this motion to the radial arm by placing on the
end of the longitudinal shaft a bevil wheel which gears with a quadrant
bevil on the radial arm shaft and gives motion thereto. This motion
may be modified by placing upon the longitudinal shaft a number of
skew wheels into which I gear a short rack fastened on the square, which
gives motion as above described to the radial arm by the traversing of
the carriage outwards and inwards.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood and
more readily carried into effect I will now proceed to describe the same,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1
is a side elevation of a self-acting mule headstock having my improve-
ments attached; Figure 2 is a back end elevation; Figure 3 is a front
end elevation; Figures 4 and 4ª, are plan and elevation shewing details
of the same.
Figure 5 is a section through the carriage square shewing the method
of turning the winding on quadrant.
The parts shewn in the Drawing exhibit the mule at the termination
of its outward run, and when the strap is in the act of commencing to
pass from the fast to the loose pulley. Upon the driving shaft a I
place the pulley a¹ fast thereupon, also the pinion a², gearing directly
with the wheel a³ on the delivering rollers, as is common upon Parr's
mules; I also fasten upon the same shaft the pulley at close to the
bearing, by which motion is imparted to the tin roller and spindles in
Tie

page_text: ▸
the usual way. The backing off cones, one of which is commonly
fastened upon the driving shaft a, I remove entirely therefrom and
place in a novel manner upon the stud 6, which I fasten in the front
of the headstock. That cone which was formerly fastened to the driving.
shaft being in my. arrangement fastened upon the return band pulley.
at the front of the headstock. I place loose upon the driving shaft a,
the pulley. a being of the same size and driven by the same strap as
the pulley a'. Upon the boss of the pulley a I fasten the pinion
which gears with the wheel 63 fast upon one end of the short shaft b',
which runs freely in the cannon 6³ cast in or fitted on the back frame.
On the other end of the shaft 6* I fasten the change pinion which
gears with the wheel 67 fastened on the end of the change shaft
supported by bearings on or in the frame, on the other end of this I
fasten the bevil 6° which gears with the bevil 6 upon the short cross
shaft 6", on the other end of which I place the pinion 61 gearing with
the cone wheel 13 upon the stud b. The effect of the arrangement is
that by the pulley a motion is given to the spindles in a forward direction,
and by the pulley a through the above train of wheels motion in a
backward direction is given to the cone wheel s upon the stud b.
When the cone 13 is put into contact with the cone 6 fastened to the
return pulley the spindles also receive a backward motion.
The change
by which these cones are put in gear and released I effect in the following
manner, that is to say:-Upon the carriage square C is fixed the bracket
C₁ in which is fixed the stud c upon which is placed the composite
lever . This lever is acted upon by the boot leg lever by which the
faller is locked, so that when the carriage is coming out it is held in the
position shown in the Drawing, Fig. 1. In this position as the carriage
approaches the termination of the outward run the upturned part of
the forked part of the lever c³ presses down the antifriction roller or
bowl c' upon the stud 6 fastened in one leg of the composite lever cº;
until the bowl is fully embraced by the fork as shown by the Drawing,
Figure 1. By this act the spiral spring c is distended which is con-
nected by the chain to which passes over the pully c", and at its other
end is fastened to the lever ȧ by which the friction cones are geared
and released. As the composite lever c is made to oscillate upon the
stud c in the stool cs, fastened upon the front sole plate of the head-
stock, the arm of this lever is withdrawn from underneath the cross
arm of the lever d and the spring co is left free from its action. It is
then left to the action of the sliding rod which is connected to the strap
.
*

page_text: fork lever f¹, by means of the stud fastened in the lower end thereof
The rod fhas a short inclined plane upon the end thereof, upon which
the composite lever d rests when released from the action of the part *
of the composite lever co. The effect of this is that until the strap fork
fis changed the backing off cones cannot be put into contact, and
when the rod f is withdrawn the composite lever d is freed from all
restraints, and by the tension of the spring the cones are put in contact
and the backing off commences. By the action of upturned point
of the fork on the lever c³, the lever c is so moved that tension is
put upon the spring c³, and at the same time the restraint is removed
by which the backing off cones are deterred from acting until the
carriage has reached its resting place. By the withdrawal of the
supporting rod f by the strap fork lever the time of action of the
backing off is determined and its action is restrained until the strap
fork has been traversed from the fast pulley a¹ to the pulley a
Simultaneously with the commencement of the backing off the faller
begins its descent, which is continued until the boot leg lever, not
shewn in the Drawings, reaches the locking point. At this point the
composite lever c³ is released, the tension of the spring c³ is removed, by
the removal of which the pressure upon the backing off cones is
released and as the part co* passes under the cross arm of the lever d
actual contact of the cones finally ceases. At the same instant the
upturned part of the fork in the lever comes against the inclined
plane on the hanging lever h and throws it back, thereby releasing
the hook upon the point thereof (see Drawing, Figure 1) from the stud h²
in the long lever h³, which is placed on the stud /* in the stool h³, and
is pulled up at the outer end by the distended spring 6, see Figure 1.
This action of the lever h³ I utilize for several purposes:-Firstly, the
double drop rod k, see Figures 4 & 5, one leg of which when the
carriage is arriving at the out end of the stretch rises up the inclined
plane fixed to the bracket 2 and drops behind it at the completion of
its outward run, see Figure 5, and locks the carriage out. On the
completion of the descent of the faller I use the upward throw of the
long lever h³, which acts upon the end of the second drop rod and raises
it up, carrying the first with it clear of the inclined plane ³, fixed as
above described, and sets the carriage at liberty for its inward run.
The second function which I utilize. this long lever to fulfil is to place
the intaking friction cones in gear. At the back end of the long
lever ³ I joint to it the upright rod m by the stud m³. To the middle

page_text: of this rod I fasten the fork m², which takes into the ring groove in
the boss of the external cone m³ on the upright shaft m³. The upright
rod m at its upper end is furnished with a slot, see Figure 2, into which
the stud n takes, which is fastened in the lever n¹ forked at onc
end to receive and be acted on by the cam n², dotted in Figure 2. The
lever n by means of the action of the cam n² would impart to the
upright rod m a reciprocating motion, but I only use it to raise
that rod and thereby to take the intaking cones out of contact. When
the cam at its proper time is reversed, that is to say, when the carriage
arrives at the end of its outward run the long lever h³ is sustained as
herein-before described at the out end of the frame by the lever h, so
that the reverse action or downward action of the cam only has the effect
of causing the stud n to move freely in the slot in the upper part of the
upright rod m. Its action is thus permissive with respect to putting the
concs in gear. It is positive as above described in putting them out of
contact. It also, besides putting the cones out of gear, adjusts the long
lever at its outer end, latching it on the hanging lever . when the parts
above described are readjusted for another operation.
•
For the purpose of imparting to the radial arm q, see Figure 5, its
proper motion, I place in line with the run of the carriage a hollow
shaft q', upon which I fasten or cast two helical wings q*, one on each
side. These helical wings I place between two pairs of antifriction
rollers held in two brackets bolted upon the carriage. As these rollers
progress out and in with the carriage they impart to the helical wings
and shaft q! a rotatory reciprocating motion. On the outer end of the
shaft q' I place a half, bevil q³, which gears with a quadrant bevil q³
upon the radial arm q and imparts to it the motion of the shaft q¹ above
described.
I would observe that I do not make the helical wings of a regular
figure, but at the outer end flatten them so as to keep the radial arm
stationary for a short portion of the inward run, thereby hardening the
yarn in winding on when the carriage leaves the outer end in going
inwards. This is best seen in Figure 5.

page_text: Firstly. With respect to the backing off, the method by which it is
driven, as described and shown; also the method by which it is put in
gear and released.
Secondly. I claim the construction of the parts shown and described,
by which the carriage is locked when out and released and the intaking
cones are put in and out of action. The upright rod m and its connections
to the cam shaft I do not claim, as they are well known.
Thirdly. I claim the method of driving and imparting to the quadrant
the reciprocating motion necessary for winding the yarn upon the spindles,
as described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Macqueen, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.
Witness,
JOHN J. ROYLE,
Clerk to W. Robertson,
Manchester..
JAMES (L.S.) MACQUEEN.