THE London JOURNAL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. No. XLVII. [SECOND SERIES.] Recent Patents. TO RICHARD ROBERTS, of Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, civil engineer, for his having invented or found out a certain improvement, or certain improvements in the mechanism employed to render self-acting, the machines known by the names of mule, billy, jenny, jack-frame or stretching frame, and all other machines of that class, whether the said machines be made to rove, slub, or spin cotton, or other fibrous substances. [Sealed 1st July, 1830.] THE particular object of this invention is to communicate to the spindles varying speeds, which shall enable them at all times to take up or wind on the yarn with uniform tension, although the cop may differ materially in its diameter at the several parts of the operation. The machinery being driven by the power of steam, must possess in itself that regulating property which shall VOL. VIII. SECOND SERIES. 2 н effect the different adjustments usually performed by the hands of a skilful spinner, and this it appears the Patentee has accomplished in the present invention with greater success than any of his predecessors who have attempted the like object. The following is the Patentee's description of the invention:: "The nature of my said invention consists of an improvement or improvements in the mechanism employed to render self-acting the machines commonly known by the names of mule, billy, jenny, jack-frame, stretching frame, and all other machines of that class, whether used to rove, slub, or spin cotton, or other fibrous substances, the particular object of which improvement or improvements is to effect in a more complete manner than has hitherto been done by self-acting machines of the kinds above mentioned, the regular winding on of the yarn, or roving, upon the spindles, by regulating their rotary motions according to the gradually varying form and increasing diameter of the cop." In Plate XII. several parts of a mule are represented, which are not described, such as the carriage wheels, the carriage rail, the going-in scroll and cord, the fallers, and part of the framing. These parts, as well as some of those which are described, are well known to persons conversant with mules and other machines of the same class, and are merely introduced, in order to explain better the nature of the improvement. "In figs. 1 and 2, a, a, is a mule carriage in two parts, one on each side of the headstock, the parts being firmly united by b, b, a connecting bar of iron, and c, c, an iron frame; to this is bolted in front a frame of iron d, which at its upper part is supported by e, a spur piece, bolted to the bar b, and to the frame d. On studs in the spur piece are f, f, two ratchet tension barrels, to one of these is fastened g, a cord, which after passing over a notch in the spur piece e, is wound round and fastened to h, a drum or barrel; this has also attached to and coiled round it i, another cord, which after passing over j, a guide pulley, and a notch in the spur piece; is attached to the other ratchet barrel. A shaft k, on which is keyed the drum h, has a pinion, working into m, the toothed quadrant, which receives an alternating motion on its centre, through an arc of about 90° whilst the carriage runs out and in, that is to say, at every stretch. "In a groove in the inner arm of the quadrant is n, a sliding nut, moved by o, a double threaded leading screw, on the lower end of which is keyed p, a mitre wheel, gearing with q, another mitre wheel, the central stud of which is opposite to the centre of the quadrant. Attached to the back of mitre wheel q, is r, a pulley, which is turned at intervals by s, an endless strap, passing round it, and t, a sliding pulley. A weighted lever u, called the governor lever, is moveable on a stud in the back part of the carriage frame, and forms the upper jaw of a pair of pincers, the lower jaw being v, a stud in the carriage end. "The lever u, when not intended to press upon the stud v, is carried by an adjustable nut on the lower end of w, a rod connected with the arm of the counter faller; and having free play through a hole in a side projection from the arm of the lever. When in winding on, the tension of the yarn brings the faller wires to nearly the same level, the dropping of the arm of the counter faller allows the lever u, to descend till it pinches the endless strap s, against the stud, and drags it along as the carriage runs in, until the rise of the counter faller arm again raises the lever, and liberates the strap. The spindles are banded in the ordinary way, and the drums are driven by a band, which after taking both the grooves in x, the driving pul→ ley, is spliced, instead of passing from the carriage to the twist pulley as in common mules. The pulley x, is keyed on y, an inclined shaft, the upper end of which turns in a swivel collar, and the lower end or foot in an arm of a bell crank. "During the process of twisting and backing off, the shaft y, receives motion through 1, a mitre wheel, which is keyed near its lower extremity, and is driven by 2, another mitre wheel, fixed on 3, a shaft, on which is also keyed 4, a double grooved driving pulley, receiving motion by an endless band from 5, the twist pulley above. This pulley band passes under a carrier pulley, and over a double grooved carrier pulley, under the driving pulley 4, again over pulley 7, and under pulley 4, round 8, a sliding carrier pulley, under 9, a carrier pulley, and thence to the twist pulley. "The mitre wheel 1, comes occasionally into gear with 10, another mitre wheel, keyed on 11, a shaft, upon which is also keyed 12, a spur wheel, which gears into 13, another spur wheel, firmly connected to 14, a drum or barrel, which is called the winding-on barrel. "The diameters of wheels 12 and 13, should be made to give as nearly as possible the proper amount of rotation to the spindles, according to their diameters and those of the warves, the final adjustment being made in the diameter of the barrel 14, the whole being adapted to give so much motion to the spindles, as will cause them to wind on the whole stretch at the first run in. "There is a cord 15, one end of which is tied to the sliding nut n, in the arm of the quadrant m, and the other made fast to the barrel 14, after having made several coils round it; and 16, is an opposing cord, also coiled round and fastened to the barrel 14, and after passing under 17, a carrier pulley, and over 18, another carrier pulley, it sustains 19, a counterpoise, which causes the barrel 14, to take up the cord 15, as the carriage recedes from the rollers. "A lever 20, inclined downwards at both ends, is mounted at its middle upon 21, a tumbler shaft, carrying 22, a fixed vertical arm, which is connected by 23, a link, with the side arm of the bell crank; 24, is a stopping bar, moveable on a stud in the vertical arm of the tumbler shaft, its lower end passing through and abutting by a shoulder against the upper side of a mortice hole in 25, a stopping piece, which is bolted to the frame c; the stopping bar is held against the upper side of the slot by 26, a spiral spring; 27, is a latch, on a stud in a projection from the frame c, which is pressed by 28, a spring, in the direction of a catch on one side of the lever 20; 29, is a radial weight, moveable on a stud in the framing, and carrying on a stud near its centre 30, a friction roller, under which the inner inclined arm of the lever 20, passes, and raises the weight a little, just before the carriage completes its run inwards; 31, a stud in the framing, which by stopping the latch 27, in its motion inwards, disengages the lever 20, at the instant the carriage has completed its run; which allows the weight 29, to depress the inner arm, and so to throw into gear the mitre wheels 1, and 2, preparatory to the re-commencement of twisting; 32, is another radial weight, similar to the weight 29, having a friction roller, under which the outer arm of lever 20, comes to raise it, as the carriage reaches its outward limit. "When the process of backing off is completed, the mechanism for putting up, or running the carriage in is put into gear, and simultaneously with it; and by the same or any other convenient means, the stopping bar 24, is depressed, and the weight 32, depressing the lever 20, |