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To RICHARD SMITH and RICHARD HACKING, both of Bury, in the county of Lancaster, machine-makers, for certain improvements in the construction of machinery for spinning cotton and other fibrous substances.[Sealed 16th March, 1840.]

THESE improvements consist in a novel arrangement and construction of mechanism, adapted for the purpose of rendering the driving head-stock of those particular spinning machines called "mules," self-acting.

As the various requisite evolutions of the mule are well understood by persons conversant with spinning, it is only requisite to describe those particular movements which are affected by this improved construction of head-stock:

Firstly." The going-out of the carriage," which commences in all mules simultaneously with the delivery of the cotton from the drawing-rollers, and the rotation of the spindles, and terminates when the "stretch" is completed, or the carriage, with the spindles, has arrived at its furthest destination from the drawing-rollers, when the rotation of the rollers cease, and the revolution of the spindles continues a short period.

Secondly." The backing-off" or uncoiling of the few spiral turns of yarn which are left on the bare or upper part of the spindle, during the process of spinning, which is accomplished by reversing the direction of the revolution of the spindles.

Thirdly.- -" The winding-on" of the yarn to the spindle, in the form of a cop, which is required to be uniform in its tension throughout the different circumferences of the cop, during the "going-in" of the carriage.

Fourthly." The going-in" of the carriage, which proceeds simultaneously with the winding-on of the yarn, and takes the carriage again up to the drawing-rollers, when the mule is in a position to perform another stretch, or recommence its operation.

The principal feature of the improvements, is to perform these four movements, by means of the friction of contact

of certain rollers or pullies, each in connection with certain mechanism for performing such motions, respectively, at the required period.

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The other requisite movements of the mule, such as depressing the fallers," or driving of the spindles, may be done in the usual manner.

In Plate II., fig. 1, is a plan or horizontal view of a self-acting mule head-stock, as seen from above; fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, the carriage end being shewn in section; fig. 3, is a vertical section, taken longitudinally through the head-stock; and fig. 4, is an end elevation of the same.

The framing of the head-stock is shewn at A, A; the carriage B, B, with the spindles c, c, run upon the rails D, D, taking the yarn from the drawing-rollers E, mounted upon the roller-beam F, as usual.

The main driving-pulley G, is keyed upon the main cross-shaft H, which has a pulley 1, at the other end, and a strap J, extending around it, and the pulley K, upon the other cross-shaft L, for driving the spindles.

The going-out of the carriage is effected as follows:When the main driving-shaft G, revolves, a bevilled frictionpulley a, covered with leather or other friction surfaces, acts against a friction bevilled pulley b, which is brought in immediate contact with it: when the carriage, after having performed the previous stretch, is run in, this bevilled pulley b, slides upon a feathered shaft c, and now causes that shaft to revolve, carrying with it a bevilled pinion d, fixed at its other end, which drives the bevilled wheel e, at the upper end of the vertical shaft ƒ, (see fig. 2); f, upon the lower end of this shaft f, is keyed another bevilled pinion g, driving the bevilled wheel h, upon the end of the horizontal shaft i, which extends the whole length of the carriage-race; a small toothed pinion j, upon this shaft, gears with a toothed wheel k, upon the side of which is a notched wheel l, around which the chain m, passes, and into which it gears. One end of the chain m, is screwed to the back of the carriage B, and after passing round the wheel, proceeds around a grooved pulley n, at the further end of

the stretch, and thence back again to the carriage; and thus, as long as the bevilled friction-pullies a, and b, are in contact, the carriage will continue to run out.

The wheels j, k, and l, are repeated at each end and in the middle of the carriage, in order that the same may be properly secured or adjusted; and the vertical shaft ƒ, is furnished with a pair of mitre-wheels o, o, and spur-wheels o*, o*, in order to drive the drawing-rollers E. The carriage being now run out, the contact of the friction-pullies a, and b, has to be discontinued, in order that the backingoff may be performed; this is done by means of the worm p, being keyed upon the driving-shaft H, and driving the worm-wheel q, upon the end of the shaft r; upon the other end of which there is a bevilled pinion s, gearing in the wheel t, upon the cam-shaft u. As this shaft u, is caused to revolve, it actuates the cam or tappet v, which is fixed upon it, and depresses one end of the catch-lever w, which vibrates upon its fulcrum x, (seen best in fig. 3,) and raises the catch y, at the other end, from the end of the retainingrods, which has hitherto held the friction-pullies a, and b, in contact, whilst the carriage was running out, by pressing against the pulley b, by means of the upright arm 1; and the continued revolution of the cam-shaft v, will then bring the cam or tappet 2, in contact with the arm 3, vibrating on its centre-pin 4, and thus, by means of pulling the rod 5, and chains 6, round the chain-pullies 7, will draw the friction-pulley b, away from the pulley a, and thus the goingout motion will cease, owing to their contact being discontinued.

The backing-off motion is accomplished by means of the cam or tappet s, fixed at the end of the cam-shaft u, as it revolves, striking the pin 9, upon one end of the slide-rod 10; at the other end of the rod 10, is an inclined plane 11, which, as the rod is slidden inwards, strikes an upright lever 12, connected by means of the rod 13, to the shaft 14, of the winding-on pulley. This shaft 14, is also connected by means of the link 15, to the shaft 16, of the backing-off pulley 17, which is, by means of the inclined-plane 11, brought into contact with the large driving friction-pulley 18, at the same time the winding-on pulley is released.

The pulley 17, now begins to revolve, thus causing the strap-pulley 19, (also keyed upon the shaft 16,) to revolve with it, and by means of the strap 20, also causes the pulley 21, to revolve. This pulley is keyed upon the shaft 22, upon the end of which is a toothed pinion 23, driving the wheel 24, upon the end of the clutch-shaft 25.

At the same time that the backing-off pulley 17, has been brought into contact with the friction-pulley 18, as just described, the forked lever 26, has been caused to vibrate upon its fulcrum 27, by the action of the same inclined plane 11, and thus throw the clutch 28, into gear, causing the band-pulley 29, to revolve, and thus actuate the endless band 30. This band 30, also passes around another bandpulley 31; from thence round a guide-pulley 32, and round the tin drum 33, which thus causes the drum to make one revolution in a contrary direction, and back-off the yarn upon the spindle 34.

In order that there may be less backing-off, as the diameter of the cop increases, the pulley 17, is made to traverse towards the centre of the pulley 18, as the cop increases, and thus lose speed, by means of the click 35, turning the ratchet 36, which is upon the end of the screw 37; to this screw is attached the frame 38, to the upper end of which a fork catches hold of the boss of the pulley 17, and slides that pulley, upon its shaft, along the friction surface of the pulley 18, once during the formation of an entire cop, which is moved back by hand when the cops are doffed.

The machine is now in a position to wind on the yarn to the spindles, which is done simultaneously with the goingin of the carriage.

It will be remembered, that the bevilled friction pullies a, and b, were separated when the going-out of the carriage was completed; and the instant such separation takes place, the flat periphery of the pulley b, is drawn against the covered friction surface of the large pulley 18, and is thus immediately driven in the reverse direction, which it is evident will cause the carriage to be run in by reversing the draft of the carriage-chains m, m; and at this exact period, the tappet 8, has escaped the pin 9, upon the rod 10, and

allowed the weight 39, to slide the rod 10, again outwards, and thus releasing the backing-off pulley 17, and bringing the winding-on pulley 40, into contact with the large pulley 18, in which position they are drawn in fig. 1.

The winding-on pulley is now made to revolve, by the friction of contact, and also carries upon its shaft 41, the strap-pulley 42, from which the strap 43, passes to the pulley 44, upon one end of the shaft 45. Upon the other end of this shaft is keyed the bevilled pinion 46, gearing with the wheel 47, which is loose upon the shaft L, until the windingon commences, when it is made fast to the shaft, by means of the clutch-box 48, being thrown into gear with it; the strap J, having being previously passed upon the loose pulley K*, by means of a strap-lever; thus the shaft L, is caused to revolve, and by means of the band-pulley 31, upon it, to cause the band 30, to turn the spindles in the proper direction, and thus wind on the yarn.

Fig. 5, is a detached view of the clutch-box 48, shewing its internal construction. To decrease the speed of the winding-on motion, as the cop-bottom increases in diameter, the winding-on pulley 40, is traversed upon the shaft 41, towards the centre of the large friction-pulley 18, by means of the mitre-wheels o, o, driven by the vertical shaft f, by means of the pinion 49, upon the shaft of the spur-wheel o*, driving the spur-wheel 50, mounted on a stud, fixed to the framing A. This spur-wheel 50, is provided with a crank-pin 51, to which a connecting rod 52, is attached; and as the wheel 50, revolves, it gives reciprocating motion to the rod 52, and vibrates the mortice-lever 53, upon its fulcrum 54. The other end of the lever 53, is attached to a sliding-bar 55, to which is attached a fork, taking hold of the boss of the winding-on pulley 40.

In order to accommodate the winding-on to the peculiar build or shape of the cop, the lower end of the fulcrum 54, forms the nut of a screw 56, which is turned, in order to shift the fulcrum 54, and thus vary the traverse of the winding-on wheel, by means of the click and ratchet 57.

The going-out of the carriage, the backing-off of the yarn, and the winding-on of the yarn, and of course the

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