Definition
The self-acting mule (from English "Self-Acting Mule") is an automatically operating precursor to the ring spinning machine, based on the principle of the mule spinning machine. Its movement sequences — in particular the outward travel of the carriage, the drafting and twisting of the yarn, and the inward travel and winding — are performed by a mechanical self-drive without continuous manual guidance. The machine was substantially advanced by Richard Roberts in the early 19th century and made it possible for the first time to produce yarn packages (cops) from carded yarn or worsted yarn in a largely automated manner. Its defining feature is a reciprocating carriage that carries the spindles; through the intermittent motion of this carriage, the yarn is drawn out, twisted, and wound onto the spindles.
Use in the textile industry
The self-acting mule was used primarily for processing carded wool yarn and for producing fine, soft yarns, since its gentle spinning process — with intermittent drawing motion — was able to handle sensitive fibers. It was widely used in wool and cotton spinning during the 19th and early 20th centuries and was well suited to the production of yarns requiring a low twist count and high evenness. With the spread of the ring spinning machine, which allows more continuous and productive operation, the self-acting mule was increasingly displaced in industrial manufacturing.
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