IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LET-OFF MECHANISM OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LET-OFF MECHANISM OF LOOMS
FOR WEAVING."-A communication from abroad by Daniel Long and
John Preston, both of Fairview, Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on.
the 2nd August 1870.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
5 Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LET-OFF MECHANISM
OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING," a communication, to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention consists in providing tension levers for.
looms so constructed that the weights on the same: are automatically

page_text: moved by the action of the beam so as to regulate the tension as the
warp is unwound from the beam. Brake bands pass around the beam
or roller and are attached respectively to loops or bows on the said
levers and on a cross bar. Attached to these levers and working in
slots are slides, whereto are suspended weights which increase or diminish
the friction upon the beam by their tension upon the brake bands, which
tension is regulated through the movement of the aforesaid levers resulting
from the movements of a screw and the slides which act as fulcra for the
levers. A screw is automatically operated by a pulley on a shaft which
is connected to the screw by means of a joint. This screw operates the
slide, weight, and lever on one end of the loom, and also a similar slide,
weight, and lever on the opposite end of the loom, which latter are con-
nected with the lever, pulley, and shaft above mentioned by a cord or
belt. The beam being empty the weights are moved to the outer ends
of slots in the levers, thereby relieving the beam from the pressure of
the brakes, but as the operator winds the yarn upon the beam or roller
the action of the pulleys and shaft causes the screw, to be revolved so
that the slide slips inward with the weight, thereby producing the proper
tension upon the aforesaid beam or roller. When the operator begins
weaving the pulley attached to the shaft revolves the screw carrying the
weights downward and outward, thereby automatically decreasing the
tension upon the beam or roller as the yarn is rolled off.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
• WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,

page_text: .
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 THE LET-OFF MECHANISM OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING," a communication to
me from abroad by Daniel Long and John Preston, both of Fairview,
Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly 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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
The nature of this Invention consists in providing looms with tension
levers so constructed that the weights on the same are automatically
moved by the action of the beam so as to regulate the tension as the
warp is unwound from the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents the said Invention as it appears in a loom.
Figures 2 and 3 shew portions of a loom frame shewing the manner
in which the said Invention is attached thereto. Figure 4 is a sectional
end view of one of the aforesaid levers. Figure 5 is a sectional view of
one of these levers at the point where it is attached to the loom frame.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
In Figure 1 the brackets F and G pass around the beam roller A, and
are attached respectively to the loops or bows D and E, E, on the levers
B and C and the cross bar I. Attached to the levers B and C and
working in slots are the slides H³, H', to which are suspended the

page_text: weights H, H, that increase or diminish the friction upon the beam A
by their tension upon the bands F and G, this tension being regulated
through the movement of the levers B and C, resulting from the move-
ments of the screws S and the slides R, R, the latter acting as fulcra
for the levers B and C. The screw is automatically operated by the
pulley attached to the shaft m, which is connected to it by means of
the joint L attached to the said shaft m, the same being journalled
at the point P upon the lug T. This screw operates the slide H¹,
weight H, and lever B, and also the slide H', weight H, and lever C on the
opposite end of the loom; the latter are connected with the lever B and
pulley and shaft m above mentioned by the cord or belt J and worked
by the same.
The method of operation is as follows:-The beam A being empty the
weights H, H, are moved to the outer ends of the slots in the levers
B and C, thereby relieving the beam A from the pressure of the brakes 1
F and G; but as the operator winds the yarn upon the beam or roller
the action of the pulleys and shaft m causes the screw K to be revolved
so that the slide H¹ slips inward with the weight H, thereby producing
the proper tension upon the beam or roller A.
When the operator begins weaving the pulley attached to the shaft ma
revolves the screw K, carrying the weights H, H, downward and out-
ward, thereby automatically decreasing the tension upon the beam or
roller A, as the yarn is rolled off.
"
By these devices there is secured a uniformity in the number of picks
per inch in the cloth woven. The motion of the weights is certain and
accurate, and if the levers B and C are graduated the operator can at
any time tell exactly how many yards of cloth have been woven..
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondents, I wish it understood that I
claim,―
First. The screws S, S, in combination with the slides R, R, and
levers B, C, operated in the manner substantially as described for the
purpose specified.
Second. In combination with the tension bands F, G, the levers B, C,
slides R, R, and H, H³, weights H, H, and screws S, S, the whole
arranged and operated in the manner and for the purpose specified.

page_text: Third. The levers B, C, loops or bows D, D, E, E, slides R, R, screws
S, S, and slides H³, H¹, when applied to looms, in the manner and for
the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenth-eighth day of Novem-
ber, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
Witness,
E. C. JACKSON.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)