IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Holding, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, and James Eccles, of the same Place, Weaver,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Holding and
James Eccles at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 26th July 1869.
We, JOSEPH HOLDING, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, and JAMES ECOLES, of the same Place, Weaver, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING," to be as follows:-
Our Invention is designed for the purpose of producing a "shed" for
the passage of the shuttle in looms for weaving by a novel construction
and arrangement of mechanism that will dispense with the perishable
and expensive "healds" now employed for the same purpose; and the
improvements.consist in mounting upon a longitudinal bar a number

page_text: of wires side by side that will form spaces between them, or the spaces
may be formed by other equivalents taking the form of inverted cones,
each alternate space between the wires being connected at alternate
diagonal points in such a manner that the openings or spaces between
the wires through which the warp threads pass will present alternate
diagonal lines. These wires forming the said spaces are supported upon
the longitudinal bar at a point immediately below the warp threads
behind the "reed;" the said bar, through its connection with the
ordinary "tappets," receives a rocking motion that communicates
to the wires an oscillatory motion that causes them to pass upon the
warp
threads in such a manner that they are alternate raised and lowered,
thereby forming a perfect and uniform "shed" for the passage of the
shuttle without the employment of "healds." The surfaces between
the wires acting upon the warp threads are covered with a fibrous sub-
stance that can readily be removed when worn, by which means the
frictional surfaces are protected. This arrangement of apparatus may
also be employed with advantage for forming a "shed" with the warp
threads at the time of taking a "leese" in "slashers," "tape legs," and
other similar machines employed for finishing yarns preparatory to
weaving.
A further improvement relates to the reeds of looms, and consists in
constructing the "reed" with the top bar or frame for the "dents "loose;
by this arrangement at the time of looming a fresh warp the top bar is
removed, and the warp threads let into the spaces between the dents.
By this means the tedious operation of drawing in the ends through the
spaces formed by the dents is obviated, and much time saved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Holding and James Eccles in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 26th January 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPH 30
HOLDING, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, and
JAMES ECCLES, of the same Place, Weaver, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the of
year

page_text: our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Joseph Holding and James Eccles, Her
special license that we, the said Joseph Holding and James Eccles, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Joseph Holding and James Eccles, our 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 LOOMS FOR WEAVING,"
upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said Joseph Holding
and James Eccles, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Joseph Holding and James
Eccles, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
Drawings (that is to say):
:-
Our Invention is designed for the purpose of producing a "shed"
for the passage of the shuttle in looms for weaving by a novel con-
struction and arrangement of mechanism that will dispense with the
perishable and expensive "healds" now employed for the same purpose;
and the improvements consist in mounting upon a longitudinal bar a
number of wires or other equivalent taking the form of an inverted
cone, each alternate space between the wires being connected diagonally
in such a manner that the openings or spaces between the wires will
present alternate diagonal lines. These wires or other equivalent are
supported upon a bar immediately below the warp threads behind the
reeds. This bar through the medium of the ordinary tappets or other
equivalent receives an oscillatory or rocking motion combined with a
vertical lift that causes the wires to act upon the warp threads which
pass through the space between the wires) in such a manner that each

page_text: alternate thread of yarn is raised and the remaining ones lowered with
every oscillation of the bar, the effect of which forms a perfect and
uniform "shed" without the employment of healds. The point or
frictional surfaces forming the connections between the wires are pro-
vided with a covering of thread or other material that can readily be
renewed when desired. This arrangement of apparatus may also be
employed with great advantage for forming a "shed" at the time of
taking a "leese" in slashers, tape legs, and other machines employed
for finishing yarns preparatory to weaving.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and ex-
plained in detail, we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made
upon a scale of about three inches equal to one foot, similar letters of
reference being marked upon corresponding parts on all the Figures
alike.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal elevational section of a loom having
our improved "shedding" motion applied thereto; Fig. 2 represents
a detached back view of the same; and Fig. 3 represents an enlarged
view of the shedding wires shewing their position when the shed is
closed, the dotted lines representing their position when the shed is
open for the passage of the shuttle.
"
In these Figs. a, a, represents the frame; b, the brest beam; c, the
slay;" d, the warp beam; and e, the cloth roller, all being old and
well-known parts of a loom; f is a longitudinal bar, to which is secured
a number of wires o partaking of the form of an inverted conc, the con-
struction of which is accomplished by continuously folding the wire in a
spiral direction around the longitudinal barf and a maundrel or block,
the section of which partakes of the form the wires are required to
assume; the wires when thus folded are secured at their base to the
longitudinal bar f, and the maundrel is then withdrawn, after which the
wires on either side are alternately coupled together by being twisted
so as to overlap from their base up to the point a' forming their angle of
contact, see Fig. 3, thereby causing the spaces between the wires to be
formed in zig-zag, thus wwww Into each one of these spaces
the warp threads are placed, and are acted upon for shedding by
the wires in the manner herein-before described. The ends of the longi-
tudinal bar are secured to angle plates g, g, which are provided with

page_text: studs that enter the slots h, h, formed in the brackets i, i, secured to
the loom frame a. A shaft supported in bearings secured to the loom
frame, and running immediately underneath and parallel with the
longitudinal bar f, is supplied with discs, wheels, or other equivalent I, I,
which are secured to such shaft at points forming the extremity or
termination of the shedding wires o. The sides of this wheel or disc
at points formed by its horizontal axis projections are constructed that
form the fulcra of two bent levers m, m, that terminate in jaws or
carriers n, the position and formation of which allow them to fit when
carried forward on to the end or ends r of the longitudinal bar f
immediately behind their angle plate or plates 9, 9. The shaft k upon
which the disc or wheel is secured receives an oscillatory or rocking
motion, which is imparted thereto through the medium of the pinion p
and the lever quadrant q, which receives motion from a second motion
shaft which is connected therewith by the rod ; thus as the shaft k
rocks it alternately brings the lever jaws n, n, into contact with the
longitudinal bar f supporting the "shedding" wires o, and forces the
same first in one direction and then the other, the amount of oscillation
or throw being regulated by the position of the disc or wheel k from a
horizontal to a slanting axis, the object of the slanting axis being to
give a greater amount of throw or oscillation to the angle forming the
junction of the shedding wires o on the sides farthest from the reed, and
a proportionately smaller one at the angle of junction nearest the reed,
producing thereby a uniform "shed."
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, together with
the method of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be
distinctly understood in conclusion that we do not confine ourselves to
the particular method and arrangement of mechanism shown and
described in the Drawings employed as a medium for actuating our
improved "shedding" wires, as the arrangement and adaptation of
such actuating mechanism may be altered according to circumstances;
but what we particularly wish it to be understood that we claim is, the
novel construction, employment, use, and adaptation to looms of an
arrangement of wire or wires, marked o in the Drawings, or other
equivalent similarly and peculiarly formed in connection with an
oscillatory bar that will during such oscillation raise alternately the
warp threads of looms for the purpose of forming a shed, as herein-

page_text: before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings
attached.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Holding and James
Eccles, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fifth
day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy.
Witness to the signatures,
JOSEPH TAYLOR.
HENRY VAUGHAN.
JOSEPH HOLDING. (L.S.)
JAMES ECCLES. (L.S.)