IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1864

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to John Dodgeon, of Burnley, in the County of Lan-
caster, Commission Agent, John Gaukroger, of Hebden Bridge, in the
County of York, Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, and William
Shackleton, of Todmorden, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner.
and Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING."
Sealed the 8th November 1864, and dated the 12th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dodgeon, John
Gaukroger, and William Shackleton at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th May 1864.
We, JOHN DODGEON, of Burnley; in the County of Lancaster, Commission
Agent; JOHN GAUKROGER, of Hebden Bridge, in the County of York, Cotton
Spinner and Manufacturer, and WILLIAM SHACKLETON, of Todmorden, in the
County of Lancaster, Cotton. Spinner and Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING,"
to be as follows:
This Invention relates to the letting-off or weighting motion in looms for

page_text: weaving, and the improvements consist in the application of a friction plate
or pulley to each end of the warp beam in addition to the ordinary ruffles or
hoops which are now employed; these friction plates are supported in straps
or chains suspended to the loom end frames, and the beam is supported in the
plates. A catch is hinged on each of the plates, which takes into a ratchet
wheel fixed on each end of the beam, and which may be either in or out
of gear so as to connect or disconnect the beam and the plates, as may be
required. By this means we are enabled to apply more or less friction to the
warp beam, or regulate the letting-off motion according to the different kinds
of fabrics being woven,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Dodgeon, John Gaukroger, and William Shackleton in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
DODGEON, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Commission Agent, JOHN
GAUKROGER, of Hebden Bridge, in the County of York, Cotton Spinner and
Manufacturer, and WILLIAM SHACKLETON, of Todmorden, in the County of
Lancaster, Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Dodgeon, John Gaukroger, and William Shackleton, Her special
licence that we, the said John Dodgeon, John Gaukroger, and William
Shackleton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we,
the said John Dodgeon, John Gaukroger, and William Shackleton, our ex-
ecutors, 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 John Dodgeon, John
Gaukroger, and William Shackleton, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: 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 John Dodgeon, John Gaukroger, and
William Shackleton, 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 Sheet of
Drawings (that is to say):
This Invention relates to the letting-off or. weighting motion in looms for
weaving, and the improvements consist in the application of a friction plate
or pulley to each end of the warp beam in addition to the ordinary ruffles or
hoops which are now employed; these friction plates are supported in straps
or chains suspended to the loom end frames, and the beam is supported in the
plates. A catch' is hinged on each of the plates, which takes into a ratchet
wheel fixed on each end of the beam, which may be either in or out of gear
so as to connect or disconnect the beam and the plates, as may be required.
By this means we are enabled to apply more or less friction to the warp beam,
or regulate the letting-off motion according to the different kinds of fabrics
being woven.
In order that the Invention may be clearly understood we have given
reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is part of
an end elevation of an ordinary loom with our improvements applied. thereto,
and Fig. 2 is a back elevation of the same..
A is the warp beam with flanges B and ruffles or hoops B', such as are in
ordinary use. C are ratchet wheels: fixed to the ruffles..or otherwise to the
beam; D are the friction plates.or pullies, which are supported in the straps
or belts E, suspended on the pins F fixed to the loom end frames. One of
the friction plates or pullies with part of, the beam and a flange, and a ruffle
with a ratchet wheel are shewn in elevation, half full size, at Fig. 3, and in
longitudinal section, at Fig. 4, and in cross section at Fig. 5. The pikes or
axes of the beam pass through and rest or have their bearings in the centres
of the friction plates or pullies, instead of bearing in the loom end frames as
heretofore. A catch or pawl G is hinged on the side of each of the plates: D,
which by the pressure of springs H are held in the notches of the ratchets C,
when required. These catches may be held out of, contact with the notches
of the ratchets, when required, by means of a spring pin I passed through
each catch into a hole in the plate or pulley. J are ordinary weighted levers
with friction cords K attached thereto, and passing around the ruffles or hoops

page_text: P
of the beam, and attached to spring bars L. The whole weight of the beam:
with the warp and the weighted levers rests or is supported. in and: by the
straps. The friction. plates are loose on. pikes or axles of the beam, but
temporally connected therewith by the catches, so that as the beam.is.caused
to rotate by the action or unwinding therefrom of the warp during the progress
of the weaving, the plates are also carried around thereby, and have to slide
or slip in the straps or belts, whereby friction is applied to retard: the rotation:
of the beam in addition to the ordinary friction of cords and weighted levers.
The weights M, however, we are enabled considerably to reduce in size, and
we regulate or adjust them on the levers as usual, according to the amount of
friction required.
It will be readily seen that as the beam is only connected to the friction.
plates by the catches it is at liberty to oscillate freely with the opening and
closing of the shed, and is also at liberty to be turned back when required
without turning the friction plates backward. When the beam is full of warp
it will be of the greatest weight, and consequently the greatest amount of
friction will be applied to retard rotation of the beam by the straps or belts
which support it, and this is at the time when the leverage of the warp on the
beam is greatest to overcome friction. As the warp is gradually reduced
or taken off the beam by the process of weaving. the leverage becomes. less,
and so does the weight of the beam, consequently the friction also will be
decreased in like manner, thereby avoiding the frequent. adjustment of the
weights on the levers. These friction plates or pullies may be made of any
suitable diameter and breadth for strap, according to the amount of friction
required for the different kinds of fabrics to be woven, and instead of the
straps or belts chains or metallic belts may be employed for supporting the
beams. The ordinary friction cords need not pass. entirely around the beam
for the purpose of producing friction as heretofore, but may simply pass over
and be attached to the spring bars for the purpose of regulating the weight
on the beam by means of the adjustable weights, the chief retarding means
being the friction plates or pullies and straps or chains, in which the beams
rotate, and by which they are supported or suspended to the loom frames.
In conclusion we would observe that in the weaving of some kinds.or
descriptions of fabrics ordinary yarn beams may be suspended in straps or
chains passing around or under the ruffles or hoops, instead of the axes of the
beams bearing in the loom frames as at present, but in such case the advan-
tages of free oscillation of the beam at the opening and closing of the shed,
also the easy turning back of the beam when required would be lost; we

page_text: therefore prefer to employ ratchet wheels and catches or a mechanical
equivalent to effect these desirable objects.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Dodgeon, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Gaukroger and William Shackleton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Dodgeon, in
the presence of
WM. TASKER,
Patent Agent,
JOHN DODGEON. (L.S.)
Halifax.