IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Beck, of 139, Cannon Street, in the City
of London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING." A communication from abroad
by Jules Charles Narcisse Mouret, of Esquennoy (Oise), in the Republic of
France, Manufacturer.
'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Beck at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th June 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 139, Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING." [A communication from abroad by Jules Charles Narcisse Mouret,
of Esquennoy (Oise), in the Republic of France, Manufacturer.]
Certain of the defects in the working of looms as they at present exist arise
from the cords, metallic chains, or leather straps wound round the roller carrying.
the warp.
These cords are fixed at one end to the loom, and after passing two or
three tiines round the warp roller or yarn beam are tightened by means of a lever
or steelyard, the end of which carries a weight proportioned to the strength of the
web or cloth being made.
The result of this arrangement is that atmospheric changes act powerfully ou
the cords or chains stretching or shrinking the former and oxidising the latter,
producing an irregular jerky unwinding of the warp and thereby an irregular web.
The object of the present Invention is to obviate these defects, and for this
purpose the unwinding of the warp is effected by the movement of the loom
itself in proportion as the manufacture of the web or cloth goes on by an
arrangement of mechanism in which cords, chains, levers, or steelyards are
suppressed.
This mechanism is of the following character:-On the axis of the yarn beam
between the ends thereof and the frames of the loom are fixed brass or cast iron
discs turned and well polished on their two faces. Each of these discs is held by a
double branched piece forming a spring pincer furnished with a tightening screw

page_text: for pressing the two branches together as powerfully as may be required to suit
the nature of the web or cloth being manufactured. The branches of this pincer
are furnished at their ends with hollow iron washers or rollers into which are let
washers of leather which rub against the turned and polished surfaces of the
aforesaid brass or iron discs producing a uniform resistance to the unwinding of
the warp whatever may be the atmospheric conditions.
The warp having thus always the same resistance to overcome in order to effect
its unwinding, an isochronous movement is given to the cloth roller and to two or
more warp letting off rollers by the following mechanism:-These rollers are of
the same diameter, so that the letting off rollers give out as much warp as is
required for putting the desired number of picks into any given length of web or
cloth according to the strength of such web or cloth.
The warp letting off rollers to the number of two or more are caused to rotate
with equal circumferential speed by means of suitable gearing which receives its
motion from a ratchet wheel, on the shaft of which is fixed a disc, to which is adapted
a friction pincer similar to those before described, which if the weft breaks prevents
the warp from being unwound from the yarn beam even if the loom should
continue in motion.
The aforesaid ratchet wheel has a retaining pawl and an acting pawl which
moves one tooth at each pick made by the shuttle. This acting pawl is mounted
at the forked end of a lever jointed to a rocking lever, which is moved by the
oscillations of the sword arm.
The sword arm also causes the oscillation of a second rocking lever carrying a
pawl which moves a second ratchet wheel, the object of which is to drive the cloth
roller by the following arrangement of mechanism :-A hollow socket plate is fixed
to the cloth roller, another plate forming the before mentioned second ratchet wheel
takes into the interior of the first named hollow plate, and between the two plates
is a leather washer. The second plate is loose upon the socket of the hollow plate
which it drives by means of a spring, which may be tightened up more or less by a
tightening nut, and which spring is connected with the said hollow plate. The
leather washer pressed between the two plates furnishes sufficient friction for
transmitting the motion of the second plate or ratchet wheel to the cloth roller.
The manufactured web or cloth is drawn forward by the taking up roller which
receives the same speed of rotation as the warp letting off rollers by means of the
rocking lever first above-mentioned, which by another pawl moves intermittently
a third ratchet wheel furnished with a retaining pawl. This latter ratchet wheel
turns gearing which transmits the movement to a spur wheel keyed on the shaft
of the taking up roller.
When the weft breaks a lever put in motion in the usual way lifts the pawls of
the ratchet wheels which drive the letting off and taking up rollers, and thereby
stops simultaneously the motion of those parts. A spiral spring communicates by
a cord or wire with the retaining pawl of the third above-mentioned ratchet wheel
for the purpose of raising it also.
The warp roller or yarn beam being thus constantly submitted to the same
resistance to unwinding by means of the aforesaid friction pincer the warp is
regularly drawn forward by the letting off rollers, and then passes through the
healds of the loom. The manufactured web or cloth is afterwards drawn forward
by the taking up roller with a speed absolutely equal to that of the letting off, and
is finally regularly stored by the above described friction arrangement on the cloth
beam.
All the movements are thus coordinated so as to obtain a regular even web
or cloth, an industrial result which cannot be obtained with looms as at present
constructed

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Beck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd December 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 139, Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING.
,,
Certain of the defects in the working of looms as they at present exist arise from
the cords, metallic chains, or leather straps wound round the roller carrying the
warp. These cords are fixed at one end to the loom, and after passing two or
three times round the warp roller or yarn beam are tightened by means of a lever
or steelyard, the end of which carries a weight proportioned to the strength of the
web or cloth being made. The result of this arrangement is that atmospheric
changes act powerfully on the cords or chains, stretching or shrinking the former
and oxidising the latter, producing an irregular jerky unwinding of the warp, and
thereby an irregular web.
The object of the present Invention is to obviate these defects, and for this
purpose the unwinding of the warp is effected by the movement of the loom itself
in proportion as the manufacture of the web or cloth goes on by an arrangement
of mechanism in which cords, chains, levers, or steelyards are suppressed.
This mechanism is of the following character:-
Figure 1 is a partial elevation of the loom, showing the new parts.
Figure 2 is a corresponding side view.
a represents the side frame; b, the warp roller or warp beam; c, the warp;
d, the drawing over roller for the manufactured cloth; e, the cloth beam on which
the manufactured cloth is rolled up; fand g, guide and feed rollers for the warp;
h, a small roller carrying the warp threads.
On the axis of the yarn beam between the ends thereof and the frames of the
loom are fixed brass or cast iron dises b', turned and well polished on their two
faces. Each of these discs is held by a double branched piece i, i, forming a spring
pincer, furnished with a tightening screw i¹ for pressing the two branches together
as powerfully as may be required to suit the nature of the web or cloth being
manufactured. The branches of this pincer are furnished at their ends with hollow
iron washers or rollers, into which are let washers of leather which rub against
the turned and polished surfaces of the aforesaid brass or iron discs b', producing a
uniform resistance to the unwinding of the warp, whatever may be the atmospheric
conditions.
The warp having thus always the same resistance to overcome in order to effect
its unwinding, an isochronous movement is given to the cloth roller d and to two
or more warp letting off rollers f, g, by the following mechanism: - These rollers
are of the same diameter, so that the letting off rollers f and y give out as much
warp as is required for putting the desired number of picks into any given length.
of web or cloth, according to the strength of such web or cloth.
The warp letting off rollers ƒ and g to the number of two or more are caused to
rotate in contrary directions with equal circumferential speed by means of suitable
spur gearing j,, of equal diameter, the upper onej driving the lower one.
The axis of the roller g prolonged beyond the frame receives there a spur wheel k
which is turned by the intermediate pinion ¹, which is turned by the toothed
wheel k fixed to the pinion k¹; the wheel is driven by the pinion l. The shaft
of the pinion is loose in its bearings, and is furnished with a disc n besides the
pinion, and also with a ratchet wheel m. To the disc n is adapted the. friction
pincer n similar to those before described, which if the weft breaks prevents the

page_text: warp from being unwound from the yarn beam even if the loom should continue
in motion.
This
The aforesaid ratchet wheel m has a retaining pawl m³, and an acting pawl m²,
with a bent point which moves one tooth at each pick made by the shuttle.
acting pawl m³ is mounted at the forked end of a lever m³ jointed to a rocking
lever o, which is moved by the oscillations of the sword arm p.
The rod pl
being adjustable along the sword arm p allows of giving the lever o oscillations of
variable amplitude.
The sword arm p by means of another bent rod p² also causes the oscillation of
a second rocking lever q, carrying a pawl at q¹ or q³, which moves a second ratchet
wheel e¹, the object of which is to drive the cloth roller e by the following arrange-
ment of mechanism shown in Figure 3-A hollow socket plate t is fixed to the
cloth roller e. Another plate, forming the before mentioned second ratchet wheel e¹
takes into the interior of the first named hollow plate, and between the two plates
is a leather washer. The second plate e¹ is loose upon the socket of the hollow
plate t, which it drives by means of a spring e², which may be tightened up more
or less by a tightening nut e³, and which spring is connected with and follows the
movement of the said hollow plate t. The leather washer pressed between the
two platest and e¹ furnishes sufficient friction for transmitting the motion of
the second plate or ratchet wheel e¹ to the cloth roller e, which seizes the web as it
is made.
The manufactured web or cloth is drawn forward by the taking up roller d,
which receives the same speed of rotation as the warp letting off rollers ƒ and g by
means of the rocking lever o first above mentioned, which by another pawls moves
intermittently a third ratchet wheel furnished with a retaining pawl h. With
this ratchet wheel turns a pinion x, which by the intermediate wheels x¹, x²,
transmits the movement to a spur wheel d¹ keyed on the shaft of the taking up
roller d.
When the weft breaks a lever y, put in motion in the usual way, lifts the pawls
m² and 8 of the ratchet wheels m and r to stop simultaneously the motion of the
warp and of the manufactured web; a spiral spring y communicates for that
purpose by a cord or wire 72 with the retaining pawl z.
It has already been explained how the warp roller or yarn beam b is constantly
submitted to the same resistance to unwinding by means of the afore-said friction
pincer g. Starting from that point the warp c is regularly drawn forward by the
letting off rollers fand g, passes round the said rollers, and then passes through the
healds of the loom. The manufactured web or cloth is afterwards drawn forward
by the taking up roller & with a speed absolutely equal to that of the letting off,
and is finally regularly stored by the above described friction arrangement on the
cloth beam.
All the movements are thus coordinated so as to obtain a regular even web or
cloth without irregularities in the weft, an industrial result which cannot be
obtained with looms as at present constructed.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be carried into effect, I would have it understood that the
details and arrangements herein described and shewn in the Drawings are merely
illustrative, and may be varied to suit the kind of loom to which they are to be
applied; also that the Invention may be applied to all kinds of looms for weaving
wool, cotton, and silk, and especially to looms for making cashmere, and that
what I claim as the Invention to be secured by the within in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
First. The friction arrangement on the axis of the yarn beam, by which balances
or levers and their inconveniences are avoided, and an absolutely uniform unwinding

page_text: of the warp and regularity of the pick thrown by the shuttle is obtained. Such
friction arrangement comprises by preference one or two discs with polished faces
and friction pincers, but instead thereof a full or flat vertical or horizontal break
may be employed, the whole substantially as herein before described and illustrated
in the Drawings.
Second. The arrangements and combinations of parts hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the Drawings for effecting an unwinding of the warp, and a rolling
up of the manufactured web or cloth always perfectly equal to each other, thereby
producing an irreproachable web or cloth without irregularities in the weft.
number of warp letting off rollers may be varied at pleasure, but for the manu-
facture of cashmere two have been found quite sufficient.
Third. The frictional driving af the cloth roller, as hereinbefore specified.
The
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Beck, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.