Improvements in the Shedding Motions of Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Shedding Motions of Looms for Weaving.
I, EDWARD HOLLINGWORTH, of the Firm of Hutchinson, Hollingworth and Co.,
Ltd., of Dobcross, in the County of York, Power Loom Makers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention (which has been communicated to me by George
Frederick Hutchins, of No. 311, Main Street, Worcester, in the State of Massa-
chusetts, in the United States of America, Machine Maker), to be as follows:-
My invention relates to shedding mechanism for looms, or the mechanism inter-
mediate of the harness levers or jacks, and the top of the harness frames, through
which said frames are raised and lowered, and the object of my invention is to
provide an improved shedding mechanism, by means of which equal travel of
each end of the harness frame will be obtained, and the top of the harness frame
will always extend in a horizontal plane whether in its raised or lowered position.
In the ordinary construction of the shedding mechanism, the harness levers or
jacks have straight notched arms, to which the connectors leading to the harness
sheaves are attached. In my improved construction I make the arms of the jacks
curved instead of straight, and the series of notches in each arm extend in a
curved line forming the are of a circle instead of a straight line, as hitherto.
The connecting wires or cords, are attached at one end to short links to the
jack or harness lever, and at the other ends by short links or loops to rocking arms
or to sheaves or segments. For raising and lowering the healds there are other
cords or wires connected to extended arms of the rocking levers or to grooved
pulleys or sheaves, together with screws for adjusting the exact position of the
grooved pulleys and the heald shafts. Drip boxes or trays are employed to catch
the droppings of oil which lubricate the axles.
Improvements in the Shedding Motions of Looms for Weaving.
I, EDWARD HOLLINGWORTH, of the Firm of Hutchinson, Hollingworth and Co.,
Ltd., of Dobcross, in the County of York, Power Loom Makers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention (which has been communicated to me by George
Frederick Hutchins, of 311, Main Street, Worcester, in the State of Massa-
chusetts, in the United States of America, Machine Maker), and in what manner
Price 81

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
My invention relates to shedding mechanism for looms, or the mechanism inter-
mediate of the harness levers or jacks, and the top of the harness frames, through
which said frames are raised and lowered, and the object of my invention is to
provide an improved shedding mechanism, by means of which equal travel of
each end of the harness frame will be obtained, and the top of the harness frame
will always extend in a horizontal plane, whether in its raised or lowered position.
In the ordinary construction of the shedding mechanism, the harness levers or
jacks have straight notched arms, to which the connectors leading to the harness
sheaves are attached. In my improved construction I make the arms of the jacks
curved instead of straight, and the series of notches in each arm extend in a
curved line forming the arc of a circle instead of a straight line as hitherto.
The connecting wires or cords, are attached at one end by short links to the
jack or harness lever, and at the other ends by short links or loops to rocking arms
or to sheaves or segments. There are other cords or wires connected to extended
arms of the rocking levers or to grooved pulleys or sheaves, together with screws
for adjusting the exact position of the grooved pulleys and the heald shafts.
Drip boxes or trays are employed to catch the droppings of oil which lubricate
the axles.
Referring to the drawings
Fig. 1 shows the upper portion, or arches of a loom frame partially broken
away, with my improvements applied thereto, two harness levers or jacks, and
the upper part of two harness frames are shown.
Fig. 2 is a detail, showing the manner of adjusting the shaft which carries the
sheaves, and,
Fig. 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, one of the angular harness levers or jacks
shown in Fig. 1 detached, with the lower notched arm complete.
In the accompanying drawings, 1 are the arches or upper portion of a loom
frame, 2 are the angular harness levers or jacks centrally pivotted on a rod 21.
The harness levers 2 have the upright arms with notched inner edges, and the
horizontal arms with notched inner edges, which are connected by cords to the
harness frames 3, the upper portions only of which are shown in the drawings.
The angular harness levers or jacks 2 have the end portions thereof, where the
notches 2 extend, curved instead of straight, so that the inner ends of the series
of notches 211 in each arm of the lever 2 will lie in a curved liner between the
two end notches, instead of a straight line y, as shown in Fig. 3, and the same
curved line applies to the horizontal arm A of the said harness lever 2.
Two sets of sheaves 4 and 5 extend between the front and rear arch 1, and each
set is mounted and turns loosely on a shaft 6, which extends at each end in a
vertical groove or recess 8 in the inner side of the arch, see Fig. 2.
An adjusting screw 9 provided with a hand wheel 10, turns in a boss 11 on the
arch, and the upper end of said screw extends under and engages the end of the
shaft 6.
It will be understood that there is an adjusting screw 9 at each end of the
shafts 6, on the front and rear arch 1, and that by turning said screws up or down,
the shafts 6 and sheaves 4 and 5 thereon are adjusted in a vertical plane as
desired.
Between the two sets of sheaves 4 and 5, a shaft 12 is supported on the front
and rear arch, and extends parallel to, but preferably in a plane above the two
shafts 6. On the shaft 12 are centrally mounted, to turn loosely thereon, two
arm levers 13 the number of said levers corresponds to the number of sheaves
in each set of sheaves 4 and 5.
The two armed levers 13 are provided in this instance at their upper ends
with two oppositely extending hooks or open end slots 131, and at their lower
ends in this instance with one hook or open end slot 13".

page_text: The levers 13, intermediate their ends, are provided with the circular or disc
portion 13, which makes the lever stiffer and more rigid, and furnishes a surface
for two contiguous levers to slide on, as said levers are moved in opposite
directions.
The diameter of the circular portion 13 is preferably a little greater than
one-third, and less than one-half the length of the lever 13, but the circular
portion is small enough so as not to interfere with, or come in contact with the
connection attached to the lower end of said lever, when the lower end is moved
to the left, as shown in Fig. 1.
From each harness lever or jack 2, a connection 14 extends to the upper end 131
of the lever 13; said connection 14 is preferably provided with a metal loop or
link 15 at each end, which fits over the notched end of the harness lever, and
over the hook next to the harness lever, on the lever 13.
A second connection 16, provided with a loop or link 17, which fits over the
other hook on the upper end of the lever 13, leads over the top and outer edge of a
sheave of the outer set 5, and is connected at its other end to the top of a harness
frame 3, near the end thereof.
A third connection 18, provided with a loop or link 19, which fits over the hook
on the lower end of the lever 13, leads over the top and outer edge of a sheave
of the inner set of sheaves 4, and is connected at its other end to the top of a
harness frame 3, near the end thereof.
The curvature of the notched edge of the upright arm of the harness levers 2,
above referred to, when the upright portions of said levers are in their central
position, that is midway between their right and left extreme position, corresponds
to the arc of a circle, the centre or axis of which is the point of connection between
the connection 14, and the two armed lever 13, when the upper part of said lever
is in its central position, that is midway between the extreme right and left
position shown in Fig. 1.
By making the notched edges of the harness levers 2 curved, as above described,
each notch in the upright arm of the lever (when the upright arm of the lever is
in its central position) is at the same distance from the point of connection
between the connection 14 and the two armed lever 13 (when said lever is in its
central position) and the lower arm of the two armed lever 13 must move equal
distances from a vertical line drawn through the pivot of said lever, and so
maintain equal angles of the connections from said lever, relative to the sheaves,
and lift the harness frame the same distance at each end of the frame, without
regard to what notch 21 in the upright arm of the lever 2 the link 15 on the
connection 14 engages.
In the case of straight upright arms of harness levers, the distance between
the upper and lower notches, and the point of connection of the connection 14
with the upper arm of the two armed lever 13 will vary, and the angles formed by
the connections with the sheaves will vary, so that the harnesses will not lift evenly,
unless the straps or connections 14 are of different lengths for the different
notches.
The advantages of making the upright arms of the harness levers 2 curved as
above described, instead of straight, will be readily appreciated by those skilled
in the art
It is not necessary to have connections 14 from the harness levers of different
lengths for the different notches. The same connection may be used from the
top notch as well as from the bottom notch, or any intermediate notch, the distance
from each to the point of connection of the connector 14 with the upper arm of the
two armed lever being the same.
It will be understood that the details of construction of my shedding mechanism
may be varied if desired. It is not necessary to have open end slots or hooks on
the levers 13; they may have simply openings or holes therein, through which
the connections are passed.
A modification of the two armed lever 13 is shewn in Figs. 4 and 5, where the

page_text: former is front elevation, and the later plan view of same.
In this case the two
armed lever is substituted by segments of circles or parts of sheaves 13 and 14.
In the accompanying drawings, 1 are the arches or upper portion of a loom
frame, 2 are the notched harness levers or jacks, curved at their upright notched
edges, as already described. 3 are the upper portion of the harness frames.
Between the loom arches 1 is supported the adjustable and removable frame 4,
which carries the two sets of sheaves. The frame 4 consists of the two parallel
side bars 5, 5, each having two outwardly extending ears or flanges 6,6, which
extend over the top of the arches 1, as shown in Fig. 5, and are provided with
adjusting screws 7, to level and adjust the frame 4. Fig. 6 is a detached view
of said frame 4.
A lug or knob 8 extends out from each bar 5, and enters a vertical slot 81 in
the inner side of the loom arches, to hold the frame in place, as shown in Fig. 5.
A bolt 9 extends through a hole in the loom arch, and through a vertical slot 9¹ in
each side bar 5 of the frame 4, to secure the frame to the loom arches, and prevent
its being tilted at the end.
The side bars 5 of the frame are connected at each end by the transverse bars
or plates 10, 10, which are preferably made integral with the side bars 5, as
shown in the drawings, and in the shape of, and to form drip pans. Extending
over each drip pan 10, and secured in the ends of the bars 5 of the frame 4, are
two shafts 11 and 12. Upon said shafts are loosely mounted the segments of
circles or sheaves 13 and 14. The shafts 11 and 12 preferably do not lie in the
same horizontal plane, but the shaft 12 is preferably mounted in stands 121,
which extend above the side bars of the frame, as shown in Fig. 4.
The sheaves 14 are formed with a hook 14', at the upper end thereof, over which
extends a link 15, which is connected by a wire 16 with a link 17 extending over
the upright arm of the harness lever 2, and fitting into one of the notches therein.
The sheaves 14 are also provided with a downwardly extending arm 14", below
its pivot point, and to said arm is pivotally attached one end of a bar 18; the
other end of the bar 18 is pivotally attached to the sheave 13, above its axis, as
shown in Fig. 4. Said bar 18 preferably extends in a horizontal plane, and
parallel with the side bars 5 of the frame 4.
The outer edge of the sheaves 13 and 14 are grooved, to receive the cord or
connection 19, which is fastened at one end of the upper part of the sheave, and
at the other end to a link 20 connected by a screw 21 with the top bar of the
harness frame 3.
As the harness levers 2 swing, or move back and forth on their pivotal support,
the harness frames, through connections 16, sheaves 14 and 13, connector bar 18,
and connections 20 to the harness frames, are, by the construction and arrange-
ment of the sheaves and connections, raised equally at each end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1, In a loom, the combination of a harness lever or jack, having a curved
upright notched edge, and sheaves suitably mounted, substantially as described
and shewn in Figs.
and 3.
2, In a shedding mechanism for looms, the combination with the harness frame,
two sheaves suitably mounted, connections from said frame leading over the outer
edges of said sheaves to the lower and upper arm of a two armed lever 13 centrally
pivotted between the loom arches intermediate said sheaves, and having a circular
portion intermediate of its ends, and a connection from said lever to the harness
lever or jack, of said harness lever or jack, having a curved notched edge, the
curvature of which, at the central position of the harness lever or jack, corresponds
to the arc of a circle, the centre of which is at the point of connection between
the connection leading from the harness lever and the two armed lever, when said
two armed lever is in its central position, substantially as shown and described,

page_text: 3, An angular harness lever or jack, having two arms, each arm made curved
at its end portion, and having a series of notches thereon, the inner ends
of which lie in a curved line between the two end notches of each series, substan-
tially as shown and described.
4, In the shedding mechanism of a loom, a frame adapted to be supported
between the arches carrying the shafts for the two sots of sheaves over which the
connections pass to the harness frames, and having transverse drip pans extending
between and secured to the side bars of the frame, below the shafts on which the
sheaves are mounted, substantially as shown and described.
5, A sheave supporting frame for the shedding mechanism of looms, adapted
to be adjustably mounted between the two loom arches, and comprising two side
bars, connected at their ends by transverse bars or plates made integral therewith,
and in the form of drip pans, and means for adjusting said frame, substantially
as shown and described.
6, In the shedding mechanism of a loom, the combination with a frame, adapted
to be supported between the loom arches, and having two rods or shafts extending
transversely between the ends of the frame, of two sets of sheave segments
mounted on said shafts, and a connector between the sheaves, secured at one end
below the axis of one set of sheaves, and at its other end above the axis of the
other set of sheaves, and connections from the sheaves to the harness frames, and
from one set of sheaves to the harness jacks, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 17th day of June 1898.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Huddersfield, Agents for Applicant.