IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Somerville, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WEAVING."
Sealed the 17th February 1857, and dated the 10th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Somerville at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th November 1856.
I, JAMES SOMERVILLE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WEAVING," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to machinery, apparatus, and means to be employed
in or upon looms of various kinds for the purpose of weaving what are
technically and commercially known as corded, checked, or "cross-over"
fabrics, or fabric more or less approximating to the general character of goods
ordinarily known under these designations.
The essential object of this Invention is the so arranging the details of the
heddle-working mechanism of the loom, as well as the parts actuating the
"catch threads" of the warp, that a simple, convenient, and efficiently ope-

page_text: rating means both of keeping open any given shed of the warp for the passage
through it of several weft threads to form the cord of tho fabric, and the proper
working of the catch threads for holding the weft shots when crossing and
recrossing in one shed, may be secured. The tappet shaft of the loom is fitted
up with a pair of immoveably attached tappets, eccentrics, or cams, each actu-
ating a treadle or bottom heddle lever in the ordinary manner. One of theso
heddle levers carries a small horizontal metal plate or platform, pieco forming
the support for a small antifriction pulley or bearing piece, against which the
cam for that lever acts when the lever is to be depressed by the cam action.
This pulley is carried upon a stud spindle, disposed at right angles to the
heddle levers, and carriod in a small traversing frame, and has attached to it or
bearing upon it one end of a blade spring, so arranged, as to tend continually
to press the pulley beneath the circular line of action of or into gear with the
cam on the tappet shaft. The frame is connected by a cord or chain passing
away round suitable guido pulleys to a pattern wheel, made to revolve at a
slow rate by the loom action, this wheel having upon it suitablo segmental
projections, which are built up or arranged to suit the predetermined pattern
or "pitch of the checking or cording required in the fabric to be woven.
The framo of the small pulley or its link is also similarly linked to the upper
end of a spring detent standing up from the floor, this spring detent being of
such a character as to be capable of holding down the heddle lever when
drawn forward by the disengaging traverse of the antifriction pulley.
The effect of this arrangement is this:-When the segmental pattern wheel,
in virtue of its prearranged pattern working projections, does not act to draw
forward the pulley of the heddle lever, already described, the pulley stands
fair above the lever, and forms the bearing point for the action of tho tappet
shaft cam, and under these circumstances both beddle levers are actuated in
concert to form sheds in the warp at each throw of the shuttle, as in ordinary
plain cloth weaving. But when the segmental pattern wheel comes into
direct operation, by drawing aside the pulley, the cam ceases to act upon that
heddle, and the other heddle being held down by the detent already mentioned
neither of the levers can shift, and the warp shed remains open for, the passage
through of as many weft shots as are required for the production of the cord
or thick line in the fabric. When the proper number of weft threads have been
thrown in, the segmental pattern wheel releases tho parts, and the heddle action
goes on again in gear for plain weaving.
The catch threads of the warp, which must be operated at the selvages for
binding in those weft shots which would otherwise be left loose when no

page_text: change occurs in the shed, are worked by a small lever disposed above one of
the tappet shaft cams, the free end of this lever being attached to one end of
a cord or chain, which is passed round a set of guide pulleys so arranged as
to direct it to the proper parts for attachment to the eyes for the catch threads,
the other end of the cord being connected to a fixed spring for giving the
reverse movement. By these means thick cording weft is not required for
forming the cords in the fabric, as each cord or thick line is produced by an
agglomeration of the ordinary weft threads used in producing the body of the
cloth, whilst the checking or cording details allow of the loom being worked
as rapidly and easily, or nearly so, as a common loom. It will be obvious to '
the practical weaver, that in producing certain classes of goods, as, for example,
where one cord is to be produced after another without any plain weaving.
between, provision must be made for effecting the direct disengaging action of
the heddle movement upon both beddles. This is effected by the introduction
of a second segmental pattern wheel, so that the disengagement as demanded
by the exigencies of the pattern can always be produced upon the heddle
lever, which stands in its proper position for the purpose.
The segmental pattern wheel is actuated in a conveniently adjustable manner
from the arm or sword of the lathe or slay of the loom. Alongside one of the
arms or the sword there is fitted up a vertical parallel lever, carried upon a
fixed centre stud in the framing. The upper end of this lever carries the
hinged catch for working into the ratchet teeth of the pattern wheel, whilst
the bottom end of the lever is slotted longitudinally for the reception of a stud
pin projecting laterally from the sword.
By setting this pin up or down in the slot the attendant can give a longer
or shorter throw to the ratchet catch, and thus ensure its accurate working in
the ratchet teeth.
During the formation of the cord in the fabric which is being woven it is
of course necessary to suspend the take-up motion of the loon, and this is
effected by a lever movement working in connection with the segmental
pattern wheel. When only one segmental pattern wheel is used, this is easily
accomplished by the action of the same lever which conveys the pattern wheel
action to the heddle lever movement, but when two segmental wheels are used
it becomes necessary to provide a separate lever and actuating projections, so
that each movement may work properly and independantly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Somerville in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
SOMERVILLE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Somerville, Iler special license that I, the said James Somerville, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Somerville, my executors, administrators, or 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 mako, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, tho Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Somerville, by an
instrument in writing under my band and seal, 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 James Somerville, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to machinery, apparatus, and means to be em-
ployed in or upon looms of various kinds for the purpose of weaving what are
technically and commercially known as corded, checked, or "cross-over'
fabrics, or fabrics more or less approximating to the general character of goods
ordinarily known under these designations.
The essential object of this Invention is the so arranging the details of
the beddle-working mechanism of the loon, as well as the parts actuating
the "catch threads" of the warp, that a simple, convenient, and efficiently
operating means both of keeping open any given shed of the warp for the
passage through it of several weft threads to form the "cord" of the fabric,

page_text: and the proper working of the catch threads for holding the weft shots
when crossing and recrossing in one shed, may be secured.
The tappet
shaft of the loom is fitted up with a pair of immoveably attached tappets,
eccentrics, or cams, each actuating a treadle or bottom beddle lever in
the ordinary manner. One of these heddle levers carries a small horizontal
metal plate or platform piece, forming the support for a small antifriction
pulley or bearing piece, against which the cam for that lever acts when the
lever is to be depressed by the cam action. This pulley is carried upon a stud
spindle, disposed at right angles to the heddle lever, and carried in a small tra-
versing frame, and the frame has attached to it or bearing on it one end of
a blade spring, so arranged as to tend continually to press the pulley beneath
the circular line of action of or into gear with the cam on the tappet shaft.
The frame is connected by a cord or chain passing away round suitable guide
pulleys to a pattern wheel, made to revolve at a slow rate by the loom action,
this wheel having upon it suitable segmental projections, which are built up
or arranged to suit the predetermined pattern or "pitch" of the checking or
cording required in the fabric to be woven. The frame of the small pulley or
its link is also similarly linked to the upper end of a spring detent standing up
from the floor, this spring detent being of such a character as to be capable of
holding down the other heddle lever when drawn forward by the disengaging
traverse of the antifriction pulley.
The effect of this arrangement is this:-When the segmental pattern
wheel, in virtue of its prearranged pattern working projections, does not
act to draw aside the pulley of the heddle lever, already described, the pulley
stands fair above the lever and forms the bearing point for the action of
the tappet shaft cam, and under these circumstances both heddle levers are
actuated in concert to form sheds in the warp at each throw of the shuttle,
as in ordinary plain cloth weaving. But when the segmental pattern wheel
comes into direct operation by drawing aside the pulley, the cam ceases to
act upon that heddle, and the other heddle being held down by the detent,
already described, neither of the levers can shift, and the warp shed remains
open for the passage through of as many weft shots as are required for the
production of the cord or thick line in the fabric. When the proper number
of weft threads have been thrown in, the segmental pattern wheel releases tho
parts, and the heddle action goes on again in gear for plain weaving.
The catch threads of the warp, which must be operated at the selvages
for binding in those weft shots, which would otherwise be left loose when
no change occurs in the shed, are worked by a small lever disposed above
one of the tappet shaft cams, the free end of this lever being attached to one

page_text: end of a cord or chain, which is passed round a set of guido pulleys so arranged
as to direct it to the proper parts for attachment to the eyes of the catch
threads, the other end of the cord being connected to a fixed spring for giving
the reverse movement. By these means thick cording weft is not required for
forming cords in the fabric, as each cord or thick line is produced by an
ngglomeration of the ordinary weft threads used in producing the body of the
cloth, whilst the checking or cording details allow of the loom being worked as
rapidly and easily, or nearly so, as a common loom. It will be obvious to the
practical weaver, that in producing certain classes of goods, as, for example,
where one cord is to be produced after another without any plain weaving
between, provision must be made for effecting the direct disengaging action
of the heddle movement upon both heddles. This is effected by the intro-
duction of a second segmental pattern wheel, so that the disengagement as
demanded by the exigiencies of the pattern can always be produced upon the
heddle lever, which stands in its proper position for the purpose.
The segmental pattern wheel is actunted in a convenient adjustable manner
from the arm or sword of the lathe or slay of the loom. Alongside one of the
arms or the sword there is fitted up a vertical parallel lever, carried upon
a fixed centre stud in the framing. The upper end of this lever carries the
hinged catch for working into the ratchet teeth of the pattern wheel, whilst
the bottom end of the lever is slotted longitudinally for the reception of a
stud pin projecting laterally from the sword. By setting this pin up or down
in the slot the attendant can give a longer or shorter throw to the ratchet
catch, and thus ensure its accurate working in the ratchet teeth.
During the formation of the cord in the fabric which is being woven it is
of course necessary to suspend the taking-up motion of the loom, and this is
effected by a lever movement working in connection with the segmental
pattern wheel. When only one segmental pattern wheel is used, this is
easily accomplished by the action of the same lever which conveys the pattern
wheel action to the heddle lever movement, but when two segmental wheels
are used it becomes necessary to provide a separate lever and actuating pro-
jections, so that each movement may work properly and independently.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures on the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings which I havo hereunto appended, for the purpose of
showing certain modifications under which my improvements may be judi-
ciously carried out in practice.
Figure 1 on my Sheet of Drawings is a vertical section of a loom as fitted
with my improvements applied thereto; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the

page_text: same; and Figure 3 a plan corresponding to Figures 1 and 2; in this latter
Figure only the parts necessary for the description of my improvements are
shown.
The framing of the loom consists of a pair of vertical side standards A,
united in the usual manner by transverse stay pieces. The heddles B are
connected at their upper parts by the straps C, which are fastened to and pass
over rollers at the upper part of the framing A. The heddles are attached at
their lower parts by means of the straps D to the cam or treadle levers E
and F, which vibrate on a stud pin bolted to a bracket at the back of the loom
framing. Each of the cam or treadle levers E and F is made with a lateral
projecting part, seen best in the plan, Figure 3, of my Sheet of Drawings,
which projecting part or platform forms a support for an antifriction pulley
fitted thereto. Each of the pulleys G and H rotates on a stud spindle,
fitted in a bracket or frame, which is bolted to the lateral projecting part
of the treadle levors. The antifriction pulleys are so arranged as to be
immediately under, or in a vertical plane with the cams or tappets I and
J on the tappet shaft K, and the pulley II, has a slight lateral traverse
in the opening of the projecting part of the treadle lever F; a bent blado
spring L is bolted at one end to the treadle lever F; and its free end presses
the side of the bracket or frame which carries the pulley II. To the end
of the spring L is attached a cord or chain M, which passes partly round
the double-grooved pulley N; another cord or chain O is attached to the
vertical spring P, which has a catch at its free end, and holds down the other
treadle lever E when brought into action; the spring. is attached in like manner
5 to the pulley N. The double-grooved pulley N turns on a stud spindle,
carried in a bracket fast to the left-band side standard of the loom, and round
its other groove a cord or chain Q is passed which is fastened to the pulley.
This second groove of the pulley N is made somewhat similar in diameter
than the one to which the two cords or chains M and O are attached. The
free end of the cord Q, is carried upwards and fastened to the end of a lever R,
the other end of which turns on a stud projecting from the loom framing,
this lever bas upon its under side a small projection, by means of which the
lever is lifted at certain predetermined points by the rotation of the pattern
wheel that is fitted immediately underneath it. The pattern wheel S is fast
to the light shaft T; this wheel is made with ratchet teeth upon its periphery,
and is caused to rotate one tooth at a time at each revolution of the crank
shaft. The rim of the wheel S has a series of holes or slots made in it, by
means of which the segmentally-shaped pieces of metal U may be readily
attached thereto by bolts and nuts. The pattern wheel S is actuated by the

page_text: "
reciprocatory movement of the lathe V, which gives motion to an adjustablo
lever W; this lever is carried upon a centre stud fixed to the loom framing.
A longitudinal slot is made in the upper and lower ends of the lever W, and
its lower end is attached to the lathe sword by means of a sword pin which
projects laterally from the sword. The slotted end of the lever is passed on to
the stud pin, and secured to the sword of the lathe by a nut. The upper end
of the lever carries a catch or pall X, which is attached to the lever W by a pin
and nut; the free end of the catch works in the teeth of the pattern wheel S.
By means of the slot in the lower end of the lever W. it may be so adjusted
as to give a longer or shorter throw to the catch X as required, and thus
ensure its working accurately in the ratchet teeth of the pattern wheel S. At
each revolution of the crank shaft the cams or tappets I and J alternately
depress the pulleys G and H, by which means the beddles B are actuated in
succession, and ordinary plain cloth is woven. But if the wheel S has one
or more of the segmentally-shaped pieces of metal U attached to it, the
operations of the loom are somewhat different; for when one of the pieces of
metal U is brought under the lever R, by the rotation of the pattern wheel S,
the projection on its under side passes on to the segment U; the effect of
which is, that the end of the lever to which the cord Q is attached is raised,
and the pulley N, to which it is fastened, thereby turned upon its axis.
The rotation of the pulley N has the effect of winding the cords M and 0.
upon its periphery, and this action draws aside the spring L, and with it the
pulley II, from under the cam or tappet I, while the vertical spring P is
drawn so as to hold the treadle lever E down. By this means tho shed is
kept open as long as the lever R is kept up by the segmentally-shaped pieces
of metal U, the number of shots of weft thus thrown through the open shed
being regulated by the length of the pieces of metal U. When tho lever R
is released from the pattern pieces of metal U the treadle levers E and F are
again brought into action, and the sheds in the warp are formed in regular
succession, as in ordinary plain weaving.
Another mode of actuating the pattern wheel S is by means of a pinion fitted
on the tappet shaft K; this pinion is made with two teeth, which alternately
take into the teeth of and move the pattern wheel S. The object of this arrange-
ment is, that as the tappet shaft rotates at only half the speed the wheel S is
required to move, it follows that at each half revolution of the tappet shaft one
of the teeth on the pinion will move the wheel S one tooth forward, and con-
sequently the wheel S will move at twice the speed of the tappet shaft. Tho
shots of weft are thrown through the shed at each movement of the wheel S, as
before described in reference to the mode of actuating the pattern wheel, by the

page_text: movement of the lathe. The shots of weft which form the cord are bound in
at the selvages by causing the outer threads of the warp to cross each other as
the shots of weft are thrown in. The outer thread at each side of the
warp is
passed through an eye made in the cord Y, one end of which is fastened to the
spring Z; the cord after passing over the guide pulleys a, at the upper part of
the loom framing, is carried under the pulleys b, and attached to the lever c.
The lever c rests upon the tappet I, by means of which it is raised at each
revolution of the tappet, and causes the threads of the warp which are passed
through the eyes in the cord Y to cross each other, and thereby bind in the
weft shot. The reaction of the spring Z, brings the selvage threads back to
their normal position, when the lever c descends and the threads are thus
made to cross each other alternately, in a similar manner to the action of the
heddles. While forming the cord in the fabric, the taking-up motion is
suspended by means of a second series of segmentally-shaped pieces of metal
d, which are bolted to the opposite side of the pattern wheel S to that on
which the cording segments U are fastened. These segments d act upon a
projection on the under side of a bent lever e, which vibrates upon a pin
attached to the framing; one end of the lever is suspended by a cord f attached
to the side standard A, the other end of the lever is connected by means of a
cord g to the pall h of the ratchet wheel i. The ratchet wheel i, has upon its
spindle, a pinion j, in gear with the wheel on the shaft of the roller l.
When one of the segmentally-shaped pieces of metal d, is brought under the
lever e, its outer end, to which the cord g is attached, falls, by which means
the pall his lifted out of the teeth of the ratchet wheel i, and the onward
motion of the wheel is thereby stayed. To prevent the pattern being deranged
by the suspension of the loom movements, a ratchet wheel m is fitted on the
tappet shaft K, into the teeth of which a pall or catch n takes. The catch
turns on a stud fixed in the framing, and at its upper end is an eye to
which a cord is attached; the other end of the cord is fastened to the belt
lever, by which the loom is thrown out of action. By this means, when the
attendant stops the loom the catch falls into the teeth of the ratchet wheel m,
and prevents any backward movement of the tappet shaft K, by which the
pattern might be deranged. The shaft T which carries the pattern wheel S
has fitted to it a pulley o, over which is passed a belt p, one end of which is
secured to an eye fast to the flooring, and the other is connected to a lever q.
The lever is fast at one end to a pin fitted in a bracket projecting from the
loom framing, the other end is secured by means of a pin passed through
the guide r. This arrangement admits of the tensional pressure of the belt p
on the pulley o being regulated so as to check or control the speed of the

page_text: pattern wheel S. By means of the foregoing improvements the weaver has
placed at his command a great variety of patterns and effects, which may be
woven with as much ease and dispatch as ordinary plain fabrics.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the system or mode of weaving corded or checked fabrics, wherein one
of the antifriction pulleys (or the part which the cam or tappet acts on, when
forming the shed) is removed from its usual position, and the other treadle
lever is held down by means of a detent spring, so that the cams although
continuing to revolve cease to act upon the treadle lovers, and thereby allow
the shed to remain open for any number of shots of weft.
Second, the system or mode of working the catch threads at the selvages by
means of a lever actuated by the cams or tappets, and a fixed spring or weight
to reverse the movement, thus causing the catch threads to cross each other
and bind in the weft shots.
Third, the system or mode of preventing the derangement of the pattern by
means of a ratchet wheel and pall used in connection with the mechanical
arrangements herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, tho said James Somerville, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-seven.
JAMES SOMERVILLE. (L.B.)