Improvements in or applicable to Loom Shuttles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 26th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Loom Shuttles.
We JAMES SUTCLIFFE SMITH and JAMES SMITH SUTCLIFFE of the firm of Sutcliffe
and Smith of the Britannia Mill, Bacup in the County of Lancaster Manufacturers do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the shuttles employed in looms for weaving and has for its
object to prevent kinks curls snarls knots or thick weft from being woven into the
cloth. To this end we provide the shuttle with a clearer through which the weft
passes before it leaves the shuttle. The said clearer is provided with slits or slots of a
width suitable to permit of the passage of the clear weft but not wide enough to pass
the curls knots or thicker portions of yarn. We make this clearer of a single piece
of steel or other suitable metal or of glass earthenware or other suitable material or
of two or more pieces as considered to be advisable or most suitable to the circum-
stances of any case. In some or in all cases we propose to provide two or more slits
and to arrange one at right angles to the other or to arrange them with their open
ends pointing in reverse directions or to otherwise suitably arrange the slits so that
the tendency for the weft to leave the slits during the working of the shuttle will be
checked at the same time that the rapid threading of the shuttle will not be interfered
with.
In some cases we may form the slit by the juxtaposition of two parts in order
that the width of the slit may be capable of regulation and also in order that the truth
of the slit may be restored after long use.
Dated this 27th day of December 1889
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Loom Shuttles.
We JAMES SUTCLIFFE SMITH and JAMES SMITH SUTCLIFFE of the firm of Sutcliffe
and Smith of the Britannia Mill Bacup in the County of Lancaster Manufacturers
do hereby declare the nature of this 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:-
Our invention relates to the shuttles employed in looms for weaving and has for
its object to prevent kinks, curls, snarls, knots, or thick weft from being woven into
the cloth. To this end we provide the shuttle with a clearer through which the weft
passes before it leaves the shuttle. The said clearer is provided with a slit or with slits
of a width suitable to permit of the passage of the clear weft but not wide enough to
pass the curls knots or thicker portions of yarns. We make this clearer of a single
piece of steel or other suitable metal or of glass earthenware or other suitable material
or of two or more pieces as considered to be advisable or most suitable to the
circumstances of any case.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood we will describe the same
more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings whereof
Fig. 1 represents part of a shuttle having our clearer appliance secured thereto,
Figs. 2 and 3 illustrating two of the forins in which such clearer may be made.
In Fig. 1a is the clearer applied to an ordinary shuttle b. Fig. 2 illustrates the
formation of the clearer a which is shown in position in the shuttle.
In the example
selected for illustration the said clearer is made of one piece of sheet steel bent into
the required form. On referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that a part a' is bent at

page_text: right angles to the clearer proper a this part a¹ constituting a foot whereby the clearer
may be secured to the shuttle. In Fig. 1 c represents a screw or rivet whereby the
clearer is secured to the bottom of the end recess in the shuttle. Another portion a²
of the sheet steel blank from which the clearer is formed is bent first at right angles
to the part a and then downwards so that the edge a³ of the part is brought to a
point opposite to the centre of the part a or thereabouts. In the part a is formed a
narrow slit d. This slit may be formed by cutting, punching slitting or sawing.
The width of the said slit is suitable to permit of the passage of clear weft but is
not sufficient to pass curls knots or thicker parts which it is not desirable to permit
to be woven into the cloth so that when such curls, knots, or thicker parts come up to
the clearer they are either smoothed out or the weft is broken. The weft as it leaves
the shuttle passes below the edge a³ and through the clearer slit d as indicated by the
line e the said edge preventing the weft from accidentally escaping out of the slit.
A cross pin or wire would answer the purpose of the edge a³. In Fig. 3 the
modification is simply in the formation of the clearer the practical effect being the
Same.. In this example the sheet steel blank is turned up at each end so as to leave
a central foot for attachment to the shuttle and a cross slit serves the purpose of the
edge a³. When this clearer in use the weft has to pass through two slits and this
may be considered to be an advantage. We however prefer the form represented in
Fig. 2 partly for the reason that the weft can be more readily threaded through the
shuttle. If the slit be not required to act as a clearer it may be made wider than
the slit d or the lower side may be cut away as indicated by the dotted line g. Other
modifications may be made in the formation of the clearer the important feature
being the slit d. In some cases we may form the slit by the juxtaposition of two parts
in order that the width of the slit may be capable of regulation and also in order that
the truth of the slit may be restored after long use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The slitted clearer for application to a shuttle as and for the purpose set forth
and indicated.
2. For application to a shuttle a weft clearer having a clearing slit through which
the yarn is passed on its way from the cop or pin and a slit or guide to keep the weft
in the clearing slit substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
3. For application to a shuttle a sheet steel clearer having a slit or having slits
through which the weft is to be passed such slit or slits being adapted to prevent
curls, knots, or extra thick parts from passing on to be woven into the cloth.
4. The combination of the clearer a with the shuttle substantially as and for the
purpose set forth and indicated.
Dated this 25th day of September 1890.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.