Improvements in the Shedding Mechanism of Weaving Looms.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Shedding Mechanism of Weaving Looms.
I, FREDERICK SUCKSMITH WALKER, of Collins Street, Great Horton, near
Bradford, in the County of York, Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the shedding mechanism of weaving
looms and particularly that type of double lift witch engine or dobbie for operating
the healds of weaving looms having the healds suspended from hooks or uprights
which are made to engage and disengage rising and falling knives or levers by
means of cross rods operated by pattern cards or pegged lags.
The
I form swells or projecting portions on that side or face of each of the uprights
which the said cross rods bear against to disengage the hooks from the knives and
these swells are so situated in relation to the said cross rods that they are opposite
the cross rod when the hooks require to be disengaged from the knives.
remaining portion of this face of the uprights are so reduced or curved away that
the cross rods are prevented from disengaging the hooks without the swells or
projecting portions are opposite the cross rods.
One of the said knives or lifting levers may be operated in the same way as
that of the single lift engine or dobbie, and the other knife may be operated by it
by means of a chain passing over a pulley and connected to each knife or lever.
To prevent the cards being damaged in case the card cylinder is reversed when
the cards are in contact with the outer ends of the cross rods I provide an extension
on the lever carrying the reversing pawl. An anti-friction roller is mounted upon
this extension arranged to engage a fixed cam or projecting face so that when the
said lever is pulled down to reverse the card cylinder the batten or frame carrying
the cylinder is automatically moved so as to clear the card from contact with the
cross rods before it is moved round. A spiral or other spring is introduced in the
card motion to destroy the rigidity of the connection to the batten or cylinder
frame and allow of the batten being moved when the said anti-friction roller
engages the said cam.
To keep the healds horizontal I provide two levers above each heald. These
levers are mounted upon two horizontal studs fixed at right angles to the healds
and at an equal distance from the centre of the loom. The inner arms or ends of
the levers have cog teeth formed upon them and the teeth of the levers mounted
upon one stud engage the teeth of the levers on the other. The healds are
connected to the outer ends of these levers and they are in turn connected to the
uprights.
Dated this 28th day of August 1895.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in the Shedding Mechanism of Weaving Looms.
I, FREDERICK SUCKSMITH WALKER, of Collins Street, Great Horton, near
Bradford, in the County of York, Overlooker, 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:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the shedding mechanism of
weaving looms, and particularly to the type known as the double lift witch engine
or dobbie, for operating the healds of weaving looms having the healds suspended
from hooks or uprights, which are made to engage and disengage with rising and
falling reciprocating knives or levers, by means of cross rods, operated by pattern
cards or pegged lags of the ordinary description.
In describing my invention in detail, reference is made to the accompanying
sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 represents the side elevation of the principal parts of a witch engine or
dobby, with my improvements added and applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, and
Fig. 3 an enlarged detached detail of a pair of uprights and heald operating
levers, the latter are shown in section.
The frame A. of the machine is of the ordinary construction, and motion to the
lever B. and card cylinder levers C. C. is transmitted in the manner as hitherto.
Within the frame A. of the machine I mount a series of uprights D. and D' upon
one side of each of which is respectively formed a swell or projecting portion E.
and E¹ which as the uprights reciprocate, and at the required time denoted by the
pattern surface, bear against the cross rods F. thereby causing the hook G. or G
as the case may be, to disengage with the reciprocating knife or lever H. or H¹
when the said knife or lever is at or about the bottom portion of its stroke.
considerable portion of the remaining length of each upright is cut away, or cach
upright may be curved so that the cross rods F. are prevented from coming in
contact with the uprights and disengage same with the before mentioned hooks,
except when a swell or projecting portion is opposite and allowed by the pattern
to come in contact with one of the cross rods, which are of the ordinary
construction and operated by a card or pattern peg surface in the manner as
hitherto.
A
The lever B. is oscillated on its fulcrum J. from any convenient part of the
loom, and the knife or lever H. is connected to the said lever by a rod K. by
which a reciprocating motion is imparted to the knife or lever H. This knife or
lever is connected by a chain L. which passes over a pulley M. and is connected
to the other knife or lever H¹ thus causing the last mentioned knife or lever to be
operated in a similar and vertical direction.
Each upright D. and D' is enclosed by and freely passes through holes in the
respective projecting portions of a lifting bar N. guided by grates N¹ and N2 of
the ordinary construction. To each lifting bar N. one of the healds is attached in
the manner as hereinafter described, and by arranging the uprights as
described, the heald and warp threads may be kept elevated so long as is required
by the pattern.
The cards or pegged lags are placed upon a cylinder P. suitably arranged for
the same, and mounted upon the levers C. C. operated in the usual manner, and
in order to prevent the cards or pegs being damaged by coming in contact with
the ends of the cross rods F. whenever the cylinder P. is reversed, I extend the
lever Q. carrying the reversing pawl R' and mount on the said extension an anti-
friction roller S. which when the lever Q. is operated in the direction to reverse

page_text: the said cylinder, on the roller S. coming in contact with an inclined plate T, the
levers and cylinder P. are moved backwards in the direction of the curved arrow,
clear of the ends of the cross rods F. before pawl R¹ engages with the cylinder P.
and moves it round on its axis the distance of one pick in whatever position the
lathe of the loom may be in.
°
The bottom portion of each lifting bar N. is connected to two levers U. U.
mounted upon studs secured to some convenient portion of the loom, each top
heald shaft is connected to a pair of the said levers by cords or the like V. V. and
the levers are geared together by teeth at W. so that the two levers U. U. are
operated in unison; therefore the healds and warp threads are kept level at all
elevations.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. In a dobby or witch engine the uprights D. and D₁ having projections
thereon, combined with cross rods F; reciprocating knives H. and H and the
levers U. U. all arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose as
hereinbefore set forth.
2. In a dobby or witch engine the combination of the uprights D. and D' with
reciprocating knives H. and H¹ and chain L. arranged and operated in the manner
and for the purpose as hereinbefore described.
3. A lever Q. combined with inclined plate T, pawl R¹ and cylinder P, all
arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 28th day of May 1896.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.