IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING AND PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS OR TEXTILE MATERIALS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COLORED YARNS OF WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES, AND IN WEAVING
Year: 1851

page_text: LEDGER SHAW, of Huddersfield, in' the County of York, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal. Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs, and. successors, give and. grant, unto me, the said
Benjamin Ledger Shaw, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege, and authority, that I, the said Benjamin
Ledger Shaw, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Benjamin Ledger Shaw, my exors, adñors, or, assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my,
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEANING AND PREPARING WOOL AND OTHER
FIBROUS OR TEXTILE MATERIALS, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COLORED YARNS OF
WOOL AND OTHER FIBRES, AND IN WEAVING;" in which said.Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that I, the said Benjamin Ledger. Shaw, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar, months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Benjamin Ledger Shaw, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
DESCRIPTION OF MACHINE FOR CLEANING WOOL AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES.
No 6 shows a sectional side view of a burring and cleaning machine; N° 7
is a plan shewing the main cylinder and opening rollers; the cover beaters
and some other of the parts being removed. No 8 shows a side view of one
of the steel toothed plates, according to my Invention, for covering a large
cylinder. No 9 shows a metal roller, cut or formed upon its surface into spiral
grooves to receive chain of toothed plates according to my Invention. Nos 10 and
10b are plans of portions of chain of toothed plates, according to my Invention,
suitable to be applied to smaller rollers, as shown by Figure N° 9. N° 11 is a
side view of one set of plates suitable to form a chain, shown in plan by Figure
No 10. A is the apron or feeding cloth, on which the wool or other fibrous
material under operation is spread, to be fed into the machine. B, B, are a
series of opening rollers, which are arranged to rotate at progressively increased
speed. The first pair next the apron makes the fewest revolutions, and each
succeeding pair makes more revolutions, so that the pair that delivers the
material to the large cylinder E makes the greatest number of revolutions in
the same time, consequently delivering to the large cylinder a much thinner
sliver of wool or other material under operation, than is received by the first
pair of rollers.
The fibres of wool or other material, in passing through these rollers, are
drawn asunder and separated, at the same time loosening and partially
separating the burrs or other substances that require separating from the
fibres.
And it is the arranging apparatus, such as herein described, having a series
of card or other toothed or small fluted rollers, which constitutes an important
feature of this part of my Invention; and I would here state that I have myself
for some considerable time used two pairs of feed rollers; that is, two in each
horizontal plane, the second pair travelling at increased speeds; but I now s
find that it is a great improvement to have three, four, or more pairs of such
rollers, each succeeding pair travelling faster than the preceding pair, by
which means the fibres become more fully opened; and although I have shewn

page_text: The rollers B
these series of rollers in connection with a cylinder with toothed plates around
it, I do not confine myself thereto, as such an arrangement and combination
of pairs of rollers is equally applicable to an ordinary card cylinder; or they
may in some cases be used without a receiving cylinder, as for some purposes
the fibre will be found sufficiently opened by simply passing through such a
series of rollers. I have not shewn the gearing for giving motion to the
separate rollers, as such will readily be understood by persons accustomed to
gearing machinery, and it is only desirable to state that the wheel work is to
be suitably arranged to cause each succeeding pair of rollers to move at an
increased speed, and I have usually caused the gearing to be such as to
increase in speed one tooth of the cog or spur wheels used.
may be covered with card teeth, or with plates with teeth, as shown, or they
may have longitudinal grooves cut in them, and I would remark that I employ
rollers B about one and quarter inch diameter when for lambs' wool, and of
an increased diameter when for longer wool. The roller B, or some of them,
may have a slight lateral movement given to them, whilst they are making
their rotary motion, in order to cause the fibres, as they pass, to be mixed. I)
are a series of brushes for cleaning burrs, seeds, or other matters from the
rollers B. These brushes are affixed to the bars D', which are supported upon
links D, with a capability of a slight rocking motion, which is accomplished by
means of the exentric D³ upon the shaft D', which is to be made to revolve
during the working of the engine. E is the large cylinder with a series of
thin plates of steel, or other suitable material, such as is shown at Figure No. 8;
they are put together on the periphery of the cylinder so as to cover it; the
teeth in each ring of plates alternate, that is, the teeth of one plate are
opposite to the spaces of the next adjoining one. Round rods pass through
the ends of each plate across the whole width of the cylinder, and the ends of
these rods pass through plates fixed at the ends of the cylinder, and are made
fast by nuts. F are beaters for striking off from the cylinder E, burrs and
other matters which are so large that they will not pass between the teeth
and the beaters; G, belts of cloth or leather carried by suitable rollers, and
caused to travel laterally to convey to the side of the machine the matters.
which have been struck off by the beaters; H, a brush for stripping the
cylinder of the fibres, the brush revolving at a greater speed than the cylinder
E, but in the same direction, and so as to remove the fibres out of the teeth
and throw the fibres into a chamber or receiver, not shown. Figure N° 9
shows another mode of forming the surface of the cylinder E, especially
adapted for small machines; this roller has deep grooves cut or formed in its
surface in a spiral direction, suitable to receive chains of plates such as are

page_text: shewn in Figures 10, 10%, and 11, a space of about one and a quarter inches
being left between each groove upon which lay the fibres whilst the beaters
strike off whatever adheres thereto.
What I claim in respect of the above-described machine is,--
First, the application of chains made of thin plates of steel or other material
with teeth cut on the outer edge, 'as shewn in N° 8, and so put together as to
'cover the entire outside surface of the cylinder E, or rollers B; or 'for the
purpose of filling up the grooves cut into rollers, as before described.
Second, the combination of machinery shown and described, for the purpose
of opening and clearing wool and other fibrous materials.
DESCRIPTION OF IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING COLORED YARNS. OF WOOL,
AND OTHER FIBRE.
No 12. is a plan of part of a carding engine, arranged according to my
Invention, for producing cardings of wool or other material of various colors.
A is a large bobbin with slivers of various colors of dyed wool wound round it,
the ends of which pass over the apron B to the raddle or guide C to the
feeding rollers D. B, apron for supporting the separate slivers; C, raddle or
guide to keep each sliver separate; D, feeding rollers; E, èard cylinder;
F, 'doffer; G, the creeper for conveying away the cardings produced according
to this part of the Invention. When the number of divisions or colors of wool
'or other material is few, as shewn in the Drawing, I wind a sliver of wool on a
bobbin at the end of the scribbler; I then place as many of the bobbins' into a
frame, and of as many different colors as I require to fill the large bobbin A,
arranging the colors to the pattern required. The bobbin A is then placed in
front of the apron,' and the different slivers are thereby conveyed to the
feeding rollers D.
.
When the nuinber of slivers is considérable, and the divisions of.colours
are more in number than three to one inch in the length of carding, or
something in that proportion, I prepare the slivers from a common carding
which is joined one to the end of another.in' the usual' way, and a little twist
given to it by the slubbing billey; these slubbings or cops are placed in a frame
that will hold as many as will be required 'to be wound on the 'large bobbin.
By this means a súfficient. strength is given to the small slivers as will enable
the operator to wind them on the bobbin without breaking, and 'in order to
their being conveyed from the large bobbin feeding rollers.
T.
The separate slivers of different colors then pass through the carding process,
and when removed in pieces from the doffer on to the creeper G, they will be
of different colors in the length, as shewn. by the Drawings; and when such

page_text: fibres are pieced, they will be of varied colors, which will be preserved
through the different spinning processes; I do not confine myself to this mode
of making my variegated carding, but I have found this plan to answer the
purpose very well.
What I claim is, the mode herein described of producing party-colored yarns.
No 1 is a front view of a power loom with improvements applied thereto;
No 2 is an end view of a power loom with improvements applied thereto
N° 3 is a section of the "engine "for working the boxes, showing some of
the parts more clearly; N° 4 is a plan of the shaft a, as used in the apparatus
shown in the loom; N° 6 is a perspective view of the arm C, and lever
arms h. The letters of reference used,, answer to all the Figures of the
Drawing A is the principal frame work; B, the breast beam; C, the low
shell or shuttle race; D, wood frame work, for the shuttle boxes to work in;
E, the hand rail; F, the shuttle boxes; G, the "engine" for working shuttle
boxes and the picking levers; H, jacquard machine for operating the
busness
I shall confine my description to those parts of the loom with: which;my
improvements are more immediately connected, and I will first describe what
is called the, nogging motion for driving the barrel over which the chain of
pins R'passes. A¹ is the main shaft which receivės motion in any suitable
manner from a steam engine or other suitable power; upon this shaft A', is
fixed the cam wheel L, the periphery of which is weighted, so that it may
serve as a fly wheel; the stud x in this wheel L gives motion by the rod O to
the lever P, which turns upon the centre. pin P, and at its other end carries
the catch P, for taking hold of the pins in the plate P3; at every revolution
of the cam wheel I, the catch P2, pulls the plate P³ partly round, a distance
equal to that between adjoining studs or pins, and it also moves the chain R,
so as to place a fresh plate or board in front of the springs X; the plate Ps
and barrel R' are fixed on the shaft a, on which is fixed the bevilled
pinion a', which takes into and drives. the bevilled pinion a³ on, the shaft a³,
on which is fixed the stud wheel K, the studs of which take into and drive
the chain Z, which also passes partly round the stud. wheel K', fixed on the
card cylinder of the jacquard apparatus for working the harness, by which
it will be seen that a simultaneous movement will be given to the barrel R',
(which by means of intermediate apparatus, liereafter described, works the
shuttle boxes,) and to the jacquard barrel of the jacquard apparatus. And
I would here state, that this combination forms an important part of my

page_text: improvements. Heretofore, when the weft has broken or otherwise failed, and
it has been necessary to give to the loom a few back movements, much time
has often been lost in getting the card cylinder of the jacquard apparatus in
correct relation with the other parts, but by connecting these two parts of a
loom together, whatever back movement is given to the one will be com-
inunicated to the other, and keep both in a correct position for working. The
back movement of the shaft a I obtain by means of the lever Q. When the
weaver requires the chain of pins R and cards on the cylinder of jacquard
apparatus to be turned back, he pulls the handle z, which, by means of a
cord, is connected to the other end of the lever Q, which by means of the
catch takes hold of one of the pins or studs in the plate P³, to turn the
shaft a in the opposite direction to that obtained by the catch P. The cord
is connected to the lower end of the catch P³, so that when the catch is
acted upon, the catch P2 may be thrown out of action. The engine marked G
is for working the shuttle boxes, as also for determining from which side the
loom the next shoot of weft is to be thrown. The lower end of the rod M is
connected to the lever J (the truck or roller of which travels in the course
formed in the cam L in the ordinary manner. The upper end of the rod Mis
connected to the arm v upon the shaft v', upon which are also placed arms v³,
which by means of side links give motion to the cross bar Y, which is
guided in slots in the frame side, so as to rise and fall in a perpendicular
direction. Every revolution of the cam L moves the cross bar Y to the top of
the slot and back again to the bottom; when the cross bar Y rises up to the
top of the slot, it carries up with it all the hooks which have been pushed
forward by the last move of the pins R, by that means raising up or lowering
down the shuttle boxes. Any number of shoots of weft can be delivered from
any of the shuttles, according to the number of separate rows of pins on the
boards or plates carried by the chain R. No alteration takes place with
respect to the springs X or hook wire S, except when pegs or pins come in
contact with the springs X, and put forward their hooks.
Suppose the pattern weaving required three colours of weft, and that they
should be brought into the fabric in the following order: -Fifty shoots of red
weft, thirty of white, twenty of blue, in regular succession throughout the
piece of cloth. In that case it would require one hundred separate pin boards
or plates on the chain R; fifty shoots of red weft would require forty-nine of
the boards of plates to be without pegs or pins, the fiftieth board or plate
would have a pin or peg in order to act upon a spring X, and thus put forward
the hook for the change required; for the thirty shoots of white weft the
succeeding boards or plates, till the eightieth board or plate, would be without

page_text: pin or peg, and the eightieth would have a pin or peg in it for the change
required; for the twenty shoots of blue weft there would be no pins or pegs
up to the one hundredth board or plate, which would have in it a pin or peg
required to produce the change for the fifty shoots of red weft, and so on
throughout. It should be stated that the tiers of boxes at the two ends of the
loom are independent, and that the tier of boxes at each end have two hooks
of different lengths for raising, and two similar hooks for lowering, and
therefore the tier of boxes at either end will be raised or lowered a distance
equal to one or two boxes, according as the chain R selects a long hook or a
short hook for either end. In the above supposed case only three of the
boards or plates (carried by the chain R) would require pegs or pins for the
raising or lowering the boxes; all the others would be without pins or pegs
except only for the end hook, or that which determines from which side of the
loom the shuttle is to depart. In the case above given, every other board or
plate of the chain R would require a pin or peg in it for the purpose of
working alternately the lever shaft e.
The engine G shewn is fitted up for a tier of three shuttle boxes at each
end of the loom; two long and two short hooks, and two lifting bars V, are
connected with each tier of shuttle boxes, and can be worked together or
separate as may be required; one long and one short hook is connected to
each lifting bar V, one lifting bar being connected by the chain to the front
side of the pulley T (upon the shaft T), and the other by similar means to the
back side of the pulley T; so one lifting bar raises up the shuttle boxes, and
the other bar lowers them down. There is a similar arrangement for the tier
of shuttle boxes at each side of the loom; by these means either tier of the
shuttle boxes can be raised up or lowered down one box, so as to bring the
next box into position, or it may be to produce a shift from the first to
the third or the third to the first; by this arrangement any range can be
obtained, depending on the number of shuttles employed and the number
of boxes in the loom.
The engine as shewn contains eight springs X, and eight hooks S, and four
lifting bars V; four hooks S, and four springs X, and two bars V are con-
nected with the tier of boxes on the right-hand of the loom; and four hooks S,
four springs X, and two bars V are connected with the tier of boxes on the
left-hand of the loom; the other hook S', and other spring X', which are
represented to the right-hand of the Drawing No 1, are for regulating or
determining from which side of the loom the shuttle for the next shoot of weft
is to depart. By this arrangement the loom can be made to pick alternately
from side to side, or twice, or thrice from a side, just as the nature of the

page_text: pattern weaving requires. This hook passes through the lower grate or guide
W, the lower part of it being made narrower, the larger part resting on the
lower grate or guide W; from the lower end of this hook St.a rodm descends
to the arm q, fixed to the shaft e. When the shuttle is to be picked or thrown
from the right-hand side of the loom, the hook is suffered to remain back;
but when the shuttle is required to be thrown from the left-hand side of the
loom, a peg or pin in one of the plates or board carried by the chain. R, puts
forward the spring X', acting with' the hook S', by which the lifting bar Y in
rising will take up that hook S', and thus draw up the rod m, which will
cause the axis e to make a partial rotation; that axis has an arme, which
is forked, (to receive the lever d.) and at its upper end 'is, by means of a con-
necting rod, connected to a similar arm from another axis e, at the other sido
of the loom; and the rising of the rod m removes the picking lever d on the
right side of the loom from under the picking tappet r, at the same time the
rod 'n draws the picking lever on the left side of the loom under its picking
tappet. After the shuttle is thrown, the picking levers return to their former
place by means of a spring, as is well understood.
When a tier of shuttle boxes is at the lowest point or level for the top
shuttle to depart therefrom, or to be-received thereby, the pulley or truck h',
at the end of the arm h, will be at the lowest part C of the course formed in
the arm C; shown on a larger scale at No. 6, (one such course C being at each
end of the loom). The arm his affixed to the boss h, on which is also
affixed the arm h³, which by means of a link g, supports and moves that tier
of shuttle boxes; the boss he turns on a pin or axis h, affixed to the frame
side.. When the middle shuttle is required, then the pulley or truck h³, on the
arm h at that end of the loom, will rest on the middle point C; where it is
shown to be resting in N° 6; when the bottom shuttle box is required, the
pulley or truck h¹ will rest in the part C³ furthest from the axis of the
course C: The course C, at each end of the loom, is fixed to a shaft T, upon
each of which is affixed a pulley T', which is actuated by the shifting of the
hooks S, by the engine G, as described; and it will be seen that they are
moved partly round, and to a greater or less extent in one or other direc-
tion, according as one or other of the shuttle boxes of a tier is required.
I would remark that in place of the shaft a, shewn in the loom and at
No 4, giving motion to jacquard or other suitable apparatus for governing
harness, the same may be employed to give motion by a barrel to heddles.
I do not confine myself to the number of shuttle boxes and parts shown at
each end of the loom, as they may be varied, and an intelligent workman will,
from the description here given, readily make the changes required for new

page_text: tates of circumstances. What I claim in respect to this part of my Inven-
ion is,
First, the combining apparatus to work the shuttle boxes, and the harness
r heddles, so that they may go correctly together, as explained.
Second, the peculiar construction of the apparatus C for actuating and sus-
aining the shuttle boxes.
And, third, the governing of the action of the picker stricks or levers
y a suitable pattern surface, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Ledger Shaw, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
Enrolled the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one.