IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD MECHANISM FOR WEAVING AND OTHER PURPOSES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVE-
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Barlow, of the Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD
MECHANISM FOR WEAVING AND OTHER PURPOSES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVE-
D
Scaled the 22nd July 1870, and dated the 21st March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Barlow at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st March 1870.
I, ALFRED BARLOW, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD MECHANISM FOR WEAVING AND OTHER PURPOSES, PARTS
OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE FOR PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, first, to the double-action jacquard machines,
and consists of an improved suspending hook which is made double,
with the two hooks facing and overlapping each other. These hooks'
when raised or lowered are retained in either position as required, and

page_text: thus still further increase the speed of these machines. To accomplish
this, near the highest point of the "lift" of the moveable double-action
griffes, I introduce a stationary griffe, on to which the hooks are moved
by the action of the needles when lifted.
My Invention relates, secondly, to an improved mode of coupling the
cylinders or barrels so that the consecutive order of the numbers of the
cards is preserved as they advance and return. To effect this, the
lanterns or ratchet wheels, instead of being fixed to the cylinders, are
fitted upon their ends, so as to be capable of being moved a certain part
of a rotation without affecting the said cylinders.
My Invention relates, thirdly, to the single action jacquard machine,
and consists in substituting perforated endless bands or sheets of paper
or other suitable material or materials, moving continuously in one
direction and actuating a needle or needles with a hooked end for the
ordinary jointed cards, with beating and reciprocating motions. For
increasing the speed I substitute a rotary grooved barrel or revolving
griffe for the ordinary reciprocating griffc.
When the improved mechanism last described is intended to be applied
for playing musical instruments, the endless bands or sheets of paper or
other material are perforated to the score of the notes of the tune to be
played, which bands or sheets, variously perforated, may be changed at
pleasure for different tunes.
For organs, keyed and other percussion instruments, the jacquard hook
is made to raise levers or fingers to strike the keys or operate directly
upon the hammers, strings, or other sonorific media.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Barlow in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st September 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
BARLOW, of the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send 30
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-

page_text: third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alfred Barlow, Her special licence that
I, the said Alfred Barlow, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alfred Barlow, my executors, adminis-
trators, and 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 make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD MECHANISM FOR
WEAVING AND OTHER PURPOSES, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLIC-
ABLE FOR PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Barlow, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 Alfred Barlow, 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 :—
The first part of my Invention relates to that class or description of
jacquard machines used for weaving, which are commonly known or
denominated "double-action jacquard machines," and, as applied to such
machines, the object of my Invention is to increase their speed, and at
the same time diminish the strain upon and the wear and tear of
the warp threads, and thus make the double-action machine more
perfect. To accomplish this, I introduce a third griffe, a new or
improved double suspending hook, and also a coupling for tho
cylinders.
By means of the additional griffe and new or improved suspending
hook those threads of the warp which when raised for one change of
shed, do not require to be lowered, or have their relative positions altered
for the following change or changes of shed are kept up or stationary,
while the relative positions of the remaining warp threads are altered as
required, and thus the wear and tear of the warp is diminished, and
increased speed in the mechanism and loom is effected. The third or

page_text: additional griffe (which may be either stationary, adjustable, or move-
able, and fitted with griffe bars of any required section) can be placed
in any position with reference to the other griffes that may be found
most convenient or efficient; by preference, I place it at about the
highest point of the "lift" of the other griffes, and fit it with griffe bars
or book supports having a centre feather or web rising from the centre
of the concave, upper, or hook-supporting surface of the said bar. The
object of this centre feather or web is to compensate the unequal lever-
ago of the needle upon the limb of the hook when raised, and prevent
the hook from being pushed over too far when the griffe bar is of limited
width; where space is not an object, the centre web may be dispensed
with. In the case of dobby or witch machines the additional griffe is
hinged and placed parallel with the working griffes.
The new or improved double hooks are formed of one or more pieces
of wire with two hooks, by preference facing each other and overlapping
cach other sideways, or they may be formed with one hook above the
other. The heads of the hooks are formed with a double angle or second
angle in the neck opposite the point of the hook, so that the releasing
griffe as it ascends moves the hook laterally, as well as vertically, clear
of the third or additional griffe.
By the introduction of the couplings herein described for connecting
the cylinder or barrel on one side of the machine with the cylinder or
barrel on the opposite side, the consecutive numbers of the cards facing
the needles are preserved when turning back the cylinders, as well as
when turning them forward. To effect this, the lanterns or ratchet
wheels, instead of being fixed to the cylinders as hitherto, are fitted upon
their ends so as to be capable of being moved a certain part of a rotation
independently of and without affecting the said cylinders.
My Invention also relates to the single-action jacquard machines, and
consists, firstly, in substituting perforated endless bands, or sheets of
paper, or other suitable material or materials, moving continuously in
one direction round or over cylinders or barrels rotating upon fixed axes,
or over flat or curved surfaces for the ordinary jointed cards and cylinders
with beating or reciprocating motions.
And, secondly, in causing such perforated endless bands or sheets to
actuate single or double needles formed with hooked ends, and actuating
single or double hooks, for weaving or other purposes. For increasing
the speed of such mechanism, which may be applied for weaving or

page_text: c, c, c, &c. These needles are formed with long eyes embracing the said
double hooks, and are operated upon at both ends by the cylinders
K and L according to the principle of the well-known double-action
"jacquard." The improved double hooks are formed as here shewn,
and are made of wire with their hooks facing and overlapping each other.
The peculiarity of this form of hook is that when they are placed upon
one of the moveable griffes, they allow the said griffes to pass each other
as they ascend and descend without bringing the said hooks into contact
with the bars of the opposite griffe (sec F1), and when down, as shewn at
F, F, F, &c., they allow both griffes to ascend and descend any number
of times without altering their position, so that by the stationary griffe
and the improved form of hook any number of threads of the warp can
be kept in position up or down while the shed of the remaining threads
of the warp is being changed, and thus the usual and unnecessary wear
and tear and strain of the warp are saved, and increased speed thereby
effected. By means of the angular form of the hook and inclined part H
when it is left on the bar of the stationary griffe, and the bar of the
moveable griffe comes into contact with the said hook, this inclined part
causes it to be moved laterally while being lifted clear of the edge of the
bar of the stationary griffe, see F. The hooks may be formed so as to
pass through the bottom board I of the machine to enable the neck cords
to be more easily attached, in which case, the said hooks may be formed
as shown at Figs. 7, 8, and 9, with an extra bend or wire b, b, b, &c.
resting upon the perforated plate C. For facilitating the operation of
attaching the neck cords I cut out slots between the rows of hooks in
the bottom board. Fig. 9 shews a double hook formed of two single
hooks connected by the neck cord, and each made as shewn at Fig. 8,
placed and used parallel to each other.
Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 shew the means by which I propose to effect
my second herein-before mentioned improvement; K and L shew the
ends of the two jacquard cylinders connected by means of the chain M
which passes over the pulleys N and O of the lanterns. The lantern on
the cylinder K, shewn at Fig. 3, is so fitted that it can be turned one
quarter of a revolution independently of the said cylinder, and is made
in two parts and joined as shewn at Fig. 3, so that the quadrant a on
the end of one part can be turned from the position shewn at a to that
shewn at b, or vice versa, before turning the other part; R is a spring
on the joint of the lantern of the cylinder L. This spring is shewn in

page_text: section at Fig. 4, it operates in the following manner:-As the cylinder
K (when in the position shewn at Fig. 1) is turned, and the cylinder L,
while in the corresponding position, is kept from turning by the stop L',
this spring yields and allows one part of the lantern and pulley O to
turn to the corresponding position of the lantern pulley N, while the
other part of the spring lantern is prevented from turning 'till the said
lantern on the cylinder L is carried out from under the stop by the
sliding connecting rods L, L', when the spring regains its normal
position, and by its power also turns the cylinder L, the spring links in
the chain shewn at Fig. 2, or slip gearing in the shafts, shewn at Fig. 5,
or any other mechanical equivalent may be substituted for that herein
described for effecting the same object. In order to raise the presser
L' from contact with the cylinder and allow the spring R to turn it, I
provide the bottom of the said presser with a pulley or wheel L*, which
as it comes in contact with the upper edge of the curved portion of the
stop L' causes the presser L to rise sufficiently to clear the lantern; a
bell crank may also be added if preferred. For transmitting the required.
motion to the lanterns and cylinders from the loom rocking shaft D, I
attach the lever Q, the free end of this lever I connect with a crank Q'
fixed to the shaft Qs by means of a connecting rod Q¹. Upon the shaft
Q³, which rocks in the top rail of the loom, I also fix the crank Q*, and
connect this crank by means of the vertical rod Q³, to an eccentric or
crank on the tappet shaft of the loom. The object of this arrangement
is to transmit the power from the end of the loom below to a point
under the "jacquard." When it is required to "turn back or advance
the cards without moving the loom, instead of the ordinary mechanism
for that purpose I fit upon the rocking shaft D a lever Q', carrying a
spring bolt Q'; this lever is mounted loosely on the shaft D, and is
moved by being coupled to the lever Q by the spring bolt Q', which runs
into a notch Q³ in the boss of the said lever. To the boss of the lever
QI fix the cam Q, which works in the fork of the lever Q", fixed to the
rocking shaft Q", which extends across the side of the jacquard and
carries two upright levers with jointed connecting links Q at each end
of the cylinder frame. By turning the handle Q" which carries the
crank Q, the crank pin of the latter draws the bolt Q' clear of the
notch Q in the boss of the lever Q, and then by raising and lowering
the handle Q", the cam Q actuates the whole of the mechanism Q", Q",
Q", and Q™, independently of the rocking shaft D、

page_text: Drawing B-This Drawing is intended to illustrate the third herein-
before mentioned improvements which may be applied for playing
musical instruments or other purposes. a, Fig. 1, is a grooved or toothed
barrel, upon the spindle of which there is a small pulley; b and c are
barrels round which is passed an endless band of paper or other suitable
material perforated for music. On the spindle of the barrel is fixed a
large pulley driven by a band from the small pulley on the spindle of the
wheel a; d is a needle made of wire and formed with hooked ends and
working in the slotted frames e, e¹; f is a long eye in the lower limb
of this needle; g is a hook working in the slotted frames h, h¹, and in
the eye of the needle, and is supported in its normal position upon the
upper frame as shown at x. As the perforated endless band on the
pulleys b and c moves, the lower hook of the needle drops into a perforation,
and is then drawn forward to the position shewn by the dotted lines,
when the eye moves the long limb of the hook g until it takes into the
grooves or teeth of the barrel a, which then lifts it into the position
shown by the dotted lines, when the inclined end coming into contact
with the stripper i releases itself, at the same time the bend at the end
of the other limb of the hook 7 coming in contact with the lower limb
of the needle, raises it until the hook in the perforation of the band also
clears the latter, when the spring power of the hook g draws back the
needle 'till it is again carried forward by the next perforation in the band.
The number of the needles and hooks, the width of the perforated bands,
and the arrangement of the perforations are regulated as required, there
being one hook and needle for each key, and one perforation for each
note, the distance between the perforations giving the time. To the
lower part of each of the hooks g a cord j is attached; & is a pulley to
which the other end of the cord j is attached, and by which it is turned;
I is a spring; m is a bent wire passing through the pulley, as shown at
Figs. 6, 7, and 8, one end of which is attached to the spring, and the
other formed into a hook or slot through which the arm or lever of the
strikern passes, and is raised by the upward motion of the hook g, when
the latter is released as before explained, the spring acting upon the
wire m causes the hammer n to strike the sounding medium (see Fig. 7)
from which the hammer is then held clear by the rest o.
fox instruments of

page_text: Fig. 2 is a modification of the mechanism as shewn at Fig. 1 adapted
for weaving and other purposes. In this case a rising and falling
griffe a, lifted by the crank b, and connecting rod b' is substituted for
the grooved barrel a, Fig. 1. This modification may be applied to single
or double action "jacquards." The barrel c receives its motion from
the shaft of the crank b, and gives motion to the endless band d.
Fig. 3 shews another modification of the mechanism illustrated at
Fig. 1 when applied to orgaus and other wind instruments. a is a
toothed barrel; b, a barrel formed as shewn at c with a number of
grooves, there being one groove for each needle; d is the endless band
in which holes are made of a greater or less length, according to the
length of note; these holes in the band are made opposite to the grooves
in the barrel, which latter are cut out in order that the hook of the
needle e, which is made of an extra length, may fall to a greater depth
so that the eye therein may pass the bend of the double hook g when
the natural spring of the latter causes the long hook to approach the
barrel a, and be lifted until the short hook rests upon the griffe h, and
the long hook is released by contact with the stripper i. As the back
edge of the hole in the band advances to the hook in the groove it then
draws the needle forward 'till the eye therein, which embraces the double
hook g, releases the short hook from the griffe h, at the same time the
bend in the lower limb of the needle coming into contact with the cam
teeth on the small rotary barrel the needle is lifted 'till the hook is
raised clear of the hole in the band; the needle and hook then resume
their former position. f is a bend in the long limb of the hook g which
allows it to spring forward when released by the eye in the needle as the
lower hook of the latter drops into the perforation in the ban'l, and then
the hook comes into contact with the rotary griffe a.
Fig. 4 represents another modification in which the hooks and needles
may be either arranged in single or double pairs. When used for
instruments of percussion they are made single, but when made for wind
instruments, or where the note has to be dwelt upon, they are made
double and one neck cord attached to both hooks. a and bare the two
separate hooks, each having a separate needle; c is a sheet or plate with
a double line of perforations, there being two perforations for each note,
one at the commencement and the other at the termination of the note;
the distance between the perforation on one line and that on the other
regulating the time of the note. This mode of perforating the sheet is

page_text: intended to be used in lieu of the long hole mode described under
Fig. 3.
The hook a being drawn forward by its needle, the end of
which works in one line of perforations, causes both hooks, a and b, to
ascend when the hook will mount on to the griffe d, and remain there
'till released by the forward motion of the second needle, the end of
which works in the other line of perforations. The perforations may
be so arranged as to cause the two needles to advance separately or
together according to the length of note to be sounded, when they have
respectively advanced to their full extent they come in contact with the
rotary cam tooth barrel e which raises the hooks of the needles clear of
the perforations and causes them to regain their normal positions. ƒ
and are two rollers geared together for gripping the sheet and drawing
it forward; the under rollers 7 (see Fig. 5) being made narrow and
acting only on the margin of the sheet, leaving the space between them
for the needles; this mode of gripping the sheet or band is also applied 1
at Figs. 1, 2, and 3 by the narrow rollers respectively marked g'.
double hooks and needles, as here shewn, may be applied at Fig. 1.
The
The
Fig. 10 shows the mode of applying the motion to the keys.
barrels as shewn at b, Fig. 1, c, Fig. 2, and f, 4, may be serrated
longitudinally so as to cause a more rapid repetition of the same note a
when a long hole is used, and where the perforations cannot be made
sufficiently close to each other to produce the desired result.
In this Invention, as applied to double-action or double-griffe jacquard
mechanism for weaving, I claim,-
Firstly. The additional stationary or third griffe, and griffe bars or a
hook supports in combination with the double-action or double-griffe
jacquard " machines; which machines when thus improved or
constructed I denominate the "triplex-griffe jacquard."
"
Secondly. The new or improved double hook, with the hooks or
points of the hooks by preference towards cach other and overlapping
cach other.
Thirdly. The new or improved hook or other jacquard hooks with an
angle in the neck forming an incline towards the top of the hook.
Fourthly. The introduction of card cylinder slip couplings and spring
clip for preventing the disarrangement of the consecutive order of the
numbers on the numbered cards facing the needles while the cylinders
are being turned backwards as well as whilst being turned forwards.

page_text: As applied to single-action jacquard mechanism for weaving and other
purposes I claim,―
Fifthly. The use and application of single and double needles formed
with hooked ends (as shewn at Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, Drawing B) or so
that they may be pulled or drawn forwards.
And, lastly. The combination of such needles and perforated endless
bands or perforated sheets with single and double hooks, rotary and
other griffes and mechanism, as also shewn on Drawing B.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Barlow, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.