IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PICKING WARPS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Knowles, of Newton, in the County
of Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PICKING WARPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Knowles
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd April 1853.
I, THOMAS KNOWLES, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PICKING
WARPS to be as follows:-
The usual process of picking warps is for a person to examine care-
fully the warp threads during the process of beaming, and to pick out
any lumps or knotty substances that may be attached to the fibre or
warp threads; and, in case of breakage, to tie or unite the broken
threads. Instead of which I propose to perform the same operation at
the time of warping, or during the process of making the warp, and by
attaching to or or placing near the warping mill a simple apparatus, as
a rail or roller, over which the warp threads pass on their way from the

page_text: bobbins to the mill, and are kept perfectly open and clear from each
other, so that as the person turns the mill to form the warp, he will have
all the threads presented to his view, and be thus enabled to pick off'
all the uneven pieces or extraneous matter from them before the warp is
made; and then I propose to wind the said warp threads on a hand
beam, instead of rolling them into a ball, as is the usual custom. By
this plan I make a better warp, as the threads are kept to a proper
and more even tension.
I desire it to be distinctly understood that this is only an outline
description of my Invention, which I will fully explain in my Complete
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Knowles, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 22nd October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, 1
THOMAS KNOWLES, of Newton, in the County of Lancaster, Manufac-
turer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent; bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the. said Thomas Knowles, Her especial
licence that I, the said Thomas Knowles, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Knowles, my ex-
ecutors, 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 make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PICKING WARPS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Knowles, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, by an instrument in writing

page_text: under my hand and seal, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Knowles, 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 (that is to say) :
Instead of the usual plan of picking warps during the process of
beaming, I perform the operation at the time of warping, that is,
during the process of making the warp; so that I unite the two pro-
cesses of warping and picking. And by my improved arrangements, I
facilitate both operations, and produce better work than can be done
by the present method, as the operator can have every thread constantly
under his eye, and thus be able to pick off all knots or extraneous
matter, and to tye up any broken threads. To attain these objects, I
place near the warping mill, and between it and the creels, a standard
or frame, or standards or frames, with rollers or rods to act as guides,
which standards or frames are furnished with reeds to keep the warp
threads apart. I also employ healds to form the leashes..
The nature of these improvements will be clearly understood by
reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in' which the same
letters of reference are used to represent similar parts where different
views or diagrams are shewn. Fig. 1, is a vertical section of my appa-
ratus, shewing the position of the warping mill, the' créel, and stand-
ards; Fig. 2, is a plan of the same; Figure 3, is a side view of my
improved ratchet wheel, by which the mill can be turned either way,
and suddenly stopped when necessary; and Fig. 4; a view of the
improved creel peg.
a, represents the creel, upon which are placed the bobbins b. The
creels may be placed either in the form of a W, circular, or any con-
venient position. c, are the warpers' creel pegs, with an improved
shoulder to make the bobbins' run more freely. From the bobbins b,
the threads d, pass between the rods or rollers e, e, through the reed f,
and between the clip, clove, or holder g, to another reed h, and then

page_text: .
between other rods or rollers i, ; these rods or rollers can be made of
wood, metal, glass, or any other suitable metal or material, and may be
placed either horizontally, vertically, or in any convenient position upon
the standards k, k, which can be adjusted to the height of the person
or persons employed. It is between these standards that the picking,
tycing, or correcting takes place the clip, clove, or holder g, being
employed for holding the threads, while the part picked is being warped
on the mill, thus preventing, to a very great extent, the breakage of
the picked threads, and determining without difficulty the position
of any threads that may break. The threads d, continue their course
from the rollers i, i, to another reed m, which is employed to give
facility to any fresh examination or picking that may be found neces-
sary. From this reed the threads pass between the other rods or
rollers n, n, to the top leash healds o, o; from thence to the foot leash
healds P, p, and through the reed q, direct to the warping mill . These
rods or rollers, reeds and healds, are placed upon the frame, which rises
and falls as the winding on of the warp proceeds.
In Figs. 2, and 3, at s, is shewn the peculiar toothed ratchet wheel,
with two catches t, t; this form and arrangement enables the mill to
be turned either way, and yet to be suddenly stopped when required.
In Figure 2, there is also a view in dotted lines of the bearings,
beam, and tie rods, used for the purpose of beaming the warp off the
mill. u, is the beam; v, v, the standard; and w, w, the tie rods.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said
Invention, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details, as such may be varied or modified without
departing from the principle thereof; but I claim as of my Invention,
and which, to the best of my knowledge and belief, has not been
hitherto used within this realm, firstly, the use or employment of. the
warping mill and picking frame, at one and the same time, with the
general arrangement of apparatus; secondly, the clip, clove, or holder;
thirdly, the use or employment of healds for taking or forming the
leashes; fourthly, the peculiar form of tooth, having two vertical sides
or edges, to form the ratchet wheel attached either to the mill box

page_text: pulley or its shaft; and fifthly, the improved creel peg-as all of
such improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying sheet of drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Knowles, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
panying sheet of drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Knowles, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
THOMAS KNOWLES. (L.s.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Thomas Knowles,
in the presence of
Patent Agent,
Manchester.