IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthew Caton, of Preston, in the County of
Lancaster, Overlooker of Power Looms, and Henry Holden, of the
same Place, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER
LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 13th February 1866, and dated the 16th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthew Caton and
Henry Holden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 16th November 1865.
We, MATTHEW CATON, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Over-
looker of Power Looms, and HENRY HOLDEN, of the same Place, Mechanic,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
The first part of our Invention relates to the treading motion for treading
or shedding the warp threads, and in carrying out this portion of our
Invention we place upon the ordinary tappet shaft of the loom a canı having
an excentric groove in the face.. In this groove works a pin or friction roller
fixed near the centre of a lever, one end of the latter working on a
fulcrum to the frame, and the other end being connected to a strap.
This
strap passes under a pulley, and its ends, which extend upwards, are attached
one to each of the heald franes, which frames are suspended from above in

page_text: the usual manner. As the excentric grooved cam revolves it imparts a vertical
reciprocating motion to the healds, and thus effects the treading or shedding
of the warp threads.
The second part of our Invention relates to the "picker" employed for
driving the shuttle across the loom. Our improved "picker" is made in
two parts working on an ordinary fly spindle, and geared and driven in the
usual manner. The top or permanent part of the "picker" is made of metal,
wood, buffalo hide, or other suitable material, and the bottom or front part is
made of leather fastened to the former by pegs, wedges, or other similar con-
trivances, so that upon the "picker" becoming worn by the constant striking
against the shuttle tip, the front or working portion of the "picker" can be
readily replaced by a new piece of leather without renewing the other parts
of the "picker."
The third part of our Invention relates to what is known as "the weft
fork" (which is a small contrivance for throwing the driving strap of the
Joom on to the loose pulley whenever the weft thread breaks), and consists.
in making such forks with the grains or prongs separate and rivetted
together in the frame (instead of making them all in on piece as hitherto
done), so that in the event of one of the grains or prongs becoming broken a
new one can be readily inserted and rivetted as before, whereby the expense
of a new fork will be avoided.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Matthew Caton and Henry Holden in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 16th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, MATTHEW
CATON, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Overlooker of Power Looms,
and HENRY HOLDEN, of the same Place, Mechanic, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Matthew Caton and Henry Holden,. Her special licence that we,.
the said Matthew Caton and Henry Holden, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Matthew Caton and Henry.
Holden, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree:
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the

page_text: 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 POWER LOOMS
FOR WEAVING, upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Matthew Caton and Henry Holden, our executors or administrators, by an.
instrument in writing under our, or one of our, 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 we, the said Matthew Caton and Henry Holden,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement in writing, and on reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say:
The first part of our Invention relates to the treading motion for treading
or shedding the warp threads, and in carrying out this portion of our Invention
we place upon the ordinary tappet shaft of the loom a cam having an excentric
groove in the face. In this groove works a pin or friction roller fixed near
the centre of a lever, one end of the latter working on a fulcrum attached to
the frame, and the other end being connected to a strap. This strap passes
under a pulley, and its ends, which extend upwards, are attached one to each
of the heald frames, which frames are suspended from above in the usual:
manner. As the excentric grooved cam revolves it imparts a vertical recipro-
cating motion to the healds, and thus effects the treading or shedding of the
warp threads.
The second part of our Invention relates to the "picker" employed for
driving the shuttle across the loom. Our improved "picker" is made in
two parts working on an ordinary fly spindle, and geared and driven in the
usual manner. The top or permanent part of the "picker" is made of metal,
wood, buffalo hide, or other suitable material, and the bottom or front part
is made of leather, buffalo hide, or other suitable material, and is fastened
to the former by pegs, wedges, or other similar contrivances, so that upon the
"picker" becoming worn by the constant striking against the shuttle tip, the
front or working portion of the "picker" can be readily replaced by a new
piece of leather or other material without renewing the other parts of the
"picker."
The third part of our Invention relates to what is known as "the weft

page_text: fork" (which is a small contrivance for throwing the driving strap of the loom
on to the loose pulley whenever the weft thread breaks), and consists in
making such forks with the grains or prongs separate and rivetted together
with the frame (instead of making them all in one piece as hitherto done),
so that in the event of one of the grains or prongs becoming broken a new one
can be readily inserted and rivetted as before, whereby the expense of a new
fork will be avoided.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention for "Improvements.
in Power Looms for Weaving," we will now proceed to describe more in:
detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, and in order that the same may be distinctly understood
we have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:
In the annexed Drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a loom with the
first part of our improvements shown as applied thereto, and Figure 2 is a
side view of the excentric cam detached; Figure 3 is a side view drawn on
a larger scale, showing the connection of the cam, lever, and strap; Figure 4
is a front elevation of a shuttle box, showing our improved "picker" in its
position on the fly spindle, and Figure 5 shews the two parts thereof detached
from each other; Figure 6 is a side elevation, and Figure 7 an underneath.
view of our improved "weft fork."
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, a, a, is the tappet shaft of the loom, on which is
keyed an excentric cam b, 6, in the groove of which runs a friction roller c, c,
mounted near the centre of the lever d, d. This lever works on a fulcrum e, e,
at one end attached to the loom frame, and its other end is connected to a
strapff, passing underneath a pulley g, g. The ends of the strap f, f, extend
upwards and are connected by cords or otherwise to each of the lower
heald frames, the said frames being suspended from above by straps h, h, as
usua!.
In Figure 4, a, a, is the shuttle box, and b, b, the fly spindle; c, d, is the
improved "picker" made in two parts, as seen at Figure 5, and connected
together by pegs, or wires, or otherwise, so that the working part c can be
easily renewed when worn out.
In Figures 6 and 7, a, a, is the body of the weft fork, and b, b, the grains or
prongs. The latter, instead of being forged or made in one piece with the
body as hitherto practised, are made distinct and separately rivetted into
the body, as clearly shown by the Drawing, so that in the event of one grain
or prong breaking another can be easily rivetted in its place.

page_text: Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention for
"Improvements in Power Looms for Weaving," together with the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect,
we would remark in conclusion that we claim as our Invention the several
improvements in power looms for weaving as above described and illustrated
in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, we, the said Matthew Caton and Henry Holden, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.