IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Longden Hattersley, of Keighley, in the County
of York, Machine Maker, and James Hill, of the same Place, Overlooker, and
John Walker, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 28th May 1878, and dated the 28th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Longsden Hattersley,
James Hill, and John Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 28th November 1877.
RICHARD LONGDEN HATTERSLEY, of Keighley, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, and JAMES HILL, of the same Place, Overlooker, and JOHN WALKER, of
Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
This Invention relates,―
Firstly. To means or apparatus for working or operating healds or heddles in
looms for weaving, so as to open or change the shed of the warp without the use of
springs or weights by making the motion of the operating levers positive in both
directions, and thus make a clean and open shed. This we effect by employing two
additional knivers or pressing bars, which press or operate upon swing bars to
which the catches are fixed in a contrary direction to the "knivers" which operate
upon the catches.
The additional knivers or pressing bars are attached to a lever or levers work-
ing on a fulcrum which is or are connected to the ordinary operating levers by
a rod or rods, so that all the said levers and knivers and pressing bars work
together. The points of the catches when not resting upon, and not being acted
upon by the ordinary knivers, rest within a groove or grooves in cross bars
fixed to framing of machine; the additional pressing bars press against the swing
bars, and release the catches from the said groove or grooves, so as to permit them
to be operated upon by the indicating apparatus as required. And after any of the
catches have been drawn by the ordinary knivers and the healds raised, they are
always pressed back by the additional pressing bars pressing against the swing bars
attached to the catches which have thus been drawn forwards, thus making (the

page_text: motion of the healds positive up and down, but as one end of the swing bars can be
drawn forwards at the same time that the other end is being pressed back by one or
other of the additional pressing bars, the healds can be kept firmly up or down for
any number of picks which may be required in either position. It being necessary
or convenient that the weaver should be able to bevil the healds when requiring
to take up a broken end, we accomplish this by making the ground cross bars
moveable when required for this purpose, or by making the first motion shaft
in the machine moveable when required, or by a lever or levers operating upon the
feelers or catches, so as to release them all from or place them all on the ordinary
knivers, according to the position of the mechanism at the time the loom is
stopper.
When not using the bell-crank levers which we have hitherto used for folding the
swing bars, we substitute as an improvement, a lever having its fulcrum at the top,
and the swing bar about the usual position near the centre; this lever has a wing
end, to which we attach another lever, the fulcrum of which is arranged to be
moveable at will, in such manner as to enable the weaver to release and level all the
healds, or nearly so, and to get the motion for operating the healds to draw hori-
zontally instead of vertically.
This we
By employing double the number of catches, having projections opposed to the
kniver in both directions, the double knivers may be dispensed with. Or we may
employ another arrangement for working the healds in a positive manner.
accomplish by using a three-winged lever or two angle levers, two of which wings
are attached by means of connecting rods to the knivers working in slots, the
other wings being attached by means of a connecting rod or rods and swape to the
second motion shaft or low shaft of the loom. The knivers are used for pulling or
pushing, or both, two horizontal catches or slide bars which are connected to levers
which operate upon the healds with cords and bowls or levers. These horizontal
catches have each two projections, one on the upper surface and one on the lower
surface. The upper projection on each catch being used to rest against two stationary
bars placed across the machine for holding the healds up or down when required.
The lower projections on each catch or slide bar are for working the healds when
brought into contact with the knivers by means of their own weight, and the indi-
cating motion. Should it be required, the top projection can be used for the knivers
and the bottom projections for holding the healds in position.
We employ a levelling bar working upon an incline on the levers to which the
slide bars are attached to force the healds to their proper position or to the extremity
of their traverse, and to ease the horizontal catches or slide bars off the knivers or
the stationary bars to allow the indicating or card motion to operate freely upon
them, when any change in their selection is required.
Secondly. Our improvements relate to apparatus for operating the shuttle boxes,
and the changes in putting the shuttle direct by the heald machine or. shedding
apparatus. The cam which acts on the lever for raising the boxes is mounted on a
shaft which is turned partially round in one direction by a pinion and segment
operated by means of suitable rods and levers from the shedding apparatus which is
operated by the ordinary peg cylinder or paper cards, and in the other direction by a
spring. The arrangement is such that the motion is not positive in either direction
as the raising of the boxes is effected by the spring, and the falling depends upon the
weight of the boxes.
Thirdly. Our Invention relates to the combined use of the ordinary balance letting-
off motion with a positive taking-up motion.
Fourthily. Our Invention relates to improvements for preventing grease from falling
on to the picker or shuttle. The picker spindle is placed in front of the shuttle box
.instead of over it, and the picker is also guided by means of an adjustable bar which
serves for the front of the shuttle box.
Fifthly. Our Invention relates to an improved picker stud, which is so formed as
to cover the shuttle "race," and having a bell-mouth which serves to guide the
shuttle when entering the box.

page_text: Sixthly. To an improved "frog" and stop rod. The "frog" is split, or formed in
two portions, and the finger of the stop rod is formed to correspond therewith in
such a manner that one portion serves to guide the finger and prevent it from
slipping over the "
frog."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Longden Hattersley, James Hill, and John Walker in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th May 1878.
RICHARD LONGDEN HATTERSLEY, of Keighley, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, and JAMES HILL, of the same Place, Overlooker, and JOHN WALKER, of
Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
This Invention relates,―
Firstly. To apparatus for operating healds or heddles, for which Letters Patent
were granted to the said Richard Longden Hattersley and John Smith, dated the
12th April, A.D. 1867, No. 1092, and the object of our improvements under this
head is to open or change the shed of the warp without the use of springs and
weights, by making the motion of the operating levers positive in both directions,
and thus make a clean and open shed.
In order that our Invention may be more fully understood, we herein give
reference to the accompanying Sheets of Drawings marked with figures and letters
of reference.
Figs. 1 and 2 represent front and end views of a loom with the heald operating
mechanism, constructed substantially according to the Specification of Letters Patent
above referred to, with the addition of our present improvements.
The levers A. are the bell-crank levers to which the cords a for operating the
healds are attached. The levers A are connected by rods B to a series of angle
levers A' which are connected to the healds by cords a' and also to another series
of angle levers A² by means of rods C. The angle levers A² are also connected
by cords a¹ to the healds. It will be readily seen that any movement either up or
down of the levers A will be communicated positively to the healds, the series of
cords being so arranged as to be in a constant state of tension.
In addition to the ordinary knivers or bars D we employ two additional knivers
E, the ends of which are attached to levers F, working on fulcrums G, and coupled
to the ordinary operating levers by rods H, so that the said levers and knivers, or
pressing bars work together. The knivers E are for the purpose of operating upon
the swing bars I (see Fig. 2) in a contrary direction to the knivers D which operate
upon the catches. The points of the catches J, when the said catches are not resting
upon the knivers D, press against grooved cross bars K, and are released at the top
and bottom from the said cross bars alternately by the pressure of the knivers E,
so as to be at liberty to engage with the knivers D when required, in accordance
with the indicating apparatus.

page_text: In order to retain the top set of catches J properly in position when set by the
indicating apparatus in contact with the grooved cross bars K, the upper ends of
the needles K¹ are bent so as to rest upon a vibrating knife K2, mounted on upright
levers K³, and held against a stop piece K4 by spring K. A finger K attached to
the rod working the knivers D strikes the knife K2 at each forward movement of
the upper kniver, and removes it from under the bent needles so that they are at
liberty to descend and be acted on by the indicating cards, and as soon as the
knivers D return the knife K2 also returns under the bent ends of the needles K',
and retains them in position until the next repetition of the movement. After any
of the catches have been drawn by the ordinary knivers D, and the healds raised,
they are always pressed back by the knivers or bars E acting on the swing bars I,
which have been drawn forward, thus making the motion of the healds positive up
and down.
When it is required to lift a heald and keep it stationary for any number of
picks the pegging apparatus allows one of the catches J attached to the swing bars
I to fall on its kniver D, which accordingly raises the heald, and the next move-
ment of the peg cylinder also releases the catch at the other end of the swing bar,
thereby bringing it on its kniver, so that both catches are engaged at the same time,
and as they are drawn by the knivers in opposite directions the end of the bell-
crank lever A, which forms the fulcrum of the swing bar I, must necessarily
remain stationary until one or other of the catches is removed from its
"kniver " D.
For or in connection with the foregoing construction of apparatus we adopt a
method of levelling the healds which the weaver can do at once by bringing the
whole of the catches to bear upon the knivers. In Figs. 3 and 4 we have shewn a
mechanical appliance for effecting this object.
L is a lever, which is hinged upon
the same fulcrum M as the weighted levers N. On the end of the pegging or
cylinder shaft O is a star wheel P, upon which rests a bowl or pulley R, carried by
a pin in the lever L. To the end of this lever L a cross-piece S is attached, which
extends underneath the ends of the levers N. This arrangement is useful for two
purposes. By pulling the cord T the weaver can raise the ends of the levers N, and
thereby bring all the catches on to the knivers for the purpose of levelling the
healds as above described.
The levers N are also raised from contact with the indicating pegs at each move-
ment of the peg cylinder by reason of the star wheel P acting on the bowl R. The
weight of the levers N is thus removed from the indicating pegs during their
movement by means of the cross bar S, and thus all liability to break the same is
avoided, and each time after the corner of the star wheel is passed the levers N
resume their position on the pegs of the indicating cards.
Instead of using the bell-crank lever heretofore described the arrangement shewn
in Figs. 5 and 6 may be employed. The bealds are attached to levers A, hung upon
Other levers Care
the fulcrum shaft B, which is passed through the slotted end a.
employed to which the swing bars I are attached. They work upon a fulcrum pin b.
A pin c connects each pair of levers A and C together. D is a holding bar with
fulcrum at D, and so long as it is allowed to remain in the position shewn in Fig. 5,
all motion of the fulcrum 6 of the swing bars I will alter the position of the lower
ends of the lever A to which the healds are connected.
In Figs. 5 and 6 two levers are shewn, illustrating the relative positions when
one heald is up and the other down. If, however, the stop piece D is removed and
pressure applied to the healds, the connecting pin c will serve as a fulcrum for the
lever A which will thereupon assume the position shewn in Fig. 7. The holding
bar D being provided with a lever handle E (Fig. 5), and catch fastener F may be
easily moved by the weaver. By the use of this arrangement and construction of
levers, the healds may be readily levelled from any position, as the weaver need
only remove the holding bar D by means of lever E, and press downwards upon the
healds, in order to have all the healds level; and by replacing the holding bar D, the

page_text: healds are at once drawn to their former position without disarrangement of the cards
or the lifting of the healds.
In Fig. 8 we have shewn an arrangement of catches for dispensing with the use of
double knivers. Each swing bar I is provided at top and bottom with two catches
J and J¹, the catches J' having their projections opposed to the knivers D, so that
the latter will press them backwards, and the catches J, which are hinged to the
catches J, have their projections formed in the ordinary manner, so that in which-
ever direction the knivers may be moving they will act on the swing bars through
the medium of one or other of the catches, the result being the same as that derived
from the use of the double knivers above described, the stopping bars K and
the end of the catches J acting in the same manner as previously described in
Fig. 1.
Fig. 9 illustrates another method of working the healds in a positive manner.
In this case the object is accomplished by using a three-armed lever A, two of the
arms of which are attached by means of connecting rods B to two knivers C,
working in slots in the usual framework, which is omitted in the Drawing for the
sake of clearness. The other arın is attached by means of a connectind rod and
swape D to the second motion shaft E of the loom. The knivers are used for
reciprocating two sets of horizontal catches or slide bars F and G, one of each of
which sets is connected to levers H and H¹, to which levers are atttached the cords for
operating each heald; the arrangement of cords, as will be readily seen on reference
to the Drawing, being such as to ensure a positive motion of the heald in both
directions. The horizontal catches or bars F and G have each two projections a,
one on the upper edge and one on the lower edge. At each change of position of
the healds, the upper projection on each catch rests against one side of stationary
bars J, placed across the machine, and the healds are thus held stationary. The
lower projections on each catch bar are received within the knivers C, when the
absence of a peg or support in the indicating motion allows them to fall thereon.
It will be seen on reference to the Drawing that two lengths of peg are required to
work this arrangement properly, and also that by the side of each short peg there
is a blank space. Each of the levers Hand H³ is furnished with two catch bars
F and G, of which only one can engage with a kniver at once.
A blank on
the card allows one catch bar to fall into the kniver, whilst the short peg keeps the
other catch bar to fall into the kniver, whilst the short peg keeps the other catch
bar in the intermediate position between the fixed bars J and the kniver C, so that
it is free to slide in either direction. The longer pegs serve to bring the catch bars
into contact with the resting bars J, and so long as they remain there the healds are
stationary. The tops of the levers Hand H₁ are wedge shaped, and when the
healds are up and down, there is an augular opening between the said lever tops.
Into this opening we introduce a levelling bowl LI on the lever L, operated by
levers, rods, and eccentric M from the crank shaft. This bar when pressed by the
eccentric into the angular space relieves the catch bars from the stationary bars J,
allowing them to fall on to the knivers, unless kept up by the indicating apparatus,
which is also worked by lever M.
Secondly. Our improvements relate to the apparatus for operating and retaining
in position the rising and falling shuttle boxes direct by the heald machine or
shedding apparatus. This part of our Invention is shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. The
cam 1, which acts on the lever 2 for raising the boxes 3, is mounted on a shaft 4,
which is turned partially round in one direction by a pinion 5 and segment 6
operated through the medium of rod 7, lever 8, and rod 9 by bell-crank lever A,
which is worked by the indicating apparatus and knivers, as herein-before described
in reference to working the healds. In the other direction the shaft 4 is operated
by spring acting thereon in a direction contrary to the segment 6. This arrange-
ment is such that the motion is not positive in either direction, as the raising of the
boxes is effected by the spring, and the falling depends upon the weight of the boxes
by which breakages are prevented. The changes in the picking of the shuttles

page_text: are effected also by the heald machine, as shewn partly on Figs. 1 and 2. Lever 10
is connected to a bell-crank lever A. by rod 11, and the other end is connected by
rod 12 to the ordinary forked lever 13, which is made to slide the picking tappets
on each side into and out of contact with each picking cone as required. By this
means the order of picking the shuttles from either side of the loom, and the changing
of the shuttle boxes and the working of the healds are all effected at the same time
and by the same cards by means of and direct from the heald machine, thus pre-
venting any one of the above-named parts getting across with the other parts,
which is liable to be the case when all the movements are not effected by one set of
cards, and worked from one movement or machine.
Thirdly. Our Invention relates to the combined use of the ordinary worm and
wheel letting-off motion, regulated by the tension of the warp and a positive taking-
up motion. In Fig. 17 we have shewn the manner in which this combination may
be safely and advantageously effected. It will be readily understood that the taking-
up motion being positive, and the " letting-off" being dependant upon the tension
on the warp actuating the ratchet wheel and catch mechanism, any disarrangement
of this mechanism whereby the delivery should be stopped would cause breakage
either of the warp or the loom. This liability to breakage we obviate by the fol-
lowing means-The vibrating lever A is connected at one end by rod A', which
also carries an extra collar B. Above the collar the rod A' passes through one arm
of a bell-crank lever C, the other arm of which is connected by rod D to a lever E
fixed to a rod F, which extends under the breast beam of the loom, and carries a
finger G, which, when pushed back by the lever E, turns the rod F partially round,
and removes the catch belonging to the setting-up motion from contact with the
catch wheel. When the warp is being regularly let off the rod A never rises
sufficiently to bring the collar B into contact with the bell-crank lever C which
therefore remains inoperative. Should however the delivery be retarded the
increased tension depresses the balance beam G, over which the warp travels beyond
the usual distance, which lifts the rod A a corresponding amount, and thereby
brings the collar B into contact with the lever C, lifting the end thereof, the motion
being communicated to the lever E, which simultaneously operates the rod F, and
by removing the catches, as above described, stops the action of the setting-up
motion, whilst the end e of the lever E operates the knocking-off lever H, and
stops the loom, which cannot be "set on" again until the tension on the warp is
relaxed.
Fourthly. Our Invention relates to improvements for preventing grease from
falling on to the picker or shuttle in single shuttle looms, which are illustrated in
Figs. 10 and 11. The picker spindle A is placed in front of the shuttle box instead
of over it, and the picker B is also guided by means of an adjustable bar or "sherr "
front C, which serves for the front of the shuttle box. The groove in the picker for
the "sherr" front C is made large enough to allow the front to be moved slightly to
accomodate the size of the shuttle.
Fifthly. Our Invention relates to an improved picker stud for revolving shuttle
box looms, which is so formed as to cover the shuttle "race," and having a bell
mouth, which serves to guide the shuttle when entering the box. Figs. 12 and 13
illustrate this part of our Invention, in which A is the stud, and B, guide or cover,
shaped as above described.
Sixthly. Our Invention relates to an improved "frog" and "stop" rod for fast
reed looms, illustrated in Figs. 14, 15, and 16. The "frog" C is formed with two
distinct catches a and d, and the finger of the stop-rod E is formed to correspond
therewith. That part of the stop-rod marked e, and the part of the frog marked
a, are more acute at the points, and the projections on the frog more prominent
than the other parts, and serve as guides or feelers to the other parts, so that the
finger part e must either clear the frog at a, or the stop parts c and d will be
brought definitely into contact, and will thus more surely prevent the stop-rod from

page_text: t:
passing over the frog" when the shuttle is only partially on the swell of the shuttle
box, or in any other position than properly in the shuttle box.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Longden Hattersley, for and on behalf
of myself and the said James Hill and John Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
RICHARD LONGDEN HATTERSLEY. (L.S.)