IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD APPARATUS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Antoine David, of Saint Chamond, in the Empire of
France, (Loire Dept.), for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD
APPARATUS."A communication from abroad, by Ennemond David, of
Saint Chamond, France.
Sealed the 27th April 1860, and dated the 14th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Antoine David at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th January 1800.
1, ANTOINE DAVID, of Saint Chamond, in the Empire of France, (Loire
Dept.), do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
JACQUARD APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the accelerating the weaving of different
fabrics, and especially silk fabrics, called ribbons, and is applicable to all kinds
of ribbons, such as plain and figured ribbons, and other small wares. In ordi-
nary looms, furnished with jacquard apparatus, the silk is only divided into
two parts, and consequently only one shuttle can be introduced for each beat
up of the loom. Now by the mechanism constructed according to this Inven-
tion the silk may be divided into three parts, and consequently two shuttles
may be introduced into the silk for each beat up of the loom. The division of
the silk into two parts is called a "shed." Ordinary looms may therefore be
[Price 8d1

page_text: called single-shed looms, and looms constructed according to this Invention
double-shed looms. This double-shed loom is as generally applicable as ordi-
nary looms, in this sense, that all the threads which are in the loom are
independent one of the other, as under the old system, and in addition each
thread may be raised from one shed to the other, according as the design
requires, solely by means of the cards, without any special arrangement of the
loom for no matter what design; in addition the shuttles are independent,
and two shuttles may be introduced at the same time, or a single one accord-
ing to the design. In short, this loom is as generally applicable as the old
one, and can not only be applied to the manufacture of one particular kind of
ribbon but to ribbons of every description. The principal difference which
exists between the old and this new system is in the jacquard mechanism. The
old jacquard mechanism may be called the single-shed mechanism, and the
new the double-shed mechanism. The old mechanism is generally known. I
will therefore only describe the new mechanism, and the difference will be
apparent.
The hook of this new mechanism is represented at Figure 1. A, hook with
two branches of unequal height united together at C. The needle is called a
hooked or beaked needle, and is shown at Figure 2. All the hooks employed in
one machine are constructed alike. The needles are also similar one to the other,
with the exception that the hooks or beaks o occupy different positions on the
length of the needle, according to the row which the needle occupies in the
machine. Twoneedles are necessary for actuating one double-branched hook.
The hook or beak of one needle acts on the branch A, C, and the other on the
branch B, C, as represented at Figure 1, in a vertical plan, and Figure 2 in
horizontal section. As seen at Figure 1, the two needles which-act-on-the-
same hook are a little one above the other. The points of the needles are
directed to opposite sides. The needles are also not situated in the same plane,
as seen at Figure 2. The beaks of the two needles are arranged in such
manner that the two needles placed in their working positions, as at Figure 2,
enclose between them a space o, o, in which the hook slides rubbing lightly on
the two heaks o, o; the needles are maintained in these required positions by
pins M, which pass through the heels F and K of the needles, and by the rods
N which hold the needles separate one from the other. In addition, the heads
of the needles are maintained by a small board called the needle board. These
pins, these rods, and these small boards are employed in all the ordinary
machines. The iron frame alone which supports the pins and the rod is new;
also the double arrangement of all these objects constitutes a novelty which
deserves mention. Put twelve similar actions of needles and hooks and you

page_text: will have a complete row of my mechanism, and several rows following one
another, and you will have a mechanism for a double shed.
All the piercings
of the cards are similar to those employed at Lyons, and I have thought it
better to keep the same measurements and distances employed for the piercing
of the boards. Now the hook, Figure 1, is maintained in a vertical position,
first by the needles, and in addition by a perforated board, as in the ordinary
machines, except that the holes of this board are long, and the part C, D, of
the hook can slide in it without much friction. This, then, is the action of the
hook and two needles:-By pressing on the extremities Land E of the needles
the parts of the hook A, C, and B, C, receive by means of the beaks or hooks
0, 0, the first pressure and make a backward movement. This being well esta-
blished, let us pass to themovement for raising the hook. Two griffes furnished
with blades are necessary for this mechanism, whilst only one is necessary for
the ordinary mechanism. The two griffes are independent one of the other,
and are put into movement by different levers. The lever of the griffe R gives
an upward movement to the griffe R double that of the griffe P. This esta-
blished, let us examine the position of the hooks in their different applications,
applications which resolve themselves into three points, and these three points
being examined the same action is constantly renewed. 1st point, when the
mechanism is at rest and the blades of the griffes P and R are below the hooks
A and B, no pressure is exerted on the needles E and L; the griffes being put
into motion the blades of the griffe R come in contact with the hooks B and
raise them. The griffe P which makes a movement equal to half that of the
first is then disengaged from all the hooks A, which follow the double movement
of the griffe R. 2nd point, when the mechanism is at rest, and the blades of
the griffes are under the hooks, if a pressure is exerted on the needles L the
parts B, C, of the hooks receive a backward movement from the beaks of the
ncedles, and in this backward position the hooks B entirely avoid the blades of
the griffe R. If then the griffes are put in motion, the griffe R will be found
disengaged from all the hooks B, and only the griffe P will carry up by its
movement the hooks A to a height half that to which the griffe R raised the
hookes in the first point. 3rd point, when the mechanism is at rest, and a
pressure is exerted on the needles E and L, in consequence of this pressure
the two branches of the book make a backward movement, and avoid entirely
the griffes R and P, and if in this position the griffes are raised no needle will
partake of the upward motion of the griffes. These then are the three dif-
ferent positions which a hook of my mechauism can take :-It may be raised
upon the griffe R, it can be raised upon the griffe P, avoiding the griffe R,
and it can avoid both of them. Two cylinders to carry the cards are necessary to

page_text: this mechanism, the one which acts on the needles E, the other upon the needles
L, and the cards, according to the holes formed in them, select evidently the
hooks which are to be raised by the griffe R or by the griffe P, or which are
to remain stationary. From this demonstrationit follows-that-oach.hook.cau
take three different positions, and consequently the silk threads which are upon
the loom and which are connected with the hooks by cords fixed to the eyes D
of the hooks can also take three positions. Now, by means of a batten
carrying two shuttles, one over the other, for each division of the loom, two
shuttles can be passed for each beat up of the batten.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent, filed
by the said Antoine David in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTOINE
DAVID, of Saint. Chamond, in the Empire of France, (Loire Dep'.), send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Autoine David, Her special licence that I, the said Antoine
David. my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Antoine David, ny executors, administrators, 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 "IMPROVE
MENTS IN JACQUARD APPARATUS," a communication from abroad by Eunemond
David, of Saint Chamond, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Antoine David, 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 1, the said Antoine David, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object to accelerate in a remarkable manner the
manufacture of different fabrics, both plain and figured. This rapidity of
manufacture will be readily understood when the following description has
been read of the new jacquard machine. To understand fully this Specification
an acquaintance with the ordinary jacquard mechanism is necessary; butasall
persons who will be interested in this Invention are acquainted with ordinary
jacquard machinery, it will not be necessary to describe the same, I shall
confine myself to describing apparatus arranged according to this Invention,
in as far as it differs from apparatus heretofore employed.
In this apparatus the jacquard hooks are made of an entirely new form and
double, as is shown at Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawing.. This hook
is composed of two branches of unequal length, which both terminate in a
bend of similar form to that at the upper ends of the hooks heretofore
employed. The two branches of each hook are soldered or connected together
at B, and small eyes or loops are formed at D, D, for the attachment of the
harness of the loom, or cords acting directly on the warp threads. The parts
B, D, of the hooks pass through holes in a board which guide them in their
movement. This arrangement is more advantageous than that by which the
warp threads have heretofore been connected with the jacquard apparatus.
Figure 2 represents a hook furnished with a guide, which is a slight
improvement on the hook shown at Figure 1. This guide may be made out
of the iron wire of which the hook is composed by bending it suitably, or it
may be made of a blade soldered to the branch B, C. The needles, as is
indicated at Figure 3, are furnished with projections in place of rings or loops,
and they act on the hooks by pressure only; the hooks are themselves springs,
and the needle springs of the ordinary machine are not employed. Twoneedles
with projections are necessary to act upon one of the double hooks, as will be
seen in Figure 4. The hooks pass through the guide board R, R. This board
is pierced with elongated holes so as to keep the hooks in the same vertical
plane. Each needle is kept in its position by the same means as in the
ordinary machine; an iron frame M, carries horizontal blades O, O, between
which the eye K or K', of the needle passes, and a sinall pin N, placed behind
the blades O, O, passes through the said eye at the end of the needle, and a
board called the needle board pierced with holes suitably spaced supports the
end E or E' of each needle. The Drawing, Figure 4, shows that in the new
machine two frames M and needle boards are required, and that the
needles cross each other. One half of the needles employed are supported at

page_text: their ends E, in the needle board P, and the other half of their ends E¹, in
the board P¹.
Action of the double hook with its two needles.-1st. The hook stands
perpendicularly on the guide board R, R; the projections i, i, rest on the
branches A, B, and B, C, of the hook, and the eyes K and K rest against
the small pins N and N'. This is the position of rest of the hook.
2nd. A pressure being exerted at the extremity E of the needle E, K, this
pressure is transmitted by means of the projection i to the branch A, B, of
the hook, and this branch will take a new position A, B, while the branch
C, B, will not change its position.
3rd. If a pressure is exerted at the extremity E¹ of the needle E¹, K¹, this
pressure is transmitted to the branch C, B, of the hook, and this position will
take a new position C¹, B, while the branch A, B, will not change its
position.
4th. If at the same a pressure is exerted upon the needles E, K,
E, K, this pressure is transmitted to the two branches A, B, and C, B, of the
hook, and these two branches take at the same time the new positions A¹, B,
and C¹, B.
I will now pass to Figure 5 which represents a transverse section of one
of the new machines. Twelve hooks on the same vertical plane are shown.
Each hook is furnished with two needles; the two needle boards are in their
place, and upon each board a jacquard cylinder beats; a system of oscillating
levers presses these two cylinders up to the needle boards. This small system
is put in motion by the lever which acts on one of the griffes. This new
machine contains two griffes, the griff S which acts with hooks C, and
-the-griff-T, which.acts with the hooks A. Each of these griffes is worked
by a lover actuated by the loom itself by means of an excentric fixed at the
extremity of the main shaft of the loom. The griff S travels over a distance
of from 3 to 4 inches, and the griff T a distance of from to 2 inches, that
is to say, over a space equal to half that passed over by the first.
Action of the hooks with the griffes.-1st. A pressure is exerted upon the
needles E; the branches C, B, are pushed back, and the projections C are no
longer in a position to be taken by the blades of the griffe S, and then if the
levers act upon the griffes, the griff S will be found disengaged from all the
hooks, and the griff T acting alone draws up the hooks to the height of from
1 to 2 inches.
2nd. A pressure is exerted upon the needles E, the branches A, B, of the
hooks are pushed back, and the projections A are no longer in a position to be
taken by the blades of the griff T, and then if the levers act upon the griffes

page_text: the griff T will be found disengaged from all the hooks, and the griff S
acting alone draws up the hooks to a height of 3 to 4 inches.
3rd. If a pressure is exerted at the same time upon the needles E, E', the
projections A and B being displaced are no longer in a position to be taken
either by the griff S or the griff T, and if the griffes are put in action neither
of them will take hooks, and the hooks will remain stationary. It results from
the description given above, that each double hook is able to take three
different positions, first, to rise 1 to 2 inches; second, to rise 3 to 4 inches; third
to remain stationary. Hence it follows that each thread of the warp carried by
one of the hooks possesses the same property. From the description already
given of the action of the hooks, and of the warp threads of the loom in taking
three different positions, it follows that the warp can be divided into three parts,
forming two openings or sheds at a time for one beat of the loom, which
permits of the passing through the warp of two shuttles at a time for one
stroke of the sley, whilst with the ordinary machine the threads can only be
divided into two parts, and in consequence only one shuttle can be introduced
for each stroke of the batten. As the opening formed between two parts of
the warp is called a shed, the ordinary machines are called singleshed machines,
and the new machine can be called a machine with two sheds, ora double shed
machine.
Application of the new double shed machine.-This new machine will make
every description of fabric which can be produced by the ordinary machine.
If it is applied to the manufacture of ribbons, ribbons of all descriptions may
be produced by it. Either two, three, four, five, or a great number of
shuttles may be employed with the battens. Now there are a great number
of ribbons, both figured and plain, which require 200 or 300 picks either for
the ground, or thefigure in which with the new machine 100 or 150 picks may be
suppressed. Thus an embroidered ribbon in two colors requires 200 beats up of
thebatten, which, with the newmachine,arereduced to 100; alsoan embroidered
ribbon in two colors figured by a third shuttle requires say 300 beats up with
the ordinary machine; with the new this is reduced to 200. A plain ribbon
requires say 100 beats up; with the new machine two plain ribbons can be
made one over the other, and the two require only 100 boats up. In making
two plain ribbons, one over the other, pattens can be produced by means of the
warp by employing the same warp alternately for one and the other. Plain
ribbons embroidered with a single shuttle in a great many patterns in place of
requiring 200 beats up can be made with 100 in a two-shuttle loom.
All ribbons of one color with a woven pattern which require 200 beats up are
reduced to 100 beats up by means of a batten with four shuttles; in making

page_text: two ribbons one above the other the two ground shuttles pass together, and the
two embroidering shuttles also together. Two different patterns may be
produced.
- It is unnecessary to enumerate-all.the.descriptions of fabrics which can be
made economically with this new machine. By constructing looms in the
manner above described a greatly increased rapidity of manufacture is attained,
there is a considerable saving in material and in hand labor.
In witness whereof, I, the said Antoine David, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
ANTOINE DAVID. (L.S.)