Improved Underneath Shedding Motion for all kinds of Weaving Lcoms.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1898
Complete Cocoifination Intt 12th O
1000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Underneath Shedding Motion for all kinds of Weaving
Lcoms.
I, JOSEPH HIGHTON, of 21, Agnes Street, Castleton, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Loom Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows;-
My invention relates to the underneath shedding motion of weaving looms for
all kinds of textile material and consists of an improved combination and arrange-
ment of frames, levers, brackets, shafts and springs.
There is a pair of parallel metal frames connected by bolts & fitted with three
shafts at right angles to the plane of the frames, two of the shafts are fixed
towards the top of the frames & the other at a lower level.
The frames are connected to the bottom cross rails of the loom by means of
two pairs of suitable brackets bolted thereto.
On the two shafts (near the top of frames above mentioned) are placed one or
more pairs of special cranked levers, one end of each lever being provided with
teeth, & the other end with a grooved rim.
The shape of each lever is such that the grooved end forms an arc of a circle
with the shaft as centre on which the lever is fixed and the lowest point of the
arc is so arranged as to be always below the horizontal level of the said shaft.
The other end of each lever which is provided with teeth is much nearer the
shaft on which the lever is fixed than the grooved end, and the levers are formed
into pairs by placing two levers in the same plane parallel to the plane of the
frames one lever on each of the said two shafts, the ends provided with teeth
being placed together in gear with each other
Each lever is provided with an enlarged tooth or buffer below the remainder of
teeth & so arranged that the motion of the toothed ends of the levers upwards is
limited as hereinafter explained.
On the underside & in the same plane of each lever is fixed a helical or other
suitable shaped spring which is also attached to the lower shaft, the said spring
being in tension & the position such that the perpendicular distance from the
axis of the spring to the centre of the shaft on which the lever works is less than
the distance of the grooved end of the lever to the same shaft centre.
The said perpendicular distance diminishes as the grooved end of the lever is
raised on account of the special shape of the cranked lever.
The grooved end of each lever is connected to the heald shaft of the loom by
a string laid in the groove and secured to the lowest point of the groove.
Any number of pairs of levers can be fixed on the two shafts of the apparatus
aforesaid as may be required for a number of healds in the loom.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When the healds of a loom are
raised by means of the dobby or other arrangement of the loom, the grooved ends
of the levers of the underneath shedding motion are also raised by means of the
strings connected to the heald shafts, and the springs in consequence extended,

page_text: but the power of the springs decreases the higher the levers are raised, on account
of the perpendicular distance for leaverage diminishing before described.
On account of each pair of levers being geared as described, if any one spring
breaks, the other spring of the same pair still controls the whole pair of levers
thereby controling the healds quite as well.
By providing the levers with an enlarged tooth or buffer as described the lever
can be so placed that should the strings break which connects the healds to the
dobby &c., the springs cannot lower the levers more than a desired amount as
may be arranged for any particular loom.
Dated this Twenty-third day of June 1898.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Underneath Shedding Motion for all kinds of Weaving
Looms,
1, JOSEPH HIGHTON, of 21, Agnes Street, Castleton, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Loom, Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention will be illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings of
which
Fig. 1 is an outside elevation of my improved underneath shedding motion
mechanism, and
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same perpendicular to the plane of
Fig. 1 showing 6 complete pairs of levers & 11 single levers, the eleven levers
required to complete same into pairs being removed so as to show a few of the
springs, three such springs being shown.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of my improved underneath shedding motion
mechanism, parallel to the plane of Fig. 1 & through one pair of levers.
My invention relates to the underneath shedding motion of weaving looms for
all kinds of textile material & consists of an improved combination, & arrange-
ments of frames, levers, brackets, shafts & springs.
There is a pair of parallel metal frames A connected by means of bolts A¹ &
The
fitted with 3 shafts B B & B at right angles to the plane of the frames A.
shafts B B & B2 are turned spindles or cylindrical bolts having at one end a
shoulder or head, and a nut at the other end.
Two of the shafts viz. B¹ & 132 are fixed towards the top of the frames A and
the shaft B at a lower level.
The frames A are connected to the bottom cross rails of the loom by means of
two pairs of suitable brackets C bolted thereto at A³.
On the two shafts B₁ & B³ are placed one or more pairs of cranked levers D so
as to rotate about the shafts as centres, one end of each lever being provided with
teeth and the other end with a grooved rim D³.
The shape of each lever D is such that the grooved end 12 forms an are of a
circle with shaft B or B2 as centre on which the lever is fixed, the lowest point 1³
of the arc being so arranged as to be always below the horizontal level through
the centre of the shafts B¹ & B2.
The pitch line of the teeth D₁ on the end of the levers 1) forms an arc of a
circle, the centre of which coincides with the centre of the shafts B¹ & B° the
radius of this arc of the pitch line being less than the radius of the are of the
circle made by the grooved end D.

page_text: The levers D are formed into pairs by placing two in the same plane parallel to
the plane of the frames A and having their respective teeth D¹ in gear as shown
on drawing Fig. 3 Sheet 2.
The lowest teoth 13 of each lever is made to act as a buffer or stopper by
being enlarged so that the motion of the ends of the levers upwards is limited
as hereinafter explained.
To facilitate fixing the levers D on the shafts 131 & 12 each lever is provided
with a slot De equal in width to the diameter of the shafts.
On the underside and in the same plane of each lever 1 is fixed a helical or
other suitable shaped spring E by means of a wire and link . The
spring E is also connected by means of a link E³ to the shaft B in tension and
the position such that the perpendicular distance from the direction of the axis
of the spring E to the axis of shaft B¹ B is less than the radius of the arc of
the grooved end 12 aforementioned.
By lifting the grooved end 12 of each lever D the said perpendicular distance
of the axis of spring E decreases on account of the special shape of the levers D.
The grooved ends D9 of each lever D is connected to the heald shafts of the
loom by means of a string D which is laid in the groove and secured to a point
below the groove such as D5.
The holes A in the frames A to accomodate the ends of the shaft 13 are rectan-
gular for reasons hereinafter explained.
On each frame A at A is fixed a special rack cam F, having handle FI, by
means of a bolt so set as to be able to rotate about the bolt as centre. One
portion of the edge of the cam F is provided with a rack or teeth F2 of such a
form that the space between each tooth F2 will fit the ends of the shaft B in
order that the shaft B may be secured in various positions so as to alter the
tension of the springs E if necessary, and facilitate in the fixing of the springs E
in position.
The rectangular holes A' allows the shaft B to be placed in these various posi-
tions.
In each frame A is provided a quantity of bolt holes A to allow for fixing
the whole mechanism to the looms in various positions by means of the brackets C.
A bridge or cover G is provided to protect the ends D₁ of the levers D from
dirt &c.
Any number of pairs of levers D can be included in the mechanism as may be
required for any particular loom.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:--
When the healds of a loom are raised, the grooved ends D of the levers are
also raised by means of the strings D and the springs E are extended. The
power or movement of the springs E decreases the higher the levers D are raised,
although the actual tension on the springs increases, this is on account of the
special shape of the levers as before described.
If any one spring E breaks belonging a pair of levers D, the other spring E
of the same pair will still control the whole pair on account of the manner in
which the levers D are geared.
If the strings connecting the healds to the dobby &c. of the loom breaks, the
spring E can only pull down the levers D a certain required amount on account
of the buffers or stops D³ coming in contact. This amount can easily be regulated
when setting up the mechanism so as to prevent the weaving material being
damaged through such strings breaking.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sid
invention & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. The combination, arrangement & construction of an underneath shedding
motion mechanism in which the levers work in pairs by means of gearing, sub-

page_text: stantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 12 & 3 of the
drawings.
2. The combination, arrangement & construction of an underneath shedding
motion mechanism in which the levers are controlled by springs in such a manner
that the power of the springs decreases as the levers are raised, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 2 & 3 of the drawings.
3. The combination, arrangement & construction of a rack cam with the
mechanism for adjusting the springs substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by Figs. 1 & 2, of the drawings.
4. The arrangement & construction of levers for working the healds of a loom
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 12 & 3 of the
drawings.
5. The combination, arrangement, & construction of frames, brackets, shafts,
& cover for completing the mechanism substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by Figs. 1 2 & 3 of the drawings.