ROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING HOSE OR TUBULAR GOODS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Reddaway, of the Firm of Reddaway and Company,
of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Hose Manufacturers, for the
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING HOSE OR TUBULAR
GOODS."
Sealed the 21st December 1876, and dated the 16th August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Reddaway at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th August 1876.
FRANK REDDAWAY, of the Firm of Reddaway and Company, of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Hose Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING HOSE OR TUBULAR. GOODS."
My Invention relates more particularly to the weaving of the flaxen hose
employed in the conveyance of water. In the weaving of such goods it is of
importance that the tension of the weft shall be very regular in order that a good
selvedge may be obtained, as irregularities in the selvedge impair the value of the
hose as means for the conveyance of water under pressure.
To obtain greater regularity in the said selvedge I in the first place actuate the
shuttle positively instead of driving it across the shed by the blows of pickers.
Various appliances may be employed to obtain this positive motion, but I now
consider a rack or racks and pinions to be the most suitable. A rack may be fixed
to the ordinary shuttle, or a special shuttle may be formed or provided with a rack,
or with rack teeth, or with pins, projections, or bowls, with which the actuating
wheels or pinions will engage, the said wheels or pinions being situated on each
side of the warp, as in the case of tape and riband looms. In the second place I
nip the woven fabric at a point as near as may be to the line of nearest approach
of the reed. To effect this nipping I employ an upper and a lower nipping bar
plate or part, either or both of which is or are adjustable with reference to their
nipping pressure.
In the arrangement which I now consider to be suitable a metal plate is secured
by one end to the breast plate of the loom, and the other end of the said plate is
curved or bent downwards, and is formed with a rounded edge which is kept in
contact with the upper surface of the woven fabric; a lower plate similarly formed
acts against the lower surface of the fabric and is hinged by one end or is
otherwise so arranged as that the other end can be moved towards and from the
037

page_text: said fabric. The free end of the said plate is pressed upwards against the said
fabric by means of a spring or of springs, the force of which can be adjusted by
means of a screw or of screws, or of a cam or of cams, or other appliances.
In some cases the said plate may be formed to have an amount of resilience so as
to be capable of acting with a yielding pressure upon the fabric without the aid of
springs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank Roddaway in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
February 1877.
FRANK REDDAWAY, of the Firm of Frank Reddaway and Company, of Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Hoso Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING HOSE OR TUBULAR GOODS."
My Invention relates more particularly to the weaving of the flaxen hose
employed in the conveyance of water. In the weaving of such goods it is of
importance that the tension of the weft shall be very regular in order that a good
selvedge may be obtained, as irregularities in the selvedge impair the value of the
hose as means for the conveyance of water under pressure.
To obtain greater regularity in the said selvedge I in the first place actuate the
shuttle positively instead of driving it across the shed by the blows of pickers.
Various appliances may be employed to obtain this positive motion, but I now
consider a rack or racks and pinions to be the most suitable. In the second place
I nip the woven fabric at a point as near as may be to the line of nearest approach
of the reed. To effect this nipping I employ an upper and a lower nipping bar
plate or part, either or both of which is or are adjustable with reference to their
nipping pressure.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I have appended
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings made about one-third of the full size and marked
with letters of reference, corresponding marks indicating the same parts in the
various Figures.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings Figures 1 to 4 illustrate the first
part of my Invention, Fig. 1 representing a front elevation of the "sley" of a loom
constructed in accordance with my Invention; and Fig. 2, an end view of the
same.
In the said Figures a, a, are the upper ends of the "sley" swords, which are of an
ordinary construction and are mounted and fitted to vibrate in the usual manner;
to the said sley swords are attached the two shuttle races b and c, and the rack
races or slides d, d; the shuttle E is represented in position within the shuttle
race b, and is also represented in plan by Fig. 3.
The main body of the shuttle in the example consists of a metal carriage f
'which is fitted to slide to and fro within the shuttle races, and is represented in
cross section by Fig. 4. The upper part of the said carriage is formed with two
cheeks, between which is a deep recess, and recessed within the lower part are rack
teeth which are formed to engago with the actuating wheels or pinions. In the
example the said rack teeth are formed in one piece with the carriage by the
operation of casting, but this method of formation may be varied. When the shuttle
carriage is within the race a projecting ridge formed on the bottom of the race
enters between the cheeks which form the shrouds of the rack, and in concert with
other parts guides the said carriage as it slides to and fro. A projecting fin g
formed on or attached to the bar of each race enters the aforesaid recess in the
upper part of the carriage fand guides the shuttle in its traverse. Swells i, i, are
mounted within slots formed on the upper bar h, and are hinged at k, k; springs 1, 1,
press the free ends of the said swells downwards into the races. The lower edges
of the said swells are in line with the fins g and also enter the said recess in the

page_text: carriage fand thereby assist in guiding the said carriage, and at the same time by
exerting a pressure upon the bottom of the recess tend to prevent rebound or
back lash as in the cases of similar parts in ordinary looms. Upon the carriage f
is mounted a hinged skewer or spindle which receives the pirn m as in ordinary
shuttles.
The shuttle is also provided with a roller tension arrangement n for imparting
the requisite tension to the yarn. The tension may be increased by passing the
yarn through more than one hole in the bridge or guard plate o. Two spur wheels,
P. p, are mounted upon studs which are secured to the sley, and to each wheel is
attached a spur pinion, or the wheel and pinion may be cast together. The wheels
P. P, are arranged to gear with the rack in the carriage fand the pinions to gear
with a spur rack which is fitted to slide in races formed in the blocks d, d. The
rack is caused to slide to and fro, whereby the pinions and wheels p, p, are caused
to revolve in unison, and the said wheels acting upon the rack on the shuttle cause
the said shuttle to be transferred from one shuttle race through the shed of the
warp to the other shuttle race, as will be well understood.
The arrangements for actuating the rack + may be varied according to the con-
struction of the other parts of the loom or as may be preferred. By way of example
I will describe the arrangements which I have adopted when carrying my Invention
into effect. The rack is connected by means of an adjustable links with the
upper end of a lever t. The lower end of the said lever is formed as a bell crank,
and the said lever is mounted on a stud or fulcrum which is about in line with the
fulcra of the sley swords, and is arranged to partake of the vibrating movement of
the sley, as in the case of the picking levers of under pick looms. The shorter arm
of the said lever is connected with a horizontal lever which is alternately raised and
depressed by means of a snail cam which makes one revolution during two revolu-
tions of the crank shaft of the loom. When the said horizontal lever is depressed
the upper end of the lever t moves in one direction, and when the horizontal lever
is raised the lever t makes a return movement in the reverse direction, each move-
ment taking place at the time when the shed is open for the passage of the shuttle.
Although I have indicated a method of actuating the rack it must be under-
stood that I do not attach importance to such method, nor do I confine myself
thereto. And also I do not confine myself to the casting of the rack in one piece
with the shuttle or carriage f, as the said rack may be separately formed and attached
to an ordinary shuttle, or the shuttle may be formed or provided with pins, pro-
jections, or bowls, with which the actuating wheels or pinions may engage.
As the important feature in this part of my Invention consists in the positive
actuation of the shuttle in contradistinction to the driving thereof by the blows of
pickers, other variations in the arrangements may be made without departing from
the nature and intent of my Invention.
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the second part of my Invention, Fig. 5 being a plan, and
Fig. 6 a side elevation showing the breast beam u in section. To the said beam is
attached the improved temple arrangement shewn in the two Figures. To the beam
u is bolted a plate v, and to this plate is bolted a lower nipper w.
The said nipper
can be raised and lowered as required. To the nipper part of the plate vis bolted
an upper nipper It will be seen that the outer ends of the two nippers are
curved towards each other. These outer ends are formed into smooth rounded lips.
The nipper is by preference formed of wrought iron or steel in order that it may
have a suitable amount of "spring" or resilience. In the example the lower
nipper is of more rigid construction, but if preferred it may also be formed to have
an amount of "spring." The woven fabric represented by y passes between the two
lips of the nippers to the taking up rollers, which may be of the ordinary or of any
suitable form and arrangement. The nippers are adjusted to nip the woven fabric
forcibly between their lips at a point close to the "beat up" "of the reed, the
resilience of the upper nipper being sufficient to allow it to accommodate itself to
the slight irregularities in the fabric. The upper nipper may be adjustable if pre-
ferred, or both upper and lower nippers may be adjustable.

page_text: The arrangement may also be otherwise greatly varied, as for example, either the
upper or the lower nipper, or both, may be hinged and be acted upon by means of
adjusting screws, or bolts, or parts of a spring or of springs, in order that the lips of
the two nippers may nip the fabric tightly with a sufficiently yielding pressure. I
have found the employment of these nippers to be beneficial in promoting the obtain-
ment of regularity in the weaving of the fabric.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect, I would have it to be
understood in conclusion that I claim,―
First. The employment of positive means for actuating the shuttles of looms em-
ployed in the weaving of hose or tubular fabrics.
Secondly. The arrangements for actuating the shuttles in such looms as aforesaid
substantially as set forth and indicatod herein-before and in and by the accompany-
ing Drawings.
Thirdly. The method of and arrangements for nipping the woven fabric close to
the beat-up of the reed substantially as herein-before set forth and indicated.
And, Lastly. The arrangement substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated herein-before, and by Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Reddaway, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Signed nud sealed by the
said Frank Reddaway,
in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Patentee,
3, Princess Street,
Manchester.
•
FRANK REDDAWAY. (L.S.)