IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Portway, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Worsted Stuff Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING.”
Sealed the 24th July 1877, and dated the 1st May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Portway at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st May 1877.
HERBERT PORTWAY, of Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Stuff Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
"
The object of this Invention is to stop the loom when "end or thread of the
warp is broken, the mechanism employed being so constructed and arranged as to
reset or return to position (after stopping the loom by acting upon the weft fork)
self-actingly.
"
The "ends
or warp threads are passed through an eye of faller pins, the latter
being by the tension of the warp threads held clear (so long as in continuity or
unbroken) of an oscillating swivel bar, the latter being operated by cam and lever
from the back shaft or other going part of the loom. When an end or thread of
the warp breaks, its faller pins descends, and the oscillating bar is caught thereby.
and partly turned on its axles or bearings; a projecting finger attached to the said
bar acts upon one finger of a fork connected to a vertical spindle, which is caused to
turn or make a partial revolution, the motion being in turn communicated by
attachments to the weft fork, which is brought into position for stopping the loom;
another finger attached with oscillating bar acts upon the other finger of the fork,
and by contact therewith and by spiral spring the fork and vertical spindle are,
brought into their original position ready to again act when required..

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Herbert Portway in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
October 1877.
HERBERT PORTWAY, of Bradford, in the County of York, Worsted Stuff Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
The object of this Invention is to stop the loom when an "end" or thread of the
warp is broken, the mechanism employed being so constructed and arranged as to
reset or return to position (after stopping the loom by acting upon the weft fork or
equivalent catch piece) self-actingly.
"
The "ends or warp threads are passed through an eye of faller pins, the latter
being by the tension of the warp threads held clear (so long as in continuity or
unbroken) of an oscillating swivel bar, the latter being operated by cam and lever
froin the back shaft or other going part of the loom. When an end or thread of
the warp breaks, its faller pin descends, and the oscillating bar is caught thereby,
and partly turned on its axles or bearings; a projecting finger attached to the said
bar acts upon one finger of a fork connected to a vertical spindle, which is caused to
turn or make a partial revolution, the motion being in turn communicated by
attachments to the weft fork, which is brought into position for stopping the loom;
the said finger then acts upon a finger of the fork, and by contact therewith the
fork and vertical spindle are brought into their original position ready to again act
when required.
Such being the nature and object of this my said Invention, I will now
proceed to describe the same in detail, and in order that the Invention may be
fully understood I have hereunto annexed two Sheets of Drawings illustrative
thereof, and have marked the several views or figures with numbers and letters of
reference, the same number referring to the same part in the several views.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a loom having my improvements
attached; Fig. 2 is a plan view.
Fig. 3 is elevation of the back of the loom.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detached parts drawn on enlarged scale.
Figs. 7 and 8 shew a modification adapted for "slip catch looms."
The ends or warp threads 1 are passed through an eye in the faller pins 2;
the latter are received in perforations or holes formed in the board 3. The warp
threads 1, so long as unbroken, suspend or hold the pins 2 clear of or above the
oscillating swivel bar 4; the bar 4 is supported at each end by the arm 5 of the
rocking lever 6, and the latter receives its motion from the eccentric 7 worked from
the back shaft or other " going part" of the loom.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When an end or thread of the warp 1
breaks, its faller pin 2 descends, and the oscillating bar 4 is caught thereby, and
swivels or partly turns in its bearings, whereon a projecting finger or pin 8 attached
to the bar 4 acts upon one or other of the fingers of the fork 9 attached to the
vertical spindle 10; the latter then makes a partial revolution, the motion being
communicated by attachments 11 to the finger 12, which is thus pulled forwards on
its fulcrum 13 the weft fork 14, which is caught by the hammer head of the lever
15, and brings the ordinary apparatus for stopping the loom into operation. At 16
is a pin inserted in the weft fork (or its equivalent catch 19, Figs. 7 and 8) for
preventing the finger 12 being pulled too far over, and also acts as a stop to the
connections 11 and vertical spindle 10 by limiting the degree of motion; the con-
nections being thus distended the finger 8 is by the resistance of the fingers 9 turned
to the horizontal position, the oscillating swivel bar 4 thus being returned to its
original position, and this part of the apparatus reset. When the weft fork 14 or
catch 19 is operated by the hammer 15, the pin 16 also acts on the finger 12, con-
nections 11, and vertical spindle 10, carrying them in the opposite direction, and
this part of the apparatus is thus reset.
On looms having "slip catch" motion, I find it advantageous to employ an

page_text: additional lever 18 over the weft fork lever (clear of the slip catch) and a catch 19
attached thereto, the attachments and apparatus for operating the catch 19 being
constructed and applied precisely as when the weft fork is used.
It will be understood that the apparatus 5, 6, 7, above described, is in all cases
applied to both sides or ends of the loom.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this my said Invention,
I would have it understood that I lay no claim per se to the use of falling pins, nor
do I claim separately the oscillating bar as a means of communicating or trans-
mitting motion to stopping mechanism, as I am aware that such have been used or
described, but what I claim is, the combination of oscillating bar 4, fork 9,
spindle 10, connections 11, and finger 12, acting in the manner and for the purpose
substantially as described and illustrated by Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert Portway, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Patent Agent,
Halifax & Blackburn.
HERBERT PORTWAY. (L.S.)