IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD MACHINES
Year: 1858

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
September 1858.-A communication from Michel Bouteille, of Paris, in
the Empire of France.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD MACHINES," a communication from Michel
Bouteille, of Paris, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a peculiar construction and arrangement
of the card-actuating cylinders employed in jacquard machines.
Secondly, to an improved mode of changing the position of the cards on
the cylinder.
Thirdly, to a mode or method of allowing for the longitudinal expansion
of the cards.
And, fourthly, to a system or mode of adjusting the ends of the needles
to the expansion or contraction of the cards.
According to this Invention the cylinder, which is four-sided, and resembles
in external appearance the ordinary cylinder, with the exception that the holes
are rather smaller, remains stationary until the trundle or ratchet wheel on
the end thereof has made a revolution by, say, four successive movements,
such trundle being capable of moving independantly of the cylinder. This
trundle is carried by a hollow spindle, within which works the solid spindle
of the cylinder. The hollow spindle carries a pair of bevil pinions inside

page_text: the cylinder, which pinions gear each into four other pinions respectively
carried by the stems of the four card pins at each end of the cylinder.
These pins are all placed eccentrically on their axes, so that as the latter
revolve by the rotation of the trundle shaft and gearing, the pins will change
their positions, the holes in the cylinder through which they pass being
sufficiently large to allow of such displacement.
As these pins carry the cards, it follows that the latter will have their
position changed four different times on one face of the cylinder, each change
bringing into action a fresh set of pattern holes in the card, which is provided
for that purpose with four sets or ranges of holes, so as to enable four strokes
to be made from each card in place of only one, and consequently effecting a
saving of three cards to every one employed.
The longitudinal expansion and contraction of the cards is allowed for by
making one of the pin holes of an elongated form in the direction of the length
of the card, so that the card will be free to expand and contract, and still lay
perfectly flat upon the face of the cylinder. The ends of the needles are
adjusted so as to suit the cards when expanded or contracted by passing them
through a guide board composed of a number of separate pieces arranged
longitudinally, or end to end in a grooved metal frame, and placing between
each piece a strip of india-rubber or other elastic material, so as to enable
the several pieces to be brought nearer to or further from each other by the
aid of adjusting screws placed at each end of the frame.