IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Campbell and James Barlow, of Accrington,
in the County of Lancaster, Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 7th November 1854, and dated the 12th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said, Daniel Campbell and
James Barlow at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 12th May 1854.
We, DANIEL CAMPBELL and JAMES BARLOW, of Accrington, in the County
of Lancaster, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING " to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to a mode or method of securing the reed firmly in
its place at the time of beating up, which is essentially necessary in weaving
strong or heavy goods, which we propose to accomplish by fixing a bar or lever
at the front of the slay, with a finger or projection in the centre, each end of
the said lever or bar to turn at right angles and pass through the slay; the
extreme points of the said angular projections to turn up, so as to catch or
press behind the reed, which power binds it fast and raises it to the proper
position, thus causing an uniform or dead pressure on the reed at the time the
weight is upon it, and preventing that vibratory motion so much complained
of in the present method of working the fast and loose reed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Daniel Campbell and James Barlow in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 11th November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DANIEL
CAMPBELL and JAMES BARLOW, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Daniel' Campbell and James Barlow, Her special licence that we,
the said Daniel Campbell and James Barlow, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Daniel Campbell and James
Barlow, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Daniel
Campbell and James Barlow, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Daniel Campbell, for and on behalf of
myself and the said James Barlow, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be -par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is
to say)
Our Invention relates to that part or portion of a loom generally known as
the fast and loose reed, and consists of a mode or method of securing the reed
firmly in its place at the time of beating up, which is essentially necessary in
weaving strong or heavy goods, whilst at the same time it leaves the reed
perfectly free or loose if the shuttle should be lodged or other impediment take
place in the warp or shed. We accomplish this desirable object by placing a
bar or rod at the front of the slay, with a finger or projection at each end, at
right angles with the said rod or bar. The said fingers or projections pass

page_text: •
through the slay, and have their ends turned up so as to catch or press against
the reed, when necessary; also connected with the said rod or bar is a lever
or projection, either in the centre or one at each end of it, so placed as to come
in contact with a stud or roller attached to the breast beam, which comes in
contact as the slay advances, thus operating upon the fingers or projections
which pass through the slay, and eventually upon the reed, which is fast or
loose, according to the position of the slay.
These our improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the.
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which the same letters of reference are
used to represent the same parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a section of a loom with our improvements attached, shewing the
reed fast; Fig. 2 is a section of the same with the reed loose; Fig. 3 is a plan
thereof; Fig. 4, a section of a loom with another mode of producing the same
result, shewing the reed fast; Fig. 5 is a section of the same arrange-
ment with the reed loose; and Fig. 6, a plan thereof. a represents the side
frame of the loom; b, the crank shaft; c, the connecting rod; d, the sword
arm; e, the slay; f, the reed; g, the reed cap; h, the breast beam. In the
reed cap is suspended the reed, the lower part of which presses against the
bar i, connected to the levers k, fixed to the rod or shaft 7, working in
bearings m attached to the sword arm d. The bar i can therefore oscillate,
and either be thrown back, making the reed loose, as seen in Figs. 2 and 5, or
held up, making the reed fast, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. In the latter position
the bar is held by the fingers or projections n, which are keyed on or form
part of the rod or shaft o, turning in bearings at the front of the slay. At the
centre or ends, if desired, another finger or projection p is either keyed on or
forms part of the shaft o, and is in contact with a stud or roller q fixed to the
breast beam, and placed either above, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, or below, as in
Figs. 4 and 5. Also connected to the shaft o is the arm or lever r, acted upon
by the spring s, which always keeps up the fingers or projections n, unless
counteracted. The finger p is made of such a form that when the reed is
required to be fast, the roller or stud offers no resistance to the spring s, but
when loose, a pressure is given to it by coming in firm contact with the
roller q, overcoming the force of the spring s, and pressing down the fingers
or projections n from the bar i, thus making the reed loose.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
we desire it to be distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
exact details herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without
departing from the principle thereof; but we claim as of our Invention, and
which, to the best of our knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used within

page_text: this realm, the several modes or methods of working the fast and loose reeds
of the loom, or any modification thereof, as herein described and illustrated in
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel-Campbell; have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
DANIEL CAMPBELL. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Daniel Campbell in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.