Improvements in or relating to the Dobby Mechanism of Looms.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Dobby Mechanism of Looms.
We, GEORGE EDWARD BEAUMONT, Power Loom Tuner, JOHN POLLOCK
FAULDS, Engineer, and ROBERT GLENDINING, Manufacturer, all of No. 2, Com-
mercial Chambers, Manse Street Dunedin, in the Colony of New Zealand, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
Our invention relates to looms for weaving cloth and similar materials and
particularly to looms made under the Patents of Messrs. Hollingsworth and
Knowles of England, and has for its objects to simplify the operation of changing
the working of the machine from one pattern to another; to provide ready means
for reversing the pattern and box harness; by apparatus which may be applied
with small expense to existing looms; which shall be light in use, and have
working parts which may be readily renewable.
We carry the objects of our invention into effect by making our box harness
and reversing pattern harness of lags having pegs, both made by preference of
hard wood, in place of the usual metal rollers and ferrules. The lags are carried
round by a cylinder similar to those at present in use. Instead, however of
placing the cylinder revolubly in fixed bearings, we slot the said bearings so
that the cylinder with the lags may rise and fall as required. The journals of
the cylinder are produced at each end where they are received by suspension
links, which in their turn are suspended from levers having friction rollers near
their centres. The rear ends of the levers are revolubly attached to the main
frame of the machine. The levers are operated by a cam which is concentric
with its axis for the greater portion of its circumference but has a flat side
which allows the levers with the cylinder to fall at each revolution. A star
pointer is fixed upon one of the produced journals of the cylinder and is revolved
by & kicker.
The manner in which our apparatus works is as follows:-
The pegs are placed in the holes provided to receive them in the lags and after
the lags are coupled together by their links they are placed upon the cylinder.
The lower end of these lags or harness is held in position by a roller working in
suitable bearings. After the machine is started the cam and kicker each make
one revolution to each throw of the shuttle so that the cylinder, lags and pegs are
lowered, the star pointer with the cylinder revolved so far as to bring the
next lag into position; the cylinder, lags, and pegs are then raised and with
them such vibrators as are found above the pegs. The connections of the vibrators
to the jacks, and the jacks to the heddles are the same as those used with the old
apparatus.
Heretofore the harness has been expensive and heavy, and considerable time has
been required to change from one pattern to another, since the rollers are
threaded upon bars and are distanced apart by ferrules. The threading of the
ferrules and rollers necessitated the taking apart of the whole harness and as there
is a great number of parts a considerable loss of time ensued.
With our harness the pegs have merely to be withdrawn from the lags and
placed in any desired holes, and when required this operation may be accomplished
without removing the harness from the machine.

page_text: In order that our invention may be most easily understood by one skilled in the
art to which it appertains we have illustrated the same upon the accompanying
drawings to which we shall refer whilst giving a detailed description.
Similar letters and figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the
views.
Fig. 1, is a front view of our apparatus and shewing such parts of a loom as are
necessary for purposes of description.
Fig. 2, is a side view of the same.
Fig. 3, is a side section of the harness and shewing one of the vibrators raised
by one of the pegs.
Fig. 4, is a perspective view of one of the lags with its pegs, on a larger
scale.
Fig. 5, is a view of the slotted bearing of the cylinder on a larger scale.
Fig. 6, is a side view of apparatus for steadying the cylinder.
Fig. 7, is a side view of part of Fig. 3.
Fig. 8, is a plan of the clutch.
Fig. 9, is an elevation of the same.
The lags (a) are shaped as shewn in Fig. 4, to fit the ordinary cylinder (b) as
shewn in Fig. 3, and are made of hard wood by preference. These lags are joined
together by links (a 1) which are readily opened and taken apart when more or
less lags are required, and are provided with holes (a 3) which are spaced apart to
correspond with the position of the vibrators (c). Hard wood pegs (a2) fit tightly
into these holes (a 3) and, passing through the lags, rest upon the body of
cylinder (b). In place of the usual metal friction block upon vibrators (c) we
use a block made of hard wood (c 4) for receiving the thrust of pegs (a 2). Said
pegs (a 2) may be readily removed by means of a pair of pliers from one hole to
another and if desired without taking the lags off the machine. When joined
together these lags constitute a pattern or box harness and replace the present
expensive, heavy and intricate harness. A roller (a 4) of wood by preference is
passed through the lower end of the harness and is carried upon suitable
brackets (a 5), for guiding the lags towards the cylinder (b). Brackets (a 5) are
fixed to the usual supports (a 10) and may be adjusted by means of holes (a 11)
to suit varying lengths of harness. Light rods (a 6) fixed into bar (a 7) and
actuated by spiral spring (a 8) press upon the lags as they pass over the cylinder
and retain the same in position.
Cylinder (6) is revolved by star pointer (d) which is keyed upon the extension
of the journal of said cylinder, and by kicker (d 1) which is keyed to shaft (d2).
Motion is imparted to shaft (d2) from shaft (e) through bevel wheels (e 1) or (e 2),
intermediate bevel wheel (e 3) and hevel wheels (e4 and e5). Wheels (e3 & e 4)
are keyed to shaft (e6) which revolves in its bracket (e7) and wheel (e 5) is
keyed to shaft (d 2) and has a step bearing in bracket (e 7). Bevel wheels (e1
and e 2) run loosely upon shaft (e) and either may be brought into operation by
means of clutch (e 8) which is connected to shaft (e) by a feather but is free to be
raised or lowered by lever (e 9) working on pillar (e 10) link (e 11) and hand
lever (e 12). Clutch (e 8) is shewn separately in Fig. 8, where (m) are lugs which
engage with similar lugs. (m 1) on bevel wheels (e1 and 2). The fork of
lever (e 9) works within groove (m2). Shaft (e) is revolved in the usual
manner by wheels (e 13, e 14 and e 15) and clutch (e 16). According as clutch (e8)
is operated to engage with wheel (e l'or e2) so wheel (e 3) will revolve one way or
the other and with it shaft (d2). In this manner the harness is made to reverse
at will.
Cylinders (f& f1) are revolved by bevel wheels (f2 and f3, and f4 and f5)
respectively in the usual manner and upon the extensions of axle of cylinder (f)
are keyed cams (6) having a flat side as shewn in Fig. 2. Above these cams
are provided levers (7) which revolve around their fulcrums (58) and have
near their central part antifriction rollers (9). Upon their outer ends these
levers (7) receive a shaft (10) and to this said shaft are suspended links (f11).

page_text: The axle of cylinder (b) passes through and revolves within the lower ends of
said links (11) and also passes through its slotted bearing (12) shewn on.
large scale in Fig. 5. Bearing (ƒ12) is carried within the main frame (13) of the
machine and held by set screw (14) in the usual manner.
The manner in which our apparatus operates is as follows:-
Shaft (e) supported on its bracket (g) which is attached to main framing (k)-
runs continuously in one direction carrying with it clutch (e 8). By operating
lever (e 12) said clutch may be made to engage with bevel wheel (el or e 2) to
revolve shaft (d2) in either direction. Bevel wheels (e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, f2,
f3, f4, & f5) have all the same number of teeth, so that shafts (e & d2) and:
cylinders (f& f1) make the same number of revolutions in any given time and.
simultaneously. It therefore will be seen that cam (6) and kicker (d1) make-
their revolutions simultaneously, and they are so placed relatively to each other
that cam (6) permits lever (ƒ7) to fall whilst kicker (d1) revolves star-
pointer (d) the distance of one tooth. By the fall of said lever (7) the
cylinder (b) and vibrator (c) also fall, but the vibrator is retained in the usual.
manner upon its levelling bar (n) Fig. 2, and cylinder (b) continues to fall until
peg (a 2) is clear of its vibrator. Kicker (d 1) then advances cylinder (b) the
distance of one tooth of star pointer (d) and brings the next lag with its pegs into
position. Here the said cylinder (b) is held steady by its indented wheel (),
antifriction roller (11) and spring (2). The action of this indented wheel will be
obvious from Fig. 6, where carrier (3) and its antifriction roller (1) are forced
against wheel () by spring (12).
Whilst in this lower position wheel (01) will have engaged with lower-
cylinder (1) and brought connector (c 2) back into its first position.
A fresh lag being now in position and cam (f6) continuing to revolve;.
lever (7) will be raised and with it cylinder (b) and such vibrators as are found
above the pegs until wheels (c1) engage with upper cylinder (ƒ), to operate -
connectors (c2).
In this manner the operations are repeated and continued, and the heddles of
the loom operated as required to work the pattern in hand.
We wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact.
details herein before described as these may be varied in several ways without
departing from the principle of our invention.
We are aware that lags and pegs have been used upon other machinery and we
do not claim the use of these broadly, but
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In dobby mechanism for looms apparatus for raising and lowering cylinder (b).
consisting of cam (ƒ6) lever (7) link (11) and bearings (12), substantially
as and for the purposes set forth herein and illustrated on the accompanying.
drawings.
2. In dobby mechanism for looms the combination of apparatus for raising
and lowering cylinder (b) consisting of cam (6) lever (7) link (11) and
bearings (12) with apparatus for revolving cylinder (6) consisting of star
pointer (d) and kicker (d 1), substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
herein.
3. In dobby mechanism for looms the combination of apparatus for raising.
and lowering cylinder (b) consisting of cam (56) lever (7) link (11) aud
bearings (12), and apparatus for revolving said cylinder (6) consisting of star
pointer (d) and kicker (d1), with apparatus for reversing the motion of said
cylinder consisting of bevel wheels (e1, e2, and 3) clutch (e8) lever (e 9).
link (e 11) and lever (e 12) substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
4. In dobby mechanism for looms the combination of harness consisting of
lags (a), links (a1) and pegs (a 2) with apparatus for raising and lowering.

page_text: cylinder (6) consisting of cam (6) lever (ƒ7), link (ƒ11) and bearings (12),
and apparatus for revolving said cylinder (6) consisting of star pointer (d) and
kicker (d1), substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
5. In dobby mechanism for looms the combination of harness consisting of
lags (a) links (a 1) and pegs (a2) with apparatus for raising and lowering
cylinder (b) consisting of cam (6) lever (7) links (11) and bearings (12),
and apparatus for revolving said cylinder (6) consisting of star pointer (d) and
kicker (d 1), and apparatus for reversing the motion of said cylinder (6) consisting
of bevel wheels (e 1, e2 and e3) clutch (e 8) lever (e 9) link (e 11) and lever (e 12)
substantially as and for the purposes set forth herein.
6. The improvements in looms, such as herein before described, constructed,
arranged and operating, substantially as set forth herein and illustrated.
Dated this 7th day of November 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.