IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING BY MEANS OF ELECTRICITY THE NUMBER OF PICKS WOVEN PER INCH IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Porritt, of Milnsbridge, near Huddersfield, in the
County of York, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING BY MEANS OF ELECTRICITY THE NUMBER
OF PICKS WOVEN PER INCH IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Porritt at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th August 1881.
JAMES PORRITT, of Milnsbridge, near Huddersfield, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING BY MEANS
OF ELECTRICITY THE NUMBER OF PICKS WOVEN PER INCH IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING."
This Invention consists in a new means or method of indicating at some distance
from the place in which looms are working, say, in the office or warehouse, the
number of picks which the looms are making per inch, so that the employé or
other person can ascertain without visiting the interior of the works whether the
weaver is placing in the material the proper number of picks required per inch of
the material woven.
For this purpose I attach to the inner side of the breast beam of a loom an
instrument or apparatus actuated at each beat up of the slay or other going part of
the loom in such manner that the result of each "beat up shall be registered on
an indicator in the office or warehouse.
"
The instrument is connected by electric wires to the indicator.
The instrument or apparatus consists of a bracket having slotted arms pro-
jecting therefrom for the purpose of receiving a box or pedestal carrying a spiked
revolving roller. As the cloth or other material is being woven, it is caused to
bear or rest upon this spiked roller, and when the slay beats up it comes into

page_text: contact with the sliding box or pedestal, pushing it forward in its bearings so as to
bring certain parts of the apparatus into contact, by which means the circuit of
the battery is completed and registered on the indicator as a beat up, notifying
that a pick has been made in the cloth. When the sliding box is moved in its
bearings, the spiked roller is moved a certain portion of a revolution, so much as 5
to indicate a pick, and thus pick by pick the roller is turned until the roller has
revolved one inch, when the electric current is cut off by means of recesses formed
at one end of the spiked roller, or other suitable commutator may be adopted to
register the rotation of the spiked roller inch by inch.
It will be understood that the space upon the roller may be any distance which. 1
will indicate the number of picks in a given space.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Porritt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th February
1882.
JAMES PORRITT, of Milnsbridge, near Huddersfield, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REGISTERING BY
MEANS OF ELECTRICITY THE NUMBER OF PICKS WOVEN PER INCH IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING."
This Invention consists in a new means or method of indicating at some distance
from the place in which looms are working, say, in the office or warehouse, the
number of picks which the looms are making per inch, so that the employé or
other person can ascertain without visiting the interior of the works whether the
weaver is placing in the material the proper number of picks required per inch of
the material woven.
For this purpose I attach to the inner side of the breast beam of a loom an
instrument or apparatus actuated at each beat up of the slay or other going part
of the loom in such manner that the result of cach "beat up" shall be registered on
an indicator in the office or warehouse.
The instrument is connected by electric wires to the indicator.
The instrument or apparatus consists of a bracket having slotted arms pro-
jecting therefrom for the purpose of receiving a box or pedistal carrying a spiked
revolving roller. As the cloth or other material is being woven, it is caused to
bear or rest upon this spiked roller, and when the slay beats up it comes into
contact with the sliding box or pedistal, pushing it forward in its bearings so as to
bring certain parts of the apparatus into contact, by which means the circuit of the
battery is completed and registered on the indicator as a beat up, notifying that a
pick has been made in the cloth. When the sliding box is moved in its bearings,
the spiked roller is moved a certain portion of a revolution, so much as to indicate
a pick, and thus pick by pick the roller is turned until it has revolved one inch,
when the electric current is cut off by means of recesses formed at one end of the
spiked roller, or other suitable commutator may be adopted to registar the rotation
of the spiked roller inch by inch.
It will be understood that the space upon the roller may be any distance which
will indicate the number of picks in a given space.
In order that my Invention may be more fully understood, I herein give
reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view of
the apparatus connected to the breast beam; Fig. 2 is a section, so that some of the
parts may be more clearly seen; and Fig. 3 is a plan of same. A is a spiked roller,
the shaft of which rests in bearings B connected to the sliding box C. To the
breast beam is bolted the bracket D having a slot formed therein at each side so as
to enable the box C to move backward and forward when pushed by the slay or
other going part of the loom, the india rubber spring E acting in the opposite
direction, and brings the box back again. The sliding box C has a pointer F
which rests upon the periphery of the spiked roller, and G are pieces of ebonite for
stopping the connection of the electric current. H is another pointer connected to
the sliding box which comes into contact (at each beat up of the slay) with the
part I, by which means the circuit is completed, the magnet J attracting the
lever K hinged upon a stud L, lowering the catch M in gear with the ratchet
wheel N; but as soon as the pointer H leaves the part I the circuit is broken, and
the spiral spring W lifts up the lever L, and the catch operates the ratchet wheel,
moving the finger P on the dial plate R, and indicates that a pick has been made.
The metal part of the spiked roller between each piece of ebonite represents one

page_text: inch, so that when an inch of cloth has been woven the circuit is broken until the
pointer has passed the ebonite, when it again begins to register. S is another
catch which is kept up to the teeth in the ratchet wheel N by the spring T, so that
the said wheel cannot return when the catch M is lowered for another lift. The
spiked roller is caused to revolve by the movement of the cloth V which is being
taken up by the ordinary taking up mechanism of the loom.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
•
Each loom is connected by line wire to the magnet, and when it is required to
know the number of picks woven per inch in a certain loom, one of the handles U
is moved so as to connect the circuit, and the finger P will move upon the dial
plate as each pick is made; and when the spiked roller has moved one inch, the
pointer F will be brought into contact with the ebonite and stop the electric
connection, consequently the finger P ceases to move and stops opposite the
number of picks which has been made in an inch. By this means manufacturers
can ascertain whilst in the office, and unknown to the weaver, whether the proper
number of picks is put into the cloth according to order.
Fig. 4 is end view, and Fig. 5, plan of another form of apparatus to be attached
to the breast beam; in this case I dispense with the sliding box, thereby rendering
the apparatus more simple. A is the spiked roller with its shaft resting in
bearings B of the bracket D.
It will be understood that it may so happen that whilst the indicator is at work
registering the number of picks per inch, that the loom may stop through a variety
of causes, consequently the indicator would cease to register before the inch of cloth
had been woven; but in order that the person who may be observing the indicator may
know the difference between it ceasing to register through the stoppage of the loom,
or because the inch of cloth has been woven, the spiked roller shewn in Figs. 4
and 5 is provided with two sets of pieces of ebonite and two pointers E and F, so
that when one pointer is off the other is on, the pointer E throwing the current on
the short circuit on the completion of one inch traverse, thereby locking the clock
of the indicator; but if the loom stops before the inch has traversed, the clock
will not be locked.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and shewn by Drawings
how the same is to be performed or carried into practical operation, I would have
it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction and
arrangement as herein set forth, but what I claim as my Invention is,-
The means and method of registering the number of picks woven per inch in
looms for weaving, substantially as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Porritt, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
TURN BAntimm