IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Platt, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster.
Mechanical Engineer, and William Cheetham, of Moscow, in the Empire
of Russia, but now residing at Oldham aforesaid, Manager, for the Inven-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Platt and William
Cheetham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 15th April 1862.
We, JOHN PLATT, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical
Engineer, and WILLIAM CHEETHAM, of Moscow, in the Empire of Russia.
but now residing at Oldham aforesaid, Manager, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention refers to the picking motion of looms, and consists in the
adaptation of a spring "buffer" or other such elastic apparatus, against which
the picking stick bears when it recedes from the shuttle. Also we apply a
similar apparatus for receiving the blow of the picking stick in its forward
motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Platt and William Cheetham in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
PLATT, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, and

page_text: WILLIAM CHEETHAM, of Moscow, in the Empire of Russia, but now residing at
Oldham aforesaid, Manager, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said John Platt and William Cheetham, Her special license that we, the
said John Platt and William Cheetham, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Platt and William Cheetham,
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 John Platt and
William Cheetham, 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 Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Platt, on behalf of myself and of
the said William Cheetham, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being bad to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):
Our Invention refers to the picking motion of looms, and consists in the
adaptation of a spring "buffer" or other such elastic apparatus, against which
the picking stick bears when it recedes from the shuttle. Also we apply a
similar apparatus for receiving the blow of the picking stick in its forward
motion.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a portion of loom in front
elevation, with our improvements applied; and Fig. 2 is an end view.
The picking stick is shewn at a, turning upon a centre at 6, and caused to
vibrate by the usual strap c. At d is a bracket carried by the framework of
the loom, and provided with a boss e, within which is mounted a rod f, so as to
be capable of sliding therein. Around this rod is a coiled spring g, bearing at
one end against the bracket d, and at the other against a flange h attached to

page_text: the rod f, the parts thus arranged constituting a spring "buffer." When the
picking stick is driven into the position shewn by the full lines it arrives in
contact with the flange h, and the spring 9 gradually giving way to the pressure
diminishes the shock. At i is another bracket carried by the framework of
the loom provided with a boss, within which is placed a sliding rod k, around
which is a coiled spring 1, bearing at one end against the bracket i, and at the
other against a flange m, attached to the rod k. When the picking takes
place the picking stick a arrives in contact with the flange m, as shewn by the
dotted lines, and the blow is gradually checked by compression of the spring l.
At n, o, are stops to the two rods f, k, for determining the outward motion of
the said rods. The flanges h, m, at the sides against the picking sticks are
covered with leather, and in the latter case the said leather is shewn in an open
fold, but this is not essential.
We have above described the combined application of the two buffers to
the picking motion, but if desired the one may be used without the other.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that we claim as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, the use singly or in combination of the spring buffers, substantially as
described and for the purposes above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Platt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JNO. PLATT.
(L.S.)