IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALDS OR HEDDLES FOR WEAVING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Carter Ramsden, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Stuff Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALDS
OR HEDDLES FOR WEAVING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING
Sealed the 8th April 1862, and dated the 12th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Carter Ramsden at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th October 1861.
I, JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN, of Bradford, in the County of York, Stuff Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HEALDS OR HEDDLES FOR WEAVING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
MAKING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
It will be of use to state, first, that I am aware that healds or heddles of
various descriptions are in common use for the purpose of weaving, and that
several Letters Patent have been granted for improvements therein; some
consist in having oblong pieces of metal, called mails, instead of loops, others
consist in having the top and bottom of the loop plaited, others, again, consist
in having the loops knotted, and so on.
My improvements consist in having three continuous threads, one of which,
to form the loop, is lapped by suitable mechanism round the other two,
then drawn up to the rigband or selvage of the heald and there fastened,

page_text: hence I obtain a perfect loop without knots. The mechanism by which I
propose to accomplish this is as follows:-On the face of a common mail heald
machine, somewhere about where the mail trap is now placed, I fix a hollow
stud; this stud bears a flyer containing a bobbin, which is caused to revolve at
stated times by suitable mechanism. Through this hollow stud I pass a rod,
which may be of different thickness, according to the size of loop required;
likewise through this hollow stud I pass two threads, one on each side of the
rod, which come from bobbins placed on spindles at some convenient part of the
machine; when, therefore, the flyer on the stud is caused to revolve, the thread
on the bobbin fixed thereon will lap round the two threads and the rod which
pass through the stud, and when this is done the threads are drawn up to
their respective rigbands or selvages by a system of hooks similar in construc-
tion to those now in common use in the mail beald machines, and so on, until
the heald or heddle is completed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters-Patent, filed
by the said John Carter Ramsden in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CARTER RAMSDEN, of Bradford, in the County of York, Stuff Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Carter Ramsden, Her special licence that I, the said John Carter Ramsden,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Carter Ramsden, my 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
HEALDS OR HEDDLES FOR WEAVING, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
MAKING THE SAME," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said John
Carter Ramsden, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: 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 Carter Ramsden, do hereby
declare the Bature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:―
It will be of use to state, first, that I am aware that healds or heddles of
various descriptions are in common use for the purpose of weaving, and that
several Letters Patent have been granted for improvements therein; some
consist in having oblong pieces of metal, called mails, instead of loops, others
consist in having the top and bottom of the loop plaited, others, again, consist
in having the loops knotted, and so on.
My improvements consist in having three continuous threads, one of which,
to form the loop, is lapped by suitable mechanism round the other two, then
drawn up to the rigband or selvage of the heald and there fastened; hence I
obtain a perfect loop without knots. The mechanism by which I propose to-
accomplish this is as follows:-On the face of a common mail heald machine,.
somewhere about where the mail trap is now placed, I fix a hollow stud; this-
stud bears a flyer containing a bobbin, which is caused to revolve at stated
times by suitable mechanism. Through this hollow stud I pass a rod, which
may be of different thickness, according to the size of loop required; likewise
through this hollow stud I pass two threads, one on each side of the rod;"
which come from bobbins placed on spindles at some convenient part of the
machine; when, therefore, the flyer on the stud is caused to revolve, the thread*
on the bobbin fixed thereon will lap round the two threads and the rod which
pass through the stud, and when this is done the threads are drawn up to their
respective rigbands or selvages by a system of hooks similar in construction
to those now in common use in the mail heald machines, and so on, until the
heald or heddle is completed.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheets of
Drawings accompanying these Presents and to the numeral figures and letters,
of reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DECODREAN
AR SH
Dow

page_text: section through the line A, B, at Sheet 1; Sheet 3 exhibits a transverse and
vertical section through the line C, D, at Sheets 1 and 2, also some detached
portions of machinery; Sheet 4 exhibits an elevation of the driving gear or
wheelwork situate at the back of the machine; Sheet 5 exhibits an elevation
of the front of the machine. At each of the foregoing Sheets of Drawings and
Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote corresponding parts in
so far as such parts appear or can be seen at each of such said Sheets of
Drawings and Figures respectively.
A marks the framework of the machine, which supports the following parts,
namely, B, the main driving shaft, on which are fixed the handle C, toothed
wheel b, and fly wheel E; the wheel a and star wheel D are fixed together, and
are loose on the shaft B; G is another shaft, on which are fixed the stud
plate H and tooth wheel c, which gears into the wheel b, and is driven thereby;
I is a crank, also fixed on the shaft G, said crank having a jointed rod K
connected thereto for operating upon certain parts herein-after described and
referred to; L is another shaft, on which are placed loosely the toothed wheels d
and e, and mitre wheels f,f; the wheel e gears into the wheel a, and the wheel d
gears into the wheel y, fixed to the mitre wheel h, the axis of-which-is a stud
fixed in a casting i, bolted to the cross framing A'; M is another shaft, on
which are fixed the toothed wheels and n, and tappet m, shewn at Sheet 2;
the wheel gears iuto the wheel c, and is driven thereby, and the wheel n
gears into a wheel o for imparting motion to the train of wheels p, q, r, s, t, u, v,
and parts connected therewith; O is a mitre wheel, gearing into the wheel h,
and driven thereby; w is a hollow stud, screwed firmly by the nut-1-to-the
casting i; P, Q, are pieces of metal fixed by screws 2 upon the long boss 3
of the wheel 0; said boss revolves on the fixed hollow stud w, and the
wheel O is kept in-gear with the wheel h by a nut 4 fitting on a screw formed
on the stud w; a is a bar of metal, shewn detached at Figures 1 and 2 of
Sheet 3, where 5 mark grooves formed along the sides of said bar for the
passage of the threads 6 from the spools 7; the parts 8 serve to keep the
threads in the grooves 5 at Sheet 1; 9, 9, are keys for fixing the bar z firmly
in the hollow stud w; R is a flyer, jointed at 10 to the bar 11, said bar
being fixed into the piece P, so as to move therewith; 12 is a collar, to
which is fixed the bar 11, said collar being employed to support and guide the
bar 11 and flyer R in their rotatory course; S is a bobbin, placed loosely
on a pin 13, fixed in the arm P' of the piece P as at Sheet 2; the thread from
this bobbin is passed through the eyes of the bar 11, and through a hole in
the end of the flyer R, as exhibited; thence the thread passes in the manner
herein-after described. I would here observe that great care must be taken

page_text: to have the brake on the bobbin S. properly adjusted, so as to maintain a
uniform degree of tension of the thread leading to the flyer R, otherwise the
leases or loops will be of different lengths. S¹ is a piece of metal, shewn
better at Figure 3 of Sheet 3, employed for locking and holding the. nose of
the flyer R exactly in a line with the groove 14 in the flyers T respectively,
through the, hollow centre of each of which the rigbands or selvage cords 15
pass from the reels or spools 16 to studs 63, fixed in the periphery of the
drums U, U, herein-after described. The piece S¹ is held in position by the
bowls 17 at Figure 3 of Sheet 3, where it, will be seen that there is a hole 18
formed in the piece S', through which a lever W. (shewn at Sheet 2) passes,
said lever being depressed by the tappet m for the purpose of allowing the
flyer R to be turned round two and a half revolutions; the springs 19 shewn at
Figure 4 of Sheets 2 and 3 lift up the piece S2 by the lever W as the tappel m
rotates, and leaves the said lever; 20 is a lever fixed on a shaft 21, on which
is also fixed another lever.22, the upper end of which is acted upon by a
tappet 23 fixed on the shaft M; 24 is a carrier rod, and 25 a forked rod,
each connected to the lever 20, and employed for the purpose herein-after
stated; X is a shaft, on which are mounted parts or pieces 26, 27, 28, of the
following construction:-26 is a lever, formed in two parts to enable its length
to be adjusted as required; 29 is a bent wire, having a pin y passed through
same to support the bent lever 27, and allow it to descend at the proper time,
as herein-after described; 30 are a pair of scissor. levers or prongs connected
to the lever 27, and employed to take the threads 6 out of the
in the
bar a, and hold them distended, as at Figure 5, Sheet 3, by the action of the
spring 31 thereon until the hooks 32 are raised and take hold of said threads
by the means herein-after described; 33 is a fork-shaped piece of metal fixed
to the lever 27, and employed for the purpose herein-after described; 28 is a
lever fixed on the shaft. X, said lever is acted upon by a cam Y fixed on the
shaft Z, and spring. 34, as at Sheets 1 and 5, at Sheet 2; 35 and 36 are two
cross shafts, on which are. fixed levers :37 and. 38; the levers 37 are each
acted upon by a tappet. 39 fixed on the shaft Z, and the levers 37 and 38 are
connected together by rods 40, one of which is shewn at Sheet 2, the end of
each of the levers 38 carries a stud 41,. on which is placed a piece of
metal 42, formed forked at top, into which a bar of metal 43 is fitted, and con-
nected by a pin; the upper end of the bar 43 is forked to receive the forks 32,
which are connected thereto by a pin 44; the points of these forks fit in
slots formed in pieces of metal 45, shewn at Sheet 1; each of these bars
and pairs of forks are required to have a compound movement imparted
thereto, that is to say, the bars require to be drawn inwards or towards each
grooves

page_text: other and then lowered, after which said forks require to be raised to catch
hold of the thread distended by the action of the scissor levers 30; then said
forks require to be moved outwards and raised, so as to insert the threads in
their respective grooves in the flyers T. I have found the following arrange-
ment well adapted for effecting these objects, that is to say, upon the shaft Z
I fix a mitre wheel 46, and gear it into a corresponding wheel 47, supported
by a casting 48 fixed to the cross piece or stay 49; 50 is a crank fixed on the
axis of the wheel 47; 51 is a rod connected by its upper end to the crank 50,
and by its lower end to the casting 52, which slides on a rod 53 fixed to the
cross stay 54, as at Sheet 2; the casting 52 has arms 55 connected thereto,
as at Sheet 3, the upper ends of which are bent and fitted with bowls 56,
which embrace the bar 43, so that as the crank 50 rotates the bars 43 and
their hooks are alternately caused to approach and recede from each other, as
denoted by dotted lines, and as the tappet 39 rotates the bars 43 and their
hooks are raised and lowered, thereby said bars sliding between the bowls 56;
the pieces of metal 45 have grooves 57 formed therein for separating and
bringing together the points of the hooks 32 as desired.
I now proceed to describe the mode of gathering or winding on to the
drums U, U, the healds as they are manufactured, that is to say, upon the
axis of the wheel s I fix a mitre wheel t, which gears into a corresponding
wheel u fixed on a shaft 60 suitably supported; a worm v is also keyed on
said shaft, and gears into a worm wheel U¹ fixed on the axis 62 of the drums
U, U, hooks or notched pieces of metal 63 are fixed one in each drum, and
to said hooks or notched pieces the rigbands or selvage cords 15 are affixed,
and as the drums rotate are wound around same. The operations of the above
mentioned improved machinery or apparatus are as follows:-The threads 6
are each fastened to their respective rigbands or selvage cords 15 by the
waxed threads of the flyers T; rotatory motion is then imparted to the
machinery, care being taken to have the point or forks of the carrier 24 in
the position denoted by the dotted lines a at Sheet 2; the first impulse of the
machinery is to push forward the carrier 24 by means of the crank I and rod K,
and simultaneously with this movement to lift up the said carrier rod by the
action of the cam 23 on the levers 22 and 20, by which the threads 6 at the
points are pushed in the direction of the arrows flight at Sheets 1 and 2, and
also the rod 25 by the collar 6, by which the flyer R will be pushed from the
position denoted by the solid lines at d, Sheet 2, into the position denoted by
the dotted lines at said sheet. The flyer R then receives rotary motion through
the agency of the stud e in the plate H at Sheet 3, acting on the star wheel D,
and wheels a, c, d, g, h, O, so as to impart two and a half revolutions to the.

page_text: flyer R, laying the thread from the bobbin 'S around the part f of the grooved
bar a, the carrier 24 then descends and is drawn back into its original position,
and simultaneously the forked piece 33 descends by the action of the 'cam Y
and spring 34, and takes hold of the threads 6 and continues to hold them
until the points of the scissor levers 30 descend behind the threads which are
in the grooves of the bar x, and the lever 26 continuing to descend opens the
levers 30, thereby pulling the threads 6 out of the grooves in the bar x, as
denoted by the Diagram at Figure 5 of Sheet 3, holding said threads distended
until the points of the hooks 32 are raised by the action of the tappet 39 on
the levers 37 and 38; the crank 50 and arms 55 then come into action so as.
to force each pair of jointed hooks 32 asunder, as at Sheet 3, and simul-
taneously push the flyer R on one side and pull the threads 6 into the grooves
in the flyers T, and hold them there until they are fastened to the rigbands or
selvage cords 15 by the waxed threads of said flyers, as commonly practised.
At Sheet 1 is exhibited the shape of the grooves in the pieces 45 for spreading
o opening the forks 32 as the bars 43 are pushed outwards; the lever 26 now
rs and lifts by the pin y the lever 27; the carrier 24 is then pushed forward,
and the operations are repeated as lastly described, and so on in succession,
the finished work being wound on to the drums U, U, by the action of the
wheels s, t, u, v, U₁, thereon, the speeds of the several wheels being calculated
and adjusted in accordance with the functions of the several parts of the
machinery. And I would here remark, as regards the flyer R, that at each
two and a half revolutions thereof, said flyer occupies alternate positions, that
is to say, it finishes two and a half revolutions first on one side of the bar x,
and the next two and a half revolutions on the opposite side of said bar, this
being necessary for the proper formation of the loops of the heald according to
my improvements as denoted by the Diagram at Figure 4, Sheet 3.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "Improvements in Healds or Heddles for Weaving, and in the
Machinery or Apparatus for Making the same," together with the best means
I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I hereby
declare my Invention to consist in and I claim,-
First, as an improvement in healds or beddles employing in their manu-
facture three continuous threads operated upon as above described, with
reference to the several Sheets of Drawings accompanying these Presents, by
which I obtain a perfect loop without knots.
Secondly, I claim the general arrangement and combination of the several
parts of the machinery or apparatus above described, with reference to the
several Sheets of Drawings accompanying these Presents; and especially I

page_text: claim the hollow tube w, grooved bar x, flyer R, forked rod 25, and parts
connected therewith and employed to actuate same as constituting improve-
ments in machinery or apparatus for making healds or heddles for weaving.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Carter Ramsden, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN. (L.S.)