IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Bullough, of Baxenden, near Accrington, in
.the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 9th May 1865, and dated the 15th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Bullough at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
November 1864.
I, JAMES BULLOUGH, of Baxenden, near Accrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to plain and fancy looms for weaving woollen or
other fabrics, and consists in further improvements upon the Invention for
which Letters Patent were granted to me, entitled "Improvements in Looms
for Weaving," dated the Eleventh day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three, No. 3120, and the Invention has for its object not
only the stopping of the loom when there is a pick of weft broken or absent,
as in the Invention before alluded to, but also the prevention of the loom
stopping when the weft is not broken or absent, as hitherto it would be liable
to do in cases where the loom picks two or more times consecutively from
one side.

page_text: In the Specification of the Patent above alluded to, I describe three or
more vertical weft feelers, any one of which in descending would in the
absence of weft to support it, alight on one end of a two-armed lever placed
on the reed cap, thereby raising the arm at the other side of the centre or
fulcrum, which arm then came in contact with an obstruction, and caused the
stoppage of the loom, as was fully explained.
It was also shewn in that Specification that the weft feelers at each side of
the middle one descended only every alternate pick, and were so timed that
the one descending was always on the side opposite to that from which the
last pick was given. Had they not been so timed, and the weft feeler
descended on that side from which the last pick had been given, it would
miss the weft on account of its being so near the cloth, and thereby cause the
stoppage of the loom unnecessarily. Now in the case of looms which pick
two or more times consecutively from the same side, it is evident that this
'alternate descent of the weft feelers would not prevent the unnecessary
stopping of the loom, and to avoid this unnecessary stopping is the main
object of this Invention. To accomplish this purpose I cause the weft
feelers to be acted upon at every pick by tappets on the tappet or crank
shafts of the loom, or their equivalents, and make use of a sliding bar with
an inclined swell or projection on each end, and cause the loom in the act of
picking to force one of these projections under one arm of the two-armed
lever before mentioned, and at the same time to force the swell which is on
the opposite side to that from which the pick is being given out of the way
of the two-armed lever on that side. The effect of this is, that only the
two-armed lever can act or be put in position to stop the loom which is on
the side remote from that from which the last pick was given. The two-armed
lever which is on the same side of the loom as that from which the pick
has just been given being prevented from being brought into position to stop
the loom by the swell on the sliding bar. Thus it is evident that so long as
the loom continues to pick from the same side the swells or projections on the
bar will maintain their relative positions, the one remote from the side from
which the picks are given, leaving the two-armed lever on the said remote
side free to be acted upon by the weft feeler in its descent, and the swell on
the same side as the pick is being given, rendering the two-armed lever
immoveable by the descent of the feeler on that side. When the loom begins
to pick from the opposite side the bar is made to slide by the action of the
picking part of the loom, and the position of the swells are reversed, thus
making a change in the action and inaction of the two-armed levers as is
required to prevent the unnecessary stopping of the loom. It is evident that

page_text: this sliding bar or other similar contrivance would answer the same purpose
by being made to work in connection with the levers which-are placed on the
upper part of the loom for transmitting motion to the weft feelers. The
swells or projections on the bar in this case would require to be in such
relative positions that one of the levers would be left free to act while the
other was rendered immoveable. The one so rendered immoveable by the
position of the swell could not allow the string connecting its end to the weft
feeler to become slack, and therefore the weft feeler could not descend and
stop the loom unnecessarily, while the other which is left free to act would in
its descent meet and be supported by the weft if present, but if absent would
cause the loom to be stopped as required. When the loom is picked from
the opposite side a corresponding change must take place in the position of
the bar, and the swells or projections on it, as already explained. It is also
evident that these levers, whether those on the reed cap, or those on the
upper part of the loom could be acted upon, not only by the picking part, but
also by dobby, jacquard, or similar apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions' of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Bullough in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 15th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BULLOUGH, of Baxenden, near Accrington, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Bullough, Her special license that I, the said James Bullough;
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said
James Bullough, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said James Bullough, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-

page_text: ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Bullough, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to plain and fancy looms for weaving woollen or
other fabrics, and consists in further improvements upon the Invention for
which Letters Patent were granted to me, entitled "Improvements in Looms for
Weaving," dated the Eleventh day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three, No. 3120, and the Invention has for its object not only the
stopping of the loom when there is a pick of weft broken or absent, as in the
Invention before alluded to, but also the prevention of the loom stopping when
the weft is not broken or absent, as hitherto it would be liable to do in cases
where the loom picks two or more times consecutively from one side.
In the Patent above alluded to, I described three or more vertical weft
feelers, any one of which in descending would, in the absence of weft to
support it, alight on one arm of a two-armed lever placed on the reed cap,
thereby raising the arm at the other side of the centre or fulcrum, which arm
then came in contact with an obstruction and caused the stoppage of the loom
as was fully explained.
It was also shewn in that Specification that the weft feeler at each side of
the middle one descended only every alternate pick, and were so timed that
the one descending was always on the side opposite to that from which the last
pick was given. Had they not been so timed, and the weft feelers descended
on that side from which the last pick had been given, it would miss the weft,
on account of its being so near the cloth, and thereby cause the stoppage of
the loom unnecessarily. Now in the case of looms which pick two or more
times consecutively from the same side, it is evident that this alternate descent
of the outside weft feelers would not prevent the unnecessary stopping of the.
loom; and to avoid this unnecessary stopping is the main object of this Inven-
tion. To accomplish this purpose I employ a weft feeler and a two-armed.
lever at or near each side of the fabric, and cause the weft feelers to be acted
upon at every pick by tappets on the tappet or crank shaft of the loom or
their equivalent, and make use of a sliding bar with an inclined swell or pro-
jection on each end, and cause the loom in the act of picking to force one of
these projections under one arm of the two-armed lever on the picking side,

page_text: and at the same time to force the swell, which is on the opposite side to that
from which the pick is being given out of the way of the two-armed lever on
that side. The effect of this is, that only the two-armed lever can act or be
put in position to stop the loom which is on the side remote from that from
which the last pick was given, the two-armed lever, which is on the same side of
the loom as that from which the pick has just been given, being prevented
from being brought in position to stop the loom by the swell on that end of
the sliding bar. Thus it is evident that so long as the loom continues
to pick from the same side, the swells or projections on the bar will maintain
their relative positions, the one remote from the side from which picks are
given, leaving the two-armed lever on the said remote side free to be acted
upon by the weft feeler in its descent, and the swell on the same side as the
pick is being given, rendering the two-armed lever on that side incapable of
being moved by the descent of the feeler. When the loom begins to pick
from the opposite side, the bar is made to slide by the action of the picking
part of the loom, and the position of the swells are reversed, thus making a
change in the action and inaction of the two-armed levers, as is required to
prevent the unnecessary stopping of the loom.
.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2
are end and front elevations of part of a fancy loom having a drop box at
each end, and a weft feeler and two-armed lever at or near each side of the
warp, and the stopping apparatus connected therewith, and also the sliding
bar with the swells or projections, with one mode of working it for preventing
the stoppage of the loom unnecessarily when two or more picks are given
consecutively from one side of the loom; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the
sliding bar and swells detached; Fig. 4, a plan, shewing the sliding bar in
the reed cap, and other parts connected with it; and Fig. 5, a front view of
a modification of some of the working parts. The weft feelers, two-armed
levers, and stopping apparatus are similar to those described in the Specifi-
cation of my former Patent, dated the Eleventh day of December, One
thousand eight bundred and sixty-three, number 3120, and therefore any
description I now give of them and their action is simply for the purpose of
shewing the application of my present improvements.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a represents the end frames of the loom; b, the breast
beam; c, the crank shaft; d, the tappet shaft; e, the slay or batten; f, the.
sword arms; g, the reed; h, the reed cap; i, the drop boxes; k, l, the picking
sticks; m, n, the weft feelers; and o, p, q, r, the arms of the two-armed
levers. Each weft feeler consists of a thin bar or plate of metal placed in.

page_text: guides at the back of the reed cap' and slay, and having a projection pro-
truding a short distance from the front of the reed, the feeler being so light
that it can be supported by the weft, so that no stoppage of the loom
takes place; but when there is a breakage or absence of weft, the feeler
descends and puts in action the stopping apparatus. The upper parts of the
feelers pass through slots in the back arms o, p, of the two-armed levers, which
work in bearings fixed to the reed cap, and at the upper part of the feelers
there are holes, into one of which is placed a pin, which when the feelers
descend come in contact with the back arms o, p, and raise the front arms q, r,
of the two-armed levers. The feelers are connected at the top by cords s to
leverst fixed to the shafts u, and to the shafts are fixed other levers v
connected by rods w to the levers x, having bowls in contact with double
tappets y on the tappet shaft d, or with single tappets on the crank shaft c.
The levers x, v, and rods w are sufficiently heavy to overbalance the levers t,
and pull up the cords and feelers when the bowls are in contact with the
circular parts of the tappets, but when the projecting parts of the tappets
act upon the bowls the levers x, v, are raised and the levers t depressed, in
order to slacken the cords and allow the feelers to descend by their weight.
The projections of the double tappets are short in length, so that the feelers
shall descend and rise rapidly, and as there are two projections on each tappet
the levers t descend and rise at every pick, and the feelers would do the same,
unless their actions are governed; and it is for the purpose of preventing the
feelers from descending at the wrong time, and leaving them free to descend
when required, that I employ a sliding bar with swells or projections worked
from the picking motion, or other suitable contrivance. When the feelers are
allowed to descend they feel for the weft, and if they find it they rest upon
it, and no stoppage of the loom takes place, but if there is no weft, either
from breakage or absence, one or the other feeler falls lower, and depresses the
back arm and raises the front arm of its corresponding two-armed lever, so
that the said front arm shall be placed in position to come in contact as the
slay comes forward with one of the obstructions y', and cause the stoppage of
the loom. The said obstructions and parts connected with them are similar
to those described in my former Patent before alluded to; they are placed on
levers = connected to a shaft a¹ extending from one end of the breast beam 6
to the other end, and on the shaft a¹ there is a lever or cam 6¹ behind the
setting on rod c¹, which if partially turned pushes the said setting-on rod out
of its detent, and causes the stoppage of the loom. The front arms of the
two-armed levers are heavier than the back arms, and, therefore, unless the
back arms are pressed down by the feelers, they overcome the weight of the

page_text: back arms, and allow the front arms to be. below the obstructions, so that
the stopping apparatus is not acted upon unless there is a breakage or absence
of weft..
I may
where repeat that the main object of my present Invention is to enable.
the loom to be stopped either when the picks are given alternately from each
side, or when several picks are given consecutively from the same side, and I
now describe one mode of operating on the sliding bar and swells for that
purpose. The said sliding bar-is shewn at d, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, it consists
of a long strip of wood or metal placed in a mortise in the top of the reed
cap so that it can slide to and fro, and to the bar are fixed swells or projections:
e, f, so placed that when one swell holds up the back arm of its corresponding
two armed lever, the other swell shall be apart from the back arm on the
other side and leave it free to be acted upon by the feeler. The picking sticks
k, l, are fixed to shafts g¹ working in bearings on the end frames of the loom
and to the back of each shaft is fixed a lever h¹, and to the front of the shafts
other levers j, k¹. The back levers'h' are connected by rods & or straps to
levers m', which are acted upon by picking tappets o' fixed to the crank
shaft c, for driving in the picking sticks and throwing the shuttle across the
race of the slay, the sticks being brought back for a fresh throw, and the
levers m² kept up to the picking tappets by means of the springs n¹ attached
to the back levers h', and as the picking tappets are on the crank shaft the
levers m' must be shifted out of the way of the said picking tappets by any of
the ordinary escape motions in order to stop the picking sticks either alternately
or one stick only whilst the other stick is throwing a number of picks. To
the ends of the sliding bar d' I attach cords p¹, q', which pass under guide
pulleys r, s, and are fastened to pins t¹ on the front levers j, k, and as each
picking stick is. moved inwards it shifts the sliding bar and places one swell
under the back arm and the other swell apart from the back arm of their
corresponding two armed levers. Thus when the left hand picking stick k
moves-inwards it propels the shuttle across the race of the slay, and at the
same time the front lever j¹ rises and pulls the cord pl and slide d¹ so that the
swell. e shall be under the arm o, and the swell f¹ away from the arm p,
thereby leaving the said arm free to be acted upon by the feeler n. The
picking stick k as it moves back slackens the cord p¹, and when the right-
hand-picking stick is moved inwards the lever ¹ pulls the cord q¹ and shifts
the sliding bar so as to place the swell f¹ under the arm p and the swell e¹
away from the arm o and leave it free to be acted upon by the feeler mon
that side, and when the left-hand picking stick again moves in the sliding: bar.
and swells are again shifted to release the arm on the opposite side, and so on,

page_text: as long as the loom is at work; or. instead of shifting the, sliding bar and
swells by cords connected to the pins t¹ on the front lever j, k, I place on
each sword arm a double lever, having one arm in contact with a corresponding
projection on the sliding bar and the other arm in contact with a pin on one
of the front levers j,. In Fig. 5, I shew one sword arm and one of these
double levers and mode of working it, it being understood that there is a
similar double lever on the other sword arm, the two arms of the double lever
are shewn at v¹, w, and at the top of, the upper arm v¹ there is an incline ³,
in contact with the pin t¹, the lower end of the arm w¹ being in contact with.
& projection fixed to, that end of the sliding bar, and when the picking stick
moves inwards it raises the lever and pin t¹, and acts on the incline a¹ so as,
to force inwards the arm v¹ and bring out the arm w³, and shift the sliding bar.
and swells, and as they are not influenced by the downward movement of the
pin they remain stationary until the incline of the double lever on the opposite.
sword: arm is acted upon, when the opposite picking stick is moved inwards;
these movements enable single picks to be given alternately from both sides, or
several picks consecutively from either side, for if the shuttle is thrown from
the left side, the right-hand arm is released, and then if a shuttle is thrown from.
the right-hand side the left-hand arm is released, and when several picks, have
to be thrown from one side, the picking stick and lever on that side always
place the sliding bar and swells in their proper position, and there they'remain
until the picking stick on the opposite side is called into action. When the
loom has been stopped either from breakage or absence of weft it takes place
after the shuttle has been thrown from one side or the other, and the operative.
has then to remove the shuttle and join the ends of weft and send the shuttle
to the box where it should have carried the weft, and as there is weft opposite
the side from which the shuttle was thrown, the feeler can be supported
by the weft when the loom is set on and prevent the stoppage of the loom
until there is another breakage or absence of weft. It is evident that the.
slide with its swells or projections or other similar contrivance would answer
the same purpose by being made to work in connection with the levers t.
The swells or projections on the sliding bar in this case would require to be
in such relative positions that one of the levers would be left free to act
whilst the other was rendered immoveable. The one so rendered immoveable.
by the position of the swell could not allow the cord connecting its end to the
weft feeler to become slack and therefore the weft feeler could not descend
and stop the loomi unnecessarily, whilst the other feeler which is left free to
act would in its descent meet and be supported by the weft if present, but if
absent would cause the loom to be stopped as required. When the loom is:

page_text: picked from the opposite side, a corrosponding change must take place in the
position of the sliding bar and the swells or projections as already explained.
In order to enable the levers t to be stopped when required they should be
worked in a reverse, manner to that shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. Instead of
attaching the back levers to the levers by rigid rods, I connect them
together by cords, and place the levers & below tappets having recesses instead
of projections, and make the front levers t sufficiently heavy to descend when
the bowls on the levers a are in the recesses. It is evident that the levers t
at the top of the loom or the two-armed levers on the reed cap can be acted
upon not only by the picking part of the loom, but by pins or projections on
pattern cylinders, or the lags of lattices as used in dobbies or indexing machines,
or by needles, levers, or slides having their motions regulated by the cards of
a jacquard apparatus. It will be easily seen that a bar or shaft having upon
it two swells or projections, and made to vibrate as required, can be used as a
substitute for the sliding bar and swells either at the top of the loom or in
connection with the two-armed levers on the reed cap, for when the bar. is. in
one position, one swell will be under one lever or arm and the other swell
away from the other lever or arm, and when the bar is turned a quarter
revolution the position of the swells will be reversed, and it is also plain that
this bar can be worked by the picking motion, by dobbies, or jacquard
apparatus.
A modification of the sliding bar and swells can be used with great efficiency
for facilitating the setting-on of the loom after it has stopped through breakage
or absence of weft, and can be applied to looms having any number of feelers
and two-armed levers, there being as many swells as there are feelers. The
swells are so placed on the sliding bar that they can prevent the movement of
all the two-armed levers, or leave them free, and therefore when the loom
stops the operative shifts the sliding bar and places the swells under the back
arms of the two-armed levers, so that when the loom is again set on none of
the feelers shall cause it to stop before a pick has been thrown across,
after which the sliding bar is shifted by the operative to remove all the
swells away from the back arms and leave them free.
The last-mentioned sliding bar and swells, and also the sliding bar and
swells shewn in Figs 1, 2, 3 and 4, can be worked in a self-acting manner by
the following contrivance :-At the top of one of the end frames of the loom
there is a lever having two arms a², 6, Figs. 1 and 2, the arm a' being
attached by the cord c³ to the cord c³, connected to the setting-on rod c³, and
the arm 6 in contact with the upper arm of a double lever working on a
stud fixed to the sword arm, and having its lower arm f2 in contact with a
་

page_text: projection at that end of the sliding bar which carries the swells, and when the
setting-on rod is pushed out of its detent and stops the loom, the cord e pulls
the arm a² and forces in the arms 63, e³, and brings out the arm f which acting
on the projection shifts the sliding bar and places all the swells under the
back arms of the two-armed levers, and for removing the swells from under
the back arms I attach a cord to each end of the sliding bar and fix one cord
direct to a strap behind one picker, and pass the other cord over a pulley
placed a short distance inwards on the reed cap, and attach the cord to a strap
or plate behind the other picker, so that when the shuttle strikes either
picker the sliding bar shall be shifted in the same direction, and shift the
swells from under the arms. Or instead of the sliding bar and swells a
vibrating bar and swells can be substituted for the same purpose.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim the sliding bar d with the swells or projections e, f, Figs. 1, 2,
3, and 4, and the modes of working it for preventing the stoppage of the loom
unnecessarily when two or more picks are thrown consecutively from the same
side, or one pick alternately from both sides, as all such improvements are
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and
also any mere modification thereof, for the same purpose.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Bullough, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Signed sealed and delivered by the
within-named James Bullough,
in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JAMES BULLOUGH. (L.S.)