An Improved Loom.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 29th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov., 1887
An Improved Loom.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention a communication to mne from
abroad by La Société Devigne et Durand of Lyons, France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved loom for weaving all kinds of plain or figured
fabrics except cut pile fabrics such as velvet, plush, etc.
In the various systems of power looms heretofore proposed as substitutes for the
hand loom only the principal motions requisite in weaving have been imitated from
the hand loom that is to say-the to and fro movement of the batten, the shedding
motion of the heddles, and the throwing of the shuttle; but other motions are equally
essential for making a perfect fabric and for reproducing in all respects the operations
of hand weaving. Two kinds of power loom-viz. those with a loose batten and those
in which the batten is operated by connecting rods-appear to most nearly satisfy
these requirements, but neither gives a result comparable with that of a hand loom,
both failing, from various and independent causes, to produce a perfect fabric. More-
over, each is adapted for making only certain kinds of fabrics, and to produce others
of a different class a number of the parts of the loom must be changed.
This Invention relates to an improved power loom which is rapid in action and
capable, without any alteration, of weaving all kinds of plain or figured fabrics. This
improved loom fulfils the following conditions :-(1) Working at all speeds required
by the different kinds of fabric.-(2) Weaving articles of light, medium, or heavy
texture without change of batten which may or may not be adjustable to various
dimensions. (3) Weaving figured fabrics by merely applying the Jacquard apparatus
to the loom. (4) Production of all kinds of weaving without changing the mechanism.
-(5) Independent action of all the heddles of the harness which each maintain, both
in and out of work, a nearly equal tension on the leashes, thus reducing by at least
eighty per cent the effort required to return each of the heddles.-(6) Production of
rising and falling motions of the sheds for all kinds of weaving.-(7) Picking slowly
or quickly according to the order in which the wefts are thrown, and the speed.-

page_text: (8) The employment of the roller shuttle, even for high speeds. (9) Instantaneous
stop motion at either side for stopping the loom, on the shuttle being trapped, or the
absence of weft thread. (10) Beating up with close or open shed, according to the
kind of fabric. (11) Easy return or backward motion for finding the shed, giving
the necessary opening of the warp, according to the kind of fabric or materials
employed. (12) Free backward movement of the batten for the passage of the threads.
(13) Uniform compactness of texture and regularization of any irregularities in the
weft by the employment of any suitable take up motion. (14) Great simplicity and
solidity of construction. The chief advantages of this improved loom are as follows ;-
(a) Regularity of manufacture-the same fabrics being always uniform in quality and
in texture. (b) Rapidity with which the loom can be set to work, no parts of the
mechanism requiring to be changed or added. (c) Economy of material, by the
uniformity of texture, by the design, and by the uniformity of width of the fabric.
(d) Facility for instantly changing the working, so as to commence another kind of
fabric on a piece of fabric partly made, if the materials correspond to the new
requirement and thereby enable the requirements of trade to be more quickly complied
with. (e) The fabrics are much better covered and have a superior grain by the
effect of the rising and falling shed on all kinds of weaving. (f) Rapidity of
manufacture enabling orders in advance for stated times to be executed with regularity.
(g) Employment of the same plant for making all kinds of fabrics. (h) Weaving of
all figured articles without changing the mechanism, by a siniple change of pattern
card. () Weaving light, medium, or heavy fabrics without changing the batten
which may be either free or otherwise, according to the kind of fabric..
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification
wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation and figure 2 a plan of the improved loom.
Figure 3 is a detail showing the motion of the batten. Figuro 4 is a detail of weft
stop motion. Figure 5 shews the picking motion. The same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A frame B driving shaft geared with shafts C and D. The shaft C has two fly
wheels c and it also carries the cams for producing the motion of the heddles. The
shaft D carries the cam for operating the batten, and it also drives the lower shaft E
which operates the cylinder for actuating the harness, the picker and the take up
motion. The batten F is operated by a cam 1 or other equivalent for imparting to the
batten the essential movements of the hand loom, that is to say, the backward motion,
the pause necessary for the throw of the shuttle, the more rapid downward movement
for arranging the cards, and a slight interval of rest before the batten is again moved
backward. These movements of the batten are all produced by cam 1 through the
connecting rod 2. The connecting rod may be jointed and produce the same result
as a jointed batten, that is to say, render it free.
The batten may also be rendered free, as shewn on a larger scale in face view
figure 6 and in cross section in figure 7. The part 3 to which the connecting rod 2
is jointed is itself hinged at its lower part to the main part of the batton and by with-
drawing the bolts which fix the part 3 rigidly to the batten it remains connected to
the batten only by the hinge at bottom and at top by one or more adjustable
springs, as shewn. The batten is in this manner divided into three parts. Thus, in
weaving articles of light or medium texture, the beating up is effected by the light
inner frame G carrying the reed and acting independently of the batten. For weaving
goods of medium or heavy texture the inner frame G would be fixed to the batten and
the latter would act freely by itself. For weaving goods of very heavy texture the
batten would remain free as before, but its forward movement would be retarded by a
cam, as shewn in figure 8 or other mechanical equivalent (which has the effect of
putting the springs in tension) the cam releasing the batten at the desired moment,
which beats up the fabric under the action of the springs. The inner frame G serves,
without dispensing with the batten for weaving all kinds of fabrics whether light or
strong and at any reduction. The frame G which serves in the same manner as part 3
to render the batten free is operated by one or more springs whose tension can be
regulated according to requirements, and it serves to control the action of the take up

page_text: motion in the same manner as does the batten. It also possesses the advantage over
those now in use of keeping the reed, both when in and out of action, square with the
fabric.
HH is the weft stop motion, mounted at either end of the batten, for stopping the
loom instantly, either at the shed where the weft thread is broken or in which the shuttle
is trapped. For this purpose, a small fork 4 is placed at each end of the batten provided
with a hook 5 which engages with a movable part for lifting the stop which acts
directly upon the fly wheel on shaft C. This action is performed every time a weft
thread breaks, or the shuttle fails to enter its box. They also have a tail piece 6 which
bears against the upright 7 whereby the forks are raised at each backward movement
of the batten, and on the forward movement of the latter should rest either upon the
weft thread or upon a needle actuated by the spring of the box opposite to that towards
which the shuttle is moving. These movements are combined by means of two small
rods serving to retract the needles.
The harness mechanism I (which is shewn on a larger scale in figure 9) is operated
by one or more cams in such manner as to produce a rising and falling motion of the
heddles whilst leaving them independent of each other. The mechanism for each of
the heddles consists of four hooks 10, 11, connected by a horizontal rod 9 which is
operated by a vertical lever 8 acted on by tappets upon cylinder J or the pattern cards
wound thereon, the two outside hooks 10 taking under the lever griffs 13 at the same
time that the inside hooks 11 are released, whereby each heddle is made to rise and
fall independently by means of the levers 12 placed above the loom. The hooks are
each provided with spiral springs which when the two outside hooks are engaged by
the griffs 13 lift the inside hooks for producing the rising motion of the sheds, the
books being then returned by means of the springs, to a position of rest upon the
movable plates 14 which latter accompany the griffs in their downward movement and
return to the same point. The hooks which are not acted on by the cylinder or pattern
cards, and which are held by the outside griffs are then carried down by the inside
lever griffs to produce the falling motion of the sheds. The cylinder J differs from
those in ordinary use inasmuch as it receives continuous rotary motion which permits
of the movement of the heddles being prepared beforehand, whereas the intermittent
movement of the cylinder only does this just at the moment of throwing the weft which
is often the cause of the heddles being imperfectly operated. The picking motion K
(figure 5) throws the shuttle at any desired speed, and in a gradual manner, as in
handlooms.
The motion consists of a cam a, a pair of levers b, b pivoted at e, e and bearing by
rollers c, c, against the cam to which they are held by springs d, d.
9,
Each lever b actuates the opposite picking stick through a cord which may be
attached to one or other of a series of holes in the picking stick as shown, in order to
give a quicker or slower throw of the shuttle as desired.
The gradual acceleration of the shuttle's motion is obtained by the form of the cam.
The cam L figures 1 and 2 actuates any suitable take-up motion.
Dated this 30th day of December 1886.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: An Improved Loom.
1, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from
abroad by La Société Devigne et Durand of Lyons, France, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:
This improved power loom is designed particularly for weaving silk, and the
improvements have reference more especially to the batten, the weft stop motion, and
the harness by which the heddles are operated. Each of these three essential parts
of the loom will be hereinafter described and thoir mutual relation each to the othier in
the general working of the loom, as well as the advantages which result from their
combination as regards the work produced on the loom.
This improved loom has been designed with a view to combine in one and the same
loom all the advantages of power looms beretofore used in which the batten is worked
both ways by connecting rods, or in which the batten beats up the weft by falling by
its own weight and all the qualities which are peculiar to the working of the hand
loom.
By means of this improved loom and without the use of skilled labor, work as delicate
as that for which hand looms have heretofore necessarily been employed, may be
produced, the services of the attendant being merely required for putting the loom
in and out of gear, for repairing broken threads, and for overlooking generally; the
work of the batten being effected automatically under similar conditions to those which
obtain in the hand loom.
This improved loom has been designed to produce rapidly and economically goods
of varying quality without changing or introducing new parts in the mechanism,
perfect work being in all cases produced at a relatively high speed, whether the goods
be,such as could heretofore only be woven on a hand loom, or such as are now only
produced upon looms having a loose batten, that is to say, in which the batten,
although it may be moved back mechanically, beats up by falling by its own weight,
and which looms can only work at a very slow speed. In short, this improved loom
is capable of working at any speed required for each kind of fabric, and of producing
goods of light, intermediate or heavy texture without changing the batten. It is
sufficient to indicate here the general advantages which result from this improved
system of loom, but those which result from the application or arrangement of each
of the above mentioned parts of the loom will be referred to more particularly in the
course of the following description of those parts.

page_text: Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which an example of the loom is illustrated, the details of construction
of the various parts of the mechanism for transmitting motion being however suscep-
tible of variation, or of being replaced by other parts producing equivalent results.
Figure 1 (sheets 1 and 2) is a front elevation of the loom, the cloth beain being
removed. Figure 2 (sheets 3 and 4) a side elevation of the loom. Figure 3 is a
plan of the right hand portion of the loom showing more particularly the harness or
mechanism for actuating the heddles. Figure 4 represents a rear elevation of the
loom showing the driving mechanism for transmitting motion to the various parts of
the loom. Figure 5 shows a detail of the mechanism for actuating the batten. In all
these figures the same letters of reference indicate the same parts.
In order to facilitate the comprehension of the arrangement and working of this
improved loom, I will describe (1) The batten and its accessories. (2) The weft stop
motion and the belt shipping and knock off motion which it actuates. (3) The harness
or mechanism for actuating the heddles.
The batten as will be seen by the drawing comprises the lay cap a and the upper
cross bar forming the shuttle race, at the extremity of which are the shuttle boxes b¹.
The lay cap a and cross bar are carried by the swords e of the batten which are
pivoted at their lower ends on the horizontal shaft e. In order to ensure absolute
equality of motion of the two ends of the batten, which is very important in the beating
up of the weft, the cross bar bis connected near each end, by connecting rods d to
lever arms d'oscillating on a fixed centre d² mounted on the side frames of the loom.
The necessary inovements are given to the batten by two connecting rods each
furnished with an adjustable spiral spring f¹ and each connected with a lever f² keyed
upon the cross shaft which receives motion from a double cam g acting upon a
slotted slide frame g' carrying friction rollers and connected at its upper end with
the lever arm f fixed on shaft f³. This mechanism is shown clearly in Figure 5 and
does not require to be more fully described in-as-much as in lieu of the cams any other
appropriate mechanical motion may be adopted. The connecting rods are not
connected with the swords c of the batten, but pass freely through holes therein and
are jointed to the upper ends of radius arms which are hinged at their lower ends h¹
to the front side of the swords c of the batten. The springs f₁ are confined between
the swords c of the batten and adjustable collars upon the connecting rods f whereby
the compression of the springs may be regulated so that when the batten is moved
forward to beat up the weft through the intervention of these springs, the radius
arms and connecting rods f can continue their motion after the batten has stopped,
as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 3 shows the driving gear. The shaft i receives motion by pulleys and
communicates it to the cam shaft k through a pinion gearing with the toothed
wheel keyed on the cam shaft. According to the nature of the work to be produced,
in a manner
the batten is arranged to work (1) As a loose or free batten (that is to say,
similar to a batten which beats up by falling by its own weight) whereby goods are
produced which have usually only been produced upon the hand loom and which are
even superior to those obtained by the most skilful workmen. (2) Completely
connected to the driving mechanism, the reed being liberated and acting as a spring
or free reed for a purpose hereafter described. (3.) With both the reed and the batten
connected rigidly to the driving mechanism as in the ordinary power loom in which
the batten is worked both ways by connecting rods.
For weaving closely woven goods the batten is rendered free or loose, that is to say,
the radius arms are free to move away from the swords of the batten, as shown in the
drawing. The cam is of such form as to operate the batten in the same way as by the
hand of the workman in the hand loom, that is to say, to push or move it backwards; to
give it the period of rest necessary for the pick of the shuttle; to give it a more rapid
pull to or forward motion in order to beat up the weft and give the necessary firmness or
closeness to the fabric; and lastly to give it a slight period of rest before it is again
pushed backwards. It will be seen that the springs hold the radius arms against

page_text: the swords c of the batten until the batten (which moves at a progressively increasing
speed) beats up the weft which then offers sufficient resistance to arrest the batten
whilst the cam g continues to push the connecting rods f and radius arms / forwards
to an extent dependent upon the force with which the weft is to be beaten up so that
the arms continue to advance, as shown in Figure 5, whilst the springs exert an
increasing pressure against the batten arrested by the fabric. The batten may then
he considered as loose or free, that is to say, disengaged from the mechanism which
drives it from the moment when it beats up the weft into the fabric and the arms
begin to move away from the swords c.
It will therefore be seen that the pressure of the batten against the fabric will be
proportional to the distance by which the arms h separate from the swords c since
upon the extent of this motion depends the increased force of the springs. The
amount of this independent motion of the arms and connecting rods fis determined
by means of an adjustable tappet 1 mounted upon the batten and which acts on the
lever m of the take up motion, the rate of take up being thereby regulated according
as the tappet is set more or less forward.
For weaving goods of medium or light quality, the radius arms h are fixed rigidly to
the swords c of the batten by means of bolts has shown in Figure 1, so that the batton
is no longer free or loose, but in this case it is the reed n which is rendered free of the
batten instead of being fixed thereto, as in the preceding case, when working with a
free or loose batten. For this purpose the frame of the reed is attached at its lower
edge to plates hinged at n¹ to the lay cap a on which it is free to oscillate, and cords
attached to the lower side of the frame of the reed near each end pass through the
cross bar of the batten and around pulleys mounted thereon as shown and are
attached to the opposite ends of a spring n at the front of the batten. The tension
of this spring is capable of being regulated according to the firmness or closeness of
weaving desired, that is to say, according to the number of picks per inch of fabric,
the arrangement being such that whilst the batten oscillatos regularly at each beat to
the full extent of the motion imparted to it by the connecting rods f, the reed n on
encountering the resistance offered by the fabric, is alono arrested and recedes at its
lower part from the batten. In order to ensure perfect uniformity of weaving and
compensate for the different number of picks per inch of fabric consequent on the
variation in the diameter of the weft thread, the tappet 7 is in this case fitted to slide
in a guide carried by the batten and it is connected, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 by
a system of levers with the lower side of the reed n whereby immediately the motion
of the reed is arrested by the fabric, the tappet is also arrested so that it no longer
participates in the forward motion of the batten. This tappet acts as before
imentioned upon the lever m of the take up motion and it is adjusted so as to act upon
the lever m only when it is necessary to arrest the take up motion of the cloth beam,
that is to say, when the lever m is acted on, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, it
is disengaged from the staple m² and consequently the pawl which drives the ratchet
wheel m³ (which turns the cloth beam through the gearing m m³ m³) is not acted on
and consequently the fabric is not wound on the cloth beam during the corresponding
beat of the batten. After the tappet has thus acted upon the lever m it moves back
therefrom by the backward motion of the reed and the lever m then resumes its normal 4
position and the take up motion is again actuated until the tappet again acts upon
tho lever m. When the reed acts in this way I term it a spring flap reed.
In order to produce goods of very light texture and having a uniform number of
picks per inch of fabric as heretofore made on the ordinary power loom in which the
batten is worked both ways by the connecting rods, the batten, the reed, and the
connecting rods are moved rigidly together, that is, to say, the radius arms h are bolted
to the swords c of the batten and the reed n is rigidly fixed to the cross bar b of the
batten which rocks on its centre e and receives a regular to and fro motion invariable
in extent. In this case the regulator tappet is not used and the take up motion of
the cloth beam m' is effected in the ordinary way, the only compensation made being 5
that required by its increasing diameter. In this case, as in the preceding, the

page_text: graduated crank on the shaft k is adjusted according to the closeness of weaving
required and actuates in a uniform manner the lever m through the medium of the
connecting rod o' and lever o², but a lever o³ shown in Figure 2, (having at one ond
a friction roller in contact with the cloth wound on the cloth.beam) is connected at
the other end with a slide rod which in this case carries the pivot of the lover 2,
which pivot is movable in a slot in said lever, so as to compensate for the increase in
diameter of the cloth beam by shifting the position of the pivot along the lever. Any
other known form of compensating gear may however be employed.
In this kind of weaving in which the shuttle makes a determined number of picks
per inch of fabric, the cloth beam winds up the fabric at a uniform rate.
The picking motion operates in such a way as to produce a fast or slow pick as
required, according to the kind of weft and the speed of working. In order to imitate
the movement given to the picking stick by the hand of the workman in the hand
loom, the picking stick p is so actuated that the shuttle is always set in motion gently
and only acquires a high speed on entering the shed. To attain this end, the two
levers poscillate on fixed points p³ and are each provided with a friction roller
bearing against the cam p² keyed on the central shaft q which is driven through the
bevel gear shewn in figures 3 and 4. The free ends of the levers are connected
to the picking sticks p at the opposite sides of the loom by cords p³, the points of
attachment p of which may be varied according to the desired rapidity of throw of
the shuttle. The form of the cam p² is such that the throw of the shuttle is effected
with a gradually increasing velocity as by the hand of the workman, instead of being
thrown suddenly as in ordinary power looms which weakens the weft and gives to
the work a rough appearance and a tendency to curl or wrinkle.
The advantages of the improved loom as regards the weaving proper, that is to say
the working of the batten, will be readily understood, as the batten may be easily
moved backwards as required, for piecing up broken threads or overlooking the work.
Moreover, a perfectly regular and uniform product and an economy of material are
obtained, as the number of picks per inch are regulated according to the variation in
the size of the weft and because the fabric is not liable to contract, being always
maintained at its full width. Moreover, in this loom a shuttle running on rollers may
be used even at high speeds.
The weft stop motion is so constructed as to instantaneously knock off the loom,
whethor upon the trapping of the shuttle in the shed or upon the breaking or absence
of the weft. This improved weft motion comprises two pairs of grids, one pair at
each side of the loom, one of them (the left hand one) being shewn on a larger scale
in figure 6 in the position it occupies on seizing the weft after the boxing of the
shuttle. The upper grid of each pair is carried at the end of a lever pivoted at r
on the batten and terminating at its other end in a hook-shaped catch 2. The lower
grid s is carried by a vertical slide s' at the front of the batten and is moved upwards
after the passage of the weft by a spring s² which is permitted to come into action at
the proper moment. The lower grids are drawn down at each beat and held down
until after the next following pick of the shuttle, by a cam t keyed on the central
shaft q acting on levers each connected by cords and bell crank levers with a
slide u carrying two abutments 3 and respectively acting on the levers and 3.
The last mentioned is an elbow lever, one arm of which is connected to the slide s
which carries the lower grid s, and to this levers the springs is attached. By the
action of the cam ton levers the slides u and therefore the levers s and slides &¹
carrying the lower grids s are drawn down. The camt has has a depression extending
around a fourth of its circumference and when the friction roller of one of the levers t
falls into the said depression, the batten being in its backward position, the corre
sponding pair of grids are free to close together except that the lower grid is retained
for an instant longer by an abutments fixed to the framing acting on the tail end of
the levers, so that as soon as the batten commences its forward movement and the
shuttle has been boxed, the lower grid becomes disengaged from the abutment 5
and is raised by the action of the spring s³ until it meets the weft laid between it

page_text: and the upper grid, the weft being thereby nipped between the two grids, as shewn
in figure 6, by which it will be seen that the upper grid is prevented from descending
and the hook from rising.
Should the weft thread break or be absent, or should the shuttle fail to arrive in its
box which would amount to the same thing so far as the absence of the weft thread is
concerned, the upper grid being no longer supported will fall through the lower
grid and the hook will be raised into position to engage with the catch of the
gear actuating the belt shipper for the purpose of throwing off the belt and stopping
the loom. This effect will be produced by the absence of the weft at either side of
the loom, so that the empty shuttle cannot make two or more useless picks, as happens
with ordinary power looms.
The kind of shuttle used is that usually employed in silk weaving that is to say
provided with a guide for the weft projecting from the side of the shuttlo and the
grids project horizontally in front of the batten. Owing to this position of the grids
or fingers in advance of the batten, they not only detect the absence of the weft, but
act in another way which is of great importance and constitutes one of the essential
features of the invention. The weft as laid in the shed, extends rather obliquely
across from the one selvedge to the shuttle at the opposite side of the loom. But
when, after the weft has been seized by the fingers at that side of the loom at which
the shuttle has just been boxed, the batten comes forward to beat up the weft, the
fingers holding the weft at that side come forward also in advance of the batten, and
before the reed touches the weft they have laid it close up home in the angle of the
shed parallel with the previous shoot of the weft as though pulled there by the hand
of the weaver, the grids in their forward motion advancing beyond the weaving
point or line of decussation of the warp threads. By this means, the
tension
proper
of the weft thread and an economy of weft and greater perfection of work are
ensured and all the advantages of picking by hand are obtained, by which fabrics of
very fine and silky texture are produced.
Reverting again to the stop motion, it will be seen that when, by the absence of
the weft, the upper grid r drops and so raises the catch, the latter is in position to
engage with a catch at the upper end of a lever connected to a rod v. This it does
(supposing the weft thread to be absent) when the batten is advancing from its
rearmost position (the catch being then in the dotted position) thereby rocking a
cross shaft v¹, to lever arms 2 fast on the opposite ends of which shaft the rods at
the two sides of the loom are connected. At the right hand end of this shaft v¹ (see
figure 2) is loosely pivoted a lever I carrying a catch v² adapted to engage with a
trigger and bring it into the path of a lug fixed adjustably on the circumference of
a wheel keyed on the main shaft k. This trigger is pivoted to an upright
sliding bar which on the trigger v³ being struck by the said lug is slid upwards in
its guides and acts on an elbow lever which controls the belt fork v, this motion
causing the said fork to be shifted so as to throw the belt on to the loose pulley, thus
stopping the loom. The rod is connected with lever 1 through a spring 3 which
would yield and so prevent breakage in case the batten might happen to continue its
forward motion after the catch has engaged with the trigger.
It is to be observed that the trigger is shown in position for engagement with the
wheel, but its normal position is of course that indicated by the dotted centre line.
The loom may also be stopped by the workman pushing the rod 7 which is within
easy reach near the starting lever v8.
By referring to figure 4, it will be shewn that the belt shipper rod v extends
entirely across the loom and acts simultaneously on a clutch on the main shaft, the
belt shipper rod terminating for this purpose, in an enlargement ¹ passing between
two friction rollers of which the axis of one is fixed and that of the other is
carried by one arm of an elbow lever oscillating on a centre x and of which the other
arm is forked and embraces the grooved collar of the clutch .
When the enlarge-
ment is between the pulleys ³, the clutch is disengaged and this is the normal
.position of working, the belt shipper being then opposite the fast pulley, but when

page_text: the belt is thrown on to the loose pulley the clutch is thrown into gear and so enables
the workman to drive the loom slowly by hand through the medium of the hand
wheel y, the inclined shaft y' and bevel gear y².
The harness for working the heddles is so constructed and operates the heddles in
such a way that they move simultaneously in opposite directions as though they were
connected or counterbalanced each other, and they therefore produce a through,
rising and falling, shed so as to avoid unequal tension on the warp threads.
The shedding motion is placed beneath the loom which enables a longer tappet
chain to be used without encumbering the loom at the side. The endless chain D
(figures 1 and 3) of hinged strips carrying tappets or studs, runs on a square
cylinder A driven from shaft g through pinion Cand wheel B. The other cylinder E
on which the tappet chain runs hung in brackets E' adjustable along supporting
rods E according to the length of the chain. Pendent levers F corresponding in
number to the number of leaves of the heddles, are pivoted at their upper ends F1
whilst their lower ends pass down through slots in horizontal slide rods G, also
corresponding in number to the heddles, so that whenever a tappet, or stud of the
tappet chain, comes against a lever F, the corresponding rod G is slid longitudinally
to the right. Each rod G is acted on by a spring G₁ which brings back the rods
to a fixed point determined by a stud G, on the rod G meeting a cross-bar. Each
rod G acts on four hooks like those used in the Jacquard and acting together in pairs
that is to say, the two outside ones H being connected with the top, and the two
inside ones with the bottom, of the same leaf or heddle K, as shown in figure 1.
Pairs of griffe levers L receive an up and down motion on a centre L' and engage
with the hooks brought by the rods G into their path. Above each griffe lever is a
second lever M pivoted at M' and carrying a sort of comb M² serving both to guide
the hooks and ensure their regular alignment. The free ends of the two levers Land
also of the two levers M at the same side of the loom are connected by cross bars L³ M³
respectively and to the middle of the latter is attached a pendent forked rod M
which straddles L³ and forms a distance piece between the levers L and M. The griffe
levers are moved up and down for acting on the series of hooks H and I, by a
double can acting on the friction rollers of a slotted sliding frame O' whose upper
end is guided between the rollers 02. The upper end of this slide is connected by a
link O, with a lever O' fixed on a cross shaft O' having at each side of the loom an
arm and connecting rod 07 which takes hold of the cross rod L' whereby the two
griffe lovers connected by said rod receive a regular up and down movement. In
their descent they engage those of the hooks which are brought into their path, and
after completing their ascent those hooks which were engaged at the previous descent
are released. The hooks H and I are each provided with an extra limb 5 attached
to a collar 6 on the stem of the hook, the extra limb passing through a round hole
in the corresponding rod G whilst the hook itself passes through a longitudinal
slot in said rod so that the rod acts on the hook to move it in or out of the
path of the griffe lever through the medium of the extra limb 5 which acts as a spring
connection as well as a guido, and so facilitates the disengagement of the hook from
the griffe lever when the latter rises. It will be seen that the two outer series of
hooks when acted on by the griffe levers raise the corresponding leaves of the heddles
whilst the inner series of hooks when so engaged, lower them. When therefore, a
tappet of the chain D pushes the corresponding lever F and rod G to the right, the
outer hooks H of the two outer series are brought into the paths of the griffe levers
at same time that the corresponding hooks of the inner series are moved out of the
paths of the griffe levers, as shewn in figure 1, so that, the corresponding leaves of
the heddles will be raised. But all the rods G which have not been so moved by the
tappet chain, are held towards the left by the springs G₁ so that the corresponding
hooks of the two outer series are thereby held out of, whilst the corresponding hooks
of the two inner series are held in, the paths of the griffe levers whereby the leaves of
the heddles to which those hooks of the inner series are connected, will be drawn
down. The disengagement of the hooks from the griffe lovers is effected as follows;--
Each griffe lever in its descent draws down a certain number of hooks and through
B

page_text: them the levers M upon the guides M³ of which the collars 6 bear with a pressure
due to spiral springs N confined between these collars and a fixed abutment. When the
two lower levers L are raised by the connecting rod O' the levers M rise also by the
tension of a spring M* (figure 3) attached at its upper end to a fixed point and at its
lower end to a lever arm fast on the rock shaft M to which levers M are fixed. The
levers Land M rise together until the cross-bar M³ meets a stop P (figure 2) where-
upon the levers M are arrested whilst the levers L continue to be raised still further
by the cam O. As however, the hooks are pressed downwards by their springs N so
that their collars 6 always bear on the levers M they stop with the latter and the
griffe levers L continuing to rise, the hooks become disengaged therefrom, the spring
action of the limbs 5 which have been slightly flexed during the engagement of the
hooks, moving the hooks quickly out of the path of the griffe levers. To limit the
approach of the levers L and M whilst the former so continue to rise, the cross-bar La
cuters the fork of the distance piece M or other equivalent means may be used for
the same purpose.
This improved loom may be used for weaving various kinds of plain, twilled, etc.
goods without altering the mechanism other than the tappet chain, and it may oven
be used for weaving fancy or figured goods by applying a Jacquard.
In conclusion, it may be observed that the working of each leaf of the heddles is
quite independent of the others and that the tension upon the leaves is nearly the
same whether in work or at rest and that the tension is always equal for all the warp
threads, inasmuch as a rising and falling shed is used for all kinds of weaving, so
that each warp thread at all times bears only its proper proportion of the total strain.
The power required to return the heddles to the medium or normal position is
therefore greatly reduced and the wear of the "mails" of the leashes is propor-
tionately diminished which is an important economy in the maintenance of the
harness.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. In a power loom, the herein described mode of actuating the batten in the
forward direction for beating up the weft, through the intervention of springs and
in the rearward direction through the medium of connecting rods, as and for the
purpose specified.
2. In a power loom, the combination with the batten of connecting rods and of
springs thereon for actuating the batten in the one direction, the connecting rods
being adapted to slide freely through the batten and being connected to radius links
hinged to the front of the batten and moving away therefrom when the springs come
into action, or capable of being fixed rigidly to the batten when the action of the
springs is not required, substantially as specified.
3. In a power loom, the combination with the batten of the double cam g, the
slide g, levers and shaft ff3f connecting rod facting on the batten in one direction
through an independent piece h and in the other direction through the spring f¹, the
whole combined to operate in such manner as to give the batten the same motions as
those of the hand looin, substantially as specified.
4. In a power loom, the combination with a hinged reed, of a spring at the front
of the batten connected with the reed by cords passing round sheaves, the spring
being adjustable so as to draw the reed forwards with a power depending on the desired
firmness of weaving, as described.
5. In a power loom, the combination with a hinged spring actuated reed as herein
described, of the system of levers and the movable tappet herein described whereby
the tappet is prevented from advancing after it has acted on the lever of the take-up
motion, as specified.
6. In a power loom, the weft stop motion acting at both sides of the loom and
constituted by two pairs of grids arranged and acting on the knock-off gear in the
manner described, when the weft is broken or absent or the shuttle trapped in the shed.

page_text: 7. In a power loom, the grids of the weft stop motion applied at both sides of the
loom in advance of the batten and acting so as to take hold of the weft and, by the
advance of the batten, place it parallel with the previous shoot before it is beaten
up into the fabric.
8. In a power loom in which the leaves of the heddles are independent of each
other but move simultaneously in opposite directions so as to produce a rising and
falling shed, the double series of hooks and griffe levers one for raising, and the other
for lowering the corresponding leaves, in combination with slide rods actuated by a
chain of tappets and levers whereby when the hooks of one series are in position the
corresponding hooks of the other series are out of position for engagement with the
griffe levers, as specified.
9. In a power loom, the combination of (a) a batten capable of being worked in
one direction by a spring, or in both directions by the connecting rods, or with a
spring flap reed as described; (b) an adjustable tappet carried by the batten and
connected with the reed in the manner and for the purpose described; (c) a weft
stop motion having grids at both sides of the loom acting to seize tho weft immediately
on the shuttle being boxed and place it parallel with the shoot previously beaten up
into the fabric; (d) a harness in which the leaves of the heddles are independent,
form a rising and falling shod, are actuated by a tappet chain through levers, slide
rods, hooks and griffes, all substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
drawings.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.