IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Knowles of Blackburn in the County of
Lancaster, Cotton Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING
"
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Knowles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th June 1882
THOMAS KNOWLES of Blackburn in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Manufacturer
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
"
This invention of improvements in looms for weaving relates, firstly, to an
improved method of mounting the finger or pawl upon the rocking lever which
actuates the catch wheel and attendant mechanism employed to rotate the taking
up beam or roller In lieu of the ordinary loose wrought iron rivetted pin upon
which the finger or pawl is pivotted I make the pin a fixture preferably in one
piece with the rocking lever the ends of the pin projecting one from each sido
of the lever end which I make at the part surrounding the pin in the form of
an annulus. The two arms forming the pivot end of the pawl clasp the sides
of the annulus the arms being made forklike by being slotted or grooved so as
to permit of being passed over the projecting ends of the pin. Each of the arms is
provided upon its inner side with a pin or stud, the pins or studs fitting easily into
annular grooves formed one in each side of the annulus surrounding the central
pin; slots or openings being formed in the upper edges of the annulus to allow of
the pins or studs being passed through into the annular grooves.
When the pawl
is in working position, that is to say, pointing in a direction more or less at right
angles to the rocking lever it cannot get out of place being held therein by the
pins or studs in the annular grooves.
The arrangement above described affords facilities for readily removing and
replacing the pawl in a direction pointing either to one side of the rocking lever or
the other as may be required thus obviating the necessity of right and left hand
levers as usually employed whilst at the same time a firm and durable support for
the pawl is provided
My Invention relates, secondly, to an improved arrangement of mounting or

page_text: pivotting the swell." One arrangement consists in forming a cylindrical enlarge-
ment upon the pivot end of the swell which drops into and fits easily within a
socket mounted upon a bracket secured to the back board. A groove or slot is cut
through the inner edge of the socket and is of such a width as to allow the arm of
the swell to move radially the distance required the width of the slot opening
determining the amount of sweep to be given to the swell. A flange is formed
upon the upper end of the pivot its lower edge resting upon the upper end of the
socket.
Another arrangement consists in forming a socket upon the end of the swell the
socket fitting easily upon a vertical pin or pivot mounted upon a bracket secured
to the back board. The vertical pin may be mounted upon a slotted plate to which
it may be secured by a screw bolt and nut. By this arrangement the position of
the pivot and therefore of the face of the swell may be readily adjusted to
the shuttle thus obviating the necessity of taking out the existing swell and
replacing it with another whenever the form and thickness of the shuttle is
changed. The slotted plate upon which the pin or pivot is mounted may be cast
in one piece with and form part of the end plate of the shuttle box or may be
secured to the back board in any convenient manner.
"
My Invention relates, thirdly, to an improved arrangement of the "check strap
whereby the traverse of the picker may be retarded in a more gradual manner
than heretofore. To the front of the shuttle box and depending therefrom I attach
an arm upon the lower extremity of which is pivotted the lower end of a rocking
lever arranged by means of suitable stops to move a given distance towards the
outer and inner ends of the shuttle box. The ends of straps whose other ends pass
over the picker spindle at each end of the shuttle box in the usual manner are
attached to the upper end of the rocking lever one below the other; the strap which
goes to the outer end of the shuttle box being preferably above that which goes to
the inner end The two straps are of such a length that the lever will be pulled
over to one side or the other as the shuttle enters or leaves the shuttle box the
lever dragging with it at each inward or outward movement of the shuttle the
ends of the straps a certain distance along the picker spindle. Thus the picker
upon coming in contact with the strap at either end of the shuttle box has to push
the strap before it along the spindle its progress being thereby gradually retarded
until the strap gets to its full stretch.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Knowles in the Great Seal Patent Office on tho
13th December 1882.
THOMAS KNOWLES of Blackburn in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Manufacturer
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
This Invention of improvements in looms for weaving relates, firstly, to an
improved method of mounting the finger or pawl upon the rocking lever which
actuates the catch wheel and attendant mechanism employed to rotate the
taking-up beam or roller.
In the accompanying Drawings Figs. 1 to 12 illustrate the mode of mounting
the pawl or finger upon the rocking lever according to my Invention. Figs 1, 2, 5,
6, 9 and 10 are front views of an ordinary form of rocking lever; the back portion
of the upper end of the lever being of similar form to the front portion as
illustrated in the several figures.
In lieu of the ordinary loose wrought iron rivetted pin upon which the finger or
pawl is pivotted I make the pin a a fixture preferably in one piece with the
rocking lever b the ends of the pin a projecting one from each side of the lever
end which I make at the part surrounding the pin a in the form of an annulus.
The two arms cc (see Figs 4, 8, and 12) forming the pivot end of the pawl d
clasp the sides of the annulus, the arms being made forklike by being slotted or
grooved so as to permit of being passed over the projecting ends of the pin a.
Each of the arms cc is provided upon its inner side with a pin or stud c, the
pins or studs e e fitting easily into annular grooves ffformed one in each side of
the annulus surrounding the central pin a; slots or openings g g being formed in
the upper edges of the annulus to allow of the pins or studs e being passed through
into the annular grooves f. When the pawl is in working position, that is to say,
pointing in a direction more or less at right angles to the rocking lever b, it cannot
get out of place being held therein by the pins or studs ce in the annular
grooves ff.
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate an arrangement in which the annular groove fis cut
bodily through the annulus surrounding the central pin a thus requiring only one
centrally placed slot or opening g and one through pin or stud e instead of two as
shewn in Figs 2 and 4.
Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate the application of my Invention to levers in which the
positions of the fulcrum or fixed centre h and the central pin a for receiving the
finger or pawl d are reversed.
The arrangements above described afford facilities for readily removing and
replacing the pawl in a direction pointing either to one side of the rocking lever or
the other as may be required (see dotted lines in Fig. 1.) thus obviating the
necessity of employing right and left hand levers as usually done; whilst at the
same time a firm and durable support for the pawl is provided.
"
My Invention relates, secondly, to an improved arrangement of mounting or
pivotting the swell," one arrangement, illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 of the
accompanying Drawings, consists in forming a cylindrical enlargement jupon the
pivot end of the swell k which drops into and fits easily within a socket 7 mounted
upon a bracket secured to the backboard m. A groove or slot n is cut through the
inner edge of the socket land is of such a width as to allow the arm of the swell
to move radially the distance required; the width of the slot opening determining
the amount of sweep to be given to the swell. A flange o is formed upon the upper
end of the pivot j its lower edge resting upon the upper end of the socket l.

page_text: Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate another arrangement which consists in forming a
socket w upon the end of the swell, the socket fitting easily upon a vertical pin or
pivot p mounted upon a bracket 7 secured to the backboard m. A projecting
part may be formed upon the end of the socket w to answer as a stop to
determine the amount of sweep provided for by the groove or slot n in Fig. 13; or
the projecting part x may form a part of the flange o formed upon the upper end
of the pivot pas shown in Figs. 19 and 20. The vertical pivot p may be mounted
upon a slotted plate t, as shewn in Figs. 17 and 18, to which it may be secured by a
screw bolt and nut r.
By this arrangement the position of the pivot p and there-
fore of the face of the swell s may be readily adjusted to the shuttle thus obviating
the necessity of taking out the existing swell and replacing it with another
whenever the form and thickness of the shuttle is changed. The slotted plate t
upon which the pin or pivot p is mounted may be cast in one piece and form part
of the end plate of the shuttle box, or may be secured to the backboard in any
convenient manner. Figs. 21, 22, and 23 are respectively side, end, and plan views
shewing the arrangement of slotted plate t when cast in one piece with and
forming part of the end plate of the shuttle box In some cases it may be found
desirable to make the slot in a direction parallel to the shuttle box as shewn in
Fig. 24 instead of at right angles thereto as in Fig. 23.
In the several arrangements shewn and described the swell is arranged to
receive pressure from a back spring upon tho end z of the swell in the usual
manner.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in
which it may be carried into practical effect, I would have it understood that what
I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is as follows, that is to say:
1. The mode of mounting the finger or pawl upon the rocking lever substantially
as described and shown in the Drawings.
2. The arrangement of parts for mounting the swell described with reference to
and shown in Figs. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of the Drawings.
3. The combination of the slotted plate t, pivot p, and end plate u substantially
as described and shewn in Figs. 21, 22, 23, and 24 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof I, the said Thomas Knowles, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Eleventh day of December in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
THOMAS KNOWLES (L.S.)