Improvements in Machines for Making the "Leashes" of Loom Harness.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 15th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Making the "Leashes" of Loom
Harness.
I, ERNEST LEBÈGUE, of Cateau, Nord, France, Manufacturer of Cotton Twist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the machine for making leashes
as used in looms. These leashes are usually made of cotton twist and have "mails'
or eyes of glass or metal, and the general operation of making them is as follows;-
At one end of the machine are two spools of cotton twist and ends of cotton twist are
threaded through the "mails" which are delivered one at a time by a pair of forks
acting as an escapement, to a device which takes the escaped mail whilst four needles
take the cotton thread and conduct it to two flyers upon each of which are mounted
two bobbins and which are now put in motion and deliver the leash upon a cord
passing through each flyer, these cords being attached to a carriage which draws the
leashes along as fast as they are made until the desired breadth is reached.
The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described
with reference thereto.
The invention has first for its object to ensure regularity in the leashes and with
this view to provide an automatic brake or regulator for the bobbins whence the
threads to form the leashes are drawn so as to ensure uniformity of tension of the
leashes, notwithstanding the variable diameter and weight of the bobbins. Heretofore,
weighted tension cords have been used for this purpose and the workman must
constantly watch and adjust them during the progress of the work. This improvement
consists in applying a weight C, Figures 1, 2, and 5, to each of the threads, the said
weight being free to move up according to the tension of the thread and acting, when
it descends to a certain point, on a rod A connected to a brake or tension device
governing the letting off of the thread from the bobbin B or B¹ whereby the tension
of the thread is controlled and the desired regularity ensured. The weight is preferably
in the form of a ring through which a bight of the thread passes so that the weight
is constantly applied to the thread and it is guided in its up and down motion by
suitable guides which ensure its action at the proper moment on the rod A of the
tension device.
Another improvement relates to an automatic marker or mechanism for introducing
a colored thread whereby the leashes as they are made are grouped in bundles (of say
twenty each) in order that they may be quickly counted when in stock. The colored
thread is introduced by the following mechanism; A vertical shaft operated by worm
gear from a convenient shaft carries a flanged disc D, Figure 3, having diametrically
opposite notches in its flange and acting in combination with a sliding rod C having
studs adapted to enter the said notches and receiving to and fro motion from a spring
wiper carried by the disc shaft, the bobbin of thread which serves for marking being
mounted on a bracket F, Figure 1.
Another improvement relates to an automatic stop motion for arresting the machine
in case of breakage of a thread. For this purpose a balanced lever E (Figure 4) is so
arranged that the ring weights C, before mentioned as hanging in the bight of the
threads, will fall on to said lever when a thread breaks whereby the balance of the lever
is destroyed and a part e in connection therewith is brought into the path of a wiper
on the driving shaft G of the machine and is struck thereby and caused in turn to act
on the bar and cause the belt.shipper H to be thrown out of the notch in which it is
held and so to throw the belt on to the loose pulley, thus stopping the machine. By
means of this improvement one workman is able to mind a number of machines

page_text: and the work is better done without the necessity of constantly watching the
machine.
A further improvement relates to the stoppage of the machine on reaching the
proper width for the heddle; and consists of a signal mechanism acting in combination
with the stop motion previously described whereby an audible signal is first sounded
and the machine then stopped automatically when the number of leashes corresponding
to the intended width of the heddle has been reached. This mechanism consists of
a leading screw I driven by the machine and communicating a traversing motion to a
sliding carriage K carrying an arm k which at the proper moment strikes a bell L
which is adjustable as to position along a graduated scale M and also strikes an
adjustable stop n on a sliding rod N which in turn acts on the balanced lever E of the
stop motion previously described whereby such stop motion is thrown into action in
the same way, and with the same effect, as though the thread were wanting. By this
means absolute regularity of width of the heddles is ensured without attention on the
part of the workman.
A further improvement has for object to increase the rate of working of the machine
and it consists of a set of change-gearing (Figures 6 and 8) whereby the machine may
be run at a higher speed when running idle in passing over the large intervals
between groups of leashes as in heddles used in certain kinds of figure weaving. This
change gear 4. 5. 6. is brought into operation by depressing a pedal 7 (Figures 6 and 7)
whereby the ordinary intermediate wheel 3 is caused to gear direct with pinion 2 on
the driving shaft and the wheel 1 as usual, the release of the pedal causing said wheel 3.
to fall into gear with wheel 6 whereby the set of wheels and pinions 4. 5. 6. are
brought into operation and the wheel 1 is driven at a much higher speed in the
intervals when the machine is running idle, as above mentioned. When uniformly-
spaced leashes are being made, the pedal is fixed in the former position.
Dated this 15th November 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.-
Improvements in Machines for Making the "Leashes" of Loom
Harness.
f.
I, ERNEST LEBÈGUE, of Cateau, Nord, France, Manufacturer of Cotton Twist, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-This-invention-relates to improvements in the machine for making leashes as used
in looms.
The invention has for its object-
1st to provide an automatic brake or regulator for the bobbins whence the threads to
form the leashes are drawn;
2nd to provide an automatic stop motion for the machine in case of the breakage
or failure in the supply of a thread or upon the beddle attaining the desired
width;
3rd to provide an automatic marker for enabling the number of leashes for each
heddle to be quickly counted;
4th to enable the speed of the machine to be accelerated when running idle, that is
to say when an interval occurs between groups of leashes as in heddles in certain
kinds of figure weaving.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings; forming part of this Speci-
fication, wherein Figure 1 represents a side elevation, Figure 2 a plan, Figure 3 an end
elevation of part of the machine, and Figure 4 a transverse vertical section of the
machine on line 1-2 Figure 1. Figure 5 is a full size detail of an endless chain for
automatically controlling the mechanism for accelerating the motion of the machine

page_text: strikes the finger t², the rod t tilts the balance lever m and stops the machine, as
.before described. The rod t³ is graduated, so that the position of stop t2 on said rod
may be accurately determined according to the width of the heddle to be produced.
(3) AUTOMATIC MARKER.
In the manufacture of leashes, they are usually counted and marked in sets of from
twenty to twenty-five, by means of a thread of a different color to that of the cords u;
and this invention comprises mechanism for automatically introducing this differently
colored thread. This inechanism consists of a disc o mounted on a vertical shaft v
driven by the machine and carrying a flat spring v². This spring acts alternately
upon studs xx fixed, on a slide bar . The shaft also carries, below bar a, a
disc having two diametrically opposite notches in its periphery in each of which
enters alternately a projection 2 on the bar x². In this manner a to and fro
motion is imparted to said bar by the spring v2 acting first upon one and then
upon the other of the studs which motion is transmitted to the oscillating lever,
which conducts the marking thread from the bobbin y to the cord u where it is
retained by the thread which at same time serves to fix the leashes. The marker is
adjusted to suit the number of leashes to be counted by means of a graduated disc,
keyed upon the shaft v, and index w (Figure 2) projecting over said disc.
(4) ACCELERATING MOTION OF THE MACHINE.
This improvement comprises mechanism for automatically accelerating the motion
of the machine when running idle, as in heddles used in certain kinds of figure
weaving in which there are intervals in the leashes determined by the pattern of the
fabric to be produced. For this purpose an endless pattern chain is applied to the
machine, a portion of which is represented full size in face and edge views in Figure 5.
The chain is formed of metal plates 1 connected together by links 2 and each having
three holes, the outer ones serving for driving the chain and the centre one to receive
the stud 3. This endless chain passes round a hexagonal barrel 4 (Figure 1) upon
each face of which are two pins corresponding and entering the holes in each plate 1.
An intermittent notion is imparted to the barrel by a pawl 5 mounted upon an
eccentric rod 6 driven from the machine the pawl engaging with pins on the end
disc 7 of the barrel. When the heddles do not comprise any idle turns, motion is
transmitted to the carriage by intermediate gear wheels 8 and 9, as represented in
Figure 1. The intermediate wheel 8 is carried by a vertical slotted rod 11 whose
lower end is supported upon one of the points of a star wheel formed on a disc 12
similar to disc 7 which disc is operated by a pawl 13 also carried by bar 6 and operated
in a similar manner when the latter is engaged with the pins of the disc by the
thrusting action of the pegs 3 of the endless chain upon the spring 15. As long as
there are not any "idle turns," that is to say so long as a peg is presented by the
chain, rod 11 is prevented from dropping between the points of the star wheel 12 by
the arm 14 and the wheels 8 and 9 continue in gear and the movement of the carriage t
is uninterrupted, but on the other hand during "idle turns" the reverse effect is
produced and, owing to their being no peg in the chain at this point, the wheel 8
drops into gear with pinion 10 and the motion of the machine is accelerated, as will be
readily understood. The endless chain thus arranged, serves both to stop the supply
of mails and also to increase the speed of the machine when blank spaces are
being left.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In a machine for making leashes the employment of a brake or regulator which
acts on the rim or Hange of the bobbins, consisting of the friction device e controlled
by rod d and thread tension ring or weight c, substantially as described and shewn in
the drawings.

page_text: 2nd. In the herein described machine for making leashes, the combination with the
other parts of the machine of the thread tension device consisting of a pair of
stationary rollers i and a roller k mounted on a counterbalanced level 1, as described
with reference to Figure 6.
3rd. In a machine for making leashes, the automatic stop-motion consisting of
the lever m, the retaining rod p and the spring arm q¹ of the belt shipper q, together
with the means for releasing the belt shipper from the rod p actuated either by
the fall of the tension ring or weights c or by the action of rod t³, substantially as
shewn and described.
4th. In a machine for making leashes, the mechanism for automatically marking
the number of leashes by applying a colored thread on the cord u forming the border
of said leashes, consisting of the oscillating lever operated by spring wiper &³ acting
on pins of bar ¹, substantially as shewn and described.
5th. In a machine for making leashes, the mechanism for automatically accelerating
the speed when running "idle," consisting of the endless pattern chain 1 driven by
barrel 4, pawl 5, eccentric rod 6 disc 7, gear wheel 8, and star wheel 12 for con-
trolling the position of said gear wheel by the combined action of pawl 13 and pegs 3
of the chain, substantially as shewn and described.
1000
E. LEBÈGUE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.