CERTAIN IMPROVE. MENTS APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN LOOMS FOR WEAVING DIFFERENT SORTS OF CLOTH
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME. I, JOHN
PATERSON REID, of the City of Glasgow, Merchant and Power Loom Manu-
facturer, for myself and for THOMAS JOHNSON, of the said City of Glasgow
Mechanic, in the employment of John and Archibald Reid, of the said City of
Glasgow, Power Loom Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS we did, by petition, humbly represent to His most Excellent
Majesty King William the Fourth, that we had invented "CERTAIN IMPROVE.
MENTS APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN LOOMS FOR WEAVING DIFFERENT SORTS OF CLOTH,"
which we believed would be of general benefit and advantage, and that we
were the true and first Inventors thereof; and thereupon His said Majesty,
being willing to give encouragement to all arts and inventions which may be
for the public good, was graciously pleased to issue His Royal Letters Patent
under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the
Twentieth day of March last, in the fourth year of His reign, and by those
Letters Patent His said Majesty did, for Himself, Flis heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Paterson Reid and Thomas Johnson,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial license, sole privilege
and authority, that we or they, by ourselves or themselves, or by our or their
deputies, servants, or agents, or such others as we or they should at any time
agree with (and no other), from time to time and at all times during the term
of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend our said Invention within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His

page_text: Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad. And whereas the said Letters
Patent also contain a proviso, obliging us, the said John Paterson Reid and
Thomas Johnson, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under our hands and seals, or the hand and seal of one of us, and
to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1. the said
John Paterson Reid, for myself and for the said Thomas Johnson, do hereby
declare that the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, is described andascertained in manner following, and
by the aid of the twelve Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to
say :-
Our said improvements are applicable to certain looms for weaving cloth,
formerly invented by the said Thomas Johnson, and for which a Patent was
granted to him by King George the Third, dated the Twenty-third March, One
thousand eight hundred and seven, which looms were called Johnson's
vertical power looms, because the warp was extended in a vertical plane in
passing from the yarn beam at the bottom of the loom to the cloth beam at
the top thereof, and the lay containing the reed moved alternately upwards
and downwards in a vertical plane during the operation of weaving; the
shuttle, when thrown across through the opened shed of the warp, ran along
upou the reed which served for the shuttle race. Each such vertical loom was
made double, or in fact two of the said vertical looms were combined together
into the same frame for the purpose of weaving two pieces of cloth at the
sume time by each double vertical loom; but each of the looins so combined
was complete of itself, having all the parts requisite for producing its own
various movements independently of its fellow loom, only the fixed frame being
common to both looms, wherefore the weaving of one piece of cloth could be
carried ou by one of the combined looms whilst the other was standing
inactive, or the weaving of one piece of cloth might be carried on at a more
rapid rate than the other. The invention of the said vertical loom was
described by the said Thomas Johnson in his Specification, which he enrolled
in pursuance of his said Patent in the Office of the Petty Bag in the month of
July in the year One thousand eight hundred and seven, and soon after that
date a number of Johnson's vertical power looms were brought into use for
weaving calico by Mr. Robert Shirreff at Glasgow, and the construction of
those looms was described and represented by an engraving in a book printed
at Glasgow in the year One thousand eight hundred and eight, entitled

page_text: Practical and Descriptive Essays on the Art of Weaving, by John Duncan, in
two volumes, octavo size, the said description beginning at page 277, in the
second part or volume thereof; and a like description and engraving was also
printed in the sixth volume of the Edinburgh Encyclopædia, at page 691
thereof; and although the use of Johnson's said vertical power looms has not
been continued, and the same are not now in use amongst manufacturers, yet,
by means of the said Specification and the printed descriptions thereof, the
Invention is sufficiently known, and it is unnecessary to enter into a detailed
description in these Presents, and the more so, as the looms constructed
according to our present improvements have such different properties from
the said Johnson's vertical power looms as to have very little in common
therewith, excepting the circumstance of being vertical power looms, the cloth
during its formation being in a vertical plane. The great object of our
present improvements is to enable four webs or pieces of cloth to be woven
simultaneously and at one operation in the same vertical loom, which loom
contains but one lathe, slay, or lay, with suitable machinery for moving the
same alternately upwards and downwards with a vertical motion. The said lay
is a long and wide frame, situated horizontally for containing two reeds, both
disposed horizontally therein, and both being in the same plane, one of the
reeds extending across the width of the loomat the front side thereof, and the
other across at the back. Each of the said reeds is adapted to weave two
webs or pieces of cloth from one vertical warp, which warp, by means of a
division along the reed and a peculiar and suitable mounting of the heddles,
is divided or opened into two distinct sheds, through each of which sheds a
shuttle is thrown along and upon the reed across the warp (in order to
introduce and leave a weft thread in each of the said sheds suitably for the
formation of cloth. The yarns for the warps of the four webs which are to
be woven at once in the loom are to be warped upon two yarn rollers or
beams, each of which must contain a sufficient number of yarns to form the
warps for two webs or pieces of cloth. The said two yarn beams are placed
at the bottom part of the loom horizontally and parallel to each other, one at
the front side of the loom and the other at the back thereof. The varns
which proceed from each of the yarn beams are conducted upwards in
planes nearly parallel and vertical through the heddles, which are extended
horizontally, and through the two reeds in the lay, which reedsare disposed, as
aforesaid, with their dents horizontally, and those of both reeds forming one
horizontalplane immediately above the horizontal heddles, the yarns proceeding
from that yarn beam which is in front of the loom going up through the reed
which is in front of the loom over the said front yara beam, and the,
yarns

page_text: from the other yarn beam at the back of the loom going up through the other
reed which is at the back of the loom over the back yarn beam.
yarn
The yarns
so proceeding from each yarn beam back and front, and belonging, as afore-
snid, to each reed back and front, are each divided into two series for
weaving two distinct. webs or pieces of cloth by means of two shuttles. For
this purpose the horizontal surface of the dents of each reed is divided by
means of a long narrow ruler, which is fixed horizontally over that surface
across all the dents, and extending all the length of the reed from one end
thereof to the other, so that the horizontal surface which the dents of the reed
present is divided by the said ruler into two parallel channels or shuttle races,
suitable for a shuttle to run in each race without interference one with
another, the bottom of each channel or shuttle race being the dents of the
reed upon
which the shuttle is to run, and one side of each of the said races
being bounded by the straight side of the aforesaid narrow ruler, and the
other side of each of the said races being bounded by the straight side of
the frame of the Iny wherein the reed is fixed. Each reed being thus divided
into two shuttle races, there are in all four shuttle races for the passage of
four shuttles. which are to be thrown at once by a simultaneous motion through
the several sheds of the warps, which sheds are opened simultaneously for
their reception. One half of the number of yarns proceeding from either
bean are appropriated to one of the said two channels or shuttle races, and
the other half to the other race; that is to say,every alternate yarn proceeding
from either yaru benm is conducted up through that part of the reed which
forms one of the said shuttle races, and every intermediate yarn from the same
yarn beam is conducted up through the other shuttle race on the same reed.
Theheddles extend horizontally, as aforesaid, across the loom from front toback
thereof, beneath both the reeds, and each heddle have two eyes or mailles in
it at suitable distances apart to receive two yarns, one of them belonging to
the front yarn beam and front reed, and the other yarn belonging to the
back yarn beam and back reed, wherefore each heddle operates upon the
yarns for two of the four webs which are to be woven at once, and by means
of all the several heddles which are provided, and by drawing the same with
suitablehorizontal motions, the yarnsforall thefour websaredivided and opened
into sheds at the same time, one shed in each of the aforesaid shuttle races.
Whilst the four shuttles are thrown, the lay with its reeds remain motion-
less at the lowest position of its descending motion; but immediately after the
shuttleshave made their shootorpassage across through their respectivesheds,
leaving the four wefts after them extended along the reeds across the dents
thereof the lay begins its ascending motion, in order to carry up the said wefts

page_text: within theirrespective sheds, which are all closed simultaneously by a suitable
action of the heddles whilst the lay is ascending; and when the lay reaches the
highest position ofits ascending motion, the reeds beat all the four wefts forcibly
upwards between the closed warp yarns, in order to form them into cloth, four
webs thereof at once. The said webs, as they are formed, are drawn upwards
and wound around the cloth beams or rollers, whereof there are two, one at
the back and the other in the front side of the loom, placed at the upper part
thereof, over and corresponding to the two yarn beams at the bottom of the
loom. And the accessaries and new improvements which we apply to vertical
power looms of the aforesaid description, for the purpose of weaving four webs
at once in the same loom, are as follows:-In order to avoid stopping the
motion of the loom when any one of the four weft threads break, twice or
three times as many shuttles as are required for constant use are to be lodged
in suitable receptacles or shuttle boxes, which are so arranged that the break-
ing of a weft thread will cause a change of shuttles,and a substitution of spare
shuttles, which have been provided and placed in the said receptacles ready for
such changing; for instance, the breaking or failure of a weft thread from
either of the two shuttles which work on the same reed as one pair, will cause
the pair to be removed and a pair of spare shuttles to be brought into their
place instantaneously, without any act of the person who attends the loom, and
who will therefore have no occasion to stop the motion thereof when a weft
thread breaks or runs off, but will only have to take care to keep the loom at
all times provided with a suflicient number of spare shuttles ready filled and
inserted into their proper places in the receptacles, leaving it to the machinery
of the loom to remove those shuttles which have been working, and to sub-
stitute others the instant that a change becomes necessary in consequence of
the breaking or failure of weft thread. But if, by neglect of the attendant, the
loom is not so provided with a pair of spare shuttles ready filled and placed in
preparation for changing as aforesaid by the machinery on the breakage or
failure of any weft thread,) then the loom will stop its own motion, wherefore
the weaving cannot be continued unless all the four webs have their several
wefts duly inserted in a proper manner for working cloth. The arrangement
of the beddles, or what is called the mounting of the loom, is so con-
trived as to be suitable for weaving four webs at once of plain cloth, but it
admits of introducing four or more shafts or heddles instead of the two heddles
which are requisite for plain weaving, and the mechanism by which the
heddles are drawn (with very ready alteration) admits of weaving any kind
of tweeled cloth which can be woven by means of those four or more heddles
which are introduced. The loom is also provided with substitutes for temples,

page_text: for the purpose of keeping the four webs of cloth extended in width duirng
the operation of weaving them. They are a sort of pincers, of which there
are four pair, two pairs thereof being applied at each selvedge or border of the
adjacent webs of cloth. The selvedges or borders of the two adjacent webs
are included between the jaws of one of the pairs of the said pincers, so that
the said jaws being closed together will bite and hold the selvedge of the two
webs like one, and take firm hold of both webs near to their selvedges or
borders, and a little above the felt of the cloth, or place where the last shoot
was thrown across the saine. When the jaws of the pincers are opened, they
will leave the two cloths quite detached and at liberty. During all the time
that the warps are opened into sheds for the admission of the shuttles, the
jaws of all the four pair of pincers are opened by a suitable spring with which
each pair is provided, and also the pincers at the opposite selvedges of each
pair of adjacent webs are then advanced a little towards each other, in order to
reach over the respective selvedges which are included between their opened
jaws; but after the four shuttles are thrown, and as the sheds of the warp are
closed, and whilst the lay with the reeds is moving up towards the fell of the
cloth, the jaws of all the four pincers are closed by the machinery upon the
selvedge borders of the cloth so as to bite the same, and each pair of pincers
having thus obtained a firm hold of both thickness of cloth, those pincers which
are situated at the opposite selvedges of the same webs are caused by the
machinery to recede from each other so much as is requisite in order to
extend and pull out the several webs of cloth to their full intended width, and
to hold then firmly to that width at the moment when the last shouts of weft
are beaten up by the reeds; after which, as the lay returns, the opposite pincers
begin to advance again towards each other, so as to relax the cloth, and then
the machinery perinits their jaws to be opened again by their springs, in order
to leave the cloths quite at liberty and detached whilst the sheds are opened as
before mentioned, and the pincers continue so open until after the four shuttles
have been thrown again, and then the pincers perform their office with an
exact repetition of the action already described. The yarn beams in the said
vertical power looms are loaded with only a small retaining weight applied in
the usual manner, in order that the friction thereby produced may occasion
but a slight resistance to the turning round of the said beams as the yarns are
drawn off therefrom by the gradual formation of the cloth; wherefore, when
the sheds of the warps are opened, the yarn beams will turn a little and give
off as much of the yarns as will allow them to yield when the sheds are
opened. In order that the yarns may divide easily, a ratchet wheel is fixed
upon one end of each yarn beam, and two clicks are so connected with the

page_text: machinery which moves the lay up and down, that as the lay is rising in order
to beat up the wefts, and whilst the sheds of the yarns are closing, each of the
said clicks will be brought by the machinery into contact with its corre-
sponding ratchet wheel on the end of one of the yarn beams, and catching in
the teeth thereof, will turn the same and the yarn beam round so much as is
necessary to wind up the yarns to a suitable tension for resisting the action of
beating up the wefts and forming the cloth; but as the lay descends again, and
when the yarns require to be opened into sheds, the said clicks are withdrawn
by the machinery, so as to quit the teeth of the ratchet wheels, and leave them
at liberty again, in order that the yarn beams may then yield and unwind the
yarns, in the manner before described, as much as is requisite to allow the
sheds to open easily. Each of the cloth beams gathers up two thicknesses of
cloth together, winding them around the same beam, in consequence the same
will increase in size faster than in ordinary looms, which wind up only, one
thickness. The mechanism for turning the cloth beams round adapts itself to
that circumstance, so as to take up the cloths at the same rate when the cloth
beams are become large, by the accumulation of cloth around them, as when
they were smaller, from having but little cloth upon them. And by means
of other mechanism for changing shuttles(different from that beforementioned,
which was for changing when any weft breaks), the four webs which are woven
at once in the same vertical power loom of the aforesaid description may have
cross stripes of different colours (or of different strength and appearance) of
weft, yarn, or thread. For this purpose, the several sets of
spare shuttles
being charged with those different kinds of weft, the changes of the sets of
shuttles in due succession will occasion like changes in the weft, so as to
produce such cross stripes, which may also be combined with longitudinal
stripes of different colours or different strengths of warp yarns or threads
produced by suitable arrangements of the different colours or sorts of yarns in
the previous operation of warping, so as, by combining cross stripes and longi-
tudinal stripes, to produce chequered patterns for cloths of the kind called
pulicates or checks. The shuttle boxes or recepticles for the several shuttles
which contain wefts of different colours or different strengths of weft yarn have
as many cells, situated one over another, as is required for the reception of the
several sets of shuttles which are charged with different colours or sorts of
weft; and the said shuttle boxes are raised or lowered by the mechanism just
as much as is necessary in order to bring the particular set of shuttles which
are wanted for the time to a proper level for pecking them across the reeds
through the opened sheds of the warps; and by means of a revolving barrel.
with suitable mechanista for so raising or lowering the said shuttle boxes, the

page_text: several shuttles containing different coloured or different sized wetts are
changed and brought into action, some at one time and others at another
time, according to any suitable succession or alternation which may be required
to produce the intended cross stripes. The said mechanism for so raising and
lowering the shuttle boxes can he readily altered and made to operate with
different orders of succession or alternation of stripes suitably for different
patterns. And further, with a suitable modification of the last-mentioned
mechanism for changing the shuttles which are charged with different colors
or sizes of weft, and also with a new kind of mounting of the beddles (different
from that herein-before mentioned), and adapted for figure weaving, together
with the addition of suitable figure weaving machinery of the kind called
jacquard machinery, placed over the loom for drawing the heddles so as to
diversify the division of the warps at succeeding times of opening the sheds
thereof, the four webs which are woven at once in the same vertical power
loom of the aforesaid description may be woven with ornamental patterns, of
the nature of what is termed figure weaving, or damask or shawl weaving.
which patterns may be produced by changes of shuttles and of weft obtained
by the action of the mechanism before mentioned, combined with diversified
intersections of warp yarns obtained by drawing the heddles or harness in due
order by the action of the jacquart machinery, so us by such combination to
bring different threads of the warp into view and different portions of the weft
threads into view at every succeeding shoot, according as the figured pattern
requires. Or, in lieu of the said figure, weaving machinery of the kind called
jacquart machinery, which derives the diversification of its action in drawing
the heddles from an extensive series of suitably perforated cards of pasteboard
united into an endless band, we apply to a vertical power loom, of the
aforesaid description for weaving four webs at once, a new kind of figure weav
ing machinery, which derives the diversification of its action in drawing the
heddles from a pattern board, upon the flat surface of which the intended
pattern is carved in relief, somewhat in the manner of a block for printing
calico, except that the parts of the pattern whichare to exhibit different colours
are cut down to different corresponding depths of depression, as is represented
in Sheet XI. The said pattern board being situated at the upper part of the
loom, its carved surface is presented beneath the lower extremities of a row of
needles or small sliders, which stand side by side close together, endways
upwards, and which needles, at suitable intervals of time during the operation
of the loom, are all let fall endways downwards, so that their lower ends come
to rest by their own weight upon the said carved surface, and by the in-
equalities of the relief of the carving thereof some of the neddles will beallowed

page_text: to drop down end ways to a greater distance or lower than others, and then
those needles which are detained by the more prominent parts of the carved
surface from falling so low as the others are acted upon by a straight-edged ruler,
which passes horizontally across all the row of needles, and which being moved
backwards when it is required to act, is thereby brought in contact with cer-
tain lateral prominences of the needles, so as to push back all those needles
which were detained as aforesaid from falling, but the said straightedge passing
over above the said lateral prominences of all the other needles which were
allowed to drop lower down as aforesaid, that edge misses those needles; and
leaves them undisturbed when it pushes others back, by this meansaselection
is made of certain needles in the row, which needles are pushed back. leaving
the others undisturbed. Each needle is connected with or tied to a horizontal
lever which is situated across over the loom, that end which is backward, (aud
which is tied to its corresponding needle,) being sustained on a fulcrum or
centre of motion; and one or more of the heddles is suspended from each lever
near to the middle of its length; the series of the said levers corresponds
with the series of heddles and of needles, and all the levers are placed side
by side in a row at the top of the loom, their front ends which project
forwards, forming a straight:
crow across the loom, until by the aforesaid action
of the straight edge (whereby it pushes back a selected number of the needles
and leaves the others), the horizontal levers corresponding to the said selected
needles, are drawn back with an endway motion upon their fulcrum or centre
of motion, so that the front extremities of those levers will retreat backwards
out of the straight line which is formed by the extremities of the other levers
which are not so drawn back; hence that selection of the needles which is
caused, as aforesaid, by the carving of the pattern board allowing some
needles to escape the action of the straight edge, whilst others are submitted
to its action, is accompanied by a like selection amongst the horizontal levers,
drawing back some and leaving others. The front extremities of those levers
which are not drawn back are lifted up by the edge of a horizontal lifting bar,
which rises upwards at the moment when the sheds of the warp are to be
opened, and by lifting the aforesaid selected levers pulls up those heddles which
depend from them, leaving the other heddles down, because the horizontal
levers from which the latter are suspended being drawn backwards end ways,
their extremities are withdrawn out of the range of the edge of the aforesaid
lifting bar, so as to be missed thereby at the time when it acted, as aforesaid,
beneath the front extremities of the other levers (which were not drawn
back), so as to lift the same up, and thereby draw up the particular heddles
which are suspended from them. The said pattern board is carved, as before-
R

page_text: mentioned, into two, three, or four or more depths or stages of relief, each stage
corresponding to as many different colours or sorts of weft, which are to be
introduced by means of the different changes of shuttles, which are to be
made by the mechanism before mentioned; and in consequence of those
different depths of carving, the said needles, when let fallendways downwards
thereon, become selected intoas many different series, in consequence of some
being let fall lower than others, which others are let fall lower than those
which were before stated to be detained from falling. The aforesaid straight
edge, when it acts against the lateral prominences of the needles to press them
back with the action before described, intercepis and pushes back that portion
of the needles which are selected by not being let fall so low as others, and
that action will cause the drawing up of those heddles and warp threads which
require to be raised when shuttles containing weft of one colour are to be
thrown. But at the same moment that the mechanism before mentioned for
changing the shuttles brings other shuttles into action with weft of a different
colour, then, by the same movement, the straight-edged ruler before mentioned,
which is to act against the lateral prominences of the selected needles to push
them back, is depressed a little before it is moved backwards again, in order
to repeat the action before mentioned, and in consequence it will then pass
under and below the lateral prominences of those needles against which it
ucted before so as to miss them, but it will meet with the lateral prominences
of another series of needles which have been selected by the carved pattern,
which permitted them to descend to a certain depth, although not so low
as some others have descended; wherefore the lateral prominences of those
latter needles will be missed by the straight edge passing over them, at the
same time that it also misses those which have not been let fall, because
it passes beneath their lateral prominences. The needles against which the
straight edge does act, and does push back, after having made its said change
of position corresponding to a change of shuttles, will operate in mannerafore-
said by drawing back their corresponding horizontal levers, so as to cause
the drawing up of a different series of heddles and warp threads from those
which were raised before, being those which require to be raised for action
along with the newly changed shuttles which contain weft of a different colour
from that which was previously used, as before mentioned. And in like manner
at the next time when another change of shuttles is made for introducing
wefts of again adifferent colour, the said straight edge is again depressed so
much further as is requisite to cause it to miss the prominences of all those
needles against which it acted at the last time of its action, and cause it to
intercept those of another series of needles which were missed by it the last

page_text: time, because they were let fall too low by the depressions of the carved pattern
for the straight edge to meet with their lateral prominences until after it
was lowered, in order that it might meet the same. By this means, at each
succeeding change of shuttles, the straightedge is made to operate upon anew
selection of needles, being those which are suitable for occasioning the drawing
up of those particular heddles and warp threads which require to be raised for
suiting wefts of the particular colour which is to be used in consequence of each
such change of shuttles; the several different selections of the needles being
made, as before stated, by the carving of different parts of the pattern board
into different steps or stages of depth at all the parts of the pattern which are
intended to exhibit differences of colour. The said pattern board is fastened
upon a moveable table, whereby it is carried with a very slow progressive
motion either backwards or forwards at proper intervals beneath the row of
needles, which at those intervals are all lifted up together in one row, so as to
remove them from contact with its curved surface for a moment, during which
moment, by the motion of the table, the pattern board is moved either back-
wards or forwards a very little, and then the row of needles are let down again
upon it, in order that when they are so let down for repetition of the action
before described, they may drop upon another part of the carved pattern at a
very little distance further forwards or backwards across the same than they
dropped upon at the last time. The new position of the needles
upon the
carved surface must be suitable to the new part of the pattern which is to be
woven at the same time, for the slow progressive motion of the pattern bourd,
along with its moveable table, must correspond with the slow progressive
formation of the cloth, so that as different parts of the figured pattern come in
succession to be woven by the shooting of the weft, corresponding parts of the
pattern which is carved on the pattern board must also come into action
beneath the needles, to produce the proper drawing of the heddles and raising
of the warp suitably for each successive shoot of weft. And when the weaving
has proceeded so far that the figured pattern which is carved on the pattern
board has been completed, and every part of the carved surface has in suc-
cession been presented beneath the needles, so that a repetition of the pattern
is about to be commenced, the needles are all lifted up from any contact with
the carved surface, and the moveable table suddenly returns instantaneously
by the action of suitable mechanism either backwards or forwards, but
with a contrary direction of motion to the slow progressive motion before
mentioned, in order that, by such sudden and instantaneous return through
a space equal to the whole width of the pattern, the pattern board may
regain the situation which it had when the commencement of the pattern

page_text: was woven, and then it sets out again therefrom with a slow progressivo
motion in repetition of the operation before described. But for such figured
pattern as are divisible across the length of the pattern, so as to divide the
length of the figure into two halves, whereof each half will be exactly alike,
but reversed to each other, the pattern board, instead of returning with a
sudden motion, may set out to return with a slow progressive motion, at
the same rate us the original progressive motion before mentioned was per-
formed, in which case the pattern board will be operative on the needles
in order to produce the requisite action on the heddles when moving
slowly in both directions, whereas in the former case it was only operative
when moving with slow progress in one direction and in returning instan-
taneously; it had no action upon the needles which were at the time
raised up from its carved surface, and it was to avoid loss of time that its
return was performed with an instantaneous motion. And instead of the
pattern being carved on the surface of a flat board which is fastened upon a
moveable table, it may be carved on the circumference of a cylinder which is
mounted on a horizontal axis, and turned round with a slow progressive
motion, in order to bring every portion of the pattern in succession beneath
the row of needles for the performance of the operation above stated; and-if
the size of that cylinder is truly adapted to the pattern, so that the pattern
will just reach round the circumference, then after every part of the pattern
has been brought into operation by the said slow progressive motion, the
cylinder will have regained its original position suitably for the recommence-
ment of its operation, by mere continuance of the same slow progressive
motion without returning suddenly. But in case the pattern is of the kind
before mentioned, wherein the length of the figure consists of two halves
exactly alike, but reversed to each other, then the cylinder may return with a
slow progressive notion, operating upon the needles during all the time of its
return, in the manner before mentioned respecting the flat pattern board. And
in order to produce all the diversities of colour suitable for the intended
pattern, the changes of the shuttle boxes must be regulated according to the
pattern,
which will sometimes require only one coloured weft to be thrown for
several successive shoots, at other times some other colour, or again at other
times a succession of colours at every succeeding shoot, in order to produce
variation of colour, and that succession will require to be varied frequently.
To produce such variation in the succession of the changes of the shuttles,
a portion of the carved surface of the pattern board (or else a distinct pattern
board fixed to the same moveable table) must be provided and carved with
alternate elevations and depressions for actuating suitable levers or sliders,

page_text: which must be connected with stop dettents for detaining and determining the
positions of that revolving barrel (before mentioned) which (with other
suitable mechanisin) was stated to effect the raising or lowering of the shuttle
boxes in a proper manner, to change the shuttles, and produce cross stripes.
The position into which that revolving barrel is turned and detained previous
to every succeeding shoot determines which of the different colors of weft
shall be thrown at that shoot; and if the barrel is turned regularly round, a
regular succession of alternating colours would be woven, suitably forproducing
cross stripes of variegated colors. But the said barrel and mechanism requires
to be modified, as before stated, when it is applied in concert with figure
weaving machinery for weaving complicated patterns in colors, that modifica-
tion being for the purpose of governing its motion and determining its position
by means of the aforesaid stop dettents, which being actuated by the carved
surface of a pattern board, they may, by suitable carving thereof, be made to
operate in such manner on the barrel as will produce any series of successive
changes of shuttles which the color of the pattern can require. And although
for weaving an extensive figured pattern in colors a great number of successive
changes (inust be made in the series of the heddles and warp threads, which
are to be drawn up together at each succeeding shoot before the same series
will require to be repeated, and therefore the pattern board or cylinder must
be adapted to produce such a great number of different changes; yet, never-
theless, what is called the plain or tweeled ground of the paitern, and which
constitutes the principal fabric of the cloth, will only require a very few such
changes before the same series must be repeated over again; because the
plain or tweeled ground of most figure woven fabrics is only the same fabric
or tissue of warp and weft regularly interwoven in the same manuer as any
other plain or tweeled cloth would be, but into which the coloured weft for t pro-
ducing the figured pattern is interwoven, so as to become extra or additional
weft threads variously introduced over and under the warp threads, so as to
become visible here and there at various places in order to exhibit the figure
in contrast on the plain or tweeled ground. For this reason the mechanism
of the figure weaving loom will be simpler, if the plain or tweeled ground is
prodaced by a distinct apparatus for raising the warp according to that succes-
sion of changes which is suitable for the plain or tweeled fabric of the ground of
the pattern, independently of the more extensive succession of changes which
is required for producing the figuring. To effect this purpose those heddles
which belong to the yarns which are to form the warp of the plain ground
may be united to a few lames or rods, in order that by drawing up one of
those lames a number of heddles and warp threads may be raised together

page_text: with one motion: and those lames are severally suspended from horizontal
levers at the top of the loom, similar to those before mentioned, and disposed
in the same row as those from which the other heddles are suspended, in
manner before stated; but it was then stated that only one or two heddles is
suspended from each lever, whereas by means of the lames several heddles
become suspended from each of the levers now describing, which said levers
are furnished with their needles very similar to the others, and the said needles
might be actuated by dropping them upon a suitably formed part of the
carved surface of the pattern board at the same time with the other needles.
But as that part of such carved surface would be a continual repetition of a
simple series of changes, it will be better to substitute a small cylinder or
revolving barrel, which is adapted to operate on the said needles which belong
to the lames and heddles for the plain or tweeled ground, in the same manner as
the cylinder, which, as before mentioned, may be used as a substitute for a flat
pattern board, that is to say, the surface of the said barrel is carved into
suitableprominences and depressions for raisingsomeofthe needles which apply
to it, and letting others drop in a proper manner for effecting the same purpose,
as is effected at the same time by the carved surface of the pattern board in
respect to all the other needles, and the said barrel is turned round when
requisite, in order to present different parts of its circumference in succession
to the said needles, and produce all the simple changes which are requisite for
weaving the plain or tweeled ground; but as those changes are only few in
number before they require to be repeated, the barrel does not require to be
large, and it may soon go round so as to begin to repeat the same simple course
of changes over again, in which respect alone it differs from a large cylinder,
which may be substituted as aforesaid for a flat pattern board, because that
large cylinder cannot complete its revolution and begin to repeat its course of
changes until the whole pattern is completed, and to do that an extensive
series of complicated changes must be gone through, whereas during that long
course the small barrel for actuating those needles which, with their levers,
James, and heddles, perform the weaving of the plain or tweeled ground, will
have made many revolutions and repeated its simple course of changes several
times over. And note.-For such kinds of figure weaving as require only one
color or kind of weft to be used, the mechanism of the loom may be much
simpler in its structure and operation than above mentioned, because in such
cases the parts before described for producing changes of the shuttles may be
omitted or left out of use; or, if required, the mechanism herein-before men-
tioned for changing and renewing the shuttles when a weft thread breaks or
fails may be used, in concert with the figure weaving mechanism, in lieu of the

page_text: mechanism for changing the shuttles which are charged with wefts of different
colors.
Having now enumerated the objects and principal properties of our said
improvements, and explained their manner of operation for weaving four webs
at once in the same vertical power loom, Ishall proceed to explain the structure
of such looms in detail, by the aid of the twelve Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, first describing a loom of that kind for weaving plain or tweeled
cloth, and afterwards another similar loom, with additional apparatus for
figure weaving.
Description of a vertical power loom constructed according to our said
improvements for weaving four webs at once of plain or tweeled cloth..-The
titles which are written on the several Drawings are sufficient to explain the
respective directions in which the machinery is supposed to be viewed in each
Figure, and the names of the parts which are written on the Drawings will
assist the reader.
The framing and fixed parts are designated in the Drawings by a tint of
indian ink. The frame consists principally of two main vertical standards
A, A, erected upon a horizontal ground plate, which lies flat on the floor, and the
standards A, A, are firmly united together by the horizontal rails B, B, C, D, D.
There are also two shorter vertical standards E, E, erected upon the same
ground plate as the main vertical standards A, A, being opposite thereto at
each side of the loom, and united to them by short horizontal arms or railsa, a.
The spaces left between each of the standards A and Ecoutain the shuttleboxes
and the mechanism for changing shuttles. The two yarn beams F, F, are
placed at the lower part of the main vertical standards parallel to each other.
one at the back of the loom and the other in the front, with their end pivots
lodged in suitable bearings, formed near the feet of the main standards A, A;
and the two cloth beams G, G, are in like manner situated at the top of the
main standards, one at the back, the other in front, over the two yarn beams.
Each of the yarn beams F, F, has a pulley, on the extreme end of its axis to
receive a friction cord, which is applied by wrapping around the pulley in the
usual manner of other looms, but the cord is only loaded with a small weight,
as before mentioned, to retain the warps from drawing off, and unwinding
from the beams. Each of the cloth beams G, G, has a toothed wheel g, g,
fixed upon one end of it, and the teeth are engaged by two worms or endless
screws m, m, having contrary obliquities of their spiral threads, which worms
are both fixed upon the same horizontal axis n, and that being turned round
by means of a ratchet wheel on the extreme end of the axis, a slow motion is
thereby communicated to the cloth beams G, G, to wind up the cloths as they

page_text: yarns
are wovon, and the two yarn beams F, F, easily give off the warp as it is
wanted, and as the cloths are wound up, because the friction cords around their
pullies, are but lightly loaded. Each yarn beam has the proper number
of yarns warped upon it to form the warp for two of the four webs which are
to be woven at once. The yarns in proceeding upwards from each yarn beam
are carried around the two lease rods bb, those yarns which are to go into the
outermost web of cloth being at the outside of the lowermost lease rods, and
those which are to go to the innermost web being at the outside of the upper-
most lease rods, by which means it becomes easy to trace and find the
when required, in order to mend broken yarns. The yarns in ascending
upwards above thel ease rods b. b, pass amongst the heddles k, k, every yarn
being conducted through the eye or maille of some one or other of the said
heddles, and each heddle has two such eyes or mailles in it, in order that the
yarns may be bended by means of suitable motions which are given in due
time to those heddles, so that the warp proceeding from each yarn beam will
be opened and divided into two distinct sheds, as is represented at 1,2, and
3,4, in the section, Sheet II., for the passage of two shuttles, and the warp
proceeding from both beams being so divided, four sheds are opened at once
for the simultaneous passage of four shuttles. A little above the heddles k.k,
the yarns pass between the dents of the reeds d, d, by which the yarns are
kept separate. There is one reed at the back of the loom for receiving the
yarns proceeding from one of the yarn beams, and another at the front of the
loom for receiving the yarns proceeding from the other yarn beam. The two
reeds are fixed in the frame H, H, which is called the lay, and which moves
up and down. It is represented in the Drawings ns being lowered down to its
lowest position, and then the warps being divided and opened into sheds as
aforesaid, the four shuttles are thrown all at one motion, so as to pass hori-
zontally along the length of the reeds, running across the dents thereof, leaving
the several weft yarns behind them,and laying loosely across the said dents,and
within the opened sheds 1, 2, and 3, 4, of the warp. Each of the reeds d has
a narrow ruler 5 fixed immediately over it, extending from end to end, along
the middle of its breadth, across its dents, and standing up above the same,in
a suitable manner to divide each reed into two suitable shuttle races for the
reception of the two shuttles which are to be thrown along each reed, the
boundaries of the said shuttle races being formed by the straight sides of
the rails 6, 6, of the lay, between which each of the reeds c, d, is included.
When the warps are divided and opened into sheds by the action of the
leddles as aforesaid,the yarns are carried out far enough from each other to be
brought gently in contact with the sides 5 and 6,of the respective shuttle races

page_text: so as to leave clear openings for the passage of the shuttles along the said
races without doing any injury to the warp yarns. The lay H and its
two reeds d, d, continues quite motionless whilst the shuttles are passing
across, but immediately afterwards the lay begins to ascend, and the reeds
ascending with it, carry up the yarus of weft which have been laid
across their dents as aforesaid, and when the lay has ascended to its
highest position, the dents of the reeds d, d, then beat up the said weft
yarns into their places between and across the warp yarns, so as to form
the cloth, whereof four webs are thus forming at once, and as fast as they
are so formed they are wound up around the two cloth beams G, G, two
webs together around each of those beams. And note. Whilst the lay
H, with the reeds d, d, is rising upwards as aforesaid, the heddles are
inoved so as to allow each warp to close up the shed into which it was
previously divided and opened for the passage of the shuttles, and the yarns of
the warp resuming their natural straight direction enclose the wefts between
them at the moment when the reeds beat up the weft yarns into their places
in the warp in order to form the same into cloth; but after that is done, whilst
the lay is descending again, the heddles are moved anew so as to divide the
warps again and open them into sheds, but at each succeeding time of so
opening each of the warps its yarus are divided in a different manner to that
in which they were divided at the preceding time of opening, in order by
uniform alteration of such division to produce plain cloth, or else by suitable
succession of changes in that division to produce tweeled cloth. The parts
for giving the requisite up-and-down motion to the lay are as follows:-A
strong horizontal axis 7, 7, extends along the loom, at the back thereof, from
one main standard A to the other, and reaches out at one end to the outermost
standard E, being supported in suitable bearings formed on the said standards.
To this axis short levers 8, S, are affixed, and they project out forwards there-
from in order that their extreme ends may be connected by links 9, 9, with
upright sliding rods 10, 10, which are applied against the main standards, A, A,
being guided so that they will move or slide truly up and down between
suitable guide pieces 11, 11, which are screwed to the edges of the main
standards, and being also guided by the upper ends of the rods 10, 10, passing
through sockets forined through the top cross rail C of the frame. The upper
parts 10, 10, may be cylindrical rods, and the lower parts open frames, as is
represented in the section; Sheet II. The lay H is fitted upon the sliding rods
10, 10, so as to be guided and moved by them, but without being fastened
thereto. The lay is composed of the four parallel horizontal rails 6, 6, 6, 6.
which include the two reeds d, d. between them those rails being united by
с

page_text: strong metal end frames 12, 12, which extend across all the four rails, and are
firmly fastened thereto by screws. The middle part of the end frames 12, 12.
rise up between the two innermost of the four rails 6, 6, and those rising parts
are perforated with sockets for the admission of the cylindrical rods 10, 10,
which serve as guides to retain the lay, so that the plane of its two reeds
always continues to be horizontal when it moves up and down. Two carrying
pieces 13, 13, are firmly fastened upon the rods 10, 10, by clamping screws,
so as to be within the openings of the end frames 12, 12; and when, by the
action of the levers 8, 3, the two sliding rods 10, 10, are moved upwards with
equal and simultaneous motion, the carrying pieces 13. 13, bear up the end
frames 12, 12, of the lay, so as to carry up the same with a truly vertical
motion, the lay moving parallel to itself, and preserving its horizontal position
in rising and in the net of beating up the wefts. When the sliding rods.10, 10.
descend again by the action of their levers, the lay H descends with them by
its own weight (aided by suitable springs, if necessary) until it arrives at the
position represented in the section, Sheet II. when it comes to rest upon the
fixed part of the framing B, B, which is beneath it (and which sustains the
heddles k,, within it), wherefore the lay cannot descend any lower, although
the sliding rods 10, 10, do descend lower, but in so doing their pieces 13, 13,
descend within the openings in the end frames 12, 12, of the lay, so as to leave
the same motionless during a sufficient interval of time for throwing the
shuttles. The motion of the levers S, S, whereby they produce the up-and-
down motion of the sliding rods 10, 10, is an alternate rocking motion, which
is given to their axis 7 by means of a lever arm 14 on the extreme end of it
which arm projects out backwards, and the end is connected by an upright
link 15 with a rocking lever 16, Sheet II., which is shaped like the letter T
inverted, and which is mounted on au axis or centre of motion situated above
and behind the loom, and sustained by suitable bearings and framework.
The rocking lever 16 acts as an elbow lever, to transmit an alternating
motion, by means of the crank rod 17, from the revolving crank 18, which
is formed on a horizontal axis situated near the ceiling of the room in which
the loom is placed, and which axis and crank is turned round with a suitable
speed by the power of millwork communicated from suitable drums and
endless belts in a manner very similar to those used for driving ordinary
power looms, except that the axis of the crank is situated overhead, and one
such crank may give motion to several looms. For instance, the oppositearu
of the rocking lever 16, which arm is represented as broken off in Sheet II.,
may give motion to an adjacent loom by means of another upright link cor-
responding to 15,and the motions of twoadjacent looms, which are so worked

page_text: by the opposite arms of one lever 16, will be alternate to each other.
And
also a long connecting rod may be extended horizontally from the upper arm
of the rocking lever 16, to the corresponding upper arms of other similar
levers, each one being situated over a pair of adjacent looms, to both of which
it gives motion. The axis or centre of motion of each rocking lever may be
supported in bearings which descend from the ceiling of the room, er else it
may be sustained by
an arched framing of iron extended across between the
main standards of the pair of adjacent looms which are to be worked by the
same rocking lever, the said arched frame serving to unite the pair firmly
together into one frame, as well as to support the rocking lever. And further,
another crank rod, similar t 17, may be extended from the same crank 18,
but in an opposite direction, in order to give motion to another rocking lever,
similar to 16, but situated on the opposite side of the crank axis, which rocking
lever may actuate a pair of adjacent looms over which it is placed; and the
last-mentioned rocking lever may also, by another horizontal connecting rod
similar to that above mentioned, give a simultaneous motion to other racking
levers, each one actuating a pair of adjacent looms. And further, the same
crank axis may have a crank such as 18 formed at each end of it, each crank
givingmotionto several looms in the manner abovedescribed, wherefore bythese
means a number of looms may be wrought by the aforesaid connections from
one revolving axis situated overhead in the midst of all the looms. When any
oue loom out of such a number requires to be detached from the moving power
for some time, in order to stand still for inserting the warps or for repairing
the upright link 15 of that loom may be disjointed from the extremity of the
rocking lever 16, by the attendant pulling forwards a small handle at the
lower end of a long latch 19, the middle part of which latch is connected by a
centre pin with the link 15, so as to be always moved up and down therewith:
aud the upper end of the latch 15 is formed into a hook, which, when it is
hooked upon the joint pin at the end of the rocking lever 16, unites the link 15
thereto like a firm joint; but by pulling forwards the small handle at the lower
end of the latch 19, the hook at the upper end thereof will retreat from the
joint pin, leaving the same disjointed; for as the pin is received into a long
slit or loop in the upper end of the upright link 15, it will move up and down
therein without giving any motion to the said link until the pin is hooked
again by the atten laut pushing back the handle at the lower end of the latch
19. A spring catch, which is fixed to the link 15, and applied to the lower
end of the latch 19, tends to keep that latch either hooked or unhooked
And after the loom has been thus
according as the attendant has placed it.
detached from the moving power, the attendant cau nevertheless give motion to

page_text: it by means of the lever handle 20, which being worked up and down by hand
in the manner of a pump handle, will perform all the functions of the loom
the same as if it were moved by power. When the loom is so working by
power, the said handle 20 moves constantly up and down. It has been
already stated that the up-and-down motion which is given to the rods 10, 10,
is derived from the revolving motion of the crank 18.and that the lay is thereby
raised in order to beat up the weft with the force which the crank exerts; but
when the rods 10, 10, descend, and let down the lay to a suitable level for
throwing the shuttles, it comes to rest on fixed supports, and continues at rest
thereon whilst the shuttles are thrown; but during that time the rods 10, 10,
continue to descend lower and then to come up again by the action of the
crank, until their carrying pieces 13, 13, begin again to lift up the lay. Lu
order that the lay may keep down steadily at rest upon its fixed supports
when the rods 10 leave it resting thereon, springs may be applied to the
lay to act in addition to its own weight; they may be springs of curled wire,
attached at their upper ends to the end frames 12, 12, of the lay, and
attached at their lower ends to the open parts of the rods 10, 10. And
in order to balance the weight of the various parts which are to be moved
up and down when the loom is working, similar springs suspended from the
ceiling may be applied to the upper ends of the rods 10, 10, to pull them
upwards with as much force as will counterpoise the weight, or the
part thereof.
And independently of the mode above described of detaching
the machinery of the loom from the moving power by disjointing the link 15,
the motion of the loom may be stopped instantaneously by pushing endways
either of the rails 21, 21, which extend horizontally all the length of the
loom, one in front and the other at the back thereof, so as to be always within
reach of the attendant. The ends of the rails 21 are jointed to the upper
ends of four levers 22, 22, 22, 27, which project up from two horizontal cross
axis 29, 29, to which they are affixed. The lever 27 has a hooked collar
piece 25 fastened to it, for acting in a groove formed around a sliding
clutch 23, which is fitted upon the axis 7. 7, so as to be capable of sliding
endways along the same by the action of the collar piece 28 of the lever 27;
and two pins, which are fixed into the clutch 23, project out therefrom, so as
to pass through corresponding holes through the central part of the lever
handle 20, which lever is fixed fast on the axis 7; and when the clutch 23 is
slided along the axis, the extremities of the two pins enter into like holes
made in a circular flange 24, formed on the centre boss of the lever arm 14,
in which cuse the pins lock that lever fast to the axis 7, so that the latter must
partake of the rocking motion of the lever 14; but whenever the attendant
greater

page_text: pushes either of the rails 21 endways, the pins of the clutch 23 are thereby
withdrawn from the holes in the flange 24 of the boss of the lever 14, and
then that lever becomes detached, because its boss is fitted upon a round part
of the axis 7. In this state, although the lever 14 and its flange 24 continue
moving as before by the power,
the loom will stand still until the attendant,
by pushing either of the rails 21, again inserts the two pins of the sliding
And in order that the loom may
necessary without any act of the
clutch 23 into their holes in the flange 24.
be enabled to stop its own motion when
attendant, the central part of the lever handle 20 has a wedge-like stud 25
fixed in it so as to project out laterally towards the lever 27, and during the
metion of the lever 20, when the lay is ascending towards its highest position,
the said wedge-like stud 25 comes in contact with the curved edge of a
moveable blade 26, which is applied close to the lever 27, being fitted loosely
on the same axis 29 therewith, and borne continually towards the stud 25
by means of a spring which is affixed to the lever 27. The lateral action of
the wedge like stud 25 against the curved edge of the blade 26 pushes that
blade away from the lever 20 every time that the lay is moved up, but the
retreat of the stud 25 from the blade 26 allows the same to return again by
the action of its spring aforesaid as the lay descends again; all which action, in
the regular course of working, produces no effect on the lever 27, nor on the
sliding clutch 23, because the blade 26 has no connection with the lever 27
unless at the moment when the loom is required to stop itself. At that
moment a small stud pin or bolt 30, which is fitted through a hole in the
top of the lever 27, must be slightly pushed endways, so as to protrude its
extremity through the lever 27 at that period of the aforesaid action when
the blade 26 has been allowed to return towards the lever 20 by the action
of its spring, in consequence of the retreat of the stud 25 from the curved
edge of the blade 26. The bolt 30 being so protruded then as the lay
ascends, and the stud 25 pushes away the blade 26 from the lever 20, the
said blade will intercept the protruded end of the pin 30, and will thereby
become connected with the lever 27, so as to push the same away from the
lever 20, during which motion the hooked piece 28 of the lever 27 will move
the sliding clutch 23 along the axis, so as to withdraw its two pins from the
holes in the flange 24, and thereby disengage the lever 14 from the axis 7, as
before explained. The pin or bolt 30 therefore acts as a trigger, the slightest
pressure on which will cause the loom to stop itself; for this purpose the bolt
30 is fixed fast into a flat piece 31, which is connected with the lever 27 by a
joint, ou which it is moveable, together with the bolt 30, and a slight spring is
interposed between the jointed piece 31 and the lever 27, so as at all times to

page_text: exert a tendency to withdraw the bolt 30 from all interference with the
blade 26, unless some pressure is applied against the flat piece 31 to press it.
back towards the lever 27 in opposition to its spring, sous to protrude the bolt.
30 through the lever 27, in order that it may operate, as before described, to
cause the loom to stop itself. The said pressure is applied, when requisite.
against the flat piece 31 by the extremity of a slender lever 32, which is
affixed to an upright axis 33, so as to reach out therefrom to the flat piece 31;
and by means of another lever on the axis 33, the said lever 32 is caused to
operate on the piece 31 and bolt 30 whenever any one or more of the four
shuttles whichare thrown simultaneously fails to make its passage completely
across the reed, and also to enter properly within the opposite shuttle box
to that from which it was thrown by the action of the pecker. There
are four levers like 32, each fixed on an axis like 33, and one or other
of them is actuated when any of the shuttles stop short; the manner of
doing that will be explained after having described the shuttle boxes.
The mechanism for pecking or throwing the shuttles is as follows, all
the parts being exactly similar at each side of the loom and acting alike :-
On each end of the axis 7 an arin or lever 35 is affixed, and close by the
side thereof a longer arm or lever 36 is fitted on a round part of the
axis 7. so as to move freely thereon; but a latch or spring catch 34, which
is applied in the short lever 35, takes hold of the lever 36, so as to
connect it with the axis 7, and cause the lever 36 to partake of the motion
of that axis unless the entch 34 is disengaged. At the extreme end of each
of the levers 36 a stud pin is fixed, and projects out horizontally side-
ways, so us to form a centre pin for a third lever 37, which is moveable
freely about that centre pin; the longer end of the lever 37 has an arched
head to which a cord or strap 38 is attached by one of its ends, and
passing upwards therefrom is conducted over suitable pullies 39, 39, into a
horizontal direction, and the other end of the cord or strap 38 is fastened to
the pecker 40, which is mounted upon two horizontal parallel spindles 11,41,
which serve as guides for the pecker to slide upon, and they cause it to
move parallel to itself when it is pulled by the cord or strap 38. Another cord
or strap 42 is attached to each pecker by one end, and being conducted over a
pulley 43, is carried up to a spring 46, by the elasticity of which the pecker is
drawn back upon its two spindles 41, 41, out of the way of the shuttles, as
shewn in the Drawings, whenever it is not in the act of pecking or driving the
shuttles, which act is an instantaneous motion, and is followed by an imme-
diate return by the action of the spring 46. Each pecker is of sufficient length
to reach across both ways, towards the back and towards the front, beyond the

page_text: ends of the four shuttles which are to be thrown at once; those shuttles are
lodged in four shuttle boxes or troughs 44, 44, 44, 44, which form exact
continuations or prolongations of the four shuttle races 5, 6, into which the two
reeds d, d, is divided, as before mentioned, the said prolongations being at both
ends of each shuttle race. Each pecker has four projections descending down-
wards from its lowest side to enter into the said four troughs 44 which are
beneath that pecker, in a suitable manner for pecking or driving the four
shuttles out of the said four troughs all at once; whenever the pecker is drawn
suddenly by its strap or cord 38, that action takes place immediately after the
lay is lowered down to its lowest or resting position, as represented in the
Drawings (the four sheds of the warps being by that time opened). When
the lay comes down to that resting position the upper surface of the reeds
comes exactly to a level with the bottoms of the shuttle boxes or troughs, so as
to render the four shuttle races in every respect conformable to the four shuttle
boxes, which latter are supported between the main standards A, A, and the
end standards E, E, and do not ascend or descend with the motion of the lay.
By the time that the lay is come to rest upon its fixed supports, the levers 36,
with the centre pins of the levers 37, will have descended so far as to bring
down the tails or short ends of the lever 37 to rest upon rollers 45, which
are mounted upon fixed centre pius, supported at the extremities of brackets
which project out from the main standard A, to the front edges of which they-
are screwed fast. After the tails of the levers 37 have thus come down to rest
upon the rollers 45, the further descent of their centre pins, by the motion of the
levers 36, will cause the arched heads of the levers 37 to be moved very rapidly
downwards so as to pull the cords or straps 38, and consequently the peckers
40,40, with a very sudden snatch suitably for pecking the four shuttles, that is,
for driving them out of the shuttle boxes at one side of the loom with a sufficient
impulse to throw them quite across the loom and to lodge them completely
within the opposite shuttle boxes, during which flight of the four shuttles they
run along the four shuttle races which are formed upon the two reeds, passing
through the four sheds into which the warps are opened, and leaving four weft
threads behind them in those foursheds. The parts above described for pecking
being the same at both sides of the loon, and acting simultaneously, both
peckers are drawn at the same time, and therefore one or other of them will
be certain to act upon the shuttles at whichever side of the loom they may
happen to be; but the instant after their pecking action is performed, the
peckers must return immediately, as before stated, by the action of their
springs 46, in order that there may be no impediment to the entrance of the
shuttles into the opposite shuttle boxes when they get across to the same.

page_text: For this purpose the spring catches 34, which connect the levers 35 with the
levers 36, are disengaged, in order to permit of that return being performed
sooner than the peckers could otherwise be permitted to return by the gradual
reascent of the levers 36 along with their levers 35, which latter levers
partake of the returning or rocking motion that the axis 7 derives from the
revolving crank 18. The disengaging or unlatching of the spring catches 34
is performed when the crank IS has inoved the levers 35 very nearly to their
lowest position, and therefore they are about to begin to rise again. Each
of the spring catches 34 is fitted into a mortice opening, which is made
through its lever 35, the catch being moveable about a centre pin inserted
across the mortice and through the catch. The outer end of the catch 34
projects sideways through the mortice towards the lever 36, so as to latch into
a notch excavated in the upright face of the lever 36, and a spring, which is
applied behind the catch 34, tends always to make it latch in the notch, and
being so latched, it will cause the lever 36 to accompany the lever 35 in its
descending motion. The tail or opposite end of the catch 34, nearest to the
axis 7, projects out through the mortice on the contrary side to the lever 36.
and a stop or stud, which reaches out from the main standard A, is fixed in a
suitable position to intercept the said tail of the catch 34, when it is carried
downwards by the descending motion of the lever 35, nearly to the lowest
position, and when it is about to begin to return, so as by that time to unlatch
the catch 34 by the lateral action of its tail against the said fixed stop, and
then the lever 36 being set at liberty, will be instantly drawn up by the
reaction of the spring 46 when returning the pecker, as before mentioned.
And note. The catches 34 being thus disengaged when the rocking motion of
the axis 7 and levers 35 nearly reaches its lowest, they become engaged again,
so as to connect the lever 36 with the levers 35, when that rocking motion
reaches nearly at its highest, aud when the lay is about to beat up the wefts;
for the levers 36 having been drawn up suddenly the instant after they were
disengaged, they continue raised until the lovers 35 overtake them, by gradu-
ally ascending, but the lever 36 being so overtaken by the levers 35, and
their catches 34, the latter then latch of themselves into the notches in the
lovers 30; the catching parts being for that purpose cut sloping in the upper
side, so as to give way easily when the levers 35 overtake the levers 36 in the
same manner as the spring bolt of a lock for a door latches in shutting the
door, and in like manner as such a lock, when so latched, will not let go the
door without withdrawing the spring bolt by the hand, so likewise the catches
34, after having latched and connected the levers 36 with the levers 35. will
not let them go until by the descending motion of both levers the tails

page_text: of the catches 34 are brought into contact laterally with the fixed stops
before mentioned for unlatching.
The mode may now be explained whereby the loom is caused to stop
its own motion in case any one of the four shuttles fails to make its
passage quite across the loom, so as to lodge completely within the
shuttle box towards which it has been thrown. For this purpose a series of
small levers 48 is applied horizontally beneath the flat bottom of the shuttle
boxes, one such lever for each shuttle trough 44, into which the shuttle boxes
are subdivided, the length of the lever 48 being in the direction of the length
of the troughs, and its centre of motion being a stud or screw pin inserted
perpendicularly into the under side of the flat bottom of the box. From the
short end of each of these levers 48 a prominent piece projects upwards
through an opening in the thickness of the bottom of the shuttle troughs, so
as to stand up at one side of the trough 44, withinside thereof, in such a
position that the shuttle will press laterally against it when it enters into
the trough, and by that lateral pressure it will give motion to the lever 48
below. When the said prominence is so pressed laterally by the shuttle, it
retreats into a cavity which is cut in the thickness of the partition between
two adjacent shuttle troughs 44; but whenever the shuttle is absent from
the trough then by the action of a spring, which is applied to the lever 48
beneath the box, it is moved so that its said prominent piece which rises up
into the trough will advance laterally out of the said recess, and encroach into
the space which the shuttle must occupy in the trough when it is thrown into
and properly lodged therein, and consequently, at the entrance of the shuttle
into its trough it must push aside the said prominent part of the lever 48, by
lateral action overcoming the spring thereof, and motion will be thus given to
the lever 48 about its centre stad or pin, and the long tail of the lever 48, or
opposite end thereof to that short end from which the prominent piece pro-
ceeds upwards into the shuttle trough, will in consequence have a con-
siderable motion. Whenever the shuttles are absent from their troughs, each
of the levers 48, belonging to the several troughs, will be moved by its own
spring respectively, so as to remove its extremity out of the way of the upper
end of a pendulous lever 49, which is applied beneath the shuttle trough,
being poised on a centre of motion, supported by a bracket affixed to the
framing. There are four of the levers 49, one situated beneath each shuttle
trough, and they are fitted side by side on the same centre pin which extends
horizontally across beneath the shuttle boxes from front to back. The upper
end of each lever 49 applies to the extremity of the long end of one of the
levers 48 of the shuttle troughs. Four other such levers 49 are disposed at
D

page_text: the other end of the loom, being in all eight levers 48, and as many lovers 49,
for serving all the four shuttle troughs at each end of the loom. The lower
ends of the pendulous levers 49 are longer below their centre of motion than
their upper ends which apply to the tails of the lever 48, and those lower
ends are connected by small wire links 50 with short arms affixed to the
upright axis 38, which has been before described, with its slender lever 52,
for acting on the flat piece 31 of the bolt 30. as part of the mechanism
whereby the loom is rendered capable of stopping its own motion. Each of
the pendulous levers 49 being thus connected with a wire 50, axis 33, and
lever 32. is urged by a spring of its own in that direction which will cause it
to overcome the spring of the piece 3.1 and bolt 30, so as to protrude the
same through the lever 27, and put the loom in a condition for stopping
itself, unless the shuttles are all lodged safe in their proper troughs, and then
by lateral action against the levers 48, they will push away the lever 49 in
spite of their own springs aforesaid, leaving the spring of the piece 31 at
liberty to withdraw the bolt 30. and allow the loom to continue working.
There must
be four of the levers 32, each fixed on its own upright axis 33,
and connected by its own wire 50 with two of the eight levers 49, viz, with one
lever 49 at each end of the loom; and the extremities of all the four levers 52
applying to the same tat piece 31, any one of them will act independently of
all the other three to protrude the bolt 30 in spite of the springs thereof, for
when any one of the shuttles is absent from its trough, the spring which which
belongs to the lever 49 of that trough will of itself overcome the spring of the
bolt 31, and keep the bolt protruded, in which case the loom will stop itself.
The levers 49, which belong to the same shuttle race at the opposite ends of
the loom, are connected together by wires which reach all across from one end
to the other, so as to quite the said levers 49 in pairs belonging to each
shuttle race, which pairs will act together as one upon the short arin of the
axis 35 and its lever 32, belonging to that particular shuttle race. The opera-
tion of the above-described parts is as follows:-When the shuttles aro absent
from their troughs, the levers 48 arrange themselves, each one by the action
of its own spring, with the extremities of their tails removed out of the way of
the upper ends of their corresponding levers 49, leaving those levers at liberty
to act by virtue of their own springs, so that by their wire links 50 urging
the arms of the axis 33, the ends of all the several small levers 32 will press
against the flat piece 31, belonging to the bolt 30 of the lever 27, before
described, with sufficient force to press back the piece 31 in spite of the spring
thereof, so as to protrude the bolt 30 through the lever 57, and in consequence
the loom would then stop its own motion, as already explained, if the bolt 30

page_text: were not withdrawn again before the lay has been raised up sensibly. Now,
the bolt 30 having been thus protruded, will not be withdrawn again if any
one of the shuttles fails to make its entrance into its own proper shuttle
trough, because the lever 48 of that trough will continue to leave its own
Jever 49 at liberty to act by its own spring, and that action, by means of
its wire 50 and lever 32, will continue to overbear the spring of the piece 31,
and keep the bolt 30 protruded. But, on the other hand, the said bolt 30
will be withdrawn by the action of its own spring, if all the four shuttles do
get fairly across and enter properly each one into its own shuttle trough, for
every shuttle in so entering will press laterally, as before-mentioned, against the
prominence at the end of its lever 4S, and thereby turning that lever so that
its extremity will press the upper end of its lever 49; the spring belonging
thereto will then be taken out of action, leaving the spring of the piece 31 un-
resisted, and then it will withdraw the bolt 30, and in consequence the motion
of the loom will continue; whereas, if by default of any one shuttle getting
quite home, any one of the levers 48 continues to leave the corresponding
lever 49 at liberty. the spring belonging to that one lever will prevent the
bolt 30 from being withdrawn by its own weaker spring, and the loom will
then stop itself; wherefore, atevery time of pecking action, the instant that the
shuttles are driven out of their troughs, the bolt 30 is actually protruded ready
for causing the loom to stop itself; but if all the shuttles get fairly across, then
the bolt will be withdrawn again, and the loom will not stop itself, but if any
oneshuttle fails of getting across, the loom will then stop itself. Note.-The
ordinary power looms have the same property of stopping their own motion if
the shuttle ever fails to get quite across and home into its own shuttle box;
but the mechanism herein-before described is different in its combination
and arrangement, to render it capable of acting for four shuttles which are
thrown simultaneously according to our improvement. The mauner of mount-
ing the heddles k, k, and of drawing the warp by them, is as follows:-The
heddles themselves are like those of ordinary looms, except that each thread or
heddle has two eyes or mailles in it instead of only one, and the several
threads or heddles are extended between pairs of slender rods or lames in the
usual manner; but the heddles are applied in a horizontal direction in the
loom, the warp threads on which they are to operate being vertical, and of
the two warp threads which pass thro' the two eyes of each heddle, one
belongs to the front yarn beam and the front pair of webs of cloth, but
the other warp thread belongs to the back yard beam and pair of webs
of cloth. The several pairs of lames are extended between the ends of
levers K, which are applied upon upright centre pius affixed into rails B

page_text: of the frame, which rails are made hollow to contain such levers K. Or
in lieu of levers K. pullies I may be used for the same purpose, that
is, for connecting the lames of the heddles into couples, and causing one
pair of lames to be drawn forwards when another corresponding pair
are drawn backwards, and vice versa, so that the different pairs of lames
which correspond to each other, and which are coupled together by the
levers K or pullies 1. shall in all cases move in opposite directions, suitably
for opening the warp threads which belong to the heddles of each correspond-
ing couple into sheds, by bending some of those warp threads one way, and
the others the contrary way, but leaving none of them quite straight; all
which is the same action as in other looms for plain or tweeled weaving, and
is sometimes performed by means of levers, the opposite ends of which are
connected by strings with the corresponding or coupled lames, which are
required to move in contrary directions or otherwise, the said corresponding
lames are connected by strings which pass around pullies, the same effect of
contrary motions being obtained by either levers or pullies, and the manner of
applying both is shown in Sheet H..at I and K. For merely weaving plain
cloth, the loom requires only two corresponding or coupled pairs of lames of
heddles, those two being coupled as aforesaid, either by pullies or by levers;
but for weaving tweeled cloth,other corresponding pairs must be provided, the
number thereof being according to the kind of tweel which it is intended to
weave. In the section, Sheet II., eight series of heddles le, k, are represented,
one above an other, each series being extended between a pair of lames, as
shewn in Sheet II. That series of eight must be coupled two and two by
levers or by pullies, so that each two which are thus coupled will always be
moved in opposite directions, consequently there must be four independent
movements given by the machinery to the series of eight heddles, and thereby
tweeled cloth may be woven. Those movements are given to the heddles by
means of four levers 51, which are mounted side by side, endways upwards,
upon a fixed axis L. which reaches horizontally from one main standard to the
other, all the four levers 51 being fitted thereon, so as to be capable of inde-
pendent motion round their common ceutre oraxis L. To the upperend of each
of the levers 51 a cord is tied, which passes away from the lever in both direc-
tions, and goes around a pulley at M, Sheet III., and the two ends of the cord
are tied to two of the levers K, which two levers belong to two lames of corres-
ponding heddles, which,as aforesaid,arecoupled, in order that they may always
move with contrary directions; wherefore, by moving any one of the levers 51
about its centre of motion L, two out of eight of the series of heddles will be
moved in contrary directions, and in like manner each of the other levers 51

page_text: commands two other of the eight heddles. The lower ends of some one or
more of the four levers 51 must be moved backwards whenever the lay is
descending, this is done by means of parts 52, which are connected with one
of the sliding rods 10, so as to go up and down therewith; and in descending
the parts 52 slide down against the front edges of the lower ends of such of
the levers 51 as they meet with, and those edges being suitably curved, they
become pushed back by that action of the pieces 52. The upper ends of the
same levers 51 are at the same time brought forwards, and by their cords they
give contrary motions to those beddles which are coupled together by the said
cords, and thereby the heddles draw aside and bend the warp threads so as to
open them into sheds. Note.-Those levers 51 which are thus actuated by
the pieces 52 draw aside those yarns of the warp which are to be greatly
deflected from their straight direction, so as to be brought in contact with
the outsides 6, 6, of each pair of adjacent shuttle races. The other levers 51, a,
which are not actuated by the pieces 52, govern the other yarns of the warp,
which are to be but slightly deflected, only so much as is requisite to bring
them in contact with the two opposite sides of the ruler 5, which occupies the
middle of each reed d, and forms the separation between the two shuttle races.
Note. Those levers 51,a,whereof the lower ends are not moved backwards, as
aforesaid, by the action of the pieces 52, have been previously moved so much
forwards as they require to be moved in order to bend these warp threads
which are to be only slightly deflected. For this purpose a stud pin 54 is
allixed to the lever S (see section, Sheet II.) in such a position that whenever
thelay is raised up the stud 54 will be carried upwards behind all the levers 51,
so as to pass in contact with the back edges thereof and force them all forwards
into the positions represented by 51, a, thereby moving all their upper ends
backwards, and placing all the yarns of all the warps in the position of those
which are slightly deflected, so as to bring them in contact with the division
ruler 5, as before stated. Note.-The pieces 52 are at that moment carried
up with the rods 10 so high that they quit the curved parts of the levers 51
eutirely, and therefore the pieces 2 do not interfere with the aforesaid action
which the stud 54 exerts behind the lever: 51. The said levers 51 are pressed
laterally together so much as to cause them to move stiffly about their com-
mon centre of motion L., in order to enable them to retain the position 51, a,
which has been given to them by the aforesaid action of the stud 54, unless
they are acted upon by the pieces 52 when the same come down again with
the descending motion of the lay. The said pieces 52 only act in that manner
upon some one or more of the levers 51, leaving the others undisturbed.
as is represented in the section, Sheet H., and at every succeeding shoot or

page_text: time of throwing the shuttles the pieces 52 must change so as to come to net
upon different levers 51 from those on which they acted at the previous shoot.
For this purpose the pieces 52 are affixed into a small barrel 55, which is
mounted upon a centre pin projecting out laterally from the sliding frame 10;
and the said barrel 55 is capable of being turned round on its centre pin by
means of a ratchet wheel 56 with four teeth, the same being acted upon by
a driver 57 whenever the ratchet wheel 56 is carried up by the motion of the
sliding frame 10, 10. The driver 57 is suspended upon a fixed centre pin,
which projects out from the main standard, and it acts so as to turn the
barrel 55 round one-fourth of a revolution, whereby those pieces 52 which
acted on the levers 51 at the previous descent are removed out of the way, and
other like pieces 58 are brought into their places, in order that they may in like
manner act upon the levers 51 at the next time of descending, except that
the pieces 58 being differently disposed in lateral position along the length of the
barrel 55, from the pieces 52. will not net upon the same levers 51 as the pieces
52 acted upon, but upon other of the levers 51, suitably for the change which is
required to be made indrawing theheddles in preparation for succeeding shoots:
and at the next succeeding time when the lay rises, the ratchet wheel 56 will
be again turned round by its driver 57, in order to bring other pieces of the
barrel 55 into action in lieu of those marked 58, and so on, acting upon dif-
ferent levers 51 each time until the ratchet wheel 56 has gone quite round and
begins the same course over again. By such means the heddles may be moved
suitably for weaving tweeled cloth, but for weaving plain cloth only two
levers 51 are required, with only four series of heddles at k, k, and the pieces
52, 58, which project out from the barrel 55, must be so disposed laterally
thereon that they will begin to repeat their action over again on the same
levers 51 after going only half' round, so that the two levers 51 will be acted
upon alternately. The barrel 55 should be made to turn rather stiftly on its
centre pin,in order that it may preserve the position which is given to it by
its driver 57; and 60 is a click to retain the ratchet wheel from running back
when the pieces 52 or53 come to act against the levers 51. The mode whereby
the shuttles are changed without stopping the motion of the loom, whenever
any one of their four weft threads breaks or fails, is as follows:-One of the
front shuttle boxes at one end of the loom and one of the back shuttle boxes
at the opposite end is subdivided by partitions into six cells or parallel troughs
in each shuttle box for the reception of as many shuttles, although only two
out of those six troughs and shuttles are required for useatany one time. (See
the plan, Sheet III.) Each of the said shuttle boxes which is thus adapted for
containing six shuttles is marked 60; it is moveable horizontally, in the manner

page_text: of a drawer, in the direction across the loom from front to back, and vice versa,
the bottom of the shuttle box 50 being for that purpose fitted into grooves
formed in the edges of the fixed supporting rails S, S, so as to slide freely
therein, and by so sliding the boxes 60, any two adjacent shuttle troughs of
the six may be brought into the line of the read, so as to form a continuation
of the shuttle races along the reed, and the pecker 40 will act in those two
troughs. but in no others of the six, wherefore any two shuttles which have
been recently thrown and lodged in the last-mentioned two of the said six
troughs of either of the said sliding shuttle boxes 60 may be removed by
sliding the shuttle box 60 backwards or forwards with an instantaneous motion,
which motion will also bring two other spare shuttles into their places ready
for action, provided that two such spare shuttles have been previously lodged
in two of the other troughs of the shuttle box; and the attendant must never
neglect to provide for such changes by always keeping spare shuttles in the
shuttle boxes prepared for action. in addition to the two shuttles which are in
action. The two sliding shuttle boxes 60 are each constantly urged to move
outwards away from the middle of the loom by the action of wire springs 61,
which are applied in a vertical direction to pull and unwind cord from small
pullies 62, fixed in horizontal axes 63, situated beneath the two shuttle boxes
60, and supported by fixed bearings, in which their end pivots are lodged. On
each axis 63 two larger pullies 64 are fixed, to wind up cords which pass
horizontally beneath the shuttle boxes 60, and the ends are made fast thereto.
By this means the action of each spring 61 is constantly exerted on that shuttle
box 60 to which it belongs, tending to advance the same forwards with an
instantaneous motion, but the box 60 is detained from so coming forwards
until it is required to do so by means of short stop pins 65 which project
horizontally out from the end of the box 60, and which are intercepted
laterally by a small upright stump 66, descending from a horizontal slider 67,
which is placed at the end of the box 60, so as to reach out horizontally over
those two shuttle troughs which range with the shuttle races, and in which the
pecker 40 acts, the slider 67 being therefore very close to those two shuttles
which are for the time being the acting shuttles, but having no other
connection with the shuttle box 60, except by arresting its stop pius 65. The
slider 67 is supported by a cylindrical steel wire, which is fixed fast into a
small upright support affixed to the rails S, S, so as to project out horizontally
over the said shuttle troughs in the direction of their length, and a slender
wire spring, which is curled around the cylindrical wire, constantly urges
the slider 67 to advance forwards along the saine, in order that the stump
66 of the slider 67 may intercept one or other of the stop pins 65

page_text: of the shuttle box 60, so as to detain the same from moving by the
aforesaid action of its spring 61, and pullies 62. 64.
The slider 67 is
susponded on the end of the cylindrical wire by a socket affixed to the
slider at one end thereof. so as to slide freely along the same, and the other
extremity of the slider 67 is fitted through an opening in the fixed support
for the cylindrical wire, by which means the slider is firmly supported at both
ends, although it is at liberty to move endways very easily. The slider 67,
and its cylindrical supporting wire, pass through the pecker 10 in an opening
which is cut through the same for the purpose, so that the pecker 40 in
moving backwards or forwards will have no connection with the slider 67.
The extreme end of the slider 67 is flattened like the cutting edge of
chissel, which edge reaches over the two acting shuttles, and stands so near
to them that any small prominence which may rise up from the upper side
of either of those shuttles would intercept the chissel edge of the slider 67,
whilst those shuttles are making their entrance into their respective shuttle
troughs, and the remaining motion of that shuttle which had so intercepted
would push the slider 67 a little end ways, in opposition to its curled spring.and
thereby the stump 66 would be removed out of the way of that stop pin 65
by which the shuttle box 60 is detained, and then the shuttle box would be
moved suddenly forwards by the action of its spring fil. so as to carry away
the twoshuttles which have just acted, viz, that which intercepted and moved
the slider 67, and also its fellow shuttle, and another fresh pair, woubt be
brought into their places by the same instantaneous movement. The promi-
nence which, as abovementioned, may rise up from theupper side of the shuttle
will present itself to the edge of the slider 67 whenever a weft thread breaks
or fails. (See Sheet V.) It is the end of a small dettent which is contained
within the hollow of the shuttle, near to one end of that hollow, being poised
on a centre pin, which passes horizontally across the hollow of the shuttle;
one end of the dettent is heavier than the other, and has an aperture through
it for the weft thread to pass through as the same goes off from its pirn or
bobbin towards the ordinary eye of the shuttle; the thread also passes a second
time through an eye in the dettent, and is so disposed that the tension of the
weft thread will operate to keep the heavier end of the dettent raised, and
also to keep the lighter end down, in which case the latter wilt remain below
the upper surface of the shuttle, so as to make no prominence above the same.
But if the weft thread breaks or runs off, its tension relaxes so that it will no
longer support the heavy end of the said dettent, but the same will descend
and raise
up the lighter end out of the hollow of the shuttle until it projects
so much above the upper surface of the shuttle that it will be intercepted by

page_text: thechissel end of the slider67.so as to operate, in the manner before stated, to
produce a changing of shuttles. The said lighter end of the dettent is bended
upwards, and when the same rises up from the prominence which is to be
intercepted by the end of the slider 67, the bended eud presents an upright
face to the edge, which edge, if it touches the dettent at all, cannot fail to
catch securely against the said upright face, because the centre of motion of
the dettent is considerably below the part which is bended upwards in order
to be intercepted. and therefore the action of the intercepting edge tends
forcibly to elevate the lighter end of the detent to a still higher state of
prominence above the shuttle, independently of the mere preponderating
weight of its heavier end. A wire pin which is fixed across the opening of the
shuttle over the lighter end of the dettent, limits the extent of its motion
about its centre, and renders it quite firm and unyielding to the edge of the
slider 67, when it is intercepted thereby. Another similar cross pin is fixed
over the heavier end, to limit the motion of that end when it is kept raised up
by the tension of the weft thread. There is also another like pin fixed across
the opening of the shuttle opposite to the extremity of the pirn, between that
extremity and the heavy end of the dettent. The weft thread is conducted
over all those three cross pins to give it support, viz', as it comes off the pirn the
thread is first conducted over the last-mention pin,and is thereby supported,
then it passes through the opening in the heavy end of the dettent, which
opening is an oblong slit for the convenience of inserting the thread, and after
passing through the same the thread goes over the next cross pin which stands
above the heavy end of the dettent, then it proceeds over the other cross pin,
which stands above the lighterend thereof, and the thread is conducted through
an eye in the lighter end of the dettent, which eye is perforated through the
part which as before stated is bended upwards, after that the thread descends
and passes under another fourth cross piu, situated near to the bottom of the
opening in the shuttle below the dettent and a little beyond its lighter end:
and lastly, the thread ascending from under the last-mentioned cross wire,
passes through the eye of the shuttle which comes out in the middle of the
upper side of the shuttle, at one end of the hollow part thereof. By means of
the said four cross pins the thread is supported in a suitable manner before it
enters, and after it quits the openings through each end of the dettent, so as
to become slightly bended into loops in passing through the said openings,
and the tendency of the thread to become straight at those bendings operates
upon the dettent both to raise its heavy end and also to keep down its
lighter end, in which state the dettent will not form any prominence, but
the instant that the thread is broken or drawn out the preponderance of

page_text: the heavier end of the dettent, raises up the lighter end, as before explained.
All other parts of the shuttle and its pirn or bobbin are constructed in
the usual manner of other shuttles. The said dettent must be moving forwards
when it operates, as above described, to produce a change of shuttles, that is,
it must be at that end of the shuttle which is moving forwards; hence. in
placing the several shuttles in their shuttle troughs, that end of each shuttle
which contains the dettent and the eye of the shuttle must in each case be
pointed towards that end of the loom where the sliding shuttle box 60 is
situated, wherefore the two shuttles which are thrown across the front of
the loom for making the two front webs of cloth must be pointed one way.
and those which are to be thrown across the back of the loom for making the
two back webs must be pointed the other way, as is shown in the plan, Sheet
11. There are only two shuttle troughs in each of those shuttle boxes which
stand at the opposite end of each sifuttle race to that end thereof where the
moveable shuttle boxes 60 are situated, and the said shuttle boxes, with only
two troughs in each, are fixed immoveable on the cross bearers S, S, of the
framing. The change of shuttles before mentioned can only take place when
the shuttles arrive at that end of their respective shuttle races where their
moveable shuttle boxes 60 are situated, and hence, if the weft thread of any
shuttle breaks or fails whilst that shuttle is flying away from its moveable
shuttle box 60, the said shuttle cannot be changed until after the next shoot,
when it has been thrown back again into its moveable box 60, and then in
entering that box, its dettent having become prominent, will intercept the
chissel end of the slider 67, and effect the requisite change of shuttles. And
altho' ti ere is a chance that one shoot of weft thread may be left out in one of
the webs of cloth when the wefts of all the other webs are duly inserted,
nevertheless, as only one shoot can be so left out before the defective shuttle
will be changed, no material blemish can happen in the cloth. The attendant
will have notice when to supply fresh filled shuttles by seeing thatone or other
of the sliding shuttle boxes 60 has moved outwards in making a change of
shuttles, so as to stand in the position represented in the plan, Sheet III.,
whenever that is observed, the pair of shuttles which have been changed by
the aforesaid action of the machinery, and which will be contained in the two
outermost troughs of the moveable box, must be removed from those two
tronghs, and two fresh shuttles properly filled must be put in their places,
which being done the opportunity must be watched when the lay is going up
to push back the sliding box 60, so as to put the two newly placed shuttles
into the proper situation for action. In so putting back the sliding box 60,
the stop pin 65 will act against a sloping side of the stump 66 of the slider

page_text: 67, so as to pass by the same in the same manner as the spring bolt of a door
lock latches when the door is shut. If the attendant does not so renew the
shuttles which have been changed by the action of the machinery before
another failure of weft thread takes place in one or other of the acting
shuttles which have been put in the place of those which were so changed,
then another change of shuttles will be produced by the mechanisin moving
the sliding box 60 as much further outwards as the width of two more of its
six shuttle troughs. This will bring the two innermost of the six shuttle
troughs into action, in which case the attendant will have four shuttles to
remove and replace by fresh ones, and will then have to slide the sliding
box 60 back through its whole range of lateral sliding motion, viz', over the
space of four of its six shuttle troughs; the extent of lateral sliding motion
which it must have for producing each change being two such spaces, and its
stop pins 65 are fixed at distances suitable thereto, there being three of those
stop pins for each box 60. And if, by neglect of the attendant, spare shuttles
are not supplied, and the sliding boxes 60 put back, as above directed, until a
third change is required, that is to say, when the innermost pair of the six
shuttle troughs are in action, and the sliding boxes 60 are drawn out to their
full extent of motion, then if a weft thread in either of those two shuttles
breaks, the dettent of that shuttle becoming prominent, will intercept the
chissel end of the slider 67. as before; but in such case the opposite end of that.
slider may be made to act by a suitable connection upon the end of a short
arm of another upright axis, similar to the axis 33 before mentioned, so as by
the lever 32 of the said axis to press the piece 31 and protrude the bolt 30
through the lever 27, which being done the loom will stop its own motion, as
before explained. The aforesaid connection between the end of the slider 67
and the arm of the aforesaid upright axis like 33 may be made by means of a
suitable pendulous lever, which is poised on a fixed centre pin supported by a
bracket screwed fast to the framing, the upper end of that leverstanding opposite
to the end of the slider 67, and the lowerend reaching downwards to the said
arm of the upright axis like 33, but a sufficient space must be left between
the said upper end of the pendulous lever and the end of the slider 67, so that
the latter will not reach the said lever when the slider is moved by the dettent
of the shuttle unless a moveable piece is interposed between them to make a
contact between the two. The said moveable piece being mounted on a
centre of motion at its lower end may be turned aside on its centre by the
lateral motion of the sliding box 60, so as to become interposed, as aforesaid,
whenever tho sliding box 60 is inoved outwards to its full extent of sliding
motion, but the same piece will be removed so as not to be thus interposed

page_text: whenever the said sliding box is put back into either of its other two resting
positions. By these means, if the moveable shuttle boxes 60 do not contain
spare shuttles ready filled and ready placed. the loom will be caused to stop
itself when a weft thread in either of the acting shuttles breaks; but if the
moveable shuttle boxes 60 do contain such spare shuttles, then if a weft thread
in either of the acting shuttles breaks, those shuttles will be changed for spare
shuttles. Note.-The partitions in the sliding shuttle boxes 60, which sub-
divide them into separate troughs, must be cut away at the end where the
pecker 40 stands, when it is drawn back by its spring 46 and remains at rest,
as in the Drawings, for otherwise the sliding motion of the boxes 60 would be
prevented by the two prominences at the under side of the pecker 40, which,
when it is in motion, must move along in the two acting troughs. Each of
the six troughs of each of the sliding shuttle boxes 60 must be provided with
its lever 48 before described; but there are only two pendulous levers 49
beneath each sliding shuttle box 60, and by the sliding motion thereof two
out of the six levers 45 are always placed in a proper position to act as before
described on the said two lovers 49, being the two levers 48 belonging to those
two shuttle troughs which are for the time being the acting ones. The mode
of extending the webs of cloth to their full width by means of moveable
pincers is as follows:-There are four pairs of the said pincers suspended by
their several joints from the opposite ends of two horizontal cross axis 70, 70,
which are supported on suitable bearings aflixed to the long cross rails D.
Each pair of pincers is composed of two legs 71, 71, which descend from their
joints, and the lower ends of those legs are bended into a horizontal direction
and form the jaws of the pincers, which jaws include the two adjacent webs of
cloth between them, so as when the pincers are closed to bite the two webs
together and take fast hold thereof at the edges or borders of the cloth, a
little within the selvedges thereof; but whenever the lay is down, the pincers
are opened, as in the Drawings, and then they leave the two webs quite
at liberty and detached from each other. A spring is interposed between the
two legs 71 of each pair of pincers, tending to open the jaws from each other,
but they are closed in opposition to those springs whenever the jaws are
required to bite the cloths. This is done by two upright wedge pieces 72,
which stand up from a transverse foot which is fixed across from one of the
mils 6 of the lay to the other corresponding rail 6, so that the wedge pieces 72
are firmly affixed to the lay, and move up and down along with it. The upper
parts of each of the wedge pieces 72 (which parts are the narrow ends of the
wedges) are received between two parallel and adjacent cross links 73, 78,
which extend from one pair of pincers to the other opposite pair, those links

page_text: being jointed to the legs 71, 71, of the said pincers at each end of each
link 73, that is to say, one of the cross links 73 is jointed at one end to the
outermost leg 71 of one pair of pincers, and at the opposite end to the inner-
most leg 71 of the other pair of pincers, so as to connect the said legs
together; the other fellow cross link being similarly applied, but so as to
connect the other legs of the same pairs of pincers. Near the middle of each
of the two cross links 73, stud pins are fixed into them, so as to project out
from the adjacent surfaces of the two links 73, one of those stud pins being
fixed into one link and the other stud pin into the other link, but neither stud
pin has any connection with the fellow link to that into which it is so fixed. A
small roller is mounted upon each of the said stud pins, and each of the wedge
pieces 72 is included between two of the said rollers, so as to serve for closing
two pair of pincers, viz, one wedge piece for each of the two pair of pincers
at each end of the loom. When the wedge pieces 72 move endways upwards
along with the ascending motion of the lay, their wedge-like edges will act
between the said rollers of the cross links 73, so as to force them apart from
each other, and that action being transmitted by the several cross links 73,73,
to the four legs 71 of every two opposite pair of pincers, will close the jaws of
the pairs together, all the four pairs being closed at once by the action of both
wedge pieces 72, suitably for biting all the selvedges of all the four webs of
cloth, as before mentioned. The said pieces 72 having risen up to a certain
heighth along with the lay, and the wedge-like form of their edges having
acted between the said rollers so as to have closed all the four pair of pincers
and taken firm hold of all the edges of the cloths, the parallel parts of the
pieces 72 will afterwards enter between the said rollers as the lay rises higher,
and those parallel parts will keep the pincers firmly closed; but then, after
the wedge-like pieces 72 have ceased to actas wedges between the said rollers,
they begin to act as wedges in another direction, that is, by their flat surfaces,
which are bended out of perpendicular, as shewn in the front elevation, Sheet I.,
the commencement of such bendings being below the parts where their edges
cease to be wedge-like and begin to become parallel. The effect of the lateral
bending of the pieces 72 is to act between the cross liuks 73, so as to move
the latter gently away outwards from the selvedges of the cloths as the lay
rises higher up, during which moving outwards the several pincers being
moveable about their cross axes 70, 70, are also moved away with a corre-
sponding motion, which does not begin until after all the said pincers have
taken fast hold of the cloths; and the moving away of the pairs of pincers at
the opposite ends of the loom being in contrary directions, so as to recede
from each other, that action will pull out all the selvedges so as to extend the

page_text: cloths to their full width, and keep them so extended at the moment when the
reeds beat up those wefts which were thrown at the last shoot; and after the
beating up, and as the lay descends, the lateral bendings of the pieces 72
first allows the pincers at the opposite ends of the loom to approach towards
each other, in order to relax the extension which they had given to the cloths,
and after that relaxation has been made, as the lay goes lower down, the
wedge-like edges of the pieces 72 withdrawing downwards from between the
rollers of the cross links 78, 73, of the pincers, will perunic cach pair of pincers
to be opened by the action of the spring which is interposed between its legs.
The mode of moving the yarn beams F, F, is as follows:-For the purpose of
drawing the yarns of the warps sufficiently tight, and for holding them firmly
extended at the moment when the beating upaf the wefts is performed, and yet
to leave those yarn beams very free to give off yarn, whilst the sheds of the
warps are opening, see Sheet IV. It has been already mentioned that the
friction cords which are passed around the pullies, are but lightly loaded, so
as to allow the yarns to open into sheds with but little tension and resistance,
but that would occasion a relaxation when the sheds were closed, and a want
of suflicient tension and resistance to react against the blow with which the
wefts must be beaten up by the recils, a large ratchet wheel 75 with fine
teeth, is fixed upon each yarn beam F, at one end thereof, and two clicks 70
are provided to catch into those teeth, the suid clicks being jointed to the
lower ends of a pair of pendulous levers 77, 77, which are both suspended
upon one end of the horizontal fixedaxis Lwhich has been before describedas
being the centre of motion of the levers 51 for moving the heddles. When the
two levers 77, 77, are moved inwards or approached towards each other, their
two clicks 76 will be drawn eudways over two fixed resting pins fixed into the
standard, by which pins the acting ends of both the said clicks will be lifted
up so as to acquit the teeth of the two ratchet wheels 75 entirely, leaving them
quito at liberty; this is the state of the parts when the lay His down, as shewn
in the Drawings and in Sheer LV. The yarns are then only slightly strained
in the act of opening them into sheds, because of the unusually light load upon
the friction cords of the pullies, of the two yarn beams; but when the lay
moves upwards, and as the sheds of the yarns are closing, the sliding frames
10, 10, moving upwards at the same time, they act to force the two pendulous
levers 77,77, outwards or away from each other by means of a wedge piece 78,
which issituated between theadjacent edges of thetwolevers 77,being formed
on a cross piece 78, which is affixed to the sliding frame 10, 10, as is shewn
in Sheet IV., and which wedge piece 78, by rising up therewith when the lay
rises, acts between the two levers 77 to force them apart; and as they are so

page_text: moved, their clicks 76 are moved endways over their fixed resting pins, so as to
be let down and be no longer supported thereby, but they drop into the teeth
of their ratchet wheels 75, and having caught the same, they act therein as
the clicks continue to move outwards by the action of their levers 77, so as
to turn the ratchet wheels and yarn roller round as much as is requisite to
wind back the warp threads, and strain them to a suitable tension for
enclosing the weft threads when the sheds are closed, and also to hold the
yarn beams very firm at the moment when the beating up is performed, so
that the yarns of the warp may not yield more than is required to the force
with which the beating up is performed. When the lay descends again after
having beaten up, the cross piece 78 descending with the sliding frame 10.10,
its wedge piece 78 retreating from between the edges of the lever 77, allows
them to be gathered in towards each other by the insides of notches in the
cross piece 78, within which notches the levers 77 are included; and as the
levers 77 approach each other they draw their clicks 76 endways, whereby
they retreat before the teeth of their ratchet wheels 75, and then by being
drawn endways over the two fixed resting pins, the clicks become lifted up
quite out of action, as represented in Sheet IV., and as before explained.
The mode of turning the two cloth beams G,G,for taking up the four webs of
cloth as fastas they are woven, is as follows:-Two webs being wound together
around each cloth roller, as before explained, and the toothed wheels g,,
and endless screws m, m, on the axis n, having been also explained, it only
remains to shew how the ratchet wheel 80, which is fixed, as before men-
tioned, upon the extreme end of the axis is to be turned round. The motion
for that purpose is derived from the upper end of one of the rods 10, which,
when the lay is raised up nearly to its highest position, acts beneath the end
of a screw S1, which is applied to the middle part of a lever 82, the fixed
fulcrum of that lever being at the back end thereof, and from the front end an
upright sliding-rod 83 is suspended, the lower part of which rod has four
clicks jointed to it, and all applying their ends to the teeth of the ratchet
wheel 80,and being so arranged as to catch into those teeth oueafter another,
in order to subdivide the teeth. When the lay gets near to its highest posi-
tion, and the lever 82 is lifted as aforesaid, it raises the sliding rod 83 at the
same time, and one or other of the four clicks having previously caught into
one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel S0, will turn the same round, and
thereby both the cloth beams will be turned round such a small quantity as
is sufficient for winding up as much cloth as is made. When the lay with the
rod 10 descends, it will let down the lever 82 and the sliding rod 83, and the
clicks thereof will then take fresh hold in the teeth of the ratchet wheel, ready

page_text: to turn it round again another portion at the next time when the lay goes up
again. The extent of turning motion which will be thus given to the ratchet
wheel 80 at each time of beating up the weft may be regulated by regulating
the screw in the lever 52. so that the latter will be met by the upper end of
the rod 10 sooner or later before the lay attains its highest position, and con-
sequently more or less motion will be given to the lever 82: and the said
extent of motion will be also regulated by the distance to which the lever $2
is allowed to descend, and follow after the rod 10, when the same descends
with the iny, for the various clicks of the rod 83 will accordingly take hold of
more or fewer of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 80. The descent of the lever
$2 is limited by an upright link 84, which is jointed to the lever 82, and
which descends to rest upon the end of a ruler S5. which is applied edgeways
upwards over the cloth which is wound around the front cloth beam G. The
link 84 is forked at its lower end, and is placed astride upon the end of the
ruler S5, so that by coming to rest with its fork thereon it limits the descent
of the lever $2, and of the rod S3, and consequently regulates the number of
teeth of the ratchet wheel 80 which will be caught by the clicks at each
descent, and turned at the next ascent. The ruler S5 is affixed to two
arms 86, which go backwards from it, and are moveable on hinge joints,
supported by the fixed cross bar C at the top of the loom; wherefore,
by means of the hinged arms 86, the ruler S5 is caused to rise and fall
parallel to itself, as it rests with its lower edge upon the cloth. As the
cloth accumulates upon the cloth beam G, it raises the ruler S5, and the
resting support of the link 84, and of the lever 52, with its rod 83.
will thereby be raised so much as to diminish the extent of motion of the
rod 83, in proportion as the cloth beam grows larger by the accumulation
of winding up the two cloths around it. And in order that the said pro-
portion may be rendered correct, the lever S2 has many different holes in
it, both for its fulcrum or fixed centre pin, and also for the joint pin by which
the upright link 84 is united to it, wherefore. by applying those pins into
suitable holes in the lever, its up-and-down motion may be made to operate so
that the diminution of the motion of the lever 82 will become proportionable to
the increase of the cloth beams by the accumulation of the cloths around
them. And note.-The mode of raising and lowering the upright sliding rods
10, 10, together with the lay El, which is moved up and down by them, may
be varied from what has been herein-before described by the mode repre-
sented in the section, Sheet IV. The upright sliding rods 10 are to have the
lay firmly affixed to them by making the cross pieces 12, which form the ends
of the lay (and which unite the four rails 6, 6, 6, 6, together), either in one

page_text: piece with the upright rods 10, or else very firmly screwed thereto; and in
place of the levers 8 and links 9, before described (for raising up the sliding
rods 10 by the rocking motion of the axis 7), a ground piece 9, à, is to be firmly
affixed to each of the rods 10 near the lower ends thereof, as is shewn in Sheet
IV.; and into the curved groove of each piece 9,4,a pin is inserted, which serves
as a substitute for one of the joint pins at the ends of the levers 8, being
connected with the axis 7 as to move therewith, and describe the arch of a
circle by the rocking motion thereof, in the same manner as the joint pin at
the end of the lever 8 would do; wherefore the said pins may be affixed to
the axis by two arms similar to the levers S or they may be affixed, as shewn
in Sheets IV., to the levers 35, which belong to the motion for pecking. For
the latter purpose a strong bracket S, a. is fastened to the lever 35, having a
curved groove in it for the reception of the said pin, which is to be clamped
fast in the groove at any part thereof, so as to become firmly united to the
axis 7; the last-mentioned groove being only for the purpose of adjusting the
position of the pin which is to have no motion therein when the machinery is at
work, but the same pin, when it partakes of the rocking motion of the axis 7,
will travel along in the groove of the other piece 9, a, and thereby produce the
requisite up-and-down motion of the rods 10 and of the lay, that is to say,
by the time that the lay gets down to its intended lowest position, so as to
come to rest upon its fixed supports, the said pin then begins to enter the
circularly curved portion of the groove in the piece 9, a, and the curvature
thereof. being conformable to the circular motion which the pin derives from
the rocking motion of its axis 7, the pin will consequently give no motion to
the rods 10 or to the lay, although by the rocking motion of the axis 7 the
pin continues to move further down in the groove 9, a, all the time whilst
the pecking action is performed; and afterwards, when by the return of the
rocking motion the said pin returns in the circular part of the groove 9, a, it
will give no motion to the rods 10 or to the lay until the pin arrives at the
straight horizontal part of the groove 9, a, after which it will, by acting in that
straight part, raise up the rods 10, and the lay with them, with exactly the
same action as is performed by the links S and levers 9, and as herein-before
described. And in like manner, the ad in will lower down the lay after the
weft has been beaten up, until the lay comes again to its resting position;
but after that period the rods 10 will stand still, as above described although
the pin continues to move. By this means, the lay being made fast to the
upright rods 10, will be guided thereby to move more steadily and correctly
than if fitted loosely on the round parts of the rods 10.
Description of a vertical power loom, constructed according to our said

page_text: improvements, for weaving four websat once of striped orchequered patterned
cloth which may be in colours, or four webs of figure woven cloth patterned in
colours. Many parts of this loom are the same as those of the loom herein-
before described, and the same letters and numeral characters being used for
reference to the same parts in all the various Drawings, it will be unneces-
sary to repeat the complete description of all the parts. The fixed framing
A, B, C, D, E, is very nearly the same as before described, except at
the upper parts. The yarn beams G, with their accessaries marked, and
those numbered 75 io 78, are the same, and so are the cloth beams F,
with their wheelwork g, m, n, and 50. The lay H, with all its various parts
numbered 1 to 6, are the same, together with the machinery numbered 7 to
20, for moving the lay alternately up and down, and in which parts the varia-
tion represented in Sheet IV., and last described, inay be introduced. The
mechanism numbered 21 to 31, whereby the loom is enabled to stop its own
motion, is the same, and so are all the parts numbered 84 to 46, for picking or
driving the shuttles. Lastly, the parts numbered 70 to 74, for extending and
holding out the selvedges are the same. These points of similarity being
understood by the aid of the previous description and Drawings, I shall
proceed to explain the further parts which are different, viz', the mode of
using several shuttles charged with weftof different colours, and of changing
those shuttles as often as the pattern requires, is as follows:-Instead of the
parts numbered 60 to 67, for receiving the shuttles, the loom is to be provided
with four sets of shuttles (or inore may be used), being four in each set, or in
the whole sixteen shuttles are contained in the loom at the same time and, as
before mentioned, four shuttles (that is, one set) are thrown simultaneously
across through the opened sheds of the four divided warps. All the four shuttles
of each set which are thus thrown together are charged with weft yarn of the
same colour, but each set of shuttles is charged with weft yarn of a different
colour from the other three sets, and after either of the sets of shuttles has
been thrown across and back again, so as to have laid as many succeeding
shoots of weft of the same colour as the pattern requires, a change is made
in the positions of the shuttle boxes which contain all the sixteen shuttles, so
that a different set of shuttles will be thrown at the next time, in order to lay
wefts of different colour to the preceding shoots. Such changes of colour in
the wett can be made at every succeeding shoot, if required. To produce
these changes in the positions of the shuttle boxes they are suspended by
links 94 from the opposite ends of a long lever 90, see Sheet VI., which extends
across the top of the loom, in order to render the boxes at the opposite sides of
the loom moveable up and down; and the shuttle trouglis or cells 91, for

page_text: receiving the different sets of shuttles, are disposed one over the other in each
box, making the same four stories high. The long lever 90 is moved by the
machinery at suitable intervals into such a position as by raising the boxes at
one side of the loom, and at the same time lowering those at the other, will
bring one or other of the four stories in each box to an exact level with the
four several shuttle races along the reeds, and then the set of shuitles belonging
to that story can be thrown along the reeds. When another change of colour
is required, the long lever 90 is again moved,so as to raise the shuttle boxes at
one side of the loom,and depress those at the opposite side thereof, just as much
as the height of oue story 91, whereby another set of shuttles, carrying weft of
a different color, will be brought into the proper position for throwing them, in
lieu of those which were thrown the last time. The shuttle boxes are guided
in their up-and-down motions by the upright edges of the standards E and A
of the framing. The shuttle boxes are put together in clusters, each con-
taining eight troughs, one of which clusters is drawn on a larger scale in
Sheet V. In each cluster there are two troughs abreast or side by side, and
four stories 91 in height one over the other. There are four such clusters in
the loom, two at each ond, as is represented in the other Drawings, Sheets VII.
to X., making in all thirty-two shuttle troughs for the reception of the
sixteen shuttles. Each of those clusters of shuttle boxes is applied upon a
horizontal pin 92 which projects out from the sliding frame 95, which is
suspended by one of the links 94 from the opposite ends of the long
lever 90; the cluster of shuttle boxes 93 can be turned up around their
pin 92, to take out or put in the shuttles; but when they are in use
the cluster of boxes rests upon a bracket which is fixed to the frame.
The peckers 40 slide upon their horizontal spindles 41, 41, the same as
before described; they are supported between the standards E and A. The
peckers, when drawn back by their springs 46, retreat quite out of the
clusters of shuttle troughs 91, so as to make no impediment to the rising
and falling motion of the shuttle boxes. When the peckers are snatched
forwards in order to peck the shuttles, they enter into the vacant spaces
between the different stories 91 of the shuttle troughs, so as to pass through
the four troughs which are on the same level, in order to drive out the
four shuttles which may be lodged therein. To weave plain or tweeled cloth
with cross stripes of different colours, also for checks or pullicates, the
mounting of the heddles h, k, and their machinery numbered 51 to 60, for
moving the heddles, may be the same as hereinbefore described. Therequisite
movement for weaving simple patterns of cross stripes or checks may be given
to the long lever 90 by a revolving wheel, which is cut into elevations and

page_text: depressions around its circumference, so as to deviate from a circular figure.
It may be placed in any convenient position at one end of the loom, and a rod,
which is jointed to the lever 90 (or to one of the clusters of boxes 91, 93).
may descend therefrom in a direction towards the centro of the snid wheel, so
as to bear upon its circumference, with a friction roller to run thereon. The
said wheel may have a ratchet wheel in its axis, the teeth of which will be
seized one at a time by a claw or driver, which derives such a motion from
the up-and-down motion of the sliding rods 10 as will be suitable for turning
the wheel one tooth for every successive time of beating up the weft. By
appropriate arrangement of the elevations and depressions around the circum-
ference of the said wheel, the lever 90 will be moved at suitable intervals so as
to effect a change of the shuttles, in the manner before stated, whenever a
change in the color of the weft is required, and by making portions of the
said circumference which are between the said elevations and depressions
concentric circular arches, the lever 90 will by them be kept stationary, with-
out moving at all during such times as it is required to continue throwing
repeated shoots of weft of the same color, in order to produce cross stripes of
uniform color. To give a greater command of succession in the changes for
cross stripes than could be done by this simple mode, the mechanism repre-
sented in Sheet VI, muy be substituted. 95 is a small cylindrical barrel,
mounted on an axis which is supported in brackets affixed to the main
standard A; the said barrel may have a ratchet wheel like that before
described, to be turned one tooth for every time of beating up the weft; 96
are pendulous links, of which there are four, hanging side by side, answering
to the four stages of shuttle troughs 91; they are all suspended so as to lean
against the circumference of the barrel 95, which has notches cut into it, and
suitably disposed for letting one or other of the links 96 fall in the way of a
shelf 97, which is affixed to one of the sliding rods 10, and moves up and
down therewith, and a notch in that link 96, which the barrel lets fall, catching
over the edge of the shelf 97, the motion of the latter will move the link 97
upwards as the lay goes up. The upper end of the link 96 is jointed to a
lever 98, which plays upon the same centre pin as the long lever 90, and the
opposite end of the lever 98 intercepting a pin projecting out from the lever
90, moves that lever so that it will place the boxes 91 in the required position
for throwing weft of one color. A counter lever 99, which is connected by a
short link with the lever 98, is raised up whon the latter descends, and the
extremity of 99 acts beneath the same projecting pin in the lever 90 to lift
the same upwards if needful, whilst the end of the lever 98 presses the
same downwards if needful; wherefore between the two they will move the

page_text: lever 90 until its projecting pin is pinched fast between the two levers 98 and
99, and then the lever 90, with its shuttle boxes 91, will be properly placed.
There are four such levers 98 and counter levers 99, each with its pendulous
link 96, whereof each one, when brought into action as above described,
will move the lever 90 into a different position suitable for throwing weft
of a different colour. The barrel 95, by selecting which of the links 96
shall be caught by the shelf 97 previous to every shoot, determines the colour
which will be laid at that shoot, and the notches in the barrel must be cut
according to the succession of colours which the pattern of cross stripes will
require. The barrel must be larger if an extensive series of succession is
required before the same succession is repeated. A spring catch 100 is applied
to hold into one or other of four notches in one of the suspension links 94
from the end of the lever 90, in order to keep the shuttle boxes steady in
either of the positions in which they may have been placed by the machinery.
In Sheet VII. another kind of mechanism is represented for the same
purpose. The barrel 95, and pendulous links 96, and shelf 97, are as
before described; but the links 96 are jointed to as many upright sliders
98, which are fitted into a fixed box, and each slider has a wedge-like
opening or bird's mouth cut out in its upper end; that mouth leading down
to an upright slot which is cut down into the middle part of the slider.
When any one of the sliders 98 is pushed upwards, its bird's-mouth notch
acts on a pin at the lower end of an elbow lever 99, which is connected
by a link with the long lever 90, the action being to gather the said pin into
the upright slot of the slider 98, in which state the lever 90 and the shuttle
boxes 91 will be suitably placed for throwing weft of one colour. The upright
slots in each slider 98 being differently situated in respect to the width of the
slider, each one when brought into action will place the lever 90 in a different
position suitably for throwing weft of a different colour. When the cloth
which is to be woven is not a mere plain or tweeled fabric, the simple manuer
herein-before described of mounting and giving motion to the heddles will not
suffice, but a different mode of mounting must be substituted for all kinds of
figure weaving, because in such cases it is required to be able to draw up the
heddles independently one of another, so as to obtain almost any possible
diversity of different changes in the series of heddles which will be drawn up
at the same time. The mode of mounting the heddles for weaving four webs
at once of figured woven cloth in the same vertical power loom is shewn in
the section, Sheet VIII. The heddles a, k, k, y, are strong threads, which are
suspended from the mechanism at the top of the loom, and which hang down
in a nearly vertical plane in the middle between the four webs of cloth. The

page_text: warps.
heddles are conducted from a nearly vertical direction r into a horizontal
direction, by bending them around strong horizontal wires or round iron
rods r, r, which are fixed all across the loom, in the middle part thereof,
between all the four warps; one half the number of heddles going hori-
zontally across the two front warps, and the other half across the two back
The heddles have eyes or mailles in the parts k, which are so con-
ducted horizontally across the warps, and the warp yarns are conducted through
those eyes, one yarn to each heddle. The heddles, after thus passing hori-
zontally, make a half-turn around other strong wires s, s, which are fixed all
across the loom at the outside of the several warps within the hollows of the
rails B, B, and after passing around those wires s8, 8, the heddles & return
horizontally towards the middle part of the loom, so as to pass again hori-
zontally across the warps; and those horizontal parts of the heddles have
other eyes in them for the reception of other warp yarns; therefore each heddle
has two eyes formed in it at such distances apart that when the upper end of
the vertical part of any one of the heddles is pulled upwards by the
machinery at the top of the loom, its two horizontal parts &, k, will be moved
horizontally in opposite directions, and the two yarns of warp which pass
through the twoeyes of that heddle will be bended aside in contrary directions,
so as to be moved away from each other and opened in the manner of a shed,
as is represented at 6, 6, in the section, Sheet VIII., but wherein it will be
observed that the said two warp yarns which are commanded by the same
heddle, one (which is marked 6) belongs to the outermost web of cloth, and the
other (which is also marked 6) to the innermost web. The heddles, after thus
returning horizontally at to the middle of the loom, pass over other strong
wires t, t, by which they are again conducted into a nearly vertical direction,
and the lower ends have small leaden weights w, w, appended to them to pull
them tight; and also whenever the machinery at the top of the loom lets down
any heddle as far as it will descend, the weight, by pulling down that heddle,
will draw the two warp threads which are commanded by it towards each
other, and even a little further, so that they will cross each other and bear
against the two sides of the ruler 5, which is fixed along the middle of the reed
d, as is shown at 5 in the section; wherefore the machinery at the top of
the loom, by pulling up some heddles, and at the same time leaving others
at liberty to descend by the action of their weights w, as low as they will
go, effects the separation and opening of the two warps into four sheds for
the passage of as many shutiles at once. The section shows that the heddles
are united into pairs, one heddle of each pair going to the two front warps,
and the other going to the two back warps; they are tied together at se, just

page_text: above the perforated board T, called a comber board, by which all the heddles
are kept distinct one from another; wherefore, by pulling up the knotx, which
ties each pair of heddles together, the two warps will be opened into four
sheds. In like manner, the same heddles are united together at y, before they
reach down to their weights w, and each of those weights w hangs from the
knoty of the said pair of united heddles. And as thedrawing up of the weights
w, by merely pulling up the heddles at a, would occasion friction around the
wires r, s, and t, a strong thread is carried down direct from the same
knot a, which united the pair of heddles at top to the other knot y, which
united them below, so that each knot at x and at y unites three threads.
The threads & pull up the weights by a direct action from a to y, and thus
relieve the two united heddles from the strain of pulling up the weight w by
the double circuitous course, k, s, k, t, y, but nevertheless the direct thread
does not prevent the weight w from acting with its full effect to pull down
the pair of heddles to which it belongs. And in case the weight w should
fail to so pull them down, it will be done by a moving wire p, which is
applied in a loop formed in each pair of united heddles, beneath their lower
knot y, and above the weight.
The wire p is extended horizontally with
three others in a frame 101, Sheet VII., which moves up and down with a
motion derived from that of the sliders 10, 10, but in contrary directions, and
with a diminished extent of motion. For this purpose two upright prongs 102,
which are bended up from a horizontal bar at bottom, are joined to each end
of the frame 101, and the said bottom bar is connected with short ends of two
levers 103, which are both mounted on one fixed centre pin in a standard
which rises up between the two yarn beams F, F. The long ends of the
same levers 103 are united by links 104 with the two upright sliding rods
10, 10, which when they ascend pull down the frame 101 with its wires p,
which wires, by acting within the loops of the united heddles just above the
weights w, will pull the heddles down, if by accident any of the weights w
should fail to do so. As the heddles would be too much crowded if they were
all placed side by side in one row, they are collected into four rows, which
stand one above another at their horizontal parts k, l, and pass through four
rows of holes in the comber board T, and are acted upon by four wires p
below, and their weights w hang on four rows so as to keep clear one of
another. But note. In the Drawing, Sheet VIII., only the two outermost
of the four rows are represented at a and at y, to avoid the confusion of so
many lines. And in order to make the same separation of the heddles into
four rows at the bends which they must make at r, s, and t, narrow slips or
rulers of thin brass plate, which are bended hollow, like gutters or troughs, so

page_text: as to form portions of cylindrical tubes, are affixed around each of the wires
1, 8, and, concentric therewith (see also Sheet V.), but at a small distance.
apart, so as to leave sufficient intervals between them for the passage of the
heddles, whereof one-fourth part of the whole number pass round the fixed
wires r, s, t, another fourth around the innermost curved brass plate, which is
next to the wires, another fourth around the next curved brass plate, and the
other fourth around the outermost or third curved brass plate. The said
curved brass plates are supported and fixed by their ends to the same supports
which sustain the ends of the wires r, s,; and in order to give support to the
said curved brass plates in the middle parts between their ends intermediate
supports or stays (shewn full size in sheet V.) are applied, each one being
a plate of metal with three concentrically curved slips through it to admit the
said curved brass plates, with a central hole to admit the wire. Each of the
stays is fixed by a stem projecting out from it, and passing through a hole in
the hollow rail B, and each of the other stays or are supported by being
made fast on the wires and respectively. The knots x of the united
heddles are suspended from the figure weaving machinery at the top of the
loom, by which they are to be drawn up as is required for forming the pattern.
If figuro weaving machinery of the kind called jacquard machinery is to be
employed fordrawing up the said heddles in vertical power looms constructed
according to our improvements for weaving four webs of figured cloth at once,
then the strings of the heddles above their knots .r must be suspended from
the lower ends of the upright lifting wires of the jacquard machinery, which
lifting wires have hooks at their upper ends, and a selected number of them
are (previous to every shoot) hooked over what are called the lifting knives,
which are fixed in a moveable frame or gridiron, and then the knives in rising
upwards pull up all the heddles which are suspended from those lifting wires
which have been selected and hooked over the said lifting knives, and previous
to every succeeding shoot, a new and different selection of the lifting wires
is made, suitably for the figured pattern which is intended to be woven. The
said selection is made by means of pasteboard cards, which are perforated
with holes, and united into an endless band, which band is passed around a
square axis mounted in a swinging frame, so that the axis, with one of its flat
sides covered by one of the perforated cards, can be applied laterally by the
swinging motion to the extremities of a series of horizontal needles which
correspond in number to the series of upright lifting wires before mentioned,
and each horizontal needle has an eye in the middle part of it for one of the
upright lifting wires to pass through. The pressure which the unperforated
parts of the card exerts against the ends of those needles which are opposite

page_text: to such unperforated parts pushes them endways in opposition to springs with
which each needle is provided, and by that means the lifting wires belonging
to those particular needles are moved so much aside from their former posi-
tions as will cause them to hook over the edges of the lifting knives, as before
mentioned, so that the said kuives when they rise up will carry up those lifting
wires which have been so pushed aside, leaving all the others which have not
been pushed aside, in consequence of the needles belonging to the latter
having been opposite to perforated parts of the card when it was presented to
them, and therefore they were not disturbed; wherefore the perforations
in the cards determines which needles and lifting wires and heddles shall
remain inactive at each shoot, and the unperforated parts of the cards make
the selection of those which are to be active. But at every succeeding shoot
the square axis before mentioned is turned round so much as to bring a new
card into action, which card is differently perforated from its predecessor, and
is adapted to effect that change which the pattern requires to be made in the
selection of the heddles which are to be drawn up. The structure and operation
of such jacquart machinery being commonly known and well understood, dues
not require any further explanation, what has been stated above being sufficient,
to shew the means whereby such machinery, when applied in conjunction with
our improvements in the mounting of the heddles, can be made to produce
figured patterns, such as is called damask work, in four webs, which are woven
at once in a vertical power loom. If the jacquart machinery were to be
placed at the upper part of the loom, Sheet VII., the rising frame of the
jacquart machinery or gridiron containing the lifting knives must be con-
nected with one or both of the upright sliding rods 10, 10, by a pump handle
lever, which will reverse the motion of those rods so as to raise up the frame
of lifting knives as the lay goes down, and vice versa. The swinging motion
of the frame in which the square axis is mounted may be derived from the
up-and-down motion of the frame of lifting kuives in the usual manner of
working jacquart machinery, and so of the turning motion of the square axis.
whereby a succession of cards are brought into action. The said jacquart
machinery, when so applied, is most suitable for weaving figured cloth with
only one colour or kind of weft, such as damask weaving, in which case the
mechanism represented in Sheets VI. or VII., and herein-before described for
bringing different sets of shuttles into action may be omitted or may remain
inactive, or mechanism for changing shuttles whenever a weft thread breaks may
be used,such as herein-before described, and referred to in the Drawings bynum-
bers from 60 to 6S. The mechanism for figure weaving, in which the pattern is
derived from a carved pattern board, such as is represented in Sheet XI., is as

page_text: follows: In the section, Sheet VIII., the said pattern board is seen edgeways
at 105.
It is fixed upon a sliding table 106, which is a little inclined from
the horizontal, and which moves in grooves in the fixed supports at each end
of the loom by means of a rack and pinion 107, having two ratchet wheels
108 on the extreme end of the axis of the pinion, one or other of those ratchet
wheels is turned a tooth at a time, in order to move the table 106 and the
pattern board 105 with a slow progressive motion, corresponding to the pro-
gress of making the cloth. The two ratchet wheels 108 have the slope of
their teeth reversed one to the other, so that when one wheel is used the board
105 will be moved one way, or when the other wheel is used the board will
be moved the contrary way.
R. are the needles, whereof the lower ends are
applied to the carved surface of the pattern board 105; they are reduced to
small needles at their lower ends, which pass through holes in a metal plate to
guide them; but the upper parts are flat sliders, and stand in a row side by
side close to each other, being included between thedents of a reed to keep them
separate and in place. The needles Rare tied at the upper ends by threads
from each one to the hinder ends of corresponding horizontal levers V, from
which the heddles are suspended. The levers V are received between the
dents of two reeds Wand X, by which they are kept equidistant and in their
places. A fixed wire, close to the reed X, passes through all the levers V, and
serves for their fulcrum or centre of motion. Theopening through each lever
V being oblong, permits any of them to be drawn backwards independently
one of another by the action of the needle R, to which each one is tied, or
permits all of them to be pushed forwards at once by the action of a small
ruler 109, which is applied behind their ends. The front ends of the levers V,
which project out through their reed W, are intercepted by a lifting bar Z, at
least so many of them as are pushed forwards, and which have not been with-
drawn again then the bar Z lifts those levers V up, drawing up the heddles
which are suspended from them; but so many of the levers Vas are drawn
back by the action of the needles R will keep their ends out of the reach of
the lifting bar Z. When the lay rises the lifting bar Z descends, and vice
versa; and at the moment of beating up the wefts the bar Z is at its lowest.
All the levers V are then pushed forwards together by a momentary action of
their small ruler 109, so that their front ends will be protruded over the edge
of the lifting bar Z; but before that bar Z rises up high enough to touch
those ends, a selection of the levers V is pulled backwards, in consequence of
the operation of their needles R, and then the bar Z. in rising upwards, takes
hold of all the other levers V which have not been pulled back, and lifts them
up, together with the heddles which belong to them; those levers V which

page_text: have been pulled back remain inactive. The manner whereby the needles R
operate to effect the selection and drawing back of a portion of the levers V is
as follows:-The needles R resting by their weight upon the carved surface of
the pattern board 105, some of them are let down lower than others, as shewn
in the section. P is the straight edged ruler, which is moved backwards every
time when the lay reaches its highest, in order to push back the selected
needles; it presents its edge to lateral prominences of the needles, so as to
intercept those prominences which are on a level with its edge, but the edge
nisses the lateral prominences of those needles which by the carving of the
pattern have been let down too low, as well as those which by its elevations
are kept up too high. Those needles R, whereof the lateral prominences are
met by the straight edge P, are pushsd back by it when it moves backwards
at every succeeding shoot, and they by their connecting threads drawback their
corresponding levers V, as before explained, so as to take them out of the
reach of the lifting bar Z at that shoot. In order to apply the needles upon
the pattern board, they ere all mounted in a moveable frame 110, which is
received into a suitable fixed frame N, so as to slide up and down therein
when the frame 110 is raised up, which is done suddenly by a spring 111; if
lifts up
all the needles R, so as to take them all quite off from contact with the
pattern board, leaving it at liberty to make a step in the progressive motion,
which being done, the frame 110 is put down again, whereby the ends of
all the rows of needles R are dropped upon the curved pattern, and the
inequalities of the carving thereofarranges all the needles anew,some with their
lateral prominences higher and others lower, but in all cases those needles R,
whereof the lateral prominences range together on a level in a straight line,
will belong to those levers V, with their corresponding heddles and wary
threads, which require to be brought into action at the time when weft
of one particular color is to be thrown, and consequently when the shuttle
boxes 91 are raised or lowered by their lever 90 to the particular
position which will bring the shuttles containing weft of that colour
into action; and at every time after the needles R have been thus newly
arranged, by dropping their lower ends on their pattern board, the straight
edge P will, in moving backwards, meet with the lateral prominences of one
range of needles R,and those of only one range, being the lateral prominences
of those needles which correspond, as above, to a particular color of weft. And
every time that the position of the lever 90 and the shuttle boxes is altered, in
order to bring weft of a different colour into action, the position of the edge P
will also alter, by a simultaneous movement, in respect to the heighth at which
it will act on the lateral prominences of the needles, wherefore every succeed-

page_text: ing time that the edge P moves backwards to act against the needles R. it will
operate on those particular needles which are suitable for the particular color
of weft which is about to be thrown at the next succeeding shoot. The lifting
bar Z is affixed at its two ends to the two lever arms 112, which are each poised
on a centre of motion supported by the fixed framing, those centres being
situated in the line of the fixed wire before mentioned which forms the fulcrum
of all the levers V, and therefore the circular arch which the acting edge of the
lifting bar Zmust describe about the centres of its levers 112, when it rises, will
correspond with the like motion of those levers V which are lifted up by it.
The tails or opposite ends of the levers 112 are united by links to the middle
parts of other longer levers 113, which are mounted on centre pins at their
hinder extremities: and their forward extremities have oblong slits formed in
them for the reception of pins 114, which are affixed at the upper ends of the
upright sliding rods 10, 10, and project out therefrom; and in moving up and
down with those rods the pins 114 act in the oblong slits of the levers 113, so
as to give suitable motion thereto, that is to say, when the rods 10 and the lay
is raised up towards their highest position, the pins 1 14 act in the said grooves
so as to move the levers 113 with corresponding motion, and in consequence
of their mode of connection with the lifting bar Z, they will give motion in a
contrary direction to that bar, as before mentioned; but when the lay descends
towards its resting position, then the pins 114 come into those parts of the
oblong grooves of the levers L13, which then stand nearly in a vertical position,
and consequently little or no motion will then be communicated by the
pins 114 to the levers 113. By this means the lifting bar Z, after it has been
raised and las lifted up some of the levers V with it, is kept so'raised, without
motion, during all the time that the lay remains motionless in its resting
position; wherefore, when the heddles belonging to those levers V which are
so lifted have been pulled up by them in order to open the sheds of the warps,
the same are kept open whilst the shuttles are thrown,and until the lay begins
to move upwards. And note.-In case the up-and-down motion ofthe upright
sliding rods 10, 10, is produced in the manner represented in Sheet IV., and
herein before described, the lay H being firmly affixed to those rods, then the
levers 113 need not have any such oblong slits in them, but may be connected
with the upright rods 10 by jointed links. The straight edge P derives its
motion from the levers 11 of the lifting bar Z, for which purpose each of those
levers has an arm M, Sheet VIII.,projecting downwards from it; and when the
lifting leverZgets down to its lowest position, the lower ends of those arms M
act against projections formed on two arms 115, which extend backwards from
the straight edge Pand which arms rest upon fixed supporting pius by means

page_text: of slits in the arms 115, which permit the straight edge P to be moved back-
wards and forwards as much as is requisite for the performance of its action
against the needles R. It is pulled forward by suitable springs as soon as the
arms M of the levers 112 will permit it to come forwards, that is, as soon as
the lay begins to ascend.
The principal movements of the several essential parts of the figure
weaving machinery and their mode of operation being understood from the
foregoing explanation, a brief description of the minor and accessary parts,
by which the remaining movements are communicated from the moving
parts of the loom to those of the figure weaving machinery, will be
sufficient, because those accessary parts admit of great variation without
in any way affecting the performance of the essential parts herein-before
described. It now remains to explain the manner whereby the machinery
which changes the shuttles for the purpose of throwing different colours of weft
is combined in its operation with the figure weaving machinery, for the
purpose of weaving figured patterns in colours, because the two kinds of
machinery are capable of operating independently, and have been so decribed.
For instance, the machinery for changing shuttles, represented in Sheets V.,
VI., VII, and IX., and numbered 90 to 99, may be used along with the
simple mounting and means of moving the heddles represented in Sheet II.,
and numbered 50 to 60, and that combination will be suitable for weaving four
webs at once of cross striped clothor chequered cloth or pullicates, as has been
already stated; or jacquart figure weaving inachinery may beused along with
the mode of mounting the heddles herein-before explained, and represented in
Sheets VII. and VIII., but without using the said machinery for changing
shuttles, and that combination will be suitable for weaving four webs at once
of figured cloth which does not require variety of weft, such as damask, as has
been already stated. In the preceding description of the machinery,numbered
90 to 99, the cylindrical barrel 95 (which by its position determines the colour
of weft that shall be thrown at each shoot) was stated to be turned round by
means of a rachet wheel, which, by a suitable connection with the lay, is moved
one tooth for every time of beating up the weft; but when such machinery is
to be used along with the figure weaving machinery now describing, the motion
of the barrel 95 must be regulated according to the changes in the colours of
weft which the pattern requires, and those changes must keep correct concert
with the changes of warp that are at the same time operated by the figure
weaving machinery. This is done by the aid of a narrow carved pattern board
applied to the under side of the moving table 106 of the carved pattern
board 105, already described as part of the figure weaving machinery. The

page_text: prominences and hollows of the carving govern theaction of four detents 137,
Que or other of which in its turn detains the barrel in one or other of those
positions which are required to be given to it in succession for causing wefts of
different colours to be thrown. A tendency is given to the barrel 95 to turn
round in the direction shewn by an arrow, Sheet VII., by a small cord which
is wound round the groove of a pulley 186, applied at one end of the barrel,
and a weight 134 on a spring is applied to the pull cord. Another cord,
which is wound round the same pulley in the same direction, is made fast to
the shelf 97, in order to wind up the weight 134 when the shelf ascends. The
pulley 136 is fitted to the barrel 95 with a ratchet and spring click, in the
manner of the winding-up barrel of a clock, and every time that the lay
ascends the weight 134 is wound up anew; but that action does not turn the
barrel backwards, because the pulley 136 ratches and there is a ratchet at
the other end of the barrel 95, with a click, to prevent retrograding. When the
lay descends, the weight is left hanging with a tendency to turn the barrel
round. In the end of the barrel four projecting pins are fixed at different dis-
tances from the centre suitably to be intercepted by the ends of four stop
bolts 137, Sheet IX., which extend backwards,and are jointed to the lower ends
of as many elbow levers 138, all the four being mounted side by side upon a
fixed centre pin, and their other arms reaching under the moveable table 106,
with their extremities in contact with the narrow pattern board above men-
tioned. Each lever is urged by a spring 135, and applies to its own part of
the width of the said pattern board, so as to be governed by the prominences
and hollows of the carving, the prominences thereof withdrawing the stop
bolts 137 from their interference with the projecting pius at the end of the
barrel 95 and hollows, allowing those bolts to be pushed endways by the
springs 135 of the levers 138 into the way of the said pins. Each pin in the
barrel 95 noves in a different circle, and will be intercepted by one bolt 137,
but by no other than that one, so that one bolt will detain the barrel in one
position, and another bolt in another position; each position being that which,
by allowing some one or other of the links 97 to come into action (as before
described) upon the various parts numbered 90 to 99, will cause weft of a
particular colour to be thrown. Whenever the lay ascends, the shelf 97 always
carries up one or other of the four links 96 with it; and that one of thom
which is so carried up determines the colour of the weft which will be thrown
next. Whilst the shelf97 is ascending and winding up the cord and weight 134
of the barrel 95, the latter has no tendency to turn round until the shelf 97 is
coming down again, and then one or other of the bolts 137 which has detained
the barrel ever since its last movement continues to do so, notwithstanding the

page_text: action of the weight 134 to turn it round; but when the shelf 97 gets down
towards its lowest position, it acts againstawedge at the top of a projection on
a horizontal sliding bolt 139, which is supported over the barrel 95, and the end
reaches down to the four bolts 137, in order to push them all back end ways
at once out of contact with the pins of the barrel whenever the bolt 139 is
pushed endways by the action of the shelf 97 upon its wedge, which action
takes place when that shelf gets nearly down. The barrel 95 being thus
liberated, begins to run forwards by the action of its weight 134, but it is only
allowed to move a little way before it is stopped by a small click 140 catching
a pin or tooth projecting out of the barrel; there are four such pins. As the
shelf 97 descends lower, it gets below the wedge part of the projection of the
sliding bolt 139, and allow the latter to return, together with the four bolts
137, which resume their former position, with their ends in the way of the
pins at the end of the barrel 95; but by the motion that the barrel has had,
that pin in the end of the barrel which had been before detained by one of
the bolts 137 has now passed beyond that bolt. As the shelf 97 descends still
lower after this, it comes in contact with a wedge-like part of the click 140,
so as to raise the same from the barrel, which being now no longer detained
runs forward by the action of its weight 134, until another of the bolts 137
stops it. The carving of the narrow pattern board determines which of those
bolts 137 shall be allowed so to stop the barrel, which may make one-quarter
of a turn, or one-half, or three-quarters, or even a whole turn before it is
stopped, according as the carved pattern allows one or other of the bolts 137
to stop it. By these means the barrel is not confined to any particular order
of succession in the positions at which it shall stop, and consequently act at
succeeding times, but it can pass from any one position to any other, according
as the pattern requires the weft to change from colour to colour. The barrel
having assumed a new position, will allow a different link 96 to be caught by
the shelf 97 at the next time of its going up, and the action of the machinery
in the lever 90 will place the shuttle boxes in a suitable new position for
throwing weft of a different colour from that which was thrown last. Note.—
If the barrel 5 has made a whole turn it will repeat the same action as the
preceding time, and another shoot of the same coloured weft will be thrown.
Note. At the same time when the needles R are all suddenly lifted up by
their spring 111 from contact with the carved pattern board 105, as before
described, the levers 13S are by the same movement withdrawn from
contact with the carving of their narrow pattern board. This is done by a
lever 141, the upper end of which is connected by a link 142 with the sliding
frame 110, in which the needles R are contained, and the lower end of the

page_text: lever 14 presses against the joint pins of the bolts 157, which are by the
same action all withdrawn from their contact with the pins of the barrel 95.
The same sudden lifting up of the frame 110 of the needles causes one of the
large ratchet wheels 108 to be turned a little by its claw 145, or else the
other reverse ratchet wheel by its opposite claw 144, according as one or
other of those claws is permitted to be in contact with that ratchet wheel to
which it belongs, and accordingly the table 106, with the two pattern boards,
will be moved a little onwards one way or the other, as before explained.
Note. Although the loom contains four sets of shuttles for wefts of as many
different colours, and varions changes will be made in using them,nevertheless
one of those sets of shuttles will be used with regularity and continuance for
supplying weft for the ground of the pattern, that is, for the main fabric of the
cloth, to which the other three sorts of weft threads will be an accidental and
variable addition, whereof there will sometimes be none required, for parts of
the pattern which are to exhibit the ground unmixed with colour; at other
times only one of the three colours will be required, varying which of those
three it may be; at other times two of the colours may be wanted in close
succession, and again at other times all three, according to the figure, at
different parts of the pattern; but under all circumstances of variation there
must be a frequent recurrence of throwing the weft whereof the ground is to
be composed, and consequently, whilst the machinery is going on producing
an extensive series of successive changes of shuttle boxes for throwing weft
of different colours to form the highly coloured parts of the pattern, it must.
frequently come back to the ground wett, which is sometimes an interruption
to the series of changes of colour, at other times a continuation thereof, or a
substitution therefor; but the use of the ground weft, though it may at times
prevail and supersede for the time all the other wefts, can never be suspended
or delayed beyond its due period for repetition in the series in order to make
the fabric of the cloth complete. The ground weft will be thrown when the
shuttle boxes stand as represented in the Drawings, those on one side being
quite raised, and those on the other quite lowered. Every time when the
ground weft is to be thrown the motion of placing the shuttle boxes in the
proper position for throwing that weft lets loose the frame of needles 110, and
allows them to be suddenly raised by their spring 111. The pattern board
105 being then detached, it makes its progressive motion, and also atthat time
the cloth beams are moved to wind up the cloth. As tho lay ascends after
the ground weft has been thrown, the moving frame 110 of the needles is put
down again, in order to submit them to the pattern board. The said putting
down is performed by two short lever arms 145, Sheets IX. and X., affixed to

page_text: each end of a horizontal axis 146, which extends all across the frame, being
supported in bearings affixed to the fixed frame X. N. The short arms 145
act upon projecting studs which proceed from the moveable frame 110, con-
taining the needles, and which pass through openings in the frame N. On one
end of the axis 146, a lever 147, Sheet X.. is fixed, which is drawn by a
link 148, which link is drawn by a connection with another lever 150 and link
151 from one arm of an elbow lever 149, whereof the other arm is linked to
the long lever 90; and at the time when that lever 90 is removed away from
the position represented in the Drawing, at the first time of beating up the
weft after the ground welt has been thrown, the frame of needles 1.10 will by
that motion of the lever 90 be put down in spite of its spring 111, and it is
retained at the distance to which it has been so put down by a latch 153
catching into one or other of four notches in an arch proceeding from the
upper end of the lever 147. It is also by motion which the lever 150 derives
as aforesaid from the lever 90 (by transmission of the elbow lever 149 and
link 151, as shewn in Sheet X.), that the straight edge P is lowered a little, as
before described, in order that it may assume different levels or heights at the
different succeeding times of its action against the lateral prominences of the
needles R, for the purpose of taking (in preparation for each shoot, those
needles (and those only) which belong to the particular warp threads which
are requisite to be bended aside in preparation for receiving weft of that par-
ticular color which will be thrown at that shoot. The arm of the elbow lever
149 being connected by the link 151 with the lever 150, the latter will be
moved at every time that the lever 90 is so much moved as to change one set
of shuttles for another. The lever 150 is fixed in one end of a horizontal
axis 152, which extends all across in the same manner as the axis 146, being
parallel thereto, and supported in like manner by the framing N,butsituatedat
the opposite side of the moving frame 110 of needles. The axis 152 has tavo
short levers 153 projecting out from it at each end, as shewn in Sheet VIL,
which later have joint pins projecting laterally from them to enterinto oblong
slits in the bearing arms 115 of the straight edge P,so as to support the latter
without interfering with its backward and forward motion; but the support
given by the joint pins of the short levers 153 on the axis 152 admits of raising
and lowering the height at which the straight edge P shall be maintained
when it is moved backwards towards the needles. Every time that the
lever 90 is moved in order to effect a change of shuttles, the lever 150 is moved
by its link 151, and by its axis 152 and short arms 153 it sets the straight
edge P a little lower than it was set at the preceding time of its action;
nevertheless the lever 147 does not partake of the same motion, because
H

page_text: it continues to be detained by the latch 155, and also because the joint
pin of the lever 150 moves in au oblong slit in the link 148; but when
by the government and direction which the barrel 95 derives from its
narrow carved pattern board and other accessories, the lover 90 has gone
through all the positions suitable to the requisite succession of colored
wefts, and after the same has been thrown and the lever 90 has returned the
shuttle boxes back to the proper position for bringing intoaction the shuttles
with the ground weft, then (but not before then, the joint pin of lever 150 will
be brought into contact with the latch 153, so as to lift it up and disengage
the notched arch of the lever 147, whereupon the spring 111 will raise up the
frame 110 of the needles with an instantaneous motion to lift them up from
their pattern board 105, as before described, and the same motion actuating
one or other of the claws 143 or 144 of the ratchet wheel 108, Sheet IX.,
will produce a small step of the slow advancing motion of the table 106 for
the pattern board, as before described. At the next time of beating up the
weft after the ground weft has been thrown, the motion which is then given
to the lever 90, for producing the requisite change of color in the weft, whether
it beone color, two colours, or three colours, will put down the framo 110 again
in spite of its spring 111 (as before described) to a distance corresponding with
the extent of motion then given to the lever 90; but whatever that distance
may be, the latch 158 catching in one or other of the notches in the lever 147,
will detain it in that position until the next recurrence of throwing the ground
weft, when it will be set at liberty again as before; and in all cases of putting
down and detaining the frame of needles 110 at the next time of beating up
after throwing the ground weft, a suitable and corresponding elevation of the
straight edge is produced, for that edge is clevated by the parts 115, 153,
152, and 150, at the same time when by the parts 145, 146, 147, and 151,
the moving of needles frame LFO to put down, and afterwards the straight
edgs is depressed a step at a time, corresponding with every new position
of the lever 90 for throwing wefts of different color; but the sudden rising of
the frame 110 does not affect the straight edge P. it having been previously
lowered by progressive stages.
The mechanism for turning the cloth beams G, G, in order to wind up
the four webs at once, operates in a similar manner to that herein-before
described, and numbered 80 to 86, excepting that instead of being brought
into operation at every succeeding shoot, it is only brought into action at
every time that a ground weft is thrown. For this purpose the upright
sliding rod 83, which has four elicks in it to catch the teeth of the
ratchet wheel 80, being guided by suitable fixed brackets to retain it in its

page_text: vertical position, is, when required, caught by a hooked link 160, which
descends from one of the levers 113, which communicate motion to the lifting
bar Z of the figure weaving machinery; the hooked link 160 being suspended
from a pin projecting out from the lever 113, and a spring 161 is so applied
to the joint as will give the hook 160 a tendency to retreat from the upright
sliding rod 83, so as to avoid touching the same, and in that state, although
the hooked link 160 is moved up and down at every time of beating up the
weft, it will produce no effect on the rod 83, and the cloth beams will not be
wound up until the lever 90 places the shuttle boxes in the position for
throwing the ground weft, and then a prong 162, which projects out from one
of the suspension links 94 of the shuttle boxes, coming behind the hooked
link 160, pushes it into the way of the upright sliding rod 83, so that its hook
will enter into a mortice opening therein, and then, when the lever carries up
the hooked link 160 with the motion of the lay, it lifts up the sliding rod 83,
so as to produce such a turning round of the ratchet wheel 80 as is suitable
for winding up the cloth beams as much as they require to be wound up, just
in the same manner as herein-before described to be performed by the upper
end of the rod 10, Sheet II., lifting the screw 81 of the lever 82; and in like
manner a ruler S5 is applied to rest upon the cloth which is accumulated
around one of the cloth beams, and the end of that ruler 85 intercepts an
arm 163, which reaches out from the slider 83, in order to limit the descent
thereof, for the same purpose as before described respecting the link S4,
Sheet II.
The mode whereby large portions of the heddles are drawn up together
in such regular succession as will open the warp threads suitably for weaving
the plain or tweeled ground of the figure woven cloth is as follows:-
It is done by means of the same heddles, which in turn are selected and
drawn up in series, which vary according as the figured pattern requires.
Each of the pairs of heddles, which are united into one by the knot at æ,
as before explained, is suspended by two threads at the part above the
knota,and those two suspending threads are knotted together higher up at u,
in order that those upper knots u may hang upon lames or heddle shafts J, J,
which are ir troduced into the mounting for the purpose of raising many of
the heddles together like one, in order to open the warps suitably for making
the plain or tweeled ground of the figured cloth. One or other of the lames
J, J, is introduced between the said two suspending threads of each heddle
below the knot by which they are united at u. The Drawings represent four
lames J, J, one or other of which in turn cominand the whole number of warp
threads, about an equal portion of heddles being suspended upon each lame,

page_text: so that when either lume is drawn up, it will draw up about one-fourth partor
the whole number of heddles by one motion; but nevertheless that application
of lames does not in any way interfere with the action of the figure weaving
machinery, whereby the same draw up single heddles one by one, or only a few
heddles together, according as the pattern requires, because the loops which
are formed between the double suspending threads of each of the heddles
between their knots .r and u, and into which loops the lames Lare received)
are of sufficient length to admit of drawing up each heddle by itself as much
as the same requires to be drawn up in order to open the sheds of the warps
without any impediment to such drawing up from the lame L. which passes
through the said loop a, r, of the said heddles; but if the lame 1. is raised
up it cannot fail to draw up all those heddles through the loops of which
it
passes. In all cases when the ground weft is about to be thrown, one
or more of the lames L. must be raised in preparation for that throwing.
If the figured cloth is to have a tweeled ground, then sometimes only one
lame L will be raised, at other times two, and at other times three lames,
according as the tweel may require. The mode of raising up the lames L., at
every occurrence of throwing the ground weft, is as follows:-Each lame 1. is
supported from two of the levers V, which are exactly like those before
described, except that for strength they are of greater thickness, and one dent
of each of the reeds X and W are taken out to make room for them.
By
such a thick lever V being provided to suspend each end of each lame L, the
same are well supported, and will be drawn up parallel to themselves. The
action of the lifting bar Z, whereby it raises the strong levers V, and causes
them to draw up the lames L, is exactly the same as that whereby the other
lames draw up their single paws of heddles, but the manner of selecting
which of the strong levers V shall be taken by the lifting bar Z, and which
shall be left by it, is somewhat different, viz, in lieu of needles R, to apply to
the carved pattern board, four upright sliders 105, VIII. and XII., are applied
to the surface of a small revolving barrel 150, they stand side by side, between
suitable guides in the moving frame 110, which contain the needles R. The
slider 165 stands at the end of the row of needles R, and in a very similar
position to the needles, but instead of applying their lower ends to the carved
surface of the pattern board 105, they rest upon the circumference of the
small cylindrical barrel 166, which is mounted in suitable bearings affixed to
the moving frame 110. The barrel 166 has a ratchet wheel 107, of eight
teeth, on one end of it, to turn it round by, which is done partly whenever the
moving frame 110 put down, and partly when the same is suddenly raised by
its springs 111. This is performed by means of two claws or drivers 168,

page_text: which are suspended as a fixed centre pin, supported by the top cross rail of
the fixed frame N, so that when the moving frame 110 is put down, one of the
claws 168 (which is hooked) will catch a tooth of the ratchet wheel 167, and
turn it round one tooth; and again, when the said 110 rises suddenly upagain,
the barrel rising with it, its ratchet wheel 167 will be turned round another
tooth by the other claw 162. The surface of the barrel is cut with notches
at suitable places, to allow some of the ends of the sliders 165 to drop down,
but at the same time the plain parts of the said surface will hold up others of
the sliders 165, to prevent them from descending so low as the others do
descend. Each of the said sliders 165 has a lateral prominence like that of
each of the needles R; and in lieu of the straight edge P, the lateral pro-
minences of the sliders 167 are acted upon by a short straight edge 169,
which is fixed on the top of a small lever, moveable upon a centre pin
fixed to the lower cross rail of the moveable frame 110. The said lever 169
is borne backwards and forwards by its contact with the straight edge P,
with a motion precisely coincident, except that the short straight edge 169
does not rise or fall with the straight edge P; but the short straight
edge 169 always presents itself to the lateral prominences of the sliders 165
at the same height above the centre of their barrel 166. The notches in the
barrel 166 are so disposed that none of them will be beneath the sliders 165
when the frame 110 is put down, because the motion given to the barrel during
the descent of that frame will always turn it with a plain part upwards, where-
fore all the sliders 165 will then stand with their lateral prominences even
or side by side, and at such height that will all of them be acted upon by
the short straight edge 169 at every time that the same is put back by
its contact with the straight edge P, consequently all the strong levers V
from which lames L are suspended will be drawn back out of the reach
of the lifting bar Z, so as to escape the same, and therefore the lames will
have no action whatever. But when the frame 110 is suddenly lifted up by
its spring 111, previous to throwing the ground weft, the barrel 166 being, as
before mentioned, turned round, another tooth will present its notched side to
the four sliders 165, which notches will permit some one or more of them to
drop down lower than the others, and then the lateral prominences of those
sliders 65 which are so dropped will be so much below the short straight edge
169 as to be missed thereby when it is pushed back in preparation for shooting
the ground weft, consequently the strong levers V belonging to those sliders
165 which have been so dropped will not be drawn back, but will be caught
by the lifting bar Z, which will raise them, together with the lames L, which
are suspended from then, and all the heddles which are connected with the

page_text: said lames. Note. At that same time the straight edge P will meet with
the lateral prominences of every one of the needles R, so as to act upon the
whole row of them, in order to draw back all the lever V, and keep them out
of action. This result from the needles R. being all arranged in one level row,
by resting on the lower straight rail of their frame 110, as soon as the same
rises up and takes the pointed ends of the needles off from contact with the
pattern board.
Note. The four sliders 165 are all at one end of the row of
needles R, and the strong levers V,with which they are to be connected, are
situated at two places in the midst of the row of needles R. wherefore the
connection cannot be made by mere ties of threads, as is done between the
needles R and their corresponding levers V, and also because there are two
thick levers V to be connected with each of the four sliders 165. To make
that connection tour horizontal axes 170 are applied across and beneath the
row of levers V, turning on pivots supported by fixed bearers; a small lever
arm is fixed into each axle opposite to each upright slider 165, and they are
connected by a tie of thread. Two other such small arins are fixed to the
same axis 170, opposite to the two strong levers V, on which the same slider
165 is intended to operate, and the connections therewith are made by two
sinall hooks of twisted brass wire, which will enable the small levers to push
forwards its two thick levers V.as well as to pull them backwards; and a small
spring of curled wire is applied to each of the horizontal axes 170. to cause
them to exert a constant tendency to push forwards their strong levers V, so
that they would get into the way of the lifting bar Z, unless when that ten-
dency is overcome by the action of the short straight edge 169. The momen-
tary action before mentioned of the small ruler 109, which pushes forwards all
the levers V, takes place as soon as ever the lifting bar Z has descended low
enough to prevent the levers V to pass over its edge. The said ruler 109 is
supported at each end in oblong slits made through fixed bearing pieces,
and the motion of the ruler 109 is derived from small lateral projections from
the tail ends of the lever armis 112 of the lifting bar Z, which projections ab
the proper moment exert a wedge-like action on the ends of the ruler 109, so
as to push it forwards parallel to itself, in order to push forwards all the levers
Vendways over the edge of the lifting bar Z. The said projections pass by
the ends of the rod 109, so as only act thereon for a moment. The said
projections are applied to the levers 112 with hinge joints and springs, which
allows them to give way without moving the ruler 109 when they pass by
it again in returning in an opposite direction. After the moving table 106
has by its slow progressive motion presented every part of the pattern
board 10 in succession to the action of the needles, it must either begin

page_text: to move back again by a like slow progressive motion, or it must jump
back all at once, as before mentioned, according to the sort of pattern.
To move it slowly back, the claws 143 and 144 of the two reversed ratchet
wheels 108 must be changed, the two claws are retained in two guides,
which are both fixed into a sliding piece 170, which being moved a little end-
ways one way will put one claw 143 in action, taking the other claw 144 out
of action; or the slider 171 being moved the other way will do the reverse.
When the sliding table 106 has progressed nearly as far as it is intended to
go, and is required to return, a spring which is affixed to the edge of the
table 106 comes in contact with a projection from the slider 170, and then the
elasticity of that spring tends to push the slider endways in that direction
which would cause it change the claws 143 and 144, so as to reverse the
motion which they give to the ratchet wheels 108 and to the table 106; but
nevertheless, the slider 171 is detained from moving by a small latch 172,
Sheet XII.,
until the required moment for the table to begin to return, and
then the latch 172 is lifted up by a small wedge piece which is fixed to the
table 106, and which is by the motion thereof carried beneath the said latch
172, and the instant that the same is released the slider 170 is moved
endways by the action of the spring at the edge of the table 106, and makes
the requisite change of the claws 143 and 144. When the table has arrived
at the other end of its intended course, the same slider 172 is moved again by
another spring at the opposite edge of the table in a contrary direction. Or
otherwise, in order to let the table 106 jump back all at once, the pinion
107 must be disengaged from the teeth of the rack beneath the table 106 at
the instant when the pattern board has moved through its full intended space,
and is required to begin to work over again. For that purpose the pivot at
the end of the axis of the pinion 107 may be fitted into bearing socket, which
is an oblong hole, the pivot being borne up therein by the horizontal arm of a
small elbow lever which is mounted on a fixed centre piu projecting out from
the frame. By this lever the pivot may be raised up in its oblong bearing
hole, so as to put the teeth of the pinion 107 into proper gear with those of the
rack, and the other vertical arm of the said elbow lever being connected with
the slider 170 before mentioned (or a similar one), it will retain the pinion
securely in gear until the pattern board 105 has been moved to the exact
distance required, and then the said slider 170 and its elbow lever will
disengage the pincers from the rack; which being done, will be pulled back
with an instantaneous motion by the action of suitable springs, which may be
applied to the table 106 for that purpose, in the same manneras herein-before
described respecting the sliding shuttle boxes numbered 60 to 64. And when

page_text: the table by such instantaneous motion has moved back the exact space it is
intended to return, the notion of the slider 173, before described, will raise up
the pinion again into gear with the rack, and keep it so all the time that the
table is moving again with its slow progressing motion. Note. In this latter
mode of using the slider 170, it is to have no connection with the claws 143 or
144, and one of those claws must be removed, because the rachet wheel 108 is
always to be turned the same way round. Note. When a cylindrical barrel
is to be used, as herein-before mentioned, in lieu of the pattern board 105,
with its moveable table 106, the same may be mounted upon a suitable hori-
zontal axis, which is put in the place of that represented in the Drawings,
with the pinion 107 upon the middle part of it, and which has also the two
large reversed ratchet wheels 108 upon the extreme end of it. Similar
reversed ratchet wheels of suitable size being fixed on the end of the axis of
the said barrel, and one or other of the wheels being turned round in the
munnerherein-before described, will give the requisite motion to the said barrel,
and if required may be made to turn the same slowly backwards again, after
having turned it forwards in the manner already described, giving a like motion
to the flat pattern board. But if the pattern, after having been gone through,
is required to begin ngain at the same place at which it began before, there
will be no necessity for turning the cylinder suddenly back (as must be done
with the flat pattern board), because the pattern may be made to extend all
round the cylinder, so as to occupy its entire circumference, and join its end
to its commencement, in which case the slow progressive motion of turning
the barrei may go on without interruption. The pattern must be carved on the
surface of the barrel, just in the same manner as on the flat board, with
different stages of relief for the parts which are to be represented in different
colours. And at one end of the barrel a portion of its surface may be carved
suitable for actuating the extremities of the elbow levers 138, in the manner
herein-before described to be done by the narrow pattern board which is fixed
to the under side of the moveable table 106.
And whereas cylindrical barrels, studded with projecting pins similar to
organ barrels, have been used in figure wearing machinery, we make no
claim to the Invention of such a barrel, except when the same is applied
in figure weaving machinery of the kind herein-before described, with
needles and other accessary parts suitable for weaving four webs at once of
figure woven cloth in the same vertical power loom, and also when the surface
thereof is carved with different height and depth of relief at all the parts
which are to be represented in the cloth with difference of colour. Note
The shuttles which are to be used for weaving four webs at once with weft of

page_text: various color in vertical power looms of the kind herein-before described, and
represented in the Drawings, are all provided with the dettent herein-before
described and represented in Sheet V., which dettent will come into action and
form a prominence above the upper side of the shuttle whenever a weft thread
breaks or fails. Two suitable stopping pieces are to be fixed to the two edges
of one of the main standards A, A, at one end of the loom, so as to reach out
horizontally therefrom in the narrow space which is left between the end of
the lay and the end of the moveable shuttle troughs 91, so that the said
stopping pieces will not be interfered with by the motions of the lay or of the
troughs. The under edges of the said stopping pieces must stand only just so
high above the shuttles when they run under the stopping pieces as will
permit the shuttles to pass if their dettents are kept down by the tension of
their weft threads. But if any one of the wefts breaks, then the dettent of
that shuttle rising up will catch against the stop piece which is over that
shuttle, so as to prevent the said shuttle from entering into the shuttle troughs
91, in which case the loom will stop its own motion, as it will also do in any
case when any of the four shuttles which are thrown simultaneously fails to
make good their passage across and to get quite home into their places in
their respective shuttle boxes. Supposing the loom to be working as aforesaid
on figured patterns in colours, and that thereby two shuttle troughs 91 are
provided for the reception of the sixteen shuttles which arecharged with weft
of four different colours, nevertheless, if any one of the four acting shuttles
which are to be thrown simultaneously falls short or fails to make its passage
quite across the reed, so as to lodge quite within the opposite shuttle box, the
loom will in consequence stop its own motion, in the same manner as a
common power loom will do whenever the shuttle thereof fails to get quite
home. The parts with which the several shuttle boxes are provided for thus
stopping when any one of the four acting shuttles is absent from its own
proper trough are as follows, see Sheet V.:-Each of those shuttle troughs
120 which lie nearest to the middle vertical plane of the loom, between its
four webs, has a small flat lever 121, applied on a centre pin in the side of the
shuttle trough 120, within an opening which is cut through the same, exactly
in the same manner as is done in the side of the shuttle trough of a common
power loom; when the shuttle is in place it presses laterally against the said
lever 121, and causes it to protrude externally beyond the external surface of
the shuttle box. A slender spring 122, which is applied externally flat against
the outside surface of the shuttle box, opposes such protrusion, and when-
ever the shuttle is absent from the trough 120, or is not properly in place
therein, the said spring 122 will force the said lever 121 inwards, so that it

page_text: will encroach within the trough 120 upon the space which the shuttle ought
to occupy therein, but then there will be no protrusion at the outside of the
shuttle box. Each of the four stories 91 of shuttle troughs is provided with
such a flat lever 121 and spring 122, which will be protruded externally
from the shuttle box whenever the shuttle is absent from its trough 120.
but will not be protruded when the same is present in its place therein.
But to make a like provision for those other adjacent shuttle troughs 124
which are alongside of those marked 120 (and which troughs 124 are
farthest from the middle vertical plane of the loom, between its four webs),
a flat steel slider 125 is applied transversely across each of the two shuttle
troughs 120 and 124, which are side by side, being lodged in a transverse
groove formed at the bottom of those two troughs, so as lay below both
shuttles when they are in their places in the troughs 120 and 124, and also
below the lever 121 and spring 122, above described. Across the middle
part of said slider 123 a flat lever 125 is applied at one side of the shuttle
trongh 124, in a similar manner to the application of the lever 121 to the
trough 120, a recess being cut out for the lever 125 in the thickness of the
partition, between those two adjacent shuttle troughs 120 and 124 which
are side by side. The lever 125 is connected by a pin to its slider 123, and
whenever the shuttle is absent from the trough 124, the lever 125 thereof
will be forced inwards from its recess. so as to encroach within the trough
124, by the action of a slender spring 126, which is applied externally to
the extreme end of the slider 123, acting to push the same endways, the said
· spring 126 being parallel to the other spring 122, above described, and close
above the same. But when the shuttle is in place it will press laterally
against the lever 125, so as to replace it in its recess in the partition, and in
so doing the slider 123 will be moved endways, and its extreme end, with its
spring 126. will be protruded externally just below the place where the flat
lever 121 and spring 121, above described, are also protruded, if the other
fellow shuttle is also in place. Two bended levers 127 and 128 are placed
one above the ether in a suitable position to be acted upon by the said
protrusion of the lever 121 and of the slider 128, belonging to the acting
shuttles. The said bended levers are both mounted on an upright centre pin
133, which is supported by the fixed framing, and their other extremities are
pressed by springs 129, 130, which respectively will urge the first-mentioned
ends of 127 and 128 towards the lever 121 and slider 123, and if both
shuttles are in place, the latter will be protruded, and then the said springs
129, 130, will be overcome; but if either shuttle is absent, and either one or
other of 121 or 123 do not protrude, then one or other of the springs 129

page_text: 130 will be liberated, and will in that case come to press against the end of a
short lever arm 131, which is fixed on the upper end of the upright axis 33,
before described, and which by the slender lever 32 will press in the flat
piece 31 of the bolt 30, in spite of the spring thereof, so as to protrude that
bolt through the lever 27, and then, as before mentioned, the loom will
stop its own motion. The parts above described are provided to each cluster
of shuttle boxes such as is represented in Sheet V., wherefore there will be
four bended levers, such 127 and 128, each with its appropriate spring 129
and 130, but all those springs standing opposite to the same lever arm 131,
any one of them which becomes liberated (in consequence of the absence of
the shuttle to which it corresponds) will, when so liberated, cause the loom to
stop its own motion. And note.- Each shuttle trough being provided with its
own lever 121 aud slider 123, the same will be brought into action opposite
to the end of the same bended lever 127 and 128 every time when such
shuttle troughs become for the time the acting ones, but at no other times.
And as to the materials which are to be used in the construction of machinery
according to our said improvements, the same are such as are commonly used
in other like power loommachinery; and so of the dimensions and proportions
of the various parts, the same are to be regulated according to the natureand
width of the cloths which are to be woven, in the same manner as in other
power loom machinery, and which any competent mechanic who is conversant
with that art, and has made himself well acquainted with the foregoing
description, will find no difficulty in doing.
Having now described our said improvements, and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I, the said John Paterson Reid, for myself and for the
said Thomas Johnson, do hereby declare that the new Invention, whereof the
exclusive use is granted to us by the before-mentioned Letters Patent, consists
in the following improvements applicable to vertical power looms for weaving
different sorts of cloth -
First, in the improvement of weaving four webs of cloth at once in the same
vertical power loom by simultaneous action of the various parts thereof, in the
manner herein-before described, and represented in the several Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed. The reeds for beating up the wefts of the four
webs being contained in the same moving frame or lay, and each reed being
divided into two separate shuttle races for weaving two of those four webs,
and the heddles for dividing the warps being adapted for opening the same
into four sheds.
Secondly, in the improvement, herein-before described and represented in
Sheets I., II., and III. of the Drawings hereunto aunexed, of mechanism for

page_text: changing the shuttles in a vertical power loom for weaving four webs at once.
when any one weft thread breaks or fails, the said mechanism then substi-
tuting spare shuttles by an instantaneous movement without any act of the
attendant, and without stopping the loom. And whereas moveable stops have
been before applied in shuttles to come into action and canse the loom to stop
itself when the weft thread breaks or fails, we make no claim to the invention
of a stop in the shuttle for the purpose of causing the loom to stop itself when
a weft thread breaks or fails, but only to the mechanism which is brought
into action by such a stop in order to change the shuttles for others without
stopping the loom.
Thirdly, in the improvement, herein-before described, and represented in
Sheets I. and I. of the Drawings, of applying and combining four pairs of
moveable pincers for extending the width of four webs which are weaving
at once in a vertical power loom, and for keeping those four webs extended to
their full width during the action of beating up the weft by the reeds. And
whereas a kind of pincers have been applied to ordinary power looms which
weave one web of cloth at a time for holding the same to the width at which
the reed leaves the web after having beaten up. we make no claim to the
invention of such pincers, but only to the mode herein before described of
constructing and applying the pincers to vertical power looms for weaving
four webs at once.
Fourthly, in the improvement, herein-before described, and represented in
Sheets V., VI., VII., and IX. of the Drawings, of mechanism for changing the
shuttle boxes in a vertical power loom for weaving four webs at once, so ns
to bring shuttles containing weft of different colors (or other difference of
appearance)into action. forthe purpose of producing cross stripes or chequered
patterns in colors, or other distinction of appearance, and also for pro-lucing
the changes of colors or of appearance in figure weaving.
Fifthly, in the improvement, herein-before described, and represented in
Sheet VII., of the Drawings, of the mode of mounting the heddles suitably for
figure weaving in a vertical power loom for weaving four webs of figure woven
cloth at once.
Sixthly, in the improvement, herein-before described, and represented in
Sheets VIII, IX., and XI. of the Drawings, of mechanism for drawing up
the heddles suitably for weaving a figured pattern in a vertical power loom for
weaving four webs at once, which mechanism derives the diversification of its
successive actions on the heddles from a carved pattern board, such as is
represented in Sheet XI., or from carving on the circumference of a revolving
cylinder, that carving being a representation of the required pattern in relief,

page_text: with different stages in the heights and depths of the relief at all the parts
which are required to be woven with different colors or other difference of
appearance to be derived from different kinds of weft.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Paterson Reid, for myself and for
the said Thomas Johnson, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Nineteenth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
in the fifth year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth,
the said John Paterson Reid came before our said Lord the King in His
Chancery, and acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every
thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the
instrument aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made
in the fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twentieth day of September, One thousand eight hundred