IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPE LADDERS FOR VENETIAN BLINDS, AND IN THE METHODS OF WEAVING THE SAME, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED, APPLICABLE IN PART IN THE WEAVING OF OTHER NARROW FABRICS
Year: 1878

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Carl Vorwerk, of Barinen, in the Kingdom of Prussia,
Sinallware Manufacturer, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPE
LADDERS FOR VENETIAN BLINDS, AND IN THE METHODS OF WEAVING THE
SAME, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED, APPLICABLE IN PART IN THE
WEAVING OF OTHER NARROW FABRICS."
Sealed the 18th February 1879, and dated the 26th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by. the said Carl Vorwerk at the, Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August 1878.
CARL VORWERK, of Barmen, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Smallware Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPE LADDERS FOR VENETIAN BLINDS AND IN THE
METHODS OF WEAVING THE SAME, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED, APPLICABLE
IN PART IN THE WEAVING OF OTHER NARROW FABRICS."
My Invention relates principally to the manufacture of the "tape ladders".
employed to support the laths of Venetian blinds, as is well understood.
Previously to my Invention such ladders have sometimes been woven complete in
one piece, and it is to such ladders and to the machinery employed in the weaving
of such ladders that my Invention relates.
I
My Invention relates in the first place to the weaving of ordinary ladders.
employ four warps which are arranged to radiate from the point of beat up so that
four sheds can be formed at once, and I employ special shedding apparatus, and
weave with four shuttles which can at times be all weaving simultaneously.
The sheds are so formed as that when open to the full extent for the passage of
the shuttles the warp threads form five lines radiating from the point of beat up;
and it is important that when the ends for forming the cross strips are raised or
lowered to be interwoven with the tapes, the said ends shall be raised or lowered
as nearly as possible to the true radial lines. To accomplish this I employ a special
form of jacquard apparatus. The "sinker" and "knife are each binged at one end
33

page_text: so that when the one falls and the other rises they form angles which bear a definite
proportion to the angles of the warp threads.
I prefer to connect the harness with the jacquard apparatus by means of levers
which are hinged at one end and connected with the harness by the other end, the
jacquard connection being intermediate, whereby the greatest angle of inclination of
the knife and sinker is reduced.
Each lever is connected with two double griffs or hooks by means of a loop of
leather or other material which passes around a pulley mounted in or upon the lever,
the result being that when one griff only is raised or lowered the shedding necessary
for the weaving of the cross strips is effected, but when both griffs are raised or
lowered the cross strip warps are raised or lowered into the sheds of the tape
warps. A fixed knife sustains those griffs not required to be raised or lowered.
The griff which I prefer is formed in one piece of metal of a looped form so that
it has the necessary resiliency.
Each griff hook is acted upon by a separate needle, two sets acted upon by two
sets of cards being employed; but I do not confine myself to the use of two sets of
cards.
The shedding of the tape warps is effected by means of healds which are so lifted
and lowered as to maintain the proper angles of the warp ends.
I prefer to so actuate the shuttles as that 'two, say the first and third, shall move
in one direction, whilst the others are moving in the contrary direction.
I so fix the healds or harness as that the harness for any one set of warps may
be withdrawn and replaced without interfering with the other warps.
I secure wires looped at each end to each set of harness. One wire is secured to
the shaft by means of loops of twine which are brought over the ends of the wire.
The other wire is secured by means of twine arranged to be tightened up and
tied.
The rods over which the warps pass are mounted in grooved frames, separate rods
being used for each warp. Any rod can be released, by moving a sliding slotted
plate.
These arrangements are also applicable to other looms for weaving narrow
fabrics.
According to a second part of my Invention I form a novel description of tape
ladder, having double cross strips between which the laths are passed instead of
simply resting on one set of strips. I am able to weave such ladders with a
modification of the loom employed to weave according to the first part of my
Invention.
I employ six shuttles, in two sets of three shuttles. The two sets make two picks
alternately, one set being moved out of the way when the other set has to work.
One set weaves one of the tapes and the double cross strips on one side, the other
set weaving the other tape and the cross strips on the other side.
According to a remaining part of my Invention I employ indicating apparatus to
indicate incorrectness in the working of the cards.
A bell indicator receiving motion through a train of gearing from a part of the
loom gives notice by means of a hammer which strikes the bell when the round of
the pattern is completed; at or about the same time a bell is arranged to be struck
by a hammer, the action of which is governed by a special griff. in the jacquard
apparatus. If the two alarms do not agree in point of time, incorrectness in the
working of the cards is indicated.
This part of my Invention is particularly applicable when two sets of cards are
employed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Carl Vorwerk in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 8th March 1879.
•
CARL VORWERK, of Barmen, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Smallware Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TAPE LADDERS FOR VENETIAN BLINDS AND IN THE
METHODS OF WEAVING THE SAME, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED, APPLICABLE
IM PART IN THE WEAVING OF OTHER NARROW FABRICS."
My Invention relates principally to the manufacture of the tape "ladders'
employed to support the laths of Venetian blinds, as is well understood.
»>
Previously to my said Invention such ladders have sometimes been woven complete
in one piece, and it is to such ladders, and to the machinery employed in the weaving
of such ladders, that my Invention relates.
"
My Invention relates in the first place to the weaving of ordinary ladders. I
employ four warps which are arranged to radiate from the point of "beat up
so that
four sheds can be formed at once, and I employ special shedding apparatus and
weave with four shuttles, which can be all weaving simultaneously.
The sheds are so formed as that when open to the full extent for the passage of
the shuttles the warp threads form five lines radiating from the point of beat up,
and it is important that when the ends for forming the cross strips are raised or
lowered, to be interwoven with the tapes, the said ends shall be raised or lowered as
nearly as possible to the true radial lines. To accomplish this I employ a special
form of jacquard apparatus. The "sinker" and "knife" are each hinged at one end
so that when the one falls and the other rises they form angles which bear a definite
proportion to the angles of the warp threads.
I prefer to connect the harness with the jacquard apparatus by means of levers
which are hinged at one end and are connected with the harness by the other end, the
jacquard connection being intermediate, whereby the greatest angle of inclination of
the knife and sinker is reduced.
Each lever is connected with two double griffs or hooks by means of a loop of
leather or other material which passes around a pulley mounted in or upon the lever,
the result being that when one griff only is raised or lowered the shedding necessary
for the weaving of the cross strips is effected, but when both griffs are raised or
lowered the cross strip warps are raised or lowered into the sheds of the tape
warps.
The shedding of the tape warps is effected by means of healds, which are so lifted
and lowered as to maintain the proper angles of the warp ends.
I so fix the healds or harness as that the harness for any one set of warps may be
withdrawn and replaced without interfering with the other warps.
The rods over which the warps pass are mounted in grooved frames, separate rods
being used for each warp. Any rod can be released by moving a sliding slotted
plate.
These arrangements are also applicable to other looms for weaving narrow
fabrics.
According to a second part of my Invention I form a novel description of tape
ladder having double cross strips between which the laths are passed instead of
simply resting on one set of strips. I am able to weave such ladders with a
modification of the loom employed to weave according to the first part of my
Invention.
I employ six shuttles, arranged in two sets of three shuttles. The two sets make:
two picks alternately, one set being moved out of the way when the other set has
to work.
According to a remaining part of my Invention I employ indicating apparatus to:
indicate incorrectness in the working of the cards.
}
...

page_text: And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, I have appended
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings, to which I will now refer.
Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrative of the formation of the sheds when weaving tape
ladders in accordance with the first part of my Invention.
In the said Fig. A
represents the point of beat up; B, B, are the warps for the upper and under tapes;
and C, the warps for the cross strips, the two warps being arranged side by side and
therefore appearing as one in the diagram.
The open sheds form five lines, numbered from 1 to 5, and radiating from the
point A.
The warps B, B, are drawn through the healds b, b, each heald being formed with
two eyes so that one set of healds serves for the two warps.
These healds are
actuated by any suitable mechanism, care. being taken that the upper eyes are
raised correctly to the radial line 1, and that the lower eyes are lowered correctly to
the line 5.
The cross strip warps C are drawn through the healds c, which are or may be
actuated by jacquard apparatus.
The arrangements which I employ for actuating these healds will be described
herein-after.
The healds c are divided into two sets, one of the warps c being drawn through
one set, and the other warp through the other set, and the said healds are so actuated
as that the eyes can be raised or lowered to any one of the five lines 1 to 5.
When weaving the cross strip one set of eyes works to and fro between the lines 2
and 3 for one strip, the other set working between 3 and 4 for the other strip.
When the end of a strip has to be connected with the upper tape, the warp of
the said strip is raised by the healds into the upper shed, and the eyes then work
between the lines 1 and 2.
Similarly, when a strip is to be connected with the lower tape, the, warp of the
strip is lowered into the bottom shed, the eyes then working between the lines 4
and 5.
•
Four shuttles d, d, are employed, and are arranged to be worked simultaneously
so that the weaving of the two tapes and of the two cross strips may be proceeding
at the same time.
Fig. 2, drawn to a scale of about inches to the foot, represents a side elevation,
and Fig. 3, a vertical cross section of my improved jacquard apparatus. In the
said Figs. d is a knife which is hinged to the framing at d', and e is a sinker which
is hinged at e¹. The said knife and sinker are connected together and actuated so
that they move in opposite directions, and to the same extent, each turning upon its
hinge as indicated by the dotted lines. The connection of these two parts may be
effected by means of quadrants or levers, or by means of spur racks gearing with a
fixed spur wheel. The angles assumed by the knife and sinker are proportionate to
the angles 2 and 3, and 3 and 4, respectively, in Fig. 1.
The card barrel fis actuated in the ordinary or in a suitable manner, and acts
upon two sets of needles and h. The needles act upon double griffs i, i.
In the example each griff is formed of a metal rod or of a flat strip of metal
which is bent into a U form and is formed at each end with a hook. The hooked
ends have a tendency to spring outwards towards the knives. These griffs are
arranged in pairs, the lower ends of the two griffs, in each pair being connected by
books with the two ends of a band of leather or other material; which passes around
a pulley which is mounted on a lever k, as indicated by Figs. 6 and 7.
Four pairs of double griffs are connected with four levers below the jacquards
apparatus and represented in plan in Fig. 4. The said levers are hinged by one end
at k, and the other ends are connected with the healds; the point of attachment to
the griffs being intermediate at k².
The needle g when pushed in moves the hook
rises; it does not carry the griff with it.
inwards, so that when the knife
The needle h acts upon a lever h¹ which is mounted upon a fulcrum. When the

page_text: said needle is pushed in the said lever moves the hook inwards so that it clears a
fixed knife l.
When the knife d and sinker o are in the positions indicated by the full lines in
Fig. 2, the griffs rest upon the said sinker.
The required movements of the healds are obtained in the following manner :-
Supposing the healds to be moved from the central position represented in Fig. 1,
when the hook i¹ of one griff in a pair is pushed in, that griff remains supported by
knife when the knife d rises, the other griff being lifted by the knife.
connected lever is thereby raised half its lift, and the eyes of the connected healds
are raised to the line 2.
The
When the hooks of the pair are not acted upon both griffs are lifted and the lever
is raised to its full lift, whereby the said eyes are raised to line 1.
When the hooks of both griffs, and the hook of one of the two griffs are
pushed in, one griff is held by the fixed knife, the other griff 'going down with the
sinker, whereby the eyes of the healds are lowered to line 4.
When all of the hooks in the pair of griffs are pushed in, both griffs go down,
whereby the said eyes are lowered to line 5. It will thus be seen that whenever
required the warps C are caused to form part of the sheet of either the upper or.
lower tape, the cross strips being thereby woven with the said tapes as required.
Fig. 5 illustrates a modification wherein two sets of cards are used. In this
example each lever k is acted upon by four double griffs, two in each set of four
being acted upon by one set of cards and two by the other set of cards.
The griff on one side of the machine is connected with the corresponding griff on
the other side by means of a cord or band m which passes under a pulley block n.
The said block is connected with one end of the band j which passes under the
pulley which is mounted on the lever %, the other end of the said band being
connected with a second block under which passes the band which connects together
the other two griff's in the set, as seen in Fig. 8.
The two card barrels are arranged to advance and retire alternately, one barrel
acting for one pick of the loom, and the other barrel for the next pick.
Each of the needles h acts upon a double ended 'lever h¹. When the needle is
acted upon by either set of cards the said lever acts upon the corresponding griff.
With this form of apparatus any set of healds may be sustained in any one of its
positions during two or more picks, instead of having to be raised or lowered to that
position for each of the picks, whereby the warp threads are subjected to less strain
and wear.
As one knife is rising as the other knife is falling it is only necessary that the
griff or griffs on one side shall be raised when the griff or griffs on the other side are
lowered to keep the connected healds stationary.
The jacquard apparatus may be connected with the healds by other means than
the levers k.
The
Fig: 9 illustrates the method of securing each set of healds in position.
healds are mounted upon two wires o, o', which are bent at each end into a loop or
eye. Holes are formed in the lower shaft, and in these holes loops p, p, of twine,
wire, or other material are fixed. Lengths of twine q are passed through the eyes
of the head wire, and are passed around the upper shaft. The two pieces of twine
may either be tightened and tied separately, or be tied together as represented in
Drawing. The upper shaft is notched at the points where the twine has to cross.
Any set of healds can be quickly removed or be fixed in position without
interfering with the other healds.
Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate my improved method of mounting the warp rods.
The ends of the rods r, r, rest in recesses 8, 8, which are cast in the cheeks t, t, of
the framing.
The said rods are retained in position by means of plates u, u,
which cover the said recesses. The said plates are kept in position by means of screws
which pass through slots in the said plates, and the said plates can be slid up and
down. Notches u, v,. are formed in one edge of each plate. When one of the plates
is pushed up the said notches are brought opposite to the said recesses, which are

page_text: thereby uncovered so that any one of the rods which had been retained by the
plate can be removed.
'
'The arrangements illustrated by Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are also applicable to looms
for weaving narrow fabrics other than tape ladders.
The second part of my Invention is illustrated by Figs. 12, 13, and 14. Fig. 12
represents the novel description of tape ladder as produced by the loom; and Fig. 13,
the same as when cut and distended.
The two tapes E, E, are connected by double cross strips w, w, that is, in the place
of every ordinary cross strip there are two strips close together. When in use each
lath is passed between two strips so that it cannot rise out of its correct position.
In the weaving of this ladder six warps are required, there being four cross strip
warps arranged in pairs, one warp in each pair being exactly over the other. The
manner of weaving is illustrated by Fig. 14.
I use six shuttles which are arranged to work in two sets of three each. Shuttles F,
G, and H work together, and shuttles I, J, and K work together. When in the
positions represented in the Drawings the shuttles I, J, and K make two picks through
the sheds 2, 3, and 4, the shuttles I and J weaving. the upper and lower cross strips
on one side. The shuttles are then lowered so that F, G, and H can make two picks
through sheds 1, 2, and 3, shuttles G and H weaving the upper and lower cross
strips on the other side.
During the weaving of the cross strips on one side, the cross strip warps on the
other side are raised or lowered out of the way.
Fig. 15 is illustrative of the indicating apparatus which constitutes the remaining
part of my Invention. A lever x is arranged to vibrate upon the axis of a ratchet
wheel y, and is provided with a pawl which engages with the teeth of the said wheel.
The said lever is so connected with any suitable part of the loom as that the wheel y
is rotated to the extent of one tooth for each pick. Upon the axle of the said
wheel is fixed a pinion which gears with a spur wheel z. The said pinion has the
same number of teeth as the ratchet wheel, and the number of teeth in the wheel
corresponds with the number of cards in the pattern. It will thus be seen that the
wheel-moves to the extent of one tooth for each pick.
A finger a fixed to the wheel is arranged to act upon the shank of a hinged
hammer b', which when acted upon by the said finger strikes a bell c¹. A few picks
before the connection of the cross strips with the tapes this bell is struck.
A second bell is acted upon by a spare griff in the jacquard apparatus, and this
bell is arranged to strike once during each round of the pattern, and at the same
time as the bell c'. If the two bells strike together, the pattern has been woven
correctly, but if one bell strikes before the other the loom is stopped and the error
is rectified before the connection of the cross strips with the tapes is commenced.
I make the wheel with a scale of numbers corresponding to the numbers of the
cards, and I arrange that so long as the loom is working correctly the shank of the
hammer b', or a suitable index, shall point to a number which shall be the number
of the card then in action. If the two numbers do not agree at any time it is known
that an error bas arisen, and it may be at once rectified. There may be more than
one finger attached to the wheel 2.
The gearing may be varied so long as the bell is struck at the required times, and
so long as the number of teeth in correspond to the number of picks in pattern.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect, I would have it to be
understood that I claim,-
First. The simultaneous operation of four shuttles passing through four sheds,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated herein-before, and in
and by the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The jacquard apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set forth
and indicated.
Thirdly Connecting two double griffs by means of a hand and nulley with ለከለ

page_text: Fourthly. The method of attaching the sets of healds to the shafts.
Fifthly. The method of mounting the warp rods r.
Sixthly. The tape ladder woven with double cross strips, as set forth and
indicated.
Seventhly. Weaving the tape ladders with six shuttles working as two sets of
three each, the warp being opened as for four shuttles, substantially as set forth and
indicated.
And, lastly. The indicating apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth and indicated when describing the last part of Invention.
my
In witness whereof, I, the said Carl Vorwerk, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
וזות.
T
TR
CARL VORWERK, JR. (L.S.)