IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO SMALLWARE LOOMS PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER. LOOMS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hirst of the City of Manchester in the County
of Lancaster for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO
SMALLWARE LOOMS PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER. LOOMS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hirst at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th July 1883.
THOMAS HIRST of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO SMALLWARE LOOMS, PARTLY APPLICABLE
TO OTHER LOOMS
"
The object of this invention is to dispense with the springs or weights for
lowering the healds, whereby I am enabled to obtain a wider shed-to run at a
higher speed and to impart less strain to the warps and which is effected by
dividing the opening of the shed one half opening upwards and the other
downwards.
+
་
In carrying out this part of my invention I arrange a pair of tappet levers to
each heald-one for raising and the other for lowering and these tappet levers are
actuated by a tappet barrel so constructed that by arranging the tappets upon the
barrel any desired description or pattern of weaving may be effected. This part
of my invention is equally applicable to smallware and to other looms..
My invention further relates to an improved taking-up motion for smallware
looms. Instead of leading the woven material round a beam and then over rollers
to the back of the loom and there suspending a weight upon such material-I
mount the taking-up beam higher up and after passing the woven material round
such beam I cause the same to pass round a weighted roller which is so suspended
that by its own weight it rests against the material passing round the beam and so
not only receives motion in a contrary direction to the beam and assists in taking
up the material but also prevents such material being drawn back-thus acting
as a taking-up motion.
;
The material is then received on to blocking rollers arranged in front of the loom
under the taking-up beam the spindles of which blocking rollers receive revolving
motion from the beam and thus enable me to block the woven material in the loom
direct instead of taking it to another machine to be blocked-thus economising
time and labor in the weaving of small wares..

page_text: .
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Hirst in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th January
1884.
a
THOMAS HIRST of the City of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO SMALLWARE-LOOMS, PARTLY APPLICABLE
TO OTHER LOOMS
"
The object of this invention is to dispense with the springs or weights for
lowering the healds, whereby I am enabled to obtain a wider shed--to run at a
higher speed and to impart less strain to the warps and which is effected by
dividing the opening of the shed one half opening upwards and the other down-
wards as hereinafter described. My invention further relates to an improved
taking-up motion for small-ware looms and to an arrangement of blocking rollers,
arranged in front of the loom which enable me to block the woven material in
the loom direct instead of taking it to another machine to be blocked-thus
economising time and labour in the weaving of small-wares.
And in order that this my said invention may be the more readily understood
and carried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed a drawing illustrative of
my improvements and will now proceed to describe the same with the assistance
of the Figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
Fig 1 is a front view and Fig 2 a side view of so much of a small ware loom as
is necessary to explain the application of my improvements.
In carrying out the first part of my invention I arrange a pair of tappet levers a
and to each heald c-one lever a for raising (by being connected to each of the
levers a the other extremities of which levers are connected to the heald cas
illustrated) and the other lever b for lowering by being connected to the bottom of
the heald c as illustrated.
These tappet levers a and b are actuated respectively by tappet barrels a² and b²
so constructed that by arranging the tappets upon such barrels in the manner well
understood by weavers any desired description or pattern of weaving may be
effected.
It will thus be observed that by this arrangement of levers, one half of the shed
opens downwards and the other upwards and whereby I am enabled to obtain a
wider shed and to drive at a higher speed and with less strain as aforesaid.
This part of my invention is equally applicable to smallware and to other looms.
Although I have only described the application to a single heald it will be
apparent that a series of healds one behind the other can be actuated in the same
manner by having separate, tappet levers and tappets for operating each such
heald.
My invention further relates to an improved taking-up motion for small-ware
looms. Instead of leading the woven material round a beam and then over rollers
to the back of the loom and there suspending a weight upon such material-I
mount the taking-up beam e higher up as illustrated (see also enlarged side view a
Fig 3) and after passing the woven material f round such beam which revolves in
the direction of the arrow, I cause the same to pass round a weighted roller /
which is so suspended upon the rod i that by its own weight it rests against the
material f passing round the beam e. and so not only receives motion in a contrary
direction to the beam and assists in taking up the material but also prevents such
material being drawn back thus acting as a taking-up motion.
The material is then received on to blocking rollers; arranged in front of the
loom under the taking-up beam the spindle of which blocking rollers receive

page_text: revolving motion from the beam e by the endless cord and thus enable me to
block the woven material in the loom direct instead of taking it to another
machine to be blocked-thus economising time and labor in the weaving of small-
wares.
In order to regulate the tension of the warps in proceeding from the bobbins n I
apply a series of levers o at the back of the loom which levers are provided with
sliding weights p at their extremities. Upon each of these levers I arrange a
pulley round which pulley the warp passes and thus by sliding such weight
along the lever I can adjust the tension of the warp to the greatest nicety
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details relative proportions or dimensions of the various parts
of my improved loom hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing as the same may be considerably varied without departing from the
invention-nor do I desire to claim opening the shed of a small ware loom in
both directions by a series of levers or jacks in connection with Jacquard mechanism
as I am aware that the same has already been in operation-but what I desire to
claim is:-
1st The method of mounting and operating the healds of a smallware or other
loom whereby the opening of the shed is divided one harlf opening upwards and
the other downwards substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
2nd The improved taking up motion for smallware looms substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
3rd The combination and arrangement of mechanism for blocking the woven
material in a smallware loom direct substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Thomas Hirst have hereunto set. my hand and
seal this Fourth day of January in the year of our Lord One thousand Eight
hundred and Eighty four.
JETTOMAN UTDAT
TOMAS HIRST (L.C.)