IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1881

page_text: the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th March 1881.
THOMAS SINGLETON, of Darwen, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Firstly. For an improved construction of shuttle box.
Secondly. For an improved picking stud and bowl.
Thirdly. For an improved crank arm.
Fourthly. For an improved strap fork joint, and an improved guide for strap
fork shank.
Fifthly. For self acting rising and falling heald motion.
Sixthly. For regulating stay brackets and stop brackets for wing rods.
Seventhly. For regulating the reed top and bottom.
Eightly. For regulating the slay cap.
Ninth. Improved method of locking the reed.
Tenth. Improved fork holder arrangement for sliding weft fork brackets to keep
the fork parallel with the weft grate.
Eleventh. For an improved adjustable back breast beam.
Twelfth. For regulating the position of the cloth roller.
Thirteenth. For knocking off the spring handle on the reed flying out.
1. I construct my improved shuttle box as follows:-Instead of the back of the
shuttle box having a tongue and swell, I make it in two parts, the lower portion
against which the shuttle slides is plain and even, the upper part or wing against
which the picker bears or beds is attached to the lower part by screws in slots, or
by other suitable means, so as to be adjustable, the whole being hinged or attached
by spring.
The swell consisting of an antifriction bowl is carried on adjustable spring lever,
which also carries an adjustable spring guide for steadying the back part of the
shuttle on its fore part coming in contact with the swell; the bottom of the shuttle
box is of wood or compressed paper in lieu of metal, so as to give lightness to the
alay, or the whole race of the slay may have a surface of compressed paper.
The swell may be placed either at the back or front of the shuttle box.
The preserve and check straps are combined and attached at the front part of

page_text: the spindle and pass around the back of the shuttle box towards the end, then
across and along the front and attached to the spring lever or other convenient
part of the slay in such a manner that on the shuttle striking the picker the
check strap acts as a buffer, tightens and bears against the antifriction bowl or
swell, and also acts as a buffer at each pick and return of the shuttle. In this
arrangement no picker foot or slot in the shuttle box is required. The check strap
may be continued from one box to the other.
2. I construct the picking stud of steel and so greatly reduce its bulk; the bowl
I make of lignum vitae to render its action silent and little or no lubrication is
required.
3. My improved crank arm I construct either wholly or partly of lignum vitae;
the crank pin neck has a metal strap holding on and adjusting the cap, the bolt or
bolts passing through a slot; the wear and tear is regulated by inserting strips of
métal in the slot. The slay pin end of the crank arm has a lignum vitae bush
carried in its neck, a slot or nick being cut part way up the arm; a bolt is passed ]
through the arm so that the bush can be gripped or tightened as required; or the
head only of the crank pin neck may be of lignum vitae and the rest of common
wood with the lignum vitae bush as before described. The above crank arms may
have buffalo hide strap, with or without loose neck as preferred, and metal crank
arms may have alots for tightening up the necks as described for the wood ones; or
a bush placed in the crank arm having a hole through which the crank pin passes
is made to work either fast or loose upon the crank pin by means of the slot above
referred to, or by a key and slot on pin and bush.
4. The improved strap fork joint, shank, and guide, for strap fork shank. I
construct the joint like a compass joint; the fork at its pivot has a large bole 1
through which a turned flanged bush is passed, the rim of the bush projecting
through the fork sufficient to clear it; a flat flange is placed upon it; the whole is
then secured by a bolt, which makes a sound joint and presents a large wearing
surface; this joint may also be applied to the weft fork hammer, or a steadying
adjustable arm, clip, or slot, may be used to the ordinary joints. The strap fork
shank guide on the spring handle is adjustable, and has a longitudinal slot which
tends to steady the fork in whatever position it is placed; the guides of the fork
are in separate pieces so as to be reversible; or the guide may consist of a square
or round box adjustable attached to the spring handle and the shank of the fork,
a fast or loose ball or knot, so that the ball fits the socket box at all sides and at
the same time allows the required motion to the fork. To allow for the wear of
the shank end of the strap fork, I make the shank end with a slit partway down
its length, so that a screw tapped into the metal at one side and bearing against
the other opens the slit and enlarges the shank end and keeps it an even fit.
5. Improved self action, rising and falling heald motion. The heald roller is
carried at each end on a spindle bearing; upon each spindle is a spiral spring, the
whole being carried in suitable boxes or brackets, so that on the healds pulling
downwards the springs are compressed and expand as the roller rises.
6. Improved regulating stay and stop brackets for wing rod. I make the stay
brackets of wood (with a wide bearing surface) in the form of two clips, which
can be regulated for the wear and tear of the necks by taking off the top clip and
planing the bearing surface; or the brackets may be made of buffalo hide, either
method requires little or no oil. I fix the stop brackets on the slay sword arm
and so shorten the wing rod and prevent any lateral movement of same.
7. For regulating the reed top and bottom I fix at the back of the reed under
the slay cap a long steel blade pivotted in the centre and carrying a spring
support thereon; its ends are supported or guided by screws in slots; the spring
also carries at each end a pivotted support bearing against the back of the reed,
these pivotted supports being self adjusting; or a supporting blade may be fixed
in the centre by a screw in a alot, and a spring bearing in the centre against the
screw, its ends fitting on to and bearing against the supporting blade; or for
supporting the reed I lengthen the wings of the stop rod and bend them over at

page_text: right angles and attach to them a supporting plate with slot for regulating same;
or I cut each end of the reed case to angle and attach a loose wedge shaped or
angular piece thereto similar to the slay or reed cap before described.
For regulating the reed bottom I fix a plate at each end of the wing rod, the
plates having stud screws and nuts, by tightening or slackening of which the reed
can be regulated; in lieu of the clatter wedge I place an angular piece of plate
steel attached to the above arrangement.
8. For locking the reed I pivot a lever in a suitable position, so that on the
forward movement of the slay the end of the lever slides up the slay sword and
comes in contact with the wing rod bracket and so locks the reed; a notch on the
slay sword keeps the lever in position.
9. For regulating the slay cap I fix plates in the slay caps having bosses in
which are screws, the heads of which when screwed out bed upon the ears of the
sword, and so as they are screwed out more or less the slay cap is moved forward
or adjusted; or the screws may be in the ears of the slay sword and bed against the
plate; or the ends of the slay cap may be cut off at an angle and a slotted wedge
or loose angular piece placed between it and the ears of the slay sword, so that as
the angular piece is moved one way or the other the slay cap is adjusted; the
angular piece may be beld in position by a screw and washer; or I screw into the
slay cap a bush with an internal and external thread into which is screwed a
flanged bush, the flange of which beds against the ears of the slay sword; a bolt
secures the whole; for regulating the flanged bush is screwed one way or the other.
10. Improved weft fork holder arrangement. I construct the weft fork bracket
so as to be easily fitted and the fork kept parallel with the weft grate by means of
a spring table in pillar, the table bearing against one side of the weft fork
bracket.
11. An improved adjustable back-beam or bearer. I pivot the beam or rod on a
suitable bearing with a spring to act upon same, so that the beam presents an
even pressure or resistance all along the width of the warp and is self adjusting.
12. For regulating the position of the cloth roller so as to work a large number
of cuts upon same I attach to the cloth roller lever adjustable bearings in the form
of a neck swivelled on a screw so as to be adjusted to any nicety without stopping
the loom or I fix on the cloth roller shaft a spur wheel having an excentric
pinion wheel cast thereto, the spur wheel gearing in a fixed rack; on the cloth
roller lever is another excentric pinion wheel gearing with the excentric pinion
on the cloth roller; as the cloth roller increases in size the spur wheel moves down
the rack and so decreases the distance between the two excentric pinions, self
actingly adjusts itself; or I place four lever links to connect the cloth roller shaft
and the cloth roller lever; to one of the levers I attach an inclined plate in such
position as to bear against a stud; as the cloth roller increases it opens the links
and allows for a larger number of cuts as before described; or I shorten the cloth
roller lever and attach to it a spring which passes back to a pivotted arm; this arm
is of such form as to bear against the other end of the cloth roller lever, and as the
cloth roller increases in size gives or allows for the tension on the spring or weight.
13. For knocking off the spring handle when the reed flies out I place the finger
loose upon the rod and fix a bracket to the rod carrying a spring to support the
finger at its engaging end; by this means the finger being loose is not damaged but
the spring only bent. To prevent the finger disengaging too soon I fix a blade spring
to bear on its side and increase the friction.