IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Milnes, of Sutton Mill, in the Parish of Kild-
wick, in the County of York, Overlooker, and William Thompson, of
Sutton Mill aforesaid, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Milnes and Willian
Thompson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 23rd February 1857.
We, JOHN MILNES, of Sutton Mill, in tho Parish of Kildwick, in th
County of York, Overlooker, and WILLIAM THOMPSON, of Sutton Mill aforo-
said, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the arrangement of looms
in which moveable or change shuttle boxes are employed. For this purpose
we apply at each end of the batten of the loom moveable or change shuttle
boxes, having each two or more compartments, either of which may be brought
opposite the shuttle race by sliding the box horizontally in the direction
from front to back of the loom, or vice versa. The shuttle boxes are governed
by a pin barrel or other pattern surface, so as to bring the shuttle to be thrown
opposite one end of the shuttle race, and the empty compartment of the box
which is to receive the shuttle opposite to the other end of the shuttle race.'
On each of the shuttle boxes is a pin which works in an inclined slot formed

page_text: in a curved plate of metal; this plate is mounted on an axis situated at the
centre of the curve, to which it is bent and carried by suitable bearings formed
in the batten. In order to give a partial rotatory motion to the axes carrying
those curved plates, so as to change the position of the shuttle boxes, the axes
aro connected by suitable instruments to catches or hooks which are acted on
by the pattern surface, and when so acted on they are caught by a lever or
wiper, which receives constant motion from the lower shaft or axis of the loom.
Sometimes, in place of using change shuttle boxes at each side of the loom, we
employ a change shuttle box at one side of the loom and a fixed box at the
other side thereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filel
by the said John Milnes and William Thompson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 22nd August 1857..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MILNES, of Sutton Mill, in the Parish of Kildwick, in tho County of York,
Overlooker, and WILLIAM THOMPSON, of Sutton Mill aforesaid, Mechanic,
.soud greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Hor
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, tho
said John Milnes and William Thompson, Her special licence that we, the
said John Milnes and William Thompson, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Milnes and William Thompson, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed; should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Islo of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Milnes and
William Thompson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of ono
of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause tho
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Milnes, on behalf of myself and
the said William Thompson, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is
to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in the arrangement of looins*
in which moveable or change shuttle boxes are employed. For this purpose
we apply at cach end of the batten of the loom moveable or chango shuttlo
boxes, having each two or more compartments, either of which may be brought;
opposite the shuttle race by sliding the box horizontally in the direction from.
front to back of the loom,, or vico versa. The shuttle boxes are governed by
a pin barrel or other pattern surface, so as to bring the shuttle to be thrown;
opposite one end of the shuttle race, and the empty compartment of the box.
which is to receive the shuttle opposite to the other end of the shuttle race..
On each of the shuttle boxes is a pin which works in an inclined slot formed:
in a curved plate of metal; this plate is mounted on an axis situated at the
centre of the curve, to which it is bent and carried by suitable bearings
formed on the batten. In order to give a partial rotatory motion to the axes.
carrying these curved plates so as to change the position of the shuttle boxes,
the axes are connected by suitable instruments to catches or hooks, which are.
acted on by the pattern surface, and when so acted on they are caught by a
lever or wiper which receives constant motion from the lower shaft or axis of:
the loom. Sometimes, in place of using change shuttle boxes at each side of
the loom, we employ a chango shuttle box at one side of the loom and a fixed
box at the other side thereof.
:
.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a transverse section, Figure 2 a front view, partly in section,
and Figure 3 an end view, of so much of a loom having our improvements,
applied thereto as will enable us to describe our present improvements. a, a,
are the moreable or change shuttle boxes, which are mounted on suitable
bearings at each end of the batten. Each box is formed with two compart
ments, and is capable of sliding horizontally on its bearings from front to back.
of the loom, or vice versa, according as they are acted upon by the mechanism
herein-after described, so as to bring either of the compartments of each box-
opposite the shuttle race, by which a change of shuttles may be caused to take
place, if desired, after each pick or beat-up of the batten..:

page_text: We will now describe the mode of giving a-to-and-fro motion to each of
the shuttle boxes, so as to bring the shuttle to be thrown opposite one end of.
the shuttle race, and the empty compartment of the box which is. to receive
the shuttle opposite to the other end of the shuttle race. On each shuttle
box an arm a' is fixed, from each of which a stud or pin a² descends, the
lower ends of the pins a³, a³, having friction rollers thereon, which pass through
inclined slots formed on the curved plates 6, 6, which are carried by arms fixed
on the axes 6, 6, supported in bearings below the shuttle boxes at each end of
the batten. At each end of the inclined slots in the plates 6, b, a short straight
slot is formed, in which the friction roller on the pin a³ rests, so as to lock or
retain the box in the position in which it is moved. The axes b', b³, receive
a partial rotatory-motion, in order to causo the curved slotted plates b, b, to
change the position of the shuttle boxes in the following manner:-c is a
circular disc, having a rim c¹ and boss &, which is driven by and capable of
sliding-to and fro on a feather on the cam shaft or axis d. In the rim c' an
opening of recass is formed, which in its revolution engages with one of the
projections on the star wheel e, fixed on the axis of the pin barrel or pattern
surface e, by which a partial revolution is given thereto to make a fresh selec-
tion of the catch levers ffff, to which the catches or hooks fare
connected; as shewn; the other ends of the levers f,, are connected by
links g',, to lover arms h¹; h³, on the axis b', and the ends of the levers ff*,
are connected by links g, g, to lever arms h³, h, fixed on the axis i, which
is supported in bearings carried by the swords of the lay or batten. The axis i
gives motion by means of the lever arm i' and link at the opposite side of
the loom to the lever arm i³, fixed on the axis 6'. The selected catches or
hooks f, f, are acted upon by the wiper levers j, j, which are constantly moved
up-and down by cams fixed on the cam shaft or axis d. The levers j, j, are
carried by and moved on a stud j', fixed on the lever k, one end of which is
supported and moves on the stud ³, fixed to the framing, the end resting
in and being guided up and down in the fixed guide ³, so that when any
obstruction occurs to the action of the shuttle boxes, or any undue pressure is
exerted on the catches or hooks f. f, the levers j, j, by pressing on the cams, will
lift the lever k, and thus prevent the levers ffff, acting on the shuttle
boxes. is a forked lever, connected to the spring lever A, for the purpose of
throwing the disc wheel c out of action with the star wheel and pattern sur-
faces, to allow any particular shuttle to work without change until the disc
wheel and pattern surface are again put in action.
We will now describe the arrangement of weft-stop motion, which wo
propose to employ in combination with the moveable shuttle boxes previously

page_text: described, in order to ascertain the correct working of either of the weft
threads which are for the time being in action. m is a forked lever moving
freely on a pin joint, affixed to the back of the batten, as seen at Figure 4,
which shows a section of the batten at the part where the weft fork is mounted.
The prongs of the fork m pass through openings in the gate or grating, where
the ordinary weft fork n works, one of the two wefts passing under and the
other over the prongs of the fork m. The opposite end of the fork m is
connected by the rod m' to the lever arm m², fixed on the axis i, by which
arrangement the forked lever m will be raised or depressed when the action
of the shuttle boxes are changed, thus causing one or other of the two weft
threads to be moved above or below out of the way of being acted upon by
the ordinary weft fork n, which acts as heretofore to detect the presence, or
otherwise, of the particular weft which is for the time being at work, the only
difference in the weft fork n being the form of the prongs, which are turned
back horizontally, as shewn at n', in order to prevent them catching the under
weft when the shuttle boxes change, and at the time the under weft is released
from the downward pressure of the fork m.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not claim
any of the mechanical parts separately, nor do we confine ourselves to the
precise details herein described; but what we claim is, the combined
mechanism for actuating and regulating the shuttle boxes of a loom when
two or more shuttle boxes are employed at the ends of a batten, as herein
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Milnes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
JOHN MILNES. (LS.)