CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Watson, of Accrington, in the County of
Lancaster, Overlooker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 26th June 1866, and dated the 29th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Watson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
December 1865.
I, THOMAS WATSON, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Overlooker,
5 do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS POR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to that portion of the power loom known as the
shedding motion, and is designed, first, to effect a more even and regular
action of the healds when "shedding;" secondly, to enable the operative to
adjust and regulate with facility and précision the relative positions of the
tappet and treadles; and, lastly, to give freedom of action to the healds when
"shedding."
The first part of my improvements consists in the peculiar arrangement and
disposition of the levers or treadles, which are secured to a bracket on the
rail" of the loom or other convenient place, which bracket forms the
fulcra of the two levers or treadles to which the healds are attached; these
levers are supplied with bowls, and are arranged one above and the other below
a tappet or cam, which when revolving acts upon the said bowls, so as to
elevate and depress the treadles to which such bowls are attached, thereby

page_text: effecting through their connection an even and regular motion to the "healds
when shedding.
Secondly, the Invention consists in the use and adaptation of a template or
recessed plate, which is secured to the aforesaid bracket, and which allows the
tappet shaft when in position freely to revolve so as to clear the said recess;
this template is to enable the operative to adjust the positions of the tappets
and treadles, and when in this position, the bowl of tho said levers should be
exactly vertical, and in a line above and below with the centre of the tappet
shaft; this is determined by pointers or fingers secured to the tappets.
Lastly, the improvements consist in balancing or counterpoising the weight
of the said treadles, which being of the first and second order of levers, that
is, the top lever having its bowl behind the fulcrum and its connection with
the healds in front, becomes balanced, thereby liberating or divesting the
healds of their weight, but the second or under lever having its bowl and
connection with the heald in front of its fulcrum, it requires a counterbalance
weight, which is effected by extending the lever beyond its fulcrum and
attaching or hanging thereto a weight or other equivalent, which thereby
relieves the "healds" and allows their free action whilst "shedding."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Watson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WATSON, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, Overlooker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Watson, Her special license that I, the said Thomas
Watson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Watson, my 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 Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," "pon the condition (amongst others) that

page_text: I, the said Thomas Watson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, ould particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Watson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say): —
My Invention relates to that portion of the power loom known as the
"shedding motion," and is designed, first, to effect a more even and regular
action of the "healds" when "shedding"; secondly, to enable the operative
to adjust and regulate with facility and precision the relative positions of the
tappet and treddles; and, lastly, to give freedom to the "healds" when
"shedding."
".
"The first part of my improvements consists in the peculiar arrangement and
disposition of the levers or treddles, which are secured to brackets, one on the
cross rail, and the other on the back rail of the loom or other convenient place,
the said brackets forming the fulcrâ of two levers .or treddles to which the
healds are attached; these levers are supplied with bowls, and are arranged
one above and the other below a tappet or can, which when revolving act
upon the said bowls so as to elevate and depress the treddles to which such
bowls are attached, thereby effecting through their connection an even and
regular motion to the "healds" when shedding.
Secondly, the Invention consists in the use and adaptation of pointers or
fingers, which are secured to the tappet or cam actuating the treddles; these
pointers enable the operative to adjust the position of the tappets and treddles.
The said tappet and treddles when in their true position allow the bowls of the
said levers or treddles to be exactly vertical and in a line above and below
with the centre of the tappet shaft; this is more particularly determined by
the pointers or fingers, secured or cast to the tappet or can.
Lastly, the improvements consist in balancing or counterpoising the weight.
of the said treddles, which being of the first and second order of levers, that
is, the top lever having its bowl behind the fulcrum and its connection with..
the "healds" in front, becomes balanced, thereby liberating or divesting the
"healds" of their weight; but the second or under lever having its bowl and
connection with the "heald" in front of its fulcrum, it requires a counter-
balance which is effected by connecting the treddles or levers together by a
rod at points in a direct line with the centre of the tappet shaft and treddie

page_text: bowl studs, or by extending the lever beyond its fulcrum,, and attaching or
hanging thereto a weight or other equivalent, which thereby relieves the
"healds" and allows their free action whilst "shedding."
In order that the Invention may be better explained and understood in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made about half size,
similar letters of reference being marked upon all the Figures alike.
Fig. 1 represents a detached elevational view of the tappet and treddles, as
they would appear when adjusted and ready for work; Fig. 2 represents a
plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 represents the ends of the levers to which
the healds are attached, constructed in the form of quadrants.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a, a, are the cross rails of the loom, to which are
secured the brackets b, b; these brackets support and form the fulcrum for the
top lever or treddle c; this lever may be arranged to. have either a fixed or
adjustable sliding fulcrum, the bottom lever or treddle d has its fulcrum in the
bracket e secured to the back railf of the loom; this fulcrum is made adjust-
able; these levers are supplied with the bowls g and h, which, are arranged
one above and the other below the tappet or cam i, which when revolving act
upon the said bowls so as to elevate and depress the treddles to which such
bowls, are attached, thereby effecting through their connection an even and
regular motion to the "healds" when "shedding"; the connection between
the ends of the treddles and the "healds" may be effected by the quadrant
and strap or chain k seen in Fig. 8, or by direct connection as seen in Fig. 1.
In order that the mechanism in connection with the healds may be regulated
with precision and facility the tappet i is provided with two pointers or pro-
jections m and n; these pointers when truly vertical or in a straight line should
be in a direct line with the top. and, bottom centers of the bowls g and h.
This position of the bowls and tappet should be obtained when the shed is
closed, and the healds are perfectly level; the adjustment of the levers by
reason of their movable fulcrâ is readily obtained. Lastly, the balancing or
counterpoising the weight of the treddles so as to allow the healds to work
free when shedding is effected, by connecting the axis or studs of the bowls
9 and by means of the rod o, one of the connections being provided with an
opening or slot in order that their distances may be regulated as desired;
by bending this rod, so as to give it a slight yield, the bowls will more readily
adjust themselves to the inequalities of the periphery, of the tappet:
Having now described the nature of my said. Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I claim,-
First, the novel arrangement and construction of apparatus as described

page_text: and shewn for effecting a more even and regular action to the healds when
shedding, or any slight modification thereof.
Secondly, I claim the novel construction and adaptation of pointers as
applied to the tappet, together with the adjustable levers or treddles carrying
the bowls, whereby the apparatus can be readily adjusted and regulated
with facility and precision.
And, lastly, I claim connection between the bowls as shewn and described
for giving freedom to the "healds" when shedding.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Watson, have hereunto affixed
my hand and seal, this
day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.