CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN MAKING HEALDS FOR WEAVING PURPOSES
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
POWNALL, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Weaver, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Sixth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-eight, in the ninth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said
William Pownall, His especial licence that I, the said William Pownall, my
exors, adññiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Pownall,
my exors, adiors, and assigns should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MAKING HEALDS FOR WEAVING PURPOSES;" in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said William Pownall, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in His Majesty's
Court of Chancery within four calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Pownall, do hereby describe the manner in which my said
Invention is to be performed by the following description thereof (that is
to say):

page_text: My Invention consists,―
First, in constructing healds in such manner that the knots are placed
alternately at the top and bottom of the loop or eye, in place of having all the
knots in one row either at the top or bottom, as is the usual practice, and by
this improvement healds will not be found to wear out so soon as formerly.
My second improvement consists in constructing or forming healds of cloth
with an opening or eye in the middle for the warp thread to pass through.
The manner which I have found most expeditious for forming and constructing
my first improvement is as follows:-I construct a frame or bench about six
feet long, twenty inches high, ten inches broad; on this bench at each end is
formed an upright about ten inches high with three holes formed at the top in
each of them about four inches and a quarter apart; the first hole holds a clam
or jaws which gripe and hold one end of the heald shaft, the second or
middle hole holds a metallic rod for forming the loop or eye, the third hole
holds a clam or jaws which holds the other heald shaft. There are two stools
placed one on each side of this bench or frame on which are to sit the two
persons to make my improved healds, and they are to proceed as follows:-
The first one puts the thread or yarn round the heald band and then round the
rod for making the eye or loop; the second passes the thread or yarn through
that of the first, while the first is passing it round the rod to make the loop,
then the first passes the thread or yarn into that of the second; the first one
ties the knot on one side of the rod, and then the other on the other side of
the rod, and thus the knots are half on one side and half on the other.
'
I will now proceed to describe a manner of making my second improve-
ment; I proceed to weave the cloth thus:-I first have a few dents of strong
yarn, then four inches of finer yarn, then a few dents of worsted or other
elastic yarn, then four inches of finer yarn, as before, then a few dents of strong
yarn, as at first, which makes between eight or nine inches in length; it is then
to be stiffened and cut into slips of about the sixth of an inch lengthwise,
leaving uncut at each end the strong yarn. In the middle of these slips and
between the two courses of elastic yarn is formed the opening or eye to receive
the warp thread; these cloth healds are to be affixed to the heald shafts by
tying or other means.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Pownall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.
WILLIAM (L.s.) POWNALL.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of July, in the year
of our Lord 1828, the aforesaid William Pownall came before our said
Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to tho
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand