IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING COCOA-MUT MATTING AND SIMILAR FABRICS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Robinson, Overlooker, John Lister,
Mechanic, and Henry Stevenson, Pattern Maker, all of Bradford, in the
West Riding of the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING COCOA-MUT MATTING AND SIMILAR FABRICS
"
Sealed the 14th September 1855, and dated the 15th March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Robinson, John
Lister, and Henry Stevenson at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 15th March 1855.
We, NATHAN ROBINSON, Overlooker, JOHN LISTER, Mechanic, and HENRY
STEVENSON, Pattern Maker, all of Bradford, in the West Riding of the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING COCOA-NUT MATTING AND SIMILAR
FABRICS" to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the weaving of "cocoa-nut matting" and similar
fabrics, and consists,―
Firstly, in the employment of a hollow shuttle having a cover or lid for the
purpose of holding the "cop" of weft without "bobbin " or "pike," the yarn
being drawn out or delivered from the inside of the "cop" instead of outside,
as heretofore.
Secondly, in the employment of a drag or holder at each edge or selvedge of
the fabric as it is being woven, for the purpose of holding the "shoot" of yarn

page_text: whilst by the stroke or beat up of the lathe or slay the yarn or weft is stretched
or drawn tight across the fabric.
Thirdly, in the employment of a tappet or tappets, capable of being varied,
for raising and lowering the "picking shaft" into or out of gear with the
"picking wheel," so as to pick at every stroke of the lathe, or every alternate
stroke, or at any other stroke that may be required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters. Patent, filed
by the said Nathan Robinson, John Lister, and Henry Stevenson in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, NATHAN
ROBINSON, Overlooker, JOHN LISTER, Mechanic, and HENRY STEVENSON, Pattern
Maker, all of Bradford, in the West Riding of the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Nathan Robinson, John Lister, and Henry Stevenson, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, Her special licence that we, the said Nathan
Robinson, John Lister, and Henry Stevenson, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we; the said Nathan Robinson, John Lister,
and Henry Stevenson, 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 Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING COCOA-NUT MATTING AND SIMILAR
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Nathan
.Robinson, John Lister, and Henry Stevenson, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Nathan Robinson, John Lister, and.
Henry Stevenson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed; 'to be particularly described and
ascertained (in and by the following statement (that is to say).
Our Invention relates to the weaving of "cocoa-nut matting" and similar
fabrics, and consists,―
Firstly, in the employment of a hollow shuttle having a cover or lid for the
purpose of holding the "cop" of weft without "bobbin" or "pike," the yarn
being drawn out or delivered from the inside of the "cop "-instead of outside;
as heretofore.
1
Secondly, in the employment of a drag or holder at each edge or selvage of
the fabric as it is being woven, for the purpose of holding the "shoot" of yarn
whilst by the stroke or beat up of the lathe ör slay the yarn or weft is stretched
or drawn tight across the fabric.
Thirdly; in the employment of a tappet or tappets, capable of being varied!
for 'raising and lowering the "picking shaft" into or out of gear with the
"picking wheel," so as to pick at every stroke of the lathe, or every alternate
stroke, or at any other stroke that may be required.
:
These our said improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1' is a' front elevation of a loomi constructed according to our Invention;
Fig. 2 is an end 'elevation, and Fig. 3 is a plan of the same; Fig. 4 is an
elevation, and Fig. 5 a plan of the drag or holder, with apparatus in part for
giving the required motions thereto, half size'scale; Figs. 6 and 7 are a plan
and section of the shuttle, quarter,size. The shuttle is hollow, having a lid or
cover hinged at one end, with a spring catch at the other to keep it closed;
when shut the "cop" of weft (or yarn) is placed inside without bobbin or pike,
the inner end of the cop of yarn being passed' through the eyes, and the yarn
drawn out from the inside of the "cop "instead of the outside, as heretofore.
A small roller in a frame is hinged within the shuttle, and adjusted so as to
produce a slight friction upon the yarn in 'passing out of the shuttle. This
constitutes the first part of our Invention.
The second part is the drag, which is composed of a pair of jaws, the lower
one fixed, and the upper hinged thereto. The jaws are opened by a spiral
spring a, Fig. 4, and closed by a sliding bar b, which is raised by a tumbler c,
acting on a projecting piece fixed on the slide bar. A joint is made in the
upper jaw for the purpose of self-regulating the nip by means of the spring d,
and allowing the jaws to open at right angles to each other when required to
do so. e represents tappets for raising and lowering the bars or levers f and f¹,
which are hinged at one end on studs to a cross rail g, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3;
h, a finger or lever fixed on the spindle of the drag, for the purpose of turning

page_text: the same on its axis when coming in contact with a notch on the bar f¹ by the
back motion of the lathe, which is held in that position by another finger or
lever h² fixed to the slide bar b, and is again brought back into position by the
spiral spring i, on being liberated by the lever h¹; j, a leather strap for con-
necting the spring thereto. The drag is fixed in bearings to the back part of
the lathe or slay, one at each edge or selvedge of the fabric, or on each side
of the reed, and arranged and adjusted so that the lower jaw will be across the
slay board, and the upper jaw raised or open, as at k, previous to the " "pick "
being made; and when the pick is made the jaws will close, taking hold of and
holding the weft, which will turn aside, as at 1, dragging or drawing the same
tight across the fabric by means of the spiral spring i. It will readily be per-
ceived by reference to Fig. 4, that the tumbler being in the position as indicated
by m, the top jaw will be raised, as shewn by the dotted lines, the slide bar b
being down, and the lever h¹ in contact with a fixing on the lathe; consequently
the jaws will be held across the lathe or slay board; but as the tappets turn in
the direction of the arrows, and when the lathe has passed back over the
projection on f, the bar f will be raised by the tappet, and on the forward
movement of the lathe the tumbler will come in contact with the said pro-
jection, and be thereby put in the position as indicated at n, closing the jaws,
when at the same time the bar 6 will be raised, liberating the lever h¹, so that
the spring i will draw or turn the drag into the position as shewn at b, and will
retain it in that position until the part o in the tappets come round and operate
on the bars, placing the drag in the position as first described.
The third part of our Invention will be easily understood by reference to
Fig. 2, where p is a tappet with a tooth wheel fixed thereon capable of rotating
on a fixed stud, the wheel gearing into another wheel 9 fixed on the end of
the tappet shaft; r, a lever hinged at one end on a stud carrying a pulley on
the other; s, the "picking shaft ;" and t, the "picking wheel."
On the tappet
being turned in the direction of the arrow, the lever r will be raised and con-
sequently will raise the "picking shaft," when the projection or "nose" thereon
will be placed in such position as to come in contact with the projection or
"nose
on the picking wheel at the next revolution, when a "pick" will be
made. It will be perceived that to vary the pick it is only necessary to change
the gear wheels, so that any number of blows or beats up of the lathe may be
obtained to every "pick" or shoot of weft.
"
Having thus described and ascertained the nature and particulars of our
Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, we would
have it distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise
details of construction or application of our apparatus; but we claim,-

page_text: Firstly, the use of a shuttle for holding the "cop" without bobbin or pike.
Secondly, the use of apparatus to draw or drag the shoot of weft tight
cross the fabric.
And, thirdly, the use of a tappet or tappets capable of being varied, for
aising and lowering the picking shaft, so as to pick at any or every stroke
f the lathe, as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Nathan Robinson, John Lister, and
Henry Stevenson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth
day of September, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
NATHAN ROBINSON. (L.S.)
JOHN LISTER.
(L.S.)
HENRY STEVENSON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-named
Nathan Robinson, John Lister, and Henry
Stevenson, in the presence of
W TASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.