IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Whyte, of Glasgow, Machine Agent, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 31st August 1875, and dated the 3rd March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Whyte at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1875.
I, JOHN WHYTE, of Glasgow, Machine Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING,"
to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to improved mechanism for operating the
rising and falling and the circular shuttle boxes of looms employed for
weaving checked and fancy pieces, and the Invention also relates to an
improved apparatus or "escapement"
escapement" for preventing breakage or
damage to the loom when an obstruction to the free working of the
loom arises.
The mechanism for operating the boxes so as to effect the desired
changes of shuttle we construct as follows:-A bell-crank lever is

page_text: mounted on a stud which serves as its fulcrum; a spear rod is attached
to one arm of this lever and also connected to the shuttle boxes to be raised
and lowered. The other arm of the bell-crank lever is provided with a
slot hole extending in the direction of the length of the arm in which it is
formed, and within this slot a projecting part of a slide plate is received.
On the front or face of the slide plate is an oblique bar having notches
or recesses cut or formed on each side thereof. Mounted on the same
stud as the bell-crank lever are a pair of curved or "crab claw” levers,
their free ends turned inwards, that is to say, in a direction over their
carrying studs. Attached to each claw is a connecting rod or link; the
other ends of these rods are brought together and connected to a lug on
a horizontal compound lever mounted on a fulcrum stud near its end,
and which lever is lifted through the agency of a tappet on the "tappet
shaft" of the loom, and descends by gravitation.
When the tappet begins to lift the compound lever the points or free
ends of the crab claw levers commence to move in the direction of each
other and to close upon the oblique and notched bar on the face of the
slide plate, and according to the position of the slide plate and its
oblique notched bar so will one or other of the free ends of the crab
claws first engage with a notch therein, carrying along with it the slide
plate, so moving the bell-crank lever on its fulcrum, thereby raising or
lowering the boxes as the case may be. Meanwhile the other claw will
have closed upon and engaged with a notch on its side of the oblique
bar referred to, and by the opposing forces of the claws the bell-crank
lever and shuttle boxes will be set and steadied in the desired position.
As already described the relative position of the slide plate and double
notched oblique bar thereon, for the time being, determines which of
the claws shall first engage therewith; the position higher or lower of
the slide plate and notched bar will depend on the action and indication
of the heald machine or "pattern mechanism to which the slide plate
is connected, and by which it is moved as the pattern of the cloth may
require change of shuttles.
"
The compound lever herein-before mentioned consists of a main lever
extending over the tappet shaft, one of its ends being received on a
fulcrum stud; on the other and loose end of this lever is a stud which
serves as a fulcrum for a second and shorter lever extending in the
direction of the fulcrum of the main lever; the second or shorter lever

page_text: has at its extremity a friction bowl which is partly embraced by the
concave end of a spring catch which holds shorter lever in position for
being acted upon and lifted by the tappet; should however any obstruction
occur the retaining power of the catch is overcome and the shorter lever
will be forced upwards, thereby moving back the catch; the latter being
connected with the stop handle will thus "knock off" and stop the
loom, and so by this escapement prevent breakage or damage.
In the foregoing description of this my Invention I have referred
mainly to rising and falling boxes, it will however be understood this
Invention is equally applicable to rotary or circular boxes, a rack and
pinion or other similar contrivance being connected with the spear rod
and rotary box; and also that the apparatus herein described may be
applied wholly or in part to each side of the loom that it may act as
"pick and pick loom."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Whyte in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WHYTE, of Glasgow, Machinery Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Whyte, Her special licence
that I, the said John Whyte, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Whyte, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Whyte, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,

page_text: should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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 John Whyte, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improved mechanism for operating the
rising and falling and the circular shuttle boxes of looms employed for
weaving checked and fancy pieces, and the Invention also relates to an
improved apparatus or "escapement" for preventing breakage or
damage to the loom when an obstruction to the free working of the loom
arises.
The mechanism for operating the boxes so as to effect the desired
changes of shuttle we construct as follows:-A bell-crank lever is
mounted on a stud which serves as its fulcrum; a spear rod is attached
to one arm of this lever and also connected to the shuttle boxes to be
raised and lowered. The other arm of the bell-crank lever is provided
with a slot hole extending in the direction of the length of the arm in
which it is formed, and within this slot a projecting part of a slide plate
is received. On the front or face of the slide plate is an oblique bar
having notches or recesses cut or formed on each side thereof. Mounted
on the same stud as the bell-crank lever are a pair of curved or
"crab
claw" levers, their free ends turned inwards, that is tos ay, in a direction
over their carrying stud. Attached to each claw is a connecting rod or
link, the other ends of these rods are brought together and connected to
a lug on a horizontal compound lever mounted on a fulcrum stud near
its end, and which lever is lifted through the agency of a tappet on the
'tappet shaft
" of the loom, and descends by gravitation.
66
When the tappet begins to lift the compound lever the points or free
ends of the crab claw levers commence to move in the direction of each
other and to close upon the oblique and notched bar on the face of the
slide plate, and according to the position of the slide plate and its oblique
notched bar so will one or other of the free ends of the crab claws first
engage with a notch therein, carrying along with it the slide plate, so

page_text: moving the bell-crank lever on its fulcrum, thereby raising or lowering
the boxes as the case may be. Meanwhile the other claw will have
closed upon and engaged with a notch on its side of the oblique bar
referred to, and by the opposing forces of the claws the bell-crank lever
and shuttle boxes will be set and steadied in the desired position.
As already described the relative position of the slide plate and double
notched oblique bar thereon, for the time being, determines which of
the claws shall first engage therewith; the position, higher or lower, of
the slide plate and notched bar will depend on the action and indication
of the heald machine. or pattern mechanism" to which the slide is
connected, and by which it is moved as the pattern of the cloth may
require change of shuttles.
[C
The compound lever herein-before mentioned consists of a main lever
extending over the tappet shaft, one of its ends being received on a
fulcrum stud; on the other and loose end of this lever is a stud which
serves as a fulcrum for a second and shorter lever extending in the
direction of the fulcrum of the main lever; the second or shorter lever
has at its extremity a friction bowl which is partly embraced by the
concave end of a spring catch which holds the shorter lever in position for
being acted upon and lifted by the tappet; should however any obstruction
occur the retaining power of the catch is overcome and the shorter lever
will be forced upwards, thereby moving back the catch; the latter being
connected with a stop handle will thus "knock off" and stop the loom,
and so by this escapement prevent breakage or damage.
In the foregoing description of this my Invention I have referred
mainly to rising and falling boxes, it will however be understood this
Invention is equally applicable to rotary or circular boxes, a rack and
pinion or other similar contrivance being connected with the spear rod and
rotary box; and also that the apparatus herein described may be applied
wholly or in part to each side of the loom that it may act as "pick and
pick loom."
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now
proceed to described the same in detail, and in order that the description
be full and complete I have annexed two Sheets of Drawings and havo
marked the several parts with letters of reference, the same letter

page_text: nections as necessary to render the description complete.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the compound lever.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the crab claws.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the parts shewn by Figure 1, looking from
the back of the loom.
The several Figures on Sheet 3 are of parts detached in order to shew
clearly their form and construction.
The bell-crank lever A is mounted on a stud B which serves as its
fulcrum; the box or spear rod C is attached to one arm of the lever A,
the other arm D is provided with a slot hole D¹ extending in the
direction of the length of the arm in which it is formed, and within this
slot a projecting part E of a slide plate F is received and works. On 1
the front or face of the slide plate F is an oblique bar G having notches
or recesses numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, cut or formed on or in each side
thereof.
Mounted on the stud B of the bell-crank lever A are a pair of curved
or "crab claw" levers H, H¹, their free ends h, h, turned inwards. 2
Attached to each claw is a connecting rod or link J, J, the upper ends
of these rods being brought together and connected to a lug J' on the
compound lever K mounted on a fulcrum stud K'; this lever is lifted
by the tappet L and descends by gravitation. When the tappet L
begins to lift the compound lever K the points or free ends of the crab ?
claws H, H¹, begin to move in the direction of each other and both
close upon the oblique and notched bar G at a point on a vertical line
above the stud B, and the highest cell or compartment of the shuttle
box containing a shuttle is now in a line with the "race" the tappet L
being at its greatest "throw." The tappet on continuing its rotation
will admit of the descent of the compound lever K and of the rods J, J,
whereon the free ends of the crab claw levers H, H', will be moved or
separated widely apart; if a change of shuttle is not required the
tappet L will on again lifting the compound lever K and the rods J, J,
close the crab claws upon the oblique bar G at the same point or notch,

page_text: numbered 1. Suppose cell and shuttle number 5 are next required,
the slide piece F and oblique bar G will be raised in the slot D¹ by
means of the link S, lever S', and rod Ss (the latter being connected
with and under the control of the jacquard or other pattern mechanism)
whereon the free end of the crab claw H¹ would enter the notch 5
when at a distance from the termination of the claws traverse and move
the lever A on its fulcrum, raising by means of the spear rod C the
shuttle box thereon (or in case of the use of a circular box giving partial
rotation thereto), and just as the notched slide piece G is raised or
lowered by the pattern mechanism so will one or other of the crab claws
engage with one or other of the notches, and by moving the bell-crank
lever A bring the cell containing the required shuttle into position with
the shuttle "race," and as the claws close upon the notched bar at each
and every revolution of tappet, whether change of shuttle be required or
not, there is thus a constant supervision and ensured accuracy of position
of lever A and shuttle box.
The compound lever consist of a main lever K. extending over the
tappet shaft K', its fulcrum being the stud K², its free end being received
and moving within a slot of the steadying bracket M. At N is a stud
serving as fulcrum for the second and shorter lever N¹, the "runner " n of
which rests on the tappet L. At the end of this lever N' is an antifriction
bowl R which is partly embraced by the concave end of a spring catch T
which holds the shorter and main levers in position for being acted upon
and lifted by the tappet L; should however any obstruction to the free
working occur the retaining power of the catch T is overcome and the
shorter lever N¹ will be forced upwards, thereby moving back the
catch T, the latter being connected by a rod with the ordinary "stop
rod"
or handle will “knock off" and stop the loom, and so prevent
breakage or damage to the loom.
At W is shewn a spiral spring to counterbalance or nearly so the
weight of the boxes and the segment break Y, on the arm of the
lever A.
Distinguished from prior combinations of mechanism for moving and
setting the shuttle box and cells of looms for weaving the differentia
of combination herein described and illustrated is that both the crab
claws are moved and work on one common centre and act upon a double
notched bar, and the operating power is derived directly from the tappet
shaft, there being no intervening appliances save the compound lever and

page_text: the rods J, J, in lieu of tappets for acting on a system of levers or
moveable stepped depressers for treading the spear rod lever and boxes
into position, or system of separate catch or notch pieces, and pawls and
levers for operating these as heretofore employed, and the combination
of parts of the escapement mainly comprise a compound lever and
catch as distinguished from levers having each a main fulcrum, or in
which the lever known as "broken back" has been employed. And I
further distinguish and separate from my Invention and hereby disclaim
the parts combined and acting in combination, such as the spring W
acting in combination with the lever A. for balancing the shuttle box,
the spring break X, Y, the operating the escapement lever by tappet,
the retaining in position an escapement lever or levers by means of a
spring or springs; and I further distinguish between what is old and
what is new by disclaiming absolutely all the parts when considered
separately, and I confine my claims to,―
Firstly. The application and use of the crab claw levers H, H',
working on one centre or fulcrum in combination with the double
notched oblique sliding piece or bar & guided by slot D¹ formed in the
arm of the bell-crank lever A, as and for the purpose described and
illustrated.
I also claim the combination of the compound lever and catch T con-
structed and applied as illustrated, and acting in the manner and for the
purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Whyte, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
illustrated.
I also claim the combination of the compound lever and catch T con-
structed and applied as illustrated, and acting in the manner and for the
purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Whyte, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
ALEXANDER MALCOLM,
Engineer,
Glasgow.
JOHN WHYTE. (L.S.)