IMPROVEMENTS IN MA- CHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING HEALDS OR HARNESS USED IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Mould and John Hall, of Belmont, near
Bolton, and Samuel Cook, and William Henry Hacking, of Bury, all in
the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MA-
CHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING HEALDS OR HARNESS USED IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING."
Sealed the 1st April 1862, and dated the 10th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Mould, John
Hall, Samuel Cook, and William Henry Hacking at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 10th October
1861.
We, WILLIAM MOULD and JOHN HALL, of Belmont, near Bolton, and
SAMUEL COOK, and WILLIAM HENRY HACKING, of Bury, all in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING HEALDS OR HARNESS USED IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the employment of machinery with. various self-
acting movements, for the purpose of making perfect or complete healds or
harness of any depth or fineness without the aid of hand labour.
We employ a cast iron or other suitable framework provided with two hori-
zontal cylinders or rollers which have uniform motion, and are fitted with

page_text: snugs, notches, tappets, or raised sections, for giving mechanical movements.
At the top of the framework, in a horizontal position, there is a parallel frame,
which we call the surface table or counter, for the purpose of supporting and
connecting five or more shuttle boxes in a rotary, parallel, and horizontal
manner, which boxes are fastened to an endless belt or chain made of sheet
copper or any other suitable material; this belt carries the five or more boxes
round on the table's surface, and always keeps them parallel by the aid
of two pulleys placed upon two vertical shafts, which stand inside the
table or counter, and are provided at the bottom with two toothed wheels,
which gear with two other toothed, wheels, which are placed at the bottom
of two vertical shafts that move at a uniform speed with the first-motion
shaft of the machine, which shaft is in a horizontal position; this first
motion shaft, and the last-mentioned vertical shafts gear by the aid of small
bevil wheels; the last-mentioned vertical shafts have a moveable footstep pro-
vided with a bowl or roller, and, being acted upon by a raised section on the
before-mentioned cylinders or rollers, cause the shaft of the moveable footstep,
gearing with the moveable shaft that carries round the belt, to be put in motion.
These raised sections always keep the belt in motion until the shuttle boxes
have arrived at their respective stopping places, and to prevent them from going
any further the belt or strap is provided with three studs, which come in
contact with a nitch or slot placed at the end of a lever; and the other end
being acted upon by a raised section of the cylinder, causes the stud to be set
at liberty, allowing the endless belt to resume its motion, and so on until the
cylinders have made one revolution, every revolution completing a perfect
heald. The before-mentioned shuttle boxes are provided with two shuttles,
which pass from one box to the other, and being each provided with bobbin
or spool in the form of a common thread bobbin placed in the shuttle length-
ways, and the flanges or leads being larger in diameter than the depth of the
shuttle, causes them to be acted upon by loose or moveable surface plates
which are above and below the shuttle boxes, and are acted upon by suitable
levers, which are acted upon by the raised sections on the cylinders, causing
them to rise or fall according to the formation of the heald; the shuttle boxes
are also provided with two ledges at the bottom, for the purpose of raising the
shuttle a little from the bottom of the box, in order to prevent the flanges of
the bobbins or spools from touching the bottom of the box, so that the bobbins
can turn freely round on their axes, and also of being partly open at the bottom,
to allow the loose surface plates to touch the flange of the spools or bobbins
when the.desired.drag.or. tension is required.
a
The shuttles are in the form of any of those used in power looms, with a

page_text: parallel peg or screw in the centre for the spool or bobbins, and having an eye-
hole at the top over the centre of the spool, allows, the thread or yarn to come
off freely. The shuttles are passed from one box to the other by four rods or
parallel levers placed in a horizontal manner and parallel with the shuttle tips,
two being at the front of the table or counter, and two at the back, and placed
so as to be in a direct position for moving into the shuttle box, and passing
the shuttles across into the opposite boxes; then the levers or slides come
back to their former position, being also moved by notches or snugs on the
cylinders.
.
The healds are knit to two foundation cords proceeding from stationary
spools or arms, from which the cords are so arranged as to pass in a vertical
manner through two cone tubes, and then over two grooved pulleys; then they
take a horizontal direction to a take-up cylinder at the back, which cylinder
regulates the number of threads or healds desired in one or more inches by the
aid of a change pinion. We have also a motion that places every other
heald on an iron or brass rod as the healds are being made, called back and
front stitch, by the aid of a lever acted upon by a raised section on the before-
mentioned cylinders..
.
We now proceed to the forming of the heald. Four of the shuttle boxes
being arranged so as to be two and two opposite to each other, two at the
front of the table and two at the back, and a shuttle being placed in two of
these boxes at right angles, and the thread or yarn being made good to the
foundation cords, then the shuttles pass across from one box to the other mid-
way between the centre rod, which forms the eye or ring for the warp threads.
to pass through, and the foundation cords, which causes the two threads to' be
linked or looped together in the centre or round the centre pin; then the boxes
move a little further, and allow. another empty shuttle box to come in a
position to receive a shuttle in its turn; one of these shuttles passes across into
the last-mentioned box, and the other keeps its position. When this shuttle
passes across, it is for the purpose of making the eye or ring, by coming in
contact with two needles placed in a vertical manner, one ascending and the
other descending, and the said needles having a sort of hook apart from the
ends to catch hold of the thread or yarn, and by a mechanical contrivance to
cause the said needles to pass or place the thread over its own thread and form
a shed for the shuttle to pass through. The kuot being thus formed, the end-
less belt is then again put in motion, carrying the threads or yarns round the
foundation cords, and while this is being done, an upright parallel lever, which
is cranked at the botton fastened to the slide bar, working in a horizontal
manner by the aid of a notch or snug on the before-mentioned cylinders, being

page_text: acted upon, causes the slide bar to move and carry the upright lever, which
we call the closet, which is for the purpose of drawing up the knot firmly
to the centre rod, in order to make all the eyes or rings of a uniform size.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Mould, John Hall, Samuel Cook, and William
Henry Hacking in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th April
1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
MOULD and JOHN HALL, of Belmont, near Bolton, and SAMUEL COOK, and
WILLIAM HENRY HACKING, of Bury, all in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Mould, John Hall, Samuel Cook, and William Henry Hacking, Her
special license that we, the said William Mould, John Hall, Samuel Cook,
and William Henry Hacking, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said William Mould, John Hall, Samuel Cook, and
William Henry Hacking, 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
makė, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IN-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING HEALDS OR HARNESS USED IN.
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
William Mould, John Hall, Samuel Cook, and William Henry Hacking, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their,
or one of our or their hands and seals, 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, Letters Patent.
NOW. KNOW YE, that we, the said William Mould, John Hall, Samuel
Cook, and William Henry Hacking, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu

page_text: arly described and ascer
to.say):
-
யசுப
This Invention consists in the employment of improved machinery with
various self-acting movements for the purpose of making perfect or complete-
healds or harness for looms of any depth or fineness without the aid of hand
labour.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures.
and letters on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings, in which Figs. 1
and 2 are front and back elevations, and Figs. 3 and 4, end elevations of
our improved machinery for manufacturing healds or harness used in looms
for weaving; Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, are various plans of part of the machine;
and Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, views of detached parts
of the same.
We employ a cast-iron or other suitable framework a, having bearings in
which work two horizontal cylinders or rollers b,. c, which have simultaneous
uniform motion by means of the spur gearing d, and are fitted with snugs,
nótches, tappets, or raised sections for giving the required mechanical move-
ments; or instead' of the cylinders, shafts mounted with tappets are employed
for the same purpose. At the top of the framework a there is a parallel frame
in a horizontal position, which. we call the surface table or counter; it is
employed in assisting to support five shuttle boxes f, g, h, i, j, in a horizontal
position. The said boxes are fastened to an endless belt or chain k, by which
they are carried round on the surface of the table by means of two pulleys or
chain wheels l, m, working upon two vertical shafts or studs n, o, which stand
inside the table or counter e. Attached to one of the pulleys or chain wheels
there is a spur wheel p, gearing into a spur wheel' q, fixed to the vertical
shaft r, shewn more clearly in Fig. 10, at the lower part of which shaft
there is a spur wheels fitting loose upon it, but giving motion to it by means
of the friction box t. The said wheels is actuated at certain intervals by the
spur wheel u, fixed to the vertical shaft v, having at the top the bevil wheel w
gearing into the bevil wheel x, fixed to the first motion shaft y.. The vertical
shaft v: works in a moveable footstep 2, provided' with a bowl or roller a¹ which
is acted upon by the raised sections 61 on the horizontal cylinder 6, so as to slide
the moveable footstep inwards, and cause the wheel u to gear with the wheels,
and thereby give motion, to the belt or chain k at the required time, the
footstep and shaft being brought back by the spring c. These raised sections
keep the belt or chain in motion until the shuttle boxes have arrived at their
respective stopping places,, and to prevent them from going any further the
pulley or chain whee! m is provided with two notches d', Figure 11, into.

page_text: which is entered the catch e¹, held up to its place by the spring, and relieved
from the notches at the required time by the raised sections g¹ on the cylinder b,
thereby allowing the belt or chain to resume its motion, and so on until the
cylinders have each made one revolution, every revolution making a perfect
heald; or instead of the notches in the pulley the belt or chain is provided
with three studs which come in contact with a notch or slot placed at the end of
a lever. The shuttle boxes f, g, h, i, j, are provided with two shuttles h¹; which
pass from one box to the other, each being provided with a bobbin or spool in
the form of a common thread bobbin placed in the shuttle lengthways, and
the flanges or heads being larger in diameter than the depth of the shuttle,
enable them to be acted upon by loose or moveable surface plates k¹, l', Fig. 12,
which are above and below the shuttle boxes. The bottom surface plate is
raised by the levers m¹, which are moved by the raised sections n' on the
cylinder c, and afterwards lowered by the weight of the plates. The top
surface plate is formed of two parts, each working at one end on the
studs o', placed near the centre of the table or counter e. The outer ends of
the plate rest upon pins or supports p² attached to the under surface plate k¹;
so that both plates rise and fall together, in such manner that when the top
plate is in contact with the heads or flanges of the bobbins the bottom plate
is removed from them, and vice versa. The said moveable surface plates are
for the purpose of pressing against the flanges or heads of the bobbins in order
to take up the loose yarn and maintain its proper tension. The shuttle boxes
are also provided with two ledges q', Fig: 18, for the purpose of raising the
shuttle a little from the bottom of the box in order to prevent the flanges of
the bobbins or spools from touching the lower surface plate when they are not
in operation, so that the bobbins can turn freely round their axes; the boxes
are also partly open at the bottom as at r¹, Fig. 19, to allow. the lower surface
plate to touch the flanges of the spools or bobbins when the desired drag or
tension is required. The shuttles are similarly formed to those used in power.
looms, but each has an eye-hole at the top over the centre of the spool to allow
the thread or yarn to come off freely. The shuttles are passed from one box to
the other by four parallel rods s¹ placed horizontally and parallel with the.
shuttle tips, two being at the front of the table or counter and two at the back,
and placed so as to be in a direct position for moving into the shuttle box, and
passing the shuttles across into the opposite boxes. The parallel rods are
connected to the tops of two pairs of picking sticks &', u', vibrating upon the
pins v', and having bowls w³ so placed that they may be acted upon by the raised
plates on the cylinders b, c, which, as they revolve, bring the sticks back at
the required time. The forward motion is given to the parallel rods by means.

page_text: of the two springs y³, each connected to opposite sticks, so that when one of
the notches 2' in the raised plates come opposite its corresponding bowl, the
spring acts upon the picking stick, and propels the rod and shuttle. The
healds are knit to two foundation cords a², proceeding from spools 6', fixed to
the shafts c, which work in bearings in the framework, and have handles 'd' at
one end for turning the spools when fresh cord is required. From the spools
the cords' pass upwards through the conical tubes e³, over the guide rollers f*,
on the adjustable arms g³, Fig. 17, and then over other guide rollers h³ on the
stationary rod or shaft to the taking-up drums, to which they are attached.
The said drums are for the purpose of bringing forward the heald as it is
formed, and are turned at the required-speed by means of the worms &³, l³, m³,
and worm wheels n³, o³, p³. The speed of the drums is varied, according to the
number of threads or healds desired in one or more inches, by changing the
worm wheel o. In this machine the healds are knit on their staves, and a
cord is passed through the eyes of the heald for the purpose of placing a wire
in the eyes during the process of finishing. The staves are shewn at q, Figs:
4 and 9, they are held at one end in the guides r³, and at their other ends in
the holders & attached to the arms or levers & on the shaft of the taking-up
drums. The back and front stitch is obtained by giving a to-and-fro motion
to the top stave. The arm which supports the stave is connected by the
rod u to the lever v³, fixed to a shaft, having at its extremity the lever ;
acted upon by the tappet w³ on the toothed wheel a³, gearing into the toothed
wheel y on the shaft of the cylinder c. The tappet makes one revolution for
every two of the cylinder, and gives the forward motion to the arm which
supports the stave; the return movement is obtained by the spring. The
needle shewn at a; Figs. 2 and 4, is employed for making the shed through
which the shuttle passes in the formation of the knot and noose of the heald:
The said needle is provided with a hook or spur for seizing the yarn, and is
attached to a holder capable of sliding in a vertical direction in the frame b³,
which moves to and fro horizontally. The forward. horizontal movement is
given to the frame and needle by means of the chain c³, connected to the
leverd, which is operated upon by a bowl carried upon the arm e³, fixed to
the shaft of the cylinder 6; the backward or return movement is procured by
the spring. The required vertical motion of the needle is obtained by
means of the lever g³, one end of which works in a slot, or between pins con-
nected to the holder, and the other end connected to the rod h³, at the bottom
of which is the bowl, which is acted upon by the raised surface on the
'cylinder c, for the purpose of moving the needle downwards, and the spring

page_text: 'is employed for the return movement of raising the needle upwards, the
vertical and horizontal movement being performed simultaneously.
The closing slide for tightening the knot is shewn at 'm³, Fig. 14; it is
attached to the sliding, bar n³, which slides in the cross frames o³. The said
bar is moved one way at the required time by the chain p' attached at one
end to the vibrating lever q³, Fig. 3, put in motion by the revolving arm
fixed to the shaft of the cylinder b. There are two bowls on the arm ³, one
for drawing up the knot and noose after its formation, and the other for
bringing, the closer out of the way of the shuttles. The return movement of
the closing slide is obtained by the spring s³, Fig. 14.
The marking or tokening of the heald is performed by an apparatus con
sisting of a brass tube, shewn at t, Fig. 1; it is fixed to the rod u³, Fig. 13,
having upon it the lever ³, in contact with another lever w³, on the vertical
roda, which slides in the bearing y³, fixed to the framework. At the bottom
of the rod there is a boss ³, carrying a pin a' at right angles, which is acted
upon at the proper time by a pin or projection on the cylinder c, so as to
turn the rod partly round, and give movement to the tokening tube t, after
which the rod is raised up by the cam or raised surface c', and then held by
the end of the spring d', entering, the notch e' in the rod. The spring d' is
connected to the rod f4 in contact with another spring 9, the top of which is
acted upon at the required time by a pin in the bevil wheel h, which makes
one revolution for each token! so that after the spring g' has been pushed back
by the pin, and then suddenly released, it pushes the rod and shifts the first
spring d out of the notch, and allows the rod to descend for a next operation.
The pusher-off is shewn at k, Figs. 15 and 16; it is attached to the rod l*,
connected to the lever m*, having a bowl n', which is acted upon as required
by, the raised surface o' on the cylinder b.
We now proceed to describe the formation of the heald. Four shuttle
boxes are arranged so as to be two and two opposite each other, two at the
front of the table and two at the back, as at f, g, h, i, j, Fig. 5, and a shuttle
being placed in two of these boxes, and a thread or yarn being attached to the
foundation cords, then the shuttles are passed by means of the picking sticks
across from one box to the other, midway between the centre rod, on which are
formed the eyes or rings and the foundation cords. This movement causes the
two threads to be linked or looped together round the centre pin. Then the
chain or belt is moved so as to shift the boxes and bring the empty 'box f in a
position to receive the shuttle from the box ; as shown in Figure 6. The
needle a, Figs. 2 and 4, now descends, and, moving, horizontally at the same

page_text: .
time, forms the shed through which the. shuttle is propelled back from the
box finto the box i, as shown in Fig. 7, thus making the knot of the heald;;
The belt or chain is now put in motion, and the closer worked at the same
time, so as to tighten up the knot and noose. The pusher is now raised in:
order to push off the eyes or rings after they are formed. The shuttle boxes
stop in the positions shewn in Fig. 8, and the shuttles are again driven into
their opposite boxes for the purpose of lapping the threads or yarns round the:
foundation cords, and thus completing the formation of a single heald, which
operations are repeated as often as required, the taking-up motion at the same
time drawing up the heald in the usual manner. The tokening thread, having
been attached at the commencement to the foundation cord, is woven in the
heald by the apparatus before described at every revolution of the change
wheel o.
We modify this arrangement by using two braiding bobbins and needles to
form the healds with braided edges instead of lapping the yarn or threads
round the foundation cords as before described. The bobbins are carried.by
studs on the revolving drums or chain wheels l, m, and the needles are worked
in a vertical manner by means of levers acted upon by raised sections on the
cylinders b, c.
In the foregoing description we only refer to a top needle, but, if required
to form a larger shed for the shuttle to pass through, then we use an additional
needle working from below, and acted upon in a similar manner to the needle
already described.
:
In another arrangement of our improved machinery for making healds,
instead of working the drums or chain wheels l, m, on studs or shafts, we use
toothed rims or mangle wheels, for the purpose of being able to vary the depth
of the healds as may be required.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim in machinery for manufacturing healds or harness
used in looms for weaving,-
First, the employment of cylinders or rollers mounted with snugs, notches,
tappets, or raised sections, for giving the required mechanical movements,
or shafts having cranks, tappets, arms, or levers fixed to them for the same
purpose.
Secondly, the employment of shuttles and shuttle boxes attached to an
endless revolving chain or band.
Thirdly, the employment of top and bottom surface plates for acting upon

page_text: the flanges or heads of the bobbins for the purpose of taking up the loose yarn
and maintaining its proper tension.
Fourthly, the employment of one or more needles with hooks or spurs for
seizing the yarn and forming the shed for the shuttles to pass through.
.. Fifthly, the apparatus for marking or tokening.
And, lastly, the general arrangement of the self-acting mechanism for
manufacturing healds, as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying.
two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Cook, for and on behalf of
myself and the said William Mould, John Hall, and William Henry
Hacking, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of
April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Samuel Cook, in
the-presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
SAMUEL COOK. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
Manchester.