IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR 117
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Crossley, of Halifax, in the County of York,
Carpet Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
117
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Crossley at,the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th November 1880.
EDWARD CROSSLEY, of Halifax, in the County of York, Carpet Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
The said improvements relate, firstly, to means of inserting the wires employed
in weaving carpets or other fabrics woven by means of wires between the warps in
nearly a straight line, which allow of the employment of broader looms.
Secondly, in the means of stripping carpets or other fabrics from the breast
roller of the loom by mechanical means, which heretofore had to be done by manual
labour.
The wire motions heretofore in use have been generally used in narrow looms on
account of the wires being inserted between the warps at a sharp angle, which
causes the frequent bending and breaking of the wires.
By the employment of simple means I am enabled to insert the wires between
the warps in nearly a straight line, allowing the use of wire motions to broad and
narrow looms, besides preventing the frequent bending and breaking of the wires.
For this purpose I employ wire motions of nearly the same construction as those
heretofore in use, but instead of having only one guide rail or bar to guide the
hopper in coming out and going in to insert the wires between the warps, I
employ an additional rail or bar for the purpose of receiving the wires; this
additional rail is made curved and by preference of steel, and the extreme end of
the rail is made slightly curved, leaving a small opening between the back and
ordinary rail and the front or additional rail for the entrance of a pointed or
knife end of the hopper to enable the same to pass between the two rails when
the wire is on the return stroke to insert the wire between the warps. On the
the back of the ordinary rail are fitted two angle brackets, and on the back of the
additional rail are fixed two similar angle brackets which overlap and are bolted

page_text: to the first bracket. The ends of the additional rail press on the front side of the
back or original rail, and are not fastened; a passage is left under the tops of the
brackets and between the rails for the passage of the hopper and wire.
When the hook or catch takes up the eye or head of a wire to withdraw the
same the gear actuating the hopper brings it and the wire onto the front of the
curved additional guide rail or bar, which receives through the curve or bend an
outward motion towards the book or catch until it reaches the point where the
nipper takes hold of the head of the wire, carrying the wire forward to the end
of the travel, then returning, and the pointed or knife end of the hopper enters
between the curved end of the additional rail and returns on the front of the
ordinary rail, keeping the wire in a nearly straight line when inserted between the
warps.
By these means I can employ broad looms as well as narrow looms. The angle
of the wire being inserted is so much reduced, in fact, working nearly in a straight
line, which prevents the frequent bending and breaking of the wires, producing a
great saving in weaving with wire motions.
The stripping motion is constructed in connection with the usual breast roller
having teeth or pins, over which passes the carpet or other fabric, and instead of
the weaver having to pull out the carpet or fabric from the pins when the carpet or
fabric has reached a little below the centre line of the breast or front roller, a
mechanical motion is fitted to the loom which removes the fabric or carpet from
the teeth or pins on the breast or front roller, preventing the carpet or fabric
winding under the roller, thus preventing damage to the carpet or fabric so often
caused by the weaver in pulling the carpet or fabric out of the teeth, besides doing
away with manual labour.
For this purpose I employ brackets made with slot openings, through which
passes the stop rod of the loom; the slot openings allow the brackets to have a
forward and backward motion over the stop rod, but I may employ (instead of the
stop rod) studs which I fit to the loom sides. The brackets are made with bent up
arms, to which is secured a wooden bar made curved in the front and fitted with a
few rows of pins. The projecting end arms of the brackets are fitted with levers
or rods which are connected to other levers having a rocking motion. These
rocking levers are fitted on the ends of the letting off shaft which is actuated by
the lath, sword of the loom, and the shaft gives the rocking action to the rocking
levers which at each stroke of the loom gives a forward motion to the brackets
having slot openings and consequently to the wooden bar, bringing the teeth or
the pins in contact with the carpet or fabric a little below the centre line of
the breast roller, and which pushes the carpet or fabric out of the teeth or pins of
the breast or front roller, preventing the carpet or fabric winding under the roller,
and allowing the carpet or fabric to fall in the usual receiving box, by which
means I prevent damage to the carpets or fabrics and do away with manual labour.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Crossley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
May 1881.
EDWARD CROSSLEY, of Halifax, in the County of York, Carpet Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
"
The said improvements relate, firstly, to the means of inserting the wires
employed in weaving carpets or other fabrics woven by means of wires between
the warps in nearly a straight liue, which allows of the employment of broader
looms.
Secondly, in the means of stripping carpets or other fabrics from the breast
roller of the loom by mechanical means, which operation heretofore had to be
effected by manual labour.
The wire motions heretofore in use have been generally used in narrow looms on
account of the wires being inserted between the warps at a sharp angle, which
causes the frequent bending and breaking of the wires.
By the employment of simple means I am enabled to insert the wires between
the warps in nearly a straight line, thus allowing of the use of wire notions to
both broad and narrow looms, besides preventing the frequent bending and
breaking of the wires.
For this purpose I employ wire motions of nearly the same construction as those
heretofore in use, but instead of having only a guide rail or bar to guide the
hopper in coming out and going in to insert the wires between the warps,
employ an additional rail or bar for the purpose of receiving the wires from the
hook this additional rail is made curved and by preference of steel, and the
extreme end of the rail is made slightly curved, leaving a small opening between
the back and ordinary rail and the front or additional rail for the entrance of a
pointed or knife end of the hopper to enable the same to pass between the two
rails when the wire is on the return stroke to insert the wire between the
warps. On the back of the ordinary rail are fitted two angle brackets, and on the
back of the additional rail are fixed two similar angle brackets which overlap and
are bolted to the first brackets. The ends of the additional rail press on the front
side of the back or ordinary rail and are not fastened; a passage is left under the
tops of the brackets and between the rails for the passage of the hopper and
wire.
When the hook or catch takes up the eye or head of a wire to withdraw the
same, the gear actuating the hopper brings it and the wire on to the front of the
curved additional guide rail or bar, which receives through the curve or bend an
outward motion towards the hook or catch until it reaches the point where the
nipper takes hold of the head of the wire, carrying the wire forward to the end of
the travel, then in returning the pointed or knife end of the hopper enters between
the curved end of the additional rail, and returns on the front of the ordinary rail,
keeping the wire in a nearly straight line when inserted between the warps."
By these means I can employ broad looms as well as narrow looms. The angle of
the wire being inserted is much reduced, the wires in fact work nearly in a straight
line, which prevents the frequent bending and breaking of the wires, and effects a
great saving in weaving with wire motions.
The stripping motion is constructed in connection with the usual breast roller
having teeth or pins, over which passes the carpet or other fabric, and instead of
the weaver having to pull out the carpet or fabric from the pins when the carpet or
fabric has reached a little below the centre line of the breast or front roller, a

page_text: mechanical motion is fitted to the loom, by which the fabric or carpet is removed
from the teeth or pins on the breast or front roller, and the carpet or fabric is
prevented from winding under the roller, thus avoiding that damage to the carpet
or fabric which is so often caused by the weaver in pulling the carpet or fabric out
of the teeth, besides dispensing with manual labour.
For this purpose I employ brackets made with slot openings, through which passes
the stop rod of the loom, or I may employ brackets secured on the stop rod and
having slides; the slot openings or slides allow the brackets to have a forward and
backward motion over the stop rod, (but instead of the stop rods I may employ studs,
'which I fit to the loom sides). The brackets are made with bent up arms to which is
secured a wooden bar made curved in the front and fitted with a few rows of pins.
The projecting end arms of the brackets are fitted with levers or rods which are
connected to other levers having a rocking motion, these rocking levers are fitted
on the ends of the letting off shaft which is actuated by the lathe sword of the
loom, and the shaft gives the rocking action to the rocking levers, which at each
stroke of the loom gives a forward motion to the brackets having slot openings,
and secured on the stop rod, or to the studs fitted to the sides of the loom; this.
action gives a forward motion to the wooden or iron bar, bringing the teeth or
pins in contact with the carpet or fabric a little below the centre line of the breast
roller; the bar thus pushes the carpet or fabric out of the teeth or pins of the
breast or front roller, preventing the carpet or fabric from winding under the
roller and allowing it to fall into the usual receiving box, by this means I avoid
damage to the carpets or fabrics and dispense with manual labour.
But in order to enable my improvements to be better understood, I will proceed
to describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1
represents a front elevation of my improved wire motion employed in weaving
carpets, and Figure 2 a plan of the same.
Figure 3 represents a side elevation of my improved stripping motion.
Similar letters of reference are used in all the Figures to represent similar
parts.
For inserting the wires instead of employing only one guide rail or bar A to
guide the hopper B in coming out and going in to insert the wires C between the
warps, I employ an additional rail or bar D for the purpose of receiving the
wires. This additional rail D is made curved and by preference of steel, and the
extreme end E is made slightly curved, leaving a small opening F for the entrance
of a pointed or knife end G of the hopper B to allow the same to pass between
the rails A and D when the wire is on the return stroke to insert the wire between
the warps. On the back of the rail or bar A are fitted two angle brackets H, and
on the back of the rail Dare also fitted two angle brackets I which overlap and
are bolted to the brackets H; the ends of the rail or bar D press on the front of
the rail A and are not fastened; and a passage is left under the tops of the
brackets H and between the rails A and D for the passage of the hopper B and
wire C.
When the hook J takes up the eye or head K of a wire to withdraw the same,
the gear L, actuating the hopper B, (which hopper is made with a swivel joint A¹,
which enables the hopper to keep always in position on the rail) brings the hopper
and the wire onto the front M of the curved rail or bar D by means of the arm B¹,
which is actuated by a lever giving an outward motion towards the hook or catch
until it reaches the point where the nipper C₁ takes hold of the head of the wire,
carrying the wire forward to the end of the travel, then on returning the pointed
or knife end of the hopper enters between the curved end E, and returns on the
front of the rail or bar A, keeping the wire in a nearly straight line when inserted
between the warps.
The stripping motion is constructed in connection with the usual breast roller N
having teeth or pins O, over which passes the carpet or other fabric, and to remove
the carpet or fabric from the pins O when the same have reached a little below the
centre of the roller N, I. employ a wooden or iron bar P curved in the front and

page_text: fitted with a few rows of pins Q; this wooden bar is fixed to heads R formed on
levers S which work on slides T formed on brackets U which are secured on the
stop rod V of the loom; the ends of the levers S are made with heads W, to which
are secured the ends of curved levers ✗ connected to rocking levers Y fitted on
the ends of the letting off shaft Z, which is actuated by the lathe sword of the
loom; the shaft Z communicates the rocking action to the levers S and X, which
at each stroke of the loom gives a forward motion to the wooden bar P, bringing
the teeth or pins Q in contact with the carpet or fabric a little below the centre
line of the breast roller N, and the bar P thus pushes the carpet or fabric out of
the teeth or pins O, and prevents the carpet or fabric from winding under the roller,
and allows it to fall into the usual receiving box. By these means I avoid damages
to the carpet or fabric, and dispense with manual labour.
Having thus described my improvements and the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shewn and described, as they may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I do
claim is:
Firstly. The construction and application to wire motions of looms employed in
weaving carpets or other fabrics, of an additional rail or bar, by means of which
the wires are inserted between the warps in nearly a straight line, substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying
Drawing.
Secondly. The arrangement, construction, and employment of a stripping motion
by means of which the carpets or fabrics are stripped from the breast roller or
beam of the loom by mechanical means instead of being stripped as heretofore by
manual labour as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Crossley, have hereunto set iny hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
G. F. REDFERN,
Patent Agent,
4, South Street, Finsbury.
EDWARD CROSSLEY. (L.S.)