IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND LOOMS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Anderson, of Alva, in the County of Stirling,
North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND
LOOMS."
Sealed the 18th April 1878, and dated the 27th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Anderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th October 1877.
WILLIAM ANDERSON, of Alva, in the County of Stirling, North Britain, Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND LOOMS.
This Invention, which relates to a novel mechanical contrivance to be applied to
mounted hand looms, has for its object to enable a stripe of colour to be woven into
the cloth different from that of the colours of the yarn constituting the warp and
weft of the cloth.
The Invention consists in applying to the hand loom an additional pair of shuttle
boxes, which are situated intermediately or between the shuttle boxes ordinarily
employed. These shuttle boxes are for the purpose of carrying a set of shuttles in
addition to the shuttles carried in the ordinary or exterior shuttle boxes, and the
shuttles therein are filled with weft of different colour from the weft carried by the
ordinary shuttles.
The shuttles in the intermediate shuttle boxes are picked, shot, or driven by the
hand operating a pulley, and thence by pickers, and the shuttles when in operation
inove over a portion of the same shuttle race as that on which the ordinary shuttles
are operated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Anderson in the Great. Seal Patent Office on the 26th April
1878.
WILLIAM ANDERSON, of Alva, in the County of Stirling, North Britain, Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND LOOMS."
My said Invention relates to a novel mechanical contrivance to be applied to
mounted hand looms, and has for its object to enable a stripe of colour to be woven
into the cloth different from that of the colour or colours of the yarn constituting
the warp and weft of the cloth.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say,-
Figure 1 represents in front elevation a portion of a hand loom to which is
attached mechanism, constructed according to my Invention, for effecting the above
object.
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, are details herein-after referred to.
pro-
A represents a portion of the lay; B, the reed; C, the ordinary shuttle boxes;
and D, the cloth beam. The spaces enclosed by the dotted lines d, d, are supposed
to be borders or stripes into which are woven a weft of a colour different from the
weft of the body of the cloth, that is, the weft shot in the ordinary way from the
shuttle boxes C. Suspended immediately over the shuttle race (which is indicated
by the dotted lines a, a,), at either side of each of the said borders or stripes, are
additional shuttle boxes E, a pair for each border or stripe. Each pair is carried by a
frame e, e, capable of sliding vertically upon guides f, f, affixed to the part A¹ of the lay
above the reeds, the said shuttle boxes E being held, when not in operation, at a short
distance above the shuttle race, as herein-after explained. Each shuttle box E is
vided with a shuttle and with a picker g and picker bar h, shewn drawn to a larger
scale in Figure 2, which is an elevation of a portion of the lay and a longitudinal vertical
section of one of the said boxes E. Each frame e, e, is connected by an arm i to one end
of a lever j, j, turning upon a fulcrum at j',j'. The other ends of these levers jare con-
nected by links and a rod k to a lever l, turning on the fulcrum 2, on the part A' of
the lay. This lever is for holding the inner ends of the levers j down, so as to retain
the additional shuttle boxes E when not in use, some distance above the shuttle
race, as shewn, and out of the way of the course of the ordinary shuttles. The
said lever works between guides ', and is retained in its depressed position by a
catch piece m¹, upon a spring m, fixed to the guides . This holding arrangement
is shewn clearly drawn to a larger scale in front elevation and cross section in
Figures 3 and 4.
n, n, are cords attached to the pickers g, and passing through
guide eyes p and over pulleys q, the cords from the pickers of both pairs of additional
shuttle boxes being led through guide holes r, and having at their ends a handle 8
by which both sets of pickers are operated at the same time. Guide pieces t are fixed.
slightly in advance of the shuttle boxes E, to assist in guiding the shuttles therefrom
in their course, and on each of these guide pieces is affixed a strip or blade of metal
t¹, which strips on the ascent of the frames e, e, are pulled upwards by the cords t²,
and take up the ends of the threads from the additional shuttles, and hold them clear
from the warp when the ordinary weft is being shot. On the descent of the frames
to bring the additional shuttle boxes down into position for work, these strips t
return to their vertical position, and the said threads are released therefrom.
e,
Figures 5 and 6 represent cross sections of the lay, on the line 3, 4, Figure 1
shewing this more clearly. In Figure 5, one of the said strips t¹ is raised by the
cord 2 on the ascent of the frame e, and the thread from one of the additional
shuttles held clear of the warp by the said strip. In Figure 6 the said strip t¹ is
released by the descent of the frame e allowing the thread to slip therefrom.

page_text: The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Let it be supposed that after every
third shot of the weft in the ordinary manner it is desired to run a thread of a
different colour into the warp of the borders or stripes i, d, only. Two shots are
made in the ordinary manner across the whole breadth of the warp; for the third
shot of the ordinary weft the warp is shed by heddles, so arranged that the warp'
of the borders or stripes is all shed down in order to allow the ordinary weft to
pass over it, leaving long threads from one side of the borders or stripes to the other
above the said warp that is not interlaced with the threads of the warp of the
borders or stripes. This shot is then beat up, and in order to weave in the thread
of colour from the additional shuttles, the next shed is made by heddles arranged so
that the warp of the body of the cloth. (that is, all the warp but that of the borders
or stripes) is shed down, and the warp of the said borders or stripes is shed up and
down in any way that may be required for the formation of the pattern of the said
borders or stripes.
To make the shot the additional shuttle boxes are lowered on to the shuttle race
by pressing against a stud v on a lever w taking behind the spring m, by which
means the said spring is urged outward, and the catch piece m¹ is withdrawn from
over the lever l. The said lever then rises by reason of the superior weight on the
outer ends of the levers j, j, the frames e, e, sliding down over their guides f, f, and
the additional shuttle boxes coming to rest on the shuttle race, as shewn with regard
to one pair of shuttle boxes by the dotted lines in Figure 1. The descent of the
frames e, e, allows the strips t' to take their vertical position, as shewn in Figure 6,
whereby the threads of the additional shuttles are released from the said strips.
The shot of the additional colour is made from one of each pair of shuttle boxes
through the warp of the borders or stripes, and into the opposite shuttle box by the
weaver pulling the handles with which the cords n attached to the pickers g are
connected. The said pickers are returned to their original position by elastic cords
n', as seen more clearly in Figure 2. After these threads of additional colour have
been so shot through the warp of the borders or stripes, and have been beat up, the
ordinary weaving is again proceeded with until another thread of colour is desired
to be passed into the borders or stripes, the additional shuttle boxes being raised to
their position of inaction before the beating up of their shot by the weaver depres-
sing the lever 1, the said lever, by coming against the inclined upper part of the
catch piece m¹, urging it outwards until the lever passes it, when it is returned over
the lever by the spring m, the lever thereby being held in its depressed position,
and, consequently, the additional shuttle boxes are retained in their elevated
position. The strips t¹, on the ascent of the frames e, e, are pulled up by the cords
t2, taking with them and holding clear of the warp the threads from the additional
shuttle boxes, as shewn in Figure 5.
The portions of the ordinary weft which do not enter into the pattern of the
borders or stripes, that is, those portions which have been shot above the warp of
the said borders or stripes without interlacing therewith, are, after a piece of cloth
is finished, cut off, the subsequent shearing or cropping operation removing any
ends which may project.
.It will be understood from the foregoing description that but one pair of additional
shuttle boxes E may be employed where but one border or stripe is to be formed, or
that more than two borders or stripes may be made by employing more than two
pairs of additional shuttle boxes, but generally I find that the width of the loom is
not sufficient to conveniently accommodate more than two pairs of additional shuttle
boxes.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the improvements in hand
looms herein-before described, that is to say, providing the said looms with additional
shuttle boxes and appliances for operating them and their shuttles, so as to weave.

page_text: threads of a different colour from the colour or colours of the warp and weft of the
body or main part of the cloth, the said additional shuttle boxes and appliances
being arranged and operating essentially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Anderson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TT
זותחבױזר
W. ANDERSON. (L.S.)