CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hudson, of Burnley, in the County of Lan-
caster, Machinist, and Christopher Catlow, of the same Place, Over-
looker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR
Sealed the 24th August 1860, and dated the 16th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hudson and
Christopher Catlow at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition on the 16th March 1860.
We, WILLIAM HUDSON, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
5 and CHRISTOPHER CATLOW, of the same Place, Overlooker, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention of " CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
Our said Invention consists, firstly, in a means of or apparatus for stopping
the loom when the shuttle is caught in the shed. For this purpose we use
an instrument resembling a comb, the teeth or dents of which pointing up-
wards penetrate the shed from below, but are depressed or caused to incline
towards the reed as the sley is beating up by the contact of part of the comb
with a finger or arm attached to the stopping motion. If, however, the
shuttle be detained in the shed, the comb is thereby hindered from falling
towards the reed, and the finger or arm instead of depressing the comb is
compelled to recoil, and thereby to bring into action the stopping motion
which arrests the movements of the loom either through the frog, or by means
of a break.

page_text: Our said Invention includes, secondly, another means or apparatus for the
same purpose as the last. In this case we use a spring reed, which yields a
little to the pressure upon the shuttle in the event of the latter being driven
up into the angle of the shed. In so yielding, the reed presses back a lever
arm, which in its turn slightly elevates another lever arm projecting from the
same fulcrum as the former. By this elevation the lever arm secondly-
mentioned is brought into the position for acting upon the stopping motion,
which thereupon arrests the movements of the loom as before.
Our third, fourth, fifth, and sixth improvements, have reference to the
treadles and treading tappets for opening and changing the sheds.
The third improvement consists, in relieving the healds from the weight of
the treadles by suspending the latter from the pendant ends of a strap, chain,
or cord working over a pulley so that the treadles have their weight sus-
tained by the pulley, on the opposite sides of which they mutually balance
cach other.
Our fourth improvement consists, in placing the fulcrum or fulcra of the
treadles between the tappets and the lamm rods, and in making the treadle
bowls to rest upon the tappets, instead of being overhung by them.
Our fifth improvement is an arrangement, wherein the treadles are not
moved immediately by the tappets, but are connected by links to other levers
moved by the tappets and pivoted on a stud or bolt at the back of the loom.
Hence, by altering the points of connection of the links with their respective
treadles and levers, the depths of the sheds can be varied.
Our sixth improvement consists in deriving the shedding movements of the
healds from the vibrations or reciprocating motion of a treadle, lever, or rod,
actuated by an eccentric cam or tappet, which by its revolutions imparts
motion thereto in alternate directions. The treadle lever or rod is connected
with and accompanied in its movements by the healds opening one shed by
its upward, and the other by its downward motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hudson and Christopher Catlow in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WIL
LIAM HUDSON, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, and
CHRISTOPHER CATLOW, of the same Place, Overlooker, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Hudson and Christopher Catlow, Her special licence that we, tho
said William Hudson and Christopher Catlow, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Hudson and Christopher
Catlow, 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 of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
William Hudson and Christopher Catlow, 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 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 we, the said William Hudson and Christopher Cat-
low, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, with the aid of the annexed two Sheets of
Drawings, containing explanatory figures or diagrams, the various parts
whereof referred to in the course of the description are indicated by alpha-
betical and numerical characters written thereon.
Figures 4 and 6 on the second Sheet represent in elevation portions of the
ordinary fixed and moving parts of the loom as usually constructed with certain
of our improvements applied thereto in their appropriate situations. In both
these views, some parts of the framing are left out for the purpose of exposing
the shedding apparatus in the interior; and in Figure 4 we have preferred,
as most convenient for our purpose, to shew the sley in section taken through
the nearest shuttle box.
The first part of our said Invention consists in a new and improved method
of preventing the beat up of the sley, and suspending the movements of the
loom in the event of the shuttle being trapped or caught in the shed. The
combination of parts whereby we effect this improvement is shewn in detail
in Figures 1 and 2, Sheet I, and partially in Figure 6, Sheet 2, and our
explanation will be assisted by reference to those Figures. Figure 2 is a plau

page_text: or bird's-eye view of so much of a sley as comprehends the reed space and one
shuttle box, together with some of the adjacent parts of the loom. Figure 1
is a transverse vertical section along the dotted line 1, 2, in Figure 2.
The characteristic feature of this part of the Invention is the employment
of an instrument resembling a "comb," by which term we shall herein-after for
the sake of brevity designate it. Its general appearance is represented in the
detached Figure 3, Sheet 1. The stock or stem consists of a light rod or
tube a, from one side of which pins or dents a¹, a', a¹, a¹, a', project at
intervals, not greater than the distance from shoulder to shoulder of the
shuttles to be used in the loom. The stock of the "comb " is sunk within a
straight groove or recess b, hollowed out in the sley beam A, and extending
along the outer edge of the shuttle race from one of the shuttle boxes to the
other. The ends of the comb a, swivel in bearings b', 6', let into the sley
beam at each extremity of the groove b. Branching at right angles from the
principal groove bare short transverse grooves b³, be, b, b, b, each opposite
to one of the dents of the comb, and provided for the reception thereof, in
order that when the comb is turned upon its axis, the dents may have
liberty to incline towards the reed until they lie level with the shuttle race).
(as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1). A spring c, the free end of which is
attached by a small link or strap c¹ to one of the dents, or to any other suit-
able fastening upon the "comb," causes the dents of the latter when not
otherwise influenced, to assume an upright position, the tendency which the
spring c exerts to turn the dents of the "comb" further outwards or away
from the reed being counteracted by a stop c' fixed on the "comb" stock in
such a position as to rest upon the race-board when the dents of the "comb"
are vertical. Under these conditions, the dents of the "comb" will when
left to themselves stand perpendicularly to the shuttle race, but will bo free
under extraneous pressure to oscillate toward the reed through an angle of
about ninety degrees. The spring c should be sufficiently strong to enable the
dents of the "comb " to penetrate the warp, and insert themselves within each
shed as the sley moves to and fro. The stop rod which we use in this
arrangement is not carried by the sley, but swivels in bearing blocks affixed
to, and to a slight extent sliding upon the top side rail of the loom framing
in the manner of the ordinary frog. One of the bearing blocks is shewn in
each of the Figures at d attached to the loom side B. d is the stop rod.
It is retained in its working position by means of a spring similar to an
ordinary stop rod spring, and attached to any convenient part of the loom
framing. Upon the parts of the stop rodd', which are immediately opposite
the ends of the shuttle race are fixed the feelers" d', d. These feelers are

page_text: curved arms which reach upward from the stop rod, and overhang with their
extremities the ends of the shuttle race when tho sley is near the beat up.
Their general configuration will be understood from the Drawing. The tip or
extremity of each of them is pointed directly towards the corresponding
terminal dent of the "comb" a, so as to intercept the same at each beat up of
the sley. Near to each end of the stop rod d' is attached an horizontal finger
or tongue e. It rests upon the edge of the framing by means of an adjustable
set screw e¹, and is retained in that position by the tension of the stop rod
spring d³, permitting the sley.to vibrate over it without interruption so long
as the stop rod remains quiescent. is a notch or frog mouth carried by
the sley in such a position as to meet the tongue e, when the latter is elevated
into the position shewn in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 5, and thereby to
stop the further advance of the sley. The operation of the apparatus is as
follows:-The "comb" is vertical during the time allowed for the transit of
the shuttle through the shed. After the lapse of that time, and after the sley
has completed about half of its forward sweep, the terminal dents of the
"comb
come in contact with the tips of the feelers d, d³. If the shuttlo
has performed its transit in due course, and the shed is clear from obstruction,
the dents yield under the pressure exerted by the feelers, causing the "comb"
to swivel partially round its axis, and to incline towards the reed, leaving the
feelers and stop rod undisturbed, and permitting the evolutions of the loom to
proceed without interruption. If, however, the shuttle is present either wholly
or partially within the shed, it intervenes between one or more of the dents a¹
and the reed, and thereby prevents the "comb" from yielding.
In this case,
the terminal dents which meet the feelers being sustained in the vertical posi-
tion along with the "comb" (of which they form a part), force back the feelers
towards the breast beam into the position indicated by the dotted lines in
Figures 1 and 5, thereby elevating the tongues e so as to cause them to enter
the notches on the sley, and to stop the loom. The bearing blocks which
carry the stop rod, occupy nearly the same positions as the ordinary frogs, and
the one on the driving side is furnished with a projection for dislodging the
spring handle from its detent. They may either be applied so as to act alone
as a dead stop, or one of them may have a break rod attached to it, and thus
be made the instrument for applying a break to the fly-wheel, and it is evident
that in narrow looms, provided the "comb " be made sufficiently stiff to resist
torsion, one feeler will suffice instead of two.
The second part of our said Invention is intended as another or alternative
means or method of accomplishing the purpose of the before-described improve-
ment, namely, preventing' the beat-up of the sley when the shuttle is trapped.

page_text: It consists in a new and peculiar application of a spring reed in combination
with apparatus to be herein-after described, to the purpose of detecting the
untimely presence of the shuttle in the shed, and of thereupon arresting the
motion of the loom, either by the application of a break to the fly wheel or by
the intervention of a simple stop-piece, to obstruct the advance of the sley.
The manner of arranging and combining the mechanism which we use to
effect this improvement is illustrated by Figures 4 and 5, Sheet 2. In the
former we give a cross section of the sley through the nearest shuttle box, the
other parts of the apparatus appearing in profile, as seen from the outside of
the loom. In the latter we shew a cross section of the sley through the reed
space, and a side view of the other parts from the interior of the loom. The
reed (Figure 5) is mounted in the ordinary manner of spring or loose reeds,
the reed case or groove being left open towards the back and the reed confined
in that direction by the spring cap f¹. The latter is carried by arms få spring-
ing from the rod f³, which swivels in bearings f, f, under the sley beam, and
extends a little beyond the reed space at both ends. A spring f, attached by
one end to a book projecting from the front side of the rod f³, and by the other
to the sley sword C, in the manner of an ordinary stop rod spring, operates to
press the spring cap f' up to the reed and to support the latter against the
ordinary resistances which it has to encounter in working. One of these
springs may be applied at each side of the loom if found requisite or preferred.
Projecting fingers passing under stops attached to the breast beam, as com-
inonly used with loose reeds, may also be applied to give support to the reed
in beating up. The rod f³ is furnished with fingers f6, fo, pointing towards
the breast beam, and adapted to act occasionally upon the stop rod, in the
manner hereafter to be explained. d is the stop rod swivelling in the bearings
d, d, and restrained by the spring or springs d, at one or both sides of the
loom. d³, d³, are the feelers, and e the tongues of the stop rod. The parts
d, d', d³, d, and e, are similar to those referred to by the same characters under
the head of the firstly described part or improvement, except that the tongues
e, e, when raised into the position shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 4 each
form in connection with the bearing blocks d, d, a notch or frog-mouth, pre-
sented towards a corresponding fixed tongue g upon the sley, but this is a
merely optional variation in the construction. When therefore the tongues e
are elevated, the notches which they form receive the fixed tongues g, and
thereby stop the further advance of the sley. Upon each of the arms d³, d³,
is an adjustable stop piece f', which meets the end of the corresponding finger
fo upon the rod f³, when the said finger is elevated by the vibration of the rod
f*, into the position shewn by dotted lines in Figure 5, but stands.clear of the

page_text: same when the rod f' remains quiescent in its ordinary working position. It
will be seen that the arms d³, d, are liable to be forced back towards the breast
beam by two contingencies, the one being the collision of either of the said
arms with the shuttle in the shuttle race, the other the impact of the fingers fo
upon the stop pieces f', f".
The mechanism operates as follows:-So long as the shuttle passes from
box to box in due course, the evolutions of the loom proceed without interrup-
tion. If, however, the shuttle should be in the act of entering one of the
boxes too late, it will encounter and push back one of the arms &, d³, thereby
vibrating the stop rod d and elevating the tongues e, so as to intercept the
fixed tongues g upon the sley, and thereby arrest the further progress of the
latter and stop the loom. If the shuttle should be caught wholly within the
shed, the pressure of the yarn will drive it back against the spring reed with
sufficient impulse to overcome the tension of the spring f³, and to oscillate the
spring cap and swivel rod. By this means the fingers f, f, will be elevated,
so as to strike the stop pieces f', f, thereby pushing back the arms d³, d³, and
stopping the further advance of the sley, as before.
As in the first improvement, the bearing block d on the driving side has a
projection for knocking off the spring handle, like that of the ordinary frog.
It may also have attached to it the draw rod D of a break E acting upon the
fly wheel F (Figure 4). In the latter case the arrangement becomes a com-
bination of a loose reed with a break applied by the motive force of the
sley.
We are well aware that the combination of the loose or spring reed with
the spring cap and swivel rod forms part of an arrangement known as the
"loose reed," and of an Invention which was the subject of a former Patent
granted to Mr. James Bullough, and bearing date the Third day of November
One thousand eight hundred and forty-two. Although therefore we have
described the same in order to convey a full and clear idea of the whole of the
arrangements and means to be adopted for carrying this improvement or part
of our said Invention into effect, we do not desire nor intend to hold forth
ourselves as the inventors of so much of the said described improvement as
consists in causing the shuttle when trapped to press back the loose reed and
spring cap, and thereby to oscillate the rod upon which the latter is carried,
but only so much thereof as consists in applying the motion of the rod f³, so
obtained to actuate a stop rod carried by the loom framing, and thereby to
effect the stoppage of the sley in the manner described; and also so much
thereof as consists in the combination of the "loose reed," so arranged with a
break applied to the fly wheel by the motive force of the loom itself.

page_text: The remaining improvements or parts of our said Invention have reference
to the parts of the, loom whose office is to open and change the sheds in
plain weaving, and which parts are commonly known as the treddles and
treading tappets.
Our third improvement consists in relieving the healds from the weight of
the treddles by suspending the free ends of the latter by a strap, chain, or cord
over a bearing pulley, so that the weight of the treddles may be sustained by
the pulley, on the opposite sides of which the said treddles reciprocally balance
each other.
The detached Figure 8, Sheet 2, explains this arrangement. G is the
tappet shaft (in section) carrying the ordinary tappets; H, I, are the
treddles; I, the grating or grid which serves as a guide for the ends of
the treddles to work in; h is the pulley carried by a stud in the upper part of
the grid I, or in any other fixed part of the machine, to which it can con-
veniently be attached; h' is the strap, chain, or cord riding upon the pulley
from the contrary sides of which its ends hang down, and are attached to their
respective treddles, to which the desired support is thus afforded.
Our fourth improvement consists in an arrangement of the treddles wherein
the common fulcrum upon which they work is placed between the tappets and
the lamms, the treddle bowls resting upon the tappets instead of being over-
hung by them.
The arrangement is represented in Figure 4. K.is a cross rail extending
from back to front of the loom. There are two of these rails, one on each side
of the tappets, and placed at such a distance that the tappets and treadles
have just sufficient room to work between them. From each of the rails
springs an upright bracket or standard k; through the summits of these stan-
dards passes the treddle pin or fulcrum k³, upon which work the treddles 1, 1;
Gis the tappet shaft furnished with a pair of tappets of the ordinary character,
upon which the treddle bowls A,, rest. The treddles have arched heads F, 1,
to which the lamms are attached by the straps ', . The arched heads are in
separate pieces, and are applied to the treddles between ribs, and fastened each
by a screw bolt ; passing through a slot which affords the means of con-
veniently adjusting the length of each treddle, so as to vary the depth of its
shed.
The fifth improvement or part of our said Invention consists in an arrange-
ment of the parts of a treddle which is not moved immediately by the tappet,
but through the intervention of a link, whereby it is connected to another
lever upon which the tappet acts, the points at which the said connecting link
is attached to the treddle and lever or either of them being changeable so as

page_text: to afford an easy means of varying the proportions of the arms of the lever and
treddle respectively, for the purpose of regulating the depth of the shed.
Figure 7, Sheet 2, is a diagram explaining this arrangement as applied to a
single tappet and treddle for working both sheds, but it will be apparent that
it can also be applied to two treddles and tappets, one for each shed, the
Invention having reference only to the means of varying the proportions of the
levers employed by shifting the points of attachment of the connecting link.
G is the tappet shaft with a tappet or eccentric thereon of any suitable form
and size; m is the lever worked by the tappet, its fulcrum being the stud m',
which occupies the place of the ordinary treddle pin; n is the treddle, the
arched head of which is connected to the front and back lamms by the strap o, o,
which passes round the pulley o', carried by a stud in the bracket o*, on the
cross rail K. The treadle n is pivotted on a stud n', in a bracket n, also
carried by the cross rail K. The stud n¹ being inserted through a slot in the
bracket, can have its position easily varied. n³ is the link by which the
treddle n is connected to the lever m.. It is attached in both directions by
means of the studs m, n, which are moveable in the slots through which they
pass, and thus afford the means of adjustment which is the characteristic
feature of this part of the Invention.
The sixth improvement or part of our said Invention consists in a method of
deriving the shedding movements of the healds from the vibration or recipro-
cating motion of a treddle or lever working both sheds, and actuated by one
tappet or cam. The arrangement exhibited in Figure 7 affords an example of
one mode of carrying this improvement into effect, m being the lever actuated
by the eccentric cam or tappet 9 on the tappet shaft G, and imparting motion
to the healds in alternate directions through the strap o, o, opening one shed
The combination
by its upward and the other by its downward movement.
of parts, however, which we prefer for this purpose is delineated in its place in
the loom at Figure 6. G is the tappet shaft upon which is fixed the single
tappet p; is the treddle bracket upon a stud or pin, in which is pivoted
the single treadle r'. It is in three pieces, each of its arms being variable in
length by means of adjusting screw bolts 2, r, which pass through slots. is
a boss to which the straps &, s¹, which work the healds are attached, the former
which is connected to the back healds being attached to the front side of the
boss, the latter appertaining to the front healds, being attached to the opposite
side and returned round the pulley s², which is upon a stud in the bracket s³,
fixed on the cross rail K; this arrangement provides for the unequal degrees of
depression which the healds are required to undergo in shedding. There is a
long opening in the middle part of the treddle, of dimensions sufficiently

page_text: large to allow the tappet shaft to pass through it so as not to obstruct the
motions of the treddle., are wings or expanded parts of the treddle for
carrying the treddle bowls t, t, which revolve upon adjustable studs t', t',
inserted in slots. The treddle r¹ opens a shed at each elevation or depression
which it undergoes by the tappet p, and its weight is sustained by the tappet
so that the healds are entirely relieved from the strain thereof.
In conclusion we will now recapitulate what we claim or intend or wish
to be understood to claim as new and of our Invention by the preceding
statement.
With respect to the first improvement or part of the said Invention we claim
the means or method of preventing the beat up of the sley when the shuttle is
trapped by the employment or application of the instrument or apparatus
herein-before described under the designation of a "comb," or of any instru-
ment made in imitation thereof, and by other the mechanism combined and
intended to act in concert therewith, as the same have been respectively
herein-before described, and also all modifications or imitations thereof in
which and so long as the essential and characteristic feature thereof, to wit,
the use of the "comb" for detecting the presence of the shuttle in the shed is
retained.
As respects the second improvement or part of the said Invention we
disclaim so much thereof as consists in the combination of the loose or spring
reed with the swivel rod and spring cap, but we claim the new and particular
mode of applying the movements of the swivel rod to the purpose of causing the
stoppage of the loom through the medium of a stop rod carried by the loom
framing, and of the other parts therewith described, and all modifications or
imitations thereof, and we also claim the combination of a "loose reed,"
adapted and arranged as herein-before set forth, with a break applied by the
motive force of the loom itself and not by a weight or other extraneous
power.
As respects the third improvement we claim the suspension of the treddles
from a pulley or wheel, so that the healds may be relieved from the weight
thereof.
As respects the fourth improvement we claim the placing the fulcrum or
fulcra of the treddles between the tappets and the lamus or healds and the
treddle bowls above or resting upon the tappets.
As respects the fifth improvement we claim the working of the healds by
means of a treddle or treddles not in immediate contact with the tappet or
tappets, but connected to a lever or levers acted upon by the said tappet or
tappets in such a manner that the relative lengths of the respective lever arms

page_text: can be varied at discretion for the purpose of regulating the depth of
the shed.
And, as respects the sixth improvement, we claim the mode of deriving the
shedding movements of the healds from the vibrations of a treddle or lever
actuated by a revolving cam or tappet, imparting motion thereto in alternate
directions, as herein-before described and explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Catlow, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
CHRISTOPHER CATLOW. (LS.)
Signed and sealed by the said Christopher
Catlow in the presence of
JN TAYLER, Patent Agent,
Manchester.