IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING BAGE, SACKS, AND TUBULAR FABRICS, AND IN THE ADAPTATION OR ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Laird, the younger, of the Firm of William
Laird and Company, Manufacturers, and William Rutherford,
Manager to the said Firm, both of the Town and County of Forfar,
North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING BAGE,
SACKS, AND TUBULAR FABRICS, AND IN THE ADAPTATION OR ARRANGEMENT OF
MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR.
"
Sealed the 21st July 1874, and dated the 16th April 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Laird and
'William Rutherford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 16th April 1874.
We, JOHN LAIRD, the younger, of the Firm of William Laird and
Company, Manufacturers, and WILLIAM RUTHERFORD, Manager to the
said Firm, both of the Town and County of Forfar, North Britain, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WEAVING BAGS, SACKS, AND TUBULAR FABRICS, AND IN THE ADAPTATION OR
ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is
to say:―
mhin Invantion has for its chient to effect the weaving of bags, sacks.

page_text: and tubular or duplex textile fabrics in looms wherein the necessary
shedding operations of the warp are effected by "dobbie machines.
"
"
In order to weave bags in a loom provided with an ordinary "dobbie
the pattern barrel or chain of perforated or pegged cards have their
perforations or pegs so arranged as to draw up in succession those leaves
of the camb, heddles, or healds, which are required to produce the
necessary shedding of the warp for weaving the articles or fabrics
herein-before mentioned, the downward pull on those leaves of the
camb, heddles, or healds, which are not lifted being effected by springs
or weights.
Under another mode of applying the "dobbie" machine for producing
the fabrics, to the weaving of which this Invention relates, two such
" dobbies" are employed, the vertical needles of one of which are tied
or connected to the upper side of the leaves of the camb, heddles, or
healds whilst the vertical needles of the other dobbie are tied to tho
under side of the leaves of the camb, heddles, or healds, and the two
dobbie machines are arranged to work so that those leaves of the
camb, heddles, or healds, which are not raised by the one dobbic
are pulled down by the other, thus dispensing with the use of springs
or weights, as under the first arrangement, and ensuring at all times
a constantly equal and positive tension of the warp and a positive
shedding action.
Under another mode of adapting dobbies for weaving bags, sacks,
or tubular fabrics, the machine is long enough to contain twice tho
number of needles contained in one of the ordinary dobbies applied
in either of the modes herein-before described, and one-half of these
needles being tied to the upper side of the leaves of the camb, heddles,
or healds, a set of two-armed levers or their equivalents being introduced
between the other half of the needles connecting them to the under side
of the leaves of the camb, heddles, or healds, so that whilst those needles
which are connected directly to the upper sides of the leaves of the
camb, heddles, or healds when moved by the lifting bar raise certain of
the leaves of the camb, heddles, or healds, the other half of the needles,
connected by means of the intervening two-armed levers to the under
side of the leaves of the camb, heddles, or healds, do by means of the said
intervening levers, although the needles are raised, produce a positive
pull downwards by virtue of the intervening two-armed levers.

page_text: The forming of the ends or sides of the bags is produced by weaving
the whole warp into strong single cloth at the required intervals
or distances apart, after the manner set forth in the Provisional
Specification of the said John Laird the younger, and the said William
Rutherford, No. 671%.
When weaving the whole warp into single cloth for the purpose of
uniting the side edges or forming the ends of bags or sacks it is
desirable to increase the drag on the warp. This is effected by means
of a lever for drawing up or tightening the drag mechanism, and this
lever or its equivalent is connected to the moveable bar through which
the ends of the horizontal needles of the "dobbie" protrude, so that as
the lever is moved to increase the drag that motion also raises or lowers
the aforesaid moveable bar, and therefore simultaneously with the increase
of the drag adjusts the horizontal needles of the "dobbie" opposite the
necessary set of pegs or perforations in the barrel or cards which produce
the shedding necessary for weaving the single cloth crossings which form
the ends or sides of the bags or sacks. This last feature of the Invention
is also applicable to the incchanism described in the aforesaid Provisional
Specification, No. 671".
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Laird and William Rutherford in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 15th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
LAIRD the younger, of the Firm of William Laird and Company,
Manufacturers, and WILLIAM RUTHERFORD, Manager to the said Firm,
both of the Town and County of Forfar, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and soventy-four, in the 37th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said John Laird and William Rutherford,
Her special license that we, the said John Laird and William.
Rutherford, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Laird and William Rutherford, our executors,

page_text: that those leaves of the "camb,"
"
heddles," or "healds," which are
not raised by the one "dobbie" are pulled down by the other, thus
dispensing with the use of weights or springs as under the first arrange.
ment and ensuring at all times a constantly equal and positive tension
of the warp and a positive shedding action.
66
Under another mode of adapting "dobbies" for weaving bags, sacks,
or tubular fabrics, the machine is made to contain twice the number of
needles employed in an ordinary "dobbic " machine applied in either of
the modes herein-before described, and one-half of these needles are tied
to the upper side of the leaves of the "camb," "heddles," or "healds,"
a set of two-armed levers or their equivalents being introduced between
the other half of the needles connecting them to the under side of the
leaves of the "camb," "heddles," or 'healds," so that whilst those
needles which are connected directly to the upper sides of the leaves of
the "camb," "heddles," or healds," when moved by the lifting bar
raise certain of the leaves of the "camb," "heddles," or healds,"
the other half of the needles connected by means of the inter-
vening two-armed levers to the under side of the leaves of the
camb," "heddles," or "healds," do by means of the said inter-
vening levers, although the needles are raised, produce a positive pull
downwards.
"
"
The forming of the ends or sides of the bags is effected by weaving the
whole warp
into strong single cloth at the required intervals or distances
apart after the manner set forth in the Specifications of the said John
Laird and the said William Rutherford, Nos. 3508, A.D. 1873, and
671, A.D. 1874.
When weaving the whole warp into single cloth for the purpose of
uniting the sides, edges, or ends of bags or sacks, it is desirable to
increase the drag on the warp. This is effected by means of a lever for
drawing up or tightening the drag mechanism, and this lever or its
equivalent is connected to the moveable bar through which the ends of
the horizontal needles of the "dobbie" protrude, so that as the lever
is moved to increase the drag the same movement raises or lowers the
aforesaid moveable bar, and therefor simultaneously with the increase of
the drag the horizontal needles of the "dobbie are adjusted opposite
the necessary set of pegs or perforations on the barrel or cards which
produce the shedding necessary for weaving the single cloth crossings
"

page_text: which form the ends or sides of the bags or sacks. This last feature of
the Invention is also applicable to the mechanism described in the
aforesaid Specifications, Nos. 3508, A.D. 1873, and 671, A.D. 1874.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood we
now proceed more particularly to describe and set forth the system,
mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used or
carried practically into effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet
of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 on the said Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation of a power
loom with portions of the front removed in order that the application of
our Invention thereto may be more distinctly seen; Figure 2 is a sidé
elevation of the loom at right angles to Figure 1. As shewn by these
Figures the loom is provided with an ordinary "dobbie" machine with
a single top lifting bar A, by the action of which the leaves of the
"camb," "heddles," or "healds" (which for brevity we shall herein-
after term " leaves") are lifted. The mechanism of the loom here
shewn, with a method of weaving tubular or duplex fabrics but in
connection with an improved "dobbie" machine, having been already
fully described in the previous Specification of Letters Patent, No. 3508,
A.D. 1873, granted to us, we shall in the present description refer only
to those parts of the mechanism having directly to do with our present
Invention.
The top lifting bar A is provided as shewn to act upon four vertical
needles a, b, c, d, each of which is connected to its corresponding leaf
of the leaves " a¹, b, c, d, by means of cords which are attached to
the upper sides of the said "leaves" while to the under sides thereof are
attached springs B acting in a direction contrary to the pull of the
vertical needles a, b, c, d; or in lieu of springs weights may be
employed for the purposes of this Invention. The leaves a¹, b¹, c¹, d¹,
being thus stretched between the opposing forces of the springs B and
the vertical needles a, b, c, d, are always in a state of tension, and a
positive shedding action of the warp is produced while weaving bags,
sacks, and tubular or duplex fabrics.
A continuous tension of the "leaves" and a positive shedding action
of the warp may also be obtained by the employment of two single
lifting bar "dobbie" machines (not shown on the Drawings) the vertical
needles a of one of which are connected to the upper side of the

page_text: "leaves" A (Figure 3), whilst those of the other act upon cords
passed around pullies B, situate beneath the "leaves," which cords are
attached to the under side of the "leaves" A so that the lifting bars of
the "dobbie" machines being set to act alternately with one another
5 the leaves A are thus stretched between them and a positive and equable
tension and shedding action is produced.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate another arrangement of mechanism for
obtaining the same result. As shewn by these Figures double the
number of vertical needles are introduced into the "dobbie "machine one-
half of which, viz., those marked a, b, c, d, are attached directly to the
upper sides of the "leaves" a', b', c¹, d³, whilst the other half, viz., those
marked e, f, g, h, are connected by cords to the ends of the two armed
levers e, f, g, h, situate beneath the "leaves" and hinged upon a
pin B, the other ends of the said levers being attached to the under sides
of the "leaves" a¹, b, c, d, so that though the upper lifting bar A
should rise by virtue of the intervening double levers herein-before
described, a downward pull is produced upon the "leaves" by the
action of those needles connected to the said levers, the "leaves" being
lifted by the needles attached directly to the upper side thereof, so that
by the action of these opposing forces the "leaves," are kept in a stato
of constant and equable tension..
The last feature of our Invention, that is to say, the apparatus
whereby the drag upon the warp is increased and the horizontal needles
of the "dobbie" machine shifted by one and the same movement, is
shewn applied to the loom illustrated at Figures 1 and 2. It consists
of a two armed lever C provided at one end with a handle, and moveable
upon a pin or stud D. That end of the lever C opposite from the handlo
is attached by a jaw link P to the lever E; the lever E is connected by
a pin F to the framework of the loom, and at the end thereof is placed a
weight G; the drag chain is attached to a ring passing through-an eye
formed in the lever E, and is passed around the drag pulley I fixed to
the axis of the warp 'beam H.
Between the handle of the lever C and the fulcrum D thereof a
connecting rod J is attached, whereby through the lever C, the two armed
lever K situate above the " dobbie" and carried on the pin x is raised
and lowered. The lever K. is carried on a bracket L bolted to a cross
bar M on the "dobbic" machine, and its extremity opposite from that

page_text: simultaneously, as herein-before described and shewn at Figures 1 and 2
of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rutherford, on behalf
of myself and the said John Laird, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-four.
WILLIAM RUTHERFORD. (L.S.)