CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING.
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Eccles, of the Patent Heald Superseding
Company, Limited, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for
the Invention of “CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Eccles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1871.
I, JAMES ECCLES, of the Patent Heald Superseding Company, Limited,
of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING,"
to be as follows:-
The Invention relates, first, to further improvements upon Letters
Patent granted to Joseph Holding and James Eccles, on the Twenty-
sixth day of July 1869, Number 2260, and is designed for the purpose of
perfecting the action of the mechanism therein described employed for
shedding, and consists in governing the oscillatory motion of the shedding
wires by connecting the bar supporting the shedding wires by means of
a link and stud with a curved slot formed in a bracket secured to the

page_text: loom frame so that when the stud of such link is actuated to run in the
said slot through the medium of a crank or other equivalent it will
transmit to the bearing points of the wires supporting the yarns a
vertical rise when shedding, effecting thereby reduced friction when in
action.
Secondly. The improvements relate to an arrangement of mechanism
designed to relieve the eyes of the heald from the weight or strain of the
warp threads when "
shedding," and consists in placing between the
warp threads forming the top and bottom portions of the shed a bar
parallel with the leese rods and near to the back bearer; this bar is con-
nected by links with another rod placed underneath the warp threads,
and is actuated by a connecting rod and treddle through the medium of
a revolving tappet or cam to give a slight vibratory motion to the rod
between the warps, giving thereby an extra tension to the warps forming
the top portion of the shed at the time of closing in the weft, thereby
producing a superior cover upon the cloth.
In order to produce an equality of tension to the warps when shedding
I cause the breast beam or front bearer to be made loose, that is free
from any connection with the side frame of the loom; this rest is
supported by rods connected with cranks or other equivalent on a shaft
or other motive power acting simultaneously with the crank shaft,
the object of which is to allow with the to-and-fro motions of the
"breast beam" an uniformity of tension to the warps when shedding and
closed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Eccles in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th August 1871.
* TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
ECOLES, of the Patent Heald Superseding Company, Limited, of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Eccles, my executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Eccles, my
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 for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition, amongst others,
that I, the said James Eccles, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 I, the said James Eccles, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the first place of further improvements in
the Invention for which Letters Patent bearing date the Twenty-sixth of
July, in the year One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, have been
granted to myself conjointly with a certain Joseph Holding.
The present Invention has for its object to improve the action of
the mechanism employed to produce the "shed" in the said former
Invention, and consists in governing the oscillatory motion of the
shedding wires" by causing a stud carried by the bar which supports
the said wires to work to and fro in a curved slot formed in a bracket
secured to the frame of the loom.
The remaining portion of my Invention has for its object to relieve
the eyes of the healds from a great part of the weight or strain of the
warp ends or threads when "shedding," and consists in placing a rod or
bar between the ends or threads, which when separated form a "shed,"
and in imparting an intermittent vibratory movement to the said rod
or bar, the effect being to increase the tension of the "ends" or
threads forming the upper portion of the "shed" at the time of closing
5 in the weft. In order to equalise the tension of the warps during
the shedding I so mount the breast beam as that a vibratory move-

page_text: ment may be imparted to it so that it may move inwards slightly as the
shed is being formed.
And in order that the Invention may be fully understood reference
will here be made to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings made about
one quarter of the full size, wherein Fig. 1 is a cross sectional elevation
of a loom illustrative of the first part of my Invention, and Fig. 2 is a
front view, and Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections of the shedding
apparatus to which the said first part relates. In the said Figs. a, a,
are the shedding wires attached to the bar b, each end of which bar is
sustained by an arm c fixed or formed on the vibrating shaft d, the ends
of the said bar being loosely mounted in the said arms. An arm or link e
is fixed near one end of the said bar and a stud, bowl, or projection
formed, fixed, or mounted on the said arm or link enters the curved slot
represented as having been formed in the bracket f which is bolted to
one of the end frames of the loom. A pulley g is fixed on the shaft d
and to the said pulley is fixed a strap h, or the ends of two straps, the
ends of the said strap or the other ends of the two straps or of cords or
other equivalents attached thereto extending to and being connected with
the treadles i and j which are alternately depressed by the tappets k, k,
fixed on the tappet shaft 7. The said alternate depression of the
treadles imparts a vibratory or rocking movement to the shaft d by
means of the said strap or straps, which movement causes the stud or
bowl carried by the arm e to slide in the aforesaid curved slot, the ends
of the bar b rocking slightly in the arms c, c, and the movement of the
shedding wires being governed by the combined action of the shaft d
and of the arm e, the said wires are caused to assume the positions
required to effect the shedding. In Fig. 1 the said wires are represented
in the intermediate position assumed when the weft is being beaten
up or " closed in." In Fig. 3 the said wires are in the position as when
the shed is fully opened for a pick, and in Fig. 4, as when opened for the
next pick, the aforesaid stud or bowl having moved from the lower to
the upper end of the curved slot during the change in the position of the
wires.
Fig. 5 represents a cross sectional elevation of a loom to which the
remaining portion of my Invention has been applied, and Fig. 6 is a
plan of a portion of the back part of the said loom. In the said Figures
m is a shaft fitted to work in bearings attached to the loom framing
.

page_text: and n is a rod which is connected by each end to the said shaft by means
of two arms, one of which is shewn at o. The said rod is inserted
between the warp threads as in the case of the "leash rods," so that the
"ends" which are lifted for one pick pass over the rod, the ends to be
lifted for the next pick passing under the said rod. On the shaft m is
fixed or formed a lever p which is connected by the rod or link q with
the lever or treadles which carries a bowl which is acted upon by a
snail cam of a form suitable to slightly raise the lever s for the
"beat up" of one pick, and to depress the said lever for the "beat up"
of the next pick, the said movements of the lever causing a corresponding
rise and fall of the rod n, whereby the "ends" which are lifted for each
pick are tightened, thus increasing the tension of the said ends, thereby
producing a superior cover upon the cloth. The breast beam" u is
attached to and supported by a rocking bar which is mounted in
bearings formed in or attached to the framing. On the said bar is fixed
or formed the arm or lever w which is connected by the rod or link x
with an arm y projecting from the lower part of one of the "sley
swords," or from the cross bar connecting the said sley swords. When
the "sley" is in action a rocking movement is imparted to the bar vand
a vibratory movement to the breast beam so that when the sley is
moving back and the shed is being opened the said breast beam moves
towards the said sley and thereby eases the tension on the warp threads,
and on the contrary when the sley is moving forwards to beat up the
weft the breast beam moves in a direction from the sley, thereby.
increasing the tension on the warp threads.
It will be seen that the effect of the arrangement is to greatly lessen
the strain upon the healds, the breast beam "giving way" during the
opening of the shed, and the tightening of the warp threads being only
effected at the time when the shed is usually closed.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and methods of
carrying the same into practical effect, I would in conclusion have it
to be understood that what I desire to claim is,-
First. The method of governing the motions of the "shedding wires,"
substantially as described and illustrated herein, and in the accompanying
Drawings.
And lastly. The combination of parts designed to relieve the strain
upon the healds arranged and acting substantially as herein set forth

page_text: when describing the latter portion of my Invention, and as illustrated by
Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Eccles, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Signed and sealed by the
said James Eccles, in the
presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent for the Patentee,
3, Smithy Door,
Manchester.
JAMES ECCLES. (L.S.)