IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Erastus Brigham Bigelow, of Boston, United States
of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS."
Sealed the 1st March 1867, and dated the 19th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th October 1866. .
I, ERASTUS BRIGHAM BIGELOW, of Boston, United States of America, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER
Looms," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the operation of one or more.
series of shuttles in power looms, and also to give a greater range in the number
of shuttles which may be used and in the order in which they may be changed.
For this purpose the shuttle boxes are disconnected from the lay and supported.
by suitable framework at the sides of the loom.
The improvements comprised in this Invention relate, first, to the mode of
constructing and operating the lay of the loom, whereby the reed-and the
shuttle race are detached from the moving parts of the lay to prevent breaking.
of the machinery when the shuttle fails to properly enter the shuttle box.
Secondly, to the mode of constructing, arranging, and operating the shuttle.
boxes and of throwing the shuttles..
Thirdly, to the mode of stopping the loom when the shuttle fails to properly:
noss from box to box.

page_text: Fourthly, to the mode of giving tension to the weft threads to make smooth
and even cloth, and of stopping the loom when the weft fails.
The construction and operation of the lay may be understood as follows:-
The shuttle boxes, as before stated, being detached from the lay, it is necessary
that the reed and shuttle race should be in a state of rest in an even plane]
with the shuttle boxes when the shuttles are thrown, and that provision should
be made to prevent breakage of the machinery in case a shuttle protrudes from
its box into the path of the lay. The lay therefore is constructed with two
sets of swords, both of which may vibrate on the same axis; one set of the
swords carry the reed and the shuttle rare, while the other is connected by
suitable arms and cams with the lay shaft, from which the lay derives its
motion. The two sets of swords are held together by hooks or latches in such
a manner that as long as the shuttles properly enter the shuttle boxes they
move together in unison, but whenever a shuttle fails to properly enter its box
the said hooks or latches by the action of the shuttle protector rod are made
to release their hold and allow the swords which receive motion from the lay
shaft to move independently of the swords which carry the reed and shuttle
race, and leave the latter parts in a state of rest. The cams which move the
lay should be so formed as to allow the lay to rest for the passage of the
shuttle about one-half of the time of each operation of the loom. To ensure
the adjustment of the reed to the plane of the shuttle boxes, the swords which
carry it as they fall back to allow the shuttle to pass may be made to strike
against suitable stops affixed to the frame of the loom, springs being interposed
between the two parts of the lay to relieve the shock. In weaving fabrics for
which a sudden blow of the reed for beating up the weft is desired to avoid
breakage of the warps, the cams which operate the lay may be so formed as to
draw it back and hold it in position while the shuttle is being passed, and then
set it free to be suddenly drawn forward to beat up the weft by the action of the
springs. To assist in supporting the shuttle boxes and to support the shuttles as
they pass from the shuttle boxes to the shuttle race of the lathe a table-formed
plate is placed at each side of the loom, which for convenience of construction
are connected together by two girths, one of which extends across the loom back
of the lay, while the other constitutes the breast beam of the loom, the whole
being cast together in one piece. The upper surfaces of these table-formed
plates are suitably finished, the parts over which the shuttle passes being
formed in the same plane as the shuttle race of the lay. The number of the
series of the shuttle boxes to be used, and the number of the shuttle boxes in
each of the series, may be varied to meet the requirements of the cloth to be
wrought. For weaving cloth of simple texture and figure.two series of shuttle

page_text: boxes only are used, one on either side of the loom, which are moved upward
and downward to effect the required changes of shuttles, and are guided in
position by suitable guides affixed to the before-mentioned table-formed plates,
but for complex fabrics, such, for example, as the more intricate styles of
Scotch or ingrain carpeting, a more extended arrangement of shuttle boxes is
required, which consists on each side of the loom of two horizontal boxes and
a numerous series of vertical boxes or shuttle holders, the foriner of which
to effect their changes are moved forwards and backwards, and the latter
upwards and downwards. The horizontal boxes are guided and supported by
guides affixed to the before-mentioned table-formed plates, while the vertical
boxes or shuttle holders are placed in front of the horizontal boxes and guided
by upright stands slightly inclined backwards to conform the boxes or shuttle
holders to the inclination of the reed when the lay is in its backward position
and the shuttles are thrown. The shuttles carried by the series of boxes or
shuttle holders are not thrown across the loom directly from said boxes or
shuttle holders, but are successively pushed sidewise into the forward one
of the horizontal shuttle boxes before alluded to and thrown from that. To
allow the shuttles to be thus pushed from the series of boxes or holders to the
single box, and vice versâ, the said series of boxes or holders are made like a
series of shelves without ledges on the edges thereof, which lie towards said
single box, so that the shuttles may be pushed from one to the other without
obstruction. Above and below said single box a stationary guard plate is
placed behind the series of boxes to keep the shuttles which are not in use
from falling out. The horizontal shuttle boxes may be made with no other
bottom than the table-formed plates on which they slide. Their rear side
pieces are provided with shuttle binders, and the front side piece of the
forward box is bent round in such a form as to act on the front sides of the
series of shuttles, and at the same time clear the stands which guide aud
support the series of shuttle holders. When the horizontal shuttle boxes are
moved forward to bring the rear one into line with the reed for action, the
series of shuttle holders with their shuttles may be moved up and down freely
between the rear side piece of the forward horizontal box and the bent front
side piece just described, and it is in this stage of the operation of the loom
that the changes of the series of the shuttles are effected; but when the
horizontal shuttle boxes are moved backward to bring the front one into a line
with the reed for action, its bent front side piece passes between the shelves
of the series of shuttle holders, and takes or slides the shuttle to be thrown
along with it into the required position. In using this arrangement of shuttle
boxes to its full capacity the movements of the horizontal boxes should

page_text: alternate, that is, the boxes which are at one side of the loom should be
moved forward while those at the other are being moved backwards, and
vice versa, in order that the series of shuttle holders on either side of the
loom may work in connection with the rear horizontal box on the opposite
side of the loom. Take for illustration a two-ply Scotch or ingrain carpet
in which both of the plys of the cloth are made of differently colored weft, and
suppose that the shuttles carrying the various colors of weft for the ground
ply are put into the series of shuttle holders on one side of the loom, and the
shuttles carrying the various colors of weft for the figured ply are put
into the series of shuttle holders on the other side of the loom, and suppose
further that the horizontal boxes are in the required position and a ground
ply shuttle is thrown, the horizontal boxes are then moved in one direction
and a figured ply shuttle thrown; then said boxes are moved in the other
direction and the ground ply shuttle thrown; thus the ground ply shuttle
and the figured ply shuttle are alternately thrown one after the other, and so
long as only the horizontal boxes are moved no other change of shuttles takes
place. But when a change of color is required in the weft of the ground ply
the series of shuttle holders carrying the ground ply shuttles is made to move
up or down, as the case may be, and bring a new shuttle into action, and the
same with respect to the shuttle holders carrying the figured ply shuttles.
From this it will be seen that as many different colors may be put into each
of the plys of the cloth as there are shuttle boxes or holders in their respective
series. The capacity of the loom may be still further increased by working a
series of boxes or shuttle holders in connection with the rear horizontal boxes
in the same manner as is above described for working a series of boxes or
shuttle holders with the front horizontal box. The horizontal shuttle boxes
are moved backwards and forwards by a cam acting in appropriate relation to
the movements of the lay, which cam is connected with the shuttle boxes by
suitable shafts and levers, an important part of which consists of a yielding
connection for preventing breakage of the machinery when the picker staff or
any other object is interposed to obstruct the free movement of the shuttle
boxes. This yielding connection is formed by two levers which are pressed
together by the action of springs and grasps a stud or roller which plys between
them, notches being formed in the sides of the levers to receive the stud or
roller at the acting point of connection. While only the proper resistance of
the shuttle boxes is to be overcome the stud or roller remains in the notches
just mentioned, but otherwise the levers give way and allow the roller to
yield.
The series of boxes or shuttle holders which operate in connection with

page_text: either of the horizontal shuttle boxes, and which are changed at varied
intervals of time, are operated as follows:-A chain is attached to the upper
part of the frame, which supports the shelves of the shuttle holders and passes
around a pulley on a shaft having a pin wheel affixed to it, which pin wheel is
so adjusted that by moving it. the distance between any two of the pins moves
the shuttle holders the distance of one holder, so that by moving the pin wheel
in one direction the shuttle holders are raised, and in the opposite direction
they are depressed. The weight of the shuttle holders and shuttles is counter-
balanced by a weight, and when the shuttle holders are at rest they are held
in position by a brake or bar pressing against the pins of the pin wheel. To
turn the pin wheel to raise or depress the shuttle holders two hooks, one on
either side of the axis of the pin wheel, are made to move up and down at
each throw of the shuttle by a cam or crank on the lay shaft, which hooks
are held out of contact with the pins of the pin wheel by weights applied in
such a manner that as long as they draw the hooks away from the pins no
movement of the shuttle holders takes place, but whenever either of said
weights is lifted the book which it liberates engages with a pin on the pin
wheel, and raises or depresses the shuttle holders, as the case may be.
To cause the shuttle holders to be moved either up or down it is only necessary
to lift the corresponding weight which acts on the hook and allow it to engage.
with the pins on the pin wheel as just explained. These weights are lifted
by a cord connected with the jacquard machine, so that the shuttles in the
shuttle holders may be changed at will by cutting corresponding holes in the
pattern card. It is important in this case, as well as in moving the horizontal
shuttle boxes, that in order to prevent breakage the hooks which move the
shuttle bolders should be connected with the moving power by a yielding con-
nection. The two series of shuttle boxes which are employed for weaving
cloth of simple texture and figure may be operated by a cam moving con-
tinuously, or by one which shall have an intermittent movement, which
intermittent movement may be regulated by the jacquard machine, a chain,
or by pins inserted according to the pattern required in a wheel suitably
constructed for the purpose, the yielding connection being employed to prevent
The shuttles are thrown by picker
breakage, as in the preceding cases.
staffs, which are placed under the horizontal shuttle boxes at the sides of the
luom, and play in slots in the table-formed plates before mentioned, and are
operated by a cam or roller on the cam shaft. The picker staffs are suspended
by rods.and levers in such manner as to cause their upper ends to move on
nearly a horizontal plane, so that pickers and picker rods are not employed.
A spring lever is employed to arrest the shuttles at a proper place in the

page_text: shuttle box, which falls back after the shuttle is stopped to allow the picker
staff to clear the points of the shuttles so as not to obstruct the movement of
the shuttle boxes when they are changed. To stop the loom and release the
hooks or latches which hold the two sets of swords of the lay together when
the shuttle fails to properly enter the shuttle box a shaft or protecting rod is
placed back of the lay, which extends across the loom from side to side just
under or above the warps, as may be most convenient. This shaft or pro-
tecting rod has several arms affixed to and extending from it; two of them
act on the shuttle binders, one is connected with the hooks or latches just
mentioned, another is connected with the shipping apparatus which stops the
loom, and another receives motion from a cam on the lay shaft.
The parts above specified are so adjusted with respect to each other that if
the shuttle properly enters its shuttle box the shaft or protecting rod is held
from turning by the shuttle binder, and produces no effect; but whenever a
shuttle fails to enter its shuttle box the shaft or protecting rod is turned by
the action of a spring or weight, stops the loom and releases the hooks or
latches which hold the swords of the lay together, and thus prevent injury to
the warps or to the machinery.
To give tension to the weft and to stop the loom when the weft threads fail
a shaft is placed across the loom near the shaft or protecting rod just referred
to, which also receives motion from a cam on the lay shaft, and carries two
arms, one for each side of the loom, which terminate in the form of a three-
tined fork. In the table-formed plates before described a grid or series of
slots are formed corresponding to the three-tined forks. On each shot of weft
thrown these forks or one of them falls and holds it in position, while the lay
by its forward movement gives to it the required tension. If the weft fails
from any cause the three-tined forks pass through the slots or grid in the
table-formed plates, and allows the shaft to which they are affixed to turn a
sufficient distance to throw the loom out of gear.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed s
by the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ERASTUS
BRIGHAM BIGELOW, of Boston, United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord

page_text: :
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
eign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
he said Erastus Brigham Bigelow, Her special licence that I, the said
Erastus Brigham Bigelow, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow, my exccutors, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly. describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 I, the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow, do hereby
.declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the operation of one or more
series of shuttles in power looms, and also to give a greater range in the
number of shuttles which may be used, and in the order in which they may
be changed. For this purpose the shuttle boxes are disconnected from the
lay, and supported by suitable framework at the sides of the loom.
The improvements comprised in this Invention relate, first, to the mode of
constructing and operating the lay of the loom, whereby the reed and the
shuttle race are detached from the moving parts of the lay to prevent
breaking of the machinery when the shuttle fails to properly enter the
shuttle box.
Secondly, to the mode of constructing, arranging, and operating the shuttle
boxes and of throwing the shuttles. The construction and operation of the
lay may be understood as follows:-The shuttle boxes, as before stated, being
5 detached from the lay it is necessary that the reed and shuttle race should be
in a state of rest in an even plane with the shuttle boxes when the shuttles are
thrown, and that provision should be made to prevent breakage of the
machinery in case a shuttle protrudes from its box into the path of the lay
The lay therefore is constructed with two sets of swords, both of which ma

page_text: .
'vibrate on the same axis. One set of the swords carry the reed and the
shuttle race, while the other is connected by suitable arms and cams with the
lay shaft from which the lay derives its motion. The two sets of swords are
held together by hooks or latches in such a manner that as long as the
shuttles properly enter the shuttle boxes they move together in unison, but
whenever a shuttle fails to properly enter its box the said hooks or latches by
the action of the shuttle protector rod are made to release their hold, and
allow the swords which receive motion from the lay shaft to move in-
dependently of the swords which carry the reed and shuttle race, and leave
-the latter parts in a state of rest. The cams which move the lay should be so
formed as to allow the lay to rest for the passage of the shuttle about one-half
of the time of each operation of the loom. To ensure the adjustment of the
reed to the plane of the shuttle boxes the swords which carry it as they fall
'back to allow the shuttle to pass may be made to strike against suitable stops
affixed to the frame of the loom, springs being interposed between the two
'parts of the lay to relieve the shock.
At Figures 1 and 2 is shown a lay constructed as above described, with
two sets of swords connected with one another by a latch lever, which if the
'shuttle fails to pass correctly from box to box, is tripped by the action of the
shuttle protector, so that the swords carrying the reed and shuttle box shall
not be moved forwards. By the use of such an arrangement the ends of the
shuttle boxes may be brought comparatively close up to the lay, but when the
ends of the boxes are at some distance from the lay, as in the Drawing of a
loom hereunto annexed, no such arrangement is required, as in this case no
injury would arise even should a shuttle project slightly into the race at the
time of the beat up.
Figure 1 is an end view, and Figure 2 a front view of one end of the lay;
in these Figures a, a', are the two sets of swords; the swords a carry the reed
and shuttle race, and also carry the latch levers 6 which hook over the front
edges of the swords a'. The swords a¹ have a to-and-fro motion imparted to
them from the cams c; the cams shown are double cams, which act both to
move forward and bring back the lay, as described in the Provisional Spe-
cification of a Patent applied for by me on the 26th day of March 1867,
No. 888, but other arrangements may be adopted. The cams are made to
hold the lay stationary in its rearmost position during the time a shuttle is
being thrown and also whilst the protector rod is acting.
move forward the swords a¹ the swords a will be moved forward with them if
the latch lever b has not been tripped; but if the shuttle fails to pass correctly
from box to box, the axis d, which is connected with the protector, will be
When the cams

page_text: upper
ends
caused to turn, as will presently be described; the turning of the axis d
depresses the rod d and trips the latch lever b before the swords a¹ are moved
forward by the cam c, so that when the swords a' are moved forward the
swords a carrying the reed and shuttle race will remain at rest, and
thus no injury will arise even if the shuttle be still projecting into the race.
The turning of the axis d at the same time stops the loom, as will presently be
described. In order to ensure the shuttle race on the lay being brought
opposite the shuttle boxes when a shuttle is to be thrown, and to relieve the
latch lever 6 from any strain, so that it may readily be tripped, the backward
movement of the set of swords a which carry the race is arrested by a spring
stop, whilst the swords a¹ are still further moved back by their cams c.
Springs e are attached at their lower ends to the swords a, and the
of the springs press against a rod f, which connects together the upper ends of
the two swords a¹; this spring will thus press the swords a against the stops
that arrested their backward movement. In place of the above-described
arrangement for causing the protector to act on the latch lever other
arrangements may be employed. To assist in supporting the shuttle boxes,
and to support the shuttles as they pass from the shuttle boxes to the shuttle
race of the lay, a table-formed plate is placed at each side of the loom, which
for convenience of construction are connected together by girths which extend
across the loom, the whole being cast together in one pièce. The upper
surfaces of these table-formed plates are suitably finished, the parts over which
the shuttle passes being formed in the same plane as the shuttle race of the
lay. The number of the series of the shuttle boxes to be used, and the
number of the shuttle boxes in each of the series, may be varied to meet the
requirements of the cloth to be wrought.
For weaving cloth of simple texture and figure two series of shuttles boxes
'only are used, one on either side of the loom, which are moved upwards and
'downwards to effect the required changes of shuttles, and are guided in
position by suitable guides affixed to the before-mentioned table-formed plates.
This arrangement is shown in Figures 8, 4, and 5 of the Drawings hereunto
annexed, Figure 3 being a horizontal section taken above the table-formed
plate, Figure 4 a part front view, and Figure 5 à vertical section. In these
Figures is shown one of the table-formed plates, which is marked a, there
5 being one such plate at each side of the loom; bare the vertical shuttle boxes,
which rise and fall in guides attached to the plate. Each box is provided
with shuttle binders, as is usual when employing rising and falling boxes,
which move with the lay. c, c, are the picker rods, on which the picker d
'slides to and fro; the picker acts on the shuttle in the box brought opposite

page_text: to it in the same way as when the boxes and picker move with the lay, so that
it is unnecessary to describe their action. The portion of the plate a which
comes between the shuttle boxes and the shuttle race on the lay is on the
same plane as the race when the lay which carries it is in its rearmost position,
and in this position it is held at rest during the time the shuttle is being
thrown; this portion of the plate also carries a guide a¹, which guides the
shuttle into the race. Slots a are also shown to be formed in the plate, with
which works a fork for putting tension on the weft and for detecting if the
filling of weft be complete, as will be presently described. The series of shuttle
boxes working in connection with the table-formed plates just described may
be caused to rise and fall according to the changes of shuttle required by any
.ordinary mode employed for operating rising and falling shuttle boxes, which
swing with the lay as is usual. In place of the changeable reciprocating
shuttle boxes being moved vertically, they may have a reciprocating horizontal
motion given to them.
For weaving complex fabrics, such, for example, as the more intricate styles
of Scotch or ingrain carpeting, a more extended arrangement for effecting
the required changes of the sbuttles is required than can be obtained by the
arrangement above described. According to this part of my Invention I apply
on each side of the loom two horizontal boxes working in combination with
a numerous scries of vertical shuttle holders, the former of which to effect
their changes are moved forwards and backwards, and the latter upwards
and downwards. The horizontal boxes are guided and supported by guides
affixed to the before-mentioned table-formed plates, while the vertical shuttle
holders are placed in front of the horizontal boxes, and guided by upright
stands slightly inclined backwards to conform the shuttle holders to the
inclination of the reed when the lay is in its backward position and the
shuttles are thrown. The reserve shuttles carried, by the series of shuttle
holders. are not thrown across the loom directly from said shuttle holders,
but are successively pushed sidewise into the forward one of the horizontal
shuttle boxes before alluded to, and thrown from that. To allow the shuttles
to be thus pushed from the series of holders to the single box, and vice versa,
the said series of holders are made like a series of shelves without ledges on
the edges thereof, which lie towards said single box so that the shuttles may
be pushed from one to the other without obstruction. Above and below said
single box a stationary guard plate is placed behind the series of shuttle
bolders to keep the shuttles which are not in use from falling out. The
horizontal shuttle boxes may be made with no other bottom than the table-
formed plates on which they slide. Their rear side pieces are provided with

page_text: shuttle binders, and the front side piece of the forward box is bent round
in such a form as to act on the front sides of the series of shuttles and at
the same time clear the stands which guide and support the series of shuttle
holders. When the horizontal shuttle boxes are moved forward to bring the
rear one into line with the reed for action the series of shuttle holders with
their shuttles may be moved up and down freely between the rear side piece
of the forward horizontal box and the bent front side piece just described, and
it is in this stage of the operation of the loom that the changes of the series
of the shuttles are effected; but when the horizontal shuttle boxes are moved
backward to bring the front one in a line with the reed for action, its bent
front side piece passes between the shelves of the series of shuttle holders, and
takes or slides the shuttle to be thrown along with it into the required position.
The capacity of the loom may be still further increased by working a series
of shuttle holders in connection with the rear horizontal boxes, in the same
manner as is above described for working a series of shuttle holders with the
front horizontal box.
•
In Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 is represented so much of a loom as is
necessary for showing the mannner in which I prefer to carry out this part
of my Invention; Figures 7 and 8 are end views of the loom, Figure 9.
is a front view, Figure 10 a plan, and Figure 11 a horizontal section of
the same.
In these Figures a is the warp beam, and 6 the cloth beam; the mode
of giving motion to these beams is not shown in the Drawing; I by pre-
ference employ for this purpose the arrangement described in the Specification
of a former Patent granted to me, dated 27th day of September 1866
(No. 2503), but other arrangements may be employed for the purpose;
c is the main or driving axis of the loom, which axis at the end of the
loom shown in Figure 8 has motion imparted to it, by preference, by a
friction arrangement such as is described in the above-mentioned Specifi-
cation, so that the loom may quickly be thrown out of gear, the shipping and
unshipping mechanism employed for the purpose is also by preference similar to
that described in the same Specification. On the main shaft c is a pinion c¹;
which gears with a toothed wheel d¹ of twice its diameter that is fast on the
cam axis d, so that the cam axis d will make one revolution for every two.
revolutions of the main shaft c. The cam axis d carries the cams for
operating the jacquard machine; neither these cams or the jacquard machine
are shown in the Drawing, as the nature of them is well understood; the
axis & also carries the cams for working the horizontal shuttle boxes from
which the shuttles, are thrown as will be presently described. On the main

page_text: shaft c are the double cams e¹ for working the lay, which is marked 6,
and the cams f¹ for working the picker staffs, which are marked f; this shaft
also carries at one end a crank g (see Figure 7), which is for raising or lower-
ing the rising and falling shuttle holders, as will presently be described. The
cams e' for working the lay are formed in the manner described in a Provisional
Specification to a Patent applied for by me on the 26th day of March 1867
(No. 883), so that the lay is for a time held stationary by the cain itself during
the time the shuttle is thrown. In the arrangement shown in the Drawings
the cams f¹ throw forward both picker staffs simultaneously, so that if there
be a shuttle for either of the pickers to act on, it will be thrown at whichever
side of the loom the shuttle may be. In place of this arrangement the pickers
may be actuated in the manner described in the Provisional Specification above
alluded to, so that the one picker staff only which is required to act may be
operated by its cam at the time required. The picker staffs are suspended-by
rods and levers in such manner as to cause their upper ends to move nearly on
a horizontal line, so that pickers and picker rods are not employed; the picker
stuffs are thrown forward by straps which connect them with the levers f³
which are acted on by the cams f, and they are brought back by springs
against a stop lever f³, which is moved forward by a cam surface f* in such
manner as to stop the picker staff before it has quite completed its backward
motion; afterwards. when the movement of the shuttle has been thus arrested
the stop lever f³ is allowed to move back by its cam, and so allow the picker
to complete its backward motion and free itself from the point of the shuttle,
the shuttle will then be free to be moved sidewise by its box, and another
shuttle contained in another box may be brought into a line with the pickers;
h, h, are two table-formed plates, one at each side of the loom; these plates
are cast in one piece together with a girth which passes across the loom, as is
clearly seen in the plan view of these parts shown at Figure 12. The outer
ends of the plates h. are formed with descending flanges, by which they are
bolted to the outer standards & of the framing, and near the inner end of each
plate projections h¹ are formed, which are bolted to the inner standards y of
the framing. In each of the plates is a slot h³ in which the ends of the
picker staffs work, the picker staffs at the two sides of the loom being opposite
one another; k, k, are flat plates for supporting the rising and falling shuttle
holders; the plates do not meet one another, but a space is formed between
them through which the horizontal shuttle boxes work, as will be presently
described; the upper plate is carried by a girth which connects the upper end
of the standard a with the standard y of the framing, whilst the lower plate
is carried by a girth which connects the lower ends of the standards; i are
upper

page_text: he frames which form the shuttle holders, each frame is formed with vertical
ibs, which carry shelves or ledges i¹ on which the shuttles rest. At each of
he four corners of the frame is a projecting foot 2, which is slightly longer
han the shelves are wide and is on the same side of the frame as these
shelves;
these feet rest against the surface of the plates k, and they are held
down on to these plates by lugs 13 which pass behind the back of the plates;
the edges of the plates thus form guides for guiding the frames & in their up-
and-down movement. As the feet are longer than the shelves the shelves
do not bear against the plates h, but are at a slight distance from them, so
that the frames may rise or fall easily, and the plates h being in front of the
shelves they also form guard plates for keeping the shuttle on the shelves.
The frames i also carry plates through which holes are formed; there
being one such hole for each shelf, and through these holes the threads from
the sbuttles are led; the threads can be led into and out of these holes through
small slots passing from them to the edge of the plates, as is clearly seen in
the sectional view shown at Figure 18 (Sheet 1), this section being taken
close at the side of one of these thread guides. When a shuttle in either of
the front boxes is carried by the box on to one of the shelves of the holder
with which the box works the thread of the shuttle passes into the hole **
which comes opposite the end of that shelf, the thread being guided into the
slot leading to the hole by rounded guides h³ on the table-formed plates h,
these rounded guides being so formed as to come on each side of the plate **
which forms the thread guide, and similarly when a shuttle is moved out from
the holder by the shuttle box the thread passes out from the hole through
the same slot; the ends of the guides h³ which project beyond the edge of
the tables h are rounded at their upper and lower edges, so that when the
shuttle holders are raised or lowered the threads of the shuttles may not catch,
but slip readily over then. Each of the frames i is supported by a chain iº,
which passes over and gears with a chain wheel on an axis l, there being
one such axis on each side of the loom; the manner in which these axes are
carried is clearly shown by the Drawing. On the opposite end of each chain
is a counterbalance weight for balancing the weight of the frames i. Either
of the frames i can be caused to rise or fall a distance equal to the spaces
between the shelves at the time required for changing a shuttle by means of
pin wheels on the axes 1, in the manner shown at Figure 6. This arrange-
ment is fully described in the Specification of a Patent granted to me, dated
the 11th day of March 1846 (No. 11,128), the arrangement being there shown
for raising or lowering a series of shuttle boxes carried by pendulous swinging

page_text: frames at the sides of the loom. The hooks e are carried at the upper end of
a rod to which a rising and falling motion is imparted by a lever acted on by
a cam on the cam axis of the loom. Whilst the rod is descending both the
hooks can be kept from engaging with either of the pins on the pin wheel by
weighted cords acting on small levers f which hold the hooks outwards away
from the axis of the pin wheel, and then the pin wheel will not be turned in
either direction; but if before the rod descends either of these cords be raised,
then the hook which it before held out away from the axis will be drawn
inwards by a coiled spring f¹, and caused to engage with one of the pins of
the pin wheel, so that when the rod is caused to descend the hook engaging
with a pin on one or other side of the axis of the pin wheel will turn this
wheel, and so raise or lower the series of shuttles according as one or
other hook is so caused to engage with the pin wheel; when the pin wheel
has thus been turned a distance it will be held in its correct position by a flat
rod 9 pressed upwards by a spring g¹ bearing against the two lowest pins on the
pin wheel, as shown.
In place of this arrangement I however prefer to employ the arrangement
shown at Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, and which is described in the Provisional
Specification before mentioned; the arrangement is the same on both sides of
the loom, and consists in placing on each axis a toothed wheel 2, into which
gears a pinion m' on an axis m, there being one such axis at each side of the
loom. On each axis m are two other pinions m³, either of which can be
allowed to turn freely upon it, or be made fast therewith by being slid end wise
on the shaft, so as either to cause a projection m³ on the side of the pinion to
engage with a clutch pin m* on the shaft, or to disengage this projection from
the clutch pin. With the two pinions m² gear two toothed racks n', which
gear with opposite sides of the pinions, so that when the racks are simulta-
neously moved endwise one pinion will be caused to turn in one direction and
the other in the opposite direction. The racks have an upward and downward
movement given to them at each revolution of the shaft c by means of the
crank g upon it in the following manner :-The toothed racks at each end of the
loom are carried by lever arms n² on the axis n, which passes across the loom,
one of these arms by a connecting rod n³ is connected with the crank g; the
connecting rod is formed at its upper end with a spring clip, which clips a pin
on the end of the lever as shown, so that if either of the racks is unable to rise
or fall the clip will give way and the loom will not be injured. When it is
not desired either to raise or lower the frame i carrying the shuttles both
pinions are held back so as to be out of gear with the clutch pin m* on the

page_text: shaft m by weighted cords acting on one end of levers o, the opposite ends of
which are received in grooves in the bosses of the pinions, but when one or
other pinion is to be put in gear the weighted cord which before drew back its
lever is raised, a coiled spring around the axis of the lever then turns the lever
in the opposite direction to that. in which it was before drawn by its weighted
cord, and by so doing slides the pinion into gear with the clutch pin m*, so that
when the rack gearing with the pinion moves downwards the axis m will be
turned and the frame will either be raised or lowered a distance equal to the
distance between its shelves, according to which pinion it is that is thrown into
gear. When the frames have thus been moved the distance of one shelf either
up or down they are accurately brought to and maintained in their proper
position by a spring clutch lever m³ entering a notch in a disc me fast on the
axis m, this spring clutch will, however, yield to allow the frames or shuttle
holders to rise or fall if one of the before-mentioned pinions be fast with its
axis whilst the racks are descending. Whilst the racks are ascending neither
of the pinions can be made fast with their shaft, as the projections m³ upon
them and the clutch pin m* are made with bevilled edges, so as not to engage
with one another when the pinions are turned in the direction given to them
by the racks in rising, but when the racks descend either one or other of the
pinions can be put in gear as above explained, and the axis m thus caused to
turn in one or other direction. The weighted cords acting on the levers o
may be raised at the times required for putting the pinions with which they
work into gear by means of other cords leading to and acted on by the jacquard
machine or by means of levers working with cams moved by either of the cam
axes of the loom, but I have not thought it necessary to show these in the
Drawings; when either of the pinions is required to be thrown into gear with:
its axis it is put into gear during the time the racks are being moved upwards,
in order to be at once ready to act when the racks commence to descend. The
shuttles resting on the shelves of the frames i are, as before stated, not thrown
from these shelves; but are thrown from horizontal boxes p working therewith.
These boxes are supported by guides and are capable of sliding to and fro
just above the tables h at the ends of the loom. The guide for one end of
each box. is carried by the tables h, and the guide for the opposite end by the
standards of the framing. There are in the arrangement shown two such
boxes at each end, and each pair of boxes is joined up into one piece, so that
they both move together.. Each box, as is clearly shown in Figure 12, is open
at the bottom, so that the shuttles are not supported by the boxes, but either
rest on the tables h or else on one or other of the shelves of. the shuttle

page_text: holders. When the rear box of either pair of boxes is brought into the.
line in which the pickers act the shuttle in the front box will be brought on
to one or other of the shelves of its holder i, and as the box is open at the
bottom (the shuttle binders and feelers being pushed back to clear the shuttle
by striking against the lower end of the upper plate k), the holder can either
be raised or lowered, and so bring a fresh shuttle into the box; if the boxes p
be then shifted sidewise to bring the front box in a line with the pickers, the
shuttle which has thus been moved into the box will be brought into position'
for being thrown. In order to allow of the front boxes being thus moved
into a line with the pickers, the front side of each box is bent round to clear
the vertical ribs of the shuttle holders i. The to-and-fro movement of each
pair of horizontal boxes pis governed by a separate cam p² on the cam shaft d.
Each pair of boxes is for this purpose connected by a short link to a lever
arm on the axis p²; to another arm on this axis is attached a weight p³, which.
constantly tends to move the boxes forward, and a third arm on the axis.
is by a connecting rod linked to a lever p', which is acted on by the
cam ; the connecting rod which links together the third, lever arm on.
the axis and the lever p is formed with a spring clip connection
as shown, so that if the horizontal box is set fast by a shuttle being.
out of place the spring clip may give way and avoid injuring the loom.
In the position in which the loom is shown the cams for giving motion to the
horizontal boxes are just commencing to shift the boxes sidewise. The box at:
the end of the loom, shown at Figure 7, will be moved forwards by its cam,
whilst the box at the opposite end of the loom, shown at Figure.8, will be
moved backwards, and these movements will be effected by a quarter or nearly
a quarter of a revolution of the cam shaft d; during this time the shaft c will
have performed half a revolution and the crank g upon it will have raised; the
racks n' to their highest position; whilst the racks are so being raised the
vertical shuttle holders remain at rest, as before explained. During the next.
quarter revolution of the cam shaft d the horizontal boxes will remain atcrest,.
as the cams are at these parts made concentric. During the corresponding
half revolution of the shaft c the crank 9 upon it will be turning downwards,
so moving down the racks n¹, and if either of the pinions m³ have been thrown
into gear with their axes m, either one or other of the shuttle holders may be
moved up or down the distance of one shelf.
The loom shown in the Drawing is arranged for weaving a two-ply Scotch
or ingrain carpet in which both of the plys of the cloth are made of differently
colored weft. In the shuttle.holder i at one side of the loom are placed the

page_text: ground snuttles, and in the holder at the opposite side of the loom the
reserve figure shuttles;. the cams p³, which govern the movements of the hori
zontal boxes p, are arranged to act alternately, that is, if the boxes at one side
be moved forwards. the boxes on the other side will be moved backwards, and
5 vice versa. When the horizontal boxes p at the two sides of the loom are
thus operated they will work together in the manner represented in the
Diagram Views 1, 2, 3, and 4, Sheet 5; in these Views the horizontal dotted
lines represent the line in which the shuttles are thrown. The ground shuttles
are placed in the holders at the right-hand side of the loom and the figure
O shuttles in the holder at the left-hand side of the loom; the boxes which
work with the ground shuttles are marked by horizontal lines, whilst the other
boxes which work the figure shuttles are marked by inclined lines. In
Diagram 1 the boxes on the right-hand side of the loom are in their forward
position, and when in this position the shuttle in the forward box can be
changed, whilst a figure shuttle is thrown from the rear box.
The Drawings, Figures 7 to 11, show the loom in this position, the figure
shuttle having just been thrown. When the figure shuttle has been thrown
the boxes at both sides of the loom are shifted to bring them into the position
shown in Diagram 2, the forward box' on the left-hand side of the loom which
has then just received a figure shuttle will have been moved into one of the .
shelves of the figure shuttle holder; and this shuttle may then, if desired, be
changed by raising or lowering the holder whilst a ground shuttle is being
hrown from the opposite side of the loom. When this shuttle has been
brown the boxes are again shifted to bring them into the position shown at
Diagram 8, and the figure shuttle in the front box at the left-hand side of the
om will then be thrown; afterwards the boxes will again be shifted into the
osition shown at Diagram 4, when the ground shuttle in the rear box will
thrown from the same side of the loom; the boxes are then again shifted
bring them into the position shown at Diagram 1, and, as before explained,
e ground shuttle, which has now been returned to its own side of the loon,
ay then be changed: Afterwards when the boxes are shifted to the position
own at Diagram 2, the figure shuttle, which has likewise been returned to
own side of the loom, may be similarly changed, and so on continuously, the
being caused to beat up after every pick of weft. By this arrangement it
be seen
that as many different colors may be put into each of the plys of
cloth as there are shuttle holders in their respective series. :
n place of the horizontal boxes having an alternate-reciprocating to-and-fro
ement imparted to them, as above described, they may for weaving some

page_text: kinds of fabrics be caused to move together in unison, that is, both boxes
moving together in the same direction. In place; also, of employing only two
horizontal boxes on each side, a greater number of boxes may in some cases.
be used with advantage, as when weaving three-ply-carpets. A set of rising
and falling holders for containing reserve shuttles may also, as before men-
tioned, be combined with the rear shuttle box in addition to or in place of
employing a shuttle holder to work with the front box. The rising and falling
shuttle holders may also, for weaving some classes of fabrics, be applied at onė
side only of the loom in place of on both sides, as above described. "The:
reserve shuttle holders also, in place of being formed one above another in a.
straight frame, may be formed around a cylinder or on a chain, but I prefer to
employ the arrangement shewn in. the "Drawing.
J. I will now-proceed to describe the arrangement of mechanism shown in the
Drawings for stopping the loom if the shuttle fails to pass correctly from box
to box; this arrangement is the one that I prefer to employ, and is described:
in the Provisional Specification herein-before mentioned; other arrangements
than the one shown may, however, be adopted. The rear side of each hori-:
zontal box-p is fitted with a shuttle binder p³ such as is commonly employed.
in addition to this binder the rear side of each box also carries short axes p³,
on which are small lever arms p', which I call feelers; these feelers are by
small springs not shown caused to project into the box if there be shuttle.
therein. On the axis pe are other arms p, which come just below the lower.
end of a rod-q', which is supported by a lever arm from the axis q which passes
from end to end of the loom, as clearly shown in Figures 8, 9, and 11; the
weight of the arms on the axis q is sufficient to cause the axis to turn and
allow the-rods q' to drop if the rods q¹ be not otherwise supported.
no
The action of the feeler is as follows:-If the shuttle be thrown correctly
into a box the shuttle will turn the feeler on its axis, and bring the arm p
below the lower end of the rod q', and thus stop this rod from falling when it
is set free to do so. If the shuttle be not thrown correctly, then the feeler
will not be turned by the shuttle, and its arm p³ will not be brought below
the rod q, the rod q' will then be free to fall whenever the axis of the lever
arm that carries it is set free. The axis q is held from turning during the
greater portion of the revolution of the shaft c by means of an arm g³ on the
axis being acted on by a second lever g³, which is itself acted on by a cám g
on the shaft c; when, however, a shuttle has been thrown, a depression in
the cam sets the lever g³ free, as is clearly shown in Figure 7 (the parts of the
loom being, as before stated, in the positions they assume just after a shuttle

page_text: has-been thrown); the weight of the lever 'then causes it to turn on its axis,
so turning the axis q, and causing the rod q' to descend unless this rod be
supported by a feeler: If the axis q be allowed to turn, an arm g³ upon it
will by acting on a small lever of (seen clearly in Figure 8) trip the latch 97,
which holds the loom in gear, and so stop the loom.
The arrangement of mechanism I prefer to employ for giving tension to the
weft threads, and for stopping the loom if the weft fails, is shown clearly in
Figures 7, 8, and 9, but to this arrangement I here lay no claim; the mecha-
nism is composed of a fork r³, the prongs of which work in slots h in the
table-formed plates; the forks are carried by lever. arms from an axis r
which passes across the loom; these forks are held up whilst a shuttle is being
thrown by a cam" on the main axis c acting on another lever arm r³, on this
arm is a projection r, which when the lever is raised acts against a short
arm on the axis r, and by turning this axis raises the forks. When a
shuttle has been thrown, a depression in the cam³ allows the lever ³ to drop,
thus allowing the forks to drop also. If the filling of weft is complete the
forks will be supported by the thread, and will not be allowed to descend to
their lowest position. If, however, the weft fails, then the forks will drop
to their lowest position, and by so doing will cause an arm on the axis r to
strike against the lever 9º, and by causing it to turn on its axis will trip the
latch lever q', which holds the loom in gear, and will thus stop the loom.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First, in power looms having their. shuttle boxes detached from the lay,
and guided by stationary guides, constructing the part of the lay which receives
motion from the lay shaft separately from the parts which carry the reed and
form the shuttle race, and attaching them by latch levers, which when a
shuttle fails to enter its box may be tripped, by the action of the protector
motion, and thus allow the part of the lay which receives motion from the lay
shaft to move forward without, moving the parts which carry the reed, and
thus prevent breaking the machinery, as herein described.
Second, the combination of changeable reciprocating shuttle boxes working
in stationary guides with a table-formed plate at the side of the loom, as
herein described.
Third, in power looms having their shuttle boxes detached from the lay,
I claim the employment of a series of shuttle holders on one or both sides of
the loom which carry the reserve shuttles, and work in co-operation with
two or more reciprocating shuttle boxes from which the shuttles are

page_text: thrown, and by which they are taken from and returned to the shuttle
holders, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.