CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WEAVING AND FOR PRODUCING PATTERNS IN WEAVING, AS ALSO IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING CERTAIN WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1846

page_text: REID AND JOHNSON'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PATERSON REID, of the City of Glasgow and County of Lanark, in North
Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain and Ireland,
bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of October, in the tenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Paterson Reid and Thomas Johnson, of the City of
Glasgow aforesaid, Mechanic, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that we, the said John Paterson Reid and Thomas Johnson,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as we, the said
John Paterson Reid and Thomas Johnson, our executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,. Sark, and Man,
our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WEAVING AND FOR
PRODUCING PATTERNS IN WEAVING, AS ALSO IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING CERTAIN
WOVEN FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging
us, the said John Paterson Reid and Thomas Johnson, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,

page_text: particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Paterson Reid, (on behalf of myself and of the said Thomas Johnson,)
do hereby declare that the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
The improvements for which we have obtained Her Letters Patent as
aforesaid consist, firstly, of certain novel or improved arrangements of mechanism
or apparatus, whereby figured and twilled work may be produced on woven
fabrics.
Secondly, in a novel or improved 'mode of applying and working two shuttles
in two separate sheds in one reed, for the 'production of one or more pieces of
cloth.
Thirdly, in weaving two or more pieces of cloth in one loom with two reeds
to each two pieces of cloth in one frame.
Fourthly, in an improved construction of weft protector or stop motion as
applied to weaving purposes, by the employment of which the action of the
loom will be stopped when the weft breaks or when from any cause it does
not pass through the shed into its place.
Fifthly, in an improved apparatus to be applied to the yarn beam, in order
to produce the requisite tension of the yarn or warp when being delivered
off.
Sixthly, in an improved picking or driving apparatus for working the
shuttles.
Seventhly, in the adaptation of an arrangement of back gearing for driving
vertical looms.
And, eightly, in an improved method of finishing figured fabrics.
The manner in which these several improvements are carried out is as
follows. First, with regard to the production of figured or twilled fabrics,
the peculiar method herein adopted may be explained by reference to Figs.
1, 2, 3, and 3*, of the accompanying Drawings. Fig. 1 represents a front
elevation of the loom used for weaving or producing figured goods or fabrics,

page_text: and which, with certain modifications herein-after described, may be also
employed for weaving twilled fabrics; Fig. 2 is a side view or elevation of
the left-hand end of the loom; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section, taken
about the middle of the loom, shewing more clearly than in the other Figures
the arrangement of the needles, headles, and other working parts applied to the
productions of patterns or figures on the cloth; Fig. 3* is a sectional plan view
of the loom taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 3, that is, just above the headles or
harness. The loom, (Figs. 1, 2, and 3), is composed of two cast-iron or other
upright frames A, A, bolted or otherwise firmly secured to a suitable bottom or
foundation plate, as shewn in the Drawing. Upon this plate are fixed two
pedestals or supports B, B, which are furnished at their upper ends with
journals or bearings for supporting the ends of the driving shaft C, C, which is
also further supported at other places by additional bearings affixed to the main
framing A, A. This shaft carries a loose driving pulley D, which gives motion
to the loom, and is provided with a clutch of the ordinary construction, whereby
it may be engaged at pleasure with the toothed wheel E, mounted loosely on
the same shaft C, and seen in the side view, Fig. 2, and the detached
sectional view, Fig. 2. The teeth of the wheel E gear with a second toothed
wheel F, fixed on a shaft E*, placed near the bottom of the framing, and in the
front part of the loom. This shaft E* carries on its opposite extremity another
wheel F of the same size as the small wheel E, which wheel F¹ is made fast on
the front shaft E., and gears into a fourth spur wheel G of the same size as
the larger one F previously mentioned. The wheel G is made fast on the back
shaft C, which carries the loose driving pulley D. Each of the wheels F, F,
carries a pin attached to their arms, which act as cranks for giving motion
through the connecting rods H, H, to the slay or lathe K, which is fixed on the
upper end of the vertical rod I, and is placed so as to move upward and down
in a vertical direction during the operation of weaving. This slay carries a
reed, seen at k in the sectional Figure 3, and shewn by the horizontal dotted
line in Fig. 1; and upon this reed k, the two shuttles used in weaving are made
to traverse to and fro, the reed acting as a support and race for them to run
upon. The weight of the slay is counterbalanced by a lever
and spring 2,
(Figs. 2 and 3,) which are made to bear against the under sides of the sword,
and assist in raising the slay. The warp threads are shewn at L in Figs. 1, 2,
and 3, as proceeding from the yarn beam M, which works in bearings attached
to the lower part of the two uprights A, A, of the frame. The warp throads
are represented as passing through the reed k, mounted in the slay K, and
ending in the woven web, part of which is shewn finished at N. The cloth or
work, when woven, passes partly round the roller O, which is covered with wire

page_text: cards, so as to give it a hold upon the cloth, and from thence the woven fabric
is wound upon the cloth or work beam P; at the upper end of the frame a
ratchet wheel is employed in the ordinary manner as a taking-up motion for the
cloth, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2; this ratchet wheel is driven by a click or
pall at the upper end of a bent lever, the lower end of which is struck by a pin
or stud attached to the slay every time the slay rises; the cloth beam is conse-
quently made to move on its axis every time the slay rises to beat up the work.
The picking or driving levers for shooting the shuttles are shewn at Q, Q;
they are fixed on horizontal shafts R, that work in bearings bolted to the
bottom or foundation plate. The picking levers are each provided at their upper
end with a plate of thin iron or other metal s, s, which plates work through
suitablo slots made in the centre of the bottom of the shuttle boxes of the
slay, so as to allow the pickers or drivers to shoot the shuttles backwards
and forwards. The rocking shafts R are provided with inclined plates T,
against which the rollers on the ends of the arms u come into contact as the
shaft c on which they are mounted revolves, and by this rotation of the arms u
the necessary reciprocating motion to the picking levers is communicated, as
will be well understood by inspecting the Drawings in which this part is shewn
detached at Fig. 1. The picking levers Q, Q, are brought back to their original
position after they have thrown the shuttles through the shed, by means of
spiral springs R attached to the horizontal rocking shaft R, as is clearly shewn
in the Drawings at Fig. 1. The peculiar method of producing the figured
work in the woven fabric is by means of the pattern or figured roller or
cylinder V. This roller is engraved, either in relief or intaglio, with the
pattern intended to be produced on the cloth, as shewn in Fig. 1, by the sprigs
or flowers drawn upon it. This roller V is mounted in bearings made in or
attached to the moveable sliding pieces W, which are made to reciprocate or
move up and down in a vertical direction by means of the double cams X,
which are mounted on each end of the back shaft C, and on which cams X the
lower or forked ends of the vertical sliding pieces W are supported or made to
rost, as seen best in the small detached view, Fig. 4. A series of needles or
flattened wires Y are placed with their lower ends near to or resting upon the
engraved or indented surface of the roller V, and pass up through a fixed guide
reed or division plate, seen at Z, Figs. 1 and 8, and detached upon an enlarged
scale at Fig. 4. The number of these needles may be equal to the number
of the warp threads of the cloth; they each pass through a single pair of
threads of the heddles or healds, as shewn best at a, a, in the detached sectional
view, Fig. 4. The threads of which these healds are composed pass round
four flat iron bars, two at the front and two at the back of the loom, as shewn

page_text: in the same Figure, and act upon the needles Y horizontally by means of an
arrangement of knots, loops, or divisions made in the threads of the healds.
The lower or pointed ends of the needles pass through the guide reed Z, which
is covered on its upper surface by two thin metal plates, which support the
needles, by allowing their shoulders to rest on the edges of the plates, but
admit of their pointed lower ends passing through the openings, as seen best
in the enlarged view, Fig. 4*, the metal plates being so placed as to leave a
narrow slot running the whole length of the reed, just sufficient to allow the
narrow ends of the needles to pass through and rest upon the roller V below
when required. In this way the reed allows the needles to have a vertical
motion, as well as a backward and forward motion, so that they may be moved
back out of a vertical position when required; but they will be prevented from
moving laterally at their lower extremities by means of the guide reed, which
keeps them always nearly in the same place. A second guide reed b, Figs. 3
and 4*, is placed above the other, as shewn in the Figures; but this reed is
not provided with the metal plates, similar to those mentioned as applied to the
lower reed, the former being merely intended to keep the needles (which also
pass between its wires) at equal distances from each other, and to prevent them
from moving out of their places in a lateral direction, but allows them to be
moved backwards and forwards when required. Previous to each throw of the
shuttles the figured or engraved roller V is raised by one of the projecting parts
of the cams X on the shaft C coming into contact with the lower ends of the
sliding pieces W, W. The roller V is thereby raised just sufficient to lift such
of the needles as rest upon the relieved or elevated portions of the roller
high enough to come in contact with a strip of metal c, placed horizontally
across the machine, and attached to a wooden or other vibrating frame,
which passes along the whole length of the range of needles, and is
fixed on the upper end of two vibrating arms or levers d, d, Fig. s.
It should be remarked that the relief of the pattern on the figured roller
should be considerable, (that is to say,) about half an inch, more or less,
according to the nature of the pattern, so that, at each oscillation of the
frame d, which carries the metal strip c, such of the needles as rest on or are
supported by the raised pattern may be lifted an amount equal to the depth of
the said relief; (that is to say,) all the needles, the lower ends of which rest
upon the raised portion or pattern part of the engraved roller, are raised up
and caught by the metal bar c of the frame d, while those which rest on, or
are supported by, or opposite to the sunk portions of the roller, or that space
which is included between the figures of the pattern, are not raised up, or, at any
rate, not high enough to be caught by the said bar c; and, consequently, these

page_text: needles will not be acted upon or moved out of their place. It will be evident
that if the pattern on the roller V is made in intaglio precisely the reverse
effect will be produced, that is to say, the needles corresponding to the
pattern or figure will remain stationary, while the other ones which will be
raised by the elevated portions of the roller will be caught hold of by the bar c
and carried back out of the way. It will now be understood that when the
pattern on the roller V is in relief. the needles corresponding thereto. will be
caught by the metal strip c, as it vibrates to and fro, and will thereby be
pushed forward, and of course carry along with them their respective threads
of the harness, with which they are connected by the knots or loops made
therein, as seen best in the enlarged detached view Fig. 4*. By this means
the selected heddle threads are made to act upon their respective warp threads,
as seen at L, Figs. 1 and 2, while those needles which are not raised high
enough to be acted upon by the bar c of the oscillating frame d are drawn in
the opposite direction by the action of the headles. In Fig. 4*, which is a
separate and detached view of this part of the machine, the headle threads
are shewn at e, e, and are passed round shafts or bars, seen at a, a, Figs.
1, 8, 3, and 4*. These bars a, a, are attached to two sliding arms f, f, seen
best in Figs. 1, 3, and 3*, which arms move on supports 9, 9, attached to the
inside of the frame. These sliding arms or bars f. f, are worked by means of
the two excentrics h, h, which are made fast on the back shaft C (as seen best
in Figs. 1 and 3); and these excentrics are embraced by the forks on the
Tower ends of the vibrating levers i, i, which work on pins, studs, or centres
Te, k, attached to the uprights of the frame. Upon referring to Figs. 2 and 3,
it will be seen that the levers or arms i, i, are slotted longitudinally, in order
to permit of their being moved up and down by the rotation of the excentries.
The upper ends of the levers i, i, are passed through slots in the lower pair of
bars ff, of the headles, as seen in Fig. 3; and these bars f.f, are thus caused
to traverse once back and forward at each revolution of the shaft C. A small
toothed pinion works loosely on a pin or stud attached to the frame between
she two bars ff, which are curved outwards and toothed like a rack, so as to
gear with the pinion l. It will now be understood that upon a sliding motion
being given to the lower pair of bars f, f, they will, through the medium of
the pinion L, communicate a similar motion to the upper pair in an opposite
direction; and the different threads of the warp L being passed through links
er eyes, or placed against knots on the under thread of each headle, (as seen
in Fig. 3,) are caused, previous to each throw of the shuttle, to take up a
position as shewn in the latter Figure, namely, one portion on each side the
centre of motion, while a third is left in the centre, so that two openings

page_text: or sheds may be thus made for the two shuttles to pass through, one for
the purpose of forming the ground or cloth of the fabric, and the other to
produce the pattern or figure thereon. From this it will be seen that while
two sets of the warp threads constitute the plain groundwork of the fabric,
the third, consisting of such of the threads as are selected and caused to move
out according to the pattern by means of the needles Y, Y, as before explained,
are required in conjunction with the weft of one of the two shuttles to form
the pattern or figure on the surface of the fabric. After each stroke of tho
slay it is necessary that the needles which have been thus thrown out of a
straight line by the previous movement should be brought back to an even
range. This is accomplished on one side by the bar m, Figs. 3 and 3*, which
passes along behind the whole range of needles and slides on supports on the
frame, motion being given to it as follows:-At the back of each end of the
slay a vertical rod or bar n is attached, which bars, of course, move with it;
these rods or bars n are furnished with inclines n*, which, as the slay is carried
up and down in the process of weaving, come against rollers or pins o attached
to the horizontal rods p, to the opposite ends of which the bar mis connected, as
seen best in the sectional Figure. By this means the bar m will be pulled
forward at each stroke of the slay, and will bring the line of needles straight
and in a vertical position.. At the return of the slay the horizontal rods p, p,
are made to return to their original positions, in readiness for the succeeding
stroke, by means of spiral springs p", which force them back immediately the
rollers or pins o of the rods p are released from the inclines n* of the vertical
rods or bars n. The knots or loops of the headle threads on the opposite side
are by coming in contact with the fixed bars r, r, brought into a straight lino
at each alternate motion of the sliding bars f. f. The vibratory motion of the
frame d and beam Y* for catching hold of the needles is communicated to
them in the following manner :-The top sliding bar a, Figs. 3 and 3* of the
headles, presses in its motion against and forces back a piece of metal s, s, fixed
on the sliding rod t, which is jointed at one end to the oscillating beam levers d,
and a spiral spring is adapted to the other end of the rod t for the purpose of
bringing back the rod at each stroke. A more minute description of the
harness and its mode of operation will render this easily understood. Each
thread of the harness passes round the shafts a, a, see Fig. 4°, and is double
and independent of the other headle threads; therefore, as each needle passes
through and acts against one or more of the harness threads on each pair of
sliding bars, a single knot only is made in the upper side of the harness, and
on that side of the needle next the yarn. Previous to. the yarn being opened,
or the sheds formed for the passage of the shuttles, it takes up the position

page_text: shewn by the dotted line on the right in Figs. 3 and 4*, and when the bars
a, a, of the headles begin to move, and thereby to open the yarn, they carry a
certain portion of the warp threads on each side of the dotted line, thus forming
one opening for the shuttle, which carries in the shoot for the ground or body
of the fabric another shed to the left, and consisting of the selected warp
threads to form the pattern or figure on the surface of the fabric, is made by
the assistance of the needles. Those needles which are raised by the raised
pattern on the roller being pressed forward by the sliding bar against the
single knots on the harness, which being on the contrary side of the harness
to those which move the yarn or warp threads, cause the harness threads
thus pressed to slide round the bars a, a, and thereby form another shed or
opening for the traverse of the shuttle which produces the figured pattern
on the surface of the fabric. The particular throads of the harness, the
needles of which are not raised, carry the latter with them in the direction
in which they move; this action is repeated by each pair of sliding shafts
alternately, the knots in the harness being on one side only of the needles; as
the headle bars a, a, move back to close the open sheds they carry the harness
back and press the knots in it against the fixed bars r, r, on the frame; thus
the harness kuots return to their original position again and the process is
repeated. Double sheds may also be made for working whole headles or
leasches for twilled or figured weaving by means similar to those above set forth,
with the assistance of a series of needles having a projecting hook on each side
placed in opposite directions, as shewn in the detached views, Figs. 10 and 11.
On each side of the needles is placed a perpetual worker or motion bar Y*, Y³,
similar to that shewn at Y*, in Fig. 3, for the purpose of shifting the needles,
as will be hereafter explained. Two short barrels or pattern rolls V*, are
placed on opposite ends of the loom in place of the figured roller V, shewn in
Figs. 1, 2, and 3; each barrel may be worked by a ratchet motion and is pro-
vided with three or more stages 1, 2, 3, (that is to say), the periphery of the
barrel is made of three different heights, and when the barrel is down (that is,
previous to making a shed or rising up and acting against the needles Y), the
whole of the needles will be in a straight line or regular range and engaged by
means of their reversed hooks with the motion bar or worker Y* on one side.
When, however, the barrel V* is elevated, those needles intended to move (say
to the right), are left behind and rest upon the lower stage or smaller diameter
of the barrel and engaged by their lower hooks with the moving bar Y*, which
by catching hold of this lower series of needles, will, when the said bar moves,
cause the needles and the headle threads in connection therewith to move to
the right. Such of the needles as rest upon the highest stage or largest

page_text: diameter of the barrel are of course lifted up much higher and become
engaged by means of their upward hooks with a moving bar Y, similar to the
other, but traversing to the left, while the needles that rest upon the middle
stage are raised only such a distance as will lift their lower hooks clear of the
lower motion bar, but not sufficiently high to cause their upper hooks to catch
against the upper motion bar, and consequently they will receive no motion
from either of the bars Y*, Y, but will remain stationary. Each pair of the
needles, that is, one to each barrel, being arranged to move a separate headle
of its own, it is easy to see how any number of headles placed one above the
other may be thus worked successively to form twilled or other similar fabrics.
The feed motion employed for working round the pattern roller V is seen in
Figs. 1 and 3. An endless band U of any suitable flexible or elastic material
is passed round the roughened roller O, which thus give motion by suitable
direction pulleys to the roller V so as to present a fresh portion of the surface
of the said roller to the lower or pointed ends of the needles at each movement
of the shuttles or as the operation of weaving proceeds. The peculiar friction
apparatus employed to give the proper tension to the yarn is seen at v, Fig. 1,
and in the detached view, Fig. 5. It consists of a metal clip v, embracing a
pulley made fast in the yarn beam; this clip is held together by a bolt passing
through suitable lugs in the clip, a spiral spring being placed on the con-
necting bolt r as a means of regulating the friction more nicely. A strong
bolt s, is passed through the two lugs and secured to the framework, and
a strong spiral spring is also placed round the upper end of the bolt, so as
to press upon the upper lugs of the clip and thereby increase the friction,
which may be regulated with facility by screwing or unscrewing the nut at
the top of the bolt s. The handle or lever for stoppping and starting the
loom is seen at u, Fig. 2; it is jointed at a to the frame of the loom, and
is also attached by a link y² to the lever y, the opposite end of which is
placed in contact with an inclined or wedge-shaped piece on the rod z, and
therefore when the lever y is moved by the handle wand made to press against
the inclined surface of the rod z (the lower end of which is connected to and
works the clutch, as seen in the detached view, Fig. 2), the latter is moved
on one side, and the loose pulley D is engaged or disengaged with the wheel E,
as the case may be. The weft protector or stop motion is seen on an enlarged
scale at Figs. 6, 6*, and 7. A metal plate 1, nearly square, is furnished with
a long guide piece, fitted to slide in guides attached to the inside of the
bracket, that carries the cloth and taking-up motion rollers, and placed directly
over the centre of the slay. Upon this plate two thin and very light pieces of
metal 2, 2, are fitted to slide up and down loosely on pins. As the slay K

page_text: comes near the termination of its upward stroke, the lower end of the thin plates
2, 2, will, if not prevented, enter two slots. cut in a sliding bolt 4 (seen best
in the plan view, Fig. 6* and detached at Fig. 7), which passes transversely
through a hole made in the slay, so long as the weft of each of the shuttles in
the slay is whole, its presence over these slots in the sliding bolt 4 (after the
passage of the shuttle), prevents the entrance of the plates 2, 2, into these
slots, and the bolt 4 can therefore be moved backward and forward at each
stroke of the slay, which it is compelled to do by an inclined piece of metal 5
fixed to the upright frame and catching against the crooked end of the bolt,
the reverse or contrary motion being made by a spring in the front part of the
slay, and acting upon the opposite end of the bolt 4. Should, however; the
weft break, the absence of the thread from the top of these slots in the bolt 4
permits the pieces 2, 2, to enter them, and thus the bolt will be prevented from
moving out, when this. is the case the projecting end of the bolt 4 will, as
the slay rises, catch under a detent 1'1 on tho stop rod of the stopping and
starting motion apparatus y, Figs. 1, 2, 5%, and 6, and shewn in section at
Fig. 6*, and by raising the rod y will thus throw the clutch on the main shaft
C out of gear with the wheel E, and thereby stop the loom. Strips. of woollen
cloth 17, 17, or some other suitable material; are placed on each side of the
sliding bar 4 on the bottom of the shuttle race, for the purpose of causing a
slight degree of friction, and thereby prevent the weft, when stretched across
the slots, from yielding, and imparting to it sufficient resistance to support the
pieces 2, 2; a small handle 11* is attached to the detent or catch 11 on the
upper end of the connecting rod y³ of the stop apparatus, for the purpose of
moving back the stop catch 11 on this rod, in order to allow the loom to start
again, and also to remove the thin plates 2, 2, from the slots in the bolt 4.
To avoid complication one weft protector only is made to act for both throws of
the shuttle. Thus in the front view, Fig. 1, and detached views, Figs. 5*, 6,
and 6, a thin metal bar or lever is seen at 7, working loosely on a pin in the
framing of the loom, its lower end being bent outwards to rest on the framing
of the cam X, which, therefore, raises it at each alternate throw of the shuttle.
Its upper end is thereby caused to press against one end of a short lever 8,
which turns on a centre on the upper surface of the slay, and is kept up
against the bar 7 by a slight spring 9. At each alternate stroke of the bar 7
it presses out the lever 8, and thereby brings forward a projection, which the
latter carries until it passes below a catch 10, shewn in Figs. 5* and 7* on
the protector plate 1, and thus prevents the descent of the stop plates 2, 2,
into the slots of the sliding bolt 4. when the shuttles are at the opposite end of
their race to that on which the protector plate 1, is placed. In order to render

page_text: the action of the plates 2, 2, still more delicate; they may be counter-weighted
by a small lever and weight, if necessary. Part of the apparatus used as a
shuttle protector is shewn in the plan view and back elevation, Figs. 6 and 6*.
A small bell crank lever is placed at each end of the slay and turns on a pin
attached to the slay at 12, Figs. 6, and 6*, and one end of this bell crank lever
works a pin projecting into the shuttle race, while the opposite end is jointed
to a thin bar of metal extending from one crank to the other, and this bar is
allowed to slide on two pins made fast on the inside of the slay, and passing
through slots in the bar, as seen at 13. This bar or rod carries a stop 18,
which is made to come beneath a catch 19, on the stop motion bar y of the
loom, and is acted on in the following manner :-On the inner end of the bell
crank lever 12 is attached a small pin working through a groove in the slay,
and projecting into the shuttle race. Now, when the slay descends, the bell
crank lever 12 is made to withdraw its pin, which is effected by the pin 18 of
the bar 13 coming into contact with the inclined part of the arm 20, as seen
in the Figure; but the pin 18 and bar 18 will be again liberated from the
arm 20 and ready for action when the slay rises by means of a spiral spring,
shewn by dots at 13*, Figs. 6 and 6*, which will pull forward the bell crank
lever 12 by means of the bar 13, to which it is attached, and thereby force the
pin of this lever 12 inwards, if the shuttles should not by any accident enter
the box, and the loom will be stopped by the pin 18 on the sliding bar 13
coming under the notch or clatch 19 of the rod y³ of the stop apparatus, as the
slay rises, but which it is prevented from doing when the shuttle is in its box,
and the pin of the bell crank lever 12 thereby prevented from entering.
Fig. 7 represents an arrangement whereby the same principle as described
in reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4,.may be applied to the weaving two or more
pieces of cloth in one loom. The present improvement is merely a modifica-
tion of a plan formerly patented by us, in which the webs to produce two
pieces of cloth were passed through the same reed, which was of course made
of an extra width, whereas in the present instance the slay carries two separate
reeds, one for each piece of cloth and shuttle. By employing two slays, each
with two reeds as above mentioned, four pieces of cloth may be woven at the
same time in one loom, by placing them two and two, as here shewn, one pair
to each slay on each side of the loom. It will be evident that the same effect
may be produced with a single reed, if of sufficient width, by dividing it longi-
tudinally into two separate parts, one for each web, by binding a strip of
metal or wood along the centre of the reed, so as to support the reed in the
middle and prevent the threads of the two warps from interfering with each
other.

page_text: Fig. 8 exhibits a novel description of picking motion, which may be applied
in place of that represented in Fig. 1, or instead of those usually employed.
In this instance the motion for working the picking levers is derived
from the gearing of the loom which is connected to the sliding rod 14;
this latter is furnished with two pins, which alternately press the spring lever
15 up and down, and this lever may either be constructed of a single spring,
or it may consist of an ordinary lever, with additional springs applied to it, to
diminish the concussion arising from the speed of the motion. The opposite
end of the lever is connected by means of the rod 16 to a bell crank lever
working loosely on a centre pin or stud attached to a pedestal 17, on the top
rail of the framing. The longer arm of this bell crank lever is connected to
cach of the pickers or drivers by a cord or strap, which is continued beyond
them, and passes over a small pulley 18, seen best in the enlarged plan of the
slay, Fig. 9, and from whence they pass down through holes in the slay, and are
furnished at their lower end with weights, springs, or levers, to give an elastic
tension to the pickers. In order to permit the elastic lever 15 to give a smart
.and proper blow to the pickers, the catch lever 19 is introduced; this levor
works loose on a centre attached to the side of the slay, and holds back the
picker at each stroke, in order to allow the pressure of the rod 14 to act some-
what powerfully upon the spring 15, previous to its being released from the end
of the lever 19, by the latter coming in contact with a stop 20 on the loom
framing.
In Fig. 12, we have shewn our improvements in finishing cloth or figured
fabrics, which consist in improvements on the plan generally used for cutting
away, or removing the loose threads or fibres from the surface of the cloth
.or fabric. The ordinary method is to apply a revolving spiral cutter 21 for
this purpose, which acts against the surface of the cloth or fabric when
stretched between two supports, and thereby cuts away such loose threads or
fibres as it comes into cantact with, and it is required to remove. The improve-
ment here shown consists in forcing a blast of air against the lower surface of
the cloth or fabric, as indicated by the arrow, the stream of air being made to
pass through a narrow slit in the top of the case 22, and act on the underside
of the cloth; and by passing through the same, will blow the loose threads
away from the fabric towards the cutters, and enable them to act with more
certainty, as the Icose threads which are not required for the pattern, are blown
upwards by the force of the current of air passing through the cloth, and are
thereby exposed to the action of the rotary cutter more effectually than they
otherwise would be.
Having now described our various improvements, and the manner of carrying

page_text: the same into effect, we would observe in conclusion, that in the foregoing
description we have, in order that the nature and object of our several improve-
ments might be properly and clearly understood, considered it necessary to.
describe certain parts which have been known or used before the date of our
present Patent; we do not, however, mean or intend to claim such well-known'
parts as constituting any portion of our present improvements; but what we
consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim as the Invention secured to
us by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is―
First, forming the pattern or figure on woven fabrics by means of needles,
worked by a pattern or figure roller, whereby the said needles which are to
produce the pattern or figure are raised up and carried away from the rest by
a suitable apparatus, thereby causing the needles so selected, to work the par-
ticular skein, leasch, or thread of the harness, or headles to which they belong,
and raise up or select that portion of the warp which intended to form the
pattern. We claim also, in reference to this part of our improvements passing
the threads, skeins, or leasches of the harness or headles separately round the
bars at the back and front of the loom, so that each separate thread, skein, or
leash of the headle, may be acted upon and worked backward or forward by
its own needle, without interfering with any of the rest or neighbouring
ones. We also claim the mode above described, or any modification thereof,
of weaving twilled goods by means of needles, made to work the different
headles, and thereby select in succession such portions of the warp as may
be required to produce the twill.
Second, we claim forming two separate sheds in one reed in vertical looms,
and working two shuttles in the separate sheds so formed in one reed, for the
production of one piece of figured woven fabric.
Third, we claim adapting or applying two separate reeds to one slay in
vertical looms, so as to weave two separate pieces of cloth in one slay, whereby
by employing two slays we are enabled to produce four pieces of cloth in oue
loom, if required.
Fourth, we claim the mode above shewn and described, or any modification
thereof, for stopping looms, when the weft thread breaks, or when from any
cause the shuttle does not arrive in its proper box, or the weft thread' does not
pass through the shed.
Fifth, we claim the mode above shewn and described, or any modification
thereof, for producing the requisite degree of friction or tension on yarn or
warp beams, either in vertical or horizontal looms, while the warp is being
given off during the operation of weaving.
Sixth, we claim the modes above shewn and described, or any modification

page_text: thereof, for working the pickers and throwing the shuttles, in either vertical or
horizontal looms, particularly the peculiar method of employing a spring or
spring lever, as shewn in Fig. 8.
Seventh, we claim the arrangement of the parts as shewn in the accompany-
ing drawings, or any modification thereof, as well as the method or methods
above described, of mounting and actuating the loom, or the various parts
thereof, particularly balancing the slay by means of a spring and lever, as
shewn, and also the construction and mode of working the shaft C and the
front shaft E*, by means of the wheels E, F, F, and G, and which we
denominate the back motion.
Eighth, as regards finishing goods or fabrics, we claim causing a strong
current of air to impinge upon or act against the under side of the cloth or
fabric, so that the loose threads or fibres on the upper surface may be blown
upwards by the passage of the air through the cloth, and be thereby more
easily or effectually acted upon and removed by the rotary or other cutter.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Paterson Reid, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
HENDERSON, Extra.
JOHN PATERSON REID. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifteenth day of April, in the
tenth year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said John Paterson
Reid came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknow-
ledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year of
the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twenty-second day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-seven.