IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Louis Paraire
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th December 1866.
I, EDWARD LOUIS PARAIRE, of Mornington Crescent. Regent's Park, in the
County of Middlesex, Architect and Civil Engineer. do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to
be as follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is to economize the power required to
drive the shuttles of pneumatic looms. To this end I have designed a novel
arrangement of parts for admitting the compressed air behind the shuttle for
the purpose of propelling the same through the open shed, and for reversing
the direction of the current of air to return the shuttle through the next open
shed.
In the centre of the slay beam I fix an air supply tube which is governed
by a valve that is kept to its seat by a coiled spring, and this tube I connect
by means of a flexible pipe to the air chamber, or an air main leading there-
from. The stem of the valve works through a stuffmg box and projects
[Price 8d.]

page_text: beyond the back of the slay beam, so that as the beam returns to its back
position after beating up the work the stem may strike against a fixed
adjustable stop. In doing this the valve will be forced from its seat and com-
pressed air from the receiver will be allowed to pass the valve. Affixed to
the air pipe, which is mounted on the slay beam (above the valve) is a valve
box, which is let into the slay beam. This box contains a slide valve, which
serves to direct the air to one or other of two eduction passages connected
with pipes that lead to opposite ends of the slay beam. The ends of these
pipes are open, and they are bent over into a line corresponding with the axis
of the shuttle. From either end of the slide valve rods jointed thereto lead
to the opposite ends of the slay beam; these rods at their extremities carry
each a finger which projects upwards into the shuttle race: these fingers are
intended to act as elastic stops to arrest the progress of the shuttle, and at.
the same time by yielding to the blow which they receive to shift the position
of the slide valve, and thereby reverse the direction of the current of air. It
will now be understood that at the return of the slay after "beating-up" the
valve stem will by striking against the fixed stop admit air from the reservoir
to the supply pipe, and the air passing under the slide valve will traverse one
or other of the beni pipes that direct the blast on to the shuttle, and the air
issuing therefrom in the form of a column will strike directly on the shuttle
and drive it to the other end of the race. At this point the shuttle will strike
upon the up-raised finger, and by driving it back will. through the rod which
carries it, shift the slide valve and admit air to the opposite end of, the shuttle,
whereby it will be driven back and caused to strike the raised finger and the
opposite end of the race, and shift the slide valve as before. The repetition
of this action may thus be produced rapidly and with but a small expenditure
of compressed air.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Louis Paraire in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. EDWARD
LOUIS PARAIRE, of Mornington Crescent, Regent's Park, in the County of
Middlesex, Architect and Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent. bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of

page_text: Her reign, did. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Louis Paraire. Her special licence that I, the said.
Edward Louis Paraire, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I. the said Edward Louis Paraire, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend. within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland; the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward. Louis Paraire. 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 Edward Louis Paraire. do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed. to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement. reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say)-
The chief object of this Invention is to economize the power required to
drive the shuttles of pneumatic looms." To this end I have designed a novel
arrangement of parts for admitting the compressed air behind the shuttle for
the purpose of propelling the same through the open shed and for reversing
the direction of the current of air to return the shuttle through the next
open shed.
In the centre of the sley beam I fix an air supply tube, which I connect by
means of a flexible pipe to a compressed air chamber or an air main leading
therefrom. The discharge of air from the supply tube on to either end of the
shuttle is governed by valves (one at each end of the sley) which are kept to
their seat by coiled springs. and are raised by the action of adjustable tappets
to allow of the discharge of a column of compressed air on to the end of the
shuttle. The discharging ends of the air passages are brought into a line with
the axis of the shuttle. I also provide elastic stops or friction surfaces which
serve to arrest the progress of the shuttle by retarding its motion when it has
arrived near the end of its course.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a front view. partly in section, of a
batten or sley beam fitted according to my Invention, the parts for working

page_text: the valves and discharging compressed air on to the shuttle being applied
thereto; Fig. 2-is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional plan of
the batten or sley beam shewing the means employed for retarding and
stopping the shuttle at the end of its flight; Fig. 4 is a cross section of the
sley beam taken at the line A. B. of Fig. 3: and Fig. 5 shews the construction
of shuttle tip which I employ for receiving the impact of the column of
compressed air.
The sley beam travels backward and forward from the drawn position in
Fig. 2 to the position shewn in red in the same Figure. The dotted lines in
Fig. 2 shew the sley beam at that point of its course at which the shuttle is
about to pick. The movement of the pick is regulated by the position of a
cam tooth or spur 1 which is fixed in the slot of a cog wheel 2. and is made
adjustable therein. This wheel 2 receives rotary motion through ordinary
gearing (not necessary to illustrate) from the crank or other suitable rotating
part of the loom, and it is so timed as to perform one revolution to every two
throws of the sley beam, thus alternating the picks. In a convenient position
underneath the slev beam and at opposite ends thereof (see Fig. 1) a rock
lever 3 is mounted: the outer extremity 4 of these levers is forked, while
their inner ends are fitted with friction rollers 5: the friction rollers of these
rock levers, as the sley beam is moved to and fro to beat up the work, will
strike against their respective cam teeth or spurs 1, when the latter are in
turn brought by the rotation of their wheels into an elevated position, and the
forked ends of the levers will be thereby depressed. Connected with the
forked ends of each of these levers is a valve rod 6 which enters a valve box 7
through a gland or stuffing box: each end of the sley is similarly provided
with a valve box 7. which boxes are brought into communication with opposite
ends of a tube 8 that extends along the under side of the sley beam. The
compressed air to be used in propelling, the shuttle' is supplied to this tube by
a flexible pipe q leading from an air reservoir. Fitted to the top of each rod 6
is a conical valve which has its seat in a partition in the valve box, and to
facilitate the adjustment of the opening of the valves their rods are connected
by double nuts to their respective rock levers 3. 3. Connected' with the upper
division of each valve box is a small tube 10 with open ends, see the enlarged
view. Fig. 6: these tubes enter the shuttle boxes through hollow coned filling
pieces which are formed to receive the tips or ends of the shuttle; the tubes 10
are set horizontally in the sley and in line with the axis of the shuttle.
It will now be understood that when the air by the lifting of 'one or other
of the valves is released it rushes through the tube 10, and in the form of a
column delivers a direct blow upon the end 11 of the shuttle, thereby over-

page_text: coming its inertia and propelling it in its course with a comparatively small
expenditure of motive power, the propulsion of the shuttle being assisted by
the expansion of the compressed air. For retarding the progress of the
shuttle as it arrives near the end of its course, and to prevent the shuttle from
rebounding by striking hard against the end of the shuttle box and thereby
leaving a large space in the shuttle box to be filled with compressed air before
the propulsion of the shuttle commences, I fit the sley with moveable side
pieces 12 which by moving inwards will contract the width of the race and
thus put friction upon the sides of the shuttle. This moveable side piece is
tapered (see Fig. 3), and it works on a pivot 13; it is recessed into the sley
beam, and when at rest it is retained in its recess by means of a spiral spring
or other contrivance 14, the whole being kept in place by the top of the
shuttle box. The means by which the moveable side pieces 12 are pressed
forward is shewn best at Fig. 4, the motion being taken from any suitable
part of the loom, or such as will serve to operate a pair of crank levers 15
which are mounted on the front of the sley beam. When the extremity 16
of the lever is raised it will press forward the other extremity 17, which is
connected by a screw 18 with the side piece 12. This motion will force the
side piece inwards and thus contract the shuttle box at the moment the shuttle
is propelled from the opposite side, and its course will be gradually slackened
by the increased pressure of the elastic side, the amount of which pressure
may be regulated by the screw 18.
I would remark that I prefer to make the tip of the shuttle as shewn at
Fig. 5 because it presents a comparatively large area for the impact of the air,
while at the same time it possesses all the characteristics of a coned tip for
guiding the shuttle through the open shed.
I would further remark that my improvements are applicable not only to
looms in which a single shuttle is used, but also to looms with sifting shuttle
boxes, the action of the compressed air being brought to bear in succession on
any number of shifting shuttles.
From the above explanation it will be understood that the economy I effect
in the use of the compressed air is due mainly to the propelling it in the form
of a contracted column upon the rear of the shuttle in the direct line of its
axis; it does not, however, follow that it is essential that the air should strike
upon the shuttle itself as a piston may be interposed and used (by the action
of the air behind it) to propel the shuttle forward; I do not, however, pro-
pose to adopt this modification as I find that the tip shewn in the Drawing
will present a good surface to the direct action of the compressed air.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in

page_text: Looms for Weaving," and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent 1 claim, the means above described for propelling and arresting the
motion of the shuttles of pneumatic looms.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Louis Paraire, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
EDWARD
L. PAKAIKE.
(L.S.)