IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1865

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Milton at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th March
1865.
I, JAMES MILTON, Manager to Messieurs John Somerville and Sons, of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to improved automatic mechanism to be applied to
looms for weaving in connection with the take-up, and in connection with the
weft fork stopper details, by which the loom is stopped when a weft thread
breaks. If there is no automatic means for arresting the take-up upon the
stoppage of the loom from the failure of the weft about three picks too many
are taken up, and on restarting the take-up has to be readjusted accordingly,
and if the readjustment is done by hand it is liable to error. It has been
proposed to remedy the defect thus indicated in two different ways, in one of
which the taking-up after the failure of the weft is prevented by a connection
with the loom-stopping details, whilst in the other the take-up is allowed to
recoil to an extent limited by a recoil catch, which comes into play on the
ordinary propelling and holding catches being lifted out of gear. Neither of
these plans is entirely satisfactory in general working, and the present Inven-
tion relates to more completely automatic and corrective arrangements.
In one modification there are three catches in connection with the take-up
ratchet wheel, the propelling catch worked by a lever from the lathe, or other -

page_text: wise, the holding catch, and the recoil catch. The horizontal spindle which
carries the weft fork is fitted with a lever, which lifts the propelling and
holding catches out of gear when the spindle rocks on the failure of the weft.
Even with this immediate action the take-up will have moved a pick too
many, but this is corrected by the recoil catch allowing the ratchet wheel to
go back one tooth. The recoil catch is simply a catch formed with an
elongated hole for the passage of the pin on which it is centred, this elongation
of the hole allowing of the recoil. The horizontal spindle is also fitted with
a holding-up appliance, which until the loom is restarted prevents it from
returning, and thereby letting down the propelling and holding catches. In
a simple arrangement for this purpose a lever fixed on the spindle has a fixed
spring catch piece bearing on it, which keeps it steady in either of its two
positions, but allows it to move on the application of sufficient force to over-
come the spring. In addition a small weight may be added to counterbalance
the weight of the catches and lever which lifts them. This holding-up
arrangement is important, as it permits of the loom being worked a few
strokes if required without interfering in any way with the take-up.
In another modification there are only two catches in connection with the
take-up ratchet wheel, and these are jointed upon different arms of a lever,
and both propel the wheel forward, one when the lever is moved in one
direction (by the low shaft, for example,) and the other when the lever is
moved back. The weft fork spindle is fitted precisely as in the first modi-
fication, but with the lever on it situated so as to lift one of the two catches,
and when the weft fails the take-up will recoil to the extent of or miss one or
two teeth as required.