IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR FORMING IMITATION SELVAGES OR LONGITUDINAL CORDS IN WEAVING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Boyd, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MECHANISM
FOR FORMING IMITATION SELVAGES OR LONGITUDINAL CORDS IN WEAVING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Boyd at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
July 1863.
I, JOHN BOYD, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, do hereby declaro the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVED
MECHANISH FOR FORMING IMITATION SELVAGES OR LONGITUDINAL CORDS IN
WEAVING," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improved mechanism for forming imitation selvages
in weaving a fabric which is to be cut up into two or more widths. The
imitation selvages are formed by causing two or more longitudinal or warp
threads on each side of the line of cutting to be twisted together in the process
of weaving. Ornamental effects may also be produced in weaving by intro-
ducing any convenient number of longitudinal twisted pairs of threads by means
of the mechanism forming the subject of the present Invention, such twisted
threads not being in that case necessarily intended to net as selvages.
The improved mechanism may also be used to form a twisted cord or imita-
tion selvage at the outer edges of the cloth as woven, when it is desirable, for
example, to cut aw threads at such edges.
:
In carrying out the present Invention in the case of a pair of selvages
according to one modification one thread of each of the pains to be twisted is

page_text: wound upon a small bobbin which is contained in what may be termed the
shuttle, and the two shuttles are held loosely in the middles of two spaces
formed by combining together three narrow plates in a vertical position.
This combination of plates forms what may be termed the mounting, and is
either attached to the frame or bars of the healds or heddles so as to move
therewith in the shedding action, or is disposed separately, but near the heddles.
The other or second threads of each pair to be twisted are passed through the
spaces between the plates of the mounting, being drawn off a warp beam at the
back of the loom, or off separate stationary or movable bobbins arranged so
that the tension of each thread can be adjusted separately and easily. These
second threads are entered through heddles or through separate shedding
mechanism working oppositely to the mounting, that is, the one rising when
the other descends, and vice versa, and the reverse motions thus given to the
different threads of each pair cause each second thread to pass alternately to
the upper and under sides of the shuttles containing the first threads.
With the arrangement described all that is necessary to produce the desired
twist is to cause the second threads in rising to pass each on one side of its
respective shuttle, and in descending to pass on the other sides thereof, and
this action is obtained by forming inclined guiding surfaces on the insides of the
mounting spaces, or by shaping the shuttles with correspondingly inclined
edges, or again, by forming inclined guiding surfaces on both shuttle and
mounting, so that the thread is deviated to one side in rising and to tho
opposite side in descending. A suitable tension is imparted to each shuttle
or first thread by causing it to pass under a spring on the shuttle, or through
a number of holes or by other convenient appliance, and by adjusting the
tensions of the shuttle or first thread and of the second thread these may be
made to twist together either equally or so that one thread is wrapped or twisted
round the other, the latter remaining more or less straight. In dividing the
woven fabric into two or more widths it is by this Invention proposed to
employ a pair of shears or cutting edges disposed in the loom so that the
fabric passes betweeen them as it is taken up, one or both of the shears or
cutting edges being made to vibrate by a connection from the lathe or other
convenient part of the loom.
It will be obvious that the details of the mechanism may be considerably
modified, and that it may be actunted in various ways. Thus with the arrange-
ments described the threads will make a half turn between each weft shot,
but more than one half turn can be given by causing the threads to reciprocate
twice or oftener between each shot. Further, by repeating the parts, two or
more pairs of threads may be twisted for each selvage, or any number of cords

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Boyd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BOYD, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Boyd, Her special licence that I, the said John
Boyd, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Boyd, 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
"IMPROVED MECHANISM FOR FORMING IMITATION SELVAGES OR LONGITUDINAL
CORDS IN WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Boyd, 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 John Boyd, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being bad to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improved mechanism for forming imitation
selvages in weaving a fabric which is to be cut up into two or more widths.
The imitation selvages are formed by causing two or more longitudinal or
warp threads on each side of the line of cutting to be twisted together in the

page_text: process of weaving.
Ornamental enects may also be produced in weaving by
introducing any convenient number of longitudinal twisted pairs or sets of
threads by means of my improved mechanism, such twisted threads not being
in that case necessarily intended to act as selvages.
My improved mechanism may also be used to form a twisted cord or
imitation selvage at the outer edges of the cloth as woven, when it is desirable,
for example, to cut away threads at such edges.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing a
modification of my improved "selvago motion" as arranged for producing a
pair of contiguous selvages between which tho fabric may be divided.
Figure 1 is an edge view, and Figure 2 is a side view of the mechanism
complete. Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the middle portion of
the mounting marked 1 in Figures 1 and 2, and containing two shuttles 2,
shown in section with the bobbins 3 inside them shown in elevation. Figure 4
is a side view of one of the shuttles 2 with its bobbin 8, and Figure 5 is a side
view showing one of the seats, in which the shuttles rest in the mounting.
The Figures are drawn full size, and the same reference numerals are used
to mark the same or like parts in all.
One thread, a, of each of the pairs to be twisted is wound upon a small flat
bobbin 8, which is contained in what may be termed the shuttle 2, but which
is simply a ring encircling the bobbin 3, and is bevilled on its outer edge,
and the two shuttles 2, 2, rest loosely in the middles of two spaces formed by
combining together three narrow plates 4, 5, 6, in a vertical position.
This combination of plates 4. 5, 6, forms the mounting (1), and the plates
consist by preference of thin iron or steel, the middle plate 5 having fixed to its
ends brass fittings 7, 8, to which the details for actuating it are attached. The
two side plates 4, 6, are held in grooves in the fittings 7, 8, being easily
sprung into or out of their places, and being prevented from shaking out by
notches and pins at the middles of the grooves.
In the modification shown in the Drawings the mounting is held by leather
straps 9, 10, which are passed round pulleys 11, 12, carried by brackets
13, 14, fixed in any convenient manner to the loom framing, so as to suspend
the mounting immediately behind the heddles or healds, and at that part of
the width of the cloth where the selvages are required. At the back of the
pulleys 18, 14, the straps 9, 10, are attached to and connected by a strip of
netal 15, formed with two eyes at 16, for the two other or second threads b,
which combine with the two first or shuttle threads a to form the two selvages,

page_text: these two second threads 6 passing through the spaces between the plates
4, 5, 6, of the mounting. The mounting is made to reciprocate in concert
with the beddles in any convenient way, as for example by straps 17, 18,
attached to the straps 9, 10, and it will be obvious that with the arrangement
described the back strip 15 will always move oppositely to the mounting 1,
which will cause the second threads 6 to be alternately above and below the
first or shuttle threads a, and their shuttles 2. The outer edges of the shuttles
2 are bevilled in a manner that will be best understood from Figures 1 and
3, the upper edge of each being inclined down towards the outer side, and
the lower edge being inclined up towards the inner side.. The shuttles are
held loosely between the plates, being retained each by a slightly raised rim 19
forming a seat for it, and fixed one to each side of the middle plate 5, but
having long tapering inclines running into the surface of the plate above and
below, and being otherwise bevilled or rounded off so as to present nothing
for the thread to catch upon. When the mounting 1, with the shuttles 2,
is moved upwards the upper tapered points of the seat rims 19 throw the
second threads 6 to the outer sides of the upper edges of the shuttle 2, and
the bevil of theso edges causing the threads to deviate still further, the shuttles
pass up on the inner sides of the threads b. On the mounting 1 descending,
the opposite bevil of the lower edges of the shuttles combines with the tendency
of the threads to keep near the middle plate 5, to make the shuttles 2
pass down on the outer sides of those threads b, and as the shuttles pass con-
tinually up on the inner sides and down on the outer sides of the second
threads b, the shuttle threads a become wound, twisted, or combined con-
tinuously each round or with its respective second thread b. Ordinarily the
mounting will be moved up or down between each pick of the loom, which
will produce a half turn of tho selvage threads between each weft thread, but
if it is preferred a complete turn may be produced between cach weft thread
by causing the mounting to make a complete reciprocation or a movement up
and down between each pick. A suitable tension is imparted to each first or
shuttle thread a, by causing it to pass under a spring 20, fixed to a flange 21,
fixed into or formed upon the front side of the shuttle, or the tension may be
modified by making the thread pass through more or fewer holes in the
shuttle, or in its flange 21, or in both. Other tensional appliances might also
be adopted. The other or second threads bare drawn off or round a warp
beam at the back of the loom, or off separate stationary or movable bobbins
arranged so that tho tension of each thread can be adjusted separately and
casily. By applying suitable adjustments to each first or shuttle thread a
and to each second thread b, the two threads of each selvage may be made

page_text: to twist together either equally, or, as I prefer, so that one thread is wrapped,
wound, or twisted round the other, the latter remaining more or less straight.
When the twist is as last described the selvage is firmer and better in every
respect, and it is an important advantage of my improved mechanism that
with it this kind of twist can be produced with the greatest facility.
It will be obvious that the details of my improved mechanism may be con-
siderably modified, and that it may be actuated in various ways. Thus the
mounting (1) might be attached to the frame or bars of one leaf of the heddles
or healds, and the second threads b might be passed through mails on another
leaf of the heddles. By repenting the parts two or more pairs of threads may
bo twisted for each selvage, or any number of longitudinal cords may be pro-
duced, and by combining two or more shuttles with one or more separate
threads plaited cords or selvages can be produced by a slightly modified
arrangement of the mechanism.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state, that I do not
propose to make any claim respecting the dividing of the fabric referred to in
my Provisional Specification, and that I do not restrict myself to the prociso
details herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is, the pruducing of an imitation selvage or
twisted longitudinal cord in weaving by means of mechanism comprising a
shuttle held loosely and giving off a thread, which is combined or twisted with
one or more other threads, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Boyd, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-second day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JOHN BOYD. (L.S.)