IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Parker, of Dundee, in the County
of Forfar, North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING."
Sealed the 1st September 1853, and dated the 7th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Parker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th March 1853.
I, CHARLES PARKER, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North
Britain, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING" to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to the delivery of the warp from the
yarn beam in a uniform and equable manner, whatever variatio
may be in the quantity of yarn on the beam. To obtain this effect the
yarn beam is made to rest upon a roller which is driven at a uniform
speed by gearing from the tappet or crank shaft. This roller com-
municates its motion to the yarn beam by frictional contact, causing it
to deliver the warp, the yarn beam sinking down upon the roller as
the warp is delivered, and its thickness on the beam is consequently
reduced. The obvious result of this arrangement is, that, the speed
of the actuating roller being once adjusted, it will cause the warp to be
delivered at an equable and regular rate until the whole of it is

page_text: unwound from the beam, at the same time doing away with the
dragging of the yarn beam, and annihilating or reducing the strain
upon the warp, which, in the ordinary loom, is found to be so
injurious.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Parker, in the Great Seal Patent Office.
on the 7th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CHARLES PARKER, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Parker, Her special licence that I, the said
Charles Parker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I. the said Charles Parker, my executors, administrators, or
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 WEAVING," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Parker, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause tho samo 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 Charles Parker, 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 accompanying
drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:

page_text: My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of
looms for weaving various classes of goods in such manner that the
delivery of the warp from its carrying beam or roller may be effected
in a continuously uniform and regular manner during the whole
weaving operation, quite irrespective of the varying diameter of the
warp beam, consequent upon the gradual withdrawal therefrom of the
warp as the weaving proceeds. To obtain this effect the warp beam is
arranged to rest, through the actual mass of wound up or beamed warp,
upon a roller which is driven at a continuously uniform speed of
revolution, through the intervention of gearing in connection with the
main crank or tappet shaft. This roller, so driven, communicates its
motion to the warp beam by frictional contact; and, as the periphery
of this driving roller always passes through equal spaces in equal
increments of time, it necessarily follows that it will communicate a
uniform surface velocity to the warp beam, whether the latter is full or
nearly empty, the warp beam having liberty to sink down
upon and ap-
proach to its actuating roller as the warp is unwound. The result of this
arrangement is, that when the working speed of the driving roller is
once adjusted it will cause the warp to be delivered from the beam to
the weaving details, at a regular rate, until the beam is quite emptied,
thus doing away with the usual dragging of the warp beam, and
mitigating the severity of the strain upon the warp threads.
Figure 1, on my sheet of drawings is a complete end elevation of
a loom fitted for carrying out these improvements. Figure 2, is
a vertical transverse section of the warp beam and its driving roller,
as fitted at the back of the loom; and Figure 8, is a back elevation
of the complete loom taken at right angles to Figure 1, and look-
ing directly on the warp beam and its collateral apparatus. Except
in as far as relates to this new mode of working the warp beam, the
loom is built and fitted up in the usual manner, the whole of the
movements being actuated by the band pulleys A, on the main crank
shaft, giving motion to the lathe or slay B, by connecting links C.
The main shaft also has upon it a spur wheel D, in gear with a
larger spur wheel E, fast on one end of the tappet shaft F', on the
opposite end of which shaft is a toothed pinion or small spur wheel

page_text: G, driving the larger wheel H: this wheel II, works loose upon a
stud in the framing, and carries fast upon its external side a small bevil
pinion I, in gear with a similar bevil pinion J, on the horizontal shaft K.
This shaft is supported in bearing brackets on the outside of the
framing, and has upon one end of it a worm L, actuating a worm
wheel M, on the projecting end of the spindle of the driving and warp
beam regulating roller N. This roller spindle is carried in end bearings
in brackets O, on the framing, and it is thus made to revolve at a
uniform rato on a stationary centre. Directly above this roller is the
warp beam I', the two ends of the spindle of this beam being entered
into vertically slotted pieces Q, on the inner side of each end standard
of the loom framing, so that the mass of beamed warp R, rests fairly
upon the roller N, beneath, the beam having full liberty to traverse a
short distanco vertically, by the working of the spindle through its
slotted guides, as the warp is woven off. A loose pulley S, is fitted on
each end of the warp beam spindle, and over each of these pulleys is
hung a cord T, one end of which is secured to a stud U, in the
framing, whilst the opposite free end is linked at V, to an adjustable
weighted lever W, turning on a fixed stud centre X. The object of this
contrivance is the production of a satisfactory downward pressure for
keeping the beamed warp well in contact with its roller N, and prevent
all chance slipping; there being no "drag" whatever produced upon
the warp by this arrangement, inasmuch as the warp beam is forcibly
carried round by the frictional roller action, against whatever amount
of friction may arise from the action of the weighted pulleys. In my
example of the loom I have arranged the line of warp threads Y, to
pass from their beam, down inside the roller N, so as to wrap nearly
round this roller on the lower side. Thence the threads pass, as shown
by the arrows, up outside the roller N, and clearing the warp beam to
the horse or whip bar Z. From this point the warp continues directly
forward to the point of weaving in the usual manner. I prefer this
system of conducting the warp, but it is obvious that the warp may be
conducted to the bar above in various other ways. When the warp has
to be taken back at any time, the weaver accomplishes the movement by
drawing the horizontal handle, a; which handle, by means of a clutch

page_text: fork at its opposite end, draws the bevil wheel J, out of gear with its
driver, so that the warp is then no longer controlled by the rest of the
loom gearing. The number of "picks" or weft threads thrown into a
given length of fabric is varable by changing the pinion G, on the
tappet shaft F, so as to drive the warp beam at a quicker or slower
rate, as may be necessary.
The "taking up motion" is of the usual kind, and is not in any
way affected by the modification which I have introduced in the warp
beam action.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not
confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which
I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features
of my Invention. But what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of looms for weaving,
as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of a roller revolving at a continu-
ously uniform weight, for delivering the warp from the warp beam by
frictional contact.
Third, the system or mode of delivering the warp from its beam at a
regular uniform rate, by the action of a roller working in contact with
the beamed warp.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Parker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
CHARLES PARKER. (L.S.)