Improvements in and relating to Dobby Mechanism of Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Dobby Mechanism of Looms for
Weaving.
I, WILLIAM BELL WHITE, Junior, of Red Scar Spring Works, Colne, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in dobby mechanism of looms for
weaving, and is designed to simplify the construction thereof. The invention has
reference more particularly to dobbies of that class, in which hooked U shaped
spring catches have been employed for lifting the jacks.
Hitherto, in this type of dobby, two pattern cylinders have usually been
employed, the pegged lags of which have acted direct on the catches, thus
necessitating a double reading of the pattern, and involving a considerable com-
plication of the working parts.
The object of the present invention is to get rid of this complication by the
employment of a single pattern cylinder arranged to act on shaped needles,
which are acted upon by the pegged lags of the pattern cylinder in such a manner
as to throw the hooked extremities of the U shaped spring catches into position
to be raised by the lifting knives of the dobby.
According to my invention, I employ two U shaped spring catches having
hooked extremities, one leg of the U being preferably longer than the other.
The short hooked end rests on a stationary projection. Two of these spring
catches are mounted at their U bends on a small stud on the jack lever, one of
the said catches being in advance of the other. The studs are on each side of
the jack.
The said needles are arranged to slide in grates and are operated upon by
the pegged lags of a single pattern cylinder. The ☐ needles are alternately long
and short, the projecting extremities of the long needles acting upon the more
distant spring catch, whilst the short needle acts upon the near catch, so as to
bring them alternately in position to be operated by the lifting knives as the
case may be, according to the pegging of the lags, and thus retain any particular
jack in position for any required number of picks.
The hooked extremities of the U catches are preferably pushed into action by
the pegs of the pattern cylinder forcing forward the shaped needles or slide
pieces. The U catches spring back to their normal position when the lifting
knife has been lowered. The arrangement may, however, be vice versa, the
catches being forced out of action by the needles, and springing into position
on the absence of a peg.
manner.
I preferably employ double jack levers arranged in a peculiar and novel
The first jack lever (i.e. the one carrying the spring catches) is pivotted
at one end, and at the other end the stave is attached. In the centre on each
side are the studs, on which are mounted the spring lifting catches. The other
jack lever is reversely pivotted at one end, and at its other end the stave is

page_text: attached. A central connection by a link or hooks is made between one lever and
the other, so that they will be simultaneously lifted, and at the same time lift the
healds.
My invention further relates to improved mechanism for operating the lifting
knives of dobbies with the object chiefly of preventing a smash or breakage of
the working parts in case anything gets stuck fast.
On the dobby frame I mount a two armed lever which has a rocking move-
ment imparted to it by the usual rod operated from suitable tappets or treadles
from the tappet shaft of the loom. At or near each end of the two armed lever,
I mount a forked or slotted arm, its forked end striding the end of the two
armed lever, whilst its other end is connected to the lifting knife. Both forked
arms are similarly arranged by being connected to their respective lifting
knives. Should anything get fast in the working parts, the two armed lever will
continue to work without doing any damage, the same being free to move in the
forked ends of the arms or levers connected to the lifting knives.
Dated this 19th day of August 1908
RICHMOND & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents,
12, Standish Street, Burnley.
Improvements in and relating to Dobby Mechanism of Looms for
Weaving.
I, WILLIAM BELL WHITE, Junior, of Red Scar Spring Works, Colne, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement;-
This invention relates to improvements in dobby mechanism of looms for
weaving, and is designed to simplify the construction thereof. The invention
relates more particularly to dobbies of that class, in which hooked U shaped
spring catches have been employed for lifting the jacks.
Hitherto, in this class of dobby, two pattern cylinders have usually been
employed, the pegged lags of which have acted direct on the catches, thus
necessitating a double reading of the pattern, and involving a considerable com-
plication of the working parts.
The object of the present invention is to get rid of this complication by the
employment of a single pattern cylinder arranged to act on shaped needles,
which are acted upon by the pegged lags of the pattern cylinder in such a manner
as to throw the hooked extremities of the U shaped spring catches into position
to be raised by the lifting knives of the dobby.
According to my invention, I employ two U shaped spring catches having
hooked extremities, one leg of the U being preferably longer than the other.
The short hooked end rests on a stationary projection. Two of these spring
catches are mounted at their U bends on a small stud on the jack lever, one of
the said catches being in advance of the other. The studs are on each side of
the jack.
The said needles are arranged to slide in grates and are operated upon by
the pegged lags of a single pattern cylinder. The needles are alternately long
and short, the projecting extremities of the long needles acting upon the more
distant spring catches, whilst the short needles act upon the near catches, so as to
bring them alternately in position to be operated by the lifting knives as the

page_text: case may be, according to the pegging of the lags, and thus retain any particular
jack in position for any required number of picks.
The hooked extremities of the U catches are preferably pushed into action
by the pegs of the pattern cylinder forcing forward the needles or slide
pieces. The U catches spring back to their normal position, when the lifting
knife has been lowered. The arrangement may, however, be vice versa, the
catches being forced out of action by the needles, and springing into position
on the absence of a peg.
manner.
I preferably employ double jack levers arranged in a peculiar and novel
The first jack lever (i.e. the one carrying the spring catches) is pivotted
at one end, and at the other end the stave is attached. In the centre on each
side are the studs, on which are mounted the spring lifting catches. The other
jack lever is reversely pivotted at one end, and at the other end the stave is
attached. A central connection by a link or hook is made between one lever and
the other, so that they will be simultaneously lifted, and at the same time lift the
healds. In a modification, the lower lever carries the spring catches, and is
formed on its upper side with a swell which bears against a projection formed
on the underside of the upper jack lever, so as to cause a simultaneous lift of
both levers, when the lower lever is raised by the needles, thus dispensing with
the links or hooks. -
My invention further relates to improved mechanism for operating the lifting
knives of dobbies with the object chiefly of preventing a smash or breakage of
the working parts in case anything gets stuck fast.
On the dobby frame, I mount a two armed lever which has a rocking move-
ment imparted to it by the usual rod operated from suitable tappets or treadles
from the tappet shaft of the loom. At or near each end of the two armed lever,
I mount a forked or slotted arm, its forked end striding the end of the two
armed lever, whilst its other end is connected to the lifting knife. Both forked
arms are similarly arranged by being connected to their respective lifting
knives. Should anything get fast in the working parts, the two armed lever will
continue to work without doing any damage, the same being free to move in the
forked ends of the arms or levers connected to the lifting knives. In a modifi-
cation, a short bracket may be bolted to the top rail of the loom, to which may
be pivotted a Llever, in which is formed a slot at one end, to which the usual
operating rod worked from the tappets, is connected. To the other end of the
Llever is attached a horizontal connecting rod, which actuates or imparts a
rocking movement to a pivotted T lever suitably mounted in the dobby framing,
which takes the place of the two armed lever heretofore described, and by
which the forked arms for giving motion to the lifting knives are actuated in a
similar manner.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a detached view of my improved
dobby shewing the method of actuating the jack levers. Figs. 2 and 3 are front
and back views respectively of the dobby, and Fig. 4 is an end view thereof,
shewing the method of operating the lifting knives.
Referring to Fig. 1, A and B are the U shaped spring catches, which are fixed
at their bends to the jack levers C by means of studs D as shown. These spring
catches are made with a long leg and a short one. The long leg projects upwards,
and is formed with catch extremity E, whilst the short leg is also formed with a
bent end or catch F, which rests on a cross bar of the grate G, when in' its normal
position.
H and J are the shaped needles, which are acted upon by the lattice pegs
on the pattern barrel or cylinder K. The long needles J act upon the spring
catches B, while the short needles H act upon the catches A. The needles are
supported in grates I and L, the grate L also serving as a guide for the spring
catches A and B as shewn..
The jack levers C, which carry the spring catches, are pivotted at M, and their
other extremities move in the grate N. From jack levers C a central link or

page_text: connection is made to the jacks C₁ pivotted at P, so that on the lifting of the
jacks C, the jacks will be simultaneously lifted, and consequently the healds
attached to them will be raised. The jacks C¹ work in the grate P. The links
individually consist of two side plates or blades, which are braced together at the
top and bottom by a small stud carrying a small anti-friction bowl, which rests
in an indent in the jack levers C and C¹.
г
Fig. 5, Sheet 2, represents a modification of my improved method of mounting
the jack levers C and C, in which the connecting links and anti-friction bowls
are dispensed with, and the said jack levers are so mounted and constructed,
that on the raising of the lower lever, it will simultaneously raise the jack lever
above it. In this view, the U shaped spring catches A and B are shewn secured
to the lower jack lever C pivotted at b. The jack lever C¹ above it is reversely
pivotted at d. On the lower jack lever C is formed a swell or lug e, which when
the lower jack lever is raised by the U shaped spring catches A or B in the
manner described bears against the projection f cast upon the underside of the
Jack lever C, thereby raising the said lever C¹ simultaneously with the lever C.
In Fig. 6, Sheet 2, is shewn the method of securing the U shaped spring
catches A and B to the jacks C. The studs or buttons D), round which the wire
catches A and B are hent, are fixed into the recesses g and h on each side of the
jack and at suitable distances from each other, so that the jacks may be fit
into the dobby frame close together, and side movement or displacement of the
spring catches A and B is thus prevented. The slots in the grate G (see Fig. 1)
through which the spring catches pass, also prevent their displacement.
I will now proceed to describe the action of my improved dobby. Just accord-
ing to the pegging of the lags on the pattern cylinder K, the needles H and J
will, as the case may be, thrust forward the spring catches A or B, so that their
catch extremities E will come into position to be raised by the lifting knives Q
and R of the dobby, pivotted at Q as shewn in Fig. 4. When the needles H and J
are relieved from the lattice pegs on the pattern barrel K, the said catches
either A or B as the case may be will spring back out of active position as shewn
at A in dotted lines in Fig. 1. At the same time they will cause the return of
the needles H and Jin readiness to be acted upon by the succeeding pegs of the
lattice barrel, their return movement being limited by the rod H¹, as shewn.
The lifting knife R, about midway of its length, has attached to it a branch
arm R, which operates the two armed lever S, pivotted at $1 (see Fig. 3).
The other extremity of the lever S is connected to another two armed lever T,
centrally pivotted on the shaft T of the pattern barrel K. Fixed to lever T is
small link U carrying pawl or catch U¹, which engages with the ratchet wheel K',
and turns the pattern barrel K, a small blade spring B₁ keeping the catch U¹ in
gear with said ratchet wheel.
The operation of the lifting knives Q and R will be next described. This is
effected by rocking lever V mounted on the stud V₁ as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.
This rocking lever is actuated by connecting rod W, operated from an eccentric
cr crank on the tappet shaft of the loom in the usual manner. Rocking lever V
gives an alternate movement to two arms X, whose ends are passed through
slotted brackets Y in rocking lever V, and are supported upon the same by
bowls Z, which rest in a slight groove or indent formed in the top edge of such lever.
The arms X are connected to respective lifting knives Q and R, which they
operate.
It will be evident that should any working part get stuck fast, the rocking arm V
will continue to work independently of the arms X, thus preventing any damage.
In a modification of the above arrangement, shewn in Fig. 7 (Sheet 2), the
two arms X carrying the lifting knives are worked by means of a T shaped
lever pivotted at h on the saddle or support j fixed to the dobby frame. To
this pivotted T shaped lever g, a rocking movement is imparted to give the
necessary lift to the knives by means of connecting rod actuated by L lever m

page_text: mounted on a stud secured to a bracket o, fixed to the top rail of the loom p.
This lever m is worked by the usual connecting rod W.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. The improved method or means of operating jack levers of dobby mechanism
of looms, consisting of single pattern cylinder K, the lattice pegs of which act
upon shaped needles H and J, so as to throw into action, the U shaped spring
catches A and B to be operated upon by the lifting knives Q and R of the dobby,
substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In dobby mechanism of looms, the improved method of operating the lifting
knives Q and R, consisting of rocking lever V pivotted at VI, to which are loosely
connected arms X, the same being arranged to fit loosely in brackets Y carried
by rocking lever V, and are supported by bearings Z, substantially as shewn in
Fig. 2 and described.
3. The modification of the above claimed arrangement of mechanism for
operating the lifting knives of dobbies, substantially as described and illustrated
in Fig. 7.
4. The improved arrangement of jack levers C and C¹ connected by link O, and
pivotted respectively at P and M, substantially as shewn in Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) and
described.
5. The modification of the above claimed arrangement of jack levers, whereby
links are dispensed with, substantially as described and illustrated in Fig. 5
(Sheet 2).
6. The general arrangement and combination of parts of dobby mechanism of
looms hereinbefore set forth and claimed in the preceding claims, substantially
as described and shewn on the drawings.
RICHMOND & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 12, Standish Street, Burnley.