AN IMPROVED LATHE FOR RIBBON LOOMS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Adams Knight, of the "International Patent
Agency," No. 4, Symond's Inn, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LATHE FOR RIBBON LOOMS."-
A communication from abroad by Etienne Calonnier-Peyron, of St.
Etienne, in the Department of the Loire, France, Manufacturer.
Sealed the 2nd April 1861, and dated the 8th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Adams Knight at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th October 1860.
I, JOHN ADAMS KNIGHT, of the "International Patent Agency," No. 4,
Symond's Inn, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LATHE FOR RIBBON LOOMS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to allow the operative to weave double the
number of pieces of ribbon that he is able to produce in the looms now in use.
Thus an ordinary ribbon loom for eight pieces being fitted with this improved
batten will yield sixteen pieces of ribbon. This object is attained by so
altering the lathe as to make it double without changing any of the remaining
mechanism in the loom, and to show how this may be effected, I take, e.g., a
lathe for eight pieces, having a shuttle to each piece. In order to work

page_text: double that number of pieces, that is to say, sixteen, I place another like lathe
or shuttle race above the first, the two being united into one, but their relative
position shall be such that the medial or centre line of the reed belonging to
one of them shall coincide with the centre line of the rest or repose for the
shuttle belonging to the other lathe. Thus it would appear at first sight that
this lathe has two shuttles to each piece instead of one. It will be easily
understood that through the use of this lathe the pieces of ribbon in course of
weaving are placed one above another, but I effect this in such manner that
each piece can be viewed with perfect ease. In fact, this Invention consists
mainly of an arrangement for increasing the productive power of the ribbon
loom by putting additional pieces betwixt the ordinary ones, but at a higher
level. Thus by means of this improved lathe a loom for four, eight, twelve, or
twenty-four pieces is made to produce twice that number, and the lathe may
be worked at the same time as usual with one, two, three, or four shuttles to
each piece.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Adams Knight in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th April 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
ADAMS KNIGHT, of the International Patent Agency, No. 4, Symond's Inn,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Adams Knight, Her special licence that I, the said
John Adams Knight, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Adams Knight, 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 "AN IMPROVED LATHE FOR RIBBON LOOMS," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Etienne Calonnier-Peyron, of St. Etienne,
in the Department of the Loire, France, Manufacturer, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Adams Knight, my executors or

page_text: 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 Adams Knight, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
For the better understanding of and in addition to the statements contained
in the Provisional Specification, I will now fully describe the manner in which
this Invention is or may be carried into effect.
On the annexed Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my
improved lathe or batten for ribbon looms, which I would term a duplex
lathe, from its being intended to weave double the number of pieces of ribbon
that an ordinary lathe of the same width would weave; Fig. 2 is an end
elevation of the same.
a, a, a, shew the spaces where the reeds are located in this batten, the
same as in an ordinary lathe or batten, the spaces between these reeds
exhibiting the shuttle races or rests ("repos"). With this ordinary lathe,
constructed as usual, I combine another lathe or batten of the same description,
which I place vertically under and in an inverted position to the former one,
firmly uniting the two. Moreover, the reeds or spaces for the same, b, 61, in
the lower batten are placed directly underneath the shuttle races of the upper
batten, and reciprocally the shuttle races of the lower batten stand vertically
underneath the reeds a, a, a¹¹, of the upper batten. It is readily understood
that no alteration is made or needed in the peculiar construction of each detail
of the batten, such as the shuttle races, clamps, pinions, reeds, &c., which are
of the same description as those now in use, the main objects of this Invention
being to increase the productive power of each loom, and reduce the surface.
space required to place a given number of looms for turning out a given
amount of work. The working of the loom with the improved or duplex
lathe also remains the same as with the ordinary batten, great facility being
given to the operative for viewing and handling each separate piece of ribbon,
by the lateral space left each piece of ribbon a³, and the two neighbouring
ones b, b, below it.
In weaving figured ribbon when three, four, or more shuttles are used, I
modify the jacquard in such manner as to supersede or do away with lost picks

page_text: ("coups perdus"). In order to achieve this object I have contrived the means
for picking two or more shuttles simultaneously, as shewn at Fig. 3 of the
'annexed Drawing. The modified jacquard I use for this purpose differs from
the ordinary one, by having two griffs or leash boxes instead of one, two
cylinders, two sets of cards, and so forth; also the wires are double-hooked,
one hook on each side, so as to be acted upon by either one or the other griff.
By means of this addition, any shed required may be obtained for picking two
or more shuttles simultaneously. On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
c, d, e, f, represent respectively the lifting lever, leash box, grid or lifting bars,
and cylinder belonging to the first set; c, d, e, f, those of the second set;
9, 9, are the double-hooked wires, which, by the needles h, h¹, and cylinders f, f¹,
are made to hook either on one or the other of the lifting bars e, e¹, according
to the requirements of the design, and thus produce the open shed required for
the passage of two or more shuttles.
I claim the duplex ribbon lathe, or its equivalent, and the double griff or
leash box, or its equivalent, substantially as herein-before described and acting
for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Adams Knight, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
JOHN ADAMS KNIGHT. (L.S.)