Improvements in the Heald Controlling and Operating Mechanism of Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Heald Controlling and Operating Mechanism
of Looms for Weaving.
We, JOHN LLOYD, of Angola Mills Droylsden, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer, JONATHAN DAWSON, of Manchester Road, Kearsley, in the County
of Lancaster, Overlooker, and JAMES DAWSON of Union Street, Droylsden,
in the said County, Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention is designed to be applied to looms in which the healds are
controlled by dobbies or otherwise in which the heald shafts are drawn down or
raised by the action of springs.
The object of the invention is to reduce the pressure exerted by the spring
upon the heald shaft when it is raised or depressed as the case may be and thus
reduce the power requisite to operate the healds.
In carrying out the invention we attach the cord or band which is connected
to the heald shaft to a lever pivoted on a fulcrum at or near one end. Below
this lever we place a spiral (or other) spring secured at one end to the floor or to a
fixed part of the loom frame. On the free end of the spring we fix a sheave or
runner and we connect the spring to the pivoted lever by this runner or sheave
which traverses the lever from end to end.
When the heald shaft is not operated upon by the shedding motion (down or
up) the lever is inclined slightly towards the spring and the runner traverses
to the end of the lever at which point the spring it set to exert the desired
amount of force or pressure.
As the connecting cord is raised or drawn from the spring the lever gradually
moves about its fulcrum until it assumes a horizontal position. Directly it passes
the horizontal line the runner begins to travel towards the fulcrum thereby
decreasing the leverage and lessening the pull or force of the spring upon the
heald shaft and at the same time the action exerted against the tappet is minimised.
When the cord is released the reverse action takes place the force exerted by
the spring draws the heald back again until the lever becomes horizontal and
then the runner at the end of the spring travels from the fulcrum to the end of
the lever increasing the leverage and increasing the holding down power of the
spring where it is most required.
Dated this 5th day of November 1896
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.

page_text: CORE DI DI MULTICATION.
Improvements in the Heald Controlling and Operating Mechanism
of Looms for Weaving.
We, JOHN LLOYD, of Angola Mills Droylsden, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer, JONATHAN DAWSON, of Manchester Road, Kearsley, in the County
of Lancaster, Overlooker, and JAMES DAWSON, of Union Street, Droylsden,
aforesaid, Overlooker, 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 heald-operating mechanism for looms and is designed
to be applied to looms the healds of which are controlled by dobbies tappets or
similar mechanism and the heald shafts are drawn down (or raised) by the action
of springs.
The object of the invention is to reduce the pressure exerted by the springs
upon each heald shaft when raised (or depressed as the case may be) and thus
reduce the power requisite to operate the healds.
It consists essentially of mechanism to which the heald shafts are attached
comprising a lever pivoted or fulcrummed at one end to which the heald is con-
nected and a spiral spring connected thereto by a sliding traveller or runner so
that the spring attachment travels to or from the fulcrum of the lever as it is
inclined in one direction or the other thereby applying more or less force through
the lever upon the heald shaft.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1. Side elevation of the invention showing its attachment as applied to
two heald shafts.
Fig. 2. Side elevation partly in section (enlarged).
Fig. 3. Plan.
Fig. 4. End elevation.
The heald shafts A. A¹ (two of which are shown in Fig. 1.) are of any ordinary
construction and may be raised by tappets or other suitable mechanism.
The heald shafts A A' are by cords or bands a attached to the levers B pivoted
on a fulcrum at or near one end. The levers B rest at one end on the fulcrum C
and they are attached at the other ends to the bands a by which they are connected
to the heald shafts A A. The ends of the levers B are preferably cranked at b
to receive the band a and move up and down between guides d with a stop or
rest at the bottom and stop d at the top. When the heald shaft A is down
or in its lowest position the end of lever B is supported by the band a near the
rest or stop d¹, being inclined downwards from the fulcrum C to the free end but
when the heald shaft is raised (as shown by A¹) the end of the lever B is also
raised and it is inclined in the reverse direction, from the free end downwards
towards the fulcrum C.
Upon each lever 13 we place a traveller or runner E free to move or slide
thereon from one end to the other according to the direction of inclination of the
lever and to each lever we connect a spiral spring G by means of the traveller E
by which the lever is drawn down.
The spring G is attached by its lower end to a pin or rod 9 affixed to the
frame and the free end of the spring is attached to the traveller E on the lever B.
The traveller may be provided with pulley or roller to cause it to move more
freely over the lever B.
When in operation, as the heald shaft A and connecting cord a are raised or
drawn from the spring G, the lever B gradually moves about its fulcrum C until

page_text: it assumes a horizontal position elongating the spring G. Directly the lever B
passes the horizontal line the traveller E begins to slide or travel towards the
fulcrum C of the lever thereby decreasing the leverage and lessening the pull or
force of the spring upon the heald shaft thereby minimising the action exerted
against the tappet or dobby. When the cord a is released by the lowering of the
heald shaft A the reverse action takes place the force exerted by the spring G
draws the heald back again until the lever B becomes horizontal and then the
traveller E connected to the end of the spring G travels from the fulcrum C to
the other end of the lever increasing the leverage and thereby increasing the
holding down power of the spring G where it is most required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. Mechanism for operating the heald shafts of looms comprising a pivoted
lever to which the heald shafts are connected by cord or band actuated by a spiral
spring connected or attached by a traveller which moves or slides towards the
fulcrum reducing the leverage and the force exerted upon the healds when the
end is moved and the lever inclined towards the fulcrum, and which moves in the
opposite direction to increase the leverage and the force exerted upon the healds
when the end is drawn back and the lever is inclined in the opposite direction
substantially as described.
2. In mechanism for operating the heald shafts of looms the combination with
the lever B fulcrummed at one end and the actuating spring G of the traveller E
capable of moving to and fro on the lever connecting the spring G to the lever
by which the leverage and the force applied is reduced when moved to one end
of the lever and by which the leverage and force applied is increased when moved
to the other end of the lever substantially as described and shown.
3. The mechanism for operating the heald shafts of looms constructed and
arranged substantially as and for the purposes described and shown.
Dated this 24th day of May, 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool and London, Patent Agents.