IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hilton, of Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 27th July 1869, and dated the 10th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hilton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th February 1869.
I, WILLIAM HILTON, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to the picking sticks of what are
commonly known as "under-pick" looms, and consists of an arrange-
ment for returning the picking stick to its normal vertical position after
each pick..
And, secondly. The Invention relates to the "swells" of the shuttle
boxes, and consists of an arrangement for controlling the action of the
swells in such a way that the shuttle is relieved from the pressure

page_text: thereof immediately before and during each pick, the swells coming into
action again before the shuttle reaches the opposite box.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention I attach a bracket to
the swing rail of the loom lathe, and connect the outer end of this
bracket by means of a strap to the horizontal arm of a bell crank or
inverted L-shaped lever mounted on a stud fixed to the frame of the
loom. To the vertical arm of the said bell crank or lever (which pro-
jects downwards) I attach a strap, the other end of which is connected
to the lower end of the picking stick below the fulcrum. This strap is
made in two pieces and connected together in the centre by a strong
coiled spring. As the lathe swings in beating up after each pick the
bracket attached to the swing rail acts on the bell-crank lever and
causes it, by means of the spring and strap, to draw the picking stick
back into the required position.
In carrying out the second part of my Invention I key or otherwise
fix on the crank shaft a plate or disc carrying a crank pin, which upon
every revolution of the loom acts upon the longer arm of a lever, the
shorter arm of which acts upon the horizontal arm of a bell-crank lever
mounted on the stop rod of the loom, the vertical arm of which lever
acts against the swell, so that the pressure is taken off immediately
before each pick, and the swells are thrown into action again just before
the shuttle reaches the box. By the use of these improvements the
friction and wear and tear of the picking arrangements of the loom
are greatly diminished, and a corresponding decrease is made in the
amount of power required to drive a certain number of looms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Hilton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HILTON, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Hilton, Her special license

page_text: that 1, the said William Hilton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Hilton, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Hilton, 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 William Hilton, 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 following statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
This Invention relates, firstly, to the picking sticks of what are
commonly known as "under-pick" looms, and consists of an arrange-
ment of mechanism for returning the picking stick to its normal vertical
position after each pick.
And, secondly. The Invention relates to the "swells" of the shuttle
boxes, and consists of an arrangement for controlling the action of the
"swells" in such a way that the shuttle is relieved from the pressure
thereof immediately before and during each pick, the "swells" coming
into action again before the shuttle reaches the opposite box.
In carrying out the first part of my Invention I attach a bracket to
the swing rail of the loom lathe, and connect the outer end of this
bracket by means of a strap to the horizontal arm of a bell orank or
inverted L-shaped lever mounted on a stud fixed to the frame of the
loom. To the vertical arm of the said bell crank or lever (which pro-
jects downwards) I attach a strap, the other end of which is connected
to the lower end of the picking stick below the fulcrum. This strap is
made in two pieces and connected together in the centre by a strong
coiled spring. As the lathe swings in beating up after each pick the
bracket attached to the swing rail acts on the bell-crank lever and

page_text: causes it, by means of the spring and strap, to draw the picking stick
back into the required position.
In carrying out the second part of my Invention I key or otherwise
fix on the crank shaft a plate or disc carrying a crank pin, which upon
every revolution of the shaft acts upon the longer arm of a lever, the
shorter arm of which acts upon the horizontal arm of a bell-crank lever
mounted on the stop rod of the loom, the vertical arm of which lever
acts against the swell, so that the pressure is taken off immediately
before each pick, and the swells are thrown into action again just before
the shuttle reaches the box. By the use of these improvements the
friction and wear and tear of the picking arrangements of the loom
are greatly diminished, and a corresponding decrease is made in the
amount of power required to drive a certain number of looms.
Such being the nature, and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in Looms for Weaving," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed and carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may
be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings
illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with Figures and letters
of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof :-
In the annexed Drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation of so much of a
power loom as is necessary to illustrate the application of my Invention
thereto. A bracket attached to the swing rail of the loom lathe is
connected by means of a strap a, a, to the horizontal arm of a bell-crank.
(or inverted L-shaped) lever b, b¹, mounted on a stud c fixed to the
frame of the loom (see front view, Fig. 2). To the vertical arm 6' of the
said bell-crank lever is attached a coiled spring d, d, the other end of
which is connected to the lower end of the picking stick e, e, by means
of a strap ff, in order to bring the stick back again to its proper
position for the next pick.
Fig. 3 shows the adaptation of this part of my Invention to what is
called an "elbow pick" loom. In this arrangement the motion is derived
from an excentric 9, 9, on the crank shaft, acting against the lever h, h,
so as to produce the same results as in the preceding arrangement.
Fig. 4 is a modification wherein the motion is obtained from the lathe
sword, which is connected by a pin to a lover i, i, vibrating on a stud k
fixed to the loom side.

page_text: One arrangement for relieving the shuttle from the pressure of the
spring during the pick is also shown at Fig. 1. When the picking stick
is acting on the shuttle to pick it across the loom the two swells and m,
in passing each other, force the stop rod finger n to relieve the shuttle
from the friction of the spring connected to the shuttle box, thereby
releasing the picking stick. The motion is derived from two spur
wheels o and p, the spur wheel o being fixed on the crank shaft, and
working into the wheel p, in which latter there are two studs which give
the required motion to the lever q.
Fig. 5 is a similar arrangement, wherein the motion is derived from
the cam r instead of from the spur wheels.
Fig. 6 is a further modification in which no motion is derived from the
crank shaft, the lever s being bolted stationary to the loom frame. In
Fig. 7 the levert is also stationary, and acts on the tongue 1 of the stop
rod with the same result.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I
claim as my Invention, the several methods herein-before described of
returning the picking sticks back to their original position after each
pick, and of relieving the shuttle from the pressure of the swell during
the pick, the swells coming into action again before the shuttle reaches
the opposite box.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hilton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witnessed by
GEORGE DAVIES, C.E.
Office for Patents,
Manchester.
WILLIAM HILTON. (L.S.)