IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Toone, of the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Toone at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th February 1881.
BENJAMIN TOONE, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN READING AND
PUNCHING JACQUARD CARDS."
In a punching machine of the usual construction, at the back of the repeater, I
employ a cross bar of metal, having each end secured to and carried by one of the
sliding bars which operate the selecting block; the cross bar supports an additional
needle block of peculiar construction, being formed of two or more sley plates
perforated for needles, each needle having an eye at one end and a hook at the
opposite end; each needle is provided with a metal collar, which restricts the
traverse of the needle between the sley plates; the whole block is capable of
adjustment in length and width by means of set screws.
Each needle is attached by means of two or more strings to two or more of the
needles in the original selecting block, according to the number of repeats of
pattern required; the back ends of the needles in the additional block have the
ends of the wale strings hooked onto them; by such means I effect a considerable
saving in time in reading the pattern and also in punching the cards, besides
being enabled to employ shorter lashes than heretofore; thus the whole of the
operations are facilitated throughout.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Benjamin Toone in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th August
1881.
BENJAMIN TOONE, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN READING AND
PUNCHING JACQUARD CARDS."
In a punching machine of the usual construction, at the back of the repeater, I
employ a cross bar of metal, having each end secured to and carried by one of the
sliding bars which operate the selecting block; the cross bar supports an additional
needle block of peculiar construction, being formed of two or more sley plates
perforated for needles, each needle having an eye at one end and a hook at the
opposite end; each needle is provided with a metal collar which restricts the
traverse of the needle between the sley plates; the whole block is capable of
adjustment in length and width by means of set screws. Each needle is attached
by means of two or more strings to two or more of the needles in the original
selecting block, according to the number of repeats of pattern required; the back
ends of the needles in the additional block have the ends of the wale strings
hooked onto them; by such means I effect a considerable saving of time in reading
the pattern and also in punching the cards, beside being enabled to employ
shorter lashes than heretofore; thus the whole of the operations are facilitated
throughout
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a plan and side view of a punching machine of
the usual construction with my improved apparatus applied thereto.
Figure 3 is a plan of the additional needle block. I employ.
Figure 4, an end view of the same, and
Figures 5 and 6, two needles referred to hereafter.
In the Drawings only a few of the needles are shewn in the plans.
In a punching machine of the usual construction, at the back of the needle
block A, in which each needle is provided with a spring and metal collar, which
*restricts the traverse of the needle between the sley plates, I employ a cross bar of
metal B, having each end secured to and carried by one of the sliding bars C
which operate the selecting block A. The cross bar supports an additional needle
block D of peculiar construction, being formed of two inner sley plates El and two
outer sley plates E2; the inner sley plates are perforated for needles E³, of either
of the shapes shewn separately at Figures 5 and 6; whichever shaped needles are
employed they are kept in. position vertically by wires E', shewn in plan and end
view at Figures 3 and 4.
The whole block is capable of adjustment to or from either end of the bar B by
means of screws and wing nuts; the bar itself is capable of adjustment upon the
sliding bars to or from the usual needle block A. by means of set screws.
I am thus enabled to place the new block in a direct line with the needles
required to be employed in the old block, according to the number of wales in the
pattern to be punched.
Each needle in the block D has an eye at each end; the eyes at the back end
have each the end of a wale string F hooked onto it, and the eye at the front end
of each needle is attached to two or more needles in the selecting block A by means
of strings G, in the plan, Figure 3; the front end of the needles are shewn attached
to four strings each, thus representing a pattern four times repeated; but suppose

page_text: six or more repeats of the pattern are required, then six or more strings are
attached to the front end of each needle in the additional needle block D.
When hooking the strings from the needles Es onto the repeating needles in the
usual block A, I slacken the strings by loosening the set screws in the ends of the
cross bars B.
The back ends of the wale strings F carrying the selecting lashes H are hooked
upon a line of pins carried by a roller I, provided with a ratchet wheel, stop lever,
and hand wheel, as usual. When the whole of the repeating strings G are hooked
in position the attendant separates by means of the lash the selected wales from
the unselected ones, and places the roller J between the selected and unselected
wales, the roller being below the selected and above the unselected wales; he then
places the handle of the rocking shaft carrying the roller J into the position shewn
by the dotted lines at Figures 1 and 2, thereby depressing the unselected wale
strings, which place their repeating needles to which they are attached clear of
the punches in the punch plate, so that when the operator with his foot presses
down the treadle attached to the straps operating the sliding bars C those punches
only which are opposite the ends of the repeating needles which are selected will
punch the card.
By such means I effect a considerable saving of time in reading the pattern and
also in punching the cards, besides being enabled to employ shorter selecting lashes
than heretofore; thus the whole of the operations are facilitated throughout.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,—
First. For the cross bar B capable of adjustment to or from the usual selecting
block A, and carrying the needle block D capable of adjustment upon the bar B.
Second. For the needles shewn at Figures 5 and 6 for the purposes set forth,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Toone, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
BENJAMIN TOONE. (L.S.)