CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Hurst, Manager of the Weaving Department,
William Alfred Craven, Mechanic, and Henry Sutcliffe, Whitesmith, all in the
employ of Messicurs Fielden, Brothers, of Waterside, Todmorden, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING"
Sealed the 22nd September 1877, and dated the 4th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hurst, William Alfred
Craven and Henry Sutcliffe at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 4th April 1877.
JOSEPH HURST, Manager of the Weaving Department, WILLIAM ALFRED CRAVEN,
Mechanic, and HENRY SUTCLIFFE, Whitesmith, all in the employ of Messieurs
Fielden, Brothers, of Waterside, Todmorden, in the County of York.
"CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
The object of this Invention is to relieve the shuttle from pressure in the box
before it is picked, whereby the operation of picking is facilitated and the wear and
tear of the picking motion is reduced.
The machinery for accomplishing the said object consists in a combination of a
spring swell fixed to the back of the shuttle box by small bolts so as to check the
shuttle when boxing, and a bent lever fixed to the ordinary stop rod, and worked
by the crank arm or from any other part of the loom, so as to release the fingers on
the stop rod from the swell in the shuttle box.
The swells may be of any approved construction, but we prefer to use swells of
bent spring steel.
The combination of spring swell and bent lever above described is particularly
beneficial when applied to looms in which a break is employed to check the
momentum when the loom is stopped.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Hurst, William Alfred Craven, and Henry Sutcliffe in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd October 1877.
JOSEPH HURST, Manager of the Weaving Department, WILLIAM ALFRED CRAVEN,
Mechanic, and HENRY SUTCLIFFE, Whitesmith, all in the employ of Messieurs
" CERTAIN
Fielden, Brothers, of Waterside, Todmorden, in the County of York.
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
The object of this Invention is to relieve the shuttle from pressure in the box
before it is picked, whereby the operation of picking is facilitated and the wear and
tear of the picking motion is reduced.
The machinery for accomplishing the said object consists in a combination of a
spring swell fixed to the back of the shuttle box by small bolts so as to check the
shuttle when boxing, and a bent lever fixed to the ordinary stop rod, and worked
by the crank arm or from any other part of the loom, so as to release the fingers on
the stop rod from the swells in the shuttle boxes.
The swells may be of any approved construction, but we prefer to use swells of
bent spring steel.
The combination of spring swell and bent lever above described is particularly
beneficial when applied to looms in which a break is employed to check the
momentum when the loom is stopped.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in
which Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 a view from the back, and Fig. 3 a plan of part
of a loom of the ordinary construction to which our improvements are applied.
a is the crank shaft; b, the lay; c, the lay swords; d, the stop rod to which is
fixed the frog catch a and the fingers ; e, the crank arms; f, the break pulley;
g, the break; h, the frog; and i, the link between the break and the frog, all of
which parts are made as usual. At the back of each shuttle box is fixed by small
bolts or screws the spring swell j, the bent part of which projects into the shuttle
box and presses lightly against the shuttle when boxing or entering the shuttle box.
The ends of the spring swells j are acted upon when the shuttle is boxed by the
fingers d on the stop rod.d, and these fingers are taken out of contact with the
swells when the shuttle is boxing and before the picking by means of the bent
lever fixed to the stop rod a; the end of this bent lever passes under one of the
crank arms e, so that when the crank is turning back, as shown in Fig. 1, the crank
arm depresses the bent lever and releases the spring swell to allow the shuttle to
enter the box. After the reed has beaten up, and at the next revolution of the
crank shaft, the bent lever is again depressed by the crank arm to release the swell
before the shuttle is picked. When the crank arm releases the bent lever the
fingers are pressed against the swells j by the coiled spring 1, see Fig. 1.
By means of these improvements the power required for actuating the shuttle is
reduced, the check straps usually employed may be dispensed with, the weight of
the swells is reduced, and no lubricating of the parts is required, consequently the
operation of picking is facilitated, and the wear and tear is reduced.
We wish to remark here that the bent lever k may be acted upon by any other
suitable moving part of the loom instead of by the crank arm as described, and
that the improved mechanism above described for releasing the shuttle may be
applied to swells of the ordinary construction.
The combination of the spring swells with the bent lever acting in the manner
described is particularly beneficial when applied to looms in which a break is
employed to check the momentum of the parts when the catch a' comes in contact
with the frog h to stop the loom.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention and described the manner of
performing the same, we declare that we claim,—
First. The improved spring swells, as shewn and described, or any modification
thereof.

page_text: And, Secondly. The improved machinery shewn and described, or any modifi-
cation thereof for releasing the shuttle when boxing and before picking.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Hurst, for myself and on behalf of the
said William Alfred Craven and Henry Sutcliffe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-seven.