IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS AND APPA- RATUS EMPLOYED THEREWITH FOR WEAVING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Shaw, of Gee Cross, in the County of Chester,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS AND APPA-
RATUS EMPLOYED THEREWITH FOR WEAVING."
Scaled the 14th October 1856, and dated the 21st May 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Shaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
May 1856..
I, DAVID SHAW, of Gee Cross, in the County of Chester, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREWITH FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, firstly, to an improved stop motion, by which the
loom is instantly stopped if any of the warp threads break, or any thing becomes
entangled in the warp threads, thereby preventing floats or bad work being
made; secondly, to an improved construction of the healds, and the method of
making the same; and thirdly, to an improved construction of the shuttle
tongue and spring.
I accomplish the first part of my said improvements by fixing a small pneu-
matic apparatus outside or inside the loom and near the ends of the healds.
This apparatus, which acts similar to a pair of bellows or a concertina, has two
or more projecting tubes, each of which is connected to an elastic tube, fixed on
the top of each shaft of the healds, and running the whole length thereof. As
each of the healds rise and fall alternately, they open and close the pneumatic
apparatus, and inflate and discharge it, and so force air through the tubes.
Now, as the threads of the healds pass over the said elastic tubes, if a warp

page_text: thread breaks, or any thing becomes entangled with any of them, it will cause
its corresponding eye or loop of the heald to be drawn down and thus com-
press the elastic tube, by which the air or wind will be suspended or prevented
passing through the tubes, when the action of such sudden and extra inflation
is caused to operate on a small rod, connected with the ordinary stop rod, and
throw the loom out of gear, thus stopping its motion, and preventing floats or
bad work being. made.
I accomplish the second part of my said improvements by connecting or
joining the two front shafts of the healds at the top, and the two back shafts
at the top, and leaving them separate at the bottom part. Along the said
connected top shafts I fix the aforesaid clastic tube, between the heddles and
the main shaft, in any convenient manner, the threads of the heald passing over
it, as already described; and in making the healds, instead of securing the
threads by knots and pitch, in the usual manner, I merely pass the threads
over the shaft in a spiral form, and secure them by putting a little paste or
glue along the edge, and then form, the loops or eyes for the heald from such
threads put on the shaft in that spiral form; and for the purpose of making
superior selvedges, I make the eyes or loops for a few inches at each side or
extremity of the warp gradually decrease in size to the selvedge.
I accomplish the third part of my said improvements by adding to the spring
of the shuttle tongue a piece to correspond with the shank of the tongue,
and to project a little beyond it, so that when the tongue is out of the
shuttle the spring will be flat with the tongue, but when in the shuttle the
ordinary shuttle spring will press against the said projecting piece, and cause
the spring of the tongue to rise or bow out and tighten the cop. I put the
spring of the tongue on the under side instead of the top side, as heretofore.
The advantage of this part of my Invention is, that the tongue and spring
being flat, when put into the cop will not have the tendency to break the
threads or yarn, and thus make waste, or what is called "large cop bottoms,"
and by the spring coming into action after the cop is put on the tongue, it
becomes firm and tight.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David "Shaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th November 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID S
SHAW, of Gee Cross,, in the County of Chester, Manufacturer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria; by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of May, in the year of our-
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
.said David Shaw, Her special licence that I, the said David Shaw, my execu
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Shaw, 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 thercin
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 AND APPARATUS.
EMPLOYED THERE WITH FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that,
I, the said David Shaw, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,,
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 Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Shaw; do hereby declare tho:
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
(that is to say):
My Invention relates, firstly, to an improved stop motion, by which the
loom is instantly stopped if any of the warp threads break, or any thing becomes.
entangled in the warp threads, thereby preventing floats or bad work being.
made; secondly, to an improved construction of the healds, and the method of.
making the same; and, thirdly, to an improved construction of the shuttle:
tongue and spring.
.
:
I accomplish the first part of my said improvements by fixing a small pneu-
matic apparatus outside or inside the loom and near the ends of the healds..
This apparatus, which acts similar to a pair of bellows or concertina, has two,
or more projecting tubes, each of which is connected to an elastic tube, fixed
on the top of each shaft of the healds, and running the whole length thereof,
one of the ends of each elastic tube being open to the atmosphere. As each.
of the healds rises and falls alternately, the passages of the tubes between
them and the pneumatic apparatus are closed, and kept open at each successive
movement of the healds, either by valves or the action of the tubes themselves, .
thereby affording a means of supply and exhaust. The said pneumatic appa-
ratus is opened or extended to its full capacity by being connected to an inter-
mediate lever, acted upon by a connecting rod worked by a crank or lever;

page_text: which is attached to the slay shaft, the expulsion of the air being caused by a
weight or spring attached to the apparatus; thus, when there is no obstruction
in the supply and exhaust, the pneumatic apparatus expands and fills with air
at each beating up of the weft, the collapse or expulsion occurring during the
interval; but if there be an obstruction, in consequence of one or more tubes
Leing partially or entirely closed, the expulsion of the air from the pneumatic
apparatus cannot effectually take place, and the contraction or collapse is
luggish, thus causing a slower movement of the parts connected with the
pneumatic apparatus. Now, as the threads of the healds pass over the said
clastic tubes, if a warp thread breaks, or any thing becomes entangled with any
of them, it will cause the corresponding eyes or loops of the healds to be drawn
down, and thus compress the elastic tube, by which the air or wind will be
suspended or prevented passing through it, which obstruction prevents the free
and uniform action of the pneumatic apparatus, and also the intermediate
lever connected to it, a hook or projection on which cannot escape the action
of another projection on the slay, which movements are made to push the
handle out of its detent and stop, the loom; or the same effect may be produced
by the inflation or expansion of the pneumatic apparatus being retarded instead
of its collapse or contraction, as in the one before described. The pneumatic
apparatus, instead of being extended or expanded, is closed or collapsed by the
action of a crank or lever on the slay sword shaft, and expanded for the admis-
sion of air by the weight of the intermediate lever on a pin in the connecting
rod, or a spring may be used instead of the weight. If one or more of the
clastic tubes should be partially or entirely closed, the pneumatic apparatus
cannot be expanded in time to prevent a projection on the intermediate lever
from coming in contact with the projection on the slay, by which means the
loom is stopped, as before described.
I accomplish the second part of my said improvements by connecting or
joining the two front shafts of the healds at the top, and also the two back
shafts at the top, and leaving them separate at the bottom part. Along the
said connected top shafts I fix the aforesaid elastic tube, between the heddles
and the main shaft, in any convenient manner, the threads of the heald
passing over it, as already described; or at the top of the healds I use one shaft,
placed between two shafts or guides, for the purpose of guiding the threads of
the heald, the elastic tube being placed on the upper surface of the said top
shaft; and in making the healds, instead of securing the threads by knots and
pitch, in the usual manner, I weave a few coarse threads at the part which
covers the elastic tube; in order to keep the threads of the heald the proper
distance apart, I micrely pass the threads over the shaft in a spiral form, and

page_text: secure them by putting a little paste or glue along the edge, and then form
the loops or eyes for the healds from such threads put on the shaft in that
spiral form; and for the purpose of making superior selvedges and larger
sheds at each side, I make the eyes or loops for a short distance at each side of
the healds gradually decrease in size towards the extremity, as seen in Fig. 3.
I accomplish the third part of my said improvements by adding to the
spring of the shuttle tongue a pieco to correspond with the head of the tongue,
and extend to the end- or nearly so, so that when the tongue is out of the
shuttle the spring will be flat with the tongue, but when in the shuttle the
ordinary shuttle spring will press against the said projecting piece, which
extends to the end or nearly so, and cause the spring of the tongue to rise or
bow out and tighten the cop. I put the spring of the tongue on the under
side instead of the top side, as heretofore. The advantage of this part of my
Invention is, that the tongue and spring being flat, when put into the cop, will
enter it easily without forcing in the cop bottom, and thus make less waste, or
prevent what are called large." cop bottoms," and by the spring coming into
action after the cop is put on the tongue, it becomes firm and tight. I also
produce the same result by making both the shuttle tongue and spring of a
spiral form, and joining them at the top in the usual manner, but leaving them
separate at the bottom. The shank of the spring has a projection on one of
its sides, so that when in the shuttle the ordinary shuttle spring will press
against it and force the spiral spring to bend up and bow out, thereby causing
the spring and tongue to be larger in diameter than when the tongue is out
of the shuttle; the spirals are to be right and left handed, as the cops may
require.
.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and letters of reference thereon,
the said letters referring to each Figure separately.
.
Fig. 1 is a front, and Fig. 2 an end elevation, of the frame and part of a
loom, shewing the first part of my improvements; Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are
views of detached parts, drawn to an enlarged scale; Fig. 6 represents part
of the end frame of a loom, to which is applied a modification of the first part
of my improvements. Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are views of my improved
shuttle tongues.
.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a and b represent the healds; c and d, the elastic
tubes on the tops of them; c, the bellows; and f, the projecting tubes, which
are connected to the elastic tubes on the healds by the pipes g and pipes or
joints and k, either elastic, or made of leather or other suitable material.
The upper part of the bellows and projecting tubes f are stationary, but from

page_text: the yielding or flexible nature of the joints h and k, the pipes and tubes can
move up and down with the healds without breaking the connections; the
pipes 9 are made angular at one end, as seen in section at 7, Fig. 3. When
à heald is moving downwards, the said pipes press against a seating m, forcing
the angular end against the inside of the flexible pipe k, and closing the
passages; as at n. When the heald has moved upwards, the angular end l does
not press against the flexible pipe, but leaves the aperture free. The alternate
pressure and release of the pipes g against the flexible pipes or joints form a
-simple arrangement, effectually supplying the place of more elaborate valves,
which would otherwise have to be employed. Thus, the elastic tubes on the
healds being open at one of their ends, and having no obstruction, constitute
the means of a successive supply and exhaust of air to the bellows e, which are.
expanded and collapsed at each stroke of the slay, when no breakage or floats:
take place in the warp; but if a warp thread breaks, or any thing becomes
entangled with any of them, one or more eyes or loops of the corresponding
heald will be drawn down, and thus compress the elastic tube in proportion
to the mischief, as seen at o, Fig. 3, thereby throttling it, and preventing an
efficient exhaust, with consequent slower closing or collapse of the bellows e.
The said bellows are attached to the rod p, fixed to one of the main frames of
the loom, and are expanded as the slay moves forward, by means of the lever
9 on the shaft of the slay sword acting on the rod r, intermediate levers, and
rod t; the collapse, when no irregularity occurs, being caused by the action of
the weight u; or, as before said, a spring may be used. Upon the fulcrum v,:
also attached to one of the main frames of the loom, is the beam or lever w,
the upper part of which presses against the starting and stopping handle x,
and the lower part furnished with a pin or fulcrum y, upon which is placed
one end of the intermediate lever s, its other end having a hooked projection
2, which is opposite another projection a' on the slay, so that they may come.
in contact, when the collapse of the bellows, arising from an obstruction in an
élastic tube, is not sufficiently rapid, the upper part of the lever w then presses
the handle out of its detent, and the loom is stopped. When there is no
obstruction, the weight u, or spring, when used, contracts the bellows and.
raises the hooked projection above the projection a' (as seen by the dotted,
lines), thereby causing it to have no effect on the handle. Either end of the
rod r is slotted, so as to allow the weight u to exert its force after the lever s
has been drawn down by the lever q.
In Fig. 6, I shew a modification of the first part of my improvements, in
which the retarding of the inflation or expansion of the bellows or pneumatic
apparatus is made to act, upon the handle and stop the loom. The said

page_text: bellows are attached to the rod a, fixed to one of the main frames of the
loom; and are contracted or collapsed as the slay. moves forward, by means of
the lever b on the shaft of the slay sword acting on the rod c connected to,
the bellows. On the rod c is a pin or projection d, upon which rests the end
of the intermediate lever e, which is furnished with a weight or spring f, and
also a projection g. Attached to the slay is another projection h, as in the
former example. When no obstruction has taken place, the bellows collapse
and expand with each revolution of the crank; but if one or more of the
elastic tubes be partially or entirely closed, the weight or spring on the inter-
mediate lever e cannot expand the bellows sufficiently quick to allow tho
projection g to be out of the way of the projection h, they consequently meet
ás the slay sword makes its backward stroke; the intermediate lever being.
pushed or pulled backwards, and with it one end of the lever k, the other end
moving outwards, thereby pressing the handle out of its detent, and stopping
the loom.
The second part of my improvements relates to an improved. construction
of the healds, and the method of making the same. I connect or join the
two front shafts of the healds at the top, and also the two back shafts at the
top, leaving the shafts separate at the bottom, as usual; or I employ at the top:
only one shaft, with guides, and two shafts at the bottom, as seen in Fig. 4;
the top shafts being shewn at b', and the double ones at the bottom at ca
At the top of the upper shafts 6' I place the elastic tubes, and hold them in
their places
thread wound in a spiral direction or otherwise, which thread
maintains the tube. in its proper position on the top of the shaft, the threads
of the heald passing over the said tube, as before described; and in making.
the healds, instead of securing the threads by knots and pitch, in 'the usual
manner, I unite a slip of india-rubber, or weave, knit, or sew a few coarse
threads at the part which covers the elastic tube, in order to keep the threads
of the healds the proper distance apart, which are passed over the shaft at
the bottom in a spiral or zig-zag direction, and secured with paste, glue, or
other suitable material; the loops or eyes for the healds are then formed
from the threads so placed, as seen in Fig. 5. For the purpose of making
superior selvedges or larger sheds, I make the eyes or loops for a short distance
at each side of the healds gradually decrease in size towards the extremity,
as seen in Fig. 3.
The third part of my said improvements relates to improved constructions
of the shuttle tongue and spring. I add to the spring a (Figs. 7 and 8) of
the shuttle tongue ba piece.c, to correspond with the head d of, the tongue,
and to extend to the end or nearly so, so that when the tongue is out of the

page_text: shuttle the spring a will be flat with the tongue, as seen in Fig. 7; but when
in the shuttle the ordinary shuttle. spring e will press against the said pro-
jecting piece.c, and cause the spring of the tongue to rise or bow out and
tighten the cop, as seen in Fig. 8. The spring of the tongue is on the under
side instead of the top. I. also emply a shuttle tongue and spring of a spiral
form, connected at the top in the usual manner, but separate at the bottom.
Figs. 9 and 10 represent. the tongue and spring when out of the shuttle, and
Fig. 11 when in. f is the spiral body of the tongue; g, the spiral spring,
connected to the top of the body; h, the head of the spring, having a pro-
jection kon one of its sides, so, that when in the shuttle the ordinary shuttle.
spring will press against it, and force the spiral spring to bend up and bow
out, as shewn, in Fig. 11.. The employment of either of these improved
tongues prevents "large.cop bottoms," and, by the spring of the tongue coming
into action after. the cop is put on the tongue, the said cop becomes firm and
tight. As before said, the spirals are either right or left handed, as required.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein
set. forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle thereof; but I claim: as of my Invention, and which, to the best of
my knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used within this realm,
Firstly, the arrangement of a pneumatic apparatus for stopping the loom..
. Secondly, the improved.construction and method of making the healds.
And, thirdly, the improved construction of the shuttle tongue and spring
as all such improvements are herein described, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof; I, the said David Shaw, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, Oue thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named David Shaw, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
DAVID SHAW. (L.S.).