CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Shorrock, Manufacturer, and William
Shorrock, Manager, both of Over Darwen, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR
WEAVING."
Sealed the 2nd. November 1863, and dated the 11th May 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Shorrock and
William Shorrock at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition on the 11th May 1863.
We, CHRISTOPHER SHORROCK, Manufacturer, and WILLIAM SHORROCK,
Manager, both of Over Darwen, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in looms consist, first, in the novel and peculiar arrange-
ment of apparatus for applying and regulating the power or friction of the
break on the warp beam, whereby we are enabled to keep a constant pressure
upon such beam during the operation of weaving; but should there be any
imperfection in the weaving necessitating a reverse motion of the said warp
beam, such reversing is accomplished without any pressure upon the beam by
the said break.
Our improved arrangement of mechanism may be described as follows:-
Upon one end of the warp beam is fixed a cylindrical bush supplied with a
ratchet wheel, such wheel being acted upon by a pawl or catch secured to a
grooved ring or hoop encircling the afore-mentioned bush, a strap of leather or

page_text: other suitable material being fitted into the groove of this ring, baving the
pressure exerted upon it by means of a clip or break, and is so arranged that
when such clip is tightened it shall exert a pressure upon the warp beam through
the medium of the afore-mentioned pawl and ratchet wheel during the operation
of weaving; but should any reverse or backward motion be given to the warp
beam, the pawl or catch slips over the teeth of the ratchet, thereby allowing
the bush encircling the warp beam to revolve freely within the grooved ring
without any pressure, the only pressure upon the warp beam being effected
by the contact or resistance of the pawl or catch against the ratchet wheel.
Upon the adjustable pressure clip is a small bowl acted upon by a spring in
such a manner that it shall always cause an even tension to be given to the
warp.
A second part of our improvements consists in the employment and use of
bowls or pulleys secured below the healds and above the treddles, to which the
healds and treddles are attached by means of straps, such straps when the
treddles are in motion partially wrap or fold upon the afore-mentioned pulleys,
so causing by their connection with the healds a constant rise and fall or
shedding to such heals; these bowls or pulleys act as intermediate carriers
between the treddles and the healds, lessening the strain or weight upon the
healds, thereby causing such healds to be more durable and lasting, also easier
in their action upon the warps.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Christopher Shorrock and William Shorrock in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 11th November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHRIS-
TOPHER SHORROCK, Manufacturer, and WILLIAM SHORROCK, Manager, both of
Over Darwen, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Christopher Shorrock and William Shorrock, Her special license that we,
the said Christopher Shorrock and William Shorrock, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Christopher Shorrock and
William Shorrock, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter

page_text: 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Christopher Shorrock and William Shorrock, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our 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 Christopher Shorrock do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
:-
Our improvements in looms consist, first, in the novel and peculiar arrange-
ment of apparatus for applying and regulating the power or friction of the
break on the warp beam, whereby we are enabled to keep a constant pressure
upon such beam during the operation of weaving; but should there be any
imperfection in the weaving necessitating a reverse motion of the said warp
beam, such reversing is accomplished without any pressure upon the beam by
the said break.
Our improved arrangement of mechanism may be described as follows:-
Upon one end of the warp beam is fixed a cylindrical bush supplied with a
ratchet wheel, such wheel being acted upon by a pawl or catch secured to a
grooved ring or hoop encircling the afore-mentioned bush, a strap of leather or
other suitable material being fitted into the groove of this ring, having the
pressure exerted upon it by means of a clip or break, and is so arranged that
when such clip is tightened it shall exert a pressure upon the warp beam'
through the medium of the afore-mentioned pawl and ratchet wheel during
the operation of weaving; but should any reverse or backward motion be
given to the warp beam, the pawl or catch slips over the teeth of the ratchet,
thereby allowing the bush encircling the warp beam to revolve freely within
the grooved ring without any pressure, the only pressure upon the warp beam
being effected by the contact or resistance of the pawl or catch against the
ratchet wheel. Upon the adjustable pressure clip is a small bowl, acted upon
by a spring in such a manner that it shall always cause an even tension to be
given to the warp..
A second part of our improvements consist in the employment and use of

page_text: bowls or pulleys secured below the healds and above the treddles, to which the
healds and treddles are attached by means of straps, such straps when the
treddles are in motion partially wrap or fold upon the afore-mentioned pulleys,
so causing by their connection with the healds a constant rise and fall or
shedding to such healds; these bowls or pulleys act as intermediate carriers
between the treddles and the healds, lessening the strain or weight upon the
healds, thereby causing such healds to be more durable and lasting, also easier
in their action upon the warps.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, made upon a scale of
about three inches to the foot, similar letters of reference being marked upon
corresponding parts of the apparatus.
Fig. 1 represents an end view of a loom, exhibiting the arrangement of
apparatus for regulating the friction or power of the break on the warp beam,
also the rollers or pulleys to which the heald straps are attached, and the
spring and rod or bowl over which the cloth passes, and which effects the even
tension thereof. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached
view of one end of the warp beam having our improved apparatus applied
thereto for regulating the tension of the warp, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view
of same.
In Fig. 1, a, a, is the framing of the loom in which the warp beam 6 is
supported, to the end of which the cylindrical bush c is secured, having a
ratchet wheel attached thereto, which is actuated by a pawl or catch e,
secured to a grooved ring or hoop f, which encircles the bush c.
The rope g
may be tightened or slackened by a spring clip, as seen in Fig. 3, or by the
nut and screw h, so as to cause more or less friction on the warp beam through
the intermediate ratchet wheel, pawl, and grooved ring; thus when the weaving
is progressing the tension is kept upon the warp by the pawl taking into the
ratchet wheel; but when a reverse movement is given to the beam, the pawl
slips over the ratchet teeth, and allows the bush to revolve without any friction
from the ring and band, the connection between the friction break ring and
the bush on the beam being only exerted when the pawl takes into the ratchet
wheel. The equal tension is effected by the use of a spring or springs h¹,
enclosed within a case i, and, pressing the bowl, roller, or bar k, which forms
an elastic bearing for the warp by which it is always kept in even tension;
this arrangement, or a slight modification thereof, may also be applied to the
beam, as shewn in Fig. 3. The healds 1, 1, are secured to and wind partly
round the bowls or pulleys m, m, which are caused to semi-rotate by means of
the treddles n, n, acting upon the straps, o, o, which are secured to the bowls;

page_text: this arrangement effect a more steady and easy action of the healds than when
the heald straps are attached to the treddles without the interposition of bowls;
it also diminishes the strain thereupon.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be distinctly
understood that we claim, first, the arrangement, combination, and construction
of the break and warp tension of apparatus applied to the warp beam;
secondly, the application and use of the intermediate bowls or carriers to which
the beald straps are attached, as herein-before described, set forth, and fully
illustrated in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Shorrock, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
CHRISTOPHER SHORROCK. (L.S.)