CERTAIN METHODS OF SIMPLIFYING THE OPERATIONS FOR PERFORATING JACQUARD CARDS, AND IN MEANS FOR ECONOMISING THE PRODUCTION OF FIGURED TEXTILE FABRICS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas George Lomas, of the Hollies, Wellington Road,
Whalley Range, Withington, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, for
an Invention of "CERTAIN METHODS OF SIMPLIFYING THE OPERATIONS FOR
PERFORATING JACQUARD CARDS, AND IN MEANS FOR ECONOMISING THE
PRODUCTION OF FIGURED TEXTILE FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION 'left by the said Thomas George Lomas at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th January 1881.
THOMAS GEORGE LOMAS, of the Hollies, Wellington Road, Whalley Range,
Withington, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer. "CERTAIN METHODS OF
SIMPLIFYING THE OPERATIONS FOR PERFORATING JACQUARD CARDS, AND IN
MEANS FOR ECONOMISING THE PRODUCTION OF FIGURED TEXTILE FABRICS."
My Invention relates to the weaving of figured patterns formed according to the
action of perforated cards in a jacquard machine, as is well understood, and has for
its object to simplify the operation of perforating cards for weaving certain patterns
or designs, and to supersede the operations performed by the designer, reader-in,.
and card-cutter to a great extent. The first part of my Invention relates to the
perforation of jacquard cards for those patterns or designs which can be divided
into such longitudinal sections as may be required in other patterns or designs.
Previous to my said Invention an amount of time and trouble has been devoted to
the production of such patterns or designs, which I am enabled to dispense with to
a great extent. In carrying out this part of my Invention I employ any suitable
jacquard card repeating machine, or two or more such machines, or I may construct
a special machine preferably of the piano type. The punch box, may be of any
required length, and made to contain any required number of rows of punches,
according to the pattern or design required. The keys which lock the punches are
acted upon by means of needles or pieces of wire enclosed in a casing or casings.
A slip of card, hereinafter called the index, is prepared and perforated in accordance
with the first section of the required pattern, which said index card may be made
of card-board, paste-board, sheet-metal, or other suitable substance or material.
The said cases of needles are moved from and against the said keys, and are raised
Prine d

page_text: An
and depressed with the said punch box, being actuated with it at suitable times by
means of excentrics on a revolving shaft. The prepared card or index is placed
between the said needles and keys, and will only admit of the said needles acting
upon the keys where there are perforations in such index. The cards cut are
drawn through the stationary plates by the action of a weight controlled by a
spring-catch as in the piano machine. In a repeating machine selected or specially
constructed as aforesaid, the number of cards required according to the pattern to
be woven are placed side by side and adjacent to each other transversely to the
punch-plates, so that a section of each will be between the plates. When a
jacquard card or index acts upon the machine or machines, the perforations
repeated therefrom are distributed over all the cards placed between the said
plates. In cases where the number of sections are few, and particularly where the
pattern or design is formed by a figure warp on other than plain ground, a
repeating machine of any suitable construction may be surmounted with several
jacquard machines, or with one jacquard machine or other mechanisin effecting the
same purpose, and one pattern repeated from a number of sets of cards, the
same being arranged according to the class of patterns required to be cut.
important part of my Invention consists in applying the arrangements, whereby
the action regulated by certain perforations in one set of cards is governed by the
action regulated by certain perforations in other cards. To any of those jacquard
card repeating machines in which levers or rods govern the action of the punches,
according to certain perforations and blanks in certain jacquard cards, I apply an
arrangement to draw out of action certain selected levers or connections according
to perforations in cards other than the last mentioned. To any of those jacquard
repeating machines whereby certain cords or other connections are raised according
to the perforations in a jacquard card, while certain punches for perforating cards
are lowered by the lifting of the said cords and thereby brought into action,
I apply the same arrangement by combining therewith a jacquard machine or
machines coupled both to the aforesaid cords in order to lift them, and to the said
punches in order also to neutralise the action of certain of the aforesaid cords
when required; and to the last named machine or to any machine in which the
lifting of certain cords shall secure certain punches to perforate cards brought in
contact with them, I apply the said arrangement by lifting the said cords as
hereinafter described. I couple two jacquard machines so that the action of the
one governed by the cards applied thereto may neutralise the action of certain
selected hooks or lifts in the second machine irrespective of the cards applied
thereto. The cord lifted by each hook in the one machine is connected with the
corresponding cord in the other machine, or I may combine any suitable or
required number of such machines, and apply a like arrangement thereto. In
another arrangement I take a jacquard machine with one or two griffs or gratings,
two cylinders, and two sets of needles and hooks, the tugs attached to such hooks
being connected in pairs; I remove certain of the said needles and replace them
with needles having a raised part, notch, or projection thereon arranged to act
upon the upright wire of an adjacent hook of the opposite section of the machine,
so that the said hook will be thrown out of action except at times when the said
needle is pushed back by the absence of a perforation in the card brought in
contact with its point. Such machine I call the harmonising jacquard machine;
may modify the bereinbefore mentioned arrangements in cases where three, four,
six, eight, or other small number of cards are required to work on a cylinder, by
employing a cylinder of a triangular, square, sexagonal, or octagonal, or other
suitable form, as often as may be required, or by arranging the same with blanks
and perforations instead of using cards.
My Invention relates in the next place to the employment of means for
numbering in the machine all the cards consecutively after being perforated. To
this end I number the perforated cards after they leave the punch plates by means
of a numbering stamp actuated by the machine. In some cases it will be found an

page_text: advantage to the manufacturer to surmount looms with the harmonising jacquard
machine when a repeating machine so mounted may be undesirable. It will be
found economical and useful where it is required to produce the same pattern in
one loom as a brocade-figure and in a second loom by a figure warp, and also most
economical where it is required to display a fine figure upon a coarse ground. The
raised part, notch, or projection when the machine is required for the last
mentioned purpose acting upon the hook of the corresponding needle in the opposite
section of the machine. The said harmonising jacquard machine may also be
applicable to other purposes than those herein mentioned, and when it is mounted
above a loom will be capable of application for use in lieu of the ordinary single
jacquard machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas George Lomas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
July 1881.
THOMAS GEORGE LOMAS, of the Hollies, Wellington Road, Whalley Range,
Withington, in the County of Lancaster. "CERTAIN METHODS OF SIMPLIFYING
THE OPERATIONS FOR PERFORATING JACQUARD CARDS, AND IN MEANS FOR
ECONOMISING THE PRODUCTION OF FIGURED TEXTILE FABRICS."
My Invention relates to the weaving of figured patterns formed according to the
action of perforated cards in a jacquard machine, as is well understood, and has for
its object to simplify the operations for perforating cards for weaving certain
patterns or designs, 'and to supersede the operations performed by the designer,
reader in, and card cutter to a great extent. The first part of my Invention
relates to the perforation of jacquard cards for those patterns or designs which
can be divided into such longitudinal sections as may be required in other patterns
or designs. Previous to my said Invention an amount of time and trouble has
been devoted to the production of such patterns or designs which I am enabled to
dispense with to a great extent.
The first part of my Invention consists principally in repeating the lines of
perforations from one index or jacquard card on to several jacquard cards in a
direction transverse to that in which they appear originally on the index. The
squares of the design are taken in such rotation by the reader as to place the
pattern upon the index card transversely.
To allow for the margin of the cards in repeating the reader must miss one row
in every five, or seven, or nine, or thirteen, in the index, according as the pattern
may be for a machine of one hundred, two hundred, three hundred, four hundred,
or six hundred hooks.
The repeating being taken transversely the cards perforated in that process
come out in the usual form.
The attachments and alterations necessary to make some of the existing repeating
machines suitable for transverse repeating according to this system will be
understood from the following description, and on referring to the annexed
Drawings.
It is obvious that the perforations of an index, however few, might be made on
any size of card suitable for the cylinder of a machine, which card might have peg
holes and lace holes, while the operator might lace them together to form a
complete pattern, and placing them round the cylinder and rollers of his repeater
repeat through the set without stoppage.
By a slight and obvious adaptation of the connections between needles and
punches a repeater might be suited to one breadth of card so as to make it
unnecessary for the reader to miss certain rows for margin.
My transverse-repeating machine is illustrated on Sheet 1, in which Fig. 1 is a
side elevation, Fig. 2 a sectional elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan view; Fig. 4 shows
the support of index enlarged, and Fig. 5 is a section shewing the casting punch,
keys, and plates.
It is an economical machine for transverse repeating alone; for patterns of many
picks several such machines should be used side by side.
a, a, is a casting or punch box drilled with a line of holes b, b, from the under-
side; these holes are intersected at a right angle by others c, c, from front to back,
see Fig. 5.
The casting a, a, is lowered and lifted by the levers d, d, actuated by the weight
of the operator moving from the platform e, e, to the platform f, f, and back. In

page_text: the perpendicular holes of this casting work the ends of the row of eighty three
punches g, g.
The steel pistons h, h, enter at times the horizontal holes c, c, to lock the
punches g, g.
These pistons h, h, work easily in the plates i and k, and are pressed forward by
springs.
The pistons h, h, serve the purposes of both keys and needles.
The plates i and k with the framing and the pistons h, h, rise and fall with the
casting a, a, and are actuated horizontally by the levers 1, 1, moved by the
handle m, m, which when lifted is blocked by the catch n, n, until the lever d, d,
reaches its lowest point and knocks off the catch by means of the inclined plane o, o,
and stud p, p.
The plates through which the punches g, g, work are the stationary plate q, q.
the releasing plate r, r, which rises and falls with the casting a, a, and the fixed
cutting plates 8, 8¹.
The punches g, g, have a collar to rest on the plater, r, and are slightly tapered
to the top.
There is a prepared index t, t, which may be of card board, paste board, or sheet
metal, and rests in holders u, u.
At the back of each holder u, u, is a rack v, v, actuated by a pinion wheel w, w,
which has had certain teeth filed away or otherwise removed.
The shaft x, x, which revolves the pinion w, w, is turned slightly by the action
of the fixed catch y, y, upon the ratchet wheel s; z, every time the casting a, a,
reaches the highest part of its movement.
The cards 1, 1, have their peg holes, lace-holes, and batten holes cut before being
placed in this machine.
2, 2, is a sliding frame which may be actuated by the hand of the operator, or by
a weight controlled by a spring catch acting upon pegs set to a given scale, as in
the piano machine.
The cards 1, 1, are slipped between the plates s and s¹, and arranged side by side
and transversely to the punch plates with their end lace holes upon the pegs, as
shown in Fig. 3.
The manner of working after arranging the cards, as explained above, is as
follows:-
1. Place an index in the holders u, u, the top line of perforations being opposite
the horizontal row of holes c, c, in the casting a, a.
2. By lifting the handle m, m, press forward the pistons h, h, in their frame i, k,
these will lock the punches g, g, where there are perforations in the top line of the
index, but where the index presents blanks the pistons h, h, by their springs will
yield.
3. Step upon the platform e, e, thus lowering the casting a, a, and punching the
cards. When the casting reaches its lowest point the lever d, d, knocks off the
catchin, n, and allows the handle m, m, to fall and the pistons. h, h, to leave the
horizontal, holes c, c, and the index.
4. Step upon the platform f.f, this will raise the casting a, a, when the catch y, y,
acting upon the ratchet wheel z, z, will partially turn the pinion w, w, and so
present the second line of perforations in the index.
5. Move the sliding frame 2, 2, bringing the next blank portion of the cards
below the punches g, g.
Every fourth time the casting a, a, rises it will present to the racks v, v, a
portion of the pinions w, w, where the teeth have been removed, and so let the
racks, holders, and index fall to the first position. The index must then be
changed.
When an index of six or other number of rows is employed there should be pinion
wheels formed in accordance therewith.
As a modification of the above I greatly increase the length of the casting a, a,
and of the platforms e and f, the framework, the shaft, and the sliding frame, and

page_text: so forth, and arrange the punches in line with one another to the number of several
hundreds. I fix through the external casting a, a, at suitable intervals additional
connecting rods similar to d, d, and similarly actuated.
One sliding frame enlarged will carry all the cards, and the index may consist of
several cards laced end to end. The holders must then be proportionately multiplied
in number.
I may modify the above by dispensing with the platform e, and actuating the rods
by hydraulic rams, as is well understood, either employing or dispensing. with the
levers d, d.
I retain the platform f, and by suitable connections employ. it to release the
punches, as it does now.
By a further modification I take power from a revolving shaft, and employ cams
or other suitable mechanism, the operation of which is to lower and raise the head
four or other required number of times, and then stop itself for renewal of the
index.
In cases where the number of sections is small, and particularly where the figure
or design is formed by a figure warp on other than plain ground, a repeating
machine of any suitable construction may be surmounted with one or several
jacquard machines, the same being arranged according to the pattern intended to be
cut.
But the required result will be obtained with much greater convenience and
success if the operator can be exempted from the necessity of having every figure
divisible by the number of cards in the ground pattern.
Thus it is required to place the ground on one card and the figure upon the other
card or cards, and to harmonize the result by mechanism.-
My Invention in the second place, therefore, consists in so governing the action
regulated by certain perforations in one set of cards by the action regulated by
certain perforations in another set of cards that the results shall be a compound
pattern harmonizing together the two distinct patterns, such as ground and figure
or otherwise. Of the several means described in my Provisional Specification I
consider the harmonizing jacquard machine to be the best and most generally
applicable. The novel part of the aforesaid harmonizing jacquard is the application
of a raised part, notch, or projection, which I call a spur, for the purpose above
mentioned.
In this application of my Invention I take a jacquard machine with two cylinders
and two sets of needles and hooks. The hooks must be made of wire superior in
quality and stiffness.
I remove one set of needles and replace them with a set A, A, having a spur
upon each (as shown on Sheet 2, Figs. 6, 6, and 7) arranged so as to act upon the
upright wire of an adjacent hook of the opposite section B, B, of the machine, so as
to throw the hook out of action except when the said needle is pushed back by the
absence of a perforation in the card brought in contact with its point. The length
of the heels C, C³, of these needles must be proportioned to the travel of that
portion of the hook upon which the spurs *, act, and their springs must be of
preponderating strength.
A needle obviously may have two or more spurs, and the position of the various
needles and of their spurs should be settled according to the fabric required to be
produced.
Fig. 6, Sheet 2, shews an arrangement for harmonizing the ground and pattern
of double-warp fabrics. Upon the cards on cylinders D work figure cards having no
ground cut upon them, and for every interval occurring in this figure blank cards
are interlaced.
Upon the cards on cylinder E the ground of the fabric is cut; these cards may
also have a secondary figure where required, or a figure to rise upon another part of
the fabric from that of cylinder D.
In this case both cylinders close in about the same time, and all the knives or
griff-bars lift at once.

page_text: Wear may be diminished by causing both cylinders to rest against their needle
boards during the action of the lift. The hooks G to G, Fig. 6, are connected in
pairs at the tugs H, H; the heels C, C, are larger than those at C¹, C¹.
In Fig. 7 the needles of one set are controlled by the corresponding needles of the
other set, whilst in Fig. 6 the needles of one set govern different needles of the
other set.
The thick wire I, I, is for the purpose of giving increased steadiness to the hooks
and needles.
By a modification of this part of my Invention the spur may govern the hook by
acting upon its needle by an upright wire lever, instead of by the upright hook
wire.
By another modification the set of needles with the spurs may be the bottom set
instead of the top, or a part of each set may have spurs; or I may employ a crank
or an eye of the same length as the heel in lieu of the spur.
As another modification I take two jacquard machines, right and left hand. The
needles of the first must spring forward with a force sufficient to amply overpower
the spring force of the second machine. One or both machines may be of the make
in which the hooks do the double duty of hooks and springs, provided the last
mentioned condition can be complied with. To the heel of each needle in both
these machines I have previously attached by the middle a short piece of fine wire
with a small eye at each end, and have bent the ends of this wire together, so as to
stick straight out from the needle.
If there be a spring box these wires will pass through the spring, which must be
suitable, and one at each side of the pin, which secures it. I change the position of
the needles in the second machine according to the requirements of the fabric for
which the pattern is required. Thus I may place No. 2 needle in the position of
No. 1 to act upon No. 2 hook, and needle No. in the position of No. 2 to act upon
No. 1 hook, and so on. I fix these two machines back to back, a few inches apart;
I then attach each needle to the one opposite to it by a pliable connection between
the fine eyes above mentioned, so that the needles with the weaker spring shall be
pulled back when those with stronger spring stand forward.
I then take three racks with bars of glass or other suitable material set to the
gauge of the machines, and fix one below each machine, and one below both at a
good distance from them.
Having attached a suitable cord to every hook of both machines I couple these
cords in pairs, attaching each cord to the corresponding cord of the other machine;
with the cords thus connected I form tugs at the third rack, and attach the lashing
to those tugs in the usual way. As a modification of the last mentioned arrange-
ment I may vary the connection of the cords or the eyes to suit the fabric:
A further modification of this Invention in its application to repeating machines
upon the French model is illustrated on Sheet 2, Fig. 8. A is the jacquard
machine B, the cords from A, kept tight by the weights C; D, cords attached to
the cords B passing over the pulley E, and attached to the punches; to this I make
the additions hereafter described. F, a second jacquard; G, cords connecting the
hooks of the machine F to the cords D; H, cords connecting the said hooks to the
cords B.
As a further modification applicable to any of the foregoing whenever six, eight,
or other small number of cards only are required, I substitute for either of the
cylinders a cylinder with six, eight, or other corresponding number of sides, and
fix the cards thereon; or I dispense with the cards on that cylinder, and apply a
cylinder of four, six, eight, or other number of sides, having blanks or perforations
to actuate the needles.
It will frequently be found desirable to surmount looms with the harmonizing
jacquard machine, or the combination for. the same purpose herein described, and
the foregoing description clearly exhibits the manner in which this must be done.
The said machine will then be applicable to its special purposes, and also to any
use of which the ordinary single machine is capable.

page_text: CLAIMS.
1st. The method of perforating jacquard cards by repeating the lines of
perforations from one index or jacquard card onto several jacquard cards in a
direction transverse to that in which they appear on the index.
2nd. The combination and arrangement of apparatus for effecting such operation,
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1 to 5, Sheet 1 of the Drawings
annexed, or any modification or imitation thereof, constructed and operating in
substantially the same or a similar manner.
3rd. The method. of simplifying the production of jacquard-pattern-cards in a
perforating or repeating machine by so governing the action regulated by certain
perforations in one set of cards by the action regulated by certain perforations in
another set of cards that the result shall be a compound pattern card, harmonizing
together the two distinct patterns.
4th. The production in the loom itself of a compound pattern or figure by
the use of two or more pattern cards, harmonized in the manner hereinbefore
described.
5th. I claim the general arrangement and construction of the harmonizing
jacquard machines, as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 6, 6ª, 7, and 8,
Sheet 2 of the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas George Lomas, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
THOMAS GEORGE LOMAS. (L.S.)