IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING LOOMS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Rollason, of Lowell, in the State of Massachusetts,
one of the United States of America, but temporarily residing at Manchester
in the County of Lancaster for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING
LOOMS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Rollason at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th March 1882.
ALFRED ROLLASON of Lowell in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United
States of America, but temporarily residing at Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING LOOMS"
These improvements have reference (1) to means whereby looms are driven
(2) to. means whereby the harness shafts are operated, and (3) to means whereby
the shuttle driver is actuated; the improvements in regard to the actuation of the
shuttle driver being applicable to small ware looms only.
In a loom constructed according to this invention :-
The improvements in regard to the means whereby the loom is driven are as
follows; a shaft furnished with a pulley which is keyed fast upon it and stan:ls
outside the loom frame, runs in bearings in or upon the lower part of the frame;
the pulley on this shaft is driven direct from the line shafting. Upon the same
shaft is keyed a second pulley which drives the crank shaft of the loom, by means
of a belt. The crank shaft is furnished with fast and loose pulleys, and the motion
of the loom may be arrested by throwing the belt onto the loose pulley. The crank
shaft drives the cam shaft of the loom by means of spur gearing. The shaft which
is driven direct from the line shafting may be made long enough to drive several
looins placed in line with each other, pullies being arranged upon it for driving the
crank shafts of the several looms. With this system of driving the looms occupy
less floor space than with that commonly employed.
The improvements in the means for operating the harness shafts are as
follows: Two fulcrum rods (one at the back of the loom and one near the front)
are provided parallel with the cam shaft. Upon these fulcrum rods are hinged
D

page_text: pairs of levers one of each pair being hinged on one fulcrum rod and the other on
the other fulcrum rod. The ends of each pair of levers point towards each other
but so as that one of the ends stands a little above the other, and the levers of each
pair are connected together by means of a connecting rod at or near their extremities,
the position of the connecting rod in this respect being capable of variation for a
purpose hereinafter explained. Two pairs of these levers are provided for each
harness shaft. Upon the cam shaft are fixed as many cams as there are pairs of
levers and they are so spaced as to allow room between each two adjacent cams
for one of the levers binged on the back fulcrum rod to move freely up and down
between them. Each cam engages with one of the levers hinged on the back
fulcrum rod by means of a stud upon the lever which takes into a cam groove
formed in the side of the cam. The function of these cam grooves corresponds with
that of the cams usually employed, and their form is correspondingly varied for the
purpose of imparting the requisite variations to the relative movements of the
harness shafts. The movements of the levers on the back fulcrum rod which result
from the rotation of the cams are transmitted to the corresponding levers on the
front fulcrum rod by means of the connecting rods already mentioned, the positions
of which are capable of variation for the purpose of regulating the extent of the
movements of the levers on the front fulcrum rod, and consequently of the harness
shafts which are connected to them by means of rods or stout wires. Two of each
of the levers on the front fulcrum rod are so connected to each harness shaft, the
arrangement being such that the harness frames are pushed upwards instead of
.being pulled upwards according to the common practice. It will be understood
that both of the levers connected to any one harness shaft have identical move-
ments imparted to them by their relative cams. The harness shafts move up and
down between suitable and adjustable guides.
The improvements in the means for actuating the shuttle, driver (which are
applicable to small ware looms only) are as follows;-A shaft rotated at a suitable
speed from the cam shaft by means of spur gearing, is furnished with two tappets
whose length may be varied and adjusted as required. These tappets alternately
act upon the under part of two respective levers and cause them to vibrate in a
vertical plane. In order to communicate movement from these levers to the shuttle
driver, two bands are suitably connected to the shuttle driver and to the two
respective lever ends. Each band passes over one separate pulley or roller mounted
in the batten and under another placed below its relative lever, the effect of the
last named pulley or roller being to cause the pull of the band upon the shuttle
driver to occur during the upward motion of the lever. The bands are connected
without slack in the first instance and the occurrence of slack while the loom is at
work, is prevented by the two levers being connected together by means of a band
attached to each of them and passing over a pulley or roller placed above them or
by some equivalent means. The arrangements according to this invention for
operating the harness shafts and shuttle drivers both result in giving increased
steadiness to the working of the respective relative parts as compared with the
corresponding arrangements hitherto employed, and as a consequence, looms
constructed according to this invention may be run considerably faster and will
produce in a given time considerably more work than those hitherto in use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by. the said Alfred Rollason in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd September 1882.
ALFRED ROLLASON of Lowell in the State of Massachusetts one of the United
States of America but temporarily residing at Manchester in the County of
Lancaster IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING LOOMS
These improvements have reference (1) to means whereby Weaving Looms are
driven (2) to means whereby the harness shafts are actuated and, (3) to means
whereby the shuttle drivers are actuated, the improvements in regard to the
actuation of the shuttle drivers being applicable to smallware looms only,
The improvements in the means whereby the looms are driven are for the
purpose of economising in the extent of floor space required for. a given number of
looms, and for diminishing the risk of accidents to persons passing along the alleys
between adjacent rows of looms-The improvements in the means for actuating
the harness shafts and the shuttle drivers are for the purpose of giving greater
steadiness to the working of these parts and of accelerating the speed at which the
looms may be conveniently driven.
In looms constructed according to this invention a single driving shaft may
be employed to drive either one loom only, or several looms ranged in a row
alongside each other and rotation is transmitted from the driving shafts to the
crank shafts by means of pulleys which stand between the sides of the looms.
For the actuation of the harness shafts of each loom, two fulcrum rods (one near
the back and the other near the front of the loom) are provided across the loom ;
upon these rods are hinged pairs of levers, one of each pair being hinged on one
rod, and the other on the other rod; the levers of each pair are connected together
by means of a connecting rod at or near one extremity of each lever the position of
the connecting rod in this respect being made adjustable for a purpose hereinafter
explained; the levers on the back fulcrum rod engage with suitable cams by means
of which they (and consequently the levers on the front fulcrum rod) have, vibrations
imparted to them.
Each harness shaft is connected to two of the levers upon the front fulcrum rod
by means of rods which transmit the movements of the levers to the harness frame
in a direct manner; the arrangement being such that the harness frames instead
of being pulled upwards, as is commonly the practice, through the intervention of
cords and pulleys and then permitted to fall by the action of gravity, are pushed
upwards and pulled downwards by means of rigid and comparatively short con-
nections-The two levers connected to any one harness shaft have identical move-
ments imparted to them by their respective cams-For the actuation of the shuttle
drivers, each loom has a tappet shaft rotated at a suitable speed from the cam shaft
by means of toothed wheels-The tappet shaft is provided with two tappets of
adjustable "throw" which impart alternate upward movements to two respective
levers; these levers in their upward movements actuate the shuttle driver by
means of two respective driving bands, guided by suitable rollers, and they are so
yoked together that when one is ascending the other is descending, an arrangement
which enables the shuttle driver bands to be worked without slack.
On the accompanying sheet of drawings which illustrates an application of the
present invention to smallware looms-Fig 1 is a part plan; Fig 2 a transverse

page_text: section and Fig 3 an elevational section-In these figures 1 is the driving shaft ;
2, the driving pulley thereon; 3, 3, the loom sides; 4 a pulley on the driving shaft
for transmitting motion to the fast and loose pulleys 5, 6, on the crank shaft 7.
It will be seen that according to the arrangement shewn several looms may be
ranged in a row alongside each other all driven by the same shaft 1, and that by
placing the driving pulley 2 at one of the ends of the driving shaft the alleys
between the looms will be free from pulleys and belts-In arranging the proximity
of the looms to each other therefore it is unnecessary to make an allowance of room
for enabling persons passing along the alleys to avoid coming in contact with
pulleys and belts, as is neccessary in the methods commonly employed, and conse-
quently a smaller extent of floor space is required for a given number of looms
under this system than is necessary under the systems commonly employed. 8 is
the fulcrum rod near the back of the loom and, 9, the fulcrum rod near the front
of the loom; 10, 11, and 12, 13, are two pairs of levers (there being twelve of such
pairs in the loom illustrated by the drawings arranged in two groups of six pairs
each); levers 10, 12, are hinged on the fulcrum rod 8, and levers 11, 13, on the
fulcrum rod 9; the levers are connected together by the connecting rods 14, 14,
several holes being provided in each lever for enabling the points at which the
rods 14, 14 are connected to be varied for the purpose of varying the extent of the
motion imparted to the levers 11 and 13-15, 15, are the harness shafts of which
there are six shown in the drawings.; each harness shaft is connected to two of the
levers (one out of each group of six) on the front fulcrum rod by means of rods
which act directly on the harness shafts as shown; 16, 16 are the cams of which
there is one to each pair of levers, they actuate the levers (and consequently the
harness shafts) by means of grooves formed in them (see Fig 3), the sides of which
act upon projecting pins or studs secured in the respective levers.
The extent of the movements of the harness shafts may be adjusted as required
by changing the points at which the lever connecting rods are connected to the
levers. The grooves in each of a pair of cams connected to one harness shaft are
identical with each other, but the grooves in the several pairs vary from or
correspond with each other according as may be necessary for causing the requisite
movements of the several harness shafts. 17. 17, are two driving bands for
actuating the shuttle driver, guided by rollers 22, 22, as shown, they are operated
by the levers 18, 18, which are driven from the cam shaft by means of the toothed
wheels 19, 20, tappet shaft 21, and tappets 25, 25 as shown; the tappets consist
of rollers mounted upon adjustable studs secured in arms or lovers as shown-The
levers 18, 18, are yoked together by means of the cord 23 passing over two
rollers 24, 24, so as that when one of the levers is ascending the other is descending
by the action of gravity; this arrangement enables the shuttle driver bands 17, 17,
to be always kept in tension-The means herein shown and described by which the
harness shafts, instead of being pulled up by cords and let down by the action of
gravity, are operated in a direct manner by rods, cause the looms to which they
are applied to work with greater steadiness than those commonly employed; and
consequently the former may be run at a greater speed and be made to turn out
more work in a given time than the latter-In smallware looms the like results
follow from the employment of the means herein shown and described for actuating
the shuttle drivers.
Having now described the nature of my invention and shown how it may be
carried into effect I wish it to be understood that what I claim as being novel is.
1st. The method of driving looms by means of driving shafts which transinit
motion to the crank shafts through belt pulleys situated between the sides of the
looms substantially as shown and described.
2nd. The method of actuating the harness shafts by means of direct acting rods
and pairs of coupled levers substantially as shown and described.
3rd. In smallware looms the method of actuating the shuttle drivers by means

page_text: of tappet shafts 21, yoked levers 18, 18, and of driving bands 17, 17, guided by
rollers 24, 24, all substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Rollason have hereunto set my hand and
seat this twentieth day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness:
HY. C. CARSON
Patent Agent
Manchester.
A. ROLLASON. (L.S.)