IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING SILK AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING SILK AND OTHER MATERIALS,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A commu-
nication from abroad by Horace Verzier, Manufacturer, residing at Lyon,
in the Empire of France..
Sealed the 9th March 1860, and dated the 22nd November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd November 1859.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING SILK AND OTHER MATERIALS,
AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication
from abroad, by Horace Verzier, Manufacturer, residing at Lyon, in the
Empire of France, to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in making the loom semi-automatic or partly self-
acting, by which means I am enabled greatly to increase the quantity of woven
fabrics at a reduced cost. In the fabrication of silken stuffs there are two
modes of working the beater or slay, one in which it is attached to a connecting

page_text: rod, so as to be restrained within certain limits, and the other in which the
beater is free, that is, abandoned to itself when it falls upon the stuff or fabric;
the latter mode, by giving a more even beating and full weaving, produces a
more perfect fabric. The governed beater is only applicable to certain articles,
such as crape, foulards, and other fancy fabrics having a mixture of cotton or
wool. For giving motion to the governed or mechanical beater, I place at
either side of the loom on the outside of the framework a series of toothed
wheels, one being the driver mounted with a cranked handle at each side,
which wheels transmit motion to a shaft carrying a crank connected by a rod
to a guide or conductor, which is firmly fixed to the beater or slay, so that the
latter may move to and fro as the crank revolves. The crank is furnished
with a slot, in order that the pin for the connecting rod may be adjusted
according to the required stroke of the beater. One of the toothed wheels of
the series has a slotted arm, in which is adjusted a crank pin, to which a rod
is connected giving motion to the levers and swing frame of the jacquard
apparatus, the pin being placed at the distance from the centre required for
the elevation of the threads. In order to obtain a uniform motion of the
working parts, I attach a counterpoise to the conductor by means of a rope
passing over pullies. The said counterpoise consists of a box which ascends
and descends between two guides, so that the to-and-fro motion can be main-
tained without shock, the box being weighted according to the resistance
required. The throw of the shuttle takes place by alternately raising two
strong hooks worked by the jacquard apparatus, the hooks being attached by
cords to sticks or levers in connection with the pickers, a double shuttle box
being employed when it is required to weave with two shuttles.
Having found by experience that the foregoing arrangement is only appli-
cable for special fabrics, I modify the apparatus, so that the free beater can be
employed. The series of toothed wheels and cranked handles are the same as
before described, but the connecting rod and conductor are suppressed.
The toothed wheels give motion to a short shaft or pin on which is fixed a
slotted crank, over the pin of which is passed the end of a rope having a ring of
horn or other suitable material. This rope passes over pullies, and is attached to
a counterpoise which is weighted as required. At the under side of the beater is
a projecting rod, of such length, that a rope attached to it shall not touch the
This rope, after passing under one of the guide pullies, is firmly fixed
to the counterpoise rope connected to the crank, so that the beater shall move
to and fro without any undue shock. When the counterpoise rises the beater
falls against the fabric, the rope attached to the beater being longer than the
warp.

page_text: counterpoise rope, the difference being adjusted according to the fineness or
coarseness of the materials to be woven, and when the counterpoise descends
the beater is drawn back.
The free action of the beater can be still further increased by employing a
spring at the part where the two ropes are connected, and passing the beater
rope through a ring or guide in the counterpoise rope, so that a certain amount
of movement can be given to the beater independent of the counterpoise. The
great speed of the alternate movement of the counterpoise causes the beater to
beat against the fabric with a force which must be moderated or controlled, in
order to succeed in producing good and fine work. To obtain this object,
buffers or springs of any suitable form or material are placed upon the breast
beam or other part of the framework, so that the beater may come in contact
with them before stricking the fabric and thereby weaken the shock; or springs
or other contrivance may work in connection with the counterpoise itself, so
that the action of the beater may be tempered to any required limit.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes & Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, W.C., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special license that I, the said Edward
Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN WEAVING SILK AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN THE MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication from abroad by Horace
Verzier, Manufacturer, residing at Lyon, in the Empire of France, upon the

page_text: condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, do hereby
leclare the 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):-
This Invention consists in making the loom semi-automatic or partly self-
acting, by which means I am enabled greatly to increase the quantity of woven
fabrics at a reduced cost. In the weaving of silken stuffs or fabrics there are
two modes of working the beater or slay; one in which it is attached to a
connecting rod so as to be restrained within certain limits, and the other in
which the beater is free, that is, abandoned to itself when it falls upon the stuff
or fabric. The latter mode, by giving a more even beating and fuller weaving,
produces a more perfect fabric, the governed beater being only applicable to
certain articles such as crape, foulards, and other fabrics having a mixture of
cotton or wool.
These improvements are applied to the two kinds of looms before mentioned,
and will be clearly understood by the following description, reference being had.
to the figures and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 represent the improvements attached to looms in which the
beater or slay is governed or worked by a connecting rod; Figs. 4, 5, 6, to
looms in which the beater is free; and Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15,
are detached parts and modifications of some of the movements. For both
descriptions of looms a represents the framework, b the yarn beam, c the cloth
beam, d the beater or slay, e the shuttle boxes, and ƒ and g the picker sticks
or shafts.
In Fig. 1 representing the loom with the mechanical or governed beater,
I place at either side on the outside of the framework a series of toothed
wheels h, i, k. The wheel h is the driver mounted with a cranked handle on
each side as shewn in Fig. 3, so that the operative may use either one or both
as may be required. Motion is given to the driving wheel h by the hand of
the workman, and transmitted by the intermediate wheel i to the wheel k,
which turns the shaft l, working at one end in a bearing on the cross beam

page_text: attached to the framework a. Fixed to the shaft l, also shewn in Fig. 2, is
the crank n connected by the rod o to a guide or conductor p attached to the
beater d, so that the latter may move to and fro as the crank revolves. The
said crank being furnished with a slot in order that the pin for the connecting
rod o may be adjusted according to the required stroke of the beater. The
toothed wheel has a slotted arm in which is fitted a crank pin q, to which is
connected the rod r for giving motion to the levers and swing frame of the
jacquard apparatus, the pin 9 being placed at the distance from the centre of
the wheel according to the required elevation of the warp threads. In order
to obtain a uniform motion of the working parts, I attach a counterpoises,
Fig. 2, attached to a cord t, passing over the pulleys u, the other end of the
cord being connected to the conductor p. It is convenient to make the
counterpoise in the shape of a box formed at the sides, so that it can ascend
and descend between two slides, and cause the to-and-fro motion of the con-
ductor to be repeated without shock, the box being weighted according to the
resistance required. The throw of the shuttle takes place by alternately
raising two strong hooks worked by the jacquard apparatus, which hooks are
connected by the cords v and w to the picking sticks f and g, to each of which
a picker is connected working in its corresponding shuttle box. When one
hook raises the cord v motion is given to the picking stick f, the picker on
which impels the shuttle across the shed until it rebounds against the opposite
picker, which again impels the shuttle in an opposite direction, when the
cord w is raised by the hook to which it is attached. The picking sticks are
guided by the rods a. I also place a drop box at the end of the beater when
it is required to weave with two or more shuttles.
Having found by experience that the foregoing arrangement is only
applicable to special fabrics, I modified the apparatus so that the free beater
can be employed. The series of toothed wheels h, i, k, and cranked handles,
are the same as before described, but the connecting rod and conductor are
suppressed. The toothed wheels h, i, k, Figs. 4 and 5, transmit motion to a
short shaft a', on which is fixed the slotted crank b', over the crank pin of
which is passed a ring of horn or other suitable material connected to one end
cf the rope c', also shewn in Fig. 6; the other end of which, after being guided
by the pulleys d', is connected to the counterpoise s, which, as before explained,
is a small box weighted as required, and working in guides so as to prevent.
any oscillation. At the under side of the beater d (see Fig. 6) is a projecting
rod e¹ of such length that the rope f¹ attached to it shall not touch the warp
threads. This rope after passing under one of the guide pulleys d' is firmly

page_text: fixed at about g¹ to the counterpoise rope c', and from the point of junction
of the two ropes to the counterpoise they act only as one, so that any move-
ment given to the crank will be felt by the beater. Thus the crank in con-
nection with the counterpoise gives a to-and-fro movement to the beater
without any jolting or shake. When the counterpoise s rises the beater falls
against the fabric, and the rope attached to the beater being longer than the
counterpoise rope leaves the beater free to strike against the fabric according
to the fineness or coarseness of the warp, the beater being afterwards drawn
back as the counterpoise descends. The free action of the beater can be still
further increased by connecting a spring to the rope A, Fig. 7, at at the point of
junction g'. Below this spring the rope f¹ passes through a ring or guide h,
which connects at the top and bottom the rope c¹, and in order that the rope f
shall not return through the ring it is attached to a pin or holder k¹ fixed to
the rope c; thus it is evident that when the counterpoise s rises the spring is
extended by the falling of the beater against the fabric if the temple has been
drawn back, but when the counterpoise descends as the beater is drawn back
the spring recoils or returns to its original position, and the rope f¹ as it
slackens is pulled onwards to the point of junction g¹ by the rope c', the pin or
holder by coming across the ring h¹ preventing the further rising of the
rope f. This apparatus is only required in cases of extreme irregularity in
the material, and for the greater number of silken, fabrics, the slackness
arising from the different lengths of the two ropes c¹ and f¹, will be amply
sufficient to adapt the beater to the varied positions of the temple or beating-up.
In consequence of the increased speed which can be given to the beater
from the rapid to-and-fro movements of the counterpoise s, it will be found
necessary in most cases to moderate or control the shock of the beater in order
to produce good and fine work, and to attain this object I place at each end of
the breast beam, or other convenient part of the framework, a buffer or
spring, Fig. 8, so that the beater before striking the material shall weaken
itself against the buffers, the faces of which extend beyond the temple in pro-
portion to the strength or resistance of the buffers and the beating-up required.
These buffers are required principally for tissues, in which the reduction must
be weak and the beating-up regular in consequence of the warps being then at
a greater distance apart. The said buffers rest always upon the same
maundrils, and their greater or less compression is regulated by placing under
them washers or rings.
In Figs. 9 and 10 I shew another arrangement for easing the stroke of the
beater. To the breast beam are fixed the supports m', on which are jointed

page_text: the bars n', kept apart from the supports by the spiral springs o¹, and the
bars are placed so that when the beater shall be falling against the fabric
it shall slide upon the tops of the bars, and by compressing the springs
cause the action of the beater to be softened, and when the beater is drawn
back it slides down the bars n', and by the expansion of the springs is enabled
to arrive at its extreme point without sudden shock.
These two arrangements of buffers may be used either singly or both
together according to the nature of the work required, and also instead of
spiral springs, plates of steel or springs of india-rubber may be substituted.
The stroke of the beater may also be tempered by attaching springs to the
counterpoise weight itself as shewn at p', Fig. 6. When the counterpoise
rises it stretches the springs attached to it, and as the beater is then coming
forwards for the purpose of beating up, the resistance of the springs moderates
the force of the blow, and when the counterpoise descends the springs contract
and resume their position so that the to-and-fro movements of the beater are
performed with regularity and without undue shock, it being understood
that the diameters of the springs and the strength of the wire are proportional
to the required force of the beater.
In Fig. 11, I shew at q' a balance weight applied to the lever attached to
the connecting rod which communicates motion to the swing frame and jac-
quard apparatus, the balance weight is for the purpose of diminishing the
resistance of the opening of the shed, and is made of any desired weight,
and placed at any distance from the fulcrum of the lever according to the
resistance it has to overcome.
In this figure I also shew an improved mode of adjusting the crank pin
which actuates the aforesaid connecting rod. Instead of attaching the crank
pin q to a slotted arm of the toothed wheel as in Figs. 1 and 6, I connect it
to a slotted frame screwed or bolted to one of the arms of the wheel, so
that the crank pin may be placed at any required distance from the centre of
the wheel, by which means the depth of shed can be regulated to any-extent,
or I modify the arrangement as shewn in Fig. 12, in which the crank pin is
fixed to a rod s¹ fitting a slide in which its position is adjusted, and afterwards
held fast by screws or bolts. In either case the crank pin may extend beyond
the circumference of the wheel if the depth of the shed should require it.
In Figs. 1 and 6 it will be seen that the driving wheel h and the toothed
wheel k are of different diameters, but they may be made equal as shewn in
Fig. 12, or in any other required proportion.
In Fig. 1, the cords v and w connected to the picking sticks are described
as being attached to two hooks worked by the jacquard apparatus, but in order

page_text: to prevent any retardation of the shuttle, and give it the necessary momentum
for passing all widths of fabric, I modify the arrangement by attaching the
cords to two levers shewn at t', Fig. 14, cach of which is connected near its
fulcrum by another cord to its corresponding jacquard hook, the said levers.
being balanced or weighted whenever extreme widths of fabric require an
increased force to be given to the shuttle.
In Fig. 15 I represent an arrangement intended when desired to be sub-
stituted for the counterpoise weight and parts connected with it. The rope c¹
from the crank b', Fig. 4, is attached to one end of a trace bar or lever v¹
working on a pin fixed to a cross bar w! of the machine, and the rope f' con-
nected to the beater is fixed to the other end of the trace bar, a spring a¹ being
applied to the part where the rope c¹ is attached, or instead of the trace bar v¹.
I employ a pulley working upon a pin in the cross bar as shewn at y', Fig. 16.
The pulley guides a rope corresponding at one side with the rope c¹ connected
to the crank, and at the other side to the rope f' attached to the beater, a
spring being employed when required..
In Figs. 1 and 5, it will be seen that the toothed wheels are placed sepa-
rately against the side of the framework, but in order to economize the time
of adjusting and gearing, I prefer to place them upon a separate frame or
plate shewn at 21, Figs. 12 and 13, which can be readily fixed to the machine
and prevent delay.
The shafts of the wheels h and k pass through tubes or bearings on the
frame ¹, and the intermediate or communicating wheel works on a stud which
can be shifted or adjusted according to the position in which the wheel k is
placed for the convenience of the operative. The shaft of the wheel h is main-
tained in its bearing by the handle in the interior, and afterwards fixed by a
screw, and the shaft of the wheel k when short as in Fig. 4, is kept in its place:
by the crank ', which with the aforesaid handle are placed at their respective
positions when the shafts are passed through the bearings. By means of the
slot in the crank, Fig. 4, the crank pin can be fixed at different distances from
the centre of the shaft in order to vary the stroke of the beater, and the crank
may be fixed so that the beater may strike the fabric either before or after it
has turned its centre.
The aforesaid improvements can be applied to looms for weaving all kinds
of plain or fancy tissues, such as silks, taffetas, satins, sarcenets, damasks,
serges, foulards, crapes, and also mixed fabrics of wool and cotton, and wool
and silk, with the advantage of double the product obtained by the ordinary
methods, and with less demand upon the skill of the operative.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: he same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign corres-
pondent, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
letails herein set forth and referred to, but I claim the application to looms
of the improved arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
EDWARD T. HUGHES. (L.S.)