Improvements in Looms for Weaving Tufted Fabrics.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
Improvements in Looms for Weaving Tufted Fabrics.
A communication from abroad by HORACE WYMAN, of Worcester, in the County
of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America,
Loom Builder.
I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane, in the County
of London, Chartered Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to improve and simplify that class of loom
employed in the manufacture of tufted fabrics, among which may be classed
carpets.
Prior to my invention, looms for weaving tufted carpets have contained a pair
of intermittingly movable endless chains which support a series of warp spools
having wound upon them side by side yarns of different colour, the yarns on the
successive spools being arranged as to their colour and juxtaposition according to
the particular colours required in the successive rows of tufts to be made.
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These tuft yarn spools, brought into operative position when to be used, and
made detachable from the chains when a beam is to be used, have each a suitable
beam provided with a series of tubes through which the tuft yarns are led, the
tubes, when the beam is taken from the chains and brought down to the warp, being
made to enter the spaces between the warp threads sufficiently to leave the free
ends of the tuft-yarns projecting below the lower half of the shed, and thereafter a
pick or shot of weft is inserted and the lower ends of the tuft-yarns are wiped
or turned upwardly about the said weft and back through to and above the upper
part of the shed, the row of tufts so formed being then beaten in by the reed, and
the tuft yarns having been cut off, the beams are thereafter lifted and put back
into the chains and the latter moved to bring a new beam into working position.
In accordance with my invention the free ends of the tuft yarns never get below
the warp in the upper plane of the shed, and therefore there is no necessity of
wiping or turning the free ends of the tuft-yarns from the lower part of the
shed, to and above the upper part of the shed, and all mechanism for such' purpose
is avoided.
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In accordance with my invention as herein contained the frames having the tuft-
yarn beams and attached tuft-yarn carriers, are automatically removed from the
chains and lowered sufficiently to enable the ends of the carriers to pass between
warp threads in the upper plane of and enter the shed at a point between the
fell of the fabric and the reed, the direction and extent of movement of the
carriers being such, however, that the tuft-yarns hanging from the descending
carriers are trailed into the shed diagonally by the movements of the ends of
the carriers to thus form a space between the carriers, the under sides of the warps
in the upper plane of the shed, and the free ends of the tuft yarns held or arrested
above the upper plaue of the shed, the space so formed being for the reception of
a shot of weft preferably laid double, to look the tuft-yarns in place in the shed.
As one manner of keeping the free ends of the tuft yarns always above the warp
threads in the upper plane of the shed, I have shown a tuft-yarn end-arrester
located between the reed and the fell of the fabric, it crossing the warp trans-
versely, but this invention is not limited in this respect to such an arresting device
as they may be arrested by their friction against the warps.
The movement imparted to the tuft-yarn frame and its attached carriers on its
way from the chains to the warp to enter the shed is such, in one form of this

page_text: invention, that the ends of the carriers are moved from above toward the fell in
such direction as to somewhat lay out or trail above the warps the free ends of the
tuft-yarns depending from the carriers and the carriers having been brought near
the warps, the ends of the carriers, at about the time that they begin to enter the
shed, are moved toward the reed, and as the ends of the carriers, descend to the
lower plane of the shed the tuft-yarns are trailed into the shed behind the ends of
the carriers so as to occupy a diagonal position in the shed, but with their free
ends above the upper plane of the shed, where they are crossed at a point between
their arrested or free ends, yet above the upper plane of the shed, the under side
of the upper warps and the ends of the carriers, the latter being yet in the shed.
In the form in which I have herein illustrated my invention, the carriers
in their approach to the shed have their ends inclined forwardly toward the fell,
and the tuft yarns at a point near the ends of the carriers while the latter are yet
above the shed are suitably arrested, and the free ends of the carriers in their
descent into the shed are carried backwardly toward the reed.
After the weft has been laid across the tuft-yarns, the ends of the tuft-yarn
carriers are lifted out of the shed, and as they rise, the ends of the carriers are
moved forward toward the fell, thus drawing the tuft-yarns up about the weft, the
free ends of the tuft-yarns yet occupying a position above the upper plane of the
warps, and the ends of the carriers having been lifted sufficiently to be clear of
the reed, the latter in its forward motion following the ends of the carriers in their
movement toward the fell, acts on the tuft-yarns partially wrapped about the weft
and carries them with the weft enclosed by them forward to the fell, and a second
shot of weft having been inserted into a second shed made in the warp while the
carriers are above the warp, and having been beaten in to aid in holding the tuft-
yarns in place, and the tuft-yarn frame having been lifted sufficiently to draw off
from the tuft-yarn beam enough yarn for the next row of loops to be made from
them, the tuft-yarns are cut off to form a row of tufts or loops the frame is returned
to the chains, and the latter are moved to bring a new frame and beam into
position.
It will be, however, understood that the tuft-yarn carriers may enter the shed at
a point near the reed and the ends of the tuft-yarns may be arrested by or through
the reed, and the ends of the carriers in the shed may then be moved toward the
fell to thus trail the tuft-yarns into the shed and form a space between the tuft-
yarns and the uppermost warps of the shed for the filling to cross the tuft-yarns in
the shed, the ends of the tuft-yarns always remaining, however, above the plane of
the upper part of the shed.
I have shown drawings for moving the tuft yarn carriers in each of these ways,
the result being the same.
My invention consists in the use in a loom for weaving tufted fabrics, of the
following instrumentalities, viz. ;-a lay provided with a reed; two movable
chains; a series of frames mounted therein and provided each with a series of tuft-
yarn carriers and a beam or spool to supply the said carriers with tuft yarns;
transferring arms; two cams or equivalents; and two sets of connections between
the said cams and the transferring arms, each set actuated by one of said cams, one
cam controlling the up and down motions of the transferring arms to place the ends
of the carriers in or between the warps, and the other cam the back and forth
movements to move the ends of the carriers in and above the warps, the shape of
the said cams being such as to enable the transferring arms to engage a frame, take
it from the chains and place the ends of the tuft-yarn carriers in the open shed
between the warp threads leaving the free ends of the tuft-yarns above the warp
threads in the upper plane of the shed and with a space between the ends of the
tuft-yarn carriers and the upturned free ends of the tuft-yarns and the under sides
of the warps in the upper plane of the shed for the introduction of a thread of weft
the ends of the carriers being then moved substantially as described to coöperate
with the reed in the formation of a series of tuft-yarns at the fell or preparatory to
locking the said tuft-yarns by an additional weft thread and cutting off the

page_text: put the frame back into the chains, substantially as will be described.
Fig. 1, is a partial vertical section of a loom from just within the right-hand side
frame thereof, said fig, showing a sufficient portion of the loom with my improve-
ments added to enable my invention to be understood.
Fig. 1 shows a portion of a chain with a tuft yarn frame in place therein and as
engaged by a clutch on a transferring arm.
Fig. 2 is a section in the line ³, Fig. 1ª.
Fig. 3, is a similar section, but with the clutch of the transferring device
disengaged from the tuft-yarn frame, the beam being omitted.
Fig. 4, a detail to be referred to.
Fig. 5, is a section in the line, Fig. 2, with the beam journal omitted.
Fig. 6, is a section in the line r¹, Fig. 2.
Fig. 7, on an enlarged scale shows a tuft-yarn frame, its carriers, and a beam in
the chain.
Fig. 8 shows the transferring arms in top or plan view, and the guides or clutch
devices 22.
Fig. 9, an enlarged detail of some of the parts drawn more especially to
illustrate the movements of the tuft-yarn carriers between the chain and in the
shed.
Fig. 10, in side elevation shows part of the lay, the reed, and devices for
actuating the form of tuft-yarn arrester, partially shown in Fig. 1 ; and
Fig. 11, shows a modification of my invention to be described.
The shaft H; the sprocket wheel H³; the endless chains H, composed of
single and double links h³, h; the tuft yarn spools H, mounted in journals 20 of a
tuft-yarn or spool frame H', composed of a longitudinal bar provided with end
pins to enter the slots or spaces between the double links of the chains ;
spring catches h³, cooperating with the end pins and acting to engage the rear
sides of the said double links to connect the frames to the chains; the spring
brakes ', one for each beam, (only one being shown in Fig. 1,) to bear on and
prevent a tuft-yarn beam or spool from rotating improperly, are and may be all
substantially as common to this class of loom.
The chains in practice may be supported and moved intermittingly in usual
manner.
The tuft-yarn carriers a in this invention are attached to each spool-frame H',
and depend vertically from the said frames.
In the drawing, a' is a rod located above the warps and carried by arms or links a²
pivoted at a; as herein shown, on the loom frame.
The rod a', as best shown in Figs. 1 and 8, has mounted on it two like urms K',
provided each with a suitable fulcrum, as 2, for the transferring arms K having
suitable clutches 22.
The arm K has jointed to it at 3 the upper end of a link B jointed at 3* to one
arm B¹ of a lever B1, B2, fast on a rock-shaft B' mounted in suitable bearings in
the loom sides or frame A, the arin B2 being shown as provided with a roll B
which is acted upon by a cam B, or equivalent, on the main cam shaft B', said
cam moving the said arms up and down, and with them their attached parts, as will
be described, so as to take a frame from the chains, lower it and put it back into
the chains.
The upper end of the clutch 22 as the latter is raised opposite the end of a
frame, engages the spring book h', as in Fig. 2, and removes its upper shouldered
end from the double link /*.
The transferring arms K are connected at their rear ends by rods 8 with the
opposite ends of a lever 9 pivoted at 10 on a suitable collar on the rod a'.
One of the transferring arms K has a toe or extension 12 which is acted upon
by the upper end of a cam bar 13 connected to a lever 14 pivoted at 15 and
acted upon by a suitable cam 16, the upper end of said bar working in a loop-
like frame 17 forming part of one of the rigid arms K₁ and by the action of the

page_text: cam part of the bar 13 between the toe 12 and loop 17 turns the said trans-
ferring arms in a direction to move them and their connected clutches 22 in a
direction laterally away from the ends of the frame as when the frame is to be
left in the chains.
A spring 18, Fig. 8, connected to lover 9 and to the loop 17 acts normally to
keep the toe 12 pressed against the upper end of the bar 13, as in Fig. 4.
The links or supports a have jointed to them at 29 a rod 28 in turn pivoted
to an arm 31, extended from a sleeve 32 surrounding the rock-shaft B, said
sleeve having a second arm 33 provided with a suitable roll acted upon by a cam
or equivalent 34, said cam being of such shape as to cooperate with the cam B
and impart to the ends of the carriers the to and fro motion herein before described
in and above the shed, as the transferring arms are lowered and raised, the cam 34
being chiefly instrumental in trailing the tuft-yarns into the shed that they may be
crossed as described between the carriers and the free ends of the tuft-yarns above
the shed.
In the diagram Fig. 9, I have shown four different positions of the tuft-yarn
carriers and frame H, between the chain link and the shed; t' showing a shot
of weft inserted double in the shed..
""
The lay d having the comb-like reed is operated by the cam X, it acting on a
roller of an arm *, of a rock-shaft H20, said rock shaft having a second arın
jointed by a rod to a projection of the lay.
The reed and its actuating devices are and may be as usual.
I have not shown the harness mechanism for carrying the warp and manipulating
it for the formation of the sheds, as any usual form of harness or shed-forming
mechanism commonly used in carpet looms may be employed to open or form the
shed in the desired time and to the proper extent.
The weft, to cross the tuft yarns in the shed and hold them in place, may
be laid in the shed in double or loop form by a weft-carrier made as a needle,
such needles being well known and in common use as substitutes for shuttles.
The tuft-yarn arresting device herein shown, consists of a bar a** extended across
the loom above the warp threads, said bar being carried by like arms a jointed
to like arms a* of a rock shaft a extended across the loom frame in bearings near
the breast beam 123.
The rock-shaft has a second arm a* which is jointed to a rod a** connected to a
lever a acted upon by a cam a* on the shaft B', said arm a* having connected
to it a spring a*, the opposite end of which is fixed to the loom frame or
otherwise.
The spring a acts to move the tuft-yarn arresting device forward as the lay
is moved back from the fell, an adjusting screw 154 carried by arm a limiting
the movement of the bar a* beyond the inner edge of the breast beam.
A rod jointed to an arm b* on the rock shaft a** has a collar 6** to act
against a stop * of the lay to cause the bar a* to be moved in unison with the
reed while the latter is aiding the carriers in moving the tuft-yarns up to
the fell.
The cam a retracts the bar a* from the fell in order that the tuft-yarn cutting
mechanism, not shown, may have a chance to act and cut the tuft yarns to leave
completed loops thereof in the cloth.
By manipulating the tuft-yarn beams as stated, and inserting the tuft-yarns by
means of carriers, so introduced into the shed from above that the free ends of
the tuft-yarns will not at any time be carried below the threads in the upper plane
of the warp, and inserting the shot of filling across the tuft-yarns while the latter
are laid partially into the open shed, the liability of the tuft-yarns getting on
the wrong side of the warp threads, as is liable to happen when the free ends
of the tuft yarns are wiped upwardly, is obviated, and I have found in practice
that the introduction and manipulation of the tuft-yarns in the manner herein
described results in the production of a more compact fabric with a minimum
amount of tuft yarn.

page_text: This invention is not limited to the particular point between the reed and the
fell at which the tuft-yarp carriers enter the open shed, so long as the free ends
of the tuft-yarns are left above the warp threads in the upper plane of the
shed, and the tuft yarn carriers, prior to beating up the tuft-yarns at the fell
are brought substantially above the fell so as not to interfere with the action of the
reed in beating the said tuft yarns into line at the fell.
In a loom of the class herein described, wherein the ends of a great number of
tuft-yarns are to be formed into tufts, the certainty of the correct operation of the
parts is ensured by making the shed as small as possible, and by keeping the reed
as near as possible to the fell when the ends of the carriers are being inserted
between the warp threads and into the shed, and the ends of the carriers are being
moved back and forth in the shed.
By imparting to the carriers the movements herein described, it is possible to
leave the reed quite close to the fell, see Figs. 1 and 9, just at the time that the
carriers are introduced into the shed, and yet correctly form the ends of the tuft-
yarns into loops between the reed and the fell, the introduction being effected while
the reed guides and positions some of the warp threads.
It is not intended to limit this invention to the exact form of transferring arms
shown for taking the frames H' from the chains and lowering them until the tuft-
yarn carriers enter the shed; but, in whatever form of transferring mechanism
employed, the said transferring arms and parts supporting the tuft-yarn beams and
carriers will have such movement imparted to them as to place the ends of the
carriers in the shed of the warp and move the ends of the carriers back and forth
in the shed and above the warp so as to leave between the tuft-yarns and the
upper threads of the shed, as represented in Fig. 9, a sufficient space for the
passage of the filling introduced as stated, and afterwards to move the ends of
the carriers to above the warp and substantially to the fell, and at the same time
the reed beats to the fell the looped tuft-yarns yet in the carriers.
In the modification Fig. 11, which I will now describe I have shown tuft-
yarn carriers adapted to be put into the shed, but with the free ends of the
tuft-yarns directed toward the reed, the reed in its forward movement, acting on
the tuft-yarns near their free ends and in connection with the movement of the
ends of the carriers in the direction of the length of the warps toward the fell,"
serving to keep the free ends of the tuft-yarns above the upper warps of
the shed.
The hubs of the arms K' on which the transferring arms K are pivoted are
mounted on the shaft a' supported by links a pivoted at some suitable point, as
at a, so that both of said arms K and K may move back and forth in unison
by virtue of the links a, said links constituting supports for said arms during
the operation of introducing the carriers containing the tuft-yarns between the
warp threads in the shed and between the reed and the breast beam or the fell.
The forward ends of the arms K¹ are herein represented as jointed to the
upper ends of slide bars e mounted in guide bars e pivoted at a, there being
one such slide bar and guide har at the inner side of the loom frame at each
side of the loom.
Each slide bar es has jointed to it a link fin turn jointed to an arm 125
adjustably attached to an arm of a rock shaft f, said rock shaft having other
arms provided with rolls each roll being acted upon by a suitable cam, as f*.
The arms e, e, are attached to a tubular rock-shaft surrounding the shaft f, and
the cam acts on a roll carried by the arm el, to thus, through the link e vibrate
the guide e8.
As the chains bring the tuft-yarn beam or spool into the position shown in Fig. 11
by dotted lines, the arm K' and with it the transferring arms K are raised by the
rising of the slides e so that suitable clutch devices carried by the transferring
armis, engage, as previously described, the ends of the frame having the tuft-yarn
beam and take the beam from the chain.
.
As the slides e descend they bring the arms K and K and said frame and beam-

page_text: or spool having the tuft yarns wound thereon, down so that the vertically depending
tuft-yarn carriers a, below which hang the free ends of the tuft-yarns t, enter
between the warps of the more or less open or formed shed at a point substantially
close to the reed the free ends of the tuft-yarns by their friction against the warp
threads in the upper half of the plane of the shed, and also preferably, by their
contact with the reed, being kept above the upper part of the shed through the
entire operation of forming a row of tufts.
r
The dotted lines in Fig. 11 show the transferring arms or devices in the position
they will occupy when they are about to take a tuft-yarn beam from the chains, full
lines showing the parts down with the carriers into the shed.
In the drawing, Fig. 11, the letter w represents an ordinary weft carrier or needle
to lay the weft across the tuft yarns, as before described.
The shape of the cam e¹ is such that after the weft has been laid, as stated, the
transferring arms will be made to move forward and upward moving the ends of the
carriers towards the fell, the ends of the carriages at such time travelling in
the spaces between the warp threads and above them as the tuft yarns are drawn up
against and about the weft thread.
As the tuft yarn frame and beam are being moved upwardly, each of the carriers
will be lifted from between the warps, so that the reed can move freely forward,
and in its movement, the reed acts against the free ends of the tuft-yarns yet above
the
upper plane of the warp and aids in keeping said ends in loop form, and the
ends of the carriers having been elevated sufficiently from between the warp threads
so as not to interfere with the reed, the latter in its continued forward motion by
acting against the free ends of the tuft yarns bent about the filling or weft carry
such looped ends and the filling up to the fell where they are beat in and left while
a second shot of weft or filling is put into a shed of the warp, the reed in the
meantime having receded for such purpose, and the reed then comes forward again
to beat a second shot of filling in place so that it may aid in retaining the bent or
looped portions of the tuft-yarns about the filling previously inserted.
After this the transferring arms are further elevated to draw off sufficient lengths
of yarn for a succeeding row of tufts, and the tuft yarns are cut off in usual manner
between the upper side of the warp threads and the lower ends of the carriers, and
the tuft-yarn beam is lifted and put back in the chain from which it was taken,
and the chain is again moved to bring another tuft-yarn beam in place, usual harness
mechanism, during this operation, having made proper sheds in the warps as
commonly done in the weaving of Moquette carpets or tufted fabrics.
In case of any tendency of the tuft-yarn carriers to enter incorrectly the spaces
between the pairs of warp threads as the carriers or frames to which they are
attached are being lowered to enter the shed, I may employ a centering or
positioning device, herein represented as an inclined arm or prong 2 connected
preferably with some part of the rigid frame of the loom, so that when the frame
containing the carriers is being lowered some part of said mechanism in its approach
to the warps will act upon the positioning device and secure correct positioning of
the warp carriers in a line with the proper spaces between the warp threads.
The tuft-yarns may be cut off at the fell and the weft be introduced double by a
needle, all substantially as provided for in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 2410 dated February 10th 1891 granted to Horace Wyman aforesaid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The use in a loom for weaving tufted fabrics, of the following instrumentalities,
via lay provided with a reed; two movable chains; a series of frames mounted
therein and provided each with a series of tuft-yarn carriers and a beam or spool
to supply the said carriers with tuft-yarns; transferring arms; two cams or
equivalents; and two sets of connections between the said cams and the
transferring arms, each set actuated by one of said cams, one cam controlling

page_text: the up and down motions of the transferring arms to place the ends of the
carriers in or between the warps, and the other cam the back and forth move-
ments to move the ends of the carriers in and above the warps, the shape of
the said cams being such as to enable the transferring arms to engage a frame,
take it from the chains and place the ends of the tuft-yarn carriers in the open
shed between the warp threads leaving the free ends of the tuft yarns above the
warp threads in the upper plane of the shed and with a space between the ends
of the tuft-yarn carriers and the upturned free ends of the tuft-yarns, and the under
sides of the warps in the upper plane of the shed, for the introduction of a thread
of weft, the ends of the carriers being then moved substantially as described to
cooperate with the reed in the formation of a series of tuft-yarns at the fell or
preparatory to locking the said tuft-yarns by an additional weft thread and cutting
off the tuft-yarns to form a row of tuft-loops, the transferring arms being then
moved to put the frame back into the chains, substantially as described.
Dated the 16th day of January 1893.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.