IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF 'SWIVEL Looms.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Lec, of the Firm of Tootal, Broadhurst,
Lee, and Company, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF 'SWIVEL
Looms.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Lec at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th July 1875.
I, HENRY LEE, of the Firm of Tootal, Broadhurst, Lec, and Company,
of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF 'SWIVEL
Looms,"" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of that class of looms
known as "swivel looms," which are employed for weaving spots, leaves,
or other detached designs upon muslins and other similar fabrics.
The objects of the Invention are, first, to work the "swivel" at the
same speed as the ordinary shuttle, and to dispense entirely with the

page_text: necessity for throwing the ordinary "picking motion" out of gear when
the "swivel" is working; and, secondly, to do away with the necessity
for raising and lowering the "swivel rail" into and out of action, it
being always in a position to act when required.
"
The principal feature of novelty in the Invention is that the swivel
rail is so mounted above the level of the ordinary "shed" as to be
capable of a horizontal movement only, and when the "swivel" shuttles
are to be thrown the shed is caused to open out much wider (or rather
higher), so as to allow the "swivel" shuttles to pass through. The
plain cloth healds are worked by the ordinary treadles, and the "swivel"
or pattern healds are worked by a "jacquard" machine mounted above
the loom. There are two hooks and two cords to each "neck cord" of
the jacquard machine, one long cord for the ordinary lift whilst weaving
the plain cloth, and ono shorter cord to give the higher lift when tho
"swivel shuttles arc to be brought into action. Behind the healds and
between them and the warp beam the pattern warps are each passed
through a "mail," to which is attached a weight or "lingoe" for taking
"slack
the
up
of the yarn when the pattern shed is not open.. At one
side of the loom is an arrangement for moving the swivel rail sideways
after cach row of spots or patterns has been woven, so as to bring the
next row of spots or patterns into an intermediate position, and at the
other side of the loom is an arrangement for giving the necessary to-
and-fro motion to the swivel rail which actuates tho swivel shuttles.
These two motions are driven from the tappet shaft, and are thrown
into and out of gear at the proper moment by cords from the jacquard
machine.
"
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Henry
Lee in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY 30
LEE, of the Firm of Tootal, Broadhurst, Lec, and Company, of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the 35

page_text: .
'thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Lee, Her special
license that I, the said Henry Lee, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Lee, 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
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SWIVEL LOOMя," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Lec, my exccutors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and scals, 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 Henry Lec, do hereby declare 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 and accompanying Drawings:-
cr
This Invention relates to the construction of that class of looms known
as swivel looms," which are employed for weaving spots, leaves, or
other detached designs upon muslins and other similar fabrics.
The objects of the Invention are, first, to work the "swivel" at the
same speed as the ordinary shuttle, and to dispense entirely with the
necessity for throwing the ordinary picking motion out of gear when
the "swivel" is working; and, secondly, to do away with the necessity
for raising and lowering the swivel rail into and out of action, it being
always in a position to act when required..
The principal feature of novelty in the Invention is that the swivel
rail is so mounted above the level of the ordinary "shed" as to be
capable of a horizontal movement only, and when the "swivel" shuttles
are to be thrown the shed is caused to open out much wider (or rather
higher), so as to allow the swivel shuttles to pass through. The plain
cloth healds may be worked by the ordinary treadles, and the "swivel."
or pattern healds by a jacquard machine mounted above the loom, but

page_text: "
I prefer to work the whole by the jacquard machine. There are two
hooks and two cords to each "neck cord" of the jacquard machine, one
long cord for the ordinary lift whilst weaving the plain cloth, and one
shorter cord to give the higher lift when the "swivels " shuttles are to be
brought into action. Behind the healds and between them and the
warp beam the pattern warps are each passed through a "mail," to
which is attached a weight or "lingoe" for taking up the "slack of
the yarn when the pattern shed is open. At one side of the loom is an
arrangement for moving the swivel rail sideways after each row of
spots or patterns has been woven, so as to bring the next row of spots or
patterns into an intermediate position, and at the other side of the loom
is an arrangement for giving the necessary to-and-fro motion to the
swivel rail which actuates the swivel shuttles. These two motions are
usually employed in looms of this class, and aro driven from the tappet
shaft, and are thrown into and out of gear at the proper moment by
cords from the jacquard machines.
When the swivel shuttles are not in action all the warps are opened
together in one shed.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention I will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be
or may
be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the
same may be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof:-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawings is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a
front elevation of so much of a swivel loom as is necessary to illustrate
my Invention.
a, a, is the framing of the loom; b, b, the two warp beams; c, c, the
lathe or slay; d, d, the swivel rail; and e, e, the cloth beam. It will
be observed that the swivel rail d, d, is mounted such a distance above
the level of the ordinary shed through which the ordinary shuttle ƒ, f,
passes that when the swivel shuttles h, h, are to be thrown the shed can
be opened out so far as to allow the swivel shuttles to pass through
without lowering the swivel rail d, d, as shewn at Fig. 1, and by these
means it will be evident that the raising and lowering of the swivel rail
is entirely dispensed with, and not only so but the swivel can be worked

page_text: at the same speed as the ordinary shuttlé, and there is no occasion
whatever to throw the ordinary picking action out of gear whilst the
swivel shuttles are being thrown, as is the case in ordinary swivel looms
hitherto constructed.
The to-and-fro movement of the swivel rail and of the rack which
works the swivel shuttles may be produced as above stated; or both
movements may be obtained from the jacquard machine.. I prefer to
give the to-and-fro movement to the swivel shuttles by means of the
rack and pinion arrangement shown in full size at Fig. 3, but it may be
obtained by any ordinary known means.
g, g, are the mails and lingoes for taking up the slack of the pattern
yarn when the pattern shed is not open; i, i, are the mails and cords for
the ordinary warps.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood
that I claim as my Invention, mounting the swivel rail in the class of
looms in such a position that the pattern shed can be opened out so far
as to allow the swivel shuttles to pass through without lowering the
swivel rail, whereby I am enabled to dispense entirely with the necessity
for throwing the ordinary picking motion out of gear whilst the swivel
shuttles are working, and to work the ordinary shuttle and swivel shuttlo
simultaneously and at the same speed, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Lee, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
30
Signed in the presence of
ABRAHAM HAWORTH,
(of Pall Mall, Strutt St., Manchester),
at Mansourah,
January Twenty-eighth, 1876.
HENRY LEE. (L.S.)