IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WEAVING TAPE LADDERS."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Carr of Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Small Ware Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR WEAVING TAPE LADDERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Carr at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th March 1882.
JAMES CARR of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Smallware Manu-
facturer, IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WEAVING TAPE LADDERS."
"
My Invention relates to the weaving of the tape ladders employed in the
formation of venetian blinds. In a former Invention for which Letters Patent
bearing date the 25th day of January in the year 1869 and numbered 229 were
granted to me a complete ladder was produced in the loom by weaving the tapes
and cross strips simultaneously and attaching the latter to the former by weaving
the one into the other at the required points of attachment. The object of my
present Invention is to enable me to increase the speed of the loom and thereby to
lessen the cost of production of the tape ladder. In the weaving operation the
warp for each cross strip is woven at times into the lower tape and at times into
the upper tape the jacquard machine lifting the ends into one shed or the other
but previously to my present Invention the ends have been lowered to the lowest
point even at the times when they were being woven into the upper tape. To
remedy this defect I employ stops or catches which are brought into action at the
required times to prevent the ends from falling into the lower shed when they are
being woven in with the ends in the upper shed, and I control the action of the
said stops or catches by means of special needles in the jacquard or by means of a
special dobbie or apparatus. In one arrangement sliding distance pieces are
interposed between the jacks which work the cross strip shafts and a fixed
abutment. These distance pieces are of a wedge shape or are so formed as that
when moved into one position they so limit the movements of the jacks as that the
ends are lowered only to the bottom of the upper tape shed and when moved into
a second position the ends are lowered to the bottom of the cross strip shed and
TD 1.13

page_text: when withdrawn the ends are lowered to the lowest point. The said distance
pieces are preferably moved in one direction by means of cords actuated by the
jacquard and in the other direction by means of weights or springs. By thus
limiting the movements of certain of the shafts and ends of the warps the wear and
tear of the parts are lessened and I am enabled to increase the speed of the loom. 5
To keep the said cords in tension I employ spring levers which are acted upon by
twisted cords but these arrangements may be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Carr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
September 1882.
JAMES CARR of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Smallware Manu-
facturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WEAVING TAPE LADDERS
"
My Invention relates to the weaving of the tape ladders employed in the
formation of venetian blinds. In a former Invention for which Letters Patent
bearing date the 25th day of January in the year 1869 and numbered 229 were
granted to me, a complete ladder was produced in the loom by weaving the tapes
and cross strips simultaneously and attaching the latter to the former by weaving
the one into the other at the required points of attachment. The principal object
of my present Invention is to enable me to increase the speed of the loom and
thereby to lessen the cost of production of the tape ladder and also to decrease the
wear and tear of the machinery as well as to improve the quality of the goods made
under this system. In the weaving operation the warp for each cross strip is
woven at times into the lower tape and at times into the upper tape the jacquard
machine lifting the ends into one shed or the other but previously to my present
Invention the ends have been lowered to the lowest point even at the times when
they are being woven into the upper tape. To remedy this defect I employ stops
or catches which are brought into action at the required times to prevent the ends
from falling into the lower shed when they are being woven in with the ends in
the upper shed, and I control the action of the said stops or catches by means
of special needles in the jacquard or by means of a special dobbie or apparatus.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood I have attached hereunto
a sheet of drawings made to a scale of about two and a half inches to the foot and
marked with letters of reference to which drawings I will refer in this place.
:
Fig 1 represents a sectional elevation and Fig: 2 represents a plan of so much
of the apparatus as is necessary to the proper understanding of my Invention the
parts which are added to the ordinary jacquard shedding apparatus being clearly
represented in the two Figs. In Fig: 2 two of the four pairs of top jacks which
lift and lower the healds for weaving the cross strips are represented by the parts
marked a and b. The other two pairs of jacks which if included in the drawings
would appear to the right hand are provided with corresponding arrangements for

page_text: regulating their action as will be readily understood. The jacks which actuate
the healds for the top and bottom tape warps are left out in order to render the
drawings more distinct but it will be understood that my Invention does not affect
the action of such jacks. In each pair when the jack a is lifted by the jac-quard
machine the other jack 6 is lowered and when the jack b is raised the other jack is
lowered as is usual. In Fig: 1 only one jack a seen. The two jacks a and b in
each pair work in a space between two partition boards c and d there being three
boards which are carried by cross bars e which are secured to the overhead framing
of the loom. Within the same space a sliding check block or distance piece g is
placed and is sustained by the jack which at any time is uppermost that is to say
it is sustained by the two jacks a and b alternately. The said block can slide
along the sustaining jack, being at times drawn in one direction by the jacquard
machine and in the other direction by means of a lever which is mounted upon
a fulcrum at i. One end of this lever enters a jaw formed in the check block and
the other end is connected with a weight k which tends to move the lever in the
direction which will cause the check block to be moved outwards towards the
bar e'. A cord indicated by the dotted line 7 passing partly around a pulley f is
connected by one end with the check block and by the other end with one of
the drop wires n which are raised and lowered by the jacquard machine in the
ordinary or in a suitable manner so that the check block is drawn inwards or is
permitted to slide outwards as required, these movements being controlled by
special needles in the jacquard machine as will be well understood. The inner
end of each jack is connected by a cord to a ring o. The said ring is connected by
means of a cord p with one of the drop wires n another wire being connected by
means of a cord with the corresponding bottom jack as is usual. The outer end
of each of the jacks a and b is connected by means of a cord 8 passing over a
pulley t with one or the other of the pair of healds. One pair of jacks is con-
nected with the healds used in the weaving of one set of cross strips and the other
pair is connected with the healds used in the weaving of the other set of cross
strips. When either of the two check blocks is drawn inwards to the greatest
extent as indicated by the dotted line in Fig: 1 the upward movements of the
jacks which are below such check block are not limited by the check block and
the jack is free to move into the position indicated by dotted lines the cross strip
ends of yarn when lowered in such a case descending to the same point as the
ends in the bottom tape warp. The check block is thus kept out of action during
the times when the cross strip warp is being woven in along with the bottom tape
warp. At the times when the cross strips are being woven the check block is
permitted to slide outwards so that the step 1 comes below the bar e which acts
as a stop bar whereby the upward movements of the outer ends of the jacks are so
limited as that the ends of the cross strip warp do not descend below the top of
the shed of the bottom tape. At the times when the weaving of the cross strip
ceases for a few picks preparatory to the weaving of the cross strip into the other
tape say for example the upper tape the check block moves outwards so that the
step 2 comes below the stop bar as seen in Fig: 1 when the jacks will be beld so
that the cross strip warp remains in the centre of the sheds and the weft is not
woven in therewith. At the time when the cross strip has to be woven into the
upper tape the check block moves outwards until the step 3 is brought below the
stop bar and the ends in the cross strips are then not permitted to descend below
the bottom of the upper tape shed. It will be seen that when the upward
movement of the outer end of either jack is arrested by the check block the cord
connecting the said jack with the jacquard machine will become slack. In order
that the upper portion of the cord which is immediately connected with the said
machine may be kept in tension I connect the ring o with a lever u which is
carried by means of a twisted cord which tends to turn the lever in the direction
which will draw down the said ring and thus keep the part p of the cord in
tension. As the ring o is only employed to furnish a convenient means whereby
the lever u may be connected with the cord the said ring may be dispensed with

page_text: and also any other suitable means may be employed to keep the said cord in
tension. The form of the check block may be varied and other forms of stops may
be employed to limit the upward movements of the jacks. Fig: 3 indicates one of
the modifications which may be made in my Invention. In this example a
stepped stop piece v is mounted to vibrate upon a fulcrum at w and is arranged to
be turned by the action of the jacquard into positions which will variously limit
the descent of the healds as in the case of the said check block.
By limiting the descent of the healds at certain times I am enabled to increase
the speed of the loom the consequent decrease in the movements of the cross strip
warps also lessening to some extent the wear of the warps and of parts of the
apparatus.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention and
the manner in which and means whereby the same may be carried into effect I
would have it to be understood that I claim :-
First the combination of parts forming the apparatus arranged and acting
substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated hereinbefore and in
and by the accompanying drawings.
Secondly the employment of a movable check block or distance piece to limit
the movements of the jacks so as to prevent the lowering to an unnecessary extent
of the cross strip warps when weaving ladder tapes substantially as set forth and
indicated.
Thirdly the employment for the indicated purpose of the check block g con-
nected with and having its movements controlled by the jacquard machine.
Fourthly the employment for the indicated purpose of movable stops or stop
pieces or checks to control the extent of the movements of the jacks in order that
the cross strip warps shall not always when lowered descend into the bottom tape
shed.
And lastly the employment for the indicated purpose of the tension levers acted
upon by twisted cords substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said James Carr have hereunto set my hand and seal
this thirteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
Signed sealed and delivered
in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON
41 John Dalton St Manchester
(Agent for the Patentee).
JAMES CARR. (L.S.)