Improvements in Reeds Used in Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 30th May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reeds Used in Looms for Weaving.
I, JOHN KERSHAW of Brow Mill, Clayton, near Bradford, Reed and Heald
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the ordinary reeds used in weaving the ribs or "balks" holding the wires in
position consist of strips of wood, flat on one side and rounded almost to a semi-
circle on the other. The wires are flattened and polished and set at the proper
distances apart between the ribs or "balks" edgewise so as to allow the warp
threads to pass through them. The flat sides of the pieces of wood forming the
ribs are uext the edges of the wire, and band or thread saturated with pitch is
wound round the "balks" so as to hold them together and keep the wires in
position. As a consequence of this there is a considerable degree of rigidity in
the wires themselves, and should anything occur to displace them, such as the
shuttle tip striking them, or anything passing through them they would be bent
and would not return to their normal position. Although there is a natural
tendency of the wire to spring back the firmness with which it is held by the
pitch prevents it, and any such damage to the reed causes faults in the cloth.
To avoid this I make my reed with one of the "balks" wrapped with pitched
band in the usual manner, but for the other balk I employ an elastic medium
instead of pitch, so that any pressure on the wire will cause this elastic medium to,
give way before the pitch, and the elastic medium being also very adhesive it will
cause the wire to return to its normal position at once.
The elastic medium may consist of oil, pitch and tallow, or oil, pitch and resin,
or other suitable compounds.
By these means I make a reed which has sufficient elasticity in the wires to
cause them to return to their normal position whenever disturbed, and without the
application of heat to soften the pitch as is usual in ordinary reeds, and so effect
considerable saving of time and avoid damage to the cloths being woven.
Deted thie 1st day of Jule 1895
I, JOHN KERSHAW of Brow Mill, Clayton, near Bradford, Reed. and Heald
Manufacturer, 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:-
In the ordinary reeds used in weaving the ribs or "balks" holding the wires in
position consist of strips of wood flat on one side and rounded almost to a semi-
circle on the other. The wires are flattened and polished and set at the proper
distance apart between the ribs or "balks " edgewise so as to allow the warp
threads to pass through them. The flat side of the pieces of wood forming the rib
are next the edge of the wire and band or thread saturated with pitch is wound
round the "balks" so as to hold them together and keep the wires in position.
As a consequence of this there is a considerable degree of rigidity in the wires
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page_text: themselves and should anything occur to displace them, such as the shuttle tip
striking them, or anything passing through them they would be bent and would
not return to their normal position; although there is a natural tendency of the
wire to spring back the firmness with which it is held by the pitch prevents it,
and any such damage to the reed causes faults in the cloth.
To avoid this I make my reed with one of the balks wrapped with pitched band
in the usual manner, but for the other balk 1 employ an elastic medium instead of
pitch so that any pressure on the wire will cause this elastic medium to give way
before the pitch, and the elastic medium being also very adhesive it will cause the
wire to return to its normal position at once.
The elastic medium may consist of oil, pitch and tallow, or oil, pitch and resin
or other suitable compound
By these means I make a reed which has sufficient elasticity in the wires to
cause them to return to their normal position whenever disturbed, and without the
application of heat to soften the pitch as is usual in ordinary reeds, and so effect
a considerable saving of time and avoid damage to the cloth being woven.
And in order that my invention may be understood I proceed to describe it by
the aid of the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 shows a section of the reed, the rib or "balk "A is wrapped with pitched
band or cord in the usual manner and the balk B is wrapped with band treated with
the cement herein before mentioned, so as to give all the elasticity of movement
possible to the reed wire C. in case of its being bent out of its course. To assist
in giving this elasticity I, by preference, run a reed wire inside the two halves of
the rib or "balk" and between the wood and the wire C. as shown at D. Fig. 1.
This prevents the reed wire C being in contact with the wood of the balk for its
whole width, as it otherwise would be, and having a smooth surface facilitates the
sliding of the reed wire in case of disturbance and enables it to return to its normal
position very readily.
Fig. 2 shows a front view of the reed with all the wires in their normal position
and Fig. 3 with them disturbed by passing a piece of wood through them as shown
at E Fig. 3.
The cement may consist, as already described, of oil, pitch and tallow, oil, pitch
and resin, or pitch, Stockholm tar and tallow, in the proportion of 6 parts pitch,
2 parts tar, 2 parts tallow, 1 part resin, or any similar combination which will be
elastic and sufficiently adhesive. I vary the strength and hardness according to
the fineness of the sett of the reed and the strength or thickness of the wire used
say by adding one part more tallow for fine reeds.
In making very fine reeds I should use hollow balks in the usual manner and fill
one with pitch or hard cement and the other with the prepared elastic cement and
wire as described.
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 :--
1st. The use of one rib or "balk" of the reed holding the wire rigid as in
ordinary reeds.
2nd. The use of one rib or "balk" which will permit the reed wire to be
partially withdrawn from it and returned to its place by the cement upon the
wrapping band.
3rd. The use and preparation of this cement as and for the purpose herein set
forth and described, and
4th. The use and combination of a rigid and a flexible rib or balk on reeds for
weaving substantially as herein set forth and described.
Dated this 1st day of April 1896.
JOHN KERSHAW.