Year: 1889

page_text: I, PIERRE MICHEL SIBUT ainé, of 12, Rue Leroux, Amiens, (Somme) France,
Engineer, 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 :-
My Invention relates to an improved loom with adjustable cams for operating the
shedding motion for weaving an indefinite variety of textures or patterns as hereafter
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.:
(1) My improved loom may be either single and produce one piece only at a
time as is now usually the case, or it may be duplex, that is to say composed of two
looms mounted on one and the same frame and driven from a single shaft for
producing two fabrics at a time of the same or different kinds. In the duplex loom,
which is designed to economize space, cost, and motive power, the two looms are
independent of each other, that is to say they may work simultaneously or either
part may if desired be thrown out of gear without interrupting the motion of the
other.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, figure 1 sheet 1 of which shows a side elevation and figure 2 a plan
of a duplex loom which needs only to be divided into two parts and each mounted
upon a separate framing, in order to constitute two single looms. Figures 3 and 4
are views of opposite ends of the duplex loom.
(2) The heddles are mounted upon heddle carriers A in the form of crossheads to
each end of which is rivetted a slide B moving freely up and down in guide grooves C
and carrying the heddles up and down with them. Each of the heddles is attached
to its slide by means of studs so as to be readily detachable when desired. Any
suitable number of heddles may be employed, ten being shown in the drawings for
each harness.
(3) The upward and downward movement of the heddles and their carriers for the
purpose of shedding the warp is effected by means of cams D of different heights, the
higher cams producing the raising and the lower cams the sinking of the warp
threads, said cams being arranged to operate the shedding motion in the desired
D

page_text: order (according to the kind of texture or pattern to be produced) either upon a
horizontal dise E turning on a vertical axis as shown in figure 4 and separately in
figure 5 or at figure 6 clamped between a pair of end discs E, E', the whole being
carried upon a sleeve and revolving together on a horizontal axis also shown separately
in figure 6.
When the cams are mounted on a horizontal disc they are curved concentrically
with the axis of motion of the disc, and in the other case they are arranged in the
form of radial segments together constituting a series of flat rings.
(4) The cams are in each case so disposed beneath the set of heddle carriers that
each row of cams will correspond exactly with one of said heddle carriers and they
are rotated by a train of gear wheels proportioned according to the number of picks
to be made during one revolution of the cams. Thus on one end of the loom the
number of picks and the number of cams in each concentric row would be twenty four
for a revolution of the cam plate, whereas on the other end the number of picks and
cams would be sixteen per revolution... These proportions may however be varied
more or less by modifying the number of the cams and the proportions of the toothed
gearing. Thus to produce one revolution of the discs for every twelve picks, twelve
cams would be required in each row and for a ratio of 1 to 30, thirty cams in each
row and so on.
The beddles may be combined with overhead levers, with or without slides and
carriers working in grooves by operating the levers either directly or indirectly by
means of the adjustable cams above described placed either below at the side or in
any other position, it being understood that it is these changeable cams which
constitute one of the chief features of the invention whatever may be the arrangement.
Several sets of cams may also be disposed at one side of the loom, whether the
latter be single or duplex according to the effects desired to be produced by the
beddles.
(5) The cams D consist of small changeable pieces each equal in length to one of
the divisions of the circumference of the disc and proportionate to the ratio adopted
for the gearing. The cams are of different heights and capable of being inserted in
various positions and being changed or varied in order in the discs, whether a low
cam be always followed and preceded by a high one, or whether one or several low
cams be succeeded by one or more high cams in regular alternation or otherwise,
according to the kind of texture or pattern to be produced.
The cams of one or more of the divisions may be made in one two or more pieces
or lengths and they may be of any thickness desired.
(6) The difference in height of the cams may be sufficient to directly produce the
opening of the shed for the passage of the shuttle, but in the example shewn they
only effect this object indirectly by acting upon unequal-armed intermediate levers F
which allows of a less difference in height between the high and low cams while
producing the same effects. The strain would in this case increase proportionately to
the difference of length of the arms of the intermediate levers but this may be
considerably reduced by the employment of a spring G, or counterweight of suitable
force, acting upon the tail ends of the levers.
(7) The vertical grooves C in which the slides B with their heddle carriers work
freely up and down, are formed parallel to each other in two uprights fixed facing
each other at opposite sides of the loom behind the batten and braced firmly together
at bottom at front and back, by means of strong iron plates H in which are bored
two holes, the one to receive the axis J forming the pivot upon which the levers F are
oscillated by the action of the cams as they pass beneath them, while the other hole
receives the axis of a lifter K for raising the whole of the levers F when required,
such as for enabling the cams to be removed for varying their arrangement, it being
simply necessary for this purpose, to apply a long handled key upon either of the
squared ends of the axis of lifter K and turn it to a sufficient extent.
(8) L figure 7 is a shuttle driver attached to a sliding tube which contains a spiral
spring and itself slides in an outer tube M fixed upon an extension of the batten at
either end. The spring at same time that it causes the one tube to slide quickly

page_text: within the other, also throws the shuttle from one end of the batten to the other, the
tube L being for this purpose provided at its rear end with a head to act upon the
shuttle sliding in a groove in the upper side of tube M. The spiral spring is
confined between the end of the tube L and the head of a stem N screwing into
the end of tube M so as to enable the stem to be adjusted for the purpose of regulating
the tension of the spring. This spring-actuated shuttle driver is comparatively
noiseless in its action works without any shock and occupies less space than the
ordinary picker, although I may use the latter, if desired, as well as any other
description of spring, such as a flat horizontal or vertical spring.
(9) The shuttle driver L has, at its rear end, one or more inwardly projecting lugs,
and in this end is inserted the turned head of a short spindle provided with grooves
corresponding to said lugs the head passing through the outer end of, and interlocking
with, and holding outwards, the shuttle driver L until the grooves coincide as
hereafter described. Upon this axis is keyed a star wheel having one or two teeth.
At each beat of the batten one of the upper, and one of the lower, teeth of the star wheel
strike alternately against one of the adjustable tappets O and rotate the grooved head
above mentioned to such an extent that each time the backward movement of the
batten coincides with the alignment of the grooves in the head with the internal lugs
of the tube L. The latter are free to pass through the grooves and thus release the
spring which has until that moment been compressed. The spring then drives the
shuttle driver, and the head of the shuttle abutting against it, quickly forward, the
movement of the tube stopping when the spring is expanded, but the shuttle
continuing its course through the shed until it arrives at the opposite shuttle driver
by which it is returned through the shed in the same manner. Each shuttle driver
spring after each throw is returned to its original compressed position and the parts
are reset for acting again, by a lever P (connected to the tube L by a link) moving
with the batten and operated at each forward movement of the same by the friction
roller Q.
A spring R returns the lever to its normal position at each backward
movement of the batten so as not to interfere with the action of the shuttle driving
spring.
(11) My improved loom also comprises a system of elastic and automatic
"take up
and automatic and elastic break "let off" motion for the warp, which
improvements may be applied either separately or in combination, not only to this
but also to other looms. These improvements will be readily understood by referring
to Sheet 2 of the drawings, figure 8 of which represents a cross-section of so
much of the loom as is necessary to shew the above improvements, and figures 9
and 10 a plan of same. The automatic spring "take up" motion is composed
of the following parts: 1 is a fine pitch ratchet wheel keyed on a shaft, 2 is
a detent, 3 pinion keyed on the same shaft and gearing with a wheel 4 keyed on
the axis of the cloth beam in gear with pinion 3. This wheel may be geared with
pinion 3 by a train of intermediate wheels and pinions in order to reduce the speed
of the cloth beam. This gear may be at the same side as the ratchet or at opposite
sides, as shewn. 5 is a bar moved in one direction by a lever 6 having a spring-
buffer A struck by the batten at each beat up. 51 and 52 (figures 12 and 13)
are modifications of the sliding bar. 61 (figure 14) is a modification of the lever 6
with its spring buffer a in which a clip g is provided for regulating the stress of
the buffer-spring. 7 7¹ plates fixed on opposite sides of the loom in which are
mounted the shafts and other parts of the "take up" motion.
My automatic "let off" is composed of the following parts: 8 (figures 8 10
and 11) is a bracket in which are supported the spring tension rods 9 91 attached
to the ends of a brake strap 10 wrapped round pulley 11 keyed on the end of the
warp beam spindle.
The following is the action of these two apparatus: At each beat up of the
batten, a stud B on the batten strikes the spring-pin A which slides in the head of,
lever 6, the tension of the spring being so regulated as to cause the lever to recede
under the pressure of the batten, moving with it the sliding rod 5 by pressing
against the friction roller E. The batten on its return motion allows the spring F

page_text: coiled upon the tail end F¹ of the slide rod 5 to come into action and draw back
said slide and through its spring pawl D turns the ratchet through a short distance.
This motion is transmitted, through the pinion 3 and the intermediate gear, if any;
to the wheel 4 and so rotates the warp beam a sufficient distance to take up" the
fabric. If, however, the tension of the fabric be excessive during one or more
strokes of the batten, the spring F will not act and the take up mechanism will
remain motionless until a fresh quantity of fabric has been woven and the tension
no longer opposes the force of the spring. The cloth beam is prevented from
unwinding by the detent 2. U is an adjustable stop to limit the return movement
of lever and slide rod 5. The "let off" brake has acted in concord with the
"take up" motion, through the springs a a¹ upon the tension rods ggl yielding to
the beat up of the batten and allowing pulley 11 to slip round within its brake
strap 1 at each beat, thus letting off the warp as fast as it is required for weaving
whilst maintaining it at the proper tension. The nuts G, H, and H', serve to regulate
the stress of the take-up and let-off springs, according to the work they have to
perform.
It will readily be understood from the foregoing that the let-off motion is, by the action
of the springs, rendered elastic and gradual so as to avoid breakage of the warp threads,
and on the other hand that the "take up motion is automatically regulated,
according to the production of the fabric, without regard to the increasing diameter
on which it is wound, owing to the elasticity of the springs which regulate and
moderate the action of the batten on both the let off and "take up" mechanisms,
by means of the lever, ratchet, and spur gear the latter of which may, as before
mentioned, be either simple or multiple and combined in such manner that the
quantity" taken up" at each beat may be reduced according to the fineness of the
fabric, to less than one-tenth of a millimetre at the circumference of the beam for
one or more teeth of the ratchet.
The two apparatus above described may be separately employed, that is to say
the "let off brake may be applied to this and other looms in connection with any
other system of "take up "motion than that described and similarly the "take up
motion may be applied to any other description of loom using any other kind of
lot-off mechanism.
(11.) My improved loom, whether single or duplex, may be arranged for a batten
with single shuttle as usual, the pick of the shuttle in this case being regulated at
each end of the batten by the rotation of two-star wheels having their teeth crossed
and acting on the escapement of the shuttle driver, above described. The variety
of fabrics which may be produced even with a single shuttle is almost unlimited,
owing to the number of combinations which may be obtained by varying the
arrangement of the heddles and cams. The batten may, however, be also arranged
for two or more shuttles provided with colored weft or threads of similar or different
kinds, in which case a still larger number of combinations are obtainable, the
multiplication of the shuttles multiplying the effects produced. Thus on part 2 of
the loom, I have shewn an example of a single shuttle and on part three shuttles.
The batten in the latter case is provided at each end with a revolving shuttle box
or holder L keyed on the axis of the star-wheel controlled by the tappets 0 and
having three through orifices or chambers adapted to receive three shuttles, which
alternately enter the same freely and abut only against the head of the picker or
shuttle driver. Ordinarily, there would be always two shuttles in one revolving
shuttle holder and one in the other but this order may be varied by suitably disposing
the tappets O. Each shuttle in the revolving shuttle-holder L actuated by the star
wheel and tappet as above mentioned is carried round therewith and is not thrown
until it comes round again in front of the shuttle driver and until the escapement
of the before described shuttle driver is actuated by the tappets and sets the shuttle
driver free to be actuated by its spring. In this three-shuttle revolving-shuttle-box
arrangement, there is but one star-wheel at each end which is not mounted on the
axis of the grooved head of the escapement, as in the single-shuttle arrangement,
but upon the axis of a small gear wheel gearing with a wheel of twice its diameter

page_text: keyed upon the axis of the grooved head. Revolving shuttle boxes for two, or more
than three, shuttles may be similarly constructed, the arrangement illustrated in the
drawings being given by way of example only.
At each end of the batten is a small truck roller S (figures 1, 2, 3) which
runs upon iron ways and serves to support it, as shewn on a larger scale in
figure 15.
(12) The loom is driven by a shaft from which either a horizontal to and fro
motion as shown, or an oscillatory motion is imparted to the batten (or battens) in
the case of a duplex loom by means of a crank or eccentric or other movement and
which also drives the cam mechanism whether vertically or horizontally arranged, by
suitable combinations of toothed gearing varying according to the number of beats
desired for every revolution of the cams. In the duplex loom illustrated in the
drawings, the horizontal main shaft K¹ is operated by band pulleys and a fly wheel
in the ordinary way and drives by means of bevel gear, a vertical shaft which
carries a horizontal crank disc 2 at its upper end for working the battens by means
of a slide block 3 working in a slot 4, in a horizontally sliding cross-head 5 to the
two ends of which are bolted arms carrying sockets 6 at each end in which are
engaged the rods T T connected to the battens. The rotation of the cams is in the
proportion of 24 beats of the batten per revolution of the cams at one part of the
loom and 16 beats per revolution at the other part of the loom, the motion being
imparted through the train of wheels represented in the drawings, as will be readily
understood without further description. Moreover, these proportions above given
are only by way of example and nay, as well as the gear for producing them and the
number of cams, be varied at will.
(13) In order to render the two parts of the duplex loom entirely independent, I
employ special disengaging gear which is alike in both parts of the loom, for stopping
the battens and also alike for stopping the cams if the latter are of the same arrange-
ment in both parts but different if the arrangement of the cams is different, as in the .
example illustrated, from which it will be evident that my duplex loom may be either
arranged with two horizontal, or two vertical, cam holders or with a horizontal cam
holder on one side and a vertical one on the other, or with a series of cam holders on
one or both sides, as indicated at the end of paragraph 4. Two arrangements of dis-
engaging gear are represented in the drawings as examples, which are constructed as
follows: The battens are each connected to one of the ends of two rods T sliding in
parallel guides U U forming four rods coupled together in pairs and respectively
operated from the horizontal sliding cross-lead receiving to and fro motion from a
crank on the vertical shaft, as before mentioned; These rods T are embraced by the
sockets 6 carried by the sliding cross-head and the sockets are connected to the rods,
as shewn in figure 16. In a hole V common to the socket and the rod T is
received a cross-pin or cotter made in two parts and pressed downwards by a spring X,
by means of which the rod and socket are connected until the moment when the '
lower balf of the pin is raised entirely within the rod and the upper half is raised
entirely within the socket, which is the position shewn in figure 16, whereupon the
socket, being no longer connected to the rod, slides upon the rod which remains
stationary, together with the batten attached to it, the disconnection being simultaneous
at both ends of the batten. The pins are both raised by means of tappets Y keyed on
a shaft Z turning in bearings a and upon which is also keyed a counterweighted or
spring operated lever. During the normal working of the loom the tappets Y are.
lowered out of the path of levers b and retained in the lower position. Immediately
they are released either automatically, as for example by the action of a weft stop
motion, or by hand, the weight or spring of the lever rocks shaft Z and raises the two
tappets against which strike two small bell-crank-levers b which bear against the lower.
end of the cross-pin which on the lever striking the tappets is raised, thus disengaging
the sockets from the rod. At the same time, a crank also keyed upon the same
shaft Z throws the cam motion out of gear, the latter being arrested at the same time
as the batten. It is only necessary to reset the shaft Z by hand when the batten and:
cam motion are again thrown into gear simultaneously. This disc cam is put in 'gear

page_text: on resetting shaft Z by means of a toothed clutch c which drops into gear with the
ratchet d, said clutch being formed upon an arm e pivoted to the cam carrier and the
ratchet & being keyed on the axis of the gear wheel placed beneath the cam holder,
which axis turns idle when the clutch c is raised by the action of the shaft Z. The
fineness of the teeth ensure the clutch and toothed wheel engaging in the wheel in
any position of the latter. The cam gear shewn in figure 6 is geared with its shaft
by means of a sleevef having internal teeth corresponding with similar teeth on the
abutting ends of shafts g h, by sliding which sleeve backwards-the end of the cam
shaft is released to put the cams out of gear, the sleeve in its normal position coupling
the two shaft ends together. The clutch is operated by a fork whose movements are
caused by suitable connections to coincide with those of shaft Zand tappets Y. It
will thus be readily understood that by these, or other equivalent means the entire
stoppage
of one-half of a duplex loom may be effected while the other half continues
to work. Both parts of the loom may be stopped at the same time by throwing the
helt on to the loose pulley.
(14) The warp, breast and cloth beams need no special description, as any of the
arrangements employed in existing looms may be adopted and any self-acting adjuncts
be combined therewith without in any way affecting the nature and objects of the
invention sought to be protected.
The reeds may be fixed to the battens in any manner and with them may be com-
bined, if desired, any adjuncts, such for example as an automatic weft stop motion, etc.
The changeable cams herein described with or without their adjuncts may also be
applied to other descriptions of looms, such as looms with double warps for producing
two fabrics one above the other, ribbon looms &c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is the herein described single or duplex loom illustrated in the accompanying
drawings and characterized by the features of novelty constituting the basis of my
invention, vizt. :-
1st. Actuating the heddles, whether directly or indirectly and whatever may be the
combination, position or form, of the mechanism by which the arrangement may be
carried into effect, by means of changeable cams capable of being readily arranged
in any desired order for the purpose of producing numberless variations in the
working of the heddles and consequently in the texture and pattern of the fabrics.
(2) A multiple revolving shuttle box or holder in combination with the changeable
cam wheels whereby a still greater variety in the texture and pattern of the fabric
may be obtained.
(3) The herein described spring actuated shuttle driver or picker which while
producing the same effects, occupies less space and works with less noise than the
ordinary picker.
(4) The herein-described automatic and elastic "take up" motion.
(5) The herein described automatic and elastic let-off motion.
(6) A duplex loom constructed as described or otherwise, in which the two parts of
the loom are connected, or rendered independent of each other, by means of the special
couplings described whereby the motion of one half of the loom may be arrested
without interrupting the working of the other and whereby the loom is enabled to
produce at the same time two fabrics of similar or different textures or patterns.
(7) The application of the changeable cams with or without their adjuncts, to
either single or duplex looms producing several fabrics at one time, such as looms with
double warps for producing two fabrics one above the other, ribbon looms, etc.
(8) The general arrangement and combination of the parts constituting the improved
loom of this invention.
And I claim not only the entire arrangement of my improved double or single
loom together with the improvements which experience may suggest, but also the
exclusive and absolute right to each of the parts and each of the details of which the
loom is composed whatever may be the modifications or improvements which may be

page_text: made in the form, dimensions, or positions of said details, parts, or general arrange-
ment, or in any changes which may be made, without departing from the characteristic
features of my invention.
I also reserve the exclusive and absolute right of applying one or more of the
special features or details of my invention to any other kind of loom, whatever may
be the kind of fabric or product to be manufactured, or the material or materials
employed, and whatever may be the purpose to which they may be applied.
Dated this 10th day of M 1800
P. M. SIBUT, AINÉ.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
Sub-agents.