IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD LOOMS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Nicholson Liddell, of Donacloney, Co. Down,
Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD LOOMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Nicholson Liddell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th May 1877.
WILLIAM NICHOLSON LIDDELL, of Donacloney, Co. Down, Ireland.
MENTS IN JACQUARD LOOMS."
"
IMPROVE-
These improvements relate to jacquard power looms for weaving what is known
as single or double damask, the finer sorts of which have hitherto only be woven
by hand; one of the peculiarities of the method of weaving being that the "shed" is
formed by "heddles" between the mails or warp eyes controlled by the jacquard and
the reed, the jacquard being only brought into action or change at intervals, which are
either regular or irregular, according to the pattern, the jacquard being brought into
action by the weaver.
The object of this Invention is to imitate, by automatic mechanism, the hand'
loom weaver in this regular or irregular intermittent action of the jacquard, and
thereby to permit of the cards now used in hand looms being applied to power looms.
This is accomplished by very simple mechanism.
Virtually it is a double wheel, the inner one being a ratchet wheel of any desired
number of teeth, according to the pattern in the loom. To this ratchet wheel is
attached a grooved wheel or disc on which are fixed snugs or projections at regular
or irregular intervals and constituting a tappet wheel. The snugs or projections act
upon the connection of the jacquards and bring them into action in their proper order.
The ratchet wheel is moved, by suitable mechanism, a tooth at each "pick," but the
jacquards are only brought into play when the snugs or projections in the groove'
in the outer disc come into action, and as these snugs or projections can be placed at
any part of the circle corresponding with the inner ratchet, so any sum of numbers,

page_text: however made up, that are included in the number of teeth in the ratchet, can be
used in the division or arrangement of the snugs in the outer disc for bringing the
jacquard into action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Nicholson Liddell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th November 1877.
WILLIAM NICHOLSON LIDDELL, of Donacloney, Co. Down, Ireland. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN JACQUARD LOOMS."
These improvements relate to jacquard power looms for weaving what is known
as single or double damask, the finer sorts of which have hitherto only been woven
by hand; one of the peculiarities of this method of hand weaving being that the
"shed" is formed by "heddles" which are placed between the reed and the mails
or warp eyes controlled by the jacquard, which is only brought into action and
changed at intervals (either regular or irregular, according to the pattern) by the
weaver.
The object of the present Invention is to imitate, by automatic mechanism, the
hand loom weaver in this regular or irregular intermittent action of the jacquard,
and thereby to permit of the "cards" now used in hand looms being applied to
power looms.
This is accomplished by simple mechanism, which I will now proceed
to describe, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, in which,-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2, a transverse section, of so much of a loom
with my improvements applied thereto as will serve to explain the connection of
the novel mechanism with the crank shaft which sets those parts in action, and
with the griff or knife frame, whose motions are controlled by the novel mechanism.
Fig. 3 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of the mechanism for regulating the
action of the griff, and Fig. 4 is a view of the same parts taken at right angles to
Fig. 3.
Mounted in a bracket bearing attached to the main framing of the loom is a stud
axle which carries a tappet wheel A. On the extended boss of this tappet wheel is
a ratchet wheel B which is keyed thereto. This ratchet wheel B receives motion at
each pick from the pawle c carried by a rock lever C, which rocks freely on the
stud axle that carries the tappet wheel A. The outer end of the lever C is slotted
so as to adjust the travel of the pawle c to the teeth in the ratchet wheel B and to
receive the pin of a link rod C, which connects it with a slotted rod C2 that is
jointed to the crank shaft C³, Figs. 1 and 2. D is a vertical slide formed with a
shoulder, as at d, Fig. 3, and connected by a link rod D¹ with a rock lever E,
mounted on a standard, at the top of the loom framing, and carrying at its inner
end the griff or knife frame H¹, the rise and fall of which it is intended automatically
to control.
The slide D is fitted with a stud d' on which slides the slot of the rod C² and
serves as a guide to the connecting rod. On the descent of the rod C², the slide D
is drawn down by means of the upper end of the slot of the rod C2 pressing upon
the stud d', and the griff is consequently raised to change the position of the mails
or warp eyes according to the pattern in hand. On the rise of the connecting rod C²,
the griff will fall, the speed of its descent being regulated by the rise of the con-
necting rod. E* is a catch pivoted at e to a bracket on the main framing and fitted
with an elastic extension piece E¹ which extends upwards and projects into the path
of the tappets a on the tappet wheel A, it being held in that position by a tension
spring E. The catch E*, when in action, rests upon the shoulder d of the slide D,
but so soon as it is tripped by the pressure of the tappets a of the tappet wheel A
against the elastic piece E¹, the griff pendant from the rock lever H will, by reason
of its weight and its attachments, be free to fall at the next rise of the connecting

page_text: rod C. The griff or knife frame I connect, in any ordinary or approved manner,
with the perforated prism or cylinder of the jacquard apparatus, so that the requisite
axial motion of the prism or cylinder to bring round a fresh card to act on the
jacquard wires shall take place at every ascent of the griff.
The tappets in the wheel A. I make adjustable in position and use any number to
suit the pattern in hand, and for this purpose I make an annular dovetailed slot in
the side of the tappet wheel, and fit the tappets therein by means of screws and nuts,
as shewn in the cross section, Fig. 5.
It will be understood that the ratchet wheel B is moved one tooth for every
"pick;" the tappets will therefore be adjusted relatively to this wheel to suit the
pattern in hand, and the ratchet wheel should admit of easy removal to permit of its
being changed for one of a greater or lesser number of teeth to suit the requirements
of the pattern. To prevent the tappet wheel from over-running or turning back,
a spring brake a¹ bearing on the periphery of that wheel is provided, and a pawle c²
fitted to a short arm on the stud axle takes into the teeth of the ratchet wheel B.
If now rotary motion is given to the crank shaft C³, and the pawle c is set in
action until one of the tappets or bowles a is caused to trip the catch E*, then so
soon as the slide D is released from the catch E*, the griff will fall and bring the
pattern card into action, the ascent of the connecting rod C³ being simultaneous
with the rise of the slide D. On the return or descent of the connecting rod C³, the
griff or knife frame will be raised again together with the selected wires of the
jacquard apparatus, which wires will lift the pattern threads for the next pick or
picks.
On the rise of the griff and the consequent descent of the slide D, the catch E*
being now relieved from the pressure of the tappet a, will be thrown again into
contact with the shoulder d of the slide D by the drag of the tension spring E2, and
the jacquard apparatus will consequently remain quiescent until the next tappet (a)
in succession is brought into action and caused to trip the catch E*. A repetition
of the movement of the jacquard will then take place, and the weaving will then
proceed as before, the number of "picks" between each change of the jacquard being
determined, as before explained, by the weaver before starting the loom.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of " Improvements in
Jacquard Looms" and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish
it to be understood that, under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim the
arrangement of mechanism above described for actuating the jacquard apparatus of
power looms at regular or irregular intervals.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Nicholson Liddell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
In presence of
A. L. IRELAND.
WILLIAM NICHOLSON LIDDELL. (L.S.)