Improvements in Machines for the Manufacture of what are known 6 as Needle Loom" Fabrics.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 19th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for the Manufacture of what are known
6
as Needle Loom" Fabrics.
I, CAROLINE AUGUSTA WHIPPLE, of 27 Norfolk Street, in the County of
Middlesex Gentlewoman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to those machines used in the manufacture of woollen,
felted, textile and similar fabrics in which the fibres of one material or substance
are interlaced with the fibres of another material for the purpose of felting them
together and strengthening the fabric and making the texture closer and stronger
and by which means a common fabric may be faced with a superior material.
The interlacing of the fibres is effected by causing barbed or roughened needles to
be passed backwards and forwards through the materials to be treated.
Generally the machine consists of a suitable framework having a bed over which
the material to be operated upon is carried the needles passing through it and into
interstices in the bed as the material travels. Usually a foundation of common
material is provided and over this is a layer of the better material or substance
to be incorporated with the foundation. This better material may be itself a
fabric or may be a perfectly loose lap like cotton-wool or whatever material
may be desired. The materials are drawn by suitable means through the machine
under the needles which rapidly reciprocating vertically pass and repass through
the materials the barbs or projections of the needles intercalate the fibres so as to
form a single fabric as it leaves the machine. The mechanism I prefer to
construct as follows:-The needles are carried in a suitable plate or frame to which
may be imparted the reciprocating motion by means of eccentric rods driven
from eccentrics carried on the main shaft of the machine. As it is desired
that the needles should not always enter precisely in the same line on the material
it is preferred that they should reciprocate in a horizontal plane across the direction
in which the material travels as well as vertically; this may be effected in the
following manner. The eccentric rods previously described are connected to a
bar which they thus raise and lower in a suitable frame-work; the needle plate
is carried by this bar and so connected with it that while it must travel up and
down with the bar it may travel also along it. This I prefer to accomplish by
forming jaws or equivalent upon the back of the needle plate which jaws engage
with the reciprocating bar and by passing bolts or equivalent through the jaws and
through slots in the bar the requisite sliding connection between the bar
and the needle plate is effected. Other similar means may be adopted for this
purpose if preferred. The horizontal reciprocation of the needle plate may be
effected in the following manner.
To one end of the needle plate is jointed an eccentric rod the eccentric being
carried upon a shaft upon which is a ratchet wheel driven by a pawl jointed upon a
rocking arm to which motion is imparted from any convenient moving portion of
the machine. This arm is preferably provided with a slot in which the
link which drives it may be moved so that the amount of traverse of the
arm may be regulated as required. By this means an intermittent movement,
the extent of which may be regulated, is imparted through the pawl and ratchet
wheel to the shaft which carries the eccentric with the result that as the eccentric
revolves it draws the needle plate backwards and forwards as required, but since
the movement imparted to the eccentric is intermittent the movement of the needle
plate is also intermittent. The object of making this movement intermittent is to
ensure that tha horizontal travel of the needles shall not take place while they are

page_text: in engagement with the material; if this movement were continuous it will be seen
that a certain amount of drag would be imparted by the action of the needles upon
the fabric and holes might be produced in consequence. If desired an intermediate
link may be introduced between the eccentric rod and the needle plate or equivalent
means may be provided to allow of sufficiently free vertical play to the plate.
It is desirable that the fabric should be drawn away from the needles as it is
completed; this may be effected in various ways but I prefer to adopt the following
simple mechanism. I provide at a convenient distance behind the needles one or
a pair of horizontal rollers or a series of rollers may be arranged upon one or more
shafts. Around one of these rollers or between them if a pair are employed passes
the completed fabric and is carried to a beam upon which it is rolled as made.
Upon the shaft of one of the previously described rollers or upon the roller itself
is a ratchet wheel with which engages a spur from the eccentric rod which imparts
the vertical reciprocation to the needles; there would be one of these eccentric rods
at each end of the machine and each would be provided with a spur gearing with a
ratchet wheel on each end of the roller. This spur is adjustable in the length of the
eccentric rod preferably by means of a slot and bolt and otherwise around the bolt
or equivalent which secures it to the eccentric rod. By this means the engagement
between the spur and the ratchet wheel both as to depth and extent of motion
imparted to the wheel can be regulated as required.
The previously described beam around which the finished fabric is wound
is carried in suitable forks or guides preferably near the lower portion of the
machine and is so arranged that the beam or the cloth upon it rests against a roller
carried preferably by the main driving shaft of the machine; or the beam may rest
against the shaft itself, or intermediate mechanism or gearing may be introduced to
vary the speed at which the beam is rotated.
Dated this 19th day of February 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for the Manufacture of what are known
as Needle Loom Fabrics.
66
"
I, CAROLINE AUGUSTA WHIPPLE of 27 Norfolk Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentlewoman 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:-
This invention relates to those machines used in the manufacture of woollen,
felted, textile and similar fabrics in which the fibres of one material or substance
are interlaced with the fibres of another material for the purpose of felting them
together and strengthening the fabric and making the texture closer and stronger
and by which means a common fabric may be faced with a superior material. The
interlacing of the fibres is effected by causing barbed or roughened needles to be
passed backwards and forwards through the materials to be treated.
Generally the machine consists of a suitable framework having a bed over which
the material to be operated upon is carried the needles passing through it and into
interstices in the bed as the material travels. Usually a foundation of common
material is provided and over this is a layer of the better material or substance to be
incorporated with the foundation. This better material may be itself a fabric or
may be a perfectly loose lap like cotton-wool or whatever material may be desired.
The materials are drawn by suitable means through the machine under the needles
which rapidly reciprocating vertically pass and re-pass through the materials the
barbs or projections of the needles intercalating the fibres so as to form a single
fabric as it leaves the machine.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine
Fig. 2 an end elevation and
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 details of parts of the mechanism.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
The needles A are carried in a plate or frame B connected with the vertically
reciprocating bar C in such a manner that while compelled to reciprocate
vertically with the said bar C the needle plate may travel independently of the
bar C in a horizontal direction, this connection is shown in detail in Fig. 3 from
which it will be seen that the plate B has a jaw or bracket B' between which the
bar C is placed; the bolt D passes through the jaw B¹ and the slot C' in the bar C.
In the drawing three of these jaws or connections are shown and as will readily
appear the arrangement is such that the bolts D are caused to rise and fall with the
bar C thus taking the needle-plate B with them, but are free to travel in a
horizontal direction backwards and forwards within the slots C¹.
The bar C is carried at each end in the upper portion of the standards E in
suitable guides or slots E' in which the ends of the bar are retained.
A cross section
on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 of this portion of the apparatus is shown in Fig. 4 where
E is the standard C the bar and Ca bolt carried in a V-groove C in the end of the
bar C. C is a sleeve upon the bolt C so that when the nut C is screwed up
tight the head of the bolt is jammed firmly in the end of the bar C while if the
nut is slackened the position of the bolt in the slot can be altered as circumstances
require. This accommodation is for the purpose of adjusting the height of the
needle-plate B according to the thickness of the work or the length of the needles.
F is an eccentric rod bored to fit over the sleeve C so that while the bolt may
be jammed tight the end of the eccentric rod is free to turn upon the sleeve C4.
The eccentric rod F carries at its lower end straps G surrounding the eccentric H
and the whole of this arrangement is in duplicate, one portion of it at each end of the
machine. The eccentrics H are carried upon the shaft I which is the main driving
shaft of the machine and carries the usual fast and loose pulleys J. As this shaft
revolves the eccentrics H revolve with it and their motion being transferred to the
bar C by means of the eccentric rods F the bar C and with it the needle-plate B is
reciprocated vertically.
The horizontal reciprocation of the needle-plate B and needles A. is effected in
the following manner. It is not necessary or desirable that one complete horizontal
reciprocation should take place for each vertical reciprocation and it is preferred
that the horizontal traverse should be slowly effected. For this purpose one of the
eccentric rods F (that shown on the right hand of Fig. 1 of the drawings) carries
a slotted bracket F1 through which passes a bolt to secure one portion of a ball
and socket joint K, the slot being for the purpose of fixing the said ball and
socket joint nearer to or farther from the eccentric rod. The object of the ball
and socket joint is to accommodate the various motions involved in the movement
in different planes of the eccentric rod F and rocking arm M presently to
be described; but it will be seen that other forms of joint accommodating these
movements may be employed instead of the particular joint herein described and
illustrated. A link L carries the other portion of the ball and socket joint
and is pivotted to a small bracket L' adapted to be fixed in any required position
in a slot M of rocking arm M. This rocking arm M is provided with a hole
at the end furthest from the slot which passes over a short shaft N which carries a
ratchet wheel O and an eccentric P the latter shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.
Upon the arm M is pivotted a pawl M' adapted to engage with the teeth
of the ratchet wheel O and the eccentric P is connected by an eccentric rod P¹
with one end of the needle plate B. The action of this portion of the mechanism
is as follows:
As the eccentric rod F reciprocates, the link L connected with it through the
ball and socket joint K conveys this motion to the rocking arm M which by the

page_text: pawl M noves the ratchet wheel O at every stroke of the eccentric rod F. The
number of teeth compassed by the pawl M² at each stroke may be varied by
the position in the slot M¹ of the bracket L'; when the bracket is nearer
the centre of the shaft N the pawl has a longer traverse and when further from it
a shorter traverse.
The slotted bracket F¹ enables the bottom end of the link L to be suitably
placed according to the position of the bracket L' in the rocking arm M. If
necessary a link or curved quadrant may be introduced between the eccentric
rod P and the needle-plate B to allow sufficient freedom in the vertical play
of the plate B.
It is desirable that the fabric should be drawn away from the needles as it is
completed; this may be effected in a variety of ways but I prefer to adopt the
following simple mechanism. I provide at a convenient distance behind the needles
one or a pair of horizontal rollers Q carried upon shafts or equivalent Q, or a
series of rollers may be arranged upon one or more shafts. Between this pair
of rollers or around the series of rollers passes the completed fabric and is from
there carried to a beam upon which it is rolled as made. At least one of
the rollers Q may be positively driven and if necessary all of them may be so driven
and it is desirable that one of the upper rollers should be capable of pressing either
by its own weight or under the influence of other weights or springs upon one
or more of the other rollers so as to securely grip the fabric between them. In
Fig. 2 the shaft Q₁ of the top roller Q is shown carried in a vertical slot Q in the
framing E. A means of driving the shaft Q' of one of the rollers Q is illustrated
in Figure 1. The eccentric rod F at the end of the machine remote from that
which carries the horizontal reciprocating mechanism for the needle plate carries a
spur or pawl R fixed in the required position by means of the bolt R'. This
pawl R has a hooked end which engages with the teeth of a ratchet wheel S
carried upon the shaft Q¹ of the roller Q and the action is that as the eccentric
rod F rises the pawl R engages with a tooth of the ratchet wheel S thus pulling
that wheel round to a certain extent. If necessary the pawl R may be pivotted and
provided with a spring or weight attachment to cause it to engage with the teeth
of the wheel S but as the angle of the pawl R can be altered by slackening
the bolt R¹ and its position upon the eccentric rod F may be altered by moving
the bolt R' in the slot F' of the eccentric rod and as moreover the motion of the
shaft I is so arranged that the eccentric rod F is nearest to the wheel S as it rises
and farthest from it as it descends such a provision would be scarcely necessary.
Any suitable means such as a pawl may be provided to prevent the wheel S from
returning after it has been pulled round by the pawl R. If desired there may
be one of the ratchet wheels S at each end of the shaft Qand a spur or pawl R
may be provided upon each of the eccentric rods F.
The beam T upon which the fabric is wound may be carried in a fork U at each
end of the machine the beam resting upon a roller V carried upon the shaft I in such
a manner that the said beam is caused to revolve and thus wind the cloth upon it.
Or the beam T may rest directly upon the shaft I or other intermediate rollers or
gearing may be employed so as to secure the correct rate of revolution to the beam T
necessary to wind the fabric upon it. The object of the forks U is to allow the
shaft of the beam to rise within them as the roll of fabric increases in diameter
and as this beam or roll of fabric is driven from the periphery and not from the
centre the speed at which the fabric is rolled up would not increase with the
diameter of the roll.
By reference to Figure 2 it will be seen that the foundation of the fabric is
carried upon the shelf or platform W of an adjustable bracket X while the
superior or facing material is carried on a roll in arms Y projecting from the said
bracket X. The bracket X is pivotted at its upper end at X' and carries slotted
arms X pivotted to X at X and adapted to be fixed in the framework by the
thumb-screw Z. By this means the position of X can be varied as required.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood
that I am aware that machines for the manufacture of fabrics of this nature have
before now been made embracing most of the general functions of this machine
and that consequently no claim is made to anything beyond the particular
structural details of this machine.
What I claim is :-
1. In a machine such as described obtaining the motion for horizontally recipro-
cating the needle plate from the eccentric rod which vertically reciprocates said
plate.
2. In a machine such as described the combination and arrangement of parts
constituting the mechanism for horizontally reciprocating the needle plate and
consisting substantial of the eccentric rod F the link L the rocking arm M
pawl M ratchet wheel O eccentric P and eccentric rod P¹ the whole constructed
and operating substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a machine such as described the combination with the eccentric rod F and
rocking arm M of a link such as L provided with a ball and socket or equivalent
joint or joints for the purpose of accommodating the various motions of the said
eccentric rod and rocking arm substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. In a machine such as described the combination with the eccentric rod which
imparts vertical motion to the needles and having a pawl R adjustably secured
thereto of a ratchet wheel S for driving one of the rollers which causes the cloth
to travel substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a machine such as described the combination with the bar C having
longitudinal slots C¹ of the needle plate B carrying jaws or brackets B¹ lightly
grasping the bar C and bolts D passing through the brackets B' and the slots C₁
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
6. In apparatus such as described driving the roll of finished fabric by direct
contact with one of the revolving shafts or rollers of the machine substantially
as described.
1
..
T
'
1000
C. A. WHIPPLE.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.