IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD APPARATUS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD APPARATUS."-A communication from
abroad by Eugène Vincenzi, Civil Engineer, of 13, Boulevart
St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 27th May 1870, and dated the 17th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th December 1869.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
Various improvements in the jacquard mechanism used in the weaving
of figured fabrics have been made from time to time, more especially
with a view to economize the pattern cards.

page_text: The improvements in jacquard mechanism of this Invention have for
their object, 1st, to reduce the size of the cards and also to enable paper
to be used in lieu thereof; 2ndly, the reduced size of the cards almost
entirely obviates the dilatation to which they are subject by the action of
the atmosphere; 3rdly, the arrangement of the apparatus is such as to
render it suitable for use in the manufacture of all kinds of figured
fabrics.
The improved jacquard mechanism is illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, Figure 1 being a side elevation, Figure 2 a front view, and
Figure 3 a longitudinal section of same.
In Figure 1 the needle or face plate a instead of being fixed on the
framing of the mechanism as usual is fitted in two guides 6 so as to be
capable of slight horizontal to-and-fro motion. The plate a is held in
position at the front by a spring c opposite the ends of the needles. This
adjusting motion of the plate is intended to facilitate the introduction of
the needles in the perforations in the card at the moment the cylinder
presents itself, and so that the pins x in said cylinder may first enter the
plate before the needles enter the holes in the card. Figure 3 shows the
internal construction of the mechanism. d represents a needle, which
being acted on at its rear end by a spring e presses hook fagainst the
"claw" plate g¹; h represents a needle, which being pressed back by
the card i enables hook j to free itself from the "claw "plate by reason
of its elasticity; k represents the part carrying the springs for operating
the needles; m, bars placed parallel to the rows of hooks against which
the short arms of said hooks bear for imparting a spring action to the
latter;, hook bar.
Figure 4 shows the hook and needle, Figure 3, on an enlarged scale;
Figure 5 shows also on an enlarged scale a new form of spring e, con-
tained in part k, Figure 3. The back end of this spring is closed by the
coiled wire, while it has a flared mouth, the tail end of the needle being
lodged in this elastic tube. The whole being arranged as described the
action is as follows:-On lifting the "claw" all the hooks which are in
the position of hook f, Figure 3, are raised therewith in the usual
manner, and when the "claw" descends the needles corresponding to
the hooks which are still held by the bars of the "claw" are free to be
pressed back without bearing on the hooks. When the hooks have
completed their motion and rest on the hook plate the long arms of said

page_text: hooks from their elasticity will fly off the "claw" bar and assume the
position indicated at j, Figure 3. Thus it will be understood from the
foregoing that the effort required to enable the needles to detach the
hooks as in the ordinary jacquard is entirely obviated, the hooks
detaching themselves automatically. The above described improved
arrangement may be adapted to ordinary jacquard mechanism, and in
this case I employ needles of the form shown in Figure 6, and the
hooks, Figure 4.
In power looms in which the pressure of the card against the hooks is
applied at the moment when the "claw" has deposited the hooks on
their plate and resumes its ascending, motion, I may dispense with the
springs employed for acting on the needles. In this case the needles are
provided with parts for acting on the fore arms of the hooks, which
latter are of the form shown in Figure 7 in lieu of the self-acting hook
before described. In order to ensure the proper working of the needles
in this modified arrangement it is necessary that the projections with
which they are provided be slightly inclined in order to fit in the space
comprised between the two adjoining needles. These parts thus have
free motion while preventing the hooks from escaping..
As regards economizing space in this improved mechanism I take care
in determining, the distance between the needles to allow all necessary
latitude of movement to the hooks. I have found that an interval of
one-sixth of an inch between the needles will answer the purpose both
as regards the size of the card and the efficient action of the apparatus.
As a consequence of this I make the plate used for perforating the cards
of the following dimensions:--On a surface of three inches in width by
fifteen inches in length I pierce holes of one-eighth of an inch in diameter
and one-sixth of an inch from centre to centre. The plate is in three
divisions, each containing sixteen holes in depth and twenty-eight in
length. Each division has two holes for receiving the pins of the
cylinder, as shown in Figure 2. The punching plate thus. comprises
1,320 holes to be used for the pattern and six larger holes for the pins x,
in addition to which holes are provided for lacing the cards. together.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD APPARATUS,' a communication to me from
abroad by Eugène Vincenzi, Civil Engineer, of 13, Boulevart St. Martin,
Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
33
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
Various improvements in the jacquard mechanism used in the weaving
of figured fabrics have been made from time to time more especially
with a view to economize the pattern cards.

page_text: The improvements in jacquard mechanism of this Invention have for
their object, 1st, to reduce the size of the cards and so to enable paper
to be used in lieu thereof; 2ndly, the reduced size of the cards almost
entirely obviates the dilatation to which they are subject the action of
the atmosphere; 3rdly, the arrangement of the apparatus is such as to
render it suitable for use in the manufacture of all kinds of figured
fabrics.
The improved jacquard mechanism is illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings, Figure 1 being a side elevation, Figure 2 a front view, and
Figure 3 a longitudinal section of same.
In Figure 1 the needle or face plate a instead of being fixed on the
framing of the mechanism as usual is fitted in two guides 6 so as to be
capable of slight horizontal to-and-fro motion. The plate a is held in
position at the front by a spring c opposite the ends of the needles. This
adjusting motion of the plate is intended to facilitate the introduction of
the needles in the perforations in the card at the moment the cylinder
presents itself, so that the pins & in said cylinder may first enter the
plate before the needles enter the holes in the card. Figure 3 shows
the internal construction of the mechanism. d represents a needle,
which being acted on at its rear end by a spring e presses hook fagainst
the "claw" plate g; h represents a needle, which being pressed back
by the card i enables hook j to free itself from the "claw" plate by
reason of its elasticity; k represents the part carrying the springs for
operating the needles; m, bars placed parallel to the rows of hooks
against which the short arms of said hooks bear for imparting a spring
action to the latter; 2, hook bar.
Figure 4 shows the hook and needle, Figure 3, on an enlarged scale ;
Figure 5 shows also on an enlarged scale a new form of spring e con-
tained in part k, Figure 3. The back end of this spring is closed by the
coiled wire, while it has a flared mouth, the tail end of the needle being
lodged in this elastic tube. The whole being arranged as described, the
action is as follows:-On lifting the "claw" all the hooks which are in
the position of hook f, Figure 3, are raised therewith in the usual
manner, and when the "claw" descends the needles corresponding to
the hooks which are still held by the bars of the "claw" are free to be
pressed back without bearing on the hooks. When the hooks have
completed their motion and rest on the hook plate the long arms of said.

page_text: position indicated at j, Figure 3. Thus it will be understood from the
foregoing that the effort required to enable the needles to detach the
hook's as in the ordinary jacquard is entirely obviated, the hooks
detaching themselves automatically. The above described improved
arrangement may be adapted to ordinary jacquard mechanism; and in
this case I employ needles of the form shown in Figure 6, and the hooks
Figure 4.
In power looms in which the pressure of the card against the hooks is
applied at the moment when the "claw" has deposited the hooks on
their plates and resumes its ascending motion I may dispense with the
springs employed for acting on the needles. In this case the needles
are provided with parts for acting on the fore arms of the hooks, which
latter are of the form shown in Figure 7 in lieu of the self-acting hook
before described. In order to ensure the proper working of the needles
it is necessary that the projections with which they are provided be
slightly inclined in order to fit in the space comprised between the two
adjoining needles. These parts thus have free motion while preventing
the hooks from escaping.
Figure 8 shows a hook, one limb of which is bent, as at m, so that it
will retain while at rest sufficient elasticity to recede if necessary from
the "claw" plate, and also will on rising prevent the friction of the
rear limb with the projection on the needle to which the hook, Figure 4,
is liable. As regards economizing space in this improved mechanism
I take care in determining the distance between the needles to allow all
necessary latitude of movement to the hooks. I have found that an
interval of one-sixth of an inch between the needles will answer the
purpose both as regards the size of the card and the efficient action of
the apparatus. As a consequence of this I make the plate used for
perforating the cards of the following dimensions:-On a surface of
three inches in width by fifteen inches in length I pierce holes of
onc-eighth of an inch in diameter and one-sixth of an inch from centre
to centre. The plate is in three divisions, each containing sixteen holes
in depth and twenty-eight in length. Each division has two holes for
receiving the pins of the cylinder, as shown in Figure 2. The punching
plate thus comprises 1,320 holes to be used for the pattern and six

page_text: larger holes for the pins x, in addition to which holes are provided for
lacing the cards together.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to
be protected by the herein-after in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The improved arrangement of jacquard mechanism herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
2ndly. I claim the arrangement of punching plate for perforating the
improved cards herein-before described.
3rdly. I claim the application of the improved self-acting hook
arrangement herein-before described to all kinds of jacquard mechanism.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.