CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOKS, AND IS THE PREPARATION OF WARPS POR THE SAME
Year: 1824

page_text: STANSFELD'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WOLRICH STANSFELD, of Leeds, in the County of York, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the fifth year of
His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Wolrich Stansfeld, His especial licence that I, the said
Thomas Wolrich Stansfeld, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Thomas Wolrich Stansfeld, my exors, admors, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOKS, AND
IS THE PREPARATION OF WARPS POR THE SAME;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas Wolrich Stansfeld,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent (as
in and by the same) reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thoms Wolrich Stansfeld, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention"

page_text: by the following description thereof, and the manner in which the same is to
be performed and carried into effect, by the Drawings which are hereunto
annexed, reference being thereunto had, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, as follows (that is to say):-
The first of my improvements in power looms consists in certain machinery
or apparatus, herein-after more particularly described, applied for the purpose
of unwinding or giving out the warp from off the yarn beam or yarn roller of
looms in proportion as it may be required to form the cloth or fabric, which
said machinery also operates to take up the cloth or fabric in proportion as it
is produced.
The second of my said improvements in power looms consists in an improved
apparatus for communicating the requisite movements to several power looms
at one time, which are supposed to be placed in a line, and stopping the
motion of any ono loom at pleasure without the aid of an endless strap or belt
to each loom, as is usually practised.
Figure 1 upon the annexed Drawing represents an end section shewing the
principal operative parts of a simple power loom with two treadles constructed
according to my improvements. Figure 2 shews a longitudinal elevation of
the same loom. Note.-In these Figures some parts of the framing or or
supports, as well as some parts of the mechanism, are supposed to be removed
in order to shew the principal operative parts more clearly; and the same
letters of reference are used to denote corresponding parts upon the
Figures 1 & 2 wherever they occur. A represents the yarn beam or roller
upon which the yarn is warped or wound. From the 'under side of this roller
the yarn passes over a small stationary roller or smooth rounded rod a which
is affixed to the two ond framings of the loom or otherwise as may be found
convenient. The yarn then descends and passes under a smooth rounded
rod C, which extends the length of the loom, and is fixed at each end to ono
extremity of two long levers, one of which levers is seen at B & C, in Fig. 1.
The said two levers are mounted so as to move or vibrate upon an axis
at extending the length of the loom, and turning in bearings formed
in the end frames thereof. The object of these levers will be hercafter
explained. From the rounded rod C the yarn or warp passes over the
roller D, under a rounded rod d, and over a roller E, from whence it proceeds
to the lease rods e, and through the eyes of the heddles h and i, after which it
passes through the reed in the top of the lay F, where it is formed into a cloth
or fabric. The said cloth or fabric proceeds over the breast beam H, and
descends to the rounded rod B, which is fixed at the opposite extremities of the
two long levers before mentioned. From the rounded rod B the cloth passes

page_text: up to the cloth beam or cloth roller K, where it is finally wound up. The
cloth beam K has a ratchet wheel k upon one end of it, which is furnished
with two or more clicks or palls 2 for the purpose of restraining it and
preventing any retrograde motion of the roller from taking place, at the same
time allowing it free liberty to be turned in the direction shewn by the arrow
for winding or taking up the cloth upon its circumference. The yarn beam A
is furnished with a ratchet wheel at each end thereof, one of which ratchet
wheels is seen at 6, Fig. 1. They are each provided with a small click or
detent m adapted to take into their teeth and restrain the yarn beam from
turning round in the direction shewn by the arrow, and thus prevent it from
unwinding the yarn from off its circumference unless the detents m are
withdrawn from the teeth of the rachet wheels b. The detents m turn upon
axes or pivots at n, and have arms or levers o proceeding from the opposite
sides of the said axes. The extremity of the arms o are formed to an arch,
and are adapted to be operated upon and raised by the action of the
rounded rod C, as will be herein-after explained. The detents mare each
provided with a spring which continually operates to throw their extremities
or beaks m into the teeth of the racket wheels b. G represents one of the
arms of the lay. It moves upon a center or axis at 9, and has a short arm or
lover p projecting from it, to which lever one end of a cord 9 is attached. This
cord is passed one or more turns round a pulley which is fixed upon the cloth
beam K, and its other extremity hangs down, and has a weight r attached to
it. The cord q tends to turn the cloth-beam round a short space each reci-
procation of the lay, which is performed in the following manner :-The upper
part of the lay has connecting rods L jointed to it, and the other extremities
of these parts are jointed to the upper ends of levers M, N, which turns upon
a center or axis at N, in bearings or supports affixed to the framing of the
loom, as seen in Fig. 2. Each of the levers M, N, is formed in the middle to
an open frame or internal curve somewhat in the shape of a heart; and in this
opening or curve two small rollers and t, which project from the double arm
or tappet O, are adapted to act. The tappet O is caused to revolve in the
direction shown by the arrow, along with the main shaft or axis P, and by its
small rollers and acting within the curve or heart, the lever M, N, is
caused to vibrate upon its axis N, and thereby communicate the requisito
motion to the lay. By this heart-shaped curve and the two small rollers the
lay is made to perform two backward and two forward movements for each
revolution of the main shaft P; and, by varying the form of the heart the
motion of the lay may either be rendered uniform, or it may be made to net
quicker at one point than another, as may be desired, observing always that

page_text: the curve be so formed that the two small rollers s and t may always be in
contact with two points in the curve, and thereby prevent shake or noise in
working; or in some cases a spring may be applied at the back of the loom to
draw or force the levers M, N, tight against the rollers & and t. R, Fig. 2,
shews the tappets for moving the treddles h and i, or making the shed (as it
is termed). These tappets may be formed in the ordinary manner, and the
two heddles h and i may be connected together by a cord over a pully at the
upper part of the loom, as shewn in the Figures. Note.-The tappets R. are
not represented in Fig. 1, as they would have rendered the other part obscure.
w, w, represent two curves or tappets, which I denominate counter shed
tappets, their operation being to release or give out the warp when the
separation or shed is made, and to take it up when the threads or yarns of
the warp are all in one plane in the act of passing each other to make the
shed; the tappets w, w are adapted to act upon levers or treadles x, which
are united by rods or wires y to each extremity of a small roller or rounded
rod d which extends over the entire breadth of the warp, being guided in
its motion up and down by the rods y sliding through stationary guides.
The counter shed tappets w, w, are situated in such position with respect to
the headle tappets R, that the rod d will move up and down at the same time
with the heddles h and i; thus when the eyes of the heddles are expanded to
the greatest distance and the shed is complete, the rod d is raised up just
clear above the warp, which then passes in a direct line over the rollers
D and E, but as the heddles begin to move and bring the yarns of the warp
nearer into a straight line the rod d begins to sink, and press the warp down
so as to form an angle between the two rollers D and E, and thereby the warp
is in effect taken up and is kept in a proper degree of tension without the
aid of weights upon the yarn beam in the usual manner; on the other hand,
when the warp is in the act of being separated by the heddles in the order to
make the shed, the rod d will be rising and suffering the warp to assume a
straight line over the rollers D and E, so as to allow for the extra length
required in forming the shed S.
Fig. 2 shows the picking tappets which operate through the medium of the
wires fand strap to move the picking arm Q backwards and forwards at the
proper intervals for throwing the shuttle. According to my improvements
the various tappets are not fixed directly upon the main shaft P in the ordinary
manner, but they are all fixed upon a tube or pipe T, through which the
main shaft passes, being capable of turning round freely within the said tube
when required; one end of the tube T is furnished with a clutch or catch
box V which is firmly fixed to it, and the main shaft is also furnished with a

page_text: clutch W which is fitted upon a square part of it or otherwise, so as to be
capable of sliding freely backwards and forwards upon the main shaft, but
without the liberty of turning round independently of the same, the sliding
clutch W has a groove formed in its circumference, and is furnished with a
lever in the manner of ordinary clutch boxes, so that it may, when desired, be
made to lock or engage with the part V upon the end of the tube T, and
thereby cause the main shaft and tube T (with all the tappets upon it) to
revolve together; but if it should be required to suspend the motion of the
loom, it would be effected by disengaging the parts V and W of the clutch
box from each other, in which situation the main shaft would revolve freely in
the tube T, and might continue to communicate motion to the other looms
without interruption.
The operation of the mechanism which I have herein-before described
for giving out the yarn or warp from the yarn beam, and taking up the
cloth in proportion as it is produced, is as follows:-Suppose the parts of the
machine to be in the position represented by the Fig. 1 upon the annexed
Drawing, it will be observed that the yarn beam A and cloth beam K are
both restrained from turning by the operation of the palls in their racket
wheels b and k, and the warp is supposed to be at the proper required tension;
now, as the lay will move forwards to the same point every time by the
operation of the small rollers upon the tappet O before mentioned, its reed
will strike or beat against the cloth, and will drive it slightly forwards for
every shoot of weft that is thrown or put in; and it will thus draw the warp along
with it, and as the yarn beam is prevented by its ratchet wheel b and detent m
from giving out more yarn or warp, such blows or action must. necessarily
draw or raise up the round rod C, under which the warp passes, as before men-
tioned, and this motion will be transmitted through the medium of the long levers
B & C to the round rod B at their other extremities, which will draw down
the cloth in an equal degree, or nearly so, provided the long levers B, C, aro
of equal length, or nearly so, on each side of their center or axis of motion c.
This action will continue to be repeated at each shoot, viz', the raising of the
rod C to give out the warp, and the consequent depressing of the rod B to
take up the slack of the cloth which had been produced until the rod C has
been raised up to such position as to have moved the lever or end o of the
detent m up sufficiently to disengage the beak'm from the teeth of the racket
wheel b,' at which instant the rod C, which is made heavy enough to prepon-
derate, will drop down to its original position, and will unwind or draw off a
certain portion of warp from the circumference of the yarn beam A; the spring
before mentioned operates to return the detent m, and restrain the ratchet
wheel b from turning until by the repeated rising of the rod C at evey stroke

page_text: of the lay it shall have attained a sufficient height to raise the lever o, when
the detent m will be disengaged from the ratchet wheel, and will allow it to
move one tooth, as before mentioned. When the rod C drops down, and
draws a portion of warp from the roller A, the rod B will necessarily risc
up and leave the cloth at liberty to be taken up or wound upon the cloth
beam K by the operation of the cord g, which is attached to the short arm p
of the lay, as before mentioned. Each time that the lay comes forwards to beat
up the work it draws the cord q and tends to turn the pulley and cloth beam
round in the direction for taking up the cloth, but if the yarn or warp is in
a proper state of tension the cord 9 will slip round upon the said pulley, and
cach time that the lay goes back the small weight r will draw the cord 7 back
round the pulley ready to repeat the action. In some cases where the weaving
of warps is required, which possess every little elasticity, I apply a spiral spring
in the cord q, or otherwise I fix the pulley round which the cord 2 passes loosely
upon the end of the cloth beam, and connect the said pulley therewith by means
of a spring somewhat similar to a clock spring, in order that the lay in coming
forwards may coil or wind up the said spring, so that when the lay has come
forwards to its full extent, and has beat up the work the spring may re-act and
turn the cloth beam, in order to take up or wind the cloth upon the circumference
thereof without waiting till the next time the lay comes forward. In weaving
some kinds of goods the cloth requires to be taken up in a cousiderably loss
degree than the warp is given out; this I accomplish by having the axis c of
the long levers B, C, adjustable, so as to vary the relative length of the said
levers on each side center or axis c. By the arrangement of mechanism
abovo described, I keep the warp always in a regular state of tension, or
nearly so; I dispense with the heavy weights which are usually appended
to the yarn beams of power looms.
My improvements in preparing warps for power looms consist in an
improved arrangement and combination of machinery or apparatus by which
I am enabled to dye and dress or size the said warps at one process, or in once
passing through the machine, instead of first dyeing the warp or yarn by the
ordinary methods, and afterwar.ls passing it through the dressing machine for
the purpose of siging the same as is usually practised.
My said improvements are particularly applicable to the preparing of
worsted or woollen warps, and the arrangement of the machinery for eflecting
the same is described with reference to the Fig. 3 and 4 upon the annexed
Drawing. Fig. 3 represents the principal operative parts of the machine, the
framing or supports being omitted to explain the other parts more clearly. Fig.4
shews an hurizontal plan of the said. A represents the rollers or beams upon
which the yarn is supposed to have been previcusly wound; from these rollers

page_text: the yarns are collected together into a mass or loose handful, and are passed
through a conical tube or conductor a, and between a pair of small pressing or
callender rollers B, from whence they fall into the vessel or vat C containing
the dye or colouring matter, that is, when the article or material of which tho
yarn is composed does not require a previous preparation or mordant in order
to make the dye or color. take in a proper manner; but when a mordant is
required I place a vessel or vat containing the mordant in the situation of the
dye vat C before mentioned, being punnished with pressing rollers in a similar.
manner, and after the yarn has passed into and has remained a sufficient length
of time immersed in the said mordant, it is drawn forward and conveyed to
the dye vat in the manner I have above described; and after remaining a
sufficient time therein it is drawn through a pair of pressing rollers D, in order
to force out the excess of dye or color, which is returned into the dye-vat.:
After passing the said rollers the yarn is conveyed to a similar vessel or vat.
containing clear water, for the purpose of rinsing or washing out the super-
fluous color or dye which may exist in it. The liquor in the dye vats I some-
times warm by means of steam conveyed into them by proper pipes provided
with stopcocks, and I occasionally pass the wrap through several different vats
or vessels, one after another, which becomes requisite in the dyeing of par-
ticular colours, according to the usual method practised in dyeing. The yarns
on quitting the rensing or washing vat are passed through a pair of pressing
rollers, and from these rollers they proceed in the form of a loose handful, as
before mentioned, to the rollers E, and into the sizing vat F, which contains
the material or size proper for preparing the warp. In this vessel the yarns,
remains for 10 minutes, more or less, according to the nature of the materials
of which they are composed. They are then passed through a pair of pressing,
rollers G, after which the mass or handful of yarn is partially ocparated, and
the different portions are caused to radiate, being passed through a reed or
grating-6 and round beneath a roller H; from whence the yarns are farther
separated or divided and passed through a reed d, then over a roller I, from
whence they proceed, and are carefully separated from each other into single
yarns, and are passed separately through the divisions of a reed h, beyond.
which they are wound or warped upon the roller or yarn beam K, in order to
be removed to the loom. The yarns, in passing from the roller I to the reed b,
may be brushed and picked in the usual,manner if required, and a fan may
be:
applied in the ordinary manner for creating a current of air to dry the warp in
its passage to the roller K. The various rollers of this machine would not be
kept continually in motion, as is the case-with many warp-dressing machines
which are at present in use, but they would be moved at intervals by straps or
other convenient means, so that all the processes above described would be

page_text: going on at one and the same time. Thus, when a fresh portion of your was
drawn off the rollers A to be introduced into the said vat or vessel containing
the mordant, the portion which has been lying in the mordant would be
advanced to the dye or color vat; and in like manner the portion which which
had been lying in the color vat would be advanced into the washing or rinsing
vat, and from the said vat to the sizing vat, and so on throughout the several
stages of the process, by which means a saving of time would be effected in
the preparation of warps, particularly for the preparation of worsted or woollen
warps, as by my improved arrangement of the machine aforesaid the said warps
are caused to pass in a mass or loose handful into the sizing vat, which is found
to be the preferable made of operating upon them; and then on quitting the
sizing vat they are divided or separated from each other whilst in a wet state,
and are warped upon a roller or beam immediately, instead of being partially
or completely dried after they proceed from the sizing vat, and then dividing or
separating them at a second operation, as is usually practised in the preparation
of worsted or woollen warps.
I have now described, with reference to the annexed Drawing, my said
Invention of Improvements in Power Looms, and in the Preparation of
Warps for the same, in such manner as to enable persons conversant with
machinery or processes of a similar description to carry my improvements into
effect. And whereas I have been obliged (in order to explain clearly the
nature and application of my said improvements, to introduce and describe in
this my Specification many parts or apparatus which are at present known
and in use in power looms and machines for dressing or proparing warps for
the same, I do hereby declare that I confine my present claim of invention
solely to the following particulars (viz.):
My first improvement which relates to the giving out of the warp from off
the yarn beams or rollers in power looms, and for taking up the cloth in
proportion as it is produced, is herein-before described with reference to the
Figures 1 and 2 upon the annexed Drawings; and those parts which I
consider to be new, and claim the exclusive use of as applied to power looms
for the purposes aforesaid, are indicated upon the Figures 1 & 2, by the letters
of reference as follows, viz:-The small stationary rounded rod marked a in
Fig. 1, the rounded rods B and C with the long levers to which they are attached
as aforesaid, and their axis c, also the detent or click m, n, and o.
My second improvement in power looms relates to the manner of commu-
nicating the requisite movements to several power looms which are supposed
to be placed in a line, so that the action of any one of them may be suspended
without affecting the remainder and without employing endless straps or belts,
in the usual manner. The parts which operate to effect this improvement.

page_text: and the application of which I consider to be new as regards power looms for
the purpose aforesaid are as follows, viz', the pipe or tube marked T, Fig. 2,
upon the main shaft as having the various tappets fixed upon it as aforesaid,
and the clutch or catch box marked V, W, for connecting the tube T with or
disengaging it from the main shaft at pleasure. My said improvements
in preparing warps for power looms are described with reference to the
Figs. 3 and 4 upon the annexed Drawing; they consist in the particular
arrangement and combination of machinery, which is exhibitel in the said
Figures, the separate parts of which have been heretofore used in warp-
dressing machines, and I therefore make no claim to them in their separate or
uncombined state, but by my improved mode of combining them aforesaid,
and which I consider to be new, the process of dyeing and sizing the warp
may be performed by a succession of operations in once passing through the
machine. Another peculiarity of the said combination, which renders it
particularly applicable to the preparing of worsted or woollen warps, is as
follows:-The yarns composing the warp are by this arrangement passed in a
mass or loose handful through the size or preparing matter, and immediately
on quitting the sizing vat they are separated or divided whilst in a wet state,
and are caused to radiate, being passed through one or more combs or reeds,
so as to be warped or wound in a regular manner upon a roller or beam ready
for the loom.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wolrich Stanfield, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.