IMPROVEMENTS IN OR CONNECTED WITH DROP-BOXES EMPLOYED IN LOOMS
Year: 1884

page_text: I WRIGHT SHAW of Stockport Road Bredbury in the County of Chester
Machine Maker do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR CONNECTED WITH DROP-BOXES EMPLOYED IN LOOMS to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction of looms for weaving checked fabrics
and especially to that class of such looms invented by me and now generally known
a.s "Wright Shaws' Drop Box Loom," the object of the present Invention being to
simplify and economize the construction of the drop-box motion, and to bring the
principal working portions thereof within easy reach of the hand and eye of the
weaver, as well as to economize space.
The improvement consists first in removing the pattern cylinder and the three
horizontal sliding rods in connection therewith from the bottom of the loom and
placing them at or near the top so as to be easy of access to the weaver, and in
dispensing with two of the pegged cylinders and only employing one (preferably
with eight faces).
The swivel bracket attached to the two outside sliding rods is fixed at the top of
an upright shaft, to the lower end of which is fixed a second swivel bracket for
moving the "boot jack" into and out of gear.
In order to economize the pattern chain I mount a disc loosely upon the peg
cylinder shaft. This disc has on one face a number of pegs, which as the cylinder
bracket moves to and fro, are caught by a hook which gives a portion of the turn
to the pegged disc at each movement of the bracket.
On the other side of the disc are a number of adjustable screw pins which come
against a stop fixed to the frame. Whenever this occurs the "spider" wheel of the
pegged cylinder does not come into a position for its hooked catch to act, and
consequently the pegged cylinder does not revolve and thus the pattern on the card
facing the horizontal sliding rods is repeated a certain definite number of times
when the omission of the screw pin then allows the cylinder bracket to beat up its
full distance and the catch falls in gear with the "spider wheel" and by giving an
eighth of a turn to the cylinder brings a fresh pattern card opposite the horizontal
sliding rods and thus effects the desired change. By this arrangement one pattern
card can be made to repeat for four, six, eight twelve or twenty four pick, and thus
the pattern chain can be much shortened.
The lever attached to the central sliding rod is mounted on a tube through the
centre of which passes the upright shaft before mentioned, and on this shaft is

page_text: fixed a short arm connected by a link to a lever carrying two short plate springs.
When the two outer sliding rods are working for a single lift, only one of these
springs acts on the "boot jack" lever above the bowl and prevents any jumping of
the boxes when driving at high speeds; but when the central sliding rod comes
into action, the arm on the tube acting on the spring lever removes this spring
from the "boot jack" lever, and causes the other spring to act on the same at a
point further from the fulcrum, so as to exert an increased pressure when the
double lift is taking place.
At the lower end of the tube is fixed the fork for throwing the double lift cam
into gear.
To balance the boxes I use two long coiled springs, one attached to the frame
and the other to a bracket fixed at the lower end of the upright rack which
carries the boxes, and I connect these coiled springs together by a cord or strap
passing over a pulley.
On the side of the upright rack is a projecting flange against which a stud or
projection on the rack handle acts so as to throw the rack back out of gear with
the pinion when it is desired to raise or lower the boxes by hand.
In some cases I propose to adopt a pedal worked by the foot in place of the rack
handle above referred to, so as to leave both the weaver's hands at liberty to work
the boxes.
.
I WRIGHT SHAW of Stockport Road, Bredbury in the County of Chester
Machine Maker do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN OR CONNECTED WITH DROP-BOXES EMPLOYED IN LOOMS," 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 the construction of looms for weaving checked fabrics
and especially to that class of looms invented by me and now generally known as
Wright Shaws Drop Box Loom" and patented in Great Britain A.D. 1857 N° 1579
the object of the present Invention being to simplify and economize the construction
of the drop-box motion, and to bring the principal working portions thereof within 3
easy reach of the hand and eye of the weaver as well as to economize space.
Fig. 1. in the annexed Drawing is an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan view of one
side of a loom with my improvements shown as applied thereto.
'
The improvements consist first in removing the pattern cylinder a, a and the
three horizontal sliding rods b, bc, c and d, & in connection therewith, from the 4
bottom of the loom and placing them at or near the top, so as to be easy of access
.

page_text: to the weaver, and in dispensing with two of the pegged cylinders and only
employing one (preferably with eight faces) as shown at Fig. 1.
The swivel bracket e, e attached to the outside sliding rods band d (see detached
plan view Fig. 4) is fixed at the top of an upright shaft f, f to the lower end of
which is fixed a second swivel bracket g, g (see Fig. 2) for moving the "boot
jack "h, h into and out of gear.
In order to economize the pattern chain i, i I mount a disc k, k loosely upon the
peg cylinder axle 1, 1 (see Figs. 3 and 4). This disc has on one face a number of
pegs m, m which as the cylinder bracket n, n moves to and fro, are caught by a
hook o, o which gives a portion of a turn to the pegged disc k, k at each movement
of the bracket n n.
On the other side of the disc k, k are a number of adjustable screw pins p, p
which come against a stop q, q fixed to the frame. Whenever this occurs the
"spider" wheel r, r of the pattern cylinder a, a does not come into a position for
its hooked catch 8, 8 to act and consequently the pattern cylinder a a does not.
revolve, and thus the pattern on the card facing the horizontal sliding rods b, o
and d is repeated a certain definite number of times when the omission of one of
the screw pins p, then allows the cylinder bracket n, n to beat up its full
distance, and the catch 8, 8 falls in gear with the "spider wheel" r, r and by giving
an eighth of a turn to the cylinder a, a brings a fresh pattern card opposite the
horizontal sliding rods b, c, d and thus effects the desired change. By this
arrangement one pattern card can be made to repeat for four, six, eight, twelve
or twenty four picks, and thus the pattern chain can be much shortened.
In order to allow of the cylinder bracket n, n only beating up a portion of its
full stroke whenever one of the screw pins p, p comes against the stop g the cam 11
(see Fig. 5) which acts on the lever 12 (which actuates the cylinder bracket) is
made with a groove, and the bowl 13 on the lever 12 is mounted in a sliding
fixing 14 pressed upon by a spring 15, which allows the lever to give way although
the bowl 13 still keeps travelling in the groove thus dispensing with the ball
weight.
It also has the same effect when the end of the lever 12 is held down by the
ordinary action of the weft fork motion in the event of the weft thread breaking.
The lever t, t attached to the central sliding rod c, c is mounted on a tube u, u
through the centre of which passes the upright shaft f, f before mentioned, and on
this tube u, u is fixed a short arm v, v connected by a link w, w to a lever x, x
carrying two short plate springs y and s.
When the two outer sliding rods b and d are working for a single lift, only one
of these springs acts on the "boot jack" lever 1, 1, just above the bowl 2 and
prevents any jumping of the shuttle boxes when driving at high speeds, but when
the central sliding rod c, c comes into action the arm von the tube u acting on the
spring lever x, x, removes this spring z from the "boot jack" lever 1, 1, and causes
the other spring y to act on the same at a point further from the fulcrum so as to
exert an increased pressure thereon when the double lift is taking place.
At the lower end of the tube u, u is fixed the fork 3, 3, for throwing the double
lift cam 4, 4 into gear.
To balance the shuttle boxes I use two long coiled springs 5, 5, one attached to
the frame or other fixed point and the other to a bracket 6, 6, fixed at the lower
end of the upright rack 7, 7, which carries the shuttle boxes, and I connect these
coiled springs together by a cord or strap 8, 8, passing over a pulley.
On the side of this upright rack 7, 7 is a projecting flange 9, 9, (see Fig. 6)
against which a stud or projection on the rack handle acts so as to throw the
rack 7, 7 back out of gear with its pinion when it is desired to raise or lower the
shuttle boxes by hand.
In some cases I propose to adopt a pedal 10, 10, worked by the foot (as shown
at Figs. 1 and 6) in place of the rack handle above referred to so as to have both
the weavers hands at liberty to work the shuttle boxes.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The combination of a single pattern cylinder a, a and the three horizontal
sliding rods b, c, and d situated near the top of the loom,
Secondly. The combination of loose disc k, k with its adjustable screw pins and
other adjuncts substantially as described for allowing one pattern card to be
repeated for several picks so as to economize the length of the pattern chain
required to work any desired pattern.
Thirdly. The combination of the upright shaft f, f, and tube u, u swivelling
brackets e, e and gg for connecting the sliding rods b, c, and d with the "boot jack."
Fourthly. The combination of the tube u, u arm v, v, link w, w and spring
lever x, x for the purpose of altering the pressure on the "boot jack" lever 1, 1, to
suit either single or double lift.
Fifthly. The combination of the upright tube u, u and the fork 3, 3, for throwing
the double lift cam 4, 4 into or out of action.
Sixthly. The combination of the grooved cam 11, 11, lever 12, 12 bowl 13 sliding
fixing 14, and spring 15 for dispensing with the ball weight and allowing the
cylinder bracket only to beat up a portion of its full stroke whenever one of the
screw pins p comes against the fixed stop q.
Seventhly. The combination of the projecting flange 9, on the rack for lifting
the boxes with the projection on the rack handle or pedal 10, to enable the weaver
to throw the rack out of gear with its pinion when it is desired to raise or lower
the shuttle boxes by hand.
Eighthly. The combination of the bowl fixed near the top of the loom with two
lengths of coiled wire spring 5, 5 in a vertical or nearly vertical position coupled
together by a strap or cord 8, 8, which works over the bowl, thus balancing the
drop-boxes" better, more particularly when several drop-boxes are employed.
"
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