IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Pilling, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, and John Harper, of the same Place, Weaver,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 1st October 1867, and dated the 4th April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Pilling and John
Harper at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 4th April 1867.
We, EDWIN PILLING, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Manu-
facturer, and JOHN HARPER, of the same Place, Weaver, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING,"
to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to those looms which are provided with rising boxes,.
and to that known arrangement thereof in which two chains are employed,
the one being used to shift the rising box and the other to determine when a
change shall take place. Our Invention consists in the employment of a
driver which by being shifted in position is capable of acting upon either of
the wheels which impart motion to the said chains.
The following is the arrangement we propose-Upon a toothed wheel is
mounted an inclined plane capable of sliding transversely and carrying the
driver for the two chains; this driver is so situate with reference to the
"star wheels" which it actuates that when it is in gear with one it shall be
out of gear with the other, and its position is determined by a lever resting

page_text: at one end upon the chain, which regulates the changes and against which
the above-mentioned incline arrives when a shifting of the shuttle box is
to be effected.
We have above spoken of one incline and driver only, but two or more
may be applied to the carrying wheel if desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin Pilling and John Harper in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWIN
PILLING, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, and JOHN
HARPER, of the same Place, Weaver, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, and in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Edwin Pilling and John Harper, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Edwin Pilling and John Harper,
our 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 LOOMS FOR
WEAVING," upon the condition, amongst other things, that we, the said Edwin
Pilling and John Harper, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the band and seal of one of us, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Harper, do hereby declare the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings:-
Our Invention relates to those looms which are provided with rising boxes,
and to that known arrangement thereof in which two chains are employed,
the one being used to shift the rising box and the other to determine when

page_text: a change shall take place. Our Invention consists in the employment of a
driver, which being shifted in position is capable of coming into operation at
desired intervals.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 represents in side elevation a
portion of a loom constructed according to our Invention; Figure 2 is a plan
view of the same; and Figures 3 and 4 detached views of certain of the
parts. The crank shaft is at a, upon which there is a toothed wheel b in gear
with another wheel c upon a shaft & supported by the framework e. Upon
the shaft is a drum f, the periphery of which runs in contact with the
circular parts 9, 9*, of two star wheels h, h*, after the ordinary manner of
that mechanical motion. In the drum f is a slot i, within which is a sliding
piece j provided with two projecting parts k, which stand up above the
periphery of the said drum and carry two pins 1, 1*, the latter of which
passes freely through the wheel c, and is provided at its end with an incline m.
In the drum f is also a second sliding piece at j*, similar to that already
described, and provided in like manner with pins 1, *, and these two sets of
pins are forced forward by springs n, n, in the direction of the arrow as the
drum revolves, being driven by the toothed wheel b; the pins take under
certain restrictions into the teeth o, o*, of the star wheels n, n*, so that they
are caused to revolve after the manner well known, for as the pins 1, 1*,
travel with the drum those two parts constitute the ordinary star pinion upon
the axis of the star wheel. h is a roller which carries the pattern chain p,
provided with tappets q for determining when a change shall take place. Above
these tappets q is a lever », turning upon a fixed centre s carried by an arm t
which is attached to the stud u upon which the star wheel h turns loosely;
the lever bas an incline v, and it is then bent round in a curve to follow the
periphery of the drum f. Upon the axis of the star wheel h✶ is a roller w,
which carries the pattern chain for the rising box. One of the tappets only
for this chain is shewn at x, but the said chain is constructed in the usual
manner and acts upon a bowl carried by the lever y, which communicates
motion to another lever employed for lifting the rising box. The operation
is as follows:-Rotary motion being communicated to the crank shaft a, the
pins 1, 1, with their sliding piece j will be carried onward, and the pin / by
taking into one of the teeth o will cause the star wheel to move through one
division, and as we will now suppose that a tappet 2 has not been brought
under the lever r it will remain in the position shewn; a further rotation of
the drum f will bring the sliding piece j which is level with drum under
the star wheel h, and it will not therefore be caused to rotate; these move-
ments being repeated, and the picking therefore being from the same shuttle

page_text: until a tappet q on the chain p is brought by the star wheel h to bear against
the lever r. When this takes place the said lever is caused to turn upon
its centres, whereby the circular part thereof will be turned downward, and
then as the drum f continues to revolve the part m on the pin * will arrive
against the incline v, by which means the said pin * will be caused to slide
transversely, and will be brought into the same plane as the star wheel h*,
and by taking into one of its teeth will cause the said wheel to move through
one division and bring its pattern chain to bear upon the lever y, and
the rising box motion will take place as usual. When the part m has
passed the end of the lever the pins 1, 1*, are forced back into the position
shewn at Figure 3, so that the star wheel h may again be driven as above
described. The Drawings shew two sliding pieces j with the pins 1, 1*,
carried by the drum f; this enables us to use the wheels b, c, as four to
one, the object simply being to apply the power advantageously for the lifting
apparatus.
In the above description the rising box is supposed to be on one end of the
loom, but it will be obvious that our Invention may be adapted to looms with
a rising box on each end thereof by repeating the apparatus above described,
but a more simple method will be to use four pins 1, 1, instead of two, so
that the star wheel h may be driven for every pick, and to apply a second
pattern chain in connection with the star wheel h*, which chain would operate
upon levers for transferring motion to the other rising box, as is well
understood.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that we claim as secured to us under the above in part recited
Letters Patent and for the purpose above set forth, the employment of a
moveable driver or drivers as illustrated at 1, 1, such driver or drivers being
brought into action by a pattern chain or equivalent apparatus.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harper, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN HARPER. (L.S.)