IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1856

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Harrison and Christopher.
Gelderd at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 24th June 1856.
We, JOSEPH HARRISON, of Blackburn, Machinist, and CHRISTOPHER
GELDERD, of Lowmoor, Clitheroe, Manager, both in the County of Lancaster;
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
In power looms for weaving the shuttle sometimes fails to pass through the
shed or space formed for the weft between the warp threads, that is, when
'picked" or forced from one box it fails to enter the other box or receptacle
into which it should pass after each "pick" of weft; when this occurs (except
some provision is made to prevent it) the shuttle is driven forward by the reed
and the warp threads are broken, and the reed, shuttle, and other parts may
also be damaged. The shuttle is said, in this case, to have "failed to box," and
is consequently "caught in the shed." There are several arrangements in
general use to obviate the damage which would result from the shuttle "failing
to box;" the oldest method is by hinged pieces placed in the "shuttle boxes,"
called "swells," which act upon fingers on a shaft that is placed in bearings
upon the "slay swords" (arms upon which the slay oscillates); this shaft is
commonly called the "stop rod." A spring is attached to an arm from it to

page_text: "
cause the fingers against the "swells," called the "stop-rod swell fingers," to
press the "swells" into the "shuttle boxes" when the shuttle is not in one of.
them; therefore, when the shuttle is in one of the "boxes" the "swell" of
that box will be forced outwards, and consequently the "stop-rod swell fingers'
are pushed back; but if the shuttle is in neither box (the shuttle in that case
having "failed to box"), both "swells" are forced into their "boxes," and
consequently the "stop-rod swell fingers" are brought forward.. There are
also two fingers on the "stop rod," called the "stop-rod frog fingers," and being
attached to the "stop rod" partake of movements given to it by the "swells."
When the shuttle properly boxes" (enters the box), these fingers pass over
notched pieces placed on the side frames of the loom called "frogs," but when
the shuttle "fails to box," the." stop-rod frog fingers" catch upon the " frogs'
as the "slay" moves forward, and the "frogs" act upon mechanism that stops
the loom by throwing the belt from the fast to the loose pulley; the "frogs" at
the same time arrest the "slay," or prevent it from moving forward. This
method is objectionable on account of the great shocks to which it subjects the
mechanism of the loom at high speeds. The other arrangements in general
use for obviating damage when the shuttle "fails to box" consist in hinging the
"reed" to the slay so that it will move back and leave room for the shuttle
when it is "caught in the shed." These arrangements are known as "loose
reeds," because they are not fixed under all circumstances. One so-called
"loose reed" is fixed or locked in the proper position for weaving as long as the
shuttle properly, boxes," but is unlocked by the action of mechanism in con-
nection, with the "stop rod" when the shuttle "fails: to box." The other "loose
reed" is only locked at the time the weft is "beaten up," being at liberty.
at all other times. The mechanism for locking or securing the reed in the
proper position, for driving up the weft acts to do so every time the slay.comes
forward to the" fell". of the fabric, but it can only secure the reed when it, is
in the proper position. The reed is pushed out of its proper position by the
shuttle when it is caught in the "shed." In both "loose-reed" arrangements
the reed is acted upon by a spring or springs, which will bring it to the proper
position for weaving when the shuttle is not in the way.
Now, our Invention has the same object as the arrangements described;
we hinge or arrange the reed so that it will move back and leave room for
the shuttle when it is, caught in the "shed," same as the "loose reed." By
our Invention, we prevent the reed from advancing with the slay" to the
"fell" of the fabric when the shuttle "fails to box," and we accomplish this
by the same means as are used under these circumstances for arresting or
preventing the slay and reed, when attached and fixed; from "beating up;"

page_text: in other words, our Invention consists in arresting the reed alone, or in
causing it, or one side of it; to remain stationary when the shuttle "fails to
box," while the slay and other parts are at liberty to move forward instead
of arresting the reed and slay and all the parts connected with it, as in looms
of the ordinary arrangement, which creates a great shock on the mechanism.
We accomplish the above-mentioned object by the arrangements described
as follows: We detach the reed from the "slay," and mount or secure
it on the ends of arms which are fixed to the "slay swords;" these arms
are elastic, that is, they are made so that their ends may be forced back
while the "slay" remains stationary, or so that they will bend and remain
stationary while the slay moves forward, and they are elastic so as to come
back to the position from which they are bent by the force applied; they
are caused to press the reed forward against the slay or a suitable stop (an
arrangement for the reed to press against to limit its movements forward)
with a force sufficient to overcome all the resistance to which the reed is
subjected in weaving or "beating up" the weft, that is, the force with which
the "reed" is pressed forward is so great, that it is practically fixed, and it
cannot be moved back from this position till this force is overcome by a force
greater than that which acts upon it when weaving. On the elastic arms the
'stop rod" is also mounted, that is, in place of being mounted on the "slay
swords" in the ordinary manner, it is mounted in suitable bearings attached to
the clastic arms, upon which the reed is secured, so that when the shuttle "fails
to box," the "stop-rod frog fingers" will catch upon the "frogs," and as the
"stop rod" is attached to the elastic arms, they (the "stop rod" and elastic
arms), and thus the reed, will be prevented from advancing with the "slay,"
as the arms will bend or give way, being elastic. In place of this arrange-
ment, the reed may be mounted on arms along with the "stop rod," that is, in
place of elastic, non-elastic arms may be used, and these arms may be jointed
to the upper or lower part of the "slay" or "slay swords" at the point cor-
responding to that where the bend would take place in elastic arms. Springs
or weights are arranged to act upon these jointed arms so as to cause them to
press the reed forward against the "slay," or a suitable stop, with a force
sufficient to overcome all the resistance opposed to it in weaving or "beating
up," as before explained. When the shuttle "fails to box," the "stop-rod frog
fingers" will catch upon the "frogs," and will cause the arms carrying the
"reed" to remain stationary, and thus prevent the "reed" from advancing
with the "slay;" the arms in this case will turn on their joints, and the
springs or weights will give way as the slay advances towards the "fell" of
the fabric. If desired, for weaying heavy fabrics, the reed may be held quite

page_text: firm or locked fast at the time of beating up the weft when the shuttle properly
"boxes." This may be accomplished by making catches or hooks on the
upper side of the "stop-rod frog fingers," so as to catch or hook on pieces
projecting from the slay when the fingers are up, but which will be clear of the
projecting pieces when the fingers' are down and the "shuttle" has "failed to
box."