CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FISHING AND OTHER NETS
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ONESIPHORE
PECQUEUR, of Paris, in the Republic of France, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of August
(One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine), in the thirteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Onesiphore Pecqueur, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Onesiphore
Pecqueur, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Onesiphore Pecqueur, my exors, adiňors, or 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, in the
Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all Her
Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FISHING AND OTHER NETS; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Onesiphore Pecqueur, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
A

page_text: 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
Onesiphore Pecqueur, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
My improvements consist, firstly, in the construction of an improved
machine for the manufacture of nets; and, secondly, in apparatus for filling up
promptly the shuttles with thread.
The Drawings, and Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, represent each of them a sec-
tional elevation of the machine for making nets, and are drawn on the scale of
one-sixth of a working machine. These Figures represent all the parts of
the apparatus, and those which are not shewn in one Figure are seen in the
others under several different aspects. Drawing V. represents the parts which
cannot be distinctly seen in the four first Drawings. The Figures 5, 6, 7, 8,
and 9 are drawn on the scale of one half, the Figures 10, 11, 12, 13,
and 14, of a third, and the Figures 15 and 16 of a sixth, of a working machine.
The same letters represent in the five first Drawings parts which are similar.
The Drawing VI. represent the small apparatus for feeding the shuttles.
FIRST IMPROVEMENT.
"
The agents employed for the formation of the rows of knots are four in
number, namely:-The shuttles A, A, fifty-two in number, are seen in the
Drawings I., II., and III., their separate parts in Drawing V., Figure 5. The
hooks B, B, or knotters, so called because they make the knots, are fifty-two
in number; they are exhibited in the Drawings I., II., and III., in detail in
Drawing V., Figure 6. The hooks C, C, forming the comb, are also fifty-two
in number; they are seen in Drawings I. and III., and in detail in Figures 7,
7', and 7", of Drawing V. The hooks D, D, serving to guide the warp, are
fifty-three in number, and are seen in Drawings I., II., and III., and in detail
in Figure 8, Drawing V. This last series of hooks contains one more, than
the the three precedent ones, because the warp must always have a thread
more than the shuttles, whatever be the width of the machine and the size of
the meshes which are to be made. Those four above-named agents may be
considered as the real tools performing the work, the other acting mechanical
parts of the machine, serving to communicate the required action to those
four named agents.

page_text: The first series of threads or the warp is given out by roller E, Drawing I.,
on which it is wound up, and passes above the top of the balance frame F;
each of its threads crosses through one of the hooks D of the warp guide and
reaches the work at G. This last letter shows the narrow opening prepared
between the two lips of the pieces or jaws g, g', g being the upper and g¹ the
lower jaw through which the work is forced as soon as performed..
Above the series of the hooks D is a small band d, moving on a hinge d¹.
The band & when opened uncovers the sharp ends or points of the hooks and
allows the warp threads to be taken up by or released from these points, and
when the band d is down or shut it prevents the threads being disengaged
from the hooks, as shewn in the Drawings I., and III., and Figure 8, Drawing
V. The second series of threads is given out by the shuttles, which contain
long lengths of thread and are brought to the work, that is to say, the last row
of knots at the extremities of the lips of g, g¹. The shuttles are composed of
several pieces.
In Drawing V., Figure 5, A represents the body of the shuttle a; its head
piece; a¹ is the blade round which the thread is wound up; that blade is
placed in the groove of the shuttle and is covered by the head piece a; it is
fitted firmly to the shuttle, though it can be easily taken out and replaced.
Each blade a' has two notches, one of which is square, and is set in the middle
of its length, for the purpose of placing it on the apparatus by which it is fed
with thread; the other notch towards its hinder extremity serves for fastening
or tyeing the end of the thread. Each shuttle is provided with a small roller
al, having on its periphery and laterally a small tongue taking into the groove
of the piece a, which is fixed in the shuttle by two pegs; it results from
that contrivance that the roller a" cannot be separated from the shuttle, and
rotates without the latter. By means of a notch made in the roller, and ex-
tending from the circumference to the nave, as shewn in Figure 5, the shuttle
passes easily through a loop of the thread; because if the notch is turned to
the side by which the loop arrives, and if at the instant of its reaching it the
roller performs one-third of a revolution in the proper direction, the loop
immediately passes beyond the roller a", and then nothing prevents its
traversing the whole of the under side of the shuttle. The naves of the rollers
are set close to each other on the axis. The notches form a parallel line with
the angular axis, and as each roller a¹¹ can turn within its shuttle, it follows
that the axis can rotate without the shuttles. I call the frame A', A¹, Draw-
ings I., II., and III., on which the shuttles A, A, are supported, the shuttle
holder, which is balanced by weights at its lower extremity. The weight A,

page_text: Drawing III., always has a tendency to bringing the shuttles onward. The
work when done enters the opening G, Drawings I. and III., and passés
between the gullet of the jaw g and the roller h, thence between that roller
and the roller h³, thence between that roller and the roller h", and from the
latter it is finally wound up on the roller H. These four rollers, set close one
to the other and against the gullet of the jaw 9, cause the net to advance as
soon as it is made; they are supported by the pieces y, y', fixed on the main
band Y. This band Y also supports the jaw g and g', as well as the appa-
ratus for the selvage, herein-after described. The pressure of the three rollers
h, h', h, against each other, and against the upper jaw g, is occasioned by the
weights H¹, H', Drawings I., II., III., the rollers h", the arms "", the jointed
pieces, and an axis through the machine. By these means the net is
firmly held and taken hold of very close to the row of knots which is making;
that means deprives it of all elasticity, prevents its elongation, and the
chances of slipping under the pressure of all the threads, which pressure is at
certain moments very considerable. A row of knots having been completed,
the work done must be got into the length of half the diagonal of a mesh, and
be wound up of the same length round the cylinder H. I perform this opera-
tion by the excentric J, Drawings I. and IV., which gives an alternate motion
to the crank rod J¹; this crank J¹ communicates the same movement to the
lever J, which, having two catches, gives a rotative motion to the ratchet
wheel i. Several catches fixed in a permanent position cog. with the wheel i,
and cause it to remain stationary in the situation to which it is advanced by
the action of the lever J", which movement takes place once for every revo-
lution of the excentric J, or for every row of knots obtained. The movement
performed by the ratchet wheel i is transmitted to the three cylinders h, h¹, h",
by the arbor i, conjointly with the three cog wheels 21, 21, and 2, set on
the axis of the said rollers. At the connecting point of the lever J¹¹ with
the crank J', the former has a certain number of holes, by which its effective
length can be varied ad libitum to facilitate more or less the advance of
.the cylinders h, h', h", and consequently to regulate at will the sizes of the
.meshes. It is necessary for the action of the hooks B, B, that they should
be able to take several positions, viz', that they should be capable of ascending,
descending, going forward and backward, right or left, of turning round
the axis of their box, and, lastly, of revolving on their own axis. When
these hooks B, B, are to produce a row of knots, they must be made at
first to take hold of the shuttle threads to turn them half a revolution in
order to form loops; that being done, they must be inverted to cause tlie

page_text: same loops to fall in the gullets, with which these hooks are provided; they
must then take hold of the warp threads to form new loops of them, and lower
down the loops of the shuttles on the warp loops; and they have finally to con-
duct the warp loops under the extreme points of the shuttles to leave them
there. The same motions of the hooks B, B, are constantly repeated for every
row of knots produced; they, however, turn alternately the loops in one
direction for one row of knots and in another direction for the other row. It
is evident that during the operations performed by the hooks B, B, the two
rows of knots are obtained; each hook always takes hold of the same shuttle
thread, but by turning its back once on one side, and another time on the
other side, it catches alternately for one row of knots, the warp thread laying
These
on its right, and for the other row the warp thread laying on its left.
complicated movements of the knotter hooks B, B, are produced by the
two arbors K and L, which rotate once the one for every row of knots, and the
other for every two rows. The crank arm K', Drawing III. and IV., com-
municates the motion to the axis K by the action of the cog wheels, shown in
the above Drawings, and performs six turns while the arbor rotates only once.
The fly wheel set on the arbor of the crank rod serves merely to regulate
irregularities arising from the resistance. The machine may be set in motion
by any motive power by replacing the winch by other arrangements, which are
well understood. In order that the axis K should perform two rotations
whilst the axis L turns but once, the former communicates the motion to the
latter by the cog wheels, seen in Drawings I. and IV., independently of the
The axis K is provided with four ellipses
catchings before mentioned.
M, N, O, P, as well as with the two winches Q, Q', and the excentric J, the
movement of which I have already described.
VERTICAL MOVEMENTS OF THE HOOK Box.
The ellipsis M, the form of which is represented in Drawings I. and IV.,
and Figure 15, Drawing V., causes the hook box B, B', to ascend or descend
by means of the connecting rod m, provided with a small roller moving on its
sinuous circumference by the swing m¹, m', and the frame m¹¹, m", to which
this box is suspended by the pivots set at its extremities. The swing m¹, m³,
is loaded in m with a weight, such that the small roller of the connecting
rod m presses always on the circumference of the ellipsis. Notwithstanding
this weight, some parts of a counter ellipsis m', and m", are fitted to resist the
tension of the threads at the two moments that these threads are drawing the
hooks B downward, which movement happens twice during the production of
a row of knots.

page_text: MOVEMENTS OF THE KNOTTERS ON THEIR AXIS.
The ellipsis S, the form of which is exhibited in Drawing I., and the
position in Drawing IV., causes the knotters B to turn on their own axis.
This movement is equally necessary to give to the loops the twist herein-before
described, and is produced by the connecting rod s, the small roller of which
follows the sinuosities of the ellipsis by the elbowed crank s¹, the connecting
rod s, and by the elbowed crank s¹¹, having its axis set on the head of the
swing m³, m', of the connecting rod s, which is jointed with one of the arms
of the small elbowed crank b'. The other projection of that elbowed crank
is provided with a fork, surrounding a gullet prepared in a rod, having its
opposite extremity penetrating into the interior hook box B', B'. This rod
is moveable according to its length in the centre of the pivot of the hook box,
and is fixed in the interior of that box to one of the ends of the rack B",
catching with the pinion ", with which each of the knotter hooks is provided,
as shewn by Figure 6, Drawing V. This rack B is shorter than the hook
box B', B', of the length it has to move to cause the knotters to perform one
and half revolution on their .axes in either direction. Every connecting rod
of the five ellipses is loaded with a weight sufficiently heavy to compel every
roller to rotate exactly according to the sinuosities of its ellipsis.
The machine can be constructed without these weights, which are then
replaced by a counter ellipsis for every ellipsis. The frame and the swing
levers can be of wrought or cast iron instead of wood, as in the present
machine.
MOTIONS AND EFFECTS OF THE SHUTTLE HOLDER.
The crank rods Q, Q', which perform a revolution whilst a row of knots is
perfecting, communicate the circular and alternate movement to the shuttle
holder A', A¹, by means of the connecting rods Z, Z. These rods are provided
at the extremeties opposed to the crank rods with a longitudinal opening, in
which the pivots of the cross piece A of the shuttle holder are engaged, and
in which they can slide. This action enables the shuttle holder to be varied
to the extent of its angular motion. The angular axis, on which are fitted the
shuttles, is elongated on the left side beyond the shuttle holder, to enable it to
receive a fork du, transmitting to the roller a" the angular motion given to it
by the permanent piece d"; the real action of the shuttle holders being to
approach or to recede from the machine, and as the fork d" follows, their
motion being engaged in the extremity of the piece d, it happens that the

page_text: said fork d" performs one-third of a rotation in one way or in another,
according to the receding or approaching of the shuttle holder from the
machine. It is at the very moment that the warp loops are placed under the
sharp ends of the shuttles that these last are receding. These loops by sliding
under the shuttles reach the notches of the rollers a", at that moment the
fork d¹¹ meets the stationary piece d, the rollers a turn and the row of the
warp loops passes beyond the rollers a", then perfects its passage underneath
the shuttles, and is made to be tied to the lips of the opening G. During
this operation the shuttles continue to recede, and in doing so they bring to
the opening G the comb with the loops of the shuttle threads, which it holds in
its hooks, and the row of knots is perfected; there remains merely to disengage

page_text: shuttle threads, as seen in the Drawings I. and III., and while the loops of
these threads have been formed, and during, lastly, that the shuttles are
receding to complete a row of knots, the threads caught within the hooks from
the loops, which contracting more and more bring the comb to the opening G ;
the knots being then perfected, it is necessary to free from these knots the
sharp ends of the comb, and to cause them to recatch the shuttle threads on
the arm U¹ of the axis U, another arm U" is fixed, the shape of which is
represented in Drawings III. and IV. This lever is made to ascend at the
necessary moment by the peg K, set on the wheel K". This peg puts in
motion the pieces u", u", the notches K" of which meeting the pivots c, c', of
the comb, cause it to advance and to be lifted. During this action the ends of
the hooks leave the knots, the comb recatches the shuttle threads, and the
pivots c, c, being made to bear upon the upper extremities of the pieces
, u, prevent the comb from turning over. It is at this moment that the
knotters B are made to catch the shuttle threads and raise them up to give them
the proper twist. It is then also that that the peg K separates from the arm U"
and that the pieces u", u", being drawn back by the weight u set on the third
arm of the axis U, leave the comb, which is at this moment suspended to the
shuttle threads, and which threads it pulls back more and more on account
of the action of the weight T. As soon as the shuttles are returning
towards the work, whilst the above motions are performed the knotters have
given the twist to the loops of the shuttle threads, and are inverted to force the
loops to pass within their opening; they have got hold of the warp threads and
have looped them; they have laid the loops of the shuttle threads over those of
the warp, and carried these warp loops under the sharp ends of the shuttles.
As soon as all the above motions are ended, the shuttle holder recedes, the
warp loops pass under the shuttles, and are made to tie close at the opening
G, at the same instant that the comb is drawn back thither, and brings there
the last row of loopes, by whic the row of knots iscompleted.
LENGTHENING OF THE SHUTTLE THREADS.
The warp threads, as in the weaving loom, are unrolled from the warp
roller E, according to the progression of the work, but the shuttle threads
cannot be lengthened at one time of a length less than a turn of the blade a',
round which each thread is rolled. This causes the shuttle holder A¹, A¹,
sometimes to recede a great deal, and at another time only sufficiently far to
stretch the shuttle threads. As soon as each row of knots is perfected the net
enters that length into the opening G, therefore the shuttle threads become
more and more shortened, and the shuttle holder recedes less and less, until

page_text: This part of the apparatus is represented in the Drawings I. and IV., and by
the Figures 10, 11, and 12, Drawing V. On the large bar Y and on the
upper opening g the pivot of the balance lever I is set and rotates. This lever
performs one oscillation for every row of knots, that is to say, returns to the
same position every two rows of knots; it receives this motion from the small
connecting rod 2, the small crank arm 3 set on the arbor 4, which at its
lower extremity is provided with a small wheel 5, having six teeth, on which
acts the spring 6. The ellipsis S, which, as stated before, performs one turn
for every two rows of knots, carries on two of its opposite radii three teeth,
which when passing on the front of the wheel 5, catch with it, and cause it to
advance half a revolution. If, for instance, the small winch 3 is at top, which
places the lever balance 1 in an inclined position on the right, and if three
teeth of the ellipsis cause the winch to rotate half a turn, the balance lever
will take an inclined position towards the left, and will remain there until the
three other teeth of the ellipsis S impress a new rotation of half a turn to the
winch 3. The lever balance 1 is represented by Figure 10 in the position
where it is found when the shuttle threads are made to knot with the warp
threads of the left side, then the last warp thread on the right does not work;
but when the same balance lever is placed in the contrary position, the same
shuttle threads knot with the warp threads of the right, and consequently the
last warp thread on the left remains inactive. The system of the selvage
consist besides of two small bearers 7 and 7', fixed on the large bar Y of the
two pointed holders 8 and 8', of the two connecting rods 9, 91, of the two

page_text: pieces 10 and 10', serving as springs, and jointed with the balance lever of the
two pins 11 and 11', fixed on the opening 9, and, lastly of the springs 12 and
12¹, which maintain always the bearing of the springs 10 and 10' against the
two pens 11 and 11. Each of the supports 7 and 7' are provided with an
horizontal axis, on which the holders 8 and 8¹ rotate. These last are in
communication by means of the small connecting rods 9, 9', with the balance
lever, which when moving causes the sharp ends of the holders 8 and 8¹ to
be alternatively opened or shut. At the moment that the end of one of the
holder 8 opens to let go the selvage mesh it was holding, the piece 10, which
is close to it, descends to recatch the same mesh and to hold it, whilst the
holder 8¹ of the other side holds the selvage thread which is knotting; then
when the lever balance changes its position, the holder 8', which has ended its
action, reopens and let go the mesh, and the piece 10¹ which is close to it
descends and recatches this mesh, whilst the holder 8 at the other extremity
by shutting gets hold of the thread which is on the point of being knotted,
and the piece 10 close to it ascends and abandons the mesh it was holding.
TENSION OF THE WARP AND SHUTTLE THREADS.
The more or less perfect form of the mershes depends on the tension of the
warp relatively to the shuttle threads. The weight e¹ stretches the warp, and
the weight T of the comb the shuttle threads. The weight e' is suspended to
the pulley e, set on the axis of the roller E, by means of a rope coiling several
times round the groove of the pulley, and to the other extremity of which is
attached a weight e sufficiently heavy to prevent that rope to slip off the
pulley. The net which is manufacturing consumes for every row of knots a
certain quantity of warp. It is therefore necessary that the roller E for aliment-
ing that consumption should turn continually in the dierction which raises the
weight e; when this ascends its counter part el descends. When this counter-
weight reaches the ground its rope is less stretched, and pressing them less on
the pulley, slips on it, which causes the weight e¹ to descend; therefore the
weight el remaining always at the same elevation, gives constantly the same
tension to the warp threads. The warp passing on the top part of the frame F
presses on that head proportionably to the gravity of the weight e¹, therefore if
the frame F were not provided with a counterweight f¹ on the back part of
its top it would fall, by yielding to the tension of the warp. As a general rule,
the counterweight f¹ must be such that as much force is necessary to raise the
top of the frame F as to have it down; therefore, when to render square the
meshes, it is required to stretch or slacken the warp, the weight e¹ and the
counterweight I must always be increased or diminished in order to produce

page_text: produced by the comb on the shuttle threads; the shuttle holder is to be
equilibrated on its pivot when the weight A is withdrawn.
CLOSING OF THE KNOTS.
It has been berein-before stated that during the working of the machine
the shuttle threads are shortening more and more, which causes the shuttle
holder to narrow more and more its course for every row of knots which are
making, and consequently that it was necessary to lengthen periodically the
shuttle threads. The two apparatus berein-after described cause all the rows
of knots to draw closer with equal force during the threads are in course of
shortening; they also produce an increase of tension to the shuttle and warp
threads whilst a row of row of knots is perfecting.
FIRST APPARATUS FOR THE TENSION OF THE SHUTTLE THREADS.
At every junction of the connecting rods Z, Z', with the pivots of the cross
piece A of the shuttle holder; I have set a double mechanism, which is
only represented on the right side of the machine. One of them causes
always the comb c to be brought back to the work, that is to say, to the lips
of the opening or mouth G, each time that the shuttle holder has left, in order
to stretch the shuttle threads and perfect a row of knots. The coil spring 1,
and the piece form the first apparatus. The piece ", the form of which
is represented in Drawing I. and II., is moveable on the axes, and in con-
sequence of the tension of the spring is constantly inclined to ascend in
front of the end of the connecting rod, so that when this last is brought
forward, instead of sliding freely on the pivot, it meets with a resistence
against the shoulder of the piece ". This resistance, resulting from the
tension of the spring z', and from the inclination of the shoulder, against
which the handle of the connecting rod is put in contact, drives the shuttle
holder and makes it to advance. That motion takes place until the comb c
is arrived at the opening G; at this moment the shuttle threads are stretching
the piece, and its spring yield under the pressure of the connecting rod, the
shuttle holder there remains in its place, whilst the connecting rod, urged by
the winch Q, continues to perform its course. This motion always takes
place whatever may be the length of the shuttle threads.

page_text: SECOND APPARATUS FOR THE TENSION OF THE SHUTTLE THREADS.
The second apparatus causes each row of knots to be closed as required.
It is composed of three parts: firstly, of the rack q, which is jointed at one
extremity with the pivot of the cross piece A¹, and at the other surrounds
the connecting rod Z, on which it freely slides; secondly, of the catch q',
constantly kept open by a spring, unseen in the Figures; thirdly, of the
permanent piece q". These three agents operate as follows:-It has been
stated that by means of the first apparatus the shuttle holder recedes until
the shuttle threads are stretched, when it remains stationary, whilst the crank
arms q, q, continue pushing forward the connecting rods Z, Z. When these
last reach the end of their course, the end of the catch q¹ touches the
permanent pieces q" and catches with the teeth of the rack, which imme-
diately acts on the shuttle holder and stretches the threads. By accelerating or
retarding the action of the end of the catch 2 on the piece q" the closing of
the knots can be increased or diminish,
APPARATUS FOR THE TENSION OF THE WARP THREADS.
To perform this tension, it is necessary to cause the warp loops to reach the
opening G, to be closed there sufficiently, and to produce an increase of tension
on the same warp threads at the moment that the knots are drawing close.
These two actions are obtained by the connecting rod f, and the two
pegs and set on the ellipsis O. The connecting rod f, seen in
Drawings I., II., IV., and Figure 16, Drawing V., corresponds by its top to the
back of the balance frame F, and surrounds by its lower extremity the
arbor L, by which it is guided; it is also provided with a kind of catch 1,
which by tho action of the spring 11 is disposed to keep the position shewn in
the Figure 16, relatively to the connecting rod f. The pegs ",, fixed on
the illipsis o, are made to press one after the other on the crank l, which
causes the warps threads to be stretched, by raising the top of the balance
frame F, when the warp loops are brought to the sharp ends of the shuttles.
During the making of a row of knots the top of the swing frame F is lowered,
and yields all the length of thread which is required; but as soon as these
loops by passing under the shuttles are approaching the work they shorten,
and the head of the swing frame F, which holds constantly stretched the warp
threads, ascends, whilst the connecting rod f descends. This last arrives
naturally to such an elevation, that its catch is not long before meeting the
peg, and to be pressed by it, therefore a first tension is given to the warp
threads; this first tension takes place before the comb reaches the work.

page_text: The second is produced by the peg 7, which at its turn is made to press on
the catch 7, in order to raise the top of the swing frame F to stretch the warp.
This last tension takes place at the same moment that the shuttle threads
draw close the row of knots which is perfecting.
SETTING OF THE WORK ON THE MACHINE.
Having herein-before described the mode of setting the warp and shuttle
threads on the machine, I will describe how I set the threads in order to
prevent the machine loosing time and producing waste. The machine is
provided with a double set of shuttle blades, which work alternately on every
warp roller. I attach a cloth long enough to reach from the warp roller E (by
passing over the swing frame F) to the two warp guides D, D; it is to this
cloth that the warp to be set is fastened before being wound up on the roller,
therefore when the work is completed the cloth occupies the whole space
between the roller and the warp guide D, D, and consequently at the
termination of a net, it is only the ends of the threads necessary for the
formation of the loop to be carried to the sharp ends of shuttles by the knotter
which are lost. I also fasten a cloth to the roller H, serving to receive the net
as soon as it is worked; that cloth passes between the rollers h", h', h, and
the gullet of the opening g, and is made to egress also from the mouth G,
as if it were a tongue. I set at their place the roller and shuttle blades
properly fed with thread, and I fasten the ends of the warps and shuttle
threads to the end of the cloth; I force afterwards the cloth and the ends
of the warp and shuttle threads to enter in the opening. The machine is
now ready to work. During the progression of the net a new warp is pre-
pared or warped on the change roller, and the set of empty shuttle blades is
fed. By that mode, when the piece on the machine is made up the new roller
and set of blades can easily replace the empty ones to begin a new net.
SECOND IMPROVEMENT.
APPARATUS FOR FEEDING THE SHUTTLES.
This apparatus is represented in its working size in plan in Figure 1,
Drawing VI., and in elevation by Figure 2. The other Figures of that
Drawing represent also in their natural size several parts, serving to render
the construction of the said apparatus more intelligible.

page_text: winch E communicates the motion to the axis A, A', which at its extremities A¹
is provided with the piece or hand F, on which the blade a is placed when it is
to be fed with thread; the piece F has a slit on the whole of its length, in which
the blade is received, being fixed by the two screws e, e¹. A tumbler e³, set on
the slit of the piece F, and a notch made on every blade and corresponding
to the tumbler, causes the blades to be placed at the required position,
and in such a manner that the centre of their length forms but one and
same piece with the axis A, A¹. The bearer G, seen in plan, Fig. 1, and in
section, Figure 3, has on its top the leader f, guiding the thread during its
winding up round the blade. In order that each blade should contain as
much thread as possible, and be placed in successive layers side by side for
every revolution of the blade, I have constructed the axis A, A¹, of two parts;
the part A, which carries the pinion C, and an endless screw, terminated on its
right side by a square, long, and concentric box, into and from which the part
A¹ enters and egresses freely, thus allowing the axis A, A', to elongate or
contract during its rotation; the part A¹ (which carries the hand F), provided
with a swelling h, surrounded by the fork of the lever H. The alternate
motion of the fork causes the axis A, A1, to be elongated or contracted, and the
reciprocal motion of the lever H is produced by the endless screw of the axis
A, which catching with the wheel K, communicates to it a slow motion, which
rendered still more so on account of the dimension and the number of its cogs.
The wheel K, represented in a section and elevation in Figure 4, carries
concentrically a triangle, seen in front, Figure 5. M, Figure 6, shews the
connecting rod receiving the alternate motion from the triangle and tran-
smitting it to the lever H; for that purpose the two pins m, m², of that
connecting rod are set within the triangle, and the other extremity of the rod
is jointed to the lever H by the piece I fixed to the last.
The effect of the above reciprocating motion is to produce three alternate
movements during one revolution of the triangle, and to cause the axis to
advance or recede of a length equal to each rotation performed whilst it
elongates or contracts. The range of the alternate motion can be increased or
lessened, and therefore that of the blade a', by setting lower or higher the piece
of the lever H, by which that range can be regulated at will. The meshes for
fishing nets can vary in size from nine to fifteen lines, and more, and any kind
of thread or twine can be employed without difficulty. To obtain meshes
smaller than nine lines for producing other. nets, the machine must be
purposely constructed and the shuttles placed closer each other. It is easily
understood that closer the shuttles will be to each other more knots can
be produced at once, and for the same reason by constructing deeper machines

page_text: I will have room to set a greater number of shuttles, and thereby produce
a larger quantity of knots by the same stroke; therefore the ratio of produc
tion is proportionated to the number of shuttles set in front of the machine.
I will, however, observe, that if it were required to produce fishing nets of a
large size, forty-five feet deep, for instance, I should not be obliged to have a
machine forty-five feet deep because the selvages of my nets are such that any
number of breadths can be joined together by means of a weaver's shuttle, and
no difference will be perceivable in the meshes nor the strength diminished.
The length of the net can be indefinite by making room on the machine for
two warp rollers E close each other. When the roller at work reaches the end
of its thread, the other loaded with as much thread as possible will be set at
its place, and all its threads brought in the hook D, D; each of the threads is
made to pass behind the last of each corresponding knot, and kept there
stretched to a certain extent by means of a weight set on the second roller,
and by fastening the ends of the new warp underneath the opening G, or by
uniting several threads together to form bundles, and setting a small weight to
each of them, or by bringing half of the ends of the threads on one side of G
and the other half on the other side, and fixing them momentarily. This
arrangement having been made, I cause the machine to produce two or three
rows of knots, which will double the warp threads and fasten with the shuttle
threads. I cut then, close the last row of knots, all the threads of the
exhausted roller, remove this latter, setting at the same time the new one at
its place, and the working of the machine continues as usual. To renew the
shuttle threads when the net is to be made of an indefinite lengths, I replace
the blade a¹ of the shuttle when it is emptied by a fresh one quite full. I
cause the end of the thread of the fresh blade to pass behind the last corres-
ponding knot and faster it there. I pass then by means of a convenient
needle, the end of the thread of the exhausted blade through the fresh one;
work then two or three rows of knots, and cut afterwards the old end of the
thread, and continue the working of the machine, beginning again the same
operation when a shuttle is exhausted. For nets of a greater size than can
be wound up round the roller H, I dispense with this roller, and I cause the
net to egress, by means of a tube conveniently adapted on the back of the
machine, making it to pass between two rollers, which draw it through an
opening in a lower flow, where it is finally received.
And having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
claim the several parts of the apparatus and machinery herein-before described
and referred to except when the same are applied and adapted for the manu-

page_text: facture of fishing and other nets. And I hereby declare that I claim as the
Invention sought to be protected by the said Letters Patent is,--..
Firstly, the manufacture of fishing and other nets by the movements of the
hook box, constructed and arranged as herein-before described, reference being
had to the Drawings I., III., IV., and to Figure 15, Drawing V.
Secondly, the manufacture of fishing and other nets by means of a shuttle
A, constructed, combined, and adapted for working as herein-before
described, reference being had to the Drawings I., II., III., Figure 5,
Drawing V., and Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, Drawing VI.
Thirdly, the manufacture of fishing and other nets by means of hooks
or combs c, constructed, combined, and adapted as herein-before described,
reference being had to the Drawings I., and III., and Figures 7, 71, and 7",
Drawing V.
Fourthly, the manufacture of fishing and other nets by means of the
arrangements and apparatus for producing the selvages, as herein-before
described, reference being had to Drawings I. and IV., and Figures 10, 11,
and 12, Drawing V.
Fifthly, the manufacture of fishing and other nets by means of the appa-
ratus for drawing close the knots, constructed and arranged as herein-before
described, reference being had to Drawings I., II.
Sixthly, the manufacture of fishing and other nets by means of the arrange-
ments whereby the several motions are transmitted, transformed, and regulated,
as herein-before described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Onesiphore Pecqueur, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
ONESIPHORE (L.s.) PECQUEUR.
Taken and acknowledged by Onesiphore
Pecqueur (party hereto), at Paris,
in the Republic of France, this
25th day of February, 1850, be-

page_text: This is the Specification referred to in the affidavit of William Armand
Gilbee, sworn before me, this 28th day of February, 1850,
R. CROSBY.
William Armand Gilbee, of 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, maketh oath and saith, that he is acquainted with
the manner and character of the handwriting of Thomas Pickford, Her
Majesty's Consul at Paris, in the Republic of France: And this deponent
further saith, that the signature "Thomas Pickford," set, subscribed, or
written in the margin of the Specification hereunto annexed, marked A, and
dated the Twenty-fifth day of February instant, and purporting to be executed
by Onesiphore Pecqueur, of Paris, whereby it is stated that the Specification
was acknowledged by him, the said Onesiphore Pecqueur, before the said
Thomas Pickford, on the said Twenty-fifth day of February, at Paris afore-
said, is of the proper handwriting of the said Thomas Pickford.
me,
R. CROSBY.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the oath of William Armand
Gilbee, the Specification aforesaid was enrolled word for word as above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
20