IMPROVEMENTS IN FANCY OR SUCH LIKE LOOMS
Year: 1885

page_text: I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of the firm of Wm Brookes & Son of 55 & 56
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
FANCY OR SUCH LIKE LOOMS to be a follows:-
In the class of loom represented in English Patent N° 3519 dated October 13
1874 and upon which this invention is an improvement, the devices for moving the
levers of the shed forming mechanism, and the devices for moving the levers of the
shuttle box actuating mechanism are alike, and consist essentially of toothed
cranks attached to the said levers by means of connecting rods, the toothed cranks
being mounted on vibrators actuated by a pattern surface or chain having the same
centre of rotation, the toothed crank being turned in one or the other direction
to form the sheds, or to raise or lower the shuttle boxes in the desired order, by
meaus of partial gears made as long cylinders parallel each to the other, the said
cylinders being rotated continuously in opposite directions, the toothed cranks being
raised and lowered between and so as to be engaged with one or the other of the
cylinders according as it is desired to impart to a toothed crank a semi-rotation in
one or the other direction, the partial gear then running out of mesh with the
toothed crank and leaving the latter at rest until the vibrator again moves it and
places the said toothed crank in engagement with the other partial gear, and while
the toothed cranks are being rotated by the partial gears the inner ends of the
vibrators are held by a locking device common to all the vibrators used in the shed
forming and in the shuttle box mechanisms.
With looms of the class just referred to and as represented in the said English
Patent, the locking mechanism for the vibrators has been made as a single bar
which has made it impossible to make in such loom any considerable change in the
relative times for commencing and ending the shedding or the movement of the
shuttle boxes, and it has not been possible therein to beat up the filling when
the warps were uniformly strained.
This invention has for its object to provide an organized mechanism by which to
actuate the shed forming mechanism, the shuttle box mechanism, their pattern
surfaces, the lay, and the picking mechanism of an open shed loom in such order of
time or sequence as to commence the shed as the lay actuating crank approaches or
is nearly midway its back and lower centre, completing the shed by the time that
the lay arrives at its full stroke forward or with the crank at its front centre, thus
enabling all the warp threads to be held at the same tension or strain when the lay
gives its blow, then holding the shed open while the crank travels through nearly

page_text: the first backward upper quarter of its stroke when the picking is commenced, the
shuttle reaching the opposite box while the crank passes from at or near its upper
position past its back centre to the point where the shedding commenced, the warp
threads to be shifted for the next shed being then changed from the upper to the
lower or from the lower to the upper planes of the open shed in accordance with.
the demands of the pattern surface of the shed forming mechanism.
In my improved loom, as in the loom described in the patent, the movement of
the shuttle boxes is commenced as the crank-shaft is about midway its lower and
forward centre, and the movement of the shuttle boxes is completed about midway
of the forward and at or near the top centre of the crank.
In the invention herein described the shed is fully opened or finished as the lay
reaches the fell, but at such time the movement of the shuttle boxes is a little less.
than half completed, and consequently the vibrators carrying the toothed cranks
must be locked and released at different times with relation to each other, and such
locking devices must therefore be capable of being actuated entirely independent
of each other.
In order to keep the shed open longer for the passage through it of the shuttle,
I have provided the loom with a variable speed mechanism, it taking the place of
the gear usually placed upon the end of the crank-shaft, the said mechanism being
composed preferably of a gear on a stud eccentric to the crank-shaft, the gear
baving a crank-pin provided with a loose guide block which enters a slot in an arm
connected with the crank-shaft, the rotation of the said gear causing a variable.
rotation in the crank-shaft.
Instead of the particular variable speed mechanism any other equivalent
mechanism may be employed.
To secure the best results for all kinds of goods and greater or less number of
harnesses, the stands carrying the stud on which is mounted the eccentric gear
referred to has been made adjustable so as to be placed less or more eccentric in
accordance with the variation in speed desired, the gear being also adapted to be
confined in adjusted position with relation to the crank-shaft thus establishing if
desired the usual crank motion for the lay.
My invention may be said to be characterised essentially by the combination in
an open shed loom of shed forming devices adapted to substantially complete the
shed during the forward movement of the lay, of shuttle box moving mechanism
the movement of which is started as the shed is about two thirds completed and
finished before the lay is half way back, and of independent locking devices adapted
to be actuated separately to hold in plan the vibrators employed in the shed
forming mechanisin and in the shuttle box moving mechanism.
Also by having a lay, a crank shaft, means to rotate it at a variable speed, shed
forming mechanism, shuttle box actuating mechanism, and independent locking
devices for the vibrators of the shed forming and shuttle box mechanisms, and with
means whereby the shed is substantially completed during the forward movement
of the lay, the shuttle box movement commencing while the shed is about two
thirds finished and being completed before the lay is half way back.
Also by its constituting a loom baving a crank-shaft provided with a slotted
arm, combined with a toothed gear mounted on an adjustable stud placed eccentric
to the centre of the crank-shaft and provided with a crank-pin having a loose
block entering the slot in the said slotted arm to thereby control variations in the
speed of the crank-shaft, as is already set forth in substance.

page_text: Improvements in Fancy or such like Looms.
I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of the firm of Wm Brookes & Son of 55 & 56
Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
FANCY OR SUCH LIKE LOOMS and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
In the class of loom represented in English Patent N° 3519 dated October 13,
1874 and upon which this invention is an improvement, the devices for moving
the levers of the shed-forming mechanism, and the devices for moving the levers
of the shuttle-box actuating mechanism are alike, and consist essentially of toothed
cranks attached to the said levers by means of connecting rods, the toothed cranks
being mounted on vibrators actuated by a pattern surface or chain, the said
vibrators having the same centre of rotation, the toothed cranks being turned
in one or the other direction to form the sheds, or to raise or lower the shuttle
boxes, in the desired order, by means of partial gears made as long cylinders
parallel each to the other, the said cylinders being rotated continuously in opposite
directions, the toothed cranks being raised and lowered between and so as to be
engaged with one or the other of the cylinders according as it is desired to impart
to a toothed crank a semi-rotation in one or the other direction, the partial gear
then running out of mesh with the toothed crank and leaving the latter at rest
until the vibrator again moves it and places the said toothed crank in engagement
with the other partial gear, and while the toothed cranks are being rotated by the
partial gears the inner ends of the vibrators are held by a locking device common
to all the vibrators used in the shed forming and in the shuttle box mechanisms.
With looms of the class just referred to and as represented in the said English
Patent, the locking mechanism for the vibrators has been made as a single bar
which has made it impossible to make in such loom any considerable change in
the relative times for commencing and ending the shedding, or in the movement
of the shuttle boxes relatively to the commencement and completion of the shed,
and it has not been possible therein to beat up the filling when the warps were
uniformly strained, as is contemplated in the loom to be herein described.
This invention has for its object to provide an organised mechanism by which
to actuate the shed-forming mechanism, the shuttle-box mechanism, their pattern
surfaces, the lay, and the picking mechanism of an open shed loom in such order
of time or sequence as to commence the shed as the lay actuating crank approaches
or is nearly midway its back and lower centre, completing the shed by the time
that the lay arrives at its full stroke forward or with the crank at its front centre,
thus enabling all the warp threads to be held at the same tension or strain when
the lay gives its blow, then holding the shed open while the crank travels through
nearly the first backward upper quarter of its revolution or the first half of its
backward stroke, when the picking is commenced, the shuttle reaching the opposite
box while the crank passes from at or near its upper position past its back centre
to the point where the shedding commenced, the warp threads to be shifted for tho
next shed being then changed from the upper to the lower or from the lower to

page_text: the upper planes of the open shed in accordance with the demands of the pattern
surface of the shed forming mechanism.
In my improved loom, as in the loom described in the specification of the said
patent, the movement of the shuttle boxes is commenced as the crank-shaft is
about midway its lower and forward centre, and the movement of the shuttle
boxes is completed about midway of the forward and at or near the top centro
of the crank.
In the invention herein described the shed is fully opened or finished as the lay
reaches the fell, but at such time the movement of the shuttle boxes is a little less
than half completed, and consequently the vibrators carrying the toothed cranks
must be locked and released at different times with relation to each other, and
such locking devices must therefore be capable of being actuated entirely independent
of each other.
In order to keep the shed open longer for the passage through it of the shuttle,
the loom is provided with a variable speed mechanism, it taking the place of the
gear usually placed upon the end of the crank-shaft, the said mechanism being com-
posed preferably of a gear on a stud eccentric to the crank-shaft, the gear having
a crank-pin provided with a loose guide block which enters a slot in an arm
connected with the crank-shaft, the rotation of the said gear causing a variable
rotation in the crank-shaft.
Instead of the particular variable speed mechanism any other equivalent
mechanism may be employed.
To secure the best results for all kinds of goods and greater or less number of
harnesses, the stand carrying the stud on which is mounted the eccentric gear
referred to, has been made adjustable so as to be made less or more eccentric in
accordance with the variation in speed desired, the gear being also adapted to be
confined in concentric position with relation to the crank-shaft thus establishing
if desired the usual crank motion for the lay.
Having briefly referred to mechanism embodying my invention, I desire to say
that my invention in fancy power-looms, consists essentially in the combination of
the following instrumentalities viza shed-forming mechanism, and a shuttle-box
moving mechanism, substantially such as will be described, each containing as
elements vibrators, toothed cranks, and partial gears to engage and rotate the said
cranks in one and then in the other direction, and two independent locking
mechanisms one for the vibrators in the shed-forming mechanism and the other
for the vibrators of the shuttle-box actuating mechanism, the teeth of the partial
gears which actuate the toothed cranks of the shed-forming mechanism commencing
to operate in advance of those which operate the toothed cranks of the shuttle-box
mechanism, the combination being and operating substantially as will be described,
whereby the shed-forming devices are made to complete the shed during the forward
movement of the lay in order that the lay may beat the filling into the open shed
while the warps are held distended, and whereby the movement of the shuttle-box
mechanism is commenced as the shed is about two thirds completed and finished
before the lay is half way back, substantially as will be described.
Also, in an open shed fancy power loom, the combination with the lay, the
crank-shaft and means substantially as will be described to rotate it at a variable
speed, of shed-forming mechanism substantially such as will be described, and
shuttle-hox actuating mechanism, substantially as will be described, and inde-
pendent locking devices to cooperate with the vibrators of both the shed-forming
and shuttle-box moving mechanisms, the partial gears employed to rotate the
toothed cranks in the shed-forming and in the shuttle-box moving mechanisms
having their teeth set to commence to move the said toothed cranks at different
times during each rotation of the crank shaft, whereby the shed is completed
during the forward movement of the lay, the movement of the shuttle-box
mechanism. commencing while the shed is about two thirds finished, the move-
ment of the shuttle-boxes being completed before the lay is half way back,
substantially as will be described.

page_text: Also, in a loom, a crank shaft provided with a slotted arm, combined with a
toothed gear mounted on an adjustable stud placed eccentric to the centre of the
crank shaft and provided with a crank pin, the latter causing the movement of
the said arm and of the crank shaft, substantially as will be described.
Also, in fancy power looms, two series of partial gears, one made adjustable with
relation to the other and upon the shaft carrying them, and two series of toothed
cranks, and shed-forming and shuttle-box moving levers, and two series of vibrators,
and two pattern-surfaces or chains, combined with two independent locking devices
operated at different times with relation to each rotation of the crank shaft and
of the shafts carrying the partial gears, whereby the shed-forming mechanism may
be started and thereafter the shuttle-box mechanism will commence to operate as
will be described.
Figure 1 in front elevation, represents a loom embodying my invention, the said
figure showing the partial gear which operates the toothed cranks of the shed
forming mechanism.
Figure 2 is a partial rear side elevation of the left hand end of the loom, chiefly
to show the shuttle-box actuating levers and the devices for moving them, and the
shed forming levers, the partial gear shown in this figure being that employed to
turn the toothed cranks of the shuttle box mechanism.
Figure 3 is a left hand end elevation of the loom partially broken out.
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail partially in section, of the shed-forming levers
and their actuating devices, in the line x-x Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a section of Figure 4 in the line x-x', the said figure also showing
by dotted line the line of section for Figure 4, most of the levers and toothed
cranks being omitted to save space on the drawing.
Figure 6 is a right hand elevation of the frame of the loom and the parts outside
of it, the figure showing chiefly the variable speed mechanism.
Figure 7 is a partial top view of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is an enlarged detail of the independent locking devices for the
vibrators.
Figure 9 is a detail end view of the rock-shaft of one of the locking devices and
its arm and cam, and
Figure 10 is a detail of one of the shuttle-box levers detached.
The loom frame A, the main or cam shaft A¹, its gear A³ to drive the crank
shaft B, the harness frames B', the cording B2, the shed-forming or harness moving
levers B³, the connecting rods B*, the toothed cranks B5 supported by studs carried
by the vibrators B6 pivoted at B7, the pattern surface or chain d¹ to control the
vibrators operating in the shed forming mechanism, the toothed gear a at the left
hand end of the crank shaft, the gear a² engaged by it and provided with a bevel
gear C which engages the bevel gear C¹ loose on the shaft C³, the disk as fast to
the shaft C³, the clutching hub C3 loose on the said shaft and having a pin a³ to
enter a hole in the disc a and also entering a hole in the loose gear C when it is
desired to rotate the shaft C3 in unison with the crank shaft the lever C¹ to move
the clutching hub vertically to disconnect the shaft C³ from the control of the
crank shaft, the bevel gears C5, C fast on the shaft C³, the bevel gears C7, C8, fast
on the shafts C, C10, respectively, the gearing D to effect the rotation of the shaft
carrying the pattern surface or chain d¹ for the shed-forming mechanism, the
pattern surface or chain d² for the shuttle-box mechanism, the handle D' to turn
the pattern surface carrying shaft by hand, the handle D2, the main shuttle-box
lever E, shown separately in Fig. 10, and having its fulcrum at 45, the auxiliary
lever E¹ pivoted upon it at 44, the connecting rods E2 extended from each of the
said levers to one of two toothed cranks pivoted upon studs of the vibrators e¹, the
lay F, its connecting rod F¹, and the shuttle-boxes F2 and the chains F³, F', for
operating the shuttle-boxes, are all substantially as usual in the class of loom
referred to and now in operation in England.
In this present invention the partial gears G G', attached to the shafts Cº, C¹º,
respectively and for actuating the toothed cranks B5 of the shed forming mechanism,

page_text: and the toothed crank e of the shuttle box actuating mechanism are so constructed
that the teeth at that part of each partial gear above and below the toothed
cranks B operative in the shed forming mechanism, occupy different arcs of a
circle than the teeth of the partial gears H, H', with act to support a semi-rotation
to the toothed cranks e in the shuttle box actuating, which results in permitting
the toothed cranks B5 in the harness moving mechanism to be started before the
toothed cranks in the shed forming mechanism are started, the toothed parts of
the partial gear in engagement with the toothed cranks B' running out of mesh
there with after the toothed parts of the partial gears H, H¹, act to engage the
toothed crank e, the gears H or H³ running out of mesh with the cranks e, e before
the toothed parts of the partial gears G or G¹ again operate, or in other words the
teeth of the parts H H in the rotations of the shafts C, C10, fall behind in time
the teeth of the parts G G¹, so that the shed forming mechanism is started and its
movement is completed at one time, the movement of the shuttle box actuating
mechanism commencing and ending a little later and in a different period of
time.
Each partial gear H H is adjustably connected with the partial gear G or G¹
next to it, the connection as berein shown being by screws 12 so that the leading
tooth of each of the said gears may be made to come into action after the leading
tooth of the partial gear G or G¹.
The vibrators Be and e' having a common fulcrum B' must be locked in place
whenever a toothed crank carried by any one of them is being rotated by a partial
gear, and as the cranks used in the shed forming mechanism must be operated in
one time and the cranks e used in the shuttle box mechanisms in a different
time with relation to the time required for each rotation of the crank shaft, it
becomes necessary to divide the locking mechanism into two parts as will be
described.
The vibrators Be at their front ends are acted upon by the bar f attached to the
rocking shaft f' having its bearings at ƒ ƒ³, the said rock shaft having an arm ƒ³
the end of which, by a spring f, is kept in contact with a cam 3, fast to the
shaft C, the said cam being of such shape as to cause the bar f of the locking
device to be removed from contact with the ends of the vibrators B6 whenever the
Baid vibrators are to be redistributed or shifted by the pattern surface or chain d¹
and as soon as shifted the locking device is again thrown into position by the
spring f and holds the said vibrators in their proper positions with the teeth of
the toothed cranks to be rotated in engagement with the teeth of the partial gears
while the said cranks are being rotated, the bar holding the vibrators in position
after the teeth of the partial gears have run out of mesh with those of the crank
and until the vibrators are again shifted.
The locking device for the vibrators e' in the shuttle box mechanism, is composed
of a bar g and a rock shaft g¹ having an attached arm 92 the shaft having a
spring g³, to keep the end of the arm g² against a cam 4, see Fig. 9, the said cam
being of such length and so placed on the shaft C with relation to the teeth of
the partial gear H, as to remove the bar g from engagement with the ends of
the vibrators e' when the same are to be shifted by the pattern-surface d², the cam
retiring from the arm g when the shifting has been, completed, permitting the
spring g to assume control of the bar g and cause it to lock the vibrators e¹ in
place while the toothed cranks e carried by them are being partially rotated to
effect a change of the shuttle boxes.
The two locking devices described are independent and each is operated in its
own time by its own cam and spring, which is one of the essential features of my
invention.
The cams 3 and 4 will in practice be made adjustable so as to operate the locking
devices in any desired time the one with relation to the other.
The inner ends of the vibrators are placed in slots in a vertical guide h. The
crank shaft B, at its right hand end, is provided with a slotted arm m, which
receives a slide-block m¹, placed upon a crank pin m², carried by the gear m³,
1

page_text: mounted on a stud m, held in a stand m³, attached to and made adjustable on the
loom frame by the screws m in slots of the said stand, adjustment of the stand'
placing the stud m' or centre of rotation of the gear m³ more or less out of line"
with or eccentric to the centre of rotation of the crank shaft, the greater the
eccentricity of the gear m³ with relation to the crank shaft the greater variation
in speed.
The gear m³ derives its motion from the gear A² on the shaft A¹, which in
practice will be provided with usual cams to actuate the picking mechanism as in
English Patent N° 3655 July 25, 1883, and as the gear m³ is rotated the crank
pin and its block slide in the slot of the arm m and rotate the crank shaft at a
variable speed, the variation in speed enabling all parts of the loom deriving motion
from the crank shaft to be moved slowly to afford additional time for the passage
of the shuttle through the shed.
The shafts C, Co, and their partial gears G and G₁ are so adjusted with relation
to the cranks of the crank shaft as to insure the commencement of the shed as the
crank which actuates the lay approaches or is nearly midway with relation to its
back and lower centre, and the completion of the shed at or substantially at the
time that the lay arrives at its full stroke forward, or with the crank at its front
centre, thus enabling all the warp threads of the open shed to be distended and
held under like tension or strain when the lay gives its blow.
.
The shed is held open while the cranks of the lay travel, as herein shown,.
upward and backward through nearly the first quarter of its revolution, the lay
retiring through the first half of its backward stroke and then the picking
mechanism, of usual construction but not shown, will commence to throw the
shuttle through the shed, the picking being completed as the shed forming
mechanism is about to commence, or has partially commenced the formation of the'
next shed.
The partial gears H, H¹, are so adjusted on or with relation to the partial
gears G, G¹, as to cause the former gears to commerce to rotate and start the
movement of the shuttle-boxes as the shed is about two thirds completed, the
movement of the shuttle boxes being completed and finished before the lay is half
way back from the fell or just before the picking commences.
In the loom herein described, the lay is moved forward while the cranks of the
crank shaft are passing their lowest centre, but it is obvious that my improved
method of forming the shed and moving the shuttle boxes and beating in the
filling in the open shed may be readily practiced and without invention in looms
wherein the crank shaft is rotated in the opposite direction as in most English
looms.
The adjustability of the partial gears G, G³, and H H' with relation to each
other, and the division of the locking device for the vibrators and operating them
independently, is of value in the class of looms herein referred to whatever may be
the exact order of shedding or of moving the boxes.
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
1. In an open shed fancy power loom, the combination of the following
instrumentalities, viz-a shed forming mechanism, substantially as described, a
shuttle box moving mechanism substantially such as described, each containing
as elements, vibrators, toothed cranks, and partial gears to engage and rotate the
said cranks in one and then in the other direction, and two independent locking
mechanisms, one for the vibrators in the shed forming mechanism and the other for
the vibrators of the shuttle box actuating mechanism, the teeth of the partial gears
which actuate the toothed cranks of the shed forming mechanism commencing to
operate in advance of those which operate the toothed cranks of the shuttle box
mechanism, the combination being and operating substantially as described,
whereby the shed forming devices are made to complete the shed during the

page_text: forward movement of the lay in order that the lay may beat the filling into the
open shed, the warps being then held distended, and whereby the movement of
the shuttle box movement is commenced as the shed is about two thirds completed
and finished before the lay is half way back, substantially as described.
2. In an open shed fancy power loom, the combination with the lay, the crank
shaft and means substantially as described to rotate it at a variable speed, of shed
forming mechanism substantially such as described, and shuttle box actuating
mechanism substantially as described, and independent locking devices to cooperate
with the vibrators of both the shed forming and shuttle box moving mechanisms,
the partial gears employed to rotate the toothed cranks in the shed forming and
in the shuttle box moving mechanisms having their teeth set to commence to
move the said toothed cranks at different times during each rotation of the crank
shaft, whereby the shed is completed during the forward movement of the lay, the
movement of the shuttle box mechanism commencing while the shed is about two
thirds finished, the movement of the shuttle boxes being completed before the lay
is half way back, substantially as herein before described.
3. In a loom, the crank shaft provided with the slotted arm, combined with a
toothed gear mounted on an adjustable stud placed eccentric to the centre of the
crank shaft and provided with a crank pin, the latter causing the movement of the
said arm and of the crank shaft, substantially as described.
4. In a fancy power loom, two series of partial gears G, G¹ and H, H³, the
latter being made adjustable with relation to the former, and the toothed cranks B5,
and e, the shed forming and the shuttle box moving levers, the vibrators B6 and c¹,
and the pattern surfaces or chains d¹, d², combined with the two independent
locking devices operating in different times with relation to each rotation of the
crank shaft and of the shafts C° C10 carrying the partial gears, substantially as
described.