IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Milton, Manager to Messieurs John Yuill
and Company, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Power Loom Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 8th April 1864, and dated the 14th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Milton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
October 1863.
I, JAMES MILTON, Manager to Messieurs John Yuill and Company, of
Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Power Loom Manu-
facturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention comprises improvements in looms for weaving, having for
object simplicity of construction and efficiency in shedding movements, pro-
ducing mixed weaving effects, and in the details for actuating shifting shuttle
boxes. The improvements relating to the shedding movements are, by
preference, applied to the class of power loom in which the leaves of heddles
are raised by levers or quadrants on overhead transverse horizontal bars,
which bars are themselves actuated by levers fixed upon them at one side of
the loom. In the improved arrangements there are attached to the last-
mentioned levers vertical rods, baving hooked pieces jointed to their lower
ends, and these hooked pieces are entered through openings in the broad end

page_text: of a treadle or lever, which is made to vibrate by means of a cam on the low
shaft of the loom. There is only the one shedding treadle or lever, and it is
depressed once for every pick. The hooks of the vertical beddle rods are
severally caught by the treadle or not according to the position of each, and
each hook has a spring applied to it to press it into the position for being
caught when not otherwise acted upon. Each hook that at any particular
pick is not to be acted upon is drawn back by the vertical leg of a bell-crank
lever, this leg having at the bottom a slot or fork and antifriction pulley
within which the hooked piece works. The horizontal legs of the several bell-
crank levers are fitted with studs, which are acted upon by a small jacquard
barrel with cards perforated according to the succession of sheds necessary for
the desired pattern or kind of weaving. The jacquard barrel reciprocates
vertically, and when an unperforated part of a card comes under any bell-
crank lever that lever moves the corresponding hooked piece inwards, so as.
not to be caught or acted upon by the treadle. The arrangements may
obviously be adapted to any convenient number of heddle leaves. The leaves
which at each shed are not acted upon by the treadle, descend by the action
of springs or weights, springs being preferred, but they only descend as the
others rise in consequence of the vertical rods passing through openings in a.
block which slides vertically, rising as the treadle descends, and vice versa.
The vertical rods are formed with projections bearing against the under side
of the sliding block, so that the springs can only draw down the heddle leaves
as the block rises, and the depressed leaves are returned to their middle
positions by the re-descent of the block, the raised leaves returning to their
middle positions by the action of the springs on the re-ascent of the treadle.
The sliding block is actuated from a cam on the low shaft through levers
and links. These shedding arrangements are of course applicable with any
convenient kind of shuttle box details.
The improved shuttle box details comprised in the present Invention may
have their actions regulated by the jacquard barrel and cards, herein-before
described, as regulating the shedding movements, two levers being acted upon
by the jacquard barrel for this purpose, one effecting the raising and the other
the lowering of the boxes. The arrangements are applicable to any convenient
number of boxes shifting a box at a time, and by slight modifications may be
made to shift more than one box at a time. The levers acted upon by the
jacquard barrel transmit their movements in any convenient way to stops"
sliding in guides fixed to the front of the loom framing. In a mounting below
the shuttle box and carried by the lathe sword there are two sliding bolts
arranged to come in contact with the stops mentioned when the lathe beats

page_text: up, when a change of shuttle has to be effected one of the stops is moved by
the jacquard action into a position to act on the corresponding sliding bolt.
The shuttle box is supported by a pair of stepped legs at the back resting on
jointed stilts or catches, and when one of the sliding bolts is acted on by the
stop in front it causes the stilts or catches to move backwards, whereupon the
box drops until a higher step rests on the stilts or catches, when the other
sliding bolt is acted upon it turns a kind of bell-crank lever in such a way
that a pawl jointed to the lever takes into one of a series of notches on the
front of a leg fixed to the shuttle box between the stepped legs, and thereby
raises the shuttle box until the stilts or catches at the back enter by the action
of a spring under a lower step of the stepped legs.
When a rotating shuttle box is used it is preferred to shift it by means of
vertical "pull-over" catches jointed near the lathe axis to the ends of levers,
the other ends of which levers have links jointed to them with hooks to be
acted upon by a lever worked by a revolving cam. The hooked parts are put
into or out of gear by the direct action of the jacquard barrel on levers corre-
sponding to those herein-before described, as being provided for regulating the
shuttle box movements.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Milton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MILTON, Manager to Messieurs John Yuill and Company, of Paisley, in the
County of Renfrew, North Britain, Power Loom Manufacturers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Milton, Her special licence that I, the said James Milton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Milton, my 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.

page_text: WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Milton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under ny, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 James Milton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention comprises improvements in looms for weaving, having
for object simplicity of construction and efficiency in sbedding movements for
producing mixed weaving effects and in the details for actuating shifting
shuttle boxes.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to and representing modifica-
tions of my improved arrangements.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a loom as fitted with one
modification of the shedding mechanism, and with one modification of the
shuttle-box details; Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be herein-after more particularly
referred to.
I prefer to apply my improvements in shedding movements to the class of
power loom in which, as shown in the Drawing, the leaves of heddles or healds
1 are raised by levers or quadrants 2 on overhead transverse horizontal bars or
rocking shafts 3, which bars are themselves actuated by levers 4 fixed upon
them at one side of the loom.
In my improved arrangements there are attached to the last-mentioned
levers 4, vertical rods 5, having hooked pieces 6 jointed to their lower ends,
these rods 5 and hooked pieces 6 being disposed in a line or plane which is
seen edge ways in Figure 1, whilst they are shown separately as seen from
the back of the loom in Figure 2. The hooked pieces 6 are entered through
openings in the broad end of a treadle or lever 7, which is made to vibrate by
means of a cam 8 on the low shaft 9 of the loom. There is only the one
shedding treadle or lever 7, and it is depressed once for every pick. The
hooks 6 of the vertical heddle rods 5 are severally caught by the treadle 7 or
not, according to the position of each, on the treadle being depressed, and each

page_text: hook tends to assume the position for being caught, but every hook that at
any particular pick is not to be acted upon by the treadle 7 is drawn or sprung
inwards by the vertical leg 10 of a bell crank lever 10, 11, this leg having at
the bottom a slot or fork and antifriction pulley, within which the hooked
piece 6 works. There are of course as many bell cranks 10, 11, as heddle
rods 5, and their horizontal legs 11 are fitted with studs which are acted upon
by a small jacquard barrel 12 with cards 13 perforated according to the suc-
cession of sheds necessary for the desired pattern or kind of weaving. The
jacquard barrel 12 is carried by a lever frame 14, which is made to vibrate or
reciprocate by a cam 15 on the crank shaft 16, and when an unperforated
part of a card comes under any bell crank lever 11, that lever moves the
corresponding hooked piece 6 inwards, so as not to be caught or acted upon by
the treadle 7.
The arrangements may obviously be adapted to any convenient number of
heddle leaves.
The leaves 1, which at each shed are not acted upon by the
treadle 7, descend by the action of springs or weights (not shown), springs
being preferred; but they only descend as the others rise, in consequence of
the vertical rods 5 passing through openings in a block 17, which slides
vertically in guides 18 fitted to the side frame of the loom, and which rises
just as the treadle 7 descends, and vice versa. The vertical rods 5 are formed
with shoulders or projections bearing against the under side of the sliding block
17, so that the springs can only draw down the heddle leaves in proportion as
the block 17 rises, and the leaves that are so depressed by the springs are
returned to their middle positions by the re-descent of the block 17, the raised
leaves returning to their middle positions by the action of the springs on the
re-ascent of the treadle 7. The sliding block 17 is actuated from a cam 19
on the low shaft 9, through levers 20, 21, centered at 22, the latter 21
being connected to the block by links 23. The treadle or lever 7 is raised by
means of a link 24, connecting it to a lever 25, which is in the same piece
with the levers 20, 21. These improved shedding arrangements are of course
applicable with any convenient kind of shuttle box details.
The improved shuttle box details comprised in my present Invention may
have their actions regulated by the jacquard barrel 12 and cards 13, herein-
before described as regulating the shedding movements, two levers 26 being
acted upon by the jacquard barrel for this purpose, one effecting, the raising
and the other the lowering of the boxes. Figure 3 is a vertical section at
right angles to the front of the loom, showing my improved mechanism for
working a shuttle box 27, which shifts vertically. The arrangements are
applicable to any convenient number of shuttles, shifting a shuttle at a time,

page_text: and by slight modifications may be made to shift to the extent of more than
one shuttle at a time. The levers (26, Figure 1,) acted upon by the jacquard
barrel transmit their movements in any convenient way, for example, by
rods 28 to levers 29 near the floor, and from these last by rods 30 to stops 31
sliding in guides 32 fixed to a laterally projecting part of the front of the
loom framing. In a mounting below the shuttle box 27, and attached to the
lathe sword 33, there are two sliding bolts 34, 35, arranged to come in contact
with the stops 31 when the lathe beats up. When a change of shuttle has to
be effected, one of the stops 31 is moved by the jacquard action into a position
to act on the corresponding sliding bolt 34 or 35. The shuttle box 27 is
supported by a pair of legs 36 stepped at the back, and one of which is seen
in Figure 4, which is a section taken a little further inwards than the section
in Figure 3. The stepped legs 36 rest on a pair of stilts or catches 37 jointed
to the mounting, and when one, 34, of the sliding bolts is acted on by the
stop 31 in front, it causes the stilts 37 to move backwards, whereupon the
box 27 drops until a higher step rests on the stilts 37. The sliding bolt 34 is
fixed on the end of a lever 38 moving horizontally, and shown detached in
plan in Figure 5, the lever 38 being connected by a bridle to the stilts 37.
When the other sliding bolt 37 is acted upon it turns a kind of bell-crank
lever 39, to which it is jointed in such a way that a pawl 40 jointed to the
lever 39 takes into one of a series of notches or steps on the front of a
leg 41 fixed to the shuttle box 27 between the stepped legs 36, and raises the
shuttle box 27 until the stilts 37 at the back enter by the action of a spring 42
under a lower step of the legs 36. The pawl 40 does not prevent the descent
of the shuttle box 27 when the descent bolt 34 is acted upon, because it is
then kept clear of the stepped leg 41 by a tail 43 on it which enters a notch
in the mounting on a spring 44 drawing down the bell crank lever 39. When,
however, the bell crank lever 39 is raised, the tail on clearing its holding
notch is pressed outwards by a blade spring 45, which turns the pawl 40
inwards into gear with the stepped leg 41. A rotating shuttle box 46 is
shown as applied to the loom represented in Figure 1, and such a box I prefer
to shift by means of vertical "pull-over" hooks 47 jointed near the lathe axis
to the ends of levers 48, the other ends of which levers 48 have links 49
jointed to them with hooks to be acted upon by a lever 50 worked by a cam
on the low shaft 9. The hooked links 49 are put into or out of gear with
the lever 50 by the direct action of the jacquard barrel on the levers 26, which
are connected by links 51 to bell-crank levers 52, which in turn are connected
by spring links 53 to the hooked links 49. As the jacquard action takes place
a little before the period for effecting the shift of the shuttle box, catches 54

page_text: are jointed to the levers 26, and on either of these levers being lifted it is held
up, in consequence of its catch 54 resting on a pin 55, until the lever 50 is
raised, when a finger 56 on that lever throws the catch off the pin. By these
means a separate jacquard barrel for actuating the hooked links 49 is
dispensed with.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
1. The arranging and combining of the parts of apparatus for actuating
beddles, and in particular so as to form the shed equally up and down, sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
2. The arranging and combining of the parts of mechanism for actuating
shifting shuttle boxes, substantially as herein-before described with reference
to Figures 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
3. The combining of mechanism for actuating rotating shuttle boxes with
the shedding mechanism, substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Milton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT, Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow.
JAMES MILTON. (L.S.)