IMPROVEMENTS IN CONSTRUCTING DOUBLE WEFT FORKS, APPLICABLE TO EVERY DESCRIPTION OF POWER LOOMS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Loret, of Mecklin, in the Kingdom of
Belgium, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CONSTRUCTING DOUBLE WEFT FORKS, APPLICABLE TO EVERY DESCRIPTION OF
POWER LOOMS."
Scaled the 16th June 1863, and dated the 31st December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Loret at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st
December 1862.
I, FRANCIS LORET, of Mecklin, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CONSTRUCTING DOUBLE WEFT FORKS, APPLICABLE TO EVERY DESCRIPTION
OF POWER LOOMS," to be as follows:―
The object of this Invention is to construct and adapt to power looms an
apparatus which shall have the effect of stopping the loom whenever the weft
breaks, or the shuttle by any accident shall not enter its box properly. To
this end, forks consisting of two, three, or more prongs are adapted to, the
batten or slay between each end of the reed and the shuttle boxes. These
forks are mounted on a spindle or shaft, so that they may vibrate thereon and
project horizontally across the shuttle race. Spiral or other metal springs are
adapted to the spindle or shaft for the purpose of drawing it and the forks

page_text: mounted thereon round in one direction when the batten is driven forward.
These spiral or metal springs tend to lift up the forks, but another set of
springs is adapted to the stationary part of the loom, and is made to pull round
the spindle or shaft and the forks in the opposite direction when the batten is
drawn back. Another set of vibrating forks is mounted on a second spindle
or shaft, the prongs of this second set of forks being so arranged that they
will, when required, enter the spaces between the prongs of the first set of
forks. Upon the fork spindles or shafts are mounted levers or arms, which
are connected in any convenient manner to the stop motion of the loom.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-As the batten vibrates and
the weft is thrown across through the shed, the thread then passes over one of
the forks, and will thereby prevent the other fork from passing through. By this
means the second fork is made to turn its spindle on its axis, and thereby
remove a lever or arm mounted thereon out of the way of the stopping motion
of the loom. Should, however, the weft be found wanting, the forks will pass
through each other, and the projecting arms from their spindles will come
against the stopping motion, and by throwing the driving strap off the fast
pulley will at once stop the loom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Loret in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
LORET, of Mecklin, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanical Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Loret, Her special license that I, the said Francis Loret, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Francis
Loret, 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
CONSTRUCTING DOUBLE WEFT FORKS, APPLICABLE TO EVERY DESCRIPTION OF POWER

page_text: Looms," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis Loret,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Loret, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
The object of this Invention is to construct and adapt to power looms an
apparatus which shall have the effect of stopping the loom whenever the weft
breaks, or the shuttle by any accident shall not enter its box properly. To
this end forks consisting of two, three, or more prongs are adapted to the
batten or slay between each end of the reed and the shuttle boxes. These
forks are mounted on a spindle or shaft, so that they may vibrate thereon and
project horizontally across the shuttle race. Spiral or other metal springs are
adapted to the spindle or shaft, for the purpose of drawing it and the forks
mounted thereon round in one direction when the batten is driven forward.
These spiral or metal springs tend to lift up the forks, but another set of
springs is adapted to a stationary part of the loom, and is made to pull round
the spindle or shaft and the forks in the opposite direction when the batten is
drawn back. Another set of vibrating forks is mounted on a second spindle
or shaft, the prongs of this second set of forks being so arranged that they
will when required enter the spaces between the prongs of the first set of
forks. Upon the fork spindles or shafts are mounted levers or arms,
which are connected in any convenient manner to the stop motion of
the loom.
In the accompanying Drawing Figures 1 and 2 are front views of tho
apparatus which forms the subject of the present Invention, and Figures.3
and 4 are side views of the same.
.
a, a', are two small brackets or supports fixed at each end of the batten A,
Figures 3 and 4, near the shuttle boxes. Two small shafts b, b', and c, c¹,
carry at each of their extremities a spindle, which turns freely in bearings in
the brackets a, a'. The shafts 6, 6', carry at their inner ends four small
straight arms d, d', forming forks, with their ends projecting beyond the
bracket. The shafts 6, 6, are provided with small spiral springs h, h¹, which
have a constant tendency to raise the forks d, d¹: These shafts also carry at

page_text: their outer extremities small lever arms e, e¹, to which are attached india-
rubber springs f, f³, their other ends being connected to the front traverse or
breast beam of the loom. Other shafts c, c³, carry at their inner extremities
three small curved arms 9, 9', which are placed opposite the arms d, d³, and
with which they act upon the weft threads. On their outer extremities, which
project from the brackets, the shafts c, c³, carry crank arms i, i, which are
connected by pins j,, to similar crank arms k, k², fixed on the ends of a light
wooden roller 1, 1, and thereby serve to transmit motion to the forks g; g³.
The small shaft c' on the right-hand side carries at its inner extremity a
horizontal arm q' (Fig. 4), which serves to stop the loom when the weft is
wanting. The small shafts b, b', carry at about the middle of their length
small curved levers m, m³, the movement of which is transmitted by means of
the small draw rods n, n', to the levers o, o¹, which are mounted and rock
upon pivots on the uprights p, p¹, upon the brackets a, a¹. These levers o, o¹,
are at their extremities bent into the form of a hook, as seen in Figures 3
and 4.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The batten in vibrating will
raise and lower the forks d, d', (that is to say) the batten on receding from
the fabric which is being woven will act upon the india-rubber springs f,f¹,
attached at one end to the arms e, e¹, and at the other extremity to the frame-
work of the loom, and by stretching that spring will lower the forks d, d¹, and
on the batten approaching the fabric the india-rubber springs will contract
and allow the small springs h, h', to act and again raise the forks d, d¹.
When the batten is at the end of its course, and the fork is lowered, the
shuttle on passing will cause its thread to pass over the forks d, d, and the
batten on returning will raise the forks, and the thread which is above by
coming in contact with the upper forks g, g¹, will cause these latter to turn
upon their axes together with the horizontal levers q, q', connected thereto.
These levers q, q', on descending will pass freely under the horizontal lever r
(seen detached at Fig. 5), and the loom will continue to work, but should the
weft be found wanting, the fork d¹ in rising will pass freely between the
upper forks g, g³, and these latter will therefore remain stationary, and the
horizontal lever q not being consequently depressed will come in contact with
the horizontal lever r of the stopping apparatus, and will at once stop the
loom.
Having now described this Invention of "Improvements in Constructing
Double Weft Forks, applicable to every Description of Power Looms," and
having explained the manner of-carrying the same into effect, I claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set

page_text: forth of constructing the double weft forks, and of adapting them to power
looms, for the purposes above mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Loret, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
F. LORET. (L.S.)