Improvements in Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1898-Accepted, 16th July, 1898
[Communicated from abroad by UNIVERSAL LOOM COMPANY, a Corporation
organised under the laws of the State of New Jersey, and having its principal
place of business at 117, Wall Street, New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Looms for Weaving.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: –
-
These improvements, which are susceptible of being independently used, are
herein shown and described as associated in a single upright loom which, by
reason of its organization, is especially compact, occupies but a small area of floor
space and affords unusual freedom of access not only to all its operative parts, but
also to the entire length of warp extending from the beam to the weaving line.
The warp roll is arranged near the bottom and the take-up roll near the top on
the front side of the loom, with no portion of the mechanism in front of the warp
except the front bars of the harness frames and the front rail of the lay.
The cloth roll rests upon the take-up roll bearing thereon along a line a little
in the rear of the vertical plane of the axis of the take-up roll. The trunnions
of the cloth roll core are supported upon guide rails which are steeply inclined
and project upwardly a sufficient distance to permit the collection upon the cloth
roll. core of 1200 yards of cloth, or more, according to the quantity of warp
furnished by the warp roll. The cloth roll is easily removed by being rolled over
the take-up roll toward the front of the loom.
The weaving of a single piece of cloth of 1200 yards or more in length is of
especial advantage when the cloth is to be printed, because it saves the loss
which otherwise ensures from the necessity of sewing together end to end the
smaller rolls of cloth which are commonly produced. Ordinary looms produce
print cloths in rolls of 90 yards in length, and it will be seen that fourteen of
these require to be sewed together end to end to furnish a 1260-yard length.
The loom is furnished with a yielding breast-beam which yields in an upward
direction if the shuttle be in the shed during the beat. This device permits the
fell to be unusually near the take-up and affords three advantages, to wit, (1) it
lessens the narrowing of the cloth; (2) it prevents the bellying of the cloth, and
(3) it unifies the tension of the warp threads.
The harnesses are driven from the rear of the loom by motions transmitted from
the cam-shaft through connections susceptible of adjustment in such wise as
to vary the length of throw of the harnesses, as may be desired.
The loom is provided with a progressively-acting spring-actuated stopping
instrumentality adapted to bring the operating parts of the loom to rest by its
progressive action during a prescribed part of a single revolution of the lay-
driving shaft, and with this stopping instrumentality there are com-
bined one or more stop motions for automatically tripping said stopping

page_text: instrumentality
into action at a predetermined stage or stages in
the revolution of the lay-driving shaft, whereby the loom is stopped
with its operating parts in prescribed different positions according to
which one of the several stop motions is brought into operation. Thus, if a warp-
thread breaks, the warp stop motion performs its tripping function at such a stage
in the revolution of the lay-driving shaft as will result in causing the loom to
stop with the shed closed, which is the most convenient position for tying up the
broken ends.
If the weft thread breaks or gives out, the weft stop motion performs its
tripping function at such a stage in the revolution of the lay-driving shaft as
will result in stopping the loom with the shed open, and with the shuttle in the
off-box, which is the most convenient position for supplying a new bobbin to the
shuttle, and re-adjusting the weft-thread preparatory to re-starting the loom.
Similarly, when the shuttle falls a little short of getting fully home in the box,
the shuttle stop motion performs its tripping function at such a stage in the
revolution of the lay-driving shaft as results in causing the loom to stop with the
shed open; but if the shuttle stops in the shed, the loom will be made to come
to rest just after the lay has commenced to descend. With the shuttle stop
motion there is combined a whip roller which normally holds the warp under
tension, but which is tripped when the shuttle stop motion is brought into action
and thereby slacks the warp so extensively that even if the shuttle should be in
the shed while the loom is coming to rest, there would be no breaking of the
warp-threads..
These three stop motions are of course capable of being independently used,
but they are herein shown and described because of their common connection with
the progressively-acting stopping instrumentality referred to, as the result of
which, when the loom is automatically stopped, its operative parts are in each
case brought to rest in the best attainable position for correcting the particular
cause of the stoppage and then manually re-starting the loom.
There are also some incidental features of usefulness which will be more con-
veniently pointed out in the subjoined detailed description.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a front elevation.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation.
Figure 3 is a right-hand end elevation.
Figure 4 is a left-hand end elevation.
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken through the plane indicated by
the dotted line - on Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the brake-wheel and adjacent parts, showing the
brake-strap out of action.
Figure 7 is a similar elevation showing the brake-strap in action.
Figure 8 is a top view of parts of the take-up and weft stop mechanisms.
Figure 9 is a detail affording a top view of the whip rollers and adjacent parts.
Figure 10 is a detail showing in elevation operative parts of the warp stop, the
shuttle stop and the warp-slacking mechanisms.
Figure 11 is a transverse vertical section of the stop-pin guide bar, also showing
the feeler-blade in transverse section.
Figure 12 is a top view showing portions of some of the warp-threads upon
which the stop-pins are suspended.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The drawings represent an upright loom having its operative parts erected upon
two end standards A and B united to each other by the girders A¹ A² and A³
Figure 5 and by the rear standards C. The standard C is composed of two
horizontal members C1 and C2, and four vertical members C3 C4 C5 and C6.
Figure 2. The extremities of the horizontal members C" and Care bolted to
the standards A and B respectively. Great rigidity is imparted to the frame as a
whole by means of four diagonal braces C C C C7 bolted respectively to the

page_text: horizontal members C1 and C2 of the rear standard and to the adjacent parts of
the standards A and B. The said diagonal braces are all indicated in dotted lines
in Figure 2, and some of them are shown in solid lines in Figures 1 and 5.
The warp roll D is provided with the trunnions D¹ adapted to be seated in the
notched bearings 12 formed in the front edges of the lower parts of the stan-
dards A and B. The warp E is led upwardly from the warp roll around the front
side and over the top of the whip roller E¹, thence rearwardly under the bottom
and around the rear side of the whip roller E³, thence upwardly across the
lease rods F F¹, through the harnesses G G¹ and the reed H of the vertically
reciprocating lay H¹ to the weaving line I see Figure 5.
The loom is driven by the transverse shaft J, provided with the fixed pulley J¹
and the loose pulley J. The position of the driving belt with relation to the said
pulleys J and J2 is governed by the belt-shifter K, which suitably engages the
belt and is connected to the rear end of the horizontal shifter bar K¹, the front end
of which is pivoted to the starting lever. L. A contracting spiral spring K2 is
secured at one end to the starting lever L and at its opposite end to the frame of
the loom. The starting lever L has at its upper end the handle L', and at its lower
end the hub L2, which is pivotally supported upon the bracket L³ affixed to the
loom frame Figure 3. A lifting toe L, Figure 10 projecting radially from the
hub L, engages the free end of a radius arm M, which is normally held under a
downward strain by the contracting spiral spring M¹ Figures 6 and 7 connected
at its lower end to the frame of the loom.
The radius arm M is loosely mounted on the driving shaft J and has connected
to it the movable end M of the brake-strap M³ which surrounds about three-
quarters of the periphery of the brake-wheel M, affixed to the driving shaft J,
and has its opposite end M5 secured to the frame of the loom. When the starting
lever L is thrown outward into the position in which it is represented in Figure 5,
the radius arm M is swung upward and the brake-strap M³ is thereby held clear
of the brake-wheel M⭑.
The parts are maintained in running position by means of the master trip-
lever N, which is pivoted to the frame of the loom, and provided upon the under
edge of its longer arm with the shoulder N¹, adapted to catch against a similar
shoulder K³ Figure 10 formed upon the top of the shifter bar K. When thus
caught, the longer end of the master trip lever N acts as a strut which holds the
belt shifter in its forward position.
The master trip lever N is provided at the forward end of its longer arm with
a handle N2 Figure 3 by means of which it may be manually swung upward out
of engagement with the shifter bar, thereby releasing the shifter to the influence
of the spring K2 which, by pulling the starting lever L backward, operates to
shift the driving belt from the fixed pulley J¹ to the loose pulley J³, and con-
currently releases the brake-strap M³ to the influence of the contracting spring M'.
Whenever the master trip lever is tripped the brake-strap M³ is tightened around
the brake-wheel M, in part by the pull of the contracting spring M and in part
by the frictional influence upon the brake-strap of the periphery of the brake-
wheel which, when the loom is running, rotates in such direction as to make the
frictional influence, when the brake-strap is in contact with the brake-wheel,
tend to pull the brake-strap away from its fixed end M³.
The brake-strap is therefore self-tightening and is so effective that by suitably
adjusting the tension of its spring M¹ it can be depended upon in every case to
bring the operating parts of the loom to rest without any jam, solely by its pro-
gressive action during a prescribed part of a single revolution of the lay-driving
shaft, and hence to bring the loom to rest with the operative parts in' prescribed
different positions according to the stage in the revolution of the lay-driving
shaft at which the master trip lever is tripped.
The warp stop motion shown embraces a horizontally reciprocating frame O,
in which is loosely mounted a horizontal shaft O₁ Figures 1, 3 and 10 carrying a
feeler-blade 02, which is normally held in an upright position by the gravity of

page_text: a weighted arm 03 affixed to one end of the shaft 01. The upper extremity 0
of the weighted arm 03 is adapted to engage a notch in the heavier end 05 of the
dog 06 pivotally mounted upon one side of the frame 0.
The frame O is reciprocated by means of crank and pitman connections with
the rock-shaft 07, having a constant rocking movement imparted to it by crank
and pitman connections with the cam shaft of the loom, which, as is usual, rotates
at one half the speed of the lay driving shaft.
Warp stop pins P Figure 5 are suspended, respectively, upon the threads of
the section of warp extending from the whip roller E to the whip roller E
Each of the warp stop pins has a return bend at the top by means of which it
is hooked over and suspended upon one of the threads of the warp. Each warp-
thread extends through the bight p Figure 11 and 12 of one of the stop-pins,
and where necessary, across the tops of the bights of the adjoining pins. As will
be seen the stop pins are so guided that their bights extend diagonally across the
threads upon which they are respectively suspended.
During the reciprocating movement of the frame O, when the loom is running
normally, the upper edge of the feeler-blade 03 traverses a horizontal plane
immediately beneath the pin guide bar P¹, which is affixed to the frame of the
loom and is provided with appropriate perforations to serve as guides for the
warp pins. If a warp thread breaks its pin drops down so that its lower end
intersects the path of movement of the feeler-blade, and by collision therewith
rocks the shaft U¹ and thereby disengages the upper extremity 04 of the weighted
arm 03 from the heavier end 05 of the dog 0; whereupon the heavier end (5
falls and the dog 06 is swung upward so that during the next backward excursion
of the frame O it will be carried into collision with the lower arm of the bell-
crank lever 08 Figures 3, 5, 9 and 10 pivoted to the frame of the loom. By such
collision upward movement is imparted to the upper extremity 0 of the bell-
crank lever 08, which, by bearing upon the under side of the pin 010 affixed to
the master trip lever N, operates to trip the master trip lever N and thus stop
the loom.
The parts are so timed that a collision of the dog 06 with the lower arm of
the bell-crank lever 08 can only take place when the lay is half-way down, and
as the brake operates to stop the loom during the next ensuring half revolution of
the lay-driving shaft, it results that the parts come to rest with the lay-half-way
up
and the shed closed.
Provision is made for holding the brake out of action in case it be desired to
work the loom by hand. This is effected by means of the manually operated bell-
crank lever Q Figures 3 and 5 pivoted to the frame. A portion Q1 of the upper
end of the shorter arm of the bell-crank lever is cam-shaped, so that when the
handle Q2 of the bell-crank lever is raised it will push upward the free end of the
radius arm M to which the loose end of the brake-strap is attached.
Preparatory to starting the loom the dog 06 must be restored to its normal
position. This is conveniently effected by means of a link Q3 connecting the
handle Q with the heavier end 05 of the dog 06 Figure 3. Hence when the
handle Q is lifted the shaft 01 is permitted to rock into its normal position under
the influence of the weighted arm 0³, the upper extremity 0% of which thereupon
seats itself in the notch on the under edge of the heavier end 05 and thus resumes
its normal function of holding the dog 06 out of operative position.
The weft stop motion shown embraces the weft fork R Figure 1, 3, and 5
carried upon the front end of a lever R¹ pivotally mounted upon the frame and
having its rear extremity pivotally connected with a pitman R2, the lower part of
which is provided with a slot R³ engaging a pin projecting laterally from the end
of the inclined shorter arm R4 of the master trip lever N. Adjacent to the
lever R¹, is another lever S which is secured to one end of a rock-shaft S', having
its bearing in a bracket affixed to the standard A of the loom. At the opposite
end the rock-shaft S¹ has affixed to it a bell-crank lever S3 and the lever S is
constantly vibrated by means of a pitman S³ Figure 8 connecting one arm of the

page_text: bell-crank lever S2 with the crank-pin S Figures 3 and 5 projecting outwardly
from the face of one of the picker-driving cams.
If a weft thread is absent when the lay ascends the weft fork is permitted to
remain in such position that its hooked upper extremity catches upon the forward
end of the constantly vibrating lever S, as a result of which the front end of the
lever R¹ is lifted and its rear end depressed. The downward motion of the rear
end of the lever R₁ is communicated by the pitman R2 to the extremity of the.
shorter arm R of the master trip lever N which is thereby tripped. The timing
of the parts in this case is such that the loom is brought to rest with the shed.
open and with the shuttle in the off box of the lay.
Motion to operate the take-up roll is derived from the bell-crank lever S³, one
of the arms of which is slotted for the purpose of carrying a radially adjustable.
pin S5 Figures 2 and 3 for connection with one end of the pitman S6, the opposite
end of which is pivoted to the longer arm of a bell-crank lever S7 loosely mounted
upon the shaft of the take-up roll T. The shorter arm of said bell-crank lever
carries a driving pawl S8 which, during its acting stroke, engages the teeth of a
ratchet wheel T Figure 8 affixed to the shaft T2 of the take-up roll. The take-up
roll is normally prevented from turning backward by a stop-pawl T3 affixed to a
rock-shaft T provided with a gravity arm T5, the weight of which tends to keep
the stop-pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel T. When the lever R¹ is
brought into operation to stop the loom an arm T, projecting outwardly therefrom,
lifts the said gravity arm 15, and thereby disengages the stop-pawl. T³ from the
ratchet wheel T, and thus leaves the take-up roll free to turn backward during
the reverse stroke of the driving pawl S8.
The shuttle stop motion embraces the dagger U Figures 3, 4, and 10 affixed to
and projecting upwardly from the rock-shaft U₁ mounted upon the rear side of
the lay. A torsion spring applied to the shaft U₁ tends to swing the upper.
extremity of the dagger backward. The rear wall of each box is provided with
a yielding check-piece which, if the shuttle boxes properly, presses outwardly
against an adjacent radius arm U2 projecting downwardly, from the dagger-rock-
shaft U, and thereby rocks the upper end of the dagger forward.
If the shuttle fails to reach its place in either of the boxes the dagger-rock-shaft
is not thus rocked, and the dagger U then inclines so far backward that during
the latter part of the upward excursion of the lay the dagger catches under the
shoulder near the free end of the lever U4, the opposite end of which is
pivotally mounted upon the frame. The lever U4 has pivotally connected with
it the upper end of the pitman Us, the lower end of which is pivoted to the radius
arm U affixed to the horizontal rock-shaft U7 provided with suitable bearings
in the frame of the loom. A pin Us, projecting laterally from the pitman (U³,
extends under and operates to trip the master trip-lever N whenever the dagger U
pushes up the lever U¹.
The rock-shaft U7 has affixed to it near each end a radially projecting tooth Uº,
the extremity of which normally bears against a shoulder formed upon the rear-
end of the adjacent side arm a Figures 3 and 9 of the whip roller frame. The
said frame is composed of two parallel arms a a extending transversely across and
affixed to the rock-shaft a¹ having its bearings in the frame of the loom. The
forward ends of the arms a a are provided with standards a² a² having studs a³ ³
which afford the bearings for levers a¹ a². The lower ends of the levers a' at afford
the bearings for the whip roller E. The upper ends as a of the levers a¹ at are
connected by means of contracting spiral springs as a with rearward parts of the
whip roller frame. The rearward portions of the side arms a a afford the bearings
for the whip roller E2.
The effect of the contracting spiral springs a 6 is to administer a moderate
yielding tension to the section of warp between the two whip rollers. Whenever
the shuttle stop motion is brought into operation the teeth Us are tripped out of
engagement with the rear ends of the side arms a of the whip roller frame, and
the whip roller frame is thus freed, so that its rear end can rock upwardly and its

page_text: forward end downwardly, which so extensively slackens the warp that there will
be no breaking of the warp threads even if the shuttle be in the shed at the instant
when the beat takes place.
The harness frames b and c Figure 4 are reciprocated respectively by their link
connections with the longer arms of the bell-crank levers 6 c¹. The shorter arms
of these levers are provided with the slots 2 and 3, as shown, to permit of radial
adjustment of the pivot by which they are respectively connected to the upper
ends of the links ³, the lower ends of which are pivotally connected to the
shorter arms of the bell-crank levers b, c, the longer arms of which carry the cam
pins for engaging the cam grooves in the harness cams 6 Figure 5 respectively.
It will be perceived that there are thus incorporated in the connections between
the harness cams and the harness frames devices for varying the ranges of throw
of the harnesses which may sometimes be required.
The breast-beam d is carried upon the free ends of suitably curved arms dd
Figure 1 which are affixed to the rock-shaft ³ Figure 1, 2, and 5 having its
bearings in boxes affixed to the rear side of the girder A¹.
A torsion spring d is so applied to the rock-shaft as to press the breast-
beam downward as far as is permitted by the adjusting bolts Figure 5, which
are inserted vertically through the arms d. This device allows the breast-
beam to yield in an upward direction if the shuttle is caught, and permits the
weaving line to be in unusually close proximity to the take-up roll.
The cloth rolle is chiefly supported upon the take-up roll, its bearing thereon
being along a line parallel with and slightly in the rear of the vertical plane of
the axis of the take-up roll. The trunnions e¹ of the cloth roll bear upon the front
faces of the steeply inclined elongated guide rails Figure 5
which are erected upon the top of the loom frame and are of unusual length, in
order to permit the formation of a cloth roll containing twelve hundred yards or
more of cloth.
Such cloth roll, notwithstanding its unusually large size, occupies a position in
which it is entirely out of the way of the operator of the loom, and from which it
can easily be removed by being rolled forward over the top of the take-up roll.
The rope f, Figures 1 and 5 for administering friction to the let-off, has one
end fastened to the frame and is wound around the hub of the warp roll in the
usual way, and has its other end fastened to and adapted to be wound around a
drum f. A ratchet wheel fa is affixed to the drum and is engaged by a pawl f³
pivoted upon the upper end of the shorter arm of a bell-crank lever floosely
mounted upon the shaft of the drum f. The longer arm of the said bell-crank
lever is notched upon its upper surface to provide for the radial adjustment thereon
of the weight f5 by which tension is administered to the friction rope f.
By means of the pawl and ratchet connection of the bell crank lever f4 with
the drum considerable variations in the length of the rope f, such as may arise
from different hydrometric conditions, can readily be compensated for by
appropriately operating the bell-crank lever so as to either take up or slack off
the rope f, as the case may require, and leave the longer arm of the bell-crank
lever occupying such a position as will suitably hold the weight f³ above the floor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a loom, a progressively acting spring actuated stopping instrumentality
adapted to bring the operative parts of the loom to rest by its progressive action
during a prescribed part of a single revolution of the lay-driving shaft, in com-
bination with a stop motion for automatically tripping said stopping instrumen-
tality into action at a predetermined stage in the revolution of said lay-driving
shaft, whereby the loom is stopped with its operative parts in prescribed positions.
2. In a loom, a plurality of stop motions, a progressively acting spring actuated
stopping instrumentality adapted to bring the operative parts of the loom to rest

page_text: by its progressive action during a prescribed part of a single revolution of the
lay-driving shaft, and connections common to all of said stop motions for tripping
said stopping instrumentality into action at predetermined stages in the revolu-
tion of said lay-driving shaft.
3. In a loon, a warp stop motion; a weft stop motion, and a shuttle stop
motion; a progressively acting spring actuated stopping instrumentality adapted
to bring the operative parts of the loom to rest by its progressive action during
a prescribed part of a single revolution of the lay-driving shaft, and connections
common to said warp stop, shuttle stop and weft stop motions, whereby the said
stopping instrumentality is automatically tripped into action at predetermined
stages in the revolution of said lay-driving shaft, as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In a loom, a shuttle stop motion; a warp-slacking mechanism controlled by
said shuttle stop motion; a progressively acting spring actuated stopping instru-
mentality adapted to bring the operative parts of the loom to rest by its progressive
action during a prescribed part of a single revolution of the lay-driving shaft,
and connections between said stopping instrumentality and said shuttle stop
motion; whereby the said stopping instrumentality is automatically tripped into
action at predetermined stages in the revolution of said lay-driving shaft, as and
for the purposes set forth.
5. In a loom, a lay and a yielding breast-beam adapted to be moved in the
direction of the beat-up.
6. In a loom, a lay, a yielding breast-beam adapted to be moved in the direc-
tion of the beat-up and means for limiting the range of movement of the said
breast-beam toward the lay.
7. In a loom employing a warp stop motion and a self-tightening spring-
actuated brake-strap, substantially such as described; a manually operative lever
for releasing said brake-strap from the brake wheel; a link connecting said lever
with a part of said warp stop motion, whereby when the said lever is lifted to
release the brake-strap, the warp stop motion is concurrently adjusted in position
to be brought into operation if a warp-thread breaks after the loom has been again
started.
T
. 101
2 T
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.