IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF 'DOBBIES
Year: 1885

page_text: We WILLIAM SLATER weaving Manager, and JOHN ECKERSLEY, head Manager
both in the employ of Messieurs T. Gerrard and Son Limited, Adlington Mill
near Chorley in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of the
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF 'DOBBIES' " to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of dobbies whereby
we are enabled to weave a handkerchief or other similar articles with a border of
any desired pattern and a centre either plain or figured as may be required.
Instead of using a pair of pattern barrels only, as in the case of a "Willan and
Mills" dobby, or a single pattern barrel as in the case of a Hattersley" dobby,
we employ an auxiliary pair of barrels (or a second barrel as the case may be)
and we thus have two sets of barrels (or two barrels) one for the centre or ground
of the handkerchief and the other for the cross border thereof.
"
When applying our invention to a "Willan & Mills" dobby we place the second
pair of pattern barrels above the ordinary pattern barrels and we prolong the
wires forming the hooks thereof so that they may be actuated by the lattices
which are mounted on the said auxiliary barrels and we drive these latter by a
ratchet wheel on the shaft of one of them: the two being connected either by a
pair of spur wheels on their shafts or by a pair of bevel wheels on a cross shaft
gearing into bevel pinions one on each barrel shaft.
Between these auxiliary barrels we mount a shaft at each end of which is a
cam or excentric against which the barrel shafts are held by springs. These cams
or excentrics are so formed that when in one position the pattern barrels are out
of action and when in the other they are in action, their shafts sliding in slotted
bearings for that purpose.
When they are geared together by spur wheels these of course are alternately in
or out of gear with one another, but when the bevil gearing is used, the bevel
wheels above named are mounted so that they can slide on the cross shaft as the
bevel pinions on the barrel shafts recede from or approach one another, these two
wheels being connected together by a spring.
The ratchet wheel above named is driven by a catch mounted on the lever.
which carries the lower pair of pattern barrels to slide backwards and forwards.
in the usual way, and, preferably on the same pivot, we mount a second catch
which actuates at intervals a ratchet wheel on the shaft which carries the above
cams or excentrics, this latter catch being held out of work by a suitable spring
while the former is held in action by another spring and both are connected to one
of the jack levers which when the lower barrels are required to work pulls the
cam catch into gear at the same time that it pulls the barrel catch out of gear.
The cam is then turned an eighth of a revolution which causes the two upper
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barrels to recede out of action. At the same moment an automatic measuring
motion of any well known construction sets the lower pattern barrels to work to
weave the cross border which continues until a peg on one of the lattices thereof
lifts the catch which works these barrels, a blank lattice being then presented to
them. The jack lever to which the catches are attached is then lifted and the
upper barrels are again set in motion, and so on throughout the piece.
The same invention with some slight modifications may be applied to a
"Bulloughs" dobby.
"
When applying our invention to a Hattersley" dobby we employ a single
extra pattern barrel (mounted by the side of the one usually employed) which is
lifted or lowered into or out of action by cams or excentrics similar to those
previously described.
Or this barrel may be carried on levers against which the said cams or excentrics
work.
The catches which actuate the ratchet wheels on the auxiliary barrel shaft and
the cam shaft are mounted on the lever which works the knives of the dobby and
are pulled into and out of gear by similar means of those employed for the "Willan
& Mills" machine.
The catch which turns the other barrel is actuated by a measuring apparatus
when it is required to work the dobby, as in the Willan & Mills machine.
We would also remark in conclusion that our invention may be modified for
application to other dobbies of similar construction to those above named.
amhan 1005
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicants. 25

page_text: we thus have two sets of barrels (or two barrels) one for the centre or ground
of the handkerchief and the other for the cross border thereof.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood we have annexed here-
unto two sheets of drawings and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof.
Sheet 1. illustrates our invention applied to what is known as a
& Mills" dobby.
" Willan
Fig. 1. is a side elevation of as much of the latter as is necessary to illustrate
our invention, the cam (hereafter described) being shown by dotted lines only.
Figs. 2 and 2 are detached views of the connections between the two auxiliary
pattern barrels and cam shaft and spring on either side of the dobby. Fig. 3.
shews a modification of the above connection.
Sheet 2 illustrates our invention applied to what is known as a "Hattersley
dobby.
"
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of so much of this class of dobby as is necessary for
the explanation of our invention and Fig. 5. is a partial elevation of the other side
of the same.
When applying our invention to a "Willan & Mills" dobby we place the second
pair of pattern barrels a a above the ordinary pattern barrels b, b and we prolong
the wires forming the hooks thereof shewn by dotted lines on the drawing so that
they may be actuated by the lattices c, c which are mounted on the said auxiliary
barrels a, a, and we drive these latter by a ratchet wheel d, d on the shaft of one
of them, the two being connected either by a pair of spur wheels e, e on their
shafts (see Fig. 2) or by a pair of bevil wheels ff on a cross shaft g, g gearing
into bevil pinions h, h one on each barrel shaft as shown at Fig. 3.
Between these auxiliary barrels a, a we mount a shaft i, i at each end of
which is a cam or excentric k, k against which the barrel shafts are held by:
springs m, m. These cams or excentrics k, k are so formed that when in one
position as at Figs. 2 and 3. the pattern barrels a, a are out of action and when
in the other position see Fig. 1. they are in action, their shafts sliding in suitable.
slotted bearings for that purpose.
When they are geared together by the spur wheels e, e these of course are
alternately in or out of gear with one another but when the bevil gearing f, f
and h, h is used, the bevil wheels f, f above named are mounted so that they can
slide on the cross shaft g, g as the bevil pinions h, h on the barrel shafts recede
from or approach one another; these two wheels f, f being connected together by
a spring n, n.
The ratchet wheel d, d above named is driven by a catch o, o held in gear by
the spring o¹ and mounted on the lever p, p which causes the lower pair of
pattern barrels b, b to slide backwards and forwards in the usual way, and,
preferably on the same pivot, we mount a second catch r, r, which actuates at
intervals a ratchet wheel 8, 8 on the shaft i, i which carries the above cams or
excentrics k, k; this latter catch r, r being held out of work by a suitable
spring,, while the former is held in action by another spring o², o' and
both are connected by cords r², r³ and o², o to one of the jack levers (or to separate
jack levers) which when the lower barrels b, b are required to work pulls the cam
catch r, r into gear at the same time that it pulls the barrel catch o, o out of gear.
The cam k, k is then turned (say) one eighth of a revolution which causes the two
upper barrels a, a to recede out of action (see Figs. 2 and 3); the elastic or other
suitable spring, then pulls the catch r, r out of action again.
At the same moment an automatic measuring motion of any well known con-
struction sets the lower pattern barrels b, b to work by pulling the cord t, t attached
to the catch t¹, mounted on the pin which carries the ordinary catch t, for working
these barrels; a spring t³, then lifts up the catch t¹. These barrels b, b weave the
cross border and continue in action until a peg on one of the lattices thereof lifts
the catch t, which works the barrels b, b by means of a suitable projection on the
said catch, a blank lattice being then presented to the hooks.

page_text: The jack lever (or levers) to which the catches », r and oo are attached is then
lifted and the upper barrels a, a are again set in motion and so on throughout the
piece. It will thus be seen that the catch t¹, merely acts to carry the peg on the
lattice past the catch t t which then falls into gear. The spring t, lifts the
catch t, until again required.
We fix a projection o³, see Fig. 2° upon the catch o which comes in contact with
suitable projections ** on the cam k, k or on the shaft i, i and holds the said
catch o, o out of action when the barrels a, a are not required.
When applying our Invention to a "Hattersley" dobby (see sheet 2) we employ
a single extra pattern barrel a (mounted by the side of the one usually employed,
and marked b on the drawing) which is lifted or lowered into or out of action by
cams or excentrics k, k similar to those previously described.
'
Or this barrel may be carried on levers against which the said cams or excentrics
work.
The catches o, o and. r, r which actuate the ratchet wheels d, d and 8, s on the
auxiliary barrel shaft and the cam shaft i, i are mounted on the lever x, x which
works the knives y, y of the dobby and are pulled into and out of gear by similar
means to those employed for the "Willan & Mills" machine.
The catch which turns the barrel b, b is actuated by a cord t, from any suitable
mensuring apparatus when it is required to work the dobby, as in the Willan &
Mills machine.
In this case, however, the spring t¹, is lifted out of gear by an elastic cord t², t³,
from one of the jacks and held out of gear until the cord t, t pulls it down by
stretching the said cord t², t. In this case also the ratchet wheel d, drops out of
gear, and a suitable fixed guide holds the catch o in position.
Our invention may evidently be modified for application to other dobbies of
similar construction to either of those described such for instance as that known
us "Bulloughs" dobby.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is
་
A Dobby constructed with two separate pattern barrels and lattices (or two sets
of pattern barrels and lattices) actuated and operating automatically substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
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