IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALDS EMPLOYED IN LOOMS AND IN THE METHOD OF MANU- FACTURING THE SAME.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Haskins Ladd, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinery Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALDS EMPLOYED IN LOOMS AND IN THE METHOD OF MANU-
FACTURING THE SAME. -A communication from abroad by Henry
O. Whipple, of the City and State of New York, in the United
States of America.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Haskins Ladd
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th February 1875.
I, JOHN HASKINS LADD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinery Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALDS EMPLOYED IN LOOMS AND IN THE METHOD OF
MANUFACTURING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to the healds or harness employed in looms for
weaving. When forming such healds in manner according with the

page_text: said Invention, continuous lengths of comparatively fine wire are
wound around each heald shaft in such a manner as that loops of wire
are formed. The loops on one heald shaft are linked or connected with
the loops on the other shaft by means of links or eyes of a suitable
elongated form. The said links or eyes are made of wire and are pro-
duced by bending short lengths of wire into the required form, the ends
of the wire coming together. After being linked on to the said loops
the wire ends of each link or eye are soldered or brazed together so as to
form a continuous link. If preferred the said loops may be formed
upon a bar or frame, and be subsequently mounted upon the heald
shafts. To add to the resilience of the healds a cushion or strip of
caoutchouc or other suitable elastic substance or material may be
interposed between the outer edges of each heald shaft and the outer
ends of the said loops in some or in all cases. The loops are secured
in the required positions upon each heald shaft by means of a cap or
strip of wood or other suitable material which is placed over the ends
of the loops and is screwed or secured to the outer edge of the said
shaft. To regulate the tension of the healds the said heald shafts are
also connected by means of rods, wires, or bars, which are screwed
and provided with nuts. The distance between the said shafts may be
increased or decreased by turning the said nuts and the adjustment of
the tension be thereby effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Haskins Ladd in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HASKINS LADD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machinery
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Haskins Ladd,
'Her special license that I, the said John Haskins Ladd, my exe-

page_text: cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John.
Haskins Ladd, 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 law-
fully 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 HEALDS EMPLOYED IN LOOMS AND IN
THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said John Haskins Ladd, 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 John Haskins Ladd, 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 statement and accompanying Drawings (that is
to say) :-
The Invention relates to the healds or harness employed in looms for
weaving. When forming such healds in manner according with the
said Invention a continuous length or continuous lengths of compara-
tively fine wire is or are wound around each heald shaft in such a
manner as that loops of wire are formed. The loops on one heald shaft
are linked or connected with the loops on the other shaft by means of links
or eyes of a suitable elongated form. The said links or eyes are made of
wire and are produced by bending short lengths of wire into the required
form, the ends of the wire coming together. After being linked on to
the said loops the wire ends of each link or eye are or may be soldered
or brazed together so as to form a continuous link. If preferred the
said loops may be formed upon a bar or frame and be subsequently
mounted upon the heald shafts. To add to the resilience of the healds
a cushion or strip of caoutchouc or other suitable elastic substance or
material may be interposed between the outer edge of each heald shaft and
the outer ends of the said loops in some or in all cases. The loops are
secured in the required positions upon each heald shaft by means of a
cap or strip of wood or other suitable material which is placed over the
ends of the loops and is screwed or secured to the outer edge of the said

page_text: screwed and provided with nuts. The distance between the said shafts
may be increased or decreased by turning the said nuts, and the adjust-
ment of the tension be thereby effected.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I
have appended hereunto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of
reference, corresponding marks indicating the same parts in the various
Figures.
Referring in this place to the said Drawings, Fig. 1 represents an end
view or vertical cross section of a set of healds constructed in accordance
with the said Invention, and Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, and
represents an end portion of the complete heald, both Figures being
drawn about the full size. In the said Figures a, a, are the said heald
shafts, and b, b, are the said links or eyes. The outer edge of each
heald shaft is faced with a strip of vulcanized caoutchouc C. The loops
of wire are represented by the lines d, the said loops being formed by
winding fine wire made of brass or other suitable metal around each
shaft, as herein-before mentioned. The length of the loops may be
determined by means of a second shaft or frame around which and the
heald shaft the wire is wound and which is subsequently removed, or by
other suitable means. The said loops are secured in position by means of
the wooden cap e which is secured to the heald shaft by means of wood
screws. The outer end of each loop on one shaft is linked to the end
of the corresponding loop on the other shaft by means of a link b. Each
link is formed from a short length of wire by bending the same, and
when linked on to the loops the said ends are brought close together, as
seen in Fig. 3. To strengthen the link and to complete the formation
of the link the two ends may now be soldered together, the appearance
of the finished link or eye being indicated by Fig. 4. In some cases the
soldering of the link may be dispensed with, but when the operation of
soldering is not to be performed it is preferable to use steel wire or other
wire having resilient properties in the formation of the links. The two
heald shafts are connected together at each end, and when convenient
and desirable at intermediate points, by means of screwed rods f, which
are provided with nuts g, the use of which has been previously herein
indicated.

page_text: Having now fully described and indicated the nature of the said In-
vention, I would in conclusion have it to be understood that I claim,—
First. The formation of healds by connecting wire loops formed as
herein-before indicated by means of wire links or eyes, substantially as
herein-before set forth and indicated.
Secondly. The caoutchouc cushion, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-before set forth and indicated.
And, lastly. The complete healds formed and fitted substantially
as set forth and indicated herein-before and in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Haskins Ladd, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
5
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the said John Haskins Ladd,
in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON.
JOHN HASKINS LADD. (L.S.)