Improved Dobby or Heald Operating Mechanism for Looms.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 31st May, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Dobby or Heald Operating Mechanism for Looms.
I, AMOS LOCKWOOD of 38 Willow Bank King Cross, Halifax in the County of
York, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
It consists of constructing and arranging the parts forming loom dobbies
or heald operating mechanisms in such a manner that the cost of production
of said dobbies or heald operating mechanisms is greatly reduced while the pattern
surface for governing or controlling the movements of same is arranged so that one
card or peg-lag may be employed for indicating at each pick or for two, three, four
or more picks or shots of weft as may be desired.
In accordance with my invention I employ a series of sliding-bars, corresponding
in number with that of the heald shafts that have to be operated.
These bars are mounted so that at one end they are supported by a suitable
guiding grate while by an appropriately formed slot or opening in or about their
central part, taking over a cross shaft, they are properly held in a desired horizontal
position.
On each of these sliding bars are formed three hooks or catches, two for laying
hold of the reciprocating draw-bars by which they are operated and which are
themselves moved by the well known lever and rod mechanism, the third hook
being for contact with a latch or holding lever which sustains it in its highest
position.
These sliding bars are coupled either by cords or the like passing over grooved
bowls or by the well known intervening levers and rods, to the healds to be operated,
the pull of which is arranged to tend to raise these bars at one end so that the
hooks thereon will be out of position with their draw-bar which is beneath them
while at the same time it depresses the other ends so that heir hooks are out of contact
with their other draw-bar above them, the centralt over which they take
acting as a fulcrum to enable these movements to be effected.
The retaining latches which are mounted in a suitable position relatively with
these sliding-bars as above described, are also arranged to operate same when
moved by the pattern surface such operation being to place them into position
so that their hooks are in contact with their respective draw-bars, thus when the
pattern surface operates these latches their respective sliding-bars are drawn to
raise the healds to their highest position while by the pattern surface being made
to retain these latches in this position then the healds are also retained in such
raised position.
The intermediary levers and rods through or by which the latches above
described are operated by the pattern mechanism, are arranged so that the
latter (that is, the rods) may be carried at one end in a moveable frame or
grate, such grate being moved in a vertical direction by suitable cams or cam and
lever mechanism deriving their motion from any suitable motor part of the machine,
by which means, when a pattern surface consisting of cards or pèg-lags, is employed
wherein on card or peg-lag is desired to represent more than one pick or shot of
weft or more than one movement of the dobby mechanism or healds, this vertical
movement of the outer ends of these rods brings them opposite additional indicating
holes or pegs in the cards or lags at each step in such vertical movement such step
being one, two or more in number.
:
To further add to the number of times that each card or peg-lag may be employed
for operating said rods, the pattern cylinder around which they travel has a lateral

page_text: movement imparted to it in addition to its intermittent rotary motion, this lateral
movement being effected by any suitable incline and spring or other mechanism so
that a separate series of holes or pegs are brought into use.
Dated this 30th day of August 1893.
AMOS LOCKWOOD,
Per Samuel Hey,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Dobby or Heald Operating Mechanism for Looms.
I, AMOS LOCKWOOD of 38, Willow Bank, King Cross Halifax in the County
of York, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
accertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My invention relates to loom-shedding-mechanism of the class whereby
the healds or heddles in looms are raised or operated in one direction while
other means as springs, or weights are required for effecting the return movement,
and the objects of my invention are the production of such mechanism in a
comparatively inexpensive manner that shall be compact in its arrangement, durable
in its construction and shall perform its functions efficiently; while the peg-lags or
pattern cards used for governing or controlling its movement are each enabled to
bear or carry a pattern surface for indicating thereon at each pick or shot of weft
or for two, four or more picks or shots of weft as may be desired.
These objects I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying sheets of
drawings forming part of this Specification, of which ;-
Fig. 1 is front elevation of the mechanism apart from a loom.
Fig. 2 is end elevation of a portion of said machine as seen in the direction
indicated by the arrow 1.
Fig. 3 shows a portion of the pattern mechanism in detail as hereinafter
explained.
Fig. 4 is a vertical
Fig. 5 is back view
of the mechanism shown by Fig. 1.
a portion of a loom, reduced scale, with my improved
mechanism applied thereto.
Fig. 6 is a top view of certain parts of the mechanism (same scale as Figs. 1 to 4)
as hereinafter described.
Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional drawings showing in detail parts hereinafter explained.
Similar figures and letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the
several views. The parts marked 2 represent the framework of the machine, while
those marked 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent respectively the top rail, end frame, top shaft
and low shaft of the loom.
In accordance with my invention I employ a series of sliding bars 8, corre-
sponding in number with that of the heald shafts 9 that are to be operated.
These bars 8 are mounted so that at one end they are supported by the springs 10
which always raise or tend to raise, them up to or into contact with the crossbar 11,
while by appropriately formed parts or openings 12 with hooks a and b in or about
their central parts, taking over the cross shaft 13, they are properly held in a
desired horizontal position.
On each of these sliding bars 8 are formed three other hooks or catches 14, 15
and 16, those at 14 and 15 for laying hold of the reciprocating draw-bars 18 and 19
(sliding in the well known manner in the framework 2) by which they are operated,
and whirh (said draw-bars 18 and 19) are moved or operated by the well known
rods 20, 21, 20 and 21° levers 22, and 23 fixed upon the shaft 13, connecting rod 24
and crank 25 by this latter being fixed upon the low shaft 6, while the third
hook 16 is for contact with a latch or holding catch 26 which retains it when

page_text: moved for holding its respective heddle 9 in its raised or elevated position as well
as operates it as hereinafter described.
These sliding bars 8 are coupled, either by the well known cords which are
conducted over grooved pulleys or by equally well known rod and jack lever
connections 28, 29, 30, and 31, to the heddle 9 the pull or force of which tends to
raise these bars 8 at the part between the cross holding shaft 13 and the joining to
the lever 31, so that the hooks 14 and 15 are thereby held out of position for laying
hold of their draw-bars 18 and 19 until the said bars 8 are moved or forced down by
their holding catches 26 (in accordance with the pattern surface as hereinafter
described) in which position they are shown by Fig. 4, by which they are thus
brought into contact with one or other of the draw-bars 18 or 19 which happens to
be in position for receiving or acting upon same, the draw-bar 18 being the one at
present shown in this position on the movement of which the heddle 9 attached
thereto will be raised to its highest positions in which position it may be retained
by its holding catch 26 laying hold of the hook 16 until this catch 26 is again
freed from same by the pattern surface indicating upon it at the time the draw-bars
relieve it of the pull thereon so that its weighted arm d may move it away.
The holding catches 26 are mounted to slide in the guide rail 32 and have their
upper ends forined for reaching the arms c of the operating levers 33 which when
free are moved by their weighted arms d to raise same into their highest positions,
while to their arms e are coupled the connecting rods 34 which extend horizontally
therefrom, through the grate 35 to present their extremities for contact with the
pattern surface on the barrel 36 by which means when this said pattern surface is
presented to said rods 34 such of these latter are moved as the pattern surface is
prepared to move them by having pegs in the lags g which pass around same in
the well known manner and in turn cause the holding catches 26 to move the bars 8
as above described.
The grate 35, through which the rods 34 pass and operate, is mounted upon the
arms 38 and 39 which are arranged to slide upon the framework, so that by the
cams 40 and 41 mounted upon the rotary shaft 41, to act upon the bowls or
pulleys 42 and 43 mounted upon said arms 38 and 39, this grate 35 is thereby
caused to rise to a desired elevated position from which as the cams 40 and 41 are
further revolved, it falls by gravity causing the cams to move to a normal position.
The other part of the motion of the shaft 41 and its rotary cams 40 and 41, is
effected by the partly toothed ratchet wheel 42" which is intermittently acted upon
by the ratchet 43 mounted upon the lever 44 operated by the rod 45 coupled to
the reciprocatory lever 22, the position it assumes at each of such successively
intermittent movement being maintained by the holding catch 46 acting in
connection with a correspondingly partly toothed ratchet wheel 48 (shown in detail
Fig. 7).
When the cams 40 and 41 assume their position for the grate 35 to be in its
lowest position, the extremities of the rods 34 are in position for the lowest row of
pegs on the peg-lag g to be presented to them, while at each successive movement
of said cams these same extremities are raised to the next succeeding rows of pegs
until the last row is reached on which after this row has been presented to same,
the ratchet 49 is brought into contact with the ratchet wheel 50 so that on the
barrel 36 being caused to recede at this time, it is caused also to turn the next
peg-lag into position at the same time the grate 35 will have descended to its
lowest position.
The barrel 36 is caused to reciprocate upon the horizontal bearing pins 51 and 52,
by means of the lever 53 and 54 attached to the shaft 55 being caused to oscillate
by the lever 56 also secured thereto being coupled by the rod 58 to the eccentric 58
carried by the top shaft 5, and this reciprocatory motion is at such a rate as to
cause said barrel to present its pattern surface to the rods 34 for each shot of weft,
while to prevent said barrel from being partly rotated at each of its said reciprocatory
movements its ratchet 49 is pivoted to the hinged piece 58° coupled to the lever 22
by which it is reciprocated and another part 59 also hinged to the piece 58b is

page_text: caused to rest upon it at one end so that its ratchet end h is clear of the wheel 50
until it has to engage therewith which is, as before stated, on the grate 35 reaching
its highest position. This relieving of the ratchet 49 from the weight of the
part 59 is effected at the desired time by a projecting piece k formed on the arm 38,
coming in contact with the quadrant piece 60 adjustably mounted upon said part 59
as said arm 38 is rising to its highest position by which the part 59 is lifted from
resting upon the ratchet 49 so that its end his allowed to descend into contact
with its wheel 50 as shown by Fig. 3.
In order that as large a number of holes as possible may be made in the peg-lags g
for the reception of the pegs f so that each lag may thus be made to carry
considerable of a pattern surface additional holes p are made in the spaces inter-
vening between those holes m which are arranged to be the same distance from
each other as are the bars 8 and to enable peg-lags having such an arrangement
of the pattern holes made in them to be used in connection with my moveable rods
above described, I impart a slight lateral movement to the barrel 36 by which it is
brought from having the holes m (see Fig. 2) in line with the ends of the rods 34,
to have the holes
p in line with them.
To effect this movement the shafts of the barrel 36 is arranged to freely rotate
within the slots formed in the ends of the levers 53 and 54 while said ends are
closely pressed against by the ratchet wheel 50 on one side and the star or levelling
and adjusting wheel 61 (which by the Ṭ piece 62 and spring 63 adjusts the barrel 36
in its required position) on the other side, these two wheels being rigidly fixed upon
said shaft s, so that on the sliding bar 64 being moved along with and by the draw-
bar 18 its inclined part at t causes the lever 53 to move the desired distance in the
directions indicated by the arrow w, bringing with it its shaft 55, its other lever 54,
the wheel 50 and consequently the barrel 36, while on the withdrawal of this
inclined bar 64 the spring 65 pressing against the framework 2 at one end and the
hoop 66 rigidly fixed on the shaft 55 at the other, the return movements of these
parts is effected. This lateral movement of the pattern surface in each direction
being effected at such a time relatively with the time of moving of the other parts
as will enable the two series of holes m and p to be brought into operation in each
successive row alternately, by these means lags carrying indicating pegs for two or
more changes in the movements of the shedding mechanism may be employed.
Throughout the above description peg-lags are referred to as the pattern surface,
however I wish it to be understood that I am perfectly aware that the well known
pattern-cards may be substituted for these peg-lags.
Again, although I show the series of springs 10 for operating the series of bars 8,
yet I know that by arranging the upper arms of the levers 31 so that they will
exercise their pull on these bars 8 in a slightly upward as well as horizontal
direction the mechanism may be made to operate effectively without these springs 10
but I preferably employ them as shown since said parts are rendered more certain
in their actions when operated at a high rate of speed.
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 loom shedding mechanism the combination of a series of sliding bars,
reciprocatory draw-bars for operating these said bars, rods for connecting them to
the heddle or jack levers, said jack levers, means for placing this series of bars into
operating contact with their draw-bars these said means being situated between the
operating hooks on said draw-bars and the jointed ends of same, and pattern
surface mechanism for operating said means substantially as herein specified.
2. In loom shedding mechanism for combination of the bars 8 having hooks 14, 15
and 16 formed thereon and otherwise shaped so that they will take over the shaft 13
draw-bars 18 and 19, the rods levers and means for operating these said draw-bars,
the holding catches 26 the levers 33, rods 34 and pattern surface mechanism for
operating these said rods 34 substantially as and for the purposes specified.

page_text: 3. In loom shedding mechanism the combination of the bars 8 having hooks 14, 15.
and 16 formed thereon and otherwise shaped so that they will take over the shaft 13,.
springs 10 draw-bars 18 and 19, the rods levers and other means for operating
these said draw-bars, the holding catches 26, the levers 33, rods 34 and pattern
surface mechanism for operating these said rods 34 substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
4. In loom shedding mechanism the combination of a pattern barrel, means for
imparting rotary reciprocatory and lateral movements thereto and the indicating
rods to be operated thereby in order to change or govern the movements of the
operating bars of the shedding mechanism substantially as specified.
5. The combination in loom shedding mechanism of a pattern barrel having
rotary reciprocatory and lateral movements imparted to it as desired, means for
imparting said movements thereto, coupling rods for contact with the pattern
surface on said barrel, means for raising and allowing these rods to descend, and
the other parts forming said mechanism substantially as set forth.
Dated this 30th den of Max 1891
AMOS LOCKWOOD,
Per Samuel Hey,
Agent.