AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REGULATING THE TENSION OF THE WARP IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Eddison, of Whitehall Road, Leeds, in the
County of York, Heald and Reed Maker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REGULATING THE TENSION OF THE WARP
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING, APPLICABLE ALSO TO OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 22nd February 1878, and dated the 30th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Eddison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1877.
THOMAS EDDISON, of Whitehall Road, Leeds, in the County of York, Heald
and Reed Maker.. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REGULATING
THE TENSION OF THE WARP IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING, APPLICABLE ALSO TO
OTHER PURPOSES."
"
'My Invention consists in the construction and employment of an improved
apparatus for automatically letting off the warp in looms for weaving at any
required uniform tension, such improved apparatus being also applicable for letting
off other yarns and fabrics in the process of unwinding at any required uniform
tension.
I will 'describe my Invention as applied to a loom for weaving.
On each end of the axle of the warp beam (or on suitably placed studs), and
between the ends of the beam and the inside of the loom frame, I place a rocking
arm or lever, such arms or levers being slotted and bushed at their lower ends so as
to be easily placed on and lifted off the axle of the warp beam without interfering
with the other parts of the loom. The two rocking arms or levers are connected
together by a cross bar, over which the warp passes, and which takes the place of
and enables me to dispense with the usual back rest or roller; the rocking arms
or levers are slotted to allow of regulating the height of the cross bar; the brake or
friction on the beam is produced by the action of a cord passing through or under
guides fixed to the loom rail below and round the usual brake pullies on the ends of

page_text: the warp beam, the free ends of the cord being connected to the said rocking arms
or levers; or two separate cords may be employed.
The required tension is produced by means of weights attached by cords to the
upper ends of the rocking arms or levers, the said cords passing over suitably placed
pullies. By this arrangement of apparatus it will be understood that as the warp
is unwound from the beam in the process of weaving, the rocking arms or levers
will be gradually drawn forward by the warp acting on the cross bar, thereby
slackening the brake cords, and consequently automatically diminishing the friction
or pressure on the brake pulleys as the diameter of the warp beam decreases.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Eddison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
February 1878.
THOMAS EDDISON, of Whitehall Road, Leeds, in the County of York, Heald
and Reed Maker. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REGULATING
THE TENSION OF THE WARP IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING, APPLICABLE ALSO TO
OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention consists in the construction and employment of an improved
apparatus for automatically letting off the warp in looms for weaving at any
required uniform tension, such improved apparatus being also applicable for letting
off other yarns and fabrics at any required uniform tension.
I will describe my Invention as applied to a loom for weaving.
On each end of the axle of the warp beain (or on suitably-placed studs), and
between the ends of the beam and the inside of the loom frame, I place a rocking
arm or lever, such arms or levers being slotted and bushed at their lower ends so as
to be easily placed on and lifted off the axle of the warp beam without interfering
with the other parts of the loom. The two rocking arms or levers are connected
together by a cross bar over which the warp passes, and which takes the place of
and enables me to dispense with the usual back rest or roller; the rocking arms or
levers are slotted to allow of regulating the height of the cross bar; the brake or
friction on the warp is produced by the action of a cord, leather belting, wire rope,
iron chain, or their equivalent passing through or under guides or pulleys fixed to
the loom rail below, and round the usual brake pullies on the ends of the warp
beam, the free ends of the cord being connected to the said rocking arms or levers,
or two separate cords may be employed.
The required tension is produced by means of weights attached by cords to
the upper ends of the rocking arms or levers, the said cords passing over suitably
placed pullies. By this arrangement of apparatus it will be understood that as the
warp is unwound from the beam in the process of weaving, the rocking arms or
levers will be gradually drawn forward by the warp acting on the cross bar,
thereby slackening the brake cords and consequently automatically diminishing
the friction or pressure on the brake pulleys as the diameter of the warp beam
decreases.
But in order that my Invention may be more fully understood, I will proceed
to describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which Figure 1

page_text: is an elevation of the back part of a loom with my improvements applied thereto;
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same; and Figures 3, 4, and 5 are details of
some of the principal parts.
Similar letters in all the Figures represent similar parts.
A is the axle of the warp beam B, on each end of which (or on suitably placed
studs), and between the ends of the warp beam B and the inside of the loom
frame C I place a rocking arm or lever D, separately shewn in front and side views
at Figure 5, and slotted and bushed at their lower ends at D¹ so as to be easily
placed on and lifted off the axle A of the warp beam B without interfering with
the other parts of the loom. E is the cross bar connecting together the two rocking
arms or levers D, D; over this cross bar E passes the warp F, such cross bar taking
the place of and enabling me to dispense with the usual back rest or roller, and may
be made either of wrought-iron tube or cast-iron pipe.
:
The rocking arms or levers D, D, are slotted at D2 (Figure 5), to allow of regu-
lating the height of the cross bar E. G is the cord or rope for producing the brake
or tension on the warp F, but leather belting, wire rope, iron chains, or other
flexible metal belts may be used in place of the cord or rope G the said cord or
rope G passes through guides or under the pulleys H, H, fixed to the loom frame C
below and round the usual brake pulleys J, J, (which are fitted loose on the axle A
in order to facilitate the winding back of the warp beam B, as herein-after described).
The free ends of the cords or ropes G, G, are connected to the studs N, N, fixed to
the rocking arms or levers D, D, or two separate cords or ropes may be employed,
one on each brake pulley J, J, in which case the lower ends of the said cords or
ropes would be connected to the loom frame C below instead of passing round or
under the guide pulleys H, H, as when connected together.
P, P, are the weights for producing the required tension, the said weights being
attached by the cords R, R, to the upper ends of the rocking arms or levers D, 1),
the said cords R, R, passing over suitably placed pulleys S, S, fixed to the loom
frame C above; but in order to increase the amount of weight pulling at the upper
ends of the rocking arms or levers D, D, without the addition of more weights P, P,
to the cords R, R, I attach the upper ends of the cords R, R, to the bracket T
fixed to the loom frame C above, and carry the cords R, R, round the pulleys U, U,
which work freely on studs fixed on the upper ends of the rocking arms or
levers D, D, and over the pulleys S, S, as herein-before described. By this means
I obtain double the amount of weight pulling at the rocking arms or levers D, D,
without placing additional weights on the cords R, R, or the usual weights and
levers may be employed, the cords R, R, being attached to such levers instead of
being attached to the weights P, P.
J, J, are the brake pulleys, which fit loose on the axle A, in order. to facilitate the
winding back of the warp beam B; on the side of each of these brake pulleys I fix
one or more studs or pins V, V, on which work freely the pawls or catches L, L,
(Figure 3), the said catches being made to fit into the teeth of the ratchet wheels K, K,
and are kept from falling out by the springs M, M, also fixed to the sides of the
brake pulleys J, J; the said ratchet wheels K, K, are fitted fast on the axle A of
the warp beam B.
It will thus be seen that as the warp F is drawn from the warp beam B it will
cause the ratchet wheels K, K, to revolve, and consequently press the teeth of the
said ratchet wheels K, K, against the ends of the pawls or catches L, L, which are
fixed to the sides of the brake pulleys J, J, and cause the said brake pulleys to
revolve with the warp beam B when the warp F is drawn off.
It will likewise be seen by this arrangement that the warp beam B can revolve
the contrary way without revolving the brake pulleys J, J, which are held fast by
the action of the brake cords G, G, so that the warp F when slackened can be easily
wound back on the warp beam B without having the brake cords G, G, to slacken
or the weights P, P, to lift off, which would be a source of much trouble when heavily
weighted.
Figure 4 shews a plan of one of the weights I emplov.

page_text: Instead of ordinary brake cords or ropes I may employ leather belting, wire rope,
iron chains, or other flexible metal belts, as herein-before described.
By all the aforesaid arrangement of apparatus it will be understood that as the
warp F is drawn forward in the process of weaving the rocking arms or levers D, D,
will be gradually drawn forward by the warp F acting on the cross bar E,
thereby slackening the brake cords G, G, and consequently automatically
diminishing the friction on the brake pulleys J, J, the tension therefore on the
warp F will always be equal, because the warp F will only draw the rocking
arms or levers D, D, forward to such a point as will sufficiently slacken the
brake cords G, G, to allow of the warp being drawn from the beam B instead
of the cross bar E being drawn more forward. In fact the exact amount of
tension on the warp F will be just equal to the amount of weight required to
be applied to the warp F in order to balance or draw forward the cross bar E, and
consequently raise the weights P, P, therefore the tension on the warp must always
be the same, whether the warp beam is full or nearly empty, unless the weights P, P,
are increased or diminished in weight, which can easily be done when a greater or
lesser tension is required.
The rocking arms or levers D, D, and the cross bar E also act as an oscillator when
beating up the weft in weaving, and is very valuable for tender warps, as it reduces
the strain on the warp to a minimum.
The arrangement of my improved apparatus or mechanism for letting off yarns
and fabrics (other than warps), at any required uniform tension will be simi-
larly and substantially the same as that herein-before described, and needs no
further description.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the best means I am
acquainted with for carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein laid down, but what
I claim is,
Firstly. The construction and application to looms for weaving, of the mechanism
or apparatus for automatically regulating the tension of the warp, the said mechanism
or apparatus being arranged, and operating similarly or substantially as herein-
before described, and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying
Drawing.
Secondly. The arrangement of the brake pulleys which facilitates the winding
back of the warp beam, as herein-before described, and represented in Figures 1
and 3 of the accompanying Drawing.
Thirdly. The application of my herein-before described improvements for letting
off yarn and fabrics (other than warps) at any required uniform tension, as herein-
before described.
'
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Eddison, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
THOS. EDDISON. (L.S.)