Improvements in Dobby Mechanism of Looms for Weaving Piled Fabrics.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dobby Mechanism of Looms for Weaving Piled
Fabrics.
We, JOHN WILLIAM HILL, of 214, Wellington Road South, Stockport, near
Manchester, Mill Manager, and EDWARD BARDSLEY, of 16, Heathland Terrace,
Shaw Heath, Stockport, near Manchester, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our said invention relates to that type of loom dobby used in looms for weaving
terry fabrics in which a series of rods or needles are employed, arranged side by
side in a horizontal manner in transverse bars, and which lie at right angles to a
pattern barrel, around which an endless belt or chain of short rods passes, and
according to the position of small discs or runners on said rods, and as the pattern
barrel revolves any of the said needles may be pushed back. In each needle are
two slots and through each slot a vertical hook, one connected to a heddle for
lifting the healds, and the other connected to a heddle for lowering the healds.
In their normal position due to the action, of springs, one set of hooks over-hang
a cross-bar carried by rocking lever arms, which are rocked by motion from the
crank shaft of the loom, and as said cross-bar is raised and lowered and the said
pattern barnel rotated the pushing back of any one of the needles serves to unhook
one or other of the hooks of one set, and to hook one or other of the hooks of the
other set with the cross-bar, and thus effect the shedding of the warp threads.
With a complicated pattern, or one which consists of a large number of changes,
the chain requires to be of great length, and being of metal is of great weight,
and requiring to be supported overhead is liable to fall upon the head of the
operator, and factory inspectors are very particular in requiring the chain to be
properly made and supported.
The object of our invention is to entirely dispense with the chain, and to effect
the operation of the needles and the change of pattern by safer and much more
reliable mechanism.
In accordance with our invention, instead of fixing the transverse bars in which
the needles are supported rigidly to the dobby frame, we mount them in a manner
which allows such bars to have an endwise movement in openings or grooves in
the said frame under the movements of a "yoke" or rod connecting them together,
and an arm or finger mounted upon a rocking shaft on the dobby frame side.
This shaft carries a further lever arm which rests upon, or engages with, a star-
wheel and change-motion.
This change-motion, which can be of any desired form and be applied in any
desired manner, consists, by preference, of a spur wheel, mounted on the loom
side, and having upon its face or side a rim or flange on which any one of the
facits of a notched star-wheel is designed to fit. Such star-wheel, with the motion
of the spur wheel (derived from a small pinion driven by the usual crank shaft),
and by reason of a gap in the said rim and a pin or stud on the face of the wheel,
is designed to turn one facit for each complete revolution of the spur wheel.
On the axis of said star wheel'is a small chain wheel over which an endless

page_text: link-chain passes, corresponding in length to the number of "picks" (say four
'picks" to each link) to be given for each pattern, and composed of sets of links
of different sizes, and one set for each change of pattern. Above the chain as/it
passes over the chain wheel is a lever pivoted to the loom frame at one end and
free to rise and-fall at the other end, and at a point in its length such lever carries
a runner or "bowl," which rests upon the chain aforesaid: Upon the free end of
said lever rests the lever arm aforesaid depending from the dobby, and owing to
the aforesaid chain being composed of links of different sizes the said lever and
its runner are, with the traverse of the chain, alternately raised and lowered
Such raising and lowering of the said lever and runner (which takes place at
each change of pattern and can be timed to take effect according to the number of
links), imparts motion to the depending arm of the dobby, and the effect of raising
such arm is to cause the bars supporting the needles to move endwise in their
bearings, and so bring the needles in line with another set of cards" or runners
on the pattern bowl, and thereby change the pattern. The said pattern bowl is
of the usual construction, and six rows of pattern "cards" or runners are wrapped
and fixed around it by links.
And in order that our said invention may be more readily understood and
carried into practical effect we have hereunto annexed two sheets of drawings
and will now proceed to describe the same with the aid of the various figures and
letters of reference marked thereon.
On Sheet one, Fig. 1 is a part front view of a loom shewing the relation thereto
of the improved dobby, and the change motion. Fig. 2 is a side or front view of
the change motion. Fig. 3 is a front view of the pattern bowl, and Fig. 4 a
transverse section of one of the bars which carries the needles.
On Sheet two, Fig. 5 is a side view, Fig. 6 a part back view, and Fig. 7 a plan
of our improved needle operating device, on an enlarged scale.
(A) is the dobby frame, (B) the loom side, and (C) the pattern bowl. (D) (see
Fig. 7) are the needles, which instead of being mounted in fixed bars, are mounted
in bars (E), (E) which are connected together by rods (E), and are capable of
sliding endwise under the action of rocking shaft (F) and finger or arm (G),
lever (H) and the star-wheel or change motion, shewn more clearly in Fig. 2.
Such change motion comprises star-wheel (I), spur-wheel (J) (with interrupted
flange (J) and pin (J2) and chain or sprocket wheel (K): Over the chain-wheel
and the runner (L) an endless chain (M) passes, composed of links of various
widths, as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.
This chain varies in number of links according to number of "picks" to each
pattern, and varies in size of links according to the number of times a pattern
requires to be changed, and in the example shewn is designed for one change of
pattern, the wider portion (composed say of 30 links) for one color and the narrower
portion (composed say of 24 links) for another color. By providing two or more
gaps in the flange and two or more pins (J) the star-wheel may rotate more
frequently, and thus change the pattern oftener. When one gap only is required
the others are filled by a block.
.
The action of this chain in passing over wheel (K) is to alternately raise and
lower the lever (N) by reason of the runner (0) carried by such lever resting upon
it, and such motion is communicated to the lever (H) depending from the shaft (F)
on the dobby frame, and consequently serves to move the arm (G), push in the
bars (E), (E) carrying the needles (D), and slide the needles to a position in line
with another set of runners (P) on the pattern bowl (C), and so change the
pattern.
The means for effecting the sliding of the needles may vary as also the change
motion, but we prefer the devices shewn in the drawings.
The pattern bowl (C) is of the ordinary construction, and carries (by preference)
six rows of the pattern runners (P) wrapped around it and fixed by links (P¹)
and said runners are adjustable endwise to suit the required operation of the
needles.

page_text: The pattern is reversed, i.e. the pile formed on the opposite side of the fabric
by the movement of the pattern barrel in the ordinary manner.
For the purpose of steadying the needles we provide each one with a turned-
back bracket (Q) taking through a hole in the extension, (R) of the bar (E¹).
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it to be under-
stood that we do not restrict ourselves to the exact means herein described for
effecting the lateral movement of the needles, or of imparting the change motion
thereto, as the same may be varied without departing from our invention, and what
we claim is :-
1: Imparting a lateral movement to the needles of a loom dobby substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
2: Means for imparting a lateral movement to the needles of a loom dobby,
in combination with a pattern bowl with (by preference) six rows of runners,
as and for the purposes set forth.
3: In a loom for weaving "terry" or like fabrics, the combination with
laterally movable needles, of a change motion, comprising pivoted lever and bowl,
star-wheel, variable chain, and driving gear, or their equivalent, as and for the
purposes set forth.
4: In a loom for weaving "terry" or like fabrics, the combination of
needles (D), sliding bars (E), (E) rods (E2), finger (G), shaft (F), and lever
arm (H), as and for the purposes set forth.
5: In a loom dobby, the bar (E), brackets (Q) and extension (R), as and for
the purposes set forth.
6: In a loom dobby, the pattern barrel (C) with rows of pattern runners
wrapped and fixed around it, as and for the purposes set forth.
Datod this 25th day of March 1898.
JOHN WILLIAM HILL,
EDWARD BARDSLEY,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
55, Market Street, Manchester, Agents.
JOHN WILLIAM HILL,
EDWARD BARDSLEY,
By John G. Wilson & Co.,
arket Street, Manchester, Agents.