AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING THE EYES OF HEDDLES FOR LOOM HARNESS and in
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING
THE EYES OF HEDDLES FOR LOOM HARNESS and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
33
This invention relates to a method of, and machine for, opening the eyes of loom
harnesses after sizing or varnishing, which operation has heretofore generally been
done by hand by taking each heddle separately and picking open the eye with a
sharp pointed instrument, and as this operation has to be performed two or
three times upon each harness i,e after, cach coat of varnish or size is applied
thereto, it is quite a heavy item of expense and therefore it is very desirable
that some more expeditious and cheaper way of performing this labor should be
devised.
The chief object of this invention is the production of a machine which will open
the heddle eyes of loom harnesses after varnishing, with great rapidity and accuracy
and without injury to the twines from which the heddles are formed and it consists
in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combinations of devices
which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the drawings in
which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of same.
Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line x, x Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a partial section on the same line as Figure 3 drawn to an enlarged
scale.
Figure 5 is a similar view with the heddle clamping bars removed from contact.
with the heddles.
Figure 6 is a partial horizontal section on the line y, y, Figure 4, and
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a plan and side elevation of a portion of the
lease opening bar.

page_text: A A are the two side frames of the machine connected together by the tie rods or
girts A¹, A¹
B, B are two levers pivotted at their rear ends to the upper ends of the curved
arms C, C, which are secured to, or formed upon, and project upward from, the
frames A, A, said levers B, B, being connected at their front or movable ends by
the rod B¹ in which are adjustably secured the two pendent hooks a, a to receive
and support the upper harness-shaft D as shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The front ends of the levers B, B and the hooks a a may be adjusted to the
desired height to adapt it to the width of the harness to be operated upon by
means of the screws bb, working in the stands C₁, C¹ which may be bolted to the
arms C, C, as shown, or cast in one piece therewith if desired.
E, E are two levers mounted upon a rocker shaft F having bearings in the
stands F¹, F bolted to or forming a part of the frames A, A.
The front or movable ends of the levers E E are connected together by the
rod E¹ in threaded bearings in which are adjustably fitted the two upwardly.
projecting hooks c, c, which engage with the upper edge of the lower harness
shaft D'.
The levers E, E are each provided with a set screw d, by means of which the
front or movable end of said lever and the hooks c, c may be adjusted to adapt
them to harnesses of different widths, and upon the points or upper ends of which
the cams G, G, mounted upon the shaft H, act to depress said levers and the
hooks c, c to strain the heddles of the harness taut when placed in position in the
machine preparatory to opening the eyes after the twine heddles have been varnished
or sized.
I is a guide bar made rectangular in cross section and fitted to slide end wise in
bearings formed in the frames A, A and having firmly secured to one end thereof
the upwardly projecting plate I¹. To the upper end of this plate is firmly secured
the lease opening bar J of sufficient length to extend through both frames A, A,
when in the position shown in Figure 1, and adapted to be moved to the right
with the bar I till its disconnected end is drawn back nearly to the inner face
of the right hand frame A or into the position indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 1.
The bar J is guided in its reciprocation by the bar I and its own bearings in the
frames A A, and has formed in each side thereof a broad shallow groove e, and has
the greater part of the length of its upper and lower edges mado V-shaped or
bevelled, the purpose of which will presently appear.
Four shafts f, g, h and i are mounted in suitable bearings in the frames A, A two
in front and two in the rear of the lease bar J, as shown in Figure 3, and have
firmly secured thereon the segmental gear wheels f, g, h, and i¹, by which they
are connected together in pairs, ƒ and g being connected together by the gears fl
and and the shafts h and i. by the gears h¹ and ¹, and the shafts f and h are
connected together by the slotted levers j and k and the crank pin k¹ firmly
clamped to the lever k, all as shown in Figure 2.
K is a handle projecting from the segmental gear f, by which all of the shafts:
may be simultaneously moved about their axes.
Each of the shafts f, g h and i has adjustably mounted in suitable bearings
formed therein two screw-rods l, l, to the inner ends of which is secured the bar l¹
enclosed in an envelope of india-rubber 13 and bevelled on its inner side to
correspond with the bevelled surface on the lease-bar J with which it is to
cooperate to clamp the twine heddles, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
LL are two rectangular bars fitted to bearings in the frames A, A and connected
together at one end by the bar L' as shown in Figure 6, said bars being of a
length somewhat greater than, twice the distance between the outside of the
frames A A, so that they may be moved endwise in their bearings a distance about
equal to the distance between said frames.
The bar L' has secured to the middle of its length the upwardly projecting ear
or lug L, in bearings in which are adjustably secured by the set screws m, m the

page_text: two long needles M, M, which have additional bearings in the plate I¹, one upon
each side of the bar J, said needles being so located that they lie about one half.
their thickness, as viewed in plan within the grooves e, e formed in the sides of the
bar J and about midway vertically of said grooves as shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, 5
and 6.
Each of the needles M, M has formed therein near its point a long slot m¹
extending vertically through the same, thereby rendering said needles at those
points elastic or yielding.
The bars L, L are each provided with a stud N, in a bearing in which is
adjustably secured by the set screw n, the rod O, the inner end of which is forked
and has mounted therein upon a vertical axis the truck P arranged to press against
the spring side of the needles, as clearly shown in Figure 6.
R is a spring connected at one end to the tie rod R₁ and at the other end to the
short lever S secured to the middle of the rocker shaft F, and serves the purpose
of raising the levers E, E, rod E¹ and hooks c, c, when the shaft H is rotated by
means of the lever H' mounted upon one end thereof, to release the strain on the
harness heddles.
The forward end of the lease bar J is rounded and tapered, as shown in Figures 7
and 8, to facilitate its entrance between the twines of the two sides of the harness,
as shown in Figure 5.
The operation of this machine is as follows.
The several parts being in the positions shown in Figure 1, except that the
bars I and J are moved to the position indicated by dotted lines, the operator raises
the levers B B, rod B¹ and hooks a, a into the position shown in dotted lines in
Figure 3 and rotates the shaft H,.by means of the lever H¹ to the extent of a
quarter of a revolution to allow the levers E, E, rod E' and hooks c, c, to be raised
a short distance above the positions shown in the drawings.
The operator now moves the lever K towards the front of the machine to move
the bars into the positions shown in Figure 5. He then takes a harness, the
twine heddles of which have been sized or varnished, and drops the lower harness
shaft D₁ between the bars and engages it with the hooks c. c, then moves the.
levers B, B downward into contact with the set screws b, b, and places the upper
harness shaft D upon the hooks a a as shown in Figures 2 and 3. He then rotates
the shaft Hand cams G, G by means of the lever H' to depress the hooks c, c and
strain the heddle twines taut, as shown in Figure 5, in which position the beddle
eyes hang with their broad sides parallel with a vertical plane extending
longitudinally through the centers of both harness shafts, as indicated in said
Figure 5.
The lease bar J is next moved endwise between the two rows of heddle twines to
separate them as shown, in Figures 1 and 5 and the lever K. is then moved back-
ward, to move the bars into the positions shown in Figures 3 and 4 to deflect
the twines of the heddles and clamp them between the inner edges of said bars l
and the bevelled surfaces on the lease bar J, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
This clamping of the heddle twines imparts an extra strain thereto, which, being
transmitted to the knots by which the heddle eyes are formed, causes said eyes to
be turned one quarter of a revolution, so that their edges are toward the front and
rear of the machine, and the openings between the two parts of the eyes in each
row of hedles are all in a line parallel with the sides of the lease bar J, and
their inner edges in contact or nearly so with the bottom of the groove e in
said bar.
The next thing to be done is to open the eyes by moving the bars L L and the
needles M, M endwise until the needles have pierced every eye in the harness and
opened it to the extent of the thickness of the needle.
The trucks P P move with the bars L Land needles M M and ensure the proper
guiding of said needles, so that their points shall enter between the two twines
which make up the eye and separate them instead of being deflected so as to strike
and pierce one of the threads and thus spoil the eye.

page_text: When the trucks P, P reach the heddle twines the spring sides of the needles
opposite said trucks yield sufficiently to permit the passage of the twines between
said trucks and the needles without bringing sufficient strain upon the twines to
injure them.
The needles are now withdrawn the clamping bars thrown back, the lease bar
withdrawn, the cam. shaft H rotated to release the strain from the harness and the
harness removed, another being put in its place and the operation repeated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. A machine for opening the heddle eyes of loom harness containing
essentially the following elements viz. mechanism for straining the heddle twines
taut, a lease bar for separating the two sets of heddle eyes; mechanism for
deflecting said heddle twines and clamping them to said lease bar; and a pair of
needles each arranged to pierce and open all of the eyes in one set by a single
endwise movement thereof, as set forth.
Second. The levers B, B, rod B¹ and hooks a, a in combination with the
levers E, E, rod E' and hooks c, c, the set screws b, b and d, d; the shaft H, the
lever H¹, and the cams G, G, all arranged and adapted, to operate substantially, as
and for the purposes, described.
.
Third. The lease bar J provided with the two grooves e, e and bevelled upper and
lower edges, and its front end rounded and bevelled as shown and described for
the purposes specified.
Fourth. The lease bar J, in combination with the guide rod I mounted in
suitable bearings, and the connecting plate I¹ substantially as described.
Fifth. The combination of the lease bar J provided with bevelled surfaces upon
its upper and lower edges, the four clamping bars arranged to deflect the heddle
twines and clamp them to said bevelled surfaces, and mechanism for operating all
of said bars simultaneously, substantially as described.
Sixth. The needles M, M arranged as set forth upon opposite sides of the lease
bar J, and to open all of the eyes of the heddles upon each side of said lease bar by
a single endwise movement, substantially as described.
Seventh. The needles M, M provided with the slots m¹, in combination with the
guide trucks P, P arranged and adapted to operate substantially as, and for the
purposes, described.
Eighth. The combination of the lease bar J the clamping-bars A, the needles M, M,
and the guide trucks P P, all constructed arranged and adapted to operate sub-
stantially as described.
Ninth. The method of opening the heddle eyes of loom harnesses after varnishing,
which consists in straining the heddle twines in the direction of their lengths,
separating the lease, deflecting and clamping said twines near the heddle eyes to
turn the eyes all in one direction and with their broader sides parallel with and
towards each other, and then opening all of the eyes at a single operation by
forcing a long pointed needle through the eyes of each set, substantially as
described.
Dated t
1.
7004
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.