IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Blackburn and Mark Knowles, of Blackburn,
in the County of Lancaster, Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 5th November 1861, and dated the 8th May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Blackburn and
Mark Knowles at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 8th May 1861.
We, THOMAS BLACKBURN and MARK KNOWLES, of Blackburn, in the County
of Lancaster, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
First, these improvements relate to that part of the loom known as the
indexing apparatus, in which, instead of connecting the hooks and the healds
with toothed quadrant levers, we connect them in a direct manner with twine
or other suitable material, and also connect together the said hooks which are
attached to each side of the healds so that when the latticework or pegs push
the hooks off the lifters at one side it will push the corresponding hooks off' on
the other side.
Secondly, we make a similar arrangement to the foregoing, and then connect
the healds to the hooks by twine being passed over pulleys to the healds in
such a manner that both sides of the healds or a whole stave shall be lifted
uniformly and make an uniform shed.

page_text: Thirdly, we maintain an uniform tension on the lags or lattice in which the
pegs are placed for operating upon the hooks and varying the shed, by attaching
a spring to the small frame supporting one of the rollers or cylinders which
carry the lags.
Fourthly, we make the springs for bringing down the healds, and for
making the bottom shed, tapering from the centre to each extremity, the
said springs, which are either single or compound, being applicable to other
purposes.
f
Fifthly, we make the drums for carrying the lags or lattice of any
metal instead of wood as hitherto adopted.
suitable
These improvements will be better understood by referring to the Figures
and letters of reference on the accompanying two Sheets of outline Drawings,
the letters referring to each Figure separately.
In Fig. 1 the healds a are attached directly to the two sets of hooks b, c,
which are guided in ordinary grids. One set of hooks is connected to the
other by the rods d, e, and double lever f, so that when the hooks on one side
are acted upon by the pegs of the lattice the corresponding hooks on the
opposite side are moved in also. The lifters g, h, form part of double
levers l, m, working on the shafts.n, o, and clipping or gearing into each other
at the centre by means of one or more pins or teeth, so that when one lifter is
raised the other is raised also. Fixed to one of the shafts n or o is the lever q,
connected by the rod r to a lever s, carrying a bowl working in the groove of a
double tappet fixed to the tappet shaft, so that for one revolution of the shaft
two lifts are given to the lifters.
In Figure 2 the healds a are connected to the two sets of hooks
c, by the
cords d, e, which are guided by and fixed to the pulleys f. g. The cord d is
attached to the hook b, and passing under its adjacent pulley is fixed as at h,
and passed across :to the pulley g, over which it is guided, and attached to the
heald a.
The other cord e is attached to the hook c, and passing under its
adjacent pulley is fixed as at i, and passed across its opposite corresponding
pulley, and then attached to the heald a, so that when one hook is raised
its effect is transmitted to both sides of the heald, and lifts it equally.
The lifters for: raising the hooks are shewn at k, 1; they form part of the
lever m, and when one lifter rises the other descends, the necessary motion
being obtained by the lever n attached to the rod o, which is connected at the
other end to a lever having a bowl in contact with a single tappet on the
tappet shaft.
For maintaining an uniform tension on the lags or lattice we attach a
springt, Figure 1, to the small frame 2, which supports the roller v, and

page_text: connect the other end of the spring to a stud on a block w, which is adjusted
and fixed in any desired position.
In order to bring down the healds for making the bottom shed, we use
springs tapered on both sides from the middle, as shewn at x, Figs. 1
and 2.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Blackburn and Mark Knowles in the Great Seal.
. Patent Office on the 8th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wе, THOMAS
BLACKBURN and MARK KNOWLES, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinists, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of May, .in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth. year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and-successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Thomas Blackburn and Mark Knowles, Her special licence that we,
the said Thomas Blackburn and Mark Knowles, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Blackburn and Mark
Knowles, our 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 lawfully 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 LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Thomas Blackburn and Mark Knowles, our executors.or. adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, 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 we, the said Thomas Blackburn and Mark Knowles
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described. and ascertained in
and by the following statement, that is to say :-
::
...
First, these improvements relate to that part of the loom known as the
indexing. apparatus, in which, instead of connecting the hooks and the healds

page_text: with toothed quadrant levers, we connect them in a direct manner with twine
or other suitable material, and also connect together the said hooks, which are
attached to each side of the healds, so that when the latticework or pegs push
the hooks off the lifters at one side, it will push the corresponding hooks off
on the other side.
Secondly, we make a similar arrangement to the foregoing, and then con-
nect the healds to the books by twine being passed over pulleys to the healds
in such a manner that both sides of the healds or a whole stave shall be lifted
uniformly, and make an uniform shed. In both of these arrangements the
bottom shed is obtained in the usual manner by means of springs.
Thirdly, we modify the foregoing arrangements by connecting the hooks of
one series of double lifters to levers, one for each heald. The levers are
attached at one end to the tops of the healds, and connected at the other end
by cords or wires to other levers which are attached to the bottoms of the
healds. Or we employ two series of double lifters connected to two sets of
upper levers coupled together, to one set of which the tops of the healds are
attached. At the ends of one set of levers are cords or wires connected to
another set of levers, to which the bottoms of the healds are attached. In
both arrangements the upper and lower levers work simultaneously, and dis-
pense with the necessity of employing springs for pulling the healds down.
Fourthly, we maintain an uniform tension on the lags or lattice in which
the pegs are placed, for operating upon the hooks which vary the shed, by
attaching a spring to the small frame supporting one of the rollers or cylinders
which carry the lags.
Fifthly, we make the springs for bringing down the lealds, and giving the
bottom shed in indexing machines made according to the first and second
parts of our Invention, or any other indexing machine requiring springs
tapering from the centre to each extremity; the said springs, which may be
either single or compound, are applicable to other purposes.
And, sixthly, we make the drums for carrying the lags or lattice of any
suitable metal instead of wood as hitherto adopted.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures
and letters of reference on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, the letters
referring to each Figure separately.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the framework of a loom having attached to
it the first, fourth, and fifth part of our improvements. The healds a are
attached directly to the two sets of hooks b, c, which are guided in ordinary
grids; one set of hooks is connected to the other by the rods d, e, and double
lever f, so that when the hooks on one side are acted upon by the pegs of the

page_text: lattice, the corresponding hooks on the opposite side are moved in also. The
lifters g, h, form part of double levers l, m, working on the shafts n, o, and
clipping or gearing into each other at the centre by means of one or more
pins or teeth, so that when one lifter is raised, the other is raised also. Fixe.l
to one of the shafts n or o is the lever q, connected by the rod r to a lever s,
carrying a bowl working in the groove of a double tappet, so that for one
revolution of the shaft two lifts are given to the lifters g, h, which raising as
many of the hooks. b, c, as are not operated by the latticework on the barrels
give the upper shed, the lower one being obtained in the usual manuer by
means of springs.
Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the second part of our improvements.
The healds a are connected to the two sets of hooks b, c, by the cords d, e,
which are guided by and fixed to the pulleys f, g. The cord d is attached to
the hook b, and passing under its adjacent pulley is fixed as at h, and passed
across to the pulley g, over which it is guided and attached to the heald a. The
other cord e is attached to the hook c, and passing under its adjacent pulley
is fixed as at i, and passed across to its opposite corresponding pulley, and
then attached to the heald a, so that when one hook is raised its effect is
transmitted to both sides of the heald, and lifts it equally."
The lifters for raising the hooks are shewn at k, 1; they form part of the
levers m, and when one lifter rises the other descends, the necessary motion
being obtained by the lever n attached to the rod o, which is connected at
the other end to a lever p, having a bowl 7 in contact with the groove of a
single tappet r on the tappet shaft s, so that at each revolution of the shaft
one lifter is raised and the other depressed. The lever p works on a fulcrum
fixed to any suitable part of the framework, and moves up and down according
to the throw of the tappet.
When the hooks b, c, are not operated upon by the latticework on the
barrels, they are lifted by the lifters k, l, and in conjunction with the pulleys f, g,
give the upper slied, the lower one being obtained by springs in the usual
manner.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent front elevations of the third part of; our improve-
ments. In Fig. 3, a, a, are the double lifters, which are made to lift together
either by toothed quadrants, or by links as in Fig. 1. The hooks are shewn
at b, ;.they are linked together by bars or wires c, so that they move together,
and when one hook is off one knife, the opposite hook is on the opposite knife,
and vice versa. The lower ends of the hooks are attached as at d, d', to the
levers e, one for cach heald, which levers are connected by cords or wires f to
other levers g. The bealds are attached at the top to the levers e, and at the

page_text: bottom to the levers g. The pattern drum or cylinder is shewn at h; it carries
the pegs or lattice, for operating upon the hooks b, and varying the shed. The
lifters a, a', are put in motion by means of the lever i, connecting rod k, and
double tappet l. At each. revolution of the tappet, the lifters a, a', are raised
once and depressed once, and when the. hooks b are raised, the corresponding
hooks are stationary, as they were pulled off the knife by the bars or
wires c, and also, when the hooks bare stationary the hooks are operating.
Now the hooks being connected to the levers e at d, d', and one end of the
levers attached to the tops of the bealds, and the other ends of the levers.con-
nected by the wires f to the levers g, attached to the bottom of the healds, it
follows that those levers e, which are acted upon by lifting the books b, raise
the shed, and those which are not acted upon at b, are acted upon at b¹ simul-
taneously with those at b, and depress the shed. But we prefer coupling
together two series of the aforesaid double lifters or indexing apparatus, as
shewn in the front elevation Fig. 4..
The four sets of hooks are connected to the two sets of levers e, which are
geared or coupled together at m, and attached at n to the tops of the healds.
The ends of one set of levers e. are connected by the cords or wires f to
other levers g attached to the bottoms of the healds. The lifters are raised and
depressed alternately by levers shewn by the dotted lines m', put in motion by
a long lever, which is raised up and down by means of the rod o and single
tappet p.
The pattern cylinders are shewn at 7, the small frame which carries them is
moved backwards and forwards by the lever r,.one end of which is connected
to the rods, which is moved up and down by a crank, cam, or tappet placed
on the crank or tappet shaft.
The fourth part of our improvements is shewn in Fig. 1. We maintain an
uniform tension on the lags or lattice t, by attaching a spring u to the small
frame, which supports the roller or cylinder w, and connect the other end
of the spring to a stud on a block x, which is adjusted and fixed according to
the length of the lattice.
The fifth part of our improvements is shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. In
order to bring down the healds for making the bottom shed, we use springs
tapered on both sides from the middle as shewn at y, Figs. 1 and 2, and for
making the springs we employ a mandril consisting of a bar a, Fig. 5, having
two, three, or more sides, on each of which is a strip b, its ends fitting in
recesses in the holders c, which are held by screws on the ends of the bar.
The strips bare tapered or shaped as required, and when the wire for the
spring is coiled on them the holders are taken off, and the bar drawn

page_text: out, which enables the strips to fall inwards, so that they can be easily
removed.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of our said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that we claim,--
First, the improved arrangement of parts for working indexing machines, as
shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.
Secondly, a combination of one machine made as described in the third part
of our Invention, with a set of levers connected to the healds for giving a
calico shed, as shewn in Fig. 3.
Thirdly, two machines made as described in the third part of our Invention,
combined with double levers or quadrants connected to the healds for giving
a calico shed, as shewn at Fig. 4.
And, fourthly, our improved method of making taper spiral springs, as
shewn in Fig. 5, as all such improvements are herein described and illustrated
in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Blackburn and Mark Knowles
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
L.B.)
MARK KNOWLES.
(L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Thomas Blackburn
and Mark Knowles, in the presence
of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.