Im- PROVEMENTS IN BEAMS FOR WARPING, SIZING, DRESSING, AND WEAVING MACHINES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Blackburn and Mark Knowles, of Blackburn,
in the County of Lancaster, Machinists, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN BEAMS FOR WARPING, SIZING, DRESSING, AND WEAVING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 22nd May 1860, and dated the 3rd February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Blackburn and
Mark Knowles at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 3rd February 1860.
We, THOMAS BLACKBURN and MARK KкOWLES, of Blackburn, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of the said.
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEAMS FOR WARPING, SIZING, DRESSING, AND.
WEAVING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
As a substitute for the ordinary beam, we make or construct a rod on which
we cut a right and left handed thread. We make four or more bosses, in two
of which we cut threads to correspond with the thread cut upon the rod, the-
others being drilled so as to allow the plain part of the rod to slide backwards-
and forwards; upon the periphery of the said bosses we screw or otherwise
fasten narrow pieces of wood or other suitable material, half of which, by the-
action of the screws, are forced one way and the other half the other way.
For other beams the principal rod is cut into two parts, on one of which.
is cut a right-handed thread, and on the other a left-banded one; these fit
to a boss or bosses, and have the pieces of wood or other material attached as
aforesaid.

page_text: 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 3rd August 1860.
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 Third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third 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 BEAMS FOR
WARPING, SIZING, DRESSING, AND WEAVING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Blackburn and Mark Knowles,
our executors or administrators, 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):-
―:
Instead of the ordinary beams which are made of a positive length, or those
in which the flanges are adjusted by wedges, we employ beams having their
circumferences composed of lags or narrow strips of wood or other suitable
material, the interiors of which rest upon four, six, or other desired number of
bosses placed upon the centre shaft.
In one of our improved arrangements of beams we cut on the shaft a right
and left handed screw, and fix to two of the bosses semi-nuts, having threads
corresponding with the threads of the screws, the other bosses being bored so

page_text: as to slide easily on the plain parts of the shaft or the tops of the screws.
One-half of the lags or narrow strips of wood are attached to one boss and
nut and to one-half of the supporting bosses, and the other half of the lags
are attached to the other boss and nut, and the other half of the supporting
bosses, so that when the screws are turned in the nuts or the nuts turned upon
the screws, one-half of the lags are forced one way and the other half the other
way, thereby expanding or contracting the beams or flanges according to the
direction given to the screws or nuts.
In another of our improved arrangements of beams we divide the centre
shafts into two parts, one having upon it a right-handed thread, and the other a
left-handed thread, having corresponding nuts and bosses to which the lags are
connected, by which means we are enabled to expand or contract the beam
without expanding or contracting the bearings, or to shift or adjust the
bearings without influencing the beam, or to operate upon both together when
required.
We modify this arrangement by using only one screw of either hand with a .
loose or fast collar on the shaft upon which the screw is cut, and leaving the
other part of the shaft plain, one-half being adjusted by sliding it over the shaft,
and the other half by turning the screw or nut.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 is a
longitudinal elevation, Figure 2 an end view, and Figures 3 and 4 longitudinal
and transverse sections; of one of our improved beams, having a shaft in one
piece, and upon it a right and left handed screw; Figures 5 and 6 are longi-
tudinal and transverse sections of another of our improved beams in which the
shaft is divided into two parts, one plain and the other screwed; Figure 7 is
a view of a beam for a warping machine, shewing part in section, and
Figures 8 and 9 are detached views of one of the nuts.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the lags or narrow strips forming the circum-
ference of the beam are shewn at a; they rest upon the bosses b, c, d, e, f, and
g, the bores of which fit the outer diameter of the shaft h, which is cut with the
right and left handed screws i and k, fitting corresponding threads in semi-nuts
fixed to the bosses d and e. One-half of the lags are screwed to one or both
of the bosses b and c, and also to the boss e with the nut, and the other half
of the lags are screwed to the bosses f and g, and also to the boss d with the
nut, so that when the keys are removed, and the shaft turned in the flanges or
the flanges turned upon the shaft, the flanges are expanded or contracted
according to the direction in which the shaft is turned.
In Figures 5 and 6 there is a similar arrangement of bosses to that before

page_text: described, but the shaft is divided into two parts m and n, one being plain and
the other cut with a screw o. To one of the flanges is attached a plate p, for
the purpose of holding a collar or boss q furnished with a set screw. This
arrangement enables the bearings to be contracted or expanded without
altering the flanges, or vice versa, or both together; thus, if the boss or
collar g is screwed fast to the shaft and the latter turned, then the bearings
move out or in, but if the collar is loose upon the shaft, then the bearings only
move, and either one or the other can be adjusted by exerting pressure upon
the part not required to move.
In Figure 7 we represent the application of our improvements to the beam
of a warping mill, the bosses being shewn at r, s, and t, one of the screws
at u and one of the nuts at v, one of which nuts is also shewn detached at
Figures 8 and 9.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be distinctly understood
that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein set forth, as such
may be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof; but
we claim as our Invention, and which to the best of our knowledge and belief
has not been hitherto used within the realm, the application to beams for
warping, sizing, dressing, and weaving machines, of a shaft in one piece having
a right and left handed screw, and also of a shaft in two pieces, either both
screwed, or one plain working in connection with nuts and collars for the
purpose of expanding or contracting the beams, as 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 First day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty
THOMAS BLACKBURN. (L.S.)
MARK KNOWLES.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Thomas Blackburn and Mark
Knowles, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent, Manchester.
(L.S.)