IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRIVING LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus William Smethurst, of Chorley, in the
County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, for the Invention-
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRIVING LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 29th July 1859, and dated the 23rd February 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustus William.
Smethurst at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd February 1859.
I, AUGUSTUS WILLIAM SMETHURST, of Chorley, in the County of Lancaster,
Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRIVING LOOMS FOR WEAVING,"
to be as follows:-
In driving looms it is customary to fix a driving pulley to the crank shaft,
which driving pulley is turned round by a strap in communication with the
Now, my Invention consists in fixing the driving pulley to a
supplementary shaft to which is fixed a cone; a similar cone is also fixed to
the crank shaft, and a strap passes around the cones, thereby communicating
motion to the crank shaft from the supplementary shaft. The cones are
placed in contrary directions (that is to say) the smaller end of one cone is.
opposite the larger end of the other, consequently by moving the strap along
the cones, the speed of the crank shaft is increased or diminished. I prefer
to move the cone strap by means of a strap guide acted upon by a lever, which
can be held in any position by a notched segment, but any other suitable

page_text: combination of machinery may. be used to traverse the cone strap along the
cones.
The speed of the loom may also be varied at pleasure by a friction disc and
pulley, the pulley being moved nearer to or further from the centre of the
disc.
By means of these improvements in driving looms, the speed can be
changed while the loom is at work, thereby enabling the weaver to increase
or diminish the speed according to the fabric to be woven, and to the quality
of the warn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Augustus William Smethurst. in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th August 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTUS
WILLIAM SMETHURST, of Chorley, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Spinner
and Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Augustus William Sinethurst, Her special licence that I,
the said Augustus William Smethurst, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Augustus William Smethurst, my
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 MACHINERY
FOR DRIVING LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Augustus William Smethurst, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Augustus William Smethurst, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say) :-
In driving looms it is customary to fix a driving pulley to the crank shaft,
which driving pulley is turned round by a strap in communication with the
first mover. Now, my Invention consists in fixing the driving pulley to a
supplementary shaft, to which is fixed a cone; a similar cone is also fixed to
the crank shaft, and a strap passes around the cones, thereby communicating
motion to the crank shaft from the supplementary shaft. The cones are
placed in contrary directions (that is to say) the smaller end of one cone is
opposite the larger end of the other, consequently by moving the strap along
the cones, the speed of the crank shaft is increased or diminished. I prefer
to move the cone strap by means of a strap guide acted upon by a lever,
which can be held in any position by a notched segment or rail, but any other
suitable combination of machinery may be used to traverse the cone strap
along the cones.
The speed of the loom may also be varied at pleasure by a friction disc and
pulley, the pulley being moved nearer to or further from the centre of the
disc.
But in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a loom, showing one mode of
applying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a front view; and Fig. 3 a plan of the
same; this latter view is also shewn partly in section. a, a, are the loom sides
connected by the front rail 6 and back rail c; d is the crank shaft; and e the
tappet shaft. The foregoing and all the other parts required to complete the
loom, which are not shewn in the Drawings, or not particularly referred to
hereafter, are made in the usual manner.
The supplementary shaft f is supported in bearings fixed to one of the loom
sides a and to the cross rail 6'; on this shaft is fixed the driving pulley f¹
and the conc f, which communicates motion to the crank shaft & by the
strap g, which passes under the cone f³, and over the cone d¹ fixed to the
crank shaft. The strap 9 passes through the strap guide h, forming part of
the lever h¹, which is mounted on the fulcrum stud i fixed to a bracket i¹,
bolted to the cross rail 6, or otherwise secured to the framing of the loom.
The lever hand the strap guide hare held in position by the edge of the
lever fitting in the notches in the rail j, which is bolted to the front rail b.
The mode of operation is as follows:-When motion is communicated to the

page_text: sbaft f by the driving strap k, shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 1 passing around
the driving pulley f', this motion is transmitted to the crank shaft d by the
strap g, as above described, and when the strap guide h and lever ' are at
right angles with the shafts a and f, as shewn by the dotted line A, in Fig. 3,
the crank shaft a will revolve at the same speed as the supplementary shaft f,
because the strap g is then held in the centre of the cones. When it is
requisite to increase the speed of the crank shaft, the lever h¹ and strap guide
h are moved towards the dotted line B, and the contrary effect is produced by
moving the lever and strap guide towards the line C. The changes in the
position of the strap guide are produced by the attendant acting on the handle
projecting from the lever h¹.
The variations in the speed of the crank shaft of looms may also be
produced by fixing a friction disc to the crank shaft, and applying a moveable
friction pulley to a supplementary shaft; by moving this friction pulley
nearer to or further from the axis of the friction dise the requisite changes in
speed-would be produced.
By means of these improvements in driving looms the speed of the crank
shaft and other working parts can be changed while the loom is at work,
thereby enabling the weaver to increase or diminish the speed according to the
fabric to be woven, and to the quality of the warp.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the details shewn and described, as the same may be varied or modified
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I'
claim is, the improvements in machinery described, or any mere modification
thereof, whereby the speed of the crank shaft and other working parts of
looms may be increased or diminished without stopping the loom.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus William Smethurst, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
HIGHSTIC WITTIANE MENTHLIDST
AUGUSTUS W TIAM SMETHURST (2.5.)