Improvements in Plain Looms for Weaving Circular Fabrics.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Plain Looms for Weaving Circular Fabrics.
:-
I, FRED BARKER, of Vale Mill, Todmorden, in the County of York, Cotton
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to weave circular or tubular fabrics in an ordi-
nary plain loom, by an improved means or method.
Hitherto it has been customary in weaving tubular or circular fabrics to em-
ploy a special form of dobby operated by tappets to raise the healds and strong
spiral springs have been employed to draw the healds down or return them to
their normal position or a spring top motion has been employed in lieu of a
dobby. Now the use of springs is unreliable and is objectionable on account
of the unnecessary tension they put upon the healds, and the object of my in-
vention is to dispense entirely with the use of springs for operating the healds,
and to operate the said healds by positive and reliable mechanism.
For the purpose of my invention, I employ a modification of what is known
as a five shaft roller top motion, but I only employ four of the shafts to weave
the cloth, the other or fifth shaft, which I term a skeleton shaft being employed
to act as a balance to two other shafts. Each shaft is connected to or actuated
at the bottom by a special form of tappet.
The following is the order in which the shafts are raised for the four picks
necessary to complete the weave.
For the first pick, shaft one is raised, shafts two, three, and four are down,
and the skeleton shaft is raised; for the second pick, shafts one, two, and three
are raised, shaft 4 is down, and the skeleton shaft is down. For the third pick
shafts one and two are down, shaft three is raised, shaft four is down and the
skeleton shaft is raised; and for the fourth pick, shaft one is raised, shaft two
is down, shafts three and four are raised, and the skeleton shaft is down.
As will be seen from the above, the arrangement of the tappets and roller top
motion is such that when the skeleton shaft is down, two other shafts are raised,
and when the skeleton shaft is raised two other shafts are lowered, so that the
skeleton shaft may be said to act as a balance to two other shafts.
When fabric woven by the above arrangement is taken out of the loom and
opened out, it is of a circular or tubular form, and the arrangement is principally
used for weaving pillow slips or other articles for the manufacture of which a
seamless, tubular or circular fabric is desired, though it may be employed for
weaving fabrics of other descriptions.
D
1 of Ontalon 1900

page_text: Improvements in Plain Looms for Weaving Circular Fabrics.
I, FRED BARKER, of Vale Mill, Todmorden, in the County of York, Cotton
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to weave circular or tubular fabrics in an ordi-
nary plain loom by an improved means or method.
Hitherto it has been customary in weaving tubular or circular fabrics to em-
ploy a special form of dobby operated by tappets to raise the healds and strong
spiral springs have been employed to draw the healds down or return them to
their normal position or a spring top motion has been employed in lieu of a
dobby. Now the use of springs is unreliable and objectionable on account
of the unnecessary tension they put upon the healds, and the object of my in-
vention is to dispense entirely with the use of springs for operating the healds,
and to operate the said healds by positive and reliable mechanism.
For the purpose of my invention, I employ a modification of what is known
as a five shaft roller top motion, but I only employ four of the shafts to weave
the cloth, the other or fifth shaft, which I term a skeleton shaft being employed
to act as a balance to two other shafts. Each shaft is connected to or actuated
at the bottom by a special form of tappet.
My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is sectional side elevation of my improved arrangement
for weaving tubular fabrics and Fig. 2 is front view of the tappets drawn on an
enlarged scale.
Letter a represents what is known as a "five shaft roller top motion" con-
sisting of bowls and flexible connections to the heald shafts. The four heald
shafts b, c, d, &c, only, are furnished with mails for carrying the warp threads
the fifth shaft f being what I term a "skeleton shaft" or connection which acts
as a balance to the remaining shafts. The healds are drawn down to form the
shed by the action of their respective tappets b', c¹, d¹, e¹, & f¹ acting on bowls
in treadle" levers h, and connections i.
"
The working of the shafts to form the sheds is as follows:
For the first pick, shaft 6 is raised, shafts c, d, and e, are down, and the skele-
ton shaft is raised, which is the position shewn in Fig. 1; for the second pick,
shaft remains up, shafts c and d are raised, shaft e remains down, and the
skeleton shaft f is lowered; for the third pick, shaft bis lowered, shaft re-
mains up, shaft d is lowered, shaft e remains down and the skeleton shaft f is
raised, and for the fourth pick on which the weave is complete, shaft b is raised
shaft cremains up shaft d remains down, shaft e is raised and the skeleton
shaft is lowered.
It will be seen that each time the shaft f is raised, two other shafts are lowered,
and that when said shaft f is lowered two other shafts are raised so that skeleton
shaft may be said to act as a balance to two other shafts.
The tappet shaft j makes one revolution during every four picks.
When a fabric woven by the above arranged mechanism is taken out of the
loom and opened out, it is of a circular or tubular form, and the arrangement
is principally used for weaving pillow slips or other articles for the manufacture
of which a seamless, tubular or circular fabric is desired, though it may be
employed for weaving fabrics of other descriptions.

page_text: 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:-
In looms for weaving tubular or circular fabrics, the arrangement of healds
and means for operating same substantially as herein set forth and shewn in
the accompanying drawings.
ted this 5th day of July 1899.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Patent Agents, Halifax, Agents for Applicant.