IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bradshaw and James Bradshaw, both of
Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 18th September 1863, and dated the 27th June 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bradshaw and
James Bradshaw at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 27th June 1863.
We, WILLIAM BRADSHAW and JAMES BRADSHAW, both of Blackburn, in the
County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, first, in an improved arrangement for maintaining
the yarn at its proper tension during the process of weaving. We dispense
with the ordinary weights which have hitherto been attached to the yarn
beam, and make the beam self-regulating. Instead of the beam resting on
brackets as heretofore, we place the ends of the beam in slots at the back of
the end frames, and allow it to rest against a cross piece or bracket at the top
of the slots when the yarn is pulled. We fasten one end of the ropes which
encircle the beam to the bottom rail, and the other end to the back rest or
other part above the beam, Thus the beam is guided in slots, and is
suspended against the cross pieces or brackets at the top, and is thereby
.

page_text: enabled to give all its weight to the yarn in a ratio corresponding with its
continually decreasing diameter; and when the cloth beam is reversed for
letting back the cloth, the yarn beam descends in the slots and regulates
itself; or we dispense with the ordinary weights by attaching the ropes at
both ends to the back rest or other part above the beam.
Secondly, in an improved treading motion. Instead of placing the treadles
below the tappets, as at present adopted, we place them above, and cause them
to be always in contact by weighting them sufficiently, or by stringing them
round a pulley, by which means the weight of the treadles is taken off the
healds or heddles.
Thirdly, in an improved picker and mode of guiding it. We place the boss
or guiding part of the picker on a fly spindle under the fly plate instead of
above the shuttle as at present, by which means we obtain an equal and direct
action on the shuttle, and avoid the ordinary excessive damage to the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bradshaw and James Bradshaw in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th December 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
BRADSHAW and JAMES BRADSHAW, both of Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said William Bradshaw and James Bradshaw, Her special license that
we, the said William Bradshaw and James Bradshaw, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assignis, or such others as we; the said William Bradshaw and
James Bradshaw, 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
William Bradshaw and James Bradshaw, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and 'seals,

page_text: 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 William Bradshaw and James
Bradshaw, 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, we employ certain improved arrangements for maintaining the yarn
at its proper tension during the process of weaving. We dispense with the
ordinary weights, which have hitherto been attached to the yarn beam, and
make the beam self-regulating. Instead of the beam resting on brackets as
heretofore, we place the ends or pivots of the beam in slots at the back of the
end frames, and allow the pivots, the ends of the beam, or the bosses upon
it, to rest against cross pieces, brackets, or rods when the yarn is pulled.
We fasten one end of the ropes which encircle the beam to the bottom rail or
to a strong single or compound spring, and their other ends to the back rest,
or to studs fixed to the end frames. Thus the beam is guided in slots, and is
suspended against the cross pieces, brackets, or rods, and is thereby enabled
to give all its weight to the yarn in a ratio corresponding with its conţinually
decreasing diameter; and when the cloth beam is reversed for, letting back
the cloth, the pivots of the yarn beam descend, in the slots, and the beam
regulates itself.
.3'
Secondly, we employ an improved treading motion.. Instead of placing the
treadles below the tappets as at present adopted, we place them above, and
cause them to be always in contact by weighting them sufficiently, or stringing
them round a pulley, by which means the weight of the treadles is taken off.
the healds or heddles..
.
Thirdly, we employ an improved picker and mode of guiding it. We place.
the boss or guiding part of the picker on a fly spindle under the fly. plate.
instead of above the shuttle as at present, by which means we obtain an equal
and direct action on the shuttle, and avoid the ordinary excessive damage to
the picker.
:
-
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures.
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2
are end and back elevations of part of an ordinary loom having one arrange-
ment of our improvements connected with the yarn beam, and also our
improved treading motion, and Fig. 3'a detached view of some of the parts;
Figs. 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 are end and back views of other arrangements of

page_text: our improvements connected with the yarn beam, and Fig. 8 a front view of
our improved picker and mode of guiding it.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a represents the end frames of the loom; b, the crank
shaft; c, the tappet shaft; d, the tappets; e, the slay; f, the sword arms; g, the
cloth beam; h, the yarn beam; i, the healds or heddles; and j, the treddles.
The pivots of the yarn beam are shewn at k; they are passed through slots in
the brackets l, which are jointed to the end frames, and when in their lowest
position rest or shoulders m. The brackets are connected by the rods n to
The ropes
strong single or compound springs o, bolted to the bottom rail p.
which encircle the beam are shown at q, Figs. 1, 2, and 3; their lower ends
are attached to the springs o, and their upper ends to studs r, fixed to the end
frames. During the process of weaving the beam is suspended, and the pivots
are guided in the slots, and only press against the cross pieces s at the top of
the slots in the brackets. When the reed is beating up the weft, in order to
prevent the beam from being raised too high, the brackets are held by the
strong resisting springs; and when the brackets and springs are pulled up, the
ropes are slackened, and allow the beam to turn and give off the yarn.
In Figs: 4 and 5 the pivots k of the beam . are guided in slots open at
the top, and "above the pivots there are cross pieces or brackets t, hinged to
These
the end frames and connected by rods u with the strong springs o.
cross pieces or brackets prevent the beam from being raised too high in a
similar manner to the parts s, Fig. 1, and the attachments of the ropes are the
same as those shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
In Figs. 6 and 7 we represent the application of a regulating friction and
sustaining rod at each end of the beam instead of the cross bars or brackets.
The pivots are placed in slots open at the top, and over each end of the
beam there is a rod v, curved at the end to suit the beam, and having its
other end connected to the strong spring o, the ropes being connected as
before described. The upper parts of the rods may also be formed to suit
the pivots k, or adapted to the bosses w, and the ropes may be attached at
In all these
both ends to the back rest or other part above the loom.
arrangements the tension of the yarn is regulated in a self-acting manner, and
it is only when the cloth beam is reversed for letting back the cloth that the
pivots of the beam rest at the bottom of the slots.
Our improved treading motion is shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. It consists in
placing the treadles; above the tappets d, instead of below. The said treadles
are provided with the ordinary antifriction bowls or rollers a, which are kept
in contact with the tappets either by making the treadles sufficiently heavy,
or by connecting to each a cord or band y, which is passed round the pulley <,

page_text: so that when one treadle is pushed up, the cord or band pulls the other
down.
This arrangement takes the weight of the treadles off the healds or heddles,
and thereby prevents the inconvenience which arises from the continual
stretching of the cords which connect the healds to the treadles.
Our improved picker and mode of guiding it is shewn in Fig. 8. a' repre-
sents the slay; b', the fly plate; c', the shuttle; and d¹, the picker. We place
the boss e¹ or guiding part of the picker on a fly spindle f¹, placed under the fly
plate, and connect the top of the picker by a strap with the picking stick, the
nose of the shuttle being between the pulling and the guide, and having an
equal and direct action exerted upon it.
Having now 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 the combination and arrangement of apparatus forming
the improvements in looms for weaving as herein described and illustrated
in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bradshaw, for and on behalf of
myself and the said James Bradshaw, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
by the within-named William
Bradshaw, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
WILLIAM BRADSHAW. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
Manchester.