IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING." A communication
from abroad by Lucius James Knowles, of the State of Massachusetts, of
the United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th July 1881.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING." A communication from abroad by Lucius James Knowles, of
the State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America.
The Invention relates to a "closed-shed loom." The looms at present in extensive
use bearing the name of the said Knowles, and containing improvements made by
him are generally what are termed "open-shed looms;" but for some classes of goods
some manufacturers prefer a loom working with a closed shed, while they desire to
retain many of the features of the open shed looms, more especially the said
Knowles' drop-shuttle-box mechanism, and his elevated frame at one end of the
loom with angle heddle-levers, so easily removed therefrom or replaced therein.
Accordingly the object in making this Invention has been to construct a closed
shed mechanism in such manner that it will work to advantage in one of said
Knowles' ordinary loom frames, in combination with said Knowles' drop-shuttle-
box mechanism; and the Invention in part consists in the employment in a
closed-shed mechanism of angle-levers, which are connected with the heddles in the
same manner as the angle levers of the open-shed loom described in the said
Knowles' United States Patent, No. 134,992, and which, as is also true of the angle-
levers of the said open-shed loom, are located in an elevated frame at one end of
the loom, the mechanism for shifting the said angle or heddle-levers, and for
directing in which way they shall move, being within the angle of said lever. The
Invention consists also in the combination of angle-heddle-levers and mechanism
for working them in closed-shed looms, with the compound levers of a drop shuttle..
'

page_text: box motion, both the mechanism for operating the heddle lever and the
mechanism for operating the compound levers, including the pattern mechanism
for both, being within the angle of the heddle-levers. The Invention consists
also in the combination of heddle-levers and mechanism for working them in
a closed-shed loom with the compound levers of a drop-shuttle-box-motion, and
mechanism for operating said compound levers, consisting of vibrating geers,
constantly revolving cylinders, and connecting rods, substantially as described
in Patents to said Knowles (among others his United States Patent, No. 134,992),
the heddle-levers taking a positive motion from the shaft of one of the constantly
revolving cylinders of the drop-shuttle-box mechanism. The Invention consists
also in a number of heddle-levers and mechanism for working them in a closed-
shed loom, the said mechanism consisting essentially of a vibrating evener
common to all the heddle-levers, weighted switches, one in each heddle-lever, and a
pattern-chain, the fingers riding the pattern-chain and assisting in the operation of
the switches, in combination with the compound lever of a drop-shuttle-box motion
and mechanism for working said compound lever, consisting essentially of a pattern-
chain, vibrating geers, constantly revolving cylinders and connecting rods, the two
pattern-chains running upon a common shaft, and the evener taking its vibrations
from an eccentric on the shaft of one of the constantly revolving cylinders of the
drop-shuttle-box-motion. The Invention consists further in certain details of
construction, and of these, more especially in the combination of the pattern-chain
of the heddle-mechanism and an equally poised finger riding thereon with a heddle-
lever and an unequally poised switch therein, the unequal poise of the switch itself
shifting the switch in one direction, and the unequal poise of the finger overcoming
the unequal poise of the switch to shift the switch in the other direction; and
again, in the combination of weighted fingers riding on the pattern chain with
weighted switches in the heddle-levers in such manner that the fingers serve as
combs or guides for the switches, while the switches serve as combs or guides for
the fingers; and again, in the construction of the frame of the evener in two parts,
which are so connected that they work together as one piece when the evener is
carried down on one side or the other of the switches, but divide when the evener
strikes and rests upon the apex of a sticking switch, so that no harm shall result to
other parts of the loom from a sticking switch. In the Drawings I have shown
only so much of a loom as is necessary to illustrate the Invention. Figure 1 is a
front elevation of a loom with the beam and the lay and the shuttle and driving
inechanisms removed; Figure 2 is a partial plan of a loom; Figure 3 is an enlarged
sectional elevation on the line A', B₁, of Figure 2, but not showing any of the
drop-shuttle-box-mechanism, the driving mechanism is also omitted; Figures 4, 5,
and 6, are details to which special reference will be made hereafter; Figure 7 is a
partial elevation taken upon the back-side of the loom, showing more especially the
connection of the drop-shuttle-box-mechanism with the heddle-mechanism. A is
the frame, being the same frame that is ordinarily used for the heavy open-shed
looms, as shown in the Drawing of the said Patent, No. 134,992; B (see Figure 7)
is an upright shaft; C, C¹, are the shafts of the upper and lower constantly
revolving cylinders C³, C³; D, D, (see Figure 2) are vibrating arms pivoted
to the shaft a and carrying the vibrating geers E, E; F is the pattern-chain
of the drop-shuttle-box-motion turning upon shaft K¹; G, G', are two connecting
rods; H, a compound lever for working the drop-shuttle-boxes; J, the tier
of drop-shuttle-boxes, and J¹ the connecting chain, all constructed, located, and
operated substantially as in the loom of the said Patent, No. 134,992; K is a
heddle-leaf, and L, L, are heddle-levers. For clearness in the Drawings but
one heddle-leaf is shown, and in most of the Figures but one heddle-lever, all of
the heddle leaves being of the same construction, as are likewise all the heddle-
levers. Each heddle-leaf is connected with its heddle-lever by cords b, b, as in
the said open-shed loom. These heddle levers are angle levers, and they are
all pivoted each by a slot in the exterior angle thereof to a common shaft c

page_text: in the elevated part of the frame. Each has a projection d from its upper arm,
and in this projection is a large slot e which is substantially triangular in shape,
but which has a branch slot et at its upper angle. To the upper-arm also of each
heddle-lever, upon one side, is pivoted at f a switch S, the upper part or head of
which is shaped like a flat arrow head, but is brought to one side from the plane
of the shank of the switch, so as to lie within the triangular slot e and in the
plane of the heddle-lever and its projection d. A triangular slot e³ in the head of
the switch lessens the weight of the head, while, on the contrary, a projection from
the lower part of the switch increases the weight of the switch as a whole upon
one side. This projection is in the plane of the pivoted shank of the switch, and
carries a pin p. The object of the switch is to determine the path of the ovener O,
which will be hereafter fully described in connection with the devices for giving it
motion. It is sufficient here to say that the evener acts also as a depressor and an
elevator, and that the triangular head of the switch is of such size, compared with
the slot e in which it vibrates from side to side, that when it falls to one side of
the slot a path or cam-groove is made for the evener at the other side, and that the
heddles are operated in one direction or the other from their central and normal
position according to the path of the evener thus formed. The unequal poise of
the switch tends to throw its head always to one side of the slot e, and the head is
thrown or lifted to the other side by a finger N striking the pin p, as will be next
explained. There is one of these fingers for each switch. They are all pivoted
by open slots, as shown, to a fixed cross-shaft q, which is supported by a bracket q¹
secured to the frame by slots and screws, as shown (see Figure 5), to give the
shaft a vertical adjustment. The fingers are all of the same construction and mode
of operation, and a description of one is sufficient. Each finger is an unequally
poised lever, the heavier arm normally riding on the pattern-chain K2 belonging to
the heddle mechanism, this chain turning on the shaft K₁ which was before
mentioned as the shaft carrying the chain of the drop shuttle-box motion. A
slanting plate K³ assists in supporting and guiding the pattern chain K2 in the
usual manner. The shaft is so adjusted by means of its bracket q¹, that the
lighter arm of each finger N lies just below or just in contact with a pin p of one
of the switches S when the switch is permitted to assume the position determined
by its gravity, as before stated and as shown in Figure 3, and when also the
heavier arm of the finger is upon a projection of the pattern chain K³. In this
position the finger N has no effect upon the switch S with which it works, but
when the heavy arm of the switch falls upon a depression of the pattern-chain,
the light arm flying up carries up the pin p and shifts the switch head to the other
side of the slot c. When the evener O next descends and operates the heddle-
lever, the latter will carry the switch with it and the pin p will be lifted from the
finger. On the return of the evener to the branch slot e¹ the gravity of the switch
will cause it to endeavor to return to its normal condition, and it is evident that
the pin p may find the finger in the position which it occupied when the pin left it,
so that there will be no change in the next shed, as far as the particular heddle-leaf
is concerned, or the finger may have fallen to its lowest position, the heavy arm
having been lifted by a projection of the pattern-chain, and there will be a change
of shed. This independent movement of the fingers, relatively to the switches
and of the switches relatively to the fingers, is one of the most important features
of the present Invention, since it follows therefrom that the pattern-chain of the
heddle mechanism can make its change independently of the condition of the shed,
thus doing away with the need of any very nice adjustment in timing the said
pattern-chain with the heddle-mechanism. And accordingly the pattern-chain of
the heddle-mechanism and the pattern-chain of the drop-shuttle box-mechanism
may run without difficulty upon a common shaft. It may add to a clearer
understanding of this important feature to point out that it is immaterial that tho
pattern-chain may change at a time when the light arm of the finger N is at
its lowest pesition and the pin p in contact therewith. The heavy arm of the

page_text: finger is then resting upon a projection of the pattern chain, but if this projection
passes on and a depression comes under the finger, the pin p will hold the finger
until the evener passes into the branch, slot e', when the heavy arm will descend
to the depression of the chain, and the unequal poise of the finger overcoming the
unequal poise of the switch will shift the switch. An ordinary comb M serves as
a guide to keep the fingers N in their proper places relative to each other upon or
over the pattern chain, the fingers being of such length that they perform this
office when the fingers are lifted clear from the pattern-chain, which happens,
as is evident, when the upper arms of the heddle-levers are thrown outwards, if
the pin p at the beginning of their movement rest on the lighter arms of the
fingers and the heavier arms lie on projections of the chain; and it is to be
observed as an important feature of the Invention that the light ends of the
fingers N pass between or interlock with the projections of the switches below the
pins in such manner that the switches serve as a comb for the fingers and the
fingers serve as a comb for the switches, although both said combs are moveable
each within the other. Another moveable comb c belonging to the heddle-
mechanism is upon the forward end of the evener-frame and serves as a guide for
the upper arms of the heddle levers, a fixed comb c³ being a guide for the lower arms
of the heddle-levers. The combs M, c3 and c³, and the two formed by, the
interlocking of the fingers and the switches keep the heddle mechanism including
the fingers perfectly steady, although otherwise both heddle-levers and fingers are
lightly held within the loom, and it is obvious that both may easily be removed
for repairs or adjustment, it being only necessary to take out the evener bar and
unhitch the cords before taking out a heddle-lever, and there being nothing to be
done before taking out a finger. 01, 0', are two shafts forming part of and
supporting the remainder of the evener frame. They vibrate upon the shaft a by
means of sleeves 82, 82, upon the shaft and from which they project, other sleeves §³, 8³,
There are
with proper set screws keeping the evener frame in place on said shaft a.
three cross-bars w¹, w², and w, between the shafts O¹, O¹, and to the shafts O¹, 0¹,
at t³, ts, are hinged as shown two other shafts 02, 02, having a cross bar w and
carrying the evener O. The evener frame accordingly consists of two parts
hinged together at t³, 13. W, W, are two thimbles, the larger and open end of each
of which is inserted in a hole in the cross-bar w³, and in each thimble, as shown, is
placed a coiled spring pressing against the bar wo in the other part of the frame
with sufficient force to cause the two parts of the frame to act as a rigid frame in
the ordinary operation of the loom, but permitting the two parts to open upon the
hingest, when the evener O strikes the apex of a switch. S, thereby obviating any
damage to other parts of the loom from a sticking or improperly working switch.
A projection g' from the cross-bar w' struck upon a curve with the axis of the
pivots 3 as a center and working in a slot in bar w³, serves as a guide to control
the opening and shutting of the two parts of the evener frame upon its hinges t³.
R, R, are two excentrics cast in one piece with a sleeve which is keyed to the
shaft C already mentioned as the shaft of the upper constantly rotating cylinder
geer of the drop-shuttle-box motion, and each eccentric R works between and in
connection with two parallel bearing plates belonging to casting H', bolted one
casting upon each arm 0¹ of the evener-frame, one bearing plate being above and
the other below each eccentric. Accordingly the evener derives its vibrating
motion from the said shaft C.
.
I claim,―
Firstly. The combination of angle-heddle-levers and heddles in a closed shed loom,
each heddle-lever provided with a weighted switch and located in an elevated

page_text: in the other direction, and the vibrating evener, the weighted fingers, the pattern
mechanism, and the switches being all substantially within the angle of the heddle-
levers, substantially as described.
Secondly. The combination of heddles and heddle levers suitably connected in a
closed shed loom, and mechanism for operating them, with a tier of drop-shuttle-
boxes and a compound lever also suitably connected, and mechanism for operating
said compound lever, consisting essentially of a pattern-chain, vibrating arms,
vibrating geers, constantly revolving geer cylinders and connecting rods, the
heddle-levers taking a positive motion from the shaft of one of the constantly
revolving geer-cylinders, substantially as described.
Thirdly. A number of heddle-levers and heddles suitably connected, and
mechanism for working the same in a closed-shed-loom, the said mechanism
consisting essentially of a vibrating evener common to all the heddle-levers,
weighted switches, one in each heddle-lever, a pattern-chain and weighted fingers
riding thereon, in combination with a tier of drop-shuttle-boxes, a compound lever
connected therewith and mechanism for working said compound lever, consisting
essentially of a pattern-chain, vibrating arms, geers carried by said arms, constantly
rotating geer cylinders and connecting rods, the two pattern-chains running upon a
common shaft, and the evener taking its vibrations from the shaft of one of the
said constantly rotating geer-cylinders of the drop-shuttle-box mechanism,
substantially as described.
Fourthly. The combination of the angle-levers and mechanism for working
them in a closed-shed loom with the compound levers of the drop-shuttle-box.
motion, and their operating mechanism, both the mechanism for operating the
heddle-levers and the mechanism for operating the drop-shuttle-boxes, including
the two pattern-mechanisms, being within the angle of the heddle levers, substan-
tially as described.
Fifthly. The combination of the pattern-chain of a heddle-mechanism and an
unequally poised finger riding thereon with a heddle-lever and an unequally
poised switch thereon, the unequal poise of the switch shifting it in one direction,
and the unequal poise of the finger overcoming the unequal poise of the switch to
shift the switch in the other direction, substantially as described.
Sixthly. The combination of a pattern-chain and weighted fingers riding
thereon with the heddle-levers of a heddle mechanism in a closed-shed-loom, and
weighted switches in said heddle-levers, the fingers serving as combs for the
switches, while the switches serve as combs for the fingers, substantially as
described.
Seventhly. The combination of a pattern-chain and weighted fingers riding thereon
with the heddle-levers and weighted switches in said heddle-levers, each finger
assisting in the control of a switch, but being independent of any switch or heddle-
lever in its own movement, substantially as described.
Eighthly. In a closed-shed-loom a vibrating evener and evener-frame in
combination with the heddle-levers and heddles, the heddle levers provided with
switches and the evener frame formed in two parts hinged together, substantially
as described.
Ninthly. In a closed-shed-loom mechanism the combination of the vibrating
evener O, rods O¹, 0', 02, 0³, hinges t³, ts, springs t, t, and projections g', g¹,
substantially as described.
Tenthly. In a closed-shed-loom the combination of the pattern-chain K², weighted
fingers F, comb M, angle-heddle levers L, cords b, and heddles K, weighted
switches S, pins p, vibrating evener O, and suitable mechanism for operating the
evener and turning the pattern-chain, substantially as described.
Eleventhly. In a closed-shed-loom mechanism the combination of the pattern-
chain K, weighted fingers N, cross-shaft q, adjustable bracket q', angle-heddle-
levers L, switches S, and pins p, substantially as described.
Twelfthly. The shafts C, C, cylinders C, C³, vibrating arms D, D, vibrating

page_text: geers E, E, connecting rods G, G', compound lever H, drop-shuttle-boxes J,
connecting chain J, pattern-chain F, and shaft K, pattern-chain K³, fingers N, N,
heddle-levers L, L, switches S, S, pins p, p, evener O with its frame provided
with castings A, the eccentric R, cords b, and heddle-levers K, all constructed,
combined, and arranged substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of July, A.D. 1881.
תמתח
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