Improvements in Wire-weaving Looms.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb. 1890
[Communicated from abroad by NATHANIEL GREENING, temporarily residing at
40, Rue Pascal, Paris, France, Mechanical Engineer.]
Improvements in Wire-weaving Looms.
"I, WILLIAM, EDWIN HEYS of 70 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
:
This Invention relates to the beating up and picking motions and to the shuttles
of looms employed in wire weaving.
49
'According to this Invention, there is secured upon each end of the main shaft, a
two-leaved or duplex cam each leaf or equivalent part of which engages with a friction
bowl mounted upon an arm which is pivotted to, or near to, the lower part of the..
frame side and which is connected to the sley. In operation, one leaf or equivalent:
part of the cam acts upon one of the rollers to give the forward stroke to the sley, i
while the other leaf or part of the cam afterwards acts upon the other roller to give
the back stroke. The cams are shaped and timed to produce the desired dwell's or's
rests in the beating up motion.
The picking motion consists of two double acting cylinders one of which is arranged.<
on each side of the loom in such a manner that the axis of one of the cylinders if,
produced, will pass through the shuttle race and form the axis of the other cylinder.
Each of the cylinders is fitted with a piston and a piston rod, and each piston rod
passes through the end of the cylinder nearest to the loom. The cylinders and piston
rods are of such a length that the end of each piston rod may reach to the shuttle at
the opposite end of the loom. In operation, the shuttle is passed through the shed by.
the piston rod which is then rapidly withdrawn; the pick is then beaten up and the
shed reversed in the ordinary manner, after which the shuttle is pushed by the second
piston rod to the opposite side of the loom and the cycle is repeated. Thus, the successive
picks are inserted by the shuttle being thrust through the shed by the end of the
piston rod which is nearest to the shuttle during its period of rest and the piston rod
is withdrawn, during successive. dwells of the shedding and beating up motions.
The motion of the pistons may be obtained. by means of steam, compressed air, or
other fluid pressure, and its admission to the cylinders is regulated by valves which 7
are controlled by cams or similar suitable devices.
It is preferred to slightly taper the ends of the piston rods and to form conical
recesses in the tips of the shuttle for the reception of the coned ends of the piston
rods.
Instead of the cylinders, pistons, and piston rods, ordinary equivalent rods
used and reciprocated by known mechanical devices.
may be
The weft wire is inserted into the shuttles on bobbins or reels against one or both
flanges of each of which a washer of felt, leather or similar material can be caused
to bear with greater or less pressure by means of a regulating screw. The tension
can thus be so regulated as to prevent the bobbin racing or over-running the shuttle
at the end of the pick.
Dated this 28th day of March A.D. 1889.
4
#
WILLIAM E. HEYS.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wire-weaving Looms.
I, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS of 70 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, 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:-
In the looms which are generally employed in weaving wire fabrics, the weft is
usually inserted by hand. This method compels the loom to be driven at a slow
speed and intermittently, since the operation is very exhausting to the operative who]
is therefore compelled to take frequent periods of rest during which the loom must
be stopped and production cease. These Improvements have for their object to
insert the weft by mechanical means and thus to obviate the exhausting labour for
the operative and to enable the loom to be run at a higher speed and without
intervals for rest.
According to these Improvements the weft is inserted from a shuttle, which is
operated by means of two horizontal reciprocating rods, one of which is placed at
each end of the shuttle race.
These rods are arranged in line, or so that the projected axis of either rod will
form the axis of the other rod and they reciprocate alternately, that is to say, one
rod makes a double stroke and then rests whilst the other rod makes a double stroke
so that each rod is at rest whilst the other rod is in motion. The shed is reversed
in the ordinary manner after every double stroke of the rods and whilst both of them
are at rest. During the forward stroke of each rod its point or end pushes the
shuttle through the shed to the opposite side of the loom; the rod then retreats
leaving the shuttle behind, the shed is reversed, and the other rod now pushes the
shuttle through the shed to the first position, the shed is again reversed and the
cycle of operations is repeated.
The shedding, beating up, letting off and taking up motions, may be constructed
arranged and operated in the usual or any convenient manner but it is preferred to
construct and operate the beating up motion as hereinafter described.
The shuttle which I employ is similar in construction to the large shuttles which
are used in weaving heavy wollen and jute goods, but it is preferably constructed of
metal. The weft is contained in the shuttles in bobbins or reels which are preferably
constructed of wood or similar light material, and it is arranged that one or both of
the flanges of the bobbin are in contact with the body of the shuttle so as to set up
just sufficient friction to prevent the bobbin over-running at the end of the stroke.
If the bobbins are made of metal, I prefer for the same purpose, to insert a disc or
washer of leather felt or similar material at one end or at both ends of the bobbin.
The amount of pressure between the bobbin and the washer or washers may be
regulated by means of a screw or spring.
The reciprocation of the horizontal rods may be effected by a variety of means,
but although cranks or cams and connecting rods and other ciechanical devices may
be employed for the purpose, I prefer because of its more positive and certain action
and greater simplicity, to employ fluid pressure through the intermediary of suitable
pistons cylinders and valves.
According to these Improvements also there is secured upon each end of the second
motion shaft of the loom a two leaved or duplex cam, each leaf or equivalent part of
which engages with a friction bowl. The friction bowls which are operated by the
cams at each side of the loom are mounted on or connected with an arm or lever
pivoted near the bottom of the loom, and the free or upper end of the arm or lever
is connected to the sley so that motion imparted by the cams to the arms or levers
is communicated to the sley. In operation one leaf or equivalent part of the cam
acts upon one of the bowls to give the forward or beat up motion to the sley and the
other leaf of the cam acts upon the other bowl to give the backward motion.
I will proceed to more particularly describe my said Invention with reference to
the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon. In each

page_text: of the Figures where they are represented, similar parts or details of the construction
are indicated by similar letters.
In the drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional plan and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation.
Fig. 3 is a continuation to the right of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a similar continuation to
the right of Fig. 2. Figs. 7 and 8 represent details of the beating up motion.
In order to secure greater clearness in the drawings, those portions of the loom to
which these Improvements do not particularly relate and the representation of which
is not necessary for their explanation, are omitted, it being understood that they may
be of the ordinary and well known construction and arrangement.
A is the first motion shaft driven by the step pulleys B, and carrying the clutch C
by means of which the picking, shedding, and beating up motions may be put into
and out of gear. . On the end of the first motion shaft there is mounted the pinion D
gearing with the spur wheel E which is mounted on the second motion shaft F.
At the opposite end of the second motion shaft there is mounted the bevel pinion G
gearing with a bevel wheel secured on the end of the shaft I which carries at its other
end the cam I (Fig. 2) the function of which is to operate the valve motion by means
of which the motion of the reciprocating rods is controlled. J, J! are cylinders,
containing the pistons to which the rods K and K are secured. A port is constructed'
at each end of each cylinder for the inlet and exhaust of the.operating fluid and these
ports are controlled by slide valves in a similar manner to that adopted in ordinary
double acting fluid pressure engines with the exception that because of the greater
length of the cylinders two separate valves and valve chests are preferred to be used
as represented in the drawings; but, the two valves on each cylinder being rigidly
connected by means of the rods L L the result is precisely the saine. The forward
end of each cylinder (through the cover of which the rod passes) is next to the end
of the shuttle race on each side of the loom and in line therewith, so that the end of
the rod, when at the end of its back stroke is about in contact with the tip of the
shuttle which is then resting on the table or support at the end of the shuttle race.
The action of the apparatus is as follows,-the shuttle being at M and both pistons
being at the ends of their back strokes, the fluid under pressure is admitted behind
the piston in J, and it, with the rod attached thereto, is consequently pushed forward
and the point of the rod pushes the shuttle before it until the shuttle has arrived
at M' as indicated in the dotted lines in the drawing. The rod L is then reversed
and the consequent motion of the valves closes the inlet and opens the oxhaust at the
back end of the cylinder and opens the inlet and closes the exhaust at the front end.
In consequence of this reversal of the valves the motion of the reciprocating rod K
is reversed and it retreats to its starting point leaving the shuttle behind, and leaving
the shed free for its reversal which now takes place. After the shedding and beating'
up motions have taken place the same cycle of operations is repeated at the opposite
side of the loom, and the cyles are repeated with successive insertions of the weft
from opposite sides of the loom as long as may be desired or until the exigencies of
the work demand a stoppage.
The fluid pressure may be derived in the case of steain, from a boiler or steam
generator; in the case of compressed air, direct from an air compressor; and in the
case of water, from a pump or hydraulic accumulator. In either case the construction'
and arrangement of the sources of fluid pressure need not differ from those of a like'
kind used for other or for analogous purposes and as they are well known and under-
stood it is not necessary to describe them.
The valves may be conveniently operated by the devices represented in the
drawings. These devices are actuated by the channel cam I in the groove of
which are two friction bowls connected respectively to the two opposite connecting
rods N N¹. These connecting rods are pinned to the levers 0 0¹, through which the
motion of the connecting rods is transmitted alternately to the valve rods L L'. The
groove in the cam is annular except at one point where there is an increase of
diameter followed by a dwell which is succeeded by a reduction to the original
diameter. The friction bowls connected with the connecting rods N N are respec-
tively at opposite diameters of the groove in the cam, and consequently the cam

page_text: operates the valves at each side of the loom once in every revolution and a half
revolution of the cam takes place between operating those to the right and those to
the left. The cam is therefore timed by the gearing by means of which it is driven
to rotate once for every two picks.
The pipes connecting the valve chests with the source of fluid pressure are not
represented in the drawings as their arrangement is well understood and their intro-
duction in the drawings would only tend to confuse.
In the case of looms only employed for weaving comparatively narrow widths of
fabric, and in some other cases, the rods K K¹ may be reciprocated by means of the
devices indicated in Fig. 5. As illustrated in the drawing the cam I by its rotation
reciprocates the rods N N¹ which correspond with the similar rods in the arrange-
ment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. On the rods N N¹ at each side of the loom there
is fixed a pin or stud working in a slot in a lever O fulcrumed at P. The upper end
of this lever is connected by the link Q to the reciprocating rod K and its extent of
motion is indicated by the dotted lines. The cam I is shaped as indicated in the
drawings so as to give a comparatively quick forward and return stroke to the rod
and a dwell thereafter during the reversal of the warps by the shedding motion. In
the drawing Fig. 5 the apparatus at one side of the loom only is represented, but it
will be understood that a similar arrangement is employed at each side of the loom
as represented in Figs. 1 and 2 for the method of operating the rods by fluid
pressure.
To enable a good selvedge to be formed, and to prevent the drag thereon by the
weft issuing from the shuttle in its passage across the loom, the arrangement illustrated
in Fig. 6 may be employed.
In this arrangement a saddle S is mounted upon a cross girder R just in front of
the breast roller T. The upper part of the saddle carries the fixing U which projects
upon one side so as to come over the selvedge of the cloth in the loom, and for this
purpose also the saddle is adjustable upon the cross girder. Within the saddle there
slides vertically a carriage V upon the upper part of which there are fixed the
presser W and the pricker X. The saddle is reciprocated vertically by means of the
link Y and the cam Z which rotates once for each alternate pick, so that the carriage
is at the top of its stroke when the shuttle is at that end of the loom. By the motion
of the shuttle the weft issuing therefrom passes around the pricker X and is held
thereby so long as the effective pull by the shuttle continues. The strain of the weft
is therefore taken up by the pricker instead of by the outside warp threads and the
even width of the fabric is ensured. At the top of the stroke of the carriage the
presser W compresses the selvedge between its upper surface and the lower surface
of the projecting part of the fixing U which is by preference provided with the
screw the lower end of which is formed to a plane and forms an adjustable abut-
ment for the presser W. It will be understood that one of the apparatus illustrated
in Fig. 6 is provided for each selvedge of the cloth in the loom.
There is a complete set of the cams levers and friction bowls and links or rods
(Figs. 7 and 8) constituting the beating-up apparatus at each side of the loom, and,
since these two sets are precisely similar in all respects except that one set is right
handed and the other set left handed, the description hereinafter given of the apparatus
on one side will equally apply to that on the other side.
A is the first motion shaft geared by the spur wheels D E to the second motion
shaft F on the ends of which the cams 1 and 2 which operate the beating up motion
are mounted outside the framing. Outside the framing also, a lever 9 is pivoted at 10
to the loom side and connected by the links 8 to the sley 6. On the lever 9 there is
mounted the friction bowl 3 and a stud 5 to which the rod 11 is connected. On this
rod, which reciprocates with the motion of the lever 9 between the guide bowls 7 7",
there is mounted the friction bowl 4 in such a position as to be in the plane of the
cam 2 and to be in contact therewith during a part of the rotation of the cam. The
cam 1 is in the same plane as the friction bowl 3 and is in contact with that bowl
during a part of its rotation. The cams are shaped as indicated in Fig. 2 so as to give
successive motions and dwells as is well understood. In operation the cam 1 acting
4

page_text: upon the friction bowl 3 during its period of contact presses forward the upper part
of the arm or lever 9 to which the bowl is attached, and thus drives the sley forward
to beat up, and at the same time draws forward the rod 11 carrying the friction
bowl 4. The continued rotation of the shaft F now brings the cam 2 into contact
with the friction bowl 4, and, through the rod 11 upon which it is mounted, returns
the lever and consequently the sley also to the first position represented in
Fig. 2.
Instead of the friction bowl 4 being mounted upon a rod connected to the lever 9,
this bowl may be mounted upon an extension from or a bracket carried by the lever,
but it is preferred to employ the arrangement illustrated by the drawings and herein-
before described.
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,
(1) In a wire woven loom; the combination of a shuttle having the weft on a
bobbin therein, two alternately reciprocating rods arranged to and operated to push
the shuttle completely across the loom in alternate directions in such a manner that
picks from the right are inserted by one of the rods and picks from the left by the
other rod, devices for operating the rods and prickers and pressers for securing and
compressing the selvedges; substantially as and for the purpose herein before described
and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
(2) In a wire weaving loom; the combination of a shuttle having the weft on a
bobbin therein, two alternately reciprocating rods arranged and operated to push the
shuttle completely across the loom in alternate directions in such a manner that picks
from the right are inserted by one of the rods and picks from the left are inserted by
the other rod; substantially. .as and for the purpose herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
(3) In a wire weaving loom in which the shuttle is pushed from side to side of the
loom by means of two opposite alternately reciprocating rods; the combination with
each rod of a piston enclosed in a suitable cylinder, inlet and exhaust passages, and
devices for operating the valves; substantially as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
(4) In a wire weaving loom in which the shuttle is pushed from side to side of the
loom by means of two opposite alternately reciprocating rods; the combination with
each rod of a cam wiper or crank, and a multiplying lever, substantially as and
for the purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
(5) In a wire weaving loom; a shuttle in which the weft is carried on a bobbin
having its flanges or flange in frictional contact with the body of the shuttle or with
a washer or washers in frictional contact with the body of the shuttle; substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
(6) In a wire weaving loom; a beating-up motion constructed arranged and
operated substantially as herein before described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
(7) In a beating up motion of a wire weaving loom; the construction and arrange-
ment at each side of the loom of two cams or of an equivalent duplex or two-leaved
cam operating to impart a to and fro or beating up motion to the sley; substantially
as herein before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
(8) In the beating up motion of a wire weaving loom; the combination and
arrangement of a pivoted arm or lever 9 with two friction bowls 4, 5, and a link or
links connecting the free end of the lever 9 with the sley; substantially as herein-
before described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of December A.D. 1889.