CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING FIGURED FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Jamieson of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE
Sealed the 9th March 1858, and dated the 10th September 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Jamieson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th September 1857.
I, WILLIAM JAMIESON, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING FIGURED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
It consists in improvements in jacquard looms, and relates to the parts by
which the figure is produced.
The first improvement consists in the application of two double levers, cach
of which consists of two parallel arms; these lovers are placed one over the
other, and turn in centres or bearings at the front of the loom, and nearly over
the point where the cloth is formed; they are geared together by means of
toothed segments, or otherwise connected, so that when the upper lever rises
the lower one falls, and when the lower one rises the upper one falls. Betwixt
the arms which constitute the uppermost lever are fixed the "knives or blades,"
which act on the hooks by which the shed is raised; also betwixt the arms
which constitute the lowermost lever is fixed a plate of metal or board, per-
310

page_text: forated with holes, through which pass the hooks which are of the usual
construction. By these means, when the lowermost lever falls it allows the
shed to fall with it, and thus by the joint action of the two levers a double
shed is produced. The levers are actuated by a crank, cam, or eccentric in the
usual manner. The effect of this arrangement is that an even and clear shed
is produced for the passage of the shuttle.
A second improvement consists in improved machinery by which the cards
are brought to act successively upon the needles. Instead of the usual square
axis or batten, I use a plate of wood or metal, which is perforated with holes
in a similar manner to one side of it; this plate is pressed by springs up to or
against the needles; this action produces the arrangement of the needles
corresponding to the perforations of the card which happens to be in action at
the time in the usual manner. When the card is to be changed the per-
forated plate is drawn back, the card which has been in operation is passed
forward, and a fresh card takes its place; the springs are then allowed to press
the perforated plate up to or against the needles as before, and the operation
is continued in the same manner. The mechanism by which these evolutions
are produced is put in motion by means of one of the levers before mentioned
to which it is connected. The various evolutions therefore go on simulta-
neously with the opening and closing of the shed, each movement being
performed precisely at the proper time. The form, construction, and arrange-
ment of this part of the Invention may however be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Jamieson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JAMIESON, of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Jamieson, Her especial licence that I, the said William Jamieson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Jamieson, 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

page_text: 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING FIGURED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Jamieson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Jamieson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and the accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
It consists in improvements in jacquard looms, which are put in operation
by mechanical power, and relates to the parts by which the figure is produced.
In the accompanying Drawings the same letters of reference, or letters and
figures conjoined, indicate the same parts of the machinery or apparatus.
My first and second improvements will be understood from. Figs. 1 and 2;
Fig. 1 representing a view of the apparatus as seen from behind the loom, or
where the yarn beam is fixed; and Fig. 2, a side view of the same. It will
be observed, that those parts which are common to other power looms, and
which do not relate to my Invention, are omitted in order to prevent confusion.
A, A, portions of two standards, which are bolted to the loom sides, and
support the two rails A', A', the other ends of these rails being supported in
like manner from the opposite loom; betwixt these rails are fixed two cross
rails which support the jacquard, one of which is shewn at A2; B and B¹, two
side frames or standards of the jacquard, which are combined together by cross
rails, and support the other parts of the apparatus; C, C, a double or compound
lever, consisting of two arms, which vibrates on the axis C¹, which extends
across the frame, and is supported in bearings attached to the standards Band-
B' betwixt these two arms is fixed the "griffe or knife box" C³, which is
furnished with "knives" or "blades" of the usual construction; each of the
arms is furnished with a toothed segment, one of which is shewn at C³; D, D,
another double or compound lever, consisting of two arms, which vibrates
on the axis D', which extends across the frame, and is supported in bearings
attached to the standards B and B ; betwixt these two arms is fixed the "rest
plate" D; this "rest plate" has oblong holes through it,. through which pass
the lower parts of the hooks in the usual manner; each of the two arms

page_text: is furnished with a toothed segment, on of which is shewn at D; these
toothed segments D³ are geered into the toothed seginents C³, so that the
double levers C, C, and D, D, move together simultaneously in reverse
directions, that is, when the lever C, C, rises the lever D, D, is depressed
and when the lever D, D, rises the lever C, C, is depressed. It is obvious
that the levers C, C, and D, D, may be geared together by means of arms
and connecting rods or other means, so as to produce the same effect. E, E,
the needles; E', E', spring box, which contains the springs which press the
needles forward, and which is supported by brackets from the standards B
and B'; E, E, the hooks; all these parts E, E, E¹, E', and E, E, are of
the ordinary and usual construction. D' a cross bar, combining together the
two arms constituting the double lever D, D; about the middle of this is
fixed a swivel joint, on which plays the connecting rod F¹, the lower end of
which turns on a stud at one end of the great lever F, which turns on a pin
or stud supported by the bracket F2; from one of the rails A or A¹, at the
other end of the great lever F, is a stud, on which plays the connecting rod F³;
this connecting rod is acted upon by a crank, cam, or eccentric fixed at the
outward extremity of the main crank axis; this crank, cam, or eccentric is
not shewn in the Drawing, but is of the usual construction. By this means a
proper quantity of motion is communicated to the two double levers C, C, and
D, D, and at the proper time for opening the warp for the passage of the
shuttle. By observing the operation of the double lever C, C, it will be
seen that those hooks which are situated farthest from the centre of motion
are proportionally more elevated by the "griffe or "knife" box" C³ than those
which are nearer to it; also, with respect to the double lever D, D, it will be
seen that those hooks which are situated farthest from the centre of motion
are proportionally more depressed by the operation of the "rest plate" D²
than those which are nearest to it. The axis C¹ is directly over the axis D',
and when the jacquard is in operation these two axes are directly over (or
nearly so) the clothing point, that is, where the cloth is produced by the
action of the reed. The operation of this mechanism is therefore to produce
an even and clear sheed for the passage of the shuttle without any undue
straining of the threads of the warp, or undue pressure or binding of the
threads of the warp on the race board of the slay. It will also be observed
that in this arrangement the great lever F is adapted to work below the
jacquard, by which a considerable saving of height is effected than would be
if it were situated above, and communicated motion in the common way.
G, G, vibrating frame, which carries the square axis or batten G', and which
turn's on centres G², G2; G³, Gs, two slides, which are drawn down by two

page_text: worm springs against the four-leaved pinions at either end of the batten, so as
to hold the batten fast, but at the same time to permit it to be moved forward
at the
proper time by the action of the hook G; H, H, two connecting rods
which communicate motion to the vibrating frame G, G, from two levers
H, H; these two levers are fixed at the opposite ends of an axis which passes
through the two standards B and B', and which has on it the lever H³; H³,
a connecting rod which communicates motion to the lever H³ from the lever
Il, which again receives motion by means of the connecting rod H' from a
crank, cam, or eccentric at the outer end of the main crank axis.
I do not, however, confine myself to this mode of saving height above the
jacquard by placing the levers below, but also use the following, which will in
many cases be found preferable (see Figs. 5 and 6, shewn in red lines in the
Drawing). I, a portion of the tappet shaft or picking shaft of the loom, which
carries the toothed wheel I', which drives the pinion 1, fixed at one end of
an axis which passes through the gun or bush 12, which is supported from one
of the cross rails of the loom. At the opposite end of the axis is the crank
I', which actuates the connecting rod 15, which plays at the other end on the
swivel on the cross bar D (see Figs. 1 and 2), and thus communicates motion
to the double levers D, D, and C, C, as before. It will be seen that the
mechanism just described is fixed at the lower part of the loom, and conse-
quently the connecting rod 15 passes through the warp in order to reach the
swivel; for the purpose therefore of not injuring the warp it is made thin one
way and broad in the other, which is the direction of the warp threads I", a
small crank fixed close to the pinion I, which gives motion to the lever I³, by
means of the connecting rod 17; the lever Is is fixed at one end of an axis which
carries at the other end the lever 1°; from this lever 1° proceeds the connecting
rod I, which plays at the other end on a stud on the lever H (which lever has
in this case its axis lengthened for the purpose from the standard B or B'),
and by this means gives motion to the vibrating or batten frame G, G, as has
been before described. It is to be noted that the wheel I has double the
number of teeth in it to the pinion 1, and as the tappet shaft makes one revo-
lution for two of the main crank axis, therefore the cranks I and I" revolve
just the same as if they were fixed at the extremity of the main crank axis.
Fig. 3 represents my improved machinery by which the cards are brought to
act successively on the needles. B, one of the standards of the jacquard, and
C and D, the double lovers as before. To the arm of the lever. D is fixed a
bracket K, projecting outside of the frame, which has at the extremity a loop
or filbow which is at liberty to turn on the bracket K, and is engaged betwixt
two adjusting nuts at the lower end of the slide K, which therefore moves up

page_text: and down with the double lever D; K, a bracket attached to the standard B,
it has a slot or groove through it, in which place a piece of metal attached to
the slide K', which thus retains its vertical position; L, another bracket
attached to the toothed segment D³, at its upper end its has a loop or filbow,
which plays on the rod L'; L2 and L³, two worm springs, which are alternately
compressed by the action of the bracket L; at L' the rod L is flattened so as
to form a slide which moves backward and forward in a slot in the bracket
K; the slide L has on it a small projecting stud, which is intercepted by a
mid-feather K³, fixed on the slide K', shewn by dotted lines in the Figure, and
projecting inside the slot in the bracket K², except when the slide K' is at
the top or bottom of its motion, in which case the stud, and consequently the
slide L' and rod L', is at liberty to move one way or the other, according as it
may be pressed by the action of the springs L2 and L3; the bracket L has
therefore no power to move the rod L' so long as the stud is held by the
feather K³, but in this case compresses one or other of the worm springs L or
I³, the spring which happens to be compressed moving the rod L1 as soon as
the stud is released by the feather. On the other side of the jacquard is a
similar apparatus of precisely the same construction, not shewn the Figure.
Betwixt the slide L 4 and the counter slide on the other side is fixed a plate
of wood or metal I. 5, which is perforated with holes in a similar manner to
one side of a square axis or batten. Betwixt the slide K 1 and its opposite
slide is fixed a thin blade of metal K 4, by means of filbows at each end,
which are secured and regulated by two adjusting nuts on the screws at the
upper ends of the slides. Betwixt the plate L5 and the needles is passed the
chain of cards, which then pass over the thin blade K 4.
The plate L5 having pressed a card against the needles, the thin blade
K 4 is next drawn down by the action of the double lever D, the card which
was supported by it falls over, and the thin blade takes hold at the connexion
betwixt that card and the one following. The moment this takes place the
stud on the slide L 4 is released by the feather K 8, and the slide L4 and
plate L5 are thrown back the spring L 2, which had been previously
compressed by the action of the bracket L; the card which had been in opera-
tion on the needles is now released, and the thin blade K, rising by the
action of the bracket K on the slide K, lifts the card which had been in
operation out of the way, and a fresh one takes its place.
During this operation the spring L³ bad in its turn been compressed
by the action of the bracket L, but could not move the plate L' on account
of the slide L' being retained by its stud and the feather K 3; the stud being
now released, the plate L³ presses the card up to and against the needles,

page_text: and a fresh arrangement of the hooks takes place, and the operation is con-
tinued in the same manner.
Fig. 4 represents another modification, by means of which I dispense with
the chain of cards and the square axis or batten for certain descriptions of
patterns which are comparatively of small extent. B, portion of the standard
or frame side as before; M, vibrating frame, which carries on an axis
the cylinder M'; the exterior of this cylinder is covered with a plate of
metal or card, which is perforated with holes in rows across, according to the
pattern to be woven; M², a toothed wheel, secured on the axis of the cylinder
M', and having as many teeth as there are sheeds in the pattern to be woven ;
M³, a short lever turning loose on the axis of the cylinder M', and playing
at its upper end betwixt two adjustable studs on the bracket M*; it is fur-
nished with a catch or pall, which enters betwixt the teeth of the wheel M².
The studs on the bracket M are so adjusted that the lever M³, by means of
the catel, moves the wheel M² (and consequently the cylinder M¹) one tooth
forward cach time the vibrating frame is thrown back from the needles; M* is
a detent, which is a lever turning on a stud on the side of the vibrating frame;
it is furnished with a beak of an angular or wedge shape, which enters betwixt
the teeth of the wheel M2, with which it is held forcibly in contact by a
spring fixed underneath. This detent therefore holds the cylinder M' fast
during the time it is acting on the needles, but allows it to be moved forward
at the proper time by the lever M³. N, the needles, of which there may be
two rows terminating in a single one at the working point; they are acted upon
by the cylinder M' precisely in the same manner as the needles are acted upon
by the cards in the ordinary jacquard. Instead of using a vibrating frame to
carry the cylinder M₁ and its appurtenances, I sometimes use a sliding frame
having the necessary reciprocating motion for the same purpose. I would
observe, that those parts of the loom or apparatus which are not shewn in the
accompanying Drawing or herein described are of the usual and ordinary
construction.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that what I claim as
new and of my Invention is as follows:-
First, 1 claim the application and adaptation of the double levers C and D
to the purpose of weaving figured fabrics, as shewn in the accompanying
Drawing and herein described.
Second, I claim the application and adaptation of the lever F below the
jacquard, by which means space or height above the jacquard is saved, as
shewn in the accompanying Drawing and herein described.

page_text: Third, I also claim the mode of saving height or space above the jacquard,
as shewn in Figs. 5 and 6, and herein described.
Fourth, I claimed the improved machinery by which the cards are brought to
act successively on the needles, as shewn in Fig. 3, and herein described.
Fifth, I claim the application and adaptation of the perforated cylinder
M' operating in a vibrating frame, as shewn in Fig. 4, or operating in a
sliding frame, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jamieson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed by the within-named William
Jamieson in the presence of
JOHN POTTER, C. E.,
9, Corporation Street.
Manchester.
WM. JAMIESON. (L.S.)