Iм- PROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Cooper, of Frome, in the County of
Somerset, Woollen Cloth Manufacturer, for the Invention of “Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 22nd November 1870, and dated the 26th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Cooper
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th May 1870.
I, BENJAMIN COOPER, of Frome, in the County of Somerset, Woollen
Cloth Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention of improvements in looms for weaving is
so to construct and adapt the shuttle boxes to looms and arrange the
shuttles therein that the loom need never be stopped to supply a fresh
shuttle, as is now the case when the weft is expended. To this end I
arrange any convenient number of shuttles (provided with suitable
weft) in a compound shuttle box, so constructed and arranged that the

page_text: shuttles may periodically and in succession be brought into the proper
position for being thrown through the shed by the picker in the well-
known manner.
My Invention is applicable to nearly every variety of loom, but will
be more especially useful in looms for weaving wide fabrics or fabrics in
which the weft is heavy and but a moderate length can be placed in
each shuttle. When this is the case the loom is constantly being
stopped for changing the empty shuttle for a full one, and thereby much
time is lost.
A convenient method of carrying out my Invention consists in
arranging the shuttles in (what may be termed) a rotary shuttle box,
that is, a device which is made to rotate or move round a portion of a
revolution at proper intervals, so as to remove out of the way of the
picker the shuttle from which the weft has been nearly expended, and
to bring forward in its place a fresh shuttle with a fresh supply of weft.
Now suppose the loom is weaving a fabric a yard wide, and each shuttle
contains, say, from 102 to 105 yards of weft, it will be evident that the
shuttle must be changed after it has made, say, 100 picks.
By my improvements the rotating shuttle box will be shifted round
automatically at this interval, so that the empty shuttle will be removed
out of the way of the picker, and a full one will be brought into use,
and so on continuously while the loom is at work. The empty shuttles
(as they are thrown out of use) may at any convenient time be taken
out of the boxes, refilled with weft, and replaced in the rotating shuttle
box, so that the loom (so far as a supply of weft is concerned) need:
never stop throughout the day.
Although I prefer to use a rotating shuttle box, the object of my
Invention, that is, the automatic changing of the empty shuttles for
full ones, may be effected by means of rising and falling shuttle boxes
similar to the moveable shuttle boxes now in use, in which two or more
shuttles are at intervals (and in any desired succession) brought into use
for the purpose of producing ornamental fabrics or fabrics of diverse
colours or woven with different qualities of weft. But whatever
mechanical arrangements are employed for bringing forward the full
shuttles and throwing the empty ones out of use, it will be necessary to
fasten one end of the weft to the shuttle box or some part of the framing
previous to the shuttle being brought into use, and when the weft is
nearly expended and the shuttle is thrown out of use the thread must be

page_text: cut or broken so as to detach it from the shuttle. A short length of
weft will thus always be left in the shuttle.
A convenient device for cutting the weft from the expended shuttle
consists of a knife, or cutting instrument, or shears attached to the
vibrating batten, but any method of breaking the thread will answer the
purpose.
For the purposes of my Invention it will be found convenient to
separate the shuttle box from the batten or slay, so that it need not be
moved to and fro with the batten to beat up the weft, but this separation
of these parts although convenient is not absolutely essential.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Cooper in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
COOPER, of Frome, in the County of Somerset, Woollen Cloth Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Cooper, Her special licence
that I, the said Benjamin Cooper, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin Cooper, 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 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 I, the
said Benjamin Cooper, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: KOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Cooper, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
The object of my Invention of "Improvements in Looms for Weaving"
is so to construct and adapt the shuttle boxes to looms and arrange
the shuttles therein that the loom need never be stopped to supply a
fresh shuttle as is now the case when the weft is expended. To this
end I arrange any convenient number of shuttles (provided with a
definite length of suitable weft) in a compound shuttle box so con-
structed and arranged that the shuttles may periodically and in succession
be brought automatically into the proper position for being thrown.
through the shed by the picker in the well-known manner.
My Invention is applicable to nearly every variety of loom, but will
be more especially useful in looms for weaving wide fabrics, or fabrics
in which the weft is heavy and but a moderate length can be placed
in each shuttle. When this is the case the loom is constantly being
stopped for changing the empty shuttle for a full one, and thereby much
time is lost.
A convenient method of carrying out my Invention consists in arrang-
ing the shuttles in (what may be termed) a rotary shuttle box, that is,
a device in which a number of shuttle boxes are made to rotate, or move
round a portion of a revolution at proper intervals so as to remove out
of the way of the picker the shuttle from which the weft has been nearly
expended, and to bring forward in its place a fresh shuttle with a fresh
supply of weft. Now suppose the loom is weaving a fabric a yard wide,
and each shuttle contains, say, from one hundred and two to one hundred
and five yards of weft, it will be evident that the shuttle must be
changed after it has made, say, one hundred picks.
By my improvements the rotating shuttle box will be shifted round
automatically at this interval so that the empty shuttle will be removed
out of the way of the picker, and a full one will be brought into use,
and so on continuously while the loom is at work. The empty shuttles
(as they are thrown out of use) may at any convenient time be taken
out of the boxes, refilled with weft, and replaced in the rotating shuttle

page_text: never stop throughout the day.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is an end view, and Fig. 2
a front elevation of the mechanism for shifting the shuttle boxes when
the weft is nearly expended. The Invention is shewn as adapted to a
loom for weaving figured fabrics by means of two or more shuttles
carrying different colored weft threads, and which shuttles are adapted
to rising and falling shuttle boxes, whereby the different wefts may be
changed as may be required by the pattern. It will be seen that there
are a considerable number of shuttle boxes connected to travelling
endless chains which pass round two polygonal wheels, and are actuated
in the manner hereafter explained. These polygonal or duodecagonal
wheels are mounted in a compound oscillating frame adapted to the
batten of the loom and consisting of an inner and outer frame. The
outside oscillating frame is seen at a, a, and is supported and oscillates
on the bearing c at the lower part of the loom b, b. Fig. 2 is the inside
oscillating frame, in which are mounted the duodecagonal wheels d, d,
round which works the endless chain carrying the shuttle boxes e, e.
The endless chain fworks in guides in the brackets g, and projections h, h,
from the ends of the shuttle boxes work in slides or guides inside the
brackets g.
On the axle of the upper polygonal chain wheel d is a
pinion i which is driven by means of the cog wheels j and k, on the axle
of which latter is the ratchet wheel Z, which is actuated by means of the
catch and lever n at the end of the rod m, as shewn by dots in Fig. 1.
A lever o, which derives its motion from the loom in the manner here-
after explained, actuates the rod m by striking against the block * on
the under side of the rod m. The lever o is keyed on to the short shaft o¹
which carries at its other end the lever q to which is jointed the rod r,
which is acted on by any convenient part of the working mechanism of
the loom so as to cause the lever o to vibrate on its centre and act
against the block on the rod m. The picker and picker stick are
actuated in the ordinary or any suitable manner. An oscillating or
vibrating motion on their centre at the bearing c is communicated to the
frames a and b by means of the cam w, acting on the connecting rod v,
which is attached to the outer frame a by an adjustable connection
as seen at Fig. 1. The shaft y, on which cam wheels w are mounted,
derives its motion from any convenient portion of the working parts of
the loom. A whcel a² with twelve notches is mounted on a shaft d²

page_text: will move
and is driven by a stud on a disc mounted on the shaft y. On the
shaft d² of the wheel a² is a chain wheel cover which pass the two
chains e², e³, of unequal length, by which the number of shoots is regulated.
Each of these chains is provided with one or more links or studs which
project above the rest and act on and lift the tails of levers fi and g²,
which are mounted on the axle m³. Another lever h² is mounted on
the same centre, and is connected by a chain to the outer end of the
lever m.
It will be seen that when either of the levers f³ or g³ are in
a horizontal position and are not lifted by the projecting studs on the
chains the lever h² will remain stationary, but when two of the studs
on the chains e² are coincident or parallel with each other, and therefore
come against the levers f3 and 2, at the same time these levers will
be raised simultaneously. The outer ends or these levers will be thereby
depressed and the lever he will be allowed to fall and drop the lever m
so as to bring the block of the lever m into a position to be struck
by the vibrating lever o. By this means the lever m will be forced back
and the click and lever n by acting on the ratchet wheel
the latter round, and by means of the gearing k, j, i, will communicate
motion to the polygonal wheels d, which carry the shuttle box chains f,
and the shuttle boxes will thereby be shifted round so as to bring a box
with a full shuttle in place of one with a shuttle in which the weft is
nearly expended. The levers ƒ and g are kept in contact with the
rotating chains e² by means of the weights ², and one or other, or both
of them, as the case may be, is or are lifted whenever the projecting stud
on either of the chains e², e³, come round. On the rocking shaft m²
on which the lever h³ is mounted is keyed the lever 1, which when the
lever he falls, acts upon a vertical bar n² which is provided with three
notches o², o³, o³. This rod n² is connected at its lower end to a lever q³
and at its upper end is by means of the rod 82 connected to the lever,
which at its opposite end is provided with a catch whereby the shifting
shuttle boxes are held steady, until they require to be shifted as already
explained when the weft is nearly expended. A lever p² is mounted
on the shaft t and is kept in contact with a cam or tappet on the shafty,
by means of a weight o² on the arm u², which is keyed on the shaft f.
As the tappet on the shaft y rotates it will depress the lever p², and if
the lever h³ has dropped it will cause the arm or lever l² to push forward
the vertical bar n² and bring one of the notches o' thereon under the
action of a pin or stud on the lever p³ keyed on the same rock shaft &,
and therefore when the latter descends it will force down the bar n²

page_text: and operate (through the vertical rod 82) the lever 72. Thus the stop
catch will be lifted and will release the shuttle boxes. When the
levers are released the spring a will bring all the parts back into their
original position. A weight ³ will serve to draw back the bar n² when
released from 1, and another chain and weight y² will perform the same
office for the lever m.
It will be understood from the above description that the time
required for shifting the shuttle boxes having to be regulated by the
length of weft employed, the two chains e², e², of the automatic mecha-
nism must be capable of adjustment accordingly.
This adjustment
may be effected when required by adding to or taking from the number
of links of the longer chain e², so as to increase or decrease the time
when the position of the projecting studs shall coincide and operate
the shifting mechanism, as already explained.
The inner vibrating frame b, which carries the gearing for the shuttle
boxes rests by its lower end on the end of the rocking lever a³ which
works on a V or knife edge ³ in bearings in the standard d³. A
weight is placed on the outer ends of the lever a³ and acts as a counter-
balance to the inner vibrating frame b. One end of the lever a* is con-
nected by a link e³ to the end of a lever ƒ³ which is actuated from any
convenient part of the loom by means of the link or connecting rod h³.
It will now be understood that as the levers f³ and a³ are lifted by
means of the link or connecting rod h³ the vibrating inner frame 6 will
be lifted up vertically in guides fixed inside the outer vibrating
frame a. By this vertical motion the working shuttles may be moved
into and out of work as may be required to produce the pattern by
the chain of color in the weft. Of course when plain cloth is being
woven this shifting mechanism for producing a pattern may be dispensed
with. Projecting pieces j*, Fig 2, are adapted to the inner framing b,
and work between the guides ³ for the purpose of steadying and guiding
the frame in its vertical motion. The front of the shuttle race is
jointed so that it is capable of yielding or being moved back or outwards
to a certain extent to compensate for any slight difference or irregularity
between the shuttle race on the batten and that part of the shuttle
race which is connected with the shuttle boxes. This moveable or
yielding front piece is kept in place by means of a flat steel spring .
The bottom piece m³ of the shuttle race is also made adjustable or
23

page_text: yielding, and is capable of working in a curve and of rising or falling
as required.
In the Drawings I have shewn my Invention as adapted to a loom,
in which the shuttles are made to rise and fall for the purpose of
changing the weft for the manufacture of figured fabrics, and for this
purpose the shuttle boxes are adapted to the endless chains, which are
not only capable of rotating but also of being moved up or down
vertically as already explained, but for weaving plain fabrics the apparatus
may be much simplified, and the shuttle boxes may be adapted to a
single cylinder which will however be rotated in the same way, and by
similar mechanism to that above described.
Although I prefer to use a rotating shuttle box, the object of my
Invention (that is, the automatic changing of the empty shuttles for
full ones) may be effected by means of rising and falling shuttle boxes,
similar to the moveable shuttle boxes now in use in which two or more
shuttles are at intervals (and in any desired succession) brought into
use for the purpose of producing ornamental fabrics, or fabrics of diverse
colours or woven with different qualities of weft. But whatever mecha-
nical arrangements are employed for bringing forward the full shuttles
and throwing the empty ones out of use, it will be necessary to fasten
one end of the weft to the shuttle box or some part of the framing
previous to the shuttle being brought into use. This object is effected
by drawing the end of the weft threads through the small holes n³,
Fig. 2, and fastening them in any convenient manner. When the weft
is nearly expended and the shuttle is thrown out of use the thread
must be cut or broken so as to detach it from the shuttle. A short
length of weft will thus always be left in the shuttle.
A convenient device for cutting the weft from the expended shuttle
consists of a knife or cutting instrument or shears attached to the
vibrating batten, but any method of breaking the thread will answer a
the purpose, or the thread may be cut by hand while the weaving
operation is proceeding.
For the purposes of my Invention it will be found convenient to
separate the shuttle box from the batten or slay as shewn in the Drawing,
so that it need not be moved to and fro with the batten to beat up the 3
weft, but this separation of these parts, although convenient, is not
absolutely essential.

page_text: Having now described my Invention of “Improvements in Looms
for Weaving," and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I would observe that I am aware that compound shuttle
boxes carrying two or more shuttles provided with weft threads of
different colors have been heretofore used for producing figured fabrics
by changing the shuttles at determined intervals so as to throw in weft
threads of different colors, I do not therefore claim any such devices as
of my Invention%; but that which I desire to claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is,―
The use of two or more moveable shuttle boxes constructed with a
device to hold the loose end of the weft thread, and so arranged that
they may in succession be automatically brought opposite the shuttle
race when it is required to introduce a new shuttle and be removed from
the shuttle race when the weft in the working shuttle or shuttles is
nearly expended as herein set forth.
I also claim the endless chains e³, e³, of unequal length and provided
with projecting studs for acting on the mechanism whereby the shuttle
boxes are shifted automatically as and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Cooper, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.