IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOTH AND IN LOOMS THEREFOR"
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Isherwood, of Westerly in the State of Rhode
Island, United States of America, for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOTH AND IN LOOMS THEREFOR"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Isherwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th June 1882.
THOMAS ISHERWOOD of Westerly in the State of Rhode Island United States
of America "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOTH AND IN LOOMS
THEREFOR
This invention relates partly to improvements in the weaving of duck or sail
cloth and comprises the method of and means for interweaving and firmly uniting
strengthening strips with the cloth by means of intertying warp threads and
separate shuttles for laying the weft for the strips and the weft for the cloth in
such a manner that cloth is produced having strengthening strips interwoven with
the cloth at intervals so that such cloth is made thicker and stronger where these
strips occur than at the spaces between such strips.
The said invention also relates to mechanism for automatically stopping the
loon when any imperfections in the warp or weft appear; this part of the
invention being applicable to the weaving of all kinds of cloth. In carrying the
first part of my invention into practice the strengthening strips are woven by a
series of shuttles operated by a rack and gear-wheels so that while the shuttle
laying the weft into the shed of the warp of the cloth proper, traverses the whole
width of the cloth, each of the shuttles for the strips only traverses the width of
one strip. The warp for the body of the cloth, as also the warp for the strengthening
strips are wound upon a warp-beam from which the said warp is supplied; I
provide a second warp-beam on which the warp forming the binder-threads are
wound and from which the same are supplied and also heddles or harnesses by
which the binder threads are sprung so as to form sheds for the shuttle laying the
filling or weft of the main cloth and the sheds for the shuttles laying the filling or
weft for the strengthening strips. I also provide heddles or harnesses for springing
го

page_text: the sheds of the warp; the weft or filling threads are laid by the shuttles weaving
the strengthening strips. Cloth for sails, duck cloth, cloth for tarpaulins and in
fact cloth for a large variety of purposes and uses can be woven by this improved
method; as the main cloth is woven in the ordinary manner and the strips are
woven by special shuttles operated by a rack-bar in the same manner as ordinary
multiple shuttle looms, a much larger quantity of cloth can be woven in a given
time in a loom than can be woven in the ordinary manner, thus reducing the cost
of production to a minimum. For operating the shuttles for laying the weft or
filling of the strengthening 1 employ a cam by which a lever is operated; this lever
is hinged at one end and on the other end has a rack-bar connected to it: this
rack bar rotates a toothed pinion on one end of a shaft supported in a suitable
journal and also a second toothed pinion placed on the opposite end of the said
shaft; the last named pinion operates a horizontal rack bar which actuates through
a pinion a shuttle box. As the said horizontal rack bar extends throughout the
length of the loom a number of shuttles equal to the number of strips to be woven
are operated simultaneously by the said rack bar. The width of the strips can be
altered by exchanging the second toothed pinion for a larger or a smaller pinion as
the diameter of this pinion determines the length of traverse of the shuttles weaving
the strips.
In carrying the second part of the said invention into practice I connect to the
breast beam of the loom the belt shipper mechanism and provide a lay to which
the weft-fork and its mechanism is secured. I also provide a grooved cam having
one raising heart or part when the cam is made to rotate once with each reciprocation
of the lay, or with two such hearts when secured to a shaft on the loom rotating
once to every two movements of the lay as it is necessary that the said cam shall
operate the stop mechanism each time the lay beats or attempts to beat up the
weft. I also provide a lever to the free end of which one end of a connecting rod
is secured; the other end of this rod is hinged to an arm on the upper end of
which a fork is secured; a second fork is also secured to the said arm and works in
slides so that when the said arm is raised both forks will pass through the warp
and when they encounter the weft thread they are prevented from passing through
each other and will again descend to be brought into operation at the next pick or
lay of the weft. If now no weft thread has been laid the forks will pass through
each other and they will come in contact with a bell-crank catch which then
releases an arm and allows a pawl to move; this pawl now comes into contact with
a cam to which a rod is secured and which is also secured to the shipper rod which
extends to the fork of the belt shipper. Secured to the frame of the loom is a
hinged stop which can be regulated to a great nicety so as to raise the same more
or less.
A turn pawl is provided which, as the lay moves out, comes in contact
with the hinged stop and raises the arm or lever and with it the weft forks. The
adjustment of this weft mechanism is so simple and yet so accurate that on the
slightest defect in the weft, even by the lightest Boat, the loom will be stopped and
thereby all the picking out and the large loss usually caused by imperfect cloth
avoided. In the peculiar cloth herein described this weft stop mechanism is
particularly valuable as the forks extend through the warp and will readily detect
any defect in the weft.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Isherwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th December 1882.
THOMAS ISHERWOOD, of Westerly, in the State of Rhode Island, United States
of America "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOTH AND IN LOOMS
THEREFOR
"
This Invention relates partly to improvements in weaving duck or sail cloth, and
comprises the method hereinafter described of interweaving and firmly uniting
strengthening-strips with the cloth, by means of interlying warp-threads and
separate shuttles for laying the weft for the strips and the weft for the cloth, in
such a manner that cloth is produced having strengthening strips interwoven
with the same at intervals so that such cloth is made thicker and stronger where
these strips occur than at the parts between such strips.
The said invention also relates to mechanism for automatically stopping the
loom when any imperfections in the warp or weft appear; this part of the invention
being applicable to the weaving of all kinds of cloth. Figure 1 is a plan of a piece
of duck or sail cloth woven according to the present invention Figure 2 is a
longitudinal sectional view of the same drawn to an enlarged scale showing the
lay of the warp and weft, both in the cloth and in the strengthening-strip.
Figure 3 is a transverse section through the strengthening-strip. Figure 4 is a
skeleton view of the loom, showing the warp-beams and harnesses. Referring to
this part of the invention, A represents the cloth, and B, B, the strengthening-strips.
These strips are woven by a series of shuttles operated by a rack and gear wheels
so that while the shuttle laying the weft into the shed of the warp of the cloth
proper, traverses the whole width of the cloth, each of the shuttles for the strips
only traverses the width of one strip. In figure 4, a is the warp-beam on which
the warp for the body of the cloth, and the warp for the strengthening-strips, are
wound, and from which the said warps are supplied; is the warp-beam on which
the warp forming the binder threads is wound and from which the same is supplied;
b'b', are the binder threads; 6", ", are the heddles or harnesses by which the
binder threads are sprung, so as to form sheds for the shuttle laying the filling or
weft of the main cloth, and the sheds for the shuttles laying the filling or weft for
the strengthening-strips. a¹, a', are the warp-threads for the cloth proper and
a", a, are the heddles or harnesses for springing the sheds of the warp; b, b, are
the weft or filling threads laid by the shuttles weaving the strengthening-strips
and C the weft for the cloth proper. Cloth for sails, duck cloth, cloth for
tarpaulins, and in fact cloth for a large variety of purposes and uses, can be woven
by this improved method; as the main cloth is woven in the ordinary manner and
the strips are woven by special shuttles operated by a rack-bar in the same manner
as ordinary multiple shuttle looms, a much larger quantity of cloth can be woven
in a given time in a loon, than can be woven in the ordinary manner, thus
reducing the cost of production to a minimum. Figure 5 is a skeleton view
showing the manner in which the shuttles for laying the weft or filling of the
strengthening-strips are operated. D is a cam, by which the lever d is operated;
this lever is hinged at one end and on the other end has the rack bar d' connected
to it; this rack bar d' rotates the toothed pinion d, and with it the pinion d'
placed on the opposite end of a shaft supported in a journal; the pinion d¹¹
operates the horizontal rack bar e which, as shown in Figure 6, actuates, through

page_text: a pinion, the shuttle-box f. As the rack bar e extends throughout the length of
the loom, a number of shuttles equal to the number of strips to be woven are
operated simultaneously by the said rack bar. The width of the strips can be
altered by exchanging the pinion for a larger or a smaller pinion, as the
diameter of this pinion determines the length of traverse of the shuttles weaving
the strips. Figure 7 is a view of the mechanism by which the loom is automatically
stopped when the weft-threads are not properly laid into the sheds of the warp.
Figure S is a partial view of the loom showing the weft forks and the connection
from the same to the shipper mechanism. Figure 9 is a view of the catch by which
the shipper mechanism is held until released by the weft-fork. Figure 10 is a view
of the mechanism shown in position when a weft-thread has been properly laid,
and Figuro 11 is a view of the mechanism shown in the position when the shuttle
has failed to properly lay the weft-thread. Referring to figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11,
E is the breast-beam of the loom, to which the belt shipper mechanism is connected.
F is the lay to which the weft-fork and its mechanism are secured. G is a grooved
cam provided with one raising heart g, when the cam is made to rotate once with
cach reciprocation of the lay; or with two such hearts g, when secured to a shaft
on the loom rotating once to every two movements of the lay, as it is necessary
that the cam G, shall operate the stop mechanism each time the lay bents, or
attempts to beat up the weft. g is a lever to the free end of which the connecting
rod is secured; the other end of this part is hinged to the arm h, on the upper
end of which a fork is secured; ¹¹ is another fork also secured to the arm h,
but working in slides so that when the said arm h is raised, both forks will pass
through the warp, and when they encounter the weft-thread, as shown in Figure 10,
they are prevented from passing one through the other and will again descend to
be brought into operation at the next pick or lay of the weft. If, now, no weft
thread has been laid, then the forks will pass one through the other and they will
come in contact with the bell-crank catch i, which then releases the arm and
allows the pawl to move into the position shown in Figure 8 in broken lines; this
pawl now comes into contact with the cam m, to which the rod is secured, and
which is also secured to the shipper rod, o, which extends to the fork of the belt
shipper. Secured to the frame of the loom is the hinged stop p, which can be
regulated to a great nicety so as to raise the same more or less; q is a turn pawl,
which, as the lay moves out, cones in contact with the hinged stop and raises the
lever h, and with it the weft forks. The adjustment of this weft mechanism is so
simple and yet so accurate, that, on the slightest defect in the weft, even by the
lightest float, the loom will be stopped, and thereby all the picking out, and the
great loss usually caused by imperfect cloth, avoided. In the peculiar cloth herein
described this weft stop mechanism is particularly valuable as the forks extend
through the warp, and will readily detect any defect in the weft.
Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by
letters patent-First: The improvements in weaving cloth, the same consisting
in interweaving strengthening-strips with the cloth by means of intertying warp-
threads and separate shuttles for laying the weft for the strips, and the weft for
the cloth, as described. Second: The cloth manufactured as above described, that
is to say, having strengthening 'strips interwoven with the same at intervals, so
that it is made thicker and stronger at these strips than at the parts between the
strips, as described. Third: The improvements in looms for weaving duck and sail
cloth, consisting of the cam D, lever d, rack ', pinions ", and ", and rack
bar e, constructed to operate two or more shuttles in connection with the usual
shuttles, as, and for the purpose, described, Fourth: The combination, in a loom,
with the lay, breast beam and shipper mechanism,-of two pivoted weft forks, a
lever to support the said forks, a movable arm to raise the said lever, and
mechanism substantially as described, whereby the said forks are operated to
intercept the weft thread and, in its absence, to stop the loon as described.
Fifth The combination, in a loom, with the lay, breast beam, and shipper

page_text: mechanism, of two pivoted weft forks, a lever to support the said forks, hinged
to the lay, and a catch constructed to release the belt shipper mechanism and
operate the same to stop the loom as described.
In witness whereof I, the said Thomas Isherwood have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this twenty second day of April in the year of our Lord
eighteen hundred and eighty two.
In presence of:
JOSEPH A MILLER
Solicitor of Patents,
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A.
THOMAS ISHERWOOD (LS.)