IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING CHECK PATTERNS, AND IN CONNECTING RODS FOR POWER LOOMS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Haley, of Frome, in the County of Somerset,
Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR
WEAVING CHECK PATTERNS, AND IN CONNECTING RODS FOR POWER LOOMS."
Sealed the 19th September 1861, and dated the 22nd March 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Haley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
March 1861.
I, ABRAHAM HALEY, of Frome, in the County of Somerset, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER
LOOMS FOR WEAVING CHECK PATTERNS, AND IN CONNECTING RODS FOR POWER
Looms," to be as follows:-
These improvements consist, firstly, in making the star wheel used in
check weaving looms with tappets on each side, which operate upon two levers
in connection therewith, one lever being fixed to an ordinary rocking shaft,
and the other to a bell-crank lever, working loosely thereon. By this arrange-
ment the shuttle boxes at each side of the looms can be raised or lowered
independently of each other.
Secondly, the apparatus for working the picks is also fixed upon the star
wheel, and is made as follows:-A circular groove is made at one side of the
star wheel, and in this groove is fixed a series of tappets in accordance with

page_text: the star wheel. The bowl of a lever works in this groove, and being operated
upon by the tappets gives motion to the picks.
Thirdly, in making V grooves in the back of the frame holding the shuttle
boxes, in which work suitable guides V-shaped, which are fastened on the
shuttle boxes.
Fourthly, in fixing a shaft across the loom, upon which are fixed three or
four chain barrels or drums giving motion to four tappet chains; the said
cross shaft is driven by a star wheel which receives its motion from the crank
or driving shaft of the loom; one or two of the said tappet chains give motion
to the rising boxes, one at each end of the loom, and the other two chains
work each one pick; by this means the picks and rising boxes at each end of
the loom can work independently of each other.
Fifthly, in making the connecting rod in two parts, one sliding within the
other, and interposing a piece of india-rubber or other suitable elastic substance
between the ends in contact, so as to subdue the shock of the sudden change
in the direction of motion. The two parts of the connecting rod are held
together by a bolt or rivet, which passes through an elongated slot made in one
part so as to permit the elasticity of the india-rubber to be felt when the loom
heats up the weft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Abraham Haley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABRAHAM
HALEY, of Frome, in the County of Somerset, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Abraham Haley, Her special licence that I, the said Abraham
Haley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such other as I, the
said Abraham Haley, 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
POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING CHECK PATTERNS, AND IN CONNECTING RODS FOR POWER

page_text: Looms," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Abraham Haley,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Abraham Haley, 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,
that is to say-
These improvements consist, firstly, in making the star wheel used in
check weaving looms with tappets on each side, which operate upon two lovers
in connection therewith, one lever being fixed to an ordinary rocking shaft,
and the other a bell-crank lever, working loosely thereon. By this arrange-
ment the shuttle boxes at each side of the looms can be raised or lowered
independently of each other.
Secondly, the apparatus for working the picks is also fixed upon the star
wheel, and is made as follows:-A circular groove is made at one side of the
star wheel, and in this groove is fixed a series of tappets in accordance with
the star wheel. The bowl of a lever works in this groove, and being operated
upon by the tappets gives motion to the picks.
Thirdly, in making V grooves in the back of the frame holding the shuttle
boxes, in which work suitable guides, V-shaped, which are fastened on the
shuttle boxes.
Fourthly, in fixing a shaft across the loom, upon which are fixed three or
four chain barrels or drums giving motion to four tappet chains; the said cross
shaft is driven by a star wheel which receives its motion from the crank or
driving shaft of the loom; one or two of the said tappet chains give motion
to the rising boxes, one at each end of the loom, and the other two chains
work each one pick; by this means the picks and rising boxes at each end
of the loom can work independently of each other.
Fifthly, in making the connecting rod in two parts, one sliding within the
other, and interposing a piece of india-rubber or other suitable elastic substance
between the ends in contact, so as to subdue the shock of the sudden change
in the direction of motion. The two parts of the connecting rod are held
together by a bolt or rivet, which passes through an elongated slot made in one
part so as to permit the elasticity of the india-rubber to be felt when the loom
beats up the weft.

page_text: Sheet I.-Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a star wheel, shewing the
side next to the loom frame, with its arrangements of tappets for working
shuttle boxes and pickings. The other side of the star wheel is exactly similar,
with the exception of the pick tappets D, D, which are only on the side shewn
in the Drawing, or the arrangement of tappets on each side may be varied.
An intermitted circular motion is communicated to the star wheel by a stud
pinion fixed on the loom shaft. The shuttle box tappets C, C, are bolted to
the star wheel, and may be changed to any position thereon, where bolt holes
are provided according to pattern of stuff required. The bolt holes A, A, in
the star wheel are countersunk at each side so that the bolt heads may be
flush with the side or face of the wheel; but this is only required when the
tappets do not face each other at each side of the wheel, and is for the purpose
of allowing the bowl H to come close against the wheel. The said bowl H is
acted upon by the shuttle box tappets C, and is attached to the cranked lever
M, which fits loosely and rocks on the shaft I; to the opposite extremity of
the said cranked lever M is jointed the rod L, which passes upwards through
a socket or hole W in the shuttle box frame, see Fig. 2, Sheet 4, the upper
extremity resting under the shuttle boxes; consequently when a rocking motion
is imparted to the cranked lever M by the tappets C, C, referring again to
Sheet I., it communicates a regular or an irregular up-and-down motion to
the rod L, and consequently to the shuttle boxes, varying according to the
number and height of the tappets C, C, which are arranged according to the
pattern required. On the other side of the star wheel is another lever P with
a bowl similar to H, but it is keyed to the cross shaft; and at the other end
of the cross shaft is keyed another lever, to which is jointed a rod similar to L;
therefore the tappets on the other side of the wheel cause the shaft to rock,
and thus give an up-and-down motion to the rod at the other end of the loom,
which works the shuttle boxes similar to the rod L; by this arrangement the
tappets C, C, on each side of the star wheel give motion to the shuttle boxes
independently of each other. Within the ring B on the star wheel is an
arrangement of tappets D, on one side only, as before described, and are
for the purpose of working the picks, that is, throw the shuttles across the
loom as may be required; and when one pick is in action the other or opposite
side is always out. The said tappets D, D, act on the bowl R attached to
the lever S, which turns on a stud T fixed to the loom frame. At the upper
extremity of the said lever S is jointed a rod which is connected with a lever
across the loom frame working on a centre stud, and as the tappets revolve

page_text: with the star wheel the lever S draws the cross lever backwards and forwards,
and as the two picking shafts are attached to this by two collars or a groove,
the pick is entirely governed by the tappets on the wheel. I do not confine
myself, however, to this mode of connecting the lever S with the pick, as they
same may be effected in various ways.
Sheet.2 represents a side elevation of a shaft across the loom with a com-
bination of cylinders giving motion to endless pattern tappet chains; and in
Sheet 3 is represented an end elevation of the same. C is a spur pinion on
the driving shaft R, having twenty teeth, and is in gear with the stud wheel B
with eighty teeth. The studs on the wheel B turn the star wheel A, and
communicate a rotary motion to the shaft G and chain barrels F, F. The
two tappet chains E¹, E', work the pick, and the two tappets chains E, E, the
shuttle boxes; this is for the purpose of working the pick and shuttle boxes
at each end of the loom independently of each other. H, H, are portions of
the loom frame through which the shaft works in bearings D, D; and D', D',
are bowls fixed to the lever K, to which an up-and-down motion is communi-
cated by the tappets on the pattern chains E, E, E¹, E¹, thus imparting motion
to the rod L', which being attached to the lever S, gives it a vibrating motion
on the stud T. At the extreme end of this lever S is jointed a rod L which
works the shuttle boxes, in the manner herein-before described, in connection
with the star wheel, Sheet 1. The weight U is a weight to counterbalance
the shuttle boxes. Although I use four chains I do not wish to bind myself
to that number, as the picks might be worked by one chain, but I prefer one
chain to each pick.
Sheet 4. Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the frame holding the shuttle
boxes, and is cast in one piece; Fig. 2, a back elevation; and Fig. 3, a sec-
tional plan of the same. In each side of the frame, at M, M, are planed
out V grooves, in which slide V slides S, S, which are fastened to the shuttle
boxes; the cap P fits over one end to keep it in position, and the other end is
secured by an overhanging lip P¹ of the sword lathe or vibrating uprights X,
which carry the sleigh beam; T is the shuttle box, made of sheet iron; R is
a spring pressing against the swivel Q, for the purpose of holding the shuttle
firmly when in the box; 0, 0, are set screws for adjusting the box to a level
with the shuttle race when the boxes are not required for checking; W is the
socket or hole through which the rod L passes, described in reference to
Sheet I., to work the shuttle boxes.
Fig. 2, Sheet I., is a front elevation of a connecting rod for power looms
constructed according to my Invention. The rod is made in two pieces,
U and V, the part U sliding in a socket V, which is shewn partly broken away

page_text: in the Drawing to display the interior of the socket. Between the extremity
of the piece U and the bottom of the socket is interposed a piece of india-
rubber or other elastic or partially elastic substance Y. The two pieces are
held together by a rivet bolt W, which has a little play lengthways in a slot
cut in one of the pieces, so as to allow the elasticity of the interposed substance
to be felt when the connecting rod is changing its direction of motion.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I will proceed to state what I claim as
of my Invention in the construction of power looms for weaving check patterns,
and in connecting rods for power looms,-
Firstly, the general arrangement and combination of tappets on each side
of a star wheel for working the shuttle boxes at each side of the loom inde-
pendently of each other, and also working the picks by an arrangement of
tappets on the same wheel, substantially in the manner herein-before described
and shewn in the Drawings.
Secondly, the mode of working the shuttle boxes and pick at each side of
the loom independently of each other, that is, by means of separate endless
tappet chains, substantially in the manner herein-before described and shewn
in the Drawings.
Thirdly, the mode of guiding the shuttle boxes by means of V grooves and
slides, as herein-before described and shewn in the Drawings.
Fourthly, the mode of interposing an elastic substance in connecting rods
for power looms, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abraham Haley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
(L.8.) ABRAHAM HALEY.
Witness,
JOSEPH WILLCOCK,
Patent Agent & Consulting Engineer,
89, Chancery Lane, London.