IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Erastus Brigham Bigelow, of Boston, United States
of America, at present residing at the Langham Hotel, Portland Place,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 14th June 1867, and dated the 26th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th March 1867.
I, ERASTUS BRIGHAM BIGELOW, of Boston, United States of America, at
present residing at the Langham Hotel, Portland Place, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in looms for weaving, and
consists, 1stly, in an improved arrangement for operating the lay of the loom.
For this purpose I employ a double cam working between two rollers carried
by a rod capable of moving endwise in a line passing through the axis of the
cam, the cam faces being so formed that one face always acts against one
roller to throw the lay forward, whilst the other face acts against the other
roller to draw the lay back. The rod carrying the rollers is connected to the
lay and imparts motion to it; this arrangement gives great facilities for
retaining the lay in a stationery position during the time that the shuttle is
being thrown.

page_text: The next part of my Invention consists in a mode of changing the shuttle
boxes or holders when rising and falling holders or boxes are employed. For
this purpose the frame at each end of the loom carrying the boxes or holders
has attached to it a chain passing over and gearing with a chain wheel at
the top of the frame, and each chain has a balance weight attached to it. On
the axis of each chain wheel is a toothed wheel gearing with a pinion carried
by a separate short axis; on each of these short axes are two other pinions,
both of which can turn loosely upon it or be made fast therewith; with each
pinion a rack gears; the racks are all carried by lever armis on an axis which
passes across the loom, so that, by turning the axis all the racks may be raised
or lowered simultaneously. The axis has a reciprocating motion given to it
from a crank on the cam shaft of the loom, by which means the racks are
both raised and lowered for every pick of weft. When the racks are thus
raised and lowered all the pinions will be caused to turn, the two pinions at
each end of the loom being turned in opposite directions; each pinion can be
kept out of gear with its shaft by a weighted cord drawing it endwise of the
shaft away from a clutch pin, but by raising its cord, which may be effected
by jacquard apparatus, either pinion can be made fast with the shaft, a spring
then sliding the pinion in the opposite direction, and so bringing it up to
the clutch pin. By this means when the racks are raised or lowered the
chain wheel at either end of the loom may either be allowed to remain
stationery or may be turned in either direction, so that the shuttle holders or
boxes operated thereby may either remain at rest or be raised or lowered. On
the short axes above mentioned is a disc with an inclined notch or recess
into which a corresponding catch carried by a lever constantly acted on by a
spring enters to hold these axes in correct position for bringing and main-
taining the shuttle holders or boxes to the correct height, one revolution. of
the axis raising or lowering the holders the height of one box or holder. By
this arrangement it will be seen that any desired changes in the shuttle boxes
may be effected by the jacquard machine operating the weighted cords which
govern the movements of the pinions above mentioned.
The next part of my Invention relates to a mode of varying the order in
which the picker staffs act to throw the 'shuttles. For this purpose each
picker staff is thrown forward by a strap passing to one arm of a lever, the
other arm of which is acted on by a cam; this latter arm is capable of being
turned aside to bring it out of position for being acted on by its cam; these
arms which are acted on by the cams are connected together by a rod which
is acted on by a cam on another cam shaft in such manner as to move i
endwise to bring one or other of the lever arms into position to be acted on by

page_text: this rod that they cannot both be
The cam that governs the endway
axis to which a slower motion is
its cam, the arms being so connected to
acted on by their cams at the same time.
movement of the rod is carried by an
imparted than to the cam shaft that gives the forward motion to the pickers,
to allow of one revolution of this shaft governing the requisite alternations in
the movement of this rod according to the number of variations required.
The acting surfaces of the cam may be made in separate moveable parts so as
to be interchangeable, and thus allow of the motions of the rod being from
time to time varied to effect the changes required.
The next part of my Invention relates to a mode of constructing the
jacquard machine and of operating the journals at the top of the jacquard
frame. For this purpose the trap boards are carried by vertical bars, and the
bars of one trap board are connected with the bars of the other trap board by
shafts and levers in such manner that when one trap board is raised the other
is lowered; the bars project up above the trap boards, and the bars of each
trap board carry at their upper ends an axis to which are attached lifting
hooks which operate the journals of the other trap board. The lifting hooks
come between similar hooks on the two journals with which the lifting hooks
work, and the lifting hooks are made double, so that they can be caused to
engage with the hooks on either one or the other of the journals. The axis
is constantly acted on by a spring in such manner as constantly to cause one
side of the hook to engage with the corresponding hook on one of the
journals unless the axis be turned in the opposite direction by a weighted cord,
in which case the opposite side of the hook engages with the hook on the
other journal; by this means when one trap board is raised either of the
journals of the other trap board may be raised with it, and the selecting of
the journals is governed by the weighted cords above mentioned, which are
led down to the working parts of the loom, where they are acted on by levers
working with cams.
The next part of my Invention relates to the holding the yarn roller of the
let-off motion, and to the increasing the tension on the warps at the time of
the beat up, when the yarn passes over a vibrating roller supported by
levers which carry segment racks gearing with pinions on an axis caused to
turn by springs in such manner as to raise the vibrating roller, and so put
tension on the warp, as described in the Provisional Specification of a Patent
granted to me on the 27th day of September 1866 (No. 2503). I hold the
warp firm at the time of the beat up by an arm on the axis having pin jointed
to it one end of a rod; at the opposite end of the rod is a spring or buffer,
which may be of vulcanized india-rubber, against which the lay strikes and

page_text: holds the vibrating roller from yielding to the blow of the lay, or in place of
this the springs which act on the axis of the pinions may be connected to lever
arms on the axis, which arins on the forward movement of the lay are caused
to turn, and by so doing increase the tension on the springs as the lay moves
forward.
The next part of my Invention relates to the mode in which the cloth as it
is woven is wound on a roller in connection with a positive take-up roller by
the action of a pace weight which is moved outwards away from the axis of
the roller by the varying diameter of the roll of cloth. When the cloth is
taken up by being passed over a roller to which a positive take-up motion is
imparted the cloth is afterwards wound on a beam, caused to turn by a pawl
acting with a ratchet wheel, from the axis of which motion is transmitted to
the axis of the beam. The pawl is moved in one direction by the backward
movement of the lay, and in the opposite direction (when it is acting to turn
the beam) by a weight which governs the strain on the cloth.
My improvement consists in combining with a positive take-up roller a
second roller or beam on to which the cloth is afterwards wound, and which is
caused to turn by a pace weight, which to give an even strain on the cloth is
moved out from the axis of the roller by the varying diameter of the cloth, the
position of the weight on the lever arm that carries it being governed by the
position of another lever that bears constantly against the roll of cloth on
the beam.
My next improvement consists in a mode of applying a filling stop motion
to stop the loom if the filling of weft fails. For this purpose the fingers that
feel the thread are formed on levers carried by the lay; these levers are by
rods connected to lever arms carried by a shaft which extends across the lay;
at one end of this shaft is an arm with a hook catch upon it. When the
filling is complete one or other of the fingers rests on, and is supported by the
thread, by which means the hook catch is held up, so that on the forward
movement of the lay it does not put in action the stop motion, but if the filling
fails the fingers being unsupported drop and allow the hook catch to drop
also; the hook catch will then on the forward movement of the lay catch over
a stop on a sliding rod that is in connection with the shipping motion, and by
drawing the rod forward, throw the loom out of gear. The fingers are raised
for throwing the shuttle by a roller on an arm fixed to the axis being by the
movement of the lay brought against a fixed cam surface.
The next part of my Invention relates to a mode of applying shuttle box
feelers to stop the loom if the shuttle does not correctly enter its box, and has
for its object the insuring the shuttle always arriving up to the same point, or

page_text: nearly so; this is usually effected by the shuttle binder, but in place of this
I employ at the side of the shuttle box and near its back end a small lever
which I call a feeler; this lever is acted on by a spring in such manner that
one arm of the lever projects slightly into the box unless a shuttle be therein;
if the shuttle correctly enters the box, then the lever is turned, and the other
arm of the lever is thereby brought below the end of a rod connected with the
stop motion of the loom, and prevents this rod from dropping; if, however,
the shuttle fails correctly to enter the box, then the feeler is not turned, and
the rod being unsupported will drop and operate the apparatus for throwing the
loom out of gear and applying a break to the break wheel. The rod at other
times is by interposed levers or otherwise held up by a cam on the cam axis,
but when the shuttle should have entered its box then a depression in the cam
sets the rod free to fall, and if it be unsupported by the feeler it will drop and
throw the loom out of gear as above mentioned. This movement for throw-
ing the loom out of gear may also be made use of for applying a spring stop
to the break wheel of the loom to ensure the stopping of the loom so that the
lay cannot move forward to injure the warp if the shuttle be still in the shed.
For this purpose a rod which is allowed to drop at the same time as the
falling rods above mentioned is connected to a hooked latch carried by a
lever arm at one side of the break wheel in such manner that when the rod
drops the latch is turned into the path of a projection on the break wheel.
As the break wheel continues to rotate the latch and the lever that carries
it will be raised until the end of the lever comes against a fixed stop, which
prevents the wheel from turning, further; a spring is interposed between the
lever and the fixed stop to diminish the shock.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ERASTUS
BRIGHAM BIGELOW, of Boston, United States of America, at present residing
at the Langham Hotel, Portland Place, in the County: of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said

page_text: Erastus Brigham Bigelow, Her special licence that I, the said Erastus
Brigham Bigelow, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow, 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 Erastus Brigham Bigelow, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in looms for weaving, and in
the annexed Drawings Figure 1 represents a front view, Figure 2 a plan, and
Figures 3 and 4 opposite end views of a loom which in its general arrange-
ments is similar to that described in the Specification of a former Patent
granted to me and dated the 19th day of October 1866 (No. 2710); it is
therefore necessary in this Specification to describe in detail only such parts
as relate to the improvements secured to me by this present Patent.
The first part of my Invention consists in an improved arrangement for
operating the lay of the loom. For this purpose I employ a double cam
working between two rollers carried by a rod capable of moving endwise in a
line passing through the axis of the cam, the cam faces being so formed that
one face always acts against one roller to throw the lay forward, whilst the
other face acts against the other roller to draw the lay back.
The rod carrying
the roller is connected to the lay and imparts motion to it. a, a, are swords
of the batten or lay; they are jointed to connecting rods A, and through slots
in these connecting rods the main driving shaft c passes; e¹, e¹, are double
cams fixed on the axis c, and in contact with these cams are friction pulleys or
bowls A¹ upon the connecting rods a. The friction pulleys or bowls A¹ of
each connecting rod A are on opposite sides of the axis c, and each work in
contact with one of the curved surfaces of the corresponding double cam.

page_text: This arrangement gives great facilities for retaining the lay in a stationary
position or regulating its movement as may be desired during the time that
the shuttle is being thrown.
Another part of my Invention consists in a mode of changing the shuttle
boxes or holders when rising and falling holders or boxes are employed. For
this purpose the frame at each end of the loom carrying the boxes or holders
has attached to it a chain passing over and gearing with a chain wheel at the
top of the frame, and each chain has a balance weight attached to it. On the
axis of each chain wheel is a toothed wheel gearing with a pinion carried by
a separate short axis; on each of these short axes are two pinions, both of
which can turn loosely upon it or be made fast therewith; with each pinion a
rack gears; the racks are all carried by lever arms on an axis which passes
across the loom, so that by turning the axis all the racks may be raised or
lowered simultaneously. The axis has a reciprocating motion given to it by
a crank on the crank shaft of the loom, by which means the racks are both
raised and lowered for every pick of weft; when the racks are thus raised and
lowered all the pinions will be caused to turn, the two pinions at each end of
the loom being turned in opposite directions; each pinion can be kept out of
gear with its shaft by a weighted cord drawing it endwise of the shaft away
from a clutch pin, but by raising its cord, which may be effected by jacquard
apparatus, either pinion can be made fast with the shaft, a spring then sliding
the pinion in the opposite direction and so bringing it up to the clutch pin.
By this means when the racks are raised or lowered the chain wheel at either
end of the loom may either be allowed to remain stationary or may be turned
in either direction, so that the shuttle holders or boxes operated thereby may
either remain at rest or be raised or lowered. On the short axis above men-
tioned is a disc with an inclined notch or recess, into which a corresponding
catch carried by a lever constantly acted on by a spring enters to hold these
axes in correct position for bringing and maintaining the shuttle holders or
boxes to the correct height, one revolution of the axis raising or lowering the
holders the height of one box or holder. By this arrangement it will be seen
that any desired changes in the shuttle boxes may be effected by the jacquard
machine operating the weighted cords which govern the movement of the
pinions above mentioned. This arrangement of mechanism is clearly shown in
the Drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4; it is similar on the two sides of the
loom. are chains by which the rising and falling shuttle boxes are suspended;
they pass over chain wheels on the axes l, and on each axis a toothed
wheel 2 is fixed, into which gears a pinion m² on an axis m, there being one
such axis at each side of the loom.
On each axis m are two other pinions m²,

page_text: either of which can be allowed to turn freely upon it or be made fast therewith
by being slid endwise on the shaft, so as either to cause a projection m³ on the
side of the pinion to engage with a clutch pin m' on the shaft or to disengage
this projection from the clutch pin. With the two pinions m³ gear two toothed
racks n', which gear with opposite sides of the pinions, so that when the racks
are simultaneously moved endwise one pinion will be caused to turn in one
direction and the other in the opposite direction. The racks have an upward
and downward movement given to them at each revolution of the shaft c by
means of the crank 9 upon it in the following manner:-The toothed racks at
each end of the loom are carried by lever arms n² on the axis n, which passes
across the loom; one of these arms by a connecting rod n³ is connected with
the crank g; the connecting rod is formed at its upper end with a spring clip,
which clips a pin on the end of the lever, as shown in Fig. 3, so that if either
of the racks is unable to rise or fall the clip will give way and the loom will
not be injured. When it is not desired either to raise or lower the frame i
carrying the shuttles both pinions are held back so as to be out of gear with the
clutch pin m¹ by weighted cords acting on one end of levers o, the opposite ends
of which are received in grooves in the bosses of the pinions, but when one or
other pinion is to be put in gear the weighted cord which before drew back its
lever is raised; a coiled spring around the axis of the lever then turns the
lever in the opposite direction to that in which it was before drawn by its
weighted cord, and by so doing slides the pinion into gear with the clutch
pin mt, so that when the rack gearing with the pinion moves downwards the
axis m will be turned and the frame will either be raised or lowered a distance
equal to the distance between its shelves, according to which pinion it
is that is thrown into gear. When the frames have thus been moved the
distance of one shelf either up or down they are accurately brought to and
maintained in their proper position by a spring clutch lever m³ entering a
notch in a disc me fast on the axis m; this spring clutch will, however, yield
to allow the frames or shuttle holders to rise or fall if one of the before-
mentioned pinions be fast with its axis whilst the racks are descending. Whilst
the racks are ascending neither of the pinions can be made fast with their
shaft, as the projections m³ upon them and the clutch pin m' are made with
bevilled edges so as not to engage with one another when the pinions are
turned in the direction given to them by the racks in rising, but when the
racks descend either one or other of the pinions can be put in gear as above
explained, and the axis m thus caused to turn in one or other direction. The
weighted cords acting on the levers o may be raised at the times required for
putting the pinions with which they work into gear by means of other cords

page_text: leading to and acted on by the jacquard machine or by means of levers
working with cams moved by either of the cam axes of the loom, but I have
not thought it necessary to show these in the Drawings. When either of the
pinions is required to be thrown into gear with its axis it is put into gear
during the time the racks are being moved upwards, in order to be at once
ready to act when the racks commence to descend.
The
Another part of my Invention relates to a mode of varying the order in
which the picker staff's act to throw the shuttles. For this purpose each
picker staff is thrown forward by a strap passing to one arm of a lever, the
other arm of which is acted on by a cam; this latter arm is capable of being
moved aside to bring it out of position for being acted on by the cam.
levers are connected together by a rod or axis which is acted on by a cam on
another cam shaft in such manner as to move it endwise to bring one or other
of the lever arms into position to be acted on by its cam, the arms being so
connected to this rod or axis that they cannot both be acted on by their cams
at the same time. The cam that governs the endway movement of the rod
or axis is carried by an axis to which a slower motion is imparted than to the
cam shaft that gives the forward motion to the pickers to allow of one revolu-
tion of this shaft governing the requisite alternations in the movement of the
rod according to the number of variations required. The acting surfaces of
the cams may be made in separate moveable parts so as to be interchangeable,
and thus allow of the motions of the rod or axis being from time to time
varied to effect the changes required. f. f, are the picker staffs, they are con-
nected by straps B passing around guide pullies to the levers C at one end
thereof; these levers are capable of rocking upon a rod or axis D, and they
have upon them at the extremities of their other arms friction pullies or
bowls E, which bear against cams F upon the main axis c, and these cams
are of such a form as to give a sudden forward movement to the picker staff f
at the times required. The levers C are capable of turning freely upon the rod
or axis D, but not of moving longitudinally thereon. The rod or axis itself
however receives an endway movement to bring one or other of the bowls or
pullies E opposite its cam F, and this motion is given to it by means of a
pattern wheel G, which is embraced by a fork D₁ upon the rod or axis D, as
is shown. The pattern wheel G is driven by means of a spur wheel on its
axis gearing with a pinion upon the axis d; the rod or axis D is prevented
from rotating by means of a small arm D³ at its end, which is retained in
position by suitable stops on the frame. The pattern pieces G¹ upon the
wheel G may be made moveable, and may be arranged upon the wheel in any
succession which may be required.

page_text: Another part of my Invention relates to the holding the yarn roller of the
let-off motion, and to the increasing the tension on the warps at the time of
the beat up, when the yarn passes over a vibrating roller supported by levers
which carry segment racks gearing with pinions on an axis caused to turn by
a spring or springs in such manner as to raise the vibrating roller, and so put
tension on the warp, as described in the Specification of a Patent granted to
me on the 27th day of September 1866 (No. 2503). I hold the warp firm at
the time of the beat up by an arm on the above-mentioned axis, having pin
jointed to it one end of a rod. At the opposite end of the rod is a spring or
buffer, which may be of vulcanized india-rubber, against which the lay strikes,
and holds the vibrating roller from yielding to the blow of the lay.
This arrangement is clearly seen in the end view, Figure 3. II is the warp
beam; I, the take-up roller; and K the work beam on which the fabric
after leaving the take-up roller is wound in the ordinary manner. The take-up
roller I is driven at a uniform speed, and the giving off of the warp from the
warp beam H is regulated by their tension in the following manner :-12 is
a roller over which the warps are caused to pass, and 13, 13, are levers which
support its axis; the crank levers at the two ends of the loom turn ou pins
carried by the adjustable stands 14, which can be fixed at any desired height
to the framing of the loom; 13*, 13*, are the segment racks formed on the
longer arms of the levers 13; and 15, 15, are the toothed wheels with which
these racks gear. The wheels 15 are fast on the shaft 16, which shaft passes
across the loom and is carried in bearings on the stands 14, so that all the
parts of this mechanism are preserved in their proper relative positions whether
the stands 14 be raised or lowered. There are two springs coiled around the
two ends of the shaft 16, one end of each spring is fixed to a stud 17, which
also serves to limit the motion of the lever 30, and the other end of the springs
are made fast to the shaft by means of the adjusting collar 17*, the shaft is
thus caused to turn in the direction required for tightening the warps,
and the tension on the warps can be regulated by varying the tension of the
springs. In weaving light fabrics sufficient tension may be given to the warps
by one spring.
The arrangement for letting off the warps is as follows:-26* is a worm
wheel on the warp beam H, into which gears a worm 27; on the axis of this
worm is a ratchet wheel 27*, as is seen in Figure 5; it is acted on by a
pawl 27** carried by a lever 27***, and this by a strap 29* is connected
with the lever arm 29, on the same axis with which is another arm 28*, which
after each beat up of the loom and when the warps are stationary is acted on
by the cam 20, and the movement it thus receives causes the rotation of the

page_text: warp beam to unwind the warp. The extent of the motion thus communicated
depends, however, upon the position of the arm 30; this arm is mounted upon
the axis 16, and to prevent forcible contact with the arm 29 is allowed to
turn freely thereon in one direction, but by means of a counterpoise weight
with which it is furnished it is held up to a fixed stop on the axis, as the
Drawing shows. Hence the position of the arm 30 will depend upon the
tension of the warps and the extent to which they are able to turn the axis 16
against the resistance of the coiled springs upon it. The lower end of the
arm 30 is cut in a series of steps, as is shown, and when the lever arm 28*
and the arm 29 which moves with it are allowed by the cam 20 to descend
the end of the arm 29 comes down upon one or other of the steps on the
lever 30, and according as this lever is in a position to stop the arm 29 sooner
or later, so will the quantity of warp unwound by the next action of the
cam 20 be less or more.
To prevent the warps yielding when the beat up takes place an arm
fixed upon the axis 16 is connected by a rod 30* passing through a guide
eye on the sword with an elastic buffer or stop 30** (it may be of vul-
canized india-rubber enclosed between the metal washers), with which at
each beat up the guide eye on the sword comes in contact, and so locks
the axis 16 and holds the warp rigid; or in place of this arrangement I
employ according to this part of my Invention the following means to hold
the warps rigid-The spring or springs which act on the axis of the pinions
are connected to lever arm or arms on the axis instead of to fixed stops, and
the arm or arms on the forward movement of the lay are caused to turn, and
by so doing they increase the tension on the springs as the lay moves forward,
and thus increase the rigidity of the warps at the time of the beat up; this
arrangement is illustrated at Figure 6. One of the ends of each of the coiled
springs 16* is attached to the axis 16 by the adjusting collar 17*, as in the
arrangement before described, whilst their other ends, instead of being attached
to fixed stands, are attached to arms 16**, which can turn freely around the
axis. The lower ends of the arms 16** are connected with the swords of
the lay by connecting rods 16***, and vibrate in unison therewith. By this
arrangement the springs are gradually tightened as the shed of the warps is
closed until the cloth is beat up and relaxed again as the shed is opened,
whereby the warps yield under a light tension at the movement of the harnesses
and become rigid at the time of the beat up, an action favorable to the
weaving of tender warps.
Another part of my Invention consists in a mode of applying a filling stop
motion to stop the loom if the filling or weft fails. For this purpose the

page_text: fingers that feel the thread are formed on levers carried by the lay; these
levers are by rods connected to lever arms carried by a shaft which extends
across the lay; at one end of this shaft is an arın with a hook catch upon it.
When the filling is complete one or other of the fingers rests on and is
supported by the thread, by which means the hook catch is held up so that
on the forward movement of the lay it does not put in action the stop motion,
but if the filling fails the fingers being unsupported drop and allow the hook
catch to drop also; the hook catch will then on the forward movement of the
lay catch over a stop on the sliding rod that is in connection with the shipping
motion, and by drawing the rod forward, throw the loom out of gear. The
fingers are raised for throwing the shuttle by a roller on an arm fixed to the
axis being by the movement of the lay brought against a fixed cam surface;
this arrangement is illustrated in Figure 7. The fingers 7 are carried by the
lathe, and each finger is connected by a rod to a lever 7*, the axis of which
passes across the lathe; on this axis is an arm having a hooked latch formed at
one end, and carrying at its other end a roller 7**. If the filling of the weft
is complete the fingers 7 rest on the top of the weft, and the hooked latch of
the lever 7 is held up, so that as the lathe moves forward the hooked latch
cannot catch on to the projection 8* of the lathe 8, which is connected with
the latch lever 3 as shown; if, however, the filling fails, the fingers 7 will be
unsupported by the weft, and will allow the hooked latch of the lever 7x to
descend low enough to catch on to the projection 8* as the lathe moves
forward, and will thus draw forward the rod 8, and so release the latch lever 3
and stop the loom. When the shuttle is being thrown the fingers 7 are held
up by the roller 7** bearing against the cam surface 7***. When the latch
lever 3 is raised the shipping lever 1* on the shipping shaft 1 is thrown back
by means of a spring. The movement of the shipping shaft may be caused to
throw the loom out of gear in the manner fully described in the Specification
of a former Patent granted to me, and dated the 27th day of September 1866.
Another part of my Invention relates to a mode of applying shuttle box
feelers to stop the loom if the shuttle does not correctly enter its box, and has
for its object the insuring the shuttle always arriving up to the same point, or
nearly so. This is usually effected by the shuttle binder, but in place of this
I employ at the side of the shuttle box and near its back end a small lever,
which I call a feeler; this lever is acted on by a spring in such manner that
one arm of the lever projects slightly into the box unless a shuttle be therein;
if the shuttle correctly enters the box then the lever is turned, and the other
arm of the lever is thereby brought below the end of a rod connected with the
stop motion of the loom, and prevents this rod from dropping; if, however,

page_text: the shuttle fails correctly to enter the box then the feeler is not turned, and
the rod being unsupported will drop and operate the apparatus for throwing
the loom out of gear and applying a break to the break wheel; the rod at
other times is by interposed levers or otherwise held up by a cam on the cam
axis, but when the shuttle should have entered its box then a depression in
the cam sets the rod free to fall, and if it be unsupported by the feeler it will
drop and throw the loom out of gear, as above mentioned. These arrange-
ments are seen at Figures 2, 3, and 4. The rear side of each horizontal box p
is fitted with a shuttle binder p³, such as is commonly employed. In addition
to this binder the rear side of each box also carries short axes p° on which are
small lever arms p', which I call feelers; these feelers are by small springs p
caused to project into the box if there be no shuttle therein. On the axis p
are other arms p³, which come just below the lower end of a rod q', which
is supported by a lever arm from the axis q which passes from end to end
of the loom; the weight of the arms on the axis 9 and the parts in con-
nection therewith is sufficient to cause the axis to turn and allow the rods q¹
to drop if the rods q¹ be not otherwise supported.
The action of the feeler is as follows:-If the shuttle be thrown correctly
into a box the shuttle will turn the feeler on its axis and bring the arm p³
below the lower end of the rod 9', and thus stop this rod from falling when it
is set free to do so. If the shuttle be not thrown correctly then the feelers
will not be turned by the shuttle, and its arm ps will not be brought below the
rod q', the rod q' will then be free to fall whenever the axis of the lever arm
that carries it is set free. The axis q is held from turning during the greater
portion of the revolution of the shaft c by means of an arm q³ on the axis q
being acted on by a second lever g³, which is itself acted on by a cam q' on the
shaft c; when, however, a shuttle bas been thrown a depression in the cam
sets the lever q³ free (the parts of the loom being, as before stated, in the
positions they assume just after a shuttle has been thrown), the weight of the
lever q³ then causes it to turn on its axis, so turning the axis q and causing
the rod to descend unless this rod be supported by a feeler. If the axis q
be allowed to turn an arm q³ upon it will, by acting on a small lever q®,
trip the lateb q', which holds the loom in gear, and so stop the loom.
According to my Invention also this movement for throwing the loom out
of gear may also be made use of for applying a spring stop to the break wheel
of the loom to ensure the stopping of the loom, so that the lay cannot move
forward to injure the warp if the shuttle be still in the shed. For this; purpose
a rod, which is allowed to drop at the same time as the falling rods above
mentioned, is connected to a hooked latch carried by a lever arm at one side

page_text: of the break wheel in such manner that when the rod drops the latch is turned
into the path of a projection on the break wheel. As the break wheel
continues to rotate the latch and the lever that carries it will be raised until
the end of the lever comes against a fixed stop, which prevents the wheel
from turning further; a spring is interposed between the lever and the fixed
stop to diminish the shock; this arrangement is shown at Figure 8. L is
the break wheel fast upon the main axis c, and L' is a tooth upon it; q is the
axis with which the feeling rods q¹ are connected, as already described, and g³
is as before the arm on the axis q, which when the axis turns by a connecting
link (bere marked q8) gives motion to the lever 26 and trips the latch q7. The
connecting link q³ is prolonged, and immediately beneath it there is placed a
lever arm M which is centred to another lever N jointed at one end to the
former, and at the other capable of moving between two fixed stops O, O, but
by a spring P it is when free caused to bear against the upper stop. Q is a
latch also jointed to the lever N, and a light spring, not shown in the Drawing,
tends to keep it in the position shown. As will be seen there is a fork or
notch in the back of the latch Q, into which an arm M' which is fast to the
arm M enters, so that, as will be seen, when the link descends the latch Q
is thrown into the path of the tooth L' on the break wheel. In this way the
break wheel and the loom with it is stopped as soon as the lever N has been
carried down to its lower stop.
In witness whereof, I, the said Erastus Brigham Bigelow, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
E. B. BIGELOW. (L.S.)