CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
UNSWORTH, of Derby, Silk Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Unsworth, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said William Unsworth, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said William Unsworth,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said William Unsworth, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Unsworth, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described

page_text: and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):
My Invention of Improvements in Looms for Weaving relates to that
description of looms in which ribbons or fabrics of narrow breadth are made,
and consists of various novel modes of arranging and working the shuttles or
those parts of the loom which are employed for carrying the weft threads
across through the sheds, by means of which novel or improved arrangements
I am enabled to weave a greater number of pieces within a given width than
in looms of the ordinary construction.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn various modes of, or con-
trivances for, carrying out the object of my Invention.
The first plan, which is shewn at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 3*, in Sheet 1 of the
Drawings, consists of an improved mode of working the shuttles (which carry
the weft threads) by means of catches or bent arms attached to sliding bars.
A and B, Figs. 1 and 2, represent front end elevations of the loom, and
Figs. 3 and 3* are detached views of the novel parts, drawn upon an enlarged
scale, in order that the action, construction, and mode of working these parts
may be more clearly seen and understood. A and B are two sliding bars
mounted in bearings or guides affixed to the framework of the loom in front
of the batten. On the upper side of the lower bar, and on the under side of
the upper bar, are fastened by bolts, screws, screw nuts, or in any convenient
manner, a series of flat hook-shaped pieces a and b, made of thin iron, so that
they may easily be made to enter the narrow slits or openings made in the
back of the shuttle for the purpose of receiving them, as shewn by dots in the
plan view of the shuttle, Fig. 3*. The sliding bars A and B are connected
together at one end by a link c, see Fig. 1, which turns on a stud as its centre,
as shewn in the Figure. The opposite end of one of the sliding rods is con-
nected to the upper end of an upright lever d, which turns on a pin f as its
centre, and carries at its lower end a bowl that runs in an excentric groove
made in the cam wheel e. This wheel e,. which is shewn detached and upon
an enlarged scale at Figs. 14 and 15, Sheet III., is actuated in any convenient
manner by suitable gearing connected with the main or driving shaft, as shewn
in Figs. 2 and 3; but as the means of actuating this wheel forms no part of
the Invention, and must be varied according to circumstances, I do not think
it necessary to give any further or more detailed explanation of the mode of
actuating the cam wheel, as the mode of effecting this object will be perfectly
understood by referring to the Drawing, Figs. 1 and 2. As this wheel revolves,
it, by means of the excentric groove on its face, see Fig. 14, Sheet III., causes the

page_text: lever d to move back into the position shewn by dots in Fig. 1; and by the
connection of this lever with the sliding rods A and B, one of these rods will
be moved laterally in one direction, and the other one in the opposite direction.
It will now be seen, that as the shuttles are suspended on the liorizontal parts
of one of the sets of hook-shaped pieces or bent arms a or b, that by moving
one of the sliding rods (the rod A, for example,) the whole set of shuttles will
be moved or carried laterally with it.. This motion will be sufficient to carry
the shuttles half way through the shed; it will therefore be necessary to com-
plete the shoot, and carry them the other half, which is effected by the other
sliding rod B by means of its set of hooked-shaped pieces, which are precisely
similar in construction to those already described, and enter similar slits in the
opposite end of the shuttle. It should be observed, that the shuttles are not
only suspended upon or supported by the horizontal part of the hook-shaped
pieces or bent arms a and b alternately, but are further secured or held there
(until they are required to be removed) by means of catches at the ends of
the bent levers a and b, which take into holes or catch against studs or pro-
jections made in the shuttle for that purpose. These bent arms a* and * are
made moveable on their centres, and are mounted upon studs attached to the
fixed bent arms or hook pieces a and 6; and the opposite ends of the bent.
levers a and 6* are furnished with studs which enter the notches of a second
pair of sliding bars A* and B*, which are actuated in a similar manner to that
described in reference to the other bars A and B, but by means of a different
cam or excentric, as, after the horizontal part of the hook pieces belonging to
the sliding bar A is inserted into one end of the shuttle, the lateral motion of
the sliding bars A* and B* is continued, and the catch at the end of the bent
lever a is made to catch against the notch or pin of the shuttle, which cannot
be released until the catch is lifted up again, which can only be done by
drawing back the bar A*; and as the two bars A* and B* are connected
together at their ends by a link similar to c, they are made to move simul-
taneously, so that as the catch of the bent lever a* lays hold, the catch of the
bent lever 6* quits its hold and allows the shuttle to be removed. In Fig. 3,
Sheet I., the bars A*, A*, are shewn in the position they would assume when
the catches of the bent levers a have firm hold of the shuttle, and have
carried it half way through the shed, as above mentioned, and just previous to
the bent lever a* quitting its hold of the shuttle. The hook-shaped piece or
the bar B, and the bent lever of the bar B*, will also at the same time have
been advanced, as seen in the Figures, ready to take the shuttle and carry it
the remaining portion of the shoot; and upon the catch of the bent lever a*
quitting its hold, and that of the bent lever 6* taking hold of the shuttle, the

page_text: hook-shaped arm b will be withdrawn or drawn back, and the shuttle carried
with it through the remaining portion of its course. It must be understood,
that as the two sliding bars A and B are connected together by a link c, as
above described, the above-mentioned motions of the two bars are simultaneous,
(that is to say) as the bar A carries the shuttles in on the hook-shaped pieces a
the corresponding pieces 6 of the bar B advance to receive them, and both
bars recede simultaneously; and after the weft that has been laid in by the
shuttles has been beaten up by the batten the two bars A and B again
advance simultaneously, and again transfer the shuttles from one to the other,
and so on until the whole length of fabric is completed. Sometimes, in lieu
'of shuttles, I employ carriers to pass the weft through the shed, in which case
the shuttles are entirely dispensed with. In the accompanying Drawings I
have shewn various ways in which this object may be effected; but, as the
arrangement of the bobbins which carry the weft threads is very similar in all
the various plans, it would be an useless recapitulation to describe and shew
this part of the apparatus to more than one arrangement, the only difference
in the plans being in the mode of carrying the thread from side to side of the
fabric, and holding it while the batten beats up.
Fig. 4, Sheet II., represents a front elevation of part of a loom, shewing one
of my improved plans, in which shuttles are dispensed with, and a double set of
weft carriers and points are used in lieu thereof. In this instance, as well as
in all the others in which carriers are employed in lieu of shuttles, the weft
bobbins are placed at the back part of the loom behind the harness, as shewn
in Fig. 8, Sheet III., which is a plan view of another arrangement hereafter
described. From the bobbins behind the harness the weft passes through the
harness to the reed, and through this latter to a notch or slot at the end of
the weft carriers. If a selvage is to be made on both sides of the ribbon, then
two sets of carriers and two bobbins must be employed for each piece of goods,
as shewn in the Figures; but if a selvage is only required on one side, then
only one carrier and one bobbin need be used. The weft carriers are bent
arms or hook-shaped pieces a and b, which are bolted, screwed, or otherwise
secured to the sliding bars A and B, and are actuated by a somewhat similar
arrangement of mechanism as the bars above described in reference to
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 3*, Sheet I.; but in the present instance the bars A and
B are moved alternately and not simultaneously, (that is to say) each bar, with
its carriers, is alternately moved laterally in the following manner :-The
sliding bar A, with its weft carriers a, a, is shogged laterally or sideways, and
the weft (which has been previously placed in the notch at the end of the wef
earrier a) is by that means carried or passed through the shed, and is received

page_text: on the points of the vertical pins 9, 9, 9, which are fixed to the moveable bar
C, and are raised up (by the means hereafter described), in order to receive
the weft when it is carried over by the carriers a or b. When the weft has
been placed over the points of the pins g, g, the sliding bar A, with its carriers
a, a, is moved back again, leaving the weft in the shed to be beaten up by the
batten. The shed is then changed, and the weft carriers b, b, of the other
sliding bar B then carry over their shoot, which is also received on to the
points of the pins g, g, on the opposite side of the piece, and the weft is again
beaten up. These alternate operations of the weft carriers a and b are continued
until the piece of fabric is completed and forms a selvage on both sides of the
piece. The bar C, which carries the upright pins g, g, g, is moved up and
down in order to receive the weft threads on the points of the pins every time
that either of the weft carriers moves across, and the pins are kept steady by
the brass sockets or guides i, i, i, i, on the fixed bar D, through which guides
the pins pass; and when the thread is placed on their points, the carriers
return back, but the pins remain stationary in their elevated position until the
weft is beaten up by the batten, when the bar C descends and releases the
thread from the points of the pins. The bar C is actuated by a cam or pair of
cams mounted on a shaft below, and which act against the lower ends of the
rods h, h. These cams are driven by suitable gearing, not shewn in the
Drawing, but which is connected with the main or driving shaft in any con-
venient manner, according to circumstances, and the arrangement of the other
parts of the loom. The carrier bars A and B are also actuated by cams in a
similar manner to the bars A and B of Figs. 1 and 2; but as, in the present
instance, the two bars A and B are not required to act simultaneously, as
in the first-described plan, but alternately, of course two separate cams or
excentrics, actuated by a proper arrangement of gearing in connection with
the driving shaft, must be employed to produce the motion required. As,
however, the construction and arrangement of ribbon looms differs so widely
according to circumstances, and thereby involves a different arrangement of
mechanism to suit the particular circumstances of every case and description
of fabric to be produced, it would be useless to enter into a minute and
detailed description of all such parts as may be connected with my improve-
ments, but which are not new, and therefore are not intended to be claimed as
constituting part of my Invention, as, with the foregoing description of the
novel or improved parts, any intelligent mechanic will be able to adapt the
improvements to any description of loom for which they may be required, or
to which they may be applicable.
Figures 4*, 5, and 6, Sheet I., and Fig. 7, Sheet II., and Fig. 8, Sheet III.

page_text: represent another mode of passing the weft threads through the shed by means
of what I denominate revolving carriers, whereby a great economy of space is
obtained, (that is to say) a much greater number of pieces can be woven in a
loom of this description than in ordinary looms, or even in loonis of the
description above shewn and described, although one of the objects of these
latter is also to greatly economize space. By the peculiar arrangement and
construction of parts shewn in the above-mentioned Figures I am enabled
to weave pieces of ribbons so close together as only to leave from one inch
to an inch and a half, or sometimes less space, between the selvages, whereas
hitherto it has always been absolutely necessary to leave sufficient space
between the pieces to receive the shuttles or weft carriers after they have
laid in the weft, and which will require from four to six or eight inches,
according to the width of the fabric. Figure 4* represents a front eleva-
tion of the batten, shewing the number of pieces that may be woven in the
Joom. Fig. 5 is a sectional representation of a portion of the novel parts,
drawn upor an enlarged scale, and shewing the form and means of working
the revolving weft carriers and points. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the same,
also upon an enlarged scale, and looking from the batten towards the weft
carriers. Fig. 7, Sheet II., is a plan view, shewing the position of the weft
carriers in relation to the warp when in a quiescent state; and Fig. 8,
Sheet III., is a general plan view, also upon an enlarged scale, and shewing
the arrangement of the various parts of the loom in reference to each other.
In my present arrangement, instead of placing the weft carriers at right
angles to the warp, as in the plan shewn in Fig. 4, they are mounted in
guides or brasses i, i, affixed to the breast beam or bar j, j, and are placed
lengthwise or parallel to the side of the warp, as seen in Fig. 8, and upon
The form or con-
an enlarged scale in the detached plan view, Fig. 7.
struction of the revolving weft carriers will be best seen and understood by
reference to the detached view Figure 5.
made of bent wire, and
guides i, i, of the bar j. j. The upper end of the weft carriers is furnished
with an eye-hole or notch to receive the weft thread, and the lower end is bent
back and is inserted into a notch in or jointed to the sliding bars B and C,
which are alternately moved sideways or backwards and forwards by means of
cams or excentrics, which act against levers connected with one end of the
sliding bars B and C, and are actuated by gearing connected with the main
or driving shaft, in a similar manner to that already described in reference to
the foregoing Figures. D and F are upright pins affixed to the bar G, and are
worked up and down to receive the weft thread as it is carried over, in
are, as before
The weft carriers A and E are
stated, mounted in the upright

page_text: precisely the same manner as those shewn at D, in Fig. 4. The weft threads
are wound upon bobbins and placed behind the harness at the back part of the
loom, as shewn in Fig. 8, Sheet III., in which two bobbins are represented as
belonging to each piece of ribbon, in order that selvages may be made
at both edges. The shed having been formed in the ordinary manner, and the
weft threads placed in the eyes of the revolving carriers, the action of the
several parts will be as follows:-The sliding bar B will, by means of its cam
below, be moved sideways, and, by acting upon the horizontal tail of the weft
carrier A, the upper horizontal arm of the said carrier will be moved round
into the position shewn by dots in Fig. 7, and at E in the plan view Fig. 8.
When the thread has been carried through the shed to the opposite side of the
piece by the horizontal arm of the weft carrier, as above stated, the point bar G
is raised, and one of the points is made to receive the thread from the weft
carrier, which then returns to its original position, leaving a double thread
of weft in the shed; the weft is then beaten up by the batten, and after
the shed is changed the other weft carrier E is caused to turn round or move
across in its turn, in precisely the same manner, by causing the sliding bar C
to be moved laterally in the opposite direction by means of its cam or excen-
tric; the point bar G again rises, and one of the points F receives the thread
from the carrier E, which then returns to its original position, leaving the
double thread of weft in the shed. By thus causing the weft carriers to act
alternately, and the point bar G to rise every. time the weft is thrown across
from either side, a selvage is produced at both edges of the ribbon, and the
operations of the loom are continued in the same manner until the whole piece
is completed.
Figures 9 and 10 represent side and edge views of the cam wheel which
actuates the sliding bars B and C. This wheel must be made to revolve once
for every two beats of the batten; and the excentric groove which works the
sliding bar B is placed on one side of the wheel, and the other excentric groove
which works the other bar C is on the opposite side, as seen by dots in
Fig. 9:
Figures 11 and 12 represent a front and end elevation of another mode of
carrying the weft across by means of revolving carriers. This plan is a modifi-
cation of that just described, but in this instance the points D and F, and the
bar G, are dispensed with, and in place of carrying the weft thread across to
the points D and F, on which it will remain while the operation of beating up
takes place, the carriers themselves are furnished with points, and are made to
fetch the thread across. The weft carriers are worked by means of the sliding
bars B and C in precisely the same manner as in the plans above described;

page_text: but, instead of the upper horizontal arm of the carriers being made rigid, as in
the former instances, it is made of steel, so as to give it some degree of clas-
ticity; and, in place of making an eye-hole or notch at the extremity of the
carrier, it is furnished with a short upright pin or point, as seen in the Figures.
The weft is wound upon bobbins mounted in a frame behind the harness, as in
the former instance; and as the sliding bar B is moved laterally by means of
its cam and lever, the carrier is turned round in its guides, and the horizontal
spring arm with its point is carried through the stud to the opposite side, where
it receives the weft thread over the point, and as it returns to its original posi-
tion it carries the weft with it, leaving a double thread in the shed, as in the
former instance. When the weft has been laid in the shed it must be released
from the point at the end of the weft carrier, just before the batten beats up.
This is effected by means of the rods or pushers k, k, which are mounted in or
affixed to the vibrating bar L, immediately above the horizontal arms of the
revolving weft carriers, as seen in Fig. 11. The bar L is connected to one
end of the vibrating lever or levers I, I, which carries at its or their opposite
ends a counterbalance weight J. A rod K is connected at its upper end to
the vibrating lever or levers I, I, and at its lower end to a cani or excentric
on the main or driving shaft, in such a manner that, as the batten advances to
beat up the weft, the rod K will pull down the vibrating levers I, I, and
through the medium of the rods or pushers k, k, depress the horizontal arms of
the weft carriers, so that the weft will be released from the points and be left
free to be beaten up close by the batten; and when the rods k, k, have
performed their work of releasing the weft they are brought back into their
original position by the counterbalance weight J. By this means ribbons with
a beautiful pearl edging will be produced; but if plain edges are required a
suitable apparatus must be adapted to the loom, for the purpose of pulling up
or tightening the loose weft which is left to form pearl edgings. This is effected
in the following manner :-All the weft threads from the bobbins are passed
through nippers or tweezers, as at E, Fig. 12, and also through a single leisch,
as at H, and when the batten has beaten up the weft the nippers or tweezers E
are closed by pulling down the cord g, and are made to nip and hold firmly the
weft while the leisch H is forcibly drawn down by the cord G a sufficient
distance, as shewn by dots, in order to pull the weft tight and leave a plain
selvage to the ribbon. The nippers E and leisch H are worked by two heart
wheels or cams mounted on the driving shaft, or any other shaft that may be
more convenient, taking care, however, that the nippers E are closed, and are
made to firmly hold the thread before the leisch begins to draw down; and it
may be as well to observe that the cam or heart wheel which draws down the

page_text: leisch should be sharper pointed than the cam which closes the nippers, but
the length of its longer radius must altogether depend upon the tension
required for the weft thread; its form will therefore vary according to circum-
stances. M is a small counterbalance weight attached to the end of a cord
which passes from the leisch H over a pulley above, and serves to bring back.
the leisch with the weft thread into its original position when the object of its
operation is effected.
IIaving now described my Invention, and the manner in which the same
may be carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that although
I have shewn and described the best means with which I am acquainted
for carrying out my improvements, I do not intend to confine myself strictly
to the precise arrangement and construction of parts herein shewn, as they
may doubtless be varied without departing from the nature and object of my
Invention. And I would observe, that I am aware that shuttles have been
carried through the open sheds of narrow fabrics by means of upright pins or
studs fixed on a sliding bar or bars, and which studs are made to take into
holes placed near the ends of the shuttle; I do not, therefore, wish to claim
such arrangement as constituting any part of my improvements. But
that which I wish to claim, as the Invention secured to me under the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
any
First, carrying shuttles or weft carriers into and out of a shed by means of
horizontal arms connected to a sliding bar or bars, whereby I am enabled
to economize space, and weave a greater number of widths of fabric in a given
space than in looms of the ordinary description.
Second, I claim carrying the weft into or through the shed by means of
horizontal arms or weft carriers attached to a sliding bar or bars, as shewn in
Fig. 4.
Thirdly, I clain carrying the weft through the shed by means of what I
denominate revolving carriers, which turn horizontally on their centres, and
are actuated by sliding bars, and either carry the weft in or fetch it across the
shed, as shewn and described. I claim the use of such revolving carriers in
whatever way they may be actuated, and whereby I am enabled to dispense
with the use of shuttles together, and greatly reduce the spaces between
the pieces, and thereby weave a greater number of pieces within a given
width.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Unsworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
W
(L.S.) UNSWORTH.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-fifth day of
September, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Unsworth
came before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.