Im- PROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Foster, of Lister Terrace, Bradford,
in the County of York, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Foster at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th November 1853.
I, WILLIAM FOSTER, of Lister Terrace, Bradford, in the County of
York, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved and simplified system or mode
of raising and lowering the shuttle boxes in looms when striped or fancy
goods are to be produced, and consists in attaching a number of tappets
or segments to a wheel at the end of the loom, such tappets acting
upon a lever which gives motion at once to the shuttle box by a con-
necting rod attached to the bottom of it, without any intermediate
mechanism being required. In place of the drop boxes being attached
to the raising rod they may work loosely over an arc or segment fixed
to the top of the rod, which is guided vertically by a fixed guide in the

page_text: side of the loom; the radius of this arc or segment corresponds with
the radius of the slay swords. These tappets or segments are fixed at
certain distances asunder, and are of various lengths, according to the
nature of the pattern to be produced. By this means the gearing may
be arranged to work from two to sixty-four picks or upwards, if required,
without much additional expense.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Foster in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM FOSTER, of Lister Terrace. Bradford, in the County of York,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the. Fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said William Foster, Her special
license that I, the said William Foster, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Foster, my executors,
administrators, or 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 William Foster, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 1,. the said William Foster, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner. the

page_text: sanie is 'to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say..
:
This Invention relates to an improyed and simplified system or mode
of. raising and lowering the shuttle boxes in looms when checked,
striped, or fancy goods are to be produced, and consists in attaching a
number of tappets or segments to a wheel at the end of the loom, or a
plate wheel may be cut out in the form of such tappets or segments,.
such tappets 'acting upon a lever which gives motion at once to the
shuttle box by a connecting rod attached to the bottom of it, without
any intermediate mechanism being required. In place of the drop
boxes being attached to the raising rod they may work loosely over,
an ärc or segment fixed to the top of the rod, which is guided
vertically by a fixed guide in the side of the loom. The radius of this
are or segment corresponds with the radius of the slay swords. The
tappets or segments are fixed at certain distances 'asunder, and are of
various lengths, according to the nature of the pattern to be produced..
By this means the gearing may be arranged; to work from two to three
hundred and twenty picks or upwards, if required, without much
additional expense..,
Figure 1, on, my Sheet of Drawings represents an end elevation of
a loom with my improvements attached; and Fig. 2, is a corresponding.
front view of the same, showing a portion merely of the entire loom.
A, is the crank shaft of the loom; on the outer extremity of which is
keyed. the pinion B, which gears on to the spur wheel C, on which is
cast the spur pinion D. This wheel works loosely upon the stud
centre E, and its pinion D gears into the large spur wheel, F, also
working on a stud centre G, attached to the framing of the loom. To
the spur wheel F is fixed the plate wheel H, carrying four studs or
pins I, which may be removed at pleasure in order to vary the number
of picks. These studs take into the large catch or ratchet wheel J,
which is attached to the segment or tappet wheel K, and works loosely
upon the end of the shaft I of the loom. The segment wheel Kis
fitted with a number of moveable segnients or tappets of various sizes,
:
'

page_text: which by the revolution of the segment wheel depress one end of the
lever M, by coming in contact with the antifriction pulley N. This
lever works on a fixed centre at O, attached to the loom framing, and
is connected at P with the vertical adjustible rod Q, which is attached
by a joint at R to the drop box S. The lower end of the rod Q is so
connected to the end of the lever M as to allow it to play freely therein
during the movement or vibration of the lathe. The catch or ratchet
wheel J is held in its place after every movement it receives from the
stud pins I, by means of the detent T, and spring U, attached to the
loom framing. It will thus be seen that as the segment wheel with its
segments is caused to rotate, the end. of the lever M will be depressed
by the action of the segments or tappets, thereby elevating the opposite
end P, and consequently raising the drop box, whereby the lower
shuttle is brought into action, and remains in action until the actuating
segment or tappet has passed the pulley N in the lever, upon which it
immediately resumes its former position, and brings the upper shuttle in
the drop box into action. This shuttle remains in action until the next
tappet or segment on the segment wheel depresses once more the end
of the lever M. In order to vary the picks the segments or tappets
may be changed at pleasure, substituting longer or shorter ones, and
some of the studs I may be removed from the plate wheel H. By this
means I am enabled to adapt the mechanism to weave any number of
picks or any length of pattern; I am also enabled to weave with either
one, two, or three shuttles. Fig. 3, represents another arrangement
which I prefer for working the drop box. It consists in passing the
upper end of the adjustable rod Q, through a fixed guide V, attached to
the side of the loom framing, and on the top of this rod is fitted a seg-
ment or are W, which is rather longer than the stroke of the lathe.
On the upper surface of this are rests the small antifriction pulley X,
which is carried between two short rods attached to the drop box. The
correct curve of the arc W is described from the working centre Y of
-the-slay_swords Z. By_this_arrangement it will be seen that in place
of the elevating rod Q, vibrating with the motion of the lathe, it will be
held in one position by the guide V, which will merely allow it to rise
or fall vertically, such movement being obtained in the manner herein-

page_text: before described. During the working of the lathe the pulley X in
connexion with the drop box will traverse backwards and forwards
along the surface of the arc, whether such are be elevated or
depressed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have
had occasion to describe or refer to as many variations may be made
therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features of
my said Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the application and use of the segment wheel with moveable
segments or tappets for actuating the drop boxes of power looms, as
herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of the segment or arc W for
elevating the drop box, as hercin-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Foster, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Second day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
JOHN ANDERTON.
WILLIAM FOSTER. (L.S.)