IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS." A communication from abroad by Horace Woodman, of Saco,
in the County of York, and State of Maine, United States of America.
Scaled the 28th June 1878, and dated the 7th May 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th May 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS." A communication from abroad by
Horace Woodman, of Saco, in the County of York, and State of Maine, United States
of America.
This Invention relates to that class of looms wherein all the parts of the loom
are driven by mechanism that imparts to them positive motions, and it consists
in a novel combination of cranks and connecting rods for propelling the shuttle
and giving it the required dwell, and also the accelerated motion at the proper
instant.
It also consists in a peculiar arrangement of arc-shaped cams, link boxes, and
cranks, for moving the lathe and securing the dwell.
It further consists in a novel let-off and take-up for the warp and cloth beams,
whereby a uniform fabric is secured.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved
loom of this Invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation; Figure 3 is a sectional plan
view.
Figures 4 and 5 are detail views of the lathe actuating mechanism.
Figures 6 and 7 are detail views showing the manner of shifting the shuttle from
one picker arm to another.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different Figures.
A is the main frame of the loom; B, the crank shaft; C, the cam shaft; and D
the lathe shaft, all being well-known parts in common use.

page_text: The shaft D, instead of being stationary and merely a supporter for the sword
arms, is provided with a spur wheel a, by which it takes motion from a spur wheel b
on the cam shaft C, and the wheel b takes its motion from a spur wheel c on the
crank shaft B. The wheels a, c, are of the same diameter, so that the crank shaft B
and the shaft D revolve at the same speed, causing the shuttle driving mechanism
and the lathe operating device to move in unison. Cranks D1, D2, are secured to
opposite ends of the shaft D, and both project in the same direction. These cranks
are connected by means of rods d with the rack bars E, which are made by means
of the cranks D1, D2, to slide up and down in guides secured to the sword arms F of
the lathe beam G.
In each end of the lathe beam there are mortises e, in which are placed the toothed
sectors H which are secured to short shafts f journalled in boxes secured to the
lathe beam G, and are engaged by the teeth of the rack bars E, so that every move-
ment of the rack bars produces a reciprocating rotary movement in the toothed
sectors H moving them through a half revolution. Upon the forward end of the
shafts fcranks I are secured, which are connected by rods J with slides K placed on
ways L, which are secured to the forward or breast beam side of the lathe beam G,
one at each end of the beam. These slides carry the shuttle arms M. which project
towards the centre of the loom.
In this class of looms it is necessary to have two dwells, one in the movement of
the shuttle, and one in the movement of the lathe. The dwell in the shuttle move-
ment is in this case secured by the relative position and proportion of the cranks
and connecting rods employed to throw the shuttle. The connecting rods d, J, of
the cranks D', D³, and I are but little longer than the cranks, being relatively about
as 10 to 7.
When the cranks D1, D2, are travelling through the lower portion of the circle,
and as the rack bars E are drawn downward, and the connecting rods & approach
a line drawn through the centre of the shaft D, and the wrist pin d' upon which
the upper end of the connecting rod d is received, the motion of the rack bars E
becomes gradually slower until the bars stop at the lower end of their stroke, after
which their motion gradually increases until the maximum speed is attained. As
the rack bars near the lower end of their stroke, the cranks I swing outward and
upward towards the line of the centres of the shafts f, and when the rack bars E
come to rest at the lower end of the stroke, the cranks I and connecting rods J are
in the same horizontal line. When the rack bars E reach the upper end of their
stroke, the cranks I and connecting rods J are again in horizontal line with the cranks
projecting towards the centre of the loom.
When the cranks are in the position last described, the shuttle rods M are at the
extreme inner end of their stroke.
The lathe is oscillated by the cranks N formed in the shaft B, which act through
slotted arms O and links g. The slotted arms are sustained by the shaft C on which
they swing. In the upper end of the arms O there are semicircular slots which
are of a little larger radius than the cranks N, relatively as 41, to 6. Upon the
cranks N are placed link boxes i that are fitted to and move freely in the semi-
circular slots h. During one half of the revolution of the crank shaft B when the
shuttle passes through the shed, but very little movement is given to the lathe
beam G, but during the other half of the revolution of the crank shaft, the lathe
receives a quick and soft movement which beats up the filling, and returns it to its
former position.
The shuttle P is of the usual description except it has attached to one side near
the centre two inclined planes k (see Figure 7), which face in opposite direction and
form two catches, which are engaged by the catch springs attached to the shuttle
holders m, which are carried by the rods A. These shuttle holders which are alike
on both rods M consist of a socket of sufficient size to receive one half of the shuttle.
Each socket contains a spring follower n which is concaved to receive the point of
the shuttle as it is thrust from one socket into the other, and protect it from injury
by the constant blows received in making its picks. As the shuttle is thrust from

page_text: one of the holders into the other, the catch of the empty holder passes under the
nib of the catch on the holder that contains the shuttle, and disengages the said
catch from the shuttle, and at the same time the catch of the receiving holder engages
and holds the shuttle, and the shuttle holders separate and draw out of the shed
during the shedding of the warp.
By the improved construction of this Invention is obviated a difficulty
experienced in looms in which the shuttle is driven by picker staffs. In such
looms the shuttle cannot be driven from one arm to another without a shock.
In this improved loom the shuttle is driven directly by cranks without the inter-
vention of staffs, levers, or other appliances, which are liable to spring and render
the movement of the shuttle uneven and uncertain, and when the shuttle carriers
are at either end of their stroke the actuating cranks are on their centres, so that
no springing or back lash or recoil can occur other than arises from ordinary
wear.
It will be observed that the working parts of the shuttle shifting mechanism
consist simply of the two latch springs, and the two inclined planes on the shuttle,
and that in locking and unlocking the shuttle both springs are employed. The
springs are long enough to cover both inclines when the shuttlo is in either holder,
and in delivering the shuttle from one holder to the other, the end of the spring on
the receiving holder passes under the end of the spring that holds the shuttle, and
between the said end and the inclined plane on the shuttle, while the further move-
ment of the arins M forces the latch spring out of the catch, and the combined
action of the two latch springs forces the spring of the receiving shuttle holder into
engagement with the incline on the shuttle.
According to this Invention the take-up and let-off motions are contrived so that
the peripheral motion of the roll on the warp and cloth beams is under all circum-
stances uniform, thereby ensuring a uniform grade of goods. The let-off and take-
up are governed solely by the size of their respective beams.
In the Drawing R is the warp beam, and S the cloth beam. These beams are
placed in the usual position, and are each provided with a spur wheel T. The spur
wheel T of the cloth beam S gears with a pinion U on a short shaft V journalled in
the frame A, and having upon its outer end a wheel W (see Figure 1) with whose
rim a engages a clamping dog b¹, carried by a stud c¹ projecting from a lever d³
fulcrumed on the shaft V. The lever d² is slotted at its free end to receive a stud e¹
on the extremity of a connecting rod f₁. The said connecting rod is placed on an
adjustable wrist pin g' that is moved in a slot in the disk h¹ on the shaft C by means
of the screw '. By means of this arrangement the lever d³ is oscillated at every
revolution of the shaft C, and an intermittent rotary motion is imparted to the
wheel W which is transmitted to the cloth beam. A clamping dog ĵ engages the
wheel W and prevents retrograde movement.
A lever X is pivoted to the frame A, and extends over the cloth beam S in position
to ride upon the cloth as it is wound upon the cloth beam. This lever is raised as
the quantity of cloth increases on the beam, and by means of a pin k' that projects
from it under the connecting rod fit raises the said connecting rod, so that the
latter acts on the lover farther and farther from its fulcrum, and consequently
moves the wheel W and beam S with a constantly decreasing speed, but the parts
are so proportioned that the peripheral speed of the cloth roll is always uniform. The
let-off of the warp beam is similar to the take-up just described.
A shaft V' is journalled in the frame A and has upon its inner end a bevel
wheel U¹ which gears with a bevel pinion l'on a shaft m¹ which is journalled in
supports attached to the frame A, and has upon its upper end a worm n¹ that engages
the spur wheel T on the warp beam R. Upon the outer end of the shaft V there is
a wheel W', with whose rin a¹ a clamping dog b² engages, the said dog being carried
by the lever d³ which is fulcrumed on the shaft V. This lever is slotted to receive
the stud e² that projects from one end of the connecting rod f2, the other end of
which is jointed to the connecting rod f¹.
A right angled lever X1 is pivoted to the frame A, and its longer arm rests upon

page_text: the warp on the warp beam, while its shorter arm is bent outward to support the
connecting rod ƒ, upon which it acts in the same manner as the lever f' acts upon the
connecting rod X.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent
is,―
1st. The shuttle holders m, m, in combination with the shuttle carrying arms M,
substantially as shown and described.
2nd. The combination of the spring followers n with the shuttle holders n,
substantially as shown and described.
3rd. The combination of the spring catches 7 with the shuttle holders m,
substantially as herein shown and described.
4th. A shuttle having on one of its sides inclined planes k for engaging the
spring catches of the shuttle holders m, substantially as shown and described.
5th. The combination of the rack bars E with the shaft D, substantially as shown
and described.
6th. The rack bars E, toothed sectors H, and their cranks and connecting rods
for moving the shuttle carrying arms M, substantially as shown and described.
7th. The arrangement of the shuttle driving cranks and connecting rods, whereby
the axis of the crank shaft, the axis of the crank pin, and the centre of the pivot of
the connecting rod, are brought into a right line which is parallel with the path of
the shuttle, as herein shown and described.
8th. The arms O having the curved slot in combination with the cranks N for
driving the lathe beam of a loom, substantially as shown and described.
9th. The regulating lever X, the reciprocating connecting rod f¹, and the slotted
beam actuating lever d in combination, substantially as herein shown and
described.
10th. The crank disc h' having the adjustable wrist pin in combination with
the beam operating mechanism, substantially as shown and described.
11th. The combination of the wheel W, clutch dog b¹, and lever d³ with the cloth
beam S, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.