CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING WOOLLEN CLOTHS
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, HENRY
HIRST, of Leeds, in the County of York, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Sixteenth day of July, in the sixth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
HENRY HIRST, and also to GEORGE BRADLEY, of Leeds, aforesaid, Machine
Maker, His especial licence that we, the said Henry Hirst and George
Bradley, our exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry
Hirst and George Bradley, our exors, adiñors, 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, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
LOOMS FOR WEAVING WOOLLEN CLOTHS;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso, obliging us, or one of us, the said Henry Hirst and George
Bradley, by an instrument in writing under our or one of our hands and seals,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His said Majestie's High Court of Chaucery within six calendar

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawing marked A represents a front elevation of a loom for weaving
woollen cloth by power, and must be supposed to be about ten feet long.
Now, as the parts coloured purple and the part marked a are all the parts
visible in this view that we mean to claim as our Invention, I shall confine
myself to a description of those parts; for the remainder of the Figure
represents such machinery only as is well known to loom makers, and will be
recognized by them immediately by mere reference to the Drawing, though
the parts are on a larger scale than usual, in consequence of this loom being
intended for weaving woollen cloth by power. And it should here be observed,
that this view is only adapted to shew the relative position of the different
parts of our said Invention with reference to the loom generally, and not to
explain the particular action of those parts which will be explained by the
other Drawing. In order, therefore, to give a general idea of the position of
our said improvements in the loom, I will proceed to describe the Figure or
Drawing A generally.
The Figure represents the general outline of a loom taken from the front
side; L is tho lay, P the picker. Now, it will be observed, that the strings
S, S, which lead from the upper end of the picker, are fastened to rods R, R,
at each side of the loom; these rods lead down to their respective apparatuses
T, T. These apparatuses are exactly similar at each side of the machine, but
are contrived to have alternate motions, so that they are seen in different
positions in this view; but as it would be impossible to explain their action in
this view, it must be left to be described when explaining the other Drawing;
suffice it now to say, that the revolving of the main shaft F causes the appa-
ratuses T, T, to move the rods R, R, alternately up and down, as will be

page_text: explained hereafter, and this of course throws the shuttle backwards and
forwards by means of the picker.
The part marked a is our said second improvement, and consists of a cam
fixed on the revolving shaft H. This cam, the form of which will be seen
on the other Drawing, causes the lay to strike up the work twice at every
throw of the shuttle, as will be hereafter more particularly explained.
The Drawing marked B contains two Figures, first, the improvement for
giving motion to the picker; and, secondly, the improvement for giving the
double and unequal stroko with the lay.
Figure 1 is a section of the loom, shewing the apparatus T. At the left
sido of the loom g is an arm with a friction roller r. This arm is fixed to and
revolves with the main shaft. Facts upon (f), which is a segment of a circle
turning on a pivot at e. This segment of a circle is heavily weighted at one
end by the adjusting weight W, and has a boss or catch C, which takes into
the notches on the paul X, which turns on the pivot i. The rod R is fixed to
near the boss or catch C; and it is evident from this arrangement, that if the
arm g be turned in the direction of the arrow, it will force down the end
V of the segment ff, and raise the end where the boss C is with the weight
W, which end will then be supported on the upper notch of the paul X; but
as soon as the arm g in its progress round arrives at the point C, it will knock
off the paul X, and the weight W will cause the end c of the segment to.
fall with a considerable jerk. Now the rod R, being connected with this said
end c, will of course be moved by it up and down with the same jerk, and
thus move the picker in the way required and before alluded to. The appa-
ratus for this purpose, at the right side of the loom, is exactly similar; but the
arm g of that apparatus is made to range downwards, while the other ranges
upwards, and this of course causes the rods R, R, to act upon the picker
alternately, which would not otherwise be the case.
Figure 2 is also a section, but of such parts of the loom only as are neces-
sary to shew the action of the cam a upon the friction wheel t. The cam a:
is a circle divided into three equal parts, 2 being cut away, and is supposed.
to be revolving in the direction of the arrow. L is the lay with the friction.
roller t fixed to it in the adjusting slot q. Now, while the friction roller t is
acting against that part of the cam between the points 1 and 2, the lay is
kept back from the work, but the moment the friction roller slips off the
point 1 it gives the work one stroke, then the joint 8 catches the friction
roller and forces the lay back, but only for an instant, when it falls forward
again upon the work, and thus gives the second blow, when the point 2
catches the friction roller and forces the lay back from the work again; and

page_text: that part of the cam between the points 1 and 2 not being cut away, the lay
is kept away from the work so long as the friction roller acts against it, and
causes a pause in the action of the lay, which gives time for the shuttle to
pass, and which pause, where the shuttle has. to be thrown so great a distance
as in a loom for weaving woollen cloth, is very essential.
But whereas, though a power loom for weaving woollen cloth be new,
yet we only claim as our Invention the two improvements herein-before
stated; that is to say:-.
First, the apparatus for giving motion to the picker, and coloured purple ;
and,―
Secondly, the cam and friction wheel, marked with the letters a, the cam, and
tthe friction wheel, for giving the double and unequal stroke to the lay; and
these two said improvements being, to the best of our knowledge and belief,
entirely new, and never before used within that part of IIis said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His said
Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby declare
this to be our Specification of the same; and that I do verily believe this our
said Specification doth comply in all respects, fully and without reserve or
disguise, with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent contained, wherefore we do hereby claim to maintain exclusive right
and privilege to our said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Hirst, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.