CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR WINDING YARNS OR THREADS, AND ALSO IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
WILLIS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the First day of June, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
two, and in the fifteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Willis, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas Willis,
my exors, adñiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Thomas Willis,
my exors, adñiors, 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 expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and
Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR WINDING YARNS OR THREADS,
AND ALSO IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said Thomas Willis, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the sanie
is to be performed, to be enrolled 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Willis, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
The first part of my Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Winding
Yarns or Threads, relates to machinery or apparatus for winding yarn from the
"mule cop," "throstle bobbin," or "hank," on to flanched bobbins, and con-
sists of a new method of and apparatus for driving the said bobbins, so that
the "taking up" of the thread shall be uniform throughout, the strain.upon
the yarn equal, and the pull not effected by the weight of the bobbin upon
which the yarn is being wound. This object I attain by means of a vertical
drum or driver, mounted upon a spindle, which is caused to revolve by means
of a band passing around a wharve attached thereto, or otherwise. This drum
drives one, two, or more bobbins by means of friction; the bobbins revolve
upon stationary or revolving pins, which are mounted on horizontal levers, and
are kept in contact with the drum or drivers by means of weights and cords
passing over pullies, the pressure being modified or regulated by means of
levers, on the said bobbins may be kept in contact with the "driver" by any
other suitable mechanical means.
The second part of my Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for
Winding Yarns or Threads, relate to machinery or apparatus for winding yarns
or threads on to. bobbins without flanches,, by which I am enabled to wind a
bobbin of any thickness and length. A lever acted upon by a heart wheel
causes the guide rail to traverse up and down the length of the bobbin. A
ratchet wheel acted upon at each traverse gradually shortens this lever as the
bobbin increases in diameter, thus shortening the traverse, and forming the
bobbin with conical ends.
The third part of my Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Winding
Yarns or Threads relates to machinery or apparatus for "spooling" sewing
cottons, silks, or threads, and consists in substituting a conical drum and pulley
in place of the ordinary change wheels, by which means the speed of the tra-
versing right and left hand screws may be readily varied at pleasure, by merely
changing the pulley, the conical drum always remaining the same.
.
The fourth part of my Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Winding
Yarns or Threads relates to machinery or apparatus for winding what are
termed "pin cops" or "shuttle bobbins" for the weaver, without pressure,
and consists of an improved method of and apparatus for gradually raising
the guides in the guide rail. The guide rail is traversed by means of the

page_text: heart wheel and lever, as usual, and the guides are provided with a "traveller,"
similar to that used in "spooling machines, acted upon by a screw. "The
weft thread passes around a conical grooved pulley or drum, which communi-
cates motion to the screw by means of a pair of friction or toothed wheels.
Thus, each time the guide rail traverses, the guide is raised a little higher, and
the weft is wound on to the pin or bobbin in a series of conical layers one
above the other.
My Improvements in Looms for Weaving relate to machinery or apparatus
for weaving ribbons, tapes, and other descriptions of small wares.
The first part of my Improvements in Looms for Weaving consists: in a novel
method of and apparatus for "letting off the warp from the bobbins. The
warp thread passes from the bobbin downwards through a slot in weighted
lever, round a weighted pulley, and thence upwards again through the slot in
the said lever. As the fabric is taken up, the yarn raises the weighted pulley
until it comes into contact with the lever, and causes it to loosen the friction
the bobbin, and allow the weighted pulley to draw off a fresh supply
band
upon
of warp.
י.
The second part of my Improvements in Looms for Weaving consists in a new
method of and apparatus for mounting and driving the "healds or "harness."
The back and front healds are connected together by endless bauds passing
over an under pullies at top and bottom, so as to dispense with the weights
usually employed; consequently, as either of the said healds is pulled down by
means of the treadles, it raises the other by means of the endless bands.
The third part of my Improvements in Looms for Weaving consists in a cer-
tain novel method of and apparatus for driving the shuttles in small-ware looms.
The shuttles are driven by a rail and pins as usual, but the rail is impelled by
means of two straps attached thereto, passing over pullies, and connected to
treadles or levers which are acted upon by cams. As the straps pass one over
the left hand and the other over the right hand of their respective pulleys, the
rail will traverse to the right or left, according as one or other of the treadles
is depressed.
'
The fourth part of my Improvements in Looms for Weaving relates to the
taking up" of the fabric, and consists of a revolving pulley, against which
another pulley is caused to press by means of a lever and weight, the fabric
passing between the two pullies.
The fifth part of Improvements in Looms for Weaving relates to stopping the
said small-ware looms, and consists in the peculiar construction and arrange-
ment of the several parts, whereby I am enabled to stop any requisite number
or set of shuttles, with their respective "healds," and "letting off" and

page_text: "taking up" motion, without interfering with the remainder. This I accom-
plish by having the excentric which drives the "slay," and the spur pinion
which drives the cam shaft, both loose upon the main driving shaft, and con-
nected thereto by means of a clutch box, which may be thrown in and out of
gear, as desired, by means of a lever or handle.
Such is the nature and object of my said improvements, but in order more
clearly to illustrate the practical application thereof, I have attached to these
Presents two Sheets of Drawings, and have marked the same with figures and
letters of reference corresponding with those in the following description
thereof:-
In Sheet 1 of the Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a transverse section, and
Fig. 2 a front elevation of my improved arrangment of apparatus for winding
yarn or thread on to flanched bobbins, drawn to a scale of about two inches to
a foot. a, a, a, is the main framing of the machine, and b, b, are the spindle
rails. These spindle rails b, b, support the vertical spindles c, c, which are
driven in the usual manner by means of bands passing around the wharves
d, d. These spindles c, c, are furnished at their upper extremities with
friction drums or drivers e, e. The bobbins f, f, are mounted upon pins g. 9,
which are attached to the horizontal levers h, h. The bobbins f, f, are kept
always in contact with the drums or drivers e, e, by means of cords i, i, which
pass over pullies k, k, aud connected to levers j, j, to which weights 1, l, are
attached. m, m, are the reels upon which the hanks are placed; n, n, is the
guide rail, and o, p, are the heart wheel and lever for traversing the same.
Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 a sectional elevation of the apparatus for driving
the bobbins, drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 5, Sheet 1, represents an elevation
of a bobbin with conical ends, and without flanches; and Fig. 6 shews the
apparatus by means of which I effect the same. a, a, is the traverse lever,
which is worked by the heart wheel as usual; b, b, is a sliding bar attached to
the lever a, a, and connected to the guide rails by means of chains in the
usual manner; c, c, is a ratchet wheel connected to the lever a, a, and having
attached to it a pulley d, d, to which a chain e, e, is connected, the other end
of the said chain e, e, being made fast to the sliding bar b, b; f is a taking-up
ratchet attached to the framing of the machine, and g is a holding ratchet
attached to the lever a, a. Each time that the lever a, a, is caused to move
by means of the heart wheel, the ratchet wheel c, c, will be partially turned,
and thus cause the pulley d, d, to take up the chain e, e, and draw the sliding
bar b, b, nearer to the fulcrum of the lever a, a, thus shortening the traverse
of the guide rail, and consequently winding on the yarn in the form shewn
in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents an elevation of my improved apparatus for

page_text: "spooling" or winding sewing cotton, sewing silk, or thread on to reels or
bobbins for use. a, a, is the frame of the apparatus; the driving pulley;
c, c, the driving spindle, and d, d, the spool or bobbin; e, e, are the right and
left hand screws; f, f, are the travellers, and g is the guide. Upon the end
of the screws e, e, a conical drum h, h, is keyed, and is driven by means of a
small pulley i, upon the driving spindle c, c. This pulley is fastened upon
the driving spindle c, c, by means of a small set screw k, and is thus capable
of being readily changed, in order to regulate the speed of the right and left
hand screws e, e, to the fineness or coarseness of the cotton, silk, or thread to
be spooled, instead of having to change both wheels, as is the case when
spur wheels are employed. Fig. 8, Sheet 1, is a side elevation, scen partly
in section, and Fig. 9 a front elevation of my improved apparatus for winding
"pin cops" without pressure, drawn about half size. a, a, are the spindle
rails, and b, b, is the spindle; c, c, is the guide rail which receives its traverse
motion from the heart wheel in the usual manner; d is the guide, the lower
end of which is elongated, and passes through the guide rail c, c. To the lower
end of the guided a traveller e is attached, being kept in contact with a
screw ff, by means of a weighted cord g passing over a pully or other con-
venient means. h, h, is a conical grooved pulley, around which the weft thread
(represented by the red line in the Drawing) passes, giving motion thereto,
which said motion is communicated to the screw f, f, by the pair of friction
discs i, i. Thus it will be evident that the ordinary traverse motion of the
guide rail c, c, combined with the gradual rising motion of the guide d, caused
by the revolution of the screw ff, will have the desired effect of winding the
weft on to the "shuttle bobbin," or pin k, k, in a series of conical layers one
above the other, and thus produce what is termed a "pin cop" without the aid
of pressure.
My Improvements in Looms for Weaving being principally improvements in
the small-ware loom, are exhibited in Sheet 2 of the Drawings, Fig. 1 being a
vertical section of a loom for weaving tapes or ribbons constructed according to
my improved arrangement, and being drawn to a scale of about two inches to
a foot. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of three divisions of the same, the first or
left-hand division being represented as eutire, and the second and third divi-
sions having certain parts of the machinery removed in order more distinctly
to shew other essential working parts of the mechanism. A, A, A, A, repre-
sents the framing of the loom. B, B, B, B, are the warp bobbins. C, C, is
the main driving shaft; and D, D, is the cam or tappet shaft. E, E, are the
healds or harness; and F, F, is the slay vibrating upon centres at G, G, being
actuated by the excentrics H, H, to which it is connected by the excentric

page_text: rods 1, I. The breast beam is represented at K, K, K, K, and the "taking up
pullies at L, L, L, L. The warp threads (represented by the red lines in the
Drawing) pass from the bobbins B, B, downwards through a slot in the
weighted lever a, (see enlarged views, Figs. 3 and 4), around a weighted
pulley b, and again upwards through the said slot in the lever d. The lever a
has a fulcrum at a, and applies friction to the bobbins B, B, by means of a
cord or band c, c. As the fabric is taken up the warp threads raise the
pulley until it comes in contact with the weighted lever a, a, and raising it
slackens the friction band or cord c, c, and allows the weighted pulley 6 to
draw off a fresh supply of warp. The warp threads pass from the lever a, a,
upwards over pullies d, d, thence through the back reed" e, e, and under the
tin roller f, f, to the healds or harness E, E. The healds or harness E, E, are
oonnected together so as to form an endless band by the straps 9, 9, passing
ever the pullies h, h, above, and the straps i, i, passing under the pullies k, k,
below, to which they are attached. These pullies h, k, are keyed upon a
shaft 1, 7, upon which is also keyed another pulley, over which a strap m, m,
passes. One end of the said strap m, m, is attached to one of the treadles n, n,
and the other end of the said strap to the other treadle n. The said treadles n, n,
are furnished with bowls, and are actuated by means of the cams 0, 0, upon
the cam or tappet shaft D. Thus it will be evident that it is impossible for
one of the healds to move in other direction without its opposite heald at the
same time moving in the reverse direction. I would here remark, that the
healds may also be lifted by means of vertical rods jointed to the treadles. The
shuttles p, p, p, p, are impelled by means of the shuttle rail q, q, q, q, and its
pins r, r, r, r, as usual, but the said shuttle rail q, q, is actuated in the following
manner-To the shuttle rail q, q, two straps, bands, or cords s, s, are attached,
These treadles
passing over pullies t, t, and attached to the treadles n, n, below.
u, u, are actuated by bowls attached to the cams v, v, upon the cam or tappet
shaft D. It will be seen on referring to the enlarged views, Fig. 5 and 6,
that one of the straps s, 8, passes over the left-hand side of its pulley t, whilst
the other straps passes over the right-hand side of its respective pulley t¹.
Hence it will be evident that as the one or the other of the said straps s, s¹ is
pulled down by the action of the cams v, v, upon the treadles w, w, the shuttle
rail
J. J will be impelled to the right or left, as the case may be. The fabric is
taken up (as it is woven) in the following manner:-The taking-up pullies
L, L, L, L, are mounted upon a shaft w, w, which is caused to revolve by
means of the gearing x, x, x, x, by which it is connected to the cam or tappet
shaft D. y, y, y, y, are friction pullies mounted upon the weighted levers
z, z, z, z, by means of which the fabric is pressed against the " taking up"

page_text: pullies L, L, as it passes between them and the friction pullies y, y, y, y. In
the Drawing (see Fig. 2) I have represented the loom as divided into sets of
seven shuttels, and I will now proceed to describe how any required set
of seven shuttles with their respective healds, slay, letting-off and taking-up
motions, may be stopped when required, without in any way interfering with
the movements of the other parts of the loom. The main driving shaft c, c,
is one continuous shaft, extending the whole length of the machine, but each
set of seven shuttles has a separate and distinct cam shaft, healds, lathe, and
taking-up shaft. The excentrics H, H, which actuate the slay and the spur
pinion 1 (which drives the cam or tappet shaft D by means of the spur
wheel 2) are both loose upon the main driving shaft C, C, but are capable of
being connected with it by means of a coupling box 3; which may be readily.
thrown in or out of gear as required, by means of the lever or handle 4, thus
stopping or starting any division of seven shuttles when requisite, without in
any way interfering with the remainder of the loom. It will of course be
evident that any other number than seven shuttles may, if preferred, be
stopped at once, provided always that the loom has in the first instance been
suitably constructed or arranged for that purpose.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Improvements in
Machinery or Apparatus for Winding Yarns or Threads, and also Improve-
ments in Looms for Weaving, together with the manner of carrying the
same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my
Invention with regard to my Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for
Winding Yarns or Threads,-
First, the apparatus for winding yarns or threads on to flanched bobbins,
consisting of a vertical drum, against which the bobbins are pressed.
Secondly, I claim the apparatus for winding bobbins with conical ends,
consisting of a heart wheel and lever for traversing the guide rails, which
said lever is gradually shortened as the diameter of the bobbin increases.
Thirdly, I claim the use or application of conical pullies for adjusting the
speed of the right and left hand screws in machines for "spooling" sewing
cottons, threads, or silks.
Fourthly, I claim the apparatus consisting of the conical pulley, screw, and
"traveller," for raising the guides in machinery or apparatus for winding
what are termed "pin cops."
With regard to my Improvements in Looms for Weaving (being improve-
ments in the small-ware loom) I claim,-
First, the "letting-off" apparatus, consisting of the weighted pulley, lever,
and friction band or cord.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the manner of connecting the back and front healds by
straps passing over pullies above and under pullies below them, and the use of
vertical rods for raising the same.
Thirdly, I claim the apparatus for actuating the shuttle rail, consisting of
two straps, cords, or bands attached thereto, one passing over the right-hand
side, and the other over the left-hand side of their respective pullies, and con-
nected to treadles below, which are actuated by cams or tappets; and,
Fifthly, I claim the connecting or disconnecting at pleasure any set of
shuttles, with their corresponding healds, slay, cam shaft, and " taking-up"
and "letting-off" apparatus from the main driving shaft, by means of a
coupling box or other suitable contrivance, without in any way interfering
with the movements of the remaining parts of the loom.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Thomas Willis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
Enrolled the First day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.