CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Bridge, of Chadderton, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN POWER LOOMS."
Sealed the 26th June 1855, and dated the 18th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Bridge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
April 1855.
I, RICHARD BRIDGE, of Chadderton, in the County of Lancaster, Manufac-
turer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN POWER LOOMS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the application, employment, and use of small
metal levers acted upon by springs, in lieu of and for similar purposes as
"check straps" are at present employed in power looms. At each end of the
shuttle box I employ a small lever or arm of metal, one end encircling the.
guide spindle of the picker, and against which the impulsive force given to
the shuttle is checked; the other end of the small lever or arm rests in a
support, secured to the back board of the "slay," and outside the shuttle box;
the small arm or lever passes through the back board. Secured likewise to
the back board is an adjustable spring, or other mechanical equivalent, which
acts upon the lever or arm about the centre in such a manner as to present
at the end of the lever which encircles the spindle a resistance to the picker,

page_text: and through it to the shuttle, at the completion of its race, thereby checking
the impulsive force of the shuttle, and effecting by more simple and desirable
means the saving of "wear and tear," and the steadiness of action hitherto
partially attained from the use of." check straps" in power looms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Bridge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
BRIDGE, of Chadderton, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth. year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Bridge, Her especial licence that I, the said Richard Bridge,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Richard Bridge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN POWER LOOMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Richard Bridge, 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 I, the said Richard Bridge, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in the application, employment, or use of small
metallic levers acted upon by springs, in lieu of and for similar purposes as
"check straps" are at present employed in power looms.
At the end of each of the shuttle boxes I employ a small lever or arm of
metal, one end encircling the "guide spindle" of the "picker," and against

page_text: which the impulsive force given to the shuttle is checked; the other end of
the small lever or arm rests in a support, secured to the back board of the
"slay," and outside the shuttle box; the small arm or lever passes through the
"back board." Secured likewise to the back board is an adjustable spring, or
other mechanical equivalent, which acts upon the lever or arm about the centre
in such a manner as to present at the end of the lever which encircles the
spindle a resistance to the "picker," and through it to the shuttle, at the com-
pletion of its race, thereby checking the impulsive force of the shuttle, and
effecting by more simple and desirable means the saving of "wear and tear,"
and also the steadiness of action hitherto partially attained from the use of
"check straps
"in power looms.
In order that this Invention may be the better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawing, having marked upon the
several Figures shown similar letters of reference on corresponding parts of
the machinery or apparatus.
:
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation and outline view of an ordinary loom
framing, showing the "slay" with these improvements attached; Fig. 2
exhibits a plan view of the "slay" (broken), and representing two different
methods of effecting this improvement, one separate method being shown at
each end of the slay; Fig. 3 represents a back view of Fig. 2.
a, a, exhibits the framing of an ordinary power loom; and b, the " "slay;"
c and care the shuttle boxes of the "slay" b. This improvement will
be more readily understood, in the first place, by confining the expla-
nation to the arrangement of mechanism shown as attached to the shuttle
box c, such arrangement of mechanism being employed in lieu of the ordi-
nary "check straps" of power looms; and, secondly, by explaining the
modification of the same, as illustrated by the arrangement of mechanism
at the shuttle box c. On the spindle d of the shuttle box c, one end (slotted)
of the small arm or lever e is allowed to play; the other end is supported by
the bracket f, and is kept in its place by the tension of the spring g, which at
one end is secured to the small arm e, and at the other end to the outside of
the back board of the slay. On reference to the Drawing, it will now be
observed that the tension of the spring g causes the slotted end of the small
lever e to be constantly pressed forward on the spindle, thereby forming a
yielding bed for the picker when the shuttle is driven home. When such is
the case the small lever assumes the position indicated by the thick dotted
lines at h, and by this means the shuttle is gradually and effectively stayed in
its course by means extremely simple in action and arrangement, and exceed-
ingly durable and inexpensive. In the modification of the before-described

page_text: are
arrangement, illustrated at the shuttle box c¹, two spiral springs j and
employed, one at the front and the other at the back of the shuttle box c¹.
The spring jis secured at one end to the small fixed rod or bar 1; the spring k
is retained by the pin or finger m. Both springs at their opposite ends are
secured to the band or strip n, of leather, gutta percha, or other suitable
material, which passes from the spring j through the shuttle box to the spring k.
It will now be observed that the band or strip n is kept firmly in position by
the closed springs j and k, the band n forming a yielding bed for the reception
of the "picker" when it receives the impulsive thrust or blow of the shuttle,
thereby causing the desired ends to be more perfectly effected than they are now
attained by the use of "check straps." One great advantage of the employment
of the arrangement as shewn at the shuttle box c¹ is, that the resistance is
opposed to about the back of that part of the picker which receives the direct
thrust or blow of the shuttle, thereby greatly equalising the pressure throughout
the "picker." In nearly all other adaptations of "check straps," or equivalent
apparatus, the resisting power is given or maintained upon the spindle of the
picker, while the shuttle is caused to strike beneath it; this has the effect
more or less of tilting the "picker," causing it to press very irregularly on the
A simple
spindle, and thus creating great unsteadiness and much wear.
band of india-rubber or other suitable material may be employed to
effect the same ends as either of the arrangements for effecting these im-
provements (herein described and shewn in the Drawing); but it is very
questionable whether the same durability and steadiness of action could be
depended upon.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same may be put into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood
that I claim the novel application, employment, and use of springs in com-
bination with such simple additional machinery or apparatus (or any slight
modification of the same) in lieu of "check straps" in power looms, as herein
particularly described and set forth, and fully illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Bridge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand. eight hundred and fifty-five.
RICHARD BRIDGE. (L.S.)