IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALDS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Edmondson, of the Firm of Brook and
Edmondson, of Bank Top Mill, Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALDS FOR
WEAVING."
Sealed the 31st January 1865, and dated the 6th August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Edmondson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th August 1864.
I, RICHARD EDMONDSON, of the Firm of Brook and Edmondson, of Bank
Top Mill, Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HEALDS FOR
WEAVING," to, be as follows:-.
My Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement, of healds
for weaving, and consists in forming such healds of thin strips of metal or
other suitable material, such strips having holes or hooks at each end, and an
oval or oblong hole in the middle for the warp thread to pass through. In
forming a leaf of healds a series of these thin strips are secured to rods or
bars (corresponding to the "shafts" of common healds) by passing an elastic

page_text: cord through the holes or hooks at the ends of the thin strips, and also
through a series of rings upon the said rods or bars, there being, say, one ring
for each strip placed in the space between adjoining strips, to hold the elastic
cord, and consequently the thin strips to the rods or bars, but leaving them at
liberty to give way to any undue pressure which may be put upon them. Or
in place of rings, cords, or wires may be wound round the said rods or bars in
the screw form, each coil passing through the space between adjoining strips
and embracing the elastic cords. With healds so constructed the broad side of
each strip comes in a line parallel with the warp threads.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lettèrs Patent, filed
by the said Richard Edmondson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
EDMONDSON, of the Firm of Brooke and Edmondson, of Bank Top Mill,
Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Edmondson, Her special license that I, the said Richard
Edmondson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Richard Edmondson, my executors, administrators, and 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 HEALDS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Richard Edmondson, 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 Edmondson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be.per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of healds
for weaving, and consists in forming such healds of thin strips of metal or
other suitable material, such strips having holes or hooks at each end, and an
oval or oblong hole in the middle for the warp thread to pass through. In
forming a leaf of healds a series of those thin flat Strips are secured to rods or
bars (corresponding to the shafts of common healds) by means of elastic cords
or elastic springs, so that each strip can give way to any undue strain that
may be put upon it. The broad side of the strips are placed in a line parallel
with the warp threads. With healds so constructed and arranged (being at
liberty to give way to undue strains) there will be less breakage of the warp
thread than with common healds.
The manner in which my improvements may be carried into effect is illus-
trated by the Figures upon the accompanying Sheet of Drawings..
Fig. 1 is a side view of one end of a frame for a leaf of healds upon which
several modes of attaching the strips are illustrated, and Fig. 2 represents the
end view of each of the modes of attaching the strips shewn by Fig. 1. Each
end view, Fig. 2, is numbered 1 to 6 inclusive, and illustrates the method of
attachment, having a corresponding number in Fig. 1. In method No. 1
(Fig. 2), three strips are shewn together, they are represented wider apart
than in practice, so that the mode of attachment to the frame or rods (a) may
be more clearly understood. The strips (6) have an oval or oblong hole (6¹)
in the middle for the warp thread and holes at each end. A ring (c) is
placed upon each rod (a) in the space between the strips (6), and an elastic
cord (d) of the ordinary manufacture, formed of india-rubber covered with
fibrous material, is passed through the rings (c) and the holes at the ends of
the strips (6), as shewn. The cords (d) are secured at each end of the frame.
In method No. 2 the strips are shewn side by side; a ring (e) is placed upon
each rod (a) for each strip (6), and to this ring elastic tape or cord (d) is
secured, and to the ends of the strip (6), as shewn; (the elastic tape or cord is
double, but may be used single if desired.) The rings (e) may be made of thin
metal, and they may be made alternately long and short, so that one spring
will be alternately above and the other below, as in No. 6". In method
No. 3 a bent metallic spring (d) is shewn attached to each end of the strip (b),
as illustrated. I prefer to make these springs of steel wire. In method
No. 4 the ends of the strips are hooked, and they hook upon elastic rings (d)
of india-rubber or covered india-rubber cord. In method No. 5 three strips

page_text: with hooked ends are illustrated hooked upon elastic india-rubber covered
cord (d) wound spirally round the rods (a). The cord (d) upon one rod is
wound round in a direction contrary to that of the other rod so that the
tendency to twist the strip (6) partly round by one cord will be counteracted
by the reversed action of the other cord. In method No. 6 the strip is
attached to a metallic spring forming a flat spiral spring (d) wound round the
strip (b), the ends of the strip passing into the interior of the coil, as shewn.
The hole in the strip to which the end of the spring is attached may be slotted
as shewn, so that when one spring is extended by strain upon the strip the
end of the strip may pass up the interior of the spring which is not acted
upon, but if the spring is attached to round holes in the strip, then when one
spring is extended the other will be compressed. When the springs are only
intended to be extended they may be formed with coils close together, and in
this case they must be attached to slots, as illustrated in No. 6. But the
ends of each spring may be secured to holes in the ends of the strips, and the
springs may be attached to the rods (a) with tension upon them, so that when
one spring is further extended by undue strain upon the warp thread, the
other spring will not require to be compressed, but will simultaneously con-
tract. This No. 6 mode of construction is applicable where sufficient space
can be allowed between the strips for the springs. No. 6", Fig. 1, shews an
arrangement by which more space can be obtained for the helical springs,
that is, by making the rods (a) wider apart, so that the springs may be arranged
alternately one above the other, as shewn. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan section
shewing how the warp thread (a) passes through the hole in the strip (b).
When the holes (61) are made as shewn, and the strips (6) are arranged as
described, the warp thread is actuated without coming in contact with either
end of the hole, being moved by its friction against the sides of the strip,
consequently the warp thread will slip slightly up and down, and will thus
give way to sudden strains that would break the thread if in close contact
with the ends of the holes. The advantages of my improvements may be
partly obtained where one end of each strip only is secured to the rod by
springs or elastic cords..
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
mode of carrying the same into effect, and claim as my Invention, the con-
struction and arrangement of healds for weaving, so that each eye for the
warp threads or each strip (6) is attached to the heald frame (a) by elastic
connections (d), also the formation of healds for weaving of flat strips (6) of
metal or other suitable material when attached by springs or elastic cords (d)

page_text: to the heald frame (a), also the formation of healds for weaving of strips,
having oval or oblong holes, and so arranged that the warp threads will pass
through, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Edmondson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
RICHARD EDMONDSON. (L.S.)