IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING CARPETS AND OTHER PILE FABRICS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER LOOMS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Mark Knowles, of tho Walpole Street Iron Works,
Blackburn, in the County of Lancashire, Machino Maker, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING CARPETS AND OTHER PILE
FABRICS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER LOOMS FOR
Sealed the 26th February 1867, and dated the 3rd September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Mark Knowles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
September 1866.
I, MARK KNOWLES, of the Walpole Street Iron Works, Blackburn, in the
County of Lancashire, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING CARPETS AND
OTHER PILE FABRICS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER
LOOMS FOR WEAVING FANCY FABRICS," to be as follows:-
1. My first improvement relates to that part of the loom known as the
picking motion, and consists of a fixing on the top part of the picking shaft,
so as to allow the picking stick to work in it, and at a distance from the centre
of the picking shaft of from one and a half to five inches, according to the
width of the loom and the length of the shuttle box. In under pick looms
I take a similar arrangement to that now used for overpick, and lay it hori-

page_text: zontal instead of vertical, and connect the picking stick to tho picking shaft
by means of a strap. On the picking shaft is a similar picking bowl and stud
to that used in the overpick, and it is operated upon by a similar cam to the
one used for an overpick.
2. My second improvement applies to the weighting and letting-off motion
of the
yarn beams. This I accomplish in the following manner :-I attach the
usual friction for weighting, consisting of weight levers and weights, but on
the end of the shaft or pike of the beam I put a pulley with a V groove in it;
into this groove I cause a finger to work by means of a cam on the crank or
tappet shaft, so timed as to press the finger to the bottom of the groove when
the beat up takes place, and so holds the warp perfectly firm, and relieves it
again when the taking-up catch is operating.
3. My third improvement refers to the shedding motion of the loom, and
consists in the introduction of an extra set of treading tappets, allowing thereby
the treadles to work in between, by which means the levers attached to the
healds or heddles are alternately risen and depressed, and by introducing a
pair of bevel wheels on the tappet shaft I carry the treadles, top lever, (or
lambs), and healds, all in a parallel line.
4. My fourth improvement relates to looms where two or more shuttles aro
Underneath the shuttle box
required, and consists of a vertical shuttle box.
or boxes I fix a crown cam on a suitable fixing attached to the slay, and on
the periphery of this cam I place a pair of bowls, one on each side, which
bowls are attached to the shuttle box, and as the crown cam revolves it causes
the shuttle box or boxes to rise or fall according to pattern that may be
required. The crown cam is caused to revolve by means of a hook mounted
on a stud to the loom framing; the tail end of this book rests upon a boss,
round which a chain works; this chain and boss is caused to revolve by means
of wheels from any of the shafts of the loom that is the most convenient.
Upon this chain are swells, which swells cause the hook lever to take hold of
the crown cam when required and bring it into position for changing the
shuttle box, and as the slay comes from the top centre to the front the box or
boxes are changed.
5. My fifth improvement refers to the part of the loom known as the
spindle, on which the picker or driver slides; this spindle is now held in
position by a spring fixed at the end of the slay; and in place of such spring
I use a screw and nut.
6. My sixth improvement refers to the part of the loom known as the wire
motion used in manufacturing carpets and other pile fabrics, whereby the
wires are inserted in the shed and withdrawn from the cloth during the time

page_text: the slay makes two revolutions. And for this purpose I employ a grooved
rail called a wire rail; this rail is bolted to a vertical fixing, and then mounted
on two bent brackets, which are placed on the end of the rocking shaft. This
rail has an intermittent motion imparted to it by means of a cam placed on
and revolving with the tappet shaft, and connected to the vertical fixing of the
wire rail by a connecting rod and bowl. In front of and parallel with this
rail is a slide rail, which is fixed to the framing of the loom. On this rail
slides a finger, which finger is caused to travel the whole length of the wire
rail for the purpose of withdrawing the wires from the cloth and inserting
them in the shed; this finger or slide is caused to move by means of the usual
levers and cam motion. When a wire is withdrawn into the groove of tho
wire rail the rail begins to move back at or near the same time as the slay,
and carries the wire forward till opposite the open shed; the slide or finger
then begins to move forward and pushes the wire longitudinally out of the
groove into the open shed, the finger then remains stationary till the wire
rail returns opposite the last wire in the cloth, the finger having a hook fixed
on it for the purpose of entering into and taking hold of the wire leads and
withdrawing them from the cloth into the groove of the wire rail on its
return motion. In front of these wire heads there is placed a suitable
fixing for keeping the wire heads in position for being drawn out by the hook.
7. My seventh improvement is a modification of the last before-named
wire rail. Instead of placing the finger on a separato slido I attach it to the
wire rail so that the finger travels with and along the wire rail.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by tho said Mark Knowles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARK
KNOWLES, of the Walpolo Street Iron Works, Blackburn, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Iler reign,
did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Mark Knowles, Her special license that I, the said Mark Knowles, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Mark
Knowles, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING CARPETS AND OTHER PILE FABRICS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER LOOMS FOR WEAVING FANCY FABRICS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Mark Knowles, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Mark Knowles, 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,
(that is to say):
:-
The nature of my Invention consists in certain improved combinations of
machinery for actuating the picking stick in power looms, and for regulating
the rising and falling of shuttle boxes where two or more shuttles are required,
and for holding the yarn beam or beams when the slay beats up against the
cloth to prevent its recoiling during the process of weaving heavy goods; also
for inserting wires into the shed and withdrawing them from the cloth of
carpets and other pile fabrics during the process of weaving, and for actuating
the rising and depressing of the healds to form a double shed in such
loom.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying three Sheets of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked theroon.
Sheet 1, Figure 14, is the end elevation of an ordinary power loom with tho
improved parts attached; Figure 15 is plan; Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13 aro
detached parts of same.
A is the loom framing; B is the picking stick; C is the improved fixing,
mounted on the picking shaft D, which enables the picking stick to have
greater command over the shuttles when thrown across the warp; E is the
yarn beam, on the end of which is fixed a grooved pully or pullies F, in
which works a lever or levers G actuated by cam II on crank shaft, and as
the slay comes to front centre the cam lifts the lever or levers G, which causes
the point or points to press into the groove or grooves, and thereby holding
the yarn beam or beams firmly during the beat-up of the slay, and so improvo

page_text: the firmness of the fabric to be woven. Figure 10 is an improved fastening
for the picker spindle shewing slay end in section, to which it is attached.
Sheet 2, Figuro 7 is end elevation, Figure 9 is front view, shewing the
improved mode of working vertical shuttle boxes, and also the improved
manner of working the picking of the shuttle, known as under pick; Figure 8
is detached plan of hook and cam for working the shuttle box or boxes.
A is loom framing; B₁ is the vertical moveable shuttle box; C¹ is the
crown cam, having an undulating periphery, according to the number and
depth of shuttle boxes required, which cam acts on bowls D'; this cam is
mounted on a stud fixed in the framing E¹ which is attached to the slay; the
cam is caused to revolve by means of a hook and chain, as shown in Figure 8,
F and G; this chain is caused to revolve by means of a star wheel and
driver (or a pair of tooth wheels may be used for the same purpose); the
chain is mounted on a suitable boss attached to star wheel H'; this star wheel
has an intermittent motion imparted to it by the driver 1', which is mounted
on and revolves with the tappet shaft. The chain G' has suitable swells on
them for the purpose of putting the hook F¹ in and out of the position for
raising or lowering the shuttle box or boxes as the pattern to be woven may
require when the box is not required to change. The swells on the chain G'
prevent the hook F¹ taking hold of the pins in bottom of crown cam C'; but
when a change is required a blank link is introduced which allows the hook
Fto come into contact with the pins (as shown in Figure 8), and causes the
crown cam to revolve one-fourth of a revolution, and so cause the box or
boxes to rise or fall, as the case may be; this crown cam is held in position
when changed by a spring J. K. is a horizontal shaft placed insido or outside
the loom, as the case may be, to which is attached the arm M and conical
bowl P, and is actuated on by cam Q; the arm M is attached to picking
stick O at N and mounted on elbow bracket L, which bracket is mounted on
a fixing on the rocking or swing rail of the loom, which arrangement gives a
much more sudden impulso to the shuttle, thereby giving greater freedom to
the working of the loom.
Sheet 3, Figure 1 is front view, Figure 2 end elevation, Figure 3 plan of
loom for weaving carpets or other pile fabrics; Figures 4, 5, and 6 are
detached parts of same.
A" is the loom framing; B is the wire rail; C" is its bearing; D" is slide
rail; E is finger for inserting and withdrawing the wires; F" is lever that
works finger E"; G" is lever, and II" is cam for working finger of wire
rail; 1" and J" are slide and coupling for actuating wiro rail; K" is wires
inserted into the cloth; and L" is a wiro partly inserted into the shed, and as

page_text: these kinds of fabrics require a double shed for the purpose of the wire
entering under the wool and over the body warp in the upper shed, and for
the shuttle to pass over in the under shed at the same time to form the body
of the cloth and bind the pile formed by insertion of the wire; this double shed
is formed by the use of various diameters of cams, actuating levers, as shown
in Figures 1, 2, and 3; top levers 1, 2, 3, and 4, are coupled to bottom levers
1, 2, 3, 4 at the end of the loom, and to the healds by means of chains and rollers;
the bottom levers 1, 2, 3, 4, have bowls fitted into them and are acted upon by
cams 5, 6, which cams are placed upon and are caused to revolve with shaft 7
by means of bevel wheels placed on tappet shaft of loom 8; and for the purpose
of withdrawing and inserting the wires to form the pile I employ the grooved
rail B; this rail B" is bolted to the vertical fixing C", which fixing C" is
mounted on bent brackets or centers; this rail F" has an intermittent motion
imparted to it by means of a cam M" placed on and revolving with the tappet
shaft (see detached parts at Figure 5), this cam M" is connected to vertical
fixing C", by means of a slide and bowl J", in front of and parallel with
this rail B is a slide rail D", which is fixed to the framing of the loom A";
on this rail slides a finger E", which finger E" is caused to travel the whole
length of the wire rail B", for the purpose of withdrawing the wire from the
cloth at K, and inserting therein the shed at L", this finger or slide is
caused to move by means of the usual levers and cam motion, as seen in
Figure 2, F, G", and cam H". This cam is mounted on the tappet shaft,
and causes the levers F" and G" to withdraw and insert a wire at every
alternato pick of the loom, or as the kind of fabric may require that is being
woven when a wiro is withdrawn into the groove of the wire rail B" the
rail B begins to move back at or near the same time as the slay N" and
carries the wire forward till opposite the open upper shed, the slide or
finger E", then begins to move forward (by means of cam H", and lever F",
and E",) and pushes the wire longitudinally out of the groove into the open
shed, as seen at L", the finger E" then remains stationary till the wire rail Bu
returns opposite the last wire in the cloth at K", the finger E" having a
hook O (as seen at Figure 4 full size) fixed on it for the purpose of entering
into and taking hold of the wire heads and withdrawing them from the cloth
into the groove of the wire rail B" on its return motion.
In front of these
wire heads P there is placed a suitable fixing Q" for keeping the wire
heads P in position for being drawn out by the finger and hook E" and O".
The shuttle is actuated on in the same manner as that set forth and described
in the foregoing Sheet of Drawing No. 2.
Having now stated the nature of my Invention and set forth particularly

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I do not claim as of my Invention all the detailed parts as set forth and
described in the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings, but what I do
consider novel and of my Invention is,―
First, I claim the novel mode of mounting the picking stick as set forth
and described.
Second, the novel mode of holding the yarn beam during the time the slay
beats up.
Third, the novel mode of working drop boxes of looms as described and set
forth.
Fourth, the novel mode of fastening the fly spindles of looms..
And lastly, the combined arrangement of mechanism for forming a double
shed, and inserting and withdrawing wires used in weaving carpets and other
pile fabrics, as herein-before described and set forth, and combinations of the
abovo when the true principle is not departed from.
In witness whereof, I, the said Mark Knowles, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
above-named Mark Knowles,
in the presence of
JOHN KNOWLES,
Patent Agent, &c.,
Blackburn.
MARK KNOWLES. (L.B.)