CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Turner, of Burnley, in the County of
Lancaster, Weaver, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 18th May 1855, and dated the 12th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Turner at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th January 1855.
I, CHRISTOPHER TURNER, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Weaver,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING " to be as follows:-
My improvements consist, first, in introducing a secondary motion, for the
purpose of actuating the slay for beating up the cloth, by means of a sus-
pended weight or a spring attached to a lever, which is worked by the driving
pulley.
Secondly, in driving the shuttle from one end of the lathe to the other; also
by a secondary motion by means of a spring applied to each picking rod,
and by means of two circular pieces of iron, each provided with a drop₁or
fall therein, and which are fixed on the ordinary tappet shaft.
Thirdly, in reducing the power at present required for shedding or dividing
the warp, by placing the tappet shaft at the end of the treddle levers, and
directly under the healds or harness
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page_text: Fourthly, in fixing a spring with a stud in an upright position near to the
centre of the lathe, in connection with the present continuous "check strap,"
so that when the shuttle is impeded or does not operate correctly, the said stud
will strike another stud fixed to the ordinary weft motion lever, thus throwing
off the driving strap, which consequently stops the loom.
Fifthly, in fixing two small pulleys to the back of the loom frame, so con-
nected with the driving pulley by a strap that the loom may be stopped in a
shorter space of time than at present.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Christopher Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRIS-
TOPHER TURNER, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Weaver, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, 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
Christopher Turner, Her especial license that I, the said Christopher Turner,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Christo-
pher Turner, 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 terms 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 POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Christopher Turner, 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 Christopher Turner, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in wliat 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)
S

page_text: My improvements consist, first, in introducing a secondary motion for the.
purpose of actuating the slay for beating up the cloth, by means of a sus-
pended weight or a spring attached to a lever, which is worked from the
driving pulley.
Secondly, in driving the shuttle from one end of the lathe to the other; also
by a secondary motion by means of a spring affixed to each picking rod,
and by means of two circular pieces of iron, each provided with a drop or
fall therein, and which are fixed on the ordinary tappet shaft.
Thirdly, in reducing the power at present required for shedding or dividing
the warp, by placing the tappet shaft at the end of the treddle levers, and
directly under the healds or harness.
Fourthly, in fixing a spring with a stud in an upright position near to the
centre of the lathe, in connection with the present continuous "check strap,"
or in lieu thereof a finger and rod actuated by the "swell" and back finger of
the slay, so that when the shuttle is impeded or does not operate correctly, the
said stud or finger will strike another stud secured to the ordinary weft motion
lever, thus throwing off the driving strap, which consequently stops the loom.
Fifthly, in fixing two small pulleys to the back part of the loom frame, so
connected with the driving pulley by a strap that the loom may be stopped in
a shorter space of time than at present.
In order that my improvements may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawing made upon a scale of
about two inches to the foot, and having on the several Figures similar letters
of reference on corresponding parts of the machine or apparatus.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a power loom, with part of these im-
provements attached; Fig. 2 exhibits a front elevation of the same; Figs. 3
and 4 are respectively side and back elevations of the sword of the lathe, and
are illustrative of the first improvement herein mentioned. Fig. 5 represents
a top or plan view of the slay and breast beam, and are fully illustrative of the
fourth motion herein described; and Fig. 6 exhibits a back view of the slay,
showing the connection between the "swell" and "back finger" and projecting
finger or stud.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, illustrate the first motion; the dotted lines in Fig. 3 repre-
senting the position the apparatus would assume when any concussion or
impeding of the shuttle takes place. This motion is represented in the
Drawing as being attained both by a spring (Fig. 1) and by weights (Fig. 3
and 4). a represents a power loom framing; and b, the slay; c is the
"sword," the cheeks d, d, of which form a channel or groove for a "tenon " of
the weights e, e, to slide in; a slot f being formed in each cheek of the sword

page_text: for the further guidance of the weights e, e. The effects to be obtained by this
motion is the prevention of injury to the loom by concussion, straining; irregular
action of the shuttle, or any other such causes, and is effected by the imme-
diate stoppage of the action of the slay, in whatever part of its traverse it may
have made, directly the concussion or impeding power is equivalent to the
strength or texture of the fabric woven, thereby effectually preserving the fabric
entire A's well as being able to employ looms of much lighter construction;
and consequently considerably less motive power, for the attainment of the
same manufacture, less cost will be incurred in the first production of the
power loom by the adaptation of cast-iron crank arms and shaft, instead of
wrought-iron shaft and crank arms, as at present in use. In lieu of employing,
as usual; the fast joint between the slay and the crank arm, this improvement
consists in the substitution of a shifting joint, acting when released freely with
one direction of the slay or when it "beats up," (at other times being controlled
by weiglits or a spring;) and being confined to its position by a pin when the
reverse or backward motion of the slay takes place. f is the crank arm, and
g a short rod secured to it, and passing through the sword arm; and being
secured on one side by the pin h; the opposite end of the rod g rests or presses
against the surface of the bent lever j, the lower end of which is slotted, and
to which is secured the metal bar k, furnished with holes or any other con-
venient or similar arrangement 'for effecting the adjustment of the weight 7,
suspended from the bar k by the cord or chain m; the weight is composed of
several pieces; 1 forming the slide piece; 2; the piece or plate to which the
tenon is attached which traverses between the cheeks or sides of the swords;
3 is the outer plate, which may be made of any weight or thickness required;
these three pieces 'or plates being bolted-together form the entire weight, as
shewn in the accompanying Drawing. It will now be evident that supposing
any concussion or resistance to the motion of the slay to take place; the appa-
ratus before described will be immediately brought into action, and at whatever
portion of its revolution the crank arm may be, so quickly as any resistance,
from whatever cause, equivalent to the weight 1 takes place, the slay itself
becomes stationary, the crank arm continuing its revolution. until the release
of the driving pulley from its strap, the short rod g being thrust forward, and
the weights lifted or the spring distended, whichever may be employed, the
apparatus or machinery assumes the position indicated by the dotted lines, by
such means at once preventing any damage to the machinery or fabric under
manufacture.
: .
The second motion consists in the employment of two levers on the tappet
shaft, controlled by snails, so that when drawn back by the revolution' of the

page_text: shaft, they may contract or expand two springs, according to whatever
arrangement may be considered desirable, either spring being attached to each
vertical picking rod.
Thirdly, these improvements consist in placing the tappet shaft n'beneath
the healds or heddles 0, 0, and in such a manner that the tappets p; p, may act
at the extremity of the treddles g, g, shewn distinctly in Figs. 1 and 2:
Fourthly, in fixing a stud to the "check strap," or "by employing a similar
finger-ör stud near the centre and beneath the slay, this finger or stud being
actuated by a small horizontal stop rod extending from the finger or stud
beneath the slay to the "back finger" and "swell," from which it receives its
action. This motion will be better understood on reference to Figs. 5 and 6 ;
r represents the "swell," and 's the "back finger," t, the small horizontal rod;
running beneath the slay, and carrying at its centre-the finger or stud-u; on
the back of the breast beam of the loom is secured a second finger or stud v,
which, by the bent stop rod wand connecting link a, is caused to operate upon
the " throwing out" gear y; it will now be observed that should the shuttle,
from any cause, be stayed before completing its chace, the "swell" becomes
inoperative, thereby causing the central stud to remain stationary (instead of,
as when in action, withdrawing the central stud u), and come in contact with
the finger or stud v secured upon the breast beam; the concussion received
upon the stud v causes the partial revolution of the bent rod w, thereby draw-
ing over the connecting link a, and with it the "throwing out" or weft motion,
thus stopping the loom. Another mode of obtaining this motion may be
attained by employing (see Figs. 1 and 2) on the rod t three fingers or studs;
those at either end being so arranged as to come into action slightly before the
centre stud or finger; these outside studs act upon two small shifting bell-crank
levers secured upon the slotted levers j, j, and when by the improper action of
the shuttle or concussion the "swell" and "back finger" cease to operate, the
bell-crank levers, secured by a spring to their proper position, act upon a broad
horizontal plate or bar, running longitudinally beneath the breast beam, and
by pressing it slightly outwards bring it in contact with the throwing out
motion, thereby lessening the concussion about one-half, and at once stopping
the action of the loom. a, b, c, represent the three studs or fingers, and
d', d', the levers on which the outside stud a¹ and c¹ operate; e¹ is the broad
plate or bar, which operates directly on the throwing out motion.
Fifthly, in so attaching two small pulleys to the back of the loom that, with
a connecting strap passing over the driving pulley, the loom may be stopped in
much less time than at present is the case. In applying the before-described
motions to new looms, the general construction of the loom may be con-

page_text: siderably lighter than the looms at present manufactured, but the same
motions may be attached, fitted, or applied to old looms with great facility and
readiness.
Having now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same may be performed, I wish it to be distinctly under-
stood that I claim particularly the novel application, employment, and use of
an anti-positive or occasionally shifting joint, which governs (by the aid of a
weight or spring) the action of the slay, also the placing of the tappet shaft
perpendicularly beneath the treddles or healds, the tappets or cams working on
the extremities of the treadles, which actuate the healds or harness, as well as
two stop rods with appropriate fingers or studs, actuated from the "swell" and
"back finger," for the purpose of shifting the driving strap from the fast or
driving pulley to the loose pulley, together with the several novel parts of the
machinery or apparatus, as are herein particularly set forth and described, and
are fully illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Turner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Tenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
CHRISTOPHER TURNER. (L.S.)