IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HEDDLES OR HARNESS OP LOOMS FOR WEAVING, AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING THE SAME
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twelfth day of February, in the fifteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Edward Newton, my exors, admors, and
ȧsigns, and such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, my exors,
adñors, 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 mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies
and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney,
Sark, and Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HEDDLES OR HARNESS
OP LOOMS FOR WEAVING, AND IN THE MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING THE SAME,"
being à communication from abroad; in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso obliging me, the said William Edward Newton, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what. manner the same
is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in Her Majesty's

page_text: High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediatel
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by th
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the sai
William Edward Newton, do hereby declare that the nature of the sai
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is parti
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letter
and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-.
The Invention that has been communicated to me by my Foreign Corre
spondent as aforesaid relates, -
First, to an improved form of heddle or mode of manufacturing heddles or
harness for looms, and consists,
Secondly, in the machinery or apparatus whereby these improved heddles
may be produced.
Before proceeding to the description of the Invention for which I have
obtained Letters Patent, as aforesaid, I will observe, that I propose princi-
pally to construct the heddles or harness to be used in ordinary looms of either
single or double wires; but as in some instances (as in Jacquard looms) the
use of wire heddles may be objectionable, I also propose for some purposes
to employ cords, yarns, or strings, in the manner hereafter explained. The
common wire heddles which have been long known have usually been con-
structed of double strands of wire twisted together to form the eyes at or near
the middle; and much difficulty has been experienced from the threads of the
warp not working freely through harness having eyes formed in this manner,
owing to the great liability that exists of the fibres of the warp felting or.
working into the twists of the wires. above and below the eyes. The cost of
the material and the weight of the common wire harness are also objections, as.
they are made double, and are necessarily of heavier wire than is required to
make the single harness which forms the first part of the present Invention,
and which consists in forming the eye or male of the heddle on a single wire,
cord, or yarn, in a novel and peculiar manner, by means of casting the same
in molten lead or other material.
Figure A (Sheet II.) in the accompanying Drawings represents a portion of
a heddle formed of single wires, cords, strings, or yarns, according to the
present improvements. In order to produce this heddle a suitable mould of
the shape of the required eye or male is prepared, in which the eye or male is
to be cast on the wire, cord, or string. The wire, cord, or string, when
inserted in the mould to have the eye or male cast thereon, is, by the intro-.

page_text: duction of the core, bent slightly at the middle where the eye or male is to be
cast; and when the said wire, cord, or string is placed in the mould, the molten
metal is introduced or forced therein by means of a pump or plunger, and
when the metal is sufficiently cool the mould is opened, and the wire, cord, or
string, with the eye or male cast thereon, is removed from the mould, and a
second wire, cord, or string is introduced, and so on until all the wires
throughout the whole length of the shaft of heddles is completed. The molten
metal may be cast over the whole series of wires, cords, or strings simulta-
neously, and the eyes formed in the cast males by means of stationary cores;
but I prefer to cast the males on each wire, cord, or string separately, and for
this purpose I have shewn in the accompanying Drawings a machine or
machines whereby this object may be effected with convenience, facility, and
despatch. The eyes or males may be cast in glass or other suitable material
as well as metal, and either of the form represented in the Drawing or any
other form that may be considered desirable. Owing to the friction being so
much reduced by the use of these improved cast males or eyes, much less
sizing will be required on the warp than when ordinary heddles are used.
The second part of the Invention relates to the machinery whereby the
improved heddles with cast eyes or males may be made. The machinery for
effecting this object is of two kinds, consisting, first, of a machine for winding
the wire, cord, or string on to a frame previous to casting the males or eyes
thereon; and, secondly, of suitable machinery for casting these males or eyes.
But, inasmuch as the winding operation can be performed by hand, and does
not form a very material part of the Invention, I will first describe the
machine whereby the eyes or males are cast on the wires, cords, or strings,
and will then proceed to describe a machine which has been found useful for
winding the wires, cords, or strings on to the frames.
Figure 1, Sheet I., represents an elevation of the front part of the machine
for casting the male, in which the eye is formed on the single wire, cord, or
string. I would here observe, that, in order to avoid unnecessary repetition, I
will describe the method of casting the male or eye on wires, reserving to
myself the right, however, of using instead thereof cords or yarns produced
from any suitable fibrous material. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3
is a vertical transverse section in the dotted line x, x, of Fig. 1, shewing a side
view of the guide 27 for guiding the wire into the mould. Fig. 4 is a vertical
transverse section in the dotted line o, o, of Fig. 1, shewing the eccentric
cam 8, on the propelling shaft 2, for moving the heddle holder 4 from the
mould, and the spiral spring a for drawing it toward the mould in order to
cast the male on the wire. Fig. 5 is an end view of the change gear for

page_text: regulating the relative speed of the main shaft 2 and screw shaft 3,
according to the space between the wires on the heddle frame. Fig. 6,
Sheet II., is a front elevation of the vibrating frame carrying the mould
and its appendages (drawn full size), with the several working parts
attached thereto, as shewn in Fig. 1, and especially shewing a modification for
operating the core of the mould. In this Sheet I have also shewn a means of
imparting to the heddle frame a vibrating motion for the purpose of moving
the wires to and from the moulds, instead of effecting this object by causing
the frame to slide horizontally in guides, as shewn in Sheet I. Fig. 7 repro-
sents a side view of this modification of the method of actuating the heddle
frame holder. It is drawn full size, and shews the mechanical arrangement
whereby the heddle frame is made to move or vibrate in the arc of a circle, as
above mentioned, instead of sliding horizontally, as in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 (Sheet I.)
is a sectional view of the back part of the machine, shewing the eccentrics
B and B for actuating the vibrating frame, Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a vertical
and side view of the core E that forms the aperture or eye in the male,
through which the warp is to pass. Fig. 10 (Sheet III.) represents a front
elevation of the apparatus for winding the wire (to form the heddles) on the
frame 5, Fig. 1, preparatory to its being adjusted in the sliding frame 4,
Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a plan view of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a vertical tranverse
section on the dotted line v, v, of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is an end view of the left
end of the winding apparatus shewing the gear wheels for turning the frame 5.
Where the same letters and numerals of reference occur on the several
Figures of Sheets I., II., and III., they indicate the same parts.
In Fig. 1, Sheet I., A¹ is the bench upon which the several parts of the
machine are mounted. 2 is the main driving shaft mounted in bearings
11 and 12. At either end of the bench 3 is a screw shaft supported in
bearings on the bed plate 15, and left end of the frame at 12, and is for
feeding the heddle frame holder longitudinally as the males are cast on the
wires. 4 is the heddle frame holder, composed of two uprights, 4, 4, to which
the heddle frame 5 is secured by any convenient means. This heddle frame
holder is mounted upon horizontal transverse sliding plates A, whereby the
heddle frame holder 4 is carried horizontally toward and from the mould.
5 is the heddle frame on which the wire is wound. In Fig. 1 a portion of the
wire is removed, in order to shew the parts in the rear thereof. 6 are two
bevel cog wheels, one on the main shaft 2, and the other on a transverse crank
shaft 7, for actuating the several parts of the machine. 8 are two excentric
cams fixed on the shaft 2, directly over the sliding plates A, for moving the
said slides A with the heddle frame holder 4 from the mould, as each male is

page_text: cast on the wire. 9 is a screw-clamp lever for clamping the heddle frame-
holder to the feeding screw 3. 10, Fig. 5, is a series of wheels connecting the
shafts 2 and 3, at the left ends thereof, whereby the speed of the said shaft is
regulated to feed fast or slow according to the space between the wires. 13 is
the vibrating frame for carrying the moulds to the pump-nipple to receive the
metal which forms the male and back to allow the said moulds to open and
liberate the cast male of the wire. This frame 13 is mounted upon centres
14, 14, on the bed plate 15, and the upper end thereof is moved back and
forth by means of excentric cams B' and B, on the shaft 2, as seen in Figs. 3
and 8. These cams operate alternately by anti-friction rollers a, a, on
either end of the forked lever C2, which is secured to the vibrating frame
13 by screws i, i, Figs. 6 and 8, one branch of the lever C being below
the main shaft 2, and the other above it, as shewn by red lines in Fig. 3,
so that when the excentric cam B acts upon and raises the lever C³ the
frame 13 is moved from the pump nipple, and when the excentric cam B
acts upon or depresses the lower end of the lever C the frame 13 is drawn
up to the mould. 16, 16, are the slides which are mounted and slide on the
vibrating frame 13, in closing and opening the mould to which they are
attached. 17 is a plate secured to uprights of the bed plate 15, to which is
19 is the
attached the spring plate 18 for working the core E, Figs. 9.
pump box for holding the metal, which is heated by a furnace resting upon
and screwed to the bed plate 15. 20 are adjusting screws for raising and
lowering the pump box 19. 21, 21, are two pivotted levers attached to and
working the slides 16 to open and close the mould by means of excentric
25, 25, are two set screws passing through uprights
26 of the bed plate, to adjust horizontally the position of the nipple of the
pump to the mould. 27 is the guide for directing the wire into the mould 33.
cams 23 and 24, Fig. 2.
This guide is mounted upon an axle c. 28, 28, are two screws for adjusting
horizontally the guide 27; the latter being also adjustable to take wire
differently spaced on the frame 5. 29 is an upright attached to the pump 19,
to support and guide the plunger 30. This plunger passes into the pump, and
is for forcing the metal into the moulds through the nipple of the pump.
31 is a hammer attached to the plunger 30, which strikes the knife 32, to cut
the gate or waste metal away after the male shall have been cast on the
wire. 33, the mould in which the male of each wire is formed, secured upon the
slides 16, and moving with the same. 34 is the rod and lever for working the
plunger 30.
35 is the pump rod connected to the lever 36, which works upon
a stud on the bed plate 15, and is actuated by the excentric 37. This
excentric 37 is mounted upon the propelling or main shaft 2, and is for

page_text: working the plunger of the pump through the connection of the rod and
lever 34. 39 is an excentric cam, mounted upon the main shaft 2, for working
the stopper lever 38, to insert and withdraw the stopper from the nipple of the
pump. This stopper enters the nipple or spout through the metal, and after
the metal is forced into the mould the stopper closes the entrance thereof, and
prevents the metal from running out of the pump when the mould is removed
therefrom. 40 (Fig. 1) is a spiral spring attached to the stopper lever 38.
This spring is for the purpose of keeping an anti-friction roller (secured to the
end of the said lever 38) in contact with the excentric cam 39. 41 (Fig. 1)
is a spiral spring fastened to an upright 43, projecting upward from the
bench 15, and is for keeping the rod 34 of the plunger 30 in contact with the
excentric 37, which actuates the plunger of the pump. 42 is the smoke
pipe or flue attached to the furnance de (Fig. 3) of the pump box.
44 represents the males cast upon the middle of the length of each wire of
the heddle frame holder. This heddle frame holder is gradually moved by the
feeding screw 3 to the right in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, as the males
become cast. 45 are intermediate boxes or bearings mounted upon bed plates
of the transverse slides A, for supporting the central portion of the propelling
shaft 2. 46 is a bar extending horizontally from one of the slides A to the
other, whereby the said slides are moved simultaneously by the action of the
excentric cams 8 in moving the heddle frame holder from the mould. a, a
(Figs. 2 and 4) are spiral springs attached to the upright bars 4 at each
end of the heddle frame holder, and to the rear ends of the stationary bed
plates of the slides A, for the purpose of drawing the beddle frame holder
up to the mould when the latter shall have been relieved from the excentric
cams 8 of the propelling shaft 2. B3, B4, Fig. 3, are the excentric cams
seen in Fig. 8. They are mounted on the shaft 2 near the excentric cam
23, and are for the purpose of operating upon the anti-friction rollers a³, a²,
thereby causing the forked lever C to rock the vibrating frame 13, with the
mould 33 upon its centres 14, towards and from the nipple or spout of the
pump. &, Fig. 3, represents the grate of the fire box. D₁ is the opening in
the fire box to admit the fuel therein. The core for forming the eye or
aperture in the male for the reception of the warp is represented detached
at E, Fig. 9.
In Fig. 6 (Sheet II.) a front elevation of the vibrating frame (full size) s
represented, especially shewing a modification of the Invention. In this
Figure 6, a is the vibrating frame mounted upon its centre 6 in upright c of
the bed plate d; e is the pump box, having a nose or projection f, through
which pass screws g into the bed plate d, for raising and lowering the pump

page_text: nipple so as to adjust the nipple or spout through which the metal is projected
by the plunger to the opening or gate of the mould; his a screw to confine the
bed plate d to the bench; i, i, are the two screws whereby the forked lever C
is fastened to the vibrating frame a, and by which lever it is moved towards
and from the mould; j is a spring, to the upper end of which is attached a
spreader k, which separates the back wires on the heddle frame 5, so as to
enable the attendant to see the mould when the wire enters therein before the
male is cast thereon; is a spring fastened by screws at its lower end to the
vibrating frame a, and passes through an opening in the said frame to the back
part of the mould, seen also in the detached sectional view, Fig. 6*. In a
notch at the upper end of this spring the core carrier, shewn detached in
Fig. 9, Sheet I., is placed. It is by means of this spring that the core E,
Fig. 9, is pushed into and drawn out of the mould at the proper time by the
assistance of the screws m, n. The screw n pushes the spring forward as
the frame moves back, and, consequently, as the mould is thereby carried up to
the nipple, the core is pushed into the mould and then the male is east thereon.
The screw m arrests the motion of the spring. When the frame carries the mould
from the pump nipple after the male is cast on the wire, then the screw m comes
into action, and by arresting the motion of the spring, or holding it stationary
while the frame moves back, the core is withdrawn from the mould, and then the
male, with the eye formed therein, may be removed from the mould. 0, 0, are
two pins attached to the slide or carrier p, to which the core E is fastened.
These pins work in a slot in the mould plate, so as to allow the core E to yield
slightly to any irregularity of motion, and thus prevent any of the delicate
working parts from becoming injured. The slide p of the core E rests by a
projection seen in Fig. 9 in a notch cut for it on the top of the spring 1.
q, q, are the mould plates screwed to the plates r and s, and in the ends of each
of these plates q, q, is cut one half of the mould or die in which the males are
to be formed. Instead of making both parts of the mould to move simul-
taneously, as in Fig. 1, the plate r, which carries one half of the mould or die,
is screwed to the vibrating frame a, and the other plate s is made to slide on
guides, so that it may be moved backward and forward, and the mould or die
thereby opened and shut by the action of the lever t, the part r remaining
stationary. u is a fender to keep the wires from coming in contact with the
lever t.
v, v, is an apron resting upon two pins w, w, secured to the pump
box c. This apron v is placed between the mould and nipple, to prevent the
mould being injured by the pressure against the nipple. a are two steadying
pins extending from one half of the die plate to the other.
pins for guiding the wire into the seat of the die. z is the knife or hammer for
y,y, are two guide

page_text: clearing the gate or waste metal from the cast male. a is an opening in
the mould plate to admit the end of the gate. 6a is the wire guide secured
upon the set screw c², by which the guide is set to suit the mould. d2 are
studs cast upon the plate e, and through. which the set screw passes.
The core E, Fig. 9 (Sheet I.), is attached to a bar p which slides in the
slot in the mould plate, with the two pins or guide arms o, o, passing through
the said slot. The projection at the back of the slide of the core E fits into
the notch in the upper end of the spring 1, Fig. 6 (Sheet II.).
Fig. 7 represents a side view of the heddle frame holder (half size), being
a modification of the mode of operating the same.
A is the slide upon
which the heddle frame holder is mounted, and by which it is moved along
the bench. B is the centre upon which the heddle holder C is supported,
and moves in the arc of a circle scribed from the said centre instead of moving
horizontally as in Fig. 1. D is a rearward projecting arm of the heddle
frame holder, in the end of which is an anti-friction roller E, against which
works an excentric cam F2 on the propelling shaft 2, whereby the heddle
frame holder is moved toward and from the mould during the rotation of the
excentric cam F². G2 is a spiral spring attached to the heddle frame holder
C² and stud, projecting upward from the rear of the slide A2, whereby the anti-
friction roller is held in contact with the excentric cam F. He is the heddle
frame confined to the front of the holder C. I is a thumb screw, by which
the frame H is fastened to the small slide J, which is secured to the holder
C. K is a screw for moving the slide J, so as to place the wire opposite
the mould when the casting commences. Fig. 8 (Sheet I.) is a back view,
shewing the manner of vibrating the frame a, Fig. 6. 2 is the driving shaft,
upon which is mounted the excentric cams B³, B, for operating the lever C³.
i, i, are the bolts, seen also in Fig. 6, which secure the lever C² to the frame a.
L' is the pump box. d is the bed plate.
Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13, of Sheet III., represent the apparatus for
winding the wire (to form the heddle) on the frame 5, preparatory to casting
the male thereon. H represents the wire upon the frame 5. Is is a slide bar,
which is used to prevent the frame 5 from being drawn together by the
winding of the wire thereon, and is made to slide over the frame 5 with the
winding of the wire by means of a bar Js projecting upward from the bench.
In the upright Es of the slides G³, and a suitable distance above the bench,
are mounted two cross bars K³, K³, to which are secured the end bars of
the wire frame 5 by means of clamp screws L°, whereby it is rotated to
receive the wire. M³ are bevel cog wheels on the transverse crank shaft N³.
These wheels gear with and drive other bevel cog wheels, one of which M³ is

page_text: on the propelling shaft B, and the other on a short shaft which carries the
pinion Os. This latter gears into another pinion P³, on the shaft of which there
is also another pinion, Q3, made to match with and drive the locking cog wheel
13 on the screw shaft D³. By this arrangement of pinions the wire frame 5
may be made to receive any given number of wires to a given number of inches.
R is the bed plate, confined permanently to the bench. The ends of the heddle
frame are so connected by a centre pin that the side bars thereof may be made
to approximate, and thus allow the wires to be drawn therefrom after the males
shall have been cut thereon. The wires are retained on the frame at the required
distance apart, by placing on each side bar a narrow piece of rolled copper wire
(tinned), over which the wires are wound, and then placing another piece of
copper wire (also tinned) on the heddle wires, and passing thereover a hot
iron, whereby the upper and lower pieces of copper wire are united with the
heddle wires between the same. There must be two pieces of tinned copper
wire on each side bar, making eight in all. S (Fig. 11) is an iron support
projecting from the bed plate, and to which are secured two pieces of wood
T3, between which the wire II³ passes, for the purpose of steadying the same
while being wound upon the frame 5. V3 is a straightener, through which
the wire passes to the frame. This straightener is made by driving steel
pins into a thin plate. We are three gear wheels at the left end of the wire
frame, whereby the latter is connected to the propelling shaft B³. Instead
of securing the wires to the side bars by soldering them between tinned
copper plates, I propose to employ strips of gutta percha to effect this object.
The outer edge of each of the horizontal bars must be grooved, and a strip of
gutta percha laid thereon; then the wire, as it passes from the pieces of wood
T3 to the rotating frame, is conducted through the flame of a lamp, whereby
it is heated sufficiently to cause it to sink into the strip of gutta percha, which
is laid along the edge of the horizontal bars of the rotating frame. By the
rotation of this frame the gutta percha strip is also caused to pass through
the flame of the lamp, and thereby become softened; and in order more
effectually to secure the wires, a second strip of gutta percha is laid on the
first, and made by means of heat to combine therewith and securely hold the
wires between them.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me as
aforesaid, and the best means with which I am at present acquainted for
carrying the same into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not mean
or intend to confine myself rigidly to the precise arrangement of parts herein
shewn and described, as they may doubtless be varied without departing
from the nature and object of the present improvements. But that which

page_text: I consider to be new, and therefore wish to claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, making heddles or harness by casting males or eyes of any suitable
form or material on wires or cords, strings or yarns, made of any fibrous
substance. I claim the exclusive right to such cast males or eyes, whether
the same be produced by the machinery above shewn and described, or any
other machinery that will effect the same purpose, or whether the said males
or eyes be cast on single or double wires, cords, or yarns.
Second, I claim the machine shewn in Sheet I., together with the different
modifications thereof above described, and shewn in Sheet II., or any mere
modification whereby metal or other males or eyes may be cast or formed on
.wires, cords, strings, or yarns.
Third, I claim the machine shewn in Sheet III., and above described, or any
mere modification thereof, for winding the wire, cords, strings, or yarns on
to frames, for the manufacture of heddles or harness for looms, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.