IMPROVE- MENTS IN WEAVING AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Symington, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WEAVING AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR."
Sealed the 4th August 1868, and dated the 11th February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Symington
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th February 1863.
I, WILLIAM SYMINGTON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR," to be as
follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to improvements designed to simplify and cheapen
the weaving of muslin or leno curtains and similar fabrics.
In the ordinary system of weaving such fabrics the shedding by which the
weaving of the plain or ground cloth is effected is caused by a set of treddles,
whilst the figuring or ornamental device is produced by jacquard harness
situated behind the treddles. The treddles are constructed to permit of the
raising of the threads for the figuring, there being in one arrangement only
one-half of the threads liable to be so raised.
By the present Invention instead of their being a set of treddles for the
plain or ground weaving there is only a single treddle leaf or its equivalent, and
this is arranged to act on one-half of the threads, namely ou those threads
which are not arranged to be actuated by the harness. One plain or ground

page_text: shed is formed by raising this treddle leaf, whilst the opposite shed is formed
by means of the harness and may be effected in various ways.
By one plan a jacquard card, pierced full of holes, is introduced at the proper
intervals to cause all the harness threads to be raised.
By a second plan the cards are laced so as to have a space equal to a card
breadth left at the proper intervals.
By a third plan a second draught board or equivalent detail is employed,
and each harness thread is double-necked or has a second thread tied to it, and
arranged to be acted upon at the proper intervals by the second draught
board or equivalent detail.
This
According to a fourth plan the hole board is made to lift the shed, the
harness threads being knotted immediately above it for that purpose.
hole board may be in one or two pieces.
In another arrangement adopted under the same general system of weaving,
what is called a "thread" or "full" harness is employed, the harness threads
being arranged to act on every warp thread. In this case treddles for
weaving the plain or ground cloth are dispensed with, and two hole boards
are used, and the harness or warp threads are threaded into them in regular
alternation, being knotted just above the board as in the other modification.
These two hole boards are raised alternately at the proper periods, and form
the necessary plain or ground sheds. The "double-neck" plan described for
the first arrangement may also be used.
An important advantage of the described improvements consists in their
permitting the harness to be placed much closer to the reed, in consequence
of which they do not require to raise the warps so high or strain them so
much as in former arrangements.
The improvements also admit of a more satisfactory application of steam
power to this class of goods than has been hitherto obtained. In the case
of the "thread" or "full" harness the improvements also effect a saving in
the quantity of cards.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Symington, Her special licence that I, the said William
Symington, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Symington, 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 WEAVING AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOB," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Symington, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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 William Symington, 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 in writing, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improvements designed to simplify and cheapen
the weaving of muslin or leno curtains and similar fabrics.
In the ordinary system of weaving such fabrics the shedding by which the
weaving of the plain or ground cloth is effected is caused by a set of heddles
or healds, that is, by two or more leaves of heddles, whilst the figuring or
ornamental device is produced by jacquard harness situated behind the heddles.
The heddles are constructed to permit of the raising of the threads for the
figuring, there being in one arrangement only one-half of the threads liable to
be raised.
In carrying out the present Invention, according to one modification, instead
of there being a set of two or more leaves of heddles for the plain or ground
weaving, there is only a single heddle leaf or its equivalent, and this is
arranged to act on one-half of the threads, namely on those threads which are
not arranged to be actuated by the jacquard harness.
or ground weaving is formed by raising this heddle leaf, whilst the other or
opposite shed for the plain or ground weaving is formed by means of the
jacquard harness, and may be effected in various ways.
One shed for the plain

page_text: By one plan a jacquard card pierced full of holes is introduced at the proper
intervals to cause to be raised all those warp threads which are acted on by
the harness, that is, in this case, one-half of the warp threads.
By a second plan the jacquard' cards are laced so as to have spaces each,
equal to a card breadth, left at the proper intervals, so that, as each space comes
round, the action of the jacquard apparatus will be as though a card pierced
full of holes were presented to it, as in the first plan.
By a third plan a second draught board or equivalent detail is employed,
and each harness thread is double-necked or has a second thread' tied to it,
and arranged to be acted upon at the proper intervals by the second draught
board or equivalent detail, the ordinary jacquard action being alternated' with
the actions of the single heddle leaf and second draught board, as will be
understood by the practical weaver.
According to a fourth plan the hole board is made to lift the shed, the
harness threads being knotted immediately above it for that purpose. The
hole board is arranged to move freely in or on guides, and' is lifted by any
convenient mechanism, such, for example, as is used for lifting draught boards
in ordinary jacquard apparatus. The hole board' may be made in one or two
pieces, which may be actuated together or separately.
In another arrangement adopted under the same general system of weaving,
what is called a "thread" or "full" harness is. employed, or the harness
threads are otherwise arranged to act on every warp thread. In this case the
heddles for weaving the plain or ground cloth are dispensed with, and two
hole boards are used, and the harness threads are threaded into them in
regular alternation, being knotted just above each board as in the modification
previously described. The two hole boards are raised alternately at the proper
periods, and form the necessary sheds for the plain or ground weaving.
The "double-neck " plan described for the first arrangement may also be
used.
An important advantage of the described improvements consists in their
permitting the harness to be placed much closer to the reed, in consequence
of which they do not require to raise the warps so high or strain them so much
as in former arrangements.
The improvements also admit of a more satisfactory application of steam
power to this class of goods than has been hitherto obtained. In the case of
the "thread" or "full" harness the improvements also effect a saving in the
quantity of cards.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict

page_text: myself to the precise details herein described, but that what I believe to be
novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the using of a single leaf of heddles or
healds in combination with jacquard harness, or of other equivalent means, in
the weaving of muslin or leno curtains or similar fabrics, substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Symington, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
W. SYMINGTON. (L.B.)