Improvements in the Weft Delivery Motion and Heald Attachment in Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 20th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1887.
Improvements in the Weft Delivery Motion and Heald Attachment
in Looms for Weaving.
We, GEORGE HERBERT HODGSON of Laycocks Mill, Thornton Road, Bradford,
in the County of York, Machine Maker, and WALTER TETLEY of the same place,
Foreman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
This invention relates to certain improvements in looms for weaving, and has for
its object the construction of the parts combined with the weft fork in pick and pick
looms in such a manner, that when the weft in any of the shuttles is broken or
exhausted, the loom will be stopped and the picking motion and setting up motion
rendered inoperative so that the loom may be turned or run without operating the
weft or shuttle picking and the setting up motions and to so attach the healds to the
top and bottom levers that when placed in position, the attachments are free to work,
but so locked, that they cannot move away from the lever fulcrum when the gears
become slack or from any other cause so long as the locking link is connected thereto.
We accomplish our object im the following manner. The weft fork is of the usual
construction used in pick and pick looms, and is mounted at about the centre of the
lathe combined with the fork is a tappet secured on what is termed the bottom shaft
which operates a lever mounted on a pin attached to a bracket on a front rail of the
loom. Resting on the lever is a bar which when the lever is operated by the tappet,
raises the fork clear to allow the shuttle to pass, the fork being afterwards supported
by the weft just delivered, but should it be broken or exhausted, the fork drops into
such a position that a projection on a lever comes in contact with another lever on a
shaft extending between the loom ends, which moves a long hand lever into such a
position that it is retained by a swinging catch the long hand lever moving the
picking catches clear of the picking quadrants so that the shuttles are prevented
delivering any weft while the attendant is finding the broken pick or the swinging
arm remains on the hand lever.

page_text: When the shaft between the loom ends is operated as described, a lever thereon
raises the catch pawl clear of the pawl wheel of the setting up motion thereby stopping
the setting up motion so long as the swinging catch retains the long hand lever.
In order to prevent the connection between the healds and the top and bottom
levers slipping whenever the healds become slack, we place a clasp on each lever,
curving one end of the interior for working in the lever notch and the other end for
the reception of a hook. Whenever the clasp is on the lever it is free to work.
but cannot be moved out of the notch so long as it is locked by the hook at the
opposite end.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Weft Delivery Motion and Heald Attachment
in Looms for Weaving.
We, GEORGE HERBERT HODGSON, of Laycocks Mill, Thornton Road, Bradford in
the County of York, Machine Maker, and WALTER TETLEY of the same place,
Foreman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to certain improvements in looms for weaving, and has for
its object the construction of the paris combined with the weft fork in pick and pick
looms, in such a manner, that when the weft in any of the shuttles is broken or
exhausted, the loom will be stopped and the picking motion rendered inoperative, so
that the loom may be turned without operating the weft or shuttle picking motion;
and to so attach the healds to the top and bottom levers that, when placed in position,
the attachments are free to work, but so locked that they cannot move away from
their relative positions on the levers when the gears become slack or deranged through
any cause so long as the locking links are connected to the respective couplings
or clasps.
In describing our invention in detail, we make reference to the accompanying drawings
in which Fig. 1 represents a cross section through a loom shewing such portions as
are necessary to describe and illustrate our invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view
of the weft fork and its immediate attachments. Fig. 3 a front view of the same.
Fig. 1 a view of the opposite side to that shewn by Fig. 2, and is in the position for

page_text: disconnecting the picking motion. Fig. 5 a detailed view of the ordinary picking
quadrants and catches. Fig. 6 a modified form of operating the weft fork. Fig. 7'a
view of one of the heald levers with one of our improved clasps and hook attached, and
Figs. S and are sectional views of a clasp and hook drawn to a larger scale. In all
the figures similar letters indicate similar parts where they appear.
The weft fork is of the ordinary construction and indicated by the letter A, is
mounted on a bracket B secured to, at about the centre of the lathe or "going part" C.
Working in combination with the said fork A, is a tappet D, mounted on what is
termed the bottom shaft E operated in the usual manner, and on the tappet D
revolving, actuates a lever G mounted on a pin secured to a bracket H on the front
rail J of the loom.
To the lever G is attached a bar K, the top end of which is free to slide in the
joint or socket K', and when the lever G is operated as described, it causes the hook
plate L mounted on the before mentioned bracket B, to be raised and come in contact
with a projection M, on a short lever P, secured on the fork shaft N, which is supported
by the bracket B.
The weft fork A is raised in the manner described the distance for the shuttle to
pass freely through the "shed," then the weft fork is liberated and falls by its own
gravity on the weft just delivered, by which it is supported until liberated previous to
the beat up of the weft, when the weft fork is again raised for the shuttle to pass in
the manner before described.
If in case the weft fork A in its descent should be held so that it does not rest upon
the weft at the time required, it is brought to that position by the hook O, at the upper
end of the hook plate L, coming in contact with the projection M, on the short catch
lever I', mounted on the weft fork shaft N; thus making the upward and downward
movements of the weft fork positive, and thereby preventing the said fork falling
suddenly and curling the weft as is the case with forks of the ordinary construction.
When the weft is broken or exhausted, the weft fork A drops into such a position
(see Fig. 4) lower than when the fork is supported by the weft, that the plate Lis
only allowed to descend about say three fourths of the distance, and is there held by
the pin Pl, on plate L, resting in the recess at the end of the catch lever P mounted
on the shaft N the projecting arm Q, being in the position that it comes in contact.
and operates the lever R, on the slackening shaft R', which extends between the loom
ends and on the shaft is secured the long hand lever S, which is moved into such
position, that it is retained by the ordinary swinging catch T. On the operation of
the long hand lever S as before described, the picking catches U, are moved clear of
the picking quadrants U, thus making the picking motion in-operative so long as the
lever S, is retained in that position; thereby enabling the attendant to find the broken
pick, and the loom to be turned without operating the picking motion: the connection
between the weft fork and the belt guide for throwing the belt from one pulley to the
other is of the ordinary construction.
:
In working out our invention, we find we can dispense with the tappet G and
connections with the spindle S' in the bracket B, and operate the said spindle and
weft fork at the time desired by the arrangement shewn by Fig. 6. By this modified
arrangement, a lever G¹ having two arms is mounted on a projection on bracket B,
and in the long arm of the said lever is formed a slot hole G, in which works a
stationary pin secured to the rigid upright K², so that on the lathe or "going part" C
oscillating in the ordinary manner, the lever is caused to work on its fulcrum stud,
and operate the spindle S, and weft fork A, in the manner before described.
In order to prevent the connections between the healds and the top and bottom
levers slipping whenever the healds become slack or otherwise deranged, we place on
each lever W, a clasp W, and on the corresponding lever at the bottom a similar
clasp curving or forming one end of the interior of each clasp somewhat V shaped
for working in any of the notches Y of the levers; the other end of each clasp being
curved for the reception of a hook X, so that when the clasp W, is on either a top or
hottom lever, it is free to work and cannot be moved out of the notch so long as it is
locked by the hook X at the opposite end.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The combination of the tappet D with the lever G, rod K, hook plate L and weft
fork A, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination of the lever G₁ with the upright K2, the spindle S₁ and the weft
fork A substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination of the weft fork A, with the projecting arm Q, levers R and S,
and the picking catches and quadrants U and U' substantially in the manner and for
the purpose described.
4. The combination of the pin P" on the hook plate L, with the lever P substantially
in the manner and for the purpose described.
5. The projection M on the lever P combined with the hook O and weft fork
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.
6. The clasp W combined with the hook X substantially in the manner, and for the
purpose set forth.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.