An Improved Means and Method of Automatically Regulating the Tension and Letting Off of Warps in Looms
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Means and Method of Automatically Regulating the
Tension and Letting Off of Warps in Looms.
RICHARD WILBY Exchange Buildings Marsh near Huddersfield Yorks. Mill
Manager. I do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to automatically regulate the tension of the warps.
in looms for the purpose of producing a uniform and evenly woven piece, and also
for the purpose of ensuring that all the peices produced from the same and similar
warps shall be woven of equal strength and weight compared with each other.
I effect this by operating automatically the break or drag mechanism of the
warp beam by a ratchet mechanism similar in principle to my Speed Controlling
Mechanism for Steam Engines for the which I was granted a Patent dating the
9th day of Novr. 1886 and numbered 14431 or I can operate automatically the
break mechanism of the warp beam by another ratchet arrangement which I will
presently describe.
In carrying out my invention I make use of the incipient or slight changes or
variations in the tension of the warp or of the peice for the purpose of putting into
gear and putting out of gear the pawls of a ratchet mechanism.
When the respective pawl is put in gear the ratchet mechanism will tighten or
slacken the break or drag arrangement on the warp beam and so keep the tension
of the warp at its normal rate.
By a suitable arrangement of a rod or rods or other device which I cause to lic
on or press against the warp or press against the piece, or by a suitable arrangement
of mounting or connecting either the breast beam or the rest beam on or to a spring
or springs I obtain a small movement or motion in any one of these so connected
with every incipient and small change that takes place in the tension of the warp or
piece, which motion or movement I communicate by suitable means to the pawls of
a ratchet mechanism similar in principal to that of my Patent 14431% or to the
When the above
pawls of the ratchet mechanism which I will presently describe.
motion or movement which is caused by the small incipient changes in the tension
of the warp or piece is communicated to the pawls of either of these ratchet
mechanisms whose pawl frames are oscillated by the loom the ratchei mechanism
will immediately and automatically at the instant of each incipient change in the
warp tension slacken or tighten the break or drag on the warp beam bringing the
tension back to its normal. By the above means and method the warp will be kept
at one uniform and constant tension and so long as the warp remains at the normal
tension to which it was set so long will the ratchet mechanism remain inoperative,
but the moment the smallest change in the tension of the warp takes place, that
instant will the proper pawl be placed in gear with its ratchet wheel and the
ratchet mechanism will operate the break or drag arrangement of the warp beam
in the proper direction so as to bring the tension of the warp back to its
normal.
The other ratchet mechanism which I have mentioned as being competent by my
method of working the pawls in and out of gear to operate the drag or break of
the warp beam is one consisting of two ratchet wheels with teeth set in opposite
directions as usual and possessing a double pawl not made in line so that one end of
the double pawl is directly over and gearing with the front ratchet wheel while
the other end of the double pawl is directly over and gears with the back ratchet
wheel. This double pawl is loosely mounted by its centre on an oscillating arm the
centre of oscillation being the centre of the ratchet wheels. Normally neither end
of the double pawl is in gear with their respective ratchet wheels, but if one end is

page_text: raised the opposite end is thrown into gear and the oscillations of the pawl arm
causes the engaged end of the double pawl to turn its ratchet wheel a few teeth at
each stroke.
By this means and method I cause the tension of the warp itself to be the agent
or means which puts into action the automatic mechanism which operates the break
of the warp beam for the purpose of adjusting the tension of the said warp, so
that this system has the advantage of compensating for all the causes which have
any tendency in any way to alter the drag or tension of the warp.
The apparatus is simple and can be applied at a small cost to both new and
existing looms.
Doted this 10th dow of Iwn 1801
RICHARD WILBY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Means and Method of Automatically Regulating the
Tension and Letting Off of Warps in Looms.
RICHARD WILBY Marsh near Huddersfield Yorkshire Mill Manager. I 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-
The object of my invention is to regulate the tension of the warps in looms for
the purpose of producing a uniform and evenly woven piece & also for the purpose of
ensuring that all the pieces produced from the same and similar warps shall be
woven of equal strength and weight compared with each other.
I effect this by operating automatically the brake or drag mechanism of the
warp beam by a ratchet mechanism similar in principle to my Speed Controlling
Mechanism for Steam Engines for the which I was granted a Patent dating the
9th day of Novr. 1886 and numbered 14431, or 1 can operate automatically the
brake mechanism of the warp beam by another ratchet arrangement which I will
presently describe.
In carrying out my invention, I make use of the incipient, or slight changes, or
variations, in the tension of the warp, or of the piece, for the purpose of putting
into gear, and putting out of gear, the pawls of a ratchet mechanism.
When the pawl put in gear the ratchet mechanism will slacken the brake, or
drag arrangement on the warp beam, and so keep the tension of the warp at its
normal.
By a suitable arrangement of a rod, or rods, or other device, which I cause to
lie on, or press against the warp, or press against the piece, or by a suitable arrange-
ment of mounting either the breast beam, or the rest beam, on or to a spring, or springs,
I obtain a small movement, or motion in any one of these so connected, with every
incipient, and small change that takes place in the tension of the warp, or peice,
which motion, or movement, I communicate by suitable means to the pawls of a
ratchet mechanism, similar in principle to that of my Patent 14431%, or to the
pawls of a ratchet mechanism which I will presently describe.
When the above motion, or movement which is caused by the small incipient
changes, in the tension of the warp, or piece is communicated to the pawls of either
of these ratchet mechanisms, whose pawl frames are oscillated by the loom, the
ratchet mechanism will immediately, and automatically, at the instant of each
incipient change in the warp tension, slacken, or tighten the brake, or drag on the
warp beam, bringing the tension back to its normal.
By the above means, and method, the warp will be kept at one uniform and
constant tension, and so long as the warp remains at the tension to which it was set,
so long will the ratchet mechanism remain inoperative; but the moment the smallest
change in the tension of the warp takes place, that instant will the pawl be placed
in gear with its ratchet wheel, and the ratchet mechanism will operate the brake, or

page_text: drag arrangement on the warp beam, in the proper direction so as to bring the
tension of the warp back to its normal.
By this means and method I cause the tension itself of the warp, to be the
agent, or means which puts into action the automatic mechanism, which operates
the brake of the warp beam, for the purpose of adjusting the tension of the
said warp.
In order that my invention may be better understood, I herein give reference to
the accompanying sheets of drawings, illustrative thereof, wherein
Figs. 1, and 4, are one end views of my automatic apparati,
Figs. 2, and 5, are plan views of same, and
Fig. 3, is a section of Fig. 1 taken through the line A B.
In the accompanying drawings 1, 1, is the base or frame of the mechanism, on
which are cast two upright brackets 2, 2, which support the ratchet wheel shaft 3,
on which a ratchet wheel 4, is keyed or otherwise fastened. On the same ratchet
wheel shaft, is loosely fixed a rocking frame 5, which is capable of an oscillating,
or rocking motion, through an are at the maximum of nearly a quarter of a
circle.
The length of stroke can be varied however, from the maximum down to one of
a few degrees only, by shifting an adjustable stud 6 in the arm 7 projecting upward
from near the axis of the rocking frame 5. This arm 7 is provided for the greater
part of its length with a slot hole, to regulate the length of stroke of said rocking
frame. Onto the stud 6 is coupled one end of a connecting rod not shown in the
drawings, which rod is connected to some convenient moving part of the loom, so
as to give a reciprocating motion to the rocking frame 5.
The rocking frame works on bushes 8, and 9, which are fixed in holes bored near
the top of the brackets 2, 2, and it carries at its free end, a rod or shaft 10, upon
which is loosely mounted a pawl or catch click 11. This pawl is capable of gearing
with the ratchet wheel 4, and it descends into gear by its own weight when so
allowed, while it is lifted out of gear with its ratchet wheel, by the pawl
reliever 12. When the ratchet mechanism has to be exposed to much fly, or fluff,
I should advise that the gravity of the pawl should be assisted by a spring. This
would make its action more certain when exposed to such conditions. Upon the
horizontal rod 10, I place what I choose to term a pawl reliever 12, in such position
as to lie under the pawl, and this pawl reliever is used for the purpose of lifting
the pawl 11, clear or out of gear with its ratchet wheel 4, when required.
Projecting from the oscillating frame 5, is a fulcrum, or stud, on which works a
double armed lever 14. The outer end of this lever carries a stud or projection 15,
which fits loosely into a recess in the pawl reliever 12, while the inner end of lever 14,
carries a short horizontal pin 16, so placed, and arranged, that when the oscillatory
frame 5, is in a horizontal position the centre line of the pin 16 is vertically over
the centre of ratchet wheel shaft. The radius of the curve on the underside of
lever arm 19, must be measured from the centre of the ratchet wheel axle 3, to the
top of short pin 16, when said pin is pressed down half way of its travel. The
curvature of said lever, is for the purpose of preventing any abberation, or
irregularity in the motion of the pawls, which is unavoidably produced without the
use of some such curved device, when the short horizontal pin 16, is not placed in
the line of centre of ratchet wheel shaft. In the lever arm 19, is a hole through
which a thin rod 22 Fig. 1 passes, which rod 22 proceeds from the warp tension
feeling device 24 Fig. 6, one form of which I will presently describe, and
immediately under such hole is a guide hole in a fixed bracket 20. The rod
proceeding from the warp tension feeling device 24, 24, and passing through lever
arm 19, is provided with an adjustable collar 23, just above arm 19.
In the other ratchet mechanism which I have described in my Provisional
Specification as being competent to operate automatically the brakes of warp
beams, I find that I can make that mechanism much simpler, and quite equally as
effective, without in any way altering, or departing from the principle involved in
the mechanism which I described.

page_text: I find that I can dispense with one half of the double pawl, and dispense also
with the ratchet wheel, that gears with said half of pawl, and when so simplified; it
consists essentially of a frame or stand 28, Fig. 4 supporting a shaft 29, upon
which is keyed or otherwise fastened a ratchet wheel 30. Upon said shaft, is
mounted an upright 31, which receives an oscillating motion from some moving
part of the loom, the centre of oscillation being the centre of shaft 29.
On this oscillating upright just above the outer circumference of the ratchet
wheel 30, is a stud or pin 31", on which is mounted a pawl 32, free to engage with
the ratchet wheel 30.
On the said pawl, and near to its root, or centre of motion, projects a horizontal
pin, or stud 33, which is the part by which the pawl is laid hold of to work it into
and out of gear with the ratchet wheel 30. It will readily be seen that if this
stud 33 in the pawl, is connected with the thin rod 22 Fig. 6 proceeding from the
tension feeler 24, the pawl will be placed in and out of gear with every change in
the tension of the warp, but the oscillations of the upright 31, which carries the
pawl 32, would have to be exceedingly limited, in order for the pawl to be under
control, because the path of the pawl is a circular are, and the path of lower end of
rod 22 which is connected with it is a'circular arc, the combined effect of which in
a very moderate travel, would be to drag the pawl out of gear on each side the
middle position of its path. If the oscillations of the pawl are made to not exceed
about 4th part of a circle, the combined effect of the above mentioned' circular
paths would not be much felt, because as is well known, a very small are of a circle
does not deviate much from a straight line. In order to increase the amplitude of
the oscillations, and yet have complete control over the pawl 32, without intro-
ducing any irregularity into its action, I attach to the bottom of rod 22, a curved
cross piece 34, containing a curved slot hole, as shown in Fig. 4 and also provided
on its underside, with guides 36, 36, which pass through guide holes in brackets 35, 35,
fixed on the frame of the mechanism. The slot hole must be a curve, whose mean
radius is the distance of centre of pin 33, to centre of ratchet wheel shaft 29, when
the pawl 32 is pressed half way down into gear. Working in this curved slot hole,
the pin 33 is free to move in its own circular path, which prevents abberation of the
pawl 32 in its action, and gives complete control in operating it in, and out of gear,
which makes the mechanism perfectly automatic, and reliable.
When either of these automatic ratchet mechanisms are applied to a loom, to
regulate the brake, or drag, of a warp beam, so as to give a constant, uniform, and
even tension, to the warp, irrespective of the fulness of the beam, and all
atmospheric, and other conditions which affect the tension of the warp threads, I
fix to the back breast or back rest beam what I choose to term a tension feeler,
over which the warp is made to pass.
This consists of an iron rod, or shaft, on which is securely fastened a board of
hard wood, and is of a shape seen in sec. in Figs. 6, & 7, 24. It might be made
wholly of iron, polished on the surface over which the warp has to pass.
It is
made to reach from end to end of the back breast beam, and made to work in
bearings, fixed on the loom frame, the journals being at the bottom edge of its two
ends. Its top side is free to move on its bottom side as axis, but is limited in its
motion, by adjustable stops to about ths of an inch. It is provided at each end,
with an adjustable spring 25, 25, which said springs, act upon it in the opposite
direction to the force exerted by the tension of the warp, and the warp threads in
passing over the tension feeler, exert their total united force of tension upon it in
opposition to the springs. Normally the springs are adjusted to balance the
particular tension of the warp which is required for the particular kind of fabrick
which is being woven, and when the tension requires altering in such cases as when
a change is made in the counts of yarn composing the warp, it will have to be
adjusted to the new requirements, by these springs 25, 25. This tension feeling
device 24, 24 is made to communicate with either of the above described ratchet
mechanisms, by means of a horizontal arm 21, to which is coupled by a knuckle, or
other joint, a thin vertical rod 22, which rod is provided in one case, near its

page_text: lower end, with an adjustable collar 23; in the other case, with a curved cross
piece 34 Fig. 7. The vertical arm 7, of the rocking frame 5, in the one case, and
the upright 31 Fig. 4 in the other case, is coupled up to the most convenient
moving part of the loom, in such a manner as to give a continued reciprocating
motion to the pawls when the loom is in action.
I need not show how this is to be done, as it will be effected differently, in
different kinds of looms, and any workman of ordinary intelligence and acquainted
with the kind of loom in hand, will be capable of seeing at a glance, which will be
the best way of coupling up, so as to get the desired oscillatory motion.
The modus operandi is as follows.
The springs 25, 25, which are placed on the tension feeler 24, being set, or
adjusted to balance the proper tension of the warp, and the collar 23, on rod 22, so
adjusted that the pawl 11, of the ratchet mechanism will be held out of gear, the
mechanism under such conditions, will effect no change by the reciprocating motion
of its rocking frame 5, so long as the tension feeler 24 holds the pawl 11 out of
gear, but when the tension of the warp becomes only very slightly increased by
the diminishing diameter of the yarn on the beam during unwinding, or from any
other cause, the tension feeler 24, will be pulled towards its stops, and through the
medium of arm 21, rod 22, with its collar 23, the lever 19 will be allowed to rise,
and the pawl 11 in connection with it allowed to fall into engagement with the
ratchet wheel 4, which will cause the said ratchet wheel to be turned a few teeth
at each upward stroke of the rocking frame 5. This motion of the ratchet wheel
will be communicated to the brake motion of the warp beam through a worm 37 or
wheel on ratchet wheel shaft 3, gearing with the brake motion, in such direction as
to slightly case the brake, which act will reduce the tension on the warp.
Immediately the brake has been cased sufficiently to bring the tension of the warp
threads back to their normal, the tension feeler 24, actuated by its springs 25, 25,
moves backward, and through the medium of the arm 21, rod 22, and collar 23, will
press down lever arm 19 of the ratchet mechanism, which act liberates the engaged
pawl 11 from its ratchet wheel 4, and stops further action of the mechanism, until
another slight deviation from the normal tension takes place, when the automatic
mechanism will again go through the same cycle of actions as just described. The
modus operandi of both the ratchet mechanisms herein described is similar in all
respects and the description I have given of the working of one will serve for the
other.
Instead of lever 14 occupying the position shown in the drawings, it might be
placed on the outside of the frame of the apparatus, and by this means get short
pin 16 situate at one end of shaft 3, and in line with the shaft'a centre, thereby
evading one of my claims, by rendering unnecessary the curved surface on the
underside of lever arm 19. Also it is possible to dispense with lever 14, by fixing
on rod 10 an arm which shall reach to the end of ratchet wheel shaft 4, this arm
being provided with a pin or stud equivalent to stud 16, which could be so placed,
and arranged, that its centre line would be in line with centre of ratchet wheel
axle 4 when the said pin was pressed down half way of its travel, thereby evading
another of my claims, but in both these cases the mechanisin would be less compact
and instead of having perfect and complete control of the pawl in its action, which
complete control over the pawl forms the characteristic advantage of my automatic
mechanism, this control would be greatly diminished in such modifications of its
build, as those just described.
I do not confine myself to that kind of warp tension feeling device which I have
herein described, and illustrated, as there are several ways and means by which the
variations in the tension of the warp could be made to communicate motion to
operate the pawls of my ratchet mechanism, nor do I confine myself to working
automatically, any one kind of brake applied to warp beams, as my ratchet
mechanism will operate automatically almost any of the kinds of warp beam
brakes, or drags which are in common use.
By the employment of either of the two ratchet mechanisms herein described,

page_text: and illustrated, any slight variations in the tension of the warp, is made to set in
action such automatic mechanisms, which acting on the brake, promptly brings the
tension back to its normal, and as the drudgery of operating the brake, is done by
some moving part of the loom, leaving to the tension feeler only the work of
operating the pawl in, and out of gear, it causes the mechanism to be extremely
sensitive to the slightest variations in the tension of the warp.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;
Firstly. In ratchet mechanism used for the purpose of automatically controlling
the brake or drag of warp beams, the combination therewith of the lever 14 used
for the purpose of securing better control over the pawl substantially as set
forth.
Secondly. In ratchet mechanism used for the purpose of automatically con-
trolling the brake, or drag of warp beams, the use of the curved end of lever
arm 19, or any similar curved device, for the purpose of preventing the irregular
motion of the pawl, which must unavoidably be produced without the use of some
such curved device, when the motion is imparted to such pawl elsewhere than in
the line of action of the ratchet wheels substantially as set forth.
Thirdly. In ratchet mechanism used for the purpose of automatically con-
trolling the brake or drag of warp beams, the combination therewith of the pawl
relieving arm 12, substantially as set forth.
Fourthly. In ratchet mechanism used for the purpose of automatically regu-
lating the tension of warps in looms, the combination therewith of the curved cross
piece 34, used for the purpose of getting better control of the pawl, and also for
preventing irregularity in the action of the pawl, substantially as set forth.
Fifthly. In combination with ratchet mechanism used for the purpose of regu-
lating the tension of warps in looms, the use of a tension feeler 24, 24, placed on
the back rest beam, or back breast beam, of the form described and illustrated,
together with its tension springs 25, 25, arm 21 & rod 22 used for the purpose of
operating the pawls of ratchet mechanisms, substantially as set forth.
Lastly. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of parts, as
herein set forth, and illustrated by the drawings of mechanism for automatically
controlling the brake, or drag of warp beams, by the incipient variations in the
tension itself of the warp which is under control.
Dated this 1st day of July 1891
RICHARD WILBY.