IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVERS' HEALDS, AND IN THE APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christopher Cross and Samuel Henry Brownhill, of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVERS' HEALDS, AND IN THE APPARATUS USED
IN SUCH MANUFACTURE.”
Sealed the 31st July 1877, and dated the 3rd February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christopher Cross and
Samuel Henry Brownhill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
3rd February 1877.
CHRISTOPHER CROSS and SAMUEL HENRY BROWNHILL, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVERS*
HEALDS, AND IN THE APPARATUS USED IN SUCH Manufacture.”
These improvements relate to method and apparatus for making weavers' healds
out of either fibrous or metallic cord by a process of weaving is distinguished from
the present usual method of knitting by either machine or hand frame. We effect
these improvements by forming one or more series of loop made between the
shuttle strands and whip strand in somewhat similar ways as loops are formed in
making the cloths called Indian kutars, and for which Letters Patent were granted
to the aforesaid Christopher Cross and John Edward Simpson on the 20th March,
1876.
In adapting our improvements for making healds we use in some cases the
ordinary hand or power looms, such as are commonly used for weaving calicoes,
fustians, woollen, linen, silk, and such like fabrics, with ordinary or enlarged fly
shuttles to carry the acting or central strand of heald, yarn, or metallic strand on
pirns, bobbins, or cops. We place about a score (more or less) of warp or chain
thread on the weaver's beam, which chain consists of pitch band mixed with other
thread. To these we give shedding motion by tappets, dobbys, or jacquards, so
that different sheddings are given in the central portion of the harness to those
sheddings on either one or the other side, thus making crossing points in the fabric
at any part of the width thereof.
At the back of the ratch we place one or two (or more) whip bobbins filled with
heald yarn which we draw into an outside heald, and an outside dent; these whips

page_text: we then raise or depress at every shedding of the loom, and on throwing the
ordinary shuttle from lathe box to lathe box, we, about three-fourths, surround the
whip strand by the shuttle strand, and on the next return of the shuttle which
travels for some length through the same shed (as before) a loop is formed between
the two strands, which loop is dragged into the fabric until it comes to the required
crossing point in the shed, where it remains fixed by the action of the reed and
lathe.
In addition to the action of the shuttle and whip thread long arms carrying or
bearing the strand may also be sent right into every shed when open so as to
"fetch 17 or "take" the loop to any required spot into tho shed and leave it there.
As many rows of loops can be formed as there are whip thread on either selvage,
and in some cases the same whip thread will, by working the harness accordingly,
make one, two, three, or more rows of loop; such loop can be made in zig-zag lines
from the selvages, or in straight lines from the selvages, and the loopings, whether in
zig-zag or straight lines, practically make selvages as far as the weft is concerned in
the centres of the fabrics as well as at the outskirts, and we produce the same effect
by two or more shuttles either with or without the jacquards.
Care must be taken that the tension of the shuttle's strand must be in excess of
that of the whip strands, and the uncoiling or recoiling of either must be made by
springs, dead weights, and levers, so that each strand must be tight or slack when
required. After a few yards of such fabric has been woven and rolled upon the
work beam, it has the appearance of a roll of fishing net, and may then be cut into
requisite lengths and put on to the heald shaft.
In some cases, after we have mounted the heald upon the staves, we reduce the
ordinary distance of the staves from each other by metal or fibrous band so as to
slucken the loops which may then form the eye of the heald, and which allows the
chain or warp which may subsequently pass freely through the loop.
In other cases we mount the healds on to the staves in such a way that the loop
of one thread may be at the top side whilst its next neighbouring thread on each
side of it may have the loop on the bottom side, thus forming central eye for subse-
quent chain or warp, without either whole knots or half knots as is at present the
general practice. The yarn of such heald may be made of cotton, worsted, linen,
silk, or wire of brass, copper, iron, or other metallic strand, and the sizing or
polishing materials if required may be put on either before or during weaving by
immersion or afterwards by brushes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Christopher Cross and Samuel Henry Brownhill in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 3rd August 1877.
CHRISTOPHER CROSS and SAMUEL HENRY BROWNHILL, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVERS'
HEALDS, AND IN THE APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE."
These improvements relate to methods and apparatus for making weavers' healds
out of either fibrous or metallic cord by a process of weaving as distinguished from
the present usual method of knitting cither by machinery or hand frame. We
effect these improvements by forming one or more series of loops made between the
shuttle strands and whip strands in somewhat similar ways as loops are forined in
making the cloths called Indian kutars, and for which Letters Patent were granted
to the aforesaid Christopher Cross and one John Edward Simpson bearing date the
Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-six, No. 1187.
In adapting our improvements for making healds we use in some cases the
ordinary hand or power looms such as are commonly used for weaving calicoes,

page_text: fustians, woollen, linen, silk, and such like fabrics, with ordinary or enlarged fly
shuttles to carry the acting or central strand of heald yarn or metallic strands on
pirns, bobbins, or cops. We place several warp or chain threads on the weaver's
beam, which chain consists of pitch band mixed with other threads. To these we
give shedding motion by tappets, dobbies, or jacquard apparatus, so that different
sheddings are given to the central portion of the harness, to those sheddings on
either side, thus making crossing points in the fabric at any part of the width
thereof.
At the back of the ratch we place one or two (or more) whip bobbins filled with
heald yarns, which we draw into an outside heald and an outside dent. Theso
whips we then raise or depress at every shedding of the loom, and on throwing the
ordinary shuttle from lathe box to lathe box we, about three-fourths, surround the
whip strands by the shuttle strand, and on the next return of the shuttle (which
travels for some length through the same shed as before) a loop is formed between
the two strands, which loop is dragged into the fabric until it comes to the required
crossing point in the shed, where it remains fixed by the action of the reed and
lathe.
In addition to the action of the shuttle and whip threads long arms carrying
or bearing the strands may also be sent right into every shed when open so as to
"fetch" or "take" the loops to any required spot into the shed and leave it there.
As many rows of loops can be formed as there are whip threads on either selvage,
and in some cases the same whip thread will, by working the harness accordingly,
make one, two, three, or more rows of loops; such loops can be made in zig-zag lines
from the selvages, or in straight lines from the selvages, and the loopings, whether
in zig-zag or straight lines, practically make selvages as far as the weft is concerned
in the centres of the fabric as well as at the outskirts, and we can produce the same
effect by two or more shuttles, either with or without the jacquard.
Care must be taken that the tension of the shuttle strand must be in excess of
that of the whip strands, and the uncoiling or recoiling of either must be made
by springs, dead weights, and levers, so that each stand must be tight or
slack, as required. After a few yards of such fabric has been woven it may then be
cut into requisite lengths and put on to the heald shaft.
In some cases, after we have mounted the heald upon the staves, we reduce the
ordinary distance of the staves from each other by metal or fibrous bands so as to
slacken the loops, which may then form the eye of the heald, and which arrange-
ment allows the chain or warp to subsequently pass freely through the loop.
In other cases we mount the healds on to the staves in such a way that the loop
of one thread may be at the top side whilst its next neighbouring thread on each
side may have the loop on the bottom side, thus forming central eyes for the sub-
sequent chain or warp without either whole or half knots as is at present the general
practice. The yarn for such healds may be made of cotton, worsted, linen, silk, or
wire of brass, copper; iron, or other metallic strand; and the sizing or polishing
material, if required, may be put in either before or during weaving by immersion
or afterwards by brushes.
This Invention will be readily understood by referring to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and letters of reference thereon, in which Fig. 1
represents an end view of such a loom as we use for our improvements in weaving
healds; Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, shewing the fabric as it is being woven.
Fig. 3 is a plan or weaver's tie-up of our fabric in the process of weaving pick-after-
pick.
Fig. 4 is another plan or weavers' tie-up of our fabric in the process of
weaving pick-after-pick, and shews a double width heald.
Fig. 5 is a view of this fabric as folded or doubled up, with the heald staves
attached.
Fig. 6 is a view of a single loop heald. Fig. 7 is a view of the same as the heald
staves are brought closer together.

page_text: the bobbin behind the loom containing the whip strand, having tension placed
upon it by weights or springs. C, C, C, is the whip strand as it passes from its
source to the heald and reed. D is a pinion wheel fixed on the crank shaft which
drives the actuating shaft E, upon which are placed two or four discs or jiggers
marked F, F, F, F. G is a lever fixed at one end in a stud in the loom side, and at
the loose end is attached a smooth pulley or eye H for the whip strand to pass over
easily. I is another smooth pulley or eye fixed in the ratch behind the hindmost
heald. J, K,'in Fig. 2, shew the position of the fabric as it is placed whilst being
woven. J, K, in Fig. 3, shew the same fabric enlarged, and this Figure shews also
the plan of the weaver's tie-up with four picks to the round. The cords shewn in
the middle of the fabric in Fig. 3 and the sides in Fig. 4 are simply for the purpose
of guaging the lengths of the loops, and are drawn out after the fabric is woven.
The warp threads marked thus x shew that the warp strand must be uppermost
over the weft strand. L, M, and N, in Fig. 4, shew another enlarged view.or
weavers' tie-up of a double width fabric, which may be afterwards folded up, as
shewn in Fig. 5, for the purpose of putting in the heald shafts and forming two
loops, thus giving the requisite eye for the weaver's warp to pass through. O, P,‍|
Fig. 6, shew the position of the heald shafts. In cases where straight loops or
clasp healds are used and where space for the weaver's chain or warp is required,
these two heald shafts should be brought closer together so as to ease the warp and
form a perfect eye for the warp. When the loom is at work the ends of the pitch
band and the guaging ends proceeding from the warp beam are lifted and de-
pressed by a tappet or dobby, and the loops are formed in exactly the same manner
as described in the Specification of the Patent No. 1187, A.D. 1876, before referred
to, and granted to Christopher Cross and John Edward Simpson.
We claim the manufacture of weavers' healds by the means and in manner
herein-before described and illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings or
any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Christopher Cross and Samuel Heury
Brownhill, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
BAWAN
Witness,
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
CHRISTOPHER CROSS. (L.S.)
S. E. BROWNHILL. (L.S.)