Improvements in Apparatus for Domestic Weaving or Darning.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 21st Apr., 1890-Accepted, 31st May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Domestic Weaving or Darning.
I, ROBERT WOOTTON, of Corporation Street, Birmingham, in the county of
Warwick, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved arrangement of parts constituting a hand
weaving loom or darning machine, by which various articles in fancy braids,
ribbons &c., may be woven, but which will be chiefly used in repairing hosiery and
other fabrics and its object is, to provide an improved arrangement of mechanism,
whereby the alternate warp threads are raised and lowered simultaneously, to provide
that the said warp is made and carried upon an undividable frame; also that the
said frame shall be provided with fixed attachment springs or clips; also in some
instances, that the said frame be provided with an adjustable slide, upon which is
carried the alternating mechanism for the one end of the warp threads; also that
the whole shall form a simpler, less costly, and more convenient apparatus than
those at present in use.
In constructing this my invention I proceed somewhat thus:-
A block of cork or other suitable material is provided of a somewhat rectangular
form, having a well rounded or curved surface upon its one side.
1 provide a rectangular frame of thin metal, and at its one end I cut away inter-
if
mittent portions slotwise, leaving thereby a row of outstanding studs or pegs; or,
preferred, these studs or pegs may be left a little longer, and then turned over,
forming a series of eyes, through the whole of which a pin or rod may be passed
reaching from side to side of the frame, in which latter case the said slots aro well
cut away below the eyes, to afford plenty of room for the passing of the thread
thereunder.
At each end of these pegs or studs, at the corner of the frame, is formed a bobbin
or plate having nicks therein, whereon the thread at starting on the one side, and
also at finishing the warp on the other side, may be fastened.
Again. I now form a slide which embraces the two sides of the aforesaid frame,
and slides longitudinally thereon along the said frame.
The said slide is made adjustable so as to be fixed at a greater or less distance
from the opposite end of the warp. This may be effected in one or two ways, but
one which answers well, is to provide ratchet teeth or notches along the outsides of
the frame, and further provide upon the aforesaid slide, binged arms or pawls, the
front ends of which take into these teeth at any desired position, thereby preventing
the further closing in of the said slide.
Again. Across the one end of the slide (and upon its upper side) an alternating
thread or warp lifter is provided, consisting of an angle plate bar, extending from
side to side, and carried at its each end in bearings, and further provided at its outer
ends with or without a handle or its equivalent. This said angle bar may be rotated
through the quarter of a circle.
Along these two sides or rightangled surfaces of this angle bar, notches or grooves
are cut, those upon the one side or surface alternating with those upon the other, and
further provided with guide notches for preserving the thread in any given position
thereon. These guide notches upon the one side or surface of the angle bar, are

page_text: somewhat peculiar in their form, that is, at the bottom and on the one side, it is
undercut into the alternate portions or pillars, and at the top of the said pillars and
opposite thereto a notch is formed, whereby the thread when being wound thereon,
assumes a diagonal line.
The use and operation of this my invention will be after the following manner:
Having now adjusted the slide to its desired length of warp to suit the hole to be
darned, a warp is first wound on the frame, commencing at the one end, by securing
the end of the thread upon the aforesaid bobbin at the one side provided for that
purpose; then winding it from end to end over the notches, until a sufficient width
of warp has been attained. Herein is one of the advantages of this my undividable
frame, that the warp can be readily made thereon while it is detached from the
block.
Thus at the one end the threads of the warp rest upon the lifter, in such a manner,
that whichever side is upright, alternate threads rest upon the highest parts, and the
others fall into the recesses or grooves, but upon the angle bar being turned
one fourth of a circle, the highest parts of the other side come underneath the
previously sunken threads, and raise them, while the previously raised threads, sink
into the recesses brought beneath them.
The block is now placed underneath the hole to be darned, and the frame sprung
upon it, the warp covering the said hole.
A needled thread now commences the woof, and its attachment to the fabric, by
first taking up a stitch or stitches of the material at the one end of the warp, then
the needle is passed through the open threads (at the other end) to the opposite
side, the said cross thread or woof being now passed along the warp, to the com-
mencing part. By now rotating the thread lifter, one fourth of a turn, the threads
are alternated in their raised or sunken position. Then a portion of the material is
again taken up on that side, and the process repeated from side to side, until the
hole is covered. The ends of the warp at the alternating end, may be now easily
lifted from off the notched pillars, which further permits the frame being slid
forward, freeing also the other end of the warp from the studs or pegs, when the
frame may be withdrawn. If desired the short loops thus left may be further
stitched down by hand.
It will be understood that the weaving operation may be thus applied to other
purposes than darning, as before intimated.
Dated this 19th day of July 1889.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Domestic Weaving or Darning.
I, ROBERT WOOTTON of Corporation Street, Birmingham, in the county of
Warwick, Merchant, 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 an improved arrangement of parts constituting a hand
weaving loom or darning machine, by which various articles in fancy braids,
ribbons &c., may be woven, but which will be chiefly used in repairing bosiery and
other fabrics; and its object is, to provide an improved arrangement of mechanism,
whereby the alternate warp threads are raised and lowered simultaneously; also that
the frame shall be provided with fixed attachment springs or clips; also an improved
arrangement of adjustable slide, upon which is carried the alternating mechanism,
for the one end of the warp threads; also that the whole shall form a simpler, less
costly, and more convenient apparatus than those at present in use.
In order that this my invention may be more fully understood and carried into
effect, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying

page_text: illustrative sheet of drawings, upon which are figures and letters of reference,
similar letters referring thoughout the several views to the same thing or part.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation; Fig. 2 a plan and Fig. 3 an end elevation of a
machine embracing these my improvements.
Fig. 4, is a sectional elevation upon line A-B.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7, are detailed front, end, and plan views of the slide.
Figs. 8, & 9, are enlarged detail plan and elevation views of the lifter.
In constructing this my invention, I proceed somewhat thus:-
A block a, of cork or other suitable material is provided, of a somewhat
rectangular form.
I provide a rectangular frame b, of thin metal, and at its one end, I cut away
intermittent portions c, c, &c., slotwise, leaving thereby a row of outstanding studs
or pegs d, d, &c. At each end of these pegs or studs, at the corner of the frame, is
formed a bobbin or plate e, having nicks, therein, whereon the thread at starting on
the one side, and also at finishing the warp on the other side, may be fastened.
Again. I now form a slide g, which embraces the two sides of the aforesaid frame b,
and slides longitudinally thereon along the said frame.
The said slide y, is made adjustable, so as to be fixed at a greater or less distance
from the opposite end of the warp. This may be effected in one or two ways, but one
which answers well, is to provide notches h, along the outsides of the frame, and
further provide upon the aforesaid slide, binged lever arms or pawls i, i, the front
ends of which, by depressing the levers as j, take into these teeth at any desired
position, thereby preventing the further closing in of the said slide. These pawls
are held in the notchos by means of the springs k, k.
This said slide g, is further carried upon the side plates 1, 1, which are rivetted or
otherwise secured to the frame b, thereby leaving the inside of the said frame quite
clear to pass onto the block a.
Again. Across the one end of the slide (and upon its upper side) an alternating
thread or warp lifter m, is provided, consisting of an angle plate or bar, extending
from side to side, and carried at its each end in bearings n, n, and further provided
at its outer end with a handle o, or its equivalent. This said angle bar or plate m, may
be rotated through the quarter of a circle.
Along these two sides or rightangled surfaces of this angle bar, notches or grooves
are cut, those marked p, p, &c., upon the one side or surface alternating with those
marked, upon the other, and further provided with guide notches
preserving the thread s, in any given position thereon.
for
These slots P, P, P, upon the one side or surface of the angle bar, are somewhat
peculiar in their form, that is, at the bottom, and on the one side at t, they are under-
cut into the alternate portions or pillars, and at the top of the said pillars and
opposite thereto a notch u, is formed, whereby the threads, when being wound
thereon assumes a diagonal line, see Fig. S.
At each end of the frame, a spring clip y, y, is provided, which strongly clips or
holds the frame to the block, when the former is passed thereon.
The use and operation of this my invention will therefore be after the following
manner —
Having now adjusted the slide g, to its desired length of warp to suit the hole to be
darned, a warp is first wound on the frame, commencing at the one end, by securing
the end of the thread upon the aforesaid bobbin at the one side provided for that
purpose; then winding it from end to end over the notches, until a sufficient width of
warp has been attained.
Thus, at the one end the threads of the warp rest upon the lifter in such a manner,
that in the case of Figs. 1 to 9, whichever side of the said lifter m, is upright,
alternate threads rest upon the highest parts, and the others fall into the recesses or
grooves p, or g, but upon the angle bar being turned one fourth of circle, the
highest parts of the other side come underneath the previously sunken threads, and
raise them, while the previously raised threads, sink into the recesses brought beneath
them.

page_text: The block a, is now placed under the hole to be darned, and the frame b, sprung
A needle thread now commences the
upon it, the warp covering the said hole.
woof, and its attachment to the fabric, by first taking up a stitch or stitches of the
material at the one end, and the one side of the warp, then the needle is passed
between the open threads (at the other end) to the opposite side, the said cross thread
or woof being now passed or drawn along the warp to the commencing part. By
now rotating the thread lifter one fourth of a turn, the threads are alternated in
their raised or sunken position. Then a portion of the material is again taken
up on that side, and the process repeated from side to side, until the hole is
covered. The ends of the warp at the alternating end, may be now easily lifted
from off the notched pillars or books, by sliding the frame forward a little, freeing
also the other end of the warp from the studs or pegs, when the frame may be with-
drawn. If desired, the short loops thus left may be further stitched down by hand, or
cut away.
It will be understood that the weaving operation may be thus applied to other
purposes than darning, as before intimated.
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said
invertion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is
1st. The combination in apparatus for domestic weaving or darning, of a metallic
frame having notches h, h, h, &c., or their equivalents, with a slide g, having pawls i, i,
or their equivalents, to take thereinto for adjustably regulating the length of the warp,
substantially as described and illustrated upon the drawings.
2nd. The combination with the frame b, of the springs y, y, substantially as
described and shown and for the purposes specified.
3rd. In apparatus for domestic weaving or durning, the combination of the frame b,
and the slide g, with the warp alternate lifter m, arranged and operating substantially
as described and illustrated upon the drawings in Figs. 1 to 9.
5th. The general combination and arrangement of any of the several parts, with
any other of the parts described and illustrated, constituting my improved apparatus
for domestic weaving or darning, substantially as hereindescribed and illustrated
upon the drawings, in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive.
Dated this 19th day of April 1990
CHARLES T. POWELL,
12, Cherry Street, Birmingham, Applicant's Agent.