IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wood; of Monkhill House, near Pontefract,
in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
March 1854.
I, WILLIAM WOOD, of Monkhill House, near Pontefract, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER FABRICS"
to be as follows:-
The Invention applies principally to fabrics, such as carpets and others,
which have a raised or pile surface produced by the aid of wires, which during
the weaving of the fabric are successively inserted in a direction from selvage
to selvage under the pile warp, and are then in the weaving bound in and held
for a time, thereby forming rows of loops, constituting the pile; and the im-
provements, consist in introducing in succession one, two, three, or more of such
wires into or amongst the materials of the fabric from each side of the loon, by
5 the movement on their axes of separate lever arms; each lever arm being;

page_text: attached or jointed to its own wire, inserts it into the open shed of the warp,
and remains with it until in its turn such wire is withdrawn by its arm or lever
from the formed loops for re-insertion into the open shed; some or all of the
lever arms at or near their point of junction with the wires or the ends of the
wires in connection with the arms are bent or curved, to aid the wires in pass-
ing each other.
Each lever arm is jointed, and the part to which its wire is attached tends
by spring or other pressure to throw the point of the wire when withdrawn
from the fabric towards the open shed; or the point of each wire as withdrawn
from the fabric is by a guide or conductor directed opposite the open shed for
re-insertion..
Supports are applied at the side of the loom, to prevent the points or ends of
the wires falling when withdrawn from the fabric, and there are guides to
prevent the wires whilst being withdrawn from raising up or extending the
selvage loops.
Stops or guides prevent the points of the wires at insertion going in too near
the reed; or the points of the wires are somewhat curved, to prevent their
catching against the dents of the reed during insertion, and these curved
ends are elastic, to facilitate withdrawal through the rows of loops when
uncut pile is required. Cutters may, however, be applied when cut pile is
required.
Also, in making the reed of a curved or recessed form, the concave or
recessed side being in a direction towards the fabric, forming hollow or
curved guides to facilitate the wires entering correctly into the open shed.
The required figure may be given to the reed by the dents being formed in
one piece or by additional pieces at the top and bottom of each dent, or at
intervals of them.
Also, to the application of a bell or other alarum in connection with weft
feeders, to indicate when weft breaks or otherwise fails.
25th September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WOOD, of Monkhill House, near Pontefract, in the County of York, send..
greeting.
35

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Wood, Her special licence that I, the said William
Wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Wood, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Wood,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Wood, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof (that is to say):-
The Invention applies principally to means employed in the manufacture of
fabrics, such as carpets and others, which have a raised or pile surface pro-
duced by the aid of wires, which during the weaving of the fabric are succes-
sively inserted in a direction from selvage to selvage under the pile warp, and
are then in the weaving bound in and held for a time, thereby forming rows
of loops constituting the pile; and the improvements consist, firstly, in intro-
ducing in succession one, two, three, or more of such wires into or amongst
the materials of the fabric from each side of the loom by the movement on
their axes of separate lever arms. Each lever arm, being attached or jointed
to its own wire, inserts it into the open shed of the warp, and remains with it
until in its turn after it has been woven in such wire, is withdrawn by its arm
or lever from the formed loops for re-insertion into the open shed. I would,
however, have it understood that I am aware that several means have at
different times been suggested for applying pile wires to arms or carriers; but
in all cases such arms or carriers were controlled in their movement, so as to
conduct each wire into the open shed, and after its being woven into the

page_text: with apparatus arranged according to my present improvements. As, however,
the general operations of the loom are only such as ordinarily employed when
weaving other fabric or other pile fabrics, and constitute no part of my Inven-
tion, I have not thought it necessary to show fully the ordinary and well-known
parts of the loom, or to enter into a description of their operations, further
than may assist in explaining ny improvements. a, a, is the framing of the
loom; 6 is the crank axis, to which motion is given by means of a strap or
band from a steam engine or other power acting upon the fixed drum or pulley
b' affixed on that axis b; c is the tappet shaft, which receives' motion from
the axis 6 by toothed wheels e, f, g, as is well understood, and according to the
arrangement shewn, which is supposing plush or velvet to be produced by the
laying in of three weft shoots between each wire, and the insertion of two
wires to each revolution of the tappet shaft; the tappet shaft makes one revo-
lution to eight of the crank axis, but this will be varied according to the
character of fabric to be produced, and the number of weft shoots thrown in
between each insertion of wire. h is the beam for carrying the linen or bind-
ing warp, and i is the beam for carrying the pile warp, which in passing to
the harness passes under the guide roller i'. The fabric as it is produced
passes over the breast roller j, which is covered with card points, and has

page_text: motion given to it to draw the work forwards as produced, but as such
motion is of an ordinary kind I have not thought it necessary to show or
describe it. The work is then received on to the work roller or beam k.
In these Figures of the Drawings I have shewn only two wires in operation;
one on each side of the fabric attached to a lever arm 1, which is affixed to an
axis l', turning in a suitable bearing carried by the framing as shewn. Upon
each axis is also affixed an arm 1, which by means of the connecting rod 3.
is connected to a lever l', which turns upon the axis P, and is actuated by
means of a cam or tappet 1 on the tappet shaft c. The movements to the
lever on each side of the loom are alike, except as to time of action of their
cams 16, which are arranged to act alternately.
Each wire at the point of connection with its lever arm is held by a clip
or holder l', which by a pin joint is affixed to the piece 18, which is capable of
motion on a neck formed as shewn at the end of the lever l. P is a slight
spring affixed at one end to the arm l, and at the other pressing against the
instrument, with a tendency to bear the wire carried thereby towards the open
shed when withdrawn from the fabric, in order to its entering the open part
of the shed; but this effect may be produced by a projection from the instru-
ment acting against a guide tending to throw the point of the wire towards
the open shed, or the point of each wire, when withdrawn from the fabric,
may, by a guide or conductor, be moved along the support m, and thus be
directed opposite the open shed for re-insertion. m, m, are supports at each
side or selvage of the work, to support the end of the wire farthest from the
arm when the wire is withdrawn from the fabric, and to guide that end into.
position opposite the open shed. The ends of the openings through the instru-
ments m, m, also act as stops or guides, to prevent the points of the wires at
insertion going in too near the reed..
In carrying out my Invention, the general operation of the loom need not
be varied from that ordinarily adopted when producing pile fabrics where the
pile wires are actuated by other means, and the working of the loom will be
varied, as is well understood, according to the particular description of fabric
desired to be produced.
If desired to produce cut pile fabrics, as velvets and others, I form each
wire with a cutting edge at one end, as shewn at z, Figures 2 and 3; but this
may be varied. If to produce terry or uncut pile, plain wires without any
such cutting edge will be employed...
In some cases I form the points or ends of the wires somewhat curved, to
prevent them catching against the dents of the reed during insertion; but I

page_text: do not lay any claim to such curved ends; and these curved ends are elastic, to
facilitate withdrawal through the rows of loops when uncut pile is required.
Figure 4 shows another mode of actuating lever arms for carrying pile wires
according to this part of my Invention. In this case a compound movement is
given to the lever arm 7 by its being actuated by the rocking arm o, in combi-
nation with the link o'. The lever arm is supported from the pin o' of the
arm o, affixed to the axis o², upon which is also affixed the arm o³, which, by
means of a link of, is actuated by a tappet movement, such as that described in
respect of the previous Figures, except that the lever in this case would be
placed below the tappet 16. The upper end of the lever is controlled in its
movement by being connected by pin joint to one end of the link o', the other
end of which is connected to the fixed standard oº.
In the manufacture of some pile fabrics, such as Brussels or tapestry carpets,
it is desirable that more than one wire be employed to act from cach side of
the looni, as with one wire only at each side there must at certain times be
but one wire in the fabric, and the loops are in that case apt to be drawn out
or rendered uneven, especially if not well tied in by repeated shoots of weft
between each wire. I therefore in such cases employ two, three, or there
may be more wires at each side of the loom; and at Figures .5 and 6 I have
shewn front and side views of parts of a loom, with a modification of lever
arms suitable for using three wires at each side of the loom. It will be seen,
by reference to these Figures, that the lever arm is affixed to an axis
with an arm l, and it is actuated by a rod 3, in a similar manner to those
shewn and described in respect of Figures 1 and 2. The second lever 1, 1, is
affixed to a hollow axis which turns upon the axis l', and has affixed to it an
arm 1, ', which is actuated by a link 1, 3, connected to a suitable lever worked
by a cam or tappet to effect the required withdrawal from the work of the
wire carried by the lever arm 1, 1, and its re-insertion into the open shed. The
lever arm 1, 1, 1, is in like manner affixed to a hollow axis which rides upon the
hollow axis on which the lever 1, 1, is affixed, and to this hollow axis is affixed
an arm 1,1,1, which by means of a link 1, 1, 1, is connected to a lever actuated
by another cam or tappet, in order that the wire carried by that lever 1, 1, 1,
may be withdrawn from the work and re-inserted in the open shed at the
proper time.
A workman acquainted with the manufacture of this class of fabrics will
readily understand that the tappets or cams for actuating the lever arms carry-
ing these pile wires, will, when more than one is used on cach side of the
loom, have to be varied in their times of acting from that shown at Figures 1

page_text: and 2, in order to the wires following each other in succession from opposite
sides of the loom, and will know how to produce those variations. The pile
wires are similarly affixed to each holder F, carried by the respective lever
arms 1; 1,1; 1,1,1; but the point of attachment of the pile wire to the end of
the arm 1, 7, is slightly above and behind that of the arm 7, and that of the pile
wire carried by the lever 1, 1, 1, is slightly above and behind that of the arm 1,1,
in order that those ends of the wires may freely pass each other. But in order
to the body of the wires lying near to each other when in the fabric, the ends
of them near their respective carrying levers will have to be somewhat bent, as
shewn.
The improvements, relate, secondly, to making the reed of a curved or
recessed form, the concave or recessed side being in a direction towards the
fabric being woven, in order thereby to form hollow or curved guides to
facilitate the wires entering correctly into the open shed.
Figure 7 shows a section of a reed according to this part of the Invention.
The dents y of the reed are hollowed out at y', as shown; but this form may
be varied, and the points of the wires in entering the shed when conducted
into the curved or recessed part will thereby be prevented from passing impro-
perly between the threads of the warps forming either part of the shed.
The required figure may be given to the reed by the dents being formed
in one piece, as shewn, or by additional pieces at the top and bottom of each
dent, or at intervals of them; and although this part of the Invention is
shown adapted to a reed placed in a vertical direction for warps placed hori-
zontally, it will be found of great advantage when using pile wires in making
carpets and other fabrics in a loom where the reed is placed horizontally and
the warps are in a vertical direction.
The improvements relate, thirdly, to the application of a bell or other
alarum in connection with weft feelers, to indicate when weft breaks or other-
wise fails. Weft feelers being now well known in connection with weft
stopping motions, and bells and other alarums being also well known in con-
nection with looms and other machinery, I have not thought it necessary to
show a Drawing of one of them, as this part of my improvements simply con-
sists in causing the weft feeling apparatus in connection with the throwing out
motion to the strap to set in motion a bell or other alarum, by which the
attendant will immediately be informed that the weft is broken or is used up.
This application of bell or other alarum may either be used in place of parts
acting with the weft feelers to throw off the driving strap, or in conjunction
therewith.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the means
which I adopt for carrying. the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein shewn and described,
so long as the peculiar character of any part of my Invention be retained;
but what I do claim is, the arranging, combining, and working parts of
machinery or apparatus employed in the manufacture of carpets and other
fabrics, substantially as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
Patent Agent,
78, Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM WOOD. (L.S.)