CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Johnson, of Stockport, in the County
of Chester, Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
1735
"
Sealed the 17th May 1853, and dated the 17th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 17th March 1853.
I, GEORGE JOHNSON, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, Doctor
of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
My Invention is intended to supersede or dispense with the use of
the "healds" or "harness" usually employed in looms for weaving for
the purpose of forming the "shed" or opening in the warp threads,
through which the shuttle, with the weft thread, passes.
My Invention consists principally of a roller furnished with a number
of grooves running at right angles to the axis of the same, and corre
sponding with the spaces between the "dents" of the reed.
The warp threads pass through these grooves, and rest upon pins or
thread lifters, two being in cach groove; and those of one groove being

page_text: at right angles to those in the next groove, if for weaving plain cloth,
so that when the lifters are vertical one ovor the other in one groove
the thread lifters in the next groove are horizontal, and in a line with
the axis of the roller.
The warp threads are weighted, and it will therefore be evident that
in those grooves where the lifters are perpendicular the warps will be
lifted, whilst in those where the lifters are horizontal they will be
depressed, and thus a shed or opening will be formed in the said warp
threads for the shuttle to pass through.
Rotary motion being imparted to the said grooved roller, the several
warp threads will be alternately raised and depressed, according to the
relative arrangement of the thread lifters in their several grooves.
The said grooved rollers will be most readily formed of discs of tin
or other metal plate (with the thread lifters soldered or otherwise
attached thereto) placed consecutively upon a square shaft, and
arranged according to the pattern desired. A double or cylindrical
cloth, or two separate cloths, may thus be woven at one operation by
having one set of warp threads above and one below the said grooved
roller.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Johnson, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 17th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
GEORGE JOHNSON, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, Doctor of
Medicine, send greeting:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Johnson, Her especial licence that I, the said
George Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, tho said George Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time

page_text: 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
George Johnson, 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 George Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, and accompanying drawings (that is to say):
"
カラ
My Invention of certain improvements in looms for weaving relate
to certain novel arrangements of mechanism for forming the "shed"
or opening in the warp threads through which the shuttle carrying the
weft thread passes, by means of which the "healds" or "harness'
usually employed may be entirely dispensed with. Or the said mechanism,
or a slight modification thereof, may be employed for actuating the
ordinary "healds or "harness." My Invention consists principally
of a roller furnished with a series of grooves running parallel to each
other, and at right angles to the axis of the said roller, and corre-
sponding with the spaces between the "dents" of the reed. The warp
threads pass through these said grooves, and rest upon certain "thread
lifters," two being in each groove, and those of one groove being at
right angles to those in the next groove (if for weaving plain cloth),
so that when the "thread lifters are vertical one over the other in
one groove the "thread lifters" in the next groove are horizontal,
and in a line with the axis of the roller. I employ two warp beams,
which are weighted so as to give tension to the warp threads; and it
will, therefore, be evident that in those grooves where the "thread
lifters" are perpendicular, the warps will be lifted, whilst in those
grooves where the "thread lifters are horizontal they will be depressed,
$3

page_text: and thus a "shed" or opening will be formed in said warp threads
for the shuttle carrying the weft thread to pass through. Rotary
motion (either constant or intermittent) being communicated to the
said grooved roller, the several warp threads will be alternately raised
and depressed according to the relative arrangement of the "thread
lifters" in their several grooves. The said grooved rollers will be
most readily formed of discs of tin or other metal plate placed con-
secutively upon a shaft, the thread lifters being placed between them,
either attached to them or not, and arranged according to the pattern
desired. A double or cylindrical cloth, or two separate cloths, may
thus be woven at one operation by having one set of warp threads
above and one set below the said grooved roller.
In order more clearly to illustrate my said improvements I have
annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings representing different modi-
fications of the same, and have marked thercon figures and letters
of reference corresponding with those in the following description
thereof. Fig. 1, shews a section of one form of my improvements;
the red lines represent the warp threads, which pass from the
warp beams over a roller a, a, to the grooved roller for forming
the "shed." This roller (see also enlarged plan view Fig. 2)
is formed of metal dises or divisions b, b, and "thread lifters"
c, c, of an elongated oval form; one of these "thread lifters " is
soldered or otherwise fastened to one side of each disc, and the said
discs are placed consecutively upon the square shaft d, d, with the
thread lifters alternately vertical and horizontal. Thus it will be
evident that as the grooved roller revolves the warp threads will be
alternately raised and depressed, and thus a "shed" will be formed
for the shuttlo to pass through. e, c, is the breast beam, and f, f, the
cloth roller. Fig. 3, is a section, and Fig. 4, an enlarged plan view
shewing a modification of the above. In this instanco the "thread
lifters" are formed of small discs, pins, or pullics c, c, two being attached
to each disc. Fig. 5, is a section shewing another modification of the
same, in which only a portion of a disc is employed, the motion given
to the roller being one fourth of a revolution alternately in each
direction; g, g, is a weight to counterbalance the "thread lifters,"

page_text: &c. Fig. 6, is a section of a grooved roller similar to that repre-
sented in Fig. 1, shewing the method of weaving a double or cylindrical
cloth, or two separate cloths, by means of two sets of warp threads.
Fig. 7, is a section, and Fig. 8, a front view, representing the adap
tion of a small portion of one of the said grooved rollers for raising and
depressing the ordinary "healds" or "harness;" a, a, represent the discs ;
and b, b, the "lifters"; c, c, are straps or bands resting upon the "lifters,"
and passing over pullies d, d, to the "healds" e, e, to which they are
attached; ff, are two straps or bands connecting the "healds," and
passing under pullies g, g. It will be evident that as the "lifters" b, b,
revolve, they will alternately raise and depress the "healds"
"harness" e, c.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention
of certain improvements in looms for weaving, together with the
manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark,
in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention the novel and peculiar
form or construction of grooved roller, as shewn in the drawings,
and above particularly described, or any modification of the same
(and the application thereof to looms for weaving) to be employed
for the purpose of forming the "shed" or opening in the warp threads
for the shuttle and weft thread to pass through, whether the thread
lifters act directly upon the warp threads, or upon the ordinary "healds"
or "harness."
In witness whereof, I, the said George Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
GEO. JOHNSON. (L.S.)