IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING.
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to the. Honourable James Sinclair, commonly.
called Lord Berriedale, of 17, Hill Street, in the County of:
Middlesex,.for. the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Sinclair at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th, February 1853.
:..
I; the Honourable JAMES. SINCLAIR, commonly called Lord BERRIE-
DALE, of 17, Hill Street, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS, IN WEAVING" to be.
as follows
This Invention relates to, the manufacturing of narrow fabrics, such
as tapes; ribbons; and other goods, where. each loom contains a large
series of shuttles or weft-conductors working in a continuous line, and.
all or most of them in action at once, each upon its separate line of
fabric. According to the ordinary plan-of-weaving-in such looms, the
whole set of shuttles must always be stopped whenever the thread of

page_text: any single one breaks, or whenever it is necessary from any cause that
one or more shuttles should be stopped or removed. Now, by this
improved arrangement, the shuttle or weft-conducting apparatus is so
arranged, that whenever a given shuttle is to be stopped this may be
effected without in any way interfering with the action of the rest of
the shuttles or stopping the loom. This is accomplished by forming
a species of duplex race for each individual shuttle, one above the
other; the upper one only, being actually used for the traverse of that
particular shuttle therein, whilst the lower one is contrived for the
periodical entry therein of the next shuttle on each side of the par-
ticular one which is stopped. So long as the whole of the shuttles are
in regular work, with unbroken threads, the series works just as in the
ordinary way; that is, the whole line traverses a certain distance
across the line of goods, the first shuttle filling up the place left by
the second, and the second that of the third, and so on throughout the
series. Then, when any given shuttle is to be stopped and removed,
the particular race or guide of that shuttle is made to ascend by a
spring detent action, so that the intended shuttle shall be carried up
out of the line, whilst the same movement obviously carries up the
lower or duplicate race into the line of shuttles, so as to afford a place
for the reception of the two contiguous shuttles on each side of the one
removed, as they alternately come across from each side. Thus the
whole of the other shuttles continue to weave whilst the attendant can
remove the elevated or disarranged shuttle, which, when again ready
for work, may be reinserted in its place. The attendant then again
makes the duplex race descend, and thus brings the removed shuttle
again into its line of action. It is obvious that the weaver must watch
an opportunity both at the removal and return of the shuttle, so that
the shuttle may not interfere with or disarrange the rest. It is to be
understood that this system of weaving is clearly suitable for various
kinds of goods, where many narrow pieces are woven in one line across
the loom.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Sinclair, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 26th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, the
Honourable JAMES SINCLAIR, commonly called Lord BERRIEDALE, of
17, Hill Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Sinclair, Her special licence
that I, the said James Sinclair, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Sinclair, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Sinclair, 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 James Sinclair, 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of
a loom for the manufacture of narrow goods of all kinds, such as tapes,
ribbons, and other goods, where each loom contains an extended series
of shuttles or weft-conductors, working in a continuous line, and all or
most of them in action at once upon its separate line of fabric. In

page_text: weaving such fabrics in the ordinary manner, the whole set of shuttles
must always be stopped whenever the weft-thread of any single one
breaks, or whenever it
necessary from any cause that one or more
shuttles should be stopped or removed. Now, in my improved loom,
the shuttles are so arranged that any one of them may be stopped
and taken out without disturbing the rest, or stopping the loom. This
is accomplished by adapting a species of detached duplex race for each
individual shuttle, one above the other; the upper one only being
actually used for the traverse of that particular shuttle therein, whilst
the lower one is contrived for the periodical entry therein of the next
shuttle on each side of the particular one which is stopped., So long
as the whole of the shuttles are in regular work, with unbroken threads,
the series works just as in the ordinary way; that is, the whole line
traverses a certain distance across the line of goods, the first shuttle
filling up the place left by the second, and the second that of the third;
and so on throughout the series. But when any given-shuttle is to be
stopped and removed, the particular race or guide of that 'shuttle is
made to ascend by a spring detent action, so that the intended shuttle
shall be carried up out of the line, whilst the same movement obviously
carries up the lower or duplicate race into the line of shuttles, to afford
a place for the reception of the contiguous shuttle on each side of the
one removed, as they alternately come across from each side. The
whole of the other shuttles still continue to weave, whilst the elevated
or disarranged shuttle may be removed by the attendant, and reinserted
in its race when again ready for work. When so inserted, the duplex
race is made to descend, and the removed shuttle is thus brought back
to its line of action. It is obvious that the weaver must watch an
opportunity both at the removal and return of the shuttle, so that the
loom's action may not be interfered with in any way.
Figure 1, on my sheet of drawings, is a front view of a portion of a
loom-lathe, as broken away at each end, showing three of the duplex
races down as they are whilst all is going right in the weaving, whilst
a fourth race is represented as carried up for the removal of a shuttle;
and Figure 2, is a transverse vertical section through the lathe... A, is
the lathe carrying the series of narrow reeds B, one for each line of

page_text: the fabric; and at C, D, are the intermediate duplex shuttle races,
capable of a short vertical movement on guide spindles on the lathe
behind. Each race is suspended from the upper bar of the lathe by
an elastic band E; whilst at the bottom side it has a spring detent F,
to catch and hold it down when made to descend, to its bottom position.
The shuttles are at G; (I, representing the line of the warp,) working
along the upper line of the duplex races, the whole set being thrown
at once, so that each gives way to its neighbour as they all simul-
taneously pass from one race into the next. When a weft-thread
breaks, the weaver presses forward a small spring stop in the loom
frame, and at the next forward stroke of the lathe this stop strikes the
detent F, and liberates that particular race. The spring E, now at
once carries up the duplex race to the position of the one marked H,
in Figure 1; and the defective shuttle is thus carried clear of the
working line, and may be slipped. out at the end of its race for re-
newal; whilst, at the same time, the lower line of the race D, takes the
place just left by the upper one, and affords room for the other shuttles,
as before. As a modification of this arrangement, each shuttle race
may be made triple instead of duplex, three separate races being com-
bined in each moveable section, so that each web of the fabrics in the
loom may be kept constantly weaving, even during the time that the
weaver is changing an emptied shuttle for a full one, or adjusting a
thread. With this arrangement each compound race has two shuttles
fitted to it, so that one may be in constant readiness to take the place
of another when a shift occurs.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not
confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I
have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom without deviating from the principles or main features
of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is,―

page_text: First, the general arrangement and construction of looms for weaving
narrow fabrics, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use in narrow-fabric looms of two or
more parallel shuttle races for each fabric, combined and arranged with
a vertical traverse movement, for the purposes herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of obtaining a continuous weaving ac
in narrow-fabric looms, by the use of a secondary race for each shuttle.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the
Eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three.
BERRIEDALE. (L.S.)