IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING FANCY FABRICS, AND IN THE LOOMS AND MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hamilton, of Strathaven, in the County of Lanark,
..
North Britain, Designer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING
FANCY FABRICS, AND IN THE LOOMS AND MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hamilton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th April 1880.
JAMES HAMILTON, of Strathaven, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Designer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING FANCY FABRICS, AND IN THE LOOMS
AND MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
This said Invention has reference to the weaving of a novel fancy or figured
fabric in which the pattern is formed by close beat up short cross loops of white
or coloured yarn or weft between the wide set splits of single, or it might be double
body warp, which would preferably be formed of the same or corresponding colours
as the strips of pattern weft woven or worked in between these body warps, the
figured pattern being further defined or formed by open squares or rectangular
spaces of two or more shots or loops of the pattern weft between the said body warps
left unworked. The fabric is like large open lace or knitted work used and suitable
for "tidies," "antimacassers," curtains, and such like furniture fabrics of the class
heretofore knitted and sewn by hand, and which by these improvements may be
worked on special hand or power looms. The new and special arrangement of
mechanism connected therewith form the essential features of this Invention, and
which will produce or manufacture this fabric in a great variety of patterns in
cotton, wool, or silk, out of plain or various coloured pattern yarns, and in a much
more expeditious and cheap manner than has been possible heretofore.
The nature and novelty of this Invention consists as follows:-First, in forming
the fabric with three special yarns, threads, or warps, namely, the body, the pattern,
and the binding yarn, one thread or end of these to each split, placed or stretched
longitudinally or warp-ways back from the breast rail or fell of the web in front of
this. The body warp threads or cords are placed or stretched at the distances or
width of split desired apart (as, say, from 5%, of an inch to one inch each division),
across the web and in a line or plane back to the warp beam on which this body
warp is beamed or wound, and given off at the same rate that the web is woven in
front and taken up on to the cloth beam; and the pattern or figure warp is

page_text: stretched from the fell, back in like manner alongside or close to the other a certain
distance to the stationary dividing rail and eyes or other equivalent reed or split
divider, from which cach thread or end passes back to its own paced pattern warp
or weft bobbin, all ranged on an angled table or bank (below the straight stretched
body warp, so that each bobbin will give off the yarn at the rat required to suit
the pattern, determined by the arrangement of pattern cards and jacquard or other
shedding mechanism used for this, as will berein-after be described. While the
binding yarn or thread of each split is only carried back to a small supply spool or
bobbin on or within a small shuttle passed up and down between each split of the
said body and pattern warps or yarn in front of the said crossing or shedding part
of the pattern yarn, which there pass through separate dividing eyes or equivalent
harness mail eyes, rather below or a little in front of and under the eyes dividing
the body warp. So that each thread so passes through. its. corresponding harness
drawing thread which is passed through an eye two divisions or so to one side of
the said division or split eye, and thus draws each pattern thread, when the pattern
and card demand it, quite across the adjacent body thread or cord next it, so as to
be caught and beat up, all as will herein be described. Each pattern thread,
for the return cross shed or loop, is brought back to its split line and eye by the
weight of a small lead hung, or it might be a light spring attached, to the lower
end of each drawing harness cord or thread so as to be caught and boat up in like
manner, the ends of the loops of pattern weft so shed and beat up being bound to
the body warp of each split by the shuttle binding thread passed up and down on
cach side of and round the body warp and end of loops of pattern weft.
The second--part- or improvements of this Invention consists in special
arrangements or combinations of mechanism connected with the shuttles and
needle or toothed loop catching and beating up oscillating lathes or sleys, and other
necessary fittings for weaving the said fabric as stated. One modification or
combination of the weaving mechanisın consists of a transverse vertical board or
plate for carrying the set of small shuttles with the binding warp or threads, and
having a straight slot in the contro through it of an inch or so in height and a little
more in length than the width of the broadest web desired to be woven in the
loom for the whole of the body warp and pattern weft or warp to be passed
longitudinally forward through this without touching it, to the fell or breast beam,
from their respective supply and giving off back beam and bank of bobbins, all as
before stated. This plate or frame is mounted on rollers or other equivalent on
fixed guides and standards, or frame secured to the floor, or to the framing of the
loom, so as to move freely to and fro laterally to the extent of one split or division
of the warp and weft which pass through their dividing eyes or other equivalent;
as also the lower ends of the harness threads or cords inserted in the upper edge of
stationary cross bars secured close behind the slot of the shuttle frame and below
the fixed "holey" board of the harness. The separate threads of the harness are
brought down to their normal position by leads on their lower ends below the
"holey" board, and weights also bring back the pattern weft after each shed
laterally by the harness to its normal position in line with the body warp of its
own split, for the second shot of cach loop woven, for each card or movement of the
jacquard or other shedding mechanism, which though these work the harness
vertically as usual, draw and shed the weft laterally from the manner of threading
them through the lower eyes. The said slotted shuttle frame is mounted on side
standards or other carrying frame at a suitable distance back from the fell of the
cloth (as, say, a foot or so) to give sufficient distance for the lateral crossing or shedding
of the pattern yarn or weft, and catching and beating it up in loops by the two
reciprocating sleys, with their cross row of inverted beating and holding up needles,
in number and divided to correspond to the splits of warp in the width of the
fabric, and carried on raising and lowering hinged levers, the one below and the
other above the weaving front part of the stretched warp and weft, in front of the
shuttle frame. The small shuttles are carried in short vertical and equally divided
undercut or grooved and feathered slotted guides formed or secured on the front of

page_text: and above and below the long slot on the front face of their laterally reciprocating
frame. The shuttles remain in their normal position in the centre across tho slit
between cacl: split. Each shuttle carries the binding thread or warp on a small
paced spool vertically on a spindle within a light protecting bow in front of the
shuttle, and through an eyo, in the centre of which the end of the thread passes
forward to the fell, preferably through a loose mail or eye outside the bow attached
to a spring, so as to take up the slack after each binding movement and beating up
of the pattern weft.
Each shuttle has a small forward projecting pin in the lower and upper point by
which they are all raised or lowered simultaneously above or below the slot in their
frame and body warps, by gripping or brander spring bars which take on to the
pins, at the proper time that these spring bars are raised or lowered, by vertically
reciprocating frames working and guided in end slides above theso, and held
together in their normal central position by spiral or other springs at their ends.
Or instead of using springs the vertically moving frames may be raised and lowered
to bring them back to their normal position after each action, and be held together
by means of weighted levers or by cords attached at each end, passed up to and
over a beam, and weighted at the other end, the cord from the lower frame being
carried direct up to and over the beam, and that of the upper frame passed round
a pulley or "whorl," and up to its beam and weight; or the upper frame may
simply be held down by its own weight. These duplex movable frames, with their
spring gripping and moving shuttle bars, put out and in by small rollers and
inclined planes on the face of the slotted frame, are tied or coupled up by their
moving cords to "marches" or levers and rollers connected to two treadlo levers,
the first of which when depressed moves the jacquard or shedding mechanism, and
draws up the said gripping spring frame and shuttles by one cord, and by another
pulls down the lower neede sley, which is then pushed back to near the shuttlo
frame, and allowed to rise by letting go the treadle by the power of weights or
springs, so that the needles enter behind the crossed or angled pattern weft, and
binding threads as crossed or shed by the jacquard and shuttles. The sley is then
pulled forward so as to draw and beat up the first thread of all the pattern yarn
shed, and as the sley comes forward hard up to the foll it is caught by a spring
catch, carried on the breast beam at each side or edge of the fabric to hold that
shed until the next is completed. In like manner the depressing of the second
treadle draws down the shuttles by their lower drawing spring frame after shifting
them and their frame one split to the right or left, so that the shuttles come down
on the different side of the body yarns, the same movement of the second treadlo
raising the upper needle sloy, which is then pushed back to near the shuttle frame
and lowered by raising or relieving this treadle. So that this upper frame of
needles enters behind the re-crossed pattern weft and shuttle binding threads,
when this upper sley is pulled forward to catch and beat up the second thread of
the loop or complete shed where this upper sley may be held in this beat up
position against the fell by catches or springs, and which allows this upper needle
sley to be shifted laterally in being pushed back to catch the second return shed,
which has less crossing or shedding angle given to it, and yet have all its teeth
brought hard up to the body and binding warp of the splits not caught by the
under needle sley. This sley may then be lowered and a fresh shed made by the
harness machine treadle, all substantially and sequentially as described, to weave
this new or improved fabric continuously by the said new or improved arrangement
or combination of weaving mechanisın. Just in front of the inclined bank of
pattern warp or weft reels or bobbins a double cross rail frame is mounted, or it
might be round metal rods over which the threads pass forwards, bent down in U
or half loop form between the bars, each thread passed through an eye in a small
lead weight at the bottom of the loop so as to allow of and compensate for the free
taking up and slacking back of each thread, as required, during the shedding and
beating up or wearing action.
By a modification of the apparatus used for drawing the pattern or figuring

page_text: threads to one side of each split line, as required, for forming the pattern in the
manner described, the jacquard barness is made to act on these pattern threads at
a short distance behind the transverse dividing rail or split divider for guiding the
body warp; and a movable or reciprocating rail is fitted above or below this split
divider, having paced guide pins on its lower edge, up between which the pattern
or figuring threads are lifted by the jacquard harness as required for the pattern;
and this moving rail is reciprocated across the warp or splits to the extent of one
or more of these splits at each reciprocation of the needle sleys by means of inclined
boards or cam levers projecting forward from its outer ends, which are pressed to
one side by the under sley and to the other by the upper sley, when these are
reciprocated or oscillated. The figuring threads lifted by the harness are thus
drawn-to-one-side-or-other of their split line to be caught and beat back, or acted
on by the needles of the oscillating sleys and by the binding thread of the shuttles,
all as hereinbefore described, the action of the needles being thus more certain, the
figuring threads being always caught by the needles without risk of breaking these
threads. By this arrangement and by employing double harness, and two or more
pattern threads of the same or different colours, a separate fancy border pattern
can be woven on the fabric simultaneously with the weaving of the fabric itself,
the pattern or figuring threads being lifted by their jacquard harness, caught by
the pins or teeth on the transverse reciprocating rail to be drawn to one side or
other of their splits, and acted on by the binding thread and sley needles to form
the desired pattern or border.
Although it is an arrangement of hand loom mechanism that has herein been
described-for-the-weaving-of-this-fabric,_it_will_be_quite understood by power
loom weavers and mechanics that all these movements may also be effected
automatically in the sequential manner described in a power loom by arrangements
of levers and connecting rods actuated by cams from one prime motive shaft of the
loom, either direct or through intermediate gearing and shafts, or cams only might
be used, as usual, for actuating the treadle or shedding levers, while hooked or
slotted connecting rods or levers, worked by cranks, could be used for actuating the
needle sleys in the forward or beating up direction, while they were taken back
towards the shuttles by the power of springs or weights, and they might be raised
or lowered by a positive can motion, and vice versa lowered and raised by springs
or weights through the mediumn of levers.
The character of this improved fabric is such with its wide splits and consequent
small number of these in the width, simplicity and shortness of the repeat of the
patterns generally, compared with lace fabrics and patterns generally, that a very
simple arrangement of pattern shedding mechanism may be used in this loom instead
of the jacquard machine, such as that of any of the ordinary forms of dobby's used
for figure work in power looms, with fifty or sixty pushers, and short endless
pattern chain of a simple construction, easily made up to suit different lengths and
character of pattern.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuanco of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Hamilton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
October 1880.
JAMES HAMILTON, of Strathaven, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Designer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING FANCY FABRICS, AND IN THE LOOMS
AND MECHANISH EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
My said Invention has reference to the weaving of a novel fancy or figured fabric,
in which the pattern is formed by close beat up short cross loops of white or coloured
yarn or weft between the wide set splits of single, or it might be double body warp,
which are preferably formed of the same or corresponding colours as the stripes of
pattern weft woven or worked in between these body warps, the figured pattern
being further defined or formed by open squares or rectangular spaces of two or
more shots or loops of the pattern weft between the said body warps left unworked.
The fabric is like large open lace or knitted work used as and suitable for "tidies,"
"antimacassers," curtains, and such like furniture fabrics of the kind heretofore
knitted and sewn by hand, and which by these improvements may be worked in
special hand or power looins. The new and special arrangement of mechanism or
looin for weaving the said fabrics form the essential features of this Invention, and
the loom is designed to produce or manufacture the fabrics in a great variety of
patterns in cotton, wool, or silk from plain or various coloured pattern yarns, and
in a much more expeditious and economical manner than has been possible
heretofore.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or put into effect or practice, may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended for the purpose a Sheet of explanatory Drawings representing a modifi-
cation of my improved loom or weaving mechanism, which I shall now proceed to
describe, together with the mode of weaving or producing the said fabrics in the
loom. In these Drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or
like parts where they are shown or repeated.
Figure 1 of the Drawings is a transverse vertical section of my improved loom as
adapted for being operated by hand and foot power, and Figure 2 is a front elevation
of the same with the cloth beam B and needle sleys E, F, partly broken away to show
the shuttle frame D and shuttles D¹¹¹ more clearly; whilst Figure 3 is a back view
of the shuttle frame D showing the mode of reciprocating it, together with the
shuttles D and binding thread d. Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a transverse
vertical section and front elevation to a large scale of part of the shuttle frame D,
showing the shuttles D" fitted in position in their short vertical guides; and
Figures 6 and 7 are full sized side and front elevations of the shuttles D carrying
the spools D¹, with the binding thread d; while Figure 8 is a detailed plan view
showing the catches e, f, for retaining the upper and lower needle sleys E, F, in
their forward position with the threads of the fabric beat back, as will hereinafter
be explained. The improved loom comprises a strong rectangular stationary
framing A of wood carrying the cloth beam B in front, and the warp beam B' at
the back, with the body threads b stretched between them, the framing being also
constructed to support the centres of the various moving parts of the weaving
mechanism. An inclined board or table C fitted between the side frames A at the
back part of the loom carries the bobbins C¹ with the pattern threads c in line with
and immediately under the body threads b, except when they are drawn aside in
front to form the pattern, as will be hereinafter explained by the action of the jacquard
mechanism, the weighted threads of which only are shown in the Drawing,
Figure 2. The spools D' with the binding threads & are carried on vertical wires
on small bow brackets D" fixed to the shuttles D, which have a vertical recipro-
cating motion imparted to them in the shuttle frame D, and which frame D in turn

page_text: .
reciprocates horizontally across the loom; these motions of the spools causing the
binding threads & to be twisted round the body warps b and pattern threads c, to
bind them when these are beat back by the needle sleys E and F. The operator
sits on a transverse board A' in front, and depresses the treadles E' and F alter-
nately, to raise the one needle sley E and depress the other F in turn, and actuate
the wearing mechanism, the needle sleys E, F, only being oscillated by hand, and
being grasped by the hand rails E, F, for that purpose.
The fabric is formed with three special yarns, threads, or warps, namely, the
body b, the pattern c, and the binding yarn d, one thread or end of these to each
split or division, paced or stretched longitudinally or warp ways back from the
breast rail B", or fell of the web in front of this. The body warp threads or cords b
are paced or stretched at the distances or width of split desired apart (as, say, from
/, of an inch to one inch each division) across-the-web.and in a line or plane back
through eyes 61 to the warp beam B¹ on which this body warp is beamed or
wound, and given off at the same rato that the web is woven in front and taken up
on to the cloth beam B. The pattern or figure warp c is stretched from the fell
back in like manner alongside or close below the other a certain distance to a
stationary dividing rail Z¹ and nail eyes c¹ or other equivalent reed or split divider,
from which each thread or cord e passes back to its own paced pattern warp or
weft bobbin C', all ranged on the angled table or bank C (below the straight
stretched body warp b), so that each bobbin C will give off the yarn at the rato
required to suit the pattern determined by the arrangement of pattern cards and
jacquard or other shedding mechanism, and weighted threads used for this, as will
hereinafter be described. The binding yarn or thread d of each split is only carried
back to the small supply spool or bobbin Don (or-it might be within) the small
shuttle Du passed up and down between each split of the said body and pattern
warps or yarns b, c, in front of the said crossing or shedding part of the pattern
yarn c. The pattern threads there pass through separato dividing eyes or equivalent
harness mail eyes c' in the harness threads which pass down through eyes in
the transverse rail Z, as shown particularly in Figure 9, rather below or a little in
front of and under the eyes b¹ on an upper rail Z dividing the body warp b, so
that cach pattern thread c so passes through a corresponding harness drawing
thread, which is passed through an eye or round a fixed pin 2 two divisions or
so to one side of the said division or split eye b¹, and thus each harness thread
draws each pattern thread c (when the pattern and card of the jacquard mechanism
above demand it) quite across the adjacent body thread or cord b next it, so as to
be caught and beat up by the needles e or f on the needle sleys E or F, as will
hereinafter be described. Each pattern thread c for the return cross shed or loop
is brought back to its split line and eye by the weight of a small lead 2111 hung (or
it might be a light spring attached) to the lower end of each drawing harness cord
or threads, to be caught and beat up in like manner, the ends of the loops of
pattern weft c so shed and beat up being bound to the body warp b of each split
by the shuttle binding thread d passed up and down on each side of and round the
body warp b and end of the loops of pattern weft c.
The Invention also comprises special arrangements or combinations of mechanism 4
connected with the shuttles D and needle or toothed loop catching and beating
up oscillating lathes or sleys E, F, and other necessary fittings for weaving the said
fabrics. One modification or combination of the weaving mechanism consists of a
transverse vertical board or plate D forming the back part of the shuttle frame for
carrying the set of small shuttles D with the binding warp or threads d, and
having a straight slot D in the centre through it of an inch or so in height, and
of slightly greater length than the width of the broadest web desired to be woven
in the loom. Through this slot D² the whole of the body warp band pattern
weft or warp c is passed longitudinally forward without touching the board D to
the fell or breast beam at B from their supply and giving off back beam B' and
bank of bobbins C¹ respectively. This board or frame D is suspended by a cord G
attached to its ends G at opposite sides of the loom, passing up and tied to a
•

page_text: cross bar of the framing A; and a pair of small pulleys a on each end of this
frame D bear against rails or guiding rods a¹ fixed on standards or frames All
secured to the floor or to the framing A of the loom, and admit of the shuttle
frame D moving freely to and fro laterally to the extent of one split or division of
the warp and weft c, which pass through their dividing eyes b¹ and harness
mails c, and the lower ends of the harness threads or cords through eyes ¹,
secured near the adjacent edges of the stationary cross bars Z, Z", carried by the
standards A close behind the slot of the shuttle frame D and below the fixed
"holey" board Z of the jacquard harness. The separate threads of the harness
are brought down to their normal position after each lifting action of the cards by
leads & on them below the "holey" board Z, and the weights on their extreme
lower ends bring back the pattern weft c after each shed laterally by the barness
mail eyes c¹ to its normal position in line with the body warp b of its own split
for the second shot of cach loop woven. The harness threads are thus lifted
vertically as usual, but draw and shed the pattern weft c laterally by means of tho
nail eyes c', through which the weft c is threaded. The slotted shuttlo frame Dis
mounted on side carrying frames G₁ at a suitable distance for the lateral crossing or
shedding of the pattern yarn or weft c, and for catching and beating it up in loops
by the two reciprocating sleys E, F, with their cross row of inverted beating and
holding up needles e, f, in number and divided to correspond to the splits of warp
in the width of the fabric. The oscillating sloys E, F, are carried on raising and
lowering hinged levers, the one below and the other above the weaving front part
of the stretched warp and weft in front of the shuttle frame D, the upper sley E
being supported by rollers n' on the cross spar N1 raised by the treadle E', and
kept down in its normal position by its own weight, while the lower needle sley F
is kept up to its normal position by means of a balance weight FS on the end of the
levers F connected by cords f' to lower hinged levers F5 on each side of the loom,
to which the sley F is jointed by pins f¹¹.
The small shuttles D are carried in short vertical and equally divided undercut
or grooved and feathered slotted guides D formed or secured on the front of and
above and below the slot D2 on the front face of their laterally reciprocating
frame D, and the shuttles Dare in their normal position in the centre across the
slit between each split. Each sbuttle D1 carries the binding thread or warp d on
a small paced spool D¹ vertically on a spindle or wire within s light protecting
bow D in front of the shuttle, and through an eye d", formed near the centre of
which the thread & passes forward to the fell, through a loose mail dll outside the
bow eye attached to an clastic thread d³ so as to take up the slack after each
binding movement and beating up of the pattern weft, the necessary tension on
the binding thread & being obtained by means of an elastic cord d³ passed round a
groove in the spool D', and held by a notch in the bow D". Each shuttle D has a
small forward projecting pin d' at the lower and upper point, by which they are
all raised or lowered simultaneously above or below the slot D2 in the frame D and
body warps b, c, by gripping or brander spring bars D³, D', with kneed metal inner
edges, which take on to the pins d' at the proper time that these spring bars D³, D',
are raised or lowered by vertically reciprocating frames G", to which they are
connected by short bars G², and are guided in end slides or slots in the frames G".
The bars DS, D', are held together in their normal central position, as shown in
Figure 4 and 6, by spiral or other springs G³ fitted at their ends; or instead of using
the springs Gs the vertically moving frames D3, D', may be raised and lowered to bring
them back to their normal position after each action, and be held together by means of
weighted levers or by cords attached at each end passed up to and over a beam
and weighted at the other end, the cord from the lower frame being carried direct
up to and over the beam, and that of the upper frame passed round a pulley or
whorl and up to its beam and weight, or the upper frame may simply be held
down by its own weight. These duplex movable frames G, G, with their
spring gripping and moving shuttle bars D³, D', which are put out and in (as
these bars are raised or lowered) by small rollers h running on inclined planes /¹

page_text: on the face of the slotted frame D are tied or coupled by their moving cords H, HI,
to rollers G and H connected by cords H", H, and the one H" through
"marches" or levers K and L and cord L', and the other H direct to the two
treadle levers F, E', respectively, the first of which F' when depressed moves the
jacquard or shedding mechanism through the lever I and cord I', and draws up
the gripping spring frame D³ and shuttles by the one set of cords H, H, H", attached
to the roller G and levers K, L, and by another set of cords F, F, attached to
a roller F and to the treadle F¹ pulls down the lower needle sley F, which is then
pushed back by hand to near the shuttle frame and allowed to rise by the power
of the weights F, or it might be by springs when the treadle F¹ is let go, so that
the needles enter behind the crossed or angled pattern weft c and binding
threads das crossed or shed by the jacquard and shuttles. The slay F is then
pulled forward so as to draw and beat up the first threads of all the pattern shed,
and as the sley F comes forward hard up to the fell it is caught by a spring catch-f
shown in Figure 8, carried on the breast beam or rail B at each side or edge of
the fabric to hold that shed until the next is completed. In like manner the
depressing of the second treadle E acts on the cords H, H, attached to the
roller H, and draws down the shuttles D by their lower drawing spring frame G¹¹
after shifting them and their frame D ono split to the right or left, so that the
shuttles come down on the different side of the body yarns. The same movement
of the second treadle E' raises the upper needle sley E, E", by means of the cords
N, N¹ attached to the levers N" carried up and divided above, where it is attached
to beam levers N111 centred at n, which are jointed to hinged bars N° on the ends
of the rails N and raise this rail Nu, on which the upper needle sley E is
_ carried by rollers n' allowing it to be reciprocated transversely between stops n²,
and this sley E, E is pushed back to near the shuttle frame D and lowered by
raising or relieving this treadle E¹, so that this upper frame of needles e enters
behind the recrossed pattern weft c and shuttle binding threads & when this upper
sley E is pulled forward to catch and beat up the second threads c, d, of the loop
or complete shed. This upper sley E is held in this beat up position against the
fell at B by spring catches e, which allow this upper needle sley E to be shifted
laterally on its rollers n' in being pushed back to catch the second return shed,
which has less crossing or shedding angle given to it, and yet have all its teeth
brought hard up to the body, and binding warp d of the splits not caught by the
under needle sley F. The sley F may then be lowered, when a notch f³ in it allows
it to pass the catch f4, and a fresh shed is made by the harness machine treadle F,
all substantially and sequentially as described to weave this new or improved
fabric continuously by the improved arrangement or combination of weaving
mechanism. The shuttle frame D is reciprocated from side to side to bring the
shuttles and binding thread d to the desired side of the body and pattern threads
b, c, by incans of cords o, o', attached to it, and passing round whorls o¹ to the
levers I and N" (as shown in the back view, Figure 3), connected to their
respective treadles F¹ and E¹. Sufficient slack is left on these cords o, o¹, to allow
the shuttles to be raised or lowered over or below the body and pattern threads
b, c, before the shuttle frame D is reciprocated to right or left to cause the binding
threads & to cross these and form the twist or binding when beat up by the needles
c, f, of the sloys E, F.
Just in front of the inclined bank of pattern, warp, or weft reels or bobbins Ca
double cross rail frame P is mounted, or it might be round metal rods, over which
the threads c pass forwards bent down in U or half loop form between the bars P.
Each pattern thread c passes through an eye in a small lead weight p at the
bottom of the loop, so as to allow of and compensate for the free taking up and
slacking back of each thread e as required during the shedding and beating up or
weaving action.
The winding of the cloth beam B is effected much in the usual manner by
means of a ratchet and pawl R, R¹, and reducing gear Q, the pawl lever R¹ being
connected by a rod R¹ jointed to the upper needle sley E, and the pawl R is made

page_text: to catch into or take up one or more teeth of the ratched wheel it at cach oscilla
tion of the sley E.
By a modification of the apparatus used for drawing the pattern or figuring
threads to one side of each split line, as required, for forming the pattern in the
nanner described the jacquard harness is made to act on these pattern threads at a
short distance behind the transverse dividing rail or split divider Z", b¹, for
guiding the body warp, and a movable or reciprocating rail is fitted above or below
this split divider having spaced or divided guide pins on its lower or upper
edge, up which pins the pattern or figuring threads are lifted by the jacquard
harness, as required, for the pattern, and this moving rail is reciprocated across the
warp or splits to the extent of one or more of these splits at each reciprocation of
the needle sleys by means of inclined boards or cain levers projecting forward
from its outer ends, which are pressed to one side by the under sley, and to the
other by the upper sley when these are reciprocated or oscillated, inclined boards
being fitted on the ends of the sleys for this purpose. The figuring threads lifted
by the harness are thus drawn to one side or other of their split line to be caught
and beat back or acted on by the needles of the oscillating aleys and by the
binding thread of the shuttles, all as hereinbefore described, the action of the
needles being thus more certain, the figuring threads being always caught by
the needles without risk of breaking these threads. By this arrangement, and by
employing doublo harness and two or more pattern threads of the same or different
colours, a separate fancy border pattern can be woven on the fabric simultaneously
with the weaving of the fabric itself, the pattern or figuring threads being lifted
by their jacquard harness caught by the pins or teeth on the transverso recipro-
cating rail to be drawn to one side or other of their splits, and acted on by the
binding threads d and sley needles e, f, to form the desired pattern or border.
Although it is an arrangement of hand mechanism that has herein been described
for the weaving of this fabric, it will be quite understood by power loom weavers
and mechanics, that all the movements may also be effected automatically in
the sequential manner described in a power loom by arrangements of levers and
connecting rods actuated by cams from one prime motive shaft of the loom, either
direct or through intermediate gearing and shafts; or cams only might be used as
usual for actuating the treadle or shedding levers, while hooked or slotted con-
necting rods or levers worked by cranks could be used for actuating the needlo
sleys E, F, in the forward or beating up direction, while they could be taken back
towards the shuttles by the power of springs or weights, and they might be raised
or lowered by a positive cam motion and vice versu lowered and raised by springs
or weights through the medium of levers.
The character of this improved fabric is such, with its wide splits and consequent
small number of these in the width, simplicity and shortness of the repeat of the
patterns compared with lace fabrics and patterns generally, that a very simple
arrangement of pattern shedding mechanism may be used in this loom instead of
the jacquard machine, such as that of any of the ordinary forms of dobby's used
for figure work in power looms, with fifty or sixty pushers and short endless
pattern chain of a simple construction casily made up to suit different lengths and
character of pattern.
The improved loom, though shown and described as designed for producing a
single fabric of considerable width at one time, may be made to weave several
narrow scarves or pieces at once by simply leaving out the body and pattern
threads, or removing the spool of a shuttle at intervals corresponding to the breadth
of piece to be woven, and as many as four, six, or eight scarves or such like narrow
knitted fabrics may thus be produced in the loom simultaneously. In producing
squares, such as anti-macassers, part of the warp threads may be left unwoven
between each square, and the threads afterwards cut in the centro, and the ends
plaited or tied or otherwise fixed to form a fringe or a secure end as desired.
Having now described the nature of my said luvention and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,--
First. The general construction and combination of the parts of a loom or
weaving mechanism designed to weave or produce open knitted fabrics from a
body and a pattern warp and binding threads or yarn, and having a transverso
reciprocating frame D fitted with vertically moving shuttles Dr, carrying the
binding threads d, which are twisted round the body and pattern threads b, c, by
the motion of the shuttles, the pattern threads being acted on by jacquard or other
shedding mechanisin and bent back with the binding threads to form the weft and
pattern of the fabric by means of oscillating dividing needle sleys E, c, F, f, arranged
and operated-all-substantially_as_herein described with reference to and shown in
the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof:--
Second. In looms for weaving the said open mesh or knitted furniture fabrics,
the construction and adaptation of the arrangement and disposition of a body
warp b, and a pattern warp c through dividing eyes b¹ or equivalents in transverse
rails, and through the mails in lifting jacquard or dobby pattern harness and
mechanisin for the shedding of the pattern warps across the body warps behind, so
as to be interlaced by a set of shuttle binding threads, aud beat up into the
transverse or weft like strands of the meshes in accordance with the desired design
or pattern, by an upper and lower divided needle sley or lathe E, F, all substantially
as and for the purposes herein described, in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Third. In-looms-for-weaving_the_said open mesh or knitted furniture fabrics
from or with a body and a pattern warp b and c, the construction-and-adaptation
of a set of small shuttles D, with binding threads d in them, ranged in a lateral
reciprocated frame D, so as to be shifted laterally above and below the said
warps b, c, and be passed up and down through between and round these, so as to
bind the pattern warp to the body warp, and be beaten up, all substantially as and
for the purposes herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Fourth. In looms for weaving the said open mesh or knitted furniture fabrics
from or with a body and a pattern warp b and c, and set of binding threads & in
shuttles, the construction and adaptation of an upper and lower lathe or sley E
and F, with adjacent divided sets of working prongs or cob like needles e, f,
alternately reciprocated, and raised and lowered, so as to catch, bent up, and hold
the pattern warp c after every lateral shed, all substantially as and for the purposes
herein described, in referance to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hamilton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
and silym
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JAS. HAMILTON. (L.S.)