IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD ENGINES FOR REGULATING THE HARNESS AND WARP ENDS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Thomis, of Dudley Hill, near Bradford, in the County
of York, Desigue; Joshua Crabtree and John Crabtree, of Southgate, Bradfoil
aforesaid, Jacquard Machine Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
JACQUARD ENGINES FOR REGULATING THE HARNESS AND WARP ENDS."
Sealed the 13th June 1878, and dated the 17th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Thomis. Joshua Crab-
tree, and John Crabtree at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
17th December 1877.
ISAAC THOMIS, of Dudley Hill, near Bradford, in the County of York, Designer;
JOSHUA CRABTREE and JOHN CRABTREE, of Southgate, Bradford aforesaid, Jacquard
Machine Makers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD ENGINES FOR REGULATING THE
HARNESS AND WARP ENDS."
The object of this Invention is to regulate the harness of a jacquard engine in
such a manner that the ends of warp only change or move when they are required
to alter the figure or pattern of the piece, and thus the strength of the waip is pre-
served, and the harness threads will last much longer than when used by the
ordinary process; and at the same time we are enabled to run the looin at a inuch
greater rate of speed, and thereby produce a corresponding increase in the quantity
of cloth woven.
We accomplish our object in the following manner :-The top of the jacquard is
arranged with an upright casting at each side fixed at right angles to the spring
board of the engine; these upright castings are arranged with a number of perpen-
dicular slots. Close to the inside of these upright castings are two sliding plates at
each side of the engine, which work in suitable guides; at the top of these sliding
plates are projections which fit into the before-named slots. These sliding plates are
actuated in a vertical direction by means of levers and rods, which are in connection
with the ordinary tappets on the loom shaft. To the projections before named are
secured cross bars, which hold the top of the sliding plates in the proper position ;

page_text: each row of these cross bars are lifted alternately by means of the tappels before
described.
The upright wines or bars of the jacquard are secured in or near a perpendicular
position by means of the card needles, which are bent in such a manner that each
needle forms a stay for two of the upright wires or bars; to each of the two upright
bars that are stayed by the card needles we tie a cold at the bottom end, and on
this cord is suspended a rod which is fitted at the top end with a small grooved
pulley, which tests on the before-named cord; to the bottom of these suspended
rods we secure the harness.
The upright bars are swelled in the position that pass through the card needles,
and when the needle is actuated by the card cylinder the top parts of the bars are
moved into such a position that the before-named cross bars that are at the bottom
of the stroke will lift the upright bais and warp ends required; and if it is required
to keep these ends up for inore than one pick to produce the figure in the piece,
the caid cylinder will actuate the same needle ready for the next stroke of the
sliding plates and cross bars, when the other series of cross bars, which are now at
the botton, will lift the corresponding upright bars that are attached at the bottom
by means of the cord, as before described, to the upright bars first mentioned; and
thus whilst the first-mentioned bars are descending, the corresponding bars will
be ascending, and the cord which is attached to the bottom end of the bars will
pass round the pulley, and keep the rod and ends of the warp in the position
required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Isaac Thomis, Joshua Crabtree, and John Crabtree in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th June 1878.
ISAAC THOMIS, of Dudley Hill, near Bradford, in the County of York, Designer,
JOSHLA CRABTREE and JOHN CRABTREE, of Southgate, Bradford aforesaid, Jacquard
Machine Makers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD ENGINES FOR REGULATING THE
HARNESS AND WARP ENDS."
The object of this Invention is to regulate the harness of a jacquard engine in
such a manner that the loom can make two or more picks without the warp euls
changing or moving until they are required to alter the figure or pattern of the
piece, and thus by our improvement the strength of the warp is preserved, the
harness threads will last a longer time than when used in the ordinary process, and
at the same time a considerable less amount of power is required to work the
jacquard harness, and we are enabled to run the loom at a much greater rate of
speed, and thereby produce a corresponding increase in the quantity of cloth
woven.
We accomplish our object in the following manner:-The top of the jacquard, at
each side of the same, is arranged with an upright casting or bracket; these upright
castings are arranged with perpendicular slots or holes. At the inside of these
upright castings, and within the frame of the jacquard, are two sliding plates, which
work in suitable guides or in the before-named holes. The sliding plates are actuated
in a vertical direction by means of levers and rods that are in connection with the
ordinary tappets or crank fixed to any shaft of the loom revolving at the proper
ate of speed. To suitable projections on the sliding plates before mentioned are
secured cross bars, which hold the tops of the sliding plates in their proper post-
Lions; to these cross bars are secured knives, and each of the sliding plates with its
series of knives is lifted alternately by means of the tappets and rods before
meutioned.
We now wish it to be distinctly understood that we do not claim any part of the
apparatus above described as being new, nor as any part of our Invention, but that
we have given the description in order that our Invention may be more clearly
understood, and how the same is or may be carried into effect.
We will now describe our Invention:-The upright wires or bars of the jacquard
are secuted near the top in a perpendicular position by means of the card needles,
which are supported and actuated in the ordinary manner; these card needles are
bent in such a manner that each needle forms a stay for two upright wires or bars;
to the bottom end of each of the two upright wires or bars that pass through and
are stayed by the same card needle we tie a cord, which passes through the hole
board, and thus forms a loop on the under side of the hole board; on this loop we
suspend a rod, which is fitted at the top end with a small grooved pulley which
rests on the before-named cord, and to the bottom of each of these suspended rods
we secure the harness.
The upright bars are swelled in that part which passes through the card needles,
that is, when the upright bars are at the bottom resting upon the hole board; and
when any of the needles are actuated by the card cylinder the top parts of the
upright bars that have not been actuated are in such a position that the knives secured
to one of the before-mentioned sliding plates will catch hold of the upright bars,
and on the return stroke will lift the upright bars and warp ends connected there-
with. If all or any of the warp ends now lifted are required to stop up during the
next pick of the loom, or during any number of picks, to produce the figure in the
piece, the card on the card cylinder will not actuate the same needle or needles aud
the upright bars connected therewith that are resting on the hole board, so that the
same are ready for the next pick of the loom and upward stroke of the other sliding
plate, when the knives of this last-uamed sliling plate will take hold of the
upright bars, and lift the upright bars and cords, and thus, whilst the last-mained

page_text: sliding plate and upright bars are ascending, the first-named sliding plate and
upright bars are descending, and the cords which are attached to the bottom ends
of the upright bars will pass round the pullies, and the harness and waip ends will
remain stationary and not change until the card on the card cylinder actuates the
particular needles that are connected with the upright bars and warp ends that are
lifted.
By our Invention a large amount of power required to work the ordinaty
jacquard machine is saved, in consequence of the machine not having to lift the
weights that are suspended to the harness at every pick of the loom, the weights
remaining stationary so long as the warp ends are lifted.
In order that our Invention may be inore clearly understood, we have appended
one Sheet of explanatory Drawings illustrating the same, to be hereafter to.
Figure 1 represents such portions of the side elevation of a jacquard engine and
1ocking shalt levels as are requisite to ellucidate our Invention; Figure 2 is a side
elevation of the same.
Figure 3 represents an elevation of our improved upright bars in connection with
a card needle, and with the grooved pulley and bar to which is suspended a portion
of the harness.
Figure 4 is a side view of our improved upright bar and connections,
Figure 5 is a view of our improved card needle.
In all the Figures similar letters and figures represent similar parts.
The jacquard engine is fixed over the loom in any suitable position, and motion is
imparted to it from the loom through the levers A, A, secured on rocking shaft B,
and supported by the journals C, C, that are fixed to the top rail of the loom, but
not shewn in the Drawings; the rods D, secured to joints E at each end of levers
A, A, are in connection with the levers F, F, which oscillate on fulcrums, and are
fixed in any suitable manner above the top of the jacquard engine; to the ends of
these levers at G are connected the rods H, H, each of which is attached to one of
the sliding frames J and K; to each end of the sliding frame J is secured a rod L,
which passes through the upright brackets M and projecting snugs M₁, and thus
forms a stay, and keeps the same from twisting; and to each end of the sliding
casting K is secured a rod N, which also passes through the upright brackets M
and projecting snugs M; to the under side of these sliding brackets J and K are
secured the upught bar lifting knives O, to which reference is hereafter made.
The card needles P' are mounted in the jacquard engine, and actuated by the card i
cylinder Qin the ordinary manner; each of these needles are prepared with two
eyes R, shewn in Figure 5; through each of these eyes I passes one of the upright
bars S; these bars are arranged near the top with a swell S¹, and when the card on
the card cylinder does not actuate any particular needle or needles, the same are in
such a position that in the downward stroke of either of the sliding plates the hook 4
at S at the end of the upright bar will pass over the top of one of the lifting knives
before mentioned, and on the return or upward stroke the same will lift the upright
bar until the swell S¹ is out or clear of the needle eye, through which it passes by
lifting the upright bar as described; one end of the cord T that is attached to the
hooks at S3 at the bottom of the upright bars will be lifted also, and cause the
grooved pulley and bar UI, to which the harness is attached, to rise and lift the
warp ends.
If in case the same or any of the same warp ends are required to be kept up
during the next pick of the loom, the card on the card cylinder will not actuate
the needle or needles that are in connection with the upright bar or bars already 5
lifted, so that the next series of knives will take hold and on the return stroke lift
the other upright bar or bars, and thus, whilst the first lifted bar or bars are
descending, the last-namned upright bar or bars will be ascending, and diaw the cord T
of each upright bar actuated round the grooved pulley U, and keep the bat C¹ and
warp ends in the same position.
J
If it is required that any or all of the warp ends that are lifted should change
for
or the next pick of the loom, the card on the card cylinder will actuate and

page_text: press back the needle or needles that are in connection with the upright bar or
bars that are lifted, and the hooks S* will be clear of the lifting knives O, and the
swells S¹ on the bar or bars already lifted will in the downward stroke come in
contact with the end of the needle eyes R, and thus relieve the hook or hooks S
from the lifting knives, which will be free and ascend in the upward portion of
the stroke without the upright bar or bars thus actuated.
Having now described our said Invention, and the manner in which the same
is or may be performed, we have to state that we do not claim any part of the
framework of the jacquard engine, but that what we believe to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent 18,-
First. The arrangement and combination of each card cylinder needle with two
upright bars, which bars are connected together at the bottom by a cord or other
flexible material that supports a grooved pulley or segment of a pulley and bar, to
which is attached the harness, so that at any pick of the loom, when any one or
more of the card needles are not actuated by the card cylinder, the upright bar or
hars, and the harness and warp ends in connection therewith, will be lifted; and if
at the next pick of the loom the same or any of the saine needles are not actuated,
the same harness and warp ends in connection therewith will not move but remain
stationary during the next pick, substantially in the manner herein-before described,
and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The arrangement of a "well" on the upright bar that fits the eye of
the card needle, so that when the upright bar is lifted the swell is clear of the needle
eye,
and the card needle can actuate the other upright har and clear the same from
the lifting knives.
In witness whereof, we, the said Isnac Thomis, Joshua Crabtree, and John
Crabtree, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
eight.
Signed and sealed in the
presence of
JOHN GILL,
Clerk to John Waugh,
Engineer & Patent Agent,
Bradford,
Yorks.
ISAAC THOMIS
JOSHUA CRABTREE.
JOHN CRABTREE.
(L.S.)
L.S
(L..S.)