IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Walmsley and John Day; both of Failsworth
near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS."
Sealed the 12th January 1855, and dated the 3rd November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said 'Henry Walmsley and
John Day at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 3rd November 1854.
We, HENRY WALMSLEY and JOHN DAY, both of Failsworth, in the County:
of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS" to be as follows:-
Instead of the usual picking leathers, spindles, springs, picking bands, or'
similar contrivances, to effect the motion generally known by the term of
picking, which motion strikes the shuttle from one shuttle box to another
at the other side of the loom, we propose to fix an angular lever, either
cranked laterally or straight, in the lower limb, which lever will be thrown
into motion by the tappet shaft, and is brought to bear directly on the hori-
zontal or lower limb upon the picking stick socket, and is thereby moved.
We also use a double-sided or jawed swivel, carrying the picking stick socket,
which double-sided swivel works upon a cast-iron stud, firmly bolted to the
loom, and is thereby independent of the swing rail. By this improvement
of the loom we obtain a great saving of the first cost of construction, and in

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Walmsley and John Day in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, IIENRY
WALMSLEY and JOHN DAY, both of Failsworth, near Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Henry Walmsley and John Day, Her special licence that we, the
said Henry Walmsley and John Day, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Henry Walmsley and John Day, our 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 Looms," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Henry Walmsley and John Day, by an instrument
in-writing- under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of
us, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Walmsley, for and on bellf
of myself and the said John Day, 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
(that is to say)-
Our Invention relates to improvements in the motion or process-technically
called. "picking," which is the operation of passing each shuttle from one
shuttle box to the other through the warp threads, and thus put in weft, cach
thread of which is called a "pick;" and instead of the usual picking leathers,

page_text: spindles, springs, or picking bands, we fix an angular lever, either cranked
laterally or straight in the lower limb, which lever will be thrown into motion
by the tappet shaft, and is brought to bear directly on the horizontal or lower
limb upon the picking stick socket, and is thereby moved. We also use a
double-sided or jawed swivel, carrying the picking stick socket, which double-
sided swivel works upon a cast-iron stud, firmly bolted to the loom, and is
thereby independent of the swing rail. By these improvements in the loom
we obtain a great saving in the first cost of construction, and in alterations we
avoid the necessity of new wheels, which are absolutely necessary on the
present plans of construction.
:
Our said improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which the same letters of reference are
used to represent the same parts in all the Figures. Fig. 1 is a front, and
Fig. 2 an end, elevation of the main parts of a loom with our improvements
attached. Fig. 3 is a plan, shewing part of the side frames, tappet shaft, and
the improvements connected therewith. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of detached.
parts. a represents the side frames of the loon; b, the driving shaft; c, the
tappet shaft; d, the connecting rods; c, the sword arms; and f, the slay.
Inside the side frames a, the two levers g, furnished with the friction rollers h,
are fixed on the tappet shaft in such positions as to give the required alternate
motion to the pickers. As the levers g revolve, they come in contact at the
part with the bent or bell-crank levers k, seen detached at Fig. 5, vibrating
on their fulcrums 1, fixed in the side frames a, having their ends m passing
through the guides n, which are fixed to the side frames a. The levers k press
upon other bent levers o, seen detached at Fig. 4, supported in the double links
or carriers p, which move on the pins q, fixed to the side frames a. To the
upper part of the levers o the picker arms 2 are attached, and at their other
ends the springs s are connected. The operation, which is very simple, is as
follows: The levers g with their rollers h come in contact with the levers k,
pressing the ends m downwards and the picker arms inwards, thus acting
upon the shuttle as required. When the pressure of the levers g is taken off,
the springs s cause the return or backward motion to the picker arms r.
Upon the side frames a we place the cushions t, made of leather or other
suitable material, against which the picker arms rebound.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of our said Inven-
tion, and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, we desire it
to be distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact
details herein set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing
from the principle thereof; but we claim as our Invention, and which, to the

page_text: such improvements
Sheet of Drawings.
described, апа
the accompanying
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Walmsley, for and on behalf of
myself and the said John Day, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this First day of May, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
HENRY WALMSLEY. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Henry Walmsley, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.