Improvements in the Pattern Apparatus for Drop-box Looms.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Loft 18th May, 1889 Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Pattern Apparatus for Drop-box Looms.
I JAMES SHAW of 41 Hampden Grove, Patricroft in the county of Lancaster,
Overlooker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the construction of that portion of looms for fancy weaving,
which actuates the drop-box motion, for changing the shuttles, and is a mechanical
adaptation by which the number of pattern cards is very greatly diminished, thns
facilitating the weaving of long patterns in the weft part of the design as when
weaving hordered handkerchiefs, scarves, shawls, tablecovers, towels, &c.
The said invention relates to improvements upon apparatus for which Letters
Patent were granted to Richard Roberts, Wright Shaw, and Samuel Shaw dated
June 24th 1857, No. 1579. and also to Samuel Shaw dated December 12th 1877.
No. 2279.
The object of the present invention is to economize the length of the pattern chain,
which I do by means of repeating the pattern on a series of pattern cards, any number
of times, as in the filling of Handkerchiefs, Scarves &c., I make use of the stationery
pattern card cylinder, and of the usual pattern cards employed on the before mentioned
patents, with the difference that when it is required to repeat on a series of cards, a
raised projection is attached to the top side of the pattern card, (at each end or
centre of pattern on which it is required to repeat) over or about either of the peg
holes.
Above or at the side of the pattern cylinder, in suitable brackets are two levers
similar in construction, but each lever acting independent of the other, the levers
being mounted over or about the centre of the pegs in the pattern cylinder.
When a pattern card with a raised projection comes into contact with one of the
aforesaid levers, it lifts that end over the cylinder, to which end is attached a down
wire, the bottom end of said wire is connected to a T shaped lever, attached to a
suitable bracket placed at a convenient height from the floor, the 'down wires from
the aforesaid top levers are attached to opposite ends of the T lever. At a convenient
height above the T lever the upright inside and outside pattern needles have a
coupling to each, the lower parts of the needles pass through holes in the bottom
part of the T lever, the lower ends of the pattern needles are divided forming some-
thing of a horseshoe shape, the divided parts go nearly but not quite underneath the
bottom ordinary needles, (described in the before mentioned patents) from the outside
from one of the upright pattern needles, and from the inside from the other upright
pattern needle.
At or near the bottom of the loom is a lever, to one end is attached a bowl resting
on an inclined plane attached to the bottom of the back-shaft, at the same end of the
lever is also attached an upright rod, at the top end of the rod are attached by suitable
means two catches for turning the pattern cylinder in either direction, and also at
the top end of the rod is attached an angle bracket, the bracket being underneath
the bend of the top parts of the upright pattern needles, near the top of the upright
rod is attached a right angle lever, brought into gear by means of a connecting wire
for. turning a ratchet wheel on an auxiliary pattern chain cylinder, the auxiliary
pattern chain has also some cards with raised projections and some without.
Suspended over the auxiliary pattern chain is a lever, (a right angle lever prefered)
the other end of this lever is connected by suitable means to a sliding block, (having
a horizontal movement) the sliding block is situated between the before mentioned
catches, which are suspended over a ratchet wheel on the shaft of the pattern
cylinder.
Now the action of the card motion is that when a projection on the pattern card
lifts one of the top lovers it causes a connecting wire to allow the right angle lever

page_text: attached to the upright rod from the bottom of the loom, to turn the auxiliary pattern
cylinder, and also lifts one of the down wires, which causes the T lever to be moved
at an angle and is locked in that position by a spring with grooves attached working
on a Vat the back of the T lever, one end of one of the divided parts of the lower
portion of the pattern needle will be under one of the ordinary needles and the divided
part of the other pattern needle will be under the other ordinary needle, the upright
pattern needles are lifted up by means of the bracket at the top end of the upright
rod, so that whichever of the two upright pattern needles is operated on by means of
a blank on the pattern cylinder one of the ordinary needles will not be allowed to fall
its complete distance, therefore it will come into contact with the apparatus described
in Letters Patent 2279 before mentioned.
I wish it to be clearly understood that when the projection on the pattern card is
attached so that the other top lever is lifted, the down wire attached to this lever will
move the lever in a contrary direction to its last movement causing the other ends
of the divided parts of the pattern needles to be moved under the contrary ordinary
needles.
Therefore if a projection on the pattern chain allows the auxiliary pattern chain to
turn to a card with a projection on it or vice-versa, the sliding block worked by means
of a lever from the auxiliary pattern cylinder forces one catch from the ratchet wheel
on the pattern cylinder and allows the other to fall into gear, causing the pattern
cylinder to be turned in a contrary direction and a projection on the pattern card
lifting the reverse top lever causes the blank on the pattern card last used to allow the
reverse ordinary needle, than was used before, to not fall its complete distance, thus
the same blank which before made the boxes to rise to give a drop or vice-versa. It
will be seen that a series of cards may be used any number of times until two cards
with or two cards without projections follow is succession on the auxiliary pattern
cylinder when it will allow one of the catches working the pattern cylinder to turn
past that series of cards on to the border or next series.
DL: 00
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1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Pattern Apparatus for Drop-box Looms.
I JAMES SHAW of 41 Hampden Grove, Patricroft in the county of Lancaster,
Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My Invention relates to the construction of that portion of looms for fancy weaving
which actuates the drop-box motion for changing the shuttles, and is a mechanical
adaptation by which the number of pattern curds is very greatly diminished, thus
facilitating the weaving of long patterns in the weft part of the design as when
weaving bordered bandkerchiefs, scarves, shawls, table-covers, towels, etc.
The said invention especially relates to improvements upon apparatus for which
Letters Patent were granted to Richard Roberts, Wright Shaw, and Samuel Shaw
dated June 24th 1857, No. 1579. and to Samuel Shaw dated December 12th, 1877,
No. 2279.
Fig. 1 in the annexed drawing is an elevation. Fig. 2 a plan. Fig. 3 a
sectional plan through A. B. and Fig. 4 an end elevation of one end of a loom with
my improvements shown as applied thereto. Figs. 5, and 6, is a modification of the
motion for weaving with half a pattern chain only.
I make use of a stationery pattern card cylinder 7, mounted on a bracket 8, and of
the usual pattern cards 9, employed on the aforesaid patent of June 24th 1857,
No. 1579, but to some of the pattern cards I attach raised projections 10, over or
about either of the peg holes.
At the side of the pattern card cylinder 7, in suitable brackets 11, and 12, attached
to the top bracket 13, are two top levers, 14, and 15, one end of each lever being

page_text: To the
mounted over or about the centre of the pegs in the pattern card cylinder 7.
end of the top levers 14, and 15, over the pattern card cylinder 7, is attached to each
lever a down wire 16. or 17, the lower ends of which are connected by suitable means
to opposite ends of a T lever 18. The T lever 18, is supported on a suitable stud
attached to a bracket 19, which is placed at a convenient height from the floor, to the
bracket 19, is also attached a spring 20, for holding the lower end of the T lever 18,
when moved by the down wires 16, or 17. The upright pattern needles 21, 22, and 23,
above the Tlever 18, have each a coupling 24, 25, and 26, making each of the
pattern needles 21, 22, and 23, to be in two parts, the lower ends of the two pattern
needles 21, and 23, pass through holes in the lower part of the T lever 18. The
lower end of the pattern needle 22, is connecter to the ordinary needle 57, without
passing through the T lever 18, See Fig. 1. To the bottom ends of the lower portion
of the pattern needles 21, and 23, are attached, to one needle an outside bracket 27,
and to the other needle an inside bracket 28, the bottom of the outside bracket 27. is
curved, the curved parts going underneath the ordinary needles 29, and 30, under-
neath that needle according to which position the T lever 18, is in, from the outside
of them, the bottom of the inside bracket 28, is also curved, the curved parts going
underneath the ordinary needles 29, and 30, underneath that needle according to
which position the T lever 18, is in, from the inside of them.
The upright pattern needles 21, 22, and 23, get their upward movement from a
lever 31, to which is attached a bowl 32, resting on the bracket 33, the bracket 33 is
attaclied to the ordinary backshaft 34, which has an oscillating motion, this movement
causes the bowl 32, to mount on the inclined portion of the bracket 33, this allows
the upright rod 35, attached to one end of the lever 31, to have an upward and down-
ward movement. The top bracket 13, acts as a guide to the upright rod 35, and also
to the upright pattern needles 21, 22, and 23, the needles are also guided by a
bracket 36.
At or near the top of the upright rod 35, is attached an angle bracket 37, one end
of which is underneath the curved part of the upright pattern needles 21, 22, and 23,
to the other end of the angle bracket 37, are attached two catches 38, and 39, which
turn the pattern card cylinder 7, the catches 38, and 39 are situated on either side of
the ratchet wheel 40, fixed on the shaft of the pattern card cylinder 7.
On the upper portion of the upright rod 35, is a slot or hole into which one end of
a horizontal lever 41, is situated, to the other end is affixed an upright lever 42,
carrying a catch 43, which has an upward and downward motion caused by the move-
ment of the upright rod 55, To the upright lever 12, is attached a horizontal rod 44,
to one end of which is affixed a wire or pin 45, going in front of the top levers 14,
and 15.
If a pattern card with a raised projection 10, is turned by the pattern card
cylinder 7, into such a position as to lift the end of one of the top levers 14, or 15. it
will cause the other end of the top levers to bring the catch 43, by means of the
horizontal rod 44, and pin 45, against the catch wheel 46, which is connected to the
auxiliary pattern cylinder 47, the catch 43 being held as aforesaid will move the
auxiliary pattern cylinder 47, a portion of its revolution on the downward movement
of the upright rod 35.
On the auxiliary pattern cylinder 47, are links of two different sizes connected
together by pins. Suspended over the links 48, and 49, is a bowl 50, on an angle
lever 51, to the other end of this angle lever 51, is connected a rod 52, and to the
opposite end of the rod 52, is affixed a sliding block 53, working in a groove on the
bracket 54, situated between the catches 38, and 39, the sliding block 53, is fixed that
when a large size link 48, is under the bowl 50, the sliding block 53, will force the
catch 38, from, and allow the catch 39, to come against the ratchet wheel 40, when a
small size link 49, is under the bowl 50, the catch 39, is forced from, and the catch 38,
is allowed to come against the ratchet wheel 40. The ratchet wheel 40, being attached
5 to the pattern card cylinder 7, the cylinder will be turned forward or backward,
according to which of the catches 38, or 39, are against the ratchet wheel 40.

page_text: Now the action of the pattern card motion is this, the oscillation of the backshaft 34,
causes the bow! 32, to mount on to the inclined portion of the bracket 33, imparting
to the upright rod 35, by means of the lever 31, an upward movement. On the
upward movement of the upright rod 35, the catch 38, or 39, (according to which is
against the ratchet wheel 40,) supported on the angle bracket 37, will turn the pattern
card cylinder 7, a portion of its revolution, if a pattern card with a projection 10,
comes to the top of the pattern card cylinder 7, it lifts one of the top levers 14, or 15,
that lever which the projection 10, is underneath. For example say that the projection
on the pattern card 10, lifts the top lever 14. which through the medium of pin 45,
horizontal rod 44, and upright lever 42, will bring the catch 43, below one of the
teeth on the catch wheel 46, and on the downward movement of the rod 35, through
the horizontal lever 41, the catch 43 will turn the catch wheel 46, a portion of its
revolution, and another link of the auxiliary pattern chain will come under the
bowl 50, If the link is of the larger size 48, it will allow the sliding block 53, to
force the catch 39, from, and allow the other catch 38, to fall against the teeth of the
ratchet wheel 40.
Now it follows that if the link before the auxiliary pattern cylinder 47, was
turned was of a smaller size 49, the sliding block 53, would allow the catch 39,
to be against, and the catch 38, to be held from the ratchet wheel 40, so that when
small and large links on the auxiliary pattern cylinder 47, follow in succession, a
series of cards on the pattern card cylinder 7, will be turned forward and backward,
until two links of the same height follow in succession on the auxiliary pattern
cylinder 47, when the catch 38, or 39, will turn the pattern cards that the projection 10,
on one of them will be passed over and the border cards will be used.
When one of the top levers 14, or 15, are lifted, it lifts one of the down wires 16,
or 17, if the top lever 14, is lifted by a projection 10, on one of the pattern cards, it
also lifts the down wire 16, which movement pulls the T lever 18, at an angle, and is
locked in that position by means of the spring 20. When the T lever 18, is in the
aforesaid position caused by the lifting of the down wire 16, the curved part of the
outside bracket 27, at the lower end of the upright pattern needle 23, will be under
on the outside of the ordinary needle 30, and the curved part of the inside bracket 28,
at the lower end of the upright pattern needle 23, will be under on the inside of the
ordinary needle 29. And the lower end of the upright pattern needle 22, is attached
to the ordinary needle 57, See Fig. 1 so that on the upward movement of the upright
rod 35, all of the ordinary needles 29, 30, and 57, will be lifted upwards by the angle
bracket 37, and upright pattern needles 21, 22, and 23. On the downward move-
ment of the upright rod 35, the upright pattern needles 21, 22, and 23,
and ordinary needles 29, 30, and 57 will also fall downward excepting a blank is on
the pattern card, in which caso that upright pattern needle underneath, which the
blank is, will not fall its complete distance and the curved part on the inside, or
outside bracket 27 or 28, being underneath, one of the ordinary needles 29, or 30, it
will cause one of them to be held in such a position that the projecting bracket 55,
attached to the backshaft 34, will on the forward movement of the projecting
bracket 55, cause the bootjack 56, to gear in its usual manner.
When a projection 10, on a pattern card lifts the reverse top lever 15, than
that which was lifted in the aforesaid instance, a reversion of the motion takes
place, the top lever 15, lifts the down wire 17, causing the T lever 18, to be
moved at an opposite angle, and will allow the curved part of the outside bracket 27,
to be underneath the ordinary needle 29, and the curved part of the inside
bracket 28, to be underneath the other ordinary needle 30.
It will be understood from the foregoing description, that the curved parts of the
inside and outside brackets 27, and 28, are underneath the reverse ordinary needles,
it follows that on the pattern chain, the blanks which in the first instance made
the boxes to rise, will on the reversal of the pattern chain, make them to drop.
It will be observed from the foregoing description that I will be able to repeat
the centre pattern in the weft part of the cloth, any number of times as determined

page_text: by the arrangement of the links in the auxiliary pattern chain, and the reversal of
the drops to rises, and rises to drops, and then turn to the border part of the
pattern, thus effecting a great saving in the number of pattern cards used.
In Figs. 5, and 6, I give a slight modification in which half of the ordinary
length of pattern chain only is used. I disponse with the auxiliary pattern chain,
and employ in its place the levers 58, and 59, studs 60, and 61, and rods 62, and 63,
but retain the other parts as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.
On Figs. 5, and 6, when a projection 10, on a pattern card, lifts the top lever 14,
the lever 58, will move the rod 62, attached to the sliding block 53, and allow the
catch 39, to turn the pattern card cylinder 7, and when a projection 10, on the
pattern card, lifts the top lever 15, the lever 59, will move the rod 63, attached to
the sliding block 53, and allow the catch 38, to turn the pattern card cylinder 7, in
a contrary direction, thus one half of the ordinary pattern chain is dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The use and employment of the auxiliary pattern chain for controlling the
ordinary pattern chain, which includes the combination of the links 48, and 49,
auxiliary pattern cylinder 47, levers 41, 42, and 51, howl 50, catch 43, wire 45,
rods 44, and 52, catch wheel 46, and sliding block 53.
Second. The use and employment of the upright pattern needles 21, 22, and 23,
couplings 24, 25, and 26, and inside and outside brackets 27, and 28.
Third. The use and application of the T lever 18, bracket 19, and spring 20,
and the combination of the top levers 14, and 15, down wires 16, and 17, and the
projections on the pattern cards.
Fourth. The application of the upright rod 35, and the combination of the
lever 31, bowl 32, bracket 33, and angle bracket 37, for lifting the upright pattern
needles 21, 22, and 23, and catches 38, and 39.
Fifth. The use and combination of the levers 58, and 59, studs 60, and 61, and
rods 62, and 63, for weaving with half an ordinary pattern chain only, and in place
of the auxiliary pattern chain.
Dated this 17th day of May 1889.