IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING."
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Adam Whytlaw, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturer, and James Steven, of the same
Place, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Adam. Whytlaw
and James Steven at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 11th December 1855.
We, ROBERT ADAM WHYTLAW, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Manufacturer, and JAMES STEVEN, of the same Place,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WEAVING" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a self-acting mechanical arrangement or con-
trivance for producing an alternate twilling and plain weaving action in power
looms. In one modification of the apparatus, as arranged for producing the
simplest kind of twilling in combination with plain weaving; four heddles are
used, these heddles being acted upon by four levers, which are depressed by
cams upon a shaft, which makes a revolution for every four picks of the loom.
When the twilling action is required, the four heddle levers are worked
separately in the proper rotation for producing the twill, as is well understood
by practical weavers; but when the plain weaving action is required the
heddle levers are coupled together in pairs, so that both levers of each pair
act whenever the cam of either of them comes round, and thus the four
heddles act precisely as if arranged for plain weaving. The coupling together.
of the heddle levers is effected by means of catches jointed upon two of the
four levers, these catches being turned so as to enter notches in the other*

page_text: levers when the coupling is required. The catches are acted upon by scroll
pieces curved to the radius of the levers' action, and which pieces when
necessary are brought forward so as to act on the catches, and release them
from the notches of the levers, the catches being put into these notches by
the reaction of springs. The scroll pieces are formed upon the ends of arms
fixed upon a spindle, a slight turn of which brings them into or takes them
out of action. This spindle is carried through to the side of the loom, and
has a small lever upon it in such a manner as to be acted upon by the- rim of
a wheel, which makes a shift round when the change in the weaving action
is to take place, the end of the lever falling into a depression in the rim or
being raised by a projection thereon, as the case may be, and so turning the.
spindle, by which the scroll pieces are put into or out of action. The rim
wheel is moved by a ratchet motion, similar to a take-up motion, but the pall
lever only takes effect when permitted to do so by a small jacquard apparatus.
Any kind of jacquard apparatus may be used, and it may be made to shift
the cards in any regular manner, either between every double pick- of the
loom or less frequently. The cards contain two rows of holes, and act upon
points carried by small weighted levers. The action of the card causes the
lever to fall at the periods determined by the pattern, and thereby permits
the ratchet movement to shift the rim wheel so as to occasion the required
change in the weaving action. The pall lever of the ratchet motion is after-
wards caught by the tail of the small lever carrying the pin upon which the
card acts, so as not to act in the rim wheel until required. so to do by
the pattern. The other lever acted upon by the jacquard is introduced for
altering the rate of take-up, so that the cloth may be woven, fuller where the
twilled stripe occurs or otherwise. This alteration in the rate of take-up is
effected, by the small lever acted upon by the cards causing the pall lever
or catch of the take-up motion to miss taking up a tooth of the ratchet wheel
periodically, or by its lifting the retaining pall, and thereby producing the
same result.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Róbert Adam Whytlaw. and James Steven in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
ADAM WHYTLAW, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manu- 3
facturer, and JAMES STEVEN, of the same Place, Mechanic, send greeting."

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred- and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Robert Adam Whytlaw and James Steven, Her special license
that we, the said Robert Adam Whytlaw and James Steven, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Adam
Whytlaw and James Steven, our exécutors, administrators, or 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 law-
fully 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 we, the said Robert Adam Whytlaw and James Steven, by
an instrument in writing under our. hands and seals, 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 we, the said Robert Adam Whytlaw and James
Steven, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to
the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say:
Our said Invention relates to a self-acting mechanical arrangement or con-
trivance for producing an alternate twilling and plain weaving action in power
looms, and is applicable in weaving various classes of fabrics. In one modifi-
cation of the apparatus, as arranged for producing the simplest kind of twilling
in combination with plain weaving, four heddles are used, these heddles being
acted upon by four levers, which are depressed by cams upon a shaft, which
makes a revolution for every four picks of the loom. When the twilling
action is required, the four heddle levers are worked separately in the proper
rotation for producing the twill, as is well understood by practical weavers;
but when the plain weaving action is required, the heddle levers are coupled
together in pairs, so that both levers of each páir act whenever the cam of
either of them comes round, and thus the four heddles act precisely as if
arranged for plain weaving. The coupling together of the heddle levers is
effected by means of catches jointed upon two of the four levers, these catches

page_text: being turned so as to enter notches in the other levers when the coupling is
required. The catches are acted upon by scroll pieces curved to the radius of
the levers action, and which pieces when necessary are brought forward so as
to act on the catches and release them from the notches of the, levers, the,
catches being put into these notches by the reaction of springs. The scroll
pieces are formed upon the ends of arms fixed upon a spindle, a slight turn of
which brings them into or takes them out of action. This spindle is carried,
through to the side of the loom, and has a small lever upon it in such a
manner as to be acted upon by the rim of a wheel, which makes a shift round
when the change in the weaving action is to take place, the end of the lever
falling into a depression in the rim, or being raised by a projection thereon, as
the case may be, and so turning the spindle, by which the scroll pieces are put
into or out of action. The rim wheel is moved by a ratchet motion, similar to
a take-up motion, but the pall lever only takes effect when permitted to do so
by a small jacquard apparatus. Any kind of jacquard apparatus may be
used, and it may be made to shift the cards in any regular manner, either
between every double pick of the loom or less frequently. The cards contain
two rows of holes, and act upon points carried by small weighted levers. The
action of the card causes the lever to fall at the periods determined. by the
pattern, and thereby permits the ratchet movement to shift the rim, wheel, so
as to occasion the required change in the weaving action. The pall lever of
the ratchet motion is afterwards caught by the tail of the small lever carrying
the pin upon which the card acts, so as not to act on the rim wheel until
required to do so by the pattern. The other lever acted upon by the jacquard
is introduced for altering the rate of take-up, so that the cloth may be
woven fuller where the twilled stripe occurs or otherwise. This alteration in
the rate of take-up is effected by the small lever acted upon by the cards
causing the pall lever or catch of the take-up motion to miss taking up a
tooth of the ratchet wheel periodically, or by its lifting the retaining pall and
thereby producing the same result.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we have
hereunto appended, and shall now proceed to describe, a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings, shewing one mode of applying our improvements to a power loom.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a
partial front elevation, of a power loom as constructed to weave plain and
twilled stripes across the fabric according to our Invention; Figure 3 is a
back elevation of the heddle lever cams, with some of the other details for
working out the improvement; Figure 4 is a plan of the side of the loom as
Looking down upon the working parts; whilst Figure 5 is a similar plan, with

page_text: some of the upper details removed to exhibit those below more clearly;
Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of the jacquard mechanism used in carrying
out the Invention. As the general details of the loom to which our improve-
ments are applied may be arranged and constructed according to any of the
known systems that may be suitable, it will be unnecessary for us to parti-
cularise them, except as far as may be required in making our present'
improvements fully understood. In the loom represented in the Drawings,
the cams, treadles, and other details for working the heddles are placed for
convenience at one side of the loom and outside of the loom framing, but they
may be arranged in other situations, if found desirable. The tappet shaft A
of the loom, which, as is usual, makes a revolution for every two picks, is
prolonged outside its bearing in the loom framing B to receive a tubular shaft
C, which is made to revolve at half the rate of the shaft A by means of the
train of wheels D, E. The shaft C has fixed upon it four cams or wipers
F, G, H, I, arranged to act on their respective treadles J, K, L, M, and
through them on the heddles by their cords N in such a manner as to produce
twilled cloth. The two outer treadles J and M are formed with projections
O, in which are jointed small latches or catches P, fitted with antifriction
pulleys on their outer extremities. The two inner treadles K and L are
formed with projections Q, in which are notches to receive the catches Pon
the treadles J and M. Springs R are adapted to the catches P to give them
a tendency to enter the notches in the projections Q, and when the catches are
so entered the four treadles are locked together in pairs, the treadle K being
connected to and moved by the treadle J when it moves, and vice versa, whilst
the treadle L is connected to and moved by the treadle M when it moves,
and vice versa. The cams F, G, H, I, are so arranged that one of each pair'
of treadles is acted on alternately, that is to say, so that the two treadles of
either pair are never acted upon in immediate succession one after the other
when uncoupled. Thus, when the treadles are coupled in pairs, each pair is
carried down alternately, for if we suppose that first the cam F depresses its
treadle J, the treadle K being coupled to this last will descend with it; then
one of the cams H, I, will come into action next, and by causing one of the
treadles L, M, to descend, will depress both these treadles, as they are coupled
together. The cam G will come into action next, and cause the descent of the
treadles J, K, and after it one of the cams H, I, will again cause the descent
of the treadles L, M. In this way, as long as the treadles are coupled, the
effect will be precisely the same as if there were but two cams revolving at
the speed of the shaft A, and two treadles. For alternate common twilling
and plain weaving, the warps are passed in equal portions through four heddle'

page_text: When
leaves in such a manner, that when the heddles are worked in couples the
sheds will be formed exactly as in plain weaving, whilst when the heddles
are worked singly the sheds will be formed as in common twilling.
the heddles are to be worked singly for twilling, the treadles are uncoupled by
means of two scroll pieces S, which, acting on the outer ends of the catches P,
cause them to become disengaged from the notches in the projections Q of the
inner treadles K, L; and then the treadles act-singly, as each is depressed by
its respective cam. The scroll pieces S are fixed upon a spindle T, working in
bearings in a bracket frame piece U, bolted to the side of the loom. On the
spindle T is fixed a lever V, connected by a link W to a lever X, centred on a
stud pin upon the framing, and carrying an antifriction pulley on its opposite
extremity. This pulley rests against the periphery of a wheel Y, carried on a
stud pin upon the framing B, the periphery consisting of regular recesses and
projections. At each shift round of this wheel the pulley of the lever X passes.
from a projection to a recess, or vice versa, which has the effect of coupling or
uncoupling the treadles by means of the connections already described. The
wheel Y is shifted round at intervals, according to the pattern or design to be
woven, for which purpose it has fixed or cast upon it a ratchet wheel Z, which
is acted upon periodically by the pall a of a lever b, centred upon the stud
pin upon which the wheels Y, Z, turn. The lever 6 is weighted so as to fall
towards the front of the loom, and is pushed over in the opposite direction by
an arm or cam c, provided with an antifriction pulley, and fixed upon the
tappet shaft A.
When the lever b is thus pushed over towards the back of
the loom, it is caught and prevented from falling forward again by a catch d,
which takes hold of a projection upon the side of the lever, unless this catch
d should happen to be raised out of the way. It is obvious that as long as
this catch d is allowed to retain the lever b, no movement of the wheels Y, Z,
will take place, but as soon as the catch d is lifted the lever 6 falls forward,
and upon the next revolution of the tappet shaft A the cam c strikes it up
again, causing it to shift round the wheels Y, Z, one tooth, whilst the lever b
is itself again caught by the catch d, and does not operate further until again
released. All, then, that is necessary to effect the change in the weaving action
from plain weaving to twilling, or vice versa, is simply to lift the catch d, so as
to release the pall lever b. The required action is effected and regulated by
means of a small jacquard apparatus, fitted up in the present instance at the
side of the loom immediately over the details already described. The jacquard
apparatus. is carried in a small bracket frame piece e, bolted to the framing B
of the loom. The jacquard barrel f works in vertical slides, and is lifted by
eccentrics. g, fast on a horizontal spindle below, driven by means of a spur

page_text: wheel h, fast upon it, and in gear with a pinion i, fast on the crank shaft j of
the loom. The barrel fis in this instance formed with eight sides or facets,
and on its spindle is fixed a small star wheel k, having eight teeth, which,
coming in contact with a pall 7, at each lift of the barrel causes the latter to
turn an eighth part round, so as to bring a fresh facet and card into action.
The cards m, which may of course form an endless chain of any convenient
length, according to the extent of pattern to be woven, have, in addition to the
perforations at the sides, which fit upon the steadying pins on the barrel, two
rows of pattern holes, arranged to regulate the action of two small weighted
levers n, o, carrying points, which are raised by the lifting of the jacquard barrel
when a filled up blank instead of a hole occurs in the cards beneath them..
The levers n, o, are carried on a spindle p, turning in brackets, the lever n
being loose upon this spindle, whilst the lever o is fixed to and moves it. It is
the lever n which serves to lift the catch d, so as to cause a change of the
heddle action to take place in the manner already described, and for this pur-
pose this lever is prolonged and is linked by the wire or rod 9 to the catch d..
The other lever o, acted upon by the jacquard apparatus, is for altering the
take-up action of the loom when a change is made from plain weaving to
twilling, or vice versa. The necessary movement is transmitted through the,
spindle p, which has fast on it a lever r, connected by a link s to a lever t,,
fast on the end of a spindle running to the other side of the loom, where, in,
this instance, the taking-up mechanism is supposed to be situated. On the
opposite end of this spindle is a lever, arranged to lift up either the taking-up
pall or the retaining pall of the take-up motion when the jacquard barrel lifts.
the lever o on the occurrence of a blank or unperforated card beneath the lever..
The jacquard barrel is lifted once after, every two single picks of the loom, so.
that when the loom is weaving twilled cloth, if the lever is lifted at every rise
of the barrel the take-up motion will be made to miss every alternate stroke,,
and thus more weft will be woven into a given space as is required when the
fabric is twilled; of course, by suitably arranging the perforations of the cards
the take-up may be varied. The jacquard, cards m may be of any suitable
material, and in the Drawings, as more particularly shewn in Figure. 2, metal.
buttons u are represented as attached at, the places where the card is to lift
the levers n, o, so that the points carried by the levers may not injure the cards..
In weaving fabrics with twilled stripes across the width thereof,, it is sometimes
thought proper to use a different weft for the plain woven and twilled portions,
respectively. The two wefts thus used may either be of one colour, but of
different qualities or of different colours, two shuttles being of course required.
in either case.

page_text: As the requisite change of shuttle can be effected by a very simple addition
to the loom mechanism already described, the loom shewn in the Drawings is
represented as constructed to work with two shuttles, the changing of which is
effected by a self-acting movement. A sliding two-celled shuttle box is fitted
up at one side of the loom, and is arranged to be shifted vertically by the
spindle w working in brackets upon the lathe sword. This spindle w is con-
nected by an adjustable link x to a lever y, centred on a bracket stud fixed to
the loom framing B, and the other end of this lever carries an antifriction
pulley z, which presses against the periphery of the wheel Y, already herein-
before described as that by means of which the heddle treadles are coupled or
uncoupled.
In the position represented in the Drawings, the pulley is upon a pro-
jecting portion of the periphery of the wheel Y, which, depressing this end of
the lever, raises the other end, and with it the shuttle box v, so as to bring the
lowermost shuttle into action. Upon the next shift of the wheel Y the pulley z
will rise into the recess in the periphery, and the other end of the lever y will
descend and bring down the shuttle box, so as to bring the uppermost shuttle
into action. These changes of the shuttle box will obviously coincide with the
changes in the heddle action, so that one shuttle will be in action whilst plain
cloth is being woven, and the other shuttle when twilled cloth is being
produced.
It will be obvious to the practical weaver that the self-acting arrangements
herein-before described for effecting changes in the heddle action of power
looms may be considerably extended, so as to produce other varieties of weaving
besides plain weaving and common twilling. Thus, various numbers and
árrangements of heddles with their actuating treadles and cams may be
employed; or the warps may be drawn through the heddles in a variety of
ways, so as to produce various ornamental devices by the changes effected in
the weaving action, by coupling or connecting or by uncoupling or disconnect-
ing any two or more of the treadles, in the manner herein-before described.
Thus, for example, by a suitable arrangement of the heddles, the twilling
may be made to take effect only at intervals across the fabric; then, as by
changing the heddle action, the fabric may be woven without any twilling at
all except at intervals, a fabric with twilled spots may thereby be produced.
Likewise various other devices may be obtained, such devices being produced as
well by partial twillings as by other varieties of weaving action, quite within
compass of the mechanical contrivances herein-before described, as will be
well understood by the practical weaver.
the
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we may observe, in conclusion, that we do not confine or restrict
ourselves to the precise details or arrangements which we have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of our Invention; but what we
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to us by the herein-before recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general arrangement and construction of self-acting machinery
or apparatus to be applied to power looms in order to effect continuous changes
in the heddle action, so as to produce plain weaving and twilling or other
varieties of weaving alternately or in succession, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of producing in power looms, alternately or in
succession, varieties of weaving effects, such as plain weaving and twilling, by
means of self-acting mechanism, which alters the heddle action of the loom by
coupling or connecting or by uncoupling or disconnecting any two or more of
the heddle-actuating treadles, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use in power looms of a jacquard apparatus for
regulating or defining, according to a desired pattern, the action of self-acting
mechanism for altering the heddle action, so as to produce alternately or in
succession varieties of weaving effects, such as plain weaving and twilling, by
coupling or connecting or by uncoupling or disconnecting any two or more of
the heddle-actuating treadles, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the application and use in power looms of the herein-before described
mechanism for altering, suspending, or retarding the take-up movement of
the loom at intervals, for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Adam Whytlaw and James
Steven, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day of
June, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
ROB. A. WHYTLAW. (L.S.)
JAMES STEVEN.
(L.S.)