Improvements in Looms, Especially Applicable to Looms for Weaving Tufted Fabrics.
Year: 1891

page_text: EL
Improvements in Looms, Especially Applicable to Looms for
Weaving Tufted Fabrics.
We, HALCYON SKINNER, Manufacturer & FRANK HENRY CONNOLLY
Machinist of No. 3 Nepperhan Street, Yonkers in the County of Westchester and
State of New York, United States of America, 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 :-
This invention includes improvements in the tufting mechanism and improvements
in the weft operating devices. The improvements in the tufting mechanism relate
to tufting mechanism for that class of tufted fabrics in which the tufts are looped
around the weft threads as in what are known as Moquette carpets, and the
improvements in the weft operating apparatus relate to needles for inserting the
weft, and to mechanism operating in combination with such needles. The improve-
ments in the weft-operating devices, though more particularly applicable to looms
for weaving tufted fabrics, may be applied to looms for weaving other kinds
of goods.
Before explaining our invention in detail, we will refer briefly to the means
heretofore employed for depositing the tufts in their places in the fabric and to
their of operation in looms for weaving the class of tufted fabrics hereinbefore
mentioned.
In such looms, the tuft yarns are supplied from spools arranged in carriages which
are hung in carrying chains by which the said spools and carriages are successively
presented in convenient proximity to the warp to perform or permit the performance
of the tufting operation. In some of these looms the spool carriages with the tuft
yarn spools have been removed from the carrying chains and brought down near
the fell of the cloth and then such movements have been given to them as to make
them insert the ends of the yarn between the threads of the warp so as to be
woven in by the usual weaving operation. In others of these looms the spool
carriages and their spools have always remained connected with the chains and the
required quantity of yarn has been drawn from the spools by means of nippers which
seize the ends of the yarn, draw off a sufficient quantity thereof to form a row
of tufts and, after the pieces to form the tufts have been cut from the body of the
yarn on the spool, carry these tuft pieces down and by various complex movements
insert them in their places to be woven in the web.
In the loom hereinafter described illustrating our improvements, the spool-
carriages and spools are detached from the chains and carried down part of the
distance between the chains and the warp where they are met by nippers which
grasp the ends of the yarn after which a slight upward movement of the spool
carriages and the spools draws off sufficient yarn to form the row of tufts and the
portions so drawn off are cut from the body of the yarn. The nippers then by a
single movement carry down through the warp one end of each of the tuft-pieces
so cut off and hold the said pieces in position to be woven in. In this position
the free ends of the tuft-pieces project above the warp close to the fell and rest
against the last row of tufts woven in, the ends of the tuft-pieces held by the
nippers being below the upper threads of the warp so that a shot of weft inserted
into the shed above the nippers and the ends of the tuft-pieces held by them bind
the tufts into the web. When this shot has been brought up into its place the
nippers rise and carry back through the warp the ends of the tuft-pieces which
they still grasp.
As the nippers thus rise, the shed is changed and another shot
of weft is inserted and beaten up to further secure the tufts. As soon as the

page_text: second shot is in its place the nippers release the ends of the tuft and move up to
take the yarn for the next row of tufts and while they are doing this a third shot
of weft may be inserted to complete the operation. While the above movements
are being performed, the spool from which the tufts were cut is raised and
connected again with the carrying chains, the chains are moved forward and another
spool is brought forward to meet the nippers. By this mode of operating the spool
carriages and the nippers, the spool carriage only having to be brought down part
of the way to the warp, the nippers have a shorter range of motion than when they
take the yarn from the spools in the carrying-chain and they can be operated more
quickly and the product of the loom is increased.
We will now proceed to describe our invention with reference to the accom-
panying drawings in which Figs. 1 to 19 are especially intended to illustrate the
tufting mechanism and Figs. 14 to 104 inclusive are intended to illustrate the weft
operating devices.
Fig. 1 represents a front view of those parts of a loom necessary for the explana-
tion of the tufting mechanism, the breast beam being omitted in order to expose the
working parts more fully to view and the central portion of the width of the loom
being omitted to economize space in the drawings.
Fig. 2 represents a vertical section in the line of Fig. 1 viewed from the right
hand side of that fig.
Fig. 3 represents a vertical section parallel with Fig. 2 in the line y y of Fig. 1,
viewed from the right.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent vertical sections of the tufting mechanism corresponding
with Fig. 3 but showing the parts in different positions.
Fig. 6 is a side view on a larger scale of certain parts imperfectly represented in
Figs. 3, 4, 5.
Fig. 7 is a plan view of mechanism for removing the tuft yarn spools from the
carrying chains and replacing them therein.
Fig. 8 is a plan view of the shears and their operating mechanism for cutting the
pieces of yarn to form the tufts.
Fig. 9 represents a plan of the nippers and their operating mechanism for inserting
the tuft pieces into the web.
Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, are side views of some of the cams of the loom which are
not plainly visible in Figs. 2 and 3.
Figs. 15, 16, 17, are vertical sectional views of the tuft-inserting devices corre-
sponding respectively with Figs. 4, 3 and 5 but on a larger scale.
Fig. 18 is a plan view on the same scale as Figs. 15, 16, 17, of several of the
nippers and part of their operating mechanism.
Fig. 19 is a front view corresponding with Fig. 18.
Fig. 1A is a vertical sectional view on the same scale as Figs. 1, 2 and 3,
taken immediately in rear of the breast beam and parallel therewith and
showing all parts of the loom necessary for the illustration of the weft-inserting
mechanism.
Fig. 1 is a front view of certain parts in a position different from that in which
they are shown in Fig. 1ª.
Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding with Fig. 14.
Fig. 34 represents a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1A in the line of
Figs. 1 and 24, the parts being viewed from the right of those figs.
Fig. 3AA represents a front view of the operative end of the needle and a section
of what is hereinafter described as the weft-finger.
Fig. 3* represents a plan view corresponding with parts of Fig. 34.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of one of two needles employed to carry
the weft through the warp, the shuttle which carries a selvedge thread by
which the weft is secured to the web, and parts of the mechanism for operating
the said needle and shuttle showing also a portion of the unwoven warp and
woven web.
Fig. 5 is a back view corresponding with Fig. 4ª.

page_text: Figs. O
are side Views COIesponding
of the parts in section.
Fig. 7 is a side view of one of the details shown in Figs. 4 and 5^.
Fig. 8A is a front view of the operative end of the other of the two needles.
Fig. 8* is an end view of the same.
Fig. 94 is a top view of the same.
Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view parallel with Fig. 94 showing also in dotted
outline the end of the first mentioned needle.
Fig. 344, and Figs. 4 to 10A inclusive are on the same scale as Figs. 15
to 19.
Similar letters and numbers of reference designate corresponding parts in all
the figs.
A designates the main framing of the loom, B the breast beam and B' the web-
supporting plate, all represented as of ordinary construction. S₁ is the lay shown
as operated by a. cum S2 on the man shaft S, through a lever S³, and connecting
rod S. The lay has its reed a open at the top, its dents projecting upward like
the teeth of a comb.
The heddles and harness motion are not represented in the drawings and it is
not necessary to describe them further than to say they may be similar to those
used in other well-known looms for weaving tufted fabrics.
CC (Figs. 1, 2, 3,) are the movable spool supports represented as consisting of
spool-carrying-chains constructed and arranged and operated as in other well-
known looms for weaving tufted fabrics. Only the lower parts of these chains
and their lower shaft C) are represented, these bein sufficient to illustrate the
present improvement. The shaft C is represented as being supported between
centre-screw bearings in brackets A¹ secured to the upper part of the main
framing A. The spool carriages D in which the tuft yarn spools D' are or may
be supported are substantially like those commonly employed in other looms,
being provided with tins t through which the yarns are delivered and they are
supported in the same way in the chains C.
EEE Ee are the spool carriage holders by which the spool carriages D are
taken from the chains and carried down to and held in a position some distance above
that occupied by the warp to present the tuft yarns to the nippers bb', by which
the tuft pieces, after they have been cut from the said yarns, are inserted into the
web. These holders are represented as like those used in some other looms for
weaving tufted fabrics for taking the spool carriages from the chains, that is to
say, they consist of levers E E furnished with clutches e e. The said levers E E
are pivoted at el to the arms E2 of a rock-shaft E', which is supported in suitable
bearings E3 in the loom framing. The oscillations of the rock-shaft E by which
the movement of the said levers up and down to take the spool carriages from the
carrying-chains and return them thereto, are effected by means of a cam E on the
main shaft S of the loom (see Fig. 3) acting upon a lever E which is connected
by a rod E with one of the arms E2 of the said rock-shaft. The lateral move-
ment of the said levers E upon their pivots e' for taking hold of the spool carriages
preparatory to removing them from the carrying-chains and for letting them go
again when they are replaced in the chains, is cffected in part by the action of a
cam F on the main shaft S upon the oscillating cam shaft F1 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 7)
and in part by a spiral spring F2 (see Fig. 7), the said spring exerting a constant
tendency to draw the rear arms of the said levers E towards each other and so
hold the clutches apart, and two cams or arms F3 on the said shaft F' acting against
the inner faces of the rear ends of the said levers at the proper time to draw the
clutches e towards each other for the purpose of taking hold of the carriages.
The said cam Facts upon the oscillating shaft F' through a lever F which works
on a fixed fulcrum f, on the main frame A, the said cam acting on one end of the
said lever and the other end of the latter being connected by a rod F5 with an
arm F on the said oscillating shaft. The cams F³ consist of downwardly projecting
arms or fingers. One of these is shown in section towards the right hand. of

page_text: Fig. 7, in which fig. a part of the shaft F¹ is omitted for the purpose of better
illustrating the action of the cams upon the clutch levers.
The nippers hereinbefore mentioned are attached to a horizontal bar G
which is pivoted between centre-screws as shown at 62 (see Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9) in
the two arms of a swinging frame G which is pivoted as shown at 63 between the
two arms G of a rock-shaft G³ which is pivoted as shown at 4 in brackets
secured to the main framing A. The jaw of each pair of nippers is formed at
one end of an elbow-like member I, the other end of which is rigidly secured to
the bar G as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and more plainly in Figs. 15 to 19. The
other jaw is formed at one end of another elbow-like member I¹ which is pivoted
as shown at 6, to the first named elbow I near the angle thereof. The other ends
of the several elbows I are received in a straight groove formed in the under
side of a bar d which projects over the front edge of the bar G, and which is
capable of sliding backward and forward over the said edge, the said bar d being
confined to the said bar G by a bar d' which is fitted to slide lengthwise of the
bar G and which is itself confined to the said bar by angle guides d² secured to
the said bar G. The longitudinally sliding bar d¹ has provided in it, as shown in
Fig. 9, several oblique slots d³, which receive pins d, which are firmly secured in
and project upward from the bar d. By means of these slots and pins, the longitu-
dinal movement of the bar d' is caused to produce a backward and forward
movement of the bar d, by which the movable jaws or members of the nippers which
are engaged with the groove of the last mentioned bar as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5,
are operated to grasp and release the tuft yarns and tufts.
Besides the opening and closing movements given to their movable members I'b',
the nippers have three other movements, wiz, an upward and downward movement
produced by the movement of the swinging frame G¹ on its pivots 3, a backward and
forward movement produced by the oscillation of the rock-shaft G, the arms G₁ of
which carry the said frame G¹ and a movement produced by the rocking of the
bar G in said frame. The upward movement of the swinging frame G¹is produced
as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 11, by a cam G*, on the main shaft S, acting upon one
end of an elbow lever G which works on a fixed fulcrum g, and the other end of
which is connected by a rod G7, with the swinging frame G, and the downward
movement is produced by the weight of the said frame and its attachments under
the control of the said cam. The movement of the rock-shaft G to produce the
forward movement of the frame G', and nippers is produced as illustrated in Fig. 2
by a cam J, on the main shaft S, acting upon one end of an elbow lever J', which
works on a fixed fulcrum j, and the other end of which is connected by a rod j¹ with
an arm of the rock-shaft G. The return movement of the rock-shaft G and
frame Gis produced by a spring 3 which connects the elbow lever with the
framing A. The rocking of the bar G in the frame is produced in a manner
which will be hereinafter explained in part by the upward and forward movement
of the swinging frame G₁ and in part by a spring g', which connects the said bar
with the said frame as shown in Figs. 2 and 9.
For the purpose of providing for the longitudinal movement of the bar d¹, by
which the nippers are opened and closed as herein before explained, the said bar is
connected at one end as shown in Figs. 6, 9, 18, 19, by a slot and pin connection d³
with the curved end of a lever de which works on a fulcrum pin d7 carried by one
of the side arms of the rocking frame G. The other end of the said lever is
furnished with a pin or projection d8 (see Fig. 6) which enters a circumferential
groove in a collar d, (see Figs. 1, 6 and 9) which slides upon one of the pivot-
gudgeons of the swinging frame G³. The said groove in the collar d also receives
the upper end of a lever 10 (see Figs. 1, 3 and 6) which works on a fixed fulcrum d",
in a bracket d secured on the framing A.. The lower end of this lever d10 is held
by a spring d* (Fig. 1) in contact with a cam d¹³ which is represented in
Figs. 1 and 3 as consisting of an interrupted concentric circular flange on one side
of the cam E* herein before mentioned. This flange has a uniform lateral projection
except that it terminates with inclines on both sides of its interruption 20. It

page_text: operates on the lever d, in a direction to keep the nippers closed and the spring
operates to open them and keep them open while the interruption 20, of the cam is
passing by the lower end of the said lever.
Land L' L' (see Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 8) are the cutters consisting of shear blades of
which the front one L, of a length not less than the whole width of the fabric to be
woven, is represented as straight and firmly secured to a bar or stock L2, the ends
of which are fitted to slide in stationary ways in brackets L3 secured to the loom
framing, the said ways having a downward and forward inclination. The rear
cutters L' of which there are two, are each of a length at least equal to half the
width of the web. They are carried by arms L*, which are pivoted at 71 to
the cutter-bar 12, one near each end thereof. The cutter-bar L2 is connected with
the stationary brackets by springs 11, which tend to pull it backward, and the
said bar is furnished as shown in Fig. 8, with hooks 12, to engage with hooks 13 on
the front ends of two three-armed levers L which are pivoted at 21, to the
brackets L³, for the purpose of locking the said bar to the said brackets and holding.
it stationary during the cutting operation. This operation is effected by the swing-
ing movement of the cutters L, produced by a cam L, on the main shaft S, the
said cam operating on one end of an elbow lever L, (Figs. 2 and 8) which works on
a fixed fulcrum 14, on the loom framing and the upper end of which is connected by
a rod with one arm 16 of a rock-shaft I, which is supported in bearings 1' in the
main framing, two other arms 18 of the said rock-shaft being connected by rods 1°
with the cutter arms L*. The backward or opening movement of the cutters L'is
produced by a spring 110 (see Figs. 1 and 2) of greater strength than l¹ connecting
the arm of the rock-shaft L', with a fixed point on the loom framing. The
hooks 13 of the three-armed levers L' are connected with the brackets L3 by
springs for pulling them at the proper time into engagement with the hooks 12 on
the cutter-bar L. The laterally projecting arms of the said levers L' are furnished
with pins or projections to come in contact with the backs of the cutter-arms L*,
and opposite the rear arms of the said levers adjustable stop screws 11 are provided
on the brackets L³.
At all times except during the act of cutting, the shears or cutters remain open
as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 8, the cutter L being far enough forward for the tins t to
pass behind them, as may be understood by reference to Fig. 4, when the spool
carriages are carried down towards the nippers to present the yarns to the latter.
The cutters are so held open by the action of the spring, through the rock-
shaft L and its connections which are caused to exert a backward pull against the
cutter arms L*. The said arms then constitute levers to which the pins or pro-
jections 12 on the lever I are fulcrums, the said levers then being held stationary
against the stop screws 14 by the pressure of the arms L*, against the said fulcrum
projections 12 The leverage thus exerted by the arms L* serves to push the
cutter L forward at the same time that the cutters L' are held back. The
pressure
of the arms L*, against the three-armed levers L' also holds the hooks 13, of the
said levers out of engagement with the hooks 12 on the cutter bar L². When at the
proper stage of the rotation of the shaft for the operation of the cutters, the offset
portion of the cam L', comes into operation on the lever L, and the arms 18 of the
rock-shaft are caused to push forward the cutter-arms L* away from the three-armed
levers L, the springs are allowed to pull back the cutter-bar L, until the hooks (2
of the said levers engage with the hooks on the said bar and so lock the said bar to
the stationary brackets L³ in a position for the tuft yarns which are presented
between the edges of the cutters Land L' to be cut off by the continued forward
movement of the cutters L' produced by the action of the cam L as herein before
explained. After the off-set part of the said cam L' has passed by the elbow
lever L, the spring 10 again comes into action on the arm 16 and through it on the
rock-shaft L, the arms 18, of which then pull back the cutter-arms L*, against
the projections (12 of the levers L', and so disengage the hooks 13 of the said levers
from the hooks 12 of the cutter-bar. The several parts of the cutting mechanism
are then caused by the continued action of the spring 10 to resume the positions

page_text: hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 8 and fully illustrated
in Fig. 8.
M, (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16 & 17) is what we term an auxiliary reed which we
employ for the purposes of drawing the tuft-binding shots of weft into their places
while the nippers remain stationary and holding the said shots in place not only
while the nippers are raised to carry or turn back through the warp, behind the said
shots, the ends of the tuft-pieces which had been depressed through the warp, but
also while a second shot of weft is inserted behind the turned-back ends and is beaten
up by the ordinary or principal reed. This auxiliary reed has its dents open at
their bottoms, giving it the form of a rake head which is carried by the arms m m of
a rock-shaft M which is pivoted at m' m' in the arms m³ m³ of a rock-shaft M²,
which is pivoted at m m in brackets M³, secured to the breast beam. The said
rock-shaft M has another arm m³, in which is fulcrumed at m (see Figs. 1 and 2)
an elbow lever M. One arm of this elbow lever is connected by a rod m with an
arm m³ of the rock-shaft M', and the other arm of said elbow lever is connected by
a rod m³ with the upper end of a lever M, which works on a fixed fulcrum mio
secured on the loom framing and which carries an anti-friction roller m", which runs
on the periphery of a cam M, on the main shaft S. The connection of the rod m³
with the elbow lever M4 has no lost motion but the said rod m³ has a connection also
with the arm m³ of the rock-shaft M², by means of a slot and pin m2, as shown in
Fig. 2, which provides for a certain amount of lost motion between the said rod and
the said arm. The cam M acts through the said lever M' and connections first to
depress the auxiliary reed M, through the warp behind a shot of filling which has
been put in and afterwards to draw forward the said reed to make it beat up the
said shot towards the fell. The depression of the reed M is produced by the action
of the rod m³, without any lost motion, on the elbow lever M', as will be readily
understood by reference to Fig. 2, and the drawing forward of the reed is afterwards
produced by the continued movement of the said rod after the lost motion in the
slot and pin connection m12, has taken place. This auxiliary reed holding on to the
binding shot prevents it from springing back in the shed as it has been heretofore
apt to do when only a single reed has been used, as the dents of the said auxiliary
reed operating from above the warp and entering the latter above the nippers as
shown in Fig. 16, will not interfere with the nippers while they are in their lowest
position represented in Figs. 3 and 16. The auxiliary reed also assists materially
in keeping the body of the weft up to its place by holding the tuft shot in place
until the next shot is beaten up.
PQ are two needles which are both shown in Figs. 14 and 24, for carrying the
weft thread through the warp, the said needles being arranged to enter the shed
from opposite sides of the warp. The needle P, which is also shown in
Figs. 1, 16, 17, 34, 3*, 84, 8*, 94 and 10A, is of peculiar forked construction as
hereinafter described for taking the weft thread supplied, as is common in needle
looms, from a bobbin or spool (not shown) on one side of the loom and carrying it
in the form of a loop a part of the way through the shed. The needle Q is hooked
to take the looped weft thread from the forked needle P and draw the said thread
the remainder of the distance through the warp.
The butt of the forked needle P is firmly secured to a reciprocating carriage P¹,
like that employed in many other needle looms, running on a stationary horizontal
slide P2, which is carried by a bracket P³, (Figs. 1, 14 and 24) secured to the
framing A on one side of the loom. The hooked needle Q, which will be seen in
Figs. 1 and 24, to have the character of a lever, is fulcrumed by a pin 7, to a
reciprocating carriage Q', which is fitted to a horizontal slide Q, supported by
a bracket Q3, which is bolted to the framing of the loom on the opposite side to that
on which the slide P2 is arranged. The slides P2 and Q2 are substantially in line
with each other. The needles P Q are represented as each long enough to pass a
little more than half way through the warp from opposite sides thereof. The needle
carriages PQ are connected respectively by short rods p and q with the long
lever arms PQ, of two fulcrum shafts PQ, which are supported in brackets P Q²,

page_text: on opposite sides of the loom framing. Shorter lever arms P7 Q7 of these fulcrum
shafts P³ Q are connected respectively by rods p² 2, with the arms p³ ³ of a hori-
zontal rock-shaft 1'; which is arranged parallel with the direction of the warp and
supported in bearings in standards 18. The rocking motion of the rock-shaft
and its arms 33 produces, through the rods p² q², the movement of the levers PP²
and QQ, thereby running the needle carriages P1 and Q along the slides P² Q2.
The rocking motion aforesaid is imparted to the said shaft p and arms 33, partly
by a cam 10 on the main shaft S of the loom (see Fig. 3A) and partly by a spiral
spring P*, (see Fig. 1A). The said cam 110 acts upon a lever P, one end of which
works on a fixed fulcrum p, supported in the loom framing, and the other end of
which is connected by a chain q', with the army, the said chain working on a
downward prolongation of the said arm 43, in sector form as shown at 7 in Fig. 14.
The spring P, is connected at a fixed point with the loom framing and at the
other end with a projection on the arm 3 of the rock-shaft P. The said spring
acts to turn the rock-shaft in the direction of the arrow shown near it in Fig. 1ª for
the purpose of driving the two needles into the warp and the cam po serves to
turn the said rock-shaft in the opposite direction for withdrawing the two
needles.
The forked needle P is represented as of tubular construction throughout its
whole length. This is desirable for the sake of lightness, and though it might be
solid for the greater portion of its length, it is necessary that the operative end
should be hollow or of skeleton form as shown in Figs. 8A, 9 and 104. The said
end has in it a narrow longitudinal vertical slot 21, (see Figs. 94 and 10A) which is
open on both sides for the passage of the thread 25 through it, the upper portion of
the said slot extending as shown in Fig. 9A, further back than the corresponding
lower portion shown in Fig. 10ª. The portion of this end at the back of the vertical
slot 21, is prolonged, as shown at 22, beyond the portion in front thereof and the
portion in front of the said slot is slotted longitudinally and horizontally, as shown
at 23, the portion at the back of said slot 21, having no slot. Across the interior
of the upper part of the first slot 21, there is secured in the needle a pin 24, forming
a bridge opposite the back of the lower part of the said slot 21. The second
slot 23, in the front part of the needle is wide enough for the entry of the hook of
the needle Q, shown in dotted outline in Fig. 104 to take the weft thread 25.
This
thread which as herein before mentioned, comes from a spool occupying a fixed
position outside of the loom framing as is common in needle looms, passes through
the needle P or the hollow point thereof over the bridge 24, and, during the inward
movement of the needle, down through the lower part of the slot 21, as shown in
Fig. 8A, the head of the loop, formed between the bridge 24, and the bottom of the
slot 21, extending across the slot 23, as shown in Figs. 344 and 84, so that the hook
of the needle entering the latter slot as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 10ª,
cannot fail to seize it.
The hooked needle Q has its hook 26, on its back as shown in Figs. 2 and 4*.
This hook must be broad enough, that is to say, thick enough in a vertical direction
to give considerable spread to the loop of the weft thread 25, as shown in Fig. 5ª,
but beyond the hook the said needle has a thin point 27, as shown in Fig. 5A.
Besides the longitudinal movement hereinbefore described by which the hook of the
needle Q is caused to enter into the hollow point of the needle P, to take the loop
of the weft thread from the latter and complete the carrying of the said thread
through the warp, the said needle Q is required to have a lateral oscillating or
backward and forward movement on the pivot q, for the purpose of delivering the
said loop over the selvedge thread shuttle R, which will be presently described.
While the said needle Qis moving longitudinally into and out from the warp, the
said needle is held substantially in line with the needle P' by means of a spring 98,
(see Fig. 24) against a stop 9', secured upon the needle carriage Q¹. When the
needle has pulled the weft completely through the warp, its forward movement
on the pivot y, for the purpose of passing the loop of the said thread over the
shuttle and casting it off is produced by means of a cam Q8, on the main shaft. S

page_text: acting through an elbow lever Q, which works on a fixed fulcrum 28, (see Fig. 34)
the said lever being connected by a rod 28*, with the lower arm 29, of an upright
oscillating shaft 30, the upper arm 31 of which carries an upright pin 32, which
moves forward against the needle Q. The said arm 31 is pulled backward again
by means of a spring Q, connecting the elbow lever Q with a fixed point in the
loom framing.
The selvedge thread shuttle R is represented in Figs. 4ª, 6ª and 7ª as consisting
simply of two cheek plates united at one end to form the nose r, and having pivoted
within them the selvedge-thread bobbin . The said shuttle is placed in a shuttle-
holder R R2 (see Figs. 1A, 2A, 3A, 44, 6A, 74) which is situated on the same side of
the loom as the needle Q, and near the line in which the selvedge of the web
travels. The lower part R¹ of this holder, which is represented as secured to a
projection *, on one of the brackets B* which supports the web-plate B', con-
stitutes a stationary bed or support for the shuttle. The upper part R² is simply a
cover hinged to the front of Rat 2, and having applied to it a spring, which
presses it down with just force enough to hold the shuttle between the slightly
concave opposite faces of R1 R2, and prevent its lateral movement. The nose of
the shuttle is presented in a rearward direction, and the mouth of the shuttle
holder at which the nose of the shuttle is presented has its lips flaring as
shown in Fig. 6A, to facilitate the entry of the loops of the weft thread between the
shuttle holder and shuttle.
.
In order to facilitate the passage of the loop of the weft between the shuttle and
shuttle-holder after their entry into the latter, and particularly to relieve the lower
part of the loop as much as possible of the weight of the shuttle which should be
capable of containing the largest practicable quantity of thread, we employ in rear
of the shuttle and shuttle-holder a lifter R³ (see Figs. 44, 54, 64, 7A) which consists
of an arm or lever pivoted at a suitable fixed point, represented as on a bracket R4,
secured to the fixed bottom R¹ of the shuttle-folder. The head of this arm is made
as shown in Figs. 64 and 7ª, with a cavity 33, to receive the nose r, of the shuttle.
Above the said cavity 33, in the said head is a wedge surface which acts, as
shown in Fig. 74, on the lip of the shuttle-holder cover R² to lift the said cover.
The lower entrance of the cavity 33, is also beveled as shown at 78, to act with a
wedge-like or cam-like action on the under part of the nose of the shuttle to lift
or tip the latter up from the shuttle support or bed R. This operation of the
lifting arm is produced by means of a spring, attached to the bracket R' and
pressing against the said arm. The throwing back of the said arm after the
operation, to the position shown in Fig. 6A, is produced by an upright pin or
projection 34, on the arm 31, of the rock-shaft 30, hereinbefore described, acting
against a lateral projection 35, on the arm R³.
For the purpose of casting off the loop of the weft thread from the hook 27, of
the needle Q, after the latter, by a movement from the position shown in bold
outline in Fig. 44, to that shown in dotted outline in the same Fig., has carried the
said loop over the shuttle, we provide what we term a cast-off T, the construction
of which is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 7*, and the stationary position of which
in front of the said needle and outside of the shuttle-holders is shown in Fig. 2.
This cast-off consists of a double fork of which the prongs 36, 36, furthest from the
shuttle-holder are substantially parallel with the selvedge line as shown in Fig. 4*,
are also parallel with each other as shown in Figs. 5 and 7*, and wide enough apart
through their whole length to permit the passage of the shaft or stem of the needle
to work between and be steadied by them, but the two prongs 37, 37, nearest the
shuttle-holder which have their points inclined backward towards the shuttle and
their rear edges oblique to the selvedge line as shown in Fig. 4, while wide enough
apart throughout the greater portion of their length to allow the passage of the
shaft or stem and the hook of the needle Q, between them, have their points so
contracted towards each other as shown in Figs. 54 and 7*, as to leave only sufficient
space between them for the passage of the thin point 27 of the needle which projects
beyond the said hook. The points of the prongs 37, 37, being thus contracted and

page_text: the point of the needle being thus reduced in thickness, when the needle moves
forward from the position shown in bold outline to that shown in dotted outline in
Fig. 44, there is plenty of space between the needle and the loop 25*, (see Fig. 5)
of the selvedge thread for the loop to be carried by the hook over the said points
and thereby extended in width. The continued movement of the needle towards
the dotted position draws the loop against the inclined outer edges of the prongs 37,
whereby the loop is detained while the completion of the said movement of the
needle takes it completely out of the loop. The loop being then no longer held
against the prongs 37, the said prongs owing to their inclination will no longer
detain it but leave it free to be drawn up tight in any way in which the loops of the
weft are commonly drawn up to the selvedge in needle looms, as by the action of the
inserting needle P.
In order that when two needles PQ have been withdrawn from the weft and
the hooked needle has pulled the loop of the weft thread as far beyond the
selvedge as is necessary, the latter needle may have its return movement
postponed long enough for its movement just above described to take place, and
in order that the said postponement might be effected while the needle P con-
tinues its outward movement by which the loop drawn up to the selvedge, the
arms p³ ³ of the rock-shaft are so arranged that the connection between the said
arm and its rod q2, in completing the movement in the direction of the arrow
shown in Fig. 1A, by which the outward movement of the needle Q is effected,
passes by a line drawn transversely and horizontally through the rock-shaft p,
but the arm p³ of the said rock-shaft is so arranged that it never passes such a
line. This may be understood by reference to Figs. 1A and 1*, in the latter of
which the said arms are shown in the position in which they have, by a move-
ment in the direction of the arrow shown in that Fig., brought both needles
to the end of their inward strokes, while in the former Fig. the said arms are
shown with the needles at the end of their outward strokes. It will be obvious
on comparing these Figs. and particularly on reference to Fig. 1A, that while
the arm 3, has been completing its stroke in the direction of the arrow shown
on it in the last mentioned Fig. there has been a scarcely perceptible movement
of the rod q2 and needle Q, while during the corresponding movement of the
arm p³, there has been a considerable movement of the rod p² and needle P.
s (Figs. 1, 14, 2, 24, 34, 344 and 3*,) is what we term the weft-finger which serves
several purposes.
Before explaining its construction and operation we will explain
that, in order to allow the auxiliary reed and tuft-nippers to operate properly, it is
necessary that the open-top reed a, hereinbefore mentioned carried by the lay
should have very short dents which will project only very little above the warp
when the reed is in its most forward position as, if the dents were long, they would
interfere with the nippers while the latter are holding the tufts for the second
shots of weft to be beaten up. Now as the dents of such a reed must be very low
in the shed when the reed is in its backward position and as the weft-thread 25 at
the instant when the needle is withdrawn from the shed, is (as shown in Fig. 3*) a
considerable distance back from the felle, on that side of the loom from which the
needle operates and is also held up by the needle near the upper part of the shed,
it is necessary, especially for those shots of weft upon which the auxiliary reed does
not operate, to have some means for bringing the weft forward in the shed and also
downward to bring it within reach of the dents of the reed, and the weft-finger s
constitutes such a means. This finger is a thin flat piece of metal arranged close
outside of the line of the selvedge on that side of the loom at which the needle
enters and leaves the warp. It is pivoted as shown at s¹ in Figs. 1, 14, 2, 24 and 3*,
to a small bracket s2, which is fastened to one of the brackets B*, which carry the
web-supporting plate B¹. The operative movement of the said finger is downward
and forward parallel with the selvedge and is represented as produced through a
lever U, (see Figs. 1, 14 and 3*) working on a fixed fulcrum u, one end of the said
lever being connected by a pin u¹ and rod u², with the weft finger and the other end
B

page_text: being arranged to be acted upon every time the needle P is withdrawn from the warp,
by a projection u³, (see Figs. 1 and 1^) on the lever arm P4 which produces the
movement of the needle carriage P1. This weft-finger s first depresses the weft-
thread to the bottom part of the shed and afterwards carries it forward close or
near the fell where it is within reach of the reed a, so that all the latter
has to do is to beat up the weft after it has been brought up to the fell.
Other purposes served by the said weft-finger are that of taking up any slack of
the weft-thread which may not have been taken up by the outward movement of the
needle and that of leading the said thread into the lower fork or lower part of the
slot 21, of the needle P. These last mentioned operations are illustrated in Fig. 3^^,
where the weft thread 25, is shown in dotted outline in the nearly straight position
it assumes when the needle is drawn out of the warp 38, and in full outline in the
position to which it is depressed by the said finger and thereby led into the said
fork. The weft-fingers is shown in this Fig. in dotted outline in the position it
occupies when not in operation and in bold outline as having depressed the weft-
thread as above mentioned so that when the needle again moves forward, the said
thread may be looped across the slot or fork 23, of the needle as shown in Fig. 8A.
Although the thread is moved forward in the shed by the continued movement of
the finger, and although the finger is raised again before the needle is again
inserted the slack left in that part of the thread outside of the selvedge after the
rising of the finger permits the thread to be looped by the needle as the latter
moves forward. The return movement of the weft-finger is produced by a spring u¹
which connects it with the needle carriage slide P¹.
Having now described the separate operations of those parts of the loom to which
our invention relates, we will now briefly describe in proper order their operations
in weaving.
We will first suppose a spool-carriage to have been taken from the chains and to
have been brought down towards the nippers and the nippers to have ascended with
their jaws open to a position to receive the ends of the tuft yarns t', as shown in
Figs. 4 and 15. The nippers are then closed to take hold of the yarns and the
spool carriage is lifted far enough to cause the pulling from the spool of a proper
length of yarn to form the tufts, and while the nippers and spool carriage remain
stationary the cutters operate to cut off the tuft-pieces. The nippers then descend,
as shown in Fig. 16, taking with them entirely through the warp very near the fell,
one end of each of the tuft-pieces. A shot of weft is then inserted by the needles
into the warp above the nippers and behind the inserted portions of the weft-pieces.
The auxiliary reed or comb M then draws up the said shot of weft to its place
against the tuft pieces, while the nippers remain stationary below the warp, and
afterwards holds the said shot there while the nippers are raised to turn and carry
back through the warp (as shown in Fig. 17) the tuft ends which they still hold and
while another shot of weft is put in behind the so turned-back ends and also while
the last mentioned shot is beaten up by the principal reed a. The nippers are then
opened to release the tuft, and they go up again to take a fresh supply of yarn.
After the second shot of filling has been beaten up the shed may be changed and a
third shot of filling put in before again changing the shed preparatory to the
repetition of the above described operations of inserting the tufts.
In the hereinabove described operation the carrying back of the nippers through
the warp from the position shown in Fig. 16 to that shown in Fig. 17, is produced
by the upward and forward movement of the nipper bar G with the carriage G¹.
It is necessary that this movement should be sufficient to take the elbows and back
parts of the nippers high enough for the needle P to pass under them while the tips
of the nippers retaining the tuft-pieces, should move a very little way.
It is to
provide for this difference of movement between the elbow or back parts and tips
of the nippers that the nipper-bar G is pivoted to rock in the frame G¹ under the
control of the spring g¹, as herein before described, and the frame G₁ is pivoted in
the arms of the rock-shaft G, the said spring allowing the tips of the nippers to be

page_text: held down by the continued grasp of the tufts until the nippers are opened to let
go of them.
One important advantage of our invention consists in that the nippers while
their jaws are holding the tufts in position and the parts which carry them and give
them their opening and closing movements are entirely above the warp, their
central portions are below the upper part of the shed (as shown in Fig. 16) so that
a shot of weft may be put in by a needle and beaten up to its place at the fell while
they (the nippers) remain stationary and prevent any derangement of the tufts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination with the tuft yarn spools and their carriages and movable
supports for said carriages, and spool carriage holders for taking the said carriages
from said supports and replacing them therein, of nippers for taking the tuft yarn
from said spools, cutters for cutting off the yarn from said spools in pieces to form
tufts, mechanism for moving said nippers towards said spool carriage holders to
receive the yarns from the spools therein, mechanism for drawing back the spool
carriage holders from said nippers to draw off the yarn from the spools, and
mechanism for operating said cutters after the drawing off of the yarn by the
movement of the spool carriage holder, substantially as described.
2. The combination with nippers for the insertion into the warp of one end of
each of a series of tuft pieces and returning the said ends through the warp, and a
weft-carrying needle, of a reed having its dents open at the bottom and arranged to
enter the warp from above for the purpose of drawing up one shot of weft-thread
to the fell after its insertion into the warp behind the tuft-pieces and holding said
shot while the said ends are returned and while a second shot of filling is inserted,
and mechanism for operating the said reed, the said nippers and said weft carrying
needle, substantially as herein described.
3. The combination with nippers for inserting into the warp one end of a series
of tuft-pieces and returning the said ends through the warp, of a bar which carries
the said nippers, a frame in which said bar is capable of rocking and which is itself
capable of swinging upward and downward, and also backward and forward, and
mechanism for producing the said rocking movement of said bar and the said
swinging movement and said backward and forward movements of said frame,
substantially as herein described.
4. The combination of the nipper-carrying-bar G and attached nippers, of the
swinging frame G¹ in which said bar is pivoted, the rock-shaft G³ having fixed
bearings and provided with arms in which the said swinging frame is pivoted, and
mechanism for producing the upward and downward movement of said swinging
frame and the oscillation of said rock-shaft, substantially as herein described.
5. The combination with a nipper-carrying bar, of tuft nippers consisting each of
two elbows which are pivoted together at their angles, and each of which has a jaw
at one end, and one of which is secured rigidly to said bar at its other end,
substantially as herein described.
6. The combination with the nipper-carrying bar G and the elbow-shaped nippers
one member of each of which is attached rigidly at one end to said bar, of the
backwardly and forwardly sliding bar d with which the corresponding end of the
other member engages for producing the opening and closing movement, the longi-
tudinally sliding bar d' engaging with said bar d by pins and oblique surfaces in
one and the other and mechanism for producing the longitudinal movement of said
bar d¹, substantially as herein described.
7. The combination of the cutter-stock L2 provided with hooks 12, the cutter L
secured fixedly in said stock, the fixed guides L³ for said stock, the cutter arms L*
and attached cutters L' pivoted to said stock, the levers L4 having fixed fulcrums 21,
and provided with projections 112 to be acted upon by the cutter arms L* and with

page_text: hooks to engage with the hooks 12, the spring for drawing back the stock L²,
the stops for the said levers and mechanism for giving movement to the cutter
arms L, all substantially as herein described and for the purposes herein set forth.
8. The combination of a hooked needle for pulling the looped weft-thread through
the warp, a carriage for said needle with which the latter is capable of moving
lengthwise and to which it is pivoted to oscillate laterally, means for giving the said
carriage a reciprocating motion to produce the lengthwise movement of the needle,
means of producing the pivotal oscillating movement of the needle, and a selvedge
thread shuttle over which the loops of the weft are caused to pass by the pivotal
oscillation of the needle, all substantially as herein set forth.
9. The combination with a needle for carrying a weft thread, a selvedge thread
shuttle, a shuttle-holder consisting of a support and a cap or cover, of a lifter
engaging with said cap or cover to remove its pressure from the shuttle during the
passage of the loops of the selvedge thread over the shuttle, substantially as and
for the purpose herein described.
10. The combination of a needle for carrying a weft-thread, a selvedge thread
shuttle and a shuttle-holder consisting of a support and a cap or cover, of a lifter
engaging separately with said shuttle and said cap or cover to remove the pressure
of the latter from the shuttle and tip up or lift the shuttle from its support for the
purpose of allowing the free passage of the loops of the selvedge-thread between
the shuttle and the support and cover of the holder, substantially as herein set
forth.
11. The combination substantially as herein described of a forked needle on one
side of the loom and a reciprocating carriage for the same for carrying a weft
thread, a hooked needle on the other side of the loom for taking the said thread
from the forked needle, a reciprocating carriage for said hooked needle to which the
said needle is pivotally connected, a selvedge-thread shuttle on the same side of the
loom with the hooked needle and means substantially as described of giving
the hooked needle an oscillating motion on its carriage to pass the loop of the
selvedge thread over the shuttle and means substantially as described of producing
the reciprocating movements of the said needles whereby the said movement of the
hooked needle is nearly suspended during its oscillating movement.
12. The combination with the selvedge-carrying shuttle of the hooked needle
having its point 27, projecting beyond and thinner than its hook 26, of the
stationary cast-off fork having its prong 37, obliquely arranged relatively to the
selvedge line and having the space between said prongs wide enough throughout a
part of their length for the passage of the hook but having their ends constructed
to leave a space between them only large enough for the point 27, substantially as
and for the purpose herein set forth.
13. A weft-inserting needle for a loom having in its point or end a longitudinal
slot 21, which is open on both sides, having a prolonged point 22 on one side of said
slot, having a second longitudinal slot 23, at right angles to the slot first mentioned
but open on one side only and having a bridge 24, across the first mentioned slot,
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
14. The combination with a forked weft-inserting needle, of a weft finger
arranged on that side of the loom at which said needle enters the warp and capable
of a movement in a plane parallel with the selvedge for the purposes of taking up
the slack of the weft and leading the weft into the fork of said needle and mechanism
for producing the movements of the needle and weft-finger, all substantially as
herein set forth.
15. The combination with the tufting nippers, the open-topped reed and a weft-
inserting needle; of a weft-finger pivoted at a fixed point on that side of the loom
from which said needle enters and capable of a forward movement for pushing the
weft-thread forward in the warp and means for operating said nippers, needle and
weft-finger, all substantially as herein set forth.
16. The combination with the needle P and its carriage and the arm P* which

page_text: operates the said carriage, of the weft-finger s pivoted at one side of the loom, the
lever U having a fixed fulcrum u and connected at one end with said finger and the
projection u³ provided on said lever arm P' to operate upon said lever U and through
it on the weft-finger s, substantially as herein set forth.
u3
Dated this 31st day of March 1891.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.