CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1841

page_text: WHITWORTH AND BOOTHS SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
WHITWORTH, of Bury, in the County of Lancaster, "Manufacturer, and HUGH
BOOTH, of the same Place, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent under, the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-first day of October, One thousand eight hundred. and
forty-one, in the fifth year, of .Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said James Whitworth. and. Hugh
Booth, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we,
the said James Whitworth and Hugh Booth, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as we, the said James Whitworth and Hugh
Booth, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree:
with, and no other, from time to time and at all times during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed;
our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the said James Whitworth
and Hugh Booth, shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at. large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
James Whitworth and Hugh Booth, do hereby declare that the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is
particularly described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed,
and the following explanation thereto (that is to say):-
Our improvements in looms for weaving consist in the novel construction
and arrangement, or in certain combinations of mechanism or apparatus to be
attached or applied to ordinary power looms, for the purpose of effecting the
required shedding of the healds or shafts, for working or forming the figure,
patern, or device upon the cloth produced without the aid or employment of
the jacquard, or any similar figuring apparatus; which said improvements are
equally applicable and useful for weaving or producing any description of
plain or twilled goods, but most particularly to figure or fancy looms.
In order that our improvements may be more perfectly explained, and the
novel arrangement of machinery illustrated in detail, we have attached to these
Presents a Sheet of Drawings, containing such views of the apparatus, and its
mode of application to looms in general, as will be sufficiently explicit to those
acquainted with the construction of looms.
The improved mechanism represented in the Drawing is distinguished by
the parts being colored, and the loom to which it is applied in outline only
being an ordinary fustian or calico loom; but it will be evident to the practical
weaver that the improved mechanism is equally applicable to looms in general.
Similar letters of reference will be found upon corresponding parts of the
mechanism in all the Figures.
Figure 1 represents a back view or elevation of a common power loom,
with our improvements attached; Figure 2, a side or end elevation of the
same; and Figure 3, an enlarged sectional representation of our improved
apparatus detached.
In Figures 1 and 2, a, a, a, a, represents the side and
cross framing of the loom, which supports the warp beam b, b, from whence the
warp threads pass over the guide or tension roller c, through the healds or
shafts d, d, over the breast beam e, and around the work or cloth beam fif
also supported in the framing a, a. g,g, is the vibrating lathe or slay carrying
the reed, for the purpose of beating up the cloth, which is actuated by the
crank shaft h and driving pulley i, as usual; the harness or healds being sus-
pended from the top jacks k, k, above, and also connected to the bottom jacks
or treadles 1, 1, below.
Our improved mechanism or apparatus for working or shedding the healds
in order to produce the pattern upon the cloth, is mounted in the framing m,m
and attached by bolts to the loom side a, a, and motion is given to the mecha

page_text: nism by means of the crank or excentric n, keyed upon the end of the ordinary
crank shaft. A connecting rod o extends from the crank n to a vibrating
lever p, p, one end of which is jointed to a fulcrum pin. This lever p passes
through a mortice in a vibrating frame q, q, and thus, as the crank revolves,
this frame is thrown back and pulled forwards alternately, as shewn in red
lines. Upon one end of the crank r, (which is the centre or fulcrum on which
the frame a vibrates being fixed fast upon it, and the shaft turning in bearings
at each end,) is a ratchet or draw catch s taking into a ratchet wheel t, keyed
upon the shaft u, which acts as a drum or pulley, over which the tappet chain v
is extended, also passing round the lower drum w. This tappet chain is already
well understood, and is not considered new in its construction, as it may be
made as an ordinary "wizard" figuring apparatus.
9
The practical weaver will be aware that the pins, pegs, or projecting pieces
for working the pattern are to be properly disposed or "read" on " to this chain,
and the pins, pegs, or projecting pieces are moveable in the cross rails or bars,
in order to alter the pattern as required. Now, as the shaft u is turned at every
revolution of the crank shaft, a fresh set of pins or pegs will be brought into
action, that is, pass over the top of the shaft or drum u; a series of bent
levers (see detached Figure 3), divided by a grate y, are placed in the lower
part of the framing m, one end swivelling upon the fulcrum z, the other being
loosely jointed to a series of upright levers 1, the upper ends of which are also
confined and divided by a grate 2, attached to the vibrating frame q. Upon
one side of each of these levers 1 is cast a small double inclined plane 3,
which, as the frame with the levers 1 vibrate at every revolution of the crank
shaft, act above and below the inclined planes 4, formed upon the series of cross
levers 5, 5, also vibrating upon their central fulcrum 6, and thus shed or
divide these levers 5 at every beat or stroke, according as the tappet or figuring
chain raises the levers x, as required to work the pattern; the levers 5, 5,
being brought again into a line at every returning stroke by means of the
adjusting bars 7, 7, attached to the vibrating frame q. To the other end of the
cross levers 5, 5, wires or strings 8, 8, are attached, which are also attached to
the top and bottom jacks or treadles connected to the shafts, healds, or
harness. Thus, it will be perfectly evident to the practical weaver that a great
variety of shedding the warps may be performed, and consequently extent of
pattern effected, before "renewing the round" or recommencing the figure,
dependant of course upon the length of the pattern chain and the number of
shafts or healds, and their actuating levers x, x, i, i, and 5, 5.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be distinctly

page_text: understood that we claim" as our Invention the peculiar combination and
arrangement of inmechanism or apparatus to be attached to or employed in
looms for weaving, as exhibited in the colored parts of the Drawings attached,
and herein particularly set forth; especially the combination of the levers and
framing a,, 1, 1, "and 5, 5, and q, q, whether the said levers are wrought or
actuated by the tappet chain v; v, or any other suitable apparatus.
'In witness whereof, we, the said James Whitworth and Hugh Booth,
have' hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
YT
Inrolled the Twentieth day of April, in the year above.written...