IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of.
16, Castle Street, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS."-A
mination
Sealed the 21st June 1853, and dated the 18th March 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Edouard
Loradoux Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 18th March 1853.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 16, Castle Street,
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS"
to be as follows, viz. :-
This Invention consists in improvements, with a view to the follow-
ing results, viz. :-
First, to increase the speed of the loom without giving such serious
shocks to the mechanism or the threads to be woven as would break or
injure them; and, Second, to improve the quality of the fabric woven.
A

page_text: The highest practical speed heretofore attained is about one hundred
and forty picks per minute; but, by these improvements, about two
hundred picks per minute have been attained with entire success, and
without destruction of the cop, thus very materially reducing the cost
of production of the fabric, and this without increasing the cost of con-
struction of the loom, or the liability of any of its parts to break or
become injured by use.
The improvements are, in part, only applicable to looms for plain
weaving, but most of them may be applied to looms for figured or
fancy weaving.
The first part of this Invention relates to the harness motion.
In opening the shed for the passage of the shuttle, the width of
opening, where the shuttle passes through, requires to be no greater
than is necessary for the shuttle to pass freely, provided that the angle
formed by the front part of the open shed is always the same, and
always occupies, during the flight of the shuttle, the same position in
relation to its path. Any wider opening of the shed produces an
unnecessary and injurious tension on the web.
In order to regulate the width of opening of the shed properly, it is
necessary that the back leaf of the harness have an amount of motion
sufficiently greater than the front leaf to compensate for its greater
distance from the filling point or termination of the angle of the
opening.
Various contrivances have been adopted for regulating the move-
ments of the harness, so as to produce the above effect, but they are,
as far as known to me, all open to objections, either on account of
failing to keep the warp parallel from selvage to selvage with the race
board, or of want of that regularity or steadiness in their motion which
is incompatible with a high speed.
It is proposed to remedy these defects by this part of the Invention,
which consists in mounting the two leaves of the harness upon two
rollers, which the Inventor terms "compensating rollers," whose axes
are placed in suitable bearings, parallel with each other and with the
warp, one above and the other below the latter. To the periphery of

page_text: each of these rollers cach leaf of harness is attached by two straps
and suitable fastenings, the straps connecting the front leaf passing over
both rollers on the front side, and those connecting the back leaf on
the back side. The rotation or oscillation of the rollers upon their
axes in either direction will elevate one leaf of the harness and depress
the other.
Those parts of the periphery of the rollers to which the front leaf of
the harness is attached are made of a diameter less than the parts to
which the back leaf is attached, and the proportion between the two
diameters is such that each will open the shed at the same angle, and
consequently at the same width, at the point where the shuttle passes
through it.
The second part of my Invention relates to the picker-staff motion.
The upper ends of the picker-staffs in the improved loom constitute
the pickers for driving the shuttle; and as for this purpose that point in
the face of the picker which strikes the shuttle must, during its vibra-
tion, traverse along a line parallel with the surface of the raceboard,
the lower end of the staffs to this end are formed with rockers the
curves of which are segments of circles struck from the points of con-
tact with the point of the shuttle. Picker-staffs have been before
formed with rockers; therefore the application of rockers to them is not t
claimed, but the mode of application heretofore adopted was defective.
The rocker was connected with and kept on its bed on the lay by
one or two jointed links or metal straps, jointed at one end to the
rocker itself and at the other to the bed, which necessarily caused the
rocker, at every vibration, to slide on its bed, and thereby to wear its
face untrue, until it ceased to be a perfect rocker. This mode of
connection would not admit of the rapid motions which are attained
by this Invention.
The nature of this part of my Invention consists in confining the
rocker of the picker-staff to the bed on which it rocks, by means of a
strap interposed between the two, and attached at one end to the outer
end of the rocker, and at the other to the inner end of the bed, so that
the tension of the spring which draws back the picker-staff, and the

page_text: resistance of the shuttle, always keep this interposed strap tight, whilst
the rocker is held down to the bed by the tension of the connecting
strap, and the strap from the treadle by which it is operated.
By this
means friction is avoided, and the parts are rendered durable, and admit
of much greater rapidity of motion than was ever before attained.
The third part of my Invention relates also to the picker-staff'
motion.
The staff is made to operate upon the shuttle by means of a treadle
connected by a strap to the inner end of the rocker; but this treadle
ceases to act on the rocker after the shuttle is thrown, and the picker-
staff requires to be drawn back by some other means.
A spring is unquestionably the best and simplest device for drawing
back the staff; but steel springs will not withstand such rapid vibra-
tions as they are subjected to in a loom working at the speed this loom
attains.
.
Wooden springs are not claimed as an invention, but the Inventor
has discovered that wooden springs will resist the most rapid vibrations
induced by percussion, for a long time, without being seriously injured,
and therefore are better adapted for this
purpose.
This part of the Invention consists in the employment, for the pur-
pose of drawing back the picker-staff, of a spring, composed simply of
a strip of ash or other clastic wood, secured at one end to the end of
the race beam or shuttle box, and attached at the other end by a strap
to the lower part of the picker-staff near the rocker.
The arrangement of this spring is such, that it keeps the strap under
the rocker tight, and assists in keeping the rocker down to the bed, and.
its great length prevents its being subject to such deflections as would
injure it. The material of which it is formed renders its cost much
less than a steel spring, which is expensive, and would not work for any
length of time without breaking.
The fourth part of the Invention relates to the method of arresting.
the shuttle when boxing. At the time the shuttle enters the box, it
should meet with a gradual resistance to arrest its momentum, in order
to avoid the shock and its consequences, which otherwise would be pro-

page_text: duced by striking against the picker. This, has heretofore been done
by means of a spring lever, in front of each shuttle box, called the
"binder."
It is important that there should be as little resistance as possible to
the motion of the shuttle at the time of starting; and, with a view to
this object, looms have been constructed with a lever, projecting from
what is called the "protector rod," which is connected with the shuttle
binders; and at the time the shuttle is thrown, this lever is struck by a
pin on one of the connecting rods, by which motion is communicated
from the cranks to the lay, thus elevating the lever so as to remove
the pressure of the springs from the binders at the time the shuttle is
thrown.
This mode, however, is defective, for the reason that the binders
always present the same resistance to the shuttle, from the time it begins
to enter until it has completely entered the shuttle box, and because
it will not admit of very rapid motions, on account of the shocks pro-
duced by the striking of the pin against the lever.
These defects I have avoided, by leaving the shuttle free from the
binders at all times, except when entering the box, and by gradually
increasing the pressure of the binders as the shuttle advances into the
box, until it is entirely arrested.
.
To this end the fourth part of this Invention consists, in forcing the
binders inwards against the shuttle, whilst the latter is entering the box
by means of an arm on a rocker, provided with a spring, which is acted
upon by a pin on one of the connecting rods extending from the cranks
to the lay. In this way the severe shocks heretofore experienced are
avoided, the spring gradually yielding to the action of the pin, and the
pressure on the binders being gradually increased to gradually arrest
the shuttle, by the increasing tension given to the spring by the motion
of the pin.
The fifth part of my Invention relates to the mode of securing the
raw hide to the faces of the picker-staffs. The force and rapidity of
the blow given to the points of the shuttle by the pickers cause small
pieces of the raw hide to break off, which frequently lodge on & are
woven into the cloth, thus injuring the surface of the fabric, and, when

page_text: intended for prints, seriously injuring it, by indenting the surface of the
rollers; and besides, the upper ends of the picker staffs being necessarily
small, it became a serious matter to devise a practical mode of securing
the raw hide to the wooden staffs.
The nature of this part of this Invention consists in letting in and
fitting the raw hide to the face of the picker staff, and securing it
thereto by a leather strap, or its equivalent, which envelopes the two,
thus firmly securing the two together, and at the same time preventing
pieces from breaking and flying off.
The sixth part of this Invention relates to the take-up motion.
Whenever the flight of the shuttle is arrested in the warp, or when the
weft breaks or gives out, and the loom is therefore stopped, even though
the weft may be carried entirely through the warp, an imperfection of
the filling is always observable upon close examination of the fabric,
at that place where the stoppage takes place, the fabric appearing as if
one or more threads of filling had been omitted. In the looms now in
general use, the taking up of the cloth commences at the same time
that the other parts of the loom resume their perfect operation, the
cloth beam receiving motion by means of a ratchet wheel, which
is acted upon by a click receiving motion from some part of the
mechanism. This ratchet wheel is furnished with a dog, to prevent
its being caused to return by the tension or strain of the cloth.
By preventing the operation of the take-up motion becoming effec-
tive until after one, two, or more picks of filling have been put in, the
apparent omission of filling or defect in the fabric above referred to is
compensated for. To this end, this part of this Invention consists in
what the inventor terms a "compensating dog," which is substituted
in place of the dog commonly-used to retain the take-up. This
dog, instead of being hung on a stationary pin or pivot, is so fitted
to a lever which hangs in an inclined position on a stationary ful-
crum that it is capable of sliding a short distance up and down
upon it.
During the time that the operations of the loom are uninterrupted,
it occupies its highest position on the lever, and is held by the teeth of
the ratchet against a stop on the lever, and its operation is the same as

page_text: that of the common dog; but when the filling stop motion acts to throw
the loom out of gear, the stop lever acts upon the lever of the dog,
and throws the dog free of the teeth of the ratchet, when, being un-
supported, it falls to its lowest position on the latter lever. When the
operation of the loom recommences, the dog has to be raised by the
teeth of the ratchet wheel as the latter is moved by the take-up motion,
so as to bring it in contact with the stop on its lever before it is made
effective in retaining the take-up. This contact with the stop may be
caused to take place after one, two, or more picks, as the nature of the
fabric may require. This compensating may also be set free from the
ratchet, and made to operate in a similar manner by the protecting
lever, so as to stop the taking up after the loom is stopped by the action
of the protector.
The seventh part of my Invention relates to the swinging fork of the
filling stop motion.
This fork, and the hook which is attached to it for the purpose of
being caught by the catch lever when the filling thread breaks, are
commonly of steel, forged in one piece.
It happens not unfrequently that one or more of the tines of the
fork are bent or broken by coming accidentally into contact with the
shuttle, when the latter accidentally fails to enter the shuttle box, or flies
off the race board; and generally, in such a case, the fork, and some-
times the slide to which it is attached, requires to be taken from the
loom to be repaired.
The fork can only be repaired by a skilled workman; and even
though a spare one may be at hand by which to replace it in the loom,
the accident involves a loss of time by reason of the temporary stop-
page of the loom, which is unavoidable.
The actual strength required for the fork is but trifling, and as it is
put in motion solely by the frail weft, or filling thread, and has to be
moved once for every pick, it is desirable that it should possess as
little inertia as possible, & meet with but little resistance from the
atmosphere, in order that the thread may be in no danger of being
broken by striking it as rapidly and suddenly as it does when the loom
is in rapid motion.

page_text: It is customary to make the fork and its hook of very much greater
weight than is necessary, so that it may not be broken by the shuttle,
and in consequence of its weight it breaks the filling. In order to
remedy the above defects, the fork has been made with moveable steel
tines, which were fitted to a socket, and could be replaced when broken;
but the use of steel tines does not admit of the fork being made as light
as is desirable, as their weight makes a heavy catch hook necessary,
and the sockets into which they fit must be of considerable strength to
hold them.
The nature of this part of this Invention consists in the employment
of movable tines of split ratan cane, whalebone, light flexible wood, or
any material of a similar nature, placed in a light elastic socket,
attached to the catch hook. These tines are so light that the sockets in
which they fit are made of very thin sheet metal, bent or wrought into
a suitable form, and the catch hook is made of very thin steel plate;
the hook and fork being only one seventh the weight of those in
common use, and presenting only one fifth of the surface to the resist-
ance of the atmosphere. A number of spare tines are kept constantly
on hand; and should those in use be bent or broken, the attendant can
easily straighten or replace them by new ones without stopping the
loom.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, represents a front elevation of a power loom, having all my
improvements applied.
Fig. 2, is a right-hand end elevation of the same.
Fig. 3, is a vertical section of the same taken in the line *,*, of
Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 5, is a diagram intended to illustrate the operation of the harness
motion.
Fig. 6, is a section of one of the pickers.
Fig. 7, is a perspective view of the fork and hook of the filling stop
half size.
Fig. 8, is a side view of the same, with the socket in section.
Fig. 9, is a plan of the same.

page_text: Fig. 10 exhibits the compensating dog and its lever, detached from
the loom, the dog being shewn in section.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of
the several Figures.
A, represents the frame of the loom; and B, the driving shaft which
communicates motion to the crank or lay shaft C, by toothed wheels,
D, D. On the end of the driving shaft there is a loose pulley E, which
receives the belt from some prime mover. On the hub of this pulley,
there is a collar F, (which turns freely between shoulders,) provided
with a pin which passes through a hole in a lever G, which turns on
a fulcrum pin a; the end of this lever being passed through a mortice
in the spring shipper H, so that by the motion of the shipper, the loose
pulley is made to slide on its shaft.
By the side of the loose pulley there is a disc or wheel I, fixed to the
shaft and provided with a clutch spur, corresponding with a like spur b,
on the loose pulley; so that when the pulley is pushed in by the
shipper, the pulley and disc or wheel shall be clutched to communicate
motion to the shaft, and when pushed out, by liberating the shipper,
that the pulley shall run free.
The advantage of this arrangement over the usual mode of driving
looms by means of the fast & loose pulley, is, that the loose pulley E,.
is instantaneously connected with, or disconnected from, the clutch
wheel; whilst with the fast and loose pulley a considerable length of
time is required to complete the connection, on account of the width of
the belt; thereby also occasioning a considerable loss of power.
J, J, are the compensating rollers, upon which the harness is
mounted; one being placed in suitable bearings in the upper part,
and the other in the lower part of the framing. These rollers should
be of a length nearly equal to or not less than two thirds of the width
of the harness.
The ends of the rollers close within the journals are all turned of
uniform size, & receive the straps c, c, c, c, which are connected with
the rails K, K, of the front leaf of heddles, by hooks d, d, d, d. The
straps which connect the upper rail K, with the upper roller J, pass
over the said roller from the front side, and are secured to its periphery;

page_text: and the straps which connect the lower rail K, with the lower roller J,
pass under the said roller from the front side, and are secured to its
periphery, sufficient length of strap being allowed for winding and un-
winding, when the rollers are turned to work the harness.
Those portions of the rollers between the parts receiving the
straps c, c, c, c, are turned cylindrically all along, or sufficient portions
near the ends of each are turned down to an uniform diameter, to
receive the straps f, f, ff, which are connected with the rails K, K',
of the back leaf of heddles, by hooks x¹, ¹, x¹, x¹.
The straps f, ff, f, are attached to the peripheries of the rollers, in
the same manner as e, e, e, e; but, instead of passing over and under
the rollers from the front, they pass over and under from the back sides.
It will be seen in Figs. 1, and 3, of the drawings, that those parts of
the rollers to which e, e, e, e, are secured are smaller than the portions
to which ff ff, are secured.
The rollers J, J, being connected by the harness, as described, must
always revolve or oscillate simultaneously, and their revolution or
oscillation will give a rectilinear motion to the harness, of which one
leaf will always be elevated while the other is depressed. If the
relative proportions between the circumferences of those parts of the
rollers to which the front and back heddles are connected be directly
as the distance of the heddles from the filling point, then each leaf of
heddles will open the shed the same width at any given point. This
is illustrated in Fig. 5, where x, y, represents the distance of the
motion of the back heddles, and v, z, the distance of the motion of the
front heddles, the red lines representing the warp, and shewing that
either set of heddles open the shed to the same angle, and in a similar
position.
Motion is given to the rollers J, J, by means of two straps g, 9, which
are connected to two treadles L, L, whose fulcra are on a pin h. These
straps pass over the lower roller in opposite directions, and are secured
to its periphery, the diameter of which must be uniform where both
straps are attached.
The treadles are operated upon by a double cam M, on the main
shaft B, whose form is such that it will depress each treadle alternately,

page_text: and keep it depressed during about one third of the revolution of the
shaft. The depression of either treadle turns the lower roller by means
of the strap by which it is connected, and the roller raises the other
treadle by means of its strap; so that when one treadle is raised the
other is depressed. The cam M, being so formed as to open the shed
quickly, and leave it open for about two thirds of the whole time, causes
the shed to require a less amount of opening than when the harness is
operated by a cam of the common form, which consists of two eccen-
tric circular discs.
On the end of the lay shaft C, there is a fly-wheel N, against the
periphery of which a brake O, makes friction when the loom is thrown
out of gear. This brake is hung on a stud pin i, and its upper end is
connected by a rod j, with the protecting lever k, through which the
protector acts upon the spring shipper, the said lever turning on a
fulcrum pin under the breast beam, and being connected with the pro-
tector stop l. The race beam Q, of the lay is provided with a protector
m, of the usual construction, but the tension of its spring n, is only just
sufficient to hold up the protector m, but not to force its arms o, 0, so
hard against the shuttles binders p, p, as to bind against the shuttle in
the shuttle boxes.
From the above-described arrangement of the protector and spring,
it will be seen that during the operation of the loom, when the lay
beats up, if the shuttle is in either of the boxes, the corresponding
binder will be thrown out, which so far depresses the protector as to
cause it to pass under the protector stop 7; but if the shuttle fails to
box as the lay beats up, the protector strikes against and pushes forward
the protector stop, which liberates the shipper, unclutches the loose
pulley, and immediately after forces the break against the periphery of
the fly-wheel N, to stop the loom instantly, which could not be done
effectually if the belt had to be shifted from the fast to the loose pulley.
To the rod q, of the protector is attached a spring r, which consists of
a flat strip of ash-wood, secured to the rod by a clamp S, and extending
far enough back to be struck and forced down by a pin S", on one of
the connecting rods P, which forms the connection between the crank
and the lay; so that as this pin continues to descend in its circuit it

page_text: increases the tension of the spring ", which, being on the rod I forces
the binders p, p, against the shuttle as it is boxing, thus gradually
increasing the resistance until the shuttle is brought to a state of rest;
and then, by the continued motion of the pin, the spring is liberated,
relieving the shuttle from the pressure of the binders. In this way the
binders only act on the shuttle as it is boxing, and this by a gradually
increasing force.
The frame of the lay, just above the axis of vibration, extends out
beyond the frame of the loom on each side to form two beds t, t, on
which play the rockers u, u, of the picker staffs R, R. The curves of
the faces of these rockers are segments of circles, struck from the
points v, v, where the staff's strike the points of the shuttle, so that
during the vibrations these points shall traverse along a line parallel
with the surface of the race beam. The rockers are formed with
flanches on both sides, to embrace the bed on which they rock.
Between each rocker & its bed is interposed the leather strap a',
attached at the inner end to the bed, and at the outer end to the rocker;
and as the picker staff is drawn outwards by the wooden spring b
attached to the end of the race beam, and connected with the staff near
its lower end by a strap C¹, the tension of the spring always keeps the
interposed strap a', tight. The treadles S, S, which are operated in
the usual way, communicate motion to the pickers for driving the
shuttle by means of straps d', d', which pass over the inner ends of the
rockers, so that the rockers are kept on their beds by the flanges,
back and front, by the straps of the treadles, the interposed straps,
and the straps which connect the springs to the picker staffs. In this
way the shuttle motions are communicated with the least friction,
without noise, retaining the part which strikes the shuttle during
the entire range of motion always parallel with the race beam; and
the motions can be carried to the highest velocities without breaking.
The upper end of each picker staff has a dovetail recess made across
its face to receive a piece of raw hide e¹, (see Fig. 6,) which is fitted to
it. The piece of hide and the staff are then embraced and bound
together by a leather strap f¹; the two back edges of the staff being
notched to hold the leather strap in place. In this way the raw hide

page_text: is firmly held in place, and pieces are prevented from flying and
breaking off.
The taking-up of the cloth is effected in a well known manner by
means of an eccentric T, on the driving shaft, which operates on a long
lever U, on whose fulcrum g', is an arm V, which moves with the
lever, and carries a click W, the latter taking into the teeth of a ratchet
wheel X, on a shaft ', which carries a pinion i, gearing with a toothed
wheel j, on the cloth beam.
The lever Y, to which the dog for preventing the return of the
ratchet wheel X, and thus retaining the take-up, is attached, works on
a pivot or fulcrum ', which is secured in the frame of the loom, almost
directly above the axis of the ratchet wheel. One arm of this lever
extends almost vertically upwards, being nearly parallel with, and a
short distance behind, the upper part of the spring shipper. The other
arm extends downwards in an inclined direction, and has one tooth or
catch on its front side, not far from its point, and two teeth or catches
on its back side, close to its point. At the upper part of the lower arm
there is a stop-piece l, with a tongue extending downwards for a short
distance parallel with the arm. The dog m¹, is fitted to the lever with
a flanch on each side, and has a hole near its point through which the
lever passes, the catch or tooth on the front side of the lever always
protruding through this hole. The upper end of the dog fits easily
between the front of the lever and the tongue of the stop-piece . Just
below the hole through which the lever passes there is a small notch n¹,
(see Fig. 10,) of suitable form to receive the point of either of the
teeth on the back side of the lever. The fulcrum /', of the lever Y, is
placed out of line with the lever, so that the weight of the lever will
always keep the dog in gear.
The dog is only operative when its upper end is in contact with the
stop-piece l, of the lever Y, as is shown in Fig. 10, at which time it
operates in the same manner as the ordinary dog, its point being raised
and passed by the teeth when the ratchet wheel is turned by the
click W, but preventing the return of the ratchet. It is prevented
sliding down the lever when the ratchet is moved by the take-up motion
by the upper one of the teeth on the back side of the lever catch-

page_text: ing in the notch n₁, below the hole through which the lever passes.
If the upper part of the dog is at a distance below the stop, the
ratchet wheel, being left free of the click when the latter moves back-
wards, will be caused, by the tension of the cloth, to press against the
dog, when, as there is nothing to hold it, the dog will slide up the lever,
and allow the ratchet to return.
.
The upper end of the lever Y, is always thrown back when
the loom is stopped by the operation of the filling stop motion.
Its lower end is thus thrown forward, and the dog freed from
the teeth of the ratchet wheel, when, being unsupported, and having
a little room between its back side, and the front side of the lever,
as is shown in Fig. 10, the dog instantly falls close to the lever,
and sets its notch n', free from the tooth behind the lever, and then
slides down until it is arrested by the upper side of the hole through
which the lever passes, coming into contact with the tooth on the front
side of the lever. This takes place before the lever can return to
bring the dog again in gear with the ratchet.
When the loom is started again, the take-up motion causes the
click W, to commence operating upon the ratchet wheel, as usual; but
when the click moves back, the ratchet wheel is carried back by the
tension of the cloth, and the dog is caused to slide up the lever far
enough to cause the first tooth under the latter to engage in the notch n!,
and thus prevent the descent of the dog when the ratchet is next
operated upon by the click. The next time the click moves back, the
ratchet will again return, and in so doing will again raise the dog far
enough to cause the upper tooth behind the lever to engage in the
recess . The dog is now raised up to the stop-piece l', and is again
operative, two picks having been made without the cloth being taken
up. The number of picks made before commencing the take-up may
be varied by varying the distance of the descent of the dog upon the
lever, and the number of teeth on the under side of the lever. The
latter teeth should correspond in pitch with the teeth on the ratchet
wheel.
The lever Y, is operated upon to set the compensating dog free by
the same lever y', through which the slide o', of the filling stop motion

page_text: operates upon the shipper H. This lever y', is forked, and one prong
of the fork lays between the shipper and the lever Y.
The fork against which the filling thread is made to act by the coarse
dents of the reed or the gate p', for the purpose of setting free the catch
lever q', of the filling stop motion at every beat of the lay, and the
catch hook attached to the said fork, are constructed in the following
manner: The hook & its lever v', are made of a piece of thin steel
plate, punched or otherwise, made in the form shown in Fig. 8, the
fulcrum being formed by a pin which passes through the hole r', and
attaches the lever to the slide o¹. The socket which holds the tines is
made of a strip of thin sheet brass, bent to form an eye s', through
which to insert a rivet, by which to rivet it to the lever of the fork.
The edges of the strip of brass are suitably bent to form tubes, t¹, t¹, for
the reception of the tines u', u'. The upper part of the socket, and the
lower edge of the lever v', are notched into each other to make a rigid
connection. The material I prefer to employ for the tines is split
ratan, which, from its lightness and toughness, and its capability of
bending readily to give the tines the necessary curve, is better adapted
than any other material. There are other materials which would serve
nearly as well, among which are whalebone and light flexible woods.
The socket must be sufficiently elastic to allow the tines to be inserted
easily by the fingers of the attendant.
1st. Mounting the harness on a pair of rollers, each having its
periphery of two different diameters, the front leaf of harness being
attached to the smaller diameters, and the back leaf to the larger
diameters of the said rollers, the said diameters being in proper propor-
tion to compensate for the distance of the leaves of harness from the
filling point, and the rollers receiving an alternate circular oscillating
motion upon their axes, and operating substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
2nd. Connecting the rocker of each picker staff, made and operated
substantially as specified, with the bed on which it rocks, by means of
an interposed strap of leather or other flexible substance attached at

page_text: the inner end to the bed, and at the outer end to the rocker, substan-
tially as and for the purpose specified.
3rd. Drawing back each picker-staff after it has thrown the shuttle
by means of a spring consisting of a strip of wood attached at one end
to the end of the race-beam or shuttle-box, and connected at the other
end by a strap with the picker-staff near the rocker as herein described.
4thly. Forcing the shuttle binders inwards against the shuttle, while
boxing, with a gradually increasing force, by means of arms on a rocker
provided with a spring, which is acted upon by a pin on the connecting
rod of the lay, substantially as set forth.
5th. I claim securing the raw-hide pickers to the inner face of the
staff's by means of a leather strap, or the equivalent thereof, embracing
and binding the two together, substantially as described, to ensure the
firm union, to resist the rapid blow, and to prevent pieces of raw hide
from breaking and flying, as set forth.
6th. Retaining the taking up of the cloth by means of a dog, which
is fitted to a lever so placed as to be actuated by the operation of the
filling stop motion, or protecting lever, in stopping the loom, and thus
caused to free the dog from the rachet; the said dog fitting to the said
lever in such a way that, when set free from the ratchet wheel, it will
slide upon the lever to such a position as to be inoperative; but that
when the loom is again started, and the take-up motion is set in opera-
tion, the dog will be moved upon the lever by the operation of the
taking-up mechanism upon the ratchet wheel, and will, after one, two,
or more picks of filling have been deposited in the warp, resume its
operative position, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described.
7th. Making the fork of the filling stop motion with movable tines
of any light flexible material such as I have described, fitting to an
clastic socket, substantially as described, for the purpose of reducing
the weight of the fork and catch-hook lever, and their resistance to the
atmosphere, and obviating the necessity of their removal from the loom
when the tines are accidentally broken.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, in the
Great Seal Patent Office, on the 17th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I
Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of 16, Castle Street, Holborn,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
year
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
Her special licence, that I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thercafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the
Isle of Man, an Invention communicated to me by a foreigner residing
abroad for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, and the drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say:
These improvements have been invented with a view to the following
results :--First, to increase the speed of the loom without giving such
serious shocks to the mechanism, or the threads to be woven, as would
B

page_text: break or injure them; and, second, to improve the quality of the fabric
woven. The highest practical speed heretofore attained is about 140
picks per minute; but by my improvements about 200 picks per minute
may be attained without destruction of the cap; thus very materially
reducing the cost of production of the fabric, and this without increasing
the cost of construction of the loom, or the liability of its parts to break
or become injured by use. The improvements are in part only appli-
cable to looms for plain weaving, but most of them may be applied to
looms for figured or fancy weaving.
The first part of the Invention relates to the harness motion. In
opening the shed for the passage of the shuttle, the width of opening
where the shuttle passes through requires to be no greater than is
necessary for the shuttle to pass freely, provided that the angle formed
by the front part of the open shed is always the same, and always
occupies, during the flight of the shuttle, the same position in relation
to its path. Any wider opening of the shed produces an unnecessary
and injurious tension of the web. In order to regulate the width of
opening of the shed properly, it is necessary that the back leaf of the
harness have an amount of motion sufficiently greater than the front
leaf to compensate for its greater distance from the filling point or
termination of the angle of the opening. Various contrivances have
been adopted for regulating the movements of the harness, so as to
produce the above effect; but they are, as far as known to me, all open
to objections, either on account of failing to keep the warp parallel from
selvage to selvage with the race-board, or of want of that regularity or
steadiness in their motion which is incompatible with a high speed.
These defects I propose to remedy by this part of the Invention,
which consists in mounting the two leaves of the harness upon two
rollers, which I term "compensating rollers," whose axes are placed in
suitable bearings parallel with each other and with the warp, one above
and the other below the latter. To the periphery of each of these rollers
each leaf of harness is attached by two straps and suitable fastenings; the
straps connecting the front leaf passing over both rollers on the front
side, and those connecting the back leaf on the back side.
The rotation or oscillation of the rollers upon their axes, in either

page_text: direction, will elevate one leaf of the harness and depress the other.
Those parts of the periphery of the rollers to which the front leaf of
the harness is attached are made of a diameter less than the parts to
which the back leaf is attached, and the proportion between the two
diameters is such, that each will open the shed at the same angle, and
consequently at the same width at the point where the shuttle passes
through it.
The second part of the Invention relates to the picker-staff motion.
The upper ends of the picker-staffs in my improved loom constitute the
pickers for driving the shuttle, and as for this purpose that point in the
face of the picker which strikes the shuttle must during its vibration
traverse along a line parallel with the surface of the race-board, the lower
end of the staffs to this end are formed with rockers, the curves of which
are segments of circles struck from the points of contact with the point
of the shuttle. Picker-staffs have been before formed with rockers, and
I do not, therefore, claim in the abstract to have invented the application
of rockers to them, but the mode of application heretofore adopted was
defective. The rocker was connected with and kept on its bed on the
lay by one or two jointed links or metal straps, jointed at one end to
the rocker itself, and at the other to the bed, which necessarily caused
the rocker, at every vibration, to slide on its bed, and thereby to wear
its face untrue, until it ceased to be a perfect rocker. This mode of
connection would not admit of the rapid motions which I have attained.
The nature of this part of my Invention consists in confining the rocker
of the picker-staff to the bed on which it rocks by means of a strap
interposed between the two, and attached at one end to the outer end
of the rocker, and at the other to the inner end of the bed, so that the
tension of the spring which draws back the picker-staff and the
resistance of the shuttle always keep this interposed strap tight, whilst
the rocker is held down to the bed by the tension of the connecting
strap and the strap from the treadle by which it is operated. By this
means friction is avoided, and the parts are rendered durable, and admit
of much greater rapidity of motion than was ever before attained.
The third part of the Invention relates also to the picker-staff motion
The staff is made to operate upon the shuttle by means of a treadle
D

page_text: A
connected by
a strap to the inner end of the rocker, but this treadle
ceases to act on the rocker after the shuttle is thrown, and the
picker-staff requires to be drawn back by some other means.
spring is unquestionably the best and simplest device for drawing
back the staff; but steel springs will not withstand such rapid
vibrations as they are subjected to in a loom working at the speed
my loom attains. I have discovered that wooden springs will resist
the most rapid vibrations, induced by percussion, for a long time,
without being seriously injured, and, therefore, are better adapted
for this purpose.
This part of the Invention consists in the em-
ployment, for the purpose of drawing back the picker-staff, of a
spring composed simply of a strip of ash or other elastic wood, secured
at one end to the end of the race-beam or shuttle-box, and attached at
the other end by a strap to the lower part of the picker-staff near the
rocker. The arrangement of this spring is such that it keeps the strap
under the rocker tight, and assists in keeping the rocker down to
the bed, and its great length prevents its being subject to such
deflections as would injure it. The material of which it is formed
renders its cost much less than a steel spring, which is expensive, and
would not work for any length of time without breaking.
The fourth part of the Invention relates to the method of arresting
the shuttle when boxing. At the time the shuttle enters the box it
should meet with a gradual resistance, to arrest its momentum, in
order to avoid the shock and its consequences, which otherwise would
be produced by striking against the picker. This has, heretofore, been
done by means of a spring lever in front of each shuttle-box, called the
"binder." It is important that there should be as little resistance as
possible to the motion of the shuttle at the time of starting; and with a
view to this object looms have been constructed with a lever projecting
from what is called the "protector rod," which is connected with the
shuttle binders, and at the time the shuttle is thrown this lever is struck
by a pin on one of the connecting rods, by which motion is communi-
cated from the cranks to the lay, thus elevating the lever so as to
remove the pressure of the springs from the binders at the time the
shuttle is thrown. This mode, however, is defective, for the reason

page_text: that the binders always present the same resistance to the shuttle from
the time it begins to enter until it bas completely entered the shuttle-box,
and because it will not admit of very rapid motions, on account of the
shocks produced by the striking of the pin against the lever. These defects
I have avoided by leaving the shuttle free from the binders at all times,
except when entering the box, and by gradually increasing the pressure
of the binders, as the shuttle advances into the box, until it is entirely
arrested. To this end the fourth part of the Invention consists in forcing
the binders inwards against the shuttle, whilst the latter is entering the box,
by means of an arm on a rocker provided with a spring, which is acted
upon by a pin ou one of the connecting rods extending from the cranks
to the lay. In this way I avoid the severe shocks heretofore experienced,
the spring gradually yielding to the action of the pin, and the pressure
on the binders being gradually increased to gradually arrest the shuttle,
by the increasing tension given to the spring by the motion of the pin.
The fifth part of the Invention relates to the mode of securing the
raw hide to the faces of the picker-staffs. The force and rapidity of
the blow given to the points of the shuttle by the pickers cause small
pieces of the raw hide to break off, which frequently lodge on and are
woven into the cloth, thus injuring the surface of the fabric, and, when
intended for prints, seriously injuring it, by indenting the surface of the
rollers: and besides, the upper ends of the picker-staffs being necessarily
small, it became a serious matter to devise a practical mode of securing
the raw hide to the wooden staffs. The nature of this part of the
Invention consists in letting in and fitting the raw hide to the face of
the picker-staff, and securing it thereto by a leather strap, or its equi-
valent, which envelopes the two; thus firmly securing the two together,
and at the same time preventing pieces from breaking and flying off.
The sixth part of the Invention relates to the take-up motion.
Whenever the flight of the shuttle is arrested in the warp, or when the
weft breaks or gives out, and the loom is therefore stopped, even though
the weft may be carried entirely through the warp, an imperfection of
the filling is always observable upon close examination of the fabric, at
that place where the stoppage takes place, the fabric appearing as if
one or more threads of filling had been omitted. In the looms now in

page_text: general use the taking up of the cloth commences at the same time
that the other parts of the loom resume their perfect operations; the
cloth beam receiving motion by means of a ratchet wheel, which is
acted upon by a click, receiving motion from some part of the
mechanism. This ratchet wheel is furnished with a dog to prevent its
being caused to return by the tension or strain of the cloth.
By preventing the operation of the take-up motion becoming effec-
tive, until after one, two, or more picks of filling have been put in, I
compensate for or fill up the apparent omission of filling, or defect in
the fabric above referred to. To this end, this part of my Invention
consists in what I term a "compensating dog," which I substitute in place
of the dog commonly used to retain the take-up. This dog, instead of
being hung on a stationary pin or pivot, is so fitted to a lever which
hangs in an inclined position on a stationary fulcrum, that it is capable
of sliding a short distance up and down upon it. During the time that
the operations of the loom are uninterrupted it occupies its highest
position on the lever, and is held by the teeth of the ratchet against a
stop on the lever, and its operation is the same as that of the common
dog; but when the filling stop motion acts to throw the loom out of
gear, the stop lever acts upon the lever of the dog, and throws the dog
free of the teeth of the ratchet, when, being unsupported, it falls to its
lowest position on the latter lever. When the operation of the loom
recommences the dog has to be raised by the teeth of the ratchet
wheel, as the latter is moved by the take-up motion, so as to bring it
in contact with the stop on its lever, before it is effective in retaining
the take-up; this contact with the stop may be caused to take place
after one, two, or more picks, as the nature of the fabric may re-
quire. This compensating may also be set free from the ratchet,
and made to operate in a similar manner by the protecting lever, so
as to stop the taking up after the loom is stopped by the action of the
protector.
The seventh part of the Invention relates to the swinging-fork of
the filling stop motion. This fork, and the hook which is attached to
it for the purpose of being caught by the catch lever when the filling
thread breaks, are commonly of steel forged in one piece. It happens

page_text: not unfrequently that one or more of the tines of the fork are bent or
broken by coming accidentally into contact with the shuttle, when
the latter accidentally fails to enter the shuttle box, or flies off the race
board; and generally, in such a case, the fork, and sometimes the slide
to which it is attached, requires to be taken from the loom to be
repaired. The fork can only be repaired by a skilled workman; and
even though a spare one may be at hand by which to replace it in the
loom, the accident involves a loss of time, by reason of the temporary
stoppage of the loom, which is unavoidable. The actual strength re-
quired for the fork is but trifling; and as it is put in motion solely by
the frail weft or filling thread, and has to be moved once for every pick,
it is desirable that it should possess as little inertia as possible, and
meet with but little resistance from the atmosphere, in order that the
thread may be in no danger of being broken by striking it as rapidly
and suddenly as it does when the loom is in rapid motion. It is cus-
tomary to make the fork and its hook of very much greater weight
than is necessary, so that it may not be broken by the shuttle, and in
consequence of its weight it breaks the filling. In order to remedy
the above defects, the fork has been made with moveable steel tines,
which were fitted to a socket, and could be replaced when broken;
but the use of steel tines does not admit of the fork being made as
light as is desirable, as their weight makes a heavy catch-hook neces-
sary, and the sockets, into which they fit, must be of considerable
strength to hold them. The nature of this part of the Invention
consists in the employment of moveable tines of split ratan cane,
whalebone, light flexible wood, or any material of a similar nature,
placed in a light elastic socket attached to the catch-hook. These
tines are so light, that the sockets in which they fit are made of very
thin sheet metal, bent or wrought into a suitable form, and the
catch-hook is made of very thin steel plate; the hook and fork being
only one seventh the weight of those in common use, and presenting
only one fifth of the surface to the resistance of the atmosphere. A
number of spare tines are kept constantly on hand, and should those
in use be bent or broken, the attendant can easily straighten or replace
them by new ones, without stopping the loom.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings—
Fig. 1, represents a front elevation of a power loom, having all the
improvements applied.
Fig. 2, is a right-hand end elevation of the same.
Fig. 3, is a vertical section of the same, taken in the line ** of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4, is a plan of the same.
Fig. 5, is a diagram, intended to illustrate the operation of the
harness motion.
Fig. 6, is a section of one of the pickers.
Fig. 7, is a perspective view of the fork and hook of the filling stop,
half size.
Fig. 8, is a side view of the same, with the socket in section.
Fig. 9, is a plan of the same.
Fig. 10, exhibits the compensating dog, and its lever, detached from
the loom; the dog being shown in section.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of
the several Figs.
A, represents the frame of the loom; and B, the driving shaft,
which communicates motion to the crank or lay shaft C, by toothed
wheels D, D. On the end of the driving shaft there is a loose pulley
E, which receives the belt from some prime mover. On the hub of
this pulley, there is a collar F, (which turns freely between shoulders,)
provided with a pin which passes through a hole in a lever G,
which turns on a fulcrum pin a; the end of this lever being passed
through a mortise in the spring shipper H; so that, by the motion
of the shipper, the loose pulley is made to slide on its shaft.
By the side of the loose pulley, there is a disc or wheel I, fixed to
the shaft, and provided with a clutch spur, corresponding with a like
spur b, on the loose pulleys, so that when the pulley is pushed in by
the shipper, the pulley and disc or wheel shall be clutched, to commu-
nicate motion to the shaft, and when pushed out by liberating the
shipper, that the pulley shall run free. The advantage of this arrange-
ment over the usual mode of driving looms by means of the fast and
loose pulley is that the loose pulley E, is instantaneously connected
with or disconnected from the clutch wheel; whilst, with the fast and

page_text: loose pulley, a considerable length of time is required to complete the
connection, on account of the width of the belt, thereby also occasioning
a considerable loss of power.
J, J, are the compensating rollers, upon which the harness is
mounted, one being placed in suitable bearings in the upper part, and
the other in the lower part of the framing. These rollers should be of
a length nearly equal to or not less than two thirds of the width of the
harness.
The ends of the rollers, close within the journals, are all turned of
uniform size, and receive the straps c, c, c, c, which are connected with
the rails K, K, of the front leaf of heddles, by hooks d, d, d, d. The
straps which connect the upper rail K, with the upper roller J, pass
over the said roller from the front side, and are secured to its periphery;
and the straps which connect the lower rail K, with the lower roller J,
pass under the said roller from the front side, and are secured to its
periphery; sufficient length of strap being allowed for winding and
unwinding when the rollers are turned to work the harness. Those
portions of the rollers between the parts receiving the straps c, c, c, c,
are turned cylindrically all along, or sufficient portions near the ends
of cach are turned down, to an uniform diameter, to receive the straps
ffff, which are connected with the rails K', K', of the back leaf
of heddles by hooks x¹, x1, x³, x¹. The straps f. f, ff, are attached to
the peripheries of the rollers in the same manner as e, e, e, e, but instead
of passing over and under the rollers from the front, they pass over and
under from the back sides. It will be seen in Figs. 1, and 3, of the
drawings, that those parts of the rollers to which e, e, e, e, are secured
are smaller than the portions to which f, f, ff, are secured.
The rollers J, J, being connected by the harness, as described, must
always revolve or oscillate simultaneously, and their revolution or
oscillation will give a rectilinear motion to the harness, of which one
leaf will always be elevated, while the other is depressed. If the
relative proportions between the circumferences of those parts of the
rollers to which the front and back heddles are connected, be directly
as the distance of the heddles from the filling point, then each leaf of
heddles will open the shed the same width at any given point. This is

page_text: illustrated in Fig. 5, where x, y, represents the distance of the motion
of the back heddles and v, z, the distance of the motion of the front
heddles; the red lines representing the warp, and showing that either
set of heddles open the shed to the same angle and in a similar position.
Motion is given to the rollers J, J, by means of two straps g, g, which
are connected to two treddles L, L, whose fulcra are on a pin h.
These straps pass over the lower roller in opposite directions, and
are secured to its periphery, the diameter of which must be
uniform where both straps are attached. The treaddles are operated
upon by a double cam M, on the main shaft B, whose form is such
that it will depress each treaddle alternately, and keep it depressed
during about one third of the revolution of the shaft. The depression
of either treaddle turns the lower roller, by means of the strap by
which it is connected, and the roller raises the other treaddle by
means of its strap, so that when one treaddle is raised the other is
depressed. The cam M, being so formed as to open the shed quickly,
and leave it open for about two thirds of the whole time, causes the shed
to require a less amount of opening than when the harness is operated
by a cam of the common form, which consists of two eccentric circular
discs.
On the end of the lay shaft C, there is a fly-wheel N, against the
periphery of which a brake O, makes friction when the loom is thrown
out of gear. This brake is hung on a stud pin i, and its upper end is
connected by a rod j, with the protecting lever k, through which the
protector acts upon the spring shipper; the said lever turning on a
fulcrum pin, under the breast beam, and being connected with the pro-
tector stop l. The race beam Q, of the lay is provided with a protector
m, of the usual construction; but the tension of its spring n, is only
just sufficient to hold up the protector m, but not to force its arms o, o,
so hard against the shuttle binders p, p, as to bind against the shuttle
in the shuttle boxes.
From the above described arrangement of the protector and
spring, it will be seen that during the operation of the loom when
the lay beats up, if the shuttle is in either of the boxes, the
corresponding binder will be thrown out, which so far depresses the

page_text: protector as to cause it to pass under the protector-stop 1; but if the
shuttle fails to box as the lay beats up, the protector strikes against
and pushes forward the protector-stop, which liberates the shipper,
unclutches the loose pulley, and immediately after forces the break
against the periphery of the fly wheel N, to stop the loom instantly,
which could not be done effectually if the belt had to be shifted from
the fast to the loose pulley.
To the rod q, of the protector is attached a spring r, which consists
of a flat strip of ash wood, secured to the rod by a clamp S, and ex-
tending far enough back to be struck and forced down by a pin S", on
one of the connecting rods P, which forms the connection between the
crank and the lay, so that as this pin continues to descend in its circuit
it increases the tension of the spring r, which being on the rod q,
forces the binders p, p, against the shuttle as it is boxing, thus gradually
increasing the resistance until the shuttle is brought to a state of rest;
and then, by the continued motion of the pin, the spring is liberated,
relieving the shuttle from the pressure of the binders. In this way the
binders only act on the shuttle as it is boxing, and this by a gradually
increasing force.
The frame of the lay just above the axis of vibration extends out
beyond the frame of the loom on each side to form two beds t, t, on
which play the rockers u, u, of the picker-staffs R, R. The curves of
the faces of these rockers are segments of circles struck from the
points v, v, where the staffs strike the points of the shuttle, so that
during the vibrations these points shall traverse along a line parallel with
the surface of the race-beam. The rockers are formed with flanches on
both sides to embrace the bed on which they rock. Between each rocker
and its bed is interposed the leather strap a', attached at the inner end
to the bed, and at the outer end to the rocker; and as the picker-staff
is drawn outwards by the wooden spring 6', attached to the end of the
race beam, and connected with the staff near its lower end by a strap c',
the tension of the spring always keeps the interposed strap a¹, tight.
The treaddles S, S, which are operated in the usual way, commu-
nicate motion to the pickers for driving the shuttle by means of
straps d', d', which pass over the inner ends of the rockers, so that the

page_text: rockers are kept on their beds by the flanges, back and front, by
the straps of the treaddles, the interposed straps, and the straps which
connect the springs to the picker-staffs.
In this way the shuttle motions are communicated with the least
friction without noise, retaining the part which strikes the shuttle during
the entire range of motion always parallel with the race-beam, and the
motions can be carried to the highest velocities without breaking.
The upper end of each picker-staff has a dovetail recess made across its
face to receive a piece of raw hide e¹, (see Fig. 6,) which is fitted to it.
The piece of hide and the staff are then embraced and abound together
by a leather strap f¹, the two back edges of the staff being notched to
hold the leather strap in place. In this way the raw hide is firmly held
in place, and pieces are prevented from flying and breaking off. The
taking up of the cloth is effected in a well known manner by means of
an eccentric T, on the driving shaft, which operates on a long lever U,
on whose fulcrum g¹, is an arm V, which moves with the lever, and
carries a click W, the latter taking into the teeth of a ratchet
wheel X, on a shaft h', which carries a pinion i, gearing with a toothed
wheel j, on the cloth beam.
The lever Y, to which the dog for preventing the return of the
ratchet wheel X, and thus retaining the take-up, is attached, works
on a pivot or fulcrum k', which is secured in the frame of the loom,
almost directly above the axis of the ratchet wheel. One arm of this
lever extends almost vertically upwards, being nearly parallel with, and
at a short distance behind, the upper part of the spring shipper. The
other arm extends downwards in an inclined direction, and has one
tooth or catch on its front side, not far from its point, and two teeth or
catches on its back side, close to its point. At the upper part of the
lower arm there is a stop-piece l', with a tongue extending downwards
for a short distance parallel with the arm. The dog m', is fitted to the
lever with a flanch on each side, and has a hole near its point through
which the lever passes; the catch or tooth on the front side of the lever
always protruding through this hole. The upper end of the dog fits
easily between the front of the lever and the tongue of the stop-piece l'.
Just below the hole through which the lever passes, there is a small

page_text: notch n', (see Fig. 10,) of suitable form to receive the point of either
of the teeth on the back side of the lever. The fulcrum k', of the
lever Y, is placed out of line with the lever, so that the weight of
the lever will always keep the dog in gear.
The dog is only operative when its upper end is in contact with the
stop-piece, of the lever Y, as is shown in Fig. 10, at which time it
operates in the same manner as the ordinary dog; its point being
raised and passed by the teeth when the ratchet wheel is turned by
the click W, but preventing the return of the ratchet. It is prevented
sliding down the lever when the ratchet is moved by the take-up
motion, by the upper one of the teeth on the back side of the lever
catching in the notch n', below the hole through which the lever passes.
If the upper part of the dog is at a distance below the stop, the ratchet
wheel, being left free of the click when the latter moves backwards,
will be caused, by the tension of the cloth, to press against the dog,
when, as there is nothing to hold it, the dog will slide up the lever, and
allow the ratchet to return.
The upper end of the lever Y, is always thrown back when the loom
is stopped by the operation of the filling stop motion. Its lower end is
thus thrown forward, and the dog freed from the teeth of the ratchet
wheel; when, being unsupported, and having a little room between its
back side and the front side of the lever, as is shown in Fig. 10, the
dog instantly falls close to the lever, and then slides down until it is
arrested by the upper side of the hole through which the lever passes,
coming into contact with the tooth on the front side of the lever. This
takes place before the lever can return to bring the dog again into
gear with the ratchet.
When the loom is started again, the take-up motion causes the
click W, to commence operating upon the ratchet wheel, as usual;
but when the click moves back, the ratchet wheel is carried back by
the tension of the cloth, and the dog is caused to slide up the lever far
enough to cause the first tooth under the latter to engage in the
notch n', and thus prevent the descent of the dog when the ratchet is
next operated upon by the click; the next time the click moves back,
the ratchet will again return, and in so doing will again raise the dog

page_text: far enough to cause the upper tooth behind the lever to engage in the
recess n¹. The dog is now raised up to the stop-piece l, and is again
operative, two picks having been made without the cloth being
taken up.
The number of picks made before commencing the take-up may be
varied, by varying the distance of the descent of the dog upon the lever,
and the number of teeth on the under side of the lever. The latter
teeth should correspond in pitch with the teeth on the ratchet wheel.
The lever Y, is operated upon, to set the compensating dog free by
the same lever y', through which the slide o¹, of the filling stop motion
operates upon the shipper H. This lever y', is forked, and one prong of
the fork lays between the shipper and the lever Y.
The fork against which the filling thread is made to act, by the
coarse dents of the reed, or the gate p³, for the purpose of setting free
the catch lover q', of the filling stop motion at every beat of the lay,
and the catch hook attached to the said fork are constructed in the fol-
lowing manner-The hook and its lever v', are made of a piece of
thin steel plate, punched or otherwise made in the form shown in Fig. 8,
the fulcrum being formed by a pin, which passes through the hole ¹,
and attaches the lever to the slide o¹. The socket which holds the
tines is made of a strip of thin sheet brass, bent to form an eye s¹,
through which to insert a rivet, by which to rivet it to the lever of the
fork. The edges of the strip of brass are suitably bent to form tubes
t', t, for the reception of the tines u¹, u¹; the upper part of the socket
and the lower edge of the lever v¹, are notched into each other to make a
rigid connection. The material I prefer to employ for the tines is split
ratan, which, from its lightness and toughness, and its capability of
bending readily to give the tines the necessary curve, is better adapted
than any other material. There are other materials which serve
nearly as well, among which are whalebone and light flexible woods.
The socket must be sufficiently elastic to allow the tines to be inserted
easily, by the fingers of the attendant.
I claim, first, mounting the harness on a pair of rollers, each having
its periphery of two different diameters; the front leaf of harness
being attached to the smaller diameters, and the back leaf to the larger

page_text: diameters of the said rollers; the said diameters. being in proper pro-
portion to compensate for the distance of the leaves of harness from
the filling point, and the rollers receiving an alternate circular or
oscillating motion upon their axes, and operating substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
Secondly, connecting the rocker of each picker-staff, made and
operated substantially as specified, with the bed on which it rocks, by
means of an interposed strap of leather or other flexible substance,
attached at the inner end to the bed, and at the outer end to the rocker,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Thirdly, drawing back each picker-staff after it has thrown the
shuttle, by means of a spring consisting of a strip of wood, attached at
one end to the end of the race-beam or shuttle-box, and connected at
the other end by a strap with the picker-staff, near the rocker, as
herein described.
Fourthly, forcing the shuttle-binders inwards against the shuttle while
boxing, with a gradually increasing force, by means of arms on a rocker
provided with a spring, which is acted upon by a pin on the connecting
rod of the lay, substantially as set forth.
Fifthly, securing the raw hide pickers to the inner face of the staffs,
by means of a leather strap or the equivalent thereof, embracing and
binding the two together substantially as described, to ensure the firm
union, to resist the rapid blow, and to prevent pieces of new hide from
breaking and flying, as hitherto, as set forth.
Sixthly, retaining the taking-up motion of the cloth by means of a
dog, which is fitted to a lever, so placed as to be actuated by the
operation of the filling stop motion or protecting lever, in stopping the
loom, and thus caused to free the dog from the ratchet; the said dog
fitting to the said lever in such a way that, when set free from the
ratchet wheel, it will slide upon the lever to such a position as to be
inoperative, but that when the loom is again started, and the take-up
motion is set in operation, the dog will be moved upon the lever by
the operation of the taking-up mechanism upon the ratchet wheel,
and will, after one, two, or more picks of filling have been deposited in

page_text: the warp, resume its operative position, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described.
Seventhly, making the fork of the filling stop motion with moveable
tines of any light flexible material such as I have described, fitting to
an elastic socket, substantially as described, for the purpose of reducing
the weight of the fork and catch-hook lever, and their resistance to the
atmosphere, and obviating the necessity of their removal from the
loom when the tines are accidentally broken.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth
day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-three.
A. E. LORADOUX BELLFORD. (L.S.)