IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING.
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Turner, of Leicester, Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING.".
Sealed the 18th February 1859, and dated the 18th September 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Turner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
September 1858.
I, ARCHIBALD TURNER, of Leicester, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to
be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in looms for weaving relates to a novel mode
of constructing the shuttles and planks used in weaving narrow fabrics, in
which the ordinary fly shuttle is not employed. In weaving goods of this
description, the shuttles are caused, to work in grooves made in the face of the
planks; and in order to balance the shuttles and cause them to work properly,
they are made in length, considerably more than double the width of the fabric
intended to be produced.
I have found that by increasing the bearing surface of the grooves, and
making the shuttles to fit the same, the shuttles may be considerably reduced
in length, and that less than double the width of the fabric is sufficient for the
length of the shuttles. By thus reducing the length of the shuttles, I am
enabled to weave a greater number of pieces, or of wider widths within a given

page_text: space, than heretofore; consequently, space is economized, and by reducing
the length of the shuttles, they may also be driven at greater speed than here-
tofore, as when long and heavy shuttles are used it is necessary to reduce the
speed, otherwise the momentum of the parts would cause them to rebound
and injure the work, or derange the machinery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Archibald Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th March 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARCHIBALD
TURNER, of Leicester, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Archibald Turner, Her special license that I, the said Archibald Turner,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Archibald Turner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Isle of Man, an Invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Archibald Turner, 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 Archibald Turner, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same. is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
My. Invention of "Improvements in Looms for Weaving" relates to a.
novel mode of constructing the shuttles used in weaving narrow fabrics, and
also the planks, batten, or slay, in the grooves of which the shuttles work. In
weaving narrow fabrics in looms of the ordinary kind, the shuttles are caused

page_text: to work in grooves made in the face of the planks or batten; and in order to
balance the shuttles and cause them to work properly in their grooves, they
are made in length considerably more than double the width of the fabric.
intended to be produced. This length of shuttle is required to ensure that the
ends of the shuttles shall enter the grooves properly as they are traversed to:
and fro through their sheds.
I have found that by increasing the bearing surface of the grooves, and
making the shuttles to fit the same, the shuttles may be considerably reduced:
in length, and that less than double the width of the fabric is sufficient for the
length of the shuttles. By thus reducing the length of the shuttles, I am
enabled to weave a greater number of pieces, or of wider widths within a
given space, than heretofore; consequently, space is economized, and by.
reducing the length and weight of the shuttles, they may also be driven at
greater speed than heretofore, as when long and heavy shuttles are used it is'.
necessary to reduce the speed, otherwise the momentum of the parts would
cause them to rebound and injure the work, or derange the machinery.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a front
view; of part of the plank or batten of a loom, shewing two shuttles working
one above the other in their grooves in the plank or batten; Fig. 3 is a
sectional view, shewing the mode of forming the back part of the shuttles, and
constructing the grooves in which they work, and in which it will be seen that-
they have a greatly increased bearing and working surface in comparison to:
that heretofore given in looms of this description. The batten or slay is seen
at a, a, and the reed (which is only indicated by dots in Fig. 3) is seen at b.
The shuttles c, c, have grooves 1, 1, formed on their upper sides, as heretofore;
but instead of having similar grooves on the under side; as usual, the under.
part of the shuttle is bevilled from the back part at 2 to a shoulder 3, which'
bears against the front edge of the plank below it,. while the projecting part of
the plank above it works, in the grooves 1, 1. It will now be understood
that the shuttles on their under sides have a greatly increased bearing surface,
but still further to protect them from unnecessary wear at the shoulders 3, 3,
the shuttles are supported from behind by a stationary block or plank d, d, to
which some of the front planks e, e, are screwed. By.this means the shuttles
are kept in a horizontal position, and the shoulders or edges of the grooves
are prevented from undue wear.
The apparatus shewn in the Drawing is intended to be adapted to looms
for weaving elastic fabrics of various widths. It will be seen that two sheds
are formed by dividing the textile warp f, f, into two parts, with the dead
warp f composed of elastic strands of india-rubber in the centre, and the

page_text: two shuttles c, c, are thrown through the top and bottom sheds, as heretofore
in the manufacture, of double fabrics. The shuttles c, c, are worked in the
usual manner by a peg motion, as in ribbon or other looms for weaving narrow
fabrics. g. 9, are the pegs, which are fixed in the moveable rods g*, 9, and
are made to enter holes in the shuttles, as shewn in the Drawing, for the
purpose of moving these latter to and fro through the sheds. As the rods-gig,
are to be actuated in the ordinary manner by means of the well-known
mechanism heretofore employed for similar. purposes, I have not deemed it
necessary to shew the mechanical arrangements employed for the purpose. It
is proposed to throw the shuttles simultaneously in the same direction through
the sheds; but I do not intend to confine myself to throwing both.the shuttles
in the same direction, as it may be convenient sometimes to throw them in
opposite directions. The mode of throwing the shuttles, and the order in
which they are thrown, however, forms no part of my present Invention.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Looms for
Weaving," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
would observe, that although I have shewn and described the best mode of
constructing the grooves in the batten or slay, and of forming the shuttles for
the purpose of obtaining increased bearing surface for the shuttles, I do not
mean or intend to confine myself rigidly thereto, as the form of the grooves
and consequently of the shuttles may be varied without departing from. the
nature and object of my Invention. In conclusion, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set forth of
constructing the shuttles, and also the grooves in the batten or slay in which
the shuttles work, so that by supporting the shuttles above, below, and at the
back, as above set forth, an increased bearing surface may be obtained, which
will admit of the shuttles being shortened and made lighter than heretofore.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Turner, have hereunto set. my
hand and seal, the Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
FREDERICK WILLIS,
of Leicester.
A. TURNER. (L.S.)