IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Sagar, of Burnley, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker, and Thomas Richmond, of the same
Place, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING."
Scaled the 1st April 1869, and dated the 8th October 1868.
FROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Sagar and
Thomas Richmond at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 8th October 1868.
We, THOMAS SAGAR, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, and THOMAS RICHMOND, of the same Place, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates, first, to the letting-off motion, and it is
particularly applicable to the letting-off motion patented by us on the

page_text: Fifteenth January, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight,
No. 126.
Our improvements consist in connecting the chain, cord, or band
which passes round the axle of the yarn beam to a swivel lever mounted
on a stud projecting from the lever fixed to the axle of the vibrator.
To the other end of this swivel lever is suspended the link connected to the
ordinary weighted lever. By this arrangement when the vibrator is drawn
back to tighten the warp the end of the chain, cord, or band becomes
the fulcrum on which the swivel lever acts; and when the vibrator is
moved forward by the opening of the shed the swivel lever bears against
the axle of the vibrator, which then becomes the fulcrum and slackens
the chain, cord, or band.
Secondly. In the application of a catch with a slot at the end working
on the fulorum stud to the ratchet wheel of the taking-up motion,
secured to us in the Patent ahove referred to, for the purpose of letting
back the fabric in case the weft breaks or for other purpose. Also in
the application of a lock motion to the ratchet wheel, above referred to,
to dispense with the retaining catches.
Thirdly. In an improved letting-off motion consisting of the following
parts-To the lever of the vibrator is suspended a link connected to a
catch working in a ratchet wheel, on the face of which is a scroll gearing
into the teeth of a wheel fixed on the axle of the warp beam; as the
vibrator rises and falls the warp beam is gradually turned round
according to the tension of the yarn.
Fourthly. In an improved self-acting apparatus for stopping the loom
in case of floats; to the shuttle is hinged a light lever, the end of which
passes over a groove in the lay bottom, in this groove is a rod connected
to the stop lever. When a float occurs the end of the light lever is
pressed into the groove, and by acting on the rod throws the starting
lever out of its retaining notch, thereby stopping the loom.
And, fifthly. In protecting the ordinary weft forks by means of a
shield of sheet metal or other material, so as to prevent injury to the
fork in putting the shuttle in the shed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Sagar and Thomas Richmond in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 7th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
SAGAR, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and
THOMAS RICHMOND, of the same Place, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Sagar and Thomas Richmond,
Her special license that we, the said Thomas Sagar and Thomas
Richmond, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Thomas Sagar and Thomas Richmond, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Thomas Sagar and Thomas Richmond, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Sagar and Thomas
Richmond, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
Our Invention relates, firstly, to the letting-off motion of looms, and
it is particularly applicable to the letting-off motion patented by us on
the Fifteenth January, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight,
No. 126.
Our improvements consist in connecting the chain, cord, or band

page_text: which passes round the axle of the yarn beam to a swivel lever mounted
on a stud projecting from the lever fixed to the axle of the vibrator or
shedding bearer. To the other end of this swivel lever is suspended the
link connected to the ordinary weighted lever.
Secondly. To an improved letting-off motion consisting of a link sus- 5
pended to the lever of the vibrator, and connected to a catch working in
a ratchet wheel, on the face of which is a scroll gearing into the teeth of
a wheel fixed on the axle of the warp beam.
Thirdly. To an improved self-acting apparatus for stopping the loom
in case of floats, consisting of a light lever hinged to the shuttle, and 1
of a rod connected to the weft-fork holder.
And, lastly, in protecting the ordinary weft forks by means of a shield
of sheet metal or other material, so as to prevent injury to the fork in
putting the shuttle in the shed.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily 1
carried into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is an elevation in section of the principal parts of a loom to
which our improved letting-off motion is applied, and Figure 2 is a view
taken from the back of the same.
a is the crank shaft; b, the tappet shaft; c, the warp beam; d, the
vibrator or shedding bearer; e, the breast beam, and f, the taking-up
roller. The parts above enumerated are made in the ordinary manner.
The cord, chain, or band n passing over the guide pulleys n' and n³ con-
necting the two ends of the warp beam, and the weight o, the lever o¹ and
link o are similar to those described in the Specification of the Patent
granted to us on the Fifteenth January, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-eight, No. 126, above referred to. To the axle of the vibrator is
fixed the lever p, shewn detached in Figures 3 and 4. To this lever is
cast the projection p', which comes against the loom side to prevent the
vibrator falling back too far, and the stud p³ on which the swivel lever q
is mounted. This lever is provided with an oblong slot through which
the axle of the vibrator d passes. This slot is sufficiently long to allow
the lever q to vibrate up and down, and the amount of vibration is
limited by the regulating set screw q¹; to the lever q is suspended the
link o², the lower end of which is open to allow the weighted lever o' to

page_text: pass through it. To the lever q is cast the hook q², to which one end of
the chain, cord, or band n is hooked; it is then wound round one end
of the warp beam c, then under the guide roller n', thence to the other
guide roller n³, from whence it rises up and is wound round the other
end of the warp beam; after which it is secured to the regulating
hook n³, passing through the bracket supporting the guide roller n³.
By this arrangement when the vibrator d is drawn back to tighten the
warp, the end of the chain, cord, or band n becomes the fulcrum on
which the swivel lever q acts; but when the vibrator is moved forward
by the opening of the shed the under side of the slot in the swivel
lever q bears against the axle of the vibrator, which then becomes the
fulcrum and slackens the chain, cord, or band n, thus allowing the
required amount of warp to be drawn off the warp beam.
Figure 5 represents a modification of our improved letting-off motion;
in this arrangement the axle of the vibrator d is provided with a lever d',
in which is a stud serving as fulcrum for the swivel lever q, one end of
which is drawn upwards by the spring ", and to the other end is sus-
pended the link o connected below to a weighted lever o¹, shewn in
Figures 1 and 2. When the tension on the warp is too great the
vibrator d is depressed, and the lever q is brought to bear on the top of
the axle of the vibrator, which then acts as the fulcrum of the lever q,
and by raising the outer end of the said lever raises the weighted
lever o¹, to which the end of the cord, chain, or band n is connected in
the manner described in reference to Figure 13 of the Drawing forming
part of the Specification of the Patent granted to us on the Fifteenth
January One thousand cight hundred and sixty-eight, No. 126, above
referred to. The object of the spring is to take up the slack of the
warp when the shed is closed.
Figure 6 represents another modification of our improved letting-off
motion; in this arrangement the position of the vibrator d is reversed,
and one end of a cord, chain, or band n is secured to the end of the
swivel lever q. This cord, chain, or band after passing around one end
of the warp beam is secured to a pulley fixed to the cross shaft n*; at the
other end of this cross shaft is secured another pulley, to which the end
of another cord, chain, or band is secured, which after passing around
the other end of the warp beam c is secured to the axle of the vibrator,
by this means as the warp beam is reduced in diameter the lower end
of the vibrator is gradually moved towards the loom side; the lever q

page_text: is also moved in the same direction, but as its shorter end is held by
the cord, chain, or band n, its outer end to which the link n² is sus-
pended is gradually raised until the point of suspension of the link o³ is
nearly above the axle of the vibrator, thereby reducing the pressure on
the warp in proportion to the diameter of the warp beam.
Figure 7 represents another modification of our improved letting-off
motion; in this instance the lever d' is fixed to the axle of the
vibrator d; the upper end of the link o' passes through a hole in the
lever d¹, and is provided with a regulating lock nut; to the outer end of
the lever d¹ is suspended the spring r, the lower end of which is secured
to the bracket o³ fixed to the link o%, which passes over the weighted
lever o', as shewn in Figure 2. When the warp is too tight the vibrator
is depressed, and the lever d' is raised until it comes against the lock
nut and lifts the link o³, thereby releasing the pressure from the warp
beam and allowing a portion of warp to be drawn off. The spring r is
for taking up the slack warp, as above described.
Figures 8 and 9 represent two views of another modification of our
improved letting-off motion; in this instance the axle of the warp
beam c is guided in open slots, and the flanges of the warp beam rest
upon friction blocks & fixed to the cross rail uniting the end frames; the
cord, chain, or band " is dispensed with, and in lieu thereof we make
use of the links n³ supporting the cross lever n, to which is suspended
the link o connected below to the weighted lever o' The link o
through which the end of the lever o¹ passes is suspended to the swivel
lever q, see Figure 5, or otherwise connected to the vibrator d. By this s
means when the tension on the warp is too great the link o³ is slightly
raised, and the pressure is removed from the flanges d' on the break
blocks 8, thus allowing a portion of warp to be drawn off.
Figures 10 and 11 represent two views of a letting-off motion forming
the second part of our Invention. The lever d' is fixed to the axle of
the vibrator d, and to it is suspended the link d jointed below to the
catch levert; this lever is hinged to the stud of the ratchet wheel t¹,
which is worked by the catch jointed to the lever t; on the face of the
ratchet wheel is cast or fixed a scroll &, shewn by dotted lines in
Figure 11, and this scroll takes into the spur wheel fixed to the warp 3
beam. To the axle of the vibrator is also fixed the lever d³ which is
acted upon by an eccentric on the crank shaft a. As the vibrator is
depressed by the tension of the warp the catch is raised, and when the

page_text: eccentric on the crank shaft acts on the lever d³ the lever t is lowered,
and if the catch 2 has caught over a tooth the ratchet wheel is drawn
partly round, thereby letting off a portion of the warp. In this arrange-
ment the vibrator is weighted in the manner described in reference to
Figures 5 and 7, or in any other convenient manner, and a spring or
other equivalent is applied to the ratchet wheel to keep it steady.
Figures 12 and 13 represent two views of our improved self-acting
apparatus for stopping the loom in case of floats, forming the third part
of our Invention; in these views u is the lay bottom; u¹, the reed;
and u³, the weft fork, to the holder of which is fixed a plate u³. To the
shuttle u is hinged a light double lever us, both ends of which project.
slightly above the top of the shuttle; above the shuttle is the cranked
rod v, shewn detached above, Figure 13. The ends of this rod are jointed
into the projections o¹ which support the ends of the picker spindles,
or they are otherwise connected to the lay swords. When a float occurs
one end of the light lever us is depressed and the other end is raised,
and this raised end raises the warp forming the top shed, which then
comes in contact with the rod v and raises it, so that when the lay
approaches the breast beam the rod comes against the plate u³ and
pushes forward the weft-fork holder, thereby disengaging the usual.
starting lever from its retaining notch, and throwing the driving strap
from the fast to the loose pulley to stop the loom.
. Figures 14 and 15 represent two views of a modification of this part
of our Invention; in this instance the light cranked rod is placed
behind the healds where it rests upon the warp threads, which are slack
to give cover to the fabric, and to the weft-fork holder is jointed the
finger ; this finger has a notch on its upper edge, and so long as no.
float occurs the pin projecting from the lay sword passes over the notch
of the finger ³, as shewn at Figure 15, but when a float does occur the
consequent tightening of the warp threads raises the rod v, and with it
the end of the finger 3, so that when the lay approaches the breast beam
the pin above referred to acts on the notch and presses back the weft-
fork holder, thereby disengaging the starting lever, as above described.
The pressure of the rod o at the back of the healds tends to produce a
clear shed with a slack top shed. We wish to observe that this
apparatus may be considerably modified.
Figures 16, 17, and 18 represent three views of our shield for pro-
tecting the weft fork, forming the last part of our Invention. 2 is the

page_text: weft fork, with its holder u, of the usual construction; to the under side
of the head supporting the weft fork is fixed the shield to, this shield
is made by preference of sheet metal bent in the form shewn, but it
may be made of other materials and of other forms so long as it is of
the proper size and shape to protect the prongs of the weft fork, so as to
prevent the injury which may be done by the shuttle in putting it
carelessly into the shed.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, we declare that we claim,-
Firstly. The improved letting-off motion, as shewn and described in 1
reference to Figures 1 and 2, and particularly the parts shewn detached
in Figures 3 and 4, whereby the fulcrum of the swivel lever q is varied
according to the tension of the warp.
Secondly. We claim the modifications of the above improved letting-off
motion, as shewn and described in reference to Figs. 5, 6, and 7.
Thirdly. We claim the improved letting-off motion, shewn and
described in reference to Figures 8 and 9.
Fourthly. The improved letting-off motion, shewn and described in
Figures 10 and 11, and particularly the scroll for working the toothed
wheel fixed to the warp beam.
Fifthly. The improved self-acting apparatus for stopping the loom
when a float occurs, as shewn and described in reference to Figures 12,
13, 14, and 15.
And, lastly. The application of a guard to ordinary weft forks
to protect their prongs, as shewn and described in reference to
Figures 16, 17, and 18.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Sagar and Thomas
Richmond, have hereto set our hands and seals, this Fifth day
of April, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
THOMAS SAGAR.
(L.S.)
THOS. RICHMOND. (L.S.)