Improvements in and connected with the Harness Mechanism of Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Harness Mechanism of
Looms for Weaving.
I, EDWARD HOLLINGWORTH, of the Firm of Hutchinson Hollingworth and
Company Limited, of Dobcross Loom Works, Dobcross, near Oldham, Yorkshire,
Loom Makers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
.
My invention relates to improvements in and connected with the harness
mechanism of looms for weaving, the object thereof being to minimise the
breakage of the strapping, to prevent stretching thereof, and to make the
aforesaid mechanism work more freely, and also whilst getting the requisite
strength I am enabled to employ a greater number of connections in a given
space than can be done at present.
In carrying out my invention 1 dispense with the leather or fibrous strapping
now employed to form connections between the harness mechanism and the frames,
and in place thereof I employ metallic strapping suitably provided with short
links for ensuring freer movement and rendering the connections between the
strapping and the harness mechanism and frames easier to connect and disconnect.
These links, being made narrower than loops could be made in wires, allow a
greater number of harness frames to be put in a given space than is possible at
present. Screw links are also attached to the metallic strapping for adjusting the
position and tension thereof. The hooks on the harness frames to which the
metallic straps are connected are suitably constructed to prevent displacement
of the links which are hooked thereon by the motion of the frames when in
action.
Similar metallic strapping and links are employed to connect the underside of
the frames to the mechanism for drawing down the healds.
In place of the sheaves or pulleys, usually employed in connection with the
harness mechanism, I employ armed levers, arranged in such manner that a greater
leverage is obtained, whereby the said levers and. parts connected therewith work
with great ease and smoothness; such levers being provided with suitable ribs to
prevent the levers springing out of line or catching upon each other. On the
underside of the loom I may employ pulleys or levers passing around or connected
to which are the metallic straps attached to the bottom of the harness frames; but
when levers are employed weights are placed thereon to counterbalance the weight
of the harness frames; this arrangement of levers is also applicable to looms
strapped in the usual way over pulleys at the top of the loom, and adds to the
steadiness of running.
The hubs of the armed levers are provided with slots so that any one of the series
can be removed without disturbing the rest.
By the use of metallic strapping, the harness frames and heddles when once
placed in proper position remain so, and there is no stretching or elongation of the
parts, as is the case where leather strapping is used; and by reason of the greater
strength of metallic strapping a greater number of harness frames can be used in
the limited space allowed; whilst; by using armed lever-connections instead of
pulleys, a direct pull is obtained in all directions, the friction incident to the chafing
of the metallic straps or chains on the pulleys being avoided.
The metallic strapping may be used with the ordinary forms of connections
between the harness levers and frames.
Dated this 20th dow of Tun 1800
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Huddersfield, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and' connected with the Harness Mechanism of
Looms for Weaving.
1
I, EDWARD HOLLINGWORTH, of the Firm of Hutchinson Hollingworth and
Company Limited, of Dobcross Loom Works, Dobcross, near Oldham, Yorkshire,
Loom Makers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in and connected with the harness
mechanism of looms for weaving, the object thereof being to minimise the
breakage of the strapping, to prevent stretching thereof, and to make the
aforesaid mechanism work more freely, and also whilst getting the requisite
strength I am enabled to employ a greater number of connections in a given
space in width than can be done at present.
In carrying out my invention I dispense with the leather or fibrous strapping
now employed to form connections between the harness mechanism and the heald
shafts, and in place thereof I employ metallic strapping suitably provided with
short links for ensuring freer movement and rendering the connections between the
strapping and the harness mechanism and heald shafts easier to connect and
disconnect. These links, being made narrower than loops could be made from
lengths of wires, allow a greater number of healds to be put in a given space than
is possible at present. Screw links are also attached to the metallic strapping for
adjusting the position and tension thereof.
In order that the nature and object of my improvements may be more fully
understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying sheets of drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of a portion of a loom shewing the appli-
cation thereto of my improvements;
Fig. 2 is an elevation and Fig. 3 a plan on an enlarged scale illustrating the top
levers and adjustable rectangular frames;
Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged details of my improved adjustable connections, shewing
their application to the top shaft of the healds;
Figs. 6 and 7 are also enlarged details of my improved connections, shewing their
application to the bottom shaft of the healds; and
Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged details of the adjusting link connected to the chain
strapping and used in some cases under the loom.
In Fig. 1, of the accompanying drawings 1 represents the loom framework, 2 the
top rail and 3 and 4 the jack levers pivoted at 5 in the ordinary way. There are
two rails 2, to which are attached two cross rods 6 and 7 on which are pivoted the
rectangular frames 8 joined together by crossbars 10 and 11. On the ends of each
rectangular frame and opposite the cross rods 6 and 7 are ears 12, shewn more
clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, which ears project outward over the rails 2, to receive
adjusting screws 13, by which each end of the rectangular frames may be raised or
lowered, during which movement they rock or swing on the rods 6 and 7 which
form fulcrums as well as supports. When the rectangular frames are adjusted
they are held in position at the desired elevation by locknuts 14. Extending across
each rectangular frame 8 are rods 15 and 16, on which are pivoted a series of
armed levers 17 and 18 corresponding in number to the heald shafts, such armed
levers being used instead of the pulleys or sheaves ordinarily employed. To
prevent the levers 17 and 18 springing or twisting out of line in the series and
catching or locking upon each other, the said levers are provided with curved
bars 17 and 18", such said curved bars also serving to strengthen the levers. The
curved bars 17 and 18" are made long enough so that one series of curved bars
overlap the other series when the levers have reached the extent of their movement,
and in order to prevent the whole series of levers from tilting sideways, small guide

page_text: pieces 8 are placed in the sides or ends of the rectangular frames 8 and fixed in
position by a set screw as shewn in Fig. 3. The arms 19 of the levers 17 are
connected to the jack levers 3 by lengths of wire 20 and short links 21, such said
links permitting freer movement of the parts and rendering the connections more
easily hooked and unhooked. The links 21 are shewn on an enlarged scale in
Figs. 6 and 7 and I am enabled to make them thinner than loops could be made
from the wires 20, consequently a greater number of heald shafts can be put
together side by side in a less space than was formerly the case. The radial
arms 22 of lever 17 are connected by wires 22ª and short links 21 to arms 23
belonging to levers 8 so that the arms 24, and 25 of levers 17 and 18 are simul-
taneously lifted or depressed by the movement of the jack levers.
The radial arms 24 and 25 are connected to the top heald shafts 26 and 27 by
means of short links 28 and 29 and screw links 30, the latter being employed for
the purpose of adjusting the position and tension of the several connections, and
these parts are shewn in enlarged details in Figs. 4 and 5. The hooks 31 screwed
in any well known manner into the heald shafts are, for convenience in hooking or
unhooking, made rather shallow and to prevent the links 30 from vibrating
sufficiently to jump off, the hooks are provided with a tongue 32 hinged within or
between the sides of the links 30 in such manner that the said tongue 32 must be
pushed aside or swivelled out of its place to allow the link to become unhooked,
which construction allows the links to be made thin enough to correspond to the
short links 21 previously referred to. The bottom shafts of the healds are provided
with connecting wires 33, but they are attached thereto and to the vertical wires.34
by the same short links 21. In the drawing Fig. 1, two methods are shewn for
connecting the vertical wires 34 to vertical wires 35 hanging from the jack levers;
in one of such methods the connecting wires pass around pulleys or sheaves 36
and 37; whilst an alternative method is shewn in dotted lines consisting in the
employment of a pivoted lever hereinafter more fully described. The connection
represented in full lines is the one more frequently used where one sheave is
pivoted on a bracket 38 supported upon a cross rail 39, whilst the other sheave is
pivoted at 40. Suitable lengths of metallic chain 41 pass partially around the said
sheaves, and to the first link of the metallic chain there is rivetted a projection or
hook 42 as shewn in Figs. 8 and 9. The intermediate horizontal wires 33 under
the loom and the vertical wires 35 from the jack levers are hooked into one of the
series of holes 42" in link 42, the length of the connections being adjusted by
hooking into one or other of the holes in the said links 42°. The said parts just
described allow of the connections being made small enough whilst giving the
requisite strength to correspond with the short links 21 already referred to.
Instead of using the sheave pulleys 36 and 37, I may employ a long lever 44
pivoted at 45 to a bracket 46 attached to the loom frame; the inner end of the
said lever is connected to the vertical wire 34 by a short link corresponding to
link 21 and the outer end of the said lever 44 is connected by a short section of
metallic chain 41, and the adjusting link 42b, to the long vertical wire 35, and in
order to counterbalance the weight of the healds the lever 44 is weighted on its
outer end as shewn at 47. The employment of the lever 44 is applicable to looms
strapped up in the ordinary way where the leather strapping passes over sheaves at
the top of the loom, and it will add to the steadiness of running, particularly at
high speeds.
By the use of the metallic strappings or connections above described, together
with the links and parts connected therewith, the healds once lined up to a proper
position will remain so and there is no stretching or giving out of the strapping, as
is the case when leather or fibrous strapping is used, and further by reason of the
narrowness of the parts, a larger number of healds can be used within a given and
necessarily limited space than can be used with the ordinary leather or other form
of strapping, the metallic strapping can also be used with the ordinary forms of
connections between the healds and jack levers, in which case the chain 41 and
adjusting link 42b would be used for the top sheaves, and the screwed links 30

page_text: could if desired be replaced by the links 21. By using the armed lever con-
nections 17 and 18, and dispensing with the sheaves usually employed I obtain a
direct pull in all directions and avoid the friction and chafing of the metallic straps
or chains which would happen if sheaves were employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Firstly. In looms for weaving, the combination with the jack levers and the heald
shafts, of the links, wires, armed levers, screw adjusting links, and chain connections,
together with the adjustable rectangular frames and means for adjusting them, all
employed substantially as described for the purposes set forth.
Secondly. In looms for weaving, the combination with the jack levers and heald
shafts and metallic strappings of a counterbalanced lever such as 44 substantially
as set forth.
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اليوم
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1 2001
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Huddersfield, Agents.