IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Menzies, the elder, and John Menzies, the
younger, both of the City and County of Perth, North Britain, for
the Tam
Sealed the 2nd October 1869, and dated the 7th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Menzies, the
elder, and John Menzies, the younger, at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 7th April
1869.
We, JOHN MENZIES, the elder, and JOHN MENZIES, the younger, both
of the City and County of Perth, North Britain, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLES," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in shuttles, has
reference, in the first place, to side tipped shuttles, and consists in so
constructing their ends that they are prevented from splitting. This
is effected by forming recesses in that part of the ends of the shuttle
wherein the tip and driving pin are fixed. The recesses may be of various
forms, and surrounding the shanks or stems of the tips and driving
plates, by which they are inserted into and retained in the shuttle.

page_text: Into the recesses a loop of wire is placed so as to fill them, thereby
strengthening the shuttle against splitting. In pirn shuttles, whether
side tipped or centre tipped, the part wherein the skewer or tongue is
fixed is also strengthened by inserting a ring or loop of wire into a recess
formed in the wood surrounding it.
The second part of this Invention relates to the application of a series
of springs on the interior of cop shuttles for the purpose of holding the
cop firmly therein, and by means of their application cops of various
sizes may be securely held in the same shuttle, for if the cop is wound
rather large in diameter the springs yield, so as to allow it to be passed
into the shuttle, or if the cop is small in diameter the springs press out
against it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Menzies, the elder, and John Menzies, the
younger, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
MENZIES, the elder, and JOHN MENZIES, the younger, both of the City
and County of Perth, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the 32nd
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John Menzies, the elder, and John Menzies,
the younger, Her special license that we, the said John Menzies, the
elder, and John Menzies, the younger, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Menzies, the elder, and
John Menzies, the younger, our executors, administrators, or 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 SHUTTLES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Menzies, the elder,
and John Menzies, the younger, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: 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 John Menzies, the elder, and John
Menzies, the younger, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our said Invention, which relates to improvements, in shuttles has
reference, in the first place, to side tipped shuttles, and consists in so
constructing their ends that they are prevented from splitting. This
is effected by forming recesses in that part of the ends of the shuttles
wherein the tip and driving pin are fixed. The recesses may be of
various forms, and surrounding the shanks or stems of the tips and
driving plates, by which these are inserted into and retained in the
shuttle. Into the recesses a loop of wire is placed so as to fill them,
thereby strengthening the shuttle against splitting. In pirn shuttles,
whether side tipped or centre tipped, the part wherein the skewer or
tongue is fixed is also strengthened by inserting a ring or loop of wire
into a recess formed in the wood surrounding it.
The second part of this Invention relates to the application of a series
of springs on the interior of cop shuttles for the purpose of holding the
cop firmly therein, and by means of their application cops of various
sizes may be securely held in the same shuttle, for if the cop is wound
rather large in diameter the springs yield so as to allow it to be passed
into the shuttle, or if the cop is small in diameter the springs press out
against it.
And in order that our said Invention may be more fully understood,
and particularly that part of it having reference to side tipped shuttles, we
desire first to explain that the means hitherto adopted to prevent the
shuttle from splitting at the ends consists in forming a circular recess
round the hole for the shank of the tip, and a similar recess round
the hole for the shank of the driving plate; into each of these recesses
a short spiral coil of wire has been inserted to resist the outward or
bursting strain caused by the tight driving in of the shanks of both
the tip and plate, and thus the splitting of the wood at those parts is

page_text: prevented, but there being no connection between the two wire coils
herein referred to as hitherto employed, each being distinct and inde-
pendent, the shuttle very frequently splits up at the part between the
tip and driving plate through the severe action of the picking motion.
The object then of the first part of our Invention is to strengthen
the shuttle between the tip and driving plate, and it consists in forming
a recess both between and around the shanks of the tip and driving
plate in such manner as to take in a treble spiral or other form of wire
coil, which will bind the ends of the shuttle and prevent splitting
between the tip and driving plate. We now proceed more particularly
to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which our present
Invention is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference
being had to the several Figures upon the explanatory Sheet of Drawings
which we have hereunto appended, that is to say,
The first part of our Invention, which consists in the preventing
the ends of side tipped shuttles from splitting, is exhibited especially
at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, of which Figure 1 is an end elevation of a
side tipped shuttle, but in which the driving plate and tip are omitted,
in order that the nature and position of the recesses and strengthening
loops of wire surrounding the shanks of the driving plate and tip may
be seen in Figure 2, which is a horizontal section of one end of a side
tipped shuttle, the driving plate and tip are shown and marked A. and B,
respectively, the shanks of both are marked a, a, and the portion of the
wood in which they are inserted is shown secured with the loop or coil
of wire inserted and marked C. Figures 3 and 5 are also end elevations
of shuttles similar to Figure 1, but in which two different forms of
strengthening loops or coils marked D are shown; Figure 4 is a part
section of a shuttle corresponding to Figure 2, also shewing the strength-
ening loop or coil D in elevation. In lieu of making this strengthening
loop or coil of wire, as shown in the Drawings and herein-before
described, it may be made of malleable iron, steel, or other metal forged
or pressed into any of the required shapes.
The second feature of this first part of our Invention, which relates
to the strengthening of pirn shuttles in the region of the skewer or
tongue, whether of the side or centre tipped class, is illustrated at
Figures 6 and 7, of which Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of a shuttle,
and Figure 7 a transverse section of the same in the line a, a, Figure 6, the
skewer is shewn also in section and marked A in both Figures, and the

page_text: part of the wood surrounding it is recessed, as shown at c, Figure 6,
which recess is filled with the strengthening loop or ring f; this being
made of coiled wire or of pieces of metal. In Figure 6 the strengthening
rings are also shewn surrounding the shank of the driving plate D.
The second part of our Invention is illustrated at Figures 8 and 9, of
which Figure 8 is a plan of the upper side of a cop shuttle, and Figure 9
a transverse section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 8. In these
two Figures the interior side springs by which the cop is held are shown
and marked A. These springs may be made of various shapes, and may
be placed in the side of the shuttle at various angles.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the mode
or manner in or under which the same may be carried into effect, we
would observe in conclusion that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details shown and described; but what we consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The strengthening of the ends of shuttles by coils or loops made
of twisted wire, or by rings or loops of iron, steel, or other metal, sub-
stantially as herein-before set forth and shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
and 5 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Second. The strengthening of shuttles in the region of the skewer or
tongue by inserted coils, loops, or rings of twisted wire, or by rings of
iron, steel, or other metal, substantially as herein-before described and
shown at Figures 6 and 7 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Third. The application of springs to the interior of cop shuttles,
substantially as herein-before described and shown at Figures 8 and 9
of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Menzies, the elder, and
John Menzies, the younger, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, this First day of October One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine.