IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Knowles, James Houghton, William Knowles,
and William Houghton, of Gomersal, in the County of York, Machine
Makers for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 20th March 1868, and dated the 23rd September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Knowles, James
Houghton, William Knowles, and William Houghton at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd September
1862.
We, THOMAS KNOWLES, JAMES HOUGHTON, WILLIAM KNOWLES, and WILLIAM
HOUGHTON, of Gomersal, in the County of York, Machine Makers, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to the box motion, or to a means or method
of working the rising boxes in looms for weaving, and consists in combining
and arranging mechanism or apparatus for that purpose, as follows:-At each
end of the loom a tappet is fixed on the low shaft, which operates upon slide
plates or brackets capable of sliding in fixings attached to the loom framing.
These slide plates support lifting horns or arms, which are capable of being
operated by rods and levers from peg lags or jacquard apparatus, and caused
to take into one or other of a series of notches attached to or formed on levers,
which are hinged to the framing and connected by rods to the rising boxes,

page_text: which are thereby operated and brought into position according as they are
indicated and actuated by the peg lags or jacquard apparatus.
Secondly, the Invention relates to the picking motion, and consists in com-
bining and arranging apparatus for that purpose as follows:-An eccentric is
fixed on the crank shaft (at each end of the loom) operating a slide bar or
rod, on which is hinged a pair of horns or arms capable of being operated by
peg lags or jacquard apparatus, and thereby brought into contact with one or
other of two nibs or projections formed on a lever plate hinged to the framing,
and according to the action upon which the picking lever is moved into or out
of contact with the picking noses..
Thirdly, this Invention relates to a "lagging-back" motion, or means of
turning back when the weft breaks or becomes used up, which consists in
combining and arranging apparatus in such manner that on the jacquard or
peg lags being reversed or turned backward by the attendant operating upon
levers and catches the boxes and picking apparatus will also be simulta-
neously turned backward, thereby maintaining their relative positions, so that
on finding the broken pick or the place where no weft has been introduced,
all the parts will be formed in proper relative position or working order.
Fourthly, this Invention relates to a letting-off motion for obtaining greater
regularity or uniformity of tension on the warp, and which consists in the
application to or in connection with the warp beam of a friction box, or a
conical boss and a corresponding cup or box, which are caused to act upon
each other by means of a spring or weighted lever, and on the crank shaft is
an eccentric, which, by means of rods, ratchet wheel, and catch, acts upon
the lever to relieve the beam; also by means of a hand wheel applied thereto
any desirable amount of friction can be put upon the beam during the process
of weaving.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Knowles, James Houghton, William Knowles, and
William Houghton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd March 3
1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
KNOWLES, JAMES HOUGHTON, WILLIAM KNOWLES, and WILLIAM HOUGHTON, of
Gomersal, in the County of York, Machine Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself,. Hér heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Thomas Knowles, James Houghton, William Knowles, and
William Houghton, Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Knowles,
James Houghton, William Knowles, and William Houghton, our executors,
administrators,. and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Knowles,
James Houghton,. William Knowles, and William Houghton, 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 Knowles, James
Houghton, William Knowles, and William Houghton, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of
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 Knowles, James Houghton;
William Knowles, and William Houghton, 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,
and the two accompanying Sheets of Drawings, that is to say :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to the box motion, or to a means or method
of working the rising boxes in looms for weaving, and consists in combining
and arranging mechanism or apparatus for that purpose as follows:-At each
end of the loom a tappet is fixed on the low shaft, which operates upon slide
plates or brackets capable of sliding in fixings attached to the loom framing.
These slide plates support lifting horns or arms, which are capable of being
operated by rods and levers from peg lags or jacquard apparatus, and caused
to take into one or other of a series of notches attached to or formed on levers,
which are hinged to the framing and connected by rods to the rising boxes,
which are thereby operated and brought into position according as they are
indicated and actuated by the peg lags or jacquard apparatus.
Secondly, this Invention relates to the picking motion, and consists in com-
bining and arranging apparatus for that purpose, as follows:-An eccentric is
fixed on the crank shaft (at each end of the loom), operating a slidė bar or

page_text: rod, on which is hinged a pair of horns or arms capable of being operated by
-peg lags or jacquard apparatus, and thereby brought into contact with one or
other of two nibs or projections formed on a lever plate hinged to the framing,
and according to the action upon which the picking lever is moved into or out
of contact with the picking noses or picking tappets.
Thirdly, this Invention relates to a lagging-back motion, or means of
turning back when the weft breaks or becomes used up, which consists in
combining and arranging apparatus in such manner that on the jacquard or
peg lags being reversed or turned backward by the attendant operating upon
levers and catches the boxes and picking apparatus will also be simulta-
neously turned backward, thereby maintaining their relative positions, so that
on finding the broken pick or the place where no weft has been introduced,
all the parts will be found in proper relative position or working order.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a loom constructed and arranged according to
this Invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are end elevations; Fig. 4 is. a back elevation;
and Fig. 5 is a plan of the same.
A is the end framing or loom ends, connected together by cross rails B, and
C is the crank shaft, on which are the driving pullies; D is the low shaft,
which receives motion from the crank shaft by gear wheels in the usual
manner. On each end of the shaft D is a tappet E, which as the shaft rotates
acts upon slide plates or frames F capable of sliding, and which are guided
by brackets or fixings G attached to the loom ends. Hare a pair of lifting
horns or arms mounted on the slides F, and capable of swiveling thereon and
being lifted or lowered thereby; I are levers hinged on studs i fixed to each!
loom end, and to which are fixed or are formed thereon steps or notches 1, 2,
3, and 4, 5, 6; J are bell-crank levers, also hinged to the loom ends on
studs j, one arm extending over the tappet E, the other into contact with
the lever I, and having spring levers or pressers K attached thereto; Lare
catches or notch pieces, which are attached to each of the levers I, each
having three notches, into one or other of which a projection on the bell-
crank lever enters according as the lever I is actuated, and by which the said
levers and rising boxes are held steady in position, as required; M are levers
hinged to the loom ends, and connected to the levers I at one end by rods N,
and to the rising boxes O at the other by rods and levers P, Q. The horns H
are operated or caused to swivel and take into one or other of the notches
on the levers I by means of a combination of rods and levers R, S, actuated
by a chain of peg lags T according to the length and arrangement of the

page_text: pegs. The manner of performing this part of our Invention is as follows:→
The levers R, S, are actuated or lifted by the pegs on the peg lags T, which
receive motion from the jacquard engine U, more. or less, according to the
length thereof, which by the connection of rods swivel the horns H ready to
take into one or other of the notches on the levers I when the tappets E lift
the slides F, which carry and lift the horns H, so that if one of the horns is
placed into the notch 1 the movement will then only be to the extent of one box
lifted, if into notch 2 then to the extent of two boxes will be lifted, and if into
notch 3. then to the extent of three boxes will be lifted; but if the other horn
is placed in contact with notch 4 then one box will be lowered, if into notch 5
two boxes will be lowered, and if into the notch 6 three boxes will be lowered.
Also if both the horns are placed so as not to be in contact with any of the
notches when the slides and horns are lifted, then no change of boxes will be
effected. It will be understood that a similar action takes place at each end
of the loom, as required; and it will be observed that these Drawings are
prepared to shew the method of employing and working three tiers of rising
boxes, but any other number of boxes may be employed by having suitable
arrangements and lengths of pegs in the peg lags, and the proper number of
notches on the levers I. Also that the bell-crank or catch levers J may be
applied to the levers M for steadying the boxes, if desirable, instead of being
applied to the levers T, as shewn.
The second part of our Invention or "picking motion" is effected as
follows:-On the crank shaft C is keyed an eccentric A¹, which operates a
rod B' as the shaft rotates. A lever plate C¹ is hinged upon a stud plate D'
fixed to the loom end, and a pair of horns E¹ are carried on the rod B', which
are capable of swiveling thereon when operated by jacquards or peg lags. A
lever F fixed to the plate C¹ clips the picking lever G¹, by which it is moved
into or out of contact with the picking tappet K. A lever H' is hinged to
the loom end, which also clips the leyer G¹ with one arm, and to the other
arm is attached a rod J¹, which connects to another lever H hinged at the
other end of the loom, which clips the other picking lever G. Rods and
straps M¹ connect the levers G³ and G2 with levers O¹ and the picking
sticks P¹ in the usual manner. The horns E' are caused to swivel by means
of the lever and rod R¹ and S¹ actuated by the peg lags T, bringing either
one or other of the horns into contact with one or other of the nibs on the
plate C, thus moving the picking levers either into or out of contact with
the picking tappets K¹, as required; the two picking levers being connected
together by a rod J¹ and levers H and H².
The third part of our Invention, the “lagging-back" or reversing the action,

page_text: of the loom in the several parts or motions thereof is accomplised as follows:
-It has been shewn that the action of the rising boxes and the picking of
the shuttles are operated, governed, or indicated by the peg lags, which
receive motion from the jacquard engine; and it will be seen that the action
of these parts may be either forward or backward, consequently by acting
upon the
peg lags or the jacquard engine, so as to reverse the action thereof.
all the other parts will be reversed simultaneously, therefore by applying a
hand lever and catch to the peg lags to turn them in the opposite direction
the several parts of the loom will be reversed. By reference to Fig.. 1 it will
be seen that a lever Y is binged on the cross rail B with a spring catch W,
which takes into a ratchet wheel fixed on the peg lag shaft, with a rod X to
the jacquard cylinder, and having a rod and handle Z attached thereto, by.
pulling of which the peg lags, jacquards, boxes, and picking motions will be
reversed simultaneously, as required.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Knowles, for and on behalf of
myself and the said James Houghton, William Knowles, and William
Houghton, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day
of March, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
THOMAS KNOWLES. (L.S.)