IMPROVEMENTS IN LINEN TOWELLING AND TOWELS AND IN THE MANUFACTURE AND FINISHING OF THE SAME, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles James Webb and Richard Thomas Webb, of
Randalstown, in the County of Antrim, in the Kingdom of Ireland, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LINEN TOWELLING AND TOWELS AND IN THE
MANUFACTURE AND FINISHING OF THE SAME, AND IN THE MACHINERY
EMPLOYED THEREIN.
"
Sealed the 22nd August 1876, and dated the 28th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles James Webb and
Richard Thomas Webb at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
28th February 1876.
CHARLES JAMES WEBB and RICHARD THOMAS WEBB, of Randalstown, in the
County of Antrim, in the Kingdom of Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LINEN
TOWELLING AND TOWELS AND IN THE MANUFACTURE AND FINISHING OF THE SAME;
AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN."
1st. In the shaft machine for weaving towels and other goods as ordinarily
constructed, in which the rise and fall of the different shafts is indicated by a
chain of cards, the level of the lower half of the shed is fixed, while the upper
part of the shed moves through the entire distance necessary to make a-sufficient
opening for the shuttle to pass. Our machine is so arranged that each half of
the shed passes through half of the required distance meeting in the middle, and
on this account the loom can be driven at a much higher rate of speed, and there
is less stress on yarn and consequently fewer threads are broken.
2nd. We attain this object in the following manner-We lengthen the end of
the main overhead lever of the shaft machine beyond the point where the link
to which the lifts working heddle shafts are attached. A link pivotted to this
lengthened end of the inain lever is jointed to a second smaller lever, having its
other end nearly vertically below the point in the main lever from which the link
working heddle shafts are attached. The fulcrum of this lower lever is so arranged
that the end nearly below the link to which the lifts are attached moves at an
equal rate of speed to the said link. To the end of this lower lever is attached a
horizontal bar working in long slots in the heddle shaft lifts by which means the
Price 6d1

page_text: lower shafts are raised to meet the upper ones when the latter are descending, and
vice versa.
3rd. The main lever of the shaft machine is usually. worked from an eccentric on
the main crank shaft of the loom. We find however that this does not give
sufficient dwell of shed when open to enable the weft in heavy towelling to be
sufficiently driven up. We therefore prefer an irregular in place of a circular
motion giving a longer interval for the shed to remain open. This can be done in a
variety of ways, the best being in our opinion at present a cam motion or
graduated tappet in which a bowl works attached to a lever pivotted at one end
and jointed at the other to the link working the main lever of the shaft machine.
4th. In dividing the warp (in weaving towelling or towels) into strands or
divisions of three or more ends each in the shed, so that the three threads of
weft cross above three and under the three next, then above three again, and so
on in the warp.
5th. In winding three or more threads together on the bobbins of the shuttle
without twisting them to any material extent, so that they shall remain com-
paratively untwisted when the shuttle is shot through the web. The advantage of
this is that the towelling is very rapidly woven, and also that it is a very thick
close material when made, and yet from the absence of twist in the thread and of
the tight compression caused by close weaving, it is exceedingly absorbent of
moisture, much more so thau ordinary towelling. At the same time it has not that
ragged, ravelly, thin, or thread worn appearance that very loosely woven towelling
has.
6th. In finishing linen towelling and towels for the market it is commonly
beetled or put through some other process giving a similar result. We however
after beetling or other similar process again thoroughly damp or wet it, and then
dry it out on steam cans or by air as a final process, and find the finish greatly
improved thereby. This applies not merely to one but to all kinds of towelling and
towels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles James Webb and Richard Thomas Webb in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th August 1876..
CHARLES JAMES WEBB and RICHARD THOMAS WEBB, of Randalstown, in the
County of Antrim, in the Kingdom of Ireland. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LINEN
TOWELLING AND TOWELS AND IN THE MANUFACTURE AND FINISHING OF THE SAME,
AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Ist. In the shaft machine for weaving towels and other goods as ordinarly
constructed in which the rise and fall of the different shafts is indicated by a chain
of cards, the level of the lower half of the shed is fixed, while the upper part of the
shed moves through the entire distance necessary to make a sufficient opening for
the shuttle to pass: Our machine is so arranged that each half of the shed passes
through half of the required distance meeting in the middle, and on this account the
loom can be driven at a much higher rate of speed, and there is less stress on the
yarn and consequently fewer threads are broken.
2nd. The arrangement of shaft machine for doing this is shown in Fig. 1; A is
the overhead lever supported in the usual fulcrum B, and produced or lengthened
out beyond the point where the link C to which the heddle shaft lifts D, two of
which are shown in Drawing, are attached. The machine shown in Drawing is
constructed to carry twenty-two heddle shafts lifts but only two are shown in full,
and the upper wires of a few more, the object in leaving them out being to avoid
cumbering the Drawing. A link E is pivotted to this lengthened end and is usually
made with a fish in the centre (not shown in Drawing), so as to adjust its length

page_text: if desirable. This link is jointed to another smaller lever F, having the other end
nearly vertically below the point C in the main lever. The fulcrum G of this
lower lever is so arranged that the end G¹ moves at an equal rate of speed with the
link C vertically above it. At the end of this lever are attached two horizontal bars
H, H, working in long slots in the heddle shaft lifts D, by which means the lower
shafts are raised to meet the upper ones when the latter are descending, and vice
versa. I, I, are parts of the machinery for actuating the cards. As this is precisely
the same as in ordinary towel looms and forms no part of the Patent, this machinery
is in great part omitted in the Drawing J, J, the frames are also broken off to
prevent complicating the Drawing,
3rd. The main lever A is usually worked by an excentric in the main crank shaft.
of the loom. We find however that this does not give sufficient dwell of shed when
open to enable the weft in heavy towelling to be sufficiently driven up. We there-
fore prefer an irregular in place of a circular motion, giving a longer interval for the
shed to remain open. This can be done in a variety of ways, but we prefer a cam
motion or graduated tappet, Fig. 2, in which a bowl works attached to a lever
pivotted at one end and jointed at the other to the link K working the_shaft
machine. The cam is shown in Fig. 2, which like the isometrical Drawing, Fig. 1,
is drawn to a scale of three inches to the foot.
4th. In dividing the warp (in weaving towelling or towels) into strands or
divisions of three or more ends each in the shed, so that the three threads of weft
cross above three and under the three next, then above three again, and so on.
5th. In winding three or more threads together on the bobbins of the shuttle
without twisting them to any material extent, so that they shall remain com-
paratively untwisted when the shuttle is shot through the web. The advantage of
this is that the towelling is very rapidly woven, and also that it is a very thick
close material when made, and yet from the absence of twist in the thread and of
the tight compression caused by close weaving it is exceedingly absorbent of
moisture, much more so than ordinary towelling. At the same time it has not that
ragged, ravelly, thin, or thread worn appearance that very loosely woven towelling
has. The species of towelling we have named and advertized "elephant towelling,"
and it is already in very large demand.
6th. In finishing linen towelling and towels for the market, it is commonly
beetled or put through some other process giving the same result. We however after
beetling or other similar process again thoroughly damp or wet it, and then dry it
out on steam cans or by air as a final process, and find the finish greatly improved
thereby, this applies not merely to one but to all kinds of towelling or towels.
Having now described our Invention and the manner of carrying it into effect,
we wish it to be understood that we do not claim our improvements in relation to
textile fabrics in general, but only in relation to towels or towelling and machinery
capable of being employed in the manufacture thereof, and that what we believe to
be new and desire to claim under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,-
1st. The arrangement of a shaft machine for the purpose described, so that each
half of the shed passes through half the required distance, meeting in centre or
thereabout, as described.
2nd. The combination of the lengthened lever A with the link E, the lever F,
and the horizontal bar H, or their mechanical equivalents, with the heddle shaft
lifts, for the purpose described.
3rd. The arrangement of a loom with a tappet, as shown in Fig. 2, or other
device giving an intermittent or irregular instead of uniform circular reciprocating
motion, so as to cause a longer dwell of the shed when open than can be gained by
the ordinary excentric, for the purpose described.
4th. The manufacture of towels or towelling by winding a number of threads
together (instead of one only) on the shuttle, substantially as described in part five
of foregoing Specification.

page_text: 5. The method of finishing towels or towelling, substantially as described in
part six of the foregoing Specification.
In witness whereof I, the said Charles James Webb, on behalf of myself and
the said Richard Thomas Webb, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord 1876.
Witness,
ROBERT MCCULLOUGH,
W. P. Thompson's Patent Office,
.6, Lord Street,
Liverpool.
CHARLES JAMES WEBB.. (L.S.)