Improvements connected with Heald Springs employed in Dobby and other Weaving.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Jan.. 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 10th Nov., 1894
Improvements connected with Heald Springs employed in Dobby
and other Weaving.
I, JABEZ WOODS, of Moor Park Villa, Garstang Road, Preston, in the County
of Lancaster, Weaving Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements connected with heald springs employed in
dobby and other weaving.
In
It has heretofore been the ordinary practice to employ along with each heald a
pair of helical springs arranged vertically either to pull the healds downwardly —
as in the case of dobby weaving- -or upwardly-as in the case of tappet weaving
in which latter case a device known as the "spring top" is commonly employed.
The object of my invention is to obviate the unnecessary amount of strain on the
healds which results in the present arrangements from the fact that a gradually
increasing power is required to stretch the springs as they are drawn out or
elongated so that by the time the warp shed has been opened out to its full width
the pulling strain upon the healds and the tightness imparted thereto by the
springs is very much in excess of the actual requirements. To carry the said
object into effect I employ only one spring and that I arrange horizontally. The
said spring is of the usual helical kind and at each end it is attached to a strap
preferably of leather. Each of the two straps passes in opposite directions over
the curved face of a pair of pivotted quadrants to which they are fastened.
the case of dobby weaving the quadrants springs and straps are carried on a
suitable frame or stand underneath the healds and the free ends of the straps are
connected to the lower heald stave. In the case of tappet weaving the quadrants
are mounted near each end of the spring top framing and the outer ends of the
jacks"-which are connected to the upper heald staves in the usual way--are
passed through holes in the depending part of the straps so that the downward
movement of the jacks effects the simultaneous partial rotation of the quadrants
and the distention of the spring. That (radial) side of each quadrant which is
nearest the spring is so formed or curved that as the quadrant is pulled round
away from or so as to pull at the spring the strap gradually meets and rests upon
a decreasing diameter of the quadrant until at length it rests upon the boss or
hub thereof the arrangement being such that as the pull upon the spring gradually
progresses the amount of leverage exercised thereupon by the quadrant is
gradually decreased. The quadrants are preferably made with a concentric slot
or opening the said slot acting in conjunction with a pin or bar which answers as
a stop for determining the height or level to which the healds are to be brought
when moved back to their normal position.
66
By the above described arrangement am enabled to use a considerably weaker
spring than is necessary in the arrangements heretofore in use the wear and tear
upon the healds is diminished and less power is required to drive the loom.
Dated this 6th day of January 1894.

page_text: Improvements connected with Heald Springs employed in Dobby
and other Weaving.
I, JABEZ WOODS, of Moor Park Villa, Garstang Road, Preston, in the County
of Lancaster, Weaving Manager, 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 :—
This invention relates to improvements connected with heald springs employed
in dobby and other weaving.
"
In
It has heretofore been the ordinary practice to employ along with each heald a
pair of helical springs arranged vertically either to pull the healds downwardly-
as in the case of dobby weaving-or upwardly—
-as in the case of tappet weaving
in which latter case a device known as the "spring top' is commonly employed.
The object of my invention is to obviate the unnecessary amount of strain on the
bealds which results in the present arrangements from the fact that a gradually
increasing power is required to stretch the springs as they are drawn out or
elongated so that by the time the warp shed has been opened out to its full width
the pulling strain upon the healds and the tightness imparted thereto by the
springs very much in excess of the actual requirements. To carry the said
object into effect 1 employ only one spring and that I arrange horizontally. The
said spring is of the usual helical kind and at each end it is attached to a strap
preferably of leather. Each of the two straps passes in opposite directions over
the curved face of a pair of pivotted quadrants to which they are fastened.
the case of dobby weaving the quadrants springs and straps are carried on a
suitable frame or stand underneath the healds and the free ends of the straps are
connected to the lower heuld stave. In the case of tappet weaving the quadrants
are mounted near each end of the spring top framing and the outer ends of the
jacks "which are connected to the upper heald staves in the usual way-are
passed through holes in the depending part of the straps so that the downward
movement of the jacks effects the simultaneous partial rotation of the quadrants
and the distention of the spring. That (radial) side of each quadrant which is
nearest the spring is so formed or curved that as the quadrant is pulled round
away from or so as to pull at the spring the strap gradually meets and rests upon
a decreasing diameter of the quadrant until at length it rests upon the boss or hub
thereof the arrangement being such that as the pull upon the spring gradually
progresses the amount of leverage exercised thereupon by the quadrant is
gradually decreased.
66
By the above described arrangement I am enabled to use a considerably weaker
spring than is necessary in the arrangements heretofore in use the wear and tear
upon the healds is diminished and less power is required to drive the loom.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of spring top apparatus embodying my said
improvements.
Fig. 2 is a sectional side view and
Fig. 3 a plan view shewing a modification of the same.
a is a helical spring connected at each end through the medium of straps or
bands preferably of leather-to the quadrants or cams ce carried or pivoted
on the cross shafts ff in the framing g. h are the jacks pivoted or fulcrummed
at ii whose outer ends pass through the depending part of the straps or bands bb.
The broken lines at Figs. 1 and 2 indicate the altered position of parts when the
jacks h h have been pulled downwardly so that the straps b b rest upon the boss or
hub or the nearest part to the centre of the quadrants or cams cc the pulling

page_text: tension of the spring a upon the jacks hh-and therefore upon the healds to which
they are connected in the usual way-being thus lessened as herein befor
mentioned.
Fig. 2 shews an arrangement in which two springs are employed instead of only
one the inner ends of the springs a being preferably attached to a piece of leather k
fastened to the underside of a cross bar l. The diagonal arrangement of the
divided spring affords more room and thus enables a greater length of spring to
be available. A further advantage of the said arrangement is that if one part of
the divided spring happens to give way or break the remaining part continues to
act that is to say it acts upon both of the jacks.
Instead of arranging the pin or bar answering as a stop within a concentric slot
in the quadrants or cams cc as proposed in my Provisional Specification I prefer
to arrange the cross bars or stops mm so as to meet the edges of the jacks in the
manner shewn at Fig. 2.
dd are a number of holes in the straps b b which hook on to the pine for the
purpose of regulating the tension of the spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In spring top apparatus of looms for weaving the combination of the springs a a
quadrants or cams cc and jacks hh arranged to operate in conjunction with
stops mm in manner substantially as hereinabove described and shewn in the
drawings for the purpose specified.
Dated this 6th day of Ootahar 1901
Dated this 6th day of October 1904
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.