Improvements in Looms for Weaving Fashioned Neckties and other Articles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Looms for Weaving Fashioned Neckties and
other Articles.
We, FRANCIS WILLIAM FRANKLIN and BERNARD FRANKLIN, of the Firm of
William Franklin & Son, of 48, Bayley Lane, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturers, and JAMES CLARKE, of 35, Russell Street, Coventry aforesaid,
Warehouseman, 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:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in looms for weaving by which we
are enabled to gradually decrease and increase the width of the material as it is
being woven and has special reference to power looms which form the subject of our
prior Application for Letters Patent No. 22256 of 1898 for weaving neck ties scarfs,
socking for boots bracings or other such like articles whether tubular woven or not
and either with or without a lining or linings.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect we have appended hereunto five double sized sheets of drawings
upon which we have illustrated four examples of the way in which the slay or
slays may be operated. It must however be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to these methods as various other ways may be met with in practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation shewing a portion of the bed or back batten of a
power loom with our improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 of a power loom shewing a modified form
of our improvements applied thereto.
Figures 4 & 5 are front elevations shewing a portion of the bed of back batten
with a further modification of our improvements applied thereto.
In carrying our invention into practice we connect the slay B to the rods or
supports A which pass through slots or holes formed in the frame of the batten D
and are free to move therein. The lower ends of these rods are fixed to the cross
bar E mounted on the screwed spindles F carried by the cross bar H supported by
the brackets h¹ which are fixed to the frame of the batten. The upper and lower
portions of the rods A are adjustably connected together so as to enable various
sized slays to be used. The lower ends of the spindles F pass through holes
formed in the cross bar H and rest in bearings formed upon the short cross bars h³
which are supported by the bolts 2 or their equivalents fixed to the cross bar H.
The upper ends of these screwed spindles revolve in sockets or bearings formed in

page_text: 2
the frame of the batten. On these ends of the spindles between the bar H and
the short bars h³ we fix the ratchet wheels f¹ and f which are operated by the
pawls f and f* respectively. These pawls are mounted loosely on the studs
and fixed on the levers J and J which are pivoted at to the cross bars H
and respectively. Also connected to the cross bar H and to the opposite ends of
the levers J and Jare the spiral springs which are provided for the purpose of
drawing the levers J and J¹ back to their normal positions and these ends of
the levers J and J are also connected to the cords K and K respectively or their
equivalents which pass over the pulleys 2 fixed at the front of the frame of the
loom. The other ends of the cords being attached to the hooks fixed to the front
of the batten D. The pawls f3 and f* when in operation are held against the teeth of
the ratchet wheels by the springs fo and fo mounted on the studs and ³ the
loose ends of which bear against a peg formed on or attached to each pawl. When
the pawls fare in gear with the ratchet wheels f as shewn at Figures 1 and 2
the cords K as the batten moves backwards will draw the levers J forwards and so
rotate the ratchet wheels f and consequently the screwed spindles F which action
causes the cross bar E to travel up the screwed spindles F thereby lifting the
rods or supports A and gradually raising the slay by which means the width of the
article being woven is gradually tapered until the narrowest part of the slay is
reached. To reverse the action and thereby lower the slay the pawls f³ are taken
out of contact with the ratchet wheels f¹ by releasing the pressure of the springs f5
against them and the pawls f* are placed in contact with the ratchet wheels f
and held against the teeth by the pressure of the springs fe. It will thus be seen
that the backward movement of the batten will pull the cords K¹ thereby operating
the levers J and causing the pawls f to turn the ratchet wheels f² and consequently
the screwed spindles F thus lowering the cross bar E and the rods or supports A and
gradually bringing the slay downwards by which means the width of the article
being woven is gradually increased until the broadest part of the slay is reached.
The springs which are attached to the levers Jand J₁ are merely
for the purpose of bringing the pawls f³ and f back to their normal
positions after the movement of the batten has turned the ratchet
wheels. Instead of passing the cords K and K' over pulleys mounted on the
frame of the loom we may if desired connect the cords to the ends of the cranked
levers L as shewn in plan at Figure 2 which levers are pivoted at their centre to
the frame of the loom. The revolution of the ratchet wheels may be regulated by
shortening or lengthening the cords K and K' or their equivalents.
Instead of mounting the bar E on two screwed spindles we may use only one or
more than two when found necessary we may also use a system of chain gearing
instead of the pawls and ratchet wheels for operating the frame which carries the
slay or slays if desired.
At Figure 3 we have shewn our method of raising and lowering the slay or slays B
by manual power. In this case we dispense with the ratchet wheels and levers and
mount the gear wheels M and M on the lower ends of the screw spindles F. The
intermediate wheel M2 which gears with the wheels M and M is mounted on the
cross bar H and this intermediate wheel is provided with the handle m³. It will
be seen that by turning the wheel M² that the screw shafts F will revolve thereby
either raising or lowering the cross bar E and the rods or supports A and conse-
quently the slay B by which means the width of the article being woven is either
gradually increased or decreased as required. We may also in this case use one or
more than two screwed spindles and instead of the gear wheels we may use a system
of chain gearing.
In the method as shewn at Figure 4 we dispense with the use of the cross bar H
and the screwed spindles and connect the cords N or their equivalents to the
hooks n fixed to the top of the slays B. Or the cords N may pass through the
bed of the batten and be attached to the bar E. These cords pass over guide pulleys
fixed to the frame of the loom above the batten, or they may be attached to

page_text: balance levers pivoted to the frame of the loom. The other ends of these cords are
connected to the plate P formed with a number of slots p³ which hook onto the
hook P or its equivalent fixed to the batten D or to the frame of the loom. It
will thus be seen by pulling the slotted plate downwards and inserting the hook into
the next slot that the slays B will be raised thereby reducing the width of the
article being woven and by inserting the hook into the next slot the slays are raised
still higher and so on until the narrowest part of the slay is reached. To increase
the width of the material being woven when the hook is in the highest slot in the
plate it is gradually lowered as desired thereby lowering the slays and consequently
increasing the width of the material. The slay is lowered by the weight of the
frame which carries or supports it.
At Figure we have shewn another method of raising and lowering the slay B.
In this case instead of connecting the end of the cords N or their equivalent to the
slotted plate P we connect them to the hook R or its equivalent the lower end of
which is screw threaded. Fixed to the batten D is the bracket R¹ the projecting
portions of which are formed with holes or slots for the screwed end of the hook R
to pass through. Fitted between these projection portions is the milled wheel R²
having a hole in its centre which is tapped to receive the screwed end of the hook R.
It will thus be seen that when the wheel R2 or its equivalent is turned it will either
raise or lower the hook R and as the cords N are attached to this hook and to the
slays B, the slays are consequently raised or lowered also by which means the
width of the article being woven is either increased or decreased as required.
It will be evident that in all cases the position of the slays B may be reversed
consequently the process of narrowing or broadening the width of the article being
woven will be reversed also.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
First: The improvements in power looms for weaving consisting essentially in
raising and lowering the slay independently of the batten either mechanically or
manually for the purpose of increasing and decreasing the width of the article being
woven substantially as herein set forth.
Second: In looms for weaving which form the subject of the first claim
mounting the slay or slays B on rods or supports such as A the lower ends of which
are fixed to a cross bar such as E mounted on screwed spindles such as F canied by
a cross bar such as H fixed to the frame of the batten, the said screwed spindles
being operated by pawls and ratchets in the manner and for the purpose sub-
stantially as herein set forth and as shewn by Figures 1, 2, and 2*.
Third: In looms for weaving raising and lowering the frame which carries or
supports the slay or slays by gear wheels such as M, M and M2 in the manner and
for the purpose substantially as herein set forth and as shewn by Figure 3.
Fourth In looms for weaving raising and lowering the frame which carries or
supports the slay or slays by cords or their equivalents attached to the slay or
slays the other ends being attached to a slotted plate such as P or its equivalent
which hooks onto a hook or its equivalent fixed to the batten or frame of the
loom in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth and
as shewn by Figure 4.
Fifth In looms for weaving raising and lowering the frame which carries or
supports the slay or slays by cords or their equivalents attached to the slay or slays the
other ends being attached to a hook such as R or its equivalent working in a bracket
such as R' fixed to the batten and operated by a wheel such as R2 or its equivalent
in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth and as shewn by
Figure 5.
Sixth In looms for weaving raising and lowering the slay or slays either
:

page_text: mechanically or manually for the purpose of increasing and decreasing the width
of the article being woven in the manner substantially as herein set forth and
as shewn upon the accompanying sheets of drawings.
Dated this Oth day of December 1898
FRANCIS WILLIAM FRANKLIN,
BERNARD FRANKLIN,
JAMES CLARKE.
By George Barker,
Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
Agent for Applicants,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.