A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR LOOMING OR PIECING YARN FOR WEAVING
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Thomas Gillibrand, of Over Darwen,
in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Manufacturer, and James
Walmsley, of Blackburn, in the County aforesaid, Machinist, for
the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR LOOMING OR
PIECING YARN FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 27th December 1872, and dated the 28th June 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Thomas
Gillibrand and James Walmsley at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 28th June 1872.
We, ROBERT THOMAS GILLIBRAND, of Over Darwen, in the County of
Lancaster, Cotton- Manufacturer, and JAMES WALMSLEY, of Blackburn,
in the County aforesaid, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR LOOMING OR PIECING
YARN FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to the construction of a machine for "looming"
or piercing the two "ends" of yarn, that is to say, the heald "ends”

page_text: and the beam "ends," this heretofore being performed by hand by
" twisters or "loomers."
"
"
Our mechanism is constructed as follows:-On a cross shaft supported
by the end frames of the machine are two forked arms, which carry the
yarn beam. The ends of the yarn are passed over a longitudinal rail
parallel with the beam, in which rail is a slot or groove, a rod or wedge
being placed on the yarn, and the rod and yarn forced into the said
groove, so holding the yarn secure. The lower ends of the beam yarn
are secured to a similar rail by similar means, and two other similar rails
receive and hold the heald yarn ends. Four lease rods, the ends thereof
being forked or divided, so as when the lease is to be formed these rods
are passed through the yarn, and their ends secured to the end frame of
the machine. The yarn is now in position for "looming or " piercing.'
Two double sets of fingers or nippers are mounted on the ends of two
sliding shafts, worked by an eccentric so as to move forward to the yarn,
and one pair of each set of nippers will lay old of and draw or carry
back an end or thread (the reverse pairs of nippers will at the next
motion of the machine turn and take off the ends from the opposite side
of the lease). A wedge shaped fork now descends and brings the two
ends together and immediately opposite to a split spindle, to which an
intermittent rotary motion is applied by a segment wheel, allowing time
between the partial rotations of the spindle for a cam to act and draw
back the spindle. A spring acts on a central piece of the split spindle
and forces out a tongue, which in conjunction with the hooked end of
the said spindle "ties" or knots the "ends," and so they are secured.
A second spring now returns the centre piece of the spindle to its place,
and a cutter or knife severs the yarn immediately under and near the
knot or piercing. The pierced end is now, by means of two light rods or
lever arms, passed forward ready for the machine to repeat the operation
on the next pair of ends. A stop motion is applied, consisting of a fork
similar to the weft fork, so that when the lever arms pass forward,
should either "end" or separate yarn be absent, the fork will not be
lifted, and a hammer will fall into a notch and the strap be transferred
from fast to the loose pulley.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Thomas Gillibrand and James Walmsley
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th December 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
THOMAS GILLIBRAND, of Over Darwen, in the County of Lancaster,
Cotton Manufacturer, and JAMES WALMSLEY, of Blackburn, in the
County aforesaid, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Robert Thomas Gillibrand and James
Walmsley, Her special licence that we, the said Robert Thomas
Gillibrand and James Walmsley, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Robert Thomas Gillibrand and
James Walmsley, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR 'LOOMING' OR 'PIECING' YARN FOR
WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Robert
Thomas Gillibrand and James Walmsley, 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 Robert Thomas Gillibrand and
James Walmsley, 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 accom-
panying Sheets of Drawings (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the construction of a machine for " looming"
or "piecing" the two "ends" of "yarn," that is to say, the heald "ends"

page_text: and the beam "ends," this heretofore being performed by hand or by
" twisters or " loomers.'
"
"
Our mechanism is constructed as follows:-On a cross shaft supported
by the end frames of the machine are two forked arms, which carry the
yarn beam. The ends of the yarn are passed over a longitudinal rail,
parallel with the beam, in which rail is a slot or groove, a rod or wedge
being placed on the yarn, and the rod and yarn forced into the said
groove, so holding the yarn secure. The lower ends of the beam yarn
are secured to a similar rail by similar means, and two other similar rails
receive and hold the heald yarn ends. Four lease rods, the ends thereof
being forked or divided, so as when the lease is to be formed these rods
are passed through the yarn, and their ends secured to the end frame of
the machine. The yarn is now in position for "looming" or "piecing."
Two double sets of fingers or nippers are mounted on the ends of two
sliding shafts, worked by an eccentric so as to move forward to the yarn,
and one pair of each set of "nippers "will lay hold of and draw or carry
back an end or thread (the reverse pairs of nippers will at the next
motion of the machine turn and take off the ends from the opposite side
of the lease). A wedge shaped fork now descends and brings the two
ends together and immediately opposite to a split spindle, to which an
intermittent rotary motion is applied by a segment wheel, allowing time
between the partial rotations of the spindle for a cam to act and draw
back the spindle. A spring acts on a central piece of the split spindle
and forces out a tongue, which in conjunction with the hooked end of
the said spindle "ties" or knots the “ends," and so they are secured.
A second spring now returns the centre piece of the spindle to its place,
and a cutter or knife severs the yarn immediately under and near the
knot or piecing. The pieced end is now by means of two light rods or
lever arms passed forward ready for the machine to repeat the operation
on the next pair of ends. A stop motion is applied, consisting of a fork
similar to the weft fork, so that when the lever arms pass forward,
should either "end" or separate yarn be absent, the fork will not be
lifted, and a hammer will fall into a notch and the strap be transferred
from fast to loose pulley.
Such being the nature and object of this our said Invention, we will
now proceed to describe the same fully and in detail, and in order that
the Invention may be clearly understood, we have hereunto annexed
three Sheets of Drawings, and have marked the same with figures and

page_text: letters of reference, the same letter referring to the same part in the
various views or Figures.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation; Fig. 2 is a detail; Fig. 3 is a detail
sliewing lease rods and grooved rails for holding the warp; Fig. 4 is a
side elevation shewing the driving shaft and gear; Fig. 5 is an end
elevation of the same; Fig. 6 is a side elevation shewing cam and tappets
for actuating the finger for delivering the work as completed; Fig. 7 is
a plan view of the machine; Figs. 8 and 9 are elevation and plan of the
apparatus for forming the knot; Figs. 10 and 11 are detail enlarged
sections of the same through lines A, B, C, D, of Fig. 9.
The
A is the framework; A' are brackets supporting the beam B, the yarn
from which is passed over the grooved rods or rails C, and to the lower
ground rail C³, and secured to these rails by means of the wedges c, the
lease being formed as shewn by means of the rods D, D, D, D.
fingers or nippers E, E, are now caused to advance by means of the
eccentric E¹, the said fingers being caused to operate by means of the
spring E, and thereon one pair of each nippers will lay hold of and draw
or carry back an end or thread by means of the cam F (the reverse or
opposite of each pair of the said nippers will in turn, by means of the
rod F¹, on the next motion of the machine take hold of and secure the
opposite threads of the lease). The wedge shaped fork F³ now descends
and brings the two ends together and immediately opposite the split
spindle G, to which an intermittent rotary motion is imparted by means
of the segment wheel G' and spur wheel G³, allowing time between the
partial rotations of the said spindle for the cam G³ to act and draw back
the said spindle. A spring H and slide H' acts on the central piece of
the said split spindle and forces out the tongue J, which in conjunction
with the hooked end of the said spindle, by the rotation thereof, draw
back the threads, the ends thereof being held by the fork F² until the
rotation of the split spindle has, by twisting the same around the end
and tongue thereof, formed the knot, whereon the spring K will force
out the knife and out off the loose or superfluous ends, the said knife
being returned into position to repeat the cutting on the next motion of
the machine by means of levers L, L', and cam L³. The rods M, M,
will now, by means of the forks M², operated by the rods M³ and cam M³,
move backwards and lift or carry the tied ends to a bearing rod and out
of the way of the working parts of the machine. The rods M are caused
to open, so as to free themselves of the tied ends, by means of the bell

page_text: crank levers N, connecting rods N¹, and levers N³, the latter being
secured to the shaft N°. The threads forming the lease which has thus
being cut were held by the pins P, P, on the upright rods P¹, at the foot
of which are small segment wheels gearing with similar wheels on the
rods P³, P², at the upper part of which are similar fingers to P, P, for the
purpose of holding the opposite threads of the other lease. The segment
wheels of these rods receive motion by means of the cam R operating the
slide rod R¹ and projections R'. 8 is the main driving shaft, the spur
wheels S¹, S³, being for the purpose of actuating the cam G. The bevel
wheels T, T, operate the cross shaft and cam M³. A screw shaft W,
operated by spur gear, advances the mechanism to the warp gradually
until the whole of the warp is tied.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of this our said
Invention, together with the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed or carried into practical effect, we would have it understood
that we claim as our Invention, the construction and arrangement of
apparatus as and for the purpose herein fully described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Thomas Gillibrand, for and
on behalf of myself and the said James Walmsley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
R. T. GILLIBRAND. (L.S.)
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
(Tasker & Brierley,)
Patent Agents,
Halifax, Bradford, & Blackburn.