CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Markland, of Hyde, in the County of
Chester, Warp Dresser, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Markland at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st July 1857.
I, THOMAS MARKLAND, of Hyde, in the County of Chester, Warp Dresser,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists in a novel method of impelling the
shuttle and obtaining thereby a direct action from the crank shaft; secondly,
in the method of mounting and driving the slay sword and slay; and, thirdly,
in the novel manner of actuating the healds. These several portions of the
Invention will be more readily understood upon reference to the elementary.
Diagrams in the Drawing annexed, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of the
back of the loom, and Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a side view and a plan,
view of the novel mechanism employed upon the crank shaft for actuating
the "picking sticks" or stick. a is the crank shaft, which is situated near the
lower end of the loom, and upon which the plates or discs b, b, are secured,
and between these the plate c, thus forming two channels or grooves d, d.'
Within the channels d, d, a stud or pin e, upon the short arm e', traverses,
(after the manner of a stud on a grooved cam); at the required position, in
the plate c, is placed the curved tappet or lever h, which hinges or moves
upon its centre i, and has, at its narrow end a pin or stud working in a slot in

page_text: the lever k, which said lever turns upon its pivot or pin l, and is retained in
a direct line with the lever and plate by means of the spring m.
The arm e
is secured at the end of the cross shaft f, which is mounted in bearings and
extends from the back to the front of the loom, and upon which is fixed the
vertical shaft or rod known as the "picking stick," which is attached to two
light rods of wood, leather, &c., g, g, which form the connection between the
"pickers" and the "picking rod;" the pickers being employed inverted to
obtain a more direct action or horizontal blow upon the shuttle.
The motion of the various parts is as follows:-Upon the revolution of
the crank shaft, the stud e¹ will follow the course of, and be guided by, the
channel d, and come into contact with the tappet h, which will move upon its
pin or pivot i and force the lever k aside and allow the stud e¹ to pass into the
channel d in the direction shewn by the red arrow, and as the shaft rotates the
stud will displace the lever in the opposite direction and be guided back again
into the groove or channel d, as indicated by the blue arrow. The alternate
lateral motion thus imparted to the arm e and shaft f will cause the picking
rod n to impel the shuttle continuously across the loom, in a similar manner to
that now obtained from the "tappet shaft" in ordinary power looms. The slay
swords o, o, are secured upon the cross bar p, which has bearings at each end
in the framing of the loom; the lower ends of the swords being driven by the
crank shaft causes the slay swords to vibrate upon the bar p or centre, and
thus less power is required to beat up than when the centre is at the lowest
end of the sword, and the driving power above it. The motion for actuating
the healds is obtained from the rocking or picking shaft f, an intermittent
rotatory motion being imparted to the tappet shaft therefrom by means of a
pawl upon the picking shaft taking into the teeth of a ratchet wheel upon
the tappet shaft and acting in such a manner as to force the tappet shaft
round in one direction at certain intervals, as required. The rocking or
oscillating motion may also be so applied as to actuate a jacquard apparatus
in connection with an endless chain and moveable shuttle boxes when patterns
or devices are desired to be formed in the weaving.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Markland in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS 3
MARKLAND, of Hyde, in the County of Chester, Warp Dresser, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Markland, Her especial license that I, the said Thomas Markland,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Markland, my 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition, amongst others,
that I, the said Thomas Markland, by an instrument in writing under my
band and seal, 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 I, the said Thomas Markland, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
The first part of my Invention consists in a novel method of impelling the
shuttle and obtaining thereby the requisite throw of the shuttle by means of
a direct action from the crank shaft; secondly, in the method of mounting
and driving the slay sword and slay; and thirdly, in the novel manner of
actuating the healds.
Eefore proceeding further to describe the action of the mechanism by
which these several motions and objects are accomplished, I would remark
that I have found from practical experience that it is preferable to employ
the "picking apparatus" nearly as described in my Provisional Specification.
for actuating the healds, and to adopt a more suitable arrangement or
modification of the said motion for performing the "picking motion" as.
shewn in the Drawings attached; and I have also found that in con-
sequence of the peculiar formation and character of my improved loom,
that I have not been able to apply the ordinary "weft fork" stopping
motion thereto; I have therefore adapted a similar and necessary arrangement
of apparatus to the shuttle for this purpose, and have been able to simplify
materially the taking-up motion in connection with the loom, both of

page_text: which improvements being also applicable to other looms; but in order that
these improvements may be clearly understood and explained in detail I
have hereunto attached two Sheets of Drawings, made upon a scale of about
two inches to a foot, and having similar letters of reference marked upon
corresponding parts of the machinery or apparatus throughout all the Figures.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the loom, shewing the side view of
the apparatus for "picking" and actuating the healds, and its connection with the
"picking rod or stick" and healds by means of the levers and rocking shafts,
and also the method of mounting the slay and slay swords and imparting
motion to them from the crank shaft. This view also clearly shews the novel
method of giving motion to the "taking up rollers" worked from the slay
swords, the cloth being folded beneath the loom instead of being wound upon
the "cloth beam" as usual. Fig. 2 is a front view shewing the "picking
rod" and its connection with the apparatus for giving it motion. Fig. 3 is a
plan view of the same; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6, are respectively a plan, side
view, and end section, of that portion of the shuttle to which the "weft fork"
stopping motion is applied to stop the action of the loom when the weft
breaks or floats.".
In Sheet 2, Fig. 1 is an enlarged Diagram, shewing (about half size) the
apparatus for "picking" and lifting the healds, its circumference being shewn
as extended into a plane or line; Figs. 2 and 3 being respectively internal side
views of the discs employed for the above purposes in the said apparatus, here
shewn separated or detached from each other for better illustration. Fig. 4
is a front view of the apparatus for actuating the healds and moveable shuttle
boxes, to be employed when the loom is required to weave patterns or designs.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 6 is a front view of the endless
band for moving the healds and shuttle boxes.
In Sheet 1, Fig. 1, A, A, is the framing of the loom, in which is supported
the crank shaft B, in the centre of the length of which is situated the apparatus
by which the "picking" and heald motions are obtained; this apparatus consists
of two external discs or plates a, a, and one internal portion of a disc a', forming
a guide for the picking motion, and beneath which the curved tappet guide or
tongue acts. The picking motion is derived from the channels or surfaces
of the external discs a, a, alone, such surfaces being the outer ones or
those nearest the periphery of the discs, and marked 1, 1. These surfaces
are of an even distance from each other and from the central disc a¹, for
a certain portion of the circumference, and at a certain point are brought
nearer to each other by a sudden curve, leaving only sufficient room at their
closest point for the bowl or stud upon the lever c on the rocking, shaft d to

page_text: pass across to the opposite side; thus it will be evident that as these discs
rotate, the bowl will be suddenly jerked or transferred from one side of the
passage to the other, being guided by the central disc d', and this will give
the reciprocating or sudden rocking motion to the shaft d, and consequently
to the "picking rod" E which is mounted thereupon. The "healed motion"
is derived from the same discs or plates, but at a lower depth or surface nearer
the central shaft; these surfaces 2, 2, are formed in long inclines, so as to
give a gradual lift, and at a certain place these inclines converge to one point
in a similar manner to the "picking motion," but without the sudden curve,
as an easy or gradual motion is required for the healds in contradistinction
to the sudden one for the picking motion; but as such gradual incline would
not cause the transfer of the bowl on the lever f of the rocking or heald shaft
g, the guide or tongue b, which hinges or swivels upon a centre, is brought
into action by the bowl coming into contact with a "swell
or projection upon
its shorter end, which causes the "tongue" to be turned across, and thus
guide the bowl or stud from one channel to the other, and impart the required
rocking motion to the shaft g, the incline at a certain part of the channel
being so slight or quite plain as to cause a "dwell" at every up-and-down.
motion of the healds, whilst they remain open for the passage of the shuttle..
These double passages will be clearly seen in Fig. 3, and also in the Diagrams,
Sheet 2, the red arrows serving to indicate the passage of the bowl of the
picking motion" in the upper groove or channel, and the blue arrows the
passage of the bowl of the "healed motion" in the lower groove. From the,
picking rod" E extend the strips or laths of wood h, h, or other rigid material,
and are connected to the "pickers" by means of a strap or band, so that as
one "picker" advances to impel the shuttle the opposite one recedes, the
shuttle boxes being inverted in consequence of the "picking rod" being below
the slay c. When only two or more healds are employed for ordinary weaving,
they are alternately lifted and depressed at regular intervals, by means of a
strap or band, passing under the pulley i, upon the rocking or heald shaft g;
but when patterns are desired to be produced, the healds are moved by the
same driving apparatus, but each heald is in connection with an adaptation of
jacquard apparatus, by which the "lift" is caused at regulated intervals, as
hereafter to be described; the warps are wound upon the roller k, and pass
over the bar or rod l, which rests at each end upon a spring, by which the
yarn is kept tightly distended, the rod l giving elasticity to the yarn or warp.
Upon the rise and fall of the healds m, m, after the warp passing between
the healds, the weft is put through the shed as usual by the shuttle,
and is "beaten" up by the slay C, by means of the crank arms n, n,
66
66

page_text: connected to and acting at the bottom of the slay swords D, D, which
are mounted near the centre upon the shaft o, and swing or vibrate there-
upon, instead of being mounted at the lowest extremity, and driven from a
point above, by which improved method a much more steady action is
obtained; the fabric then passes through an aperture in the breast beam,
and thence around the rollers E, E, as indicated by the red or cloth line, and
is plaited or folded as woven, beneath the loom. Upon the roller E is a worm
wheel, in which works the worm upon the shaft p; upon the slay sword
is the horizontal lever or bar, furnished with a pawl taking into the ratchet
wheel
q upon the shaft P;
thus the vibration of the slay sword causes the
shaft p to rotate and impart the "taking up" motion to the rollers E, E, the
quantity so taken up being regulated by and dependant upon the distance
of the ratchet and ratchet wheel from the central shaft or slay sword bearings
o, which may be severally so adjusted upon the slay sword and shaft pas to
take up any required quantity at every beat of the slay sword, and thus
dispense with the ordinary "change wheels" for such purpose. In Figs. 4
and 6, r, r, is a "grid," secured in the shuttle F, between the openings of
which the prongs or fingers of the hinged "fork" S will fall when the weft
(shewn in red) passing between the "grid" and fork breaks, and attached to
the swinging fork is a small finger t, which, when the "fork" S falls through
the "grid" in the absence or insufficient tension of the weft, becomes forced
out or projected beyond the external surface of the shuttle, and coming into
contact with a rod in connection with the "spring handle" or "setting on "
rod, causes the instant stoppage of the loom as required. In Fig. 5, n is a
small blade or knife, so arranged as to cut the weft when the shuttle does not
pass properly through the shed, causing the weft to "float." This is effected
by the spring u¹ coming into contact with the warps, and pressing the knife
inwards against the weft, which when cut ceases to divide the "grid and
fork," and thus effects the stoppage of the loom when the weft "floats."
"
In Sheet 2, Fig. 4, upon the heald rocking shaft g, is the quadrant v, working
in the rack upon the horizontal bar w, which is furnished at each side of the
loom with a bracket, upon which are placed side by side the hinged fingers
x, x, x, having their ends hollowed, each finger being in a directly opposite
line with a series of cranked levers y, y, y, each in connection with a heald,
the ends of such levers being in the form of a fork, or having two prongs
concave or hollowed at the extreme end of such fork; between each of these
fingers and forks are two narrow strips of india-rubber or other elastic
material, carrying between such strips a number of wires dividing the bands
into equal spaces, to enable the pegged drum a² to move one space or division

page_text: at each motion of such drum, extra wires being placed in the spaces according
to the pattern required, forming an endless pattern band or chain z, z, z,
passing around a pulley b' and the pegged rum a², every separate pair of
"fingers" and "forks" having one of these endless pattern bands passing
between them, so as to act upon the extra moveables or "pattern wires
when they intervene.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-Whilst the picking rod is
throwing the shuttle, the same shaft gives motion to the drum a² by means
of the ratchet wheel and rod c³, which is connected to the said "picking"
shaft; by this means the pattern wires and bands are moved, then the
sliding bar moves, taking with it the fingers x, x, when if a wire has been
brought between any pair of the fingers and forks, that wire completes
the connection of such pair, and allows the action of the sliding bar to pull
the finger against the cranked lever and draw down a heald and open the
shed, but if such intervening wire has not been interposed, then the finger
will slide between the prongs of the fork, and though the bar still moves the
connection with the cranked lever will not be completed, and consequently
that particular heald will remain unmoved. This action takes place alternately
one each side of the loom, one side moving a heald, and the other side sliding
between the forks and not working the heald. A continuation of this
principle of sliding bar and its connected apparatus may be and is shewn
connected to a suitable and improved arrangement of mechanism for lifting
and dropping the shuttle boxes when different wefts are employed. All of
which said "Improvements in Power Looms for Weaving" I claim as of my
Invention, and as secured to me by virtue of the said herein-before recited
Letters Patent, whether such improved parts or motions are used or employed
in combination with each other in the same loom, or are separately employed
in connection with and adapted to other power looms.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Markland, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
THOMAS MARKLAND. (L.s.)