IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CATCHES TO BE EMPLOYED TO ACT UPON RATCHET WHEELS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Frost Davies of Blackburn in the County of
Lancaster for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
CATCHES TO BE EMPLOYED TO ACT UPON RATCHET WHEELS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Frost Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st June 1882.
JOHN FROST DAVIES of Blackburn in the County of Lancaster
18
IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CATCHES TO BE EMPLOYED TO ACT UPON RATCHET
WHEELS
"
This invention relates to the construction of catches to be employed principally
in the taking up motion of looms for weaving, but such catches may also be used
in other classes of machines wherein ratchet wheels and catches and pawls
are used.
One arrangement of the catch may be described as follows, being composed of
two parts only.
The catch lever is cast with a rounded head from which projects a pin at right
angles to the said lever, a square slot being formed on the under side of the said head.
A bush is formed in the end of the catch finger by which it is hooked onto the pin
on the lever, and is prevented from moving laterally by means of a projecting piece
or lug formed on the side of the catch finger, thus interlocking the finger or catch
and catch lever without bolts or nuts.
A second arrangement consists in forming slotted bush in the end of the catch
lever into which fits the end of the catch finger which is of a corresponding
cylindrical shape, thus forming a pivot or bearing on which the catch turns. Nuts
and bolt are employed to prevent the catch from moving endwise in its bearings.
If preferred the bearing may be tapered, and in this case, a nut and bolt will only
be required at one side of the joint.
A third modification consists in forming a bush in the end of the catch, through
which is passed a hollow bolt with a flange on one end, through this bolt is passed

page_text: a pin screwed at one end, which is passed through a hole in the end of the catch
lever and secured thereto by a nut and washer.
A fourth modification consists in casting on the end of the catch lever a bearing
piece provided with bolt holes. A split catch finger being used which is screwed
onto a circular block or bearing.
If preferred the boss or bearing on which levers oscillate on their studs or
pivots may be split and screwed up so as to allow of being adjusted as they
become worn.
I would also observe that the wearing parts of these catches and levers may be
chilled or steeled, so as to make them more durable.
It will be evident that by the above arrangements and construction of catches
and levers, the rivets usually employed are dispensed with.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Frost Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st December 1882.
JOHN FROST DAVIES of Blackburn in the County of Lancester
IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CATCHES TO BE EMPLOYED TO ACT UPON RATCHET
WHEELS
"
This invention relates to the construction of catches to be employed principally
in the taking up motion of looms for weaving, but such catches may also be used
in other classes of machines wherein ratchet wheels and catches or pawls are used.
The principal object of this invention is so to form the catch that it can be
attached to and removed from the catch lever without the use of pins rivets or stud
bolts and I would here observe that in the Provisional Specification filed with
application for the above named Letters Patent I described several catches which
were attached to the levers by nuts and bolts but I wish it to be understood that
I make no claim to such method of attachment but confine my invention to such
catches as are made according to the first part of my invention wherein the catch
and the lever each consist of one piece or casting only and they are held together
by means of certain lugs or projections which can be passed laterally or otherwise
through slots or. spaces made for that purpose, and when the catch is so placed and
moved into its working position the lugs or projections prevent the catch from
moving laterally, whilst they still allow it to work in the required direction.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have annexed hereunto two sheets of drawings illustrative thereof and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in
the following explanation thereof.
According to one modification of my Invention which may be taken as a type,
and is illustrated at Fig 1. in the annexed drawing, the catch lever a a is cast with
a rounded head b, b from which projects a stud c, c at right angles to the said lever,
a slot or space d, d being formed in the said head. A bush e, e is formed at the end
of the catch finger f,f which is passed end wise over the stud c, c in the position
shown in dotted lines in which position the lug or projection g,g on the side of the
catch ff can pass through the slot or space d, d to the back of the lever head.
The catch can now be moved into its working position on the ratchet wheel as
shown and the catch and lever are interlocked, the lug or projection g g acting
against the back of the lever head b, b and preventing the catch ff from slipping
laterally off the stud c, c.
A slight modification consists in making the lever head double with two slots or
spaces as shown at b*, bx, which will allow of a right or left handed catch being
attached so as to work either to the right or left.
-
When the fulcrum of the lever is at one end thereof I make the lever as shown
at Fig. 2 the catch f, f being the same as in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. may also be varied by casting the stud c, c onto the catch and casting the
hole in the lever head as shown at Fig. 3. and Fig. 2 may also be varied in the
same way as shown at Fig. 4. the catch fif being the same as in Fig 3. Fig. 5 is
a modification of Fig. 1. wherein the lug or projection g, g is cast onto the lever
head b, b instead of onto the catch f,f and the latter is provided with a curved
rib h, h catching behind the same.

page_text: Fig. 6 is a slight variation of the same, the stud c, c being cast to the catch and
the corresponding hole cast in the lever head.
Fig. 7. is a modification of Fig. 5. the lug or projection g, g being at one side of
the lever and the form of the curved rib h, h being slightly altered.
Fig. 8. shows a further slight modification of the same, the lug or projection g, g
being made in the form of a clip so as to dispense with the curved rib h, h.
In all the preceding variations the catch is passed end wise onto the stud with
the catch in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig 1. and when the catch is
moved into working position it is prevented from being displaced in a lateral
direction by the lug or projection g, g but in the modification shown at Fig. 9. the
catch instead of having a boss is formed with two hooks i, i the stud c, c projects
on each side of the lever head and there are two lugs or projections g, g. In this
case the catch is hooked onto the studs and then moved into working position.
In Fig. 10 the stud c, c is cast with the catch and the head b, b of the lever is
formed into a hollow boss with a slot or space d, d for the admission (endwise) of
the catch. Fig 10* shows how this arrangement may be varied by reversing the
interlocking parts of the catch and lever head.
Fig. 11, is a modification of Fig. 9 the lugs or projections g, g being cast with
the catch and Fig. 12. is a further modification wherein the lug or projection g,g is
curved and passes through a slot in the catch.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that although I have Shown and
described various modifications of my invention I am aware that other. further
modifications of the same may, be made without departing from the distinctive
features of my invention I do not therefore desire to confine myself to the exact
forms or details shown and described but I claim as my invention casting or
otherwise forming the lever head and the catch each in one piece and providing one
or the other (or both of them) with a lug or projection (or with lugs or projections)
or with hooks or clips, so that the two may be jointed together when the catch is
not in its working position, and that when the said catch is moved to its working
position it is prevented by the said lugs or projections or hooks or clips from being
displaced in a lateral direction, and all pins, rivets, nuts or bolts are dispensed with
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
In witness whereof I the said John Frost Davies have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty eighth day of November in the year of our
Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty two
JOHN FROST DAVIES
(L.D.)