CERTAIN-IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING REEDS USED IN WEAVING
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DE BERGUE, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and forty, in the fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles De Bergue, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Charles De
Bergue, my exors, adñors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said
Charles De Bergue, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, should agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN-IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING REEDS USED IN WEAVING;"
in which Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Charles
De Bergue, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
apnear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles De Bergue, do hereby declare the nature of the Improvements in
Machinery for Making Reeds used in Weaving, which has been partly com-
municated to me by a Foreigner residing abroad, and is partly my own Inven-
tion, to consist in a new arrangement of machinery by which I am enabled to
set the dents of such reeds with greater regularity and firmness than when
performed in the ordinary method by hand, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed and carried into effect, is herein-after set forth and
described, reference being had to the annexed Drawings, in which the same
letters of reference indicate the same parts in each of the various Figures
there represented.
On Sheet 1 of the annexed Drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of
the two extremities of a machine for making reeds used in weaving, to which
my improvements are applied, the intermediate part being merely a continua-
tion of the broken lines; and Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same,
taken at the imaginary line a, a, in Figure 1 and 3. Figures 5 and 6 are
end views of the framing or stationary part of the machine, with the legs or
supports broken off, and Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are detached parts of my
improvements which will be hereafter explained. In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
and 6, A represents the framing of the machine, and B the ribs, into which
the dents of the reeds are set. These ribs are held at each extremity by
means of clamps formed by the small screws d, which compress a metallic
plate c, seen at Figures 5 and 6, and holds them together at an accurate dis-
tance, determined by a small flat piece of iron e, passing between each of the
two ribs.
One of these clamps or holders is stationary, being attached to the
frame end of the machine, as best seen at Figures 3 and 5, but the other is.a
moveable carriage, as best seen at D, in Fig. 1, 6, and 3, so that as soon as
the ribs are placed in the machine, and fixed in the clamps at each extremity,
they are stretched out or held in a state of tension by means of the nut E,
which fits on the stationary screw F, shewn through the framing at Figures 1
and 8, in blue lines. In this position the ribs are ready to receive the dents
or divisions, as hereafter explained. In Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, Y, Y, Y, Y,
represent a headstock or carriage, moving freely in an horizontal direction on
the bed of the machine, the surface of which is planed accurately for the
movement of this headstock and also the clamp carriage D. This headstock,
Y, Y, Y, Y, carries the whole of the gearing of the machine moved by the
treadles G, G, which are also supported by the framing Y, Y', proceeding
from and partaking of the horizontal motion of the carriage Y, Y, Y, Y.
These two treadles G, G, are alternately depressed by the feet of the opera-

page_text: tive, and convey through the chains 9, 9, an alternating rotation to the small
drum H, which is provided with a disk or fly 1. This drum, the interior con-
struction of which is seen at Figures 7 and 8, moves freely on the 'shaft k,
and is provided with two catches or dogs (m) and (n), see Figures 7 and 8,
the first (m) taking into a notch in the small collar fast on the shaft K, and
carrying it along with it when the rotation is the direction of the black arrow
at Figure 1, and the second catch (n), taking into a similar notch in a collar
loose on the shaft K, and imparting motion to the spur wheel M when the
rotation is in the direction of the red arrow at Figure 1; and it must be
remarked that each movement of the treadles G, G, produces one whole
revolution of the drum H in one direction or the other as they are alternately.
depressed, each depression of one treadle necessarily raising the other, so that
the alternate action of the two feet of the operative convey an alternate rota-
tion in opposite directions to the shaft K and the wheel M, each remaining at
rest while the other is in motion. From the spur wheel M motion is conveyed
to the wheel N, keyed on the double crank shaft O, one revolution of which
conveys an alternating rectilineal motion to the parts Q, Q, by means of the
connecting rods p, p. These parts Q. Q, are firmly attached to the hollow
tubes R and R', through which the ribs of the reeds are passed. From the
shaft K motion is conveyed by means of the mitre bevil wheels L, L, to the
shaft S, best seen at Figures 1 and 2, and thence by the spur wheel U to the
spur wheels T and T, which are attached to two flyers moving freely on the
tubes R. and R'. These flyers are armed with one leg and one stud each. The
studs serve to carry the bobbins V, upon which the pitched band is wound,
and the legs serve to guide the band round the ribs B and B'; and W is a
carrier or intermediate wheel, imparting motion from one flyer to the others.
The wheel W is provided with a flange, as seen at Figures 1 and 3, and in
dotted lines at Figure 2, for the purpose of preventing the flyers partaking of the
rectilinear motion of the tube R and R', in which they are supported. At the
opposite end of the shaft S to that at which the wheel U is placed is 'the
pinion X, best seen at Figure 4, which at every rotation imparts motion through
the wheels X' and X' to the wheel X³, which is furnished with a nut made
in two parts and working on the screw F, as seen at Figures 1 and 3, by
which the headstock Y, Y, Y, Y, is traversed the distance of a dent at every
revolution of the shaft S. This traverse of the headstock Y, Y, Y, Y, by
which the pitch or fineness of the reed is determined, is regulated by varying
the number of cogs in the wheels and pinions X, as is well understood.
Figure 9 represents an end view, Figure 10 a side view, Figure 11 a plan
at the full size, of a piece of hardened steel, which I call the cutter and driver,

page_text: one of which is placed at the end of each of the tubes R. and R', as best seen
in blue in Figures 1, 2, and 3. The form and construction of these cutters or
drivers is best seen at Figure 10, where X represents an elastic spring for
keeping them in their proper place by pressing the small stud or projection
into a small hole in the side of the tube R, as seen in dotted lines at Figure 1.
The cutter and driver here described does not revoke, but, being made, fast to
the hollow tubes R and R, partake of their alternating and rectilineal motion,
and serve to cut off and drive from the dent, with a flat surface very similar to
that of the driver made use of by the hand-reed maker, and being formed by
the crank to a uniform and certain point with greater power and accuracy
than by hand. The hand being kept warmer by means of heat applied to the
machine when working, it is more flexible, so that I am enabled to use as
thick and if necessary thicker band than is usually made use of in making
reed by hand, and can therefore give to the reeds much more strength, dura-
bility, and firmness than has ever yet been obtained by hand, combined with
the regularity of pitch and smoothness of surface which can only be obtained
by machinery, and thus produce a superior reed qualified to resist the heaviest
works to which it can be subjected in a loom of any description. Reeds of
different depths may be made on this machine by varying the distance of the
tube R, which moves in an horizontal slot, but is held at any required distance
by the part Q through which it passes, as seen at Figure 3. This part Q
moves freely on this cross piece Q¹, which conveys the crank motion, and
which it is connected in any required position by the small nut-screw seen at
Figure 3, the small stop being at the same time adjusted to correspond
with the depth of the reed. In working with this machine the operative is
seated opposite the two treadles G, G, with a foot on each, and the flattened
wire of which the dents are formed is supplied from a reel or coil by hand at
the point Z, as indicated by a red line at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, in which last
Figure, and at Figure 8, it will be best seen proceeding in the direction of a
small arrow at L, through the guide Z', and between the first pair of ribs B,
thence through a second guide Z, and between the second pair of ribs B',
when it arrives at the stop Z³. At this period the operative depresses with
his left foot the treadle G, and revolves the two flyers T and T', carrying the
bobbins on which the pitch band is wound once round the ribs; the action
being reversed, and the operative depressing the treadle G on which his right
foot is placed. imparts a rectiliner alternating motion to the tubes R and R¹, as
already explained. By this motion the flattened wire or dent, which has been
passed through the ribs by hand, is cut off by the edge of the drivers or cutters
coming in contact with the edge of the guide Z', through which the dent has

page_text: been passed. The drives then proceed to force the dent home to its proper
position, along with the last coil of pitched band, and retire to their former
position, to admit of the next dent being placed between the ribs, as before
described. One dent of the reed is now completed; and the same action of
the treadle, acted on by the left foot which passed the pitched band round the
ribs B and B', will, by the rotation conveyed by the wheel X to the nut in the
centre of the wheel X³, traverse the headstock Y, Y, Y, Y, and its appendages,
the exact distance required for placing the succeeding dent. As already
explained, it is requisite to keep the pitch on the bands used in reed making
in a soft state during the process, which may be conveniently effected by a
small quantity of lighted charcoal supported immediately under the two
bobbins, or by means of gas or of steam conveyed to a chest or reservoir in
that position. It is also obvious that the position of the operator must be
varied as the process proceeds, so as to keep opposite the treadles G, G; but
these and other minor arrangements will be readily provided for with a very
little experience in working the machine.
Having now described the nature of the improvements, partly communicated
to me by a Foreigner residing abroad, and partly of my own Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed or carried into effect, together
with such observation as I have considered necessary for the better working
of the machine, I declare that I claim,―
First, the general combination and arrangement of such improvements as
herein-before described for the purpose of making reeds used in weaving.
And, second, the arrangement and construction of the cutter and driver
shewn at Figures 9, 10, and 11, by which the dent or portion of flattened
wire of which the reed is constructed is cut off, and forced into its proper
position, in a manner similar to the action of the hand-reed maker, as already
described.
And, third, I claim the principle of cutting off the dents as they are set in
the machine by means of a cutter which does not revolve round the ribs,
whether the said cutter be formed of the edge of the driver, or by a prolonged
edge of the tube R. And such my Invention being, to the best of my knowledge
and belief, new, and never before used in this Kingdom, I deliver this as my
rue and faithful Specification of the same.
In witness whereof I, the said Charles De Bergue, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
(Ls.) C. DE BERGUE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of May, in the year
of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid Charles De Bergue came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty-one.