Improvements in the Manufacture of Fishing and other Nets and in Machinery therefor.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar.. 1890
Complete Specification Left. 18th D.c.. 18:0-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1801
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Fishing and other Nets and in
Machinery therefor.
We, JOHN DOHERTY BARBOUR of the firm of William Barbour and Sons (Limited)
Manufacturers, Lisburn in the County of Antrim, Ireland, and WILLIAM IRELAND of
Buckhaven in the County of Fife, North Britain Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention which relates to the manufacture of fishing and other nets has for
its object to produce mechanically a double hitch or twist knot that is a knot similar
to the double hitch knot tied at the junction of the meshes in making nets by hand
which knot has the advantage of not slipping or running and of thereby maintaining
the meshes all of a regular and uniform size. The improved apparatus for effecting
this object is or may be applied to Scorch net machines of ordinary construction and
it consists of a series of needles hooks and fallers, similar in formation and arrangement
to those used in the Scotch net machines, in addition to which parts, there is placed
under and parallel to the needle bar, a bar carrying a series of hooks equal in number
to the number of the needles employed the said hooks having their points turned down-
wards. These hooks are moved backwards and forwards from the points of the needles
and in a line with them, the movement being given by levers connected with a cam
shaft placed at the front of the machine and under the "cradle." This cam shaft also
communicates the necessary motions to the ordinary hook bar vertical movement
being given by a rod or rods, the upper ends of which are connected directly to the
hook bar whilst their lower ends are attached to horizontal bars actuated by a cam or
cams on the cam shaft. The backward and forward movement of this hook bar is
given by a lever fixed to the cradle" and extending downwards, the lower end being
actuated by a cam on the cam shaft. The right and left hand or lateral motion of the
hook bar which is usually effected by what are known as incliners," is under this
invention produced by a vertical rod or bar the upper end of which is forked or slotted
so as to allow the shaft on which the hook bar moves to pass through.
On each side
of the fork or slot a wedge shaped piece is fixed one side of which moves against a
cross head fixed to the "cradle shaft (or shaft on which the hook bar moves) whilst
the other side presses against a bracket attached to the hook bar and so that the upward
movement of the vertical bar causes the hook bar to move to one side the motion to
the opposite side being effected by a spring which keeps the hook bar in contact with
the wedge shaped piece.
As one revolution of the cam shaft is made for each row of netting, to effect lateral
movement of the hook bar to the right hand for one row and to the left hand for the
next row, a fish shaped piece swivelling on its centre is placed at the circumference
of the cam.
While the cain shaft is making one revolution the pin or roller at the
end of the vertical bar and which rests on the cam passes under the swivelling piece
and in doing so presses out the tail of it so as to close the passage at the opposite end
and cause the pin or roller at the next revolution of the cam shaft to pass over the
piece thereby forcing in the tail and opening the passage at the opposite end and
thus automatically causing the hook bar to move to the right and left at each
alternate row.
In making a series of meshes across the breadth of the netting the shuttle thread
which is passed from side to side of the machine is drawn down by fallers or sinkers
as usual. The hooks then enter the loops above the fallers and lift them off in the
ordinary way forming a cross on each loop after which the hooks move upwards and
enter the needles and are brought round the points of the needles to the "chopping in
position and the thread being chopped into the groove of the needle by the chopping
"

page_text: bar which is actuated from the cam shaft the hook bar is moved forwards to a suitable
distance. The second or back series of hooks are then moved forward and unter the
loops from either side. When this has been accomplished the first or ordinary series
of hooks move backwards past the points of the needles the points of the hooks pass
upwards and in between the needles and holders, so as to cause the points of the hooks
to catch the loops behind the cross which has been formed. The second series of
hooks thereafter retire so as to place the ends of the loops behind the points of the
needles whilst the first or ordinary hooks are raised to the usual position for passing
through the shuttle. The thread having been passed through with the shuttle and
having been drawn down with the fallers the first or ordinary hooks are brought round
the ends of the needles and thrown clear of the mesh in the ordinary manner which
operation at the same time throws the end of the loop clear of the second hooks, and
at the same time the chopping bar is brought forward and pushes the loop clear of the
needles in the usual way.
Dated this Eighteenth day of March 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER.
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Fishing and other Nets and in
Machinery therefor.
We, JOHN DOHERTY BARBOUR of the firm of William Barbour and Sons
(Limited) Manufacturers, Lisburn, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, and WILLIAM
IRELAND, of Buckhaven in the County of Fife, North Britain, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to he
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention which relates to the manufacture of fishing and other nets has for
its object to produce mechanically a double hitch or twist knot that is a knot similar
to the double hitch knot tied at the junction of the meshes in making nets by hand
which knot has the advantage of not slipping or running and of thereby maintaining
the meshes all of a regular and uniform size.
As shewn in end elevation by Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings the
improved apparatus for effecting this object is or may be applied to Scotch net
machines of ordinary construction and it consists of a series of needles a, hooks b
and fallers e, similar in formation and arrangement to those used in the Scotch net.
machines, in addition to which parts, there is placed under and parallel to the needle
bar d, a bar e carrying a series of hooks equal in number to the number of the
needles a employed, the said hooks having their points turned downwards. These
hooks are moved backwards and forwards froin the points of the needles and in a
line with them, movement being given to the bar e, by links y connected to
levers, centred on the main framing at i and rocked by cams secured on the cam
shaft placed at the front of the machine. This cam shaft also communicates the
necessary motions to the ordinary hook bark vertical movement being given by
rods, whose upper ends are connected directly to the hook bark whilst their lower
ends are forked to embrace the cam shaft. Near the lower end each rod has a
roller centred upon it and the said rollers bearing upon cams on the shaft the hook
bar is raised and lowered as the said cams rotate. Backward and forward move-
ment of the hook bar is given by a lever or levers m usually called the cradle
whose lower end or ends is or are actuated by a cam on the cam shaft j. The right
and left hand or lateral motion of the hook bark which is usually effected by what
are known as "incliners," is, under this invention, produced by a vertical rod or
bar the upper end of which is forked or slotted so as to allow the end of the
spindle o on which the hook bar moves to pass through.
As seen at Figure 2 which is a detailed front elevation of this part of the machine

page_text: the barn is at the upper end wedge shaped on its inner side the inclined face bearing
against a roller or rollers p carried by a sleeve placed on the spindle o, and so that
the upward movement of the bar a causes the hook bar k to move to one side the
motion to the opposite side being effected by a spring which keeps the roller or
rollers P in contact with the wedge face.
As one revolution of the cam shaft is made for each row of netting, to effect
lateral movement of the hook bar to the right hand for one row and to the left
hand for the next row the cam s actuating the bar n is made as shewn at Figure 3
that is to say a "fish" shaped pieco swivelling on a centre is placed at tho
circumference of the cam the said piece and its centre being carried by the outer end
of a strip the inner end of which is secured to the cam. While the cam shaft is
making one revolution a pin or roller carried at t on the barn and which rests on
the cam passes under the swivelling piece, and in doing so presses out one end
of it so as to close the passage at the opposite end and cause the pin or roller at the
next revolution of the cam shaft to pass over the piece thereby forcing in the end
and opening the passage at the opposite end thus in conjunction with the spring 7
automatically causing the hook bar k to move to the right and left at each alternate
row.
In making a series of meshes across the breadth of the netting the shuttle thread which
is passed from side to side of the machine is drawn down by the fallers or sinkers c
as usual. The hooks & then enter the loops above the fallers and lift the loops off in
the ordinary way forming a cross on each loop after which the hooks & move upwards
and enter the needles a and are brought round the points of the needles to the
chopping in " position. The thread being chopped into the groove of the needle by the
chopping bar which is actuated from the cam shaft the hook bar k is moved
forwards to a suitable distance and the second or back series of hooks are then
moved forward and enter the loops from the side as shewn by the detailed view
Figure 4. When this has been accomplished the series of books & move backwards
past the points of the needles a as seen at Figure 5 the points of the hooks pass
upwards and in between the needles and holders, or they may pass up the side of the
needle, so as to cause the points of the hooks to catch the loops behind the cross y
which has been formed also as seen by Figure 5. The series of hooks thereafter
retire as indicated by Figure 6 so as to place the ends of the loops behind the points of
the needles a whilst the first or ordinary hooks bare, as seen by Figure 7, raised to
the usual position the books at the same time being lifted by the thread to the
position shewn on Figure 7 for passing through the shuttle. The fallers meanwhile
have been gradually raised to their highest position by levers actuated by a cam on
the cam shaft. The thread having been passed through with the shuttle in the usual
way and having been drawn down with the fallers in the usual manner the first or
ordinary hooks are brought round the ends of the needles and thrown clear of the
mesh in the ordinary manner which operation also throws the end of the loop clear of
the hooks and at the same time the chopping bar is brought forward and pushes
the loop clear of the needles in the usual way a double hitch or twist knot such as is
shewn in its untightened condition at Figure 8 and in its tightened state at Figure 9,
being by this cycle of operations produced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a machine for the manufacture of fishing nets the combination of hooks f
with needles a, hooks b, fallers c and chopping bara operating to produce a double
hitch or twist knot substantially as described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. In a machine of the class set forth the employment in conjunction with ordinary
knotting mechanism of hooks actuated to produce in conjunction with the said
mechanism a double hitch knot substantially as described with reference to the
appended drawings.

page_text: 3. In a machine of the class set forth the employment of a cam s constructed and
arranged to operate substantially as described with reference to Figure 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. In a machine of the class set forth the combination of the cans and bar n each
constructed and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.
Dated this Seventeenth day of November 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.