IMPROVEMENTS IN REEDS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO PRODUCE THE SAME
Year: 1885

page_text: We GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the firm of Ashworth
Brothers of the Moss Brook Works Collyhurst Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Engineers do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN REEDS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO PRODUCE THE SAME
to be as follows:-
"
"
Our said Invention relates to the reeds used in looms for weaving textile fabrics
and consists in a novel method of spacing and securing the dents together so as to
obtain reeds which will be more accurate in formation more durable and less costly
than reeds of the ordinary manufacture. In carrying our invention into effect we
provide a plate of a length corresponding to that of the reed and in breadth
rather narrower than the length of the reed dents. The said plate is planed or
turned on one surface and a series of slits or saw gates are cut or formed across
the plate the said slits or saw gates being spaced to correspond to the desired pitch
of the dents of the reed. The width of the said saw gates coincides with the
thickness of the reed dents and the depth of the saw gates is such that when the
reed dents are placed therein they project slightly above the trued surface of
the plate and also extend to a certain extent on each side of the plate. When the
number of dents required to form a reed has been placed in the slits or saw-gates,
we place a trued plate on the top so as to press upon the upper edges of the dents
which project slightly as aforesaid above the surface of the lower plate. The upper
and lower plates are then secured firmly together by means of bolts, clamps or
other means, the dents being thus compressed and held firmly in position between
the two plates. The ends of the dents which project at each side of the plates are
first covered by a U shaped clip or shield of tin, thin sheet brass or other suitable
metal and are then dipped into solder. The solder runs between the projecting
dent ends and by filling the spaces between, holds the reed dents at the proper
distance apart and also secures the said clip or shield thereto. The projecting ends
at both sides of the plates are similarly treated and the plates being then disunited
the reed thus formed is removed and finished. Instead of dipping the ends only
once as described, the operation may be repeated, once without the U shaped clip

page_text: or shield and again after its application. If desired the said clip or shield may be
dispensed with but we consider that its addition will add to the finished appearance
of the reed. By a modification of our invention instead of spacing the dents by
means of the aforesaid slit plate we might form a means for spacing from the
metallic strips or material composing the dents themselves. Under this arrange-
ment we place a series of metallic strips side by side the said strips being of a
length equal to the breadth of the aforesaid slit plate but composed of two different
sizes of strip that is to say each alternate strip would be of the same thickness as
the dents which are to compose the reed. The strips which separate these alternate
strips would be thicker and would correspond to the space between each dent in
the reed and these thicker strips would also project above the thinner alternate
strips to an extent which would nearly but not quite equal the width of the dents
which are to compose the reed. When a sufficient number of these alternate thick
and thin strips have been arranged together they are secured by suitable means so
as to form a homogeneous structure having spaces exactly the width of the reed
dents but not quite so deep just as in the case of the hereinbefore described slit
plate. When the reed dents have been placed in position an upper binding plate
is applied as in the former instance and the projecting dent ends are treated with
solder in the manner already described. Instead of the said thicker alternate
separating strips, we may employ upright separating pieces placed between and at
each end of the thinner strips or several of the said separating pieces might be
used at intervals along the length of each strip.
".
"

page_text: Improvements in Reeds and in Apparatus Employed to Produce
the same.
We GEORGE ASHWORTH and ELIJAH ASHWORTH of the firm of Ashworth
Brothers of the Moss Brook Works Collyhurst Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Engineers do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REEDS AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED TO PRODUCE THE SAME
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
"
Our said Invention relates to the reeds used in looms for weaving textile fabrics
and consists in a novel method of spacing and securing the dents together so as to
obtain amongst other advantages reeds which will be more accurate in formation
than reeds of the ordinary manufacture. In carrying our invention into effect we
construct holders in which the dents can be arranged and held at the required
distances apart the ends of the dents projecting beyond the said holders. Whilst
the dents are so held we dip the extreme ends of the dents into solder or melted
alloy or we solder the ends together or we otherwise unite them by means of
melted alloy.
Our Invention will be most clearly understood when described with reference to
the accompanying sheet of drawings which for sake of clearness are made larger
than the full size of the selected examples. In the said drawings Fig. 1 represents
a Face View and Fig. 2 an End View of a holder which we use in the carrying into
effect of our invention and Figs. 8 and 9 are corresponding views illustrating a
holder differently constructed. In Figs. 1 and 2 a represents a metal plate which
is formed with two raised edges a². Across these two parts saw-gates or grooves
are sawn or cut. Each groove is just wide enough for a flat wire dent to be easily
inserted and is a little less in depth than the width of the dent the distances apart
being made uniform throughout the length of the plate and suitable to the required
width of the reed spaces. The dents b. b. which are to be connected together to
form a reed are inserted in the grooves in regular order with their ends projecting
beyond the holder on each side as indicated in Fig. 1. A covering plate c. is then
placed over the dents and is secured by means of cam catches d. or by other suitable
means. In Fig. 1 this cover is represented as broken in order to show the plate a
and the dents which would be below the cover. We prefer to interpose a sheet e.
of rubber or other elastic material between the dents and the cover. In some cases
or if preferred the grooves or saw gates may extend entirely across the plate a.
The holder illustrated by Figs. 8 and 9 differs in respect of the method of forming
the grooves. In this example a number of lengths of reed wire or of flat wire or
of ribands of metal f. f. are arranged to extend edge upward across a plate g. and
are kept at uniform distances apart by short strips h. h. which are interposed
between the ends of the cross wires or strips f. and are disposed at right angles to

page_text: the same as represented on a larger scale in the perspective view Fig. 10. Wher
these cross and short strips are arranged in proper order and positions they are
secured by means of screws i. i. and of a covering plate k. The wires or strips f
are of a thickness suitable to the thickness of the reed dents for which the holder
is adapted and the thickness of the strips h. is suitable to the spaces which are to
be left between the dents in the reed. The dents to form a reed are inserted in
the spaces between the strips h. h. so as to extend across the holder and project
beyond each side of the same as in Fig. 1 and the dents are then clamped in
position by means of a covering plate c. as in the case of the holder illustrated by
Figs. 1 and 2. For convenience of illustration both holders are represented as
being comparatively short but it must be understood that they will be made of any
suitable length. It will be seen that when the dents are thus firmly held at
uniform distances apart they may be soldered or connected together at their ends
by means of melted metal or alloy so that when removed from the holder they will
be permanently connected and constitute a reed. In practice we have adopted
several methods for soldering the ends together. In one method we dip the ends
for a short distance into melted solder which runs in between the dents and
connects them together in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. Acid or suitable flux
may be used to facilitate the soldering. When the dents have been so secured
together by both ends the covering plate c. is removed and the reed after being
cleaned is then ready for use or may be strengthened by being fixed in a frame or
by suitable means. In lieu of dipping into solder we may apply the solder with a
soldering iron or by other suitable means. In the case of coarse reeds we propose
to bend up the extreme ends of the reeds as indicated in Fig. 4 so that the solder
will be better retained. To strengthen the reed we in some cases secure the ends
within a trough shaped clip or shield Z. as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. This shield
is made of sheet metal and is applied either before the dipping or soldering of
the dents or afterwards being secured in the latter case by a second dipping
into solder or being soldered to the dents by any ordinary method. Whilst the
dents are held in proper order in the holders we may secure the ends together
in any suitable manner by means of melted solder, alloy or metal as for example
we may insert the ends into a suitable mould and run in melted alloy or metal
so as to connect together the dents and also to form a strengthening bar on each
side of the reed. Fig. 7 is an example of such a method. In this case the
ends of the dents are inserted into a sheet metal sheath m of a tubular form
and melted alloy or metal is run into the said sheath. When using ordinary solder
we have found it difficult to make reeds of more than a few inches in length
owing to the contraction of the solder when cooling. We have therefore found it
necessary when making long reeds to use an alloy which will not contract in cooling
or not to the same extent as ordinary solder. We also overcome this difficulty by
making the reeds in short sections and uniting several sections to form a complete
reed in accordance with further additions to our invention for which we made
application for Letters Patent on the ninth day of June instant. We do not confine
ourselves to the exact construction of the two forms of holders represented in the
drawings so long as the holder is formed with grooves or permanent distance pieces
so that the dents can be readily arranged within the holder at an uniform fixed
distance apart and be held at such distance apart until united at their ends by
means of melted alloy or metal. We claim the use of such holders to hold the
dents whilst they are being attached together in case any cementing material other
than metal or alloy can be used for the purpose of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The reed dent holders substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated hereinbefore with reference to Figs. 1. 2. 8. 9 and 10 of the drawings

page_text: 2. A holder formed with grooves or saw gates to receive reed dents or with fixed
distance pieces so that the dents can be readily arranged in such holder at uniform
distances apart and whilst held in order as arranged be soldered or connected
together at their ends by means of melted alloy or metal substantially as and for
the purpose set forth and indicated.
3. The method of forming a reed for use in weaving by arranging the reed dents
at the required distances apart in a holder and by dipping the dent ends in melted
solder or alloy whilst the dents are kept in position by such holder so as to unite
the dents together at both ends.
4. The method of producing reeds by arranging the dents in a holder which is
provided with fixed distance pieces which intervene between the dents and keep
them at regular and uniform distances apart until the ends of the dents can be
treated with a metal alloy or material which when cool or set secures the dents
together so as to form a reed suitable for use in weaving substantially as set forth
and indicated.