IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOTTLES FOR WEAVING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the firm of Hughes &
Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHOTTLES FOR WEAVING."-A communication from
abroad by Monsieur Philibert Alexis Trambouze, Merchant, of Thizy,
Département du Rhône, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 30th July 1861, and dated the 6th February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th February 1861.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes & Son, Patent Agents,
123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLES FOR WEAVING," a communication
to me from abroad by Monsieur Philibert Alexis Trambouze, Merchant, of
Thizy, Département du Rhône, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-.
In the body or frame of the shuttle is placed two small rollers having part
of their peripheries below the bottom surface, which revolve on their axes as the
shuttle moves to and fro. In the interior of one of the rollers teeth are formed
which gear into a pinion at one end of an intermediate shaft or spindle, at the
other end of which is another pinion gearing into a pinion on the spindle or

page_text: skewer which carries the bobbin, which arrangement is for the purpose of
rewinding on the bobbin any excess of thread which may have come off, and
thesche eroid inconsonianco and loss of material
skewer which carries the bobbin, which arrangement is for the purpose of
rewinding on the bobbin any excess of thread which may have come off, and
thereby avoid inconvenience and loss of material
When there is no thread off the bobbin, the latter turns with a slight friction
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes & Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special licence that
I; the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHUTTLES FOR WEAVING," a communication to me from abroad Monsieur
Philibert Alexis Trambouze, Merchant, of Thizy, Département du Rhône, in
the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-

page_text: This Invention relates to shuttles for weaving with silk, wool, flax, cotton, or
any other material, and consists in connecting with the shuttle certain mecha--
nical contrivances for the purpose of rewinding on the bobbin or cop any excess
of thread which may have come off, and for maintaining the thread at a proper
tension. These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the
figures and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Fig. 1
is a top view; Fig. 2 a side elevation with a part in section in order to
shew the interior; and Fig. S, a bottom view of a shuttle provided with one
arrangement of mechanism for maintaining the proper tension of the thread;
Figs. 4 and 5 are details of another arrangement for the same purpose.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the body or frame of the shuttle is shewn at a; it is
made of any suitable metal or of wood weighted as required by pieces of lead
or other heavy material, and instead of allowing its bottom surface to slide
upon the slay of the loom, it is mounted upon two small rollers or pulleys b, c,
having part of their peripheries below the said bottom surface of the shuttle..
The rollers revolve on pins or axes d, alternately in contrary directions as the
shuttle moves to and fro. In the interior of one of the rollers there are teeth e,
which gear at right angles to a small toothed wheel or pinion f, fixed at one
end of an intermediate shaft g, at the other end of which is another toothed'
wheel or pinion h gearing into a similar wheel i, fixed to the spindle k, on which
is fitted the bobbin or spool l, so that it may be capable of turning upon it with
a very slight friction. Thus when the shuttle moves to and fro, the rollers
revolve, and the spindle k of the bobbin is turned alternately in different direc-
tions, and as the bobbin is held on the spindle with a slight friction it is evident
that when there is a slackness of the thread the bobbin in turning one way
must wind it on, and thereby maintain it at its proper tension. When there
is no slackness, or when the bobbin does not revolve sufficiently to give off all
the thread required, the bobbin turns upon its spindle.
In the arrangement before described, the spindle of the bobbin is plain and
in one piece, and when motion is given to the toothed wheel at its end the
spindle turns with it in the same direction, but the toothed wheel instead of
being fast to the spindle may be fixed to a bush or tube, turning on one end of
the spindle, and provided with a spring and one half of a clutch box; the other
half of which is fixed to the body of the spindle, so that the wheel and bush
may turn freely one way without communicating its rotating movement to
the part upon which it turns, and on the contrary when it turns the other
way the body of the spindle will turn with it.
This arrangement is shewn in Figs. 4 and 5. The body of the spindle is
shewn at m; it is provided with metallic springs n, where it carries the bobbin,

page_text: one end of the spindle works in a piece of metal or bearing o, made so that it
can be held in the shuttle, and removed from it as required. When the
shuttle is in its place the bearing is entered to its proper position and pushed
up by a spring, and afterwards held firm by the lock or bolt p. To the body
of the spindle is fixed a ratchet wheel q, in the teeth of which the catch ris
lowered when required, and prevents the body of the spindle from turning.
The catch is jointed to the shuttle, and is provided with a spring to press it
upon the teeth. At the side of the wheel q is one part of the clutch box t,
fixed to the wheel or the body of the spindle, and the other part of the clutch
is fitted upon the bush u, in such manner that it turns with it, but can slide
to and fro and be kept up by the spiral spring v. This clutch is similar to
that employed in some watch springs for the purpose of winding one way
only. The other end of the body of the spindle is pointed as at w, and works.
in the hole of a metal bearing fixed in the shuttle. On the bush u, there is
fixed the toothed wheel x, and the bush is kept in its place by a pin or key so
as to maintain the clutch in its placo. When this pin is removed a part of
the clutch with the bush spring and wheel can be taken off; the other part of
the clutch, the ratchet wheel, and the body of the spindle are all fixed together
or are of one piece. The shuttle is provided with two rollers as before
described, one having in its interior indented teeth, which communicate with
the toothed wheel y on an intermediate shaft, which wheel gears into the
toothed wheel on the bush or tube u, and thus gives motion to the
apparatus.
In certain cases the catch ris allowed to press upon the ratchet wheel q,
and in other cases it is kept up, and when it is down tho entire spindle can
only move in one direction. When the shuttle is moved to and fro, if
the catch is raised the bush and spindle both turn together; but if the catch
is lowered on the ratchet wheel, then they both turn together in one direction,
but in the opposite direction, the wheel x, the bush t, and part of the clutch
turn only, and the other part of the spindle carrying the bobbin remains
stationary. It is well known that the spindle enters into the bobbin on
which is wound the woof or weft employed in weaving the fabric, and it is
evident that if the body of the spindle which carries the bobbin is at times
stationary, and the bobbin is held by friction, that there must be sufficient resis-
tance when the bobbin turns to maintain the thread at a proper tension, and
thereby enable the fabric to be much better made.
Having now described the nature and particulars of the said Invention, as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details as berein set forth, as such

page_text: may be varied or modified without departing from the principle thereof; but
I claim the improvements in shuttles for weaving as herein described and illus-
trated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
E. T. HUGHES. (L.s.)