IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HEALDS, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Alfred Barlow, of the Firm of H. B. Barlow, of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HEALDS, AND IN THE MACHINERY
EMPLOYED THEREIN." A communication from abroad by Edouard Winckler,
of Paris France
Sealed the 5th December 1879, and dated the 17th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Alfred Barlow at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th June 1879.
CHARLES ALFRED BARLOW, of the Firm of H. B. Barlow, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Patent Agent. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
HEALDS, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN.” A communication from
abroad by Edouard Winckler, of Paris, France.
This Invention consists, first, in an improved mode of forming the warp eye of
the heald; and, secondly, in the machinery employed in manufacturing the said
warp eyes.
The warp eye consists of a loop of yarn which is made without any knots, and
which being perfectly smooth cannot catch or rub the warp thread passing through
it; each warp eye is connected to the top and bottom shafts by yarn or wire in the
same manner as the ordinary metal mails.
The machinery employed in the manufacture of the warp eyes consists of a hollow
mandril, one end of which is slightly taper; through the mandril a strip of wire
web passes and is bent back over the taper end.
The yarn forming the warp eye is drawn off a bobbin and wound on the taper
end of the mandril over the wire web by causing the mandril to revolve; when the
required number of coils of yarn have been wound on the mandril the end is cut
by a self acting pair of nippers. The coil of yarn is drawn off the taper end of the

page_text: mandril by moving the mandril end wise, and this is effected by a lever or other
equivalent; the end motion of the mandril causes the wire web to roll and twist
the coil of yarn into a loop of the required size to form the warp eye.
The wire web is contained in a box fixed to the inandril, and after each loop has
been formed the web is drawn slightly forward to change the surface acting on the
coil of yarn.
.
The yarn is delivered to the mandril on which it is wound and to the cutting
nippers by a light swivel frame actuated by an eccentric and levers, and the wire
web is drawn forward by a worm and wheel actuated by the centrifugal force of a
weight connected to the mandril acting on the catch of a ratchet wheel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Alfred Barlow in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
December 1879.
CHARLES ALFRED BARLOW, of the Firm of H. B. Barlow, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE of
HEALDS, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN." A communication from
abroad by Edouard Winckler, of Paris.
This Invention consists, first, in an improved mode of forming the warp eyes of
the healds; and, secondly, in the machinery employed in manufacturing the said
warp eyes. And in order that the Invention may be more fully understood I
will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 represent detached portions of the improved machinery
for producing the warp eyes of these improved healds, the eyes being without knots
and independent.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 represent in detail the mandril or spindle on which the warp
eyes are formed.
Figures 10 and 11 are elevations of the whole machine, and Figure 12 is a plan
of the same.
The mode of manufacturing the independent warp eye is as follows:-
Figure 1, a is a hollow metal cylinder or inandril slightly tapered at the end A ;
this mandril is provided with a band of thread b which traverses from one end to
the other and is bent over at one end. If the band be fixed to the mandril at the
point C, and around the mandril with its band 12 to 18 coils of yarn be wound, they
would form the ring or warp eye e.
In order to remove this ring and give the requisite twist to the yarn of which it
is formed to produce the independent warp eye, it is sufficient to bend back the
band b over the ring e, see Figure 2, and then to draw forward the band. The ring
is thus drawn off and is turned over to give the twist until it arrives completely
twisted before it drops off the mandril at the extremity A; these rings or warp eyes
are then ready to be connected to the top and bottom shafts of the healds by yarns
or wire in the same manner as the ordinary metal mails.
In order to obtain the same result by self acting mechanisin I employ the box f,
see Figure 3, in which is contained a supply of band b; this box is fixed to the
pulley connected to the mandril by the key h fitting in a groove in the mandril
so that the box is carried round with the mandril, but can move to and fro end wise
upon it.
The band bon leaving the box ƒ passes along the mandril a, enters into it,
traverses its whole length, and is connected to a winding up apparatus placed
behind the mandril, as shewn in the Drawings.
This winding apparatus draws forward by centrifugal force at every warp eye
that is wound on the mandril a small fraction of the band so as to bring a fresh
surface into operation. The small lever i in the box f binds the band against the
bottom of the box when the box pushes the warp eye forward. This lever is acted
upon by a spring and it abuts against the stop which disengages the band, as
shewn in Figure 3, so that it may be influenced by the centrifugal force.
Figures 4 and 5 represent the mandril provided with the finger which serves
to bind the yarn, of which the ring e is formed, on to the mandril so as to carry
it round; this finger is jointed at m, fixed to the frame end, soldered to the
mandril

page_text: The finger is acted upon by the spring o which tends to force it from the
mandril and to hold it at an angle of about 40°.
The box for the band b has a stud, see Figure 5, which when the box is
furthest out comes against the tail of the finger to bring it back on the mandril
and to bind the yarn.
In order to deliver the yarn to the mandril I employ the swing frame shewn in
Figure 6. This frame consisting of the arins a, b, c, d, e¹, and f¹, swivels on the
stud g. The branch d, f, is a pair of pincers shewn edgewise at div, fiv. The
yarn of which the warp eye is formed passes through the guide ¹ and hole e¹ and
is caught in the pincers d¹, fi; the yarn is presented to the finger J of the spindle k¹ 1
by the swing frame.
As the spindle or mandril revolves the yarn is drawn through the pincers d¹, f',
and at the 17th or other fixed revolution the swing frame changes its position and
takes first the position indicated by a, b, c, d, e, f, in which the yarn again
passes through the pincers d", ", the swing frame then continuing its motion 1
assumes the position a, b, c, d, e, f, and presents the yarn to the scissors
by which it is cut.
When the yarn has been cut at the point it is again caught by the pincers d",
full, so that it may be ready to be again delivered to the mandril where it is caught
by the finger when the swing frame regains its original position.
The general construction of the machine is as follows:-A is the bobbin on which
the yarn for making the warp eye is wound; A³ represents the course of the yarn
as it goes to the mandril or spindle X; D', D¹¹, D, is the swing frame over which
the yarn passes to the bobbin at the point Cu, and is delivered through the hole D
and the nippers B to the mandril X. This swing frame is in position for delivering
the yarn to the spindle. The dotted lines D", B, B', shew the swing frame in
position for delivering the yarn to the pincers G when being cut. The lines K, K¹,
represent the pincers D, E, in another position.
The position of the swing frame is altered by the eccentric F which acts on the
lever E and link E¹¹; X is the mandril or spindle on which the yarn is wound to 3
form the warp eye; it is tapered from M", "N', to the end, and hollow through-
out.
N is a grooved pulley loose on the mandril to which is rivetted the box N¹.
Qis a little lever in the box N' pivoting on the stud Q.
O is a bracket fixed to the mandril through which the box N' passes as it 3
passes to and fro.
0¹, projection from the bracket 0111 which forces back the lever Q when the box
is at the end of its traverse to liberate the band.
L is a finger hinged to the bracket O" to carry the end of the yarn to the swing
frame when presented to it and to carry it round to make the warp eye.
S', spring to lift the finger L when released.
Qu, angle stud fixed to the box N¹ to press back the tail N₁ of the finger L when
the box is at the end of its traverse in order to press the finger L against the
mandril to hold the yarn. By this meaus when the box advances the finger is
lifted, and it is closed when the box recedes; S is a spring acting on the lever Q to
bind the band; 1", forked lever with two studs I which take into the pulley N to
move it to and fro.
The line M represents the band as shewn as in the detached views; this band is
folded up in the box N, passes out under the lever Q, enters into the mandril and
passes from one end to the other, as shewn in the Drawing; it is then wound on the
drum R² after having passed over the spiked cylinder R on the axle of which is a
pinion gearing into the worm R¹ fixed to the axle Z" on which is also fixed the
ratchet wheel V.
T is a lever with two projections T" pivoted on the studs of the axle Z" and
carrying the catch for the ratchet wheel VII.

page_text: As the mandril or spindle revolves the lever T is raised; the lever Tis raised by
centrifugal force, and the catch then causes the ratchet wheel into which it gears to
rotate for one or two teeth. By this means as soon as the mandril has made the
number of revolutions required for a warp eye, the band is drawn forward the
distance required to bring a fresh portion of its surface into action.
It is understood that the band being enclosed in the box N¹ and held by the
lever cannot yield to the tension upon it until the box N is at the end of its
traverse, for then the lever Q comes against the stop O' and releases the band
which is then drawn forward to the extent required; G are the scissors for
cutting the yarn, and H¹ the stud for the same; the scissors are held open by the
spring 0111
G¹¹ is an angle lever which acts on the scissors when closed to cut the yarn.
G', bracket for the stud of the scissors.
V is a cylinder covered with flannel or otherwise to apply glue or size to the
yarn as it passes.
Z is a wheel gearing into the pinion Z' on the mandril or spindle which causes it
to revolve 12 to 18 times, as required, intermittently, as it is only provided with
teeth on half its circumference, the mandril or spindle remaining stationary for the
remainder of its revolutions.
F", spring acting on the lever I" to draw it back; and F¹, the bracket for the
said spring.
C¹, stud for the swing frame.
B, swing frame with its bracket B¹¹ shewn detached.
Tu, link connecting the lever G to the eccentric for working the scissors.
I¹, bracket to support the forked lever I.
The plans represent the parts in the positions they occupy when the swing
frame D¹, D, Du, presents the yarn to the mandril, the box N¹ for the band is
drawn back and the finger L acted upon by the stud Q is already closed to bind
the yarn; at this time the mandril is started to wind on the 18 coils of yarn
required to make the warp eye.
At the 15th revolution of the mandril the swing frame actuated by the eccentric F
assumes the position shewn by dotted lines, the yarn is then ready to be cut and
the end is again held for the pincers D.
At the seventeenth revolution of the mandril the lever G" actuated by its
eccentric closes the pincers and cuts the yarn. The ring of yarn is thus wound on
the mandril; at this moment the lever I" which is connected by the link J to its
eccentric is put in motion to push forward the box N¹ with the band.
At the first motion the bracket O" leaves the lever Q which is then acted upon
by its spring S to bind the band against the bottom of its box.
The box containing its motion binds the band over the ring of yarn and makes
it roll and twist as it is brought forward over the mandril until it drops off.
The ring of yarn or warp eye thus formed is treated in the same way as
ordinary metal mails, the warp eyes being connected by yarn or wire to the heald
shafts.
The parts of the machine must now be brought back to their original positions.
The twisted warp eye having been removed from the mandril and the lever Ill
being at the end of its forward traverse the swing frame resumes its former position
as shewn at D', D¹¹¹, D¹¹, to present the yarn to the finger L, then the lever 1"
actuated by the spring F₁ draws back the box N', and when at the end of its
traverse the little finger actuated by its stud Q" closes to bind the yarn against the
mandril.
Having thus stated the nature and particulars of the Invention communicated to
me by the within named Edouard Winckler, I declare that I claim, first, the
improved warp eye for healds, as shewn and described; and, secondly, the improved

page_text: machinery shewn and described, or any modification thereof, for manufacturing
warp eyes in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Alfred Barlow, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of December, One thousand eight hundred
and seventy nine.