AN IMPROVED LOOM FOR WEAVING
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED LOOM FOR WEAVING." -A communication from abroad
by James Short, of New Brunswick, in the County of Middlesex,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 8th April 1872.
.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex,. Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LOOM FOR WEAVING," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to several improvements or rather to a general
perfection of the loom for which Letters Patent were granted to me,
bearing date the 19th of October 1871, No. 2792.

page_text: With the object of making the Invention more fully understood the
descriptive part of this Invention reiterates the general objects to be
attained and the novelty of mechanical action employed.
The object of this Invention is to produce a positive motion loom with
a suitable number of shuttles, of which either one can be used at any
one time, all the others being held at rest until they are to be used onc
after another. This will permit the weaving of many colored fabrics on
a loom whose length of shuttle motion is unlimited.
The main feature of this Invention consists in making the shuttle
carrier detached and detachable from the belt so that it can be detained
at one end of the loom and the belt moved along in the same direction
without disturbing the position of the carrier.
Another original feature of the improvement is the introduction of
vibrating frames at the ends of the shuttle race, each frame containing
a series of end sections of the race and a shuttle and carrier within :
each section. At the end of any one shuttle motion cither one of these
frames can be moved to bring another shuttle within line of the main
shuttle race and in connection with the belt.
A third and very important feature of the Invention consists in im-
parting to the belt such motion and in so connecting it that it can after
having moved a shuttle in one direction be continued in the same
direction to bring another shuttle from the end whence the former was
conveyed, although if required the belt may also be moved in the
opposite direction either to return the first shuttle or to move another
on the return stroke. By thus enabling a double motion in either 2
direction of the belt I am enabled to take at any one stage of the
operation any one shuttle from either end of the loom for use. Thus
whatever the number of shuttles employed in a fabric and the number
of different colored spools they carry the operator has power to use them
in suitable succession.
Apart from the above-mentioned principal features of the Invention
there are other improvements necessary for their execution or for facili-
tating the same. Thus there is a cam mechanism for automatically
regulating the belt motion on a predetermined design, with the same
effect in which the jacquard attachment of ordinary looms controls the a
heddles and the consequent changes of design.

page_text: by automatic mechanism to bring the several shuttles into action in the
required succession:
This improved loom also contains a new arrangement of cranks and
devices for moving the main shuttle race in its capacity as á batten,
and the end sections of the shuttle race, with reference to the motion of
the lay, all as herein-after more fully described. The shuttle race is
supported by arms on a rock shaft or pins so that it may be vibrated
forward and back to serve the purpose of a lay or batten, this shuttle
race and batten being connected with the cranks of a rock shaft
from which it receives the desired motion. A crank of this rock shaft
is connected by a rod with a crank of a revolving shaft, so that the
rotations of the latter produce the oscillations of the rock shaft and the
consequent vibrations of the shuttle race and batten. Another crank at
the outer end of this revolving shaft has its wrist pin fitted into the
slot or groove of a wheel, the centre of said wheel being so far eccentric
to the axis of the shaft that the wrist pin of the crank may nearly but
not quite reach the centre of the wheel, the slot or groove extending
diametrically across the face of the latter. When the wheel is revolved
with even speed it will by its connection with the shaft also impart
rotary motion to the same. But this motion of the shaft is not at all
even or equal, for the crank when in the outer part of the slot turns
much quicker than when in the inner part or nearer the centre of the
same. Therefore the shaft makes one part of its rotation very quick,
while the other part is so slow as almost to be stationary. The effect
of this motion on the rock shaft and batten is that the latter is
moved quickly forward and back to lay the thread and return and
then held at rest to allow the shuttle motion. The ends of the shuttle
race are between two frames, both of which are pivoted at their lower
ends to the loom framing. Each of these frames contains two or more
grooves or channels of the same form in cross section as the shuttle
guide in the batten, so that either one of the channels in one and both
of these frames can be placed in line with the shuttle race to constitute
an exact continuation of the same. The shuttle belt, i.e., the belt or
band by which the shuttle carriers and shuttles are conveyed through
the raceway, is connected with an operative drum beneath the shuttle
race in such manner that when the said drum is turned in one direction
or the other the belt will be moved in one direction or the other through

page_text: I
1
'
the raceway. Within the raceway the belt is supported on small
friction rollers that hang in the raceway, and therefore the upper part
of the belt is moved forward and back whenever the raceway is swung
to serve as batten. In arms projecting from the ends of the raceway
underneath the channels of the vibrating end frames are the bearings
of rollers over which the belt passes downwards, these rollers being
about under the middle of the channels lengthwise considered. The
number of shuttle carriers used at any one time on the loom should at
least be one less than the joint number of channels in the two end
frames. Thus if each cnd frame has two channels, making four in all,
three shuttle carriers and shuttles can at most be used, or five when
each end frame has three channels. Every shuttle carrier has its own
shuttle, which rests with its wheels on and between wheels of the carrier,
the lower warp threads passing between the wheels of the shuttle during
its motion in manner usually employed on positive motion looms. The
connection between the shuttle belt and a shuttle carrier is established
by means of an car or lug projecting from the former into a mortise or
recess in the under side of the latter. If when the belt has conveyed
a shuttle carrier to one end of its course, placing it into one channel
of a frame, the belt should then continue to move in the same direction,
the lug will as it passes over the rollers before mentioned be withdrawn
from the recess of the carrier leaving the same in said frame. At the
same time another lug on the belt may enter the recess in another
carrier at the other end of the loom and convey such other carrier in
the same direction in which the first was moved. If, however, instead
of being moved in the same direction the motion of the belt were
reversed it would take the first carrier and shuttle back, unless before
the return motion the frame receiving such first carrier and shuttle
had been vibrated to bring another channel with another carrier and
shuttle in line with the raceway, in which case such other shuttle will
be carried along by the belt during the return motion of the latter.
In this, manner any one of the shuttles may be connected with the
belt and carried through the warp. The end frames are shifted at
the termination of each shuttle motion to withdraw. if necessary
the carrier last ised from the belt and bring another in contact
with it, or may be left at rest to retain the same shuttle in action all
in accordance with the design to be produced. The motion imparted
to these frames is therefore of great importance as it really regulates
the successive use of the shuttles. The motion of these frames is derived
I

page_text: by means of rods and cranks from a shaft which is connected by gear
wheels with the revolving shaft (by which the raceway and batten is
operated), and is consequently turned with a similar alternation of
rapidity and slowness, so that each frame will be moved to shift the
shuttles while the batten is laying the weft and then will remain at rest.
For ordinary designs where a certain regularity of movement of the
frames is admissible it is preferable to let these gear wheels be as one to
two in their relative diameters in order to let the shaft giving motion
to the end frames turn once while the other turns twice. This will have
the effect of swinging the frames forward and then leaving them at rest
during one throw of the batten, and of swinging them backwards and
then leaving them at rest during the subsequent throw of the batten.
This arrangement of moving the frames may however be varied in
accordance with the greater or less irregularity of the design to be
produced. Thus when the shuttle last moved is to be returned by the
next belt motion the frame receiving it should not be moved at all but
remain stationary. The belt wheel or drum is mounted upon a shaft
receiving rotary motion from one of two bevel wheels that are affixed to
a rotating tube, which loosely embraces the rotating shaft described as
giving motion to the hatten. A bevel pinion on the belt shaft is gear in
with one of these bevel wheels, the motion being reversed as the contact
with these wheels is changed. The belt shaft is consequently so hung
in a swivel and sliding bearing that by motion imparted to the latter
it can be carried in contact with one or the other of the bevel wheels,,
thereby to turn the drum and belt in one direction or the other. The
sliding bearing has a projecting arm entering a groove of a sleeve which
is hung loose on a shaft, which, sleeve has two projecting wings. The
shaft by which the end frames are operated carries a cam disc, which
during its rotations comes with its oblique faces alternately against one
and the other of the wings, and thereby causes the sleeve and with it
the slide to be moved so as to shift the belt shaft into gear with one
or the other of the bevel wheels affixed to the rotating tube. The
mechanism for thus shifting the belt shaft may however be materially
varied. A shifting cam may be directly mounted upon a shaft in the
loom to move the slide, and I therefore do not confine myself to the
special mechanism herein employed. The rotating tube carrying the
bevel wheels is fitted loose upon the rotating shaft which gives motion
to the batten and has a crank at its end whose wrist pin enters the slot
or groove of the same wheel, and in the same manner as the crank of

page_text: said shaft before described. The rotation of the tube will thus also be
alternately fast and slow, but in so far different from that of said shaft
that the belt will be moved while the raceway is at rest and vice versa.
Every loom will of course have one movable frame at cach end unless
the shuttle motion can be invariably duplicated, in which case but one
such frame need be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 8th October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-fifth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 AN IMPROVED LOOM FOR WEAVING," a communication to me from
abroad by James Short, of New Brunswick, in the County of Middle-
sex, and State of New Jersey, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
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,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
two Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
This Invention relates to several improvements or rather to a general
perfection of the loom for which Letters Patent were granted to me,
bearing date the 19th of October 1871, No. 2792.
With the object of making the Invention more fully understood the
descriptive part of this Invention reiterates the general objects to be
attained and the novelty of mechanical action employed. The claims
however are distinct and may be considered additional to those specified
in the above-named first Patent.
The object of this Invention is to produce a positive motion loom
with a suitable number of shuttles of which either one can be used at
any one time, all the others being held at rest until they are to be used.
one after another. This will permit the weaving of many colored
fabrics on a loom whose length of shuttle motion is unlimited.
:
It is well known that in Lyall's positive motion loom but onc shuttle
can be employed in connection with the belt and shuttle carrier, and
that consequently only such fabrics can be woven in it which have
one single shuttle thread. This limits the productivity of the loom very
materially, preventing the weaving of carpets, and other multi-colored
fabrics upon it.
This main feature of the Invention consists in making the shuttle
carrier detached and detachable from the belt, so that it can be detained
at one end of the loom and the belt moved along in the same direction
without disturbing the position of the carrier.
Another original feature of the improvement is the introduction of
vibrating frames at the ends of the shuttle race, cach frame containing
a series of end sections of the race, and a shuttle and carrier within
cach section. At the end of any one shuttle motion either one of these
frames can be moved to bring another shuttle within line of the main
shuttle race and in connection with the belt.
A third and very important feature of the Invention consists in
imparting to the belt such motion, and in so connecting it that it can

page_text: that the rotations of the latter produce the oscillations of the shaft C
and the consequent vibrations of the batten B. A crank g at the outer
end of this shaft D has its wrist pin fitted into the slot or groove of a
wheel E, the centre of said wheel being so far eccentric to the axis of
the shaft D.that the wrist pin of the crank g may nearly but not quite
reach the centre of the wheel, the slot or groove extending diametrically
across the face of the latter, as shown in Figure 3. When the wheel E
is revolved by connection with a driving pinion / or otherwise with
even speed it will by its connection with the shaft D also impart rotary
motion to the same. But this motion of the shaft is not at all even or
equal, for the crank when in the outer part of the slot or groove turns
much quicker than when in the inner part or nearer the centre of the
same. Therefore the shaft makes one part of its rotation very quick
while the other part is so slow as almost to be stationary. The effect of
this motion on the shaft C and batten B is that the latter is moved
quickly forward and back to lay the thread and return and then held
at rest to allow the shuttle motion. The ends of the shuttle race B arè
between two frames F, F, both of which are pivoted at their lower ends
to the framing A. Each of the frames F contains two or more grooves
or channels of the same form in cross section as the shuttle guide in the
shuttle race and batten B so that either one of the channels in one and
both of these frames F can be placed in line with the shuttle race B to
constitute an exact continuation of the same. G is the shuttle belt, i.e.,
the belt or band by which the shuttle carriers and shuttles are conveyed
through the raceway. This belt is connected with an operative drum H
bencath the shuttle race in such manner that when said drum is turned
in one direction or the other the belt will be moved in one direction
or the other through the raceway. Within the raceway the belt is
supported on small friction rollers i that hang in the raceway, and
therefore the upper part of the belt is moved forward and back when-
ever the raceway is swung to serve as batten. In arms j, j, projecting
from the ends of the raceway underneath the channels of the frames F
are the bearings of rollers 1, 1, over which the belt passes downwards, as
shown in Figure 1. These rollers are about under the middle of the
5 channels F lengthwise considered. The number of shuttle carriers I used
at any one time on the loom should at least be one less than the joint
number of channels in the two end frames F. Thus if each end frame F
has two channels, making four in all, three shuttle carriers and shuttles

page_text: can at most be used, or five when each end frame has three channels.
Every shuttle carrier I has its own shuttle J, which rests with its
wheels m, m, on and between wheels n, n, of the carrier, as is clearly
shown in Figure 2, the lower warp threads passing between the said
wheels m, m, during the shuttle motion in manner usually employed
on positive motion looms.
The connection between the belt G and a shuttle carrier I is established
by means of an ear or lug e projecting from the former into a mortise
or recess in the under side of the latter in the manner clearly illustrated
in Figure 2. If when the belt has conveyed a shuttle carrier to one end
of its course, placing it into one channel of a frame F, the belt should
then continue to move in the direction in which it was moved to so
convey the carrier, the lug o will as it passes over the roller / be with-
drawn from the recess of the carrier leaving the same in the frame F;
at the same time another lug o on the belt may enter the recess in
another carrier at the other end of the loom and convey such other
carrier in the same direction in which the first was moved. If however
instead of being moved in the same direction the motion of the belt were
reversed it would take the first carrier and shuttle back, unless before the
return motion the frame F, receiving such first carrier and shuttle, had
been vibrated to bring another channel with another carrier and shuttle
in line with the raceway, in which case such other shuttle will be carried
along by the belt during the return motion of the latter, In this
manner any one of the shuttles may be connected with the belt and
carried through the warp. The frames F, F, are shifted at the termina-
tion of each shuttle motion to withdraw if necessary the carrior last
used from the belt and bring another in contact with it, or may be left
at rest to retain the same shuttle in action, all in accordance with the
design to be produced. The motion imparted to these frames F is
therefore of great importance as it really regulates the successive use of
the shuttles. The motion of the vibrating frames F, F, is by means
of rod p and cranks q derived from a shaft L, which is by goar
wheels r; r, connected with the shaft D, and consequently turned with
a similar alternation of rapidity and slowness, so that each frame F will
be moved to shift the shuttles while the batten is laying the weft and
then will remain at rest. For ordinary designs where a certain regularity
of movement of the frames F is admissable I prefer to let the gear

page_text: wheels r, which transmit motion from D to L, be as one to two in their
relative diameters in order to let the shaft L turn once while D turns
twice; this will have the effect of swinging the frames F forward
and then leaving them at rest during one throw of the batten, and
of swinging them backwards and then leaving them at rest during
the subsequent throw of the batten, This arrangement of moving the
frames F may however be varied in accordance with the greater or less
irregularity of the design to be produced. Thus when the shuttle last
moved is to be returned by the next belt motion the frame F receiving
it should not be moved at all, but should remain stationary. In fact I
desire it to be understood that I do not confine myself to any particular
mechanism for shifting the end frames F, as the Invention as far as it
relates to these frames consists broadly in their employment above the
carrying belt of a positive motion loom. The belt wheel or drum ■ is
mounted upon a shaft M, receiving rotary motion from one of two bevel
wheels s, s, that are affixed to a rotating tube N, which loosely embraces
the shaft D. The bevel pinion t on the shaft M is in gear with one of
these wheels s or s², the motion being reversed as the contact with
these wheels is changed. The shaft M is consequently so hung in a
swivel bearing u, and in a sliding bearing (Figure 5) that by motion
imparted to the latter it can be carried in contact with one or the other
of the bevel wheels s or s², thereby to turn the drum H and belt G in
one direction or the other, The sliding bearing v has a projecting
arm w (see Figure 1) entering a groove of a sleeve x, which is hung
loose on a shaft Ọ. The sleeve has two projecting wings y, y. The
shaft L carries a cam disc z, which during the rotations of L comes with
its oblique faces alternately against one and the other of the wings y, y,
and thereby causes the sleeve and with it the slide v to be moved so as
to shift the shaft M into gear with one or the other of the wheels s, s²,
The mechanism for thus shifting the shaft M may however be materially
varied. A shifting cam may be directly mounted upon the shaft O, or.
upon any other shaft in the loom to move the slide v, and I therefore do
not confine myself to the special mechanism hercin employed. The
shaft O deriving its rotary motion by gearing a², a², from the shaft L
carries the cams 62, see dotted lines in Figure 5, for shifting the
heddles P, P, through other means for giving the harness motion may
be employed. The tube N which carries the wheels s, s², is fitted loose'
upon the shaft D, and has a crank dat its end whose wrist pin enters

page_text: 'the slots or groove of the wheel E in the same manner as the crank g
of the shaft D enters the same slot or groove. The rotation of the tube
N will thus also be alternately fast and slow, but in so far different from
that of the shaft D that the belt G will be moved while the raceway is
at rest, and vice versa.
In Figures 1 and 4 but one frame F, that on the right hand side, is
shown, the other is left away in order to more clearly show the machinery
behind it, but every loom will of course have one such frame F' at each
end unless the shuttle motion can invariably be duplicated, in which
case but one frame F need be used. The warp and cloth beams are
represented in the Drawing, but no particular reference is made to them
nor to the other necessary appendages of every loom which do not
constitute part of this Invention.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as the Inven-
tion to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,―
1st. The shuttle race and batten B carrying in arms j the rollers
beneath the channels of the vibrating frames F to enable the belt to
deposit the shuttle carriers in such channels and to receive them
therefrom, as set forth,
2ndly. The band wheel H mounted upon a vibrating shaft M which
derives its motion from one of two wheels s, s², and is automatically
changed from contact with the same, as specified.
3rdly. The cam disc z arranged in combination with the sleeve o and
slide for reversing the motion of the band wheel, substantially as
herein shown and described.
4thly. The tube N carrying the wheels s, s2, and provided with the
crank d² which connects with the slotted or grooved wheel E, substan-
tially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.
}
5thly. The shaft D connecting with the rock shaft which moves the
batten and provided with the cranky that works in the slot or groove of
the wheel E, substantially as herein shown and described.
6thly. The slotted or grooved wheel E arranged to actuate the.
cranks g and d² of the shaft D and tube N, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 7thly. The shaft L moving the frames F when connected by gearing
with the shaft D which moves the batten and shuttle race so that their
motions will be in the requisite relation to each other, as set forth..
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
JAS. O. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK.. (L.S.)