Year: 1898

page_text: I, JOHN ALEXANDER SCHOFIELD, of 26, Hawthorne Road, Bolton, in the County
of Lancaster, Weaving Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows, that is to say:-
It relates to a new or improved loom, machine or mechanism whereby woven
fabrics may be more expeditiously produced than they have been heretofore.
In carrying my invention into effect I wind or coil the warp threads upon a beam
in the usual manner.
I then place this beam in appropriate bearings or supports so that the said warp
threads may be withdrawn from it by another beam (usually styled the "piece
beam") also carried by said bearings or supports.
The threads of warp thus arranged are made to pass through healds, heddles or
harness so that by appropriately formed lever mechanism actuated by cams, pattern
chains or other mechanical devices they may be raised or separated as desired to
form openings for the passage of the shuttle as will be understood, however instead
of each of said levers or each division of the harness acting upon such a division
or number of warp threads that taken together would occupy approximately the full
width of the whole warp as in the old style of weaving, each of said levers or each
division of harness is limited to a comparatively small portion of said warp, say to
as many threads as will occupy half an inch or a whole inch of
said warp's width or more or less as may be found necessary or
desirable to cause same to act or to enable them to separate said
warp threads immediately before the shuttle is required or about to
pass between them, and to close same immediately it has passed or escaped from
such interceding position, thus the several heddle levers or divisions of harness
throughout the width of the warp may be arranged and for the purposes of meeting
the requirements of the shuttle's operations as hereinafter described, are arranged
to be acting upon their respective warp threads irrespective and independently of
each other.
I effect the passage of the shuttles between the divisions of warp threads by
arranging same to be carried by arms pressing against them but with intervening
bowls or pulleys so that the warp threads under which they are travelling may
casily pass between said driving arms and said shuttles.
By arranging the shuttles to be carried by these pressing arms and by having
the movements of the several portions of the warp divided I am enabled to form
the opening therein for the passage of one shuttle, close said opening and re-form
it for the passage of another shuttle with comparatively little space intervening
between them thus as many shuttles as can be placed end to end to extend across
the warp, with an appropriate space say of three or four inches or more or less

page_text: distance apart from each other, may be used and caused to move simultaneously
across said warp, any desired number of shuttles being arranged or placed in
position preceding or to follow those that are actually passing through the warp
as may be found advantageous.
In transmitting motion to the arms which carry the shuttles I preferably employ
an endless chain with projections secured thereon to lay hold of sliding pieces which
have the arms pivotally connected to them. One endless chain may be arranged
to travel and carry the shuttles in one direction while another may be arranged
in proximity with same to carry the shuttles in the opposite direction. the projec-
tions on the one being so placed that they are brought into operation at the opposite
time to those on the other chain or in other words they act alternately upon the
shuttles.
The sliding pieces above referred to are so shaped that on arriving at the side
of the machine or after having passed clear of the warp, at which place the pro-
jections on their propelling chains will have left or moved clear of them, they are
received by a box or receiver mounted in bearings that will allow it to move as the
shuttles are being pressed into it or against one another therein the latter one
always pressing against the one preceding it in said receptacle, so that on all the
shuttles in use having arrived one or other of the said receptacles, the projections
on the chain moving in the opposite direction will commence to take. them out of
such receptacle and back again across the warp, each shuttle being on such
occasions, brought by the return movement of its receptacle (which may be effected
by any weight or spring or other mechanism) into position to be operated by the
projections on the chain in its proper order.
In order to effect the pressing into position of the several weft threads, I con-
struct the reed through which the warp threads pass, in divisions, somewhat approxi-
mating the divisions into which the warp is separated for shedding purposes as
above described, and each division of reed I arrange to be operated independently
of its neighbouring pieces so that as in the case of the movements of the warp
threads so also in those of the divisions of the reed each part being forced back
for the passage of the shuttle immediately before such shuttle reaches it, while on
same having passed, then such part is immediately returned into position, bringing
with it, its respective portion of the weft thread to the position it will occupy in
the fabric when finished.
The motion to the divisions of reed I preferably obtain from the sliding pieces
which carry the arms for operating the shuttles and this I effect by mounting each
part of the reed on the arm of a lever the other arm of which carries an antifriction
bowl taking into a groove made in the sliding pieces referred to, said groove in
cach piece being formed by having appropriately inclined parts to move the reed
as desired.
In order to maintain the portions of reed in position I employ a reed-like shuttle
race, so that the wires or blades of the reed proper may pass through the dents
therein to be guided and kept in position as will be understood.
Instead of the receptacles for the shuttles being operated by the actions of said
shuttles as above described, other means or mechanism for effecting such operations
may be employed and in such cases I preferably have the said receptacles mounted
on discs or otherwise so that they may be rotated in the horizontal plane, although
I am aware that the sliding receptacles as above set forth might be used. When
separate means or mechanism are thus employed for operating the receptacles, the
shuttles they carry may be brought into position and carried across the warp in
any desired order of succession.
tel : +1
41 1000
JOHN ALEXANDER SCHOFIELD.
Per Samuel Hey, Agent.

page_text: I, JOHN ALEXANDER SCHOFIELD, of 26, Hawthorne Road, Bolton, in the County
of Lancaster, Weaving Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this 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;-
It relates to a new or improved loom, machine or mechanism whereby woven
fabrics may be more expeditiously produced than they have been heretofore.
In carrying my invention into effect I make use of the devices and parts herein-
after described and as illustrated by the accompanying sheets of drawings,
wherein :-
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a loom or machine made in accordance with my
invention.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of parts drawn to an enlarged scale and arranged to operate
as hereinafter described.
Fig. 3 is a view of the parts shown by Fig. 2 as seen in the direction of the
arrow z.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the loom or machine shown by Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a view of parts shown by Fig. 1 as seen from above.
Fig. 6 is a drawing in detail hereinafter explained.
Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views to Figs. 2 and 3 respectively, but are illustrative
of a modification hereinafter referred to.
Fig. 9 is a drawing in detail of a part hereinafter described.
Similar letters and figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout the
several views.
A. A indicate the framework of the machine. The threads of warp a are wound
upon the beam 6 which is mounted on its bearings 6 so that said threads a may
be withdrawn from it to pass over the rail or bearer c through the several parts
in the machine wherein the weft threads are interwoven between them, thence over
the rail or bearer d to be finally wound upon the piece beam e in the woven state
as will be well understood. The devices for retarding, regulating or effecting the
motions of these two beams being any of the varied kinds which may be found
most suitable, the same being well known and usually styled as the "let-off" and
<< take-up" mechanism.
The threads of warp thus arranged are made to pass through healds or heddles f
so that by appropriately formed levers 9 and cams h they may be raised or lowered
or separated from each other as desired to form openings for the passage of the
shuttle as will be understood, however, instead of each of said levers 9 acting
upon such a division or number of warp threads a as taken together would occupy
approximately the full width of the whole warp as in the old style of weaving, each
of said levers g is allocated to a comparatively small portion of said warp or to as
many of the threads a thereof as would occupy half an inch or a whole inch in said
warp's width, or more or less of same as may be found necessary or desirable to
cause them to act or enable them to move so that they will be separated or raised
and lowered immediately before the shuttle k is required or about to pass between
them, and to close or change positions immediately after such shuttle has passed-
or escaped from such interceding position, thus the several heddles' levers g
throughout the width of the warp may be arranged (and for the purposes of meet-
ing the requirements of the shuttle's operation as hereinafter described, are
arranged) to be acting upon their respective warp threads irrespectively and inde-

page_text: pendently of each other. In the arrangement shown the levers are coupled to
the upper parts of the heddles f while the lower parts of said heddles are joined
together by cords 10 passing under bowls 11 to act as does the same devices in looms
as at present extensively in use..
The cams may be arranged on the periphery of a roller or cylinder hand in the
proper order to produce the effect described and as shown by detail drawing Fig. 6,
or provided the peripheral surface of the drum h¹ was not of sufficient dimensions
to allow the necessary quantity of such cams h to be mounted upon it to produce
the length of design or pattern of fabric desired, then such cams may be mounted
on chains of metal, leather or other substance while the periphery of the cylinder
would then be formed to act as a series of sprocket wheels to move the whole series
of chains as will be well understood. Or again any other "dobby" or jacquard and
harness mechanism may be employed and arranged to act on the division of warp
as above described whenever the extent of design to be produced necessitated such
extended actions, but for plain weaving and simple designs I prefer the arrangement
herein described.
To carry the shuttles between the divisions of warp threads I arrange arms m
to press bowls m carried by them against bowls carried by said shuttles & so
that the threads a which pass between these arms m and shuttles & do so by con-
tact with travelling surfaces which will not damage them, while motion is trans-
mmitted to these arms m to cause them to move from one side of the machine to
the other to carry the shuttles k as desired.
To transmit motion of the arms m I preferably have them mounted on sliding
pieces n mounted to slide in the bearings n so that their projecting pieces may
be in the path of motion of the bowls o o' mounted upon arms oll carried by the
chains Pp. These chains p p take over the pairs of sprocket wheels g¹ respec-
*tively while these latter have rotary motion transmitted to them from the driving
pulley, 2, through the drum h', gearing wheels 3 and 4, shaft 5, wheels 6, 7, 8,
and 9
so that the chain p is caused to travel in the opposite direction to the
chain . The arms o¹¹ carried by the chain p are arranged to be in position for
laying hold of the projections n when those on the chain p are not in such position
and vice versa, thus the chain p carries the shuttles k from one side of the machine
to the other and the chain p₁ causes them to return to the side from which they
started.
By arranging the shuttles k to be carried by the arms m, and by having the move-
ments of the several portions of the warp divided, I am enabled to form the opening
in such warp for the passage of one shuttle k, close said opening and reform it
for the passage of another shuttle k with comparatively little space intervening
between them, thus as many shuttles k as can be placed end to end to extend across
the whole warp with an appropriate space say of three or four inches or more or
less distance apart from each other, may be used and caused to move simultaneously
across said warp from one side to the other where they are held until all of them
have passed across. The number of shuttles used in the loom is not limited by
the number of such shuttles which are simultaneously passing through the warp,
as any desired number may be employed by arranging their driving chains p
to be long enough (as by passing them over extra guide pulleys we shown in broken
lines Fig. 4) to carry a corresponding number of armis ol to act
similar number of parts n
upon રી
and arms m as will
stood.
be under-
To retain these shuttles in the said positions, their respective sliding
pieces n are so shaped as by having their ends
arriving at the side of the machine or after having passed clear of the warp (at
(see Fig. 5) inclined, that on
which place the arms o¹ on the chains p or p¹ will have left or moved clear of
them) they are received by the holders or receivers r r into which each succeeding
silden presses the preceding one and against the force of the weight or which
by its levers s or s¹ tends to force them back into line with the path they have to
follow across the warp by which means they are again brought into position to be
•

page_text: acted upon by the returning chain and taken in their proper order to the opposite
side of the machine.
The shuttles which are carried by the sliding pieces n across the warp are
received by a sliding plate 12 or 12" which is formed to be moved laterally by being
coupled to the levers s s¹ (see Fig. 9) in order that it may be thereby moved as are
said levers.
In order to press the several weft threads left by the series of shuttles into their
proper positions to form the fabric, I construct the reed t in divisions or sections
somewhat approximating the divisions or sections into which the warp is separated
D-for shedding purposes as above described and each division of reed t I arrange
to be operated independently of its neighbouring divisions or sections so that as
in the case of the movements of the warp threads so also in this of the divisions or
sections of reed t, each part being forced back for the passage of the shuttle
immediately before such shuttle reaches it while on said shuttle having passed the
said section of reed is immediately returned into position, bringing with it its
respective portion of the weft thread to the position such portion of weft thread
will occupy in the fabric when finished.
I preferably transmit the desired movements to the sections of reed t by mounting
these latter upon levers t¹ formed to carry antifriction bowls which take into
grooves made in the sliding pieces n said grooves being formed to cause
the levers to oscillate from the position shown in. broken lines Fig. 2 to that
shown in full lines of the same figure.
To the lower parts of the sections of reed t are secured the projecting pieces w
which form the shuttle race while projections above same cause the bowls m² m²
to press the bowls mm on the arms m firmly upon the bowls k on the shuttle
and yet all said bowls revolve in the right direction for facilitating the movements
of the arms m by relieving them as much as possible from the actions of friction.
Instead of arranging the shuttles k to be carried across the warp by the arms m
as above described, I may employ the device well known as being used in the
"Lyall" loom and as shown by Figs. 7 and 8, in which case the carriages y carry
the shuttles across the warp and instead of the projections u being secured to the
reed sections t I make such sections of reed to operate through another reed-like
guide y
the supports y for which also form a support for the shuttle carrier y¹.
Or this reed-like guide may be used in connection with the shuttle-carrying
device herein first before described instead of the projections u being employed.
When I employ this method of carrying shuttles across the loom (as in fact if I
should desire it in connection with the arrangement of parts above described) I
make use of the treadles or shedding levers g to operate the sections of reed t and
in this case I preferably arrange these levers g to move the toggle levers z pivotted
at so that these latter may operate the levers t¹, the central position of the levers g
being thus that at which they make the levers t¹ carry the weft. To effect the move-
ments of the reed sections at the proper time, I employ two pairs of levers z to
each section and these pairs are coupled by rods z" to the levers g which are
arranged to be at all times operating in opposite directions as is the case when
performing what is known as "plain" treading, however should such levers g
not be arranged for plain treading but for more complicated designs then extra
levers arranged to operate these section-reeds are employed.
When the Lyall method of carrying the shuttles is employed, (as set forth in
Patent Specification No. 1042 of 1868), provision is made on the pulleys or drums,
which operate the shuttle carriers y in the well known manner, to receive the
number of such carriers y¹ that may be thus employed, while a similar arrangement
of sliding parts to those above described are employed for receiving the shuttles k.
Instead of the receptacles 12 and 12ª being operated by the actions of the parts
carrying the shuttles as above described, other means or mechanism for effecting
such operations may be employed and in such cases I preferably have the recep-
tacles 12 and 12" mounted upon discs or otherwise so that they may be rotated in

page_text: the horizontal plane, although I am aware that the sliding receptacles as above set
forth might be used, and when the separate means or mechanism is employed for
receiving and presenting the shuttles any one of such shuttles. may be brought
into use at any prearranged time as is well known in connection with multiple
shuttle looms at present extensively in use.
Although I have not herein described any method of forming or arranging
mechanism for detecting broken weft threads I am well aware that any of the
present well known devices which can be brought into position or action at the
edge of the warp to act for each shuttle as it emerges therefrom, might be employed.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that instead of all the warp
threads throughout the entire width of the fabric being produced, being required
to be simultaneously raised or lowered to form an opening for the passage of the
shuttle only such numbers of said warp threads are thus moved as will afford space
for the actions of the shuttle and immediately such shuttle has passed then the
weft left by it is beaten up or pressed into its proper place, by which means, the
loss of time incident to the necessity for each function throughout the entire
width of the warp to be completed before the succeeding function is commenced
as is the case in the old method of weaving referred to, is, by making use of my
invention, avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The means or mechanism for producing woven fabrics the same being con-
structed and arranged to operate substantially as herein specified.
2. In a machine for the production of woven fabrics, heddle operating devices
arranged in sections, reed mechanism and shuttle operating mechanism in com-
bination with same all of which are arranged to operate substantially as herein
specified.
3. In a machine for the production of woven fabrics, heddle-operating devices
reed mechanism arranged in sections or divisions, means for operating said sectional
reeds and shuttle operating mechanism in combination substantially as set forth.
4. In a machine for the production of woven fabrics, heddle operating devices,
reed mechanism, and mechanism for operating a series of shuttles in combination
the same being constructed substantially as herein specified.
5. In a machine of the class. described, sectional shedding mechanism, reed
devices for beating up the weft arranged in divisions or sections, and mechanism
for carrying a series of shuttles across the warp simultaneously as specified.
Dated this 7th day of January 1899.
J. A. SCHOFIELD,
Per Samuel Hey, Agent.