IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph McCabe, of Droylsden, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR
WEAVING.*
Sealed the 6th October 1877, and dated the 25th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph McCabe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th July 1877.
JOSEPH MCCABE, of Droylsden, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
This Invention relates to that part of the power loom known as the "dobbie" or
shaft machine, and employed for raising and depressing the healds so as to form
the "shed" in the warp threads, through which the shuttle with the weft thread
passes.
The objects of the Invention are to effect a positive rising and falling shed, and
to obtain a longer time for the shuttle to pass across the loom before the shed com-
mences to close, and to dispense with weights or springs previously employed for
this purpose.
I employ two sets of hooks (one for the "risers" and one for the "fallers ") and two
knives (one for each set of hooks). Each needle has two slots through which passes
one hook of each set.
The "riser" hooks are connected by strings and jacks above to the upper shafts
of the healds, and the "faller" hooks are connected by strings and levers below to
the lower shafts of the same healds. Thus it will be evident that when any one
needle is pushed back by the blank part of the pattern card it pushes the "riser".
hook on to the one knife and at the same time pushes the "faller "hook of the same
heald off the other knife, and when the knives ascend the corresponding heald is
raised.
On the other hand, when any needle comes opposite a hole in the pattern card its
spring forces it forwards, which will throw the "riser" hook off the one knife and
.

page_text: the "faller" hook on to the other, and hence when the knives rise the heald is
pulled down by the "faller" hook and levers, and so on, according to the pattern.
The rising and falling of the knives is effected as follows:-Across the centre of the
"dobbie" or shaft machine is mounted a shaft, near each end of which, outside the
frame of the dobbie or said shaft machine, is fixed an excentric, the clip of which is
connected by a rod to a stud on the end of the knife frame. As these excentrics
revolve the knives are moved up and down; and as the revolution is continuous, the
movement is much steadier, and the shed remains open longer for the shuttle to pass
through than in the ordinary way of opening the sheds.
Fixed upon the same shaft, but inside the frame, there are two more excentrics
placed in the reverse position to the former, and giving a rising and falling motion
to a table placed beneath the ends of the hooks. As this table descends it allows
those books which are free of the knives to be drawn down; and as it rises again it
raises them up to the level position just before the needles come into operation to
push them on or off the knives for the next rise.
On one end of the excentric shaft is keyed a bevil pinion gearing into a similar
wheel keyed on the upper end of a shaft, to which a continuous revolving
motion is imparted from the crank shaft or tappet shaft of the loom by means
of toothed gearing or endless chain.
The to-and-fro movement of the card cylinder, is effected by levers connected
by links to pins in the face of the two outside excentrics, or from the arms or
rods which these excentrics drive; and the intermittent revolution of the same is
effected by latches in the usual manner.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph McCabe, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
January 1878.
JOSEPH MCCABE, of Droylsden, in the County of Lancaster.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
This Invention relates to that part of a power loom known as the "dobbie" or
shaft machine, and employed for raising and depressing the healds so as to form the
the "shed" in the warp threads, through which the shuttle with the weft thread
passes.
The objects of the Invention are to effect a positive rising and falling shed, and to
obtain a longer time for the shuttle to pass across the loom before the shed com-
mences to close, and to dispense with weights or springs previously employed for.
this purpose.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be clearly under-
stood I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those
in the following explanation thereof:-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a side elevation
of a "dobbie," constructed according to my Invention, a a, being the framework
of the machine.
I employ two sets of hooks (one set b, b, for the "risers," and the other set c, c,
for the "fallers") and two knives d, d¹, (one for each set of hooks). Each of the
needles e, e, has two slots through which passes one hook of each set. The
"riser" hooks b, b, are connected by strings and jacks above to the upper shafts
g, g, of the healds, and the "faller" hooks c, c, are connected by strings h, h, and
treadles i, i below, to the lower shafts of the same healds. Thus it will be
evident that when any one needle e is pushed back by the blank part of the
pattern card it pushes the "riser" hook con of the same heald off the other
knife d'; and when the knives d, d', ascend, the corresponding heald is raised.
On the other hand when any needle e comes opposite a hole in the pattern, and
its spring forces it forward, which will throw the "riser" hook off the one
knife d and the "faller "hook c on to the other d', and hence when the knives d, d²,
rise the heald is pulled down by the "faller" hook e and treadles i, i, and so on,
according to the pattern.
25
The rising and falling of the knives d, d, is effected as follows:-Across the
centre of the
dobbie"
or shaft machine is mounted a shaft k, k, near each end of
which, outside the frame of the "dobbie," is fixed an excentric 1, 1, the clip of
which is connected by a rod m, m, to a stud! on the end of the knife frame n, n.
As these excentrics revolve the knives d, d¹, are moved up and down, and as
the revolution is continuous the movement is much steadier and the shed
remains open longer for the shuttle to pass through than in the ordinary way of
opening the sheds.
Fixed upon the same shaft k, k, but inside the frame, there are two more
excentrics o, o, placed in the reverse position to the former, and giving a rising-and-
falling motion to a table p, p, placed beneath the ends of the hooks b, c. As this
table p, p, descends, it allows those hooks b, c, which are free of the knives d, d', to
be drawn down; and as it rises again it raises them up to the level position just
before the needles come into operation to push them on or off the knives d, d', for
the next rise.
On one end of the excentric shaft k, k, is keyed a bevil pinion 9 gearing into a
similar wheel keyed on the upper end of a shaft 8, 8, to which a continuous
revolving motion is imparted froin either the tappet shaft or the crank shaft of the
loom by means of toothed gearing.

page_text: The to-and-fro movement of the card cylinder t, t, is effected by levers u, u, con-
nected by links v, v, to pins w, w, in the face of the outside excentric 1, 1, (see Fig.
3), and the intermittent revolution of the same is effected by latches x, x, in the
usual manner. If preferred, the to-and-fro motion of the card cylinder may be
obtained from the rising-and-falling motion of the knife frame by means of suitable
links and levers, as shown by dotted lines y in Fig. 3.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into prac-
tical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention, the novel and
particular arrangement of 'dobbie,' as herein-before described and illustrated by
the Drawings annexed, and more particularly I claim the use of excentrics for the
purpose of effecting a positive rising and falling shed, and for obtaining a longer
time for the passage of the shuttle across the loom before the "shed" commences to
close.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph McCabe have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
IACIDII MADD
1-1
JOSEPH
ACEDIT CODE
MCCABE (L.S.)