IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND AND POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Eusèbė Roussel, of No. 15, Passage des
Petites Ecuries, Paris, in the Empire of France, Merchant, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND AND POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING."-
A communication from Victor Armand Thaurin, residing at Caudebec-
lès-Elbeuf, France.
Sealed the 2nd June 1863, and dated the 12th December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Eusèbe Roussel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th December 1862.
I, JOSEPH EUSEBE ROUSSEL, of No. 15, Passage des Petites Ecuries, Paris,
in the Empire of France, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAND AND POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING," a
communication from Victor Armand Thaurin, a person resident at Caudebec-
lès-Elbeuf, France, to be as follows:-
I propose to improve the working of both hand and power loom by adding
to the mechanism a species of reed or slay with auxiliary or counterweights
or pulleys, and a regulator of motion, and to apply the latter to the reeds or
slays in ordinary use.
To enable the object of my Invention to be understood, I have in the
annexed Drawing shewn the apparatus as nearly as possible as I
propose to
construct them. The reed will be composed of two metal bars A. A, (Figure 1).

page_text: about six feet long and of proportionate width and depth of a brass rod B of
the same length as the bars A, A, of lifting cords C, D, E, like those employed
in the jacquard, and of two threads F a little longer than the bars A, A, passing
over them and crossing the lifting cords to keep them always in position. The
bars A, A, should be perfectly straight with well turned edges and have one
or more notches or incisions at about a quarter of their length for fixing the
hooks and lifting cords. The rod B to be, supported above the bars A, A, by
small cramps, the points of which pass between the bars to maintain their
isolation and prevent their cutting the lifting cords by their weight. The
lifting cords should all be of the same length and carefully knotted, so that
the metal eyes or rings be on the same level. The leads should also tally with
each other in dimension. The cords are to be run on the rod B by their top
rings and passed between the two bars A, A, which are to be connected to
each other by means of rings or brass wire. The threads F after passing in
and out between the lifting cords are knotted and supported at the extremities
of A, A. A reed or slay so constructed is principally destined for weaving
satins and figured fabrics. To assist the weaver to pass, that is to say, to lift
the reeds, each of them is furnished with two passing or lifting auxiliaries L, L,
of equal weight, connected to it by a cord passing over two pulleys so that
when the weaver acts on the treadle to pass the auxiliaries of the lifting reeds
act by their weight and lift with him and when he gives way the reeds come
down as usual. The weight of these passing or lifting auxiliaries is in pro-
portion to that of the reeds, and at the will of the weaver, and they will be
applicable to existing hand or power looms. To prevent the bars A, A,
fouling each other a grating (Figure 2 in the Drawing) will be placed at each
end of the reeds to regulate their march; Figure 3 of the Drawing shews the
proposed regulator M from lifting cords rolled on the horizontal shaft O held
on the regulator by the cord N which raises the weight P of the regulator.
The position of this weight will be variable, being more or less near the axle,
according to the weight it is desired to obtain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Eusèbe Roussel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th June 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS: SHALL COME, J. JOSEPH
EUSEBE ROUSSEL, of No. 15 Passage des Petites Ecuries, Paris; in the s
Empire of France, Merchant, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most: Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Joseph Eusèbe Roussel, Her special licence that I, the
said Joseph Eusèbe Roussel, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Joseph Eusèbe Roussel, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 HAND AND POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING,"
(a communication from Victor Armand Thaurin, a person resident at Caudebec-
lès-Elbeuf, France,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Eusèbe Roussel, 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 Joseph Eusèbe Roussel, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawing forming part of this my Specification, and to the letters of reference
placed thereon.
These improvements consist in an arrangement of slay or reed with lifting
or passing auxilliaries and a regulator of motion, and in the application of the
passing auxilliaries and regulator to ordinary slays and looms.
The slay or reed of this Invention is composed, firstly, of iron bars or
tringles A, which may be painted, tinned, or coppered, and they should
be about seven feet long by about one inch broad and of an inch thick or in
about these proportions.
Secondly, of a brass or coppered iron wire B of the same length as the
bars A and of about the of an inch thick passing through a certain
number of small hooks or catches C placed at intervals along the entire length
of the wire with their point passed between the bars A to keep them
apart.
Thirdly, of the lifting cords D formed like those used in the jacquard loom

page_text: passed between the bars A and fixed to the brass or iron wire above
mentioned.
Fourthly, of two small threads F a little longer than the bars A beneath
which they are placed passing in and out between the lifting cords to keep
them in order. The bars or tringles A must be perfectly straight in every
direction, and with well rounded edges, each of them must also have seven
notches distanced.from the one which is made in the centre in the proportion
of about 11 inches 12 and 12 inches which leaves about 13 inches to attain
the end of the bar A. These said notches are intended to serve as stop to the
wire G, forming at one end a hook ring embracing the bar A, these hooks
being tightened by a small square ring brought down over the bars A and at
the end of the said bars A is another ring which holds them very tight
together with the brass wire. The small threads F after passing between the
lifting cords are tied at each end of the bars A. All the parts of this slay or
reed may be modified as far as regards their size, strength, and weight, accor-
ding to the nature of the fabrics or the special use to which it is applied. As
they are moveable and independent of each other, it follows that the number
of bars A and lifting cords D of a set of slays may be increased or diminished
in very little time, according to the requirements of the warp or fabric, every
possible combination may therefore be obtained, and this improved slay may
be termed moveable and perpetual. This slay is principally intended for
weaving satins, fancy goods, and generally all figured fabrics, for which' several
slays are used together, working by jacquard machinery either in the ordinary
or the power loom, and it will last eight or ten times longer than the ordinary
slay as the bars A, the brass wire, the leads, and several other accessaries
dependent thereon, work with little wear and tear, and the same slay may be
refurnished at small cost when the lifting cords are worn out, the metallic
'stitch or ring lasting a long time. This slay has also the advantage of pro-
ducing a very regular fabric, the weaver breaks fewer threads because their
movements are freer and many defects hitherto inherent to fabrics, even of-the
highest quality are thus avoided.
To assist the weaver in passing, that is to
say, lifting the reeds or slays, each of them is provided with two passing
auxilliaries H, each corresponding with it by joining the wires G. with a small
cord passing through a hole in the fore part of the passing auxilliary and which
unites them. These auxilliaries should be of cast or wrought iron, and in two
pieces, one of which will be about a yard long and rather more than an inch
broad from the fore part to the axle groove or gorge only, which groove
serves to fix the said passing auxilliaries on a bolt passed through two cast or
wrought iron bands J flat at one end, and having a screw at the other, which

page_text: screw passes through a hole made in a rafter placed crosswise on the frame of
the loom, and is fixed above by a nut which permits the entire passing
arrangement to be raised or lowered without dismounting any part and also
supports the entire working system. The same result may be obtained
without the screw by means of holes placed. at regular distances in' which a
small bolt may be passed; but always above the rafter or cross beam. From
the axle to the other end the length of the lifter or passer is about 25 inches
by about an inch in thickness in its entire length... This first piece has at
the back part four; holes about 6 inches apart, the second piece is about 28
inches long by about an inch broad and an inch thick, this: piece being
intended to vary its position on the first, to increase or lessen the weight it is
desired to obtain, must have, say, 24 flutings or grooves a little more than an
inch apart, the grooves of this second piece being so arranged as to meet those
conducting to the holes of the first piece, and by means of an iron or tempered
copper wire, passed in at least two holes of the first piece, it may be brought
against and firmly secured in the grooves of the second. These two pieces
thus tied together will work with the same precision as one piece. As soon as
the weaver acts on the treadle to pass, the lifting auxilliaries of the slays act
by their weight and lift with him, and when he gives way the slays come down
in the usual manner and remain in rest in front of the lifting auxilliaries which
come against a wooden cross piece held at each end between two cast or
wrought iron branches very similar to those which fix the bolt which supports
the entire lifting arrangement, and a similar piece is placed behind the
auxilliaries to arrest their fall when the slays are lifted. These lifting auxil-
liaries being thus established, and of equal weight for each slay work with
infallible precision, their weight is proportioned to that of the slays at the will
of the weaver, they are independent of the movements of the jacquard
mechanism and of the treadle, although they act at the same moment, and
they cannot interfere with the movements or trouble the repose as occurs
when the treadle is weighted. These lifting auxilliaries are also applicable to
the slays ordinarily used in hand or power looms, and the same pass may be
obtained by means of pullies and cords carrying counterweights at their.end.
To prevent the bars A and the passing auxilliaries coming in contact a grating
K (of iron or other metallic substance) is placed at each extremity, this
grating passes also between each passing auxilliary, and is fixed to the loom
frame. Two of these gratings may be adapted to the passing auxilliaries if
deemed desirable. When in a fabric requiring several slays there are treadles
which are too light, their weight may be increased by means of the regu-
lators L, four in number, and formed of four pieces similar to those of the

page_text: passing auxilliaries already described. For this purpose the four lifting cords M
are used to place and pierce the cards of the light treadles with four holes
corresponding with the crotchets of the four cords rolling on the pullies N
which cords are fixed in the front of each regulator, thus when this treadle
arrives on the mechanism the press beam or driver lifts the light treadle
together with the weight which assists in lifting it, and by this means the
weaver need no longer dread any irregular beat.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Eusèbe Roussel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.