IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wood, of Shibden, near Halifax, in the
County of York, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 3rd December 1861, and dated the 7th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th June 1861.
I, WILLIAM Wood, of Shibden, near Halifax, in the County of York,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-*
This Invention relates, firstly, to a method of working the healds or heddles
in such manner as to allow or cause them to dwell or remain up or down any
desirable length of time, which is effected by having the drawing rods for
connecting the healds with the treddles portable, or with hooks capable of
being attached and detached by tappets, bowls, or rollers suitably arranged in
a grooved cylinder, to which motion is given in either direction by catches
operated by jacquards.
Secondly, it relates to improvements in the setting-up motion, so as to
regulate the quantity of picks given according to the design or pattern of fabric
or quality thereof, which is effected by lifting the catches off the setting-up

page_text: wheel at suitable times by means of a peg wheel in gear with the crank shaft,
and a lever operated by a tappet or roller on the grooved cylinder.
Thirdly, a means of lifting all the catches except the run back catch, when
desirable, which I accomplish by a small tappet fixed on the crank shaft,
operated or brought into action by a lever and another tappet on the grooved
cylinder.
Fourthly, to a means of stopping the loom when the weft breaks, which
consists of a horizontal fork placed at each edge of the fabric, or at each end of
the lay and moveable grates, which meet the said forks at every pick, being
actuated by levers from the picking shaft, and capable of passing the fork
when no weft is across, coming in contact with a sliding needle, which causes
the tongue of the stop rod to meet the spring progs, and thereby stop the loom
instantly with the shed of the broken pick open.
Fifthly, of a sliding weft carrier for removing the weft from the fork at one
end, whilst the grate at the other is acting on the newly picked weft, which is
operated by a lever and tappet from the picking shaft.
Sixthly, the Invention relates to a "weft clicker" or self-acting temple,
which consists of two short levers hinged to the breast beam, one at each edge
of the fabric, and operated by a lever and tappet from the picking shaft. In
each of the short levers is a pin, which is brought in contact with the weft at
each pick, which on the return of the shuttle holds the weft by being looped
around, and thereby resists the drag of the shuttle instead of the warp
threads.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters-Patent,-filed-
by the said William Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2
7th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
Wood, of Shibden, near Halifax, in the County of York; Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Wood, Her special license that I, the said William Wood,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William S
Wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree

page_text: 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
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said
William Wood, 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 calender months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Wood, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a method of working the healds or heddles
so as to cause them to dwell or remain up or down any desirable length of
time.
Secondly, to improvements in the setting-up motion, so as to regulate the
quantity of picks given according to the design or pattern of fabric required.
Thirdly, to a means of lifting all the catches except the run-back catch
when desirable.
Fourthly, to a means of stopping the loom speedily when the weft breaks, or
whilst the shed of the broken pick is open.
Fifthly, to a sliding weft carrier or weft protector for removing the weft
from the fork at one end, whilst the grate or stop motion is acting on the
newly picked weft at the other end.
And, sixthly, to a "weft clicker" or self-acting temple for keeping the fabric
of equal breadth throughout, and resisting the drag of the shuttle, thereby to
prevent any strain being put upon the warp threads.
In carrying this Invention into practice, I have found that the three first
parts are not of great public utility, and consequently I abandon them
without further description or claim..
The three last parts will be clearly understood by reference to the accompany-
ing Sheet of Drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an end elevation of an ordinary loom,
or so much thereof as is necessary to shew the application of my improvements;
and Fig. 2 is a plan of one end, with portions removed for better elucidation
of the Invention. A is a horizontal weft fork, which is hinged to the lay or
lathe sword at a, and which extends within a recess, across the batten or the

page_text: shuttle race, its end entering a slot hole in a small lever b, hinged upon another
lever B, which is fixed on a shaft C and hinged to the batten, and on this.
shaft is also fixed a tongue or finger C. These parts are shewn full size at:
Figs. 3 and 4. The lever and fork A are made to balance each other in the
position shewn, so that the lever b covers a hole in the lever B, except when
operated; D is a horizontal grate affixed on the top of a rod E placed parallel
with the sword, and capable of sliding up or down in fixings e; when actuated
by the lever F, which passes through a slot hole in the rod E, and rests upon
and is operated by a tappet G fixed on the low shaft of the loom.
H is a stop
pin or needle capable of sliding in a bracket attached to the breast beam, and
is pressed up by a spring h; this needle is shewn full size at Fig. 5 placed
opposite the hole b'. It will be understood that the foregoing parts, except the
finger C¹, are applied at both ends of the loom; I is a lever hinged to the
framing at its bottom end, and above to a bar or connecting rod J, which is
binged to a lever J¹, to which is attached a self-adjusting brake J². At the
top of the lever I is hinged a spring prog or a projecting finger I¹ held in
position by a spring i, also is fixed to the lever I another finger Is, which is in
contact with the knocking-off lever K. The action of these parts is as
follows-At every pick or shoot of weft one of the grates is lowered on its
fork, and if there be weft across the fork the. ribs of the grate press upon it,
and consequently upon the prongs of the fork, which is thereby depressed, and
so actuates, the lever b, which uncovers the hole 6 in the lever B, and admits
or permits the needle H to enter at the next beat-up of the lathe, and no
action on the strap guide takes place; but if there be no weft across the fork;
the ribs of the grate pass-betwixt the prongs of the fork, and the hole b¹ remains
covered, and at the next beat-up the needle, not being able to enter the hole b';
operates the.lever B, which lifts the tongue_or_finger C³, so as to come in. con-
tact with the prog or finger I', forcing tlie lever I by the finger 12 to act upon
the knocking-off lever K, which throws the strap on the loose pulley, and at the
same time operates the rod J, and applies the brake J to the wheel J³; also
allows a catch J to drop behind a notch on the rod J, which holds it in position
whilst a swell on the wheel J³ will jam in betwixt the wheel and brake;
and completely stop the further action of the loom before the return of the
lathe or the closing of the shed in which there is no weft, or wherein the weft
is broken. To relieve the wheel from the brake for starting the loom again,
the catch J is binged on an excentric Js, attached to which is a handle Jo; by
lifting this handle the excentric is turned and the catch is withdrawn froni
holding the rod J, when a spring 13 acts upon the lever I forces back the rod J,
and removes the brake from the wheel Js; the prog or finger I' being hinged

page_text: allows it to do so, although the finger. Chis still in contact with the prog. The
tappet which operates the weft grate is shewn full size at Fig. 6, on which will
be seen a small cam:g fixed opposite. the lowest part of the tappet, which is, by
means of a bracket e on the rod. E, for the purpose of operating the weft fork.
at the opposite end of the batten to that where the grate is acting on the newly
picked weft. L is the sliding weft carrier or weft protector, which passes
betwixt the prongs of the fork, and is hinged to one arm of a bell-crank
lever L', which is hinged on a stood fixed to. the 'sword; the other arm is
connected by a rod L* to one end of a lever L³, which is hinged to the loom
frame at the other end, and operated by a tappet M fixed on the low shaft by.
which the weft carrier is forced out to the position shewn immediately before the
sliuttle crosses the fork, thus removing out of the shuttle race every pick or
shoot of weft. The weft carrier is returned or drawn back by a-spring N. This
apparatus is applied at each end of the loom, and is arranged to operate
alternately. The tappet M is shewn full size at Fig. 7. P is the "weft
clicker" or self-acting temple, and is hinged on a bracket R fixed to the
breast beam. To the lower limb of the said bracket is hinged a lever S, one
end of which is connected by a spring T to a strap U, which passes around the
boss of the temple, and is connected to a spiral spring V, which is attached at
its other end to the breast beam. The other end of the. lever S.extends to the
low shaft, and is operated by a tappet or arm, and adjustable friction pulley W
fixed on the said shaft. This apparatus is shewn full size at Figs. 8 and 9, and
it will be understood that it is applied at each end of the loom or to each edge
of the fabric, being made right and left handed. It will be observed that the
lever S is now lifted by the tappet W, and the weft clicker or temple is brought
into line with the edge of the fabric, the pin p passing over the last shoot of
weft; and the next shoot passes on the other side of said pin, so that a loop of
the weft is formed around the pin, which is thereby held, thus resisting the
drag of the shuttle, the said temples operating in like manner at each edge of
the fabric alternately at every pick or shoot of weft, thereby producing or
forming a perfectly even selvedge on the fabric. When the lever S is
lowered to the shaft, the temple is raised out of contact with the weft, as will
be seen by the dotted lines. The temple can be readily adjusted by moving
the studs in the brackets R and arm W, which arms can also be set on the
shaft to operate at the proper times.
Having thus fully described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that
I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise details of construction and
arrangement of the various mechanical parts or apparatus herein described;

page_text: but I claim as of my Invention, and which I believe to be new within
the realm,-
Firstly, the application to looms for weaving of horizontal weft, forks in
combination with moveable horizontal weft grates and apparatus for, actuating
the same, and communicating that action in such manner as to stop the loom
instantly when the weft breaks or when there is no weft in; the shed, and whilst
the shed is still open.
Secondly, the application of a sliding weft carrier to change box looms.in
combination with the above-described stop motion and apparatus for actuating
the same, in manner substantially as described.
Thirdly, the application to looms for weaving of a "weft clicker" or self-
acting temple for siezing and holding each shoot of weft at the edges of the
fabric, thereby relieving the warp from the drag of the shuttle, in manner
substantially as herein described and illustrated by the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named William Wood, in the
presence of
W. TASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.
WILLIAM WOOD. (L.S.)