IMPROVEMENTS IN ARRANGING AND DRIVING THE SHAFTING OF LOOM SHEDS.
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Beckett Johnson, of Altrincham, in the
County of Chester, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ARRANGING AND DRIVING THE SHAFTING OF LOOM SHEDS.'
"
Sealed the 21st May 1867, and dated the 24th November 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Beckett Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th November 1866.
I, WILLIAM BECKETT JOHNSON, of Altrincham, in the County of Chester,
Enginer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ARRANGING AND DRIVING THE SHAFTING OF LOOM SHEDS,"" to be as
follows:-
My improvements consist in an arrangement of "loom sheds," whereby I
am enabled readily to apply the motive power to any desired "bay" or bays,
or other sections, and to combine steadiness of driving with simplicity of
arrangement. To accomplish these objects I divide the looms into sections,
and use a separate steam or other motive-power engine for each of such
"bays" or sections. I propose to dispense with the shaft which usually
extends along the end of the shed, and from which the "cross shafts" are

page_text: driven, and to place the motive-power engines in a line corresponding to such
end, each crank shaft being connected direct to a cross or line shaft from
which a section or "bay" of looms is driven.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Beckett Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BECKETT JOHNSON, of Altrincham, in the County of Chester, Engineer, send
greeting.
year
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Beckett Johnson, Her special license that I, the said William
Beckett Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Beckett Johnson, my executors, administrators, 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 ARRANGING AND DRIVING THE SHAFTING OF LOOM SHEDS,"
upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Beckett
Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 imme
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
""
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Beckett Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:
My improvements consist in an arrangement for "loom' sheds," whereby I
am enabled readily to apply the motive power to any desired "bay" or
"bays," or sections, and to combine steadiness of driving with simplicity of
arrangement. To accomplish these objects I divide the looms into sections
and use a separate steam or other motive-power engine for each of such

page_text: "bays" or sections. I propose to dispense with the usual shaft which extends
along the end of the shed, and from which the "cross shafts" are driven, and
to place the motive-power engines in a line. corresponding to such end, each
crank shaft being connected direct to a cross line shaft from which a section.
or "bay" of looms is driven.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a plan view of a loom
shed arranged according to my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section
of a portion thereof. The shed itself I prefer to construct of greater length
in proportion to the width thereof than is usual, such length being in the
direction of the cross shafts.
The walls of the shed are shewn at a, a*; and at one end there is a division
which forms an enclosed alley b. The usual pillars are at c, supporting the
cross shafts represented by the red lines d, which according to the usual
method would be driven by a line shaft extending along the wall a*.
According to my Invention, I place a series of steam cylinders e in the
alley b, the piston rods 9 of which are connected to cranks, as at f, upon the
cross shafts d, which carry fly wheels h; some of the looms are represented
at i, k, l, m, the two tiers i, k, being driven from the shaft d', and the next
two tiers l, m, from the shaft d³, and so on throughout the shed. The above
arrangement supposes that each cross shaft is driven by a separate motive-
power engine, but when it is desired to group the looms into larger sections
I apply a motive-power engine to more than one cross shaft; thus in Fig. 3
the piston rod of the cylinder e is connected by a crank to a cross shaft on
which there are two pullies n, but as they cover each other, one only is seen
in the Drawing; these pullies carry straps which drive a cross shaft d on each
side of the one above referred to. Another example is shewn at Fig. 4, in
which instance a cylinder e is placed between two cross shafts provided with
cranks, and driven by the piston rod which passes through the cylinder.
I have shewn three modifications by which my Invention may be carried
into effect, but I do not limit myself to the details thereof, or to the particular
groupings of sections of looms as described, for by varying such groupings the
manufacturer may provide himself with the means of working such a number
of looms only as from time to time may be required by the demand for pro-
duction, or he may divide them into groups which it is desirable to drive at
different speeds. Under any of these circumstances, the usual end shaft with
its attendant gearing and the preparations for a large motive-power engine are
dispensed with.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be under-

page_text: stood that I claim, as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, dispensing with the usual end shaft of loom sheds, and driving the
cross shafts singly or in groups or sections by separate motive-power engines,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Beckett Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
W. B. JOHNSON. (L.S.)