IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUDING LOADED WARD"
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Mackew, of Leicester, in the County
of Leicester, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MANUDING LOADED WARD"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Mackew at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th November 1871.
I, JAMES MAOKEW, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING LOOPED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to enable the well-known "Townsend
needles when applied to a warp machine to produce work similar to that
which the ordinary bearded needle produces. Hitherto it has been
impossible to "tuck" in the warp machines fitted with this construction
of needle owing to the needle at each descent discharging the last
formed loop. This needle as is well known is provided with a hinged
piece which is intended to cover the hook of the needle and thereby

page_text: allow the loop formed on the needle to be discharged, the hinged piece
or cover being operated by the thread on the needle stem and opened
If now
or closed by the drag of the thread as the needle rises or falls.
the loop is prevented from sliding down over the cover and getting
to the back thereof, the descent of the needle will not allow of the 5
discharge of the loop as in the ordinary course of working, and the
consequence will be a "knock off" or missing of a stitch.
By providing for the attainment of this result in a predetermined
manner on the row or rows of needles of the warp machine, whether
arranged for making plain or ribbed webs, patterns of various kinds may 1
be produced. To attain this end I so mount the "knocking off plate"
as to enable it to rise and fall with the row of needles to which it belongs.
This plate is jointed to a pair of horizontal rocking frames, which rock
on fixed centres and all so arranged as to draw the upper end of the
plate nearer to its line of needles as it rises. Affixed to the lower end of ]
this plate is a transverse bar or rib which is embraced by a pair of short
horizontal slides, the position of which is controlled by a rotating cam
or cams. These slides are intended to come into line with adjustable
screw stops fitted to the frame which carries the needle bar. When the
slides are brought into line with these stops, the frame on rising to carry
up the needle and bring down the last formed loops to the lower part of
their stems (preparatory to discharging them from the needles) will lift
the "knocking off" plate and carry it up with the needles. This rise
of the plate will prevent the loops from sliding off the covers, and the
consequence will be the retention of the loops on the needle stems at
the next descent of the needles. On the slides being drawn aside to
miss the stops, the needle frame will rise without the "knocking off"
plate, and the consequence will be the formation of a course of work.
The loops on all the needles may thus be retained at any determinate
intervals.
If desired, one half or more or less of the loops may be allowed to
"knock off" by providing a notched "knocking off" plate and tra-
versing it as in an ordinary "tuck" presser. This notched plate will be
an additional "knocking off" plate, and when used the other plate
will remain stationary.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Mackew in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 11th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MACKEW, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Mackew, Her special licence that I,
the said James Mackew, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said James Mackew, 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 MACHINERY FOR MANUFAC-
TURING LOOPED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Mackew, 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 James Mackew, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
"
The object of this Invention is to enable the well known "Townsend
needles when applied to a warp machine to produce work similar to that
which the ordinary bearded needle produces. Hitherto it has been
impossible to "tuck" in warp machines fitted with this construction
of needle owing to the needle at each descent discharging the last

page_text: formed loop. This needle as is well known is provided with a hinged
piece, which is intended to cover the hook of the needle and thereby
allow the loop formed on the needle to be discharged, the hinged piece
or cover being operated by the thread on the needle stem and opened
or closed by the drag of the thread as the needle rises or falls. If now
the loop is prevented from sliding down over the cover and getting
to the back thereof, the descent of the needle will not allow of the
discharge of the loop, as in the ordinary course of working, and the
consequence will be a "knock off" or missing of a stitch.
By providing for the attainment of this result in a predetermined
manner on the row or rows of needles of the warp machine, whether
arranged for making "plain" or ribbed webs, patterns of various kinds
may be produced. To attain this end I so mount the "knocking off"
plate, or the equivalent therefor, as to enable it to rise and fall with the
row of needles to which it belongs when it is desired to retain upon 1
the needles the course just formed.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1, Sheet I., shews in sectional
elevation so much of a warp machine fitted with the Townsend needle
and arranged for producing ribbed work as will serve to explain the
mode of adapting my Invention thereto; and Fig. 2 is a partial sectional 2
plan view of the same taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 1.
In Fig. 1, a, a, represent two rows of the "Townsend" needles mounted
as usual on needle bars A carried by the rocking frames A¹; B, B, are
the knocking off plates, one for each row of needles. These plates are
jointed to a pair of rocking frames B¹ which rock on fixed centres, and 2
are so arranged as to draw the upper ends of their respective plates
nearer their respective lines of needles as they rise to operate on the work.
Affixed to the lower end of each plate B is a transverse bar or rib b
which is embraced by a pair of short horizontal slides C. These slides
(see Fig. 2) are connected together by a link c, and they are intended to 3
receive a traverse motion to bring them over stops a¹ carried by the
needle bar frames, which stops as the frames move upward to lift the
needles are intended to lift the knock off plates with the needles. C¹ is a
horizontal bar jointed to one of the slides C, and connected at its outer
end with an arm C³ pivotted to a fixed centre. This arm C³ carries a 3
bowle c¹ (see the detached view, Fig. 3) which bears against the periphery
of a pattern cam C³ mounted on the ordinary transverse cam shaft, and
receiving a slow rotatory motion. When the smaller radius of this cam

page_text: is acting upon the bowle c³, the slides C will overlie the adjustable
stops a¹ and the knock off plates will rise with the needles, but when
the larger radius of the pattern cam comes into action, the slides O will
be drawn clear of the stops a¹ and the plates will remain quiescent and
rest upon the fixed framing, as shewn at Fig. 4. A coiled spring c³ is
connected to one of the slides C, in order to give them a tendency to move
back in the direction of the arrow. D, Figures 1 and 4, is the work
which passes down between the knocking off plates B, B, and is weighted
as usual to put the requisite strain upon the loops.
It will now be understood that when the slides C are brought into
line with the stops a¹, on the needle frames rising to carry up the needles
and bring the last formed loops to the lower part of the needle stems,
preparatory to discharging them from the needles, the action of the
stops a¹ will be to lift their respective knocking off plates and carry them
up with the needles, as shewn at Fig. 1. This rise of the knocking off
plates will prevent the formed loops from sliding off the hinged covers
of the needles, and the consequence will be the retention of those loops
on the needle stems at the next descent of the needles. Thus a course
of work will be missed, and a line of open work will be produced. If
now preparatory to commencing the next course the slides C are drawn
aside out of line with the stops a', the needle frames will rise without
the knocking off plates, and the consequence will be the formation of a
course of work, as the formed loop on the needles will on the descent of
the needles be discharged therefrom, as indicated at Fic 4

page_text: In Sheet II. of the Drawings, Fig. 1 shews in sectional elevation the
warp machine for producing ribbed work, modified according to this
improvement; and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan taken in the line 1, 2, of
Fig. 1. In this instance two pairs of knocking off plates are used; the
inner plates B, B, are plain, and the outer plates B¹ are notched, as shewn
in the side view, Fig. 3. These plates are all capable of being lifted by
the needle bar frames A¹. Instead of fitting the stops a' in lugs fixed
to the needle bar frames, as shewn in Sheet I. of the Drawings, I fit
them in lugs carried by slides a³ supported by these frames, and by
means of a cam arrangement, as described with reference to Figures 21
and 3, Sheet I., I move these slides and thereby shift the position of the
stops a¹. The plates instead of being fitted with transverse bars or ribs
have in lieu thereof projections 6, by which the plates are lifted on the
rise of the needle frames.
In Fig. 1, Sheet II., the plates B are shewn in their lowest position or 1
as resting on the framing. When the plates B' are in their lowest
position, they will be supported by the projections at the foot of the
plates B. These plates B will be lifted by the rise of the stops a¹ of the
slide a³ when brought under their projections 6, and the plates B' will be
lifted by the stops a¹ when brought under their projections 6'. When 2
it is desired to bring into action the plates B¹ to produce ornamental
or "tuck" work, the stops a¹ are by means of the pattern cam brought
under the projections b', as shewn at Figures 1 and 2. The next rise
therefore of the needle frames will cause these plates to act upon some
of the loops on the needles, whilst other loops are missed by reason of 2
the notches on the plates. The descent of the needles will then produce
a "tucked" course of work.
In order to distribute the open work it is necessary to give the notched
knocking off plates a shogging motion (say after each course). To
provide for this the plates B¹ are severally connected with a pattern cam 3
after the manner of the slides C in Sheet I. of the Drawings. These
cams will shift the plates, say the distance of one notch in either
direction, and thus cause a tucked stitch to be formed on the needles
adjacent to those on which a tucked stitch was last formed. These

page_text: It will be understood that when the plates B and B¹ rise together, the
same kind of work will be produced as in the first described arrangement.
and
Instead of causing the notched plate to act directly on the work and
support it during the rise of the needles it may act thereon through the
interposition of jointed sinkers; this arrangement I prefer to use when
making what is known as "stiff work" or work of fine quality. This
arrangement is shewn in sectional elevation at Fig. 4, Sheet II.; Fig. 5
is a partial plan view shewing the mode of mounting the notched plate;
and Fig. 6 is a partial side view of the notched plate. The plate it will
be seen is slotted to allow of the coupling pin which connects it with its
supporting rods B' passing through the plate without interfering with
its lateral or shogging motion, which motion is produced by a pattern
cam as already explained. The rods B' of the plate B¹ are made fast at
their lower ends to a longitudinal bar or rib b, and to this bar is fitted
slides C which are worked by a pattern cam like the slides O¹ in Fig. 1,
Sheet I., to bring them over the stops a¹ of the needle bar frame A¹,
thus insure the lifting of the notched plate B¹. Mounted above this
plate are jointed sinkers D carried by the sinker bar frame pivotted to a
fixed centre D³. The sinkers it will be seen are so shaped as to embrace
the edge of the work, and they thus, when advanced to the needles, not
only act the part of the notched plate before described, but prevent the
work from rising (by reason of the tension of the loops) together with the
needle. This renders unnecessary the heavy weighting of the fabric
now employed to keep down the work as the needle rises and thus
ensures the sliding of the loops over and to the back of the hinged cover.
The sinkers are supported in the colored position of Fig. 4 by resting
on the top edge of the plate B¹, but those sinkers which coincide with
the notches of the plate will remain on the knocking off plate B and
out of action. On the shogging of this plate B¹ the sinkers out of action
will at the next rise of the needle bar frame be lifted into the working
position, and those which were in action will fall out of action, thus a
like result to that described with reference to Fig. 1, Sheet II., will be
produced.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of " Improvements
in Machinery for Manufacturing Looped Fabrics," and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that

page_text: First. Regulating the knock off of the work from the Townsend
needles in the warp machine so as to produce patterns in the work by
means of knock off plates (or equivalent work supporters) that rise and
fall with the needles.
Secondly. Applying additional knock off plates cut to pattern at their
upper edges, and giving them an endway motion in the manner and for
the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Mackew, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
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