IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS BY THE USE OF WHICH A STRIPE OR BORDER MAY BE WOVEN ON NAPKINS, TABLE- CLOTHS, AND OTHER FABRICS BY THE POWER LOOM
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge
and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS BY
THE USE OF WHICH A STRIPE OR BORDER MAY BE WOVEN ON NAPKINS, TABLE-
CLOTHS, AND OTHER FABRICS BY THE POWER LOOM." -A communication
from abroad by Eugène Gustave Laniel and Jacques Alphonse Laniel,
Manufacturers at Vimoutiers, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 16th June 1865, and dated the 23rd December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd December 1864.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No.
11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVED MEANS AND
APPARATUS UY THE USE OF WHICH A STRIPE OR BORDER MAY BE WOVEN ON NAPKINS,
TABLE-CLOTHS, AND OTHER FABRICS BY THE POWER LOOM," (a communication to
me from abroad by Eugène Gustave Laniel and Jacques Alphonse Laniel,
Manufactures at Vimoutiers, in the Empire of France) to be as follows:-
On the Sheet of Drawing which accompanies and forms part of this Provisional

page_text: Specification are shewn the principal parts of a loom displaying one of the
methods of applying this Invention; Figure I. being a lateral elevation of
the weaving loom on the side on which the mechanism is applied; Figure II.,
elevation of front of loom; Figure III., front view of a grooved plate shewn
detached; Figure IV., vertical section of same. Hitherto the white or colored
stripes or borders placed near the edges of table linen, such as napkins and
table cloths, and of other fabrics, especially those made from flax and hemp,
have been manufactured by hand, no special mechanism having yet been
applied topower looms to produce automatically the desired pattern at the
requisite places. In this Invention, that which should be first set forth is
the application of a treadle movement lifting and lowering the healds so as
to reproduce any arrangement of stripe or border pattern, which movement may
be easily regulated without any sensible interruption of the regular working of
the power loom, no matter how this latter has been constructed. It should be
particularly observed that this apparatus has the faculty of working intermittently
and only during the manufacture of the stripe or border at regular or irregular
intervals, also that of permitting the loom to work with its play of healds
producing the simple or plain linen shed only, whereas usually apparatus
producing various patterns, work during the entire manufacture of the fabric.
The mechanism the subject of this Invention is composed principally of a
series of circular plates A on which are applied ribs or fillets forming
the grooves a, the sinuosities of which are combined according to the
reading of the pattern. These plates with similar or different grooves are
brought one against the other and form a cylinder turning freely on a strong
carrier set in the framing U of the loom. This cylinder receives a rotary
motion checked by the wheels C, D, bound in one and actuated by that E,
keyed on the cranked driving axle carrying the fly wheels h, as well as the
fast and loose pulleys i, i, worked by the band j from the drum m keyed on
the horizontal shaft n. Levers F, F¹, are each furnished with a friction roller
a' of a diameter equal to the breadth of the way a, into which it takes.
Consequently the sinuosities of the grooves will cause these levers to oscillate
around a common centre G, passed into a support bolted to the framing and
held in front by a rod or bar H, serving also as support to the shaft of the
plates. To the levers F, F¹, are attached two series of cords or hooked lift-
ing wires K, L, the first are hooked to the lower marches J, J', the others
to the upper marches O, O¹, the marches oscillating on their respective shafts
V, V, suitably supported. To the inner ends of the marches J, J¹, are
attached cords P, intended to recall downwards the cross pieces N, N', tied to
the healds M, M, so as to cause these latter to redescend evenly at the

page_text: desired moments. In like manner at the inner extremities of the marches
O, O¹, are all attached cords r, r¹, intended to lift the healds M, M', also at the
required moments. The result of this combination is that if the levers F¹,
for example are uplifted, the marches J' draw the healds M' downwards, at
the same time that the marches O' (the inner extremities of which are lowered)
hold up the levers F by their inner ends and vice versa. Therefore it suffices to
combine the play of the levers in such wise that the pass or crossing of the
healds gives passage to the shuttle between such one or other series of warp
threads as may be required by the pattern. The general arrangements of the
loom undergoes no modification; as is usual the heald shafts work in a frame
Q, upheld by angle pieces R, bolted to the beam S, which ties the two
lateral framings U. To the cranked driving shaft are attached the driving
arms e, which cause oscillation of the swords d, supporting the batten f, at
the extremities of which work the whips or drivers Z, which send the shuttle
from one side to the other of the loom furnished with a weft fork supported
by a cross piece p. It will be evident that the working of the mechanism
above described would be continuous and would consequently produce a
repeated pattern, but to obtain intermittence of motion as well as the stoppage
after the completion of each stripe or border it suffices to hook or unhook
the cords K, L. This manoeuver is so easy that the standing of the loom
is inappreciable, but it is important that the workman effect it at the proper
moments, and to avoid incessant supervision which might result in exactness
of the placing of the stripe or border, it is proposed to place upon the
dressing machine a marking indicating apparatus which will print on the warp
a colored mark indicating the place for the stripes or borders in the entire
length of the piece. The marking meter or indicating apparatus which
effects this preliminary impression forms a very important part of this Invention
and is shewn Figures V. and VI. On the shaft of a pulley (1) actuated by
one of the rotating parts of the dressing machine is fixed a wheel (2)
which by an intermediate wheel (3) tnrns another wheel (4) carrying at
the back two pins (5) and in front another pin (6). The pins (5) placed
at a suitable distance apart press successively on a balance (7) oscillating
round a fixed point (14) which balance has a hammer (9) at one end, and
is. traversed by a spring (16) fixed on a support (17). The pin (6)
causes a balance (8) to oscillate round a fixed pin, this balance being furnished
with a recall counterweight (21) and its head jointed to a click or tongue
(12) which pushes forward one tooth of a ratchet (11) the axle of which
carries an index which travels over all the divisions of a fixed dial (15). A.
pad or cushion (10) is placed beneath the hammer and is impregnated with

page_text: coloring matter so that when the pins (5) pass they cause the hammer to
strike which places the threads (20) travelling through the perforated plate
(18) and the comb (19) in contact with the color on the pad and the warp
thus takes a visible mark or imprint. The pin (6) when it passes actuates
the balance (8) in order that the click (12) may turn the ratchet wheel (11)
held by the piece (13) and the function of which is to mark on the dial (15)
the measurement of the warp or the quantity of picces of linen. This arrango-
ment may be modified to suit different constructions of dressing machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Edward Gedge, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
21st Juno 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington
Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence that I, the said
William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agreo 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 "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS BY THE USE OF WHICH A STRIPE OR BORDER
MAY BE WOVEN ON NAPKINS, TABLE-CLOTHS, AND OTHER FABRICS BY THE POWER
Loom," (a communication to me from abroad by Eugène Gustave Laniel
and Jacques Alphonse Laniel, Manufacturers at Vimoutiers. in the Empire of
France), upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Gedge, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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:

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge 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 Sheets of Drawing accompanying and
forming part of this Specification.
Figuro I. (Sheet 1) being a lateral elevation of the weaving loom on the
side on which the mechanism is applied; Figure II., elevation of front of
loom; Figure III., front view of a grooved plate shewn detached; Figure 1V.,.
vertical section of same; Figure V. (Sheet 2), side elevation of the weaving
loom; Figure VI., front elevation of same; Figure VII., details of eccentric
stars; Figure VIII., front olevation of the marking meter or indicating
apparatus; and Figure IX., plan of same.
Hitherto the whito or colored stripes or border placed near the edges of
table linen, such as napkins and table cloths, and of other fabrics, especially
those made from flax and hemp, have been manufactured by band, no special
mechanism having yet been applied to power looms to produce automatically
the desired patterns at the requisite places.
In this Invention that which should be first set forth is the application of a
treadle movement lifting and lowering the healds or lifting blades, so as to
reproduce any arrangement of stripe or border pattern, which movements may
be easily regulated without any sensible interruption of the regular working of
the power loom, no matter how this latter has been constructed. It should
be particularly observed that this apparatus has the faculty of working inter-
mittently and only during the manufacture of the stripe or border at regular
or irregular intervals, also that of permitting the loom to work with its play of
healds producing the simple or plain linen shed only, whereas usually apparatus
producing various patterns work during the entire manufacture of the fabric..
The mechanism, the subject of this Invention, is composed principally of a
series of circular plates A (Figures I. to V.), on which are applied ribs or fillets
forming the grooves a, the sinuosities of which are combined according to the
reading of the pattern. These plates with similar or different grooves are
brought one against the other, and form a cylinder turning freely.on a strong
carrier set in the framing U of the loom. This cylinder receives a rotary
motion checked by the wheels C, D, bound in one, and actuated by that E,
keyed on the cranked driving axlo carrying the fly wheels h as well as the fast
and loose pulleys i, 2, worked by the band j from the drum m keyed on the
horizontal shaft n. Levers F, F¹, are each furnished with a friction roller a¹
of a diameter equal to the breadth of the way a, into which it takes. Conse-
quently the sinuosities of the grooves will cause these levers to oscillate around

page_text: a common centre G passed into a support bolted to the framing and held in
front by a rod or bar H, serving also as support to the shaft of the plates. To
the levers F, F, are attached two series of cords or hooked lifting wires K, L,
the first are hooked to the lower marches J, J', the others to the
upper marches
O, O', the marches oscillating on their respective shafts V, V', suitably sup-
ported. To the inner ends of the marches J, J¹ are attached cords P, intended
to recall downwards the cross pieces N, N¹, tied to the lifting blades or heald
shafts M, M¹, so as to cause these latter to re-descend evenly at the desired
moments. In like manner at the inner extremities of the marches O, O', are
attached cords r, r, intended to lift the blades M, M', also at the required
moments. The result of this combination is that if the levers F', for example,
are uplifted, the marches J¹ draw the lifting blades or healds M downwards at
the same time that the marches O¹ (the inner extremities of which are lowered)
hold up the levers F by their inner ends and vice versa. Therefore it suffices
to combine the play of the levers in such wise that the pass or crossing of the
healds gives passage to the shuttle between such one or other series of warp
threads as may be required by the pattern. The general arrangement of the
loom undergoes no modification as is usual; the heald shafts work in a frame
Q, upheld by angle pieces R, bolted to the beam S, which ties the two lateral
framings V. To the cranked driving shaft are attached the driving arms e,
which cause oscillation of the swords d, supporting the batten f, at the extremi-
ties of which work the whips or drivers Z, which send the shuttle from one
side to the other of the loom furnished with a weft fork, supported by a cross
piece p. It will be evident that the working of the mechanism above described
would be continuous, and would consequently produce a repeated pattern, but
to obtain intermittence of motion as well as the stoppage after the completion
of each stripe or border it suffices to hook or unhook the cords K, L, but, as
herein-after stated, means may be adopted to obviate this method of working,
which might produce inaccuracies. This method of working produces the
desired effect, but for the treadles or marches of which mention is above
made, the execution of the grooves presents practical difficulties which renders
them costly, and it is preferable to modify the arrangement by substituting
reliefs in lieu of hollows, that is to say, by substituting in lieu of the grooved
plates eccentrics, the bossages and the hollows of which freely raise and lower
the treadles. For this purpose (see Figures V. to VIII.) cheeks G are fixed
on to the cross pieces P for the purpose of supporting a small shaft X, on
which are passed with gentle friction the sockets of the treadles I, tied to the
cross pieces N, N¹, by draw rods O, to draw down the lifting blades M, M'.
Star-shaped eccentrics A are fixed on the shaft L, which in every description

page_text: of weaving loom carries the ordinary eccentrics. The number of points to
each star, and their respective position, are regulated by the reading of the
pattern which is to be reproduced in the stripe or border, and each point
presses in its turn on a roller supported by a fork fixed to the corresponding
marche or treadle. It will be observed that the cords upholding the lifting
blades M, M, are rolled inversely on rollers Q, Q¹, which differ slightly in
diameter, and are fixed on the warp-bearing shafts, so that when one blade is
lowered by a treadle another blade is uplifted. The numbers in red ink (see
Figure VII.) indicate the order of the points of the stars for the reproduction
of a certain pattern. It will be seen that sometimes for greater strength two
adjoining points on the same star are only separated by a hollow cut to avoid ⚫
multiplying the arms which carry them. In lieu of independent stars a conical
cylinder might be fitted on the shaft L, on which cylinder might be screwed
or otherwise fastened keys, the placing of which at different points would
allow the combinations to be varied. When a stripe or border is manufactured
and the loom is to weave the linen shed forming the napkin or other article,
the play of the treadles must necessarily be modified. For this purpose the
shaft L carries a double eccentric J, J', separated in two breadths, such as
the blades counting no longer but for two, no matter upon how many treadles
these breadths press. This substitution may be obtained, as may be ascer-
tained above, by unhooking the marches, which occupies some time and causes
some enibarassment, but by the method now described all that is required is
to displace the shaft L by pulling on a handle at one of its ends, the other
end being provided with a stop ring b. This displacement might, however, be
effected by means of a pivoting lever furnished with a fork, which would
embrace one end of the shaft. In order that the loom may continue to work
notwithstanding the displacement of the shaft L, and even at a speed varied
according to the two cases, the shaft or crank K carries two toothed wheels,
the one D¹ gearing with D of one piece with the pinion C, which actuates the
wheel B to cause the treadles to act more slowly when making the stripe or
border, the other F gearing with E when the linen is being manufactured.
By the substitution of eccentrics or keys in lieu of the grooved plates, the
arrangement of the parts may be modified, and the side of the loom cleared,
for the treadles naturally find themselves in the middle of the loom, and the
mechanism is at the same time simplified by the suppression of the guide
blade frame of the top and bottom marches, and their cordage.
I will now describe in what manner is obtained the preliminary impression
on the warp threads of the colored marks which indicate to the workman the
position of the borders or stripes, and consequently the moment when he must

page_text: change the working of the loom. The marking meter or indicating apparatus
which is applied to the dressing machine to attain this result mechanically is
shewn Figures VIII. and IX. On the shaft of a pulley (1), actuated by one
of the rotating parts of the dressing machine, is fixed a wheel (2), which by
an intermediate wheel (8) turns another wheel (4), carrying at the back two
pins (5), and in front another pin (6). The pins (5), placed at a suitable
distance apart press successively on a balance (7) oscillating round a fixed
point (14), which balance has a hammer (9) at one end, and is traversed by
a spring (16), fixed on a support (17). The pin (6) causes a balance (8) to
oscillate round a fixed pin, this balance (8) being furnished with a recall
counterweight (21), and its head jointed to a click or tongue (12), which
pushes forward one tooth of a ratchet (11) the axle of which carries an index
which travels over all the divisions of a fixed dial (15). A pad or cushion (10)
is placed beneath the hammer, and is impregnated with colouring matter so
that when the pins (5) pass they cause the hammer to strike, which places
the throads (20) travelling through the perforated plate (18) and the comb
(19) in contact with the color on the pad, and the warp thus takes a visiblo
mark or imprint, because this has the breadth and length of the hammer.
The pin (6) when it passes actuates the balance (8), in order that the
click (12) may turn the ratchet (11) held by the piece (13), and the function
of which is to mark on the dial (15) the length of the warp or the quantity of
pieces of linen. This arrangement may be modified to suit different construc
tions of dressing machines.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which it is carried into practical effect, I would here observe that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein given or illustrated on the annexed
Sheets of Drawing, as such may be modified without departure from the In-
vention, and claim is made to the exclusive use of the processes herein described
and illustrated on the accompanying Sheets of Drawing, as well as of the
modifications of which they are susceptible.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)