IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR CHANGING SHUTTLES AND SHUTTLE BOXES IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR CHANGING SHUTTLES AND SHUTTLE
BOXES IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."-A communication from abroad by
James Brierly, of Worcester, and James Brierly, of Millbury, both
in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 30th July 1869, and dated the 15th February 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th February 1869.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR CHANGING SHUTTLES
AND SHUTTLE BOXES IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," a communication, to be as
follows:-
In weaving with more than one colour or with different yarns in the

page_text: weft it is common to use a number of shuttles and boxes on one or
both ends of the loom, and to have these correspond to the number of
colors or yarns used, and to change them one for another in a certain
predetermined order or succession to produce the desired effect. These
shuttle boxes must be so constructed and arranged on the loom as to
permit of their being changed between the return of the shuttle and the
subsequent throw, or, in other words, whilst the shuttles are in the
boxes, without stopping the motion of the loom.
This Invention produces these changes by means of the following
arrangements and devices for raising and lowering or dropping the
boxes: The said boxes are supported by a rod which extends down to the
centre of motion of the lathe, or nearly so, and is there connected to one
arm of an elbow lever turning on a stud in the frame, the other arm of
the said lever receiving motion through a rod which is actuated by the
faces of a graduated slide. The said slide has motion corresponding to
that of the loom changes, or, in other words, if it is designed to change
after one thread is laid, then the slide moves for every throw of shuttle,
and when changing only after two threads then the slide need move only
on the alternate throws, the faces being so arranged that each face moves
the lever a different degree, and so as to bring the corresponding box into
place. The first face brings up the second box, and the second face the
third, and so on, the graduated slide turning its position so as to present
the face wanted, which is done by a lever turning it on its axis more or
less as it (the lever) may be lifted by the lever resting on the chain to
which it is attached, the chain (or pattern chain) being made with
different sized rolls, or similar devices, to give the different degrees of
motion. A gauge plate attached to the elbow lever supports or holds
the boxes up when raised by a drop lever resting on its surface and
against its faces which correspond to the number of boxes less one, and
the dropping or lowering of the boxes is effected by raising this drop
lever. This is done by a lever actuated by the chain similarly to the other
connected to the drop lever, and by raising it to different degrees or
heights bringing or allowing the boxes to fall to the one desired.
When either the raising or dropping apparatus operates the other
does not.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the International Patent Office, No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
of
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of February, in the year
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MECHANISM FOR CHANGING SHUTTLES AND SHUTTLE BOXES IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Robert Lake, 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 William Robert Lake, 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 Drawing forming a part of this Specification :—
In weaving with more than one color or with different yarns in the
5 weft it is common to use a number of shuttles and boxes at one or both
ends of the loom, and to have these correspond to the number of colors
or yarns used, and to change them one for another in a certain pre-

page_text: determined order or succession to produce the desired effect. These
shuttle boxes must be so constructed and arranged on the loom as to
permit of their being changed between the return of the shuttle to its
box and the subsequent throw (or, in other words, whilst the shuttles
are in the boxes) without stopping the motion of the loom.
This Invention produces these changes by means of the following
mechanism or devices for raising and lowering or dropping the boxes:
-The said boxes are supported in suitable guides or ways, and attached
to a rod or other device, which is connected to one arm of an elbow
lever turning on a stud in the frame, the other arm of the said lever
receiving motion from a rod which is actuated by the faces of a
graduated slide. The said slide has a motion corresponding to that of
the loom changes, or, in other words, if it is desired to change after onc
thread is laid then the slide moves for every throw of a shuttle, and
when changing only after two threads the slide need move only on the
alternate throws, the faces of the slide being so arranged that each one
moves the lever a different degree, and so as to bring the corresponding
box into place, that is, the first face brings up the second box, the
second face the third box, and so on, the graded slide turning so as to
present the face wanted. The change of position is effected by a lever
turning it more or less on its axis as the said lever is lifted or moved by
another lever resting on the chain, both levers being connected, and the
chain or pattern chain being made with different sized rolls or similar
devices to give the different degrees of motion necessary. A gauge
plate attached to the elbow lever supports or holds the boxes when
raised by means of a drop lever resting on its surface and against its
faces which correspond to those of the slide, and the dropping or
lowering of the boxes may be effected by raising this drop lever. This
is done with a lever actuated by the chain similarly to the other con-
nected to the drop lever, and raising it to different degrees or heights,
bringing or allowing the boxes to fall to the one desired, the raising
apparatus not operating at the same time as the dropping, nor the
dropping at the same time as the raising.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of a loom
provided with the said improved mechanism, and Figure 2 is a detached
portion of the said mechanism.
A is the frame; B, the rod connected to the boxes; C is a plate wheel

page_text: D", D) fast to the rod J; E is a short lever fast on the rod J and
connected to the chain lever F; G is a collar loose on the rod J
and connected to the lever H, which is hung at H' and receives motion
from a friction or cam roll I on the plate wheel C; K, K, are guides
for the rod J; L, L, is the elbow lever turning on a stud at M,
receiving its motion from the rod N, and having notches O, 01, 01,
against which are arranged the drop levers or stops P and Q; R is a
connection from the lever L to the rod B at B'. The stop Q is connected
through the rocking shaft S to the lever T. U is a friction strap and
spring acting on the circular part of L. The drop lever P is hung at P¹¹,
and at P¹ has a boss or projection against which the pin of the collar G
acts at each motion of the slide D, lifting the lever P from the notches
on L at the right time for the boxes to change. The chain motion at V
is of a common form of construction, having a ratchet and lever receiving
its motion from the plate wheel C, the chain having different sized rolls
agreeing with the changes to be made, and these rolls acting on the
independent levers F and T govern the action of both raising and
lowering mechanisms. When the boxes are to be shifted on both ends
of the loom they may be connected together in the usual way so as to
nearly balance each other, the one rising as the other falls, and a spring
or other power being applied to give them motion one way, in which
case the foregoing dropping arrangement may be used, or a second slide
and motion may be applied with power, the same being governed by the
lever I, and acting in opposition to the other.
The novel points of this Invention are the application of the selecting
mechanism, the graded slide or its equivalent being used in connection
with the different sized rolls on the chain, and the selection being made
through the levers, whereby the boxes of any number can be changed or
called at will.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-