IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Holding, Weaver, and James Holding,
Overlooker, both of Wheelton, in the County of Lancaster, for the
Invention or IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING.
Sealed the 15th October 1867, and dated the 18th April 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Holding and
James Holding at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 18th April 1867.
We, WILLIAM HOLDING, Weaver, and JAMES HOLDING, Overlooker, both of
Wheelton, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to that part of looms for weaving termed the healds
wherein a peculiar construction and arrangement of suspended metal wires,
rods, or strips are substituted as supports and guides for the warp in place of
healds made from worsted or other yarn, and the improvement consists. in the
use of one top shaft in lieu of one top and one bottom shaft as now employed,
and from which are suspended metallic wires, rods, or strips; these wires,
rods, or strips are each provided with a hole previously perforated therein
about one-third the distance of their length from the shaft or rod from which
tbey are suspended; each perforation may be provided with small polished
eyelets made of metal or glass, or the holes may be finished and polished in

page_text: the metal strip; through these holes the warp threads pass. The number of
the suspended metallic rods, wires, or strips depending from the suspensary
shaft may readily be diminished or increased according to the texture of the
fabric required, that is to say, the number of suspended perforated rods
through which the warps pass must correspond with the number of "dents"
in the reed according to the quality of the cloth. The number can readily be
increased or diminished by sliding more or less on to the shaft from which they
are suspended the said shaft being connected to the treadles from below
and the carrier pulleys above in a similar manner to the connection now made,
with this distinction that the lower or bottom shafts are dispensed with, and
the metal rods, through the perforation of which the warp threads pass are
suspended from the top shaft, the lower ends of which are free and unconfined
in contradistinction to being secured to a lower or under shaft; by this means
the healds are relieved from any strain or tension, and are capable of moving
or yielding either vertically or laterally so as to allow for inequalities in the
yarn, thereby allowing of the free and continued action of the loom without
breaking of the warp threads.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Holding and James Holding in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th October 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
HOLDING, Weaver, and JAMES HOLDING, Overlooker, both of Wheelton, in
the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Holding and James Holding, Her special license that we, the
said William Holding and James Holding, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said William Holding and James Holding,
our 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 LOOMS FOR WEAVING,
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Holding

page_text: and James Holding, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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 we, the said William Holding and James Holding,
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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
Our Invention relates to that part of looms for weaving termed the "healds"
wherein a peculiar construction and arrangement of suspended metal wires,
rods, or strips are substituted as supports and guides for the warp when
"shedding" in place of healds made from worsted or other yarn, and the
improvements consist in the use of one top shaft in lieu of one top and one
bottom shaft as now employed, and from which are suspended metallic wires,
rods, or strips; these wires, rods, or strips are each provided with a hole or
eye previously perforated therein, each perforation may be provided with
small polished eyelets made of metal or glass, or the holes may be finished
and polished in the metal strip; through these holes the warp threads pass.
The number of the suspensed metallic rods, wires, or strips depending from
the suspensary shaft may readily be diminished or increased according to the
texture of the fabric required, that is to say, the number of suspended
perforated rods through which the warps pass must correspond with the
number of "dents" in the reed according to the quality of the cloth. The
number can readily be increased or diminished by sliding more or less on to
the shaft from which they are suspended the said shaft by means of framework
being connected to the treadles below and the carrier pulley above in a
similar manner to the connection now made, with this distinction that the
lower or bottom shafts are dispensed with, and the metal rods, through the
perforations of which the warp threads pass are suspended from the top shaft,
the lower ends of which are free and unconfined in contradistinction to being
secured to a lower or under shaft, by this means the healds are caused when
shedding simultaneously to move in the direction and with the warp, preventing
thereby any sliding or cutting action of the warp upon the eyes of the wire,
the warp by this means being free from friction also retains the whole of the
size it has received in the "slasher."
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made about the full size.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the improved suspended metallic
healds, and Fig. 2 represents an end section of the same, the dotted lines
representing the position of the heald wires when the shed is open.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a, a, is a shaft or rod from which the heald wires b, b,
are suspended; c, c, are tie rods connecting the shaft a with a lower rod or
frame d, which is connected with the treddles of the loom, the connection with
the carrier bowl above being made in the ordinary manner.
The warp
threads passing through the eye e of the "healds" when the "shed" is
closed leave the suspended wires 6 free and undisturbed in a vertical position,
but when the shed is opening the contact of the distended warp threads with
the top or bottom of the eye carries (by reason of the wire being suspended) the
heald wires with them in the direction of their movement as shewn in dotted
lines Fig. 2, preventing thereby any friction or cutting of the eye by the
threads which must necessarily take place when shedding if the heald wires
are confined to shafts top and bottom moving in a vertical direction.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be distinctly
understood that we claim the novel arrangement, employment, and use of
healds (employed in looms for weaving) made of metal or other rigid or
similar material suspended from a shaft, and having their bottom ends loose
or unconfined as herein-before described in contradistinction to having such
healds fastened or attached top and bottom to shafts as now employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Holding and James Holding,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
seven.
WILLIAM HOLDING. (L.S.)
JAMES HOLDING..
(L.S.)