IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN THE MOUNTING OF WIRE HEDDLES OR HEALDS FOR LOOMS, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN THE MOUNTING
OF WIRE HEDDLES OR HEALDS FOR LOOMS, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN THE MOUNTING
OF WIRE HEDDLES OR HEALDS FOR LOOMS, AND IN THE APPARATUS TO BE
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE HEDDLES OR HEALDS." A communication
from abroad by Adolph Argo, of Chemnitz, in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th June 1880.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
IN THE MOUNTING OF WIRE HEDDLES OR HEALDS FOR LOOMS, AND IN THE
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE HEDDLES OR HEALDS."
[A communication from abroad by Adolph Argo, of Chemnitz, in the Empire of
Germany.]
The wire heddles or healds hitherto used in ordinary looms, or jacquard looms,
have several defects, which, notwithstanding many attempts, have not hitherto been
removed. Amongst other defects they occupy too much space; they are not
sufficiently rigid; they offer resistance to the movement of the warp threads by
friction, and, furthermore, when formed with a single loop at the head, by which
loop they are mounted on the shafts in the case of shaft heddles, they are liable to
shift one over the other, and thereby get into disorder.
Now the object of this Invention is to manufacture wire heddles or healds
(ordinary shaft heddles or weighted jacquard heddles) in such a manner as to avoid
these defects. To this end the wires, after twisting, are rolled by a rolling
apparatus, whereby they will become smoother, more rigid, and thinner than
heretofore. Also in order to avoid the shifting of the wires on the shafts, the
wires are twisted in such manner that above the upper loop, by which they are
mounted on the shaft, an additional eye or adequate prolongation is formed, which
will effectually prevent the wires from getting one over the other. It is, however,
not necessary to provide a second eye at the lower end, as the twisted ends offer
sufficient resistance against sideway shifting.

page_text: In jacquard looms (in which the heddles are furnished with a weight at the
lower end) the heddles or healds are liable to be turned by torsion of the harness
cords, the result frequently being the breaking of the warp threads. In order to
avoid this, the wire heddle or heald instead of being attached direct to the harness
cord is attached to a loop of cord, which is inserted between the heddle and the
harness cord, so that the twisting tendency of the harness cord will be taken up by
the loop, and leave the heddle wire unaffected thereby.
The machine for rolling the twisted wire heddles consists of top and bottom
rolling down surfaces or plates, of a breadth equal to the length of the straight
portion of the heddle wire, and with a longitudinal groove or central space to
receive the central eyes of the heddles, and allow of their escaping the action of the
apparatus. A traversing table serves to carry the lower plate or plates, and imparts
a traverse motion thereto, it being actuated by a rack and pinion, or equivalent
arrangement of mechanism underneath operated in any convenient manner.
The upper plate or plates, which are stationary, will be conveniently supported
by a central bolt from a crosshead secured to the bed plate of the machine. The top
plates are capable of being adjusted by means of screws, which work in sockets in
the crosshead. It is preferred so to adjust these plates as to ensure a gradual
increase of pressure on the heddles as the rolling proceeds.
The operation of rolling is effected as follows:-The lower rolling down plate is
first drawn out from under the upper plate, the twisted heddle to be rolled is then
placed across the lower plate near its forward edge, and the plate is propelled
forward, carrying with it the heddle, which, as it comes under the nip of the upper
plate, is caused to roll rearwards, and is subjected to a steadily increasing rolling
pressure, whereby any unevenness on the surface of the heddle is removed. As the
heddle passes out from under the top plate it is removed, and the under plate is
brought back to receive another heddle.
It will be understood that two or more sets of rolling or pressing surfaces may
be mounted side by side in the machine to operate upon as many heddles
simultaneously.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th December 1880.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
AND IN THE MOUNTING OF WIRE HEDDLES OR HEALDS FOR LOOMS, AND IN THE
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WIRE HEDDLES OR HEALDS."
A communication from abroad by Adolph Argo, of Chemnitz, in the Empire of
Germany.
The wire heddles or healds hitherto used in ordinary looms, or jacquard looms,
have several defects, which, notwithstanding many attempts, have not hitherto been
removed. Amongst other defects they occupy too much space; they are not
sufficiently rigid; they offer resistance to the movement of the warp threads by
friction, and, furthermore, when formed with a simple loop at the head, by which
loop they are mounted on the shafts (in the case of shaft heddles), they are liable
to shift one over the other and thereby get into disorder.
Now the object of this Invention is to manufacture wire heddles or healds
(ordinary shaft heddles or weighted jacquard heddles) in such a manner as to avoid
these defects. To this end the wires, after twisting, are rolled by a rolling
apparatus, whereby they will become smoother, more rigid, and thinner than
heretofore. Also in order to avoid the shifting of the wires on the shafts, the wires
are twisted in such manner that above the upper loop by which they are mounted
on the shaft, an additional eye or adequate prolongation is formed, which will
effectually prevent the wires from getting the one over the other. It is, however,
not necessary to provide a second eye at the lower end, as the twisted ends offer
sufficient resistance against sideway shifting.
In jacquard looms (in which the heddles are furnished with a weight at the
lower end) the heddles or healds are liable to be turned or twisted by torsion of
the harness cords, the result frequently being the breaking of the warp threads.
In order to avoid this, the wire heddle or heald instead of being attached direct to
the harness cord is attached to a loop of cord which is inserted between the heddle
and the harness cord, so that the twisting tendency of the harness cord will be
taken up by the loop, and leave the heddle wires unaffected thereby. The heddles
or healds may, if desired, be galvanized or tinned, to guard against rust.
In the accompanying Drawing is shewn in end view at Fig. 1, and in
longitudinal section at Fig. 2, a machine for rolling wire heddles or healds.
a is the bed plate or table with which are cast the bearings for a horizontal
shaft b; c is a handle by which motion can be communicated to the shaft b. Upon
the shaft b is keyed a spur pinion d, which takes into a rack e, formed on or rigidly
connected to the underside of a horizontal plate f. This plate is arranged to slide
on the dovetail shaped part of the bed plate. To the upper face of this plate f is
secured a plate or plates g, h, of very hard steel, and with a nearly perfectly smooth
upper surface. The plate or plates g, h, are so formed or situated that a narrow
path shall remain between them, the object of which will be mentioned hereafter.
To the bed plate a is bolted the upright frame i, the upper part of which is flat,
and is provided with threaded sockets to receive the screws q', q³, q³, q'. The
frame i has also a central opening through which a threaded rod k projects. This
rod k is held in position in the central opening, and is capable of being adjusted
therein by two nuts l, m. The lower end of this rod is formed with an eye, and
is connected by a bolt with a horizontal plate n, to the under side of which a steel
plate or plates o, p, are secured. The plate or plates o, p, are formed in manner
similar to the plates g, h, mentioned above, that is to say, a narrow path is made in
or left between them. The four screws q³, q², 95, 9', which take into the threaded
sockets in the frame i, as above referred to, are each provided with a nut ³, ², ³, 70%,

page_text: and their upper ends are rounded to enter circular openings in a plate 8, common to
all four screws.
The plate s has a centre hole, through which a head key may be inserted in order to
hold the rod by means of its square head, while the same is set or adjusted by means
of its nuts l, m. Threaded holes are formed in the sides of the plate s, to receive
four set screws t¹, t, t³, t¹, which, in addition to the nuts 71, 72, 73, 74, serve to
maintain the screws q¹, q², q³, q, in place when they are once properly adjusted.
The working of the machine is as follows, vie:-The plate f is drawn back
until the forward end of the plates g, h, is nearly coincident with the rear end of
the plate o, p, by turning the handle backwards. A wire heddle or heald (formed
of two wires twisted together with a centre eye for the warp thread to pass
through) is then placed on the forward end of the plates g, h, so that the warp
thread eye lies in the open path between the two plates. Upon turning the
handle c, so that the plates g, h, shall move in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2),
the heddle or heald will be carried between the plates g, h, and o, p, and will be
caused to roll between the plates, thus receiving a rolling pressure, which will have
the effect of making them smooth, rigid, and thin. Of course, a proper adjustment
will have been previously given to the upper plates o, p, by means of the screws
9, 92, 93, 9 This adjustment of the upper plates will be so arranged that as the
heddle rolls forward the pressure will be increased.
When the heddle or heald under treatment has passed out from under the
plates o, p, it is removed, and the handle c is turned in the reverse direction to
bring back the plates g, h, to receive a fresh heddle or heald, and to pass the same
through the pressing action.
By means of the adjusting device described the rolling plates may be set to
correspond for any gauge of wire used to form the heddle or heald.
It will be understood that two or more sets of rolling or pressing surfaces may be
placed side by side in the machine to operate upon as many heddles simultaneously.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention for "Improvements in the
Construction and in the Mounting of Wire Heddles or Healds for Looms, and in
the Apparatus to be used in the Manufacture of Wire Heddles or Healds," as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim-
First. Rolling twisted wire heddles or healds, as herein described, whereby they
are rendered smoother, more rigid, and thinner.
Second. Forming twisted wire heddles or healds with an additional eye or
adequate prolongation above the loop by which the heddles or healds are mounted
on the shaft so as to prevent the shifting of the heddles or healds one over the other
on the shaft, as set forth.
Third. Connecting the wire heddles or healds with the harness cord by means of
an intermediate loop of cord to prevent the twisting of heddles or healds by the
torsion of the harness cords, which would otherwise cause the breaking of the warp
thread, as set forth.
Fourth. The arrangement of apparatus, substantially as herein shewn and
described, for rolling the twisted wire heddles or healds used in looms.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eleventh day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.