Improvements in or Applicable to the Drop-box Motion of Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Jan., 1890-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to the Drop-box Motion of Looms
for Weaving.
We WILLIAM HENRY CROMPTON and WILLIAM HORROCKS both of Canal Mill,
Radcliffe in the County of Lancaster Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to improve the mechanism which governs the
changes of shuttle in the loom first in such a way that although when the said loom is
at work the motion is positive yet as soon as the weft breaks it is at once thrown out
of action and prevents the necessity for setting back the pattern chain when restarting
the loom, and secondly in such a manner that fewer cards or links are required for a
pattern where a repeat frequently occurs.
Our invention is particularly applicable, and will hereafter be described as applied,
to a Whitesmith's" loom, but it may also be applied to other looms of similar
"
construction.
In the first place instead of working the lever which actuates the pattern barrel
frame by a bowl or pin on a short crank upon the tappet shaft, we mount a bowl upon
the said lever working against the edge of a cam either mounted on the said
tappet shaft, or fixed upon the crank pin which carries the long catch levers
employed in the above named loom for pulling round the wheels which work the
drop boxes. The bowl is held against the cam during part of its revolution by a
suitable spring but during the effective part of its revolution the cam is made double,
that is with a groove in which the said bowl works when the loom is weaving correctly
and the weft is entire, so that the pattern barrel lever which carries the bowl is then
worked by a positive motion. As soon however as the weft breaks an arm or lever on
a small shaft running across the loom near the ground is raised, thereby lifting a
catch loose upon the same shaft, or other convenient centre, and raising it so that
the end of the pattern barrel lever or a projection therefrom will come against the
said catch and prevent the bowl from entering the groove in the cam and thus the
lever will not work the pattern barrel.
The catch is so formed that the lever will retain it in the raised position until the
grooved part of the cam has passed the bowl and the surface of the single part thereof
has reached it and thus the loom may be set on again without regard to the position of
the said cam.
We form a
"dwell" on the single part of the cam just before the bowl begins
to move towards the centre so that the pattern barrel lever will remain stationary for
a short time to ensure the effective action of the stop motion.
The automatic action of the catch is obtained by connecting a lever upon the small
shaft before named to the bell crank lever which works the brake of the loom (or to a
similar lever held up by the spring handle of the loom) by means of a rod wire
or link, and thus the apparatus is set back again automatically by the said spring
bandle.
In order to reverse the motion of the pattern barrel when a repeat is required there
s (in the class of loom above named) a small can or wheel on each side of which
angs a catch or pawl each acting in iurn against reversed ratchet wheels on the
pattern barrel the form of the said cam or wheel being such as to hold one catch or
awl out of gear while the other is at work. This can or wheel is itself worked by a
atchet and catch the latter being mounted on a lever and governed by the pattern
barrel chain.
We govern the motion of this cam or wheel by a similar lever but we provide an
xtra pattern barrel and chain which is actuated by a catch upon this lover so that

page_text: when the latter is moved by what may be termed the main pattern cliain it causes this
extra pattern barrel to make part of a revolution.
One end or part of the catch which actuates the reversing cam or wheel is so
situated with regard to the extra pattern chain, that it can be moved thereby out of
gear with its ratchet wheel and thus the repeat on the main pattern chain will go on
gear
reversing and readvancing until the extra chain throws the reversing catch out of
and the pattern chain will then proceed to weave a different part (say the heading) of
the pattern.]
..
..
IM
It is evident that this arrangement will save a great number of the links required
for the main pattern chain.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Applicable to the Drop-box Motion of Looms
for Weaving.
....
'We WILLIAM HENRY CROMPTON and WILLIAM HORROCKS both of Canal Mill,
Radcliffe in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturers.do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be. porformed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The object of this invention is to improve the mechanism which governs the changes
of shuttle in the loom, first in such a way that although, when the said loom is at
work the motion is positive, yet as soon as the weft breaks it at once thrown, out
of action, and prevents the necessity for setting back the pattern chain when re-starting
the loom, and secondly in such a manner that fewer cards or links are required for a
pattern, where a repeat frequently occurs.
Our, invention is particularly applicable and will hereafter be described as applied
to a..Whitesmith's loom, but it may also be applied to other looms of similar con-
struction, and in order. that the said invention may be clearly understood we have
annexed hereunto a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof and have marked 'the same
with figures and letters. of reference corresponding with those in the following
description.
Eig. 1. is an elevation. of so much of a "Whitesmith's "loom as is necessary to
illustrate our invention. and Fig. 2 is a detached view of a portion of the same here-
after,more particularly referred to.
:
In the first place instead of working the lever a which actuates the pattern barrel
frame by a bowl or pin on a short crank upon the tappet shaft c we, mount a
bowl, a upon the said lever a working against the edge of a cam d either mounted on
the said tappet shaft c, or fixed fast upon the crank pin e which carries the long catch
levers ex. (as shown.at Fig..1.) employed in the above named looms for pulling round
the wheels. f. which. work the drop-boxes. The bowl a, is held against the cam
during part of its revolution by a suitable spring g but during the effective part
thereof the cam is made double, that is, with a groove as shown at d* in which the
said bowl.ax, works.when the loom is weaving correctly and the weft is entire, so
that the pattern barrel lever a which carries the bowl a* is then actuated by a positive
motion. As soon, however, as the weft breaks, an arm or lever h on a small shaft h',
running across the loom near the ground, is raised, thereby lifting a catch or
lever, loose upon the same shaft h (as shown) or other convenient centre, and
raising it so that the vend of the pattern barrel lever a or a projection therefrom; as
shown at a will couie' against the said catch or lever and prevent the bowl froud
entering the groove d* in the cam d and thus the lever a will not work the pattern
barrel (see dotted lines Fig. 1):
F
1
The catch will be retained in this position by the projection at on the lever a
and the spring guntil the grooved part d. has passed the bowl axi and the surface of
the single part
thereof has released it; and as the catch'or lever h² nierely rest
ter
::.j F

page_text: loosely upon the lever h or a projection * on this lever h, as shown, the loom may
be set on again without regard to the position of the said cam.
We form a dwell at d on the single part of the cam just before the bowl a* begins
to move towards the centre so that the pattern barrel lever a will remain stationary
for a short time to ensure the effective action of the stop motion.
The automatic action of the catch or lever is obtained by connecting a lever ³,
upon the shaft ' above named to the bell crank lever h, which works the break of the
loom (or to a similar lever held up by the usual spring-handle ) by means of a rod
wire or link, and thus the apparatus is set back again automatically by the said
spring handle :
a
In order to reverse the motion of the pattern barrel b' when *
there is (in the class of loom above named) a small cam or wheel i on each side of
repeat" is required,
which hangs a catch or pawl k, k¹ each acting in turn against reversed ratchet
wheels on the pattern barrel b the form of the said cam or wheel i being such as
to hold one catch or pawl out of gear while the other (k) is at work, as shewn on
Fig. 1.
This cam or wheel i is itself worked by a ratchet and a catch, the latter being
mounted on a lever ³, and governed by the pattern chain 6*.
We govern the motion of this cam or or wheel i by a similar lever, and catch ³,
but we provide an extra pattern barrel and chain m, m¹ which is actuated by a
catch n upon this lever ³, so that when the latter is moved (in the usual way) by
what may be termed the main pattern chain b× it causes. this extra pattern barrel / to
make part of a revolution, and at the same time the motion of the pattern barrel b is
reversed as before explained.
The catch, which actuates the reversing cam or wheel is connected, by a lifter
or lever o (or other convenient means) with this extra pattern chain m m' so that
when a 66 riser" m², comes beneath the lifter o the catch will be moved out of gear
with its ratchet wheel (sec detached view Fig. 2) thereby stopping the reversing of
the pattern chain 6x. Thus it will be seen that as each small link m counes beneath
the lifter o part of the pattern will be repeated, but as soon as a
"riser" m¹ comes
beneath the lifter o and throws the reversing catch out of gear, the pattern chain 6x
will then proceed to a different part say the heading of the pattern.
It is evident that this arrangement will dispense with a great number of the links
hitherto required for the pattern chain b*.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is
1. The combination with the pattern barrel lever and frame of a
" Whitesmith's
or similar loom of a bowl, spring and cam partly single and partly double, revolving
with the crank or excentric (on the tappet shaft) which actuates the long
catch lovers substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the annexed
drawings.
2. The combination with the pattern barrel lever and frame of the spring, bowl,
ind cam, partly single and partly double, together with the means for automatically
preventing the action of the said cam on the pattern barrel lever when the loom is
stopped substantially as herein before set forth.
3. The combination with the main pattern barrel and chain which actuates the
changes of shuttles, and the cam or wheel for reversing the motion of the said barrel
and chain, of an extra barrel and chain for automatically preventing the action of the
aid cam or wheel when the "repeat" is no longer required substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for the Applicants.