IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND SMOOTHING THE DENTS' OF REEDS OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonas Foster, Overlooker, and Welbury Whitaker,
Twister, both of Bradford, in the County of York, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND SMOOTHING
THE DENTS' OF REEDS OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING"
Sealed the 7th July 1874, and dated the 10th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonas Foster and
Welbury Whitaker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 10th January 1874.
We, JONAS FOSTER, Overlooker, and WELBURY WHITAKER, Twister,
both of Bradford, in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING
AND SMOOTHING THE 'DENTS' OF REEDS OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as
follows:-
This our Invention has for its object the cleaning and smoothing the
dents of reeds of looms for weaving by self-acting mechanism or
apparatus. The dents after being used for a time become dirty and the
edges worn, and arrises or uneven and sharp edges are produced thereon.

page_text: It is very desirable that before again using the reed these obstructions
should be removed, especially in fine reeds, and care must be taken the
dents are not bent or injured.
To accomplish these objects we employ a frame on which the reed is
received. One or more brushes affixed to a boss or bosses, through
which a screwed or chased shaft is passed, bear on and amongst the
dents of the reed, and such shaft is caused by gear wheels and catches
and catch wheels to rotate, and so cause the brush or brushes to gradually
traverse from end to end of the reed dents laterally. The brush or
brushes is or are free to move likewise in the direction of the length of
the dents, this motion being imparted by means of connecting rod or
rods operated by eccentric or crank. When the brush or brushes have
traversed to the end of the dents a change rod is operated, and the
catch at that end is raised out of gear with its catch wheel, whilst the
catch on the opposite end of the machine will be lowered into gear with
its catch wheel, which it will operate, and so reverse the rotation of the
screw shaft, causing the brush or brushes to be traversed to the opposite
end of the dents until by such brushing the dirt is removed, and by
reason of the bristles bearing laterally on and against the edges of the
dents they are smoothed. A brush extending the entire length of a
reed operated by means of connecting rods and cranks or eccentrics
may be used, but a brush or brushes having lateral traverse give the best
results.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Jonas Foster and Welbury Whitaker in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JONAS
FOSTER, Overlooker, and WELBURY WHITAKER, Twister, both of Brad-
ford, in the County of York, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Jonas Foster and Welbury
Whitaker, Her special licence that we, the said Jonas Foster and Welbury

page_text: Whitaker, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Jonas Foster and Welbury Whitaker, our executors, admini-
strators, 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 "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR CLEANING AND SMOOTHING THE DENTS OF REEDS OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Jonas Foster
and Welbury Whitaker, our exccutors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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.
4
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Jonas Foster and Welbury Whitaker,
do hereby declare the nature of our 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 Sheet of Drawings,
(that is to say)—
This our Invention has for its object the cleaning and smoothing the
dents of reeds of looms for weaving by self-acting mechanism or
apparatus. The dents after being used for a time become dirty and the
edges worn, and arrises or uneven and sharp edges produced thereon.
It is very desirable that before again using the reed these obstructions
should be removed, especially in fine reeds, and care must be taken that
the dents are not bent or injured.
To accomplish these objects we employ a frame on which the reed is
received, one or more brushes affixed to a boss or bosses; a screwed or
chased shaft is passed through a slotted boss, and such shaft is caused
by gear wheels and catches and catch wheels to rotate, and so cause the
brush or brushes to gradually traverse from end to end of the reed dents
laterally. The brush or brushes is or are free to move likewise in the
direction of the length of the dents, this motion being imparted by
means of connecting rod or rods operated by eccentrics or crank. When
the brush or brushes have traversed to the end of the dents a change
rod is operated, and the catch at that end is raised out of gear with its

page_text: catch wheel, whilst the catch on the opposite end of the machine will
be lowered into gear with its catch wheel, which it will operate, and so
reverse the rotation of the screw shaft, causing the brush or brushes to
be traversed to the opposite end of the dents until by such brushing the
dirt is removed, and by reason of the bristles bearing laterally on and
against the edges of the dents they are smoothed. A brush extending
the entire length of a reed, operated by means of connecting rods and
cranks or eccentrics, may be used, but a brush or brushes having lateral
traverse gives the best results.
'
Such being the nature and object of this our said Invention we will
now proceed to describe the same in detail, and in order that the same
may be clearly understood we have hereunto annexed a Sheet of
Drawings, and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference.

page_text: number of teeth and causes one of the wings S₁ to strike the lever T,
on the top of which is an incline T¹, which throws the spring lever U
out of the catch W, moving the strap guide V and changing the strap
to the loose pulley.
We would have it understood that we lay no claim to the apparatus
herein described for changing the strap from fast to loose pulley.
In witness, I, the said Jonas Foster, for and on behalf of myself
and the said Welbury Whitaker, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Ninth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-four.
Witness,
WALTER BRIERLEY,
Tasker & Brierley,
Halifax & Bradford.
JONAS FOSTER. (L.s.)