CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF YARNS OR THREADS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HARRISON, of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-seventh day of May, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Harrison, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,'
the said John Harrison, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as
I, the said John Harrison, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,'
exercise, and vend; within England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
TEXTILE FABRICS, AND IN THE PREPARATION OF YARNS OR THREADS FOR WEAVING;""
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that 'I, the said John'
Harrison, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Harrison, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists, firstly, in certain improvements upon the methods
now practised of effecting a varying positive motion of the cloth beam of looms,
or of the warp beam thereof, so as to cause a constant length of warp (or nearly
so) to be taken up for a given number of picks. This effect I accomplish by
two distinct features, which may be used separately or in combination, as may
be desired. According to the first of these (and supposing the cloth beam to be
driven), I suspend the rod or other apparatus which gives motion to the driving
click from the surface of the work in course of being woven, so that upon an
increase of diameter taking place the said rod is caused to rise, and by shifting
its point of connection with regard to the centre, upon which the driving
apparatus turns, effect a diminution of action, and thereby a decreased rate of
revolution in the work beam. The second feature, in reference to the fore-
going object, consists in the use of ratchet wheels and catches of peculiar
construction or arrangement, the object in view being to cause the necessary
alterations in the rate of revolution imparted to the cloth or warp beam to be
effected by changes as nearly as possible approaching to continuous action.
According to the methods usually employed where positive motions are adopted,
the driving click can only vary the rate of revolution by intervals corresponding
to the space of one tooth of the ratchet wheel, an interrupted rate of progres-
sion not in constant proportion to the increasing diameter of the work, for by
such arrangement the undue variation in the rate of drawing off the warp
continues until sufficient gradual alteration in the driving parts shall have been
effected to cause the ratchet wheel to be driven one whole tooth less, thus
causing an abrupt change, which is productive of much irregularity in the
fabric. By my improvements I in great measure avoid this, and cause the
changes to take place by more frequent steps. This I accomplish in two ways;
firstly, by so arranging or constructing the driving parts that the points of the
click or clicks and the teeth of the ratchet wheel are situated obliquely to each
other; and, secondly, by the employment of certain apparatus operating upon
the driving wheel by the friction of contact.
The second part of my Invention relates to certain improvements upon the
machinery for dressing or sizing yarns, for which Letters Patent were granted
to William Henry Hornby and William Kenworthy, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-sixth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and

page_text: thirty-nine, which improvements are also applicable to other sizing or dressing
machines, where yarns or threads are passed through the apparatus from beams
upon which they have been wound. The objects of this
part of my Invention
are four in number: firstly, I gain the opportunity of changing the number of
ends required for the weaver's warp without the necessity of removing one of
the beams of the sizing or dressing machine, and replacing it by another of
different quantity. This is effected by winding a portion of the ends upon dis-
tinct bobbins, which are strung side by side upon an axis, instead of winding them
upon beams as usual, so that if a warp of fewer ends be required, I can by removing
one or more of the said distinct bobbins accomplish the required change.
My second improvement in this class of machinery consists in mounting the
beams which carry the yarns to be dressed or sized upon distinct portions
of framework, which can be moved independent of each other; and also in the
employment of apparatus for raising the yarns or threads, so as to afford space
and convenience for the workman to remove a beam when desired.
Thirdly, in the application of suitable apparatus for moving and retaining
the beams upon which the yarns or threads are wound at different elevations,
for the purpose of allowing the ends proceeding from one beam to run clear of
those proceeding from the others.
Fourthly, in the employment of a peculiar formed brush for brushing the
yarns as they pass through the sizing apparatus.
And in order that my several improvements may be clearly understood, I
have annexed to this my Specification two Sheets of Drawings, which I will
now proceed to describe.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a partial side view of a loom with portions of my
improvements applied; and Fig. 2 is a plan or horizontal view thereof.
The tappet shaft is shewn at a, upon which there is placed an excentric,
acting upon a rod b, which is thereby caused to move forward. To the rod b
is jointed an arm c, the upper part of which carries a rod d, resting upon the
work beam, and by which therefore the rod 6 becomes suspended. The
outward end of the rod 6 carries a pin, which works in the slot of a bell crank
lever e, e, turning upon a centre at f, and continually pressed downwards by a
weighted part g. To the bell crank lever e is jointed a rod h, connected by a
centre pin i to a lever j, vibrating loosely upon a centre k, and upon the pin i
are mounted a number of driving clicks 1, which are kept in position by lugs
extending from the lever j. These clicks (in this instance six in number) take
into the teeth of a ratchet wheel m, which drives the warp beam by any
ordinary train of wheels; the detaining clicks of corresponding number to those
which drive are seen at n. By inspecting the plan view, it will be observed

page_text: that the clicks are of different lengthis, each one extending behind or before its
adjacent click to the amount of one-sixth of the whole space occupied by a
tooth. Those which are seen in the plan view of the Drawing are the detain-
ing apparatus, those for driving being situate beneath; the two sets are,
however, arranged in an exactly similar manner; the description of one
will therefore answer for the other.
Upon the loom being put in motion, the eccentric on the tappet shaft
will through. the intervention of the rod 6 cause the bell crank lever e
to vibrate upon its centre f, and thereby carry upwards the rod h, which
motion will thrust one of the clicks against a tooth of the ratchet wheel,
and effect the taking up of the work, which having been effected, the
weight g will bring the clicks down to their former position, and keep the
rod 6 in contact with the eccentric, ready for another upward motion. Upon
the work beam increasing in diameter the rod d will be moved upwards,
thereby carrying with it the arm c, and shifting the pin of the rod 6 in the
slot of the bell crank lever e; the effect of which will be, that the upper arm
thereof will be moved by each throw of the eccentric through a greater space,
and proportionately diminish the lift of the rod h, and, consequently, the
driving extent of the clicks 1, thus causing the work beam to turn a less
portion of a revolution, so as to keep a constant amount of rotation as regards
its surface. The lower end of the rod h is mounted in a slot of the lever e; by
shifting it, therefore, backward or forward therein, and adjusting its position by
a tightening screw, a permanent alteration may be made in the motion of the
driving click or clicks, so as to vary the length of warp drawn off for a given
number of picks, according to the fabric required to be manufactured. In order
to explain the gradations by which according to my improvements the change
takes place, I will refer to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, which are Diagrams illustrative of
the principle. In Fig. 3, let a, b, c, d, e, f, represent a series of clicks capable
of turning upon a centre pin independant of each other, and let the space
between 1 and 7 indicate the distance between one tooth of the ratchet wheel.
Supposing (for the sake of clearness) that one tooth only is moved at a time,
the operation would be as follows:-As long as no change takes place, the
click à will travel to and fro between 1 and 7, moving the wheel through that
space at each vibration, assuming alternately the positions represented at
Figs. 3 and 4; but suppose that its sphere of action were diminished, so that it
carried the line 1, through only of the tooth, its return motion would then
bring it into the position at Fig. 5, and if acting alone it would travel to and
fro without producing any effect upon the ratchet wheel; but it will be
observed that the click 6 has now assumed a position coincident with the line 1,

page_text: and will therefore continue to carry forward the ratchet wheel through a space
equal to of a tooth at each vibration. In like manner, if the motion of the clicks
be reduced another sixth, that represented at c will effect the driving at the
rate of of a tooth, and so on, at each change. I have described this operation,
by supposing, for the sake of simplicity, that the ratchet will at starting move
through the space of one tooth only; it will, however, be obvious that its opera-
tion in that respect will be in accordance with the train of wheels precisely as
now ordinarily practised. In the foregoing it will be observed that the clicks
are so disposed as to range in a direction oblique to the teeth of the ratchet;
the same effect, however, may be produced by employing one click only acting
upon a wheel provided with a series of oblique ratchets. Fig. 6 represents
this arrangement in partial plan view, in which a, b, c, d, e, f, are portions of
several ratchet wheels united, so as to move bodily together, or the whole may
be cast in one piece. The teeth of these are placed in advance of each other
at intervals of of a tooth; upon motion being communicated therefore to the
single click A, the effect will be the same as described in reference to Figs. 3,
4, and 5; for, as a diminution of vibration is effected, the click will progres-
sively act upon the teeth placed in advance of each other, and thus diminish its
driving effect by spaces corresponding to one-sixth of a whole tooth. I have
shewn and described a certain number of clicks in the one case and of rows of
ratchets in the other, but it will be obvious that more or less may in like
manner be employed. My other method of actuating the driving wheel for
taking up is shewn in detached view at Fig. 7. p, p, is a drum to be substi-
tuted for the driving ratchet wheel usually employed; the periphery is grooved
with lines cut at an angle to each other, so as to constitute a roughend surface.
Upon the axle of this drum is mounted (so as to be capable of turning loosely
thereon) a lever q, q, upon which is jointed an arm r, r, one end thereof being
connected to a rod answering to that shewn at h, in Fig. 1, and the other
carrying by means of a joint pin va concave-formed piece e, provided with a
block of leather or other slightly yielding substance. Above the apparatus
described, there is a lever s, turning upon a centre pin t, fixed to any conve
nient stationary part of the loom, which lever carries a concave surface u,
similar to that shewn at e. Upon an upward motion being given to the rod h,
through the agency of the parts described in reference to Figs. 1, 2, or by
other means, the arm, r, will be turned upon its centre of motion, so as to
press the concave piece e against the periphery of the drum p, the centre pin v
providing for a concentric contact of the two surfaces. A further upward
motion of the rod h will now cause the drum p to turn a portion of a revolu-
tion, and thus, through the intervention of any ordinary train of gear, afford the

page_text: necessary taking up of the work. During this action the periphery of the
drum will have slipped past the concave surface u, that apparatus having
yielded by turning upon its centre pin t. Upon the rod h descending, the arm
will be caused to turn in a reverse direction, so as to bring the surface e frce
from the periphery of the drum, and thus pass into its former position ready
for again effecting the taking-up motion. A retrograde motion of the drum P
is prevented by the action of the surface u, inasmuch as the roughened
periphery will not allow a slipping to take place, and the stud t will prevent
the arm from turning downwards upon its centre; for to accomplish that
movement, the red lines shewn in Fig. 7 must be straightened, an effect which
cannot be produced, as the outward end of each is a fixed point. It will be
observed, that by this arrangement the change of extent in the taking-up
action is not governed by any definite points upon the driving wheel, but that
every minute alteration given to the motion of the rod h, by the method shewn
in Fig 1, or by other means, will effect a corresponding change in the extent
of revolution imparted to the work beam. In concluding the description of
this part of my Invention, I would observe, that, if desired, my improved
method of regulating the extent of motion communicated to the driving wheel
may be applied in conjunction with ordinary clicks and ratchet wheels, and
that the improved construction of clicks and ratchets, and also the apparatus
described in reference to Fig. 7, may be used with other arrangements of parts
for governing the extent of their action; they are merely shewn together in the
Drawings for the convenience of description. I would also observe, that either
of the improvements may be applied to the purpose of letting off the warp
instead of taking up the woven fabric, in which case the work roller may be
turned by weighted parts, as is well understood.
My improvements in dressing or sizing machines are shewn.in Sheet 2,
Fig. 1 being a side elevation of part of a machine upon the patent principle
of Messrs. Hornby and Kenworthy, aforesaid; and Fig. 2, an end view
thereof; the latter exhibits particularly my first improvement. Instead of
using a beam the whole width of the machine, I mount a series of bobbins
a, b, c, d, &c. upon an axis, and secure them thereto, so as they shall all
revolve together by square sockets, or by any other ordinary method.. The
yarns or threads are to be wound upon these bobbins after the usual manner,
and conducted through the machine, together with those of the other rollers,
as is now practised. By this arrangement, a facility is afforded for winding
weavers' warps, of various numbers of ends without the necessity of changing
an entire beam: thus, suppose the whole widths of the several beams to con-
tain a warp of two thousand six hundred ends, that upon which my improved

page_text: bobbins are mounted containing five hundred of that number; if it be
desired to produce a warp of two thousand five hundred ends, it is evident
that this may be done by removing one of the bobbins a, b, c, &c., for such
removal will reduce the whole to the required number; the reduced number
of ends now upon the bobbins may then be caused to converge, and be distri-
buted so as to spread the width of the others at the guide combs. I have
assumed that only one of the beams is constituted by my improved application
of bobbins; but, if desired, two or more may be so fitted up, in order to gain
the opportunity of winding a more varied assortment of warps.
My second improvement under this head of my Invention consists in the
following arrangements: -The beams A, B, C, D, E, upon which the ends are
wound, are mounted in bearings which are carried by distinct portions of
framework f, g, h, i, j; these carry at their lower ends rollers k, k, capable
of running upon rails 1, l, affixed to the flooring, so that when desired the
said separate frames and their respective beams may be moved upon the rails
independently of each other. The ends, as they pass from the beams A, B, C,
are conducted over guide rollers m, m, m, which, in this instance, are mounted
upon separate sockets n, n+, capable of sliding upon vertical rods o, o+; to
these sockets n, n, are attached cords p, p, which pass over guide pullies q. I,
and from thence over other guide pullies r, r, at the other side of the machine;
to the sockets n+, n+, are also attached cords p+, pt, which extend upwards,
and being united to the other set p, p, pass around the pullies r, r; these
cords hang downwards within reach of the attendant, so that by pulling them
he can at pleasure raise the guide rollers m, m, and the yarns or threads which
pass over them, separately or together. Suppose it desired to remove one of
the beams A, B, C, (C, for instance,) the attendant will move the frames f, g,
outward upon their rails, at the same time, by means of the cords p, p+, raising
their respective sockets n, n+, and their guide rollers m, m, which operation
will bring the parts into the position shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus
affording head room for facilitating the desired removal of the beam, in like
manner proceeding in the case of the other beams A, B. The ends passing
from D, E, do not, it will be perceived, pass over the series of guide rollers;
when, therefore, it is desired to remove them, in order to gain access to that
beam shewn at F, I proceed as follows:-A spare roller is placed under each
of the series of ends belonging to D and E, and then lifted into the two
vacant sockets z, z, which being then raised, and the separate portions of
framework being moved out, as before described, the desired space will have
been acquired.

page_text: In effecting my next improvement, I mount the beams A, B, &c. in bearings
8, 3, which are capable of moving up and down in guides affixed to the side
framing; these bearings have racks formed upon their edges, into the teeth of
which are placed detaining clicks t, t; by removing these, therefore, and
placing them in different teeth, I am enabled to vary the position of the beams
in a vertical direction: thus, supposing the beam A to be so diminished in
diameter that the ends proceeding therefrom would run upon those which are
passing from B, I alter the position of the clicks in the sliding bearings, so as
to raise the axis of A, and thereby remove the yarns or threads thereof from
contact with the other series; or the same thing may be effected by lowering B,
provided the level of the ends from E will admit of such an arrangement.
My improved brush is shewn applied at w, Fig. 1; it extends across the
width of the machine, and has three distinct portions, so as to come into
operation upon the sized yarns or threads at intervals, and is caused to revolve
by any suitable connection with the moving parts of the machine. By this
arrangement the brushing medium is not always in contact with the yarns or
threads, and therefore does not confine them to that disposition in which they
advance upon it, but by alternately brushing and leaving them will enter fresh
points, and thus in great measure effect a division, so as to operate upon
them in detail.
I have in the foregoing description described my several improvements in
sizing and dressing as combined in one machine; it will, however, be obvious
that they may, if desired, be used singly or in any other combination, and as
applied to the patent machine of Messrs. Hornby and Kenworthy, aforesaid,
or to those of other constructions.
In conclusion, I desire it to be understood that I do not intend to confine
myself to the precise arrangement or construction of parts shewn; that which
I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters Patent being,-
As applied to looms for weaving, firstly, the application of a surface in
contact with the work beam for regulating the vibration of a lever or levers to
which the driving click or clicks of the ratchet wheel are connected; also the
application of the like apparatus for the purpose of letting off the warp.
Secondly, arranging the driving click or clicks and teeth of the ratchet
wheel or wheels obliquely to each other, whether applied to taking up the
work or letting off the warp.
Thirdly, the application of a surface acting against a roughened periphery,
for the purpose of taking up the work or letting off the warp.
As applied to machines for sizing or dressing yarns or threads, I claim,

page_text: firstly, dividing one or more of the beams or rollers upon which the yarns
or threads are wound, so that a portion or portions thereof can be removed
at pleasure.
Secondly, mounting the beams or rollers upon separate portions of frame-
work, and also the application of suitable apparatus for raising any desired
portion of the yarns or threads, for the purpose above set forth.
Thirdly, mounting the beams or rollers in bearings capable of being raised
or lowered in order to clear their yarns or threads from those of an adjacent
beam or roller.
Fourthly, the application of a brush which does not act continuously upon
the yarns or threads.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harrison, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and fiftee an
JOHN (L.S.) HARRISON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-sixth day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid John Harrison came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
One Lord thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.