A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
LINCOLN ROBERTS, of Manchester, in the County Palatine of Lancaster,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of April, in the seventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joseph Lincoln Roberts, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I; the said Joseph Lincoln Roberts, my exécutors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Josepli Lincoln Roberts,
my executors, administrators, and 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, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, "A CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENT OR CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," being a
communication from a foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Joseph Lincoln Roberts, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Lincoln Roberts, do hereby declare that the nature of the said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained. in Drawings hereto annexed, and to the following
explanation thereof, that is to say :-
My improvements in looms for weaving apply particularly to those looms
which are intended for the purpose of weaving knotted counterpanes and
such other figured fabrics as may be woven by the said machinery where the
woof or weft is raised from the surface in knots or loops, in order to compose
or form a pattern upon the surface of the fabric, and my improved loom
properly consists of two parts or divisions:--First, that which weaves the
cloth, or forms the fabric; second, that by which the figures are wrought.
The first part or division of the loom is described as follows:-The frame
consists of four upright posts a, a, a, a, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. b, b, b, b, are
cross rails which connect the posts together; c, c, c, are cross horizontal rails
for the same purpose of connecting the ends of the framework; V is a
platform for the weaver to stand upon; d represents the beam or roller on
which the yarn is wound before weaving; e, e, are weights, suspended by
friction straps passing over the heads of the beam d to keep the warp at a
proper degree of tension, and allow it to unwind as fast as it is filled by the
woof when beaten up by the lay; f is a roller, over which the yarn passes to
change its direction; g is the breast beam, over which the cloth passes; h is
the cloth roller for receiving what has been completed; ; is a ratchet wheel
and pinion; is a lever for communicating motion from the lay to the cloth
roller; k, k, are catches to secure the roller while the lever i is acted
upon by the lay; 1, 1, are treadles, which are acted on by the weaver's feet;
m, m, represent straps which communicate motion from the treadles I, I, to
the shafts o, o, which shafts continue the motion by means of the bevel
gears p, p, to the rollers q, q; r, r, are straps for connecting the rollers q, q,
with the heddles, which raise and depress the warp to receive the shuttle;
t, t, are straps by which the heddles are suspended from the roller s, supported
by the stands u, u. The rollers turns on its axis in opposite directions as
the heddles are raised or depressed; v is the axis on which the lay vibrates.
The supporting parts of the lay called swords appear at w, w; a is a cross
rail between the swords; y represents the race beam upon which the shuttles
slide, and to which the lower edge of the reed is attached; z is the top shell
of the lay, which receives the upper edge of the reed; p, p, are rods bent as
represented in the Drawing, with their extremities made fast to the post a
and the cross rail b; q, q, are stands screwed to the race beam playing on
the rods p, p; r, r, represent spings encircled on the rods p, p. One extremity
of each spring abuts against the pin inserted in the rods p, p, the other

page_text: extremity presses against the stands 9', q'. The object of the springs is to
counteract the weight of the lay and render it more easily moved by the
weaver. s, s', are studs extending from the breast beam g to prevent the
lay passing beyond a given point when it is brought forward to beat up the
woof. The double shuttle boxes are visible at a¹; b, b, are the pecker rods
or spindles made fast in the stands c³, c', on which the peckers or drivers d', d,
slide; e, e, e, are pecker strings which connect the drivers d, d, with the
handle f. The drivers are drawn forward alternately by the weaver grasping
the handle f', the force of which motion lodges the shuttle in the box at the
end of the lay opposite to the driver that is drawn forward; x, y, are pulleys
with springs encircled on their axis. The object of the springs and pulleys
is to take back the pickers after they have been drawn forward by the
weaver. ¹, z, are strings which connect the peckers with the pulley a¹, y.
From what has been explained it would appear that only one shuttle would
be put in motion, but as two are employed, an apparatus is added by which
they are brought alternately before the drivers d', d', being described as
follows-g, g, are v's upon which the shuttle boxes slide with a horizontal
reciprocating motion; 1, h³, are screws to regulate the degree of motion of
the shuttle boxes; i, i, i, , represent arms extending from the shaft j-with
their lower extremities passing through mortices made in pieces of iron 1, 1,
screwed at the bottom of the shuttle boxes; h, k, are stands which support
the shaft ; o represents the handle which the weaver grasps, and by giving
to it an oscillating motion, shifts the boxes.
We now come to the second part or division of the loom, which accomplishes
its object by three principal operations:-First, that which regulates the
variations in the pattern or figures, adjusts the springs and stop bar, raises the
hooks or dents, and prepares the woof to be acted on by them; second, that
which sinks the hooks to form the knots which compose the figure; third,
that which releases the hooks from the knots, and allows them and other
parts of the machinery to return to their former positions. The first operation
is described as follows:-a is a pulley revolving on the first shaft 6", receiving
motion from the millwork by the belt c, and giving motion to the machinery
to produce the first operation, when the clutch d" connects it with the
shaft . The clutch d" by its reciprocating motion through the chuck f",
which is made fast to the shaft 6", connects and disunites the shaft b¹¹ with
the pulley a". Motion is given to the clutch d" to form this connection by
the shifting rod g", which the weaver grasps at the ball " and slides in the
stands ",, towards the right. This gives motion to a lever whose long

page_text: arm is connected with the rod g" by means of a mortice, through which it
passes, the shaft k" turning on bearings in stands. ", 1, is the fulcrum of
the lever; m is the short arm, which by pressing against the spring n¹¹
overcomes its elastic force. The upper part of the spring is made fast to
the cross rail o, while its lower extremity plays in a groove in the clutch d";
p" is a spring attached to the spring n" and locks or catches on the stand q",
when the clutch d is brought in contact with the studs, extending from the
pulley a, and thus secures the connection between the pulley a" and the
shaft dr represents a cogged wheel, which takes into the cogged wheels",
and revolves the shaft t" on the axis. Attached to the shaft t are three
wipers or cams from which the three principal motions of the first operation
are derived. The first motion has for its object to regulate the variations
made in the pattern or figure which is effected in the following manner :-
The arm u receives an oscillating motion from the wiper vl, and turns the
shaft won its axis. a, a, are arms, extending from the shaft w", which
oscillate as the shaft w turns on its axis alternately in different directions;
y", y, are connecting bars which communicate the oscillating motion from
the arms a, a, to the prism frame z. a" is the axis on which the prism
frame vibrates; represents a spring attached to one end of the bar y¹ and
at the other extremity to the cross rail c. The. object of this spring is to
take back the prism frame after it has been drawn forward by the cam v".
represents a four-sided prism, having as many holes bored in each side
as there are knots to be raised in any thread of the woof, and to correspond in
numbers with the hooks or dents which act on the filling. It also has projecting
points or teeth u, u', u', the object of which is to enter holes made in the
pattern card, so as to bring the remaining holes in the pattern card directly
over the holes in the prism. is a double pall, shaped as seen in Figure, 11,
and vibrates on a pin which connects it to. a stand on the framework of the
machine. The prism is made to turn one quarter revolution at each oscillation
by means of the upper hook of the double. pall retaining one corner, while
be woven is half completed
the other part is carried out. When the figure to
it is necessary to reverse the motion of the prism to turn back the pattern
card. This is effected by attaching a spring to the projecting arm of the
double pall c, which, brings the lower hook of the double pall c³ to act on
the prism. The hooks of the double pall 83 turn the. prism, by acting on the
friction rollers of a wheel d³ in the extremity of its axis. This wheel may be
constructed of two parallel plates, having four holes drilled in each, opposite
to each other, and corresponding in position with the corners. of the prism

page_text: to serve as bearings for four small cylinders or friction rollers, which serve the
same purpose as the teeth of a ratchet wheel. is a piece of iron or other.
metal shaped in the form of a T, and moving in proper supports attached
to the prism frame; f³ is a spiral spring encircled on the upright part of
the Te³, and forces it against the friction rollers in the wheel d³, to prevent
the prism from turning except by the action of the looks of the double pall c³.
g, g, g, represent as many horizontal wires as there are holes bored in each
side of the prism. They are so arranged as to slide in holes drilled in the
plates of iron h³, 3, 3, secured to the cross rails 2, P. Between the plates of.
iron screwed to the cross rail a spiral spring m³ is encircled around cach
horizontal wire g³, 93, g, and attached thereto at one end by a pin. inserted.
in the horizontal wire g³. This pin also serves the purpose of a shoulder to
prevent the return of the horizontal wire beyond a proper distance. The
opposite end of the spring m³ abuts against the plate of iron ; this spring.
yields to any gentle pressure on the end of the horizontal wire g³, projecting
beyond the cross rail P, and returns to its place again when that pressure is
removed. In the end of each horizontal wire projecting beyond the cross:
rail is an eye, through which a wire ³ passes, hooked at one end and
arranged vertically over the lifting bar s³. The wire n³ is more particularly
described hereafter. The ends of the horizontal wires projecting beyond the
cross rail are so arranged as to enter the holes of the prism as it swings
towards them. If this was the whole of the apparatus, it is evident that the
prism could produce no effect on the horizontal wires g³, g, for the ends of
them being received at each swing of the prism into the corresponding holes
of the prism, all pressure on the same would be avoided. If we cover each
face of the prism as it is brought successively against the ends of the hori-
zontal wires, with a piece of pasteboard o³, called a pattern card, pierced with
holes corresponding to those of the prism, and opposite to certain of the
horizontal wires, which it may be necessary to have remain at rest, it is evident
that all the other horizontal wires will be pushed forward, thus withdrawing
the hooked wires n³, n³, with which they are connected from the action of the
lifting bar, which when raised will carry up with it only those hooked wires
23, 3, which have not been pushed back, or in other words those the hori-
zontal wires of which were opposite to the holes in the pattern card o³. Thus
any variation may be made in the figure or pattern by a corresponding
variation in the pattern card. The object of the next motion is to raise the
books and prepare the woof to be acted on by them; this is accomplished as
follows: An oscillating motion is given to the arm p3 by the wiper or cam q;
i

page_text: on its axis, and raises the lifting
by the arms &³ and the bars u³, u.
bar s³, which is
this turns the shaft
connected to the shaft
When the lifting
bar is raised it carries with it those hooked wires n³, n³, which were not
pushed forward by the horizontal wires, as before described. The hooked
wires n³, n³, are connected with a joint with the levers v³, 3, and raise those
ends of them to which they are attached; w³, w³, are the fulcra, in which
the levers turn. 2 represents a rack having suitable guides, between which
the ends of the levers are inserted, and play during their motion up and
down; y³, y³, y³, represent vertical wires, which are attached at their lower
ends by a hinge joint to the levers vs, v³, and at their upper ends to the hooks
or dents, they communicate motion from the levers 3, 3, to the dents
or hooks,
The hooks, compose every fourth dent of the reed, and
are made to slide in the bands of the reed with a vertical reciprocating
motion. The moveable hooks 23, 23, are more particularly shewn in Fig. 8,
and are shaped and formed as therein seen. On each side of the hook is a
piece of copper or other metal a', bevelled at the top, its object being to
separate the threads of the warp when the hooks are raised, so as to prevent
any accident which might occur by the points of the hooks catching the
threads of the warp while gowing down. The reed is similar in construction
to those in common use in other looms, with the exception that next to every
third dent is placed one of the moveable dents which act on the roof or filling.
The number of moveable dents, and of course the number of fast dents
between them, are regulated by the kind of fabric to be manufactured, thus
instead of three fast and a moveable dent, as above mentioned, there may bo
four or more at pleasure, and a moveable dent next in order, as seen in Fig. 6,
where ,,, represent the fast, and the moveable dents. The con-
struction of the rocd, or that part of it which relates to securing the dents,
differs somewhat from the mode usually adopted in reeds in common use.
There are two strips or bands of iron at the upper and lower edge of the reed,
between which the ends of the dents are inserted; a notch is formed on the
under and upper edge of each band on either side of each moveable dent.
The dents are then secured in the bands by means of a wire, properly wound
between them around the bands, which being received into the notches
prevents the moveable dents from becoming misplaced by the operation of the
loom or otherwise. The fast dents are soldered or otherwise fastened together
at the top, to prevent their dropping out in case they are not made, secure by
the wire wound between them. An arm c, similar to the arm t, extends
from the shaft (being hid in the Drawing by the arm t³). Attached to the

page_text: arm c' is a strap d', which when the strap turns in its axis, communicates
motion to the pulley e. f represents a spring which locks or catches into a
notch made in the circumference of the pulley e, when it has completed that
part of a revolution it is caused to make by the strap d', and prevents it from
turning when the strap d' is slackened, as the shaft turns to depress the
lifting bar 5. is a strap, which communicates motion from the pulley e* to
the shaft ; w' is a small pulley on the axis of the lay to guide the strap g*,
so that during the vibrations of the lay it shall preserve an uniform tension.
Attached to the shaft h' are three wipers or cams, &, i, which impart an
upward motion to three vertical rods j, jj, placed over them. Attached to
the top of the rods is a piece of metal, called the race piece, which is raised
by the rods j, j, to touch the lower shed of the warp, while the moveable
dents or hooks are acting on the filling grooves ', ' are made in that edge
of the race piece presented to the reed, corresponding in number and position
with the moveable dents, the hooked parts of which pass through the grooves
as the dents move up and down in the bands of the reeds. The race piece k
supports the woof as it is acted on by the hooks, and thus makes the knots of
an uniform length. m' is a strap which receives motion from the pulley e*,
and communicates it to the shaft n by the means of the arm o*, to which
it is attached; n' is a shaft extending horizontally across the loom, supported
by the stands p, p. To this shaft are attached the pieces of metal q, q**
shaped and formed as seen in Figs. 6 and 7.. Attached to their upper surface
are upright pieces 1, r, to serve as supports and guides for the wires s', s¹;
the wires s', s, slide in holes in the top of the pieces 1, 2 t, t', are arms
affixed by a screw to the wires s, s, and slite in slots made in the pieces of
metal p, p; u is a spiral spring, which encircles the wire between the arm
t' and the upright piece r. v is a lever whose fulcrum is at w', having one
arm jointed at a to the piece y'. The joint at is so constructed that the picce
y cannot fall below a horizontal line. is a projection from the shaft n',
and a is another from the race beam y; v is a spiral spring with one
end attached to the lever v', and the other to the breast beam; is a
spiral spring encircled around the shaft n', having one end attached to the
shaft, and the other to the breast beam. The object of this apparatus is to
push the filling under the hooks to be acted on by them to form the knots;
this is effected as follows,-The strap' m' brings down the apparatus to a level
with the top of the race bean, thereby causing the points of the wires s', st, to
pass down behind the woof, at the same time the shaft n* turning, allows
the short army of the lever v', to fall to a horizontal position.
The lay

page_text: coming forward until it meets the stops d³, d³, projecting from the under side
of the pieces of metal 2, 9', causes the projection a to strike against the
side of the army, which pushes the other arm of the lever and the wires st, s',
forward towards the reed carrying the filling along with it under the hooks.
The third motion adjusts the stop bar and the springs which support and
prevent the levers from falling by their gravity when the lifting bar by which
they are raised returns to its place. The arm es receives motion from the
wiper or cam d, and turns the shaft &'; g, g', are connecting bars jointed at
one end of each to the arms f, f, and at the other end to the levers ho, ho.
15, 15, are upright rods which slide with a vertical reciprocating motion in
suitable stands and serve to support the stop bar. This stop bar receives
the ends of the levers as they are forced down by the cylinders, and regulates
the degree of motion thus given to the hooks or dents, ;, k, represent
springs arranged vertically before the levers v³, and made fast at the bottom
to the stop bar; the ends of the levers 3, 3, rest upon the ends of the
springs and are supported by them. The springs yield to any upward
pressure made in the opposite ends of the levers v³, and allow them to sink
down to the stop bar. When the levers strike the stop bar j³, the shoulders
of the springs lock or catch on the ends of them, and prevent them from being
raised by the resistance of the woof as it is acted on by the moveable hooks
or dents 23. As the hooks are forced down by the motion of the levers, they
act on the woof and force it into their corresponding grooves in the race piece,
thus making the knots which compose the pattern or figure. The cams or
wipers on the shaft t, are so shaped as to give the three principal motions of
the first operation relatively as follows,-The prism is first brought forward to
push back the hooked wires, then the lifting bar, the springs, and stop bar
rise up simultaneously, and immediately as the lifting bar arrives at its desti-
nation, it returns again to the place from whence it started; when the
lifting bar has descended the prism returns to its former position. The first
operation being completed, the stud projecting from the cogged wheel s*,
unlatches the spring p, thereby releasing the spring n', which by its elastic
force withdraws the clutch d' from the studs extending from the pulley a',
and thus destroys the connection between the pulley a' and the shaft. v.
After this connection is destroyed, the stud a' projecting from the cam or
wiper strikes against a shoulder projecting from the upright bar b', and
prevents the cams from passing beyond a given point by their momentum.
As it is evident that so much of the woof must draw in from the shuttle as is
required to form the knots, it is necessary in order to prevent the moveable dents

page_text: from cutting it off by the downward motion that each should act on the woof
successively, that is, one after the other. The second operation of the
machinery accomplishes the above object, and may be understood as follows:-
is a pulley which revolves on the shaft m³, receiving its motion from
the mill work; n is a clutch which slides with a horizontal reciprocating
motion, and connects and disunites the pulley 1, with the shaft m. Motion
is given to the clutch n to form this connection by means of the shifting.
rod o", which the weaver grasps at the ball ps, and slides towards the right.
This moves a lever whose long arm q³, is connected with the rod o³, by means
of a mortice through which it passes. The shaft vs is the fulcrum; s is the
short arm which passes against the spring us, and overcomes its elastic force.
The spring us is made fast to the post of the frame with the other extremity
playing in a groove in the clutch ; and v³ represent a lever which extends
across the loom with its fulcrum w³ in the centre Fig. 10. Attached to the
frame, is a spiral spring which exerts an upward force on that arm of the.
lever to which it is attached when the spring us is acted on by the short,
arm 85, to bring the clutch us in contact with the pulley 1, the lever u is
drawn upward and abuts against the stud, extending from the side of the.
spring us, and thus secures the connection between the pulley and the shaft.
m; a, b, c, represent cylinders which are arranged horizontally across the.
loom in the frame aº, resting on the cross rails 6, 6; e, e, e, are stands
which support the ends of the axis of the cylinders; ff, represent teeth or
spurs which are inserted in suitable positions, relative to each other in the
surface of each cylinder. When the cylinder a revolves on its axis, the first-
tooth or stud in the cylinder af, strikes the first or outside of the series of
levers,, and forces the reverse end, down to the stop bar. The tooth.
inserted next in order to the first strikes the second lever at another instant.
of time, and so on, until each tooth has acted on the corresponding lever, and
forced each moveable dent connected with it successively into its corresponding
groove in the race piece, and formed the knots. For all the purposes of the
loom, one cylinder only would be necessary, provided we could make use of
one of a suitable size. It will be seen as each tooth on the surface of the
cylinder must be at a certain distance both horizontally and longitudinally
from the next succeeding tooth, and as their longitudinal distances apart from.
their centres must be equal to the distances between the centres of their
corresponding levers, and as each tooth is obliged to move through a certain
arc of a circle, to give a suitable degree of motion to the lever on which it,
acts, before the next succeeding tooth begins to act on the next succeeding

page_text: lever, that where a great number of levers are employed, the cylinder must be
very large, therefore we make use of three or more according to their size or
the width of the loom. The first of these cylinders on completing its revo-
lution is succeeded by the revolution of the second, which last, as soon as
completed, is succeeded by the revolution of the third cylinder; each cylinder
must perform an entire revolution before the other commences, in order that.
the action of the teeth of the second cylinder shall not take place until that of.
the first is fully completed. On the end of the axis of the first cylinder is
fixed a dog or piece of metal with a projection from its end, or a pin inserted
and projecting therefrom. To the end of the axis of the second cylinder
which lays directly against the end of the axis of the first, is affixed a circular
plate having a projecting rim. In this rim is formed, a slot or opening of such
a size as to allow the end of a click, the reverse end of which vibrates on the
axis, to move through a sector of a circle, which, in reversing the motion of the
cylinder, would be lost by the dog and click if the dog struck as the cylinder
a revolves in either direction against a fixed stud or projection from the.
plate. It will be seen by the construction of the dog and click, that when
the motion of the cylinders is reversed, the click is in a certain position against
one end of the slot, and that when the cylinder a moves in an opposite
direction, the dog comes round and strikes against the opposite side of the
click, which moves forward to the opposite end of the slot, and allows the
centre of the dog to complete an entire circumference of a circle before it
moves the cylinder 66. Between the second and third cylinder are also.
another dog and plate similar to the one above described. The first cylinder
on completing its revolution communicates motion to the cylinder 66, which
after acting on all the levers corresponding with its teeth in a similar manner
to the first cylinder, or in other words, when it has completed one entire revo-
lution, communicates motion to the cylinder c. The cylinder co operates on
the levers similarly to the aforesaid cylinders, and when it has completed its
revolution, the stud 9, in the end of the piece of metal h, acts on the lever ",
which, by means of the connecting wire 7, raises one arm of the lever v³,
depresses the reverse arm and releases the spring us, which by its elastic force
withdraws the clutch n from the studs extending from the pulley 15, and
destroys the connection between the pulley and the shaft m. k is a catch
which receives a shoulder of the stop me, and prevents the cylinders from
turning beyond a given point by their momentum, after the connection is cut
off between the pulley and the shaft m; 1 is a vertical lever whose fulcrum.
is connected with the framework, and its lower end th the said catch A, the

page_text: object of the lever is to withdraw the catch from the shoulder of the stop
m, in order to allow the revolution of the cylinder, when it is again employed to
act on the levers. The lever is put in motion by means of a stud attached.
to the connecting bar y"; ne is a spring attached to the catch k", to prevent
the catch from returning under the shoulder of the stop m³, when the stud
from the connecting bar y" is withdrawn from the lever 1; 0 is a catch, which
locks under another shoulder of the stop m", and prevents the cylinder c" from
rebounding when the shoulder of the stop m strikes against the catch, as
above described; p, p, are springs, having one extremity of each attached to
the stand q, and the other end of each connected with the catches k", o, to
bring them under the shoulders of the stop me. The cylinder a is prevented
from rebounding by means of a stud projecting from its right end, which
strikes against a projection from the upper side of the lever u, whose
fulcrum is at t°. The lever u is held up by a spring attached to it and the
framework.
:
The third operation, which consists in releasing the hooks from the knots
and allowing them and other parts of the machinery to return to their former
positions, is described as follows:-The weaver presses his foot on the headle
v, and raises the stop bar jo, which acts on the ends of the levers v³, v, resting
upon it, pushes them upward and the moveable dents connected with them ;
but before the weaver presses his foot on the treadle v he crosses the threads
of the warp to secure the knots and prevent the hooks during their upward
movement from carrying any portion of the filling with them. The lay is then
moved back to carry the hooks away from the filling, that they may not act
on it when they return down to their places. The weaver next removes his
foot from the treadle v and allows the stop bar to descend, which is assisted
in its motion downward by the action of the spring a; y" is a bar attached to
stands made fast to the stop bar and arranged horizontally over the ends of the
levers,, . The object of the bar y' is to ensure the downward motion of.
all the levers v³, should any of them be obstructed by the hooks connected with
them binding in the reed or warp. As the weaver pushes down the treadle v
he performs two other operations; the first brings down the race piece * and
raises the apparatus which guides the woof under the hooks, the second
releases the cams from the stop bar 7, turns them a little to allow the arm e
to pass down to its lowest position on the cam. The depressing of the race
piece and raising the apparatus which guides the woof under the hooks may
be described as follows:-The arm c moving with the shaft e' presses on the.
spring and releases it from the pulley e. The spring c being thus relieved

page_text: acts on the shaft n*, and causes the apparatus which guides the woofs under
the hooks to fly upward, at the same time the spring fs draws down the belt
gs, and thus turns back the shaft and cams ', and allows the race piece to
fall by its own gravity. The releasing of the cams from the bar and turning
them a little to allow the arm e³ to pass down to its lowest position on the cam is
thus described:-The wiper d' turning with the shaft acts on the upright bar
67, and pushes it off and releases the stud a' from the projection on the bar 67;
the bar by means of a hook e jointed to the top of the bar 67, which locks
on a stud extending from the wiper v', turns the cams or wipers a little on
their axis and allows the arm es to pass down to the small part of its cam, when
the weaver removes his foot from the treadle v to sink the hooks. As the
weaver removes his foot from the treadle v two other operations are also per-
formed; the first is to relieve the projection s of the lever u° from the stud v,
to allow the revolution of the cylinder a when its motion is reversed, the
second is to form a connection between certain parts of the machinery to com-
municate a reversed motion to the cylinders a°, 6. The projections of the
turns, the arm f'
lever us is thus relieved from the stud. As the shaft
presses downward the bent end of the lever u and releases the stop from
the projections. The mode of forming a connection between certain parts of
the machinery to communicate a reversed motion to the cylinders a, b, is thus
described: On the shaft e is fixed a projecting arm g' having in its end a
tongue h', acted on by a spring 7, in a similar manner to a blade and spring
of a penknife, which spring, when the shaft turns by the weaver's foot being
pressed on the treadle, yields and allows the tongue to pass under the end of
the lever on the return movement of the shaft ; as the weaver removes
his foot from the treadle the end of the tongue h' strikes against the end of
the lever k', pushes the reverse arm in an opposite direction, and releases the
lever, which lever is drawn sideways by the spring m7, and brings the clutch
in contact with the studs extending from the cogged wheel o', thus attaching
the shaft me to the cogged wheel 07, which otherwise revolves on the shaft.
The lever turns on a fulcrum attached to the post a, and has a projection in
its centre playing in a groove in the clutch n'. p', Figure 1, is a cogged wheel
attached to the pully, and takes into another cogged wheel q' attached to
the end of the shaft 77; attached to the opposite end of the shaft 7, Figure 9,
is another cogged wheel s", which takes into a small cogged pinion t", which
pinion takes into the cogged wheel 07 and turns it in a direction oppo-
site to the motion of the cogged wheel p'; this plan is adopted to produce a
reversed motion, in preference- to using bevil gears, in order to reduce the

page_text: velocity of the reversed motion. From the above it will be seen that when
the gear 7 is connected with the shaft m by the clutch 27, a reversed motion
is communicated to the cylinders. The peculiar object of turning back the
cylinders is to reverse the position of the dogs against the clicks playing in
slots in the circular plates between the cylinders, in order that the first
cylinder put in motion when it is again employed to move the hooks may per-
form an entire revolution before it communicates motion to the second, and
that the second may also complete a revolution before it moves the third, and
so on, through any number of cylinders employed; therefore, it is evident that
the last of the series of cylinders does not require to be turned back.
The next portion of the machinery to be described is that which withdraws
the clutch n from the cogged wheel 07 and destroys the connection between
the shaft ms and the cogged wheel o'; u is a cam attached to the shaft. of the
cylinder next the last of the series of cylinders; v' is a pitman sliding in a
bearing w; one end of this pitman is presented to the cam u', the reverse
end being connected with two toggles a", y'; the end of the toggle a is jointed
to a stand attached to the framework; the end of the toggle y' is jointed to the
end of a long rod z', sliding in stands as, 68; the opposite end of the rod 7 is
connected by a joint to the lever 6', Figure 9. Just as the cylinder with
which the cam u is connected completes its revolution, the cam u pushes out
the pitman, thus straightens the toggles, and slides the rod a lengthwise; the
rod 27 moves the lever, which withdraws the clutch n' from the studs of the
cogged wheel o; when the lever is moved sideways, as above described,
the spring draws the lever inward, and thus brings the end of it to abut
against the extremity of the lever and prevents the return of the clutch n
against the studs of the cogged wheel o7. The mode of operating the loom is
as follows:-The weaver mounts the platform in the middle of the loom and
grasps the top sheel of the lay at the handle o' with his left hand and the
handle with his right hand; when thus stationed he opens the warp. to
receive the shuttle by the action of his feet, upon the treadles l, l,. throws the
shuttle, with his right hand, and moves the lay and shifts the shuttles with his
left hand, in a manner similar to common weaving. When he has inserted
the number of threads of woof to be introduced between those to be raised, he
lodges the shuttle containing the coarse woof in the shuttle box at the right
hand of the lay, or in other words, at the end of the lay opposite to that at
which the hooks or moveable dents begin to act on the filling, and continues
to press on the harness treadle with his foot to secure a large opening between
the threads of the warp. When the first division. of the loom is in this stage

page_text: of its operation, the weaver grasps the ball
with his right hand, and forms
a connection between the driving pully and the machinery which regulates the
variation in the pattern or figure, adjusts the springs and stop bar, raises the
hooks, and prepares the woof to be acted on by them. Just as this operation
is completed he moves forward the lay until it strikes against the projections
15, 6, to bring the hooks over the woof; he then grasps the ball p", and com-
municates motion to the cylinder, which sinks the hooks. Immediately after
this operation is completed he crosses the warp with his left foot to secure the
knots, and with his right foot presses on the treadle v to raise the hooks from
them. After he moves back the lay to carry the hooks away from the knots
he removes his foot from the treadle ve, and allows them to return to their
former position; then he proceeds to operate the first part of the loom as
before.
Having described my improvements in machinery to weave knotted coun-
terpanes and such like figured fabrics where the woof is raised as may be
woven by the said machinery, and shewn by the accompanying Drawings and
foregoing description the best mode of constructing and adapting the same
with which I am acquainted, I desire to be understood that I do not intend to
confine myself to the particular form, materials, and arrangement of the parts
shewn in the Drawing by which I effect my improvements in weaving, as
different forms and arrangements of mechanism may be found capable of
effecting the same object; and although I have herein-before described many
parts of machinery in common use as applied in connection with my improve-
ments and Inventions for raising the knots or figures from the surface of the
cloth, yet I only claim the combination of such parts with and their application
to my improvements; separately and singly I claim as my Inventions and
improvements as follows:-
First, raising the knots which compose the figure from the surface of the
cloth by a series of moveable dents, or teeth, or hooks.
Second, supporting the woof during the operation of the moveable dents, or
tecth, or hooks, and thereby regulating the length of the knots by a bar beam
or race piece, as herein-above described.
Third, separating or dividing asunder the threads of the warp by means of
bevelled pieces of metal on the sides of the moveable dents, or hooks, or teeth,
to prevent them from catching into and breaking the threads.
Fourth, a toothed cylinder or cylinders acting on machinery intervening
between them and the dents, or teeth, or hooks, and operating the dents, or
teeth, or hooks successively, to raise the knots which compose the figure.

page_text: Fifth, the application of a prism and pattern card to regulate the operation
of the hooks, or teeth, or dents, to produce the variations in the pattern or
figure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Lincoln Roberts, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
JOSEPH LINCOLN (L.s.) ROBERTS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of May, in
the first year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said Joseph
Lincoln Roberts came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument àfore-
said was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth
year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Tenth day of October, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-seven.