IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Johnston and Richard Thomas Cotton,
both of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Manu-
facturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Johnston and
Richard Thomas Cotton at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 1st April 1873.
We, FRANCIS JOHNSTON and RICHARD THOMAS COTTON, both of
Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster, Cotton Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention is for the purpose of weaving into a piece of cloth at
any desired intervals of its length a different pattern from the remainder
of the cloth, and to accomplish this without stopping the loom and
without any aid or interference on the part of the operative.
In order that the following may be the more clearly understood, we
will only speak of two patterns, although more than two may be woven

page_text: with equal facility; one of these patterns we will call for convenience
the "piece pattern," and the other one the "fancy pattern.”.
The apparatus constituting the Invention is as follows:- -We have a
train of wheels driven from any convenient part of the loom's motion,
one or more of which wheels we can change at pleasure, according as
the required intervals may be greater or less; the last of these wheels is
connected with a disc perforated with slots and carrying in the said
slots one or more pins or projections which, as they come round, raise
or depress the end of a lever serving to start the apparatus for working
the "fancy pattern." If the said fancy pattern be produced by the
treading or shedding, as with a "dobby," "jacquard," or other shedding
motion, or if it be produced by different colors or thicknesses of weft
as with a drop box, circular box, or oscillating box loom, our present
Invention will work equally well with each or any of them. If in any
of the above-named apparatus for producing the "fancy pattern" the
pattern cylinder be moved by a catch we cause the said catch to be held
in suspense until the time comes for inserting the " 'fancy pattern,"
when by the lever being actuated by the pins or projections before
named it causes the said catch to drop into the ratchet wheel and the
fancy pattern" is then set to work.
"
For regulating the length or duration of the "fancy pattern" we
either make the pins or projections of a certain breadth or the end of
the lever adjustable, so that the pins and lever may be in contact for a
greater or less length of time, or we place another ratchet wheel on the
pattern cylinder and another catch to work in it, or what comes to the
same thing, allow two catches to work into the one ratchet wheel. The
first of the catches is held in suspense by a swell or elevation on the lag,
card, link, or pin of the pattern chain, or on the pattern cylinder, the
second catch being held in suspense by a weight or spring, or where the
pattern cylinder has no other motion than that of turning round the
second catch may be allowed to rest in the teeth of the wheel.
When the second catch is actuated by the lever before named it
causes to move forward the swell or elevation on the lag, card, link, or
pin of the pattern chain or cylinder that held the first or ordinary
working catch in suspense, and which is now allowed to drop into the
wheel and commence the working of the apparatus (be it dobby or
otherwise), that is relied upon for the "fancy pattern," and upon

page_text: completing the same ceases to work until set in motion by the com-
bination of wheels, lever, and pins before named. By means of the
said combination of wheels, lever, and pins the "fancy pattern" can be
introduced at regular or irregular intervals as may be desired, any kind
of cloth filling up the intervals between the "fancy patterns."
If the pattern cylinders of any of the before-named apparatus for
producing the "fancy pattern" be worked by gearing instead of by a
catch we use a clutch box, which we throw in and out of gear by means
of the lever before named, the said clutch box being placed in the most
convenient position in connection with the said gearing.
In cases where the said "fancy pattern" is produced by several picks
of weft thrown into one shed without the healds being crossed, and the
"piece pattern" is composed of plain or twilled cloth worked by ordinary
treading tappets, we effect the "fancy pattern" by arresting the action.
of the treading tappets; and for this purpose we make the said tappets
loose on their shaft and furnish them with a spring having a pointed
end, the said pointed end fitting into a notch in the shaft and serving to
carry the tappets round with the shaft for the ordinary treading. When
it is desirable to suspend their action for the production of the "fancy
pattern" a fork actuated from the pattern cylinder or disc comes in
contact with the said pointed end of the spring and throws it out of the
notch, the tappets then ceasing to turn. When the "fancy pattern" is
finished the fork is removed and the pointed end of the spring is then
at liberty to fall into its notch and so cause the tappets to turn and
tread the healds for the "piece pattern." Of course the pattern cylinder
or disc in this movement is actuated by the same combination of wheels,
lever pins, and catches before named.
0
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Francis
Johnston and Richard Thomas Cotton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th October 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANCIS
JOHNSTON and RICHARD THOMAS COTTON, both of Blackburn, in the
County of Lancaster, Cotton Manufacturers, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto the said Francis Johnston and Richard Thomas
Cotton, Her special licence that we, the said Francis Johnston and
Richard Thomas Cotton, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Francis Johnston and Richard Thomas
Cotton, our executors, administrators, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Francis Johnston and Richard Thomas Cotton,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 on or before the Fourteenth day of October One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Francis Johnston and Richard
Thomas Cotton, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings :-
―
This Invention is for the purpose of weaving into a piece of cloth at
any desired intervals of its length a different pattern from the remainder
of the cloth, and to accomplish this without any aid or interference on
the part of the operative.
In order that the following may be the more clearly understood we will
only speak of two patterns, although more than two may be woven with
equal facility; one of these patterns we will for convenience call the
'piece pattern," and the other one the "fancy pattern." If the said
fancy pattern be produced by a variation in the treading or sheding, as
with a dobby, jacquard, or other sheding motion, or if it be produced

page_text: by different colours or thicknesses of weft, as with a drop box, a
circular box, or oscillating box loom, our present Invention will work
equally well with each or any of them.
equally well with each or any of them.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 2 shew the application of the Invention to a loom in
which the treading is performed by a dobby.
Figs. 3, 4, and 5, shew the application to a drop box loom, and also
shew the application where the pattern chain is moved by toothed
gearing.
Fig. 6 shews the application to a pattern cylinder frequently used in
drop, circular, and oscillating box looms.
Figs. 7, 8, & 9, shew the application to a plain loom supplied with a
simple apparatus for producing the "fancy pattern.
Figs. 10 & 11 shew a system for regulating the duration of the fancy
pattern where only one catch is used instead of two.
In applying the present Invention whatever be the form of apparatus
used for producing the fancy pattern we have a train of wheels A,
Figs. 1, 3, 7, one or more of which wheels may be changed at
pleasure, according as the intervals between the fancy patterns may be
greater or less; B is the rim of one of the wheels, serving as a disc for
carrying pins or projections; these serve to actuate a lever O, which in
turn serves to set to work the apparatus for producing the fancy pattern.
If in any of the above named apparatus for producing the fancy pattern
the pattern cylinder be moved by a catch we cause the said catch to
be held in suspense until the time comes for inserting the fancy pattern,
when by the lever O being actuated by the pins or projections before
named it actuates the said catch and causes it to drop into gear with
the ratchet wheel, and thus set to work the apparatus for producing the
fancy pattern. For regulating the length or duration of the fancy
pattern we prefer to use two catches D & E, Figs. 1, 2, 6, & 7, the
office of the catch E being merely to set the fancy apparatus to work
and leave the catch D to continue it to the end of the pattern, when a
swell, pin, or elevation F, on the pattern cylinder G, or some portion of
the pattern chain H lifts it out and holds it in suspense until required
again, the catch E of course ceasing to work so soon as one of the pins

page_text: passes the end of the lever and while the fancy pattern is yet being
worked. One catch E would be sufficient to regulate the length of the
fancy pattern if the pins on the wheel B were made of a sufficient
breadth, as in Fig. 10, or the lever C of such a length, as in Fig. 11, 80
as to allow of it being longer in contact with the pins, and thus keep
the catch E in gear with the ratchet wheel exactly the length of time
required.
In cases where the pattern cylinder is not moved by a catch but by
gearing, as shewn in the drop box arrangement in Figs. 3, 4, & 5, we
use a clutch box K, which we cause to be thrown into gear by the
agency of the lever C, and thus set to work the apparatus for producing
the fancy pattern. In this arrangement while the loom is weaving the
piece pattern the long pin F on the pattern chain is in contact with the
incline L attached to the lever M; this keeps the revolving clutch
box K out of gear with the clutch on the pinion N, and the said pinion
and all actuated by it are at rest. When the time arrives for inserting
the fancy pattern the combination of wheels and pins act upon the lever
C and cause it to push forward the end of the lever M, which is jointed
for the purpose, and so remove the incline L out of contact with the
long pin F; the spring P then pushes the clutch box into gear and the
fancy pattern is set to work and continues till the long pin F comes
round again and acts upon the incline L, and so removes the clutch box
out of gear by means of the lever M.
The Figures 7, 8, & 9, illustrate the application of the Invention to
a plain loom supplied with an old but simple apparatus for producing
the fancy pattern; this apparatus suspends at times the action of the
treading tappets and allows several picks of weft to be thrown into one
shed, which gives in the cloth the appearance of a cord. The same
train of wheels, pins, lever, and catch, before named, and marked A,
B, C, &E, actuate the pattern cylinder. When the time arrives for the
fancy pattern to be set to work, the swell F is moved and the catch D
falls into gear and continues the working of the cylinder till the same
swell comes round again and presses the said catch out of gear. The
catches D & E have a vibratory motion given to them by the lever Y.
The projections Z on the pattern cylinder are placed according to the
fancy pattern required, and act upon the finger R, giving motion to the
shaft S, lever T, and fork U; the latter is brought with its ends in

page_text: contact with a pointed bolt or pin carried by the tappets, and having
its pointed end fitting into a notch in the tappet shaft, or in a boss
fixed on the tappet shaft, when the fork and bolt come in contact the
bolt is thrown out of the notch, and the action of the tappets is sus-
pended; when the fork is taken away the bolt catches again in the
notch and the tappets turn with the shaft. The parts V, W, X, serve
to arrest the action of the taking-up motion each time a number of picks
are put into one shed.
Figs. 1 & 2 shew shew the application of the Invention to a loom in
which the treading is performed by a "dobby." In this arrangement
when the time arrives for inserting the fancy pattern the train of
wheels, pins, lever, and catch, before named, and marked A, B, C, E,
actuate the pattern.cylinder and move the pin or elevation F from under
the catch D; this latter then falls into gear and continues the working
of the cylinder till the completion of the fancy pattern, when the same
pin or elevation comes round again and lifts it out of gear; the dobby
then goes on to weave the piece pattern. The pattern cylinders have
a horizontal motion given to them by the lever I, the parts O & J are
for the purpose of suspending the action of the taking-up motion when
several picks of weft are thrown into one shed.
Fig. 6 shews the application of the present Invention to an arrange-
ment of pattern cylinder common in some kinds of drop box, circular
box, or oscillating box looms. G is the pattern cylinder; H, the cards,
and F a swell, holding in suspense the catch D, the catch E being held
in suspense with a spring; the lever C works in connection with the
wheels and pins before named, and when actuated by the same it brings
the catch E into gear sufficiently long with the ratchet wheel to turn
the swell F from under the catch D; this catch then falls into gear and
continues the working of the cylinder to the end of the pattern, when
the same swell F lifts it up again. This pattern cylinder has commonly
a reciprocating motion in the direction of the line Q, Q; it also turns
round upon its stud.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the
means of carrying it into effect, we wish it to be understood that the
improvements we claim are, the self acting combination of wheels, pins,
lever, and catches, A, B, C, D, E, and swell pin or elevation F, the
same being used to assist in weaving into a piece of cloth a different
pattern to the remainder of the cloth.

page_text: Also we claim the parts L, M, P, K, shewn in Figs. 3 & 5, for the
same purpose above described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Francis Johnston and Richard
Thomas Cotton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-fourth day of September, in the year of our Lord One 5
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.