IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Collier, Carpet Manufacturer, and Jolm
Marsden, Mechanic, both of Halfax, in the County of York, for
Sealed the 21st September 1875, and dated the 14th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Collier and
John Marsden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 14th April 1875.
We, JOHN COLLIER, Carpet Manufacturer, and JoHN MARSDEN,
Mechanic, both of Halifax, in the County of York, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in looms for weaving,
and relates to looms in which several shuttles carrying different colors
or different kinds of weft are employed, and consists in improved means
of governing the movement of the shuttle boxes to bring the required
box in a line with the lay.

page_text: For this purpose, when rising and falling boxes are employed, I joint
the rod by which the shuttle boxes are lifted and lowered to an arm
standing out from a disc; this disc has also two pins standing out from
it on opposite sides of and equidistant from its axis. Each pin has
jointed to it a rod; the opposite ends of the rods either slide through 5
sockets or are jointed to the opposite ends of a rocking lever or disc
which keep the rods parallel with one another or nearly so. Each rod
has fixed to it a block cut into steps, there being a separate step in cach
block for each shuttle box. Acting with these stopped blocks is a
double-headed rod, to which a to-and-fro motion in a direction parallel 1
with the rods before mentioned is imparted by a cam or otherwise. The
headed end of the rod can be raised or lowered by a revolving cam or by
the action of other pattern surfaces so as to bring it into a line to act
upon any one or other of the steps in either of the notched blocks, and
as it is moved in one direction one shoulder of its head comes against a 1
step upon cither ono or other of the blocks, and carries the rod to which
the block is attached along with it, so turning the disc and raising or
lowering the shuttle boxes until at the end of its movement the opposite
shoulder comes against a corresponding step on the other block, both
rods are thereby locked and prevented from moving in either direction, a
and the shuttle boxes are brought to rest with the shuttle box required
opposite the lay; the disc may then be locked by a catch, or by prefer-
enco by a friction break brought into action upon it, and by this means
the shuttle boxes may be held stationary during the time that the double
headed rod is moved back to its former position to admit of its bemg
again raised or lowered if the pattern requires it, and again moved
forward to control the position of the shuttle boxes
In order to prevent breakage should any obstruction occur the stem of

page_text: or a counterbalance weight may be carried by an arm extending from
the lever or disc to which the ends of the parallel rods are jointed; or
according to another modification the rod which raises and lowers the
shuttle boxes may be jointed to one end of a lever and a counterbalance
weight be secured to the opposite end, the rods which carry the stepped
blocks before mentioned may be jointed to the lever on opposite sides of
its axis, and equidistant from it, and be actuated by a double-headed
rod in the manner above described. In some cases in place of the
stepped blocks being carried by parallel rods they may be secured to an
endless band of steel passing over and fixed to the disc or wheel before
mentioned, and also passing over another disc or wheel by which the
band may be kept extended. Between the discs or wheels I support the
band by parallel rails, and form the blocks with dovetail or T headed
or similar projections at their back to work in corresponding grooves in
the rails. In cases also where revolving shuttle boxes are used in place
of rising and falling boxes motion may be given from the axis of the
disc or wheel to the axis of the revolving shuttle boxes by means of an
endless chain or otherwise, the disc or wheel being placed on the axis of
the rocking shaft of the lay.
When two sets of stepped surfaces or catches of other description, ono
set on cach side of the axis of a lever or pulloy are used for raising or
lowering the shuttle boxes, so that whichever set of steps or catches is
operated for the time being the opposite or corresponding set is used for
counteracting and stopping the momentum. We also, according to our
Invention, employ in combination with such arrangements two tiers of
boxes on either side of the loom, say a front and a back series, and wo
provide means for bringing cither the front or the back scries of boxes
into a line with the lay at pleasure.
0
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Collier and John Marsden in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 14th October 1875.
30
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Collier and John Marsden in the Great
Scal Patent Office on the 14th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
COLLIER, Carpet Manufacturer, and JOHN MARSDEN, Mechanic, both of
Halifax, in the County of York, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Collier and John
Marsden, Her special license that we, the said John Collier and
John Marsden, our exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Collier and John Marsden, our exc-
cutors, 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 law fully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Gicat Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that wc,
the said John Collier and John Maisden, our executors or admini-
strators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their hands and scals,
or under the hand and scal of one of us or them, should particularly
describe and ascertam 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 Scal Patent Office within sıx calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Collier, on behalf of myself
and the said John Marsden, 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 state-
ment thereof, that is to say
-
This Invention has for its object improvements in looms for weaving,
and relates to looms in which several shuttles carrying different colors
or different kinds of weft are employed, and consists in improved means
of governing the movement of the shuttle boxes to bring the required
box in a line with the lay
For this purpose, when rising and falling boxes are employed, we
joint the rod by which the shuttle boxes are lifted and lowered to an arm
standing out from a disc, this disc has also two pins standing out from
it on opposite sides of and equidistant from its axis Each pin has
jointed to it a rod. The opposite ends of the rods either slide through
sockets or aro jointed to the opposite ends of a rocking lever or disc

page_text: •
which keeps the rods parallel with one another, or nearly so. Each rod
has fixed to it a block cut into steps, there being a separate step in each
block for each shuttle box. Acting with these stepped blocks is a
double-headed rod, to which a to-and-fro motion in a direction parallel
with the rods before mentioned is imparted by a cam or otherwise. The
headed end of the rod can be raised or lowered by a revolving cam or by
the action of other pattern surfaces so as to bring it into a line to act
upon any one or other of the steps in cither of the notched blocks, and
as it is moved in one direction one shoulder of its head comes against a
step upon either one or other of the blocks and carries the rod to which
the block is attached along with it, so turning the disc and raising
or lowering the shuttle boxes until at the end of its movement the
opposite shoulder comes against a corresponding step on the other block,
both rods are thereby locked and prevented from moving in either
direction, and the shuttle boxes are brought to rest with the shuttle box
required opposite the lay, the disc may then be locked by a catch or by
a friction break brought into action upon it, and by this means the
shuttle boxes may be held stationary during the time that the double-
headed rod is moved back to its former position to admit of its being
again raised or lowered if the pattern requires it, and again moved
forward to control the position of the shuttle boxes
In order to prevent breakage should any obstruction occur the stem
of the double-headed rod may be made in two parts, with a yielding
connection between them.
In place of the rod carrying the shuttle boxes being jointed to an
arm standing out from the disc before mentioned, it may be otherwisc
connected to it, as for example, a rack upon the rod may gear with a
pinion fast on the axis of the disc.
The weight of the shuttle boxes may, if desired, be counterbalanced
by means of a weight or spring.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shews the arrangement
first above described for raising and lowering the shuttle boxes. This
Figure is a section of so much of a loom as is necessary to shew the
working of the lifting and lowering apparatus.
A is part of the rod by which the series of shuttle boxes is raised or
lowered. This rod at its lower end is jointed to the arm B standing out
from the disc C carried by an axis 01. Upon opposite sides of this axis

page_text: the disc carries two pins D, D. To each pin is jointed a rod E, and
these rods at their opposite ends are jointed to pins F carried by a
rocking disc G, the pins D and F being equidistant from the axes of the
discs which carry them, so that the rods E are kept parallel with one
another Each rod has fixed to it a stepped block H, and acting with
these stepped blocks is the double-headed rod I, to which a to-and-fro
motion is given by a cam on the cam shaft X. In the headed end of
the rod is a slot I, through which passes a pin K at the end of a lever
arm K³, which can turn freely on the axis of the disc G The end of
the arm is connected by a link K³ with a lover K³; this lever at its
opposite end having jointed to it a rod K³, which can be raised or
lowered by jacquard apparatus. The double head of the rod I can thus
by means of the Jacquard apparatus be brought into position to strike
against any one or other of the steps in either of the notched blocks H
whenever a forward movement is given to the rod. The rod is moved.
to and fro by a pin L' carried by the lower end of a lever L, which is
acted upon by a cam on the cam axis X. The pin L' passes through a
slot I in the end of the rod I, and is by a spring L' constantly drawn to
the inner end of the slot. As the lever L is swung to and fro by the
action of the cam upon the cam axis it moves the double-headed rod I
along with it, the spring being sufficiently powerful to hold the pin L'
up to the inner end of the slot in the rod I, but should any obstruction
occur to obstruct the shuttle boxes from moving at the time when the
double-head comes against a step upon either one or other of the
notched blocks H the spring L² will yield and prevent any breakage of
the parts of the apparatus. When the shuttle boxes have been either
raised or lowered, and whilst they are held at the level required by the
double head of the rod I bearing against a step upon both of the
stepped blocks in the manner previously described, the disc C is
locked by friction bands M. which embrace it, these bands at their lower
ends turn upon a pin M² carried by a fixed arm radial from the fixed
axis of the disc. The upper ends of the bands are by links M³ connected
to opposite arms of a lever M³. When the bands are required to clip
the disc and hold it fast the lever M³ is caused to rock on its axis to
draw the bands towards one another, and this is effected by another
arm M' on the lever M³ being acted upon by a cam on the cam axis.
Whilst the shuttle boxes are thus held in the position into which they
have been moved the rod I is moved back away from the stepped blocks
■, and if the pattern requires it its head is either raised or lowered by

page_text: the jacquard apparatus, so that at its next forward movement it may
again shift the position of the shuttle boxes. P is a spring to counter-
balance the weight of the shuttle boxes
Various ways of acting upon the rod K' by means of Jacquard
apparatus may be adopted The arrangement shewn at Figure 2 is
however a convenient one for the purpose. In this arrangement tho
upper end of the rod K' is jointed to a lever arm N¹ on an axis N.
This arm is curved in the manner shewn. Acting with the arm aro
three rollers 0, 0, 0³, each carried by a lever turning upon an axis P.
These levers are shown in edge view at Figure 3. Each of these levers
is coupled to a needle of the jacquard apparatus. When the curved
lever arm is not supported by either one or other of the rollers O, O',
or O³, it rests upon the axis P, as shown, the double head of the rod I
will then be in its highest position. If, however, the jacquard needle,
coupled to either of the levers carrying the roller 0, 0¹, or 0³, is raised
the lever will be turned on its axis, and cither the roller O, 0¹, or 0²,
will be moved against the curved arm N', and turn it into positions 2, 3,
or 4, indicated by the radial dotted lines in the Drawing, and so lower
the head of the rod I to the level of the second, third, or fourth step of
the notched blocks II. The apparatus shown in the Drawing is arranged
for raising or lowering a set of four shuttle boxes, but other numbers
of shuttle boxes may be raised or lowered by similar arrangements of
apparatus.
A modified arrangement of the apparatus herein-before described is
shown at Figure 4. In this arrangement the rods E which carry the
stepped blocks II are placed vertically instead of horizontally, and the
upper ends of the rods work through fixed guides in place of being
jointed to arms upon a disc corresponding with the disc C. The double-
headed rod I is also moved vertically to and fro to effect the change in
position of the shuttle boxes. The headed end of the rod is moved
sidewise to bring the head opposite to either of the steps upon the rods
E by a sliding rod P connected by the bell crank P¹ and rod P², with the
jacquard apparatus, as in the arrangement first described. In this
arrangement a bolt is used to lock the lever arm B whenever the scries
of shuttle boxes has been brought to the level required. For this
purpose there is at the end of the lever arm a quadrant with notches
B¹ formed in it. When either one or other of the shuttle boxes has
been brought opposite the lay a bolt B2 is caused to move forward and

page_text: enter whichever of the notches happens to be opposite to it
The bolt
is carried by a lever arm Q, which is moved to and fro to lock and
unlock the bolt at the times required by means of a cam on the cam
axis acting through the connecting rod R. S is a weight to counter-
balance the weight of the shuttle boxes, or the weight of the boxes may
bc counterbalanced by a spring or otherwise.
Another modified arrangement of the apparatus herein-before described
is shewn at Figures 5 and 6. In this arrangement, in place of the
stepped blocks being carried by rods jointed to opposite sides of a disc,
they are carried on opposite sides of the disc itself, and in place of the
double-headed rod I being shifted to and fro to bring its head opposite to
one or other of the steps of the blocks, the double-headed rod is
simply moved to and fro, whilst the position of the stepped blocks upon
the disc is controlled by Jacquard apparatus to bring any one or other
of the steps into a position to be acted upon by the double-headed rod.
In these Figures C is the disc, having fixed to it the arm B to
support the shuttle boxes, as in previous arrangements. H, II, are the
stepped blocks, which can be slid to and fro in guides in the disc
parallel with its axıs. I is a rod equivalent to the double-headed rod in
the former arrangements, it carries two pawls or catches I, which are
drawn against the periphery of the disc C by springs I². The stopped
blocks H can be shifted to and fro by shifting to and fro a sliding collar
S to which they are connected, as shewn, and the movements of this
collar can be controlled by Jacquard apparatus, and any one or other of
the steps of the block can thus by the jacquard apparatus be brought
into position to be acted upon by the pawls I'. The rod I may be moved
up and down by a cam in the manner shewn at Figure 4. When the
series of shuttle boxes have been brought to the required level they may
be retained by a friction clip, as in the arrangement first described, or
other arrangements may be adopted for locking them in position.
In cases where revolving shuttle boxes are used in place of rising and
falling boxes motion may be given from the axis of the disc or wheel C
of either of the arrangements herein-before described to the axis of the
revolving shuttle boxes by means of an endless chain or otherwise, the
disc or wheel being placed on the axis of the rocking shaft of the lay or
in a line with it.

page_text: Fourth. The combination of two series of shuttle boxes which are
raised and lowered by the action of two sets of step blocks or catches,
with apparatus for moving the two series of shuttle boxes to bring
either the front or back series in a line with the lay.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Collier, have hereunto set 5
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.