IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hilton Greaves, of Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 9th September 1856, and dated the 4th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hilton Greaves at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
July 1856.
I, HILTON GREAVES, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to an arrangement of the loom for weaving two or
more distinct pieces of cloth at the same time by one loom, and giving to each
piece complete and perfect selvedges, which I accomplish by arranging the
shuttle boxes at different levels, with parts of the warp and parts of the healds
also at different levels. I attach an arm or lever to the picker stick, which
projects so as to strike the distant shuttle at the same time the other is struck
by the point of the picking stick; both shuttles being thus practically struck
by one picking stick at the same moment.
I am aware that two pieces of cloth have been woven at the same time in
the same loom, but they have been woven at the same level, leaving a vacancy

page_text: in the reed between the pieces of cloth, thus losing width of cloth in pro-
portion to the width of the loom; but I claim the method of weaving the
pieces quite separate and distinct without losing width of any consequence;
and although each piece is wound on the same beam, they are woven quite
distinct from each other.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hilton Greaves in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HILTON
GREAVES, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year. of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Hilton Greaves, Her special licence that I, the said Hilton Greaves, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Hilton
Greaves, my 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 I, the said Hilton
Greaves, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Hilton Greaves, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say)-
My said Invention relates to an arrangement of the loom for weaving two
or more distinct pieces of cloth at the same time by one loom, and giving to
each piece complete and perfect selvedges, which I accomplish by employing

page_text: as many reeds, breast beams, courses on the slay or lathe shuttles, and pairs
of shuttle boxes as there are pieces of cloth to be woven. The reeds are
placed in the same face or front, and, with the shuttle boxes, are placed at
different levels, parts of the warp and the corresponding eyes of the healds
being also at different levels. Whatever may be the number of shuttles, only
two picker sticks are used. When two pieces of cloth are to be woven, I
attach to each picker stick, in addition to the ordinary picker, an arm or rod pro-
jecting partly across the loom, with a picker at the end, so as to strike the distant
shuttle at the same time the other is struck, both shuttles being thus practi-
cally struck at the same moment. The length of the swells being so arranged
as to counteract the difference of speed of the different parts of the picker
stick, more friction being given to the shuttle which is driven by the longer
traverse of the stick when the pivot or fulcrum is below. When more than
two pieces of cloth are to be woven, a corresponding number of long arms or
rods are attached to each picker stick, and each piece of cloth is supplied with
a weft motion, stop rod, temple, and all the usual requirements of a loom.
The manner in which the same is to be performed will be clearly understood
by referring to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and
letters of reference thereon, the same letters applying to similar parts in all the
Figures.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of part of a loom, arranged for weaving two pieces
of cloth; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a detached view of
the slay or lathe, shewing the reeds, shuttles, shuttle boxes, pickers, and parts
of picker sticks; Fig. 4 is a detached view of part of the picker sticks, shewing
the long arms or rods for striking the distant shuttle.
a represents the end frames of an ordinary loom; b, the crank shaft; c, the
pullies; d, the sword arms; e, the yarn beam; f, the cloth beam; g, the
starting and stopping handle; h, the lathe or slay, having two courses or races i
and k, with the two reeds land m, and the shuttle boxes n, n', and o, o¹, placed at
different levels; the shuttles are shewn at p and q, the picker sticks at r, the
short or ordinary pickers at 8, and the long arms or rods at t; the said arms
or rods being attached to the picker sticks, and furnished with pickers at the
ends, in order to act upon the distant shuttle, which in Fig. 3 is seen at q;
and v represent the bars or rollers for guiding the warp from the yarn beam
to the healds w, the eyes of which correspond with the level of the reeds, as
seen in Fig. 4; the breast beams are shewn at a and a¹, over which the pieces
of cloth y and z pass to the cloth beam f. It will be perceived that in this
arrangement there is no space lost longitudinally between the reeds, and also
by placing the shuttle boxes near the reeds as usual, and employing arms upon

page_text: the picker sticks, the traverse of the shuttles is not longer than in a narrow
loom adapted for weaving the same width of cloth, the shuttle p having to
move from the box n to the box n', and the shuttle 9 from the box o to the
box o¹, and vice versa, the arms or rods t making up the distance between the
picker sticks.
I apply this improved arrangement to the ordinary calico loom in which the
tappets are below and other picking sticks are employed, and also to looms in
general. Although in the Drawing there are only two pieces of cloth shewn, as
before said more may be woven.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be dis-
tinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein set
forth; but I claim as my Invention, the employment of a lathe or slay,
having the reeds and pairs of shuttle boxes placed at different levels, and also
the long arms or rods attached to the picker sticks for the purpose of striking
the distant shuttle or shuttles, as herein described, and illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hilton Greaves, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Hilton Greaves, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
HILTON GREAVES. (L.S.)
Patent Agent, Manchester.