IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALLWARE LOOMS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ruttenau, of the City of Manchester, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALLWARE LOOMS." A communication from
abroad by Leopold Herman Wolff, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ruttenau at the Offico
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August 1878.
WILLIAM RUTTENAU, of the City of Manchester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SMALLWARE
LOOMS." A communication from abroad by Leopold Herman Wolff, of Brussels, in
the Kingdom of Belgium.
These improvements relate,-
First. To a novel method of mounting the shuttles in the batten or lathe, so as to
enable a larger number of ribands or other smallware to be woven in a given space
than has hitherto been practicable, and consists in arranging such shuttles to work in
curved or semicircular slots or grooves formed in the lathe board, instead of recipro-
cating to and fro as heretofore.
In carrying out the Invention each shuttle is provided with a segmental toothed
rack, and gears with a pinion mounted in the lathe board, and these pinions in their
turn are actuated by a toothed rack running the whole length of the lathe, and to
which rack a reciprocating motion is communicated by a pair of straps passing over
pulleys and connected at their other extremities to tappet levers. This arrangement
of the shuttles enables a more perfect edge to be formed upon the ribands manufac-
tured, owing to such shuttles being effectually prevented stopping short or going too
far, as heretofore. All stops for the shuttles are also dispensed with, and by
arranging the trigger to bear upon the back instead of the top of the pin or quill, I
am enable to dispense with the back plate and usual tempered spring, and to use a
coiled spring formed of untempered wire. This arrangement of the shuttles permits

page_text: the reeds to be simply dropped into suitable receptacles formed at the back of the
lathe board to receive them.
Secondly. This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of taking-up motion,
which obviates the necessity of taking the ribands overhead to the back and front
of the loom, and weighting the same, and consists of a pair of rollers mounted
parallel to each other in front of the loom and beneath the breast-piece, and to
which rollers an adjustable revolving motion is imparted. Upon these rollers rests
a weighted roller, one of which is provided for each riband being woven, so that
after passing round such weighted roller the riband is led into a receptacle formed
to receive it beneath the rollers, a frictional surface being provided upon one of the
parallel rollers to ensure the necessary grip upon the fabric.

page_text: LOOMS.' A communication from abroad by Leopold Herman Wolff, of Brussels, in
the Kingdom of Belgium.
These improvements relate,-
First. To a novel method of mounting the shuttles in the batten or lathe, so as to
enable a larger number of ribands or other smallwares to be woven in a given space
than has hitherto been practicable, and consists in arranging such shuttles to work
in curved or semicircular slots or grooves formed in the lathe board, instead of reci-
procating to and fro as heretofore.
Secondly. This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of taking-up motion,
which obviates the necessity of taking the ribands overhead to the back and front
of the loom, as now practised.
And in order that the said Invention may be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect, I have hereunto annexed a Drawing illustrative of the
said improvements, and will now proceed to describe the same, reference being had
to the figures and letters of reference marked on the several views.
Fig. 1 represents a half size front view of so much of a batten or lathe board of a
smallware loom as is necessary to explain the said improvements, which are shewn
applied thereto, shewing two shuttles in section; and Fig. 2 is a side sectional view
of Fig. 1 upon the line a-b.
Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of one of the shuttles used in my improved loom, and
shewn about full size; Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of Fig. 3 upon the line c-d;
and Fig. 5 a front sectional view of Fig. 3 upon the line e-f
Fig. 6 represents upon a small scale the improved taking-up motion.
In carrying out the Invention I form a series of intersecting curved or senii-
circular grooves A in the front face of the lathe board B, as seen more clearly in
Fig. 1 and in cross section in Fig. 2, and in cach of these grooves I mount a shuttle
C (see Figs. 3, 4, and 5), so as to be capable of travelling along and to be guided by
such grooves. On the under side of each shuttle C I form a segmental boxed
toothed rack D (seen in section in Figs. 1 and 5), pitched to the same curve as the
segmental grooves A in order to gear with one of a series of toothed pinions Ę
mounted upon fixed studs upon the lathe board B; these pinions E are caused to
revolve in alternate directions, and thus to give the necessary to-and-fro motion to
the shuttles C by gearing, as illustrated, with a toothed rack F running the whole
length of the lathe board, and to which rack the requisite reciprocating motion is
imparted by a pair of straps G passing over the pulleys H, and connected at their
lower extremities to tappet levers worked by tappets or cams upon the driving or
other convenient shaft.
I, I, are openings in the lathe board for the warp to pass through, and which are
situated midway in the path of the shuttles, the curves A being sufficiently long on
either side of such openings to allow the shuttles to pass completely out of the
way.
It should be observed that the shuttles, although they cross each other's path, can
never come in contact with each other, owing to their being always in gear with one
or the other of the two pinions E situated beneath each groove A, for by the time
the segmental rack upon the shuttle is ready to leave one pinion, it has become
geared with the next pinion, and is thus carried forward to the end of its stroke.
It will thus be seen that each shuttle depends for completing its to-and-fro
motion upon the combined action of the pair of toothed pinions appertaining to its
groove A, one of which pinions carries it half way across the shed into gear with
the next pinion, which then completes the traverse and brings it back again to the

page_text: centre of the shed, ready to be once more caught by the first-mentioned pinion,
which returns it to the starting point, and thus such shuttles are thrown to and fro
with the greatest nicety and certainty of action.
Instead of employing intersecting curves A it will be apparent that each shuttle may
in accordance with this Invention, be mounted in a distinct and separate curve or
groove, which of course would occupy considerably more room, but this would be a
simple modification of the Invention.
The afore-mentioned arrangement of the shuttles in a smallware loom, besides
possessing the advantages herein-before described, enables a more perfect edge to be
formed upon the ribands or other smallwares manufactured, owing to such shuttles
being effectually prevented stopping short or going too far, as heretofore. All stops
for the shuttles are also dispensed with.
By reference to Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that I cause the trigger J to bear
upon the back instead of upon the top of the pin or quill 'K, which carries the weft,
whereby I am enabled to dispense with the back plate and tempered spring hitherto
used in the shuttles of smallware looms, and to use a coiled spring L formed of
untempered wire.
In accordance with the present Invention facility is afforded for simply dropping
the reeds M, see Fig. 2, into suitable receptacles N,.forined at the back of the lathe
board and opposite the openings I to receive them.
The improved taking-up motion, shewn in Fig. 6, consists of. a pair of rollers O
and P extending the whole length of the loom, and mounted parallel to each other
beneath the breast-piece Q, as illustrated. To these rollers an adjustable revolving
motion is imparted, and upon their upper surfaces rests a weighted roller R, one of
which, is provided for each riband being woven, so that after passing round such
weighted roller, the riband S is led into a receptacle T formed to receive it beneath
the longitudinal rollers, and which receptacle or trough is internally. divided by
partitions, according to the number of ribands required.
A frictional surface upon one of the longitudinal rollers serves to ensure the
necessary grip upon the fabric.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying the
same into practical effect, I wish it to be distictly understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions herein-before
described, and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing, as the same may be con-
siderably varied without departing from the Invention, but what I claim is,-
1st. The improved mode of mounting and operating the shuttles of smallware
looms, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated on the accompanying
Drawing.
2nd. The improved construction and arrangement of shuttle herein-before described,
and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
3rd.. The improved taking-up motion. when constructed with a-weighted top
roller for each riband being woven, in conjuction with a trough or receptacle for
the fabrics, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated-on the accom-
panying Drawing.
In witness whereof; I, the said William Ruttenau, have hereunto.set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
: