IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN WEAVING.”
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Herbert Hodgson, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Machine Maker, and James Broadley, of the said Bradford, and in the
employment of the said George Herbert Hodgson, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN WEAVING.”
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said: George Herbert Hodgson
and James Broadley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
6th January 1881.
GEORGE HERBERT HODGSON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, and JAMES BROADLEY, of the said Bradford, and in the employment of the
said George Herbert Hodgson. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
WEAVING.'
The improvements relate to means for operating the healds or heddles in apparatus
employed in weaving.
In carrying out our improvements in place of the heddle shafts being supported
and operated by bands, the upper and the lower heddle shafts are connected to
frames, and each of these frames is formed of a top and bottom rail and opposite
end rails. The end rails are guided, so that in effecting the required shedding
motions these frames are controlled to move positively in the vertical or other
desired direction.
The required vertical or other motion is given to these separate heddle frames
by those frames being each connected by links to arms from a rocking shaft, and
each of these rocking shafts is provided with another arm, which by a connecting
rod is connected to a lever provided with a bowl or nose, operated by cam or
tappet for the required motion to the particular heddle shafts. The connections of
the respective parts are variable for adjustment.
By these means a clear inside to the loom is preserved, a positive motion is given
to the heddles, unnecessary wear is avoided, and regulation to the parts can be
readily effected without the necessity for the overlooker or other in charge passing
under the operating parts of the loom.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Herbert Hodgson and James Broadley in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th July 1881.
GEORGE HERBERT HODGSON, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, and JAMES BROADLEY, of the, said Bradford, and in the employment of the
said George Herbert Hodgson. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
WEAVING,'
The improvements relate to means for operating the healds or heddles in apparatus
employed in weaving.
In carrying out our improvements in place of the heddle shafts being supported
and operated by bands the upper and the lower heddle shafts are connected to
frames, and each of these frames is formed of a top and bottom rail and opposite
end rails. The end rails are guided so that in effecting the required shedding
motions these frames are controlled to move positively in the vertical or other
desired direction.
The required vertical or other motion is given to these separate heddle frames
by those frames being each connected by links to arms from a rocking shaft, and
each of these rocking shafts is provided with another arm which by a connecting
rod is connected to a lever provided with a bowl or nose, operated by cam or
tappet for the required motion to the particular heddle shafts. The connections of
the respective parts are variable for adjustment.
But that the Invention may be the better understood we will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed more fully to describe means pursued by us in
carrying the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows by front view, partly in section, and Figure 2 by end view, parts
of a loom with our improvements applied thereto. In both Figures the same letters
are employed to indicate corresponding parts. a, a, indicates the main framing;
b, the tappet shaft; c and d are the upper and lower heddle shaft. Each heddle
shaft c is connected to a top rail e by hooks and eyes e¹, e', or other suitable means,
whilst each of the heddle shafts d is connected by hooks and eyes f¹, or other
suitable means, to a bottom rail f, and each top rail e is connected to a bottom
rail at their opposite ends by the connecting rails g, g, and these rails g, g, are
guided in their up and down motions by being capable of sliding in grooves or
suitably formed openings provided for them in the guide bars h, h, which guide
bars act to guide the respective rails in the vertical or other direction desired to be
given to the harness carried by the heddles c and d.
These guides h are applied to lever arms h¹, which turn on studs h² carried by
brackets from the main framing, and these arms h' are at their opposite ends
formed with slotted openings to receive a screw and handle nut h³, by which the
parts may be held in position, as indicated by the full lines, or by releasing the
screw connection by turning the handle nut h³ the guides h may be turned, as
indicated by dotted lines, free of the rails g when the weaver or other attendant
desires to operate the heddles without such guides h, or the desired movement of
the guides h to free the heddles may be otherwise attained. h is a handle arm to
each upper lever h¹, by which the required movements to both connected levers h¹
may be readily effected.
Each upper rail e is connected by pin joints i¹ to a pair of links i, the upper end
of each of which is by another pin joint connected to the outer end of an arm ¹

page_text: affixed to a rocking shaft ;, and in like manner each upper rail e for each set of
harness is arranged and operated. These rocking shafts are supported so as to be
capable of rocking in the usual way in frames a', a¹, a¹, supported from the top
cross bar a² of the main framing, and each rocking shaft j is also provided with an
arm, which is connected by pin joint k¹, capable of variation for adjustment to
the upper end of the connecting link k, the lower end of which is connected also
with capability of adjustment to the outer end of a levert. These levers are
supported to be capable of motion on the stationary bearing 1, and each carries a
truck or bowl 12, which is received into a cam course formed for it in a cam m.
By these means the necessary rocking motion is given to the shafts j respectively
for the order of shedding required. Levers, bands, springs, stocks, and bowls for
connecting the top and bottom motions are rendered unnecessary. A clear inside
is thus preserved to the loom, a positive motion is given to the heddles, unnecessary
wear is avoided, and regulation to the parts can be readily effected without the
necessity for the overlooker or other in charge passing under the operating parts
of the loom.
Having thus described our Invention and means which we adopt in carrying the
same into effect, we would have it understood that what we claim is the arranging
or combining parts whereby positive motions may be given to the respective
heddles from above, so as to avoid the necessity for the use of operating parts
beneath the heddles of the loom, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Herbert Hodgson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of July, in the year One thousand eight
hundred and eighty one
Witness,
ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES,
59, Chancery Lane,
London.
GEO. H. HODGSON. (L.S.)