Improvements in Jacquard Mechanism for Producing Damasks and other Figured Fabrics.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar., 1892--Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Jacquard Mechanism for Producing Damasks and
other Figured Fabrics.
I DAVID DUNCAN LEITCH of 30 Lousdale Terrace in the City of Belfast and
County of Antrim in Ireland Linen Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to mechanism for the production of figured fabrics by
Jacquard machines in which projecting or relieved surfaces are substituted for the
cards hitherto commonly used.
For this purpose I employ a plate, cylinder or portion of a cylinder on which
the pattern or figure is laid or is relieved by stamping or engraving or in the
casting and to which I impart a to and fro motion so that the projecting or relieved
surfaces come into contact with and push. back certain of the needles or bars
of a series of parallel needles or bars and also a rising or lowering or a rotary
motion so as to bring the whole pattern or figure progressively in front of the
needles or bars.
I arrange the needles or bars above mentioned in the same plane, one being
provided for each needle of the jacquard required for the pattern and each being
furnished with a hook or snug to engage a lever or levers or other mechanism
actuating a needle of the jacquard and preferably I separate the needles or
bars from each other by a grating in front or by gratings at or near each end
thereof.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1891.
HYNDMAN & DICKSON,
6, Chichester Street, Belfast, Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Jacquard Mechanism for Producing Damasks and
other Figured Fabrics.
I, DAVID DUNCAN LEITCH of 30 Lonsdale Terrace in the City of Belfast and
County of Antrim in Ireland Linen Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to mechanism to be employed for the production of figured
fabrics by Jacquard machines, whether of single or double lift construction, in
which projecting or relieved surfaces are substituted for the cards hitherto commonly
used. For this purpose I employ a plate or cylinder or a portion of a cylinder on
which the pattern or figure desired to be produced upon the fabric is laid and
fastened or is relieved or embossed by stamping or engraving or in the casting and
to which I impart a to and fro.motion in a horizontal plane so that the projecting
relieved or embossed surfaces forming the pattern or figure come into contact with
and push back certain of the needles or bars of a series of parallel needles or bars
which operate by means of levers on the needles actuating the hooks of the
jacquard and also a vertically rising and lowering motion or a rotary motion so
as to bring the whole pattern or figure progressively in front of the series of
parallel needles or bars above mentioned.
Instead of employing one only of such patterned or figured plates or cylinders
for the production of pattern or figure upon the fabric I may arrange two or more
of such plates or cylinders having different patterns. or figures on spindles or
elevators so as to change the plate or cylinder for the time being opposite the

page_text: parallel needles or bars which I have mentioned and thereby to change and
produce varieties of pattern or figure ou the fabric-as, for instance, centre and
border.
I arrange the parallel needles or bars above mentioned in the same horizontal
plane, one needle or bar being provided for each needle of the jacquard that is
required for the production of pattern or figure and each of such parallel needles
or bars being furnished with a hook or snug to engage the lever or levers or other
equivalent or suitable mechanism which 1 provide for actuating a needle of the
jacquard and preferably I separate such needles or bars from each other by a
grating in front or by gratings at or near to each end thereof.
The hook or snug which I provide to engage the needle that actuates the
jacquard needle is placed at a different point upon each of the parallel needles or
bars operating upon the row of jacquard needles so that they may not interfere
with or hamper each other.
I place the patterned or figured plate or cylinder at the back of the Jacquard
machine opposite to the side at which the cards are applied and so as not to
interfere with the operation of the inachine with cards if the employment of such
cards should become necessary for other work or might at any time be desired.
When I dispense altogether with the use of cards I may place such plate or cylinder
on the side of the jacquard at which the cards would otherwise be, but in the
latter arrangement I must employ compound levers or other equivalent or suitable
mechanical appliances instead of the simple levers required for the arrangement
previously mentioned.
For the purposes of my improved mechanism the jacquard needles are elongated
towards the side of the machine on which the plate or cylinder is placed and each
needle is provided with an extra eye or crank to engage the lever actuated by the
corresponding parallel needle or bar. The extra eye or crank on each jacquard
needle is fixed at a point to correspond with the look or snug upon the connected
parallel needle or bar.
I may also apply my invention to an ordinary Jacquard machine by employing
in front of it another set of needles provided with heads to actuate the needles
operating on the hooks of the machine. The headed needles are constructed
similarly to the elongated portions of the jacquard needles already described and
are similarly actuated.
I construct the parallel needles or bars of thin steel or other suitable material so
that each series may be arranged substantially within the space occupied by the
row of jacquard needles which they operate and I provide each of such needles or
bars at one extremity with a projecting point to be acted upon by the projected or
relieved surface of the plate or cylinder.
:
The parallel needles or bars are kept in position by gratings which I form with
plates of metal or other suitable material having a piece of metal or other
packing placed between them at one or both ends in order to provide interstices
for the free movement of the needles or bars and all held together on a spindle or
spindles.
The to and fro motion of the plate or cylinder may be effected by means similar
to those employed to impart the same motion to a sliding card barrel in an ordinary
Jacquard machine or by other ordinary mechanical agency and the rising and
falling or rotary motions by means of gearing similar to that employed in an ordinary
loom for what is known as the "take up" motion, the patterned or figured plate
or cylinder being operated like the "sand-beam" except that a rack affixed to
the plate is substituted for a toothed wheel on the cylinder. When it is desired
to repeat the pattern or figure, the ratchet and catch are released and the plate
falls to its normal position, a stopper or buffer being provided to prevent its falling
lower.
The patterned or figured plate or cylinder may be employed for producing the
same pattern or figure upon a fine or coarse fabric by altering the change pinion
to suit such fabric.

page_text: The mechanism which I have described may also be applied to machines
constructed with twilling bars where it is desired to twill the fabric without the
aid of heddles.
And in order that my said invention may be more particularly described and
fully understood I shall now proceed to refer to the drawings on the sheet hereunto
annexed the same letters of reference indicating the same or corresponding parts
throughout all the figures:-
Fig. 1. is a side elevation shewing the jacquard hooks, the simple levers engaging
the elongated portions of the jacquard needles and the fulcrum bars on which they
turn, a bell-crank lever for imparting to and fro motion through a slide to the
plate or cylinder, the end of a cylinder having projected or relieved surfaces and
carrying a toothed wheel through which it receives rotary motion, a change-pinion.
geared into the toothed wheel on the cylinder for regulating the velocity of the
cylinder, a ratchet wheel carried by the shaft of the change pinion and actuated
by a ratchet affixed to the machine for driving the cylinder: also a catch fixed to
the bracket supporting the cylinder to prevent reverse movements.
The figure
also shows the means of employing two cylinders having the brackets on which
they are supported connected by a spindle or bar passing through a boss on the
slide and a pulley and cord for raising the lower cylinder into position.
Fig. 11. is a side elevation of the frame and the bracket carrying a plate with a
change pinion gearing into the rack for raising the plate and a ratchet wheel and
ratchet also a stopper or buffer to prevent the plate falling too low.
:
Fig. 11. is an enlarged sectional side elevation of portion of a Jacquard machine
with its spring-box, shewing the elongated portions of the jacquard needles with
their extra eyes or cranks, the levers engaging the extra eyes or cranks and the
fulcrum bars over which they turn, a horizontal parallel needle or bar, having a
projecting point at one extremity and a hook or snug to engage the end of the
connecting lever, the hooks or snugs upon the remaining parallel needles or bars
of the same series and the plates of a grating at each end of the parallel needle
or bar.
Fig. IV. is a front elevation of a patterned or figured cylinder.
Fig. V. is an enlarged front elevation of a grating, showing the interstices for
the parallel needles or bars; and
Fig. VI. is an enlarged side elevation of a parallel needle or bar with its projecting
point and hook or snug.
P) is
aa aa are elongated portions of jacquard needles with extra eyes or cranks;
bbbbare the simple levers transmitting motion to the jacquard needles, a a aa, from
the parallel needles or bars connected therewith; c is a parallel needle or bar
furnished with a projecting point, d, and a hook or snug, e; ff are hooks of the
jacquard; 9999 are fulcrum bars on which the levers, bbbb, turn; h is a bell-
crank lever for imparting to and fro motion to the plate, i, or cylinder, j, through
the sliding bracket, k; is a toothed wheel rotating the cylinder, j; m is a change
pinion geared into the toothed wheel, l; n is a ratchet wheel, o is a ratchet and
a catch for imparting and regulating the rotary motion of the cylinder, j; q. q. are
brackets supporting the plate and cylinders and gearing; is a spindle or bar
connecting the brackets, 7.9;s and t are a pulley and cord for shifting the plates
or cylinders to the points of the parallel needles or bars; u is a rack attached to
the patterned or figured plate, i, for raising the pattern or figure past the parallel
needles or bars; is a stopper or buffer attached to the plate, i; w is the spring
box of a Jacquard machine; are plates forming part of the grating at the
end or euds of the parallel needles or bars, and are the packings which
complete the interstices for receiving the parallel needles or bars.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The use in Jacquard mechanisms for producing damasks and other figured

page_text: fabrics of series of parallel needles or bars constructed, arranged, actuated and
employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed;
2. The use in Jacquard mechanisms for producing damasks and other figured
fabrics of a grating or gratings constructed and employed substantially in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn in the drawings
hereunto annexed; and
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improved Jacquard
mechanisms for producing damasks and other figured fabrics constructed, actuated
and applied or employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes
herein before described and illustrated by the drawings on the sheet hereunto
annexed.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1892.
HYNDMAN & DICKSON,
6, Chichester Street, Belfast, Agents for Applicant.