IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS." A communica-
tion from abroad by Joseph Fish, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd July 1875.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS," to
be as follows :—
This Invention relates mainly to that description of looms in which,
in addition to the fly shuttle or shuttles for weaving the body of the
web swivel or supplementary shuttles are also employed to work
Figures of different colors or patterns in the body of the web while

page_text: the latter is being produced. It will be found specially applicable to
weaving broad silk with figures of a different color or colors and of
various patterns, but it is not restricted to any particular width of fabric
or material composing the same.
Heretofore looms of this description have been ordinarily worked by
hand, although attempts have been made to operate them by power, but
in such attempts the weight of lifting the swivel or supplementary
shuttles and rack for operating the latter at intervals as required has
been thrown upon the jacquard or pattern controlling device, hence
such previous attempts have all been more or less unsuccessful
The main object of this Invention is to produce a power loom for
work of the character hercin-before referred to, which shall be more
efficient, and be relieved of the objection incidental to lifting the
supplementary shuttle slide, shuttles and rack by the jacquard machine
or pattern controlling device To this end, as well as to otherwise add
to the efficiency of the loom, the Invention consists in various novel
combinations whereby while the figures to be produced in the body of
the web are controlled by the Jacquard machine or other pattern
controlling device the labour or weight incidental to shifting or lifting
and operating the supplementary shuttles, and such portions of their
attachments or connections as have to be lifted and otherwise operated,
is thrown upon one or more shafts of the loom without the intervention
of the Jacquard or pattern mechanism, and a most perfect automatic
action, with provision for all necessary adjustments of the figuie
producing devices, is obtained.
One part of the Invention, which consists in the mechanism for
controlling the operation of the fly shuttles, is also applicable to all
diop box looms, in which it brings the operation of such shuttles under
the control of the jacquard machine, and thereby dispenses with the
use of a pattern chain or other separate pattern mechanism device for
controlling the operation of such shuttles.
The essential features of novelty in this improved power loom for
weaving figured work, and in which supplementary shuttles operate
alternately at intervals with the body shuttles to weave the figures in
the web, are,—
First. The combination with the supplementary shuttles of mechanism
for operating the same, having its period of action controlled by the

page_text: jacquard machine or pattern mechanism, but the motive power for the
operation of which is obtained from the loom independently of the
pattern mechanism.
2nd. The combination with a rack or an equivalent device for driving
the supplementary shuttles of a cam on the loom shaft, and an inter-
posed lever controlled by the jacquard machine or other pattern
controlling device or mechanism, and also the combination with the
bar or slide which carries the supplementary shuttles of a cam on the
loom shaft, and an interposed lever for operation in alternate relation
with a spring or springs to raise and lower the slide.
3rd. A stirrup and and bell crank controlled by the jacquard machine
or other pattern controlling device in combination with a lever and
cam which operate the bar or slide.
4th. The combination with movable step pieces or levers on the
shuttle operating treadles and crank pins, of cains and operating levers
controlled by the jacquard machine or other pattern controlling device,
essentially as described.
5th. The combination with the slide or bar which carries the supplc-
mentary shuttles of a cam on the loom shaft, and an interposed lever
controlled by the pattern mechanism, and operating to move slide
longitudinally for the purpose of producing the skip or mock motion,
and also the combination with the rack, by which the swivel or supple-
mentary shuttles are driven, of a slide and a lifter actuated by the loom
but controlled by the jacquard machine or pattern mechanism to
disengage the rack when the skip or mock motion is being made.
SPECIFICATION in pusuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
0 EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton,
Her special licence that 1, the said Henry Edward Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Edward Newton, 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,” being a
communication to me from abroad by Joseph Fish, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
01 one of their hands and scals, 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 mouths next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, 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 statement, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say).-
This Invention relates mainly to that description of looms in which
in addition to the fly shuttle or shuttles for weaving the body of the
web swivel or supplementary shuttles are also employed to work figures
of different colors or patterns in the body of the web while the latter is
being produced. It will be found especially applicable to weaving
broad silk with figures of a different color or colors and of various
patterns, but it is not restricted to any particular width of fabric oi
material composing the same.
Heretofore looms of this description have been ordinarily worked by:
hand, although attempts have been made to operate them by power, but
in such attempts, so far as applicant is aware, the weight of lifting the
swivel or supplementary shuttles and rack for operating the latter at

page_text: intervals as required has been thrown upon the jacquard or pattern
controlling device, hence such previous attempts have all been more or
less unsuccessful.
The main object of this Invention is to produce a power loom for
work of the character herein-before referred to, which shall be more
efficient and be relieved of the objection incidental to lifting the
supplementary shuttle slide, shuttles, and rack by the jacquard machine
or pattern controlling device. To this end as well as to otherwise add
to the efficiency of the loom the Invention consists in various novel
combinations whereby while the figures to be produced in the body of
the web are controlled by the jacquard machine or other pattern
controlling device the labor or weight incidental to shifting or lifting
and operating the supplementary shuttles, and such portions of their
attachments or connections as have to be lifted and otherwise operated, is
thrown upon one or more shafts of the loom without the intervention of
the jacquard or pattern mechanism, and a most perfect automatic
action with provision for all necessary adjustments of the figure
producing devices is obtained
One part of the Invention which consists in the mechanism for
controlling the operation of the fly shuttles is also applicable to all
drop box looms, in which it brings the operation of such shuttles under
the control of the jacquard machine and thereby dispenses with the use
of a pattern cham or other separate pattern mechanism device for con-
trolling the operation of such shuttles
Fig. 1 represents a rear elevation of a power loom having the Inven-
Lion applied; Fig. 2, a partly sectional plan of the same, Fig 3, a side
view thereof; Fig 4, a vertical transverse section on the line x, x,
looking in direction of the arrow y; Fig 5 is a front view in part.
A is the main frame; B, the breast beam, which is shown of roller
construction; and C, the take-up roller of the loom. The harness and
jacquard machine or device for controlling the pattern, as also various
other parts or devices which separately considered are not portions of
the Invention, are here omitted. Dis the lay, having the usual race
for an ordinary fly or body shuttle, and E, E, the swords thercof
attached to a rocking shaft F below, G is the main shaft from which
the lay is operated by crank or excentric pins and rods 6, H, H, are the
picker staffs for throwing the fly or body shuttle, I is a cam shaft

page_text: which derives its motion by gears c, d, from the shaft G. This shaft
not only actuates the picker staffs of the body shuttle but also the
various devices connected with the operation of the swivel or supple-
mentary shuttles.
Here it may be observed that when the swivel or supplementary
shuttles are in gear the loom works one pick of the swivel shuttle or
shuttles and one pick of the fly, or body shuttle alternately, as necessary
in looms of the description here referred to for the purpose of weaving
the figure into or with the body of the web.
The swivel shuttles J, of which there may be any number according
to the number of figures to be worked in the fabric widthwise of the
warp, may be of the usual or any suitable construction, working on
-pivots--attached-to-an- upper-slide -or- bar--K--of-a-vertically-moving
frame K', or straight shuttles operated by a suitable rack and pinion
motion through or by the same movements as are used to actuate the
circular or swivel shuttles may be substituted for the latter. These
supplementary shuttles may be supplied with threads of various colors.
Lis the rack by which the swivel shuttles are operated. This rack is
arranged to reciprocate on or along the front surface of the bar K, and
the latter is slotted horizontally at e, e, to provide for the skip or mock
motion when such is needed, that is, to provide for the horizontal or
longitudinal movement at intervals of the bar K or of a horizontal
slide K* which carries it and also the rack L and shuttle J along with
the bar or slide K in order to vary the position of the figures on the.
body of the web. .
The revolving cam shaft I has arranged on it a series of cams for
producing the various motions connected with the swivel or supple-
mentary shuttles J subject to the control of the jacquard machine or
other pattern controlling device Thus M is a cam, by which the
rack L is reciprocated to give the necessary swivel motion to the
shuttles J. This cam operates on a lever N which is fast to a vertical
shaft f, and which accordingly as it is thrown to the right or to the
left by said cam serves by means of a rod g and lever to longitudinally
move or reciprocate the rack as requned. The lever N may be variously
constructed to operate in connection with a single or double cam, but
such cam M is here shown as double, that is, with operating projections
on its opposite sides or faces, and the lever N as, composed, of three arms,

page_text: that is, two upper arms and one lower arm, the latter one of which is
connected by the rod g and lever / with the rack, while the two upper
arms of said lever having face bars k, k, pivotted thereto and carrying
friction rollers 1, l, receive the motion from the cam. These upper arms
may be hung on pivots and be adjustable by means of a screw 2 to vary
the distance apart of the rollers, which serve to give an easy and light
action. The contact of the lever N with the cam M is controlled by
the jacquard machine, and is only established when the rack L is
required to be moved to the right or to the left to turn the swivel
shuttles J as required. Thus when such motion is desired to be broken
or discontinued the jacquard machine is caused to lift by means of rods
or wires a, a, the face bars k, k, with their attached rollers 1, 1, to place
the latter free from contact with the rotating cam M, or either face bar k
may be separately lifted for the same purpose. In this way the cam
shaft I of the loom does all the work by its cam M of driving the swivel
or supplementary shuttles when the latter are required to be operated,
the jacquard machine simply raising or lowering the lever N or its face
bars k, k, to control the period of operation of the shuttle J. This
however is not so important as that all the other operations connected
with the supplementary shuttles, and more especially those heavier
operations by which the frame K' is lifted to put the supplementary
shuttles out of working level or position, and to adjust the bar K longi-
tudinally for producing a skip or mock motion when required, are also
effected by the loom while the jacquard machine has only the light work
to perform of throwing certain levers into or out of position with the
cams on the shaft I for vertically or longitudinally adjusting the bar K
with its attached rack L and swivel shutters J at the different periods
required for such movements.
The cams and levers used in producing these several additional
operations may also be of varied construction, as for instance (or at
least as regards certain of them) herein-before described with reference to
the cam M and lever N for reciprocating the rack L, and they will only
here be described as represented in the Drawing; M³ is the cam on the
shaft I, by which up-and-down motion is given to the bar K, or, which
is the same thing, to the frame K' carrying said bar or compound slide,
or rather by which the downward action is given to said bar or
slide K with its longitudinally sliding portion K* and frame K¹ as
against springs m, m, which give the upward movement. The cam M¹

page_text: also serves to retain the slide or bar K in its lowest position until the
shuttles J have made a complete turn, said shuttles and the rack L
which drives them moving up and down in common with the bar or
slide K. The rack L may be jointed at n, in part to prevent its up-
and-down movement together with the bar K and frame K being
interfered with by its connection with its operating lever h, and in part
for a purpose which will be herein-after described in connection with
the skip or mock motion, N¹ is the lever having its fulcrum at o, and
on the forward arm of which the cam M' operates to depress the slide
or bar K through its frame K'. Said cam M¹ or lever N¹ operated by 1
it, as against the springs m, m, is thrown in gear at the proper time by
means of a bell crank or lever P, which is controlled through a rod or
wire a¹ and return spring b¹ by the jacquard machine, so as to throw a
|--hinged-stirrup-Q-as-against-a-spring_c_into_gear_with_the_front_end_of_
the lever N¹ in order that the cam M¹ depressing the forward arm of
said lever will move down the frame K' with its slide or bar K, rack L,
and supplementary shuttles J, into working position of said shuttles
with the warp, after which, and during the weaving of the body of the
web between the figures or patterns worked therein, the rod or wire a¹
1s dropped by the Jacquard machine and the hinged stirrup Q is released a
by its spring from contact with the lever N', whereby the springs m, m,
throw upwards the frame K¹ and its slide or bar K with attached rack
and shuttles J to put the latter out of working line or level and free
from interference or alternate working pick-for-pick with the fly shuttle.
A weight or spring, or both, g applied to the back end of the lever N¹ 2
serves to keep the latter up against the cam M¹ for the stirrup Q of the
frame K¹ to connect with when required. The frame K¹ is guided in
its up-and-down motion by passing through eyes on the lay swords E, E,
the springs m, m, being arranged around such up-and-down guiding
portions of the frame
It will thus be seen that the weight of the slide
or bar K and its attachments is taken off the jacquard machine.
The next operation that will be described is connected with the devices
used to enable the picking motion, that is, the motion given to the fly
or body shuttle to be instantaneously arrested at intervals, so that said
shuttle may not be crossing the loom at the time the circular or supple-
mentary shuttles are working or making their pick Thus, on the
shaft I are two cams M², M³, having roller projections 1, 12, which,
whenever either of two levers N³, N³, are lowered, through rods or

page_text: wires a², a³, connected with and controlled by the jacquard machine,
operate laterally on said levers successively or otherwise, as required,
and turning vertical shafts ƒ',ƒ³, to which said levers are attached cause
swinging step or upper face levers R, R, to be moved outwards by
means of cranks 8, 8, and rods t, t, from off the treadles S, S, which
operate the picker staffs H, H. This motion is against springs 2, U,
which serve to keep the levers N2, N³, up against the cams M², M³, and
the step levers R, R, to their places on the treadles S, S, so that upon
crank or excentric pins on the two ends of the shaft I coming round,
they will act upon the step levers R, R, to depress the treadles S, S, as
against springs w, w, and operate the picker staffs H, H, to throw the
fly shuttle But when the cams M³, M³, act upon the levers N², N³,
then the step levers R, R, will be thrown outwards from off the
treadles S, S, so that the crank or excentric pins will pass over the
treadles S, S, without operating them, thereby arresting the motion of
the fly or body shuttle, as and for the purpose herein-before specified.
This completes the several operations, except when a skip or mock
motion is needed to vary the position of the swivel or supplementary
shuttles J widthwise of the warp, and so change the position, cach
successive row, or otherwise, of the figures produced in the web. Said
skip or mock motion when applied to the loom is also controlled by
the jacquard machine or other pattern controlling device, but is not
operated by it but by the loom itself, so that the jacquard machine is
relieved of labor incidental to working the skip or mock motion Thus
on the shaft I of the loom is a cam M'. This cam operates on a lever N¹
which is fast on a vertical shaft f', and which, accordingly as it is
thrown to the right or to the left by said cam, serves by means of
rods g¹, g³, or lever ¹ and the longitudinally sliding portion K* to
longitudinally move to the right or to the left the slide or bar K through
its slots e, e, and the rack L and supplementary shuttles J along with
said slide.
The lever N is represented as of similar construction to that shown
for the lever N, that is, it is composed of a lower arm which connects
with the lever h¹, and of two upper pivotted arms connected by an
adjusting screw 2 and provided with pivotted face bars le, k', having
rollers,, against which the opposite faces of the cam M* act alter-
nately, but this construction of the lever and cam, as herein-before
observed may be changed. Although the loves Nit LI.

page_text: the cam M* on the loom shaft, I to shift to the right or to the left as
required the slide or bar K with its attachments, which action consti-
tutes the skip or mock motion, the contact of the lever N* with the
cam M is controlled by the jacquard machine, and is only established,
when required, by the action of the latter or other pattern controlling
device. Thus, when the skip or mock motion is desired to be broken or
discontinued the face bars k', k*, are lifted by the rods or wires a³, a³, so
that the rollers *, *, are free of the cam M' during the rotation of the
latter, or either face bar k* may be lifted for the same purpose.
The lowering of either face bar by the jacquard machine through
the wires a' controls the period of action for the skip motion by bringing
the lowered face bar into working contact with the cam M*.
Prior however to the-skip-or-mock motion-being-established, -it-is
necessary that the rack L should be temporarily disconnected from its
operating lever h, and said rack afterwards engage with said lever at a
point or distance corresponding with the longitudinal shifting of the
rack L and its attachments. For this purpose the outward extension of
the rack L pivotted at n, as herein-before described, is made with two or
more notches 85 at a suitable distance apart, and is held down by a
spring 6, so that either one or other of said notches after the rack has
been shifted longitudinally is made to engage with the lever h. To lift
the jointed outward extended portion of the rack L out of engagement
by its own notch so with the lever h, in order to provide for engagement
of the rack after being shifted longitudinally with the lever II by the
succeeding notch 8, there is arranged on the shaft I of the loom a
cam M' having rollers 1, 1, on its opposite sides or faces, and arranged
to work against one or other of two pivotted arms 5, *, connected with
a vertical shaft ƒ³, ƒ³, of a lever N°. These pivotted arms are raised or
lowered through wires a³, a, by the jacquard machine to put them in or
out of working contact with the cam M³ When in working contact
with said cam, they serve to actuate to the right or to the left as
required, according to which arm k is put in action, the lever N³, that
by means of a rod m³, lever n³, and a cranked lifter o³, operated by said
lever against the pressure of the spring 6%, serves to lift the jointed
extension of the rack L out of its one notched connection with the
lever h, till the cam M* of the mock motion has longitudinally adjusted
the rack L with its attachments as required. Of course these several
operations are all suitably timed by the jacquard machine, and by the

page_text: construction and arrangement of the cams on the loom shaft I, to
produce the necessary movements at their proper relative periods
according to the pattern to be worked or work to be done, but the
weight or labor conscquent upon these different operations is thrown
without the intervention of the jacquard machine upon the loom, only
the rising and falling levers which are worked by the cams, being
controlled by the jacquard machine or other pattern mechanism.
The mechanism herein above described for controlling the operation
of the fly shuttles, consisting of the movable step picces R, R, the
cams M², M³, and the levers N³, N³, and their appurtenances, is
applicable to all drop box looms for effecting the control of the operation
of the pickers on either side of the loom, as may be desired, by the
action of the jacquard machine, so that any desired number of picks in
succession may be made from either side of the loom.
Having now described this Invention of "Improvements in Looms,"
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the
Invention secured to me by the above in part recited Letters Patent,-
First The combination with the supplementary shuttles of mechanism
for operating the same, having its period of action controlled by the
Jacquard machine or pattern mechanism in the manner herein set forth,
but the motive power for the operation of which supplementary shuttle
mechanism is obtained from the loom independently of the pattern
mechanism, as above described
Second The combination with the rack L (or its equivalent for
driving the supplementary shuttles) of the cam M on the loom shaft
and an interposed lever N controlled by the jacquard machine or other
pattern controlling device or mechanism, as and for the purposes herein
set forth.
Third. The stirrup Q and bell crank P controlled by the jacquard
machine or other pattern controlling device, in combination with the
lever N¹ and cam M' which operate the bar or slide K, as herein set
forth.
...

page_text: cams M³, M³, and the operating levers N³, N³, controlled by the jacquard
machine or other pattern controlling device, as and for the purposes
hercin set forth.
Fifth The combination with the slide or bar K which carries the
supplementary shuttles, of the cam M' on the loom shaft and an 5
interposed lever N' controlled by the pattern mechanism and operating
to move the slide longitudinally for the purpose of producing the skip or
mock motion, substantially as specified.
Sixth The combination with the slide K and the rack L by which the
swivel or supplementary shuttles are driven, of a lifter actuated by 1
the loom but controlled by the Jacquard machine or pattern mechanism
to disengage the rack when the skip or mock motion is being made, as
herein set forth.
In witness whercof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Twenty-second day of January, 1
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-