CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hudson, of Burnley, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, and Christopher Catlow, of Clithero, in the same
County, Overlooker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 19th January 1858, and dated the 23rd July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hudson and
Christopher Catlow at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 23rd July 1857.
WC, WILLIAM HUDSON, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
and CHRISTOPHER CATLOW, of Clithero, in the same County, Overlooker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
Our said Invention consists in the after-mentioned improvements.
Firstly, an arrangement or combination of mechanical parts for retarding or
applying drag to the warp beam. The weight is not attached directly to the
beam, but acts upon it through the intervention of a rod or shaft furnished
with a helical thread or worm, which latter gears with the teeth of a worm
wheel on the beam, the worm shaft and the worm wheel bearing to each other
the relation of a rack and toothed wheel, in so far as they are instrumental in

page_text: elevating the weight by the rotation of the warp beam. When the weight
has been elevated it is again lowered to its original position by causing the
worm shaft to revolve, tho said shaft and the worm wheel in this case
reverting to their ordinary character, and acting as a worm and worm wheel,
the wheel being stationary. The revolutions of the worm shaft are effected at
the required intervals by an intermittent connection with one of the principal
shafts of the loom, such connection being established by or upon the arrival of
the weight and worm shaft at their highest position, and suspended by or upon
the completion of their descent. If the worm shaft fails to receive the required
rotatory motion for lowering the weight at the proper juncture, the spring
handle is thrown out of gear by a connection provided for that purpose.
Secondly, the arrangement and combination of the parts of apparatus to be
applied for the purpose of detecting incipient "floats" in the woven fabric,
and for arresting the movements of the loom on the occurrence thereof. The
apparatus is composed principally of a series of small spring levers or fingers,
the points whereof press upon the surface of the cloth in a line parallel with
and near to the fell. Failure in the continuity of the fabric at any part
of this line permits one or more of the fingers to penetrate the cloth, and
to act in its or their descent upon a longitudinal bar, and upon certain sub-
ordinate parts therewith connected, which thereupon become the instruments
for ejecting the spring handle from its detent and stopping the loom.
Thirdly, an improved arrangement or construction of the stop rod and its
accessories; the principal feature of which is the application of a spur or arm
to the stop rod, in the path of which spur is placed a blade spring, so shaped
as to raise the spur or to yield to it, according to the yielding or resistance of
the swells, the result being to ensure greater certainty in the contact of the
stop-rod finger with the frog when the shuttle misses boxing.
Fourthly, an improved modo of mounting, arranging, and working "drop
boxes," the improvements not having reference to the movements of the boxes
which effect the change of one shuttle for another, nor to the means of deter-
mining the order in which and the intervals at which the shuttles shall be
interchanged, but only to the general vibratory or to-and-fro motion of the
whole system of boxes, which motion is usually identical with that of the sley
to which such system of boxes is attached. We make the said boxes detached
or partially detached from the body of the sley, so as to be capable of a
distinct and separate motion; and we impart to them a sweep or vibratory
motion of about half the length of the sweep of the sley by means of a tappet
on one of the principal shafts of the loom or some equivalent agency, so
that the system of boxes is moved along with the sley during that half of the

page_text: sweep of the latter in which the transit of the shuttle is performed, but is
stationary during the other half in which the interchange of one shuttle for
another takes place.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by tho said William Hudson and Christopher Catlow in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, WILLIAM
HUDSON, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, and CHRISTOPHER
CATLOW, of Clithero, in the same County, Overlooker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Fer heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Hudson and Christopher Catlow, Her special licence, that we, the
said William Hudson and Christopher Catlow, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Hudson and Christopher
Catlow, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agroo
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 of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Hudson and Christopher Catlow, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, 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 William Hudson, on behalf of myself
and of the said Christopher Catlow, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our Invention has reference to looms of the kind known as power loons,
and consists in improvements in the working and construction of divers parts
of those machines, namely,-
Firstly, in improved means of governing the letting off of the warp from

page_text: the work beam by new and self-regulating methods of applying drag or
retarding force to restrain the rotatory motion of the latter.
Secondly, in the application of certain novel apparatus for arresting the
motion of the loom upon the occurrence of that defect in the weaving which
is commonly known as "float."
Thirdly, in an improvement of the stop rod or protector calculated to relieve
the shuttle from a portion of the pressure exerted by the stop rod through the
swell, and at the same time to ensure the due engagement of the stop rod,
tongue or finger with the frog when the shuttle misses boxing.
And, fourthly, in an improved mode of mounting, arranging, and working
rising and falling shuttle boxes, commonly called "drop boxes," whereby the
same are caused to vibrate along with the sley during the times of the transit
of the shuttle, and to remain stationary during the times in which the inter-
change of one shuttle for another has to be effected, and whereby also one
swell is made to serve the exigencies of any number of "shuttle boxes."
These improvements, with their various modifications, we shall describe
under the several heads, and in the order aforesaid, referring for elucidation
to the annexed Drawings by means of the alphabetical and numerical cha-
racters marked thereon, respecting which it is to be understood that the same
characters which are used in any Figure to indicate any particular part are
repeated to indicate the same or similar parts in other Figures wherein the
same parts again occur.
The object of our first improvement is to relieve the overlooker or weaver
from the necessity of personal supervision and regulation of the moveable
weights usually suspended from the back levers, by the introduction of self-
acting means and apparatus for maintaining and preserving a due proportion
between the purchase of the warp upon the axis of the warp beam and the
drag or counteracting force applied to retard the motion of the latter, or for
producing an equivalent effect by making an uniform strain or tension of the
warp; to liberate the said warp from the warp beam by acting against an
uniform resisting force or drag. without the intervention of the variable
leverage of the warp and beam as a link in the connection through which
the before-mentioned forces act and react upon each other.
The first arrangement which we shall describe for carrying this improve-
ment into effect is one wherein the drag is applied by means of moveable
weights, which are generally most advantageous in cases wherein the weft has
to be beaten up with considerable force. In explaining this arrangement we
shall refer to Figs. 1 and 2 (Sheet 1) of the Drawings, which are elevation
views, the former from the side, the latter from the back of the loom. A is

page_text: the warp beam; B, one of the flanches thereof; the dotted lines C represent
the warp; the line D, the woven cloth; E is the emery beam; F, the cloth
beam; G, the spring handle; H, the crank shaft; K, one of the back levers;
and L, the weight suspended therefrom. All the preceding parts are of the
usual construction and arrangement. We make the back lever K act upon
the warp beam through the medium of a worm or screw a and worm wheel a'.
The worm wheel is made fast on the neck of the warp beam, and the screw
or worin a forms a portion of a spindle or shaft a, a, which is retained in
a vertical position by the guide brackets a³, a', with liberty to move up and
down. The lever K is connected to the screw shaft a by the link a³ and
collar a. The teeth of the worm wheel a' being in gear with the worm a,
these parts perform the functions of a toothed wheel and rack in elevating
the lever K and weight L upon the rotation of the warp beam. Now,
supposing the arrangement to terminate here, the rotation of the warp beam
must very shortly be arrested by the arrival of the lever K and weight Lat
their highest attainable position. It is necessary therefore that these parts
shall be made to redescend to their original position, and this is effected by
causing the worm wheel and worm to revert to and act in their proper
character, when the wheel a¹ being supposed stationary and the worm shaft
a to revolve in the proper direction, the effect will be to lower the weight to
its former situation. The means by which wo cause the shaft a³ to revolve
for this purpose are as follows:-Upon the shaft a³ we place a worm wheel b,
loose and free as respects motion in the direction of the axis of the shaft, but
restrained from moving round it by a rib or feather & upon the shaft entering
a slot in the worm wheel, so that the shaft can rise and fall without carrying
the worm wheel with it, but the worm wheel cannot revolve without the shaft
revolving also. A worm (shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 2) is made fast upon
a small horizontal shaft b, carried in bearings at 6, B, and gears with the
worm wheel b. The shaft carries also a fast pulley and a loose pulley b.
6 is a spring which keeps the shaft down in its bearings. Upon the crank
shaft II is another small fast pulley ; & is a strap embracing the pulleys
6 and 6 or 6, and transmitting rotatory motion to the small shaft ³ or sus-
pending the same, according as it is thrown upon the one pulley or the other.
The strap is shifted from one pulley to the other by a strap fork c moving
vertically in guides c', c², and having its prongs inclined considerably from the
perpendicular, as seen in Fig. 2, so that its ascent or descent has the effect of
causing the strap to traverso upon the pulleys. The stem of the strap fork
is connected by a link c with a lever d', hereafter to be described, and
respecting which it will be sufficient for the present to state that it rests upon

page_text: and rises and falls simultaneously with the back lever K, so that the move-
ments of the strap fork are in effect governed by those of the back lever K
and weight L. It will be perceived that the ultimate result of the arrange-
ment is that the upward movement of the lever K and weight L will, on
attaining a certain point, bave traversed the strap from the loose pulley
to the fast pulley 6, and that thereupon motion will be communicated from
the crank shaft to the shaft 63 and worm 62, and so through the worm
wheel 6 to the worm shaft a², in a direction which will cause the thread or
volute of the worm a to retrogress between the teeth of the worm wheel a¹
on the warp beam, so as to lower the worm shaft a and the appended lever
K and weight L (without relieving the warp beam from the drag or retarda-
tion caused by the latter), until the descent of the lever K shall suffice to
cause the strap 610 to be traversed back again from the fast pulley to the loose
pulley, when the motion transmitted by the crank shaft will bo interrupted,
and the worm a and worm wheel a' will again begin to act as a rack and
toothed wheel in elevating the weight L, and so on, the motions alternating
with each other as the weaving proceeds.
.
For the sake of perspicuity wo have described the actions of the above
parts of the apparatus severally and distinctly as if succeeding each other
alternately; but it must be understood that in practice the two movements
have a tendency to adjust themselves to a state of equilibrium in which both
go on simultaneously, the one neutralising the other, so that the result is a
compound motion continuous in both its parts; for there is a certain amount
of lap of the strap 60 upon the fast pulley b, which will just suffice to make
the worm shaft u² descend at the same rate as the rotation of the warp beam
causes it to rise, or, in other words, will make the upward and downward
movements of the shaft a exactly balance or compensato each other; and
whenever this extent of lap has been gained by the strap, any disturbing force
will accelerate or retard the rotatory velocity of the shaft a³ and worm a, so
as to correct the irregularity and bring back the strap on the pulley again to
the point of equilibrium; hence the two movements go on in unison or
nearly so, and the weight L does not fluctuate, but remains at an uniform
elevation.
As all removal or adjustment of the drag weight by the operation is to be
dispensed with by the use of this apparatus, the weight L would of itself exert
an uniform retarding force upon the warp beam, but the purchase of the
warp upon the weight lever K gradually diminishes as the warp leaves the
beam, hence these two forces would for the most part be out of due pro-
purtion to each other. To remedy this we employ an auxiliary weight d, a

page_text: portion of whose gravitating force is added to that of the constant weight L,
and made variable by means of further parts of the apparatus, which we are
now about to describe. A stud e in the loom side forms the fulcrum of a
lever d', which slopes with a downward inclination towards the back of the
loom. The free end of this lever rests upon or is attached to the back lever
K, and it is loaded with the moveable weight d, which slides freely to and fro
upon a friction roller or wheel d², traversing the upper edge of the lever, but
the tendency of the weight is always to slide towards the back of the loom
in consequence of the inclined position of the lever. The depressing force
which the lever d' exerts upon the lever K in aid of the weight L, will evi-
dently vary according to the distance of the weight d from the fulcrum of the
lever. is a small grooved pulley, and f, a ratchet wheel on the same boss
with or laterally affixed to it, and both pivoted on the stud e. A cord f²,
attached to the weight d, is made fast to the grooved pulley f, so that the
weight will be drawn towards the fulcrum of the lever d' by the shortening of
the cord as it is wound on the pulley f. The latter is carried round for this
purpose by the ratchet wheel f' attached to it, the latter being turned by the
driving catch f, and prevented from recoiling by a detaining catch f* on a
fixed stud e'. The driving catch f³ is carried on a stud in a rdial arm ƒ³,
pivoted on the stud c, and connected by a link fo to the outer arm of the lever
f, which latter vibrates on a fulcrum pin in the front of the loom. The
inner arm of the lever f' is bent backwards at fs, and underlies the neck of
the cloth bean F, so that it must be gradually depressed by the latter on its
descent as the cloth progressively accumulates thereon. The arrangement
acts as follows:-Each cut or piece of cloth wound on the cloth beam depresses
the inner arm of the lever f', and correspondingly elevates the outer arm
thereof, raising along with it the catch f³, and causing the ratchet wheel f¹
partially to revolve. Each succeeding cut repeats the operation, so that the
grooved pulley f is kept slowly revolving and taking up the cord f, and con-
sequently drawing the weight d nearer to the fulcrum of the lever d', thus
diminishing the force exerted upon the back lever K as the progress of the
weaving reduces the bulk of yarn on the warp beam, so that the diminishing
purchase of the warp on the beam is accompanied by a diminishing resistance
in the drag or retarding force exerted upon the latter.
To provide against any derangement of the mechanism, a vertical radial
arın d³ is pivoted on the stud e, alongside the lever d', to which it is attached
by an adjusting bolt d'. The upper extremity of this radial arm is presented
towards the spring handle G, and the whole is so adjusted that upon the lever
d' rising higher than its proper limit, the radial arm encounters the spring

page_text: handle, and forcing the same out of its detent stops the notion of the loom.
, on the shaft b³, is a small hand wheel for enabling the weaver to let back
the warp when necessary. The rate at which the weight d is advanced
along the lever d' may be varied by shifting the point of attachment of the
link to the lever f'. In a loom weaving a 50 reed cloth with 14 picks to
the quarter inch, we have found the before-described apparatus act well when
constructed with the pulley 60 two and a half inches in diameter, the pulleys b
and two inches in diameter, the worm wheel b of thirty teeth, and the worm
wheel a' of twenty-three teeth. We do not give these proportions as the best
possible, but as being such as our experiments enable us to say will answer
the required purpose reasonably well, and as the most correct which our
present knowledge and experience warrant us in laying down. The appa-
ratus last described is well adapted for weaving heavy cloth, because it not
only provides against the warp unrolling too readily from the beam to supply
the demands of the taking-up motion, but permits the warp beam to recoil
after yielding to the impulses of the beat up. For weaving light fabrics, in
which the weft is inserted without much strain upon the warp, we apply a
modification of a more simple and less expensive character, in which we make
the weight of the warp and warp beam serve as a substitute for the variable
portion of the drag weight, an uniform or constant weight being used along
with it, and the action of the whole regulated by a motion derived from the
crank shaft. The side view, Fig. 3, and back view, Fig. 4, (Sheet 2,) explain
this modification; the warp beam, flanches, and other parts are indicated by
the same characters as before. Each of the flanches of the warp beam is
furnished with a projecting rim g, the outer cylindrical surface of which is
turned in a lathe; 9', g', are stationary breaks or friction segments concentric
with the turned rims 9, 9, and of corresponding radius. They are mounted
on brackets g³, g³, in proper positions for receiving the turned rims 9, 9, which
rest in them when the warp beam is in its place. The inner faces of the
breaks are lined with strips of leather g³, Fig. 3. These breaks support the
warp beam, the necks of which do not fall into the bottoms of the slots pre-
pared for them in the loom sides; the rotation of the warp beam is consequently
retarded by the friction between the rims g, g, and the breaks g', g', in contact
with them; and as the friction will be according to the weight, it is clear that
the resistance must decrease as the yarn on the beam is diminished.
retarding force is thus obtained suflicient to control the movements of the
warp beam at all times except when the sley is beating up, for which latter
occasions we increase the force by the application of additional weights acting
intermittently as follows:-M is the vibrating back rest or vibrator in common
A

page_text: use, worked from the crank shaft by the lever arm N and tappet O. To the
lever arm N we attach a branch or second arm h, directed and curved so as
to pass under and be depressed by the tappet O. The axial shaft of the back
rest or vibrator M is provided with two spurs h, h', projecting backwards.
From these spurs depend rods h², h, the lower extremities of which pass
through holes in lateral flanches or wings projecting from the sides of levers
h³, 13, whose fulera are studs h, h', carried by brackets on the framing, and
the hold of the rods h³, h³, on the levers h³, h³, is secured by nutts or adjustable
knobs h, h. The levers h³, ³, are loaded with weights hº, hª; h³, h³, are rods
whose upper extremities terminate in hooks which embrace the necks of the
warp beam, and whose lower extremities have short slots in them, by pins
passing through which they are connected to the levers h³, h³, in such manner
that if the latter are not raised by the rods ³, h³, the whole force of the
weighted lever is applied to the necks of the warp beam, and operate to
increase the pressure of the latter on the breaks g', g', and consequently to
increase also the retarding force or drag. The knobs or screw nutts which
secure the rods h³, h³, to the levers h³, h³, are so adjusted that being held back
by the weighted levers when the loom is shedding, they prevent the vibrator
lever N from resting upon the tappet O until the latter acts upon and depresses
the arm, and also so that when the said arm his depressed, the rods h³, h³
will raise the weighted levers h³, h³, and thereby relieve the warp beam from
the pressure thereof. Upon the tappet O lifting the lever N, the rods h³, h³,
will descend a little through the holes in the flanches of the levers h³, h³, and
the warp beam will be again subjected to the pressure of the latter. It is
evident therefore that when the lever N is lifted by the tappet O, that is at
the time of the beat up, the whole of the drag will be applied to prevent the
warp beam from moving; and that on the contrary, when the arm his depressed
by the same tappet, that is to say, when the shedding takes place, the levers
ha,, will be raised so as to release the warp beam from the pressure of the
weights he, he, and leave it subject only to the variable resistance due to the
weight of itself, and the warp upon it operating by the friction or adhesion of
the breaks g', g'.
By substituting the common sway rope applied round the end of the warp
beam for the breaks in the last-described arrangement, and causing its
grasp to be relaxed by the tension or strain of the warp in shedding, we
obtain a further and still more simple modification, represented in Figs. 5
and 6 (Sheet 3), the former being the side clevation, and the latter the back
view. In these Figures part of the framing is shown as if broken away, in
order the better to expose the parts described. is the sway rope or friction

page_text: cord, which is made fast at one end to an eye bolt or hook ', in the back cross
rail, and being coiled twice or thrice round the end of the warp beam A, is
attached at its other end by a hooked rod or link P, with an adjustable nutt,
to a spring k, affixed to the framing by a bracket '. The tension of this
spring, by tightening the cord round the warp beam, applies the drag; h' is
a spur projecting from the vibrator shaft; and h³, a rod with an adjustable
nutt or knob, as in the last casc. The rod h² passes through a slot in the
spring, and is adjusted so as to cause the spring to yield and relax the
cord upon the warp beam whenever the vibrator is drawn forward beyond a
certain point. The force applied in this case to release the warp beam is the
strain exerted upon the warp in the act of shedding. This strain drawing
the upper rod of the vibrator forward, raises the spur , and rod h³, and
through them the end of the spring k, thereby slackening the cord l, and
allowing the warp to unroll. It will be observed that in this case the drag or
resistance is uniform, and that the force applied to overcome it, namely, the
tension of the warp, is also uniform. h³, Fig. 5, represents a spring attached
to the under side of the vibrator arm N, which acts against the back of the
vibrator tappet O when the shed is open, and causes the vibrator to recoil
and take up the slack warp when the cloth is lot back.
This apparatus may be applied at one or both sides, according to the width
of the loom and other circumstances. The spring k may be changed for a
weighted lever, if the latter is preferred; and the arrangement may be further
modified by applying a branch or second arm to the lever arm N, as in the
second before-described arrangement, so as to release the warp by the action
of the crank shaft, instead of by the strain produced by the opening of the
shed.
Our second improvement is for the purpose of stopping the loom upon the
4.occurence of "float." It is effected by the application of a rack or comb
composed of a series of dents or fingers which act as feelers, and operate so
as to stop the loom upon encountering any place in which the warp is not
being duly crossed in shedding. We shall explain the means whereby wo
carry out this improvement by reference to the Drawings on Sheet 4.
The comb may be applied either in front of or behind the reed; in the
former case we mount it upon the temple box, the form of which we slightly
modify to adapt it to the purpose. Fig. 7 is an elevation view of part of the
breast beam and temple, with our apparatus as seen from the direction of
the sley; Fig. 8 is a plan; Fig. 9 is an end view; and Fig. 10, a transverse
section. m is the temple box; m', the roller; m³, the fell of the cloth; n is a
cover, jointed at each extremity to the temple box, as at n', the ends of the

page_text: The end of the
temple box being enlarged to receive it; only a small portion of this cover
is shewn in Figs. 7 and 8, the remainder being removed to expose what is
below; n² is a row of dents or fingers extending across the whole fabric;
they are of steel wire, and are firmly set in the back rib ³ of the cover n,
and have their free points, which are blunt or rounded, turned downwards so
as to press upon the cloth at the fell m. At each end of the cover n, there is
a thumbscrew n, by which the cover can be screwed down so as to make
the dents n press upon the cloth until they yield and bend slightly upwards;
' is a straight plate of metal, pivoted at each end through the ends of the
temple box. From one of its pivots n³, nearest the driving side of the loom,
a small arm n projects towards the breast beam; o is a latch or drop piece,
pivoted on a pin o' in the weft lever P. The latch o is so placed that the
head of the radial arm of the weft motion Q will in vibrating pass over it;
but if the latch o be a little elevated, the arm Q will strike against it. In
the free end of the latch o is a vertical slot o² (Fig. 7).
arm enters this slot, and the latch o and plate n are so adjusted that
when the edge of the plate n is in contact with the dents n of the comb, as
shown in the Drawing, the top of the slot o³ rests upon the end of the
arm n, and by its pressure thereon keeps the plate n' in contact with the
dents . At the same time the latch o will be sufficiently depressed to allow
the head of the radial arm Q to pass over it. The apparatus acts thus:-The
points of the dents n³ cannot penetrate perfect cloth, but upon a floated
portion being brought under any one or more of them, it or they will penetrate
through such floated part, and in reverting to the straight or natural position
will depress the edge of the plate 2, and raise the arm ns, along with the
latch o, which latter now presenting itself in the path of the radial arm Q,
the next succeeding vibration of the latter will impinge upon and force it
back, and along with it the weft lever, thereby liberating the spring handle,
and stopping the loom in the same manner as upon failure of the woft.
The objections which apply to the use of the box and roller temple apply
also to the use of this apparatus. To obviate these objections we apply tho
comb behind the reed according to the modification represented in Figs. 11
and 12 (Sheet 4). Fig. 11 shows the sley cap R, the reed S, and the sley
beam T, in section; and the radial arm of the weft motion Q, and the weft
fork and stand V, in side view. Fig. 12 exbibits a front view of the end of
the sley cap and some adjacent parts, the reed being removed to shew the
front view of a few dents of the comb n. In this case we prefer to make
the dents of the comb of the polished and flattened wire used in the con-
struction of reeds, and they may be combined by confining them between two

page_text: ribs or walls in the same manner as the dents of rec.ls, setting them from one-
eighth to one-quarter of an inch apart. The comb extends across the whole
reed space, and the ends of its balk or back rib are furnished with small
pivots, by which it is suspended in bearings n³, attached behind the sley cap or
to the sley swords. The dents hang down nearly vertically, passing through
such of the interstices of the warp as happen to coincide with them in
position. From the end of the back rib or balk of the comb which is nearest
the driving or pulley side an arm or finger n projects forward under the
sley cap in a direction over the weft fork stand or nearly so, and it is loaded
with an adjustable weight n", which is very little more than sufficient to
prevent the comb from being moved by the friction of the warp upon the
dents as the sley vibrates to and fro. The arın 1, when in its working
position, rests in the lower of two notches formed in a latch n, pendent from
à pin in the front of the sley cap. 2 is an upright stem fixed upon the
stand of the weft fork V, and carrying an adjustable stop piece 7', under
which the end of the arm 10 advances at each beat up of the sley.
R
In order to understand the action of the apparatus, let it be supposed that
the line 1, 2, represents the top shed, and the line 1, 3, the bottom shed of
the warp, and that the lines 4, 5, and 4, 3, represent the position of a fow
ends from both sheds which have become entangled with a broken end at the
point 4, which prevents them from separating so as to form a perfect shed
between the points 1 and 4. As the sley goes back, one or more of the dents
of the comb will encounter the obstruction at the point 4 (unless the number
of ends involved be very few), and this obstruction will move the comb n³ and
lift the arm no respectively into the positions shown in the dotted lines. The
latch (best seen in Fig. 12) has two notches one above the other, and
the latch is hung so that in its ordinary or working position its centre of
gravity is considerably to one side of the perpendicular from its point of
suspension, consequently when the arm 220 is raised the higher notch in the
latch drops under it, and retains it in the elevated position. The parts are so
adjusted that when the arm 20 is thus elevated its point will encounter tho
stop piece as the sley beats up, and moving back the weft fork and lever
will cause the stoppage of the loom as before.
Our third improvement has reference to the stop rod, and consists in
applying a spring to aid the stop rod in regaining its working position after
the shuttle has left the box, the object being to render feasible the employ-
of a slighter stop rod spring, so as to relieve the shuttle from a portion of the
pressure at present necessarily exerted by the swell, more especially in looms
running at high velocities, and to ensure at the same time the duc engage-

page_text: ment of the stop rod tongue with the frog when the shuttle misses boxing.
The manner in which we apply this improvement will be easily gathered from
an inspection of Fig. 1 (Sheet 1), in which r represents the end of the stop
rod turned backward, so as to form a spur or arm pointing in a slightly
downward direction at a small angle with the horizontal. is a bowed blade
spring attached by a bracket to the loom side, the end of which is also
nearly horizontal, but tending slightly upwards. When the crank approaches
the back centre, the spurr meets the inclined face of the spring, and is
raised by it into the position shown by the dotted lines, so as to assist the stop
rod spring in depressing the tongue W into its normal position, also shewn in
clotted lines.
We wish it to be understood that the aim of this part of our Invention is
to ensure the depression of the stop rod tongue as the crank is passing the
back centre, and not as the sley is advancing to the beat up, and that we
consider the novelty and utility of this part of our improvements to consist
principally in the peculiar relative positions to each other of the spur r and
spring, whereby those parts are caused to meet and act upon cach other
without any sudden shock or concussion. We therefore disavow the use of
any springs acting directly and point blank against the vertical arm or finger
of the stop rod, or against any arm, or finger, or spur springing from the
same in a vertical direction, as useless and prejudicial, restricting ourselves to
the use of a spur and spring meeting each other at an acute angle as the sley
recedes, and when the crank is near but not past the back centre.
Our fourth improvement has reference to the arrangement of rising and
falling shuttle boxes, commonly known as drop boxes, and consists partly in
a mode of mounting such boxes so that they may have a movement distinct
and separate from that of the sley although derived from the same shaft, and
such that they may move with the sley during the times of the transit of the
shuttle, and remain stationary during the times of the changes of the boxes,
and partly in a mode of applying one swell to serve the exigencies of any
number of boxes, whether such boxes be mounted according to our new and
improved method or in the usual fashion.
In Sheet 5 of the Drawings, Fig. 13 is a side view, Fig. 14 a plan, and
Fig. 15 a front elevation, of so many of the parts of the loom as will enable
us to explain our improvements. 8, 8, 8, represents a system or set of three
or any other number of moveable boxes. They slide up and down in guides
in an iron frame s', the sword of which is pivoted on the end of the rocking
shaft, and is connected to a third or extra crank on the crank shaft H.
During that part of the orbit of the crauk which lies between the points 8

page_text: and 7, the boxes move along with the sley; during the remaining part, or
between tho points 7 and 8, the frame which carries the boxes is stationary.
This is effected in the following manner:-The crank arm of the frame s' is
formed in two parts and t; the part is hollow, and contains a spiral
spring; the part , which is attached to the crank, has a spindle t', which
works through a collar at the end of the part t, and abuts against the spring
by means of its guide block t. The crank arm thus becomes capable of
expansion and contraction in the direction of its length. is a rod or link,
one end of which is pivoted on the end of the crank arm pin to, and the other
end receives the straight part of the crank shaft II in an open slot, cor-
responding in length with that part of the sweep of the sley which is effected
by the rotation of the crank from the point 8 to the point 7. It will be
understood without further explanation that while the crank is revolving from
the point 8 to the point 7, the expanding crank arm having attained its
extreme length, will move the box frame s' along with it, and the crank being
in the same radial plane with the ordinary cranks of the sley, the latter will
move along with the boxes, which will be received into and will fill up the
recess in the sley beam end. As the crank performs the remaining part of
its revolution, namely, from 7 to 8, the link will prevent the further
advance of the box frame s¹, and the extra crank will completo its revolution
by compressing the spring t².
The manner in which we apply a single swell to serve for a number of
boxes is as follows:-We fix the swell v on a stud v' in the part of the sley
beam immediately in front of the drop boxes. The middle part of the front
side or guard of each box is removed to admit the bulge of the swell, as is
also a small circular segment out of the bottom, so as to allow the boxes to
pass the swell in moving up and down. X is the stop rod, which, in addition
to the usual tongue or finger, has a small finger y projecting towards the
front. is an arm or finger, partly vertical and partly horizontal, the boss of
which is fast upon a spindle, which works in a bearing a, attached to the
front plate, and the end of which arm or finger meets the end of the swell v.
The spindle which carries the finger a carries also at its contrary end a boss
a, through which passes the stem of an horizontal finger a², which extends
beneath the finger y, which it consequently lifts whenever the arm a is
pressed outwards by the swell v. is a small blade attached to the boss of
the swell v, and meeting the end of the finger a¹ on the contrary side from
the swell, so that upon the finger a being drawn or allowed to fall back, the
swell v will be withdrawn out of the way of the shuttles during the rising or
falling of the boxes. The part of the frog Y marked is formed so as to

page_text: present a rising inclination towards the stop rod tongue after the latter has
passed over the mouth of the frog. Meeting this incline, the tongue is raised
by it, and lifts the finger y, and thereupon the arm 2 being left free, the
arm a on the same spindle falls outwards, so as to withdraw the swell v from
the boxes. During the time that the crank is passing through the part of its
orbit lying between the points 8 and 7, the parts resume their regular working
position, as shewn in the Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we desire it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the details of the arrangements herein-before set forth, and that
we do not pretend to be the Inventors of any of the old and well-known parts
of the machinery introduced into the preceding statement as necessary to
make the same intelligible; but that we do claim as new and of our
Invention,-
Firstly, the use of the worm and worm wheel with subsidiary parts or
apparatus, as herein-before described, for applying drag to the warp beam.
Secondly, the mode, herein-before described, of varying the weight upon the
back lever by the descent of the cloth beam or the enlargement of the roll of
cloth thereon.
Thirdly, the mode described of deriving a variable retarding force from the
pressure or weight of the warp beam and warp upon breaks or rubbing
surfaces.
Fourthly, the mode of alternately applying and withdrawing the drag by
the action of the vibrator tappet, as described by reference to Figures 3 and 4.
Fifthly, the mode of applying, through the instrumentality of the vibrator,
the tension of the warp in shedding to relax the gripe of the swag rope, as
described and explained in connection with Figures 5 and 6.
Sixthly, the application of a spring to tho vibrator arm for the purpose of
taking up the slack warp when the cloth is let back, as shown in Figure 5.
Seventhly, the use and application of a rack or comb with subordinate
apparatus applied, as shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, for stopping the loom
upon the occurrence of "float."
Eighthly, the use and application of a rack or comb with subordinate
apparatus applied, as shewn in Figures 11 and 12, for stopping the loom on
the occurrence of "float."
Ninthly, the application to the stop rod of a spur or arm and a spring, as
shewn at r and in Fig. 1, meeting each other at an acute angle when the
crank is near the back centre, for the purpose of aiding the stop rod spring
in ensuring the descent of the tongue or finger of the stop rod in due time.

page_text: Tenthly, the method of mounting and working "drop boxes," herein-before
described.
Eleventhly, the method of applying a swell, and the arrangement of the
parts connecting the same with the stop rod, in such manner that one swell
may serve for any number of moveable boxes, as herein-before set forth and
described.
And, lastly, the arrangements and combinations of mechanism herein-before
described, for carrying into effect the severally mentioned improvements.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hudson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed and sealed by the said William
IIudson, in the presence of
WILLIAM HUDSON. (L.S.)
J. TAYLER, Patent Agent,
Manchester.