Improvements in gill boxes
Year: 1886

page_text: I, JOHN CHARLES WALKER of Shipley Fields Mill, Shipley near Bradford in the
County of York, Mechanical Engineer, 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 :-
C
My improvements have reference to an invention for which Letters Patent were
granted to Isidore Willens and Edouard Depoorter dated 5th October 1885
No 11,844 and entitled "Improvements in gill boxes."
The object of the said invention is to provide a method for actuating the heckle
bars without making use of the ordinary endless screws.
According to Willens and Depoorters aforesaid invention, the heckle bars or
fallers are pressed close against each other on the tracks, and they press upon
each other without being able to become displaced or disarranged.
7
The two ends of the heckle bars or fallers have the form of a cog or tooth and
are so arranged as to readily engage in the teeth of the spur or cog wheels which
actuate them.
And in order that my invention may be completely understood reference is given
to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and marks thereon.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 a front view.
A is a transverse shaft of ordinary description usually employed in gill boxes;
this actuates by suitable gearing the shafts A¹, operating through wheels E_the
shafts D, which bear at their ends the cam wheel C, causing the heckle bars B to
rise from the lower tracks K to the upper tracks L. These wheels E actuating
other wheels E, giving motion thereby to the shafts D¹ which bear on their other
ends the cam wheels C and cause the heckle bars to descend from the upper
tracks L to the lower tracks K.
S denotes two supports forming together the head of the gill box (Fig 2). These
supports carry all the pieces of the head and comprise especially:
1. The boxes in which the vertical axles H and H¹ revolve.
2. The tracks K and L constructed of steel or tempered iron; on these travel
the heckle bars or fallers B,

page_text: 3. Two plates S₁ and 8" of tempered iron sustaining the shafts D and D³ upon
which are screwed the cam wheels C and C.
The above arrangements are generally speaking similar to those described in
Willens and Depoorters aforesaid patent, with exception of the position of shafts A¹
and application of shaft A.
Instead of actuating the wheels M and N at the two ends of the fallers separately
(as described in Willens and Depoorters specification) I employ a shaft 1 which is
caused to revolve, motion being transmitted thereto by driving shaft A through
any suitable gearing 2.
This shaft 1 by means of bevel gearing 3 imparts the desired motion to the
vertical shafts H, thus giving a steady and even movement to both ends of the
fallers. On these shafts H are provided wheels J which actuate the shafts H¹ by
means of spur wheels J fixed on the shafts H¹. These shafts H carry the pinions N
which like the pinions M engage in the lower rack formed by the ends of the
heckle bars or fallers; the said pinions N producing the return movement of
the bars on the lower tracks.
R. R and R are springs which as in ordinary gill boxes assist the rise and
descent of the heckle bars or fallers. O are small rods of iron or steel fixed on the
upper tracks to maintain the heckle bars or fallers in position until the moment of
their fall.
P are pieces of iron or steel which serve to guide the heckle bars when they
mount from the lower to the upper tracks.
The above description has reference to Willens and Depoorters improvement, and
generally speaking is the same, as that described in their specification, with this
exception; that employ the shaft 1 for transmitting motion to the vertical
shafts H of any number of sets of fallers, employing only one set of speed gearing,
instead of the use of worms and worm wheels or their equivalents and speed
gearing for actuating both ends of fallers separately.
=
By my improvements not only am I enabled to work the machine at a higher
speed without danger, but I am able to impart motion to any number of sets of
fallers from the same shaft with one set of speed wheels 2 or their equivalents,
such wheels being employed for adjusting the speed of such shafts. I also find in
practice that there is less wear and tear than when worms and worm wheels are
used as described in Willens and Depoorters Specification, and furthermore the
mode of driving is much simplified and less expensive.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
First. The arrangement and application of shaft 1 in combination with bevel
gearing 3, shafts H and H¹, spur gearing J. J1 M and N, for operating the heckle
bars or fallers B, substantially as herein set forth and shewn in the accompanying
drawings.
Second. The application of shaft i actuated from shaft A through one set of
speed gearing 2 or its equivalent for transmitting motion to the heckle bats or
fallers B of any required number of sets of fallers, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of Anril 1886