IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jonathan Northrop, of Millholme Shed, near Skipton,
in the County of York, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jonathan Northrop at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st June 1880.
JONATHAN NORTHROP, of Millholme Shed, near Skipton, in the County of York,
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
The said Invention relates to improved apparatus fitted to fast reed looms, broad
or narrow, for easing the loom when picking, and stopping the loom when any
obstruction takes place, and doing away with the usual stop rod and gear.
For this purpose I fit at each end of the going part of the loom brackets to which
are secured studs, and on which work levers, which receive a rocking movement;
one of the levers is fitted near the end of the going part, working on a pin secured
in the bracket, the fulcrum of this lever being near the centre of the lever. The top
arm of the lever is made round, and with a bent end forming a finger, which works
in a slot opening of the shuttle box, so that when the shuttle enters the shuttle box,
the picker comes in contact with the bent finger, forcing back the lever, and at tho
same time actuating the other rocking lever by means of a check strap or bridle ;
this lever works on a stud fitted in a boss cast on the top of the lever bracket,
which is secured to the going part, and at a short distance from the other bracket;
the fulcrum of this lever is at the top, the rocking motion being downwards, and
the bottom end of the lever is fitted with a stud, on which works a friction roller,
and which acts on the underside of a bent guide, which is secured to a stop finger
or key; the rocking motion of the lever causes a lifting motion to the stop finger
or key, allowing it to travel freely when picking. The frog, in which the stop
finger or key falls when any obstruction takes place in the loom, receives, when the
key comes in contact, a slight outward movement, which actuates a lever fitted on
the back end of the frog arm; the lever is fitted with a shoe, so that when the key
or stop finger comes in contact with the frog when any obstruction takes place in
the progress of the shuttle, or should the shuttle stop in any part of its travel, the
finger actuates the frog, and forces the shoe in contact with the fly wheel of the

page_text: loom, stopping at once the loom, and thus preventing any injury to the cog wheels
and to the sword, all the force of the loom coming on the fly wheel.
Under the frog is fitted a stud which carries a small friction roller, which is kept
in contact with a projecting guide when the loom is picking, and which keeps the
starting handle in the catch; the projecting guide is also made with an arm, and
the guide is secured to the starting handle; the friction roller, when the loom is
in the act of coming off, strikes against the arm, and forces out the starting lever
from the catch, and throws the belt from the fast onto the loose pulley, and at the
same time the shoe acts on the fly wheel, stopping the loom.
By these means I give the fast reed looms an uniformity of motion with less
driving power and wear and tear of the shuttles and pickers, and allowing a fast
reed loom to run as light as a loose reed one.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Jonathan Northrop in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27tb
November 1880.
JONATHAN NORTHROP, of Millholme Shed, near Skipton, in the County of York,
Manufacturer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
The said Invention relates to improved apparatus to be fitted to fast reed looms,
broad or narrow, or box, rocking and circular box looms, for easing the loom when
picking, and stopping the loom when any obstruction takes place, and to allow of
doing away with the usual stop rod and gear.
For this purpose I fit at the end of the going part of the loom a bracket, to
which is secured a stud, on which works a lever receiving a rocking motion; the
buffer or top check strap is secured to the top arm of the rocking lever, and about
midway of the bottom arm of the lever is secured the bottom check strap which
gives a counter action to the lever when the shuttle strikes the picker, and which
causes the rocking action of the lever; this rocking action gives a lifting motion to
the stop finger or trap which allows it to travel freely when picking; the bottom
arm of the rocking lever is made with a bent curved finger having a recess, in
which the weaver (when required to keep open and find the pick) places the head of
a moveable stud which stops the rocking of the lever; when the shuttle strikes tho
picker the moveable stud is forced out of the recess and drawn in by a spiral spring
fitted over the stud, and the rocking lever is free to act; this lever is also made
with a horizontal arm, on the end of which is secured a dropping rod, which is
fitted and secured to the stop finger or trap, giving it a lifting motion and allowing
the trap to travel freely over the frog when picking.
The frog in which the stop finger or trap falls when any obstruction takes placo
in the loom receives, when the finger or trap comes in contact with the end of the
frog's projecting end, a slight outward movement, which actuates a lever fitted to
the back end of the frog arm; the lever is fitted with a shoe, which comes in
contact with the fly wheel of the loom when the frog is pushed forward upon any
obstruction taking place in the travel of the shuttle, or the shuttle stops in any
part of its travel, at once stopping the loom, so as to prevent injury to the cog
wheels and the sword, all the force of the loom coming on the fly wheel.
Under the end of the frog is secured a stud, on which is fitted a fmall friction
roller working in the guide of the loom end; this small friction roller is kept in
contact with a cut away part of a projecting guide rod when the loom is picking,
keeping the starting lever in the catch; the guide rod is made with a projecting rod
secured to the starting handle; the friction roller, when the frog is pushed forward
upon an obstruction taking place when the loom is picking recedes from the guide
rod, allowing the rod and projecting rod to fall out of gear, thereby forcing out the
starting lever from the catch so as to throw the belt from the fast on to the loose
pully, at the same time causing the shoe to act on the fly wheel and stop the
loom. By these means I give to fast reed, box, rocking and circular box looms, an
uniformity of action with less driving power and wear and tear of the shuttles
and pickers, allowing the looms to run as light as loose reed looms, and by which
means I dispense with the present drop boxes.
But in order to enable my improvements to be better understood, I will proceed
to more particularly describe the same by reference to the accompanying Drawing,
in which Figure 1 represents part of the front of a loom with my improvements
fitted thereto, Figure 2 side or end view, and Figure 3 plan of the same.
Similar letters of reference are used to represent similar parts. A is the end of
the going part of a loom to which is secured a bracket B having a projecting lug C,
in which is secured a stud D, on which works a lever E, receiving a rocking notion
by means of the buffer strap F, secured to the top arm by a bolt and nut, so that
when the shuttle strikes the picker the counter action is given to the lever E by
the check strap H, secured to the lower arm of the lever by a bolt J and pin, and to
'

page_text: keep the strap in working position, a plate I is fitted over the strap; the rocking
motion of the lever E gives a lifting motion to the stop finger or trap K, and
allows it to travel frecly over the frog Z when picking; the boss L of the stop
finger works on a pin M secured in lugs Ñ cast on the underside of the bracket B,
and on the top of the finger or trap are cast lugs O, in which is fitted a pin P on
which works the end Q of a rod R, the top end of which works on a pin S fitted in
the end of a horizontal arm T formed on the lever E. The bottom end U of the
lower arm of the lever E is made with a bent finger V, in which is formed a recess;
when the weaver requires to keep open to find the pick, he pulls out a small bolt W
and places the head X thereof in the recess, which stops the rocking of the lever E.
On the shuttle striking the picker the curved end or bent finger V is withdrawn
from the bolt head, and the bolt W is forced back by the spiral spring Y, and
remains in until the weaver again requires to find the pick.
The frog Z is made with a projection A', and when an obstruction takes place in
the loom the finger or trap K is caused to drop, and the end of the finger is brought
in contact with the projection A¹ giving a forward movement to the frog and
arm B¹ which actuate a lever C₁ working on a stud D' which forces out the arm E¹,
bringing a shoe F¹ in contact with the fly wheel G₁ of the loom, so that when an
obstruction takes place in the travel of the shuttle, or if the shuttle stops in any
part of its travel, the shoe pressing on the fly wheel stops the fly wheel at once so
as to prevent injury to the cog wheels and sword, all the force of the loom coming
on the fly wheel.
Under the frog end is fitted a stud H¹ on which works a roller I fitted in the
guide J¹ of the loom end; the roller is kept in contact with a cut away part K¹
formed on a rod or lever L' when the loom is picking, and which keeps the starting
lever M¹ in the catch; the lever L¹ is made with a bent curved end secured by
nuts N¹ to the starting lever M¹. Should any obstruction take place when the
loom is picking, the finger or trap K falling in the frog and pushing the frog
forward, causes the roller I' to recede from the cut away part K¹, and to come in
contact with the end O¹ of the lever L', which forces the starting lever M¹ out of
the catch which throws the belt from the fast on to the loose pulley, and at the
same time causing the shoc F1 to act on the fly wheel G¹, stopping the loom. Pl
spring to press down the trap K. By these means I give to fast reed, box, rocking
and circular box looms an uniformity of action, taking less driving power, and
producing less wear and tear of the shuttles and pickers, which allow the looms to
run as light as loose reed looms, and by which means I dispense with the present
drop boxes.
Having thus described my improvements and the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shewn and described, as they may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but what I claim
is,―
The construction and employment of improved apparatus fitted to fast reed
looms, broad or narrow, also to box, rocking and circular box looms, for casing the
looms when picking, and for stopping the looms when any obstruction takes place,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and represented by the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jonathan Northrop, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this 26th day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand