Im- PROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING WIRE WEB OR CLOTH BY POWER
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Chalmers, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING WIRE WEB OR CLOTH BY POWER."
Sealed the 23rd February 1858, and lated the 6th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Chalmers
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th October 1852.
I, DAVID CHALMERS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING WIRE WEB OR CLOTH BY POWER"
to be as follows, and will be readily understood by reference to the
accompanying Drawings:-
Firstly, the arrangement of gearing, as shown at a; the motion of
wheel and wire bean b, which is obtained by means of the mitre gear
c, d, which turns the shaft e. and cone f, the lower part of which is kept
horizontal by means of the universal joint 9. A band from the cone
drives the pulley, which turns the worm h, and wheel i, which again
turns the worm k, and wheel and wire beam b, as above named.
The holder 7, is to prevent the wire from twisting, and the motion is
obtained from the sword m.
The catch n, is to hold the wire when the holder 1, goes back to allow
the shuttle to pass.

page_text: I wish it to be distinctly understood that this is only an outline
description of my Invention, which I shall more fully and clearly
explain in my complete Specification.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said David Chalmers in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 29th March 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
DAVID CHALMERS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manu
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by He
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, and in the six-
teenth year of Iler reign, did, for Ilerself, Her heirs and successoIS,
give and grant unto me, the said David Chalmers, Her especial
licence that I, the said David Chalmers, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said David Chalmers,
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, my Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING WIRE WEB OR CLOTH BY
POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said David
Chalmers, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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,
as reference being thereunto had will moro fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Chalmers, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:

page_text: My Invention consists of,-
Firstly, an improved motion for working or regulating the motion
of the letting off beam of power looms used for weaving wire cloth,
&c., so as to let off the wire or warp from it by such a regular motion
as to correspond exactly with the motion of the beam which takes up the
cloth as it is woven, or, in other words, to make the letting off motion
as nearly positive as possible, to correspond with the requirements of the
process
of weaving the cloth.
Secondly, an improved apparatus or motion to prevent the wire weft
from twisting or bending during the operation of passing the shuttle,
except at the selvedges.
Thirdly, an improved apparatus to arrest the motion of the bobbin in
the shuttle on which is wound the wire weft, being part of the aforesaid
apparatus for preventing the wire weft twisting, &c.
Fourthly, the employment of gearing to work or drive power looms
for the aforesaid purposes. Each of these motions and the apparatus
connected therewith are represented in the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
on which the Figures are progressively numbered, and the saine letters
of reference are used to represent similar parts. where different views
or diagrams are shewn. Fig. 1, represents a back elevation of a loom,
shewing part of my said improvements: Figs. 2, and 3, are end views
of the same; Fig. 4, is a plan thereof; Fig. 5, a side view of the
compound apparatus, shewing a finger and holder to hold the slack of
the wire to prevent its turning, twisting, or breaking; and Figs. 6,
and 7, are front and top views on an enlarged scale, shewing the appa-
ratus for arresting the motion of the bobbin in the shuttle, which
apparatus is a part or combination of the preceding Figures. Figures
8, and 9. shew the shuttle, with a plate of iron on it, with india-rubber
or some flexible substance at its ends to ease the wire when the spindle
turns. A, represents the frame of the loom; B, the fast and loose
julleys; C, the fly wheels; D, a pinion working into the toothed wheel
E. on the crank shaft F, by which the general motion of the loom is
obtained. I obtain the regular and positive motion of the letting off
or wire beam as follows:-Upon the crank shaft F, at the left of the
loom the pinion G, works the toothed wheel H, which drives the shaft
I, and bevil wheel K, turning the wheel K³, and shaft L;-the wheel.

page_text: K², drives the wheel K³, and shaft M. On this shaft M, are the universal
joint N, and the conę O, acting upon the belt l', and pulley Q, turning
the worm R, which works in the worm wheel S, which again turns the
worm T, acting upon the large worm wheel U, at the end of the letting
off' beam V. In order that the motion of the letting off beam may be
regulated to the required speed the conc O, has a slow lateral motion
given to it by the screw W, being moved by a nut in the toothed wheel
Y, to which motion is given by the change pinion Y', and intermediate
wheel Y. To prevent the continual breakage of the wire weft, caused
either by it twisting or bending at improper times or places, I give a
check to the rotatory motion of the bobbin in the shuttle, on which is
wound the wire weft) upon the entrance of the shuttle into the box, as
shown in Figs. 6, and 7; and after the weft is beaten up the slack is
held, first, by a finger or projection a, and then upon the receding
of the slay by a holder b, as shewn in Fig. 5, which releases it by
giving way at the joint and spring c, but not until the slack of the wire
has been so tempered as to bend at its proper position in the selvedge
of the cloth. In the shuttle, as seen at Fig. 7, are two small springs
and pins d, e; the springs are for the purpose of keeping the pins from
the bobbin until the shuttle arrives at the larger spring f, which, coun-
teracting the slight effect of the small spring d, (which may happen to
be in contact,) presses the pin g. against the bobbin in the shuttle, and
thereby stops its motion, thus preventing the twisting which would
otherwise take place at h. Fig. 5, on the sword arm is the centre
upon which the lever i, works, the upper part having a fork, and clasps
or grips the finger at ; as the stay moves forward, taking with it the
lever i, the spring m, being fixed to the frame resists the movement of
the end of the lever at n, but the opposite end moves forward, and the
finger advances with it towards its work. After the weft is beaten up
the finger has advanced to its extreme position, and holds the wire,
when it is necessary that the finger should be out of the way to allow
the shuttle to pass the cain o, on the shaft I, which acts upon the roller
P, and presses down the lever g, working upon the pin 1, and raises the
holder b, to hold the wire, and allow the shuttle to pass. To avoid any
shock or breakage of the wire when the spindle is freed from the
springs, and is required to turn to give off the wire, I have an eyelet

page_text: in a plate of iron s, shewn in Figs. 8, and 9, which slides in the shuttle,
and is bounded at each end by a piece of india-rubber t, or similar
material, so that when the pull is made the plate pressing against the
india-rubber is allowed a short movement, forming a kind of easing of
the wire during the first effort of the spindle to turn.
The gearing to work or drive my improved wire loom is merely an
arrangement of the usual gearing used for other purposes, but which
has not hitherto been applied to looms, and which is already described
in the general motion of the loom.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire it
to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the particular
letails herein described, as such may be varied or modified without
departing from the principle of my Invention; but I claim,-
Firstly, the improved motion for working the wire or letting off
beam.
Secondly, the improved apparatus or motion to prevent the wire weft
from twisting or bending, except at the selvedges.
Thirdly, the improved apparatus to arrest the motion of the bobbin
in the shuttle; and,
Fourthly, the arrangement of gearing, as applicable to power looms
for weaving wire cloths, &c., the whole of which improvements are
herein particularly described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Chalmers, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Signed, sealed, and delivered
in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
DAVID CHALMERS. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
Manchester.