IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FISHING AND OTHER NETS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Bonham Lewis and William Monder
Ward, of East Boston, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United
States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FISHING AND OTHER NETS.”
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Bonham Lewis
and William Monder Ward at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 13th May 1872.
We, GEORGE BONHAM LEWIS and WILLIAM MONDER WARD, of East
Boston, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FISHING AND OTHER NETS," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to improvements in machinery for the manu-
facture of fishing and other nets; and consists,-
1st. In a duplex machine as made by combining two machines of the
character and construction as shown and described in Letters Patent,

page_text: No. 3603, and dated December 13th, A.D. 1869, in such manner that a
single operator is enabled to operate and tend both looms, and thereby
enabled to double or nearly double the amount of netted fabric produced.
2d. In dispensing withe the uncertain means or mechanism heretofore
employed for imparting the horizontal endwise movements to the hook
bar, and substituting therefor a mechanism which is perfectly positive in
its action.
In the said machine the hook bar is carried by lever arms pivoted to
vertical rocking levers, which are carried by stud axles from brackets on
the frame, and self-acting and vertical movements are communicated
thereto by means of levers pivoted to the frame and operated by cams
(suitably shaped on their peripheries) upon the cam shaft. These levers
are connected respectively to the rocking levers and the supporting arms
of the hook bar, and motion is transmitted by connecting rods or links.
The positive endwise or lateral movements of the hook bar are effected
by means of a cam wheel operating against two friction wheels carried
by a bracket or frame projecting down from the under surface of the bar.
The "chopper" bar is pivoted to the frame, and is constructed and
operated in the usual way in connection with the hooks. The motions
are controlled by a heart-shaped cam on a subsidary cam shaft, driven
by a spur gear from the main shaft.
The shuttle or needle races are straight and of the ordinary form.
Spring steel needles work in the races, and are operated by cords attached
to drums, the cords being arranged below the races, the one to wind off,
and the other to wind on.
The cords pass over guide pulleys, and are connected to the ends of
the needles
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Bonham Lewis and William Monder Ward
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
BONHAM LEWIS and WILLIAM MONDER WARD, of East Boston, of the
State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said George Bonham Lewis and William Monder
Ward, Her special licence that we, the said George Bonham Lewis and
William Monder Ward, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said George Bonham Lewis and William Monder
Ward, our 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 MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING FISHING AND OTHER NETS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Bonham
Lewis and William Monder Ward, 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

page_text: the requisite vertical and "in and out" movements to the movable
hook bar.
In Figure 1 the mechanism for imparting to the movable hook bar the
required endwise movements is shown, while in Figure 2 the mechanism
for imparting to the "chopper bar" the necessary movements is repre- ||
sented.
In the said Drawing we have not shown all the parts of the loom, as
the general construction and relative movements of the parts in forming
or weaving the net is like that in general use, but we have shown those
portions thereof with which our improvements are connected, and 1
necessary to show their construction, application, and operation.
In carrying out our Invention we make our duplex machine of about
double the length of a single machine as ordinarily employed, and
although we weave two separate and complete webs of netting at the
same time the webs are wound upon a single drum or cylinder having 1
the length of the combined looms. So also instead of employing two
separate bars for each loom or series of stationary and movable hooks we
employ a single bar for each, furnished with two sets of hooks, so
arranged as to have a short interval between them, such interval being
equal to the width between the two webs, as shown in Figure 1, and a
being in practice about twelve inches. So also we employ but a single
'chopper bar" for the two looms, the same extending the entire length
of the machine. Each loom is provided with a shuttle and race way of
the ordinary construction, the thread for the shuttles being furnished
from a central bobbin and one arranged at each outer extremity of each 2
loom. Each of the looms is also provided with a slur cock or carriage,
disposed in a race way underneath the hook bar B, for operating the
series of sinkers or fallers, as shown in Figure 2, reciprocating motion
being imparted to them in the ordinary manner.
61
Instead of providing each loom with separate sets of mechanism for 3
giving the "out and in" and the vertical movements to the vibratory hook
bar and its series of hooks, as shown in our said Patented machine, we
employ but one set of each for operating both looms. So also, instead of
employing a distinct "chopper bar" and mechanism for controlling the
same for each loom, we make use of but a single bar and a single set of 3
mechanism for operating both looms.

page_text: In the said Drawings A denotes the frame for supporting the operating
parts; A' is the drum or cylinder on which the netting or fabric when
woven is wound; A' is the stationary hook bar and B the movable hook
bar, which is supported on arms B', pivoted to the rocker frames C, C,
and C', C', at a, a, etc., the rocker frames being pivoted at E, E, etc., to
brackets depending from the frame, as shown in Figure 1. The upper
bars of the rocker frames are connected by a bar G; G' is a bar (con-
necting the rocker frames) to which the mechanism for giving the
requisite "in and out" movements to the bar is connected, such mechanism
consisting of the curved lever H and the cam I, such lever being pivoted
at its lower end to the frame A and at its upper end to a pitman J,
which in turn is pivoted to the under surface of the bar G³, the said
lever being provided with a friction roll to operate against the edge of
the cam; or if preferable the said roll or its equivalent may be caused to
travel in a groove formed in the face of the cam I, such cam being
arranged upon a shaft K, which by means of spur gears is connected
with the driving shaft W and of course driven thereby.
The mechanism for giving the requisite vertical vibratory movements
to the arms B' and hook bar B consists of the levers M, M³, and the
cam L, the first-named lever being pivoted to a vertical bar or standard h
affixed to the frame A and connected by a link to the lever M³, which is
pivoted to the frame A at d, its front end being connected by a bar r to
the bar G, and by means of an arm with the hook bar B, the same
being as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Either or both of the levers M¹
and H. may if desirable have springs or weights disposed in their outer
ends to keep them in contact with their respective cams. The cam L is
also arranged upon the shaft K and so adjusted therein as to have its
movements timed with respect to those of the cam I operating the
lever H.
The "chopper bar " N is supported by a series of curved arms 0, 0, 0, 0,
which are pivoted to the frame A. at g, g, etc., the several arms being
also pivoted to a common bar P to which a lever Q is affixed. This
lever Q is operated by a two-leaved cam R disposed on the main driving
shaft, as shown in Figure 2, the said bar being raised and held out of
action by a spring S, as shown in such Figure 2.
The next part of our Invention to be described is the mechanism for
giving the hook bar B its requisite endwise movements, such consisting

page_text: of the levers T and T¹ and the cam U, the lever T being pivoted at i to
the frame A, the upper end of such lever extending up and being em-
braced by two friction rollers k, k, affixed to the front side of the bar B,
as shown in Figure 1, the lower end of the lever T being connected by a
rod S to another lever T", whose outer end impinges against a cam U 5
disposed on a shaft V, which by means of spur gears is connected with
the main driving shaft and driven thereby, a spring O serving to retain
the end of the lever T¹ in connection with the cam U. The said cam is
adjusted on its shaft as is required to time its movements with respect to
those of the cam R. (operating the "chopper bar") and those giving 10
the vertical and "out and in" movements to the hook bar B.
Having described our Invention, what we claim is,―
1. The mechanism, substantially as described, for imparting to the
hook bar B positive, intermittent, endwise movements, the same con-
sisting of the levers T and T and the cam U, constructed, arranged, and 1
combined together, and applied to the frame A and hook bar B,
substantially as set forth.
2. The duplex machine, consisting of the movable hook bar B pro-
vided with two series of hooks as described, the stationary hook bar
furnished with two sets of hooks, the two series of sinkers or fallers, and 20
the "chopper bar N, the whole being constructed and provided with
mechanisms or means for giving the requisite movements to the parts,
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Bonham Lewis and William
Monder Ward, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this 30th 2
day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two.