IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTAL WEAVING
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Gilchrist, of Kirkintilloch, in the County
of Dumbarton, North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTAL WEAVING."
Sealed the 5th August 1856, and dated the 13th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Gilchrist at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th February 1856.
I, WILLIAM GILCHRIST, of Kirkintilloch, in the County of Dumbarton,
North Britain, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTAL WEAVING," to be as follows, that is
to say:-
This Invention relates to an improved arrangement and construction of
the needle frames and bars of lappet looms, to facilitate the introduction of an
increased number of frames into a given width or space upon the lathe, or to
admit of the use of stronger frames where the number is not increased. These
frames, as is well understood by the lappet weaver, serve to communicate a
transverse movement to the needles, through which the whip threads for
forming the lappet device are passed, these needles being carried upon bars
capable of rising & falling within the frames to carry the whip thread above
or below the fabric, according to the pattern.
In ordinary lappet looms the frames are all exactly like each other, and lie
side by side in the channel made in the lathe to receive them. As, however,

page_text: a very great width of space in front of the reed cannot be conveniently
taken up by these frames, they have to be made very narrow (according to
the ordinary system of construction) when their number is increased.
Now, according to one modification of the present Invention, twice as many
frames of a given thickness can be got into a given space, as, according to the
old system, this being effected. by fitting the. frames one within the other,
allowing sufficient space in the outer frames for the transverse. traverse of the
inner ones. The bars upon which the needles are fixed are carried or guided
upon vertical pins standing up from the bottom bars of the frames, and the pins
of the outer frames pass up through slots or cut away portions in the inner
frames. These slots or cut away portions on the inner frames are of sufficient
length to allow of the traverse of one set of frames independantly of the other
set, to an extent corresponding to the requirements of the pattern. The outer
set of frames may be arranged to be worked by means of pikes or otherwise, at
one side of the loom, whilst the inner set of the frames are arranged to be
worked in a similar manner from the other side of the loom. By these means,
a single set of inner frames being used within the outer frames, frames of
twice the number, or of double the thickness of those ordinarily employed,
may be used in a given width or space; but it will be obvious to the practical
lappet weaver, that by introducing a third set of frames within the first &
second sets, facilities will be afforded for the employment of a still greater
number of frames. The system herein described may in fact be worked out to
as great an extent as expedience and convenience of construction will admit.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Gilchrist in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GILCHRIST, of Kirkintilloch, in the County of Dumbarton, North Britain,
Manufacturer send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Gilchrist, Her special license that I, the said William Gilchrist, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Gilchrist, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time. agree

page_text: 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 ORNAMENTAL
WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Gilchrist, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE,; that I, the said William Gilchrist, 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
in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to an improved arrangement and construction of
the needle frames and bars of lappet looms, to facilitate the introduction of an
increased number of frames into a given width or space upon the lathe, or to
admit of the use of stronger frames where the number is not increased. These
frames, as is well understood by the lappet weaver, serve to communicate a
transverse movement to the needles through which the whip threads for
forming the lappet device are passed, these needles being carried upon bars
capable of rising and falling within the frames to carry the whip thread above
or 'below the fabric, according to the pattern. In ordinary lappet looms the
frames are all exactly like each other, and lie side by side in the channel made
in the lathe to receive them. As, however, a very great width of space in
front of the reed cannot be conveniently taken up by these frames, they havé
to be made very narrow (according to the ordinary system of construction)
when their number is increased.
Now, according to one modification of the present Invention, twice as many
frames of a given thickness can be got into a given space, as, according to the
old system, this being effected by fitting the frames one within the other,
allowing sufficient space in the outer frames for the transverse traverse of the
inner ones. The bars, upon which the needles are fixed, are carried or guided
upou vertical pins standing up from the bottom bars of the frames, and the
pins of the outer frames pass up through slots or cut away portions in the
inner frames. These slots, or cut away portions on the inner frames, are of
sufficient length to allow of the traverse of one set of frames, independently
of the other set, to an extent corresponding to the requirements of the

page_text: pattern. The outer set of frames may be arranged to be worked by means
of pikes or otherwise at one side of the loom, whilst the inner set of
frames are arranged to: be worked by means of pikes, or otlierwise, at
one side of the loom, whilst the inner set of frames are arranged to be worked
in a similar manner from the other side of the loom. By these means,
a single set of inner frames being used within the outer frames, frames
of twice the number, or of double the thickness of those ordinarily employed,
may be used in a given width or space; but it will be obvious to the practical
lappet weaver, that by introducing a third set of frames within the first and
second sets, facilities will be afforded for the employment of a still greater
number of frames. The system herein described may in fact be worked out
to as great an extent as expedience and convenience of construction will
admit.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I have
hereunto appended and shall now proceed to describe a Sheet of explanatory
Drawings showing one mode of working out my Invention in practice.
Figure 1, on the Sheet of Drawings, is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a
front elevation, of a lappet loom as arranged according to my improved system;
Figure 3 is a vertical section through the reed and needle frames; Figure 4
is a frout elevation of a fragment of the lathe and needle frames; and Figures
5 and 6 are plans, looking down on the needle frames, portions being broken
away in both views to shew details which would otherwise be covered. These
four Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are drawn to an enlarged scale.
The general arrangement of the class of loom to which my Invention has
reference being well understood by practical lappet weavers, it will be unneces-
sary for me to particularise any parts beyond those to which I shall require to
make reference in explaining the mode of carrying out or applying my
Invention.
In the loom represented in the Drawings, eight frames A, B, are used for
giving transverse movements to as many bars C, fitted with vertical needles D,
which work the whip threads E into the fabric in the usual manner. These
frames are in two sets of four cach, the four frames A being larger than and
external to the four frames B, both sets, however, occupying the same width
or thickness upon the lathe. These eight frames are supported with their
upper bars in a groove or space in the lathe handle F, and running upon small
wheels therein, and with their lower bars upon wheels G, carried by the lower
portions of the side pieces II of the lathe. The needle bars C of both sets of
frames are on the same level, and when in their lowest position rest just above
the lower bars of the inner frames B; these bars may be raised by means of any

page_text: of the arrangements in use for that purpose, the lifting cords I in the present
instance being attached to hooked pieces J, which are lifted by levers K, actuated
by means of cords e attached to bars f fixed upon the lathe swords H, the back-
ward movement of the lathe causing the clevation of the levers K. The
needle bars C, appertaining to the inside frames B, are placed upon guiding
pins fast on these frames in the usual manner. The needle bars appertaining
to the outer frames A are connected to these frames in a similar manner, being
carried upon long pins or spikes L, which pass up by the sides of the frames B,
recesses being cut in the sides of the latter for that purpose, and so as to allow
of transverse play or motion between the two frames. The pins L are formed
with shoulders just above the level of the frames P, for the needle bars C to
rest upon. These shoulders are only made to project the long way of the
frames, so that they do not take up any greater width than the upper parts of
the pins upon which the bars C slide. These bars C being very thin, the
holes through which the pins of the frames A and B pass are defended both
above and below by metal plates M, as seen best in Figure 5, these plates
also allowing the bars to slide more freely upon the pins. The bar C may,
however, be made of any suitable material, such as gutta percha or metal, in
which last case the plates M will not be required. The transverse movement of
the frames for producing the lappet pattern inay be regulated by a single lappet
wheel for all the eight frames. In the Drawings, however, I have represented
two lappet wheels N, O, as in use, one N serving to regulate the movements of
the outer frames A, whilst the other O regulates the movements of the inner
frames B. This regulating action takes place in the usual manner by means
of grooves cut on the faces of the wheels, each frame being furnished with a
pike or finger P, which lies in a groove appropriated to it on one of the wheels
N, O. As the frames are shifted from side to side, the various widths of the
grooves at the parts then acting upon the pikes cause the shifts to take place
across greater or smaller spaces, according to the pattern. The frames may be
shifted transversely, either by hand in the ordinary manner by means of the
hand sliding piece Q and the usual combination of cords and pulleys, or as
represented in the Drawings, by means of a similar arrangement of cords and
pulleys, actuated by means of a treadle movement. Thus, cords R are attached
to each end of each frame A, B, and are passed round pulleys S, carried by the
side pieces or swords H of the lathe, being directed thence up to sets of
blocks T. A single cord is attached to each adjacent couple of frames, the
cord passing round the pulley in the block T, so that when one frame of any
couple has, to shift further than the other the pulley action compensates for it;
and in this manner there is a block T at each side for each couple of frames,

page_text: or eight blocks I m all. A cord U from one block T passes round a pulley
in the end of a lever V, carried on a centre fixed to the framing of the loom,
the pulley and cord action also in this case compensating for any difference of
shift that the two blocks T, connected together in this manner, have to make.
In this manner the several blocks T are connected together in couples to the
four levers V, and it will be obvious that by suitably actuating these levers V,
the required transverse movements can be imparted to the frames, A, B. The
levers V are weighted, and as those on opposite sides of the loom act upon
the frames in opposite directions, they will keep the parts in a state of equi-
librium, and in mid-position, when not acted upon by the treadles. The
connection with the treadles is by means of the cross levers W, connected by
cords to the levers X, which are connected to the cross levers or marches Y,
these last being connected to the treadles Z. These connections are so arranged
that the inner frames B can be worked independently of the outer frames A, as
in many patterns the portions of the pattern worked by one set of frames occurs
at intervals between the portions of the pattern worked by the other frames:
In these kinds of patterns the use of two lappet wheels will be very con-
venient, as one may be at rest whilst the other is working. The blocks T on
one side of the loom are connected to the corresponding blocks T on the other
side of the loom, by cords & passing over pulleys and across the lathe, these
cards & serving to keep the several cords R in a proper state of tension. The
lappet wheels N, O, are formed with circumferential ratchet teeth, by means of
which the wheels are turned step by step to bring fresh portions of the.
to act on the pikes of the frames as the weaving goes on. This turning of the
wheel is effected by means of a slide a, carrying a spring catch or pall, which
acts upon the ratchet teeth, being drawn down by the action of a spring b con-
nected to it by a cord. When the wheel has to be turned, the slide a is raised,
and the spring b, in drawing it down, again makes it turn the wheel, which last
is provided with a frictional appliance, to prevent its being thrown round too
far by this action. The slide a is lifted by means of a lever c, to which it is
connected by a cord, this cord being sufficiently slack to allow of the motion
of the lathe. The lever c is in each case actuated by one of the levers X,
through which the movement for shifting the frames A, B, is transmitted. The
lever X which moves the frames A is made to act on the lever c, which
transmits the shifting movement to the lappet wheel N, this wheel acting on
the pikes of the frames A, whilst the pikes of the frames B are acted upon by
the lappet wheel O, and the movement for shifting this last round is derived
from the lever X, which works these frames B. Thus, when either set of
frames is not working, neither is the corresponding lappet wheel being turned.
grooves

page_text: The lappet wheels N, O, are represented in the Drawings as supported in the
usual manner, except that the bearing nearest to the frames is made to consist
of a thin metal plate g, so that the lappet wheel may be brought as close as
possible to the frames.
According to another modification of apparatus for carrying out my Inven-
tion, the top bars of the frames A, B, are dispensed with, and the lappet
wheels are either brought down to the level of the lower bars, or small stiff
frames are fixed at each end of the lower bars to carry the pikes at the proper
level for the lappet wheels as placed in their ordinary position. Or, again,
the lappet wheels may be placed up at or near the axis or centre line of
the lathe's motion, so that there may be less unbalanced weight on the lathe
to move back and forwards, and in this case, stiff frames on the ends of the
frame bars are carried up to the level of the lappet wheels thus elevated. The
cords for shifting the frames or bars may be connected either to the bars them-
selves, or to the parts which carry the pikes, as may be found most convenient.
The needle bars C need not be all on the same level, but may in some cases
be arranged in two or more tiers, the needles from the lower bars rising up
between the upper bars.
Having now described, and particularly ascertained, the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or .carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the system or
mode of arranging the needle frames of lappet looms, one within the other, for
the purpose of obtaining an increased number of frames of a given thickness
in a given width or space upon the lathe, as herein-before-described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Gilchrist, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
WILLIAM GILCHRIST. (L.s.)