IMPROVE- MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Leeming, of North Holme Mills, Bradford, in
the County of York, Machine Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 17th September 1867, and dated the 20th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Leeming at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th March
1867.
I, JOHN LEEMING, of North Holme Mills, Bradford, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in looms for weaving, and
consists, firstly, of an improved method of actuating moveable shuttle boxes;
and, secondly, of mechanism as applied to what is termed swivel weaving for
regulating the tension of the ornamenting material as it is being drawn from
off the bobbin, and also for so operating upon such material after it has left
the bobbin as to produce an even figure on the fabric.
The first part of my Invention having reference to the actuating of
moveable shuttle boxes I accomplish by means of two radial arms carrying

page_text: pauls or catches turning freely upon the axis of the box, and connected by a
system of levers capable of operating by means of cards or other equivalents
a wheel or star wheel made fast to the axis of the box, so as to produce when
desired a change of shuttle. I also so arrange a stop piece on the framing of
the box as to prevent the possibility of the box being turned further than
required; by this arrangement a much higher speed may be attained with
greater durability and precision of operation than by existing methods.
The second part of my Invention having reference to swivel weaving I
accomplish by placing inside the shuttle containing the ornamenting material
and in addition to the bobbin on which such material is wound another
bobbin, which I term the drag or tension bobbin, which is so arranged that
the silk or other material may be passed partly or several times round it,
according as the tension is desired; and also after the silk or other material
has left the drag or tension bobbin I cause it to pass through an eye in the
shuttle and afterwards through a guide (made fast in the shuttle and raised
by a spring), and thence to the figure or design desired to be woven on the
fabric, the guide by the action of the spring upon it having the effect of
keeping the weft straight in the shed and producing an even figure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Leeming in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LEEMING, of North Holme Mills, Bradford, in the County of York, Machine
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Leeming, Her special licence that I, the said John Leeming, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Leeming, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
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 LOOMS FOR
agree

page_text: WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Leeming,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 calender months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Leeming, 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
thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in looms for weaving, and
consists, firstly, of an improved methed of actuating moveable shuttle boxes;
and, secondly, of mechanism as applied to what is termed swivel weaving for
regulating the tension of the ornamenting material as it is being drawn from
off the bobbin, and also for so operating upon such material after it has left the
bobbin as to produce an even figure on the fabric.
The first part of my Invention having reference to the actuating of moveable
shuttle boxes I accomplish by means of two radial arms carrying pawls or
catches turning freely upon the axis of the box, and connected by a system of
levers capable of operating by means of cards or other equivalents a wheel or
star wheel made fast to the axis of the box so as to produce when desired a
change of shuttle. I also so arrange a stop piece on the framing of the box
as to prevent the possibility of the box being turned further than required; by
this arrangement a much higher speed may be attained with greater durability
and precision of operation than by existing methods.
The second part of my Invention having reference to swivel weaving I
accomplish by placing inside the shuttle containing the ornamenting material
and in addition to the bobbin on which such material is wound another bobbin,
which I term the drag or tension bobbin, which is so arranged that the silk or
other material may be passed partly or several times round it according as the
tension is desired; and also after the silk or other material has left the drag or
tension bobbin I cause it to pass through an eye in the shuttle, and afterwards
through a guide (made fast in the shuttle and raised by a spring), and thence
to the figure or design desired to be woven on the fabric, the guide by the action
of the spring upon it having the effect of keeping the weft straight in the shed
and producing an even figure.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and

page_text: Figure 1 is a front elevation of part of a loom shewing the position of
the various parts of the mechanism for actuating the box; Figure 2 is an end
elevation of the same; Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 each give two views, full
size, of the principal parts of the mechanism for actuating the box, and
Figure 9 is a full-sized view of the several parts comprised in Figures 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, and 8 as set up for work.
In Figure 1, A is the front end frame of the loom; B, the sword; C, the
slay board; D, the shuttle box framing; E, the series of shuttle compart-
ments; F, the top rail; G, the card mechanism; H, a lever for carrying the
card cylinder up and down; this it does by means of a connecting rod I and
the excentric J on the tappet shaft K, and at each stroke the cylinder is moved
a step round by ordinary mechanism. To the end framing A I affix the
brackets L, L, on which are mounted two levers M, M, and to one end of each
of the levers M, M, is fixed by a pin joint a vertical hooked catch N, and the
other ends of the levers M, M, carry double or swivel pin joints and connecting
rods O, O, passing to the turning over apparatus, better seen in Figure 9.
Through the series of shuttle chambers a shaft passes on which the box can
revolve, and to one end of the shuttle box is fixed a sock to which the various
parts necessary for operating it are attached.
In Figure 9, P is the star wheel made fast on the sock of the box Q, a
lever turning freely thereon; R, a link; S, a pawl or catch; T, a tumbler;
these parts Q, R, S, and T, together form one of the radial arms before
mentioned; U is a stop piece on T coming in contact with another stop piece
V on the frame of the box D when the box is in the act of turning, and
thereby preventing its being carried too far; W, the lantern wheel, and X, X,
the hammer for steadying the box. The hammer X, X, yields with a spring
when the box is turning, and then rising again it steadies it by pressing
against the horns of the lantern wheel W. All the parts shown in Figure 9
are required for turning the box in one direction, corresponding parts with the
exception of W, and X, X, being required to cause it turn in the reverse
direction.
The action of the various parts is as follows:-In Figure 2, J is a tappet
on the shaft K., giving motion to the lever W at every turn of the shaft. The
hooked levers N, N, are kept out of contact with the lever W by means of

page_text: springs or balance weights unless a change of shuttle be desired, when the
card (according to the direction in which it is desired to turn the box) will
cause one or other of the levers X, in Figure 1, to be raised, which will have the
effect in its turn of lifting as desired either of the lever cams Y, Y, and so acting
upon the hooked levers N, N, as to bring them in succession into position to
be lifted by the lever W, which will depress the opposite ends of the levers M, M,
and draw down the connecting rods 0, 0, and the parts shown in Figure 9, and
so turn the box. The several parts Q, R, S, and T, of which each of the radial
arms is composed, act together in the following manner :-When the rod O is
raised the tumbler T by its own weight rests upon the stop V on the frame,
and when the rod descends the first action is to bring the pawl or catch S
down into the teeth of the star wheel P; then as the movement continues the
tumbler T travels with the lever Q, and carries the shuttle box round until
the stop U on the tumbler comes against the stop V. The lever W is made
with a spring end, as is shown, so that if by any possibility the hooked
levers N, N, should be taken hold of by the lever W the spring will yield
and so prevent any breakage.
The second part of my Invention having reference to the tension of the
ornamenting material used in swivel weaving is illustrated and explained by
reference to Figure 10, which is an end view of the hand rail of a loom and
shuttle arrangement; Figure 11, a sectional view of an enlarged shuttle;
Figure 12, a plan view of shuttle; Figure 13 and 13A, the brake bobbin,
partly in section; Figure 14, a front elevation of slay board and hand rail
showing the carriers for the swivel shuttles, but the shuttles themselves are
omitted; and Figure 15 is an arrangement for imparting the required motion
to the rocking bar E.
In Figure 10, A is the hand rail; B, the frame carrying the swivel shuttles;
C, C, with their pins C¹ and C¹ are drivers for the shuttle D, the bars C, C,
are moved endwise on the batten in any convenient manner, and as heretofore
practised, and the fingers C, C', then push the shuttles from one shuttle
holder H to another, and through the sheds which are formed in the intervals
between them; these sheds are opened wider than the shed for the ordinary
shuttle, which is thrown from side to side of the loom, the ordinary shed being
formed as is usual below the level of the figuring shuttles and their holders;
E is the rocking bar; F, a depresser for lifting wire G; H, the shuttle carrier;
I, the material used for ornamentation; J, is a cord for operating the rocking
bar E, which when lifted will have the effect of placing F, G, and I in the
position shown by dotted lines.

page_text: the silk or other
In Figure 12 it
In Figure 11, D is the shuttle; G, the lifting wire;
material; K, the supply bobbin; L, the brake bobbin.
will be seen the bobbin rotates in centres M, M, one fixed and the other
having a spring which is capable of being adjusted by means of a nut. The
lifting wire G is held in position by a wire on which it is free to turn, and
around the wire is coiled a spring N, one end of which is fixed in the shuttle
and the other end passed through the lifting wire G at O, which has the
effect of raising the said wire G. The tension bobbin L, as seen in Figure 13,
is composed of two parts, one part P is made fast in the shuttle and the other
part L is made to receive a spring, and is free to move upon a wire which
passes through it, the pin projection Q fits into the holes on the part P and is
held there by the pressure of the spring R, Figure 12. It will be evident
that by turning the brake bobbin L partly round any desired tension may be
had, and also that the lifting wire G may be regulated by turning the spring N
in Figure 12. The relative position of the various parts during the time of
making those portions of the cloth where the swivel figure is not introduced will
be as shown in Figure 10, and when the swivel figure is being inserted the
cord J will be drawn and the depresser F will descend upon the lifting bar G,
and hold it as shown by dotted lines until the shuttle has passed through its
shed, when it will be instantly released and ascend to its normal position,
taking with it the silk or other material I, and so produces an even figure;
the depressers F ascend and descend between each traverse of the swivel
shuttles. In Figure 14 the position of the rocking bar E and the draw
cord J is more clearly shown, also a spring S for raising the rocking bar
when released by the draw cord. In Figure 15, T is a bracket made fast to
the gauntry U, having a lever V mounted upon a stud to which the draw
cord J is attached; W is a sliding rod working in bearings X, X, and held
in position by a spring Y. On the sliding rod W is made fast a lever with
a finger Z, which is held by the spring Y out of contact with the lever V, to
which the draw cord J is attached during such time as the cloth is being
produced, where the swivel figure is not introduced, but when the swivel
figure is being woven, the cord Z³ will overcome the spring Y and drawing
the sliding rod W with its lever and finger Z into contact with the lever V,
and so operate the cord J. Continuous oscillating motion is imparted to
the sliding bar W by the lever Z, and the connecting. rod Z³ from a tappet
on the crank shaft of the loom, which I have not thought it necessary to
show.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim as respects
the first part of my Invention is the giving motion to the shuttle box by
means of radial arms receiving their motion from cards or equivalent instru-
ments, such arms carrying pawls or catches and being limited in their motions
by stops, as described.
I claim as respects the second part of my Invention the arrangement of
the swivel shuttle with its friction bobbin and lifting wire to be acted on by
the depresser, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Leeming, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN LEEMING. (L.B.)