CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS, IN POWER LOOMS. FOR WEAVING
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Brown, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster,.
Overlooker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS, IN POWER LOOMS.
FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 28th February 1862, and dated the 6th September 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
· September 1861.
JOHN BROWN, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Overlooker;. do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, first, to the "check strap" of that portion of the
loom known as the "picking motion," and employed in looms to limit the
movement of the "picker," and is designed to diminish the wear of the
"pickers" consequent upon their sudden stoppage and concussion upon such
strap. The improvement consists in the novel employment and use of a
suitably formed strip of india-rubber or other elastic medium at one end of
the "check strap," and so arranged that when the "picker" comes into
sudden contact with the "strap," the elasticity of the india-rubber diminishes.
the force of the "picker" upon the strap, and prevents the injury to the picker.
which would otherwise occur.

page_text: The second part of the Invention relates to the heddles or harness of looms,
and consists in furnishing or covering the surfaces of the rods between which
the "healds are distended with india-rubber, so that as the healds rise and
fall during weaving, the strain thereon may be diminished or equalized by the
interposition of the elastic substance, thereby rendering the "healds" more
durable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuanco of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Brown in the Great Seal Patent Offico on the
5th March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BROWN, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Overlooker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reigų, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Brown, Her special license that I, the said John Brown, my'
executors; administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Brown, 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, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition, amongst others, that I,, tlie said
John Brown, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 'should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be perforined, and cause the same to be filed.
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months "next and immie-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, tllat I, 'the said John Brown, 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
and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):
"
My Invention relates, first, to the "check strap" of that portion of the
loom known as the "picking motion," and employed in looms to limit the
movement of the picker, and is designed to diminish the wear of the "pickers"

page_text: consequent upon their sudden stoppage and concussion upon such strap. The
improvement consists in the novel employment and use of a suitably formed
strip of india-rubber or other elastic medium at one end of the "check
strap," and so arranged that when the "picker." comes into sudden contact
with the strap," the elasticity of the india-rubber diminishes the force of the
picker upon the strap, and prevents injury to the "picker," which would
otherwise occur.
The second part of the Invention relates to the heddles or harness of looms,
and consists in furnishing or covering the surface of the rods between which
the "healds" are distended with india-rubber, so that as the healds rise and
fall during weaving, the strain thereof may be diminished or equalized by the
interposition of the elastic substance, thereby rendering the "healds more
durable.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made about half the
real size, similar letters of reference being marked upon corresponding parts
of the apparatus.
Fig. 1 represents the shuttle box of a power loom, shewing the india-rubber-
spring forming an elastic check to the "picker" by means of the interposed
"check strap;" Fig. 2 exhibits a slight modification of the same, wherein a
strip of wood is used instead of the india-rubber; and Fig. 3 represents a
vertical section of the healds and beald rods as supplied with strips of
india-rubber.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a, a, is the shuttle box, and 6 the "check strap," against
which the picker c strikes; d is the elastic medium, either formed of a bent
strip of india-rubber, as in Fig. 1, or of a thin plate of wood, as in Fig. 2,
and attached to the check strap, or otherwise arranged, so that when the
picker comes suddenly into contact with the said "check strap," the elasticity
of the spring shall diminish the force of the concussion, and thereby prevent
unnecessary injury to the picker. In Fig. 3, e, e, are the rods, between which
the healds f, f, are distended; ang g, g, are the layers of india-rubber or other
yielding substance placed between the bearing surfaces of the rods and the
healds, so as to diminish and equalize the strain on the healds, and so render
them more durable.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
manner of performing the same, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I
claim the novel employment and use of the springs d, as employed, to diminish
the force of the concussion of the picker upon the "check strap."

page_text: And, secondly, the interposition of india-rubber or other yielding substance
between the healds and heald rods, as herein-before, described, set forth, and
fully illustrated in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of 'March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN BROWN. (L.S.)