IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Peter Atherton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
March 1875.
I, PETER ATHERTON, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Manager
for Messieurs Atherton Brothers, Machine Makers, of Preston aforesaid,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention comprises improvements in looms which have for their
object improved means of operating the slay; also improved apparatus
for working the healds so as to dispense with the treading tappets,
treadles, lambs, and irons; also an improved picking stick and picker;
also an improved loose reed motion and improved "taking up" and
"letting off" motion; and by these improvements I am enabled to weave
two pieces of equal or unequal widths in one loom at the same time, and
cach having perfect selvages, and to run the loom at quicker speed than
heretofore, the construction of loom according to this Invention being
equally applicable to the weaving of one piece the whole working width
of the loom.

page_text: I operate the slay by a tappet driven from tappet shaft connected with
an arm to the slay in order to move the slay backward and forward in
place of the crank shaft and crank arms, whereby the loom may be
worked with one shaft in place of two, and dispense with the crank and
tappet shaft wheels, also dispensing with crank arms, and so prevent oil
from being thrown upon the cloth, whereby a wider cloth may be woven
and still be the same length from end to end of slay, as many slay
tappets and arms as requisite according to the width of the loom and the
strength of cloth to make may be used, still retaining the same strength
of slay as if weaving a narrow light cloth, thus retaining near the same
speed as a narrow loom and still weave either light or heavy picked cloth,
as the slay cannot bag in the centre. In connection with this, the slay
tappet, I employ a rack and pinion wheel or strap and block on a shaft
with blocks or similar to the above turned heel shaft to work the healds
up and down, thus preventing slack and tight healds, also a saving of the
heald. This slay tappet is constructed so that when the shuttle is
travelling from one box to the other the slay and heddles dwell near all
the time as they are connected together, thus dispensing with treading
tappets, treadles, lambs, and irons.
:
In connection with this slay tappet I apply a steel spring picking
stick to work along the front of slay in place of working over slay. In
connection with this I apply the steel spindle in front of slay with a
metal picker and a round buffalo picker screwed to the end for to
strike against the shuttle, thus preventing the oil on spindle being thrown
on the cloth. These are worked by steel horizontal spring levers at bottom
of outside of loom driven from tappet shaft, thus dispensing with
leather strapping for same; also by applying the slay tappet and arm
in connection with spring picking motion two widths of cloth in the one
loom may be woven, one twill and one plain, or both twill or plain, and
still retain the same speed of loom.
In connection with the slay I apply a loose reed motion, so that if the
shuttle stops in the shed when the slay comes forward the reed will
come out as ordinary loose reed slays do, (thus preventing the shuttle
breaking the yarn). I apply a perpendicular slide or slides according to
the width of cloth making; this perpendicular slide is worked up and
down an incline screwed to stretcher, so that when the slay is coming
forward there is a small bowl on the bottom of the slide to run up the

page_text: incline, raising the slide against the back of the reed or fender, thus
making the reed fast; and as the slay moves backward and forward the
slide drops by its own weight out of the way, making the reed loose
except when the weft is being near driven up. I also apply a motion
combining the positive taking-up motion and the letting-off motion
together, thus dispensing with heavy weights both at the back and front
of loom, and being able to regulate them (such motions) for either light
or heavy picked cloth without going to back of loom. I first apply a
parallel shaft above the emery beam working on the cloth in two
circular brackets fast on the breast beam; at each end of this shaft I
apply a connecting rod from the front of the under beam lever to the
shaft above, so that as the cloth increases on the cloth roller below the
emery beam, the lever pulls the shaft lower down, bringing the cloth
along with it, giving the cloth more lap on the emery beam, and at the
same time making the nip of the two beams tighter together and the
cloth is less liable to slip on the beam and requiring less weight. In
connection with this lever I apply a brake and lever at either side of the
loom to press against the large diameter of edge of the flanges, and at
the other end of these levers or brake levers I apply a sliding incline, so
when the slay comes forward a small bracket and bowl screwed to the
swing rail below move up the incline, thus pressing the brake hard
against the edge of the flange holding the beam fast, at the time the weft
is being driven to its place. In connection with this under beam lever is
a connecting rod from the under beam levers to a slide, this slide is in
connection with the incline on the brake lever, so that as the cloth beam
gets larger in diameter and the yarn beam smaller the strain on the
brake lever will diminish, consequently allowing the beam to have a
little more freedom, and there will not be so great a strain on the yarn ;
and in connection therewith is a weight lever at back of loom and a
small weight just to keep the yarn stretched the time the shed opens
and shuts. I also employ a block or pieces of tin or steel to construct
the shuttle. This block consists of seven or other numbers of sections so
formed that when put together they form an inside block to bend the
shuttle on.

page_text: the same in order to form the finished size and shape as required
according to the level of same.
As before stated two pieces may be woven at one and the same time,
there being an intermediate picking motion; thus the centre shuttle box
and picking motion may be removed so as to weave one wide piece of
cloth and at any time replace the intermediate motion, and this slay
tappet motion may be used in connection with any ordinary crank
motion in the centre of loom; this prevents the slay in any wide loom
giving way when the slay is driving the weft home to its place, thus
making the cloth equal, as both motions can work in connection with
each other and not requiring the slay being any stronger or heavier in
proportion to the width, thus saving the power of moving a heavy slay
backward and forward.