IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING RIBBONS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Christoph Socin, of the Firm of Messieurs Wahl and
Socin, of Bâle, in the Republic of Switzerland, and of No. 2, Thavies
Inn, Holborn, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING RIBBONS."
Sealed the 6th April 1863, and dated the 12th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Christoph Socin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
November 1862.
I, CHRISTOPH SOCIN, of the Firm of Messieurs Wahl and Socin, of Båle,
in the Republic of Switzerland, and of. No. 2, Thavies Inn, Holborn, in the
City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING RIBBONS," to be as follows :-
In ribbon looms of more recent construction the shuttles instead of being
thrown as in ordinary looms are moved backward and forward through the
shed of the chain by a rack and pinion motion. Each shuttle is at its lower
side toothed or fitted with a. rack gearing into one or more pinions fixed in
each of the shuttles boxes or frames, which pinions again gear into one
common rack reaching across the loom, and by which the several shuttles are
set in motion. The shuttle boxes are divided by the spaces through which
the chain passes. Each shuttle is sufficiently long to allow of its rack in
passing to the right through the shed to come in gear with the right hand
pinion before leaving the pinion on the left and vice versa. The shuttle

page_text: being moved as usual in a straight line, the distance from one space to the
other is equal to the length of the shuttle, it is therefore evident that the
width of loom cannot be less than the length of the several shuttle boxes
added to the length of the several spaces.
Now my said improvements consist in certain arrangements whereby each
shuttle instead of being moved horizontally in a straight line is caused to
move in a circular vertical direction so as to reach when at rest and in an
inclined position from the side of its chain over the next chain. The distance
from one chain to the next being in this manner considerably shortened, it
follows that a loom of the same length will hold a greater number of ribbons
than one of the ordinary construction. This improved construction of looms
possesses some important advantages over the ordinary ribbon loom. For
making the same number of ribbons the loom can be made considerably
shorter and lighter, or the looms can be made of the same length as hitherto,
but with a larger number of ribbons in each, which, being closer together,
permit of the operative giving the necessary attention to the weaving of a
larger number of ribbons at one time or else bestowing more care on the
weaving of the same number. In looms which I am now making that size
which if of the ordinary construction would make six ribbons, will, with the
improved construction make nine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Christoph Socin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPH
SOCIN, of the Firm of Messieurs Wahl and Socin, of Bâle, in the Republic of
Switzerland, and of No. 2, Thavies Inn, Holborn, in the City of London, send
greeting
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Christoph Socin, Her special licence that I, the said Christoph
Socin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Christoph Socin, 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,

page_text: 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 WEAVING RIBBONS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Christoph Socin, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Christoph Socin, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:_
In looms for weaving ribbons the shuttles, instead of being thrown as in
ordinary looms, are passed to and fro through the shed of the chain by a rack
and pinion motion. Each shuttle is fitted with a toothed bar or rack which,
when the shuttle is at rest takes into two small wheels or pinions fixed at
each end of the shuttle box, and the wheels of the several shuttle boxes gear
into one common rack, which latter reaches across the entire width of the
loom, and by which all the shuttles are simultaneously set in motion. The
shuttles move to and fro in a straight line, and the width of the entire loom is
equal to the united widths of the several shuttle boxes added to the widths of
the corresponding chain spaces.
Now my said improvements consist in a novel construction and arrange-
ment of shuttle frame and shuttles, according to which the guide grooves for
the shuttles, and the shuttles are curved in a circular line, by means of which
considerable economy of space is effected and other advantages obtained.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood, I'
will proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the annexed Sheet
of Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
The same
letters and numbers denoting similar parts in the several Figures.
Fig. 1 represents part of a loom of the ordinary construction in which the
shuttles are moved in a straight line. a, a, a, represent the shuttle boxes
with shuttles b, b, b, the racks of which gear into the small wheels or pinions
c, c, c, shown in dotted lines, and which latter gear into the common rack d.
When the rack d is moved to the right, the several shuttles b, b, b, will move
in the opposite direction, and passing through the sheds of the chains across
the chain spaces e, e, e, each shuttle will enter into the shuttle box on its
left, and vice versa.

page_text: Fig. 2 represents part.of a loom with chain spaces of the same width as in
Fig. 1, but with improved shuttle frame a, a, and shuttles b, b. The guide
grooves a¹, a¹, and the shuttles b, b, are curved or of a circular shape, the
grooves a', a passing from the sides of the chain spaces e, e, in an upward
direction and reaching to or beyond the centres of the next chain spaces on
the right and on the left. The shuttles b, b, corresponding in shape with the
guide grooves a³, a', are, when at rest, in an inclined position which permits
of the chain spaces e, e, being brought considerably closer together than can
be done in the ordinary loom, as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 represents part of a loom of the ordinary construction with short
shuttles and narrow chain spaces, and Fig: 4 part of a loom with the improved
guide grooves and shuttles with chain spaces. of. the same width as in Fig. 3.
The guide grooves in this instance forming parts of circles of a much
smaller diameter than those of Fig. 2, allow of the chain spaces being brought so
close together that one pinion c, only is required between every two chain spaces
e, e, for transmitting motion from the rack d, to the shuttles b, b, b. In Figs. 2
and 4, 61, 6¹, represents the shuttle when passing through the shed and 6", 6",
when it has cleared the chain space and is at rest on the opposite side to that
from which it entered.
The chain spaces or the ribbons in course of manufacture being brought
considerably nearer together in a loom of the improved construction, it is
evident that a larger number of ribbons can be produced upon it than in a loom
of the same size of the ordinary construction, or for the same number of
ribbons the loom can be made smaller in proportion.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which it is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do
not confine or restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth, but what I
claim as the Invention to be secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the construction, arrangement, and combination of shuttle
frames with circular guide grooves and shuttles in the manner and for the
purposes substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christoph Socin, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
CHRISTOPH SOCIN. (L.S.)