CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR FIGURE WEAVING."
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Greenwood, of Butterfield Place, Cropper
Lane, Bradford, in the County of York, Overlooker, for the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR FIGURE WEAVING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Greenwood at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
August 1860.
I, STEPHEN GREENWOOD, of Butterfield Place, Cropper Lane, Bradford, in the
5 County of York, Overlooker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR FIGURE WEAVING," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in adapting a vibrating lever or grife to a jacquard
engine for operating upon the uprights to which the needles and harness of the
loom are connected, said lever being employed to produce a more uniform
shed of the warp threads than heretofore, motion being imparted to the afore-
said lever from the top shaft of the loom.
Another part of this Invention consists of an improved method of connecting
the pattern cylinders to the jacquard engine, which I propose to effect by con-
necting said cylinder to the bottom part of the framing of said engine by a
cross spindle, on which are fixed two vibrating levers carrying by their upper
ends the aforesaid pattern cylinder; I also fix a short lever on one end of the
aforesaid spindle, and connect said lever. with the top shaft of the loom by a
toothed wheel formed with the same number of teeth as the wheel which is
upon the top shaft of the loom, and gearing thereinto. By these means I am
enabled to press the several needles inwards, when the gripe or vibrating lever
aforesaid is clear of the hooked parts of the uprights, and thus I avoid friction

page_text: of such parts. It is necessary with the above-mentioned arrangement to
make the needles with long eyes instead of round ones, and also to make the
uprights of different lengths, increasing gradually in length as they approach
the front of the loom, and in accordance with the angle of inclination, that the
vibrating lever assumes when at its extreme range of action, the intention
being to lift all the uprights at the same time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stephen Greenwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, STEPHEN
GREENWOOD, of Butterfield Place, Cropper Lane, Bradford, in the County of
York, Overlooker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, 'in the twenty-fourth year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, 'the'
said Stephen Greenwood, Her special licence that I, the said Stephen Green-
wood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Stephen Greenwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the time 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 LOOMS FOR FIGURE WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst
others).that I, the said Stephen Greenwood, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly 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 Stephen Greenwood, 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, that is to say:-.
This.Invention consists in adapting a vibrating lever or grife to a jacquard
engine for operating upon the uprights to which the needles and harness of the
loom are connected, as also the healds, said lever being. employed to produce a

page_text: more uniform shed of the warp threads than heretofore, motion being imparted
to the aforesaid lever from the top shaft of the loom.
Another part of this Invention consists of an improved method of connecting
the pattern cylinders to the jacquard engine, which I propose to effect by con-
necting said cylinder to the bottom part of the framing of said engine by a
cross spindle on which are fixed two vibrating levers, carrying by their upper
ends the aforesaid pattern cylinder. I also fix a short lever on one end of
the aforesaid spindle, and, connect said lever with the top shaft of the
loom by a toothed wheel formed with the same number of teeth as the wheel.
which is upon the top shaft of the loom, and gearing thereinto. By these,
means I am enabled to press the several needles inwards when the grife or.
vibrating lever aforesaid is clear of the hooked parts of the uprights, and thus
I avoid friction of such parts. It is necessary with the above-mentioned
arrangement to make the needles with long eyes instead of round ones, and
also to make the uprights of different lengths, increasing gradually in length
as they approach the front of the loom, and in accordance with the angle of
inclination that the vibrating lever assumes when at its extreme range of action,
the intention being to lift all the uprights at the same time.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same_
into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheets of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked

page_text: is will be herein-after described; E is a bracket, to which is connected one
end of a vibrating lever G, the other and opposite end of this. lever works in a
'slot or guide formed in the casting H, the lever G receives its vibratory move-
iment through the medium of a connecting rod I and lever K, actuated from
the top shaft of a loom. The effect of this arrangement is as follows:
*Suppose each upright to be connected to its respective heald or heddle, and the
cards on the pattern cylinder to have operated upon the needles in. the order
'exhibited at Figure 2 (for example), the raising of the lever G will lift the
healds at the back of the loom higher than those at the front of the loom, and
'this in regular progressive order throughout the series of uprights; which for
the purposes of this Invention are made of different lengths, beginning with
the longest at the front of the jacquard engine and loom, and finishing with the
shortest at the back of the jacquard engine, the difference being in such pro-
portion as to cause the shed to be uniformly opened throughout the whole
series of the healds or heddles through which the warp threads pass. In other
words, instead of lifting all the healds to the same height as is commonly
practised in looms employed for figure or pattern weaving, so that the shed
may be sufficiently opened by the back heald or that situate furthest from the
front of the loom. By the above improved, arrangement, I cause each heald
or heddle to be raised in proportion to its distance from the shuttle race; as
illustrated by the Diagram at Figure 6 of Sheet 1, and by these means pro-
duce a more uniform shedding of the warp threads, as before stated.
I now proceed to describe that part of my said Invention which has reference
to an improved method of connecting the pattern cylinder to the jacquard
engine as follows:-L, L, are two vibrating levers fixed on a cross spindle M,
working in bearing pieces N fixed to the bottom part of the framing A, A, as
at Figures 1 and 2; O is an ordinary pattern cylinder employed for carrying
and advancing the pattern cards, the cylinder O is mounted in bearing pieces o
adjusted to the upper ends of the levers L, L. P is another lever fixed on
the cross spindle M, and worked from the-top shaft of the loom by a toothed
wheel as before stated, the lever P is employed for imparting vibrating motion
to the levers L, L, by which the pattern cards are caused to press against the
needles, and retire therefrom as in other jacquard engines. Q is a hooked lever
for turning the pattern cylinder round-one-fourth of its circumference as the
cylinder is moved outwards or away from the needles. R, S, T, are other
levers employed for turning the pattern cylinder O, and cards backwards when
required. The lever R vibrates upon a pin 1, fixed in a stud 2 attached to
the lever L, exhibited by dotted lines at Figure 1; the levers S and T are
connected by their lower ends to the lever R, the upper end of the lever S is

page_text: formed hooked for turning the pattern cylinder round by pulling the cord U.
3 is a slotted guide piece screwed to the lever L, and employed for supporting
the lever S in proper position; the lever T also passes through a slot formed in
the part 4 of the lever Q, the lever T is formed with a shoulder at 5, so that as
the lever R is pulled downwards, said shoulder coming into contact with the
under side of the part 4 of the lever Q, effects the lifting of the hooked part of
this said lever from the cylinder, which is necessary to enable the hooked lever S
to turn the cylinder in an opposite direction or backwards; W is a spring for
restoring the levers to their original position upon the cord U being released.
By this. arrangement, the pattern cards can be moved backwards without
moving the loom backwards for that purpose, as is commonly practised.
As regards the construction of the eyes of the needles D, D, I would
observe that instead of forming the eyes round, as heretofore practised, I form
the eyes long, as at Figure 5, and this is necessary to prevent friction of the
. uprights upon the eyes, and also upon the hooks of the uprights on the lever G,
which would otherwise take place, in consequence of the hooked ends of the
uprights.being.moved through an arc of a circle by the lever G.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "Certain Improvements in Looms for Figure Weaving," together
with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect,. I would remark, in conclusion, that I hereby declare my Invention to
consist in, and I, claim-
First, the general combination of the parts or pieces marked A, B, C, D, E,
G, H, I, K, for shedding the warp threads of looms employed for figure
weaving, and especially I claim making the uprights B of different lengths,
and the needles D with long eyes.
Secondly, the general arrangement and combination of the parts or pieces
marked L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, W, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, for operating the pattern
cylinder and cards used in looms employed for figure weaving, and especially
I.claim the levers R, S, T, 5, for moving the cards back independently of the
loom, as above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Greenwood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand-eight hundred and sixty-one.
STEPHEN GREENWOOD. (L.S.)