IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVERS' HARNESS OR HEALDS, AND IN THE MACHINERY USED FOR THAT PURPOSE
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Randal Harris, of 13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris, Empire of France, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVERS' HARNESS OR HEALDS, AND IN THE MACHINERY
USED FOR THAT PURPOSE."
Sealed the 13th August 1869, and dated the 25th February 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Randal Harris
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th February 1869.
I, WILLIAM RANDAL HARRIS, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, Empire
of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVERS' HARNESS OR HEALDS, AND IN THE
MACHINERY USED FOR THAT PURPOSE," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to healds made with a metallic eyė
attached to two threads or inserted in the strands of a single thread,
and they consist, firstly, in attaching the said eyes at any regular
distances within continuous threads or thread; and, secondly, in weaving.

page_text: such threads or yarns thus prepared in convenient lengths for mounting
in the loom. For this purpose I have invented a self-acting machine
which performs the two operations above mentioned.
For the first of these operations I make use of two spools of yarn
and a box of eyelets; the threads are drawn in two parallel lines from
these spools; an instrument which I call a pricker detaches an eyelet from
a box charged with the same and places it between the two threads.
A slight twist is imparted to the threads causing them to tighten round
the cyelet, and by the descent of a punch the eyelet is then closed
on the yarn;
two other punches then approach and ovalize the said
eyelet. In the case of a single thread I untwist a certain length thereof
sufficiently to introduce a tapering pricker which extends the strands
wide enough to pass the eyelet; the tapering pricker then descends, the
strands are retwisted, and the operations continued as above stated; the
yarn is then drawn forward to the required extent to form a heald, and
by the repetition of these motions I obtain a continuous length of yarn
containing eyelets at regular intervals, which is directed to the second
part of my machine, wherein it is woven into convenient lengths for
mounting in the loom. In this second part I make use of two spools
of yarn forming the foundation cords or pitch bands, and to which
the heald yarn is attached or bound by the yarns from two rotating
bobbins; these two foundation cords are stretched at the proper distance
apart to form the heald, and a feeding apparatus by a to-and-fro motion
brings the heald yarn in alternate contact with each of these cords,
and whilst the said heald yarn is thus in contact with the said foundation
cord the rotating bobbin turning round the two binds them tightly
together. In order that the eye of each heald shall remain always
in the centre or midway of the same, I make use of two forks or rising
and falling levers, one of which (according to the direction in which
the heald is laid) comes down on the yarn and prevents the eye being
drawn beyond the centre; the said lever rises up after the heald has
been attached by the rotating bobbin. The healds thus manufactured
are drawn away towards the after part of the machine by means of a
horizontal screw rotating at the requisite speed.
During the weaving I prefer to work into the entire length of the
harness four small rotating rods or tubes, the extremities of which at
the point of the manufacture of the heald are slightly curved. Two

page_text: of these rods for the purpose of facilitating the introduction of the staves
rotate at such a speed that each alternate heald is laid above and below
these rods. The third for the purpose of introducing the drawing thread
after the heald is woven rotates also at the same speed, but in such a
manner that the heald laid over the two former comes under the latter,
and the heald laid under the two former comes over this latter; whilst
the fourth rod, which is for the purpose of introducing the tokening
thread after the harness is wove, rotates at a slower speed, which can
be varied in such a manner that ten or twenty or more healds are laid
alternately above and below this rod.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Randal Harris in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th August 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
RANDAL HARRIS, of 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, Empire of France, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Randal Harris,
Her special licence that I, the said William Randal Harris, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Randal Harris, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVERS'
HARNESS OR HEALDS, AND IN THE MACHINERY USED FOR THAT PURPOSE," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Randal Harris,
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

page_text: 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 William Randal Harris, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
These improvements relate to healds made with a metallic cye
attached to two threads or inserted in the strands of a single thread,
and they consist, firstly, in attaching the said eyes at any regular
distances within continuous threads or thread; and, secondly, in weaving
such threads or yarns thus prepared in convenient lengths for mount-
ing in the loom. For this purpose I have invented a self-acting machine
which performs the two operations above mentioned.
For the first of these operations I make use of two spools of yarn
and a box of eyelets; the threads are drawn in two parallel lines from
these spools; an instrument which I call a pricker detaches an eyelet
from a box charged with the same and places it between the two threads.
A slight twist is imparted to the threads causing them to tighten round
the eyelet, and by the descent of a punch the eyelet is then closed on the
yarn; two other punches then approach and ovalise the said eyelet. In
the case of a single thread I untwist a certain length thereof sufficiently
to introduce a tapering pricker which extends the strands wide enough
to pass the eyelet; the tapering pricker then descends, the strands are
untwisted, and the operations continued as above stated; the yarn is then
drawn forward to the required extent to form a heald, and by the
repetition of these motions I obtain a continuous length of yarn con-
taining eyelets at regular intervals, which is directed to the second
part of my machine, wherein it is wove into convenient lengths for
mounting in the loom. In this second part I make use of two spools of
yarn forming the foundation cords or pitch bands, and to which the
heald yarn is attached or bound by the yarns from two rotating bobbins ;
these two foundation cords are stretched at the proper distance apart
to form the heald, and a feeding apparatus by a to-and-fro motion brings
the heald yarn in alternate contact with each of these cords, and whilst
tlie said heald yarn is thus in contact with the said foundation cord the
rotating bobbin turning round the two binds them tightly together. In

page_text: order that the eye of each heald shall remain always in the centre or
midway of the same I make use of two forks or rising and falling levers,
one of which (according to the direction in which the heald is laid)
comes down on the yarn and prevents the eye being drawn beyond the
centre; the said lever rises up after the heald has been attached by the
rotating bobbin. The healds thus manufactured are drawn away towards
the after part of the machine by means of a horizontal screw rotating at
the requisite speed.
During the weaving I prefer to work into the entire length of the
harness four small rotating rods or tubes, the extremities of which at the
point of the manufacture of the heald are slightly curved. Two of these
rods for the purpose of facilitating the introduction of the staves rotate
at such a speed that each alternate heald is laid above and below these
rods. The third for the purpose of introducing the drawing thread after
the heald is woven rotates also at the same speed, but in such a manner
that the heald laid over the two former comes under the latter, and the
heald laid under the two former comes over this latter; whilst the fourth
rod, which is for the purpose of introducing the tokening thread after-
the harness is wove, rotates at a slower speed, which can be varied in such
a manner that ten or twenty or more healds are laid alternately above
and below this rod.
In order that my new machinery may be clearly understood I will
proceed to describe it conjointly with the 24 Figures of the accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, where, in Sheet 1, Figures 1 and 1ª represent parts
of the harness finished; Figure 2 a plan, Figure 3 a side elevation,
and Figure 4 a front elevation of that part of the machine serving for
the insertion of the eyelets in the yarn; and Figures 2, 2b, and 5 to 15
inclusively, different working parts, the latter of which are on a larger
scale; and in Sheet 2 Figure 1 represents in plan, and Figure 2 in
longitudinal elevation the other part of my machine where the yarn
provided with eyelets is converted into harness; and Figures 3 to 6
inclusively, working parts on a larger scale.
I have merely divided my machine in two parts in order to facilitate
reading the Drawings, and also to a certan extent that of the descrip-
tion. I have effected this imaginary separation through the horizontal
shaft 1.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE FIRST PART OF MY MACHINE, INSERTING THE
EYELETS, SHEET 1, FIGURES 1 TO 15.
The insertion of an eyelet requires seven distinct operations. The
materials employed for that purpose, are, on the one hand, two yarns
tinted red subsequently united to form the heald, and on the other hand
the eyelets. I will now describe these seven operations, as well as the
working parts by which they are effected. The two yarns above men
tioned are unwound by the action of the machine from the spools 2, 2,
and the eyelets are contained in the box 3.
First Operation.-The box 3 advances in the position indicated at
Figure 5, during this progressing motion a trepidatory motion is also im-
parted to the same for the purpose of conducting successively the eye-
lets to the point or mouth of said box, the construction of which is
shewn in the plan, Figure 6, and elevation, Figure 7. This mouth is
provided with two small bars 4, 4, situated at such a distance apart
that the eyelets can slide on them towards the outlet, temporarily closed
by the spring arm 5; a stop 6 arrests the said arm's progress in the
direction of the eyelets.
Second Operation.-Whilst the box remains stationary in this position
a pricker 7 rises vertically in the outer eyelet; the box then retires
abandoning this eyelet on the pricker, which lowers it in the position
indicated at Figure 8 with the eyelet bearing on the anvil 8.
Third Operation.-A punch 12 descends vertically, or nearly so, on the
eyelet in order to maintain it in the position indicated at Figure 9, the
pricker remaining still in the eyelet.
Fourth Operation.--The two heald yarns 2, 2, are twisted round the
eyelet by the thread carriers 9, 10, rotating in the same or in opposite
directions, in order that the torsion thus imparted does not go beyond
the extremities of these holders. It will be seen that in the one g the
yarns pass out of its sides, whilst in the other 10 at the place where
the yarns pass through its central line, and at the moment that the
twisting takes place, a tongue 11 advances and nips the said yarns, sec
Figure 10, or the same result is obtained by the tongue entering between
the two yarns.
Fifth Operation. The punch 12 then descends and closes tightly the
eyelet on the threads in their twisted state, see clevation, Figure 11, and
then rises to its original position.

page_text: of
Sixth Operation.--The pricker 7 still within the eyelet rises about
an inch, and the two side punches 13 and 14 close on the eyelet and by
their compression ovalise it, as seen in plan, Figure 12; the pricker then
redescends and abandons completely the eyelet..
Seventh Operation.-The yarns after the insertion of each eyelet are fed
forward a quantity equal to the distance that the cyclets are to stand
apart in the yarn.. This operation is performed by the intermittent rota-
tion of a drawing disc, Figures 13 and 14, consisting in a rotating plate 15.
provided with teeth on its periphery, and carrying three moveable
nippers. 16, 16, 16, which revolve against a stationary disc 17 provided
on its inner face with a salient ring 18. broken off at one particular place;
these nippers 16 are constantly pressed by an internal spring 19. against
the stationary disk 17, and the yarn is passed between the nipper and
the revolving disk, where it is held by the action of the ring against the
said revolving disk, so that in this state of things the rotation of 15 will
draw forward the yarn which proceeds. directly to the second part of the
machine; or in case this first part of the machine works singly, in order
to take up the yarn drawn forward by the disk, its extremity is attached
to a drawing pulley 19*, Figures 3 and 4, and whilst each nipper is
passing before the broken off part of the ring 18 its. spring removes it
from contact with, the revolving disk 15, the yarn. thus liberated is then
drawn off by the pulley 19*. It will be seen that the yarn in the drawing
disk is always held by two nippers, whilst the third one liberates the
quantity drawn forward to regulate the amount drawn forward at each.
revolution. I make use of two sliding pins 20, 20, mounted on the
revolving disk 15, and which can for that purpose be set nearer to or
further from the centre of the disk. Intermittent rotary motion is im..
parted to the disk by the gear 25, the teeth of which impart the motion.
whilst the smooth part 25*, Figure 2, interrupts the same during the
required interval of time.
Motion is imparted to the working parts above mentioned in the
following manner:-The machine fitted on its framing 21, 21, is driven
by a strap running on the pulley 22; its shaft 23 by means of the
pinions 24 imparts rotary motion to the gear 25 keyed on the shaft 26;
it is this gear 25 which communicates the above-mentioned intermittent
rotary motion to the drawing disk. This same shaft 26 carries three other

page_text: working parts which are, firstly, a pulley 27 serving to transmit motion
to the pulley 28 forming part of the pulley 19* which winds up the
yarn drawn forward by the disk; secondly, a large cam 29 transmitting
trepidatory motion to the eyelet box 3 fitted on the lever or arm 30 and
which is constantly brought back by the spiral spring 30* by means of
the grooves c, c, Figures 2 and 2h, and its to-and-fro motion by the
groove d, the vertical to-and-fro motion of the pricker 7 by the cam e
on its inside face, Figure 2b, the motion of the punch 12 by means
of the cam falso formed on its inside face, see Figure 2b, and lastly,
by means of the cam g on its external face, see Figure 2*, a to-
and-fro motion to the arm 39 working loose on the shaft 38 of the
lever 31, which said arm serves to transmit the above-mentioned
intermittent rotary motion to the thread carriers 9 and 10. For this
purpose I attach a rope 40 to the extremity of the arm 39, which
passes over the pulley 41 around the shaft 42, and from thence around the
pulley 43, with its extremity finally attached to the same end of the said
lever; thus it will be seen that the to-and-fro motion of the arm 39
imparts intermittent rotary motion to the shaft 42, which by means of
the cords 45 and 46, Figure 4, transmits the same to the thread
carriers 9 and 10. The last working part fitted on this shaft 26 is a
bevel wheel 33 gearing in the pinion 34 on the shaft 1 which transmits
motion to the second part of my machine, and which carries at its outer
end the double face cam 35 serving to close the ovalising dies 13 and 14
on the eyelet; these dies fitted to the levers 36, 36, oscillating at 36* are
after each action of the cam separated by the spring 37. The requisite
motion is imparted directly to the tongue 11 by the projecting circum-
ferential part 35* of the double face cam 35 by means of a small rod
which pushes forward and draws back at the proper time the ring 47 to
which the tongue is attached. The two heald yarns in this machine can
be replaced by a single yarn, and in this case, in order to insert the eyelet,
I first nip a certain length of the said yarn between the tongues 11, 11, of
the thread carriers 9 and 10, see Figure 15, and I untwist the same by
rotating one or other of the said thread carriers in either direction or both
in contrary directions. I then cause a large pricker 7* to rise and
open sufficiently the untwisted yarn to allow of the eyelet to pass
between the same as in the method of manufacturing above described';
the pricker 7* then redescends, the yarn is retwisted by rotating the
thread carrier or carriers in the opposite direction, and the manufacture

page_text: is then continued as it has been above described. Figure 1 represents
healds manufactured on this principle. Instead of using one single
pricker 7* in certain cases I prefer employing two smaller prickers
of the same nature and operating in the same manner one on either side
represents
healds manufactured on this principle.
Instead of using one single
pricker 7* in certain cases I prefer employing two smaller prickers
of the same nature and operating in the same manner one on either side
of the punch 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SECOND PART OF MY MACHINE WHERE THE
YARNS PROVIDED WITH EYELETS ARE CONVERTED INTO HEALDS
OR HARNESS, SHEET 2, FIGURES 1 TO 6.
This operation is effected by means of two movements, to which
are added six other supplementary actions. The materials made use
of are, first, the heald yarn provided with eyelets and brought forward
from the first part of the machine, this yarn is shewn in red; secondly,
two foundation cords shewn in blue, and stretched at a proper distance
apart; and, thirdly, two binding threads shewn in yellow and serving
to attach the heald yarn alternately to each foundation cord.
First movement.-The extremities of the foundation cords 48, 48,
drawn from their bobbins 49, 49, through the stationary spindles 52, 52,
are attached to the arms 50, 50, and the heald yarn brought from the
first part of the machine is threaded through the eye 51 of the traveller 63,
which transports it to a, Figures 1 and 3, at the same moment the
rotating spindle 53 carries it to b; this part a, b, of the yarn is in this
manner laid in the longitudinal curved groove of the spindle 52, see
Figures 3, 4, and 5, at the same moment the pinion 54 turning on its
axis or spindle 52 imprisons this fraction a, b, of yarn and carrying with
it the binding yarn 55, this latter completes one revolution round the
foundation cord and the heald yarn, thus binding them tightly together;
when this has been completed the groove in the pinion 54 has returned
to its original position, and at the same moment the traveller having
already commenced to move in the contrary direction disengages easily
the heald from the groove; the same operation is effected on the other
foundation cord and so on.
I have thus described sufficiently how the heald yarn is attached
successively to each foundation cord stretched parallely at a proper
distance apart, but in order that this manufacture be completed as
required for use it is necessary to take into consideration the six other
supplementary operations, which are, firstly, assuring that cach cyclet is

page_text: placed exactly midway between each foundation cord; secondly, that
the healds are attached at regular distances apart on the foundation
cords; thirdly, that the healds thus manufactured be divided auto-
matically in order to facilitate passing the ordinary staves; fourthly, that
the same facility exists for passing the drawing thread; fifthly, that
provision be also made for inserting the colored yarn or tokening
thread usually employed for the count; and, sixthly, some means of
making known when a given length of harness. has. been manufactured.
Before indicating however the manner in which these six actions
are produced I will describe the general construction of the second
part of my machine, as well as how motion is transmitted to the working
parts for effecting the weaving or laying above described. 56 is the
framing of my machine; 1 the main shaft transmitting rotary motion
to the driving shaft 57 by means of the bevel wheels 58, 58; at the
centre of this shaft is keyed a bevel gear 59 gearing into another
bevel wheel 60 placed below, and on the vertical shaft of this wheel
is keyed the fork 61 in which is fixed a spindle 62, the lower end of
which terminated by a small roller penetrates in the slot of the great
travelling lever 63, whose fulcrum 64 is situated at the other end of
the machine; it is on this lever that the delivering eye 51 is fitted
vertically, see Figures 3 and 4, and it is in this manner that I convey
the required to-and-fro motion to the said eye 51 to bring the heald
yarn alternately in contact with each foundation cord, and from this
lever 63 I also at the same time obtain in the following manner the
rotary motion of the spindle 53:-On the spindle of the eye 51 I adapt
a double grooved pulley 65, and round this eye as a central point when
at half stroke I arrange a half circle 66 the two ends of which are
fixed to the framing by the eye bolts 67, 67. I fix on each end of
this half circle a hook 68, and from each. hook I convey a string, cord,
or chain 69, the other end of which I attach to one of the grooves of
the said pulley 65. It will thus be seen that the to-and-fro motion of
the lever 63 transmits a rotary motion to the pulley 65, and since the
spindle 53 of this latter is placed excentrically it can be easily made
to occupy the position indicated at 6, Figures 1, 3, and 4, whilst the
cye 51 of the great lever is at a of the same Figures. According to
the width of the healds to be manufactured, that is to say, the distance
apart of their foundation threads, I change the position of the spindle 62

page_text: and 85, indicated in the plan, Figure 1, and by red circles only in
the elevation, Figure 2, I impart to the screw the proper rotary speed
for laying the healds at the requisite distance apart, and in order to
vary the said rotary speed and consequently the distance apart of each
heald I make use of change wheels replacing the pinion 83.
Thirdly. In order that the healds may be divided for the insertion of
the ordinary staves, I weave the healds on two tubes or rods 86 and 87
turning in the same direction. The points of these rods where the weaving
is effected are bent; they run nearly the entire length of the machine;
their speed corresponds to one revolution for the formation of two
healds. In this manner since the points of the rods are bent each heald
will be laid successively above and below these rods, as it is shown. in
Figure 1. Rotary motion is conveyed to these rods or tubes by the
gears 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, and 95 fixed on the shafts 71*, 96,
and 97.
Fourthly. For inserting the drawing thread I cause the healds to be.
wove over a tube or rod 98 similar to those 86 and 87; it revolves in
the same manner and at the same speed, with this single difference
that its point is turned in the contrary direction to the points of the
two others in order that the heald yarn laid over 85 and 87 comes
under 98, and vice versa, see Figure 1. Motion is imparted to this rod
by the pinion 99 of the rod 86, which pinion gears into a similar
one 100 fixed on its extremity.
Fifthly. For inserting the colored or tokening thread I also cause the
healds to be wove over a fourth tube 101, similar to the three already
referred to; this tube rotates also and by the same means but at a slower
rate, averaging usually one revolution for forty healds woven or laid;
motion is conveyed to the same by the worm 102 keyed on the shaft 97
and gearing into the wheel 104 cast with or attached to a second gear 105
which gears in a pinion below fastened on the end of the said tube 101.
3
Sixthly. That it be made known to the attendant when a given length
of harness has been manufactured I make use of a bell 106, which can
be fixed at any given part of the longitudinal bar 107; it is provided with
a spring striker 108 so arranged that it is pushed by one of the arms 50
and caused to strike the bell, which notifies to the attendant that the g
given length of healds has been manufactured. I also make use of
the same parts to stop the machine automatically if required. For this

page_text: purpose
In
I unite the bell hammer with a spring lever either for con-
ducting the strap from the fast to the loose pulley or for drawing a
clutch, both of which are well known mechanical contrivances.
case a manufacturer wishes to perform in two operations what the
machine does in one I make use of a clutch 108 serving to isolate the
first part of the machine from the second, and in such case the said
second part can be driven by power applied to the shaft 57.
Having now explained the nature of my improvements, and the best
means that I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practice, I
claim,―
Firstly. The method and process above described for manufacturing
weavers' harness with metallic eyes inserted between two yarns or in
the strands of a single yarn.
Secondly. The machine above desci bed for manufacturing the said
harness and in which the manufacture is subdivided in two distinct
operations, in the manner above described.
Thirdly. The mechanical arrangements above described for regulating,
adjusting, and varying this manufacture.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Randal Harris, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
10
5
WILLIAM RANDAL HARRIS. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM MORGAN BROWN,
13, Rue Gaillon,
Paris.