IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVERS' HARNESS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WEAVERS' HARNESS."-A communication from abroad by Cullen Whipple,
D
TT
Sealed the 16th July 1867, and dated the 4th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
February 1867.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WEAVERS' HARNESS," to be as follows:-
The said improvements consist chiefly in the employment of metallic loops
or links to form the eyes for uniting together the heddles which compose the
said harness; the heddles may be formed of twine, fine wire, or other suitable
material. The eyes consist of rectangular loops of flattened steel wire or
other suitable metal; the ends of the said eyes abut against each other so as to
forn a close loop; the twines which make up the heddles are connected with
these loops in the following manner:-The twines required to form each half of

page_text: the harness are made fast at one end to their shaft and then wound continuously
in long loops of equal length; the ends of each pair of loops which come
opposite to each other midway between the shafts are then connected by one
of the eyes or loops whose ends are brought together to form a close link.
By constructing a weaver's harness in the manner above described all knots,
twists, and loops in the twine are avoided, and the abrasion of the warp threads
arising from the same is entirely prevented. A great diminution is thus
effected in the power required to operate the loom to which the said harness
is attached.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Haseltine, Her special licence that I, the said George Haseltine,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Haseltine, 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
WEAVERS' HARNESS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the sail
George Haseltine, 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 George Haseltine, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
forming a part of this Specification:-
A weaver's harness, as is well understood, is an apparatus employed in looms
for opening the thread of the warp so as to form what is known as the shed
through which the filling threads are to be drawn. In plain weaving two
harnesses only are employed, one-half of the warp thread which is divided
alternately being controlled by each harness, and whatever may be the
number of the harnesses the warp threads are divided among this number
according to the style of the fabric to be produced in a way familiar to cloth
manufacturers. Inasmuch as the function which each harness has to
perform is to raise or depress a certain portion of the warp threads from a
horizontal line and after the thread or filling has been inserted in the shed so
formed cause the warp thread to close upon such filling it follows that there
must of necess" a loop, technically called an eye, formed in each heddle
composing the. ess through which the warp thread shall pass and be
controlled; it is also necessary that in the action of the harnesses in forming
the successive sheds the eyes of each harness shall pass up and down between
the lines of warp threads held by the other harnesses. The varieties of
weavers' harnesses heretofore in general use are known by the names of
"double knotted" harness and "loop" or "single knot" harnesses, which-
ever of these is employed the knots or loops forming the ends of the
eyes are constantly abrading the warp threads, and in consequence more
power is required to operate the harnesses; this required increase of power
in a large mill becomes an important item of consideration, while in weaving
fine fabrics the weakening of the warp by the rubbing action of the knots is
productive of much loss and inconvenience.
My improvements consist chiefly in the employment of metallic loops or links
to form the eyes for uniting together the heddles which compose the harness.
The said heddles may be formed of twine, fine wire, or other suitable material.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
b
Figure 1 is a front view of my improved harness; Figure 2 is a transverse
section between any two of the heddles which compose the same; like letters
indicate the same parts in each of the Figures. A, A, are the shafts of the
harness, and a the several heddles which compose the same.
The eyes
consist of rectangular loops of flattened steel wire or other suitable metal
the ends of which abut against each other so as to form a close loop. The
twines c which make up the heddles are connected with these loops as

page_text: -
follows: The twines to form the respective halves B, B', of the harness are
made fast at one end to their respective shafts, and then wound continuously in
long loops of equal length. The ends of each pair of loops which come opposite
to each other midway between the shafts are then to be connected together
by one of the eyes b whose ends are brought together to make a close link.
Instead of twine fine wire may be used or any other suitable material. The
obvious advantages resulting from a weaver's harness constructed as above
described are the absence of any knots, twists, or loops in the twine whose
effects are to abrade the warp threads and consequently a great diminution
of the power required to operate the loom to which the harnesses are
attached.
Having thus fully described the said improvements as communicated to mo
by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practice, I claim a weaver's harness, the
component heddles of which are formed of suitable twines or wires united
between the shafts by metallic eyes b, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
W. ROB. LAKE.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)