IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WEAVING GAUZE LENO AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hargreaves, of Shipley, in the County of York,
Manufacturer, and Thomas Bracewell, also of Shipley, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR WEAVING GAUZE
LENO AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hargreaves and
Thomas Bracewell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
3rd December 1880.
GEORGE HARGREAVES, of Shipley, in the County of York, and THOMAS
BRACEWELL, also of Shipley. "" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR WEAVING GAUZE LENO AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS."
The object of our Invention is to actuate doup healds by means of tappets in
such a manner so as to obviate the tendency of the loose half of the doup inter-
mixing, or what is technically known as "knuckling" with the warp threads, thereby
reducing the friction upon both warp and doup, and increasing the durability of
the doup healds.
We accomplish this in the following manner :- -We mount a series of tappets on
to the bottom or other shaft of the loom revolving at the proper rate of speed.
These tappets are so arranged that when the doup heald has been raised and is
descending, immediately before its arrival at the bottom of the tread, the other
portion of the heald connected with the doup ascends to meet it such a distance
that the loose half of the doup is tightened; then the ascending portion of the
heald is reversed in its motion, and descends along with the doup shaft, keeping the
loose ends in tension until the same have passed through the warp threads. By
this means the loose half of the doup is brought to the proper tension before it
reaches that portion of the warp which forms the lower half of the shed. Or we
accomplish the same object by raising that portion of the warp which forms the
lower half of the shed such a distance as to be quite clear of the eye of the doup
before the loose half reaches it, which produces exactly the same effect as the
previously described method.
Our object can also be accomplished by the jacquard and dobby used in con-
junction with the arrangement of tappets before mentioned.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Hargreaves and Thomas Bracewell in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd June 1881.
AND
GEORGE HARGREAVES, of Shipley, in the County of York, and THOMAS-
BRACEWELL, also of Shipley. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
APPARATUS FOR WEAVING GAUZE LENO AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS."
<
The object of our Invention is to actuate doup healds by means of tappets in
such a manner so as to obviate the tendency of the loose half of the doup inter-
mixing, or what is technically known as 'knuckling" with the warp threads,
thereby reducing the friction upon both warp and doup, and increasing the
durability of both doup healds and warp threads.
Our improvement can be applied to looms for weaving a variety of patterns
of fabric, the principle of application being the same in every case; and in order
to make clear our Invention we will describe the same as applied to looms when
weaving, say, a leno fabric having five picks between the change or crossing. The
tappets are arranged in the following manner :-
We secure a series of three tappets on to the bottom shaft of loom; these tappets
act upon levers connected to the jack rods and healds in the ordinary manner.
One of the tappets, which for distinction we will call No. 1, is constructed with
four long projections for treading the healds to open the "shed," and two short
ones for the purpose as hereinafter described. The other 2 tappets, which we will
call Nos. 2 and 3, have three long projections on each tappet which are so arranged
that the three projections, say, on No. 2 tappet, and two of the long projections on
No. 1 tappet, regulate the warp for weaving five picks, when the doup warp threads
will be crossed or changed before the next five picks are woven, the warp threads
in this case being regulated by the projections on No. 3 tappet in combination with
the remaining two long projections on No. 1 tappet; then another change takes
place, and so on, Nos. 2 and 3 tappets alternately regulating the warp threads in
conjunction with the corresponding long projections on No. 1 tappet weaving ten
picks with one revolution of the bottom or tappet shaft.
The prevention of knuckling or mixing of doup healds and warp threads in
crossing of "shed," which knuckling or mixing is very prejudicial to the endurance
of both healds and warp, is effected by the two short projections before mentioned
on No. 1 tappet, and which are placed opposite to each other, and when the doup
heald has been raised by one of the long projections on No. 3 tappet, and is
descending immediately before its arrival at the bottom of the tread, one of the
short projections on No. 1 tappet treads the plain heald, the warp threads of which
cross over the doup warp, thereby dividing or opening the warp threads, allowing
the change or crossing to take place between the doup and " slip" without the
knuckling" or locking together of the loose half of doup healds with the warp
threads when the last named healds are descending; thus by this arrangement
that portion of the warp which forms the lower half of the shed is raised such a
distance as to be quite clear of the eye of the doup before the loose half reaches the
warp threads as it is descending.
"
When the change is reversed, that is, from the "slip" to the doup, the other
short projection on No. 1 tappet actuates the plain heald, as before mentioned;
but at the time the slip heald is descending dividing or opening the warp threads
for the change or crossing from the "slip" to the doup preventing the "knuckling,”
as before described.
"
We are aware that leno gauze and such like fabrics in a variety of patterns
have been woven by means of tappets before the date of our application, and we
wish it to be understood that our Invention may be applied for weaving other

page_text: patterns of fabric to that described by arranging the long projections according to
the pattern, and in every case the short projections are set on the tappet to regulate
the healds so that the warp threads are divided or open at the time the change or
crossing is to take place.
What we claim as our Invention is,―
The regulation of warp threads by means of tappets so that the crossing of the
said threads are divided or opened at the time a change is taking place from the
doup to the "slip," or the "slip" to the doup, substantially in the manner as
herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hargreaves, for and on behalf of
myself and the said Thomas Bracewell, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
5. Witness,
JOHN WAUGH,
Engineer & Patent Agent,
Tunbridge Chambers,
Bradford.
GEORGE HARGREAVES. (L.S.)