IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1854

page_text: .12
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hodgson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
January 1854.
I, WILLIAM HODGSON, of Wakefield, in the County of York, Engineer,
do hereby declare, the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS to be as follows:-
J
My Invention consists in certain arrangements of machinery whereby a
sliver as it comes from a carding engine or other source is first divided, laid,
and formed into threads or thread-like substances, which are then placed in
needles, when by the aid of a. presser bar and hooks the threads are looped and
formed into a looped fabric.
A sliver is delivered from a carding engine or other source on to an endless
web, which places the sliver between two small rollers from which a card roller
takes off a sufficient quantity of fibre to make a thread of the thickness required.
The card roller can be regulated to take off' more or less fibre. From the card

page_text: roller the fibre is received on to a roller armed with teeth or gills in double
rows. In the machine I have constructed I have found four sets of gills well
adapted to the purposes of my Invention. One row in each set of gills is
stationary on the roller, while the other set have a to and fro motion imparted to
them across the machine by means of cam shaped guides, one on each end of
the axis of the gill roller. The object of this gill roller is to lay all the fibres
lengthwise across the machine. Beyond the gill roller is a roller revolving
over a concave dish. One part of the surface of this roller along its whole
length has a card fixed on it, and it is caused to make four revolutions or
upwards to every revolution of the gill roller. The card takes off the fibre
from the gill, rolls it into a thread or thread-like substance between this roller
and the concave dish, and on reaching the further end of this dish the thread
is taken by what I term revolving circular shuttles, which lay it on a series of
fingers or guides arranged across the breadth of the machine, which fingers in
their turn deposit the thread on a row of needles fixed in a needle bar ex-
tending also across the breadth of the machine. After so depositing the thread
the fingers move out of the way of the needles. A presser bar now presses
down the barbs of the needles, while a series of hooks set in a similar bar in
the needle bar bring up a thread (laid at the back end of the needles) over the
barbs and ends of the needles, the presser bar moving out of the way to permit
of the thread so passing; the hooks then carry back the two threads one over
and the other under the barbs of the needles; the operation is repeated with.
another thread, and thus a looped fabric is produced. The necessary advancing,
receding, and other motions of the fingers and bars are effected by means of
canis, while the rotary movements of the rollers are imparted from some prime
mover through toothed wheels, which are so regulated as to produce the relative
speed of the various parts of my machinery requisite for carrying my Invention
into effect. The shafts on which the cams are mounted are also driven by
toothed gear. I find it advisable to keep the needles warm during the working
of the machine, and this I effect by carrying a steam pipe or other heating
medium across the machine and under the needles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hodgson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th July 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HODGSON, of Wakefield, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Hodgson, Her special licence that I, the said William Hodgson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Hodgson, 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 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 MA-
CHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Hodgson, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 William Hodgson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed
(that is to say):
:-
My Invention consists in certain arrangements of machinery whereby a
sliver as it comes from a carding engine or other source is first divided, laid,
and formed into threads or thread-like substances, which are then placed in
needles, when by the aid of a presser bar and hooks the threads are looped and
formed into a looped fabric. A sliver is delivered from a carding engine or
other source on to an endless web which places the sliver between two small
rollers from which a card roller takes off a sufficient quantity of fibre to make
a thread of the thickness required. The card roller can be regulated to take
off more or less fibre. From the card roller the fibre is received on to a roller
armed with teeth or gills in double rows. In the machine I have constructed
I have found four sets of gills well adapted to the purposes of my Invention.

page_text: One row in each set of gills is stationary on the roller, while the other row has
a to and fro motion imparted to it across the machine by means of cam-shaped
guides, one on each end of the axis of the gill roller. The object of this gill
roller is to lay the fibres lengthwise across the machine. Beyond the gill
roller is a roller revolving over a concave dish. One part of the surface of this
roller along its whole length has a card fixed upon it, and it is caused to make
four revolutions or upwards to every revolution of the gill roller. The card
takes off the fibre from the gills, rolls it into a thread or thread-like substance
between this roller and the concave dish, and on reaching the further end of
this dish the thread is taken by what I term revolving circular shuttles, which
lay it on a series of fingers or guides arranged across the machine, which fingers
in their turn.deposit the thread on a row of needles. fixed in a needle bar ex-
tending also across the machine. After so depositing the thread the fingers
move out of the way of the needles. A presser bar now presses down the barbs
of the needles, while a series of hooks set in a similar bar to the needle bar
bring up a thread (laid at the back end of the needles) over the barbs and ends
of the needles, the presser bar moving out of the way to permit of the thread
so passing the hooks then carry back the two threads, one over and the other
under the barbs of the needles; the operation is repeated with another thread,
and thus a looped fabric is produced. The necessary advancing, receding,
and other motions of the fingers and bars are effected by cams and excentrics,
while the rotary movements of the rollers are imparted from some prime mover
through toothed wheels, which are so regulated as to produce the relative speed
of the various parts of my machinery requisite for carrying my Invention into
eflect. The shafts on which the cams and excentrics are mounted are also
driven by toothed gear. I find it advisable to keep the needles warm during
the working of the machine, and this I effect by carrying a steam pipe or other
heating medium across the machine and under the needles. The Drawings
hereunto annexed represent a machine constructed according to my Invention.
The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation; and Figure 2, a longitudinal section. A, A,
is the general framework of the machine. B; B, is' a revolving endless table
formed out of a series of thin pieces or strips of wood rounded upon their
top surface and attached to enilless strips of leather. This table is so placed
tlíat the bars of wood lie across the machine, and it is supported by the rollers
B', B; the former B' revolving in bearings on the back end of the carding
engine, while the roller B is 'supported and turns in plummer blocks upon the
framework A. This table receives the sliver as it is stripped from the coffer,
and as the table revolves the sliver gradually travels forward until one end

page_text: is fed into and between the set of feed rollers C, C', the lower one of which
is fluted. D is a roller covered with cards, and turning in bearings on the
framework. This card roller receives the sliver as it is delivered from the
feed rollers C, C', and collects sufficient of the sliver for the formation of
the thread or thread-like substance, which is partially performed by the next
operation. E is a roller or carrier mounted in the framework, and carrying
the sets of gills a, a'.
Figure 3 represents a detached view of this roller, shewing the manner in
which it is constructed. is a shaft, which is placed across the machine, and
has keyed upon it a number of dises of metal, c, c, which have secured to them
in pairs, and opposite to one another, the metal plates d, d, one side of each of
which is planed with a groove or recess. e, e, are strips of metal (by pre-
ference brass or gun metal), which are attached by the screws f, f, to the metal
plates d, d; the inner edge of each of these strips e is also planed off at an
angle to form a V corresponding to the one in the metal plates d. These strips
of metal e have fixed into each of them and near their edge a row of gills g, as
shewn in Figure 3. h, h, are four other strips of inetal, the edges of which are
bevilled off so as to correspond to the V's in the plates d, and strips e. These
plates also carry a row or set of gills i, and are free to slide to and fro across
the machine by the action of the cams E', E², which remain stationary, while
the shaft carrying the gills revolves within the boss of the cams. The under
side of the sliding plate is fitted at each end with a stud or pin, and friction
roller, which traverses the groove of the cams, and thereby gives to the slides
the requisite to and fro movement. This reciprocating motion is for the purpose
of laying the fibres of the sliver in one direction across the machine and between
the sets of gills. F is a concave or hollow dish supported by its two ends
in bearings upon the boss of the cams E', E, and immediately above the gills.
This dish also remains stationary with the cams, and is for the purpose of pre-
venting the partially formed thread or thread-like substance between the gills
from being withdrawn or broken in its passage (by the revolution of the gill
carrier) to the roller G, which is only partially covered by the card G'. This
card G, as soon as the gills leave the dish F, strips them of the partially
formed thread, which it carries into and between the lower concave or hollow
dish H. This dish is so placed in reference to the card roller as to leave a
greater distance at that part where the thread enters than where it leaves the
dish; by this means a roll is given to the partially formed thread, which causes
the fibres more firmly to cohere, and thereby to form them into a perfect or
finished thread. I, I, are a series of what I term revolving circular shuttles,
which are mounted upon the shaft I', running across the machine, and supported

page_text: in the bearings 12. These shuttles are formed out of thin pieces of steel, and
have four projecting points or fingers 1, 1, of the shape indicated in the Drawing,
and shewn in full size in Figures 4, 5, and 6. These shuttles are so placed in
reference to the card roller G, that upon the thread emerging from the
dish H, one of the projecting points or fingers 1 of each of the shuttles receives
the thread, which is deposited in the circular end m of the fingers 7. The
thread is then carried a half turn round by the revolution of the shuttles, when
it is received by a number of carriers or guides K, mounted in the guide
bars K', K.
Figure 7 represents a side view, and Figure 8, a front elevation of the
method which I adopt for supporting these guide bars, so as to admit of the
necessary advancing and receding and at the same time rising and falling
motion being imparted to the carriers or guides for effecting the various
operations which these guides have to perform. K³ is a projecting rod or
spindle, there being one at each end of the guide bar. These spindles are
passed through sockets n, which are also provided with a spindle K', which
is passed through and supported in brackets K, attached to the needle bar.
K is a lug bolted to the back, and one at each end of the guide bar K', and
provided each with an eye, to which is secured by the bolt K, one end of a
rod Ks, the other end of each of which is cut with a thread and secured by nuts
m, m, (see Figure 2,) to a socket K", fastened by a nut and screw in the slot
Ko, in the upper end of the lever K". The lower end of these levers (there
being one to each rod K³,) are centred upon a pin in the brackets K12, bolted to
the framework A. K¹ is a friction roller, shewn in dotted lines working upon
a stud pin projecting from the levers K". These friction rollers work on the
inside of a cam K", mounted one at each end of the shaft L.
Figure 9 represents in half size the pattern of these cams K", which upon
the revolution of the shaft L give to the carriers or guides and guide bar the
requisite advancing and receding motion, the projecting spindles K sliding to
and fro in their respective sockets n. K15 is another lug, also bolted to the
back of the guide bar, and provided with a rod K, the opposite end of which
is tapped through a nut secured to the end of a lever K, upon the shaft M.
K is another lever, also upon the shaft M, which projects upwards, and has
attached to its opposite end a friction roller, which works in the groove of a
cam keyed upon the shaft L.
Figure 10 represents the pattern of this cam, which imparts through the
intervention of the rods and levers the necessary rising and falling motion to
the carriers and guide bar... The thread having been received into the ends of
these guides or carriers is then by them carried forward by the revolution of

page_text: the cam K", and at the same time the cam, Figure 10, draws down the lever
K", and consequently depresses the back end of the guides, and these guides
being supported in front upon a comb o, attached to the needle bar, they turn
upon that as a fulcrum, and thereby the front of the guides is raised, and these
actions taking place simultaneously, the forward motion of the carriers carries
forward the thread, and guides it accurately beneath the barbs of the needles
N, as represented in Fig. 5. These needles N are fixed in the ordinary
manner in the needle bar N', and are stationary. The thread having been
thus deposited under the barbs of the needles, the onward revolution of the
cams draws back the guides clear of the needles, and prepares them to again
receive another thread from the shuttles. O is a presser bar attached to a
number of levers. O' mounted upon the cross shaft O, which is connected
by the levers 0 upon the shaft O', fixed to the breast beam of the machine.
O is a lever, (there being one at each side of the machine), which is keyed
upon the shaft 0, and has attached to its opposite end the connecting rod 0°,
secured also to a pin in the slot of the lever 07. This lever has its fulcrum
upon a stud 0%, projecting from the framework, and has connected to it at its
opposite end the adjustable rod 0, secured to the lever 0%, turning upon a
pin O, as its centre, and carrying a friction roller O2, which works in the
groove of the cam P, separately shewn in Figure 10, keyed upon the shaft P¹,
and revolving with it. The revolution of this cam imparts to the presser bar
its requisite falling motion, whereby the front and bevilled edge is brought
down upon the barbs of the needles as represented in Figure 6, and thereby to
press the points of the barbs into the grooves of the needles, and prepare them
for the next operation of bringing forward the work, which is performed by a
series of hooks Q, fixed in a bar in a similar manner to the needles. This bar
has a compound motion communicated to it, that is to say, an advancing and
receding movement, while at the same time it is caused to rise and fall.
These several actions are performed in the following manner:-Q is the bar
in which the books are fixed, which is free to slide up and down upon the
face of a bar Q, being prevented from shifting therefrom by the plate Q³,
which is screwed down to the bar Q, but admits of the necessary motion of
the bar. Q, Q', are lugs which are attached to the lower edge of the bar
Q', and pass through slots in the bar Q, where they are secured to con-
necting rods Q, attached to levers Q, turning upon pins Q, in levers Q³;
Q' are other levers also turning upon the same pins Q', and operating with
the levers Q; Q10 are rods for connecting the levers Q with the levers
Q", upon the cross shaft R, supported in the brackets R¹; Q is a lever or
arm attached to the shaft R, and connected to the adjustable rods Q, Q¹³,

page_text: projecting from the straps S, S. surrounding the excentrics S', S', keyed upon
the shaft L.
Figure 12 represents a detached view of one of these excentrics, the revolu-
tion of which causes, through the medium of the levers and rods, the bar carrying
the hooks to be raised and lowered between the needles, according to the
position of the excentrics. The advancing and receding motions are occasioned
by means of cams, similar to the one represented in Figure 9, which are
mounted upon the shaft L, and into the groove of each of which a friction
roller takes. This friction roller works upon a pin projecting from a lever T,
(similar to the lever K"), which oscillates upon a pin in the bracket T.
These levers T are connected by the rods T to the upper ends of the levers
Q, the lower portions of which are flattened out and bolted to blocks upon
the shaft T, which is capable of turning in the brackets T. The bar Q,
carrying the hook bar Qand hooks Q, is firmly attached to the levers Q³, so
that upon the revolution of the cams in connection therewith, the bar Q is
caused to advance and recede. The result of these compound motions is, that
the hooks are caused first to rise up between the needles, and then to advance
forwards towards the barbs of the needles, carrying the work with them, until
the loop is carried over the point of the barbs, when the presser bar by the
action of the cams P, riscs clear out of the way of the advancing hooks, and
the work is then carried to the end of the needles, when the hooks again
descend below them, and knock the work over the thread under the barbs,
as shewn in Figure 4, and thereby another loop or row of work is formed,
when the whole is carried to the back of the needles, as shewn in Fig. 5, pre-
paratory to a fresh thread being laid by the guides, when the rising and
advancing motion again take place, the presser bar being again brought down
upon the barbs of the needles. The work as it is formed is wound up on to
the cloth beam U, turning in the brackets U', and caused to rotate by the
ordinary winding up motion U, as shewn in Figure 1, which is set in action
by a rod U, projecting from the lever Q", which depresses the weighted
lever U, and thereby causes the pall U to turn the ratchet wheel, according
as the work is formed.
Having thus described the various operations of the machine in their
proper sequence, and the manner in which the thread or thread-like
substance is formed from the sliver, and then finally made into a loop or
looped fabric, I will now proceed to describe the gearing which I employ
for actuating these different motions. V is an inclined shaft, having keyed
upon each of its ends a bevilled wheel, the upper one of which gears into
and receives its motion from a bevil pinion upon the shaft of the main carding

page_text: cylinder of the carding engine, which receives its motion from a steam engine
or other prime mover. The bevil wheel Vupon the opposite end of the
shaft gears into another bevil wheel upon the cross shaft Ve, supported and
turning in brackets on the back end of the machine. V is a spur wheel upon
the shaft V, which gears into and imparts motion to the intermediate wheel
V+, which turns upon a stud pin in the groove V. This wheel V is capable
of being shifted in the groove Vs, so as to admit of a larger or smaller wheel
being keyed upon the shaft V, in place of the wheel V³, according to the
speed at which it is desired to drive the machine. V is a toothed wheel
upon the shaft L, by which motion is communicated from the intermediate
wheel V, to the various cams and excentrics upon the shaft, and to the parts
in connection therewith. V is another intermediate wheel, (gearing into the
wheel V,) which has keyed upon its boss the toothed pinion V, which imparts
motion to the gills and gill roller. Upon the opposite end of the shaft of the
gill roller is keyed a pinion, shewn in dotted lines in Figure 2, which
gears
into an intermediate pinion V, and thereby imparts by means of the wheel
V10, the requisite motion to the shaft on which the circular shutters are
mounted. V is a spur wheel mounted upon the shaft L, but upon the opposite
side to the pinion V6, which gears into the toothed wheel W, and thereby
causes the intermediate wheel W₁ to rotate, and with it the pinion W* upon
its boss, which gearing into the wheel W keyed upon the shaft of the card
roller G, causes that roller to rotate, and with it the card G. The toothed
wheel W also gears into and gives motion to the wheel W, upon the top
shaft P, and thereby causes the cam P to revolve, and give to the presser bar
its requisite falling and rising motion on to and off from the barbs of the
needles. Y (Figure 1) is a slide upon the shaft P¹, which is connected by the
rod Y' to a lever Y³, which carries a pall Y, that takes into the teeth of the
ratchet wheel Y upon a stud pin projecting from the framework A. Y is a
pinion upon the boss of the ratchet wheel, which gears into the intermediate
wheel Y', and so gives motion to the pinion Ys upon the shaft of the roller B²,
which thereby causes the travelling table to revolve, and so brings the sliver
to the feed rollers C, C', which are in their turn caused to rotate by the
wheel Z gearing into the intermediate wheel Z', which takes into a toothed
pinion upon the spindle of the lower roller C, which gears into a similar
pinion upon the spindle of the upper roller C. The card roller D is caused to
rotate by means of a pinion on its shaft, which gears into the toothed wheel
Z. This toothed wheel is made to revolve by a lever and pall, similar to
the one shewn at Y, Y', which is operated upon by an excentric upon the
shaft L.

page_text: And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the manufacture of looped fabrics from a sliver as it comes from a
carding engine or other source, by means of machinery arranged and operating
in the manner herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings here-
unto annexed.
And, second, I claim the employment of a roller with fixed and moveable
gills for the purpose of laying the fibres in a direction across the machine as
herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hodgson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
WM. HODGSON. (L.S.)