Improvements in Looms for Weaving Tubular Fabrics,
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 26th Apr., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by BENJAMIN ARNOLD, of East Greenwich, Rhode
Island, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Looms for Weaving Tubular Fabrics, Covering
I THOMAS CRITCHLEY BARRACLOUGH of & King Street, Manchester, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to improvements in looms for weaving tubular fabrics and for
covering electrical cables and for other analagous purposes. The invention is illus-
trated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1. (Sheet 1) shews on a small
scale a front elevation of the loom. Fig. 2. (Sheet 2) is a sectional plan or top view
of the plate B. with the shuttles C. &c. taken across the line a-b. in Fig. 1. Fig. 3.
(Sheet 3) is a vertical cross section of one half of the weaving mechanism taken on
the line ed. Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is an elevation of one of the shuttles.
A. is a table upon which the weaving and take-up or feed mechanisms are placed.
B. is a circular plate holding the parts which perform the weaving operation. This
plate is supported upon legs B' which raise it a little above the table A.
A series of circular openings b. b. b. b. are made through the plate B. near its
outer edge and a raised rim c. is formed just outside these openings and extending in
a little way between them. In the inner face of this rim a groove c¹ Fig. 2. is formed
to receive the outer edge of the curved shuttles C. A similar groove is also made
in the outer facet of the blocks d. which are raised on the inner side of the circular
openings b. b. for the purpose of holding and guiding the inner sides of the shuttles.
In and between these two grooves, the shuttles are carried and guided around the
plate B. and over the openings b. b. Bars extend across the openings to receive
the bearings of the flyers D. which hold the threads.
warp

page_text: These flyers D. each consist of a base plate D¹ swinging on a pivot D held in a
hole in the middle of the bar . Two curved projecting flanges D are placed one
on each side of the plate D at one extremity thereof for the purpose of catching the
pin D projecting at the back end of each shuttle. Bars D extend upwards from
each end of the flyer plate, the upper ends of which are curved in towards the centre
of the flyer see Fig. 3. Holes 1. 1. 1. 1. are made in the lower ends of the flyer
bars D starting at the centre of each bar below and coming out on the outside of the
said bars a little way above the plate. And at the upper ends of the same bars
holes 2. 2. 2. 2. are made starting from the beginning of the curve on the outside and
coming out at the centres of their upper ends. These holes 2. 2. 2. form passages for
the warp threads E.
A friction roller D' Fig. 3. is placed on the lower end of one of each pair of flyer
bars to receive the thrust of the ends of the shuttles in changing them and to lessen
the friction.
The shuttles C. consist of plates C₁ shaped as shewn in Fig. 2. and are alike except
at their extremities which are shaped like those marked 3. 3. 3. on one half of the
shuttles and like those marked 4. 4. 4. on the other half or alternate shuttles. The
inner and outer concentric edges of these plates C are fitted to slide in the grooves
and in the raised rims c. and blocks d. respectively.
A vertical spindle Crises from the centre of the shuttle plate to hold the hobbin of
filling material (³.
A rod secured to one end of the shuttle plate is carried up in
an arched form over the spindle and then descends again to the other end of the
plate where its other extremity is affixed. A look e. is fastened in one of the rods C
about one half way up as illustrated and another hook e¹ is secured upon a tension
tube placed on the other or opposite leg of the same bar C
A guide hole is made through the centre of the arch immediately over the spindle C².
Gear teeth are made on the inner edge of the shuttle plates C¹ which
in
engage
the teeth of the pinions ff" of which one is mounted midway between each pair of
flyers upon pivots or studs rising from the plate B.
This curved toothed rack on the edge of the shuttle is made long enough to
reach from the centre of one pinion to the centre of the next pinion so that before
it is out of gear with one pinion it will have engaged with the next one and thus
ensure a continuous motion being imparted to it. The pinions are driven by a
central spur wheel F. keyed on a hollow shaft F which extends up through the centre
of the plate B. and revolves on the hollow rod G. This rod is made hollow to allow
the cable or other article to be covered to pass up through it and is held fast in the
bar G which is bolted at each end to the table A. The hollow shaft F¹ receives
motion through the bevil wheels F from the driving shaft. H which has one bearing
secured to the top of the tablo A. and the other in the bracket H projecting down on
the underside of the plate B. A plate or rim I. is fastened to the hollow rod G. near
its top, the diameter of which plate is the same as that of a circle passing through the
centres of all the flyers D.
The plate I. is placed at such a height above the plate B. that its outer edge shall
be just below the hole in the top of the shuttle arch before-described and a little way
above the tops of the flyer bars De Fig. 3. A circular opening A' a little larger than
the circle of the flyer centres is made through the top of the table A. and a thin
annular metal plate J. is made fast to the underside of the table around the opening A¹
with holes j. j. formed in it one exactly under each of the flyer centres to guide the
warp threads.
A creel K to hold the spools M of warp thread is situated under the
table and a bar L. holding tension springs 1. 1. 1. is placed just above the creel to
collect and guide the warp threads E. Any of the feed or take-up motions commonly
used in braiding machines may be used with the mechanism above described, but the
take-up motion shewn in the drawings consists of two upright standards N. N.
fastened to the top of the table A. one on each side of the plate B. with bearings on
their upper ends to hold the shaft O. on the middle of which is secured a grooved
pulley with its periphery exactly over the centre of the rod G. The shaft O.

page_text: receives motion through the bevil wheels O from the upright shaft P. which is driven
by a worm wheel P fast on its lower end, in which a worm P² fast on the driving
shaft H. engages. A spring R. is fastened to one of the shuttle rods C (see Fig. 4)
with its free end resting in a groove in the head of the shuttle bobbin to impart
friction thereto and so prevent it turning too freely. The shuttle spindle is
provided with a hinged joint to connect it with the plate D to allow it to be tipped
out to change the bobbins. A reel S is placed in bearings under the table A to hold
or guide the cable or other article to be covered.
The action of this improved machine may be described as follows:-
The threads E which form the warp of the covering or tubular fabric are hold on
the spools M from whence they pass up through the tension springs 1. 7. to the holes j.
in the plate J ; each hole j. receives two threads, one for each arm of the flyer D above
it. These threads now pass up through the holes 1. 1. 1. in the lower end of the flyer
arms D thence to the holes 2. 2. 2. in the upper ends of the same arms and up over
the edge of the plate I to the centre over the rod G. where they are made fast to the
article to be covered which is drawn up through the rod G. from the reel S. below.
The strands which form the weft or filling T are held in the bobbins C³ placed on the
spindles, C³, one bobbin being arranged to each shuttle.
The strand is carried from the hobbin C to the hook e from thence to the hook e¹ in
the tension device and up to the hole in the top of the arch and from there to the
centre over the tube G where it is also made fast to the article to be covered.
Motion being now given to the driving shaft H it is conveyed through the bevil
wheels F2 to the hollow shaft and to the spur wheel F fastened to its upper
extremity. This spur wheel F drives the pinions, the teeth of which in turn
engage with the teeth on the shuttles C, and thus cause them to travel around the
circle in the raceways going in their course between the two rods of the flyers D. As
the rear end of each shuttle passes out from between the rods of the flyers a pin Do
at that end of the shuttles on the underside strikes against one of the curved flanges D¹
on the sides of the flyer plate D¹ and swings the flyer around far enough to bring the
other rod of the flyer with a friction roller D' within the rango of the sloped end of
the next shuttle which pushes against it and completes the change (see Fig. 2). The
front extremity of one half the shuttles are slopeil outwards (see 3. 3. Fig. 2) and the
front ends of the other alternate shuttles are sloped in towards the centre (sco 4. 4.
Fig. 2.) so that cach shuttle before entering a flyer reverses the position of the bars of
that flyer from what it was when the preceding shuttle passed through it by pushing
one of its rods in or out as the case may be. Reversing the flyers as described
reverses also the warp threads, E and as the shuttles pass through the flyers, the arches
carrying the weft thread T pass in under one warp thread and outside of the other of
each pair and wind the weft thread around the core or cable U. alternately over and
under the warp threads as in ordinary weaving of cloth.
When it is desired to make a tubular fabric like duck hose' for instance a
stationary rod having its upper end slightly tapering is made fast in the tube G in the
place of the core U. The end of this rod is left projecting a little distance above the
end of the tube G and the fabric is woven around the rod in the same way as described
with the core U. and is drawn off by the take-up motion above as fast as it is made.
Reversing the warp threads by swinging them around a semi-circle with the flyers D.
whilst they are held together in pairs at the hole j. in the plate j. and also at the edge
of the plate I. above secures an equality of tension which is not obtained by moving
them directly in and out as heretofore and which latter mode alternately loosens and
tightens the threads.
The positive nature of the shuttle mechanism in connection with the support given
to the shuttles by having their arches rest against the plate I which prevents them
from being cramped in the raceways enables me to apply the great tension to the
weft threads which is required in weaving hose' or covering cables, without
increasing the friction of the shuttles in their raceways so as to interfere with the
speed of the machine. By varying the size of the warp threads or by leaving out

page_text: some of them a larger or smaller tubular fabric can be made, or different sizes of
cables can be covered with the same machine.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention
(as communicated to me from abroad as aforesaid) and in what manner the same is to
be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
--
1st. The general arrangement and combination of mechanism constituting a circular
loom for weaving tubular fabrics, covering cables and for other analagous purposes
substantially as hereinbeforo described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In a circular loom, the employment of curved shuttles having a toothed rack
gearing with pinions and these operated by positive gearing substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
3rd. The improved flyer or warp change provided with curved flanges and operating
in alternate directions by the shuttle mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
4th. The employment of a supporting plate B carrying the curved shuttles C and
flyers I in combination with the plate A and annular perforated plate J. whereby the
desired equilibrium and degree of tension are given to the weft threads substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of March 1887
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicant.