IMPROVEMENTS IN DOBBIES FOR WEAVING FANCY-GOODS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lewis, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and William Mercer Langley, of the same Place, Engineer and
Machinst, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN DOBBIES FOR WEAVING
FANCY-GOODS."
Saled the 23rd March 1880, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, and
the 7th Candamhan 1970
Saled the 23rd March 1880, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, and
dated the 17th September 1979.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lewis and William
Mercer Langley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th
September 1879.
JOHN LEWIS, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and WILLIAM
MERCER LANGLEY, of the same Place, Engineer and Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DOBBIES FOR WEAVING FANCY GOODS."
On the 29th day of May 1875, William Shorroch, of this place, obtained Letters
Patent for "Improvements in Looms for Weaving." Likewise on the 3rd day of
January 1876, he obtained Provisional Protection for "Improved Double Lift
Dobby for Weaving." We were connected with the before named Invention, and
altho' they were good and mechanicaly arranged, they were too complicated and
expensive to meet the requirements of the trade.
Our Invention consists of a simple arranged dobby with double lift, dispensing
with the horizontal motion for putting the barrels, lattice, and pegs into position
for acting on the jackwires to give the lift for lifting the healds, and giving the
pattern in the cloth woven. We make a frame by two side headstocks, and two
guide grates, one at bottom and one about half the distance from the bottom;
these guide grates serve the purpose of framing the two side headstocks, guiding
and keeping the swords in each slott of the grates upright, yet allowing them to
slide freely up and down; each sword is split or made in two halves from top to
bottom, each having one half of the lift. On the outer end of each half lift is a
button knib projecting, which fits into a loop formed in the lower end of the jack
lifting wires, one side and upper end being made in a bow shaped spring, kept
outwardly sprung against the outer side of slott in the upper guide grate. The top
end of such wire has a hook formed for lifting by the upper action of the knife, the
Dinn 621

page_text: other upper end of such jack wire presses against the lack of the guide slott.
A cross shaft works through the top of the two headstocks, on which are secured at
each side a double ended lever, having slotted grooves, into which grooves are fitted
regulating screw pin, pivot studs, made to fit into one end of connecting rods; the
other end of such rods are bored to fit on the outer ends of the knives, so that the
knives, one in each side of the machine, is taken hold of by such connecting rods,
and are moved up and down at each motion of the top shaft. Inside such knife
ends slides up and down a slott made in the headstock, that part of such knife
being made oblong to slide up in its proper position. A lattice barrel of the ordinary
shape is fixed in a working position on the headstocks sides of the machine, which
we work by ordinary catch lever and wheel from the double ended lever on main
shaft. The ordinary star wheels and springs are used for keeping the barrel, lattices,
and pegs in position at every action. The ordinary lever rod cam or crank may
be used for driving the same from the main shaft. The lower ends of split sword
are so formed that by lifting one above the other a saddle with hook or loop for
the heald harness by turning it in a horizontal position is slipped between, then
brought down into a vertical position is self locked, yet allow either half of the
split sword to work independently of the other without check or damage, thus
taking up any number of healds required at each pick.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said John Lewis and William
Mercer Langley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th March 1880.
JOHN LEWIS, of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and WILLIAM
MERCER LANGLEY, of the same Place, Engineer and Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DOBBIES FOR WEAVING FANCY-GOODS."
Our Invention consists of a simply arranged dobby with double lift, dispensing
with the horizontal motion for putting the barrels, lattices, and pegs into position
for acting on the jack wires to give the lifts for raising the healds, as used in the
Inventions named in our Provisional Specification.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the back of the machine with lattice barrels,
star wheels, and spring set bar, dotted-sword jacks and saddles, down with levers
at half stroke, and carrier wheels for working lattice barrels.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing three jack wires up, with adjustable knife
lifting them, the side view of star wheels-spring, and spring set bar, lattice barrel
or carriers.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the machine at full stroke, the catch and
wheel for giving motion to lattice barrels, hand wheel for setting lattices without
going to the back, the sword jacks are up on one side, the saddles are likewise
shown up to contrast with the other Figures. A, A, in the several Figures are the
side frames; B, B, in Fig. 3, the bottom guide grate; C, C, the upper guide
grate; the upper guide grate has three rows of slots to guide the sword jacks and
jack wires; D, D, is the main shaft giving action to levers E, E, and thereby to
connecting rods F, F; G, G, are the knives for lifting jack wires J. These knives
are made with a radial slott I at each end, by which they may be set to any angle
for both border and stave work. Such knives are made to reverse, so that when
one edge is worn, the other may be used. H, H, are knife frame slides, and are
provided at each end with a turned stud pin, on which fits the lower ends of the
connecting rods F, by which they get their vertical sliding motion in the slotts b of
frames a, a; in knife frames is a bar provided to knock down any jack wires that
should at any time stop up; J, J, J, J, J, J, J, J, J, J, are jack wires made at
bottom to fit round a button stud cast or fit on the sword jacks, round which it is
bent, and both ends brought up through the outside slotts in upper grate. The outer
end of such jack wire is bent of a hook shape to fit the top edge of knife. These wires
are made with an outward spring tendency, so that when the pegs in the lattices
leave them they come to the front of slotts in the top guide grate out of the way of
the knife, except when pushed forward by pressure of pegs; K, K, K, K, K, K, K, K,K,K,
are sword jacks, on the sides of which are cast or fit the before named buttons or
studs, whereby they are lifted by the before named bent jack wires. The lower ends
of such sword jacks are fitted into box saddles L, which they lift and hold in
position by a projection inside e, Fig. 3. This projection acts likewise as a guide
for the lower ends of such sword jacks to freely slide past in coming down;
these are cased in such box saddle, keeping it always in vertical position, the
healds are kept level by this box saddle. M is a hook to which the harness is
secured for lifting the healds; N, N, are two carrier wheels which give simultaneous
action to the lattice barrels; O is a hand wheel in front of the machine fixed on.
the right hand lattice barrel shaft for setting the lattices; P, Fig. 2, is the star
wheels, fixed immediately behind carrier wheels, into which presses upwards the
spring set bar R (which is of the ordinary make) for keeping the lattice barrels in
right position during the shuttle action in one shed of loom; S is a guide pin of
set bar which is kept upward by spiral spring, or other equivalent; T and U are
catch wheel and catch, which get their action from and are worked by lever E, and
is regulated by bolt and slott, Fig. 3; V, V, are lattice barrels or carriers ;

page_text: W, W, brackets for carrying shafts for same; X, X, are projections on star wheels;
A¹, driving lever, by which motion is given; B', B', regulating slott for connecting
rods. The lattices, as shown in Fig. 3, are of the ordinary description, and need no
remark.
Having minutely described our Invention, and construction of the same, it will
be seen that action is got from lever A 1, through shaft D, by connecting rods F, F,
giving motion to lifting knives G, G, which alternately act on the jack wires Jas
by the pegs in the lattices force them forward; such jack wires required by the
design peged, such jack wires lifting the sword jacks, to the lower end of which
through the box saddle and harness the healds are lifted. The knife for lifting the
jack wires is moveable at each end, and can be set to any angle required for both
border and stave work. Having now fully described our Invention, and the way
it is worked, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details we have had occasion to refer to as many variations may be made
in detail without deviating from the principle or main features of this our
Invention, but what we claim as secured to us herein is,―
First. The split sword jacks K, K, the moveable knife G, and knife slide frame H,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Second. The box saddle, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set
forth.
Third, and last. The combination of the several parts or any mere modification
of the same, substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Lewis and William Mercer Langley,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty fourth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
TATTT Y WIITN