IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Shaw, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,'
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR
WEAVING."
Sealed the 4th December 1877, and dated the 12th June 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Shaw at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th June 1877.
SAMUEL SHAW, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
68
IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention relates to the construction of that portion of looms for fancy
weaving which actuates the "drop boxes" movement for changing the shuttles.
The Invention consists of certain improvements upon apparatus for which Letters
Patent were granted to Richard Roberts, Wright Shaw, and myself, dated June 24th
1857, No. 1579.
According to my present improvements, I mount a lever on a short shaft at the
back of the loom, which lever is caused to oscillate by a tappet keyed or otherwise
fixed on the tappet shaft. At the other end of the said shaft is keyed or fixed
another lever having an inclined plane at the top and a horizontal projection or
finger at the bottom which acts, as herein-before described, against three sliding
Above the top of the last-mentioned lever is a sliding frame capable of rising
and falling and supported by a roller or bowl which rests on the top of the lever.
As the latter rocks or oscillates the action of the inclined plane upon the bowl
causes the frame to rise and fall; or the rising and falling of this frame may be
produced in any other convenient manner.
rods.
The frame carries the pegged cylinder, over which the pattern chain passes, and
on the end of the axle of this pegged cylinder is keyed a ratchet wheel. A ratchet
fixed to the loom frame turns this wheel one tooth each time the sliding frame falls,
and thus moves the pegged cylinder and pattern chain the distance of one row of
holes. Each card or link of the chain has two (or more) rows of holes, and each
row works two nicks.

page_text: I prefer to make the chain of cord having the holes for the pegs towards the
outside, and the holes for the pattern in the middle, intermediate holes being formed
for the reception of links of wire or metallic bands to connect the cards together so
as to form a chain. The metallic band or wire being passed through the connecting
holes in the form of a staple, one end is bent round the card between the two holes,
and the other end is bent over the edge of the card in the form of a ring, and
passed through the hole of the next card. India-rubber or elastic bands are dispensed
with.
Over the centre of the pegged barrel are the ends of three bent rods or "feelers'
corresponding with the three central holes in the cards. Two of these are for
working the shuttle boxes, one at a time, and their lower ends are connected to two
sliding rods.
Whenever a blank space instead of a hole occurs in a card, as the frame rises it
lifts the corresponding." feeler" which raises its rod at the other end. The horizontal
projection or finger on the lower end of the oscillating lever above named comes
against this rod and pushes it forward towards the front of the loom.
The two outer rods are connected to the double rack mentioned in the Specification
of the Letters Patent before referred to, and as one or the other is pushed forward
it puts one or other of the racks into gear with the toothed pinion, and thus raises
or lowers the "drop box."
The third bent rod or "feeler" (corresponding with the central holes) is connected
with a third or central sliding rod, also actuated by the same horizontal projection
or finger and connected to a lever which, when this "feeler" comes into action,
moves a sliding cam into gear, causing the toothed pinion to move the rack double
the distanco when required to pass a box, that is, to rise or fall two boxes at
once,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Shaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th December
1877.
SAMUEL SHAW, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
"IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention relates to the construction of that portion of looms for fancy
weaving which actuates the "drop box" movement for changing the shuttles.
The Invention consists of certain improvements upon apparatus for which Letters
Patent were granted to Richard Roberts, Wright Shaw, and myself, dated June 24th
1857, No. 1579.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrativo thereof, and have marked
the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing represents part of the end of a loom with my
improvements shown as applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a back view of the same; and
Fig. 3, a plan view thereof."
According to my present improvements, I mount a lever a, a, on a short shaft b, b,
at the back of the loom, which lever is caused to oscillate by a tappet c, c, keyed or
otherwise fixed on the tappet shaft d, d. At the other end of the said shaft is
keyed or fixed another lever e, e, having an inclined plane f, f, at the top, and a
horizontal projection or finger g. 9, at the bottom, which acts as herein-after described
against three sliding rods. Above the top of the last-mentioned lever is a sliding
frame h, k, capable of rising and falling, and supported by a roller or bowl which
rests on the top of the lever e, e. As the latter rocks or oscillates, the action of the
inclined plane ff, upon the bowl / causes the frame k, k, to rise and fall, or the
rising and falling of this frame k, k, may be produced in any other convenient
mauner.
A
The frame carries a pegged cylinder m, m, over which the pattern chain passes,
and on the end of the axle of this pegged cylinder is keyed a ratchet wheel n.
ratchet o fixed to the loom frame turns this wheel n one tooth each time the sliding
frame k, k, falls, and thus moves the pegged cylinder m and pattern chain the
distance of one row of holes. Each card or link of the chain (see full size views,
Figs. 4 and 5) has two (or more) rows of holes, and each row works two picks.
I prefer to make the chain of card, having the holes p, p, for the pegs towards the
outside, and the holes g, g, for the pattern in the middle, intermediate holes being
formed for the reception of links of flat wire or metallic bands r, r, to connect the
cards together so as to form a chain. India-rubber or elastic bands are dispensed.
The metallic band or wire being passed through the connecting holes. in the form
of a staple, one end is bent round the card between the two holes, and the other end
is bent over the edge of the card in the form of a ring and passed through the hole
of the next card, as seen at Fig. 5.
Over the centre of the pegged barrel m, m, are the ends of three bent rods or
"feelers" 8, 8, 8, corresponding with the central holes g, g, g, in the cards. Two of
these are for working the shuttle boxes one at a time, and their lower ends are
connected to two of the sliding rods i, i.
Whenever a blank space instead of a hole occurs in a card, as the frame rises, it
lifts the corresponding "feeler" 8, which raises its rod i at the other end. The
horizontal projection or finger g, g, on the lower end of the oscillating lever e, e,
above named comnes against this rod i and pushes it forward towards the front of
the loom.
The two outer rods i, i, are connected to the double rack t, t, mentioned in the
Specification of the Letters Patent before referred to, and as one or the other is

page_text: Pushed forward it puts one or other of the racks into gear with the toothed pinion
u, u, and thus raises or lowers the "drop box."
The third bent rod or "feeler "81 (corresponding with the central holes) is
connected with a third or central sliding rod i, also actuated by the same horizontal
projection or finger g, g, and connected to a lever v, v, which when this "feeler"
comes into action moves a sliding cam w, w, into gear, causing the toothed pinion u
to move the rack t, t, double the distance when required to pass a box, that is, to
rise or fall two boxes at once.
•
Fig. 6 illustrates a slight modification of the above, in which the sliding frame k, k,
is dispensed with, and the pegged barrel m, m, is mounted in the fixed brackets o, o,
attached to the loom side. I employ the lever a, shaft b, and cain c, as before,
but I make the upper arm of the lever e as shown at ex, and I attach to the end
thereof a rod k, k, the upper end of which carries a finger which (as the lever e
oscillates) acts upon the teeth of the ratchet wheel n, and causes the barrel m to
turn.
"
Instead of the finger at the lower end of the lever e, I fix a slotted piece g, g,
through which the end of the sliding rods i, i, pass, and I provide the sliding rods
with inclined planes at which (whenever there is a hole in the card) allow the
rods or feelers 8, 8, to fall as the lever e moves forward. The slotted piece g then
comes, against the shoulder marked x of those rods which have not fallen and
thrust them forwards.
Figs. 7 and 8 show a device for preventing the weight of the pattern chain from
bearing upon the keyed cylinder, which consists of a bridge or band x, x, embracing
the cylinder and carrying the chain, the said band x, x, being provided with three
holes for the feelers 8, 8, 81, to pass through.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention the novel and
particular arrangements of mechanism herein-before described, and illustrated by the
annexed Drawings, or any mere modification or imitation thereof, constructed and
operating in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Shaw, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.