Improvements in the Method of and Means for Carrying, Bearing,. or Supporting Pattern Lags or Chains Employed in Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1896.
Complete Specification Left, 18th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1397
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Carrying, Bearing,.
or Supporting Pattern Lags or Chains Employed in Looms for
Weaving.
I, GEORGE LITTLEWOOD, of 90, Yews Hill, Lockwood, Huddersfield,
Yorkshire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention refers to box and pattern chains or lags made up of pins
connected together by chain links and having bowls or pulleys secured on said
pins in such positions as will actuate the proper combination of levers for operating,
the healds and boxes, and my improvements consist in the method of and means for
carrying, bearing or supporting the chain as the same returns from the pattern
cylinder to the starting point again.
In carrying out my invention I employ the curved bearer previously used but
instead of this having a plain surface, I cast, form on or otherwise apply to the inner
sides of the two bearing arms, flanges or ribs either straight or slightly tapered or
inclined, which extend from the point where the chain leaves the pattern cylinder
or "witch," to the point where it is taken up again by a pulley to raise it to the
inclined tables or frames leading to the pattern cylinder. Certain lengths of chain
are usually supported from one pin to economise space the minimum being
ordinarily from every twenty fifth pin, and the maximunt from every fiftieth pin.
On the ends of these pins and outside the chain links I mount pulleys having flanges
on their inner ends which are adapted to engage with the flanges on the sides of
the lag carrier and keep the lags or pins perfectly straight and linable as they
travel from the pattern cylinder to the front or starting point, while the pulleys ruu
freely on the flat surface of the carriers and remove all wear and tear off the pins
or chain. The suspended sections of pattern chains or lags are thus confined in very
little space, can travel freely from the pattern cylinder without liability of getting
askew and becoming locked or jammed, or falling onto the floor, as is the case at
present, and wear and tear of the chains or lags considerably reduced.
Dated this 14th day of November 1896.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Huddersfield, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Means for Carrying, Bearing,
or Supporting Pattern Lags or Chains Employed in Looms for
Weaving.
I, GEORGE LITTLEWOOD of 90, Yews Hill, Lockwood, Huddersfield in the
County of York, Loon Overlooker do hereby, declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention refers to box and pattern chains but more especially to such chains
as are made up of a number of pins or rods connected together by chain links and
D

page_text: having mounted on them small pulleys or bowls for operating the mechanism that
determines the healds to be lifted at a given time or which brings the shuttle boxes
into operative position. Pattern chains constructed in such a manner are used in
what are known as the Hollingwort' and Knowles and one or two other classes of
looms and my improvements consist in the method of and means for carrying,
bearing or supporting the chains as the latter leave the pattern cylinders and also
whilst returning thereto.
In looms such as those referred to, the pattern chain, when of ordinary length,
is supported by an inclined frame attached to the side or end framing of the
loom and in cases where the chain, owing to the requirements of the pattern being
woven, is very long, it is usual to employ a subsidiary or auxiliary framework of a
curved or inclined character coupled up to the first mentioned frame. The chain
slides down this curved frame and returns over roller or pulley to the pattern
cylinder. Certain of the pins or rods composing the chain-say every twenty
fifth or fiftieth or so on-projects further beyond the chain links than the others,
the projecting ends resting on the inclined and curved bearers or frames whilst the
intermediate pins depend in loops therefrom. In this method of supporting the
chains it is invariably found that the latter-or rather the long pins in same-slip
off the bearers and the chains become entangled and frequently damaged. It is
mainly to prevent this that my improvements are devised.
My invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the curved bearers supporting the chain links used in
connection with the heald selecting mechanism.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of same.
Fig. 3 a cross section of a curved bearer, whilst
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are modifications of the invention.
Referring principally to Figs. 1 to 3 A are portions of the ordinary inclined
frames down which the chains travel from the patteru cylinder, and B are the
subsidiary or auxiliary frames or bearers. These have projecting brackets b, by
means of which the bearers are coupled to supports or legs C the lower ends of
which rest on the floor. At the top edges the bearers B instead of being plain have
formed on, or attached to them, flanges D, which extend the whole length of the
bearers and instead of the projecting ends of the long pins or rods d. of the chain
merely resting on the bearers B, I provide the pins with flanged pulleys such
as E. A pulley E is loosely mounted on each end of each long pin and is kept in
place by a cotter or some such device e passed through the pin. The flange el, or
the portion el, of each pulley, or both these parts, may rest on or come in contact
with, the curved bearers so that the chain will run down the bearers with ease and
with considerably less friction than in the old arrangement. In addition to this the
flanges e of the pulleys and the flanges D on the bearers prevent the chain from
being displaced or becoming locked or jammed. The use of the pulleys also very
materially reduces wear and tear of the pin ends.
It will be obvious to the skilled mechanic that other ways of preventing the
chains falling off the curved bearers may be adopted without departing from the
spirit of the invention. For instance the curved bearers may have each a plain
upper edge somewhat as at present, as shown in Fig. 4, and the pulley be made
with a groove in it to correspond. And with the pattern of pulley shown in the
latter figure the bearers may be made with a central flange so that the flanges of the
pulley could rest on the bearers at either side of the flange. Again this might be
modified by making the flange on the bearers V-shaped and the pulley to corre
spond as shown in Fig. 5. Again, I may arrange two long pins together and place
a flanged pulley on each, whilst it is possible to connect two long pins together by
links H' similar in character. to links H. In this case pulleys such as E may be
placed on the pins between the links H', the latter acting as flanges to prevent the
pins slipping off the bearers B. From the foregoing it will be readily seen that
other modifications may be made.

page_text: F is the ordinary pulley or roller round which the chain passes on its way back
to the pattern cylinder and G is a light framework to support the chain, whilst
doing so H are the connecting links.
The ordinary inclined frames A may be constructed in any of the ways described
with reference to the curved bearers B and for the same purpose.
Although the invention has been described more particularly with reference to
the pattern chain governing the working of the healds it is to be understood that
it is also applicable to the box chain which is of the same construction as the
former only somewhat narrower.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved method of supporting pattern chains, consisting in the use of
flanged pulleys applied to the ends of certain pins or rods of the chains and of
flanged bearers on which said pulleys rest, substantially as described.
2. The improved means for carrying, bearing, or supporting pattern chains
consisting of pulleys such as E mounted on the ends of rods d and bearers such
as B formed with flanges such as D substantially as described.
3. The improved means for carrying, bearing, or supporting pattern chains,
constructed and arranged substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6
of the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination with certain pins of the class of pattern chain referred to of
pulleys such as E or of pulleys such as E¹ and links such as H₁ as and for the
purpose herein before described.
Dated this 7th day of January 1897.
WILLIAM H. TAYLOR,
Agent.