Improvement in the Manufacture of Ladder Tapes for Venetian Blinds.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 18th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Manufacture of Ladder Tapes for Venetian
Blinds.
THOMAS FRENCH Smallware Manufacturer Dyer Street Mill Chester Road
Hulme Manchester do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The "improvement" consists in the reduction of the number of "lifts" in the
machine now used, causing less friction on the material, thus making better and
producing more work in the same given time.
&
A Jacquard machine hook of which there are 16 in a row. B straight chain of
which there are 8 in one row. C slack chain of which there are 8 in one row,
there is one chain connected to each hook, arranged alternately, one straight &
one slack. D is a cord attached to each slack chain to prevent them getting
entangled.
E one of 8 jacks which are mounted one level & I connect 2 chains to each
jack, one straight & one slack, & when the said jacks are operated on by the
machine hooks & chains each jack lifts two different heights, & by this means
I can lift or sink the heald shafts which forms the cross-tapes 2 different heights
as they are required to.
F. wires connected to jacks & heald shafts for lifting the said shafts. G. wires
connected to jacks below at one end, the other end of jack connected to healds
below for sinking the said heald shafts.
H two sets of jacks of 4 each with iron weights attached for balancing heald
shafts.
I a rising heald shaft for carrying the warp threads which form the cross-tapes.
Ja sinking heald shaft for warp threads.
K two sets of jacks of 4 mounted below & connected by wires to jacks above for
sinking the said heald shafts.
Having described the working of the heald shafts for weaving the straps
or cross tapes into the broad cloth, I would show that with my improvement it
is necessary to lift only 2 shafts in completing the cross-tapes, thus reducing
the lifts by 80 in making 4 inches of cloth, thereby causing less friction on the
material.
August 25th 1804
THOMAS FRENCH,
Dyer Street Mill, Chester Road, Hulme, Manchester.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
5 Improvement in the Manufacture of Ladder Tapes for Venetian
Blinds.
THOMAS FRENCH Smallware Manufacturer Dyer Street Mill Chester Road
Hulme Manchester 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 :—
My invention relates to ladder tape looms for weaving ladder tapes for Venetian

page_text: blinds, and has for its object to lessen the movements of shafts used in weaving the
cross straps or tapes into the broad cloth or web, and so reduce the friction on the
warp threads and prevent their being thinned or weakened as heretofore.
Hitherto it has been the custom to raise four heald shafts in the weaving-in of
a cross tape, and my invention consists essentially in operating two heald shafts
only for that purpose, and thus effecting a saving of some 80 lifts in about 4 inches
of cloth.
On Sheet One of the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 illustrates the respective warp threads of a ladder tape and the position
of the heald shafts for weaving in the cross tapes.
Fig. 2 illustrates a small length of a ladder tape.
(A), (B), (C) and (D) represent the four heald shafts for weaving the cross
tapes of which only (A) and (C), or (B) and (D) rise or fall at the same time in
weaving the two cross tapes (E) and (F) (see Fig. 2).
In weaving said cross tapes the eyes of the heald shaft (A) fall to the point (1)
and carry with them one half the warp threads of a cross tape. Simultaneously
the eyes of the heald shaft (C) carrying half the warp threads of the other tape
rises to the point (2) so forming two sheds for the shuttles (G) and (H). These
heald shafts having been lowered to their normal position the heald shafts (B).
and (D) rise and fall and so the tapes are woven.
To now effect the "weaving in" of the cross tapes into the top and bottom
webs (1) and (J) of the tape proper the Jacquard hooks by an arrangement of
tight and slack chains are arranged to raise the heald shali (A) until the warp
threads it carries reach the point (3), the warp threads carried by heald shaft (B)
being simultaneously raised to the point (4) so combining with the threads of the
web (I) and by the subsequent up and down movements of the beald shafts
becoming interwoven with such web. The "weaving-in of the tape into the top
web having been effected, the healds are lowered and the operation is repeated
in respect of the bottom web (J), the two shafts (C) and (D) which weave the
other cross tape not taking part until they require to weave in their particular
tape.
Hitherto the entire set of heald shafts were raised or lowered at the same time
with a view to keeping the warp threads clear of the shuttle (II), but by raising
and lowering the shafts (A) and (B) in the manner aforesaid it is not necessary
to raise the shafts (C) and (D), or vice-versa, which are accordingly allowed
to remain stationary by blanks instead of holes being formed in the Jacquard
pattern card.
On Sheet 2 Fig. 3 illustrate a front view of the heald shafts and the means
for operating them.
A is a Jacquard hook of which there are 16 side by side, (B) and (C) tight and slack
chains of which there is one set for each heald lifting jack (E), and a separate
Jacquard book for each chain for effecting the aforesaid differences in the height to
which the healds are raised for weaving in the cross tapes.
(D) is an elastic cord to prevent the chains getting entangled. (E) is a jack of
which there are eight in a row, and every-other-one connected by a pair of cords (F)
to a heald shalt (1), the intermediate jacks being connected by cords (G) to the
lever jacks (K) which in turn are connected to the heald shafts (J) by the
cords (L).
To retain the heald shafts in a central position (half way up and half way down)
the shafts are balanced by lever jacks (H).
For the purpose of shewing the heald shafts more clearly they are shewn at
different elevations, but normally they are at one height.
Having thus 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
In the "weaving in" of the stays or cross tapes of ladder tapes for Venetian

page_text: blinds the raising or lowering of two heald shafts only as and for the purposes
herein before described.
Dated this 15th day of May 1895.
THOMAS FRENCH,
Dyer Street Mill, Chester Road, Hulme, Manchester.