Improvements in Jacquard Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 6th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 26th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 6th June, 1895
Improvements in Jacquard Apparatus.
We, LA SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME DES MÉCANIQUES VERDOL of 95 Boulevard
Beaumarchais Paris, in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The present invention relates to a new apparatus entitled "The Jacquard-cylinder,
with an arrangement for oblique action" devised to equalise the openings of the
warp-threads in rising and falling.
The alternating movement is communicated to the carriage by means of two
racks attached to the leash-box. These racks engage, for this purpose with double
sectors which engage in their turn with a double-rack firmly attached to a vertical
rod carrying a branch, also vertical, and being conveniently Z shaped, acting on
two rollers fixed to the carriages.
Exactly similar parts are arranged on the opposite side of the apparatus.
In order to secure regularity in working, the frame of the leash-box or lifting-
bar is arranged to be raised horizontally. Its lateral surfaces are provided with
mortices which guide the upward movement of the leash-box. During this upward
movement the leash-box does not remain horizontal. Its posterior extremity, for
instance, rises higher than its anterior extremity. To obtain this result we arrange
on the sides of the mechanism, arms pivoting on two studs carried by the frame.
A slide, fixed on the frame of the leash-box, moves to and fro in slots formed in
the said arms. The slide is secured to a shaft passing through the blades which
carry the lifting blades of the leash-box or lifting bar. Moreover, the pivots of
the oscillating double sectors are not situated exactly in the centre of those sectors
the longer arms being in the rearmost position. The upward movement of the
posterior part of the leash-box is thus more considerable than that of its anterior
part. Nevertheless in order that the side leash-box or lifting bar may, in case of
need, be raised horizontally, the appropriate sector is made reversible.
frame of the apparatus is formed with a cavity in which the axis of the said
sector may engage, in such manner that the sector may be turned end for end, the
longer arm taking the place of the shorter arm and vice versa.
The
The two carriages carry at their posterior ends back-motion plates for the
Jacquard needles and at their front ends the train or series of bars which actuate
the needles of the cylinder-mechanism or device. Each carriage is in two parts
an arrangement which, by means of a screw and nut, ailows the position of the
train or series of bars to be regulated. On the side of the frame of the latter,
are secured the ends of the bent rods which draw with them the back-motion plate
of the needles of the cylinder-mechanism or device, and communicate a vertical
reciprocating movement to two sides.

page_text: A guite piece in which the vertical needles of the cylinder-mechanism are
engaged, and a back-motion plate for these needles, are secured to the ends of the
slides. The cylinder as a whole, suspended on the one hand from the frame by
hooks and on the other hand to the guide-piece by other hooks, also takes a
vertical movement of the same amplitude as that imparted to the guide-piece.
The paper or card passing over a plate is guided by discs, provided with fixed
points or studs corresponding to the holes pierced in the carton-paper. The discs
are actuated by pawls or catches acting on the rungs of a trundle or lantern wheel.
These pawls are worked by connecting-rods. The movement of the trundle is
regulated by a roller carried in a fork or rod; the entire device is called a "valet."
The cylinder as a whole may be separated from the rest of the apparatus, in order
to allow of the paper or card being placed in position on the discs and plate.
The train of bars comprises say 17 horizontal bars, in the form of angle-irons
of unequal webs whereof the smaller web is placed vertically. The horizontal
stops of the cylinder-mechanism engage in these angle-irons and pass through the
eyes of the vertical needles. They are intended to push back the corresponding
Jacquard needles after having been lifted by the vertical needles which cause them
to encounter the smaller wings of the angle-irons of the train of bars. During
the upward movement of the cylinder, the working needles 'pass through the holes
in the paper or card and remain motionless.
When the needles have produced their effect, they must be brought back to
their original position. Each vertical needle that is raised falls back again by its
own weight, augmented by a part of that of the stop engaged in its eye. But
should, from any cause whatever, one of these needles fail to fall, it must be brought
to its former position by the back-motion plate.
By the aid of this arrangement the regularity of the working of the needles is
secured, and the woven fabric presents'no déféct.
By substituting for the before mentioned' bar carrying the double rack another
bar, without any rack, we obtain a simple lift mechanism.
With a view to obviate any default in utilising the Jacquard rods by the
posterior hook-shanks which owing to the reciprocating moveinent of the leash-box
are not pushed back, we prolong the said posterior shanks and bend them down
above the front shanks. They then take their bearing on the lifting blades of the
leash-box, and the interval which separates them from the anterior shanks remains
constant. When these latter, on the contrary are pushed back by the 'stops,
their backward displacement is not interfered with or affected by the posterior
shanks' which, as will be seen, are longer than they.
The shanks being no longer separated,' the one from the other, the displacement
of the grating is thus facilitated.
In order to ensure that the hooks which are not to be pushed back shall remain'
engaged with the lifting blades of the leash-box, we fix upon the train of bars a
prism to which a lantern wheel or trundle imparts a rotatory movement. A lever
with two arms swings' upon the axis, and a coiled spring constantly' keeps one of
its two arms in contact with the lantern wheel or trundle. During the forward
movement of the train of bars, 'the hook at 'the 'lower' end of 'that arm, engages"
with one of the rungs or staves of the lantern wheel and causes the latter to
rotate. For the back-motion, when the, leash-box is raised, the workman operates
a ród' which carries with it a bent lever. The posterior end of the two armed
lever actuated by a spring "causes it to turi on its axis' whereby the hook at the
bottom of the other arm then engages with the rungs of 'the lantern wheel and
causes the latter to rotate through a certain angle, as often as the before mentioned
rod is pulled downwards. The prism is pierced on each face with a certain number
of holes in which are engaged the ends of the stops which are not to be pushed
back; while, on the contrary, those which are to be pushed' back come in contact
with the solid, unperforated parts of the faces of the prisni, and, when the return
movement of the train of bars 'takes place, disengage the hooks from the lifting
blades of the leash-box.

page_text: The last named, trundle or lantern wheel is held motionless at the required
moment by a roller which engages in the space between two adjacent rungs of the
trundle and which is mounted on the end of a spring controlled lever.
The before described apparatus may be modified without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
Dated this 6th day of March 1894
We, LA SOCIÉTÉ ANONYME DES MÉCANIQUES VERDOL, of .95 Boulevard
Beaumarchais, Paris, in the Republic of France, 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:-
The present invention relates to improvements in Jacquard mechanism, more
especially with reference to that form described' and illustrated in the Specification
No. 1751 of 1884, such improvements being devised to equalize, the shedding
motion of the warp threads.
This device is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings 'in
which like letters indicate like parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved mechanism.
Fig. 2 shows in detail the union of the griffe and, the arm pivoted to the frame.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a part of the griffe.
Figs. 4 and 5 represent in elevation and plan, respectively, a prism for maintaining
the needles which are not to be lifted by the griffe-bars, in the manner hereinafter
described.
Fig. 4 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, at right angles to the position in
which they appear in that figure.
Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 1-2 of Fig. 5.
Fig. 6A is a sectional view of the left-hand end of Fig. 1, intended to indicate
the situation of the cylinder of Figs. 4 and 5 relatively to the rest of the
apparatus.
Fig. 7 shows partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation, the mechanism
for raising the griffe, the latter being shown lowered. Fig. 8 is a similar view
with the griffe raised.
Exactly similar parts are arranged on each side of the apparatus.
By means of an eccentric and crank (neither of them 'shown in the drawings) a
lever 28 (Figs. 7 and 8) is moved, this lever controls a shaft 29, upon which are
keyed two arms 30 acting through the pieces 31 upon the eye rods 32 the heads
of which rise and fall in the frame forks; thus raising and lowering the griffe box
or frame G.
A slide J (Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8) fixed to each side of the griffe box or frame G
partakes of its movement and causes the arm H to oscillate round the fixed point'l.
The farther end of the arm H carries in a suitable-slide-way another slide J which
is secured to the end of a transverse shaft; on this shaft are jointed the rear ends
of the longitudinal beams 33 of the griffe (Figure 8). The forward ends of these
beams are jointed to the front of the griffe frame G and move therewith. Thus it
follows that the more, the frame is raised the more the griffe is inclined, the hooks
which remain suspended to the bars of the griffe being proportionately thrown out
of the horizontal.

page_text: The griffe box or frame G has attached to it a vertical connecting rod F
terminating in a double rack bar E which engages with two double sectors D D₁
with unequal arms d d d₁ d₁; the outer teeth of these sectors engage with two
vertical rack bars A A' which carry the bottom board 34. The arms d¹ and d₁'
being longer than d and d₁ it follows that the path traversed by the rack A¹ is
more considerable than that traversed by the rack A, thus the bottom board 34 as
it is lowered is inclined more and more to the horizontal; and this inclination
takes place in the opposite direction to that of the griffe, thus the difference in
the level of the hooks unhooked and carried by the bottom board, increases the
opening of the shed.
The two opposite sides of the framing each carry a sliding carriage C which
slides horizontally in U-shaped grooves.
Motion is imparted to these carriages, when the connecting rod F is raised, by
means of the Z-shaped piece F₁ acting on the friction rollers F, F, fixed to C.
The sliding carriages carry at their posterior ends a return plate K for the
Jacquard needles, and at their anterior ends (see Fig. 6A) the series of bars 13
which act upon the horizontal needles or drivers 24 which in their turn are actuated
by the vertical needles of the cylinder-mechanism or device.
Each carriage is in two parts, an arrangement which by means of a screw and
two nuts allows the position of the series of bars to be regulated. On the sides
of the frame of one of the two parts are fixed the ends of bent rods 15 which
impart a vertical reciprocating motion to two vertical slides by means of the friction
rollers 18 and 19 carried by these latter. A guide piece M through which the
vertical needles of the cylinder-mechanism pass and a return plate L for these
needles, being fixed to the opposite ends of the slides reciprocate with them. The
cylinder as a whole suspended from the frame by the hooks N (Figures 1 and 6^)
and from the guide-piece by the hooks N, also partakes of a vertical movement
with these slides. Thus when the griffe is raised the sliding carriages receive a
horizontal motion together with the return plate and train of bars, this motion is
imparted to the rods 15 by which the vertical slides with the return plate L the
guide piece M and the cylinder are lowered and raised.
The paper or card passing over a plate O is guided by discs P provided with
fixed points or studs p corresponding to holes in the carton-paper. The discs P
are actuated by pawls or catches acting on the rungs of a trundle or lantern
wheel Q. These pawls are operated as follows:-At each raising of the griffe,
the Z shaped piece F, carried by the bar F moves a bar 1 which by means of
suitable levers and springs, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8, controls the action of the pawls h.
The rods 2 and 3 act as a bell crank lever pivotted at 6 and the rods 5 and 8
operate similarly about the point 7.
The movement of the trundle Q is regulated by a roller g carried by a fork or
rod, the whole device being termed a "valet." The roller g intervenes between
two consecutive rungs of the lantern wheel in such a manner as to prevent its
rotation when the catches or pawls h are not in operation. The pressure exerted
by this roller is derived from a spring 9 fixed to the under side of the cross bar, 10,
which unites the two extreme supports of the cylinder. The free end of this
spring 9 is joined by a hook 11 to the end of the lever 12 which carries the fork f,
and allows this lever 12 to be slightly depressed, when the roller g passes over the
rungs of the lantern wheel, as the latter rotates.
The cylinder as a whole may be separated from the rest of the apparatus in order
to allow of the paper or card being placed in position.
The series of bars above referred to, comprises say seventeen horizontal bars of
angle iron 13 (see Fig. 6A) the webs of which are of unequal width, the bars run
transversely across the anterior or cylinder end of the machine, with the narrower
web placed vertically, as described and illustrated in the Specification No. 1751
of 1884.
The horizontal needles or drivers 24 of the cylinder mechanism engage with
these angle irons and pass through the eyes of the vertical needles; they are

page_text: intended to push back the corresponding horizontal Jacquard needles after the
former have been lifted by the vertical needles so as to encounter the narrower
webs of the angle irons of the series of bars.
During the upward movement of the cylinder the working needles pass through
the holes in the paper or card and remain motionless.
When the needles have produced their effect they must be brought back to their
original position. Each vertical needle that is raised falls back again by its own
weight, augmented by that of the horizontal driver engaged in its eye. But should
one of these vertical needles from any cause fail to fall of its own accord, it is
brought down to its former position by the return plate L.
The horizontal Jacquard needles and the drivers of the cylinder mechanism
are returned to their original positions by the return plate K.
These arrangements ensure regularity of working and prevent defects in the
fabric. By substituting for the bar F another bar without any rack a simple lifting
mechanism is obtained for the griffe.
With a view to obviate any damage to the Jacquard rods (Fig. 3) by the
hooks a which are not pushed back, the posterior parts of said hooks are prolonged
and bent down above the parts of the hooks in front of them; they then bear upon
the griffe bars and cannot, when lifted open out away from the anterior parts as
they could do if they stopped short below the griffe as heretofore; consequently
the interval separating them from the anterior hooks a remains constant or
approximately so. When these hooks a are pushed back their backward dis-
placement is not interfered with or affected by the posterior hooks c which
as will be seen are longer than the former. When the hooks a as ordinarily
constructed are lifted by the griffe the two parts open out in the form of a V, and
their rear parts rub against the rods band wear these away because of the
"opening out" above referred to, the friction thus occasioned necessitating the
employment of greater power to raise the griffe. The more the griffe rises
the greater becomes the angle of the V.
When however the bent up ends of the hooks, instead of stopping short below
the lifting blades of the griffe, are prolonged. as above described, these evils are
avoided; the posterior parts of each hook will then rest against the lifting blade
of the griffe just behind the one which has to raise the hook, thus the entire hook
will be lifted by the griffe, the hinder portion by reason of the pressure exerted by
it, owing to its elasticity, on the contiguous griffe bar. Consequently there will be
no "opening out," no injurious friction against the rods b nor any wear thereof, and
therefore the power expended in raising the griffe, will be less.
We. fix upon the frame which carries the series of bars 13 a prism R to which a
lantern wheel or trundle S imparts a rotary movement.
A lever T with two arms
swings upon a pivot U and a coiled spring constantly keeps one of its two arms in
contact with the lantern wheel or trundle. During the forward movement of the
series of bars 13 the hook e at the lower end of that arm engages with one of the
rungs or staves of the lantern wheel and causes the latter to rotate. For the back-
motion when the griffe is raised, the workman operates a rod X which carries with it
a bent lever Y (Figs. 5 and 6) on a pivot i. The posterior end of the two-armed
lever T actuated by a spring causes it to turn on its axis U whereby the hook e¹:
at the bottom of the other arm of T then engages with the rungs of the lantern
wheel and causes the latter to rotate through a certain angle, as often as the
before-mentioned rod X is pulled downwards.
The prism is an organ which is fixed vertically near one side of the series or
train of bars, as shown in partial elevation in Fig. 4. It is simply intended to act
directly upon the horizontal needles or stops 24 in front of it, and has, except the
driving mechanism no other correlation with the other parts of the machine. The
angle-irons of the series of bars are located in front of it, as shown in Fig. 4, and
the particular stops 24 which it operates are prolonged so as to come in contact with
the prism-faces.
The effect produced by this prism will presently be explained but reference will

page_text: first be made to the mechanism situated to the left of the prism R as viewed in
Fig. 4.
The guide-piece M is traversed, (except in the-part immediately opposite to the
prism) by vertical needles, which are not shown in the drawing. On the upward
movement of the horizontal cylinder those needles which happen to be opposite
holes pierced in the paper placed on the plate O pass freely through the holes and
thus exercise no action upon the stops 24 passing through the eyelets of the
needles.
On the other hand, the vertical needles which rest upon the unperforated parts
of the paper are lifted up by the latter, and, in their turn, raise the stops 24 so as
to bring their ends in front of the vertical webs of the angle-irons forming, the
train of bars 13. When this latter returns, the vertical webs of the angle-irons
will repulse the stops 24, which, in their turn, will push back their corresponding
Jacquard needles. These latter, by. means of the intermediate. strikers or
tappets 25, will disengage the forward stems of, the hooks a from the griffe
lifting-bars.
As regards the stops 24, which have been left, unlifted by the vertical needles,
they will remain supported upon the horizontal. webs or arms of the angle-irons
forming the train of bars. On the return movement of the latter, the said stops
will slide along on these horizontal webs, will not push back their corresponding
Jacquard needles, and, consequently, their corresponding, Jacquard hooks will be
raised by the lifting bars of the griffe.
It is partly in order to ensure regularity in the work of the selvedges, etc., that
the vertical needles. are suppressed, opposite the prism R as aforesaid.
The prism has for its object to push back the stops :24, placed in that part, as
often as certain of them are required. These stops are longer than the others, in
order that, at each pick or shot, they may come in contact with one of the faces of
the prism, inasmuch as the latter is displaced at the same time as the train of bars,
while the stops are not directly commanded by the latter.
Holes being pierced in the faces of the prism at the proper places, the stops 24
in front thereof will pass through them, on the return, motion of the train of bars.
Such stops will therefore not be pushed back, nor act upon the Jacquard needles
corresponding thereto, and consequently the hooks a will remain suspended. on the
lifting bars of the griffe.. On the other hand the stops 24 which will be in front of
the solid, unperforated surface of the prism will be pushed back on the return
movement of the train of bars; they would thus push back also the Jacquard
needles which are in their prolongation; and the latter, by means of the intermediate
strikers or tappets 25, will remove the front wires of.the hooks a from off the lifting-
bars of the griffe.
In this right-hand division of the apparatus, i.e. the right-hand part of Fig. 4
the prism plays.the part of the paper in the other part. But, instead of acting upon
the stops 24 by the intermediation of vertical.needles, it acts directly on. them, and
thus allows the suppression, for all the stops worked by it, of the vertical needles.
It follows also that the paper no longer requires to be. perforated in the places
vertically underneath those positions which would have been occupied by those
needles.
By rotating, the prism presents each time a different face to the stops, and as the
holes are pierced wherever required, according to the requirements of the pattern,
it acts upon proper wires as required at each pick.
The prism is held in suitable proximity to the train of bars by the intermediation
of two collars 36, carrying each a claw 37, screwed down respectively on the upper
and lower cross-bars of the supports of the train of bars.
The shaft 38 of the prism, traverses these two collars, and is firmly secured to
the sleeve 39 (carrying the lantern-wheel S) by the fixing screw 40. Each..time
the lantern moves, the prismn will offer a new face to the ends of the stops 24,
which it is intended to command, and the rotation of the prism takes place, at
each pick.

page_text: Fig. 1. does not represent the prism-mounted on the' machine, because the latter
can work without it, but, in this case, the vertical needles which had been suppressed
in the right hand portion of Fig. 4 (where they are replaced by the prism, when
that device is employed) must be restored. "
"
When the prism is mounted' on the 'apparatus, the 'connecting link or rod 1' is
operated in the following manner. The end of the prolongation of this rod, on
which the workman acts, to turn the prism by hand when" the machine is not" at
work, is shown at X on Figs. 5 and 6. When the machine is at work, the rod 1' is
pushed forward by the bent part of the vertical rod F. (Fig. 1). Upon that rod,
is fixed, by means of two set-screws a striker z which butts against the arm of the
bent bar oscillating on the fixed pivot i. The stud U. carried on the opposite
end of 'Y, describes a circular arc and moves the arm T, which by means of a pawl
causes the lantern S to rotate as aforesaid,-and- the prism. R at the same time
therewith. As soon as the Z-formed part of the rod F ceases to act on the
rod 1 and consequently on the striker z, the coiled spring RB, having its other
end secured to the machine-frame, acts in its turn to recall the whole into its
original position.
4000
8
Another advantage offered by the use of the prism additional to the advantage
of securing regularity in the work of the selvedges as aforesaid, is this:-Supposing,
for example, a pattern of 4000 cards, of which the foundation or draught-and-tie
was an 8-leaved satin-tweel; the lifting of the bars takes place afresh, in the same
order, every 8 cards; if we employ an octagonal prism, each of the faces, of which
the holes will present themselves as may be suitable, will represent a complete
phase of the movement; during the time that the pattern takes to unroll itself, the
prism will have effected = = 500 complete revolutions, but it will only have
been necessary to read the 8 several positions a single time; whereas, on the
contrary, had the reading to be done on the paper, this latter must have been
perforated, in the place of the needles operating the lifting-blades, over its entire
length, i.e. that the holes must have been pierced 500 times over in exactly the
same order. It is quite evident, consequently, that the chances of one or more
holes being forgotten or wrongly pierced, are considerably greater where the same
series of operations has to be repeated over again 500 times instead of once only.
In order that the same prism may serve in this manner for the production of
various different designs, its faces are pierced with a great many holes. According
to the requirements of the work certain holes may be stopped up, by means of small
wooden pins, in such manner as to permit the faces to operate absolutely as if they
had been solid at the places thus stopped up.
The trundle or lantern wheel S is held motionless at the required moment by a
roller 1 which engages in the space between the adjacent rungs of the trundle and
which is mounted on the end of a lever m swinging on a pivot n and acted on by a
coiled spring r.
The before described oblique action may be applied to Jacquard apparatus with
a single lift.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In Jacquard apparatus the arrangement of the different parts communicating
movement to the needles and of the frame of the griffe whereof one en is fitted
with jointed arms whereby with the aid of sectors such as D D' with arms of
unequal length an opening of the warp-threads can be obtained which is wider at
the back than at the front substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
2. In Jacquard apparatus the employment of posterior hook-shanks of greater
length than those in front of them and said longer hooks bearing upon the lifting

page_text: bars in the griffe so as to facilitate the displacement of the latter substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In Jacquard apparatus a vertical prism with any desired number of faces
according to requirements pierced with holes and having for its object to avoid
the puncture of the unperforated part of the cards substantially as described.
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete
Jacquard apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 6th day of March 1901
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.