IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Singleton, of Over Darwen, in the
County of Lancaster, Hat and Cap Dealer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS."
Sealed the 21st November 1853, and dated the 26th May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Singleton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th May 1853.
I, THOMAS SINGLETON, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS" to be as follows:-
Firstly, to the stopping of the loom in cases of frets, or when the
weft is too far apart.
Secondly, to the use of spring risers attached to the temple box, with
an arch rail connected thereto.
Thirdly, to the use of a slide spring for holding the weft fork down,
or a similar motion connected therewith, for the stoppage of the loom
in case of frets.
Fourthly, to the use of a shaft for driving back the spring risers.
Fifthly, to the use of a single rail at the front of the reed on the top
of the cloth; and,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Singleton in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 26th November 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS SINGLETON, of Over Darwen, in the County of Lancaster, Hat
and Cap Dealer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Singleton, Her especial
licence that I, the said Thomas Singleton, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as J, the said Thomas Singleton,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Singleton, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Royal Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Singleton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):

page_text: My Invention consists of fixing or arranging certain apparatus to
the loom (whether worked by hand or power) for the purpose of pre-
venting frets or floats in the woven fabric, or, in other words, for the
purpose of stopping the loom by a self-acting motion when frets
or floats take place, thus enabling the weaver to correct them, which I
effect as follows:-When a fret or opening takes place in the cloth a
finger or detector, with a fine point, either falls into the said fret
or opening by its own weight, or it is forced up into it from the under
side of the fabric by means of spring risers or similar contrivance.
The finger or detector, being thus placed in a position to be moved
backwards by the reed or fresh weft, as it is beaten up during its back-
ward motion presses against a shaft or bar, and moves a rod until
it presses against an inclined projection, when it comes in contact with
a hammer, which acts upon the stop handle in the usual manner, and
stops the loom. The manner of carrying this my Invention into prac-
tical effect will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, in which I shew three different methods or modifi-
cations of the same principle for effecting the said object, and in which
the same letters of reference are used to represent similar parts where
different views or diagrams are shewn. Fig. 1, is front elevation of a
loom, shewing one method of applying my said improvements. Fig. 2,
an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3, a plan thereof; and Figs. 4, and 5,
views of the improved apparatus detached from the loom, and drawn to
a larger scale. Fig. 6, shews a view of the apparatus, with a slight
modification of the general arrangement; and Fig. 7, a plan of the
same. Fig. 8, is an elevation of another modification of the apparatus
for producing the same results. Fig. 9, is a plan of the same; and
Figs. 10, and 11, are end views thereof. Fig. 12, is an elevation of
my improved weft motion; and Fig. 13, a plan. a, represents the
frame of the loom; b, the pullics; c, the crank shaft; d, the breast
beam; e, the cloth and warps; f, the temple box, to which is fixed the
frames g, furnished with radial slots, in which the bar h, rests. Upon
this bar I place a suitable number of fingers or detectors i, having holes
of a form and length to allow the points which rest upon the cloth or
fabric just in front of the temple an up and down movement, as well

page_text: as a backward movement, altogether; the backs of these fingers or
detectors rest against the shaft or bar j, connected to the two levers or
cranks, and the pivot 7, which form the centres of motion of the said
cranks and rod, the latter of which is somewhat raised and prolonged,
as shem at m; the rod n, being jointed to it, which has a round end,
shewn at o, acting against the inclined projection p, jutting out of the
lever q, which turns on a centre attached to the lever 1, touching the
starting and stopping handle s, so that during the operation of weaving,
if a fret or opening takes place, the point of one of the fingers or de-
tectors falls into it, and in its backward movement presses against the
shaft or bar j, moving the rod n, and curved end o, and thus slightly
presses against the inclined projection 2, raising it a little, and depress-
ing the opposite end of the lever q, until it comes in contact with the
hammer t, which, acting in the usual manner upon the lever 1, and the
handle s, stops the motion of the loom. A modification of the said
apparatus is shewn at Figs. 6, and 7, by which arrangement I produce
the same results without the use of the intermediate rod j; the fingers
or detectors are placed on the bar h, and are not allowed any play
backwards, but only the requisite up and down motion. The bar h, is
connected to the levers k, to one of which the rod n, is attached, and
the further communication is the same as already described. In this
modification it must be observed, that when a fret or float takes place
a
finger or detector finds it out and enters it, which is then pressed
back, as before described, but with it the entire number of fingers or
detectors, with the bar h, and levers k, acting upon the rod n, and the
other communications, as before described.
Another mode of obtaining the same results is shown at Fig" 8, 9,
10, and 11. In the arrangements already described it will be perceived
that the fingers or detectors nearly resemble the human finger, with a
very fine point at the termination, and which of themselves have suffi-
cient power and weight to enter the frets; but in this modification the
detectors resemble pins, as shewn at t, and may be placed either under
or over the cloth just in front of the temple. These pins work in holes
or guides, and obtain their power to detect and enter the fret by means
of the springs u. Upon the cloth, and just above the pins, is fixed a

page_text: skeleton frame or arch bar v, furnished with the pivots w, resting and
turning on the supports connected to the ends of the temple box.
Upon a pivot a, also connected to the end of the temple box, the
lever y, turns, having one end over the arch bar at 2, and the other
resting upon a balanced lever immediately above the hammer, which
lever communicates to the stopping and starting handle, as in the first
described arrangement.
The following is the mode of operation of this my last described ap-
paratus: The pins t, are, by means of their springs, slightly pressed
against the cloth on its under side, so that when a fret or opening takes
place a pin enters it and raises the arch lever v, and the end at 2, of the
lever y, depressing its other end, which again acts upon a lever in com-
munication with the stopping and starting handle. Although I have
represented this arrangement of the detectors as working on the under
side of the cloth, it will be evident to all persons conversant with me-
chanical action that I can arrange the apparatus to work on the top
side, if desirable. My improved weft motion is shewn at Figs 11,
and 12, the motion of which is as follows:-Underneath the weft,
shewn by the line a', is a lever b', working on a centre attached to the
temple box, furnished at one end with teeth or projections, and the
other and acting upon a bell crank c', the end d', of which is in a line
with the projection e, from the slay and the lever which moves the
starting and stopping handle. It is evident if there be no weft thrown
in by the shuttle the toothed end of the lever b', will rise, and the other
end of it being depressed will move the bell crank c¹, and bring its
end d', opposite to the projecting pin on the slay.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said
improvements, and the manner of carrying the same into practical
effect, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details herein described, as such may be varied or modified
without departing from the principle of my said Invention; but I
claim,
Firstly, the method of detecting frets or floats during the process of
weaving, and the different modifications thereof.

page_text: Secondly, the toothed lever in connection with the weft motion. as
such improvements are herein described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Singleton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
THOMAS SINGLETON. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within-named Thomas Sin-
gleton in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.