CERTAI IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Maynes, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "CERTAI IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 25th July 1865, and dated the 2nd February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Maynes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
February 1865.
I JOHN MAYNES, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to further improvements in Letters Patent granted to
me bearing date the Nineteenth day of July One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four, No. 1803, the chief feature of which consists in furnishing a
constant supply of weft to the loom by self-acting means, and my present
Invention is designed for the same object, and consists in an arrangement of
mechanism of a more simple description than is described in the Specification
of the before recited Letters Patent.
The improvements consistina novel arrangement of mechanism wherein all
those parts comprising the weft fork holder, hammer catches, and rack lever
[Price 8d.]

page_text: as described in my former Specification are retained, and the rack lever with
which the said catches and pawl are connected is supplied with a finger or
lever having its fulcrum on a rod which extends to the opposite side of the
loom, where the mechanism is situated actuating the moveable shuttle boxes.
At this point and from this extended rod a finger projects, from which is
suspended a weighted pendulum, the lower end of which rests upon a pawl or
catch when the weft is continuous or unbroken, keeping such pawl out of
contact with a ratchet fixed upon a short "slay shaft," upon which two cams
are secured; these cams, through the medium of a novel and peculiar arrange-
ment of mechanism herein-after described,actuate an arrangement of vibrating
shuttle boxes. When the shuttles require changing, the various parts effecting
the change come into action and operation in the following order :-A bracket
is secured to the slay sword which forms the central support or fulcrum upon
which the working shuttle box, the receiver, and the supply shuttle boxes
vibrate; when the receiver and thesupply shuttle boxes have not been attended
to by the operative they are retained against the breast beam by a spring catch,
but when the boxes have received attention (that is, the old or spent shuttle
taken from the receiver box, and a new or examined shuttle placed in the
supply box) the operative displaces or pulls a spring handle supplied with three
fingers, the top or first finger elevates the spring catch which releases the supply
and receiver shuttle boxes; the second finger is simultaneously withdrawn from
the weighted pendulum, thus causing such pendulum to drop and keep the
catch actuating the ratchet and cams out of working contact; and the third or
bottom finger withdraws a supporting lever from a back catch, which thus
allows such catch to come in contact with the ratchet on the slay shaft, thereby
giving one portion of a turn to the cams, which action immediately causes the
receiver and supply shuttle boxes to lay against and vibrate with the slay, the
supply box is then in readiness to supply the place of the shuttle thrown into
the receiver when the weft breaks or becomes spent, in the event of which the
weighted pendulum is raised by the action of the weft haminer, rack lever, and
catches, allowing the second finger on the said spring handle to get under a
projection on the pendulum, retaining such pendulum in an elevated position
until the operation of changing the shuttles is complete. When this pendulum
is raised the pawl upon which it rested is brought into working contact with
the ratchet on the slay shaft, so that as the slay vibrates the cams actuate.
the vibrating shuttle boxes in the following order :-The first action of the
cam's displaces or throws back the first or ordinary working box, bringing the
third or receiver box into position to receive the empty or damaged shuttle;
the next or second action brings the supply box into the line of throw ready

page_text: for the picker to deliver the new or examined shuttle into the opposite box ;
the next, or third action, brings the original or working box into position to
continue the pick; and the last or fourth action of the cam throws back the
receiver and supply shuttle boxes against the breast beam where they are
retained by the spring catch until released by the operative when attended to as
before described. The weighted pendulum, immediately the change is com-
piete, and with the last action of the ratchet is released from the second finger.
on the spring handle, which is consequently allowed to drop on to the pawl
actuating the ratchet and cams, lowering and forcing such pawl out of contact
until acted upon again in the manner described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Maynes, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MAYNES, of Manchester, in the County of Laucaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Maynes, Her special license that I, the said John Maynes,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Maynes, my executors, administrators, and 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 for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Maynes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, 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 Letters Patent
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Maynes, do hereby declare the
nature of I said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed.

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
The Invention relates to further improvements in Letters Patent granted to
me, bearing date the Nineteenth day of July, A.D. 1864, the chief feature of
which consists in furnishing a constant supply of weft to the loom by self-
acting means, and my present Invention is designed for the same object, and
consists in an arrangement of mechanism of a more simple description than is
described in the Specification of the before recited Letters Patent.
The improvements consist in a novel arrangement of mechanism wherein all
those parts comprising the weft fork holder, hammer, catches, and rack lever,
as described in my former Specification, are retained, and the rack lever with
which the said catches and pawl are connected is supplied with a finger or
lever, having its fulcrum on a rod which extends to the opposite side of the loom
where the mechanism is situated, actuating the moveable shuttle boxes. At
this point, and from this extended rod afinger projects, from which is suspendeda
weighted pendulum, the lower end of which rests upon a pawl or catch when the
weft is continuous or unbroken, keeping such pawl out of contact with a ratchet
fixed upon a short "slay" shaft, upon which two cams are secured; these cams
through the medium of a novel and peculiar arrangement of mechanism, herein-
after described, actuate an arrangement of vibrating shuttle boxes. When
the shuttles require changing, the various parts effecting the change come into
action and operation in the following order :-A bracket is secured to the slay
sword which forms the central support or fulcrum, upon which the working
shuttle box, the receiver, and the supply shuttle boxes vibrate; when the
receiver and supply shuttle boxes have not been attended to by the operative
they are retained against the breast beam by a spring catch, but when the
boxes have received attention (i.e., the old or spent shuttle taken from the
receiver box and a new or examined shuttle placed in the supply box (the
operative displaces or pulls a spring handle supplied with three fingers; the top
or first finger elevates the spring catch, which releases the supply and receiver
shuttle boxes; thesecond finger is simultaneously withdrawn from the weighted
pendulum, thus causing such pendulum to drop and keep the catch actuating
the ratchet and cams out of working contact; and the third, or bottom finger,
withdraws a supporting lever from a back catch, which thus allows such catch
to come in contact with the ratchet on the "slay" shaft, thereby giving one
portion of a turn to the cams, which action immediately causes the receiver aud
supply shuttle boxes to lay against, and vibrate with the slay, the supply box
is them in readiness to supply the place of the shuttle thrown into the receiver,
when the weft breaks or becomes spent, in the event of which the weighted

page_text: pendulum is raised by the action of the weft hammer, rack lever, and catches,
allowing the second finger on the said spring handle to get under a projection on
thependulumretaining such penduluminanelevated position, until the operation
of changing the shuttles is complete. When this pendulum is raised the pawl
upon which it rested is brought into working contact with the ratchet on the
slay shaft, so that as the slay vibrates the cams actuate the vibrating shuttle
boxes in the following order:―The first action of the cams displaces or throws
back the first or ordinary working box, bringing the third, or receiver box into
position to receive the empty or imperfect shuttle; the next, or second action,
brings the supply box into the line ofthrow ready for the picker to deliver the new
or examined shuttle into the opposite box; the next or third action brings the
original or working box into position to continue the pick; and the last or fourth
action of cams, throws back the receiver and supply shuttle boxes against
the breast beam, where they are retained by the spring catch until released
by theoperative when attended to as before described. The weighted pendulum
immediately the change is complete, and with the last action of the ratchet,
is released from the second finger on the spring handle, which is consequently
allowed to drop on the pawl actuating the ratchet and cams, lowering and
forcing such pawl out of contact until acted upon again in the manner
described.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings made upon a scale of
about two inches to the foot, similar letters of reference being marked upon
corresponding parts on all the Figures.
Fig. 1 represents the side elevation of a loom, having attached and illus-
trating more clearly the improved arrangement of mechanism and apparatus
actuating the moveable boxes when a change of shuttles is required. Fig. 2
represents a detached front elevation of the same. Fig 3 represents a plan
of the shuttle boxes when bedded against the breast beam. Figs. 4 and 5
are respectively a front elevation and a vertical section of the double cam
actuating the moveable shuttle boxes. Fig. 6 is a detached view of the
shuttle boxes shewing the method of steadying and retaining them when bedded
against the "slay." Fig. 7 is a similar view, shewing the position of the levers
in connection with the swells of the shuttle boxes, also the manner in which
such swells and levers are caused to act upon the vibrating lever (seen in
Fig, 1), actuating the "frog" for stopping the loom, and Fig. 8 is a detached
view of the receiver and supply shuttle boxes as when bedded against the
breast beam, and before the operative has attended to the shuttles at which

page_text: time the spring handle is locked, as shewn, thereby preventing the action of
the boxes if not made ready and supplied with a new cop.
In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a, a, is a framing of the loom, and b, 6' the ordinary
"slay" and "slay sword"; c is the catch rod of the loom, at the other end of
which the improved apparatus is situated in connection with the weft fork; the
rack lever of such apparatus being connected to and actuating the catch rod c
causes such rod, when the weft becomes broken or disconnected, to raise the
lever d, from which is suspended the pendulume. The lower end of this lever
when the weft is continuous or unbroken rests upon the pawi f, and keeps it
out of contact with the ratchet g; but when the lever d, through non-supply
of weft raises the pendulum e, the pawlf is caused to act upon the ratchet g
in conjunction with the top pawl h, the pawlf being only allowed to act with
every alternate back movement ofthe" slay," this is effected by the action of the
leverjand eccentric n on the tappet shaft; the combined action of these pawls
fand h, as the "slay" vibrates, gives an intermittent rotatory motion to the
ratchet g and double cam 7, which are keyed upon the shaft i, supported in
bearings fixed to the "slay" b, the cam k when revolving, transmits motion
through the supporting levers 7 and m to the moveable shuttle boxes o, P, Q.
The complete action of the several parts of mechanism employed for
effecting the change of shuttles comes into operation in the following
order -The receiver and supply shuttle boxes p and q when bedded against
the breast beam are attended to by the operative placing a new or examined
shuttle in the box p, and withdrawing the imperfect shuttle from the box q,
until this is done the spring handle is locked by the latch levers (as seen in
Fig. 8), the action of withdrawing the shuttle relieves the "swell" causing it
to depress (through the medium of the bell-crank lever t) the latch lever s,
thus releasing the handler as mentioned. When this is effected, the operative
forces back the handle r, which is supplied with three projecting fingers
u, v, and w, their motion causing them to act upon the mechanism in the
following manner:-The top fingeru elevates the spring catch a, and so releases
the receiver and supply boxes p and q; the second finger v is simultaneously
withdrawn from the pendulum e, allowing it thereby to drop and rest upon the
pawlf, the weight of which forces down such pawl and keeps it until relieved
from working contact with the ratchet g; and finally, the bottom or third
finger w withdraws the supporting lever y from the top pawl h, thus allowing
it to drop on to the ratchetg, which, as the "slay" beats forward, gives one-
sixth of a revolution to the cam k, the action of which causes the shuttle
boxes p and q to be moved from the breast beam, and to lay against and vibrate

page_text: "
with the "slay," when in this position they are kept from any undue vibration
or unsteadiness (see Fig. 6) by the spring catch z, acted upon by the "swell."
in the supply box p. When the boxes p and q are in this position (i.e.) when
against the "slay" the box p is in readiness to supply the place of the shuttle
thrown into the receiver 2, when the weft breaks or the cop is spent, in the
event of which the pendulum e is raised by the action of the weft hammer,
rack lever, and catches, allowing the second finger von the spring handler to
pass beneath a projection 'on the pendulum,keeping it in an elevated position
and free from the pawlf, until the change of shuttles is complete. The raising
of this pendulum allows the pawl to come into contact with the ratchet g
tg
which in conjunction, as before described, with the pawl h,gives as the "slay
vibrates an intermittent rotatory motion to the ratchet y and double cam k;
during the revolution of this cam motion is transmitted through the levers
land m to the moveable shuttle boxes in the following order: -The first action
of the cam displaces or throws back the firstordinary working box o, bringing
the third or receiver box into position to receive the empty or damaged
shuttle; the next or second action brings the supply box p into the line of
throw ready for the picker to deliver the new or examined shuttle into
the opposite box, the swell of the box (being free when the shuttle is
delivered) acts upon the bell crank (Fig. 6), which forces down the steadying
catch fixed to the box o,and so relieves or uncouples the receiver and supply
boxes and from the same; the next, or third action, brings the original or
4
working box o into position to continue the pick, the boxes and having
been released as described from the box o are with the last action of the cam
thrown back against the breast beam, where they are retained by the catch s
and spring handler, until attended to as herein-before described. When the
pawl is finally completing the revolution of the ratchet and cam, the
projection a¹ on the ratchet g forces up the finger b' attached to the pawl h
which thus raises such pawl out of contact with the ratchet g, where it is
caught by the supporting lever y, and retained until acted upon by the finger w
on the spring handler. The changing of the shuttles having been thus com-
pleted, the loom will weave continuously until the absence of the weft
requires the supply of another shuttle which is again effected by the aforesaid
apparatus.
P
The handle d¹ on the catch rod is connected to the lever and pendulum
which gives motion to the mechanism for changing the shuttles, and is for the
purpose of enabling the operative to effect the necessary change before the old
cop is entirely spent or finished, preventing thereby a portion or half length of
weft being left in the shed.

page_text: In Fig. 7 the "swells" of the shuttle boxes, when not acted upon by the
shuttles, allow the bell crank levers a² and a³ to remain undisturbed, thereby
causing the vibrating lever c2 (see Fig. 1), to come into contact (as the
slay beats up) with the "frog" e², which stops the loom in the ordinary
manner.
I would here remark, that since the filing of the Provisional Specification
for my said Invention, I have ascertained that the portion of apparatus
described in the final clause of my Provisional Specification aforesaid is not
now necessary, I therefore hereby disclaim that portion of the Invention.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I claim,―
First, the removal of the shuttle containing the broken or spent cop, and
supplying and substituting a shuttle having a perfect cop in place thereof
without stopping the loom, by means of the apparatus or mechanism herein-
before described.
Secondly, I claim the interposition of levers and pawls between the weft
hammer and the ordinary weft holder lever, for the purpose of actuating the
apparatus for changing the shuttles.
And, lastly, I claim the adaptation of mechanism for stopping the taking up
motion during the changing of the weft, as herein-before described, set forth,
and fully illustrated in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Maynes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JOHN MAYNES. (L.s.)