CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD MACHINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Archer, of Bolton, in the County of Lan-
caster, Jacquard Machine Maker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD MACHINES."
Sealed the 26th July 1861, and dated the 30th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Archer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th January 1861.
I, WILLIAM ARCHER, of Bolton, in the County of Lancaster, Jacquard
Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
“CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD MACHINES," to be as follows:-
Instead of making the eye of the needle round, and causing it to act upon
the hooked part of the hook, I make the eye of an oblong shape, and in order
to release the hook from the knife of the grife, I cause the eye when the
needle is pressed by the card to act upon the spring or turn up of the hook, so
that when the knife has left the hook the latter springs back of itself, which
arrangement prevents the usual wear and tear of the cards, and also where the
hooks are made strong for heavy work, I substitute for the usual tail cord a
piece of metal having at the top a boss, which supports the hook, so that when
resting on the bottom board the hook can swivel with ease in consequenco of
the weight being independent of it.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Iler
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Archer,. Her special licence that I, the said William Archer, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Archer, 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 IMPROVEMENTS IN
JACQUARD MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Archer, 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 William Archer, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement (that is to say) :-
:-
Instead of making the eye of the needle round, and causing it to act upon
the hooked part of the hook, as hitherto adopted, I make the eye of an oblong
shape; and in order to release the hook from the knife of the grife, I cause 2
the eye when the needle is pressed by the card to act upon the spring or turn
up of the hook, which is made longer for the purpose, and allows the bottom
of the hook to bed itself upon the bottom board before the hook leaves the
knife, so that when the knife has left the hook the latter springs back of itself,
which arrangements prevent the usual wear and tear of the cards; and also 3
where the hooks are made strong for heavy work, I substitute for the usual
tail cord a piece of metal having at the top a boss, which supports the hook,
so that when resting on the bottom board the hook can swivel with ease in
consequence of the weight being independent of it.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to tho Figures 3
and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 represents a view of the book and needle as at present in use; Figs.
2 and 3, views of my improved hook and needle in different positions; Fig. 4,

page_text: a plan of part of the needle shewing the oblong shape of the eye; and Fig. 5,
the piece of metal used as a substitute for the usual tail cord.
In Fig 1, a is the ordinary needle, having a round eye b, which acts, as is
well known, upon the hooked part c of the hook. In Figs. 2, 3, and 4, d is
my improved needle, having an oblong eye, as at e, which acts upon the long
turn up or spring of the hook, and presses it inwards (as shewn by the dotted
lines, Fig. 2,) when the card presses the end h of the needle. For this
purpose there is but slight force or pressure required, it being only necessary
to overcome the elasticity of the spring or turn up, which is always the same
whatever weight may be suspended to the hook. When the grife has descended
and lowered the knife below the hook i, the latter by the action of the spring
or turn up springs back of itself. In consequence of the very slight pressure
required to be given by the cards upon the ends of the needles, the usual wear
and tear of the cards is avoided. In Figure 5, k is the piece of metal employed
as a substitute for the usual tail cord, it has at the top a boss l, which supports
the hook m, and is provided with shoulders n, which rest on the bottom board
when the piece of metal is in its lowest position, and thereby allow the hook
to swivel with ease in consequence of the weight being perfectly independent
of it.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that I claim as my Invention, and which to the best of my know-
ledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm, the improve-
ments in jacquard machines, as herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Archer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
WILLIAM ARCHER. (L.s.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named William-Archer in the
presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.