IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WEFT IN HAIR CLOTH Looms
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Tomlinson Bousfield, of Loughborough Park,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WEFT IN HAIR CLOTH Looms." -A com-
munication froni abroad by Charles Bradley, residing at Providence,
Rhode Island, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Tomlinson Bous.
field at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 19th August 1863.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the
County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "Iж-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WEFT IN HAIR CLOTH LOOMS," to be
as follows:-
Hitherto it has been found impracticable mechanically to select and separate
a single hair or length of weft from a mass or bunch, and to convey the same
into the shed opened in the warp of a loom when weaving hair cloths and
similar fabrics, arising from the defective means employed, which either failed
to select the hair or length of weft at the proper time, or selected more than
one length, either casualty resulting in the stoppage of the loom, or an
imperfection in the fabric. By the present Invention the taking of the weft
is rendered more correct and certain, and imperfection of the fabrio is

page_text: prevented, even should the taking of a weft fail at any time from any
interfering cause. The object of this Invention is to overcome the before-
mentioned difficulties, and to insure the positive selection of a single hair or
length of weft, and its presentation to the hook, nippers, or other device used
to insert the weft at the proper time to enable the operation of weaving to
continue without interruption, and to effectually guard against the occurrence
of such imperfections in the fabric which result from the causes above
mentioned.
The Invention consists in confining the lengths of hair or other weft
which by a previous operation have been arranged parallel to each other
in a bunch or compressed body at one end, and in reciprocating or otherwise
changing the position of the said compressed weft with respect to the device
employed to select single lengths therefrom, so that a different portion or
surface of the compressed weft is presented to said device at each stroke or
motion made by it, or at each successive beat of the lay, for the purpose of
insuring greater certainty in selecting and separating a length of the weft from
the compressed mass or bunch, and the compression of the hair or weft is kept
up notwithstanding the progressive removal of the hairs from the bundle.
The hair or weft being prepared as above described, a notched bevil pointed
lance, or the equivalent thereof is used, which being plunged into the com-
pressed bundle of hair or weft at right angles to the parallel lengths selects
therefrom a single length, and in connection with a yielding pad or arm
carries the length thus selected to the proper position, and holds the weft in
the notch of the instrument until it is seized and detached therefrom by the
hook, nippers, or other device used to insert the weft in the warp, the notch
in the said instrument being of such capacity that it will contain but a single
hair or length of weft. The said lance is bevilled from the notch to its point,
so that in penetrating the interstices of the compressed hair or weft the
surrounding lengths are made to depart from their parallel position, and some
one of the lengths of hair is forced by the resistance thus created to enter the
notch in the lance. The said lance or its equivalent is caused to repeat its efforts
to select a hair or length of the weft several times during a single beat of the
lay, and the said repeating action is caused to depend upon the failure in the
first and succeeding ineffectual movements to secure a hair or length, and this
is accomplished by automatic mechanism acting in the manner of a weft feeder
or fork used in power looms, which in the absence of a hair in the notch of
the lance permits the movements of the lance to continue, and is the cause of
its being stopped when a hair. or length of weft has been secured. With this
lance or taking instrument an elastic pad is used, in order to secure the weft
:

page_text: when taken from the bundle, and before it has been introduced into the shed.
It has been above stated that the notch in the lance or taking instrument is of
a capacity to contain but a single hair, but it is obvious that if it is desired a
larger notch may be employed, and two or more hairs selected at cach time of
its action, or a series of notches may be used in connection with the yielding
pad to select more than one length of hair from the bunch, and present the
same to the apparatus or instrument used to insert the hair in the warp. The
point of the lance or taking instrument does not enter the bundle of weft again
and again at the same place, but the bundle is moved to and fro in order to
vary the position of the bundle, and consequently the point thereof where the
lance enters.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Tomlinson Bousfield in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Loughborough Park, Brixton, in the County of
Surrey, send greeting...
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Tomlinson Bousfield, Her special licence, that I, the said George
Tomlinson Bousfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, my exccutors, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR FEEDING WEFT IN HAIR CLOTH LOOMS," a
communication to me from abroad by Charles Bradley, a person resident at
Providence, Rhode Island, in the United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, 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 per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings making part of this Specification, in which Figure 1 is a front
elevation of the machine which embodies the improved method; Figure 2 is
a like view of the same, showing the several parts in different relative position
in accordance with their mole of operation; Figure 3 is a side elevation and
section by the line a, a, of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a plan and section by the
line a, a, of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a plan of a portion of the machine which
is referred to in the course of the description;. Figure 6 is an elevation of the
reverse side of Figure 3. Similar letters refer to corresponding parts in all
the Figures.
It has hitherto been found impracticable by any mechanical means to select
and separate a single hair or length of weft from a mass or bunch, and present
the same successively to the hook, nippers, or other device performing the
functions of a shuttle in weaving hair cloths and similar fabrics with the
proper degree of certainty and precision to enable the operation to continue
uninterruptedly, from the fact that the means employed either failed to select
the hair or length of weft at the proper time, or selected more than one length,
either casually resulting in the stoppage of the loom, or an imperfection in the
fabric. The object of this Invention, therefore, is to overcome these difficulties,
and to insure the positive selection of a single hair or length of weft and its
presentation to the hook, nippers, or other device used to insert the weft in
the web at the proper time to enable the operation of weaving to continue
without interruption, and to effectually guard against the occurrence of such
imperfections in the fabric which result from the causes above mentioned.
The Invention consists, first, in confining the lengths of hair or other weft
which by a previous operation have been arranged parallel to each other in a
bunch or compressed body at one end, and in reciprocating or otherwise
changing the position of the said compressed weft with respect to the device
employed to select single lengths therefrom, so that a different portion or
surface of the compressed weft is presented to said device at each stroke or
motion nade by it, or at each successive beat of the lay, for the purpose of
insuring greater certainty in selecting and separating a length of the weft from
the compressed mass or bunch.
Secondly, in the use of a notched bevil pointed lance, or the equivalent

page_text: thereof, which being plunged into the compressed hair or weft at right angles
to the parallel lengths selects therefrom a single length, and in connection
with a yielding pad or arm carries the length thus selected to the proper
position, and holds the weft in the notch of the lance until it is seized and
detached therefrom by the hook, nippers, or other device used to insert the
weft in the warp or web, the notch in the said lance being of such capacity
that it will contain but a single hair or length of weft, and the said lance
being bevilled from the notch to its point, so that in penetrating the interstices
of the compressed hair or weft the surrounding lengths are made to depart
from their parallel position, and some one of the lengths of hair is forced by
the resistance thus created to enter the notch in the lance.
Thirdly, in causing the said lance or its equivalent to repeat its efforts to
select a hair or length of the weft several times during a single beat of the
lay by making said repeating action dependent upon the failure in the first
and succeeding ineffectual movements to secure a hair or length by any
effective automatic mechanism, which in the absence of the. hair in the notch
of the lance permits its movements to continue, and stops the same when a
hair or length of weft has been secured.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use the Invention, I will
proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same.
In the Drawings A, A, is the bed piece upon which the several devices are
arranged and operate. The bair B is confined at one end between the plate
E, and the rods c, c, c, Figures 1 and 4, both plate and rods being attached
to the cross piece f, upon the shank J; thus confined the hair is compressed
between the cross head j, upon the rod 7, and the cross piece f, by means of
the weight S suspended from the cord a', which passes over the pullies u, u,
and is attached to the rod 7, as shown in Figure 4. Thus arranged the said
rod is made to slide in the direction indicated by the arrows, thereby exerting
a constant lateral pressure against the confined portion of the hair so that as
the successive hairs are withdrawn therefrom, the remaining hair is made to
fill their place, and is preserved at a uniform density. The compressed por-
tion of the hair is reciprocated laterally by the intermittent rotation of the
excentric G, Figure 5, within the yoke J' formed on the shank J by motion
transmitted through the ratchet wheel F, to which said excentric is attached
the ratchets t, t, and the vibrating arm I, which is made to swing. in the
direction indicated by the arrow by motion communicated thereto from the
vibrating lay of the loom, which strikes against the projection I, upon said
arm I, Figure 1, in retreating from beating up the weft. The said arm is
returned with the succeeding beat of the lay by the force of the spring p,

page_text: Figure 4. The single lengths of hair or weft are selected from the compressed
ends and presented to the hook, nippers, or other device for the purpose by
means of the lance k, in connection with the yielding pad i, upon the arm h,
Figures 1, 2, 3. The said lance is formed as shown in the several Figures
with a notch near the point, which will contain but a single hair, and a bevil
from the notch to the point, and is of such a width at the point that upon
being plunged into the compressed hair from a position at right angles to the
parallel lengths, the surrounding hairs will be sufficiently separated, and
forced from their natural parallel position to cause one of the disturbed hairs
to enter the notch in the lance, and to remain therein by the resistance of the
compressed hair, caused by such separation, until in the ascent of the lance the
hair meets the yielding pad i, which holds it in the notch until disengaged
therefrom by the hook, nippers, or other device for the purpose. The lance k
is secured in the bar Q, which is reciprocated vertically in suitable bearings
formed in the projecting arms of the frame D, by being connected with the
stud on the face plate H, which is revolved in the direction indicated
by the arrows by motion communicated thereto by the friction washer r
from the grooved pulley N upon the shaft m, the latter having a bearing
in the boss formed in the frame D, as shown in Figures 3 and 6. The
arm his formed as shown in the several Figures, and is hinged at v to a
plate which is attached by screws to the frame. A slot is formed in the loose
end of said "arm, see Figures 3 and 4, for the passage of the lance k, and upon
this end of the arm slides the yielding pad i, it being subject to the action of
the spiral spring which encircles the rod t to which the pad i is attached, and
is adjusted to its proper position by the thumb nut on the end of said rod, as
shewn in Figures 1 and 2. The office of this yielding pad is to hold the hair
in the notch when separated from the compressed mass until the end of the
bair is seized by the hook, nippers, or other device used to insert the hair in
the web, as shown in Figure 2. Upward from the arm h extends an arm y,
the upper end of which comes in contact with and serves to lift the weighted
end of the lever b' when the arm h is carried upward, as seen in Figure 2, in
the act of separating and carrying the hair Z to the proper position to be
seized by the nipper K, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The lever bis fixed
upon the sliding rod o, Figures 3 and 6, upon which is also fixed a dog q
which engages with the stop S projecting from the periphery of the face plate
Hat the proper time for the purpose of arresting the further descent of the
lance until the end of the hair Z held in the notch of the lance k is seized
and detached therefrom by the hook, nippers, or other device used to insert
the hair in the web, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The dog q is disengaged

page_text: from the stop S, and the face plate allowed to resume its revolutions when the
hair has been removed from the lance by sliding the rod o endwise, as shown
in Figure 6, by means of the cord e' which is attached to the end of the rod,
and passing over the pulley n¹ receives an impulse by means of any suitable
mecbanism, which being attached to the main shaft or some other moving
part of the loom will impart the requisite action at the proper time. The
rod o is encircled by a spiral spring which opposes the sliding of the rod, and
thus serves to return it to the proper position to present the dog q to the stop
at the succeeding revolution of the face plate.
The mechanism above described consisting of the lever b', the dog q, and
the sliding rod o, in connection with the stop S upon the face plate, and
actuated by the arm y in the manner described, governs the repeating move-
ment or action of the lance k, herein-before mentioned, whereby the said lance
repeats its efforts to select a hair one or more times in case of failure at first
to do so. In performing this function, which is of the utmost importance to
the successful operation of the machine, it should be noticed that the lance k
simply catches the single hair by being plunged into the compressed mass, the
said hair being caught in the notch of the lance is held therein by the pressure
against it of the yielding pad i, see Figures 2 and 3, that being thus caught
and held a connection of the arm h with the lance k is effected by the presence
of the hair Z in the said notch; that in consequence of such connection the
arm his lifted with the ascending lance, causing the army to lift the weighted
end of the lever b, and the dog q to engage with the stop S, and in so doing.
to arrest the descent of the lance and hold the hair Z in the proper position to
be readily seized by the nippers K, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, as before
stated; but should the lance on being plunged into the compressed hair fail
to catch one of the number no connection of the arm h takes place, and the
said arm and the lever 6¹ remain motionless, the dog q is withheld from
contact with the stop S, as shown in Figure 1, and the lance is permitted to
repeat its reciprocating movement during a single beat of the lay until it
succeeds in catching a hair, which is thereupon presented to the nippers, the
several parts acting as before explained. It will be seen that the armh is
hinged at a point above the plane of the surface of the hair B, and that the
yielding pad i upon the loose end of the said arm rests upon the surface of the
hair B, near the point at which the lance k enters the said hair, by means of
which arrangement the connection of the arm h with the lance k being effected
as before explained, an increased pressure is exerted by the resistance of the
spiral spring upon the rod t to hold the hair in the notch of the lance in
ascending to the position shown in Figure 2, thereby preventing the hair Z

page_text: from being detached from the notch by any slight force after the end of said
hair is withdrawn from beneath the rod c.
It has been specified above that the notch in the lance is of a capacity to
contain but a single hair, but it is obvious that if it is necessary a larger
notch may be employed, and two or more hairs selected at the same time, or
a series of two or more notches may be used in connection with the yielding
pad i to select more than one length of hair from the bunch, and present the
same to the hook, nippers, or other device used to insert the hair in the web.
The hair instead of lying horizontally upon the bed piece A may be suspended
vertically, being confined and compressed in like manner, and when thus
suspended the equivalent of the lance k and yielding pad i may be embodied
with or made to take the place of the hook, nippers, or like device for the
purpose, and thus the weft may be selected from the bunch and inserted in
the web at one operation by one and the same means.
A convenient arrangement of the framie D upon the bed piece A to provide
for the ready insertion of fresh bunches of hair from time to time is shown in
Figure 1 of the Drawings, which consists of the projecting arm D¹ of the
frame D, which is hinged upon the pivot R to the stand .M, and secured in
the position shown by means of the pin L. When a fresh bunch of hair is to
be inserted the pin I. is withdrawn, and the frame swinging upon the pivot R
is lifted up out of the way with the parts which are attached thereto, after
which the fresh supply of hair may be inserted beneath the rods c, c, c, by
sliding back the cross head j, and by turning the button 9 from the plate P,
the latter with the rod 1, cross head j, swings upon the hinge v¹ up out of the
way, when the hair is placed beneath the rods c, c, c, after which the plate P,
rod l, and cross head j, are returned to their proper position, and the frame
and working parts thereon being also returned and secured in place by re-
placing the pin L, the machine is ready for operation, which following the
several parts act in their proper order in the manner herein-before specified.
Having thus described the Invention, I would not be understood as
restricting myself to the particular construction and arrangement herein set
forth and described, as I claim all modifications in which the same mode of
operation is performed by equivalent means.
I claim, first, confining and compressing the lengths of weft at one end and
reciprocating or otherwise changing the position of the compressed portion
with respect to the device used to select a single length therefrom, and
present the end thereof to the hook, nippers, or other device used to insert the
lengths of hair or other material in the web, in the manner and for the
purpose substantially as herein specified.

page_text: Second, I claim the lance k, or its equivalent, substantially as described for
the purpose specified.
Third, I claim the yielding pad i, or its equivalent, in combination with the
lance k, or its equivalent, arranged and operating substantially as described for
the purpose specified:
Fourth, I claim the mode of operation, substantially as specified, by means
of which a single length of the weft or several lengths are selected and
separated from the compressed mass or portion of the weft, and presented to
the hook, nippers, or other device used to insert the weft in the warp,
substantially as specified.
Fifth, I claim the mode of operation, substantially as specified, by means of
which in case the lance or equivalent device fails to select a length of the
weft from the compressed mass, its efforts to do so are in consequence
repeated several times during a single beat of the lay, substantially as
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Tomlinson Bousfield, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
GEO. 1. DOUSFIELD. (L.S.)