IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Woodward, of Prestbury Road Mill, Macclesfield,
in the County of Chester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING."
Sealed the 19th August 1879, and dated the 10th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Woodward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th June 1879.
HENRY WOODWARD, of Prestbury Road Mill, Macclesfield, in the County of
Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
The object of my Invention is principally to improve the hand looms which are
now employed in weaving silk scarves. Theso looms are of a width to produce
Boveral scarves at a time, and at present the shuttles are thrown from side to side of
the loom, traversing the warps of all the fabrics; after weaving, the scarves are cut
apart, leaving raw edges, by which the goods are more or less disfigured and their
durability impaired. I alter and adapt such looms so that scarves having safe and
true selvages may be woven with them. I employ for each fabric a separate shuttle
of peculiar construction, hereinafter described, and I divide the shuttle race into
sections, leaving spaces upon the race of sufficient length to receive the shuttles in
the intervals between the warps of the several fabrics or scarves woven simul-
taneously and also at either end of the shuttle race. I also provide upon the batten
a slide or driver having fingers upon it which project downwards towards the
shuttle race; the slide has a handle by which it is moved to and fro by the weaver,
and at every movement of the driver each of the fingers drives a shuttle before it
through the warps of the scarf with which it has to weave, except that the last
finger at either end of the slide or driver only finds a shuttle in its path at alternate
movements, when its motion is inwards towards the centre of the loom.
Thus, at one movement, all the shuttles are moved to the right, each between the
warps with which it is weaving, and the place occupied by one shuttle at the com-
mencement of the motion is taken up by another at the end of the motion, except
that the shuttle at one end moves into a space which was vacant at the beginning

page_text: of the movement, and the place it has left remains vacant at the end of the move-
ment. The next action of the driver carries the shuttles to their original positions,
and so in producing plain or self colored scarves the weaving goes on.
For weaving figures in various colors the batten has mounted upon it several
sets or series of rising and falling shuttle boxes; there is a set or series of shuttle
boxes in each of the intervals provided between the fabrics for the reception of the
shuttles, and there is also a set or series at either end of the batten. All these sets
or series of shuttle boxes are fixed upon a cross bar from which cords pass to the
machine or jacquard, and by mechanism in connection therewith the bar, and with it
the shuttle boxes which it carries, receive a step-by-step movement, first rising and
then falling. Spring catches are provided which lock and hold the bar and shuttle
boxes in the intervals between the movements. The movements of the shuttle
boxes bring the several shuttles carrying the different wefts of the various colors to
the level of the finger ends of the driver, by which finger ends, as the driver moves
to and fro, the shuttles are mado to traverse the warps. On commencing to weave,
all the boxes of the intermediate sets or series contain shuttles, but in the end sets
or series every alternate box is empty, ready to receive a shuttle. On commencing
to weave, the shuttle boxes being, say, all in their lowest positions, the movement
of the driver carries the upper tier of shuttles to and fro until the time comes when
these shuttles have to pass out of work; then the bar carrying the boxes rises a step,
bringing the shuttle of the next row into work, and these weave as long as may be
required, when another movement of the boxes carries them out of work and brings
in another set of shuttles, and so on; when the shuttle boxes have reached the top
or risen as high as they are able they commence to descend, and they move down
step by step, and so throughout the work the changing of the shuttle boxes from
time to time takes place. The shuttles are bowed at the front to provide space for
an arrangement for taking up the slack of the weft and for regulating the tension,
for on account of the short travel of the shuttle special devices for these purposes
are requisite. The weft is drawn from a bobbin, the rotation of which is opposed
by a light internal spring; it is led through a ring near the eye of the shuttle, then
to a glass ring attached by a fine coiled spring near one end of the bobbin, then the
weft passes through a similar ring attached by a spring near the other end of the
bobbin, and from thence the weft passes out through the eye of the shuttle. Thus
the weft is led around within the shuttle bow in a triangular course. When tension
is put upon the weft the rings are drawn together, the light coiled springs yielding,
but when the weft tends to fall slack the glass rings are drawn back and the weft
continues to be held tight.
These looms are also applicable for weaving ribbons.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Woodward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
December 1879.
HENRY WOODWARD, of Prestbury Road Mill, Macclesfield, in the County of
Chester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
The object of iny Invention is practically to improve the hand looms which are
now employed in weaving silk scarves. These looms are of a width to produce
several scarves at a time, and at present the shuttles are thrown from side to side
of the loom traversing the warps of all the fabrics; after weaving, the scarves are
cut apart, leaving raw edges by which the goods are more or less disfigured and
their durability impaired. I alter and adapt such looms so that scarves having safe
and true selvages may be woven with them. I employ for each fabric a separate
shuttle of peculiar construction hereafter described, and I divide the shuttle raco
into sections, leaving spaces upon the race of sufficient length to receive the shuttles
in the intervals between the warps of the several fabrics or scarves woven simulta-
neously, and also at either end of the shuttle race. I also provide upon the batten
a slide or driver having fingers upon it which project downwards towards the
shuttle race. The slide has a handle by which it is moved to and fro by the weaver,
and at every movement of the driver each of the fingers drives a shuttle before it
through the warps of the scarf with which it has to weave, except that the last
finger at either end of the slide or driver only finds a shuttle in its paths at alternate
movements, when its motion is inwards towards the centre of the loom..
Thus at one movement all the shuttles are moved to the right, each between the
warps with which it is weaving, and the place occupied by one shuttle at the com-
mencement of the motion is taken up by another at the end of the motion, except
that the shuttle at one end moves into a space which was vacant at the beginning
of the movement, and the place it has left remains vacant at the end of the inove-
ment. The next action of the driver carries the shuttles to their original positions,
and so in producing self colored in plain or figured scarves, the weaving goes on.
The foregoing description is illustrated by the Drawings on Sheet No. 1 hereunto
annexed, and reference to the several parts are written thoreon.
For weaving figures striped, checked, or tissued scarves in various colors, the
batten has mounted upon it several sets or series of rising and falling shuttle boxes.
There is a set or series of shuttle boxes in each of the intervals provided between
the fabrics for the reception of the shuttles, and there is also a set or series at either
end of the batten. All these sets or series of shuttle boxes are fixed upon a cross
bar from which cords pass to the machine or jacquard, and by mechanism in con
nection therewith the bar, and with it the shuttle boxes which it carries, receive a
stop by step movement; first falling and then rising, spring catches are provided
which lock and hold the bar and shuttle boxes in the intervals between the move-
ments. The movements of the shuttle boxes bring the several shuttles carrying the
different wefts of the various colors to the level of the finger ends of the driver, by
which finger ends, as the driver moves to and fro, the shuttles are made to traverse
the warps.
On commencing to weave all the boxes of the intermediate sets or series contain
shuttles, but in the end sets or series every alternate box is empty, ready to receive
a shuttle. On commencing to weave, the shuttle boxes being, say, all in their
highest positions, the movement of the driver carries the lowest tier of shuttles
across their respective warps; then the bar numbered 6 in the sketch annexed
carrying the boxes lowers a step, bringing the shuttle of the next row into work,
when another movement of the boxes carries them out of work and brings in another
set of shuttles, and so on. When the shuttle boxes have reached the bottom or
dropped so low as they are able they are again raised to their highest positions and

page_text: repeat the same course, and they move down step by step, and so throughout the
work the changing of the shuttle boxes from time to time takes place. When two
tiers of shuttles only are required beside the ground tier of shuttles we may use
either two of the upper tiers of shuttles in regular succession until all tho tiers are
required again as at the commencement, as hereinbefore is described. The shuttles
are bowed at the front to provide space for an arrangement for taking up the slack.
of the weft and for regulating the tension, for on account of the short travel of the
shuttle special devices for these purposes are requisite. The weft is drawn from a
bobbin the rotation of which is opposed by a light internal spring; it is led through
a ring near the eye of the shuttle, then to a glass ring attached by a fine coiled
spring near one end of the bobbin; then the weft passes through a similar ring
attached by a spring near the other end of the bobbin, and from thence the weft
passes out through the eye of the shuttle. Thus the weft is led around within the
shuttle bow in a triangular course; when tension is put upon the weft the rings are
drawn together, the light coiled springs yielding, but when the weft tends to fall
slack the glass rings are drawn back and the weft continues to be held tight.
The looms are also applicable for weaving ribbons.
The arrangements described above for weaving in various colors are illustrated
by the Drawings upon Sheet No. 2 hereunto annexed, and references to the several
parts are written thereon.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. The adaptation or construction of hand looms for weaving scarves and like
fabrics several at a time and with true selvages, substantially as herein described
and illustrated by the annexed Drawings.
Second. The improved shuttle substantially as described, in which the weft is
caused to pass in a triangular course before it leaves the eye of the shuttle, and is
so held by springs which permit variation in the size of the said triangle, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Woodward, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.
HENRY WOODWARD. (L.S.)