IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING WEAVERS' HARNESS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Willian Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING WEAVERS' HARNESS."
A communication from abroad by the Kendrick Loom Harness Company
(Incorporated), of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th November 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANU-
FACTURING WEAVERS' HARNESS." A communication from abroad by the Kendrick
Loom Harness Company (Incorporated), of Providence, Rhode Island, United States
of America.
The present Invention relates to machinery for making weavers" harness; the
several heddles of which are composed of two twines interlocked, and each secured
to its respective rig-band by a crochet stitch, or by other suitable means, and the
eyes of which heddles are formed by uniting with metal clasps twines which are
returned upon themselves and laid side by side, so that the heddle eyes, when the
harness is mounted in the loom, will stand squarely to the front.
I
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying these improvements;
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section, and drawn to an enlarged scale, of the
twine spool with a top motion attachment.
Figure 4 represents a heddle eye produced by the said machine.
A represents a base plate or platform, to which is suitably secured the columns B, B,
that support the circular metallic plate D. These two plates, A and D, are used for
supporting the operating mechanism of the machine.

page_text: It is to be understood that the said machine is to be supplied with suitable
mechanism for causing small lengths of sheet metal to be cut from ribbons supplied
from spools, and bending such short pieces into clasps located a suitable distance
apart and embracing two heddle twines, so as to form the eye for the warp thread,
shown at Figure 4.
It is also to be understood that spools containing thread are caused to revolve
around the rig bands, and that there is also mechanism consisting of a reciprocating
latch needle appropriate to each band, the operation of which, as it reciprocates in
combination with the revolving thread spool, is to crochet or knit each heddle in
succession, as it is formed to the rig bands; both of these forms of mechanism being
well known to those familiar with machinery for making weavers' harness do not
require specific description herein, and are omitted from the Drawing.
The several heddles are formed from two twines m, m¹, Figures 1 and 2, and they
are carried by two spools N, N¹; mounted on spool stands O, O', which are connected
to the side of a disc plate E. An intermittent revolving motion is imparted to the
disc E and to the spools, which it carries by the train of gear wheels F, F, F, the
bevel gear wheel G, and the segmental bevelled rack H, Figure 1. This segmental
rack is secured to the under side of a ring or annulus I, Figure 2, which annulus,
when the machine is in motion, is concentric with the circular supporting plate D
and revolves around it. The annulus carries upon its inner surface or face a toothed
wheel J, Figure 2, which engages with the driving pinion K, and which receives
motion from the vertical driving shaft L, Figure 1.
M, M, Figures 1 and 2, are segments of metal secured to the annulus I. The
office which these segments perform is at stated times during the revolution of the
annulus to suspend the operation of the train of gear wheels G, F, F, F, and this
object is effected in consequence of a salient projection on a revolving cam n,
Figure 1, coming into contact with the edge of one or the other of the segments M, M',
the bevel segmental rack H ending when the segments M, M³, begin. The gear
wheels F, F, F, are stopped in their revolution during the period of time that the
cam face n is in contact with the metal segment, and until by the revolution of the
annulus the segment has passed out of contact, and the bevel rack H can re-engage
the lever pinion G.
Inasmuch as the object of this part of the mechanism is to alternately stop and
start the said train of gear wheels, whereby the spool-carrying disc E can revolve
during certain times and remain at rest during certain times; any equivalent
mechanism which will perform that result can be employed. The devices shown
for the purpose are however practical and convenient.
The vertical hollow studs through which the rig bands r, r¹, are passed are
shown at i, i, Figure 2. These rig bands are attached to a cross head, and are
made to travel a prescribed distance as fast as the harness is formed in a well
known way.
The principle upon which the heddle-forming mechanism acts is to cause the two
twines m, m³, to be crossed over each other, as the result of a semi-revolution of the
spool-carrying disc E. Such twines so concatinated are then to be acted upon by a
hook or finger b, which has peculiar movements, now to be described, and whose
office is to determine the position of the loops formed by the two twines, and assist
in conveying the heddle, which is in process of formation, to the centre of the
circular plate D, where it is to receive the metal clasps.
The finger b is shown in two opposite positions at Figures 1 and 2 respectively.
It is attached to a rod c, and has a partial rotary as well as a rectilinear movement.
Its rectilinear movement is obtained from the vibrating lever d, the connecting
link, and the vibrating lever d', the latter being operated in a well understood
manner by the revolving cam g acting upon the friction roller h mounted on the
lever d¹. The rotary motion of the rod c is obtained from the toothed gear wheel j
and the toothed segment lever k, operated by a revolving cam l.
Devices which co-operate in the formation of the heddle consist of two hooks 8, s¹,
attached to arms t, t', Figure 2, which vibrate intermittently in the arc of a circle,

page_text: and serve to convey the twines m, m', respectively outward to the rig bands
cotemporaneously, or nearly so, with the movement of the finger b toward the
centre of the machine. The effect of the vibrating hooks 8, s¹, in combination with
the reciprocating and partially rotating finger band, the intermittently revolving
spool-carrying disc E is to produce a heddle the twines of which are interlocked,
as shown in Figure 4, and require only the addition of metal clasps to form the
ends of the eye.
After the hook b has carried the twines to that portion of the
machine where they are to receive the clasps, the concatenated twines are to be
discharged from the hook. The discharger is shown at w, Figure 1; it receives its
motion from the cam P acting on the lever R, the rod I, and the slides v, v.
After
the twines have been discharged the operation of putting on the metallic clasps
is performed by the usual mechanism for this purpose.
In Figure 3 x represents a latch pivotted to the spool stand O, and held from
coming in contact with the projection 3 on the bolt y by means of the twine that'
is wound upon the spool N.
Z, Figure 2, is the stop-motion lever which is connected by means of the rod q,
shown in cross section, to ordinary belt-shipping mechanism, which serves to stop
the whole machine.
When the twines on the spools have been drawn off in the construction of
heddles and used up within a few turns of said twines around the spools, the
latch which revolves with the spool is liberated, and coming in contact with the
projection 3 on the bolt y, which slides on the disc E, forces said bolt y beyond
the edge of the disc E, which in its revolution brings said bolt y into contact with
the stop-motion lever Z, which in turn lifts the rod q and disconnects the machine
from its motive power, thus stopping the machine before the heddle twines are
completely drawn off their respective spools.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that the Invention above described is not limited to the specific details of con-
struction and arrangement of devices set forth and represented, but includes such
variations of structure or organization as will form equivalent mechanical means
for effecting the purposes of the said Invention, and I claim, in a machine for
making weavers' harness the combination of the following instrumentalities or
organisms, that is to say, an intermittently revolving twine spool carrier, the twine
carried by each spool having been first attached to its appropriate rig band; a
hook located in a plane between the two spools, and having both a partial rotary
and a rectilinear movement for engaging with the twines, which are crossed by the
semi-revolution of the spool carrier, and for carrying the same toward the centre of
the machine preparatory to the metal clasps for completing the heddle eye; and
mechanism for carrying out cotemporaneously, or nearly so, other lengths of twine
to the rig bands preparatory to the coming into action of mechanism for crocheting
or otherwise attaching such twines to their bands, whereby heddles for loom
harness are formed, composed of two twines laid parallel with each other and
interlocked, and ready to have their eyes formed by the application of metal clasps,
as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)