CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Briggs, junior, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Tarpauling Manufacturer, and Walter Edward Yates, of
Strangeways, in the same County, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 1st May 1868, and dated the 5th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Briggs and
Walter Edward Yates at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th November 1867.
We, THOMAS BRIGGS, junior, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Tarpauling Manufacturer, and WALTER EDWARD YATES, of Strangeways, in
the same County, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates, first, to that part of looms known as the breast
beam and taking-up motion, and is designed to take up the cloth as it is
woven in a positive manner without any portion being "let back" or allowed
to slip.
The first part of the Invention consists in the application and use of a
roller in front of the "breast beam," the periphery of which projects slightly
above the "beam," and is furnished with pins or points cut or otherwise
formed in a right and left hand spiral course around its surface, and the said

page_text: rollers may be level, slightly hollowed or concaved towards the middle of its
length, so that as the fabric passes over it the revolution thereof will act
instead of ordinary temples, to distend the fabric, and also retain a hold upon
the under face of the fabric. This roller is prevented from turring in an
opposite direction by means of a finely composed toothed ratchet, which is
secured on its end, in which one or more pawls or catches act, and beneath
this roller a second roller is applied mounted with square ends in diagonal
slides or bearings. This roller is to be used in combination with another
roller, round the back of which it passes after having passed round the front
of the breast beam roller, and the amount of tension and hold of the cloth on
the upper roller is regulated by a screw or screws which alters the position of
the lower in the diagonal slide or slides, and the usual manner, the com-
bination of the two rollers and ratchet wheel and catch and the diagonal slide
preventing any backward movement of the fabric.
The second part of the Invention relates to that part of the loom known as
the "picker," and the improvements consist in the application and use of a
tube containing a "wad". or plug of leather or other yielding material as
the striking surface; which is: pressed against an internal collar by a spiral
spring and plunger, which constitutes an elastic medium to diminish the blow
given by the picker to the shuttle, 'and vice versâ. The upper portion of the
picker carries a tube, around which a spring is coiled, and this tube slides on
the shuttle-box spindle, thus when the picker is moved forward to strike the
shuttle the leather end of the lower tubes strikes the shuttle and it is pro-
pelled, and the end of the upper tube strikes the end of the shuttle box, and
by the compression of the spring the concussion is reduced, and the ordinary
"check strip" may be dispensed with.
J
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Briggs and Walter Edward Yates in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 5th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
BRIGGS, junior, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Tarpaulin
Manufacturer, and WALTER EDWARD YATES, of Strangeways, in the same
County, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Thomas Briggs, junior, and Walter Edward Yates, Her special.
license that we, the said Thomas Briggs, junior, and Walter Edward Yates,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Thomas Briggs, junior, and Walter Edward Yates, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that: we, the said Thomas Briggs, junior, and Walter
Edward Yates, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or one of our, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Walter Edward Yates, 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 fol-
lowing statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
The Invention relates, first, that part of the loom known as the breast.
beam and taking-up motion, and is designed to take up the cloth as it is woven
in a positive manner without any portion being let back or allowed to slip.
or
The first part of the Invention consists in the application and use of a
roller in front of the "breast beam," the periphery of which projects slightly
above the "beam," and is furnished with pins or pins points cut or otherwise
formed in a right and left hand spiral course around its surface, and the said
roller may be level, slightly hollowed or concaved towards the middle of its
length, so that as the fabric passes over it the revolution thereof will act,
instead of ordinary temples, to distend the fabric and also retain a hold upon
the under face of the fabric. This roller is prevented from turning in an
opposite direction by means of a finely composed toothed ratchet wheel, which
is secured on its end in which one or more pawls or catches act, beneath
this roller a second roller is applied mounted with square ends, and in
diagonal slides or bearings. This roller is to be used in combination with
another roller, round the back of which it passes after having passed round
the front of the breast beam roller, and the amount of tension and hold of the
cloth on the upper roller is regulated by a crew or screws which alter the

page_text: position of the lower roller in the diagonal slide or slides, and the fabric then
passes to the ordinary taking-up motion, which acts in the usual manner, the
combination of the two rollers and ratchet wheel and catch, the diagonal
slide preventing any backward movement of the fabric,
The second part of the Invention relates to that part of the loom known as
the "picker," and the improvements consist in the application and use of a
tube containing a "wad" or plug of leather or other yielding material as the
striking surface, which is pressed against an internal collar by a spiral spring
and plunger, which constitutes an elastic medium to diminish the blow given
by the picker to the shuttle, and vice versa. The upper portion of the picker
carries a tube, around which a spring is coiled, and this tube slides on the
shuttle box spindle, thus when the picker is moved forward to strike the
shuttle the leather end of the lower tube strikes the shuttle and it is pro-
pelled, and the end of the upper tube strikes the end of the shuttle box, and
by the compression of the spring the concussion is reduced, and the ordinary
"check strap" may be dispensed with, or the spring may be dispensed with,
and a plug of wood or metal or suitable material may be substituted to run
on the spindle.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 being
made upon a scale of about three inches to the foot, and Figs. 5, 6, and 7
being made upon the full size.
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the breast beam of a loom, to which
is applied and adapted the roller employed, for distending or stretching the
cloth between the selvedges as it is manufactured previously to its being
received by the cloth roller; Fig. 2 represents a cross section of the same;
Fig. 3 represents a modification of the roller in the breast beam to be
employed for the same purpose, and Fig. 4 represents a cross section of the
same taken through the line A, B; Fig. 5 represents the front elevation of
the improved "picker;" Fig. 6 represents a longitudinal section, and Fig. 7
an end elevation of the same.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a, a, is the "breast beam" of a loom, the front
portion of which is removed or hollowed for the reception of the concaved
rollers b, upon the surface of which metallic points are placed in a spiral
direction. On the end of this roller the fine ratchet wheels c, c, are secured,
which revolve with the roller when taking up; the pawls or catches & being
provided for preventing any backward movement of the cloth when passing
over the roller 6 on to the cloth roller. The roller 6 is supported by bearings
in the breast beam in such a manner that its periphery projects somewhat

page_text: above the surface of the breast beam, thereby causing the cloth to be in close
contact with the roller, around a portion of which it passes, and thence to the
guide bar e placed beneath, from whence the cloth is received on to the cloth
roller.
:
The amount of tension or stretch
In Figs. 3 and 4 a modification of this roller is shewn employed also
for distending the cloth; this roller is formed in two parts 6', 6', the outer end
of each being supported by fixed bearings in the breast beam, and their
opposite ends at the centre of the breast beam, being supported in the move-
able or adjustable bearing f. Upon the periphery of this roller four or more
longitudinal elevated bars or ribs are formed, upon the surface of which points
or sharp projections are placed, and in this instance the cloth as manufactured
first passes beneath the guide bar g, then over the bars of the rollers b¹, b¹,
whence it is received by the cloth roller.
required between the selvages of the cloth can readily be adjusted or obtained
by turning the set screw i, which acts upon the adjustable bearing fso as to
force the centre or junction of the stretching rollers outwards from the centre
of the breast beam, thereby forming a raised surface upon the roller outward
from the centre, which causes the stretch or distention of the cloth desired. .
In Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the improved arrangement of " picker" is shewn, in
which is the frame holding the detachable tube 1 and the barrel or tube m;
the tube may be formed of wood or any suitable hard or porous material,
which may be saturated with oil. This tube / may be removed and renewed,
and slides upon the "spindle" n, which also forms the support for the
"picker." The lower portion or barrel m is recessed, so as to leave a collar
or ring inside, against which a "wad" or plug of leather or other suitable
yielding material forming the striking surface for the shuttle is forced or
pressed by means of the plunger o, the tail of which slides in the cap p, and a
strong coiled helical caouchouc or other spring 9 contained within the tube or
barrel exerts pressure against the plunger and "wad,"
1," by which means also
the "wad" or striking portion of the picker yields when receiving the blow
from the shuttle, thereby diminishing the concussion and dispensing with the
use of "check" straps, and also assists at the next pick in expelling the
shuttle from the box by the elastic rebound of the spring and wad, such wad
and spring being readily removeable when worn and new ones substituted.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be distinctly
understood that we claim,-
First. The arrangement and combination of apparatus between the breast
beam and the cloth roller for taking up and stretching the cloth.

page_text: Secondly. The employment and use of a picker having a yielding or
elastic surface, by which the shuttle is struck and propelled.
Thirdly. The employment and use of a moveable tube of wood, metal, or
suitable material applied to support the picker and to slide upon the shuttle-
box spindle.
And, fourthly. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of
the apparatus constituting the improved picker, as herein-before described,
set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Edward Yates, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witnessed by
JOHN L. DAVIES, C. E.,
Office for Patents,
Manchester.
WALTER EDWARD YATES. '(L.S.)