CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS INTO CLOTH AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
RAMBBOTTON, of Tedmorden, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic, and
RICHARD HOLT, of the same place, Iron Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twelfth day of July, in the fifth year of His reign, did, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said John
Ramsbottom and Richard Holt, His especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that we, the said John Ramsbottom and Richard Holt, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Ramsbottom and Richard Holt, our executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
INTO CLOTH AND OTHER FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that we, the said John Ramsbottom and Richard Holt, or one of
us, shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in

page_text: and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
John Ramsbottom and Richard Holt, do hereby declare that the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
are particularly described and ascertained in and by the following description
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
Our improvements in the construction of power looms for weaving cotton
and other fibrous materials into cloth or other fabrics, consist in a peculiar
and novel arrangement of the ordinary parts or pieces of mechanism apper-
taining to looms, by which arrangement we are enabled to weave two pieces
of fabric at one time, through the agency of a rotary axle, by power derived
from steam or water, or any other first mover, or by animal or manual labor.
This arrangement includes a new contrivance, by means of which the working
parts of the loom are instantly stopped whenever either of the weft threads
break, and also a novel apparatus forming a pair of self-acting temples, for
the purpose of keeping the work distended to the required width. In this
improved loom, instead of placing the warp threads horizontally as in ordinary
looms, we place them vertically in two ranges, the one range of warp threads
extending from a roller or warp beam below, toward a work beam at top, in
front of the loom, the other range of warp threads extending in like manner at
the back of the loom; and instead of giving to the double lathe in which the
reeds are mounted pendulous vibratory movements, as in ordinary looms, we
cause them to rise and fall in perpendicular directions, and the headles or
healds by which the sheds of the warps are opened are moved to and fro
horizontally by means of a vibrating lever. This arrangement will be clearly
perceived by reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which Figure 1
represents the front of the loom in geometrical elevation, Figure 2 being a
similar representation of the left-hand end of the loom, and Figure 3 of the
reverse or right-hand end. Figure 4 is a vertical section taken trans-
versely through the loom near the end looking towards the left hand; the
same letters referring to corresponding parts in all the Figures. A, A, A, is
the standard or frame supporting the working parts of the loom. B, B, is
the crank shaft by which the loom is driven, having a fast and loose pulley
affixed at its end, with a band passing from the rotatory driving power. The
crank shaft has also fly wheels at its ends for balancing or regulating the
motions. C, C, are the warp rollers, the pivots of their axles turning freely
in vertical grooves in the end frames. D, D, are friction rollers, upon which

page_text: the peripheries of the warp rollers bear; they receive their rotary movement
through the agency of a revolving cam 2, on the crank shaft B (see Figure 1).
This cam, as it revolves, acts upon the end of a right angled lever y, y,
pendent from a stud fixed in the cross rail of the frame, to the lower end
of which lever (shewn by dots) is connected a click or catch a, taking into the
teeth of the ratchet wheel w. The rotation of the cam gives vibratory.
motion to the weighted lever y, which causes the click at every stroke to
take up one tooth of the ratchet wheel w, and so progressively to draw it
round. This rotary movement of the wheel w, with its axle, carries round-
the endless screws or worms v, v, which respectively take into the toothed
wheels affixed to the axles of the friction rollers D, D, and cause those rollers
to turn, and by the friction to carry round the warp rollers C slowly for the
purpose of giving out the warp. The warp yarns thus delivered are passed
under the friction rollers D, and conducted upward toward the work beams
G, G, between tension rods u, u, mounted in the spring brackets t, t,
(shewn in the section, Figure 4,) which springs afford elasticity to the warp.
when the reeds beat up the work. E, E, are the healds or headles, placed
horizontally, and held by tension straps attached to the vibrating rollers L, L.
F, F, are the two lathes, each carrying a reed placed horizontally, which.
lathes are made fast at their ends to the cross shaped pieces H, HI, H, H,
which slide up and down perpendicularly between guide rollers r, r, r, r,
mounted on studs fixed in the end standards, as shewn in Figure 4. Straps
or rods I, I, attached to the cranks of the shaft B, are connected by pivot
joints to the cross shaped pieces H, H, and consequently as the crank shaft
goes round, these rods work the cross shaped pieces with the lathes up and
lown in vertical directions, for the purpose of beating up the weft threads.
The headles or healds E, E, for weaving plain cloths connected by the tension
traps to the vibrating rollers L, L, are moved to and fro for the purpose of
pening the sheds of the warp by means of a vibrating lever M, which is
ttached to a strap 8, 8, plassed round pullies fixed on the ends of the rollers
L. This lever M vibrates on its fulcrum pin or stud q, fixed in the end
andard (see Figure 3), and is worked by a heart cam N, shown by dots,
evolving within an oblong frame J, which forms the lower part of the
ver M. The heart cam N is fixed to a toothed wheel p, mounted upon a
ud in the end frame, and rotary motion is given to this wheel and cam by a
nion o on the crank shaft, which cam as it revolves causes the lever M to
brate, and hence, by its connection with the strap 8, to give the traverse
otion to the healds. O, O, are the pecker levers, suspended upon studs
xed to the top frame; they are put in vibratory motion by the rods or cords
ول

page_text: P, P. These rods or cords P, P, are ultimately drawn down by small levers
Q, each of which levers are carried by and turn upon pivots at the end of
horizontal shifting bar U, see Figure 1. On the inner side of these small
levers Q, a friction roller n is attached, and shewn by dots in Figure 4, which
roller as the lathe passes up and down is acted upon by a tappet R, formed on
an inclined plain, and affixed to the lower part of the cross H. As the lathes
descend, the tappet R strikes against the roller of the small lever Q, and by
forcing the lever back, causes the cord or rod P to be drawn down suddenly,
and by that means a sharp stroke to be given to the pecker lever O, which is
required for projecting the shuttles along the races of the double lathe, that is
over the upper surface of the horizontal reeds. It will be understood that
this contrivance is adapted to both ends of the loom, and that they are
alternately brought into operation. The shifting of the bar U horizontally for
the purpose of bringing the rollers n of the levers Q alternately into operation
with the tappets R at the opposite sides of the loom is effected by the arm S,
extending from the vibrating lever M. This arm S carries a pin m, which works
in a slot at the end of the lever T (see Figures 1 and 4), and as the lever M
vibrates, this pin m raises or depresses the end of the lever T, and thereby
causes its opposite end to shift the bar U to and fro for the purpose before-
mentioned of bringing the levers Q alternately in the way of the tappets R
when the latter descends. The taking up of the cloth on to the work beams
is effected by the levers V, V (see Figure 3). The upper ends of these levers
are weighed at 1, 1, for the purpose of pressing their lower ends against the
rods k, k, behind the shuttle boxes. To each of these levers is attached by a
joint a clicks i, i, which respectively take into the teeth of the ratchet wheels
h, h, turning upon studs fixed to the side standards. The levers V, V, aro
acted upon by the lathe as it rises and falls, the descending movement of the
lathe causing the clicks i, i, to slide over the teeth of the ratchets h, h, and
the ascending movement of the lathe allowing the weights 1, l, to draw the
clicks i, i, and thus the ratchet wheels h, h, are progressively drawn round, and
by means of a pinion on the axis of each ratchet wheel respectively taking
into the teeth of one of the wheels g, g, fixed on the axles of the work rollers,
the work is gradually taken up, that is, the cloth rolled upon the beams G, G.
The contrivance for stopping the loom on the breaking of the weft thread consists
of levers W, W, which we call hands with fingers. These are attached to
rods X, X, extending across the loom, and turning in bearings on the side
standards. Figures 5 and 6 are plans or horizontal views of the shuttle race
of the lathe with the reed fixed therein. At each end of the reed there is an
aperture in the shuttle race covered by some slight wires j, j, set sufficiently

page_text: apart to allow the fingers of the hand W to pass through when not supported.
If the weft thread is entire, that is unbroken, and extending from the work to
the shuttle, this thread, being across these wires and tightly distended, will
sustain the weight of the hand W, and lift it when the lathe rises; but if the
5 weft thread is broken, that support will not be afforded to the fingers W, and
they will pass through. It will be perceived that to one end of each of the
rods X, X, there is affixed a small lever Y (see Figures 1 and 2), and this
lever is connected to another lever Z. Each of these levers Z has a notch or
stop in its edge (see Fig. 2). Now when the lathe rises, if the weft thread is
O entire, it will be tightly distended over the open wire j, and lift the fingers W,
which will cause the rod X to turn sufficiently to throw back the levers Y
and Z into the position shewn by dots (in Figure 2); the lathe will then
ascend and descend without obstruction, and such must be the case when the
loon is in effective operation. But in the event of one of the weft threads
breaking, the fingers of the hand W, by passing through the aperture j, will
not now turn the rod X, and the lever Z then standing forward as in Figure 2,
will present its notch or catch to the transverse barf affixed to the end of the
lathe, and as the lathe rises it will strike against the notch in the lever Z and
cause the lever Z to be lifted upward, and by so moving to raise the sliding
bar e which is connected to these levers Z. A pin at the lower end of the
sliding bar e acts against a lateral spring d, and when the sliding bar e stands
as in Figure 2, the spring d is kept back in tension, but when the sliding bar e
is raised by the means just described, the spring d is enabled to act against a
small arm c upon the vertical shaft 6 mounted in socket arms extending from
the end standards. The striking of the bar f, therefore, against the notch in
the lever Z (which will be the case whenever the weft thread breaks), lifts the
sliding bare and allows the spring d to act against the arm c, and thereby to
turn the shaft b which causes the strap guider attached to that shaft to shift
the rigger band from the fast pulley a to the loose pulley. And in order that
he evolutions of the loom shall instantly cease, the back part of each shuttle
ox has a spring lever 3, 3, see the horizontal view, Figure 5, called a swell, as
n other power looms, which lever, when the shuttle lies in the box, is pressed
utward, but when the shuttle is not in the box it falls inward. A pendent catch
ever 4, 4, is attached to the back of each shuttle box, as seen in Figure 2,
hich, when the swell 3, 3, is pressed outward, preserves the perpendicular
osition of the pendent catch levers 4, 4, as shown, but when the swell 3 falls
ward the levers 4 assumes the inclined position shewn by dots in Figure 2.
he rising of the lathe now brings the end of the inclined catch lever 4 against
e arm 5 extending from the sliding bar e, and causes that sliding bar to be

page_text: lifted, which brings the nib 1 at the lower part of the bar e into coincidence
with the nib 2 on the fly wheel, and so stops the loom instantly, as before
described. The self-acting temples for keeping the work or fabric distended
are formed by fixed chaps 6, 6 (see Figures 1 & 2), attached to the transverse
bar or breast beam 7, 7, and the movable chaps 8, 8, having wire cards or
rough internal surfaces for taking hold of the work or cloth as it is produced.
These movable chaps are connected by rods 9, 9, to the ends of the upright
arms of the bent levers 10, 10, the fulcrums of which are studs fixed in the
framework. Now when the lathe ascends the tappet pieces R, R, lift up the
ends of the horizontal arms of the bent levers 10, 10, and thereby cause the
movable chaps to be drawn back and released from holding the cloth or fabric,
and as the lathe descends the V-shaped springs 11, 11, acting between the two
upright arms of the bent levers 10, 10, force the movable chaps outward in
contact with the cloth, the springs 11, 11, keeping the movable chaps dis-
tended, and consequently the cloth or fabric stretched to the required width.
In conclusion, we desire it to be understood that we claim the arrangement
of mechanism above described for weaving of cloths or other fabrics from
cotton and other fibrous materials, and we claim also the contrivances for
stopping the loom when the weft threads break or the shuttle does not reach
its destination, and the mode of constructing and working self-acting temples,
as described and shewn in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Ramsbottom and Richard Holt,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Ninth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
STANSFIELD, Extr.
Housu
JOHN (L.8.) RAMSBOTTOM.
RICHARD (L.S.) HOLT.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Ninth day of January, in the
fifth year of the reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth, the said
John Ramsbottom and Richard Holt came before our said Lord the King in
His Chancery, and acknowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every
thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the
Instrument aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made
in the fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Twelfth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and