IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING LAMP WICKS AND OTHER SMALL WARE
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hirst, of Victoria Road, Hackney Wick,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING LAMP WICKS AND OTHER SMALL WARE.”
Sealed the 17th November 1871, and dated the 31st May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hirst at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st May 1871.
I, THOMAS HIRST, of Victoria Road, Hackney Wick, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING LAMP WICKS AND OTHER SMALL WARE,"
to be as follows:
In ordinary looms for weaving lamp wicks great loss of time is
experienced in the shifting of the weights by which the tension of the
warp is secured. The number of the warps used varies, but assuming a
loom of this description to be working with sixteen shuttles, there will
be from time to time a shifting of thirty-two weights, each warp having
a back and a front weight; these weights must also be changed according

page_text: to the work; and, further, each of the warps has a separate bowl, and
passes through back reeds. To save this loss of time and to secure
a more regular working I propose to dispense entirely with the above-
mentioned weights, with the back reeds, and to use but one bowl instead
of as many bowls as warps.
To effect my object I propose to construct my loom with a back and
front beam, set in the frame in a similar manner to those of ordinary
power looms, but each beam being divided into compartments by
shifting partitions or guards, sliding or otherwise moveable on the beam,
so that they may be brought closer together or set further apart
according to the breadth of warp required. By thus dividing the beams
into compartments I am enabled to bring my warps from a single bowl,
and to divide them on the warp beam without the intervention of the
back reeds, and without any possibility of their shifting into each other.
The woven wicks will also be kept apart by the divisions on the cloth
beam. The number of the compartments will necessarily vary with the
number of lamp wicks to be woven.
I also propose to furnish the loom with a letting-off and taking-up
motion similar to those used in ordinary woollen cloth looms.
The main feature of my Invention is, the use of warp and cloth
beams and their division into compartments for weaving lamp wicks,
tapes, and small ware generally; and by modifying the details my
improvements may be applied to hand as well as to power looms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Hirst in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 30th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HIRST, of Victoria Road, Hackney Wick, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Hirst, Her special licence that
I, the said Thomas Hirst, my executors, administrators, and assigns, a

page_text: or such others as I, the said Thomas Hirst, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
FOR WEAVING LAMP WICKS AND OTHER SMALL WARE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Hirst, 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
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Hirst, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.
In ordinary looms for weaving lamp wicks great loss of time is
experienced in the shifting of the weights by which the tension of the
warp is secured; the number of the warps used varies, but assuming a
loom of this description to be working with sixteen shuttles there will
be from time to time a shifting of thirty-two weights, each warp having a
back and a front weight; these weights must also be changed according
to the work, and further each of the warps has a separate bowl and
passes through back reeds. To save this loss of time and to secure a
more regular working I dispense entirely with the above-mentioned
weights, with the back reeds, and use but one bowl instead of as many
bowls as warps.
To effect my object I construct my loom with a back or warp beam
and a front or cloth beam, set in the frame in a similar manner to
those of ordinary power looms, but each beam being divided into com-
partments by shifting partitions or guards, sliding or otherwise moveable
on the beam, so that they may be brought closer together or set further
apart according to the breadth of warp required. Or I may dispense
with the divided cloth beam and receive the woven fabric in a trough.
By thus dividing the beams or the warp beam only into compartments I

page_text: am enabled to bring my warps from a single bowl and to divide them
on the warp beam without the intervention of the back reeds, and
without any possibility of their shifting into each other. The woven
wicks may, as above stated, be kept apart by divisions on a cloth beam,
`or be received into a trough. The number of the compartments will 5
necessarily vary with the number of lamp wicks to be woven.
I also furnish the loom with a letting-off and taking-up motion similar
to those used in ordinary woollen cloth power looms.
My Invention applies not only to the weaving of lamp wicks, but
also to the weaving of tapes and small ware generally, and by modifying 1
the details of the loom my Invention may be applied to hand as well as
to power looms.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawing Figure 1 represents an end
elevation of a loom embodying my Invention%; Figure 2 is a front
elevation of the same, the warp beam having partitions; guards, or 1
flanges to form fourteen compartments suitable for fourteen separate
warps.
A is the warp beam divided by the flanges a into a number of com-
partments corresponding to the number of warps required; these flanges
are keyed on to the shaft H having its outer ends weighted, or in 2
connection with suitable brake straps and weights. It will be evident
that other mechanical devices than that of the shifting flanges a may
be employed to divide the warp beam into compartments; and that my
Invention is not based upon the use of these particular flanges, but
that of any equivalent device by which the warp beam or the
upon
and cloth beams are divided into compartments, the breadth of which
may be regulated according to the breadth of the warps. B is the warp
passing over the top of frame C, and through the heddles and reeds
down to taking-up motion D, under roller E, over F, into trough G.
warp
2
I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate and describe every part 3
of the loom, but only sufficient to show the application of my Invention,
the other parts of the loom presenting no novelty to loom makers.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire it to be
understood that although I have shown on the Drawing a loom without 3
a front or cloth beam in compartments, yet I reserve to myself the
right of using such beam whenever I may deem it desirable. Further

page_text: that I do not limit myself to the precise construction of loom illustrated
on the Drawing, as the driving gear and other parts of its mechanism
may be greatly varied while preserving the essential feature of my In-
vention, and that I claim as secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, the use of a warp and of a cloth beam, or of a
warp beam only, when divided into compartments, substantially as and
for the purposes herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hirst, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.