IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Ayrton, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Gentleman, and Samuel Shaw Brown, of the same Place,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING."
Sealed the 23rd August 1872, and dated the 24th February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Ayrton and
Samuel Shaw Brown at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 24th February 1872.
We, FRANCIS AYRTON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, and SAMUEL SHAW BROWN, of the same Place, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
First. As means for facilitating the division of warp threads, and the
retaining of them in their proper relative positions, as also for con-
venience in "threading," we employ a series of free-ended metal healds
of unequal lengths at their upper terminations. Each series of the said
healds is secured in a grooved bar, to which the required up-and-down
motions are imparted by any convenient mechanism, the mechanism
hereafter described under the fifth head being preferred.

page_text: Second. As means for ensuring lifting of the warp threads necessary
to form a proper shed for the shuttle we form the spaces between the
healds of unequal depths.
Third. As means for producing healds with the improvements de-
scribed under the above first and second heads economically, with
exactness, and in such manner, that should any one be broken or
damaged it can easily be removed and a new one put in its place,
we cast two of the metal healds, at the required distance from each
other, in a socket of metal, each such socket being in the form of the
letter L, so that the horizontal limb shall serve as a separating piece
between itself and the next socket.
Fourth. As means for firmly securing a series of healds produced
under the above first, second, and third heads of our improvements
in a grooved bar, we employ at one or both ends of such bar a pinching
or clamping screw passed through a rigid resisting piece secured to the
bar.
Fifth. As means whereby the thread harness heretofore employed
may be dispensed with, and healds constructed with the novel features
above described, or with the improvements described under the above
first and second heads only, used to raise the proper warp threads to
form a shed for the shuttle, we employ two or more heald bars, and
cause them to move up and down in guides by vibrating stems or their
mechanical equivalents. These vibrating stems are provided with
crutches to support the heald bars, and are adjustable as regards their
length; they are jointed to adjustable levers which are operated by
tappets or cams revolving with the picker or other convenient shaft.
Sixth. As means for both raising and lowering warp threads without
the thread harness hitherto in use we employ a series of staple-like
metal healds secured in grooved bars. The warp threads are passed
through the staple healds, and up-and-down motions are given to the
bars by revolving shafts or other well understood appliances. The
staple-like healds are by preference each cast in a separate socket
similar to those described for free-ended healds under the above third
head.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis Ayrton and Samuel Shaw Brown in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANCIS
AYRTON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, and
SAMUEL SHAW BROWN, of the same Place, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Francis Ayrton and Samuel Shaw
Brown, Her special licence that we, the said Francis Ayrton and Samuel
Shaw Brown, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Francis Ayrton and Samuel Shaw Brown, our executors,
administrators, 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Francis Ayrton and Samuel Shaw Brown, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Francis Ayrton and Samuel Shaw
Brown, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 illustrative Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention consists.

page_text: retaining of them in their proper relative positions, as also for
convenience in threading, we employ a series of free-ended metal healds
of unequal lengths at their upper terminations. Each series of the said
healds is secured in a grooved bar to which the required up-and-down
motions are imparted by any convenient mechanism, the mechanism
hereafter described under the fifth head being preferred.
Second. As means for ensuring lifting of the warp threads necessary
to form a proper shed for the shuttle, we form the spaces between the
healds of unequal depths.
Third. As means for producing healds with the improvements
described under the above first and second heads economically with
exactness, and in such manner that should any one be broken or
damaged it can easily be removed and a new one put in its place, we
cast two of the metal healds at the required distance from each other in
a socket of metal, each such socket being in the form of the letter L, so
that the horizontal limb shall serve as a separating piece between itself
and the next socket.
Fourth. As means for firmly securing a series of healds produced
under the above first, second, and third heads of our improvements in a
grooved bar, we employ at one or both ends of such bar a pinching or
clamping screw passed through a rigid resisting piece secured to the
bar.
Fifth. As means whereby the thread harness heretofore employed may
be dispensed with, and healds constructed with the novel features above
described, or with the improvements described under the above first and
second heads only, used to raise the proper warp threads to form a shed
for the shuttle, we employ two or more heald bars, and cause them to
move up and down in guides by vibrating stems or their mechanical
equivalents. These vibrating stems are provided with crutches to
support the heald bars, and are adjustable as regards their length; they
are jointed to adjustable levers which are operated by tappets or cams
revolving with the picker or other convenient shaft.
Sixth. As means for both raising and lowering warp threads without
the thread harness hitherto in use, we employ a series of staple-like
metal healds secured in grooved bars. The warp threads are passed
through the staple healds, and up-and-down motions are given to the
bars by revolving shafts or other well understood appliances. The staple-

page_text: such parts as are necessary to illustrate our said improvements. In
these views like letters indicate the same parts.
a is the prime moving or batten shaft; b, toothed wheel secured on
shaft a, and gearing with toothed wheel c secured on the picker shaft d.
Two grooved cams e and e¹ similar in form but opposite in position are
secured on shaft d near its centre, and give motion to the stems or
levers f, f¹, said stems or levers being provided with slots f³, f³, to allow
of lateral adjustment of the crutches g and g¹ secured thereto, and
themselves provided with slots g³, g³, to allow of vertical adjustment;
said crutches have bearing pieces h, h, h', h¹, on their upper ends, in
which rest the grooved bars i, a, secured in position by the set screws h³,
adjusted by the set screws h³, and working in the guide slots j, j³. k, k¹,
are the metal healds shown on an enlarged scale in Figs. 3 and 4, where
is the metal L shaped socket, m and m¹ the reed wires cast therein,
and alternately projecting a greater and less distance from the socket 1,
in order to facilitate the laying in of the warp threads; m³ is the yarn
beam; n is the warp roller; o, o, are the cloth rollers; p, the warp
threads; q, the cloth.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:-The batten shaft a gives
motion through toothed wheels b and c to the picker shaft d, which by
means of the cams e, e¹, gives an alternate rising and falling motion to
the stems or levers f, f¹, and thereby to the crutches g', g', the grooved
bars i, , and healds or harness k, k¹. The cams e, e¹, are so arranged
that when the heald k, Figs. 1 and 2, is at the top of its movement, the
heald is at the bottom; and vice versa. The healds or harness k and k¹
are placed so that the long slots or divisions in the one are opposite to
the short slots or divisions in the other; on motion being given to the
machinery, yarn being laid in, a shed is formed. The position of the
roller at the back of the loom over which the said yarn or warp threads
pass, is required to be lower than when the said yarn passes through a
loop or eye.
T
141

page_text: heald described under the sixth head; here is the cast metal socket,
and 8 the hook-like staple with the exception that the yarn is passed
through the hook-like staple instead of between the reed wires; this form
of heald is fitted, secured, and actuated in the same manner as the heald
marked herein-before described.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and
particularized the same in such manner that others will be enabled to
carry our improvements into effect, we claim,--
First. Constructing loose metal healds with an L shaped socket 1, and
reed or other wires m and m³ cast therein, as described and illustrated in 1
Figs. 3 and 4.
Second. The method of forming harness by securing and adjusting
loose metal healds in a grooved bar by means of set screws or their
equivalents, as described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Third. The general arrangement of adjustable crutches and levers 1
actuated by cams, as described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fourth. The form of separate hook-like staple metal heald described
and illustrated in Fig. 5.
Fifth. The application of the metal healds herein described for
forming the shed or division in warps for weaving purposes.
In witness whereof, we, the said Francis Ayrton and Samuel Shaw
Brown, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
second day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.
2
In the presence of
JAMES JOHNSON,
4, Clayton Sq.,
Liverpool.
FRANCIS AYRTON.
(L.S.)
SAMUEL SHAW BROWN. (L.S.)