IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVE- MENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION FOR VARIOUS USEFUL
PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad by Archibald Nimmo,
Thomas Moran, Valentine Stausse, and George Washington Ensinger,
11 DL:1-1-1-Lin
Tailed Stator Am
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th August 1871.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING, PARTS OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION FOR VARIOUS USEFUL
PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by Archibald Nimmo,
Thomas Moran, Valentine Stausse, and George Washington Ensinger,

page_text: ant of Fmnade¡pma, rennsylvania, United States of America, to De as
follows:-
:―
This Invention relates to a peculiar combination and arrangement of
mechanism for working the drop boxes of looms employed in fancy
weaving, part of which mechanism constitutes independently a new 5
mechanical movement applicable to any kind of machinery wherein a
great variety of changes of motion are required. This new mechanical
movement, which I shall herein-after have occasion to refer to in
describing the improved drop box mechanism for looms, is not dependent
on specific unalterable devices, but the movement can be accomplished 1
through the medium of different combinations of devices, the essential
feature being the combination of any desired number of graduated cams
or graduated levers or their equivalents, acting the one through the
other upon the part to be moved, as herein-after described.
According to our arrangement for working the drop box of a loom of 1
eight shuttles, according to this Invention, the drop box which slides in
guides on the lathe is connected by a link to a horizontal lever, which
works on a fixed fulcrum in one of the side frames of the loom. This
lever is connected by another short link to the centre of the first and
shortest of a set of three graduated horizontal levers, the said lever ?
being pivotted to the centre of a second lever of double the length of
the first named lever, and this lever is again pivotted to a third lever of
double the length of the second, working on a fixed fulcrum in the
main framing. Each of these three graduated levers is capable of being
raised and lowered by separato slotted cams mounted on a fixed fulcrum, &
and worked by double hooked palls which act upon pins fixed in the
cams above and below the centre on which the cams work. These palls
are hinged at one end to the lower end of a vertical vibrating lever
worked by a cam or wiper, and cach pall as it reciprocates is lifted or
lowered so as to catch the upper or lower pin, and move its correspond-
ing cam forward or backward so as to lift or lower the corresponding
graduated lever; any single one of the palls is lifted or lowered in
the order required, or any two of them may be lifted or lowered
simultaneously by means of a pattern chain herein-after described, so as
to elevate or lower any one or more of the graduated levers, the order
in. which such levers are clevated governing the height to which the
drop box is lifted. The said pattern chain is provided with pegs arranged
as is well understood according to the pattern required, and cach peg as
•

page_text: it passes over the roller carrying the chain lifts a lever which is
connected by a link to one of the palls.
In order to make a short chain serve the purpose of a long one,
several pattern pins are disposed side by side on each link, and each
pattern lever is provided with two or more supplementary levers through
any one of which the pattern levers are lifted; these supplementary
levers are brought into action in succession, that every complete round
of the pattern chain by a series of pins arranged spirally on a second
cylinder or supplementary pattern chain, the said second cylinder
or supplementary pattern chain being moved one step at each complete
revolution of the pattern chain by the action of a projection on the
main pattern chain. Each link of the pattern chain is composed of two
bars hinged together parallel, the one bar carrying the pins or pegs and
lying flat upon the other, from which it can be readily removed and
replaced to facilitate changing the pattern. This hinged bar is provided
with journals which serve as the joint pins for connecting together
the links.
Although other modifications of this peculiar mechanical movement
may be produced, as will be herein-after explained, it has been found that
the one I have described is the most suitable arrangement for working
the drop box of a loom, as it ensures a positive motion both up and
down of the drop box; and thus enables each shuttle box to be brought
to a point directly opposite the race, and there retained as long as may
be necessary.
In the said new mechanical movement herein-before referred to it is
essential either that the cams for producing the motion should be
graduated, or that the levers on which the cams act be graduated, as in
the case of the loom, or that the positions of the cams in respect to the
fulcra of the levers should be graduated. In some cases even both the
cams and the levers on which they act may be graduated.
One simple form of this new movement may consist of two or more
levers hinged together, the first or No. 1 lever being lifted or moved by
a short cam, and the next one or No. 2 lever by a longer cam carried
by No. 1 lover, and so on through any number of cams and levers;
thus on turning No. 1, or the smallest cam, all the levers will be lifted
or moved to the extent of its throw, on turning No. 2 cam having a
larger throw the levers above it will be lifted or moved accordingly, on

page_text: turning both No. 1 and No. 2 cams the lift will correspond to the
combined throw of the two, multiplied or reduced according to the
positions of the fulcra or length of the several levers; or in lieu of
acting on levers the cams may act upon slides, for example, a slotted
cam of small throw may operate upon another slotted cam of larger
throw, so as to raise and lower the same bodily; and this again upon
a third cam or of still larger throw, and so on to any extent; the last
cam of the series being connected to the slide to be moved, or in lieu
of cams turning on pivots a series of graduated sliding inclines or
wedges may be used, each wedge acting upon a roller above it, the
roller on which the last wedge acts being carried by the part to be
moved.
In any one of these modifications it is obvious that an infinite
A number of changes both in the direction and in the mince AR
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
35th year of Hor reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS

page_text: ARE APPLICABLE FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES," a
communication to me from abroad by Archibald Nimmo, Thomas
Moran, Valentine Stausse, and George Washington Ensinger, all of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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 following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
Tho said Invention consists of certain improvements in looms designed
with the view of increasing the capacity of the loom as regards the
production of intricate patterns, and embraces a novel mechanical
movement.
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrative of the main feature of this
Invention; Figure 2 is a side view of a loom with the improvements
attached; Figures 3 and 4 are plan views of portions of the same;
Figure 5, a sectional view on the line 1-2, Figure 4; Figure 6, an
edge view of Figure 4; Figure 7, a section on the lino 8-1, Figure 4;
Figure 8, a perspective view of one of the links of the pattern chain;
and Figure 9, a diagram illustrating a portion of the Invention.
The main feature of this Invention is based on a new mechanical
movement, and in order that the Invention may be thoroughly under-
stood I will proceed to explain this movement, which can be best done
by referring to the diagram Figure 1 preparatory to a description of the
Invention as applied to a loom.
It should be understood in the outset that this Invention is not
dependent on specific unalterable devices, but the movement obtained
can be accomplished through the medium of different combinations of
devices. The cams and levers shewn in Figure 1 are not such as would

page_text: be used in connection with a loom, but, standing alone and disconnected
from all other appliances, they are well adapted for displaying the
manner of carrying one part of this Invention into effect, and are the
cquivalents of the devices fully explained hereafter as attached to the
loom.
The eight parallel and borizontal lincs numbered 1 to 8 indicate the
different positions to which any one of eight boxes of a drop box loom
may be brought.
5
In each of the different positions numbered 1 to 7 in the diagram, A
represents a fixed pin, to which the lever B is hung, and to the outer 1
end of this lever is connected a second lever C, and to the outer end of
the latter is jointed a third lever D, to which is connected a rod E,
supposed to be attached to the sliding drop box frame. The lever D is
controlled by a cam G hung to the lever C, and the latter is controlled
by a cam H hung to the lever B, which is controlled by a cam I on a 1
fixed pin J. These cams are graduated in a manner and for a purpose
herein-after fully set forth. When all the cams are turned down the
rod E will extend to the lowest line only of the series 1, 2, 3, &c.,
indicating that the highest shuttle box of the series is in line with the
shuttle race. On turning the lowest cam upward as in No: 1 the whole 2
of the levers will be elevated, and the rod E will extend to the second
borizontal line 2 of the series, indicating the position of the second
shuttle box from the top as in line with the shuttle race. By turning
up the cam E, as in No. 2, the other two cams being depressed, the
third line 3 is reached, and thus by the manipulation of these cams in
the order shown in the diagram line after line is reached by the rod,
which arrives at the limit of its upward movement when all the cams
are elevated, as shewn in No. 7, the turning down of all these cams at
once restoring the rod to its lowest point when it reaches the lowest line

page_text: It may be remarked that, by adding another cam and another lever
no less than sixteen shuttles could be used and operated in the manner
described, and by adding a fifth lever and cam thirty-two shuttles
might be used.
The capacity of this Invention however is not restricted to its ability
to make successive movements of one shuttlo after the next. If, for
instance, the rod has been clevated to the position shown in No. 7, the
turning down of the cam G, as in No. 3, will permit the rod to descend
at once from the line 8 to the line 4 without hesitating at the inter-
mediate lines 7, 6, or 5. In fact, a vast number of changes can be
effected by operating the three cams.
The advantages of this mechanical movement, when applied to a drop
box loom, will be understood when it is considered that each of tho
eight shuttles may have thread differing in color from the threads of all
other shuttles, and that by the simple operation of the three cams any
one of these colored threads can be made to succeed any other of the
eight colors which may have been previously woven into the fabric.
Having now described the principle or mechanical movement on
which this Invention is based, I will proceed to explain how it may be
applied to a drop box loom, reference being had to Figures 2 to 9, where
A represents one of the frames; B, the shuttle box guide attached to the
usual vibrating lathe; D, the sliding shuttle box, containing eight com-
partments 1, 2, 3, &c., for holding as many shuttles; and E, the cam
shaft, which receives its motion from the driving shaft of the loom, as
usual, and which has two extra cams, a and a³, more particularly
referred to hereafter. To a fixed point 6 on the frame of the loom is
hung a lever F (corresponding to the lever B in the diagram Figure 1),
and to this lever, at a point b', midway between its fulcrum and outer
extremity, is hung a lever F, of exactly one-half the length of the
lever F, and to the said lever F¹, at a point ³, midway between its
opposite ends, is hung a third lever F³, of one-half the length of the
lever F, and of one quarter that of the lever F. The lever F is
controlled in its movements by a cam G hung to a fixed pin d on tho
frame of the loom, and having à slot e, in which is arranged to slide a
pin e¹ at the outer end of the said lever F. This latter, owing to this
connection, is caused to rise or fall when the cam is turned upon its ⚫
fulcrum, and the slot e is flattened or depressed at one end, as shown in
Figure 2, so as to retain and prevent the accidental descent of the said
•

page_text: lever when the latter has reached the limit of its upward movement.
The levers F and F³ are in like manner controlled by precisely similar
slotted cams G¹ and G, which are also hung to the pin d adjacent to
the slotted cam G. The lever F² is connected by a link f to an arm H,
which is hung to a fixed pin on the frame, and attached at its outer 5
end through the medium of a link f² to the sliding shuttle box D.
The above devices are the equivalents of and operate the sliding
shuttle box in precisely the same manner as the devices shown in the
diagram, Figure 1, the levers F, F', and F corresponding to the
levers B, C, and D of the diagram, and the slotted cams G, G³, and G³ 1
to the cams I, H, and G.
I will now proceed to describe the operation of these devices, reference
being had to the diagram, Figure 9, where the points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8 indicate the different positions to which any one of the eight boxes
of the loom may be brought..
1
When all of the levers F, F', and F³ are depressed and on line with
each other, the arm II will be also depressed, and will extend to the
lowest point of the series 1, 2, 3, &c., as shown by the dotted line x,
this indicating that the highest shuttle box of the series is in line with
the shuttle race. If the longest lever F be raised by its slotted cam G 2
to the position indicated by the line y in Figure 9, the other lines being
depressed, the arm H will also be raised to the point 2, as shown by the
dotted line ³, this indicating the position of the second shuttle box from
the top as in line with the shuttle race; and if the lever F be depressed,
and the second and shorter lever F¹ be elevated to the position shown by 2
the line y', the arm H will be raised to a height twice as great as by the
lever F, or to the point 3, as indicated by the dotted line x². The third
and shortest lever F' will in like manner, when raised by its cam, as
shown by the full lines in Figure 9, the other levers being depressed,
clevate the arm I to the point 5, or to a height twice as great as by the 3
lever F¹, and four times as great as by the lever F. If two of the levers,
the levers F and F for instance, be raised at one time, the point 7 may
be reached by the arm H; and if all of the levers are raised at once, the
arm H will be elevated to the point 8, indicating that the lowest shuttle
box is in line with the shuttle race. In liko manner, when all of the 3
levers are depressed simultaneously the arm H will be lowered at once
to the lowest point; or it may by a single movement of one lever, or by

page_text: a simultaneous movement of two or more of the same, be adjusted at
once to any of the eight points shewn in the diagram, Figure 9, so as to
bring any one of the eight shuttles opposite the race, the usual step by
step movement being thus avoided, and the operation of the loom in
weaving with a variety of colors being much facilitated. By adding a
fourth lever to the series of one half the length of the lever F³, and
operated by an additional slotted cam, sixteen shuttles could be con-
trolled in the manner above described.
Although this feature of the Invention can be carried into effect in a
variety of ways, the arrangement of devices above described is preferred
when the movement is used in connection with a loom, as it insures a
positive operation of the arm H, in both ascending and descending, and
enables each shuttle box to be brought to a point directly opposite the
race, and there retained for as long a time as may be necessary. The
slotted cams G which control the levers F, F, &c., are operated by
double hooked pawls I, hung to the lower end of a vibrating arm J,
which is pivoted to the fixed frame, and operated by the cam a, beforo
referred to, on the end of the cam shaft E, the said vibrating arm being
held against this cam by a spiral spring a³ attached to the fixed frame.
Each of the pawls I has two hooked arms g and g', the former of which,
when the pawl is elevated, acts on a pin ³ of its slotted cam, and turns
the latter to the position shown by G' in Figure 2, or to such a position
as to depress the lever F, which the said slotted cam controls. When any
one of the pawls is depressed its hooked arm g¹ acts on a second pin g³
of one of the slotted cams, and turns the latter to such a position as to
elevate its lever F, as shewn by G³ in Figure 2. All of the pawls I are
moved backward and forward with every revolution of the cam shaft E,
but they only operate the slotted cams immediately after being raised or
lowered; the said slotted cams, after being turned by the pawls to such
a position as to raise or lower their levers, remaining in the same
position until the pawls are again adjusted. Each of the pawls is
capable of being raised and lowered independently of the others, and is
controlled by a pattern chain K through the medium of a lever L and
connecting rod h, each pawl having an independent connecting rod and
lever, but one wide pattern chain sufficing for all of the pawls. The
pattern chain is turned as usual by chain wheels on a spindle i, which
has its bearings on a frame M bolted to the frame of the loom, the
required intermittent rotatory motion being imparted to the said spindle
by the cam a' on the cam shaft through the medium of a bell-crank

page_text: lever, and pawl, and ratchet wheel = (see Figure 7). The levers L arc
hung to a transverse rod k on the frame M, and extend across and
are supported by the pattern chain, so that the said levers, and
consequently the pawls I, may be raised by the pins on the chains, and
เ
bo depressed when resting upon the plain portion of the latter.
It will be observed, on reference to Figure 2, that a comparatively
short pattern chain is used, but by the combination of this short chain
with an arrangement of devices which I will now proceed to describe,
the same effect in the weaving of intricate patterns can be produced as
by the use of a very long chain, the objections to which are well known
to those familiar with the art of weaving.
The pattern chain is made considerably wider than would be required
for the levers L alone, if the latter were perfectly straight and plain;
but the said levers are forked at a point above the pattern chain, so
as to increase their width, and thus afford space for four short levers
m, m³, m², and m³, which are hung loosely and side by side between the
forked ends of cach of the said levers L. One arm of each of these
supplementary levers m, m³, &c., overhangs the pattern chain, and its
opposite arm a roller P, the latter turning in the frame M parallel with
the pattern chain spindle, and being furnished with pins n arranged
spirally, as best observed in Figure 6. These spirally arranged pins, when
the roller is turned, successively clevate one end of each of the levers m,
and depress the opposite end so as to bring it within the range of the
pins on the pattern chain, the lovers L being thus operated through the
medium of these supplemental levers m, instead of directly, for a
purpose which will presently appear. A ratchet wheel p, and cog
wheel p', the latter gearing into a wheel p³ on the spindle of a roller P,
are connected together, and are hung loosely on the pattern chain
spindle, Figures 4 and 5. A pawlj, hung to the bell crank lever i¹, is
adapted to the teeth of the ratchet wheel p, but is held above the latter
by a weighted arm q, Figure 7, which rests upon the edge of the pattern
chain, one of the links of the latter having a projection g', which on the
completion of every revolution of the chain strikes and elevates the
weighted arm q, and permits the pawl to descend and engage with
the ratchet wheel p, and move the same to the extent of one tooth,
this movement being transmitted through the gear wheels p² and p² to
the roller P, which is turned sufficiently to bring another set of its
spirally arranged pins 12 uppermost, and to consequently act on another

page_text: of the supplemental levers m on each lever L, and lower the same into
the path of another set of pins on the pattern chain.
The operation of the pattern chain and supplemental levers and the
advantages gained by using the latter will be readily understood if we
suppose the first lever m of each series on all of the levers L to be
acted on by the pattern chain until the latter has been turned com-
pletely around. If no change were then made the portion of the
pattern completed by the short chain would bo repeated, or if there
were no changing of the parts and a more intricate pattern were to be
woven the length of the chain would have to be increased. This latter
necessity however is avoided by the use of the supplemental levers, for
when the chain has been turned completely around after acting on the
first lever m of each series the latter will through the medium of the
devices already described be immediately released, and the second
lever m² of each series be brought within range of another set of pins
on the pattern chain, which will enable as many additional changes of
the pattern to be made as if the length of the chain wero doubled. In
like manner the third and fourth levers of each series will be brought
into play and operated on by new sets of pins on the pattern chain, so
that the effectiveness of the latter will by the aid of these levers be
increased fourfold. It should be understood however that it is not
absolutely necessary that four levers m should be employed in connection
with each lever L, as two, three, or any greater number may be used,
it being understood that each lever added has the effect of doubling the
capacity of the chain which is actually used. It will be readily
understood how an additional pattern chain arranged on roller P in
place of the pins n could be used for. adjusting the supplemental
levers m.
The construction of the pattern chain forms another important
feature of this Invention, and is as follows, reference being had to
Figure 8. Each link of the chain consists of two plates r and 8, at each
end of the former of which are cross pieces t adapted to similar cross
pieces of the adjoining links, and having holes u and u³ for the passage
of the connecting rods or pins. The plates is hinged to the plater by
trunnions and o³ at its opposite ends, which are adapted to the holes u
of the cross pieces t, and are of such length as to project entirely
through these holes and into the holes ¹ of the cross pieces of the
adjoining link, the said trunnions thus serving also as a means of con-

page_text: necting the several links together. It will be observed that the
trunnion of each plate 8 is of greater length than the trunnion v',
the object of which is to enable the said plates to be moved longitu-
dinally over the plate in the direction of the arrow Figure 8 in order
to insert the trunnion o² into the holes of the cross pieces without
withdrawing the trunnion e, the plate after having been thus moved
longitudinally being folded down on to the plater and there retained
by a spring catch w, it being also prevented from sliding longitudinally
over the plate in such a direction as to withdraw its trunnion v¹ by a
stop pin w' on the said plate r. The plates is perforated with a number
of holes for the pins of the chain, and the latter instead of being
permanently affixed as usual consists of simple loose rivets 1, Figure 8,
the shanks of which are passed through the holes in the plates and
their heads retained between the latter and the plate 7. A pattern chain
thus constructed can be readily lengthened or shortened and the pins
can be quickly adjusted to any position required.
Referring again to the mechanism by which the drop box is operated,
it will be seen that the cams are all alike, and that the desired variety of
changes is effected through the medium of the peculiar system of levers
described, but it should be understood that the cams themselves may be
graduated to produce the desired effect, as shown in Figure 1, and as I
shall now proceed more fully to explain. The object to be effected by
this peculiar mechanical movement is to obtain, by the operation of a
few prime movers and through the medium of graduated cams or their
equivalents, the means of effecting a great variety of changes.
Figure 10 is a view of a series of graduated cams and levers arranged
to illustrate in the most clementary and simple manner another modifi-
cation of the new mechanical movement; and Figures 11 and 12 aro
views of a series of graduated slotted cams and of a series of graduated
wedges, through the medium of either of which this part of the Inven-
tion can be carried into effect.
Many modifications and varieties of devices may be adopted, all
however being based on the same general principles, the character of
the detailed mechanism being in a great measure dependent upon its
application.
The device illustrated in Figure 10 will serve to refer to in explaining
the new movement, the prime movers consisting of threo levers A, A, A,

page_text: and the pointer B and graduated quadrant D serving to indicate the
multifarious changes which can be produced by operating these threo
levers through the medium of the new mechanical movement, which in
the present instance is dependent on three levers E, F, and G, and three
cams II, I, and J, the whole being enclosed in a box K. The cam J is
hung to a fixed pin a and is arranged to operate the lever E, which is
also hung to a fixed pin, and which carries the cam I, the latter being
arranged to operate the lever F, which is jointed to the outer end of the
lever E, and carries a cam H, arranged to operate the lever G, the latter
being jointed to the outer end of the lever F, and the last lever G is
connected to the pointer B by a rod M. Each of the cams is connected
to one of the operating levers A. It will be observed that there are
eight marks or graduations on the quadrant D, and that when the
cams H and I are elevated and the cam J depressed the pointer will bo
directed to the graduation 7. On raising the latter cam J however the
pointer will at once reach the graduation 8, but will at once move to the
lowest graduation 1 on depressing the whole of the cams, but on raising
the cam Jonly while the others are depressed the pointer will be moved
from the mark 1 to the mark 2. In like manner, by the simple mani-
pulation of these three cams, the pointer may be directed not only from
graduation to graduation so as to make eight successive changes of
position, but can be directed from any one graduation to any other
graduation without hesitating at intermediate graduations, and thus the
pointer can have hundreds of different movements imparted to it, and
this is owing to the fact that while the position of the highest lever G is
dependent on its own cam H it is also dependent upon the positions of
the cams below, in other words, each of the cams has an independent
action of its own as regards the effecting of some movements of the
pointer, while it is dependent upon one or both of the other cams for
effecting other movements. For instance if it is desired to move the
pointer from the graduation 1 to 8 all the cams must be elevated simul-
taneously, but if the movement of the pointer from 1 to 7 only is
desired, the cam J remains depressed and the cams I and H should be
elevated simultaneously. It should be here understood however that
this effect could not be produced if each of the three cams of itself
imparted the same extent of movement to the pointer. In that case the
utmost limit of the 'pointer would be the graduation 4, and the number
of changes would be very much restricted. It will be observed however
that the cams are graduated. For instance the operation of the cam H,

page_text: the other cams being depressed, will move the pointer from the mark 1
to the mark 5, while the operation of the cam I alone will move the
pointer from 1 to 3, and the operation of the lowest cam will move the
pointer to the extent of one graduation only, the operation of the whole
of the cams moving the pointer to the full extent of the quadrant. It is t
essential therefore in carrying out this part of the Invention, either that
the cams should be graduated, or that the levers on which the cams
operate should be graduated, or that the positions of the cams in respect
to the fulcrums of the levers should be graduated, to bring about the
desired result. One of the most prominent applications of this move- 1
ment is that to the drop boxes of looms as herein-before described, but
it may be applied to other purposes where a great variety of changes are
required. For example the pointer and quadrant (Figure 10), which
have been simply introduced here to illustrate the capacity of the
Invention in effecting different movements, may be removed, and the
rod M attached directly to the sliding drop box of a loom in which are
eight compartments for as many shuttles, each shuttle having a thread
of a color differing from that of the threads of all the other shuttles.
b
But this part of the Invention can be carried into effect without the
aid of the levers E, F, and G, shown in Figure 10. In the modification:
Figure 11 for instance the same variety of movements may be imparted
to the guided rod M by the slotted cams H, I, and J, a pin x on the.
said rod M passing through the curved slot of the cam H, which is
arranged to vibrate on a pin a passing through the curved slot of the
cam I, the latter being hung to a pin 6 passing through the curved slot
of the third cam J, which is hung to a fixed pin d, these pins x, α, and b
being guided by a vertical slot in a vertical frame K. While the rod M
can be operated to a limited extent by the movement of the cam H only,
the altitude of that cam is dependent upon the position of the cams I
and J, hence the same multifarious changes in the movement of the
rod M can be produced by these three cams as were effected by the cams
and levers in Figure 10; in fact the slotted cams in Figure 11 are the
equivalents of the cams and levers in Figure 10. It will be remarked
however that in the above modification there is the same essential
feature of the Invention, namely, the graduation of the cams.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 12, wedges H, I, J, arranged
to be reciprocated, are substituted for the cams in Figure 11 and for the
cams and levers in Figure 10, the inclination of these wedges being

page_text: graduated for effecting the same result as that described in reference to
the graduated cams in Figure 10. The operation of these wedges will
be readily understood if it be borne in mind that the journals of the
lower roller a supporting the lowest wedge turn in fixed bearings in the
frame A, that the journals of the intermediate yielding rollers a¹ and a³
are adapted to vertical slots in the frame A, and that the upper yielding
roller as is attached to the sliding rod M.
Other devices involving the same general principles will readily
suggest themselves to those experienced in the mechanical arts.
Although I have illustrated and described three graduated cams or
their equivalents, the number of graduated cams may be increased,
thereby increasing the capacity of the mechanical movement for
effecting changes.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be
used or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,—
First. The combination with a drop box of graduated levers and
slotted cams or their equivalents, the whole being arranged and ope-
rating substantially as described.
Secondly. The combination of the slotted cams G, G³, with double
hooked pawls I controlled by a pattern chain, the whole being arranged
to operate in the manner described.
Thirdly. The levers L controlled by the pattern chain through the
medium of a system of levers m hung to the said levers L and controlled
by pins on a cylinder P, or by a supplementary pattern chain on the
said cylinder, all substantially as described.
Fourthly. The combination with the supplementary levers m, m³, of a
series of pins n arranged on the cylinder P so as to operate the said
levers successively when the roller is turned.
Fifthly. The combination of the projection g' on the pattern chain
with the arm o̟ and with devices substantially as herein described,
through the medium of which the roller P may be slightly turned at the
termination of every complete movement of the pattern chain.

page_text: Sixthly. A pattern chain the links of which are composed of two bars
hinged or otherwise connected together so as to retain the pins of the
pattern chain in the manner described.
Seventhly. The hinged retaining plate & having journals which serve
as pins for connecting the links of the chain together.
Eighthly. The said plate & hinged to the bar 7 as set forth, so as to be
detached therefrom in the manner described.
Ninthly. The system of graduated cams or their equivalents arranged
to be operated and to impart the within described movements substan-
tially in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of
February One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.