AN IMPROVE- MENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WEAVING LOOMS IMPELLED BY MACHINERY, WHEREBY A GREATER QUANTITY OF CLOTH MAY BE WOVEN IN A GIVEN TIME WITHOUT INJURY TO THE FABRIC THAN BY ANY APPLICATION OF POWER FOR THAT PURPOSE HERETOFORE EMPLOYED
Year: 1823

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARCHIBALD
BUCHANAN, of Calrine Cotton Works, one of the Partners of the House of
James Finlay and Company, Merchants, in Glasgow, send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Archibald Buchanan did, by my Petition, humbly
represent unto His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, that
I had, after much study and expence, discovered and invented "AN IMPROVE-
MENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WEAVING LOOMS IMPELLED BY MACHINERY, WHEREBY
A GREATER QUANTITY OF CLOTH MAY BE WOVEN IN A GIVEN TIME WITHOUT INJURY
TO THE FABRIC THAN BY ANY APPLICATION OF POWER FOR THAT PURPOSE HERETOFORE
EMPLOYED;" that I was the first and true inventor of the said improvement,
and that the same had not been practised or used by any other person or
persons to the best of my knowledge and belief, and praying that His
Majesty would be graciously pleased to grant unto me, my exors, admors, and
assigns, His Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland, for the sole use, benefit, and advan-
tage of my said improvement within that part of His Majesty's United
Kingdom called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, and also in all His Colonies and Plantations abroad, for the term
of fourteen years, pursuant to the Statute in that case made and provided: And
whereas His said Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to all arts and
inventions that might be for the public good, was graciously pleased to
condescend to my request, and by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing date.at

page_text: Westminster, the Sixteenth day of October, in the fourth year of His reign,
did, of His especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, give and
grant unto me, the said Archibald Buchanan, my exors, adñiors, and assigns,
His special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Archibald Buchanan, my exors, adññors, and assigns, and every of them,
by myself and themselves, and my or their deputy or deputies, servants or
agents, or such others as I, the said Archibald Buchanan, or my exors,
adiñors, or assigns, or any of them, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter, during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my
said Invention within that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and also in all His Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in such
manner as to me, the said Archibald Buchanan, my exors, admors, and
assigns, or any of them, should in my or their discretion seem meet; that I,
the said Archibald Buchanan, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, should and lawfully
might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage
from time to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising, by reason of the
said Invention, for and during the term of years therein mentioned; to have,
hold, exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, privileges, and advantages
therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said Archibald
Buchanan, my exors, adñmors, and assigns, for and during and unto the full
end and term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent next
and immediately ensuing, and fully to be completed and ended, according to
the Statute in that case made and provided; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that if I, the said Archibald Buchanan, should not
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's Court
of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all
liberties and advantages whatever thereby granted, should utterly cease,
and determine, and become void, anything therein-before contained to the
contrary notwithstanding, as in and by the said Letters Patent, relation being
thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Archibald Buchanan, in compliance with
the said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and I declare that the same consists in the application of two
eccentric wheels A and B, represented on the Drawing No. 1, to a weaving

page_text: loom impelled by machinery, as represented on the Drawing No. 2, and
that the application of those wheels to the said loom are particularly exhibited
by Figure 2 of the said Drawing No. 2, as explained by the description herein-
after inserted. But I further expressly declare that while I refer in my Spe-
cification after set forth to the two Drawings Nos. 2 and 3, exhibiting four
different views of an entire weaving loom of a construction at present in use
by myself, this is done solely for the purpose of illustrating the application
and operation of the said two eccentric wheels upon a weaving loom which
I have found from experience to produce the best effect, and I protest that
I claim no part of the said loom, or of its construction, as my Invention, or as
forming any part of my right of Patent, except the application thereto of the
said two eccentric wheels. A reference to the Drawing No. 1, and to the
Drawings Nos. 2 and 3, and the key or description thereof hereunto annexed,
will enable any person of ordinary mechanical skill to understand and execute
the construction, application, and operation of the said two eccentric wheels
(which I now proceed to describe), either to the loom of the construction which
I employ, or by slight alterations which will be obviously suggested, to the
ordinary weaving looms at present in use by the public. The lay 9 attached
to the rod h, vibrating upon its centres below, is connected with the eccentric
wheel B at 21 by means of the crank rods at f. This wheel or pinion B
receives its motion from the wheel A, and the method by which these wheels
are constructed, and the manner in which they are applied, are now to be
particularly described. Both wheels, as already mentioned, and as will at
once appear by inspecting the Drawings, and more particularly that num-
bered 1, are what is usually termed eccentric, that is to say, their circum-
ferences in which the teeth are cut deviate from the conimon circular form in
such ratio as may be required in order to give the desired motion to the lay.
In order to construct such a wheel A as I use in weaving plain cloth, and
which is fixed upon the treadle shaft q in Figure 2, Drawing 2, and Figure 3,
Drawing 3, the following description and explanations, if carefully attended to,
will be sufficient. Its greatest diameter being about nineteen inches, and its
smallest diameter about sixteen inches, its deviation from the circular form
amounts to about three inches. This deviation, however, may be increased or
diminished at the discretion of the constructor, and according to the variation
of velocity which he wishes to communicate to the reciprocating motion of
the lay. To obtain the proper curve of eccentricity, let two concentric circles
be drawn corresponding with the greatest and smallest diameters; divide
these circles into any convenient number of equal parts, as for example sixty-
four, and draw radii from the centre to the points of division in the external

page_text: circle; divide the space between the circles into the same number of equal
parts with the circumference, one of which being set off upon the first radius,
two upon the second, and so on progressively until the whole are set off, points
will be obtained through which a curved line being drawn, the required form
of the circumference will be marked off upon each quadrant of the wheel.
The highest points, as will appear by the Drawings, are at the two extremeties
of a diameter line bisecting the external circle, and the lowest points at
the extremeties of another diameter line bisecting the internal circle at right
angles to the former. Thus the form obtained bears some resemblance
to an elipse with its conjugate and transverse diameters. The pinion B
must of course be constructed so as to correspond. with and work into
the wheel A. To effect this it is merely necessary to draw circles, as in
the former case, corresponding with the greatest and the smallest diame-
ters required; then set off one half of the radii drawn upon the wheel A,
the pinion being half its diameter, and add progressively to each radius of
the pinion as many equal parts as were taken from each corresponding
radius of the wheel, and vice versa. The semi diameter of the pinion
will thus correspond in every point with each quadrant of the wheel, and
the pinion will revolve twice whilst the wheel performs one revolution, as
before stated, thus communicating two accelerated strokes to the lay for each
revolution of the treadle shaft moving the wheel A. The circumferential
forms of both being thus obtained, the teeth are to be cut and rounded off so
as to work properly into each other in revolving upon their respective axes.
Though the wheel A will thus produce two revolutions of the pinion B,
other proportions may be adopted when deemed expedient, and as may suit
the motions to be communicated to a greater number of treadles for weaving
plain, tweeled, or figured cloths. Those conversant with the art of weaving
will at once perceive that a varied speed applied to the reciprocating motion
of the lay is of the greatest advantage, and such as will keep the lay as nearly
stationary as convenient at the point where the shuttle is thrown accross the
web; and when the shed or divided portions of warp are sufficiently open to
allow the shuttle to pass without injury to the warp threads, the lay in
returning drives up the woof to the fell or verge of the cloth with a smart
stroke whilst the shed or divided portions of warp are closing upon it, and
when the least tension is given by the headles to the warp threads. I have
ascertained by experience that in looms having such wheels and the other
apparatus before described attached to them, the shuttle may be thrown
accross a web thirty-six inches wide one hundred and thirty times per minute,
without creating more breakage in proportion to the quantity woven than

page_text: ccurs in looms driven at the usual speed of eighty to ninety crossings of the
huttle per minute.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Buchanan, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, at Glasgow aforesaid, in the County of Lanark,
the Second day of December, One thousand eight hundred and twenty-
three, this Specification being written upon this and the five pre-
ceeding pages of stamped paper.
Of the City of Glasgow, Witness.
MALCOM M'COIG,
Of the City of Glasgow, Witness.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS referred to in the prefixed Specification.
The construction of the wheels upon the application, of which the Patent is
clained, is delineated on the Drawing No. 1. Figures 1st & 2d upon the
Drawing No. 2, and Figures 3d & 4th upon the Drawing No. 3, represent
four different views of the weaving loom. The Figures 1st & 2d exhibit the
two end views of the loom; Figure 3d, a bird's-eye view, and Figure 4th, a
front view of the loom. In the following description the same letters of the
alphabet and numerals denote the same things in all the Figures..
C, D, E, F, denote the frame; a, the strap communicating motion to the
loom at b, b, the fast and loose pullies. c, a pinion fixed on the end of the
pully spindle 22, and working into the wheel d of triple the diameter gives
motion to the wiper shaft 7 (see Figs. 1, 2, & 3. k, the lever and fork, and
1 the spring for engaging and disengaging the loom at pleasure (see Figs. 1st,
3d, & 4th). 20 is a lever connected with the protecting pin of the lay 2
(see Figs. 1st & 4th) for disengaging the loom should the shuttle. remain in
the shed. m, a small eccentric fixed on the end of the wiper shaft 9 (see
Figs. 1st & 4th), and connected with the lever n (see Figs. 3d & 4th), on the
top of which is jointed a circular piece of iron o. (see Figs. 1st & 3d), which
acts on the ratchet wheel r and draws up the cloth as it is woven; and for
varying the fabric in thickness a ratchet wheel of more or fewer teeth is
applied. p is a catch bent in the same manner as o,. which prevents the
ratchet wheel r from returning back. By raising the handle p, p, these

page_text: catches are all disengaged. Behind the ratchet wheel is fixed a small
pinion working into the wheel S, which is fixed on the end of the cloth beam t
(see Figs. 3d & 4th). The beam t is covered with a card fillet for holding
the cloth. x is a small roll which receives the cloth from the beam t, and
round which it is wound by the motion of the beam t. e, the crank shaft,
which receives motion from the wiper shaft 7 by the wheels A & B. 21, the
crank pin. f, the connecting bar. g, the lay. h, the lay sword (see Figs. 1st,
2d, & 4th). s, the headle roll bearer (see Figs. 1st, 2d, & 4th). Q, the yarn
roll bearer (see Figs. 1st & 2nd). 11, the yarn roll (see Figs. 1st, 2d, & 3d).
w, the friction wheel, for giving tension to the warp yarn (see Figs. 1st & 3d.
14, a screw box (see Figs. 1st & 3d). v, the scroll shaft for holding the
friction wheel w and winding or unwinding the yarn beam at pleasure. On
the shaft is a small ratchet wheel and spring 12 for keeping the scroll
shaft stationary when the loom is at work (see Figs. 1st & 3). 1 is the
protecting catch for disengaging the loom when the shuttle stops in the shed.
This catch is connected with a rod passing along the lay on which the shuttle
springs in the boxes act. When the shuttle fails to enter the box this catch
falls down, and striking against the pin 2, the lay is held fast and the loom
instantly, disengaged by its connection with the lever 20, which acts on the
handle of the loom 7 (see Figs. 1st, 2d, & 4th).
which, by acting on the friction pullies fixed to the
elevate and depress the treadles (see Figs. 2d & 3d).
connecting the heddles 8, 8, 8, 8, with the treadles 6,
4, 4, friction pullies fixed to the heddle wipers 3, 3, acting alternately on the
treadles 5, 5, to which the picking peg 9 for throwing the shuttle is connected
by belts and screws, as shewn in Figs. 2d & 4th. 10 is the warp yarn beam
(see Figs. 2d & 3d). A, B, the eccentric wheels for giving motion to the
lay g (see Figs. 2d, 3d, & 4th). 15 is the heddle bearer (see Figs. 3d & 4th).
16, 16, the pullies round which the heddles work (see Figs. 3d & 4th).
19, the support of the scroll shaft v (see Fig. 3d). 18 shows part of the
pulley shaft for connecting a second loom (see J, 18, Figs. 3d & 4th). y, the
lever of the belt fork k, and which extends so as to connect another loom (sec
Figs. 1st, 3d, & 4th). 14, w, i, u, the friction wheel and appendages. i&u
are two plates fastened to the beam shaft. Upon i is glued a piece of leather,
which is made perfectly flat by turning; the face of the wheel w is also
turned flat, but this wheel is loose on the spindle; on the outside of the
wheel wis the screw box 14, the outer part of which is made fast to the
beam shaft by a pin passed through it. The inner part of the box is then
screwed up against the outer face of the wheel w, which presses the two
3, 3, the heddle wipers
treadles 6, 6, alternately
7,7, the short marches
6 (see Figs. 2d & 4th).

page_text: surfaces together, and any degree of tension can be given to the warp yarn by
more or less screwing of the bore 14 (see Figs. 1st & 3d). 23 is a small
pinching screw pin which is crewed into the outer box, the point of which
enters a small cavity in the inner part of the box, and prevents it from un-
screwing (see Fig. 3). 17, the long heddle marches, connected to the heddles
8 by cords, and to the short marches 7, 7, by wires (see Figs. 2d & 4th).
J, the leaver of pully shaft (see Figs. 1st, 3d, & 4th. 24, 24, the cords
connecting the picking peg 9 with the pickers 25, 25 (see Figs. 3d & 4th).
CHARLES DENNY,
Of the City of Glasgow, Witness.
MALCOLM M'COIG,
Of the City of Glasgow, Witness.
Malcolm McCoig, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, in
North Britain, Gentleman, maketh oath and saith, that he was present,
together with Charles Denny, also of the said City of Glasgow, Gentleman,
and did see Archibald Buchanan, of Catrine Cotton Works, the person named
and assigned in the Specification, Deed, or Poll hereunto attached, sign, seal,
and as his genuine act and deed in due form of law deliver the same, and
that the said Archibald Buchanan did also sign the description and three
Drawings referred to in the said Specification in presence of the said
Charles Denny and this Deponent, and that the name "Arch" Buchanan,"
set and subscribed to the said Specification, Deed, or Poll, and to the
description and Drawings therein referred to, is of the true and proper hand-
writing and subscription of the said Archibald Buchanan; and further, that
the names "Charles Denny" and "Malcom McCoig," set and subscribed to
the said Specification, Deed, or Poll, and description and Drawings therein
referred, to, as Witnesses to the execution and delivery of the same, are of the
respective proper handwriting and subscription of the said Charles Denny
and this Deponent, and all this is truth, as the Deponent shall answer to
Cod

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the oath of Malcom McCoig, the
Specification aforesaid was inrolled word for word as above written. And also
the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute
made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.