A MACHINE FOR WEAVING YARN
Year: 1807

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, THOMAS
JOHNSON, of the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Mechanic, sends greeting.
WHEREAS the King's most Excellent Majesty, by Letters Patent under
the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bear-
ing date the the Twenty-third day of March last, gave and granted unto
the said Thomas Johnson, his executors, administrators, and assigns, His
Majesty's special licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that he, the
said Thomas Johnson, his executors, administrators, and assigns, and every of
them, by himself and themselves, or by his or their deputy or deputies, servants
or agent, or such others as the said Thomas Johnson, his executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, 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 his Invention of
"A MACHINE FOR WEAVING YARN," within that part of Great Britain called
England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such
manner as to the said Thomas Johnson, his executors, administrators, or
assigns, or any of them, should in their descrtion seem meet; in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso that if the said Thomas Johnson should
not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of his said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
his hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within four calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent,
and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly

page_text: cease, determine, and become void, as by the said Letters Patent, relation being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Johnson, do hereby declare that my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be carried into effect and practice, are described in
manner following, that is to say:-
The said machine, and the several parts thereof, are represented and
displayed in the Drawings hereunto annexed, in all which the same letters of
the alphabet are employed to denote the same parts.
Fig. 1 shews the elevation of two of my said machines, delineated upon a
plane perpendicular to the axis of the working parts, in which the several parts
may be more distinctly seen and understood than by a single Drawing or view
on the said plane. Fig. 2 exhibits the same machine as viewed in front, the
same being delineated upon a vertical plane, parellell to the said axes. Fig. 3
exhibits the principal parts of my said machine, as seen from above; and
Fig. 4 shews, in the same position or direction of sight, those parts thereof
which are employed to move the lathe, the treadlee, and the shuttle.
The other designs exhibit several of the various parts of my said machiné
apart from each other, and are known by the letters and explanations annexed
to each respectively.
:
A, A, (Fig. 2,) the driveing pulley on the first axle which axle carries the
toothed wheel B, B, and the cranks C, C. The driveing pulley and first axle
receive their motion from any given power by means of a belt, or any other
means used for communicating motion in similar cases. D, D, Fig. 2, a wheel
driven by the wheel B, B, but of twice the diameter, and having twice the
number of teeth of B, B; it carries round the wipers or curved pieces F, F,
and G, G, for pulling down the treadles and pushing the sliding barrs H, H, in
and out. This gives one blow to the waft, but if two blows should be required
the driving wheel on the first axle must be made one fourth of the size of that
on the second, and by duly proportioning the said wheels any greater number
of strokes may be had. F, F, Fig. 4, the wipers or curved pieces for moving
the treadles E, E. G, G, wipers for moving the sliding bars H, H. H, H,
the sliding bars for casting the lever (I, I, I,) which drives the shuttle. I, I, I,
the lever for driving or pleking the shuttle; it turns on a centre or fulcrum
at f. K, K, K, K, the pullies fixed to the lathe (e, e, e,) for conducting
a string or cord to the drivers or peckers (M, M). L, L, L, the string.
M, M, the drivers for driving the shuttle, connected by a wire (N). N, a
wire which connects the drivers (M, M), and moves on a rebate on the
upper side of the lathe. O, the shuttle, it forces out the lever P, P,
when it arrives at the end of the shuttle box. P, P, the first lever for forcing

page_text: back second lever Q, Q, fixed to a small iron axle, moveable on two
centres S, S, at each end; and (R, Fig. 1, 2,) a third lever, which is fixed on
the same axle with the second, and forces up the catch u when the shuttle
does not go home, and puts the machine out of geer; but when the shuttle
gets home, it moves up past the catch, and the machine continues in motion.
T (shewn in detailed parts), a spring fixed to the back of the lathe, for acting
against the bottom of the lever R, and pressing it close to the catch, excepting
when the shuttle forces back the first lever P. U (Fig. 1), the catch, fixed
on an upright bar, connected at V with the lever V, W. V, W, (Fig. 1, 2,).
a lever, turning on a fulcrum or centre at X, having a spring upon the under
side for forcing up the end W when the lever Y, Y, Y, is pulled into gear ;
when the end W is pressed down by the hand the catch Z is raised above the
shoulder of the lever Y, Y, Y, and the spring a, a, forces the lever Y, Y, Y,
out of gear; this has the same effect as when the third lever R strikes the
catch U on the upright bar U, V, Y, (Fig. 1, 2). The lever Y, Y, Y, turns
on a centre or fulcrum at b, and moves the bayonet c to and from the ratch d
on the first axle. c, (Fig. 1, 2,) the bayonet, passing through the driving
pulley A into the catch d, this has the effect of setting the machine a-going;
but when out of the catch the pulley and bayonet turn round together, and the
other parts of the machine are at rest. C, C, (Fig. 2, 4,) the cranks on the
first axle; these give a reciprocating motion to the lathe by means of the con-
necting rods a, a. a, a, (Fig. 2, 4,) connecting rods for connecting the lathe
to the cranks e, e, e, (Fig. 2,) the lathe moving in a groove in the frame at
each end of it. f, f, (Fig. 2,) a regulating piece or arm screwed to the lathe,
with a slit for regulating the distance of the fulcrum or centre upon which the
lever I, I, I, is moved, the lever I, I, I, moving round the fulcrum f. When
the lathe moves downwards one of the ends I of the lever I, I, I, being
depressed, falls upon one of the sliding bars H, which is pushed out by its
wiper G at the same time, and turns the lever I, I, I, round the centre or
fulcrum f to the contrary position on the other side); and the string L, L, L,
being fixed on the upper end of the lever I, and to the drivers M, M, throws
the shuttle O at the same time to the other extremity, and while the shuttle
remains there, the lathe being lifted up by the cranks, the sliding bar H last
moved is drawn in, and the other bar H pushed out, and, consequently, when
the lathe descends, the lever I, I, I, is forced to the contrary side, and the
And in this
shuttle is driven to the extremity from which it was first moved.
manner the operation is alternately repeated as long as the work is continued.
The farther edge or back part of the reed g, g, (Fig. 2, 3,) is fixed in a groove

page_text: in the back of the lathe, in a horizontal position, and the front edge is held by
a groove in a piece of metal or wood, of sufficient depth to confine the shuttle;
by which contrivance the shuttle is guided, and effectually prevented from
flying out in its course. The drivers or peckers M, M, (Fig. 2, 3,) slide on a
spindle fixed over the hollow of the shuttle box, and in a groove at the bottom.
(Fig. 2), a small piece of iron (with a slit in it) screwed to the back of the
lathe for forcing up a spring fixed to the lever k, k, Fig. 1, for taking up the
cloth on the cloth beam. k, k, (Fig. 1,) a lever moveable on a centre or
fulcrum k, in the middle of the end of the frame, having a spring fixed
to the under side of it. 11 (Fig. 1), a forcing catch, shewn in dotted lines, for
forcing round the ratch wheel, with a rule or compass joint fixed to the
lever k, k, near the end, and the same end of the lever is conducted
by a slit m, m, through the front of the frame, where it is moved.
n, n, the
spring fixed to the under side of the lever k, k, of a proper strength, so that
when the lath forces up the spring the lever may not force round the ratch
wheel until the reed lifts up the cloth, and then the ratch wheel will be turned
by the strength of the spring; but in case the shuttle should give no weft,
and the loom keep going, the cloth will not be taken away until the weft
shall be again put into the shuttle; by this means the cloth is always kept at
the same distance from the yarn beam. p, p, the ratch wheel, fixed on the
end of the cloth beam, with four catches 9, 9, 9, 9, acting upon it, and so placed
that if the ratch wheel be moved the fourth part of a tooth one of them shall
always hold it in that position. r, r, (Fig. 3,) the cloth beam. 8, 8, (Fig. 2, 3,)
a roller for conducting the cloth to the cloth beam. t, t, (Fig. 2,) the yarn
beam, with two iron capes or guides for keeping the yarn from sliding over the
ends of the beam. u, u, u, (Fig. 1, 2,) a cord fixed to a spring at one end,
going round the yarn beam, and the other end fixed to the lever v, v. v, v,
(Fig. 1,) the lever, with a sufficient weight w appended to it for keeping the
yarn tight. w, (Fig. 1, 2,) the weight, with a small set screw on the top of
it, so that it may be moved and set upon the lever to produce the action
required. x, x, (Fig. 1) sliding pieces, in which the axles of the yarn beam
are inserted, to be so fixed that the warp may always stand at a proper angle
according to the quantity of yarn upon the beam. y, y, (Fig. 1, 2,) a balance
wheel fixed upon the first axle, with a heavy side on the side of the axle oppo-
site to the crank, for counteracting the weight of the lathe. 2, 2, 2, 2, (Fig. 2,)
four rollers for fixing the healds horizontally, two of them being fixed in a
groove in the upright bar in the centre of the loom, for conducting a strap
or cord down to the treadles E, E. E, E, the treadles, which receive their

page_text: motion from the wipers on the second axle, and are of sufficient weight to
keep the healds tight. The healds are the same as in any common loom,
with an eye in the centre, so that the thread may pass with more facility
while the loom is in motion.
The operation or effect of my said machine is described, and in part reca-
pitulated, as follows:-
The machine, Fig. 1 and 2, is supposed to be filled and ready for work.
From the situation of the planes upon which the said Drawings are made
it is seen of course that the cloth must be fabricated or made by my said ma-
chine in a vertical position, instead of the usual horizontal position as in other
looms, and that the lathe must move vertically and strike the reeds upwards in
driving home the weft, and that the other parts of the said machine are
correspondently placed. Let it now be supposed that the first axis shall
be set in motion by hand, or by any other power or force, and it will
necessarily ensue that (1), the axis which carries the wipers, will be moved
with half the velocity, and (2) the cranks will cause the lathe to alternate up
and down, and (3) the wipers m, m, (see Fig. 4) will throw out the sliding bars
alternately in the way of the lower extremities of the pecking lever, so as to
cause its upper extremity to move successively to the right and left, and (4)
one pair of the wipers will alternately depress the treadles, and the treadles,
which are made of considerable weight) will, by means of their connecting
cords, keep the healds tight, and cause them to perform their office; and (5)
that the shuttle which runs on the reed, and receives its motion from the
peckers connected with cords pulled by the pecking lever, (and in some
constructions by inclining the reed at every stroke in the direction of the
shuttle's motion) will be regularly kept at work; and (6) that the said
cranks, wipers, sliding bars, treadles, pecking levers, and the parts severally
connected with and governed by the same, being duly placed and adjusted
with regard to each other, the said alternate actions will regularly succeed and
accompany each other, so as to complete the process of weaving, and will
fabricate the web of cloth.
And lastly, I declare that the forms, dimensions, relative magnitudes, situa-
tion, and other particulars relating to the machinery required to carry my said
Invention into effect, are capable of great variations, and will require to be
greatly modified according to the conditions, objects, and purposes intended
to be answered and obtained, and the local and other circumstances under
which the work is to be performed. But that the said forms, dimensions,
magnitudes, situation, and other particulars, may, from the descriptions and
explanations herein given, be determined with facility by any person of compe-

page_text: tent skill, and fit to be entrusted with the direction and construction of any
machinery of this or the like description.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seven.
ՆԱՆ
stamped) in the presence of
THOMAS MAC GILL.
JOHN MILLER EWING.
Thomas Mac Gill, of the City of Glasgow, in the County of Lanerk, in that
part of Great Britain called Scotland, Gentleman, maketh oath and sayeth
that he, this Deponent, together with John Miller Ewing, of said City, Gentle-
man, did see Thomas Johnson, of the City of Glasgow, Mechanic, sign, seal,
and as his act and deed in due form of law deliver the Deed Poll hereunto
annexed, purporting to be a Specification of his Invention for Weaving Yarn,
pursuant to His Majesty Letters Patent therein recited. And this Deponent
farther sayeth that the name Thomas Johnson, set and subscribed to the said
Deed Poll or Specification, is of the proper handwriting of the said Thomas
Johnson, party thereto. And that the names Thomas Mac Gill, John Miller
Ewing, subscribed as witnesses to the said Deed Poll, are of the respective
proper handwriting of the said John Miller Ewing and of this Deponent
respectively.
Sworn at Glasgow, this Sixteenth day
of July, Eighteen hundred and seven,
before me, one of the Magistrates of
the City of Glasgow,
BASIL RONALD.
THOMAS MAC GILL.