CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SMALL WARES, AND AN IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF MACHINERY FOR COVERING OR FORMING A CASE AROUND ANY WIRE, CORD, GUT, THREAD, OR OTHER SUBSTANCE, SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME SUITABLE FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSHUA
PROCTER WESTHEAD, of Manchester, Small Ware Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of September, in the sixth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Joshua Procter Westhead, His special licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Joshua Procter Westhead, my exors, admors,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Joshua Procter Westhead, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no other, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SMALL WARES, AND AN IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENT OF MACHINERY FOR COVERING OR FORMING A CASE AROUND ANY
WIRE, CORD, GUT, THREAD, OR OTHER SUBSTANCE, SO AS TO RENDER THE SAME
SUITABLE FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that I, the said Joshua Procter Westhead, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, refer-
enco being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joshua Procter Westhead, do hereby declare that the nature of the said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particu-
larly described and ascertained in the Drawings hereto annexed, and by the
following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My certain improvements in small wares consist, firstly, in varying the con-
struction of some part of the small ware loom, by which I render the same
more convenient and efficient; secondly, in the manufacture and production
of a new description of tape, strap, or similar small ware; and, thirdly, in an
improved arrangement of machinery for curving or forming a case round any
wire, cord, gut, thread, or other substance. I shall first proceed to describe
my improved arrangement of machinery for covering or forming a case around
any wire, cord, gut, thread, or other substance, so as to render the same
suitable for various useful purposes.
In Sheet 1st, Figure 1 represents a front view, Figure 3 a side view, and
Figure 4 a plan, of this improved arrangement, drawn to scale of one half
size; and Figure 2 on the same Sheets represents a section of a spindle and
bobbin at the full size; the same letters of reference indicating the same parts
in the various Figures.
In Figures 1 and 3, A represents the driving strap, to which motion is
imparted in the direction indicated by the arrow, by any adequate power;
B is a binding or pressing pully for the purpose of holding the strap A firmly
in contact with the warve or pully C, which is to be driven; and D is a large-
sized carrier pully, which guides the strap A on its return to the opposite side
of the frame, where a similar arrangement of machinery to that which I am
about to describe may be driven by the same strap A, and repeated to any
convenient extent. The pully C, which is driven by the strap A, moves freely
on the perpendicular shaft marked d, with which it may be connected or dis-
connected by the elevation or depression of the coupling c', the position of which
is governed by the arni c³. This arm c is firmly attached to the perpendicular
rode, the lower extremity of which rests on the spring c', which has a constant
tendency to elevate the rod e, and thereby disconnect the coupling c¹ from the
pully C when it is not held stationary in the position shewn in the Drawing,
by the means hereafter described.
In Figures 1 and 3, the coupling c¹ is seen connecting the pully C with the
shaft d, and the position which it would assume when the pully C and shaft d
are disconnected is indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. Supposing there-
fore the pully C and the shaft d to be connected, their rotation will impart
motion to the hollow shaft G by means of the spur wheels E and F. This
hollow shaft G carries two circular disks or plates 9, 9, and h, h, which support
a series of spindles marked i, as also seen in Plan at Figure 4. These spindles

page_text: i aro also hollow; they do not revolve on their centres, but partake of the con-
tinuous rotation of the disks g, g, and h, h, carrying the bobbins H, as seen at
Figures 1, 3, and 4, around the centre of the shaft G; near the upper extremity
of the shaft d is placed a worm or screw k, which geers or takes into the worm
wheel, by which a slow motion is imparted to the shaft p, to which is
attached a pully p¹, around which the covered cord or gut is passed, and by
which it is regularly taken up as the covering proceeds, and is thenco trans-
mitted to the receiving bobbin K, as indicated by arrows.
The receiving
bobbin K is made to revolve in the requisite direction by means of the band
, which is held at a slight tension by the action of the weight r, so as
uniformly to take up the amount of material delivered by the pully p¹ at the
lower part of Figures 1 and 3. L represents a bobbin containing the wire,
cord, gut, thread, or other substance to be covered, having a small weight or
drag e to prevent it giving off too fast and keep the material in a state of
tension during the process. The material to be covered proceeds from the
bobbin L through the wire guide m, and thence perpendicularly through the
revolving hollow shaft G, until it arrives at the small tube or guide m', whero
the silk or other covering which is given off from the bobbins H during their
revolutions is placed around it in a spiral direction by the combination of the
continuous revolution of the bobbins round the centro of G, with the con-
tinuous perpendicular motion or ascent of the wire, cord, gut, thread, or other
substance, which is slowly taken up by the rotation of the bobbin K. Each of
the spindles is provided with a projecting arm 2, 2, as seen best at Figure 2,
having two holes or openings and , through the former of which the silk
or other covering will be seen to proceed from the bobbin H, and return again
by the opening to the top of the hollow spindle i. In the interior of the
hollow spindle i is placed a rod of stout wire n, which moves freely in a perpen-
dicular direction the distanco from n¹ to n², guided by a small projection or stud
n, which moves in a slot or opening in the side of the tube i. Through a hole
at the top of this wire n the silk or other covering material is carried previous
to its leaving the top of the spindle i, so that the rod n is supported or held in
the position shown in the Drawing, so long as the silk or other material on the
bobbin H remains whole, but as soon as it breaks the wire n is relieved, and
falling projects below the lower extremity of the hollow spindle i, as repre-
sented in dotted lines at Figures 1, 2, and 3. The drop or falling action of
the rod or wire n may be assisted or accelerated by the action of a spring
when the velocity of the machine is so far increased that the centrifugal force
would retard the falling of the rod or wire n. In Figures 1 and 3, M repre-
sents a stud carrying a small lever, the extremities of which are marked O and

page_text: O, and which, by means of the spiral spring or stud on which it is placed, is
caused to press against the rod e, which is provided with a notch or opening
into which the O end of the lever rests, and holds it stationary at its lower
position, thereby keeping the coupling c¹ and the pully C connected and "the
machine in action. But supposing the end of the lever at O to be retired or
moved in the direction indicated by the arrow and dotted lines at Figure 4;
the pressure of the spring e¹ will immediately force up the rod e and arm.c
thereby releasing the coupling c from the pully C, and thus stop the machine.
This motion can be effected and the action of the machine stopped at any time
by pulling the wire p', which is connected with the O end of the lever, as seen
in the. Plan at Figure 4, while the same motion is effected by the wire n
striking against the opposite end of the lever at 10 the moment that any one
of the threads of silk or other materials break, and allow the wire ni to fall'and
project below the lower extremity of any one of the spindles i, which their
revolution immediately brings in contact with the lower lever at 'O, and
thereby relieves the stop rod e, and disconnects the coupling e', as already
described.
By tracing the action of the machine as above described, it is obvious that
a uniform spiral layer or covering will be placed on the gut, wire, or other
material proceeding from the bobbins L during its progress to the bobbin :K;
and that the number of ends of such covering will depend on the number of
Hbobbins used in the machine, and also that the action of the machine will
cease as soon as any one end of the covering material supplied from the H
break; and relieve the n wire contained in the hollow spindle on which such
bobbin is placed, as already described.
Now, although I consider the interior of the spindle i the most convenient
position for placing the falling wire or rod n for the purpose of stopping the
machine, as already described, it is obvious that the same effect may be
produced by varying the position without varying the principle on which that
action depends.
i
I shall now. proceed to describe my improvements in the construction of the
small-ware.loom, by which I render the same more efficient and convenient.
These improvements will be best seen by reference to Shect 2, in which
Figure 5 represents a front.view, Figure 8 an end view, and Figure 9 a back
view, of, parts of: a small-ware-loom, in which the same letters of reference
indicate the same parts in each Figure. In these Figures; A indicates the
driving shaft
which motion is imparted from any adequate power, and B
the tappet shaft, by which:motion is imparted to the heddles in the ordinary
manner. D is the lay or slay, which is vibrated by the rotation of-the-disk D',

page_text: as already described in my Patent bearing date the Twenty-third day of May,
One thousand eight hundred and thirty one. The course of the warp in the
process of manufacture is indicated by red.lines from the warp beam C, as best
seen at Figure 8, to the wooden trough E, where it is received woven in the
form of tape or small ware. In Figure 5, F represents a shaft passing along
the front of the loom, and provided with a series of cylinders f, equal in number
to the number of ends of small ware or tape to be woven.
A small arm h,
which proceeds from the top of the lay or slay D, imparts motion to the
shaft F in the direction indicated by the arrow on the f cylinders by means of
a catch or dog gathering in the ratchet wheel g at each vibration of the lay or
slay, as seen at Figure 8. This motion is conveyed to the small shaft æ,
which carries a worm taking into the worm wheel G on the shaft F (which
motion is similar to that already described in my former Patent, bearing date
the Twenty-third day of May, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one).
On referring to Figure 6, which represents a section of one of the cylinders,
i, i, are two small pressing rollers, supported in arms vibrating on the same
centre on the shaft K, and the amount of pressure exerted by the rollers i, i,
is dependent on the spiral spring L, which connects the arms, and can be
varied by the nut and set screw n at its extremity. From an inspection of
this Figure, it will be seen that an increase of friction or power of drawing off
the tape or small ware may be produced or obtained by varying the position of
the rollers i, i, as indicated by dotted lines at Figure 6, which will have the
effect of bringing in contact a greater or less surface of the cylinder f with the
tape or small ware to be taken up or produced by the action of the loom.
The course of the tape or small ware is seen in red lines proceeding from 1 to
m, and the effect produced by this arrangement is that the take-up of the tape,.
which depends on the surface motion of the cylinder f, is very regular, and
may be adjusted at the discretion of the weaver by varying the tension of the
spring L by means of the nut and set screw n. My next improvement in the
loom consists in the arrangement of the two cones M and N, the cone M being
placed on the driving shaft, and sliding freely on the rib or midfeather o, o, by
which means it partakes of the rotation of the shaft A, and the cone N is
keyed to the shaft A', which imparts motion to the loom. The cone M is
covered with leather or any other suitable substance, and is traversed or placed
in contact with the cone N, or retired to the position indicated by dotted lines,
as seen at Figures 5 and 9, by means of the lever M', which vibrates on a stud
or centre at p, and having its opposite end connected with a stop rod in front
of the machine, as seen dotted lines at Figure 8, so that the motion of the
loom may be arrested or put in action at any moment by bringing the cones M

page_text: and N in contact or separating them, which arrangement in many cases I find
much more compact and convenient than the plan of traversing a strap from a
fast to a loose pully, as is usually practised. The material which forms
another of my improvements in the manufacture of small wares is a tape,
strap, or belt, designed for driving machinery or for similar purposes. It is
well known to mechanics and persons conversant with machinery, that various
attempts have been made to substitute a woven fabric in the place of straps
for driving machinery, and that although such fabric has answered to a limited
extent, that tho wear and tear which takes place renders them very soon
useless. It will be further seen on examination of a woven fabric used for
this purpose that the first failure or giving way commences at the edge or
selvage, which once gone, the fabric soon falls to pieces. Now, it is to obviate
the failing of such edge or selvage that I have invented the following
improvement.
Figure 7, Sheet 2, represents a plan and side view of a belt, tape, or
band, manufactured on my improved construction, in which I have alternately
coloured the warp blue and red, more clearly to distinguish and shew the
nature of the construction of the tape or small ware. It will be observed that
instead of cotton, linon, or wollen thread or yarn weft, the cross shot or piece
over which the threads of the warp are alternately passed is composed of strips
or narrow fillet of tanned or untanned hides used after the manner of weft, as
shewn at v, which is so woven as slightly to exceed the width of the warp
threads, and to present a durable and lasting edge or selvage, and thereby
protects the warp from the wear and tear to which it is subjected.
Having now described my various improvements in the manufacture of
small wares, together with my improved arrangement of machinery for covering
or forming a caso around any wire,cord, gut, or thread, I wish it to be under-
stood that as regards the improvements in the loom shewn in Sheet 2, I confine
my claim of novelty and invention to two points only, namely, the arrangement
and application of the taking-up cylinders f, with their appendages, as already
described, and the arrangement and application of the cones M and N for
stopping and putting the machine in motion, as already described.
I also claim as new and of my Invention the belt, band, or fabric described
and shewn at Figure 7 on Sheet 2 for driving machinery or for similar
purposes.
As regards the machinery described at Figures 1, 2, and 3, on Sheet 2,
I claim as of my Invention the general construction of the machine for
forming a case or covering around any wire, cord, gut, thread, or other
substance by the circular revolution of any number of bobbins containing silk

page_text: or any other material around a common centre, combined with the application
of the rod n, as described and set forth at Figure 2, by means of which I am
enabled to form the spiral covering, as already described, and to stop the
machine as soon as any one end of the covering material breaks down. And
all such improvements and arrangements of machinery being, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, new and never before practised in this country, I deliver
this my true and faithful Specification of the same..
In witness whereof, I, the said Joshua Procter Westhead, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.