IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING.
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harrison Foster, of Radcliffe, and Joy Robinson, of Little
Lever, both in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING.'
"
Sealed the 14th May 1878, and dated the 16th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harrison Foster and Joy
Robinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th November
1877.
HARRISON FOSTER, of Radcliffe, and Joy ROBINSON, of Little Lever, both in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
This Invention relates to the description of looms in which there are rising and
falling boxes, commonly called "drop boxes," containing a number of shuttles with
cops of different coloured wefts used in weaving stripes, checks, ginghams, and all
descriptions of fancy fabrics in which several shuttles with different coloured wefts
are required, and consists in improved mechanical arrangements and contrivances for
enabling any reasonable number of shuttles to be changed, according to the required
pattern of the fabric.
The "drop box" is connected by rods to the ordinary weighted or balanced lever,
to which we joint one end of a rod, jointed or linked at its other end to a plain
arm of a double lever, having its other arm provided with teeth geared into a worm
or scroll fixed to a vertical shaft working in bearings connected to one of the side
frames of the loom; or we connect the rod to a rack geared into a toothed segment
instead of a plain lever, or to a nut worked by a screw, or a screw worked by a nut.
The shaft carrying the worm or scroll has at its lower end a crown wheel provided
with a number of teeth or pins, and below this crown wheels there are two pin
wheels held to the crank shaft by keys or feathers, so that they can revolve with
the shaft and be moved to and fro sideways.

page_text: At the back of each pin wheel there is a boss in contact with a cam connected to
a rod placed in guides, so that it can move to and fro, and the back ends of these
rods are so adjusted that they can be acted upon by ordinary jacquard cards, the pin
wheels being kept out of gear with the crown wheel, and the rods and cams kept
back by ordinary spiral springs, or instead of cards, pattern pins, knobs, or rollers
may be employed.
The jacquard cards are carried on an ordinary frame having to-and-fro motion
imparted to it by a tappet on the tappet shaft of the loom, or in any other desired
manner, and if these cards which regulate the changes of the "drop box," there
being in the cards holes opposite the cam rods when no change is required.
When the loom is at work, and the cards traversing onwards, so long as there is a
hole opposite one or other of the cam rods, no change of shuttle takes place, but when
a blank occurs either on one side or the other, the blank forces its corresponding
rod and causes the cam to shift its corresponding pin wheel into gear with the crown
wheel, and thus give movement to the worm or scroll, and the lever geared with
it, and thus raise or lowers the drop box, and as one rod and can is adapted for
raising the boxes and the other for lowering them, it is evident that a large number
of boxes can be used, and raised and lowered according to the pattern.
We employ the ordinary means for reversing the cards or other pattern motion
when there is a breakage or flaw in the fabric, and also various contrivances for
steadying the boxes at each change, but these will be fully described in our Final
Specification.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Harrison Foster and Joy Robinson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th May 1878.
HARRISON FOSTER, of Radcliffe, and JOY ROBINSON, of Little Lever, both in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
This Invention relates to the description of looms in which there are rising and
falling boxes, commonly called "drop boxes," containing a number of shuttles with
cops of different colored wefts used in weaving stripes, checks, ginghams, and all
descriptions of fancy fabrics, in which several shuttles with different colored wefts
are required, and consists in improved mechanical arrangements and contrivances for
enabling any reasonable number of shuttles to be changed, according to the required
pattern of the fabric.
And in order that our said Invention may be well understood, we shall now pro-
ceed more particularly to describe the same, reference being made to the accom-
panying Drawing, where Figure 1 represents a part side elevation of a loom fitted
with our Invention; Figure 2, a plan of the same; and Figure 3 a section on line
1, 2, in Figure 2.
The "drop box" (not shewn on the Drawing) is connected by rods A to the
ordinary weighted or balanced lever B, to which we joint one end of a rod C, jointed
or linked at its other end to a single (or double) lever D, the arm of which is pro-
vided with pins (or teeth) E, gearing into a worm or scroll F fixed to a vertical
shaft G, working in bearings carried by one of the side franes of the loom, as
shewn; or the rod C may be jointed to a rack geared into a toothed segment in
lieu of a plain lever, or to a nut worked by a screw, or a screw worked by a nut.
The shaft G, carrying the worm or scroll F, has at its lower end a crown wheel H,
provided with a number of teeth or pins I, and below the crown wheel H there are
two pin wheels K held to the counter shaft L by keys or feathers, so that they can
revolve with the said shaft and be moved to and fro sideways. If preferable, in
order to obtain a slower and steadier motion, the pin wheels K may be placed on
the crank or first motion shaft L of the loom. A bracket not shewn on the
Drawing, and which is bolted or fixed to the side of the loom, supports the outer
end of the shaft L.
At the back of each pin wheel K. there is a boss formed with a clutch groove for
receiving the forked end of a lever M, hinged to the front part of the loom, and acted
upon by the inclined collar N, which is attached to a rod or dart O (or the said boss
may revolve in contact with a barrel connected with a rod or dart O, as found most
suitable), mounted in guides, so that it can be moved to and fro, and the back ends
of these rods are so adjusted that they can be acted upon by ordinary jacquard cards,
the pin wheels K being kept out of gear with the crown wheel H, and the rods or
darts O kept back by ordinary spiral springs. Instead of cards, pattern pins, knobs,
or rollers may be employed.
The jacquard cards are carried on an ordinary frame having to-and-fro motion
imparted to it by a tappet on the tappet shaft of the loom, or in any other desired
manner, and it is these cards which regulate the changes of the "drop box," there
being in the cards holes opposite the rods O when no change is required.
When the loom is at work, and the cards traversing onwards, so long as there is
a hole opposite one or other of the rods or darts O, no change of shuttle takes place,
but when a blank on the cards comes opposite either of the rods or darts Ô the
latter is moved forward and the inclined collar N being forced against the lever M
causes the corresponding pin wheel K, with the pins fixed on its inner face, to move
inwards on the shaft L, and the said pins gearing into the teeth or pins I of the
crown wheel H, which is keyed on the shaft G of the worm or scroll F, causes the
latter to revolve, thereby giving an upward or downward motion to the lever D by
means of the pins (or teeth) E, which fit into the grooves of the worm or scroll F.

page_text: The number of these pins (or teeth) depends upon the number of shuttles used, and
they are either placed on the side of the lever D, as shewn, or formed as teeth on the
end thereof, as before mentioned. By this means the "drop box" is raised or
lowered, and as one rod O and lever M is adapted for raising the boxes, and the
other for lowering them, it is evident that a large number of boxes can be used, and
raised and lowered, according to the pattern.
We employ the ordinary means for reversing the cards or other pattern motion
when there is a breakage or flaw in the fabric, and also various contrivances for
steadying the boxes at each change.
.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the application and use of a worm or scroll in combination
with a single or double lever, to which is connected the rod working the "drop
boxes" in looms for weaving, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before
described, and illustrated by the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Harrison Foster, for and on behalf of myself
and the said Joy Robinson, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh
day of May 1878
HARRISON FOSTER. (L.S.)