IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING FIGURED FABRICS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Fortay Maclure, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Machinist, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING FIGURED FABRICS."
Sealed the 9th October 1863, and dated the 11th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Fortay Maclure
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th April 1863.
I, ALEXANDER FORTAY MACLURE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING FIGURED FABRICS," to be as
follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of certain parts
of the mechanical details of looms, so as to obtain by means of a positive move-
ment a great variety of patterns in the fabrics produced. Under one modi-
fication or system of arrangement for actuating the heddles in the required
sequential order two levers are centred upon a stud carried in the loom framing.
These levers extend towards the front of the loom, and they are slotted at the
central parts, so as to admit of the driving shaft passing through them, and of
their reciprocatory movement in a vertical direction. The levers aro actuated

page_text: by two cams on the driving shaft, which act on pulleys fitted to the levers, and
cause them to rise and fall alternately. The front ends of the levers are
connected by vertical links to two knife-edged lifting bars which are arranged
beneath. These lifters traverse up and down in guides which are formed
in a pair of standards fixed to the floor, and extending parallel with the loom
framing. On the wiper shaft of the loom is fitted a cam which gives a slight
vertical movement to a rod T-shaped at its upper extremity, and carrying
therein a series of pins, which extend through the T-piece on both sides.
The movement of this rod up and down brings the row of pins alternately
opposite two rows of holes formed in a small rotatory barrel, similar to the
barrel of a jacquard machine. This barrel moves in unison with the shed-
ding action of the loon, and carries with it an endless chain of cards per-
forated to produce the required pattern. Each pin in the T-shaped rod is
opposite one of the long vertical rods which are connected to the heddle
levers. These rods are kept in one direction by means of helical springs, so
long as the pins in the T-shaped rod enter the holes formed in the endless
chain of cards; but when the solid card intervenes, the opposite end of the
pin pushes the contiguous rod back, and this brings one of the hooks which
are formed on the rod under the edge of one or other of the lifters. In this
way by the proper arrangement of the cards, the heddles may be actuated in
any required sequence, so as to produce a great variety of weaving effects. In
connection with this mechanical arrangement is one for causing the shuttles to
be operated in any desired order for the purpose of varying the colours of the
figures or other ornamental effect. A cam is arranged on the wiper shaft,
which imparts a horizontal reciprocatory movement to a lever, the front part
of which is forked so as to form a pair of pawls, either of which may be caused
to take into the teeth of a ratchet wheel. This wheel is carried on a stud, which
projects out from the loom framing, and the wheel is fast to a disc, to the edge
of which segmental projections are attached. As the forked lever traverses
to and fro with the motion of the cam on the wiper shaft, the pawls are thus
placed in position to draw the ratchet wheel round either in one direction or
the other, according as the pawls are caused to rise or fall, or the lever may be
held midway so as not to affect the wheel at all. This movement in tho
vertical direction is obtained from the lifters before referred to, thus, if the
lever is depressed, the upper pawl takes into the teeth of the ratchet wheel,
and it is drawn round in the backward direction, so as to cause the shuttles
to be operated in a given sequence, and vice versa. The segmental projections
traverse in contact with a pulley carried at the upper end of a bell-crank lever
which is connected to the rod of the drop box. The segmental projections

page_text: being fastened to the wheel according to a predetermined order of arrange-
ment, it follows that when the wheel is put in motion that the cells of the
shuttle box will be brought in a line with the shed in the same order, and the
colours correspondingly disposed in the manufactured fabrics. With these
arrangements a great variety of effects may be produced either in twilled,
checked, or figured fabrics, or in a combination of them, and on any weight of
texture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuanco of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Fortay Maclure in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
FORTAY MACLURE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alexander Fortay Maclure, Her special license that I, the
said Alexander Fortay Maclure, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alexander Fortay Maclure, 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, excrcise, 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
FIGURED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Fortay Maclure, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of
one of them, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Fortay Maclure, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of certain
parts of the mechanical details of looms, so as to obtain by means of a positive
movement a great variety of patterns in the fabrics produced. Under one
modification or system of arrangement for actuating the heddles in the required
sequential order, two levers are centred upon a stud carried in the loom
framing. These levers extend towards the front of the loom, and they are
slotted at the central parts so as to admit of the driving shaft passing through
them, and of their reciprocatory moveníent in a vertical direction. The levers
are actuated by two cams on the driving shaft, which act on pulleys fitted to
the levers and cause them to rise and fall alternately. The front ends of the
levers are connected by vertical links to two knife-edged lifting bars which are
arranged beneath. These lifters traverse up and down in guides which are
formed in a pair of standards fixed to the floor, and extending parallel with
the loom framing. On the wiper shaft of the loom is fitted a cam, which
gives a slight vertical movement to a rod T-shaped at its upper extremity, and
carrying therein a series of pins which extend through the T- piece on both
sides. The movement of this rod up and down brings the row of pins alter-
nately opposite two rows of holes formed in a small rotatory barrel, similar to
the barrel of a jacquard machine. This barrel moves in unison with the
shedding action of the loom, and carries with it an endless chain of cards
perforated to produce the required pattern. Each pin in the T-shaped rod is
opposite one of the long vertical rods which are connected to the heddle lovers.
These rods are kept in one direction by means of helical springs so long as the
pins in the T-shaped rod enter the holes formed in the endless chain of cards;
but when the solid card intervenes, the opposite end of the pin pushes the con-
tiguous rod back, and this brings one of the hooks which are formed on the
rod under the edge of one or other of the lifters. In this way by the proper
arrangement of the cards, the heddles may be actuated in any required sequence,
so as to produce a great variety of weaving effects. In connection with this
mechanical arrangement is one for causing the shuttles to be operated in any
desired order, for the purpose of varying the colours of the figures or other
ornamental effect. A cam is arranged on the wiper shaft, which imparts a
horizontal reciprocatory movement to a lever, the front part of which is forked
so as to form a pair of pawls, either of which may be caused to take into the
teeth of a ratchet wheel. This wheel is carried on a stud which projects out
from the loom framing, and the wheel is fast to a disc, to the edge of which
segmental projections are attached. As the forked lever traverses to and fro

page_text: with the motion of the cam on the wiper shaft, the pawls are thus placed in
position to draw the ratchet wheel round either in one direction or the other,
according as the pawls are caused to rise and fall, or the lever may be held
midway so as not to affect the wheel at all. This movement in the vertical
direction is obtained from the lifters before referred to; thus, if the lever is
depressed, the upper pawl takes into the teeth of the ratchet wheel and it is
drawn round in the backward direction so as to cause the shuttles to be
operated in a given sequence, and vice versa. The segmental projections
traverse in contact with a pulley carried at the upper end of a bell-crank lever
which is connected to the rod of the drop box. The segmental projections
being fastened to the wheel according to a predetermined order of arrangement,
it follows that when the wheel is put in motion that the cells of the shuttle
box will be brought in a line with the shed in the same order, and the colours
correspondingly disposed in the manufactured fabrics.
With these arrange-
ments a great variety of effects may be produced either in twilled, checked,
or figured fabrics, or in a combination of them, and on any weight of texture.
And in order that my said Invention of improvements in looms for weaving
figured fabrics may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the
several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto
appended for the purpose of showing certain modifications under which my
improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that is to say :-
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is an elevation of the
right-hand end of a loom, showing the arrangement and application of my
improvements thereto; Figure 2 is a back view of the right-hand portion
of the loom, and Figure 3 is a front view of the same, both views corre-
sponding to Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan corresponding to Figures 1 to 3,
and taken on the line 1, 1, Figure 3; Figure 5, is a plan taken on the
line 2, 2, Figure 1; Figure 6 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 7 is a
corresponding plan of a portion of the details taken on the line 3, 3, Figure 2;
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of the upper part of the details shown in
Figures 2 and 3, and taken on the line 4, 4, Figure 4; Figure 9 is a
corresponding sectional elevation taken on the line 5, 5, Figure 4, and at right
angles to the view shown in Figure 8.
The framing A of the loom is of the ordinary kind; the crank shaft B has
fixed upon its outwardly extending end the two cams C and C', which servo
to raise and depress the two vertical levers D and D'. These levers are
slotted at their upper ends through which the shaft B passes, and each lever
has at its upper end two laterally projecting studs, on which are fitted the
antifriction rollers E, against which the peripheries of the cams C and C'
press,

page_text: and so raise and depress the levers D and D' alternately. The two levers D
and D', are connected at their lower ends to the two horizontal levers F and
F', which are carried on a stud in the bracket or supplementary frame G; the
backward ends of the levers project through the slotted parts of the laterally
projecting bracket G', which serves as a guide for them. The two levers F
and I work one on each side of the heddle lever links H, which correspond
in number to the heddles employed, and by means of which they are operated
in the required sequential order. The heddle lever links II are thin bars of
metal jointed at H', and having a notch or recessed part formed in the front
and back edges of cach bar, and into one or the other of these notches the
lever For F is caused to take at each shedding motion. The upper end of
each link II is attached to a heddle lever I, and these levers are respectively
connected to the heddles J. Each beddle is also connected by a cord or
wire K, to the inner end of one of a series of levers L, which are also attached
at their outer ends to the links II, the inner ends of the levers passing through
the contiguous guide L'. To the main framing A of the loom is bolted an
open frame M, in which is arranged a series of needles N, the front ends of
which project out beyond the front of the frame M, and press against the
backward edges of the links II. The frame M has bolted to it the slotted
plate M', which forms the lower guide for the heddle lever links H. Each
needle is fitted with a helical spring N', which presses the needle forward
against the contiguous link II, and so causes the front part of the link to
take on to the outer lever F. In the position in which the heddle lever links
II are delineated in the accompanying Drawings, there are six of the links
shown taken down by the lever F, and the corresponding number of the
levers I are in like manner depressed at the outer ends, and thus the heddles
attached thereto are raised. Simultaneously with this movement the
levers Lare operated in like manner to assist in rising the beddles. Any
portion however of the heddle lever links I may be raised, so as to causo
the descent of the corresponding heddles, as shown in the case of the six links
which are represented as uplifted by the lever F. This rising of the heddle
lever links is effected by the jacquard arrangement fitted at the upper part of
the framing A. To the end face of the framing is bolted the open frame O,
in which is fitted the parallel plates O', which serve as guides for the needles P.
The front part of this frame O is slotted, as shown at O2 in Figuro 4, and forms
the second and upper guide for tho links H. These needles are arranged with
their inner ends exactly opposite the contiguous links II, so that when the
needles are pressed inwards or towards the centre of the loom they push the
links back so that they take on to the lever F by which they are raised, and

page_text: the corresponding heddles descend to form the required shedding. The move.
ment for operating the needles P in the required sequence is obtained from
the crank shaft B, on which is keyed the cam Q, the curved periphery of which
acts on the antifriction rollers of the vertical lever R. The lower part of this
lever is slotted and encircles the shaft B, whilst its upper part passes through
a guide R', that projects out from the framing A. The upper end of the lever
R branches off laterally, and is connected at this part by a link R², to the
spindle S on which is fitted the lever S', which is attached by the link S³, to the
cross spindle T. The ends of this spindle extend out through the side pieces
of the frame O, which are slotted to admit of the to-and-fro movement of tho
spindle in accordance with the motion of the lever S¹, and its connected parts.
To the ends of the spindle T are attached the links U, which connect it to the
spindle of the barrel V; this is an octagonally shaped barrel, having a row of
perforations extending along each face. The chain of jacquard cards V¹ is
hung over the barrel in the ordinary way, and is carried round therewith by
means of the pins on the ends of the barrel. As the barrel traverses to and fro
with the motion of the lever S', the needles P are pushed inwards by the solid
part of the card, but where there are perforations in the card the needles aro
not affected by the traverse of the barrel. The barrel is caused to rotate
partially so as to bring another card round each time the backward traverso
is made; this is effected by means of the pawl W, which is fitted on a stud
carried in the frame O. The pawl W takes into the teeth of the ratchet
wheel X, which is keyed on the spindle of the barrel V, the end of the pawl
being kept down to the wheel by the blade spring X'. As the barrel V makes
it's outward traverse the ratchet wheel comes in contact with the pawl W, and
the wheel is turned round so as to bring round another card to face the
needles P. When this movement takes place the wheel is held steadily
by means of the blade spring Y, which is bolted to the frame O, and
presses on one face of the octagonal wheel Z, the number of its faces or
O divisions of its segmental periphery corresponding to those of the barrel P.
As the cards V₁ are brought round by the motion of the barrel V, they
are kept clear of the mechanism beneath by the pendent roller a, which is
suspended from the frame O, and they fall into a receptacle below, or are
allowed to accumulate on the floor. With this arrangement of mechanism,
5 the shedding of the warp may be varied so as to produce a great variety
of weaving effects, either of the twilled or figured classes, or a combina-
tion of both, a distinguishing and characteristic feature of the mechanical
arrangement being that a positive movement is communicated to the heddles
through the levers 1 and L, and their actuating parts. Combined with the fore-

page_text: going improvements is an arrangement for causing the several shuttles with
the variously coloured weft to be thrown in according to the proper and pre-
determined sequential order. On the tappet shaft b is fitted the eccentric
cam c, which rotates in contact with the antifriction rollers d', that are carried
in studs projecting laterally from the rod d, to which the cam imparts a recipro-
catory movement. The rod d has a stud fitted in the side of it, on which is
carried the forked catch or double pawl e; this pawl oscillates to and fro with
the motion of the rod d, and serves to give motion at every two shots to the
ratchet wheel f, either in one direction or the other, or the catch may when
required be held in a position midway so as not to affect the wheelf. The wheel f
has formed on its face the double ratchet teeth f', so that it may be moved
in either way by the hooked ends of the duplex pawl e. To the rim of the
wheel are fastened by means of pinching screws the segmental parts or
shuttle box risers g, which are adapted to the pattern wheel f, so as to cause
the shuttle boxes to be brought into operation in the required sequence to
produce the desired range of colour. The pattern wheelf is carried on a stud
fixed in the bracket G, and at the back of the wheel a ring h is formed which
is partially lined with leather. A bent spring piece h, which is bolted to the
bracket G, presses against the surface of the leather, and this pressure may be
tempered by the nut of the bolt so as to regulate the degree of stiffness
with which the wheel f moves. The shuttle box risers 9 causes the shuttle
boxes to rise and fall through the intervention of the lever i, which is
centred on a stud carried in the bracket G. At the upper end of the
lever is fitted an antifriction roller i¹, which rests on the periphery of the
risers 9. The lower part of the lever i curves below the catch e, and is
connected by a link to the stem of the cross head k, the vertical ends
of which work through guides on the under side of the lathe 1, and are
attached to the shuttle box m. As the pulley traverses over the periphery
of the wheel f, or over the risers g, the shuttle boxes are raised or depressed
in accordance therewith. Thus when the roller i rests upon the periphery
of the wheel f, the upper cell of the shuttle box will be in a line with the
race; and as the roller traverses in succession over the risers g, the several
cells of the shuttle box will rise in a corresponding manner until it is
raised to the highest position, as shown in Figure 1. And by suitably
arranging the risers 9 on the periphery of the wheel f, the lever i may be
caused to raise or depress the shuttle box, so as to change instantly the box
from the top cell to the bottom, or vice versa, or cause any intervening cell to
be brought into operation just as the colours of the pattern may be arranged.
The inner end of the lever i is curved as shown at j, so that it may be held

page_text: by means of a catch, or other equivalent therefor, during the time that it is
desiered to retain the shuttle box in any given position. A foot lever nis
also arranged so that the loom attendant may readily raise the shuttle box to
any given height to remove or replace any of the shuttles when required.
This lever is centred on a stud carried in the bracket G, and its backward
end is connected to the link of the cross head, so that the simple pressure
of the foot will raise the shuttle box and expose any particular, cell when the
loom is not working, and in this way either of the shuttles may be readily
removed and replaced by another. It now remains to show the manner in
which the duplex pawl e is operated by the jacquard mechanism so as to cause
the ratchet wheel f to be moved either backwards or forwards, or cause the
double pawl e to be held midway so as not to actuate the wheel in either
direction. In the upper part of the bracket G is a stud on which is centred
the lever o, the front end of which is fitted with the adjustable counter-
weight o, so as to balance the parts connected with the lever. The back-
ward portion of this lever is bent inwards towards the double pawl e, and
has projecting from its inner face a stud carrying the grooved pulley p,
upon which the stem of the duplex pawl e rests. At the extremity of the
lever o is a stud on which is fitted the adjustable link q, which connects the :
lever to the rod r. This rod extends upwards, and is jointed to the inner >
part of the tumbling levers, which is carried on a stud fixed in the arm t.
of the frame o. Two pins s' project out from the face of the tumbling levers,
and upon these pins the blade spring t' rests, which serves to keep the lever:
at rest and stop its vibration after each change is made. At the outer end of
the lever is an antifriction roller s2, which rests upon an inclined planes
forming an upwardly extending part of the needle u. When this, needle is:
pushed inwards by reason of its outward end being brought into contact with
a solid part of the card v', the inclined plane moving inwards lifts the lever s, >
and depresses the rod r and the lever o. This descent of the lever o allows
the duplex pawl e to fall in the same ratio, and its upper pawl takes on to the
ratchet teeth f, as shown in Figure 1, and the wheel is then
turned in the
The needle u
direction of the arrow shown outside the shuttle box risers g.
is held in this position whilst two shots of weft are made by means of a notch
or recess cut in its under side, and which takes on to the contiguous cross
bar o' of the frame o. The pattern wheelf may be turned in the direction
of the arrow for any number of shots required for the pattern; the parts are
liberated, however, at every two shots in order to provide for a change if
required. On the end of the tappet shaft 6 is a ring v, which has a pin v¹
projecting from its face; at each revolution of the shaft this pin comes in

page_text: contact with a swell or projection formed on the under side of the lever w.
This lever is centred on a stud carried in a bracket projecting out from the
framing A, and the fore part of the lever is attached by a link to the rod x.
The upper end of this rod is connected to the bent lever y, which is carried
on a stud fixed in the cross bar o'. The upward motion of the lever w, and
rod x, lifts the lever y, and this raises the needle u, so as to liberate it from
the cross bar o¹, and the needle is pushed back to its normal position by the
pressure of the spring t on the lever s, and of the helical spring on the outer
part of the needle. In this way so long as the needle u is opposed to a solid
part of the card it is pushed inwards each time, and the wheel f is turned in
the direction of the arrow, but when a change in the direction of the wheel
is required, the front needle is brought into action by the intervention of the
solid card and inward motion of the barrel V. The needle has a pin
projecting from its outer face, which is caused by the traverse of the needle
to come in contact with the tail of the tumbling lever s, by this means the
lever is raised, and this movement draws up the rod r, and the double
pawl e, causing it to take into the lower teeth of the wheel f, and move
it round in the contrary direction to that of the arrow. The needlo
is furnished with a pawl a', which catches on the cross bar o' of the frame o;
the pawl is kept down in its place by the blade spring which is
fastened to the bracket t. The upward motion of the lever y, when
actuated from the rod x, raises the pawl e¹, and so liberates the needle <, in
the same way as it liberates the needle u, when operated by the rod r.
But when there are holes in the cards V', opposite the ends of the needles
u and they are not then affected, and the pressure of the spring t¹ keeps
the lovers in its normal position, so that both the catches of the double
pawl c are kept clear of the teeth of the ratchet wheel f, and its movement
ceases in consequence.
This mechanical arrangement for the operating of the shuttle boxes may
also be used apart from the improvements for obtaining the shedding action,
and may be advantageously applied to looms of the ordinary kind for actuating
the shuttle boxes thereof.
Under one system of arrangement for effecting this object in looms where
there is no arrangement like the barrel V and its connected parts, a barrel,
the surface of which is grooved or indented in the transverse direction, is fitted
on the stud carrying the wheel to which the shuttle box risers are fixed.
Around this barrel is arranged an endless chain of metal or other cards, the
surfaces of which form a series of undulations or projections and indentations.
A lever having a projecting part on its under side rests on the endless chain;

page_text: the backward end of this lever is contiguous to the double pawl, and is con-
nected thereto by a link. In this way, when the lever is resting upon the
raised part of the chain of cards, the pawl is lifted, and its lower catch takes
on to the teeth of the ratchet wheel; the contrary effect takes place when the
projection on the lever sinks into the recesses of the chain, and when it is
traversing over the plain surface, the pawl is held midway, and the further
rotation of the ratchet wheel is stopped for the time being. The several
shuttle box risers are fitted to the periphery of the ratchet wheel, so as to
obtain the same scope for the production of varied weaving effects as with the
arrangement herein-before described.
Connected with these improvements is an arrangement for regulating the
"take-up" of the woven fabric in accordance with the particular kind of weft
that is thrown in. On the tappet shaft 6 is keyed a tappet 1, the pin of which
strikes the lever 2; this lever is centred on a stud projecting from the inner
side of the bracket G, and its backward end is kept up to the tappet 1
by the helical spring 3. The forward end of the lever 2 has jointed to it the
pawl 4, which is connected by a link 5 to the ordinary take-up pawl 6, that
is actuated in the usual manner by the sword 7, and takes up a tooth at each
shot of weft. The two pawls 4 and 6 are connected to each other by the
link 5, in order that when the pawl 6 is in gear with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel 8, the pawl 4 is depressed and is clear of the ratchet wheel, and the
take-up of the cloth goes on in the ordinary way. But if a different weft
has to be thrown in, as, for example, silk, with which material it would be
sufficient to tako up a tooth of the ratchet wheel at every two shots of weft,
then the pawl 4 is brought into action which derives its motion from the
tappet shaft b. This is done by affixing to the back of the particular shuttle
box riser g, where this chango is to take place, a small segmental piece 9,
which as the wheel f rotates comes in contact with the outer end of the bent
lever 10. This lever is centred on a stud which is carried in a bracket
bolted to the main framing of the loom; the inner arm of the lever curves in
an upward direction, and when there is no segmental piece 9 intervening
between its outer end and the wheel f, the upper end of the lever is pressed
forward by the blade spring 11. This spring serves to keep the lever 10 away,
and the lower arm of the lever is prevented from moving too far inwards by
the pin 12, fixed in the bracket carrying the lever. As the segmental piece 9
moves round, it causes the lever 10 to press the spring 11 against the pawl 4,
so that as the lever 2 oscillates with the motion of the tappet 1, the link 5
lifts the pawl 6 out of gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 8, and the

page_text: wheel is then turned by the reciprocatory movement of the lever 2, which
moves in unison with the tappet 1, and the cloth is taken up only at every
alternate shot of the weft. The ratchet wheel 8 is keyed on the short shaft
13, from which its motion is communicated by the train of gearing 14, to the
beam 15.
With these several improvements the scope of production of tho power
loom may be greatly extended and numerous novel combinations of weaving
effects may be produced with much greater facility than heretofore.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my 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 novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement, construction, and combination of parts
forming the improved loom for weaving figured, twilled, plain, or ornamental
fabrics, as herein-before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings,
or any mere modification of the said arrangements.
Second, the system or mode of effecting the shedding action or motion of
the heddles in looms for weaving by means of the mechanical arrangement or
combination of parts in which a positive movement is imparted to the heddles
so as to actuate them in the required sequence or order of arrangement, as
herein-before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mero
modification of or equivalent therefor.
Third, the system or mode of operating the shuttle box of looms for weaving
ornamental fabrics by means of the mechanical arrangement or combination of
parts, by which any sequence of changes of the cells of the shuttle box may be
effected with great rapidity and certainty of action; which arrangement may bo
applied to the production of a great variety of weaving effects as herein-before
described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
of or equivalent for the said arrangement.
Fourth, the application to and use in looms for weaving, of the mechanical
arrangement or combination of parts for actuating the shuttle box, in which
the improved mechanical arrangement is operated by means of a barrel and
pattern chain so as to dispense with the jacquard mechanism when applied to
looms of the ordinary class, as herein-before described, or any mere equivalent
for the said arrangement.
Fifth, the system or mode of modifying the "take-up " motion of looms for
weaving ornamental fabrics by means of the mechanical arrangement or com-

page_text: bination of parts which serves to reduce the speed of the "take-up," as herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modi-
fication of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Fortay Maclure, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three.
ALEXANDER F. MACLURE. (L.B.)