IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD LOOMS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Goad Threlfall, Cotton Manufacturer, and Richard
Ashworth, Weaving Manager, both of Preston, in the County of Lancaster, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD LOOMS."
Sealed the 8th June 1877, and dated the 29th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Goad Threlfall and
Richard Ashworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th
March 1877.
WILLIAM GOAD THRELFALL, Cotton Manufacturer, and RICHARD ASHWORTH,
"IMPROVEMENTS
Weaving Manager, both of Preston, in the County of Lancaster.
IN JACQUARD LOOMS."
This Invention relates to apparatus employed in looms for fancy weaving, known
as the "dobby" or jacquard motion, and consists in improvements in the construc-
tion of the arrangement described and illustrated in the Specification of Letters
Patent, No. 2800, A.D. 1856, granted to John Brown and John Adin. In this
latter apparatus the card, barrel, or cylinder is supported at each end on the upper
extremities of the upright arms of L levers working on a rod or axis, the other ends
of the levers being provided with openings or slots, within which are pins or studs
projecting from the two inner sides of the swing frame, and so arranged as that the
up-and-down motion of the swing frame causes a corresponding reciprocating
motion of the card, barrel, or cylinder relatively to the needles or lances. To
provide against unsteadiness arising from wear and tear between the slots and the
pins or studs we dispense with the lower arm of the L lever; to the upper end of
the remaining arm and at right angles thereto we attach by bolts or otherwise one
end of a connecting rod or bar. The other end of this bar is jointed to the upper
end of a link, whose lower end is jointed to the swing frame.
In the Specification referred to the Patentees show and describe a system of levers
in connection with the grife or knife plate for the purpose of lifting and lowering
the index grate.
According to our Invention, to render the apparatus more reliable and less liable
to derangement through wear, we substitute for the levers two segmental portions
of pulleys movable radially (one above each side upright of the frame), over which
and fastened thereto we pass belts whose inner ends are connected to the knife:

page_text: plate, and their outor ends to the upper extremities of connecting rods, which are
fastened below to arms projecting one on each side of the bracket, whereby the
index grate is supported. The belt passing over each segmental pulley is of such
length and so arranged in relation to a projection on the upper end of the connecting
rod on the one side, and to a corresponding projection on the end of a bracket
fastened to the knife plate on the other, as to make the lifting or lowering operation
at each stroke certain and positive.
To obviate the necessity of entirely removing the hooks, or any portion thereof
when not required, we arrange a rod placed across the machine, upon which the
hooks not being used may be hung.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Goad Threlfall and Richard Ashworth in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th September 1877.
WILLIAM GOAD THRELFALL, Cotton Manufacturer, and RICHARD ASHWORTH,
Weaving Manager, both of Preston, in the County of Lancaster. "LMPROVEMENTS
IN JACQUARD LOOMS."
This Invention relates to apparatus employed in looms for fancy weaving known
as the "dobby" or jacquard motion, and consists in improvements in the construc-
tion of the arrangement described and illustrated in the Specification of Letters
Patent, No. 2800, A.D. 1856, granted to John Brown and John Adin. In their
apparatus the card barrel or cylinder is supported at each end on the upper
extremities of the upright arms of L levers working on a rod or axis, the other ends
of the levers being provided with openings or slots, within which are pins or studs
projecting from the two inner sides of the swing frame, and so arranged as that the
up-and-down motion of the swing frame causes a corresponding reciprocating motion
of the card barrel or cylinder relatively to the needles or lances.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Fig. 1 is a transverse section of a portion
of a "dobby;" and Fig. 2, a front elevation, shewing the nature of our improve-
ments.
A represents the ordinary card barrel or cylinder supported on the lovers B
working on the rod or axis C; D represents a portion of the swing frame; E, the
needles or lances; and F, the hooks. To provide against unsteadiness arising from
wear and tear between the slots and the pins or studs we dispense with the lower
arm of the lever. To the upper end of the remaining arm B and at right angles
thereto we attach by a bolt, or otherwise fasten (if desirable the two may be com-
prised in one casting) one end of a connecting rod or arm G. The other end of this
arm G is jointed to the upper end of a link H, whose lower end is jointed to the
swing frame D.
In Brown and Adin's Specification above referred to they show and describe a
system of levers and connecting rods in connection with the "grife" for the purpose
of lifting and lowering the index grate J.
According to our Invention, to render the apparatus more reliable and less liable
to derangement through wear, we substitute for the levers two segmental portions
of pulleys K moveable radially (one above each side upright L of the frame), over
which and fastened thereto we pass belts M, whose inner ends are connected to the
grifo I, to which is fastened the knife N. The outer ends of the said belts are con-
nected to the upper extremities of connecting rods O, which are fastened below to
arms P, projecting one on each side of the bracket Q, whereby the index grate J is
supported. The belt passing over cach segment or pulley is of such length and so
arranged in relation to a projection R on the upper end of the connecting rod O on
the one side, and a corresponding projection R' on the end of a bracket S fastened
to the grife I on the other, as to make the lifting or lowering operation at each
stroke certain and positive.

page_text: Although we prefer to employ segmental portions of pulleys, whole pulleys may
be arranged to the same end, and in place of belts to pass over the pulleys, as above
described, chains or bands may be substituted, and the belts, chains, or bands may
be of such a length as to dispense with the employment of the connecting rods (
and brackets S (Fig. 2).
For "dobbies" employed in "stave" or " shaft" weaving (in which the grife is
lifted and lowered at one end only, the other end working upon a centre or pivot)
only one pulley or segmental portion thereof would be required, instead of two, as
previously described.
To obviate the necessity of entirely removing the hooks F, or any portion thereof
when not required for use, we arrange a rod T across the machine, upon which the
hooks not being used may be hung.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming it, we desire it to be understood that we do not intend to claim any of the
mechanical parts of the apparatus herein-before described and shewn when taken
separately and apart from the combination or application thereof, in manner and for
the purposes heroin described, but wo claim as secured to us by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent, the improvements in jacquard looms herein-before
specified and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Goad Threlfall and Richard Ashworth,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.