Improvements in and in Connection with Apparatus for Drawing a Thread or Yarn from Woven Cloth or Fabric, Applicable also for Testing it.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Feb., 1889
Improvements in and in Connection with Apparatus for Drawing a
Thread or Yarn from Woven Cloth or Fabric, Applicable also for
Testing it.
I, MIHRAN MOURADIAN, of Dickinson Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a machine by means of which a certain
length of the weft yarn may be withdrawn from a woven textile fabric and reeled for
the purpose of testing it. It is designed specially for use with grey cloth, but may
be applied to others where found desirable."
It consists essentially in an apparatus in which the weft, thread, or yarn will be
withdrawn and reeled, while at the same time the ends will be successively cut away
from the warp threads after the weft has been withdrawn from them.
In carrying out the invention a pair of rollers or suitable holders or supports
will be provided to hold the cloth while the thread is being withdrawn, and a reel
suitably placed, preferably on a vertical spindle in front of them upon which the yarn
as withdrawn will be wound. In front of the rollers or holders will be placed a knife
or shears with a reciprocating movement which will at intervals cut off the exposed
ends of the warp threads. Below the knife I prefer at present to place a supporting
block for the cloth, upon which the edge or ends of the warp threads will be cut, but
a blade forming a shears may be employed instead. The rollers or holders for
receiving and passing forward the cloth, the reel for winding the weft thread or yarn
as it is withdrawn, and the knife or shears for cutting or severing the ends of the warp
threads are all actuated by suitable mechanism of levers and shafts and gear wheels
arranged closely and compactly together.
At present a shaft is placed running longitudinally beneath or at the side of the
machine. A crank on this shaft communicates motion by means of a connecting rod
to the knife or shears. Motion is conveyed from the same shaft by means of a second
shaft geared thereto, to the reel upon which the yarn is wound which rotates rapidly

page_text: as the first shaft is turned. A counter or indicator is mounted on the shaft of, or
otherwise connected to the reel, to indicate when a given length say a lea or 120 yards
has been wound upon it. A third shaft, geared to either the first or second, drives the
feed rollers or holders.
It is evident that this arrangement of mechanism for actuating the apparatus may
be modified, or mechanical equivalents substituted therefor, as the essential features
of the invention for withdrawing and winding the weft yarn and cutting off the
exposed ends of the warp threads may be actuated in any convenient way. In addition
to or in combination with which there may be provided a scale to receive the yarn
when wound to indicate thereon by the weight, strength or other quality of the yarn.
Such scale may be in the form of a lever formed with a hook to receive the yarn and
a weighted lever and pointer to indicate on a quadrant or other scale the weight or
strength for which the test is made.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in Connection with Apparatus for Drawing a
Thread or Yarn from Woven Cloth or Fabric, Applicable also for
Testing it.
I, MIHRAN MOURADIAN, of Dickinson Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:
The object of this invention is to provide a machine by means of which a certain
length of the weft yarn may be withdrawn from a woven textile fabric and reeled
for the purpose of testing it. It is designed specially for use with grey cloth, but
may be applied to other kinds of cloth where found desirable.
It consists essentially in an apparatus in which the weft, thread or yarn will be
withdrawn and reeled, while at the same time the ends of the warp threads will be
successively cut away after the weft has been withdrawn from them.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein are
shown an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.
Fig. 1, elevation from front of machine.
Fig. 2, elevation on line - looking towards front of machine, with counting
mechanism removed.
Fig. 3, elevation from side of machine, with counting mechanism removed.
Fig. 4, elevation on line y-y looking towards back of machine.
Fig. 5, elevation of counting mechanism from side.
Fig. 6, elevation of counting mechanism from back.
Mounted on the framing A, are a pair of rollers B, or other suitable holders or
supports, to hold and pass the cloth forward while the weft thread is being withdrawn
therefrom. I prefer to use two rollers as shown, but a table with one roller working
upon it would answer to pass the cloth forward as the weft thread is being withdrawn.
The rollers are journalled in brackets a fitted to the rail A¹ and receive motion from
the central shaft L. The weft thread is withdrawn from the cloth as it is held between
the rollers by the reel D upon which it is wound.
Behind the rollers B are placed a couple of movable blades E, which act in con-
junction with the fixed blade F, to form shears which at intervals cut off the exposed
ends of warp threads after the weft has been withdrawn. The movable blades È are
carried in brackets e pivoted on studs G affixed to ears or lugs on the rail A¹, being
held in position against the fixed shear blade by the springs g, placed between
the boss of the bracket e and a washer or collar fixed on the end of the stud G. Each
knife bracket e, is formed with, or has affixed to it a depending arın or lever H,
through which it and the knives are moved by means of a catch / fitted thereto,
which is at intervals caused to engage with the swinging lever 1. The lever I is
pivoted on the stud i and is connected to the link K, by which it is caused constantly
to swing up and down. The link K receives a reciprocating movement from the disc

page_text: or crank pin c engaging with the slot therein. The lever I swings clear of the
catch which is pressed or held out of contact with the lever by a sinall spring-
acting like a knife spring-on its under side and only engages with the end of the
lever I when moved by the collar or washer m on the rod M. Either of the knife
blades E may be caused to move down against the fixed blade F by the catch h on its
arm H being thrown into contact or gear with the swinging lever I. This is done
by the movement of the rod M, either to left or right, which is operated by the
handle N and lever n thus either blade can be operated at any time by the attendant
moving the handle N which will be done when the weft thread is clear of the blade.
After being depressed or carried down by the swinging lever I the lever H
and with it the blade E are returned to the position shown in the drawings by the
spring h¹.
Instead of applying a hand lever to cause the operative parts of the knife blades
to engage or be thrown into gear they may be operated at intervals by the movement
of the thread, which would as it travels, come into contact, first at one side of the
machine and then at the other, with a light lever or wire, and thereby throw the
catches h, or their equivalent into gear; as however, it is not necessary to cut the
ends of the warp threads for each shot of the weft that is withdrawn, 1 prefer to have
this mechanism actuated independently, and not automatically by the other movements
of the machine.
The framing A, may be extended to carry the reel D, but in order to render the
machine light, I at present prefer to provide a separate frame or stand O, upon which
the reel is carried by the bracket o. P is a pillar or bracket with a guide p fitted at
the top through an eye in which the thread passes. This guide is made in the form
of a bell crank lever, fitted with a spring at its other end to keep a slight tension on
the thread as it is being wound on the reel. The reel is rotated by means of
the bevel gearing d, one wheel on the shaft L, and the other on the boss of the
reel.
For some classes of material it may be found necessary to give the weft thread a
vibrating movement, as it is withdrawn, to prevent it becoming entangled with the
warp threads. This may easily be effected by carrying a light frame across the
machine, over which the thread would pass. Such frame may be pivoted and held by
a spring against a notched or toothed wheel on the shaft L, which would impart the
required movement as each tooth passed it.
In lieu of the above a roller covered with flannel or some fine cord may be
employed and rotated at a slightly higher speed than the weft yarn is withdrawn or
taken up by the reel, such roller being placed immediately behind the knives or shears.
The weft passing over this roller is effectually helped out of the warp which will
largely prevent breakages of the weft thread.
Counting mechanism is attached to the side of the frame A, or other suitable
position, and actuated from the shaft L to indicate the length of the weft yarn with-
drawn. Referring to figs. 1, 5, 6, the ratchet wheel R is moved a given distance at each
revolution of the shaft Land reel D by the cam S, actuating it through the levers and s.
As one end of the levers s which is pivoted ai s¹ is raised by the cam S the other end
is depressed and by it the end of the lever r; each time the end of the lever is
depressed the wheel R is rotated part of a revolution by the pawl pivoted to the
lever 7.
The wheel R is marked with a scale from 0 up to 120, to indicate the length
or number of yarns wound on the reel. T is an index finger or pointer fixed to a
bracket on the frame which acts in conjunction with the scale on wheel R. On the
boss of the wheel R is a clutch u, which conveys the movement to the train of
wheels U, driving the rollers B. The clutch is held in gear by a small spring so
that it can be easily thrown out of gear at any time to return the counting
mechanism to Zero. The wheel on the shaft of the roller B may be changed to
give the feed required, according to the number of picks to the inch in the cloth to
be tested.
Movement is imparted to the several parts of the apparatus by the hand wheel L
on the shaft C. The crank c at the end of the shaft C actuates the link K and

page_text: swinging lever I. A spur wheeel on the same shaft transfers the motion to
the wheel on the shaft L from which the other parts of the mechanism are
operated.
It is evident that this arrangement of mechanism of the several parts of the
apparatus may be modified; or mechanical equivalents substituted therefor as the
essential features of the invention for withdrawing and winding the left yarn and
cutting off the exposed ends of the warp threds may be actuated in any convenient
way.
In addition to, or in combination with the other parts of the apparatus there may
be provided a scale or other device to receive the yarn when wound to indicate thereon
by the weight, strength or otherwise, the quality of the yarn. Such scale may be in
the form of a lever formed with a hook to receive the yarn and a weighted lever and
pointer to indicate on a quadrant or other scale the weight or strength, for which the
test is måde.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for withdrawing the weft yarn from woven cloth for the purpose
of testing it having rollers or their equivalent to feed or support the cloth, a reel to
withdraw and receive the yarn, and operating knives or shears to cut away the warp
threads when the weft is withdrawn substantially as described.
2. An apparatus for withdrawing the weft yarn from woven cloth for the purpose
of testing it having a pair of knives or shears which are operated at intervals as the
weft thread is withdrawn to cut away the warp threads substantially as described.
3. An apparatus for withdrawing the weft yarn from woven cloth for the purpose
of testing it constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with or without
the combination therewith of weight or strength testing apparatus.
Dated this 15th day of January 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester,
Patent Agents.