Improvements in Looms for Weaving Ornamental Fabrics.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in Looms for Weaving Ornamental Fabrics.
I, ALEXANDER M°NAB, of the firm of Renison McNab and Company, of the
Boden Street Weaving Factory, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING ORNAMENTAL FABRICS to be as follows, that is
to say :-
رو
My said Invention has for its object to weave certain kinds of ornamental
fabrics by power in an improved and economical manner. The fabrics referred to
are of the kind having spots or stripes or other ornamental devices formed by
raised loops upon a ground which may be either of a plain or more or less
ornamental texture.
In carrying out the Invention the loops are formed by special warps which are
drawn off a separate beam from that off which the warps of the ground fabric are
drawn, these loop warps or some of them being raised at suitable intervals
according to the pattern by dobhie Jacquard apparatus or other suitable pattern
mechanism. The loop warps which are thus raised at any time are formed into
loops by means of peculiar wires, of which there are a series arranged across the
loom in front of the lay or lathe. Each wire consists of a short acting part which
is parallel to the weft and which is at the inner end of a part acting as a shank to
the acting part this shank being parallel to the warps and having its front end
fixed into a rod which is parallel to the weft and extends across the loom. The
rod or wire holder is held in eyes in the inner ends of arms which are fitted on a
front traversing rod parallel to the wire holder; and this front rod passes through
small blocks fitted to slide inwards and outwards in guides formed in brackets
fixed to the inner side of the breast beam. The front rod is moved inwards and
outwards by means of a pair of bellcrank levers acted on by rotating cams, and it
is moved from side to side by means of cords or straps passing round guide pulleys
to treadles or levers acted on by weights or springs and rotating cams. The arms
carrying the wire holder are fitted with adjustable screw pins which rest and slide
inwards and outwards on guide surfaces, and the wire holder is fixed in the arms
by pinching screws and can be adjusted angularly so as to raise or depress the
acting parts of the wires. The acting parts of the wires extend all in the same
+

page_text: direction from their shanks--that is all to the right or all to the left; and when a
set of loops is to be formed the wire holder is first moved inwards and then to one
side so as to enter the wires under the several portions of the loop warps which
have been raised. The wire holder next moves the wires forward to the fell of the
cloth and remains stationary as long as is considered necessary for securing the
loops by one or more succeeding weft shots. The treadle which moves the wire
holder in the direction to take the wires out of the loops does so by the action of a
weight or spring, and it is held up so as not to act, by a catch actuated from the
pattern mechanism and not released until the loops are secured. In a similar way
the levers which move the wire holder inwards are held by catches so as to act
only when the catches are released by the pattern mechanism. The wire holder
with its arms can be conveniently turned over upon the front rod so as to be
brought forward out of the way when the weaver requires access to the fabric.
With the improved apparatus described the loops are formed very uniformly as
regards size, and so as to produce a superior ornamental effect in a very economical
manner.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Looms for Weaving Ornamental Fabrics.
I, ALEXANDER MCNAB, of the firm of Renison McNab and Company, of the
Boden Street Weaving Factory, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING ORNAMENTAL FABRICS," and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
1
My said Invention has for its object to weave certain kinds of ornamental
fabrics by power in an improved and economical manner. The fabrics referred to
are of the kind having spots or strip or other ornamental devices formed by raised
loops upon a ground which may be either of a plain or more or less ornamental
texture.
In carrying out my Invention the loops are formed by special warps which are
drawn off a separate beam from that off which the warps of the ground fabric are
drawn, these loop warps or some of them being raised at suitable intervals
according to the pattern by dobbie Jacquard apparatus or other suitable pattern.
mechanism. The loop warps which are thus raised at any time are formed into
loops by means of peculiar wires, of which there are a series arranged across the
loom in front of the lay or lathe. The mode of working these looping wires and
the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the mechanism will be
best understood with the aid of the accompanying explanatory drawings of which
these are two sheets.
Figure, 1, on sheet, 1, of the accompanying drawings is a plan showing a portion
of the loom details; and figure, 2, on sheet, 2, is a vertical section as at right
angles to the front of the loom; whilst figure, 3, is a front elevation corresponding
to rather more than half of the loom. In these drawings these drawings the same
reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
Each looping wire consists of a short acting part, 4, which is parallel to the weft,
and which is at the inner end of a part, 5, acting as a shank to the acting part, 4,
this shank being parallel to the warps, and having its front end fixed into a rod, 6,
which is parallel to the weft and extends across the loom. The rod or wire
holder, 6, is held in eyes in the inner ends of arms, 7, which are fitted on a front
traversing rod, 8, parallel to the wire holder, 6; and this front rod, 8, passes
through small blocks fitted to slide inwards and outwards in guides, 9, formed in
brackets fixed to the inner side of the breast beam, 10. The front rod, 8, is moved
inwards and outwards by means of a pair of levers, 11, (only one, of which is shown
in the drawings) fixed on a rocking shaft, 12, which has also fixed on it a lever, 13,
arranged to be lifted by a cam, 14, on the low shaft, 15, of the loom; and it is
moved from side to side by means of cords or straps, 16, 17, passing round guide

page_text: pulleys, 18, 19, to treadles or levers, 20, 21, acted on by weights, 22, 23, (or springs)
and cams, 24, 25, on the low shaft, 15. The lever, 13, fixed on the rocking shaft, 12,
is made in three parts, a middle part, 26, being jointed with a vertical pin to the
outer part for a purpose hereinafter explained, and being jointed with a horizontal
pin to the part fixed on the rocking shaft, whilst these two parts are formed with
horns, 27, connected by a strong helical spring, 28, this being a well known arrange-
ment for allowing the outer end of the lever, 13, to yield when the movement of
the other end is prevented in any way..
The arms, 7, carrying the wire holder, 6, are fitted with adjustable screw pins, 29,
which rest and slide inwards and outwards on guide surfaces, 30; and the wire
holder, 6, is fixed in the arms, 7, by pinching screws and can be adjusted angularly
so as to raise or depress the acting parts, 4, of the wires. The acting parts, 4, of
the wires extend all in the same direction from their shanks, 5,--that is-all to the
right or all to the left; and when a set of loops is to be formed the wire holder, 6,
is first moved inwards, and then to one side so as to enter the wires, 4, under the
several portions of the loop threads which will just have been raised. The wire
holder, 6, next moves the wires, 4, forward to the fell of the cloth, and remains
.stationary as long as is considered necessary for securing the loops by one or more
-succeeding weft shots. The treadle or lever, 20, which by means of the strap, 16,.
moves the wire holder, 6, in the direction to take the wires, 4, out of the loops,
does so by the action of the weight, 24, (or of a spring) and it is held up so as not
to act, by a catch lever, 31, actuated from the pattern mechanism and not released
until the loops are secured. This catch lever, 31, which is centered on a small
standard, 32, is in figure, 3, shown as holding up the lever, 20, and it has fixed to
'its upper end an arm, 33; which is connected by a cord, 34, to the dobbie or other
pattern mechanism. When this cord is pulled up it turns the catch lever, 31, from
under the lever, 20, and allows the latter to descend. In a similar way the lever, 13,
which moves the wire holder, 6, inwards may be held by a catch so as to act only
*when the catch is released by the pattern mechanism.
As it is often desirable for the purpose of producing certain ornamental effects,
to form loops of different sizes at different parts of the fabric, a second cam, 35, is
'provided for acting on the lever, 13, this cam, 35, being shaped so as to allow the.
'wire holder, 6, to move further inwards towards the reed. The outer part of the
lever, 13, which as bereinbefore mentioned is jointed to the middle part, 26, with a
vertical pin, passes through a forked lever, 36, centered at its lower end on a small
standard, 37, and is by this forked lever moved horizontally so as to be acted on
by whichever cam, 14 or 35, is required. A helical spring, 38, is arranged to tend
to move the forked lever, 36, towards the side of the loom, whilst a catch lever, 39,
is provided for retaining the forked lever in the position in which it is shown in
figure, 3. An arm, 40, is fixed to the forked lever, 36, and has its end connected
by a cord, 41, to the dobbie or other pattern mechanism whilst the catch lever, 39,
is made with a projecting end which is curved so as to rest on or be acted on by
the arm, 40. When the arm, 40, is raised by the dobbie cord, a little above the
position in which it is shown in figure, 3, it lifts the catch lever, 39, above the
catch pin fixed in the forked lever, 36, and then the spring, 38, moves the forked
lever and with it the lever, 13, so as to place the latter over the outer cam, 35.
Afterwards when the dobbie cord, 41, is pulled up a certain distance it lifts the
arm, 40, and thereby moves the forked lever, 36, into the position in which it is
shown in figure, 3, and the catch lever, 39, engaging with the pin retains the lever
in that position.
.
The wire holder, 6, with its arms, 7, can be conveniently turned over upon the
front rod, 8, so as to be brought forward out of the way when the weaver requires
access to the fabric. The arms, 7, are held in the position for forming loops, each
by a lever, 42, fixed on the rocking shaft, 12, this lever having jointed to its upper
end a short piece, 43, which bears on a pin, 44, fixed in the arm, 7. The piece, 43,
is held in position by a spring, 45, but when it is wished to turn the wire holder; 6,

page_text: over and forwards, the piece, 43, is turned to one side against the spring and so as
to clear the pin, 44, and then the wire holder, 6, can be turned over.
With the improved apparatus described the loops are formed very uniformly as
regards size, and so as to produce a superior ornamental effect in a very economical
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim.is
1. The combination of mechanism for forming loops in weaving ornamental
fabrics substantially as herein before described.
2. The application of the adjustable screw pins, 29, and guiding surfaces, 30,
for insuring the accurate movement of the wire holder, 6, substantially as herein-
before described.
3. The arrangement of parts allowing of the wire holder, 6, with its arms, 7,
being turned over forwards substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.