IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Peter Young and John Mathieson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd May 1880.
PETER YOUNG and JOHN MATHIESON, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
This said Invention has reference to a new or improved general construction or
arrangement of the parts of a positive check shuttle box mechanism for power
looms for weaving; that is, for shifting and setting any one shuttle and its box of
a set of from two to eight, of the raising and lowering or vertical reciprocating
shuttle boxes of a loom in a line with the race of the lathe, ready for picking or
throwing the shuttle through the shed of the warp or cloth, which mechanism is
considered more simple and durable in construction, and efficient in its action, and
less liable to derangement than the arrangements of check shuttle box mechanism
heretofore in use.
And the nature and novelty of this Invention (or new and improved check
motion for looms) consists in the use of a positive acting arrangement of differential
or compound lever or levers, having one end or arm of such lever or levers directly
connected with the lower end of the spear of the reciprocating multiple shuttle box,
and having said lever or levers carried and actuated on raising or lowering or
moving fulcra at their ends and intermediate centres, and mounted so as to be
actuated, preferably near the lower part of the loom (in ordinary power looms, with
vertical lower rocking lathes), on said fulcra as levers of the first or third order, or
as a bar lever, by cranks, eccentrics, or cams, actuated on stationary axes over
said fulcra, actuated as some other forms or constructions of "check motions"
are, preferably by a cam or cams on the second motion shaft, througli pawls or
hooks and tappet wheels formed on or geared to the cranks, eccentrics, or cams,
which actuate the said new arrangement of levers and their fulcra which form the
essential or substantive differentii or improvements of this Invention. Each fulcrum
or moving joint and centre of the said differential, or compound lever or levers
has a positive moving and holding arrangement of crank pin, eccentric, or cam of
its own,
and wheel turned separately by itself, for giving two positive positions
of the spear lever, and two different shuttle boxes in a line with the race, each
actuated by its turning tappet wheel and a pawl or hook of its own, brought into
action by the ordinary pattern card barrel mechanism and rest levers used in or
for other "check motions," in accordance with the changed position of the levers
required and the desired shuttle box to be brought in line with the race.
One simple modification or arrangement of this new or improved check box
mechanism as adapted for and applicable to a vertical raising and lowering four
shuttle box loom, arranged and actuated at one side to be changed or shifted each

page_text: double pick or two shots of weft as each shuttle comes home into the reciprocating
shuttle box, consist all as follows:-A single lever is used in this case, having its front
free end directly attached to the lower end of the spear of the shuttle box which
is attached to its upper end, so as to be moved through, and set, and held in this
case in four different positions to suit the four shuttle boxes. A. fulcrum joint is
formed at the other extreme end of the lever, and another some considerable
distance therefrom (as from a third to a half, or less, or more intermediate part)
between this first one and the free end of the lever. These fulcra are each connected
to crank pins direct, or preferably by short link connecting rods, so that the
horizontal spindles with their cranks can be mounted to rotate over the lever and
reciprocate it up or down, each to two positions, as they are turned half round to
their upper and lower dead centres; thus each shift begins the motion of the
lever and its, heavy box gradually, and also brings it slowly to rest, which
contributes greatly to steadiness in this check motion or mechanism. Each crank
spindle has a spur pinion on it, gearing into a corresponding motive wheel turning
loose on a spindle mounted between the crank spindles; but having large frictional
leather washers or other equivalent to hold the wheel steady when turned
intermittently by lateral tappets or pins a fourth of a revolution or so (more or less),
according to the proportion of the wheels to the pinions, which are turned a half
revolution at each shift to leave the crank pin at either shift, as stated, at the upper
or lower "centre" or extremity of its stroke. Long hooks or pawls reciprocated by
the second motion shaft engage each on to the tappets or catch pins on its respective
centre wheel, and, gives it a fourth turn as stated, according to the pattern
mechanism, which allows either or both of the hooks to drop into action, and so
give any required shift to the lever and bring any box and shuttle in line
with the race. Thus the wheels are geared and the parts are set, so that
when the back crank pin raises the back end fulcrum of the lever to its
top centre, or highest position, with the front crank at its lowest position, the
front free end of the lever is in its lowest position with the first or top
box in line with the race ready for picking; then the second box is raised to
the picking position by one hook giving a half turn of the crank pin of the back
end fulcrum of the lever down, turning the lever on the intermediate fulcrum
with its crank in the lowest position; the third box is brought into its
picking position by the pattern cards throwing both hooks into action and turning
both cranks to their top centres, which raises the shuttle box lever one
division up in a parallel manner, as a simple bar with the third shuttle box in
picking line; and the fourth shuttle box is brought up into line by lowering the
back crank and back end of the lever on its front or intermediate fulcrum, now in its
raised position; then, vice versa, to bring the boxes gradually down one at a time
when thus in the highest position, the raising of the back end of the lever by its
crank brings the third box in line, and turning both cranks down, lowers the lever
down parallel another division and gives the second box in line, then raising the back
crank and end of the lever gives the first box. To "skip" one box up from the
lower position or down from the highest position of the lever, that is, from 1 to 3
or from 4 to 2, the front or intermediate crank must be turned to raise or lower
its fulcrum respectively; and to "skip" two boxes from the lowest or highest
positions, that is, from 1 to 4 or 4 to 1, up or down, the back crank and end of the
lever require to be turned in the reverse direction to the first at the same time, that
is down while the front crank and fulcrum is going up, and up while the latter is
turned down. The lengths of the arms of the levers between and beyond the fulcra
are proportioned to effect this, as also the "throw or eccentricity of the crank
pins; and to give a steady and nearly parallel action of the shuttle box lever up
and down, the free end of a long radius lever may be connected to one of its
fulcrum pins, having its fixed centre or fulcrum on the side of the loom near the
axial line of the rocking lathe or lower end of the spear of the shuttle box, or this
might work in a parallel guide.
"
For an eight shuttle box mechanism under and by these improvements, an extra

page_text: or second beam lever is used like the first, but made to carry the first lever by a
joint pin at its extreme front free end and arm; coupled to one of the fulcrum joints
of the first lever, preferably the forward or intermediate fulcrum; so that all the
motions described in reference to the former arrangement for a four shuttle box loom
are obtained by the first lever and the crank or eccentric connected to the back.
arm and fulcrum joint of the second lever, which has its front or intermediate fulcrum
joint linked or jointed to a third crank turned on an axis of its own by an extra
geared pinion and wheel and drawing tappets and hook or other equivalent
eccentric actuating mechanism worked by the pattern mechanism, as described in
reference to the first arrangement, in accordance with the requirements of the
pattern. But in this case, for bringing the fifth box into picking line with the race,
the crank and front end of the lever is raised, and the other two cranks coupled to
the rear end of the levers are in their highest position, or vice versa, the first box
is in its normal picking position when the front crank of the second lever is in its
lowest position, and the back cranks and back arms of both levers are in their
highest position.
The second box is raised from this first position of the levers to its picking
position by turning down the back crank and fulcrum arm of the first or shuttle
box lever; and the third box from the second by bringing up the back crank and
fulcrum of the first lever (again to its normal position), and bringing down the back
crank and fulcrum arm of the second lever; and the fourth box by again bringing
down the back arm and fulcrum of the shuttle box lever; while, as before stated,
the fifth box is got into position by simultaneously raising the two back cranks and
fulcrum arms of both levers to their highest position, and raising the front crank
and intermediate fulerum of the second lever to its highest position.
And from this position the sixth, seventh, and eighth boxes are brought into
acting line with the race, all sequentially by the motions of the two back cranks
and fulcrum arms of the two levers, as described in reference to obtaining the
second, third, and fourth box.
The "skipping" from the first to the third box, and vice versa, is effected by
turning the back fulcrum arm of the second lever down or up respectively while
the back fulcrum of the box lever is in its highest position, and the second to the
fourth, or vice versa, is effected by the same action of the back fulcrum of the second
lever while the shuttle box lever is in its lowest position, that is, in both cases
when the front fulcrum of the second lever is in its lowest normal position. While
the "skipping" from the fifth to the seventh box, and vice versa, or from the sixth
to the eighth, and vice versa, are got by the same sequential motions of the back
fulcrums of both levers while the front crank and fulcrum of the second lever is in
its highest normal position before mentioned for giving the fifth box in a line with
the race.
And to skip from 1 to 4, or vice versa, or from 5 to 8, or vice versa,
the back fulcra of both levers are turned down, or both turned up, simultaneously
and respectively, while the front fulcrum of the second lever is in its lowest and
and highest position. Thus any box of the set may be brought into picking position,
as from
to 8, which is the extreme skip required, by simultaneously raising
the fulcrum of the second lever to its highest position while turning the back arms
and fulcra of both levers to their lowest position, or vice versa for " skipping"
from 8 to 1.
Although cranks or eccentrics actuated on separate centres by toothed pinions
geared into wheels with tappets turned on a first or common stationary axis by
drawing hooks, actuated intermittently by and in accordance with the pattern
mechanism, all as have heretofore been employed for primarily moving and
controlling other arrangements of check shuttle box mechanism, have been
described, it is to be understood that the said eccentric motions may be obtained
by positive acting grooved cams and pins with anti-friction rollers working in
these grooves, and either attached directly or connected by a link or lever to
the fulcrum it has to move of the said new or improved arrangement of lever
mechanism.

page_text: "
"
Outside rimmed cams might also be used; with the required raised or greater
eccentricity on the one side, and corresponding depression on the other, with studs
and anti-friction rollers working on these surfaces, secured on a forked armed beam
or other equivalent lever, having the other arm linked to the respective fulcrum of
the lever which it has to move, all as described in reference to the cranks. This
arm of the lever when employed might have adjustable slots to fix the joint pins in
true position for giving the exact "throw or motion to the lever required. This
positive motion arrangement may have one of its forked arms hinged and connected
to the other by a strong spring, more powerful than the force required to move the
shuttle box levers, but which would yield to prevent breakage in the case of a
shuttle or other obstruction preventing the box from being reciprocated by the
cams; and in the case of using the cranks, eccentrics, or grooved cams, then any of
the ordinary connections for preventing breakage may be employed, such as a strong
spring connecting these with their fulcra, or the spear rod with its shuttle box
lever.
As an alternative arrangement for turning the respective crank, or eccentric
axes for reciprocating the different fulcra of the new arrangement of lever shuttle
box moving mechanism, instead of the geared wheels and pinions hereinbefore
described, this might be done by a loose polygonal or other barrel turned by a
chain, with or without the said hooks, in one direction against the power of a
spring, which would bring the barrel back to its normal position. The barrel has a
catch or pawl on it, which would take into two cams or catches on the crank or its
axis, and turn this half a revolution in the same direction each time it is actuated.
Although this new or improved check box mechanism has only be described as
actuated by the ordinary pattern card and chain barrel, with a separate rest lever
for each crank, eccentric, or cam action, and reciprocating fulcrum of the levers, it is
also capable of being similarly actuated by the large screw and other pattern
barrels heretofore in use for other check motions, with pins or holes for each double
shot or pick of the pattern, through a very simple arrangement of two or three
additional double armed pattern levers carried on one fulcrum or centre of the
ordinary screw traversing or rest lever of these pattern barrels, that is, two levers
for a four shuttle box loom, and three levers for an eight shuttle box loom. The
one arm of these levers rests over the path of the pin holes, so as to be actuated by
special new forms of headed pins, with steps arranged according to the number
of levers employed, giving two positions of each lever; the other end of the
levers each acting on long tilting-bar crank levers the whole length of the pattern
barrel, so as to tilt these levers either into or out of action, according to the
two positions of its corresponding actuating double-armed pattern lever given to
it by the pins. Each crank bar lever would bring its respective hook and crank,
eccentric, or cam into action at the proper time controlled by the pin, so that this
improved form of pins would only require to be introduced when a shift of these
cranks and of the shuttle box has to be effected. Thus for an eight shuttle box
loom only five forms of pins would be be required, and these only requiring to be
inserted, as stated, where the change had to take place, would make a great saving
in the expense of the number of pins required, and in the labour of inserting them
in the barrel for every new pattern, although the number of holes in the barrel would
have to be the same as usual, and the barrel turned for each hole and double pick
of weft, and the rest screw lever carrying the new pattern levers would still
require to act as heretofore in reversing the action and pattern in the case of
cheek" patterns.