IMPROVE- MENTS IN REEDS AND HEALDS USED IN WEAVING
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Carter Ramsden, of Bradford, in the County of
York, Reed and Heald Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REEDS AND HEALDS USED IN WEAVING."
Sealed the 27th December 1864, and dated the 25th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Carter Ramsden at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th July 1864.
I, JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN, of Bradford, in the County of York, Reed and
Heald Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REEDS AND HEALDS USED IN WEAVING," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in the application of india-rubber or similar
elastic material and spiral springs to the formation of the ribs in reeds or slays
and to the selvage or rig band of healds or heddles used in weaving, and
thereby I obtain an elasticity which will be of great advantage and utility to
the users by enabling them to vary the sett or fineness of the reeds and healds
at pleasure. The method by which I accomplish this is as follows:-I obtain
india-rubber in lengths of the requisite thickness, and insert it at full stretch
inside the springs, which are placed on a table or frame at a proper distance
from each other; the wires or dents of the reeds or the threads of the healds
are then inserted between the turns of the wire which form the spiral springs,
then on the top of these dents or threads (as the case may be), inside-the

page_text: spiral springs I insert either another length of india-rubber or a length of wire,
to keep them in a proper position and from falling out. When I have inserted
the requisite number of dents or threads I then release the india-rubber from
its stretch, when it at once contracts and fills up the internal space of the
spiral spring, and thereby locks or fastens the dents or threads where they are 5
placed. It will be readily understood by those conversant with the trade that
these spiral springs will have to be made from wire of different thicknesses
according to the sett or fineness required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Carter Ramsden in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CARTER RAMSDEN, of Bradford, in the County of York, Reed and Heald
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Carter Ramsden, Her special licence that I, the said John Carter
Ramsden, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Carter Ramsden, my executors, administrators, and 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, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REEDS AND HEALDS USED IN WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Carter Ramsden, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Carter Ramsden, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-

page_text: My improvements consist in the application of india-rubber or similar
elastic material and spiral springs to the formation of the ribs in reeds or slays.
and to the selvage or rig band of healds or heddles used in weaving, and
thereby I obtain an elasticity which will be of great advantage and utility to
the users by enabling them to vary the sett or fineness of the reeds and healds
at pleasure. The method by which I accomplish this is as follows:-I obtain
india-rubber in lengths of the requisite thickness, and insert it at full stretch
inside the springs, which are placed on a table or frame at a proper distance
from each other; the wires or dents of the reeds or the threads of the healds are
then inserted between the turns of the wire which form the spiral springs, then
on the top of these dents or threads (as the case may be), inside the spiral
springs, I insert either another length of india-rubber or a length of wire to
keep them in a proper position and from falling out. When I have inserted
the requisite number of dents or threads I then release the india-rubber from
its stretch, when it at once contracts and fills up the internal space of the
spiral spring, and thereby locks or fastens the dents or threads when they are
placed. It will be readily understood by those conversant with the trade that
these spiral springs will have to be made from wire of different thicknesses
according to the sett or fineness required.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
In constructing a reed according to my Invention I employ a helix or coiled
wire spring, the gauge of the wire being suitable for keeping the dents of the
reed the proper distance apart. I then insert through this helix or spring. a
strip or strand of india-rubber using vulcanized india-rubber by preference.
The thickness of the india-rubber depends on the diameter of the coiled wire.
The strand or strip of india-rubber is then distended so that its transverse
diameter will be somewhat less than half the interior diameter of the coiled
wire helix; the two ends of the india-rubber are then held distended on a
table or bench. Two lengths of coiled wire are thus employed for a reed, one
for the top and the other for the bottom, and they are retained correctly in
position on the table for receiving the wire dents in between the coils of the
wire springs. I then insert the flat wires or dents until I have put in the
requisite number to make the width of reed required. I then introduce
another strip or strand of india-rubber through each wire spring and on the
other side of the dents, so that there is india-rubber on each side of the dents.;
this strip of india-rubber is to be stretched to a like extent to the other strip.
I then loose the india-rubber strands or strips and allow them to contract
within the coiled wire springs, by which they force the wire springs and dents

page_text: together and hold them firm, the dents being retained in the centre of each
coiled spring. I then take the reed and lay it under a press and squeeze the
wire springs, thereby flattening them, by which the dents become more firmly
fastened; they still, however, have a degree of elasticity in respect to each other,
and by taking hold of the ends of a reed it can be expanded and retained and
used at different lengths at different times. The coiled wire springs at the
top and bottom of the dents are introduced into metal tubes, which have slits
At the end
in them from end to end sufficiently wide to take in the dents.
of each wire spring a screw is fixed, which projects out of the ends of the tubes;
on these screws I place nuts, which serve to draw out the reed when required
to be used to weave a wider piece of cloth. When I make reeds which are
not required to be varied in length, I make them as before explained, except
that when loosing the india-rubber strands I only allow them to contract as
much as is sufficient to force the dents and wire springs together until the sett
or fineness required is obtained; I then insert inside each spring and on each
side of the dents lengths of wire (round wire I prefer) of the length of reed
desired, which being fastened at the ends retain the reed to the desired' width.
When I desire to make a very firm reed, two of the wires above mentioned
which are introduced into the coils are of lead or any other soft compressible
material, one in each wire spring. When lead or its equivalent is thus used it
is better to insert these wires inside the wire coils or springs previous to
putting in the dents, as the lead wire is too soft to allow of its being readily
forced through the coiled springs afterwards. The reed thus far formed is
placed under a press, and the coiled wire springs are flattened as much as
possible without injuring the dents, thereby causing the india-rubber to press
with great power on each side of the dents, and the lead wire will be partially
forced between the dents. The covering metal tubes are then applied as
before described and affixed, the screws and nuts being omitted. I would
here remark that I am aware that the coils of wire springs have before been
used in making reeds, I do not therefore claim their use separately.
I will now proceed to describe the manufacture of healds according to my
Invention, which is very similar to that above described in regard to reeds. I
take two coiled wire springs, one for the top and the other for the bottom, and
insert india-rubber strands or strips, I then stretch them and place them in a
frame at the proper distance apart; behind each of these springs I have a comb
(that is, an instrument with a row of points), I then draw the ends of each of
the cords through the coils of the wire springs and into the combs, where the
ends are held fast until the required quantity has been introduced between the
coils of the wire springs and are held in the two combs, I then draw another

page_text: strand or strip of india-rubber through each wire spring. I then take the
heald from off the combs and run a smaller elastic thread through the loops or
bends at the ends of the cords by which they had been previously held on to the
combs; this is to prevent the cords from being pulled out of the wire springs
when in use; I then release the strands of india-rubber and let them contract.
Healds thus formed can then be expanded to different setts or widths at
pleasure.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First, the mode herein described of manufacturing reeds.
And, secondly, I claim the mode herein described of manufacturing healds.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Carter Ramsden, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN. (L.8.)