IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Leeming, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, and John Carter Ramsden, of the same Place, Manu-
facturer for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 1st May 1860, and dated the 3rd November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Leeming and
John Carter Ramsden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 3rd November 1859.
We, JAMES LEEMING, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine
5 Maker, and JoHN CARTER RAMSDEN, of the same Place, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to mechanism or looms to be used in the
weaving of those fabrics in which "pick and pick " is introduced, that is, in
which two or more single picks of each color or material follow each other
successively, or at stated intervals, and in which rotary, horizontal, or vertical
shuttle boxes are used, and it consists, firstly, in the construction, arrangement,
and combination of mechanism for and mode of actuating the picking motion
of power looms, so that we are enabled to pick either once, twice, thrice, or
5 more times from one or both sides of the loom, according to the requirements
of the pattern to be woven. We effect this by attaching to each picking shaft

page_text: a short adjustable elbow lever. On one end of each lever is a bowl or friction
pulley; these bowls are placed either in contact with or at a suitable distance
from the inside faces of two circular plates, which are fixed one on each end
of the crank shaft, and on the inside of each of these plates is fixed an eccentric
nose or swell. The bowls on the elbow levers, when the picking levers are at
rest, are inside the circle described by the eccentrics, noses, or swells, and are
therefore not operated upon except when brought into action by mechanism,
which we shall shortly proceed to describe.. The distance of the bowls from
the face of the plates is determined or regulated by adjusting screws, which
can be fixed either into the elbow levers or into castings fixed to the loom
framing, and it is by these adjusting screws that we regulate the strength of
the pick, a very important feature in power loom weaving.
The mechanism we employ to raise the picking shafts and the elbow levers,
so that they will be operated by their respective noses or swells, is as follows:-
A shaft is placed inside the loom behind the tappet shaft, and is driven by
gearing from that shaft; and if it is required to pick six times from each side
alternately, this shaft will revolve once every twelve picks. On this shaft we
place two plates underneath each picking shaft; these plates are each divided
into twelve parts or divisions. On the periphery of one of these plates, on
each side, we place tappets on every other division; that division which has a
tappet on one side has none on the other, and vice versa, therefore it will be
understood that both sides can never be in operation at once. When it is
required to pick twice from one side and then twice from the other, we place
two tappets following each other on the other two plates, and then two spaces.
The tappets on one side are opposite the spaces on the other, as before
described, when the plates are so set the loom will weave pick and pick and
plain. Two levers, which work upon studs fixed into the framing of the loom,
project one under each picking shaft; in each of these levers there is a bowl;
the levers are connected together by a rod, and this rod can be moved by
means of a T-lever, and any suitable pattern surface, so that the bowls of the
levers, which project under the picking shafts, can be operated upon either by
tho tappets set for plain weaving or for pick and pick, and when operated
upon they raise their respective picking shafts, so that the bowls in the elbow
levers come into contact with the noses or swells fixed inside the plates on the
crank shaft, and thereby pick the shuttles. This picking motion can readily
be adapted to plain looms, that is, where there is no variation of pick; in this
case we place upon each end of the tappet shaft a tappet or wiper, so that in
the working of the loom first one picking shaft and then the other is caused
to be in operation, or the plates with the noses or swells may be fixed on the

page_text: tappet shaft, with the noses fixed at opposite angles or sides to each other, and
the elbow levers brought down to the bottom of the picking shafts, so as to be
operated upon by their respective noses.
Secondly, in the construction, arrangement, and combination of mechanism
for and the mode by which we are enabled to move out of the way of the weft
fork all the threads of weft except the one which is required to be in operation.
On each end of the lathe of the loom we place a common weft fork and weft-
fork lever, but in this case the weft fork levers are in operation, every pick
projecting upwards from the fulcrum of the lathe swords; at each end is a rod
on the top of each rod, and at right angles thereto is a piece which projects
forward to the grates of the weft forks. These rods are caused to move up
and down at proper times by two levers, which work under them, such levers
being operated by plates with tappets, in the same manner as described for the
picking motion, and fixed on the same shaft. The levers which work the
upright rods are moved from one set of tappets to the other by the same
T-lever and pattern surface that moves the picking levers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Leeming and John Carter Ramsden in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 3rd May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
LEEMING, of Bradford, in the County of York, Machine Maker, and JOHN
CARTER RAMSDEN, of the same Place, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said James Leeming and John Carter Ramsden, Her special licence
that we, the said James Leeming and John Carter Ramsden, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James Leeming
and John Carter Ramsden, our 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that we
the said James Leeming and John Carter Ramsden, by an instrument in

page_text: writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of
us, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 we, the said James Leeming and John Carter
Ramsden, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):
:-
These improvements relate to mechanism or looms to be used in the weaving
of those fabrics in which "pick and pick" is introduced, that is, in which two
or more single picks of each colour or material follow each other successively
or at stated intervals, and in which rotary, horizontal, or vertical shuttle boxes
are used, and it consists, firstly, in the construction, arrangement, and com-
bination of mechanism for and mode of actuating the picking motion of power
looms, so that we are enabled to pick either once, twice, thrice, or more times
from one or both sides of the loom, according to the requirements of the
pattern to be woven. We effect this by attaching to each picking shaft a short
adjustable elbow lever; on one end of each lever is a bowl or friction pulley;
these bowls or friction pullies are placed either in contact with or at a suitable
distance from the inside faces of two circular plates, which are fixed one on
each end of the crank shaft, and on the inside of each of these plates is fixed
an eccentric, nose, or swell. The bowls on the elbow levers, when the picking
levers are at rest, are inside the circle described by the eccentrics, noses, or
swells, and are therefore not operated upon except when brought into action
by mechanism, which we shall hereafter describe. The distance of the bowls
from the face of the plates is determined or regulated by adjusting screws,
which can be fixed either into the elbow levers or into castings fixed to the
loom framing, and it is by these adjusting screws that we regulate the strength
of the pick, which is a very important feature in power loom weaving.
The mechanism we employ to raise the picking shafts and the elbow levers,
so that they will be operated by their respective noses or swells, is as follows:
-A shaft is placed inside the loom behind the tappet shaft, and is driven
by gearing from that shaft; if it is required to pick six times from each side
alternately, this shaft will revolve once every twelve picks. On the said shaft
we place two plates underneath each picking shaft, which plates are each
divided into twelve parts or divisions. On the periphery of one of these plates
on each side we place tappets on every other division; that division which has
a tappet on one side has none on the other, and vice versa; therefore it will

page_text: be understood that both sides can never be in operation at the same time.
When it is required to pick twice from one side, and then twice from the
other, we place two tappets following each other on the other two plates, and
then two spaces. The tappets on one side are opposite the spaces on the other,
as before described. When the plates are so set the loom will weave pick
and pick and plain. Two levers which work upon studs fixed into the framing
of the loom project one under each picking shaft; in each of these levers there
is a bowl, the levers being connected together by a rod which can be moved
by means of a T-lever and any suitable pattern surface, so that the levers which
project under the picking shafts can be operated upon either by the tappets
set for plain weaving or for pick and pick, and when operated upon they raise
their respective picking shafts, so that the bowls in the elbow levers come into
contact with the noses or swells fixed inside the plates on the crank shaft,
and thereby pick the shuttles. This picking motion can be readily adapted to
plain looms, that is, where there is no variation of pick. In this case we place
upon each end of the tappet shaft a tappet or wiper, so that in the working of
the loom one picking shaft and then the other is caused to be in operation; or
the plates with the noses or swells may be fixed on the tappet shaft with the
noses fixed or set at opposite angles or sides to each other, and the elbow levers
brought down to the bottom of the picking shafts, so as to be operated upon
by their respective noses.
Secondly, in the construction, arrangement, and combination of mechanism
for and the mode by which we are enabled to move out of the way of the weft
fork all the threads of weft except the one which is required to be in opera-
tion. On each end of the lathe of the loom we place a common weft fork and
weft fork lever, but in this case the weft fork levers are in operation every
pick. Projecting upwards from the fulcrum of the lathe swords at each end
is a rod, and on the top of each rod, and at right angles thereto, is a piece
which projects forward to the grates of the weft forks. These rods are caused
to move up and down at proper times by two levers which work under them,
such levers being operated by plates with tappets, in the same manner as
described for the picking motion, and fixed on the same shaft. The levers
which work the upright rods are moved from one set of tappets to the other
by the same T-lever and pattern surface that move the picking levers.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawings, with the letters of reference thereon,
will more clearly explain this Invention. Fig. 1 is a cross section of an ordi-
nary loom, or so much thereof as is necessary to shew the application of our
improvements thereto, and Fig. 2 is a back elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is
a side view, and Fig. 4, a plan of one of the adjustable elbow levers, drawn

page_text: full size, shewing the bowl or friction pulley, and the adjusting screw and pin;
Fig. 5 is an edge view of one of the circular plates on which are fixed or cast
the eccentrics, noses, or swells, and Fig. 6 is a section of the same, taken
through the apex of the noses or swells; Fig. 7 is a side view of a portion of
one of the plates with the tappets, which operate the levers for raising the
picking shaft, and the rods which remove the weft threads out of the way of
the shuttles; and Fig. 8 is an edge view of the same; the said tappets may
be arranged in any desirable order on the plates.
A, B, in Figs. 1 and 2, shew the elbow levers fixed on the picking shafts ;
C, D, the circular plates (with noses or swells) fixed on each end of the crank
shaft; E, F, the plates with the tappets for raising the picking shafts fixed
on a shaft G, which is placed behind the ordinary tappet shaft and driven by
spur gear H, which (in this Drawing) are arranged to make one turn of this
back shaft to six of the ordinary tappet shaft; and consequently one in twelve
of the crank shaft. Instead of using two plates under each picking shaft, two
sets of tappets are arranged and fixed upon one plate, one set on each side
thereof, one set being for plain weaving and the other set for pick and pick ;
I, K, are the levers for raising the picking shafts which are connected together
by the rod L, in the middle of which is a stud passing betwixt the forked arm
of the T-lever M, which lever when actuated by strings N, O, which may be
connected to the jacquard or other pattern surface will traverse or move the
levers from one set of tappets to the other. The tappets and plates are so
arranged that when one picking shaft is raised the other is lowered, and vice
versa, so that when one of the elbow levers is in line or contact with the
picking nose or swell, the other lever is below or out of the circle described by
the swell on the picking plate where no action or effect thereon can take place.
The strength of the blow in picking can be nicely regulated to the circum-
stances of the case by the adjusting screws and slide pins in the elbow levers,
which can be set so as to be stopped at any distance from the picking plates
by stop pieces or plates attached to the loom framing against which the pins
strike. In some cases it may be desirable to have both picking levers in
operation at the same time, for which purpose we dispense with the lifting tap-
pets, and set both the elbow levers to be in contact with the noses or swells on
the picking plates. A similar arrangement of tappets, as before described, is
imade on the plates for operating the weft rods; P, Q, are the tappets ar-
ranged on plates affixed on the back shaft G, which actuate the levers R, S,
and raise or lower the rods T, U, when the projection or finger on the top of
each alternately lifts or depresses the shod of weft out of the shuttle race, as
required, the said levers being traversed from one set of tappets on the plates

page_text: to the other by the T-lever M and rod L. These rods may also be actuated in
like manner by a single tappet fixed on the ordinary tappet shaft, the levers
being traversed into or out of contact therewith, as previously described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Leeming and John Carter
Ramsden, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day of
May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JOHN CARTER RAMSDEN. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named James Leeming and John Carter
Ramsden in the presence of
W. TASKER, Patent Agent,
Halifax.