IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING RIBBONS, ELASTIC WEBBING, AND OTHER NARROW FABRICS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Raworth, of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Elastic Web Weaver, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOOMS FOR WEAVING RIBBONS, ELASTIC WEBBING, AND OTHER NARROW
FABRICS."
Sealed the 18th April 1863, and dated the 3rd February 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Raworth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd February 1863.
I, THOMAS RAWORTH, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Elastic Web
Weaver, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING RIBBONS, ELASTIC WEBBING, AND OTHER NARROW
FABRICS," to be as follows:-
In looms for weaving narrow fabrics, as well understood, different sets of
shuttles are mounted in the same batten in order to weave a number of
widths of the fabric at the same time in the same loom, it is therefore an
object to confine the length of the shuttles and their motion to the most
limited extent consistent with the widest fabrics to be woven. For this
purpose the shuttles have heretofore been sometimes driven by racks mounted
on their backs, that is, with the breadth of the teeth in a vertical direction,
and driven by spur wheels or pinions mounted on vertical axes, receiving
motion from like pinions on the lower ends of the axes taking into the

page_text: driving rack below of the batten which imparts motion to all the shuttles.
In this arrangement of apparatus for driving, if two, three, or more shuttles
are used for each piece of fabric being woven, they are placed one above
the other, and additional pinions placed on the vertical axes to correspend
with and drive such additional shuttles. According to this arrangement
the shuttles can only be driven in the same direction at the same time,
unless two sets of pinion axes were used, and the one set driven from
above.
Now, according to my arrangement, I so arrange the driving apparatus, and
at the same time confine the limits of the shuttles' length and their motion to
the necessary extent, and so that I can drive either of the shuttles (of a series
required for weaving a width of fabric) while the other or others remain at rest,
that is to say, I can drive them alternately in the same direction or alternately
in opposite directions, or simultaneously in the same direction or simultaneously
in opposite directions. I effect this by employing (in the case of two
shuttles) an axis, as before mentioned, with spur pinion taking into the
shuttle rack, while for the second shuttle I mount the driving pinion on a tube
fitted and revolving freely on the spindle or axis carrying the pinion driving
the first shuttle; the spindle is furnished with a pinion at the lower part taking
into the driving rack in the batten; the tube axis or socket carrying the driving
pinion of the second shuttle is also furnished with a pinion at lower part,
If a third shuttle is to be
taking into a second driving rack in the batten.
added, I place a second socket tube or sleeve on the first, and furnish it with
the necessary pinions in like manner, and add a third driving rack in the batten
to actuate the same. In this way the first axis or spindle serves to support
the socket spindles, and the whole rotate around an axis common to all. The
driving pinions may be all one size, and the shuttle racks in the same vertical
plane, while at the same time the whole of the driving racks or apparatus are
contained in the lower part of the batten below the warp. I mount my shuttle
guides or races on metal standards erected from the bed of the batten, which
bed terminates below the level of the shuttles; a light stay carried across the
top of the standards serves to support the top of the sley or reed, the lower
part being secured to the bed as usual. By this arrangement of the parts I
am enabled to produce the several motions of the shuttles before described
without the necessity of driving any of the shuttles from above, and hence the
absence of any box at the top of the batten or other cumbersome part to
obscure the view of the work in progress.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Raworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RAWORTH, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Elastic Web Weaver, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Raworth, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Raworth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Thomas Raworth, 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 LOOMS FOR WEAVING RIBBONS, ELASTIC WEBBING, AND
OTHER NARROW FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas Raworth, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Thomas Raworth, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
:-
In looms for weaving narrow fabrics, as well understood, different sets of
shuttles are mounted on the same batten in order to weave a number of
widths of the fabric at the same time in the same loom, it is therefore an
object to confine the length of the shuttles and their motion to the most
limited extent consistent with the width of fabrics to be woven. For this
purpose the shuttles have heretofore been sometimes driven by racks mounted
on their backs, that is, with the breadth of the teeth in a vertical direction,
and driven by spur wheels or pinions mounted on vertical axes, receiving

page_text: motion from like pinions on the lower ends of the axes taking into the driving
racks of the batten which impart motion to both tiers of shuttles. In this
arrangement of apparatus for driving, if two, three, or more shuttles are used
for each piece of fabric being woven, they are placed one above the other, and
additional pinions placed on the vertical axes to correspond with and drive
such additional pinions; but according to the arrangements the shuttles can
only be driven in one and the same direction at the same time, unless two
sets of pinion axes are used, and the one set driven from above, and the other
from below.
If a
Now, according to my Invention, I restrict the length of the shuttles and
their motion to the necessary limits, and at same time so arrange the driving
apparatus that I can drive either of the shuttles (of a series required for
weaving a width of fabric) while the other or others remain at rest. I can
also drive them simultaneously in one direction, or simultaneously in opposite
directions; or I can drive them alternately in the same direction, or alternately
in opposite directions, the several shuttles for weaving a piece of fabric being
perfectly independent of each other. I effect this by employing (in the case
of two shuttles, an axis, as before mentioned, with spur pinions taking into
the shuttle rack, while for the second shuttle I mount the driving pinion on
a tube fitted and revolving freely on the spindle or axis carrying the pinion
driving the first shuttle; the spindle is also furnished with a pinion at the
lower part taking into the driving rack in the batten; the tube axis or
socket carrying the driving pinion of the second shuttle is also furnished with
a pinion at lower part taking into a second driving rack in the batten.
third shuttle is to be added, I place a second socket tube or sleeve on the first,
and furnish it with the necessary pinions in like manner, and add a third
driving rack in the batten to actuate the same. In this way the first axis or
spindle serves to support the socket spindles, and the whole rotate around an
axis common to all. The driving pinions may be all of one size, and the
shuttle racks in the same plane, while at same time the whole of the
driving racks or apparatus are contained in the lower part of the batten below
the warp. I'mount my shuttle guides or races on metal standards erected
from the bed of the batten, which bed terminates below the level of the
shuttles; a light stay carried across the top of the standards serves to support
the top of the slay or reed, the lower part being secured to the bed as usual.
By this arrangement of the parts I am enabled to produce the several motions
of the shuttles before described without the necessity of driving any of the
shuttles from above, and hence the absence of any box at the top of the
batten or other cumbersome part to obscure the view of the work in progress.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents a front view of as much of a batten of a loom for weaving
narrow fabrics as is necessary to explain my Invention, it being well under-
stood that the parts are to be repeated in the breadth of the batten according
to the number of fabrics to be woven at a time, as usual; Fig. 2 is a back
view of the batten exhibited at Fig. 1; Fig. 3, is a plan of the same; and
Fig. 4, a transverse section through the axis of one set of the driving wheels
or pinions.
a, a, is the main beam or part of the batten which swings, and is
supported by swords b; c, c¹, are the driving racks, fitted to slide longi-
tudinally in the batten; they are separated by metal studs d, d, on which
the upper one lies, the under one lying in the recess made in the wood of
the part a; the racks are enclosed in front by a plate or board and covering
piece é, e. This piece e, e, is removed in Fig. 1. f,f¹, are the shuttles, fitted
and sliding in their guides 9, 9, as well understood; these guides 9, 9, are fixed
to upright standards or brackets h, h, firmly secured on the batten a; the feet
of the brackets have horizontal and vertical surfaces screwed against the back
and top of a. These brackets are furnished with an extended plate i, on
which the spur wheel m taking into the upper shuttle rests. In the Drawing
I have represented and shall describe my apparatus as applied for driving two
shuttles in the height only, but it may be arranged for actuating three or more
shuttles on the same principle. The wheel m taking into a rack on the back
of the upper shuttle, which it drives, is fixed on a solid spindle k, which
rotates in bearings, the one formed in the plate i, and the other in the foot or
lower plate of the bracket, such spindle and pinion resting on the plate i; a
spur wheel n is fixed on the lower end of spindle k, which takes into driving
racks c. The rack by traversing backwards and forwards in the batten
communicates motion to wheel n, thence through spindle k to wheel m geared
with the shuttle f, which consequently is thrown from the guides on one side
of the fabric to those on the other side, and so backwards and forwards
through the shed of the warp, as well understood. The second shuttle fis
driven from rack c by that rack taking into a spur wheel p fixed to, or it may
be cast of a piece, with the spur wheel q taking into a rack on the back of
the shuttle f; these wheels are mounted so as to rotate freely on the spindle k,
and rest on the foot plate of the brackets h. Thus it will be seen that the
shuttles and their respective driving gear are entirely distinct and move
independently of each other, so that they may both move simultaneously in
same or in opposite directions, or at different times in the same or in opposite

page_text: directions, as may be required for the exigencies of the work to be performed.
If three tiers of shuttles are to be worked, instead of the pinions m and n
being on a solid spindle, as represented, they would be united on a tubular
axis or sleeve, and a third concentric axis fitted within it to drive the third
shuttle, in manner precisely similar to that described with reference to
spindle k driving shuttle c; a third spindle or axis would necessitate an
extension of the brackets h, and another plate to carry the upper pinion and
central solid spindle. A third driving rack must, of course, be added, which
would take into the lower pinion of such central solid spindle. By this means
I am enabled to keep all the driving racks and gear in the lower part of the
batten, leaving the upper part free, and offering facilities for the operator
inspecting the work as it progresses, not hitherto attainable in any other
loom for weaving narrow fabrics. It will be observed that the racks of the
shuttles are at the middle of their depth, and that therefore they may be
carried to the extreme length of the shuttle, at same time just sufficient to
effect the proper traverse thereof. By this disposition of the racks on the
shuttles the shuttles may be of less length than when disposed above or below
the shuttles, as usual heretofore. The reed S is fixed at the lower part to
the batten, as usual, while the upper part is fixed and held in a light stay
stretched between each pair of brackets or uprights. Thus it will be seen
the upper part of the batten is unencumbered, and freedom of examination
and attention of the weaver to the work in progress is easy.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same,
I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, driving two or more shuttles or
sets of shuttles by driving racks communicating motion by wheels or pinions
mounted on concentric spindles or axes, in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Raworth, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
THOMAS RAWORTH. (L.S.)