CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OB APPARATUS FOR KNITTING OR MANUFACTURING HEALDS OR HARNESS USED IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Bowlas, of Reddish, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OB APPARATUS FOR KNITTING OR MANUFACTURING HEALDS OR HARNESS USED
IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 29th December 1854, and dated the 4th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Bowlas at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th July
1854.
I, DAVID BOWLAS, of Reddish, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR KNITTING OR MANUFACTURING HEALDS OR HARNESS
USED IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING " to be as follows:-
Hitherto the manufacture of healds or harness for weaving has been accom-
plished by hand labor, or by the aid of very expensive and elaborate machinery
or apparatus. My improvements are managed or worked by a single operative,
are simple in construction, requiring but ordinary tact or skill on the part of
the operator in working, especially light and economical in construction, and
are capable of completing double the quantity of work obtained from machines
at present in use employed for the same purpose, as well as ensuring a better
quality of work; as, for instance, with my improved machinery or apparatus any
fine quality of yarn may be employed, which the action of the shuttle at present

page_text: in use for the manufacture of healds would break or destroy. My improvements
consist in the employment of an iron framing composed of two parts, the one
forming a frame for the manufacture of the heald, the other more particularly
devoted to the working parts of the machinery or apparatus. I would here
remark, that I prefer for the base of the braid used in the manufacture of
weavers' healds or harness, pitched yarn, would on two small drums at one end
of the framing, and acted upon by weights, to give it a due amount of tension;
this pitched yarn I employ as the base or primary formation of both the top
and bottom braids of the heald or harness. For the better understanding of
my improvements, I purpose dividing my improvements under several heads,
and so illustrating the use manufacture of the "heald."
First, I employ two screws, placed longitudinally and nearly the length of
the framing, the worm or thread of each being in the same direction; these
screws carry a vertical slide piece, to which is attached the respective hoops or
holdfasts for the pitched yarns; as the screw revolves, by means of appropriate
gearing in connection with the driving pulley, the slide piece is drawn back
from the bobbins, and the heald (partially manufactured) give place for the
completion of such..
Secondly, in the employment of "reed wheels," by the shifting of which I
am enabled in the same machine to manufacture healds of different counts to
the inch.
And, thirdly, to the peculiar motion by which I carry on simultaneously the
manufacture of the top and bottom braids, as well as the encircling and com-
pleting each separate heald thread; this I effect by the employment of a manglo
wheel and two notched discs in combination with a lever, forked and tapered
at one end. The forked and tapered end throws the acting wheel, giving motion
to the whole of this part of the apparatus, in and out of geer; at the other end
of the lever is a stud running over a cam. It will now be understood that the
broadest part of the taper end being once in action, the acting wheel is put
out of geer, and the discs in connection with the braid bobbins locked, suffi-
cient time being now given to allow the tenter to construct the upper thread
of the headle; but as the acting wheel is furnished with a spring on the opposite
side to the lever, so quickly as the revolution of a cam presents its largest
circumference to the stud of the lever, the lever is withdrawn, the discs
released, the acting wheel resumes its gearing, and the entire operation is s
alternately performed until the completion of the heald.
Fourthly, my improvements consist in giving motion to the two needles from
one excentric, placed vertically, so that it may act at the same time on two
studs, connected respectively with the top and bottom needles. The lower half

page_text: of the heald is formed entirely by the machinery; the upper half has the heald
threads passed over and through the upper braid by the attendant operative.
Fifthly, in the guides and pressers of the needles, as well as the support of
the upper needle, which hitherto has become depressed by weight of yarn, &c.,
and hence irregularity of manufacture.
And, sixthly, in the employment of a rod of greater length than the heddle,
over and under which each alternate yarn is passed in the manufacture of the
entire heald, in lieu of the usual employment of studs, whereby much time in
the manufacture is lost, and considerable inconvenience is experienced. It will
now bo seen that the mode of operating with my improvements consists in so
mounting the needles to be employed, that they may be thrust forth and drawn
back, and at each such action complete perfect heald thread. In the com-
pleted portion of the heald being constantly kept in motion by the employment
of a longitudinal rod in the middle of the heald for knitting the upper and
lower threads round, the operation becomes uninterrupted and continues.
The tarred yarns, forming the base of the top and bottom braids, pass from
their drums or rollers through a centro orifice in the braid bobbins to their
respective hooks on the slide piece. By means of a catch box on the shaft of
the driving pulley the motion of the machine may be readily stopped.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Bowlas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
BOWLAS, of Reddish, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said David Bowlas, Her especial license that I, the said David Bowlas, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David
Bowlas, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR KNITTING OR MANUFACTURING HEALDS OR HARNESS
USED IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said David Bowlas, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, 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 David Bowlas, 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
and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
These improvements may be managed or worked by a single operative, and
require but ordinary tact or skill on the part of the operator; they are especially
simple, light, and economical in construction, and are capable of completing
double the quantity of work at present obtained from machines employed for
the same purpose, as well as ensuring a better quality of work; as, for instance,
with my improved machinery or apparatus any fine quality of yarn may be
employed. My improvements consist in the employment of an iron framing
composed of two parts, the one forming a frame for the manufacture of the
heald, the other more particularly devoted to the working parts of the machi-
nery or apparatus. I would--here-remark, that I employ for the base of the
braid used in the manufacture of, weavers' healds or harness, pitched yarn,
acted upon by weights, to give it a due amount of tension; this pitched yarn. I
employ as the base or. primary formation of both the top and bottom braids of the
healds or harness. In order that my improvements may be better understood
and more simply explained, I purpose dividing them under several heads, and
thus illustrating the progress of the manufacture of the "heald."..
First, I employ two screws, placed longitudinally and nearly the length of
the framing, the worm or thread of each being in the same direction; these
screws carry a vertical slide piece, to which is attached the respective hooks or
holdfasts for the pitched yarns; as the screws revolve by means of appropriate
gearing in connection with the driving pully, the slide piece is drawn back
from the bobbins, and the heald (partially manufactured) gives place for its
completion.
Secondly, in the employment of "reed wheels," by the shifting of which I
am enabled in the same machine to manufacture healds of different "counts"
to the inch.
And, thirdly, to the peculiar motion by which I carry on simultaneously the
manufacture of the top and bottom braid, as well as the encircling and com-

page_text: pleting each separate heald thread; this I effect by the employment of a
mangle wheel and two pinions, motion being imparted through the lower
pinion by a small excentric having a fellow excentric; these excentrics cause
a dwell on the braid bobbins, when desired, each braid bobbin revolving once
round its respective pitched yarn for every count made; a second mangle wheel
(encircling the longitudinal bar and lower pitched yarn) with bobbin of heald
yarn mounted upon it revolves, and by aid of a guide forms the lower half of.
the count at each revolution, simultaneously with such revolution the attendant
operative forms the upper half.
Fourthly, my improvements consist in giving motion to the two needles from
one excentric, placed vertically, so that it may act at the same time in two
studs connected respectively with the top and bottom needles.
Fifthly, in the guides, spring roller, or presser for the needles, and supports
for the newly manufactured heald.
And, sixthly, in the employment of a rod of greater length than the heald,
and over and under which each alternate yarn is passed in the manufacture of
the entire heald, in lieu of the usual employment of studs, whereby much time
in the manufacture is lost and considerable inconvenience experienced.
It will now be seen that the mode of operating with my improvements
consists in so mounting the needles to be employed that they may be thrust
forth and drawn back, and at each such action complete a perfect heald thread.
In the completed portion of the heald being. constantly kept in motion by the
employment of a longitudinal rod in the middle of the heald for knitting the
upper and lower threads round, the operation becomes uninterrupted and con-
tinuous. The tarred yarns, forming the base of the top and bottom braids,
pass through a centre orifice in the axes of the braid bobbins, and thence to
their respective hooks or the slide piece. By means of a friction pulley the
motion of the machine may be readily stopped.
But in order that my Invention may be the better understood and explained
in detail, I have hereunto attached two Sheets of Drawings; Sheet 1 being
made upon a scale of about two inches to the foot, and the Figures upon
Sheet 2 being about half size. On both Sheets the same letters of reference
refer to similar parts of the machinery or apparatus.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal elevation of the improved
machine herein described; and Fig. 2 exhibits an end, elevation of the same.
a and a represent the upper and lower pitched yarns for knitting the healds
upon, and b, b, b, the pullies, over which they are drawn; they are thence passed
through the hollow axis b* of the braid cannon or tube 6*, and secured to the
hooks c, c*, on the vertical slide picce c. This slide piece is drawn along the

page_text: screws b', b², until the desired length of heald is completed. d is a longitudinal
rod for knitting and forming the eyes or rings of the healds upon, and is
attached by a set screw to and follows the slide c. f is a bent rod, encircling
the longitudinal bar b, for the purpose of closing or pushing up each count as
it is formed; it is connected to an upright shaft g by the lever h, and receives
its motion from the cam k on the driving shaft 1. m and m* are two wheels
placed excentrically on studs attached to the framing n, and receive their
motion from the wheel o on the driving shaft p, and through the carrier wheel
9 on the driving shaft b. The effect of these two excentric wheels is to impart
an alternate quick and slow motion to the braiding bobbins and *, as
required, and by such means cause the stitch on the pitch band to be made
better and firmer than at present made. sands are spring rollers, the uses
of which are to press the bent or hooked points of the needles t and t*, and
keep them firmly down during the process of making the stitch on the braiding
bands. and u are guides for the needles to slide through, so that they may
retain a proper position during the time of drawing the stitch.
supports attached to the framing u, for keeping the healds and counts up in
one position, that they may have a uniform regularity and depth of tension.
w is an excentric that revolves between the two small bowls and a*, and
causes the traverse and retraverse of the bars y and y* in the frame z. tand t
are the needles secured in the sockets a, a, by means of set screws, and
attached to the ends of the sliding bars y and y*.
v and v* are
and are two longitu-
dinal screws (extending beyond the length of the completed heald) that work
in female screws c¹ and c on the slide e, which draws the healds on as the
counts are manufactured. d'and d are small runners, secured at the top and
bottom of the vertical slide e, which traverse the guide rods e and e, and thus
secure perfect parallel motion of the screws b' and b, and consequent steadiness
of working. f is a worm keyed on the driving shaft p, which, gearing into
the worm or "reed" wheel g, causes the revolution of the upright shaft h',
which carries the evil gearing and . This bevil geering imparts motion to
the screws and ; by changing the reed wheel (or worm wheel) g' and worm
f, any desired number of counts may be obtained. is a handle for working
the slide e back again when it is desired to commence a fresh heald or har-
ness. is a brass bent finger (Fig. 4, Sheet 2,) for conducting the ring band,
and keeping it in the centre of the eye of the healds. is a projecting arm,
caused to press upon the bobbins as they revolve by the action of the spring m',
so that they may have a regular and equal drag; this arrangement may be
applied to all the bobbins employed on the machine or apparatus. The process
of the formation of the heald and the action of the machine or apparatus will

page_text: be understood from the following description of the various gradations towards
completion-Motion is given from the driving shaft p, which, acting on the
worm f" and "reed" wheel g', imparts through the bevel gearing motion to the
longitudinal screws b¹ and b, and consequently draws on the slide piece e from
the top and bottom braiding or pitched yarn bobbins at such speed or rate as
may be regulated by the worm fi and worm (or "reed") wheel g'. It will
now be evident, that with the traverse of the slide piece e, the pitched yarn a
and a¹ will be drawn out at a proportionate speed ready to receive each count
as manufactured. The next motion is the formation of the lower half of the
count. This is performed by motion being given from the pinion o, on the
driving shaft p, through the carrier wheel g, to the mangle wheel a³. On this
mangle wheel it will be observed that the lower count or heald bobbin ³ is
mounted, as well as the guide e, for conducting the heald thread over the bar
d, and under the lower pitched yarn a; this mangle wheel encircles both the
bar d and the lower pitched yarn a, revolving freely round them. It will now
be seen that a revolution of the mangle wheel will deliver from the bobbin b
and through the guide ca perfect half lower count. By causing the yarn to
encircle the lower pitched yarn a, and ring band or longitudinal bar d, the
needle t is now thrust forward, and takes up the completed lower half count,.
and at the same time draws on the lower braiding or pitched yarn a from the
bobbin r, thereby securing both. Simultaneously with this motion the top half
the count is formed by the attendant operative, who passes a small bobbin
provided with the heal yarn through the bottom half of the count or heald
under the rod, and makes the ring on the longitudinal bar d, then upwards
and over the needle t*, which, in receding, catches or takes up the top half
count as well as the upper braiding or pitched yarn from the bobbin 1, and
thus secures the upper half count on its respective pitched yarn ax; the ring
band is brought from the bobbin d over the loose guide finger v, which, at
every revolution of the mangle wheel and guide c', is slightly lifted, giving a
twist to the ring band. The ring band passes through the eyes, and keeps them
straight when the rod is withdrawn at the formation of each count. The count
is closed up by the projecting bent rod f, which receives its motion from the
shaft 7, at one end of which is a cam k; this cam in its revolution forces cut
the finger on the vertical shaft g, on the upper part of which is secured a
lever h, acting directly on the bent rod f. is a spring, for the purpose of
keeping the finger always pressed against the periphery of the cam k. The
needles and t are operated upon by means of the excentric w, driven by
appropriate gearing; this excentric in its revolution, by acting on the bowls
a and *, causes the backward and forward motion of the needles simul-

page_text: taneously, the needles t and t* being connected to the framing of the excentric
and bowls and * by the sockets a¹ and a², the slide rods y and y*, and
fingers and g³. It being necessary when the needle has taken on the heald
thread on the pitched yarn that the hooked points of both needles should
each timo be secured, the needles are so formed (as shown in the Drawing),
that when they are drawn in, the. spring rollers s and s press upon them, and
effectually close cach point, as required; the spring rollers are kept in their
position by an elastic band passing round the needle guides u and u*, and are
thus kept always ready for action. v, v*, represents supports, for the purpose
of maintaining the healds as completed in a regular and uniform position with
a proper degree of tension. h³ is a treaddle or lever, by which the machine
or apparatus. may be readily stopped at will; and represents the friction
pulley, through which motion is communicated from the driving pulley. Both
the pitched yarns or braid and the braid yarns pass through the respective
hollow axes or. cannons 6* of the pitched yarn bobbins, the braid yarn (in
consequence of the revolution of. the bobbin) fully encircling the pitched yarn
or basis between every stitch taken up by the needles.
Having now particularly described the nature. of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is put into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I claim,-
First, the novel application; employment, and use of pitched or tarred
yarns as a basis or ground, in connection with the present machine, on
which to construct healds or harness used in looms for weaving.
Secondly, in the employment, application, and use of longitudinal screws
with slide piece, guide rods, and rollers, for the purposes as herein described.
Thirdly, in the application, employment, and use of "reed" or worm wheels
and worms, by the change of which any number of counts to the inch may
be manufactured in the heald.
Fourthly, the novel application, employment, and used of a "mangle wheel,"
causing simultaneously the necessary revolution of the braid bobbins, as well as
the excentric and spring for the "closing-up" motion on the longitudinal rod.
Fifthly, in the employment, application, and use of one vertically-placed
excentric, by which I am enabled to give simultaneous motion to the two
needles.
Sixthly, in the employment, application, and use of the guides, spring rollers,
or pressers and supports for the needles.
Seventhly, the ring, bar, or longitudinal middle rod, exceeding the length
of the heald to be constructed, all of which are herein particularly set forth
and described, and fully illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: And, eighthly, the novel application, employment, and use of the particular
construction, arrangement, or combination of the several parts of the machine
or apparatus, as herein particularly described and set forth, and fully illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing, in the manner and for the purposes herein
stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Bowlas, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
DAVID BOWLAS. (L.S.)