IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLES FOR WEAVING NARROW FABRICS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLES FOR WEAVING NARROW
FABRICS." A communication from abroad by Joseph Martin, of
Lowell, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 9th April 1872, and dated the 16th February 1872.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 16th February 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHUTTLES FOR WEAVING NARROW FABRICS," and have petitioned Her
Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,

page_text: Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn
Declaration, that it has been communicated to me from abroad by
Joseph Martin, of Lowell, Massachusetts, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming
a part of this Specification.
The said Invention consists,
First. In the use of an open backed shuttle; the open back being
formed by two projections which render it possible to use a spool of
twice the length of that in common use, and at the same time
enable the operator more easily to remove the said spool from the
shuttle.
Secondly. In the application to the said shuttle of two tension bars
in combination with two springs, one of which is at each end of the
shuttle; the said tension bars operating to prevent the yarn from being
drawn from the spool faster than is desired.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side view of the said improved shuttle; Figure 2 is a
section of the same through the line A, B, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a
section of the same through the line C, D, Figure 1.
E is the shuttle; G, G, are the projections at the rear of the shuttle,
between which projections is placed the spool F; I, I, are the two
tension bars; the tension on the yarn being caused by the two
springs K, K, placed one at each end of the said bars, and pressing upon
the upper bar. M is a slot in that part of the shuttle which lies between
the race planks, and forms a communication between the two spaces of
the shuttle. The spool F filled with yarn is placed on a spindle between 3
the two projections G, G, and one end of the yarn is drawn through the
slot M, tension bars I, I, and out of the eyelet H. L is the end of the
rack by which the shuttle is operated. The tension bars are situated in
a separate opening or space in the front part of the shuttle, as far as
practicable from the quills, the narrow slot M above described

page_text: permitting the yarn or thread to have free passage through the shuttle
with sufficient extent of traverse to allow the same to unwind from all
parts of the quills freely, and also to travel between the tension bars
so as to pass directly from the quills to the delivery eyelet at all times
and with uniform tension. The two separate openings are on opposite
sides of the shuttle ways or race planks, and the narrow space or slot
between the openings allows the shuttle to be less thick than it could
otherwise bc.
Experience has shewn that when the spool is placed in that part of
the shuttle where my tension bars are located it is impossible for a
spool to work advantageously because of the limited space allotted for
the same, and the consequent impossibility to provide a suitable tension
for the successful working of the shuttle. This shuttle is only used in
weaving narrow fabrics and consequently must be small.
Another advantage obtained by using my Invention is the employ-
ment of large spools, whereby I am enabled to run the lathes for a
much longer period than formerly without stopping to change spools
and without any danger of breaking the yarn by knots coming in
contact with the tension bars.
An operative by the use of the said Invention can tend two looms
with less labour than a single loom where the ordinary shuttle is used,
and can also change the warp without stopping the loom by reason of
the longer time the yarn on the spool would take in running off from
the said spool.
The apparatus formerly employed for creating the tension on the
yarn was often the cause of the yarn breaking when knots in the same
came in contact with such tension apparatus, and consequently the
continuous piecing of the yarn caused the fabric to present a rough
surface and to be less durable. The shuttle with my improvements is
more evenly balanced and therefore will wear longer.
The only changes required in the loom in order to adapt it to the use
of my shuttle are as follows:-I remove every other one of the
uprights which support the top part of the reed and top race plank
of the batten in order to allow the quill to be taken from the shuttle,
and I bring the rack L and the race planks as far forward as the pro-
jections extend from the back of the shuttle.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. A shuttle E for weaving narrow fabrics, having an open back
to receive the quills at the rear of the shuttle race, and a separate
opening or space in the front or opposite side thereof to receive the
tension device, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein
specified.
Second. The long tension bars I, I, in combination with the above,
constructed and operating as specified, when arranged between the quills
and the delivery eyelet in such a manner as to afford uniform tension
to the yarn delivered from all parts of the quills, substantially as
herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Witness,
EDWARD C. JACKSON.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)