IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF 'WEPT FORKS' USED IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING COTTON, WORSTED, OR SILK, OR ANY SUITABLE MATERIAL
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Broadbent, of Millstone Road, Rochdale, in
the County of Lancaster, Spring and Spindle Maker, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF 'WEPT FORKS' USED IN
POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING COTTON, WORSTED, OR SILK, OR ANY SUITABLE
MATERIAL."
Sealed the 28th May 1867, and dated the 4th December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Broadbent at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
December 1866.
I, JOHN BROADBENT, of Millstone Road, Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Spring and Spindle Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEFT FORKS'
USED IN POWER LOOMS POR WEAVING COTTON, WORSTED, OR SILK, OR ANY SUITABLE
MATERIAL," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an instrument well known as the "weft fork,"
which is applied to a power loom for the purpose of throwing the strap on to
the loose pulley (and thus stopping the action of the loom) whenever the weft
thread breaks or is otherwise absent from the shed.
The object of this Invention is to make such "weft forks" lighter and more
economically than hitherto, and at the same time to dispense with a great
amount of friction, and thus give more freedom of action.

page_text: The Invention consists principally in making the joint or centre upon which
the fork is suspended by turning up two lugs or ears one at each side of the
fork instead of making it of a bush or boss as long as the width of the fork
(as is usually done) and forming a hollow or recess across the fork, so that
the pin upon which it is hung only bears or touches in the lugs at each side.
"Weft forks" may thus be made by stamping out plate or sheet metal to the
required form, and bending up the lugs at each side and the catch at one end
and the prongs at the other end, they will then require only a small amount
of finishing, and will be much more economical and lighter, and work more
freely than weft forks as hitherto made. The forks may be stamped out and
bent up by means of dies either by hand or by the aid of any ordinary
stamping machinery, and may be made of iron, brass, steel, or other suitable
material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Broadbent in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
31st May 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BROADBENT, of Millstone Road, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Spring
and Spindle Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Broadbent, Her special licence that I, the said John Broadbent,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Broadbent, 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 THE
MANUFACTURE OF WEFT FORKS' USED IN POWER LOOMS FOR WEAVING COTTON,
WORSTED, OR SILK, OR ANY SUITABLE MATERIAL," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Broadbent, 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

page_text: 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 Broadbent, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say:-
This Invention relates to an instrument well known as the "weft fork,"
which is applied to a power loom for the purpose of throwing the strap on to
the loose pulley (and thus stopping the action of the loom) whenever the
weft thread breaks or is otherwise absent from the shed.
The object of this Invention is to make such "weft forks" lighter and
stronger and more economically than hitherto, and at the same time to dispenso
with a great amount of friction and thus give more freedom of action.
One method of carrying out this Invention consists in making the joint
or centre upon which the fork is suspended by turning up or soldering on two
lugs or ears one at each side of the fork instead of making it of a bush or
boss as long as the width of the fork (as is usually done) and forming a
hollow or recess across the fork, so that the pin upon which it is hung only
bears or touches in the lugs at each side. "Weft forks" may thus be made
by stamping out plate or sheet metal to the required form and bending up
the lugs at each side and the catch at one end and the prongs at the other,
and will then require only a small amount of finishing, and will be much
more economical and stronger, and work more freely than weft forks as
hitherto made.
Another method is to solder a brass or other metal bush in the hollow or
recess which has been formed in stamping. The forks may be stamped out and
bent up by means of dies either by hand or by the aid of any ordinary stamping
machinery, and may be made of iron, brass, steel, or other suitable material.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in the Manufacture of 'Weft Forks' used in Power Looms for Weaving Cotton,
Worsted, or Silk, or any suitable Material," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be distinctly
understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof,
and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
In the annexed Drawing, Figure represents a plan view, Figure 2 an
underneath view, and Figure 3 a side elevation of a weft fork of the

page_text: usual construction; and Figures 4, 5, and 6 are similar views of a weft fork
constructed according to my Invention.
On referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3 it will be observed that the centre or
joint on which the fork is suspended is formed of a bush or boss a, a, as long
as the width of the fork, and hence the centre pin upon which it is balanced
touches throughout the whole length of the boss and the friction surface is
considerable.
In my improved fork as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6 I form the centre
or joint by turning up or soldering on two lugs b, b, (one at each side) and
I form a hollow or recess at c, c, across the under side of the fork, so that the
pin upon which it is hung only bears or touches in the lugs b, b, at each side,
as clearly seen in Figure 6 (or in some cases, as before described, I solder a
brass or other metal bush in the recess). These forks may be very economically
and readily made by stamping them out in one piece of the form seen in
Figure 7, and will afterwards require but a very small amount of hand labor
to bend and finish them to the required pattern.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in the Manufacture of Weft Forks' used in Power Looms
for Weaving Cotton, Worsted, or Silk, or any suitable Material," together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention
the manufacture of "weft forks" stamped out of sheet steel or other metal
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Broadbent, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JOHN BROADBENT. (L.S.)