CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CLARKE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and forty, in the third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Clarke, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said George Clarke,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others as I, tho' said
George Clarke, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should agree
with, and no other, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise;
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS
FOR WEAVING;" in which Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said George Clarke, shall cause a particular description of the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the said
George Clarke, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof (that is to say):
The object of my improvements is, to obtain, by more efficient mechanism
than has hitherto been employed, means of providing greater extent or a
variety of patterns or devices in the goods or fabrics woven in looms, and my
improvements apply to the arrangement and construction of endless chains
or belts of tappets employed as the mechanical agents for shifting the harness
or healds, and consequently shedding the warp threads of the loom, and also
the mode or method of applying or adapting the said endless belts or chains of
tappets thereto, and consist,-
Firstly, in a peculiar and novel construction and arrangement of mechanism,
forming an endless and flexible rack of teeth or tappets to be employed in
looms in place of the, ordinary revolving tappet plates or wheels.
And secondly, in the application and use or mode or method of applying
such apparatus in combination with certain other arrangements of mechanism.
The principal object of my improvements in the construction of looms is,
to afford a great extent and variety of operations in such working parts of
the loom as are required to shift the healds or shafts for shedding the warps,
in order to work or produce the pattern or figure, without the assistance of
the Jacquard machine, or any similar figuring apparatus. These improve-
ments are also readily applicable to any fancy or figure loom, and are so
constructed that a great variety of shifts, changes, or numbers to the round
may be readily accomplished before it becomes necessary to repeat the order
of shedding or recommencing the same pattern or figure by renewing "the
round" (as it is termed by the weaver); and also any required alteration in
the figure to be produced may be made with facility and speed; that is, the
66
reading on" of the tappets or teeth may be varied to a much greater
extent than can be commonly done by the ordinary tappet wheels, and which
change is effected with great economy, as the expence of new tappet plates
or wheels is dispensed with. And I would here remark, that I am aware
that endless chains or ladders of a particular and peculiar construction have
been heretofore employed for the above purpose of changing or shedding the
warps; but such endless chains or ladders have been constructed so as to carry
rollers revolving on certain bars as their axles, and adjustable longitudinally
in their situation thereon, which rollers act upon certain vertical levers, and
thereby effect the shedding of the warps.

page_text: My improved figuring apparatus or flexible tappet rack is formed by
simply providing a given number of bars or ribs of a certain length, according
to the number of shafts or healds employed in the loom, or the width they
occupy; which bars are placed at certain distances apart, and upon them are
mounted in any convenient manner moveable and adjustable teeth, tappets;
or studs, capable of being readily shifted as the different patterns or devices
to be woven may require, and the whole are formed into an endless flexible
rack or band of tappets by side bands, belts, or chains, hereafter more
particularly detailed. The operation of these tappet racks is somewhat different
according to circumstances, or as the arrangement of the loom may require,
and dependant also upon the particular construction of the loom, and the
situation or arrangement of the treadles and jacks for dividing or shedding
the warp threads to work the figure. But in order that these improvements
may be more minutely detailed and perfectly understood, I have attached
to these Presents a Sheet of Drawings, representing two distinct varieties or
modifications and modes of applying the same, and containing such views of
a power loom as will fully illustrate their application to looms in general,
and also such detached representations of their separate parts, as will be
sufficient for any practical person to carry the same into operation, being
drawn to a scale of about one inch and a half to the foot.
I would here remark, previously to entering into further description, that
although I have represented my improvements in the construction of looms
for weaving in the accompanying Drawing as applied to a power loom for
weaving figured fustians, it will be perfectly evident to the practical weaver
that such has only been done for the sake of illustration, as they are equally
applicable to looms for weaving any description of goods or fabrics, .wherein
the pattern or device is to be wrought or produced there, without the auxiliar
Jacquard machine, or similar figuring apparatus. And further, that for the
sake of distinction I have represented such parts and combinations of me-
chanism, which are novel and constitute my improvements as shaded with
color, and the rest or common parts of the loom in outline, only having marked'
the same with figures and letters of reference, placing similar letters upon.
corresponding parts of the mechanism in all the Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view of a power loom, representing the application of one-
description or arrangement of my improved endless belt or chain of tappets to a
loom for weaving figured fustians; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same:
The ordinary framing. or loom sides are shewn at A, A, supporting the warp

page_text: roller B, from whence the warp threads C proceed through the headdles or
healds C, also through the reed E of the vibrating lathe F over the breast
beam G to the cloth or work roller H, as usual. The ordinary crank shaft of
the loom is shewn at I, from which motion is communicated to my improved
mechanism, which is attached to the side of the loom and supported in a
separate framing a, a, as follows:-Upon the end of the crank shaft I is fixed
the crank plate revolving in the ordinary direction, and actuating the link c
attached at its upper end by a pin to the crank plate and at its lower end to
the lever d. This lever d vibrates upon its fulcrum at e, and carries at one
extremity the draw catch f. This apparatus is seen detached from the loom
in Figures 3 and 4, and is designed for the purpose of actuating the catch
wheel
g one tooth at every revolution of the crank shaft. The catch wheel g
is mounted upon the shaft / (see detached Figure 5), and upon this shaft tho
notched guide wheels i, i, i, are also fixed around, and taking into which the
flexible rack or belt of tappets k, k, k, passes. This tappet rack is conducted
over similar notched or guide wheels 7, 1, supported at the top by the frame
a, a, and around a tension pulley m, placed about midway in the frame for the
purpose of assisting the drag or weight of the tappet rack. It will now be
seen that as the travelling tappet rack proceeds in the direction of the arrows
that the teeth, studs, or tappets *, *, *, of which it is partly composed (and
which, it will be evident to the practical weaver, are so placed, arranged, or
read on," according to the pattern or device to be woven) will strike against
the heads of the headdle levers n, n, n, n, with one of which each shaft, heald, or
headdle D is in connection. These levers n, n, n, n, are all suspended and
vibrate upon the shaft or fulcrum o, and are each connected by means of links or
wires p, p, to the hooked lifters q, q. q, q, and are for the purpose of throwing
the lifters q, q, into the position where they may be acted upon by the rising
cross bar 7. The requisite action of the rising and falling bars r, *; is effected-
simultaneously with the progressive motion of the tappet rack k, k, also by
means of the link c vibrating the lever d, to the other extremity of which the
connecting lever s is attached, which is jointed at its lower end of the crank t
fixed upon the roller u, around which a strap or belt v, v, passes, and over a
similar roller u at top. To this strap v the bars r,, are fixed, and it will
be seen that as the strap traverses by means of the vibrating action imparted
to the crank b, the requisite alternate raising and depressing of these bars is
accomplished, and they are kept in parallel positions by traversing up and
down in mortices in the frame a, a. The headdle levers n, n, are also brought
into the position where they may be acted upon by the falling barr, by
means of the weight n* with which oach lever is furnished. The hooked
66

page_text: lifters q, q, are each separately connected by a pin 1 to vibrating treadles w, w,"
working on their fulcrum shaft æ fixed to the frame a. These treadles w, w,
are connected at their extremities by means of the wires y, y, y, y, to the
ordinary top and bottom jacks, 2, 5, 2, and by the customary stringing to the
headdles D, and thus as the tappet belt or rack revolves will shed the warp,
and consequently work the pattern. Fig. 6 represents a portion of the tappet
rack detached upon a larger scale, and Fig. 7 represents the several pieces of
which my improved endless tappet rack is composed.. 1 shews a front view of
the perforated bar for receiving the studs, teeth, or tappets 2; 3, the nut by
which they are held and adjustable in the bar; and 4 is a back. view of the
bars, which bars are to be placed at suitable distances apart, and furnished
with the necessary number of holes for "reading on" the tappet studs, as the
pattern requires, and formed into an endless rack, belt, or chain by being
screwed or otherwise fixed upon a band composed of canvass, tape, and leather,
cemented together by means of a solution of caoutchouc or any other suitable
band, belt, or chain.
Another modification of my improvements, and the mode of applying the
same to figure or fancy looms, is shewn at Figures 8, 9, and 10. Fig. 8 is a
front view; Fig. 9, side view; and Fig. 10, a partial sectional view of my
improved figuring apparatus attached to an ordinary loom side. It is com-
posed also of an endless belt or rack of teeth, studs, or tappets a, a, a, a, passing
around and progressively actuated by the grove rollers b, b, b, b, supported
in the framing c, c, c, c, attached to the side of the loom. The moveable
tappets, studs, or teeth a, a, a, are suitably arranged upon their bars or rails
(as in the former instance) to work the pattern or device required, and are
alternately caused to raise or depress the treadles d, d, successively by acting
upon the rollers e, e, with which they are provided. Thus the simple action of
these risers and fallers is transmitted directly to the shafts, healds, or headdles,
by means of the connecting wires f, f, actuating the top jacks g and bottom
jacks h, which are connected by stringing to the harness or healds as usual, the
whole being put in motion by means of the spur pinion i upon the end of the
ordinary crank shaft, driving the spur wheels / and upon the axles of the
grooved rollers b, b. Fig. 11 represents the detached pieces of which this
endless belts or rack of tappets is composed. 1 is the foundation bar or rail
upon which the moveable tappets, studs, or teeth 2 are slidden longitudinally;
and 3 represents blanks or pieces to slide over the bar where the teeth, studs,
or tappets are not required by the pattern, these bars or rails of tappets being
connected or linked together at suitable distances into an endless length or
chain, by being confined or strung together by the chain 4 at each side, or by

page_text: any other suitable means. Thus it will be seen that these studs or teeth and
their intervening blanks or spaces may be so arranged or placed upon any bar
or system of bars that the necessary raising and depressing of the treadles d, d,
may be varied or adjusted to suit the pattern or device required to be woven ;
which arrangement, adjustment, or "reading on" of the tappets or teeth in
both the above descriptions of racks, belts, or chains will be readily understood
and applied by the practical weaver.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Clarke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.