AN IMPROVEMENT IN LOOMS FOR THE WEAVING OF FIGURED ANDTWILLED FABRICS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOSEPHI
NORTON, of High Bridge Mill, near Clayton West, and in the Parish of High
Hoyland, in the County of York, Manufacturer of Fancy Cloths, and GEORGE
COLLIER, of Skelmanthorpe, in the Parishes of High Hoyland and Emley, or
one of them, in the County of York, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty, and in the third year of Her reign, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said Joseph Norton
and George Collier, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that we, the said Joseph Norton and George Collier, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, and such others as we, the said Joseph Norton
and George Collier, our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein mentioned and expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN LOOMS FOR THE
WEAVING OF FIGURED AND TWILLED FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso obliging us, the said Joseph Norton and George Collier,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause

page_text: the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said above in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Joseph Norton and George Collier, do hereby declare that the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed and
carried into effect, are particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention applies both to power and hand looms for weaving fancy
figured and twilled goods and fabrics, and the object of our Invention is to
gain in such looms the power of actuating, moving, and working the heddles,
healds, and harness both upwards and downwards, and consequently produce
the "shedding of the warps" both ways, whereby we are enabled to move or
actuate a greater number or more extended inset of healds, headles, and
harness, and effect greater variety in the shedding of the warps, and con-
sequently gain the power of weaving and producing much greater variety and
extent of pattern or figure than can be done by the ordinary tappet wheels,
commonly applied to looms for shedding the warps one way, and this we
effect without the application or use of the well-known Jacquard mechanism
or apparatus. And the object of our Invention or improvement we attain or
effect by means of or the application and use of novel or improved construc-
tions and arrangements of mechanism or machinery, or mechanical agents,
adapted to figuring looms, which acting upon the jacks, headles, healds, and
harness, effect the shedding of the warps both upwards and downwards, and
thereby produce greater variety of movements, and, consequently, the power of
gaining greater variety of patterns or figures to be woven in the cloth in its
course of manufacture, and which novel or improved apparatus or mechanism
is put in motion and brought into operation by means of the ordinary well-
known endless chain of tappets or projecting pins or studs, commonly used in
figuring looms for weaving these kind of fabrics, the tappets or projecting
studs of such chains selecting out and acting upon certain other corresponding
depressers or parts connected with the jacks according to the "reading off,"
or positions of the said tappets, as required to produce the figure or patterns
on the goods. And as our Invention or Improvement does not extend to or
apply to any of the ordinary working parts of the loom, but only to the
actuating of the headles and healds, and such other parts as effect the shedding
of the warps, we would here remark, that it will not be necessary for us to go

page_text: into the full description and detail of the action or operations of the working
parts of a loom for weaving figured or twilled fabrics or goods, as this is well
known to all practical weavers. And we have therefore shewn, in the accom-
panying Drawings, the ordinary parts of the loom in outline only, and our
novel and improved machine or apparatus for effecting the shedding of the
warps tinted and shaded with colors. And we shall first point out the various
ordinary parts of the loom, referring to them with capital letters of reference,
and then describe the arrangement and construction, and point out the various
component parts of our novel or improved mechanism, and its action or opera-
tion, referring to the same by small italic letters of reference to distinguish
them from the former, that is to say:-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a power loom adapted for weaving the
above-named description of fabrics, and having our improved mechanism for
shedding the warps applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an elevation of that end of
the same, whereat the endless chain of tappets or studs is applied to it in
connection with our novel or improved mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical
section, taken longitudinally through the loom, the better to expose our
improvement to view; the same letters of reference being marked upon
corresponding parts in all the Figures. A, A, is the ordinary framework and
standards of the loom. B is the warp roller, the warp passing over the warp
beam B and the breast beam C on to the work or cloth roller C*. D are
the fast and loose pullies receiving motion by means of a band passed from a
steam engine or other first mover, and giving the requisite rotatory motion
to the main driving shaft E, which actuates the various other working
parts of the loom, by means of trains of toothed gear, cranks, and con-
necting rods, as in common power looms. G and H are the ordinary jacks,
one set being placed at the top and the other at the bottom part of the loom.
In this instance our novel or improved mechanism is shewn as applied to the
lower set for actuating them, each jack of this set being supplied with two
extra short pins or studs referred to and described hereafter. The two sets of
jacks are connected together at one end through the cords or rods I, healds or
headles K, K, and harness L, and their other ends by the cords or rods M,
and thus the required corresponding movements of all these parts is gained as
in the ordinary manner. N, N, are the picker levers set in motion by crank
levers and rods, as in common. 0, 0, are the shuttle boxes and batten sus-
pended by levers P, P, as in common, and taking its motion from the main
shaft. Q, Q, is the ordinary chain of tappets or projecting pins or studs, which
in this instance is shewn as mounted, passing over the rollers R and S, the
axle of the upper one R turning in bearings on the arm of the small frame T,

page_text: connected by screw nuts and bolts to the fixed slot arm attached to 'the frame-
work of the loom; this frame T is made adjustable in the slot for the purpose
of accommodating its situation according to the length of the chain, which
depends on the "reading off," or number of rows of tappets required to form
the pattern or figure to be produced on the fabric. The axle of the other
roller S is mounted on the ends of the rocking arms or levers hereafter
described, for the purpose of bringing the projecting pins or tappets into
contact with the sinkers or depressers, or parts (marked i, i*,) which move the
jacks at the required time to effect the shedding of the warps. Rotatory
motion is given to this roller S for this purpose of moving or changing round
the several rows of tappets so as to bring a fresh row opposite the correspond-
ing sinkers or depressers by means of the hooked pall W, attached by a joint
to the framework, which hooked pall takes or catches hold of the pins X, X,
on the end of the roller S, and on the chain being moved outwards away' from
contact with the sinkers or depressers which actuate the jacks, the pall will
hold on or retain the pin it has taken hold of, and cause the roller to turn
round a portion of the revolution, and at the same time shift the chain until
it has brought another fresh row of tappets opposite the jack sinkers or
depressers, the pall rising up a short distance with the pin it has thus retained,
and on the chain of tappets being again moved inwards, this so retained pin
will be free to move out of the hook of the pall, which will fall down on to
and over the next pin, ready to take hold of and retain it whenever the tap-
pets and roller S are next moved outwards. Y is a friction spring fixed at one
end to the lever arm 6* of the rocking frame a, its other end pressing on the
perephery of a disc piece of the roller S, in order to prevent the chain or roller
slipping, or moving round a greater distance than is required to bring the
tappets properly opposite to the jack sinkers or depressers i, i. The advancing
and receding movements of the roller S and tappets towards and from the
"jack sinkers" or depressers i, i, is effected in the following manner: The
axle of this roller S is, as before stated, mounted on the upper ends of the
lever arms a, a, of the rocking frame or bent right-angled lever b, b, mounted
on the cross shaft or fulcrum axle c, extending across the width of the chain
of tappets, and mounted in bracket pieces d, d; affixed to the end framing of
the loom 6 is a lever arm extending from the rocking frame b, its end being
connected by a joint to the rod or coupling piece e, which is again connected
by a joint or coupling to another rod f, which has an excentric ring formed on
it, embracing the excentric or cam g fixed on the end of the main driving
shaft E, and as this cam or excentric revolves with the shaft it will alternately
depress the rods e, f, and then raise them. Whenever they are depressed they

page_text: will cause the lever arm 6* to be depressed also, and thereby the framing b,
and lever arms a, a, will be moved, and force the arms a, a, to rock or move
inwards, and cause the roller S with the chain of tappets to advance, and
bring them into contact with the jack sinkers or depressers, and whenever
the excentric g raises the rod e, f, the end of the lever arm ✶ will be
raised also, and the roller S and tappets made to recede from the jack sinkers
or depressers. And we would here remark, that these latter named parts or
pieces (i. e., the excentric. rods and bent levers,) may have been heretofore
used or applied in connexion with other or ordinary mechanism for giving the
advancing and retiring motion of this ordinary tappet chain, therefore we do
not intend to claim them or these movements of the chain separately, but only
in respect to and as applied in connection or conjunction with our novel or
improved mechanism for effecting the shedding of the warps.
Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detached sectional views or representations of some of
the jacks, with our novel mechanism for shedding the warps applied thereto, and
drawn on an enlarged scale in order to shew the parts more clearly and in dif-
ferent positions when in operation or working. Figs. 4 and 5 are partial sec-
tions or side views shewing the parts in two different positions; Fig. 4 shewing
the jacks and their depressers in the situation they will be in when all of each set
have been brought into even rows or in lines one with another, and when
the tappets are in the act of coming into contact with the front row of the
sinkers or depressers, so as to select certain of them, in order that they may
be made to depress their corresponding jacks. Fig. 5 represents the parts in
the positions they are in after the jack sinkers or depressers have been selected,
and the jacks are depressed, and consequently the warps shedded. Fig. 6
is a plan view of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is a front end view of Fig. 5, the roller S
and tappet chain being removed the better to expose our novel or improved
mechanism. The lower set of jacks H are mounted on fulcrum bearings,
as in common, and their ends are passed through spaces between guide
rods v, in order to keep them in their proper situations one towards another,
or from moving sideways, so that their ends may at all times be opposite
the ends of their several sinkers or depressers, and the jacks are each
supplied with two short pins or studs h, h*, one at each end. These, pins' or
studs project only a very small distance on one of their sides (about the thickness
of the lower end of the sinkers), and not so far as to interfere with its next
neigbour or companion jack when they are placed side by side in the loom.
These pins are acted upon by the jack sinkers or depressers i, *, which are
mounted in front and back files or rows, being strung swinging loosely on rods
k, k, which rods are supported in long levers 1, l, having their fulcrums at one end

page_text: on studs or pins, or a fulcrum axle 1* supported from the end framework of
the loom. The other ends of these levers are connected together by a cross
piece, into which is attached the bridle piece or connecting rod n, connected to
one end of the hollow lever o, o, having its fulcrum at its other end on a pin or
stud fixed in the framework. Within the hollow of this lever is placed the
excentric or cam p, which is mounted on the end of the main driving shaft E;
and as this excentric revolves it will alternately depress and raise the levers O,
and consequently the whole of the jack sinkers or depressers i, i*, with them;
and when these are depressed they will cause such ends of the jacks as are
thrown into connexion with them by the action of the tappet chain to be
depressed also. q, q, are rods connecting each pair of sinkers or depressers i, i*,
together by means of joints, each jack having a pair of these depressers or
sinkers, one at each of its ends, and by their being connected through the
rods 9, only one of them, either i or i*, can be brought into connexion with its
corresponding pin or stud h or h* at one time, and depress that end of the
jack which is in connexion with it, the other end of the jack being free or at
liberty to rise as the other is depressed. r, *, are arms extending downwards
from the levers 1, 1, and carry at their lower ends the rods s, s*, which extend
across the under side of the jacks, and serve to bring all the jacks in an even
or level row one with another, when the depressers or sinkers i, i*, are raised
up from contact with them, the depressers or sinkers being at this time free
from them, and their pins or studs h, h*, and are at liberty to return to form
even back and front rows or ranks, one in front opposite the endless chain of
tappets, and the other to form the back row. This movement is effected when
the depressers are thus raised by means of the small coiled springs t, t, attached
at one end to short arms or pins projecting from the upper ends of the
depressers i*, and connected at their other ends to the back cross bar u of the
levers 1, 1, or they may be thrown back by other means. v, v, are guides formed
of wires placed vertically, one between each pair of jacks, and serve to keep
them from moving sideways. The action or operation of our novel or
improved mechanism for shedding the warps is as follows:-Supposing the
warps to have been shedded and the shuttle run its race, and the weft about
being or has just been beat up by the batten, the parts will stand in the position
shewn in the detached Fig. 4, that is, the long levers 7, 1, raised, and the jack
sinkers or depressers i and i* also raised from the pins or studs h, h*, of the
jacks; the sinkers or depressers standing in even rows through the action of
the coiled springs t, as before stated, the front row presenting themselves in an
even line to the tappet chain Q, which has been thrown back away from them
by the action of the excentric 9 on the main shaft E, and the chain shifted one

page_text: row of tappets by means of the hooked pall W, as before stated, a fresh row of
tappets being brought opposite the depressers or sinkers. The excentric g on the
main shaft now will depress the lever arm 6*, and cause the other arms a, a, to
bring forward the roller S, and the projecting pins or tappets into contact with
the parts X of the depressers or sinkers; and as this advancing movement is
continued a short distance after the tappets have come into contact, the tappets
will be made to select certain of the sinkers and force them inwards, which
movement will bring the hooked or lower ends of all the sinkers or depressers
so selected out of the front row over the pins or studs h of their several cor-
responding jacks H, the end of their fellow sinkers or depressers i* in the
back row being forced away from over or opposite their pins or studs * by
the connecting rods q, and all those front depressers or sinkers not selected by
the tappets will be left standing in the row, their ends being away from their
pins h, while the ends of their corresponding or fellow back sinkers will be left
standing opposite or over their pins or studs h*. In this position of the parts
the levers 1, 1, begin to descend by the action of the cam or excentric p, lever o,
and rod n, and both sets of depressers or sinkers i, i*, will be made to descend
with them and bring their hooked ends on to the studs h, h, and securely take
hold of them; and as the levers 1, 1, continue to descend, the sinkers will be
made to depress those ends of the jacks which they are in connexion with, and
by means of the rods M, and cords I, healds, headles, and harness, the corre-
sponding ends of the top set of jacks G will be made to descend also, and thus
the warps will be shedded, one portion, or those selected by the tappets and
sinkers or depressers i, moved or shedded upwards, while those warps which are
in connexion with the harness of the other jacks, selected by the back depressers
or sinkers *, will be drawn or shedded downwards, and thus the whole of the
warps shedded both ways at one time, the ends of the jacks not selected by
the sinkers or depressers being at liberty to rise as their other ends aré
depressed by the sinkers, And as soon as the warps are thus properly shedded
the picker and shuttle movements take place, and the weft is beat up by the
batten, while the tappet chain is again thrown back or caused to recede from
the depressers or sinkers, and a fresh row of tappets brought round by the
action of the pall W, excentric g, rod f, and lever arm 6*, as before described,
and the depressers or sinkers are again raised by the upward movement of the
levers 1, 1, caused by the excentric p and connecting rod n, when the depressers
will be free from the pins or studs h, h*, of the jacks H, and again brought into
even rows by the coiled springs, the front row standing ready for the action of
the next or fresh row of tappets, while the jacks are all brought into a level
line by the rising movement of the under cross rods 8, s*, of the levers I, I,
"

page_text: ready to receive the action or operation of the selected or: non-selected
depressers or sinkers, as they next descend by the action of the levers 1, 1.
4
Having now described our Invention or improvement, and one manner
or mode of carrying the same into effect as regards power looms, we
would remark, that it will be evident to all practical weavers and loom
makers that our novel or improved meclianism or apparatus for shedding
the warps may be equally well or as efficiently applied to the loom at
the top or upper set or row of jacks, the jack depressers for sinkers; as
well as the chain of tappets,. being mounted in proper framework at the
upper part of the loom; and the sinkers or depressers in this manner
or method of application or adaptation may be made to act
on either
end of the upper row or set of jacks, and if applied in the manner at the
top of them, as arranged for the' lower row or set, as shewn in the Drawings,
then their operation on the jacks and warps will be reversed; that is, those
ends of the jacks which in the former instance were depressed to shed the
warps upwards will be used to 'shed the warp downwards, and those used for
drawing down the rest of the warp's will in this instance be used for drawing
them upwards.. And further we would remark, that it will be evident to
weavers and loom makers that our Invention or improvement of novel or
improved mechanism for shedding the warps is equally well adapted, and may
be readily applied to hand looms or those in which the figured or twilled cloths
or fabrics are woven by the hands and feet of the weaver, and in this mode or
method of application and use it will only be requisite to add two extra
treddles to be acted upon by the feet of the workman, one foot bringing for-
ward the endless chain of tappets to act upon the jack sinkers or depressers
when required, the chain being thrown back or removed and the tappets
shifted by the action of a cord passed over a pully, and having a counterbalance
weight on its end, or by springs or other means, and the other treddle for
acting upon the levers 7, 1, and depressing the jack sinkers or depressers, and
with them the jacks, these all being drawn up again and the sinkers released
from the jacks by means of a counterbalance weight on a cord or lever, or by
springs or any other mechanical contrivance, all of which mode or method of
application will be well understood, therefore it will not be réquisite for us: to
describe it more fully.
And in conclusion we wish it to be understood that what we claim. as our
Invention or improvement, as secured to us by the above in part recited
Letters Patent, is, the application and use in looms for weaving figured or
twilled fabrics or cloths of our novel or improved mechanism or apparatus or
mechanical agents, for effecting the shedding the warps both ways, or upwards

page_text: and downwards, consisting of the jack sinkers or depressers i, i, acted upon
and selected by the tappets, studs, pins, or other projections on the endless
chain, whereby they are made to select certain of the jacks of whatever form
or construction they may be, and shed the warps according to the pattern or
figure to be worked upon the goods or fabrics, together with their levers 1, 1,
and the means or machanism by which they are made to depress the jacks
when so selected, in order to shed the warps, and then after the shuttle has
thrown the weft to bring the jacks or sunkers or depressers up again from off
the jacks ready to be again selected by the tappets of the endless chain, and
at the same time bring the jacks all in an even row to be again selected and
acted upon by their sinkers or depressers, as herein-before explained and set
forth. And which Invention or improvement is new, and has never before
been used in looms for weaving fancy figured or twilled goods or fabrics to the
best of our knowledge and belief.
In witness whereof, we, the said Joseph Norton and George Collier, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-sixth day of August,.
One thousand eight hundred and forty.
JOSEPH (L.S.) NORTON.
GEORGE (L.S.) COLLIER.