IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Valentine and Daniel Foster, both of Belfast,
in the County of Antrim, Flax Spinners and Manufacturers, and Giles
Haworth, of the same Place, Loom Manager, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Valentine, Daniel
Foster, and Giles Haworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 20th October 1855.
We, THOMAS VALENTINE & DANIEL FOSTER, both of Belfast, in the
County of Antrim, Flax Spinners & Manufacturers, & GILES HAWORTH, of
the same Place, Loom Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS" to be as follows:-
The Invention relates, firstly, to means for effecting the stoppage of the
loom when warp threads break during the weaving. When threads of warp
break during the process of weaving, the broken ends next the cloth are
generally driven up by the reed, so as to form loops on one or other of the
surfaces of the fabric.
We apply transversely of the fabric a bar or other apparatus with project-
ing points or teeth to vibrate close to the surface (or there may be one to each
surface) of the fabric. The teeth in such bar or other apparatus are inclined,

page_text: so that in the traverse of the bar or other apparatus in one direction they may
pass over any loops formed by broken ends of warp, but in passing back they
take into those loops, by which the movement of such bar or other apparatus
will be arrested before it has fully returned, & by connecting means cause
the driving strap to be shifted from the fast to the loose pulley, thereby
stopping the loom.
Secondly, the Invention relates to means for regulating the tension upon
the warp threads, in order to give ease thereto in their passage from the beam
to the work. Fine or weak warp yarn is liable to break in power looms
when the shed is open, and the beat up is being effected by the reed of the
batten driving up the weft.
In the Specification of a recent Patent granted to George Collier, of
Halifax, a vibrating rod or roller operates to give ease to the warp at the part
referred to, whilst at the same time it works the letting-off motion, but from
experience we have found this arrangement to be insufficient when the yarn
to be woven is either very fine or weak. And we have discovered that by
removing the fixed bar or roller, over which in the arrangement referred to
the yarn passes first on leaving the beam, and applying a second vibrating
roller or apparatus either between the vibrator referred to and the healds, or
between it and the yarn beam, we are enabled to obtain the desired ease when
using very fine or weak-yarn."
The vibrator according to our improvements is made to act in connection
with that according to Collier's arrangement, by means of a spring or other
apparatus, so as to take up the slack yarn when the shed closes, & to let it
out again when the shed opens, and thereby keep the warp always at the
required tension, whilst it is also made to stand firm against the blow of the
reed, and thereby to allow of the weft being more easily driven up, and
'the friction on the yarn is reduced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Valentine, Daniel Foster, and Giles. Haworth in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th April 1856..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL, COME, wе, THOMAS
VALENTINE and DANIEL FOSTER, both of Belfast, in the County of Antrim,
Flax Spinners and Manufacturers, and GILES HAWORTH, of the same. Place,
Loom Manager, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Thomas Valentine and Daniel Foster and Giles Haworth, Her special licence
that we, the said Thomas Valentine and Daniel Foster and Giles Haworth,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Thomas Valentine and Daniel Foster and Giles Haworth, our 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 POWER LOOMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Valentine and Daniel Foster and
Giles Haworth, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands, and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of
us or them, 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 we, the said Thomas Valentine and Daniel Foster
and Giles Haworth, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say-
The Invention relates, firstly, to means for effecting the stoppage of the loom
when warp threads break during the weaving. When threads of warp break
during the process of weaving, the broken ends next the cloth are generally
driven up by the reed, so as to form loops on one or other of the surfaces of
the fabric.
We apply transversely of the fabric a bar or other apparatus with project-
ing points or teeth to vibrate close to the surface (or there may be one to
each surface) of the fabric. The teeth in such bar or other apparatus are
inclined, so that in the traverse of the bar or other apparatus in one direction
they may pass over any loops formed by broken ends of warp, but in passing
back they take into those loops, by which the movement of such bar or other
apparatus will be arrested before it has fully returned, and by connecting means
cause the driving strap to be shifted from the fast to the loose pulley,. thereby
stopping the loom.
Secondly, the Invention relates to means for regulating the tension upon

page_text: the warp threads, in order to give ease thereto in their passage from' the beam
'to the work. Fine or weak warp yarn is liable to break in power looms
when the shed is open, and the beat up is being effected by the reed of the
batten driving up the weft.
In the Specification of a recent Patent granted to George Collier, of
Halifax, a vibrating rod or roller operates to give ease to the warp at the part
referred to, whilst at the same time it works the letting-off motion, but from
experience we have found this arrangement to be insufficient when the yarn to
'be woven is either very fine or weak. And we have discovered that by
removing the fixed bar or roller, over which, in the arrangement referred to,
the yarn passes first on leaving the beam, and applying a second vibrating
roller or apparatus either between the vibrator referred to and the healds, or
between it and the yarn beam, we are enabled to obtain the desired ease when
using very fine or weak yarn.
The vibrator according to our improvements is made to act in connection
with that according to Collier's arrangement, by means of a spring or other
apparatus, so as to take up the slack yarn when the shed closes, and to let it out
again when the shed opens, and thereby keep the warp always at the required
tension, whilst it is also made to stand firm against the blow of the reed, and
thereby to allow of the weft being more easily driven up, and the friction on
'the yarn is reduced.
ET
But that the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner we carry
the same into effect, may be fully understood, we will proceed to describe the
Drawing annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a section of a loom, with parts arranged according to our
"Invention. Other Figures show some of the parts separately. A; A, is a bar
or plate, extending across the loom somewhat further than the breadth of the
fabric, in. which are set pins or points A', which are inclined towards one edge
of the fabric, so that although there may be broken warp threads projecting
from the surface of the fabric, the points of such pins will not take hold of
them when moving in one direction, but when moving in the opposite direction
the pins of such bar take into such projecting threads, and stop the bar to stop
the loom, as we will now explain.
Upon the tappet shaft B is formed the tappet C, upon which rests one end
of the lever D, which turns upon the axis D', and at its other end projects
into the slot formed in the plate E, attached by pin joint to the one end of the
Llever F, which turns upon a centre of motion at F, carried by the framing

page_text: of the loom. The other end of this lever F passes into an opening formed in
the front end of a short arm A, affixed to the bar or rod A. A³ is another
arm projection from the bar A, to which is attached a cord passing over the
pulley G to a spring H, by which the bar A will have a constant tendency
to move in the direction of the arrow, shown in Figure 2. In the bar A are
formed slots, by which it is supported upon studs or pins A, with a capability
of.the endway movement referred to, and to one end of it is formed the frame
I, which is capable of coming over, and of holding down the weft fork J in
position to stop the motions of the loom.
In the rotation of the tappet shaft, the tappet C will act upon the lever D to
cause its upper end, by pushing one end of the slot in the plate E, to move the
lever F and thereby. the rod A in a direction contrary to that by which it is
drawn by the spring H, and so that the pin points will freely pass over the
loose threads or loops which have just been beaten up of the warp, when the
bar A will be free to move in the opposite direction by the force of the spring
H only. If there be no broken warp threads or loops projecting from the
surface of the fabric, the bar A will pass freely back, as drawn by the spring H,
and the upper end of the plate I will pass from over the weft fork, and if the
weft has acted properly thereon the loom will keep working, but if any of
the warp threads have broken, and are projecting so as to be taken by the pins
A of the bar. A, that bar will be stopped in its movement with the upper end
of the plate I over the front end of the weft fork, which will then act as in
the absence of weft in the coming forward of the batten to stop the motions
of the loom. We would here state, that in place of using only one bar A,
two or more of..such bars may be employed, and they may be on one surface
only, or.on both surfaces of the fabric.
:. We will now describe the second part of our improvements. a is a vibrating
bar, supported at each end on an axis a'. This bar is formed with a projecting
blade or surface, a², acting as a lever, and of, width corresponding with that of
the warp which passes over it. To this, bar a is affixed an arm b, the outer
end of which is attached to one end of the spiral spring c, the other end of
which is supported from the bracket d. e is a stop, fixed to the loom, against
which the vibrator a rests at the time the batten is beating up after each pick
of weft. f is another vibrating bar or lever, similar to the above, excepting that
its blade f stands in the reverse direction; over this the warp also passes in
the direction indicated by the arrows. To the axis f2 of this vibrator is affixed
the lever arm g, to which is attached one end of the rod h, upon which are
supported, with a capability of being adjusted thereon, the fingers i and j. The
finger j passes under the lever k, one end of which is supported so as to turn

page_text: -
upon a pin from the framing of the loom, whilst it carries the weight / to give
tension to the warp in passing over the blade of the vibrating lever rod f. The
'finger i is capable of resting upon a stud projecting from a ring 'n, which
embraces the axis z, and to this ring is firmly affixed one end of the rod o, the
other end of which is affixed to one end of the lever p, which turns freely upon
the axis, in order that any movement of the ring n around the axis z
may cause a corresponding movement of the lever p on that axis. To the
end of the lever p, to which the rod o. is affixed, is attached one end of
the spring u, the other end of which is attached to the framing, whilst the
other end of this lever 'p supports the centre of the clawker p³, as also the
stud r, which is embraced by the link s, which turns upon a pin joint formed
at the end of an arm.t, carried by the sword of the batten.
When the loom is in motion, the taking or winding up of the cloth on the
cloth beam causes the blade of the bar f to move with the warp partly round
on its axis, raising the outer end of the lever arm g, and with it the rod h, and
its fingers i and j. By the rising of the finger i, the spring u is enabled to
draw partly round that end of the lever p, by which the clawker p³ will be
enabled to take fully into. one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel at each
movement given to the lever p; given by the links in the movement of
the sword of the batten when beating up the work. The ratchet wheel q
is affixed to the axis z, upon which is affixed the worm w², which takes
into and gives motion to the worm wheel w³ on the end of the yarn beam,
whereby movement given to the ratchet wheel 9 will cause an unwinding of
the warp from the beam w; but if the yarn is given off quicker than woven,
the weighted lever k, bearing upon the finger j, brings back the lever g, and
causes the finger i to press upon the stud n', which, by means of the rod o
acting upon the lever p, brings the stud r into such a position, that at each
motion of the lay sword in beating up, the motion of the clawker p³ is not
sufficient to take a full tooth of the wheel q. By these means only that
amount of yarn can be let off the yarn. beam which is equivalent to the cloth
taken
up.
But the use of one vibrating rod or lever f acting as explained has been found
insufficient when weaving with very fine or weak yarns, and it is the adaptation
to act in combination therewith of a second vibrating rod which constitutes the
peculiarity of this part of these improvements. And it will be seen, that the
yarn after passing over the vibrator of passes over the vibrator a, and when
the shed is opened, the blade of this bar a is brought forward with its edge
against the stop e, and is there held by the yarn whilst the beat up takes
place; but so soon as the shed closes-again, this supplemental vibrator has the

page_text: edge of its blade sprung back by means of the spring c acting upon the arm b
to keep the yarn distended, as regulated by the weighted lever k.
spring acting upon the periphery of a wheel wt, affixed to the axis to prevent
its too free motion.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the means which
we adopt in carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that
we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein shown and described,
as variations may be made therein without departing from the peculiar
character of our Invention. But what we do claim is,-
First, stopping the motions of looms for weaving when warp threads break,
by means of a bar or bars of pins or points, to which motion is given to
take hold of parts of such broken warp threads, in manner substantially as
explained.
Secondly, we claim the combination of vibrating bars or lever surfaces
a and f, with parts acting therewith, to operate to give elastic tension to the
yarn, substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Valentine and Daniel Foster
and Giles Haworth, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the
Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
THOMAS VALENTINE. (L.S.)
DANIEL FOSTER.
(L.S.)
GILES HAWORTH.
(L.S.)
Witness,
JN THO McCLURY.
THOMAS VALENTINE. (L.S.)
DANIEL FOSTER.
(L.S.)
GILES HAWORTH.
(L.S.)