CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Sagar, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster,
Machine Maker, and Christopher Turner, of the same Place, Machine
Maker, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER LOOMS FOR
Sealed the 24th March 1857, and dated the 19th January 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Sagar and
Christopher Turner at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 19th January 1857.
We, THOMAS SAGAR, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, and CHRISTOPHER TURNER, of the same Place, Machine Maker, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
POWER LOOMS," to be as follows:-
Our improvements relate, first, to a novel method of governing the "swell"
of the shuttle box, and consists in the application of a spiral or other spring
in a nearly direct or positive line to the back "finger" of such "swell;" the
spring is so applied as to allow the back finger to press against it and the
spring to exert its force only when the crank is at the "back centre," and
the shuttle is out of the box, at any other position of the crank the finger is
retained against the "swell" only by the weight of the "stop rod," so that when
the shuttle reaches the box it has but the weight of the stop rod to move,
instead of having both the weight of the rod and spring attached to displace

page_text: before entering the box (as in the ordinary method), thus, in consequence of
removing the unecessary pressure from the "swell" when the shuttle enters
the box, a much less power for driving the shuttle will be required.
Our improvements consist, secondly, in an improved form of the slay sword
levers of the anti-positive motion, being improvements upon the Invention for
which Letters Patent were granted to the herein-named Christopher Turner,
bearing date Twelfth January, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five;
the improved form consisting in bevilling or rounding the surfaces acting
against each other, instead of forming them of square surfaces, as therein
exhibited, such surfaces being the vertical part of the slay sword lever and
the crank arm slide acting thereupon.
The third part of the improvements relate also to the before-mentioned
levers, and consists in fixing the "stop rod" bearings in the levers at a point
below their fulcra, by which arrangement the action of the "stop rod" against
the "frog" or projecting piece assists in throwing forward the vertical end of
the lever, for a purpose mentioned in the before-named Letters Patent.
And, lastly, our improvements consist in a novel method of disengaging the
driving strap or transferring it from the fast to the loose pulley. In order to
effect this we place the ordinary "frog" upon a bar of metal extending from
end to end of the loom, this bar is fitted loosely upon the framing, so that
when the "frog" is struck by the "stop rod" the bar is forced back against
a vertical rod placed behind it, which then strikes the "weft fork lever," and
the strap is thereby disengaged from the driving pulley.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Sagar and Christopher Turner in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wе, THOMAS
SAGAR, of Burnley, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, and
CHRISTOPHER TURNER, of the same Place, Machine Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Sagar and Christopher Turner, Her especial licence that we, the
said Thomas Sagar and Christopher Turner, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Sagar and Christopher

page_text: Tturner, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN POWER
LOOMS," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said Thomas Sagar
and Christopher Turner, by an instrument in writing under our 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 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 Sagar and Christopher Turner,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to
say:
Our improvements relate, first, to a novel method of governing the "swell"
of the shuttle box, and consists in the application of a spiral or other spring in
a nearly direct or positive line to the "back finger" of such "swell;" this
spring is so applied as to allow the back finger to press against it and the
spring to exert its force only when the crank is at or near the "back centre,"
at any other position of the crank the finger is retained against the swell only
by the weight of the "stop rod," so that when the shuttle reaches the box it
becomes gradually pressed inwards by means of the back finger acting upon
the "swell;" thus, in consequence of removing the unnecessary pressure from
the "swell" when the shuttle enters the box, a much less power for driving
the shuttle will be required.
Our improvements consist, secondly, in an improved form of the slay sword
levers of the "anti-positive motion," being improvements upon the Invention
for which Letters Patent were granted to the herein-before named Christopher
Turner, and bearing date the Twelfth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five; the improved form of such levers consisting in
bevilling or rounding the surfaces acting against each other, instead of forming
or shaping them of square surfaces, as therein exhibited, such surfaces being
the vertical part of the slay sword lever and the crank arm slide or vertical
cap acting thereupon. When the vertical cap is employed the crank arm slide
is so formed as to allow the bevilled surfaco to oppose the other surface in a
direct horizontal line with the fulcrum of the slay sword lever.
The third part of these improvements relates also to the before-mentioned

page_text: "
levers, and consists in fixing the "stop rod" in the slay sword levers at a point
below their fulcra, by which arrangement the action of the "stop rod" against
the "frog or projecting piece assists in throwing forward the vertical end of
the lever, for the purpose of allowing of the revolution of the crank when
the slay is stopped, as mentioned in the before-named Letters Patent.
And, lastly, our improvements consist in a novel method of disengaging the
driving strap or transferring it from the fast to the loose pulley. In order
to effect this we employ the ordinary "frog" placed upon a bar of metal
extending from end to end of the loom, or otherwise. This bar is fitted
loosely upon the framing, so that when the "frog" is struck by the "stop
rod," the bar is forced back against a vertical rod placed behind it, which
then strikes the "weft fork lever," and the strap is thereby disengaged from
the driving pulley.
In order that these improvements may be more readily understood, and
more fully detailed, we have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, made
upon a scale of about one inch and a half to the foot, and having similar
letters of reference marked upon corresponding parts of the apparatus
throughout all the Figures shewn.
Fig. 1 is an end view of a loom having our improvements attached, and
shewing more particularly the bevilled surfaces of the crank arm slide or cap,
and vertical levers, and also the arrangement of the stop rod therein, and the
springs and levers for regulating or governing the pressure required to be
exerted at certain intervals upon the "swell" of the shuttle box, and also the
action of the "frog" upon the vertical lever for disengaging the driving strap;
Fig. 2 is a front view of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view, shewing the breast
beam and stop rod, and also the cross bar in connection with the "frog;"
Fig. 4 is a detached view, showing the position of the levers and spring in
connection with the slay sword and crank arm when in the act of striking
the "frog" to stop the loom, and also exhibiting the bevilled surfaces of the
levers passing each other, so as to allow of the continuous throw or revolution
of the crank; Fig. 5 exhibits a novel method of bringing the finger into
action with the "frog" when the ordinary fixed stop rod is employed, and
also for actuating the fingers and swells through the intervention of the
stop rod.
In Fig. 1, a, a, is the framing of the loom; b, the crank shaft; and c the
crank arm, to which is attached the crank arm slide b', and vertical lever or
cap c; d is the slay sword lever, one end of which has a bevilled surface, the
opposite end being in connection with the spring e, which is also attached to
the slay sword f. The rod or beam 9 has a bearing or pivot upon the slay

page_text: sword f, and is attached at its shorter end to the stop rod or stop rod tongue
or finger h, by means of a spring or other elastic substance i, the opposite end
of such lever being in connection with the crank arm by means of a con-
necting link. The stop rod k is secured in moveable bearings in the lever d,
so that when the stop rod finger strikes the frog 7, the bearings will give
way, and thus diminish the concussion. The stop rod is also in commu-
nication with the back finger m, pressing upon the "swell," forming a weight
to keep or retain the finger upon the swell; the spring n being employed to
exert pressure upon the "swell" when the crank is at or near the back centre,
the finger m being then pressed by the spring n.
Having so far described the various parts of the mechanism, we shall now
proceed to explain more fully the action of such parts as they are brought
into motion, according as the requirements for which they are severally
designed present themselves.
The shuttle being placed in a box and the loom put in motion, the "swells"
will be regulated or governed as the shuttle enters or leaves the box as
follows: Supposing the loom to be started when the crank is at the bottom
centre, the shed then being open ready for the passage of the shuttle, the
"swells" will then be free from pressure, but as soon as the shuttle shall
have completed its race to the opposite box, the crank will have reached the
"back centre," and be proceeding upwards, which will bring the "swell" in
contact with the spring n, and thus retain the shuttle in its box. As the
crank proceeds to the "top centre" the swell becomes strongly pressed by
the finger m, which derives its motion from the upward motion of the crank
arm through the medium of the lever g, the long end of which is thereby
raised, the shorter end being depressed, and consequently drawing down the
"stop rod." The effect of the shuttle not completing its race will be to allow
the finger m to press the "swell" inwards, and thus bring the stop rod finger
into contact with the "frog" 1, or other arrangement, which striking the
vertical bar o will strike the "weft fork lever," and the strap will be
disengaged from the driving pulley, simultaneously with which the faller p
will be displaced, allowing the weighted end of the weft break to fall, and put
pressure upon break wheel; or the same object may be effected by making
the frog or bar or other substitute to act upon a bar or lever similar to o,
having its fulcrum placed some distance from the end, which will act by
pulling off the faller p or faller catch, and applying the break at the time of
concussion. The stop rod finger coming thus into contact with the "frog,"
will slightly depress the bevilled surface of the lever d, and allow the opposing
bevilled surface on the vertical cap c¹ or the crank arm slide to pass over it,

page_text: and thus allow of the continuous revolution of the crank (as shewn in Fig. 4,).
until the loom is again set in motion, and the vertical finger or cap c retained
in its former place by means of the spring e. From the foregoing description
it will be evident that when the crank is at the bottom centre, and the shuttle
in the act of being thrown from the box across the shed, that the back fingers
and swells will be relieved from all pressure by: the downward position of the
crank arms at that time, by allowing the long end of the lever g to descend;
and raising the other, so that the whole of the spring i, with the back fingers
and swells, are entirely at rest, until the crank arrives at or near the back
centre, when the upward motion of the crank arms or revolution of the crank
gradually presses in or replaces the fingers and swells as the shuttle arrives in
the opposite box. It will be seen also that the spring i, together with the
fingers and swells, are only distended and slackened once in each revolution
of the crank, therefore the modification, as shewn in Fig. 5; will answer
equally as well, and is a very convenient form of application to all looms.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be understood that we
claim,
First, the novel method of regulating, governing, or operating upon the
"swells" by means of the mechanism as herein described, or other equivalent
arrangement.
Secondly, the employment and use of bevilled surfaces to the levers c', d, of
the "anti-positive motion," described in the Specification of former Letters
Patent before-mentioned.
And, lastly, we claim the novel method of disengaging the driving strap
by means of the apparatus described, and the placing of the "stop rod" in
moveable bearings in the levers, to avoid or diminish the shock when coming
in contact with the "frog," and whereby the "swells" are also released fron
pressure.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Sagar and Christopher Turner
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of July, i
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.