IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Owen and Hindle Duckworth, both of Black-
burn, in the County of Lancaster, Machinists, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS."
Sealed the 16th April 1859, and dated the 19th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Owen and Hindle
Duckworth at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 19th October 1858.
We, JOHN OWEN and HINDLE DUCKWORTH, both of Blackburn, in the
County of Lancaster, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS," to be as follows:-
We dispense with the tappet shaft, tappets, and wheel gearing connected
therewith, and place the crank shaft as near the bottom of the loom framing as
will be convenient for working. We allow the said crank shaft to project
outside each end of the loom, on each of which we place a fly wheel, and obtain
the picking motions by the revolutions of the said fly wheels, the rims at each
revolution acting upon a stud lever, friction roller, or other suitable contrivance
to give the necessary pick. We regulate the pick by a clutch box arranged
so that the friction roller or other contrivance gives motion to the pick
from the fly wheel, and we arrange the traverse of the slay or lathe from
three to five inches, to accommodate the loom to different kinds of goods and
qualities of yarn.
By this simple arrangement we decrease the first cost of the loom very

page_text: materially by dispensing with the tappet shaft, &c., and we also obtain con-
siderably more room for the yarn beam, which enables us to put more yarn on
it; we have also room to fix a damping apparatus under the yarn beam which
could not be accomplished by the present construction of the loom. Our
improved arrangement will also enable us to drive the loom at an encreased
speed with a diminution of power, as we shall have less friction than the
present looms are subject to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Owen and Hindle Duckworth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
OWEN and HINDLE DUCKWORTII, both of Blackburn, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-cight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Owen and Hindle Duckworth, Her special licence that we, the said
John Owen and Hindle Duckworth, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said John Owen and Hindle Duckworth, 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 ex-
pressed, 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 LOOMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said John Owen and Hindle Duckworth,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us, 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 John Owen and Hindle Duckworth
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 (that is to say):-

page_text: Our Invention consists in placing the crank shaft as near the bottom of the
loom as it can be conveniently worked, and the sword arm shaft much higher
than at present adopted. We obtain the picking motions by placing on each
fly wheel a bowl or tappet, which acts as the wheel revolves on a lever
connected by a rod or band to an arm in connection with the picking stick,
the top of which is either at the side or passes through the slay bottom. Each
.lever is made to move out of the way of its corresponding bowl by means of a
cam, and where several shuttles are used, pattern cards or lags are employed to
govern the movement of the picking sticks. The traverse of the slay or lathe
may vary more or less in order to accommodate the loom to different kinds
of goods and qualities of yarn. We also employ a damping apparatus under
the cloth and yarn beam.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, with the figures and letters thereon.
Fig. 1 is a transverse elevation of our improved loom; Fig. 2 a front
elevation of the same, with the said roller and cloth beam removed; Fig. 3 a
transverse elevation, with one of the end frames removed; Fig. 4 a plan of
the principal parts; and Figs. 5 and 6 detached views of our improved picking
motions.
In the aforesaid Figures, a represents the crank shaft of the loom placed as
low as the fly wheels b will allow, the cranks are connected by links or rods c
to arms d, fixed to a beam e, working in bearings in the loom sides, so that as
the crank shaft revolves a rocking motion is given to the beam e, to which is
fixed the sword arms f, attached at their upper parts to the slay or lathe I,
furnished with a reed and cap in the usual manner. The traverse of the slay
or lathe being regulated by raising or lowering the ends of the links c
connected with it. The tappets for working the healds are shewn at h, fixed
to a countershaft i, put in motion by the gearing k. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4
we shew the adaptation of the ordinary pickers, each stick being kept from
contact with the picking bowl as required by means of the cams 1 on the
countershaft i, the cams acting upon rods and forks m, which press against
pins on the bowls; when several shuttles are employed the movements are
governed by lags or cards. We can, when desired, place the crank shaft at
the upper part of the loom as heretofore adopted. These improved arrange-
iments give great steadiness to the loom, and enable it to be worked at a
higher speed, at the same time affording ample space for the employment of a
damping apparatus under the yarn beam so that the yarns may be damped
with water, size, or other mixture, a similar apparatus, when required, being
employed for the cloth beam. The trough for holding the water or fluid under

page_text: the yarn beam n is shewn at o, and the damping brush or roller at p, which is
kept up to the beam by weights or springs. The trough for the cloth beam q
is shewn at r, and the damping brush or roller at s, also kept up by springs or
weights. In Figs. 5 and 6, representing our improved picking motion, one of
the picking levers is shewn at t, the top of which is either on the outside of the
slay, as seen by the full lines, or passes through the bottom, as marked by the
dotted lines; the lever is connected to a clutch box u on the spindle v,
working in the small frame w, on the shaft of the beam c. The spindle vis
furnished with a short lever a, attached by a rod y to one end of the double
lever, working on the pin or fulcrum a', the other end being so placed as to
come in contact with a bowl or roller on the fly wheel b, so that as the
wheel revolves motion shall be given to the double lever, and also to the
picking lever t, which thus delivers the pick, one or more springs being
employed for giving the return or counter movement to the levers. In order
to cause the picking levers to be stationary when required, we employ for
each a cam c on the countershaft i, acting on a cranked lever d¹, which pushes
the lever out of the influence of the bowl in the fly wheel, thereby preventing
the movement of the picker. When a series of shuttles are employed, and it
is desired to give several picks with one picking lever, the motions are
Our improved picking levers may also be
regulated either by cards or lags.
actuated by tappets on the crank shaft independent of the fly wheel.
It will be seen that the nearly central position of the slay or lathe rail
enables us with great facility to vary the length of the reed traverse, and thus
accommodate the loom to different sorts of yarn and cloth, and work it at a
greater speed.
Having thus fully described the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, we desire it to be distinctly
understood, that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein
set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle thereof; but we claim as our Invention, and which to the best of our
knowledge and belief has not been hitherto used within the realm,-
The raising of the slay or lathe rail so that the arms or levers connected to
it may be lengthened or shortened as required.
The placing of the crank shaft at the lower part of the framework of the
loom.
The shifting in and out of the way of the tappets either the ordinary picking
sticks or our improved picking levers.
The arrangements for damping the yarn and cloth.
And, the employment of cards or lags for governing the action of the picking

page_text: levers, as all such improvements are herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Owen, for on behalf of myself and
the said Hindle Duckworth, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Owen, in the
presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JOHN OWEN.
(L.S.)