IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING MOTION FOR LOOMS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Walker, of Radcliffe Bridge, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING
MOTION FOR LOOMS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th May 1881.
C
WILLIAM WALKER, of Radcliffe Bridge, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING MOTION FOR LOOMS."
My Invention relates to looms, and has for its object to throw out of gear the
arrangement known as Diggle's chain immediately upon the breaking of the weft,
and thus to prevent the necessity for turning back the sley to obtain the correct
pattern and to save the time of the weaver. And further it has for its object to
prevent the production of the thin places which occur in the fabric in consequence
of the loom making several picks after the breaking of the weft before stopping.
In carrying out my Invention I fix a shaft bearing a small cam, somewhat
resembling a ratchet wheel at a right angle with the chain motion, and connect it
with the ring wheel of the chain motion by means of a bent lever. Upon the
same axis and of the same diameter as the ring wheel I make an extension thereof,
the extension having a plain periphery upon which the arms of the star wheel
may slide instead of being engaged as they are with the cavities and studs in the
existing ring. The shaft and bent lever are kept in position so long as the weft
remains unbroken by means of a small catch against which the shaft is held by a
spiral or other spring. A rod is carried from the finger lever to a position beyond
and below the catch. To this rod is fixed a projection or lever which comes in
contact with the catch.
When the weft breaks the weft fork lever in drawing off the setting on lever
pushes the finger lever back. This motion is communicated by means of the rod
and lever attached thereto to the catch which is thereby released. Thereupon the
bent lever is thrown over by the spring, and the ring wheel is drawn out of gear
with the star wheel which then comes into contact with the plain portion of the
ring wheel and the taking up motion ceases.

page_text: To restore the ring wheel to its original position a lever is attached to the
setting on rod of the loom which being brought into contact with a similar rod on
the motion shaft brings the shaft upon which the cam is mounted again under the
catch.
In order to arrest the taking up motion without the intervention of the weaver,
a small plate is attached to the weft fork lever. One side of this plate is filed or
cut away so as to form an inclined plane, while the other side is made square with
the lever. Upon the strap fork lever is affixed another plate, also having one
inclined and one flat surface. While the loom is working the edges of these plates
nearly face each other. When the weft breaks the inclined faces of the two plates
slide one over the other and the taking up motion is thrown out of gear.
on the other hand the loom is stopped by the weaver the square faces slide together
and the taking up motion remains in gear.
When

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
November 1881.
WILLIAM WALKER, of Radcliffe Bridge, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING MOTION FOR LOOMS."
My Invention relates to looms, and has for its object to throw out of gear the
arrangement known as "Diggles chain" immediately on the breaking of the weft
and thus to prevent the necessity for turning back the sley to obtain the correct
pattern and to save the time of the weaver. And further it has for its object to
prevent the production of the thin places which occur in the fabric in consequence
of the loom making several picks after the breaking of the weft before stopping.
In carrying out my Invention I fix a shaft bearing a small cam somewhat
resembling a ratchet wheel at a right angle with the chain motion and connect it
with the ring wheel of the chain motion by means of a suitable lever. Upon the
same axis and of the same diameter as the ring wheel I make an extension thereof,
the extension having a plain periphery upon which the arms of the star wheel
may slide instead of being engaged as they are with the cavities and studs in the
existing ring. The shaft and lever are kept in position so long as the weft
remains unbroken by means of a small catch against which the shaft is held by a
spiral or other spring. A rod is carried from the finger lever to a position opposite
to the catch. To this rod is fixed a projecting forked lever which comes in contact
with the catch.
When the weft breaks the weft fork lever in drawing off the setting on lever
pushes the finger lever back. This motion is communicated by means of the rod
and lever attached thereto to the catch which is thereby released. Thereupon the
compound or link lever is thrown over by the spring, and the ring wheel is drawn
out of gear with the star wheel which then comes into contact with the plain
portion of the ring wheel, and the taking up motion ceases.
To restore the ring wheel to its original position a lever is attached to the setting
on rod of the loom, which being brought into contact with a similar rod on the
motion shaft brings the shaft upon which the cam is mounted again under the
catch.
In order to arrest the taking up motion without the intervention of the weaver
a small plate is attached to the weft fork lever. One side of this plate is filed or
cut away so as to form an inclined plane, while the other side is made square or
parallel with the lever. Upon the setting on rod is affixed another plate, also
having one inclined and one flat side. While the loom is working the edges of
these plates nearly face each other. When the weft breaks the inclined faces of
the two plates slide one over the other, and the taking up motion is thrown out of
gear. When on the other hand the loom is stopped by the weaver the square or
parallel faces slide together and the taking up motion remains in gear.
And in order that this Invention may be more readily understood and carried
into practical effect, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative of
the Invention, and will now proceed to describe the same, reference being had to
such Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.
At a right angle with the chain motion is a shaft A, Fig. 1, carrying a cam A',
Figs. 1. and 3. Upon the further end of this shaft is keyed the first member of the
compound lever B, Figs. 1 and 3.
The shaft A and the compound lever B are retained in position so long as the
weft remains intact by means of a catch C, Figs. 1 and 3, which takes into the
cam A', and is kept in contact therewith by means of a spiral or other spring D.
From the finger lever M, Figs. 4 and 5, to a position opposite the catch C is carried

page_text: a rod E, upon which is secured the projecting forked lever F, Fig. 1, the ends of which
embrace the catch. To the weft fork lever G, Figs. 4 and 5, is attached a plate H,
which is also shewn enlarged in Figs. 6 and 7; one side of this plate is cut away so
as to form an inclined plane or wedge, while the other side is made parallel with
the lever. I also attach another piece I, Figs. 4 and 5, which is shewn on an
enlarged scale in Figs. 8 and 9. This piece also has one straight and one inclined
side. When the loom is working the points of the picces H, I, are nearly opposite
to each other, as shewn in Figs. 4 and 5. When the weft thread breaks the weft
fork lever in drawing off the setting on rod pushes the finger lever back. This
motion is communicated by means of the rod E and lever F to the catch C, which
is thereby disengaged from the cam A¹, whereupon the spring D comes into action
and imparts motion to the shaft A. This motion is transferred to the compound
lever B, and by its means the ring wheel is drawn out of gear with the star wheel,
which then coming into contact with a plain extension of the ring wheel the chain
motion at once ceases. The weft fork lever in drawing off also brings the wedge
shaped pieces H and I into contact, thereby drawing back the finger lever, and the
taking up motion ceases. The plain extension of the ring wheel hereinbefore
alluded to is formed upon the same axis, and is of the same diameter as the ring
wheel. This extension has a plain periphery upon which the arms of the star
wheel may slide, instead of being engaged with cavities and studs on the existing
ring.
In stopping the loom by hand the straight sides or edges of the pieces H and I
come together, and the finger lever is not moved.
To restore the ring wheel to its original position a lever and stud I are attached
to the setting on rod K, Fig. 2, which being brought into contact with another
lever Lon the motion shaft A rotates it until the notch of the cam is again engaged
by the catch C. The connection between the compound lever B and the ring
wheel is shown at X, Fig. 1.
"
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I do not limit myself to the precise details of the construction of the several
parts, as these may be varied, but that which I claim as my Invention and for the
purposes herein set forth being the combination of the cam, catch, compound lever,
extension of ring wheel, the sliding pieces H and I and other parts, substantially
as described herein and set forth on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings with the
Diggle's chain."
In witness whereof, I, the said William Walker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.