IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bullough, of Accrington, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 5th April 1867, and dated the 10th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said JOHN BULLOUGH at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
October 1866.
I, JOHN BULLOUGH, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING," to be as follows:-.
My first improvement is for a "floating motion," that is, a means of stopping..
the loom whilst it is in the act of making a float, which floats it is well
known are formed by loose pieces of waste or broken ends entangling among_
the warp threads and preventing a number of the threads from rising in the
operation of treading the shed so that the shuttle passes over instead of under,
them and thus a vacant place occurs in the reed, and I take advantage of
such a space or spaces to form a floating motion in the following mauner :-;
I form a light framework constructed of two strips of wood or metal about:
half-inch deep-placed parallel along the reed cap and at a distance from each
other of from quarter to three-quarters of an inch, I connect these twostrips by
two cross pieces placed near to each other so as to leave only a narrowslot; these

page_text: yarn
cross pieces are repeated at equal distances of about quarter or three-eighths of
an inch all along the length of the two strips running along the reed cap, giving
the appearance of a small ladder placed flat way when looked.at from the top.
In each slot thus formed I place a slight instrument of metal or other material
capable of working up and down freely. These instruments are lifted by
the I as it rises in the reed and fall by their own gravity when the yarn
is withdrawn from under them. Thus they rise and fall with the motion of
the yarn up and down the reed, and as in the formation of a float a vacant
space is left in the sheet of yarn, one or more of these instruments remains
down. Now as these instruments are formed with a slot narrow at the top
part and wider at the lower part, it is only when they are all lifted that a flat
rod which is threaded through the narrow slots of these instruments can make
a pick or short stroke as the rod has on its lower edge a cross pin before every
instrument, which can only pass through the wide part of it, that is the part
which comes opposite the pin when the instruments are raised. This flat rod
failing to make its stroke fails to raise the hook end of a balance lever which
then in its traverse with the slay comes in contact with a catch and pulls the
spring handle off with which it is in communication. In order to prevent the
instruments being damaged by the pressure of the cross pin on the flat bar
against them, the pressure is communicated through a small spring, which is
so light as to yield before damage can be done.
The whole stopping apparatus as above described may have a traverse
motion imparted to it from any suitable part of the loom, or a helical or box
spring may be let into the reed cap and wound up by a key, and this may be
caused to let out the power with which it has been thíus charged by driving a
heart motion connected to the apparatus. This slight traverse would
dispense with the necessity of having so many instruments, as one instrument
would cover from one quarter to an inch of space according to the distance
of the traverse.
My next improvement are further developments of an Invention for which
I have obtained Provisional Protection, entitled "Improvements in Looms
for Weaving," dated September 6th, 1866, No. 2292, and that Invention
consisted in the construction and employment of a shuttle case or box open
at the top and bottom in connection with improved mechanism for euabling a
shuttle in which the weft is broken or absent to be changed for another
shuttle having weft without stopping the loom, and so on continuously as
long as the loom is at work, or until any given number of shuttles are
exhausted. In the Provisional Specification of that Patent I stated that
immediately after the breakage of weft the picking stick is pushed back into

page_text: a hole or space to allow the shuttle with broken weft to come with its
broad side against the picking stick, which is then allowed to spring from the
recess into its working position, forcing the shuttle before it into a receiving
box. The picking stick now makes its pick, but having no shuttle before it
the pick is a blank one, and according to the regular order in which the
motion of the loom takes place the weft fork would fail to be lifted, the sector
would hook, and the changing motion be repeated, thus making an unnecessary
change. To obviate this defect I introduce what may be called a substitute
or artificial weft; this consists of a piece of wire bent so as to assume the
position of weft across the weft grate, and is kept in its position by means of
a spring; but when a shuttle enters the box it comes in contact with a small
swell, projection, or button head, which it presses back against the action of
the spring before named, and gives part of a revolution to a small shaft, to the
end of which the substitute weft is fixed, and so moves it out of the way of
the weft fork. Thus it will be seen that this substitute weft is always up and
ready to act on the fork when the shuttle is absent from the box, so that
when the picking stick makes its blank pick, as before described, this substitute
weft is not taken out of the way by the shuttle entering the box, and so. it
acts as weft and prevents a change at the wrong time. The new shuttle
dropping into the box is recessed in such a manner as not to act on the
projection in so dropping.
My next improvement is advantageous in working loose reed looms on my
self-changing principle. If the weaver allows all the shuttles to be thrown
out into the receiving box the loose reed looms would continue working with-
out weft, inasmuch as the absence of the shuttle from the box does not stop
the loom, as in the case in stop-rod looms, and the weft motion in my new
arrangement described in my Provisional Specification before alluded to does
not serve to stop the loom, but only to bring the changing motion in operation,
besides which the wire weft substitute before described would in the absence
of all shuttles act as weft; to obviate this I have a swell in my feed box, back
or front, or at either end, which has a swell tendency to press inwards, but
as long as there are two shuttles, that is, one in addition to the working shuttle,
the swell is kept outwards. The moment this shuttle drops into the working
shuttle box the swell springs inwards and raises one end of a balanced lever
which comes in contact with the spring handle and stops the loom.
I next apply an improved check for the shuttle, which is constructed as
follows:-On the side of the picking stick (in underpick locms) I fasten a piece
of leather, india-rubber, or other yielding material at such a position that as
the picking stick is finally forced backwards by the shuttle the downward
ALTAM
==

page_text: .course it is taking brings the leather or india-rubber in contact with the top
of the picker, which resting on the fly plate does not yield, and therefore the
shuttle is resisted or checked by the pressure of the leather or material
against the picker, and this check is more or less gradual as the leather
or material is made to yield less or more easily. For convenience I apply
the leather or material at the feed end of the loom lower down on the
picking stick side, but as high as possible if it clears the wider side of the
slay.
The next improvement is for the adaptation of the self-shuttle changing
principle to over-pick looms, and consists in having one side of the slot in
which the picker foot works cut away a part of its length, so as to allow the
picker to be turned from a vertical to a horizontal position, so that the shuttle
which has to be ejected can glide under it, and as the picker resumes its
position by the action of a spring it helps to force the shuttle into the
receiving box. The feed box I place in an inclined or horizontal position so
as not to interfere with the action of the picking stick, and with the same
object I continue the picking shaft so high that the picking stick may clear
the top of the box, and I place the fly spindle on one side of the shuttle box
instead of in the centre as heretofore, in order that the shuttle may not be
obstructed in dropping into the box. When the box is placed in a horizontal
position the shuttles are forced inwards by a spring as a substitute for
gravitation where the box is in a vertical position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Bullough in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
10th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BULLOUGH, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reigu, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Bullough, Her special license that I, the said John Bullough,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Bullough, my 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

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Bullough, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their 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 I, the said John Bullough, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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):-
This Invention consists, first, in an improved float or floating motion for
stopping the loom whilst iu the act of making a float.
Secondly, in further developments of an Invention for which Letters
Patent have been granted to me entitled "Improvements in Looins for
Weaving," bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, No. 2292.
Thirdly, in certain improvements for enabling my improved system of self-
changing shuttles to be applied to loose reed looms.
Fourthly, in an improved check for the shuttle.
And, fifthly, in the adaptation of my system of self-changing shuttles to
over-pick looms.
The manner in which this Invention is to be performed will be clearly
understood by the following particular description thereof, reference being
had to the figures and letters on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings,
in which Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation, Figs. 2 and 3 end elevations,
and Fig. 4 a plan of part of a loom provided with my improved float or
floating motion; Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are detached views of some of the
parts drawn about full size, and Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, Sheet 2,
are various views, representing the second, third, fourth, and fifth parts of my
Invention.
In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a represents the end frames of the loom; b, the
breast beam; c, the crank shaft; d, the tappet shaft; e, the sword arms; †,
the slay or batten; g, the reed cap, and the spring handle or setting-on rod.
Floats it is well-known are formed by loose pieces of waste or broken ends
entangling among the warp threads and preventing a number of the threads
from rising in the operation of treading the shed so that the shuttle passes
===

page_text: over instead of under them, and thus one or more vacant spaces occur in the
reed, and I take advantage of such a space or spaces to form a floating
motion in the following manner:-I fix two brackets i, k, on the end frames a
of the loom, and connect to the brackets a light framework shewn about full
size in Figs. 5 and 6, and constructed of two strips 1 of wood or metal about
half an inch deep, and placed parallel with the reed cap at a distance from
each other of from five-eights to three-quarters of an inch; I connect these
two strips by cross pieces m placed near to each other so as to leave only a
narrow slot between them. The cross pieces are repeated at equal distances
of about a quarter or three-eighths of an inch from centre to centre all along
the length of the two strips giving the appearance of a small ladder placed flat
way when looked at from the top. In each slot I place a light instrument n,
Fig. 5, of metal or other material having at the bottom a broad foot, and
formed with a slot narrow at the upper part, as at o, and wider at the lower
part, as at p,and each instrument is capable of working up and down freely.
These instruments are lifted by the yarn as it rises in the reed when making
the shed, and fall by their own gravity when the yarn is withdrawn from under
them, and as in the formation of a float a vacent space is left in the sheet of
yarn one or more of these instruments remains or remain down.
I modify this part of the Invention by substituting for the frame Figs. 5
and 6 with its cross pieces and slots a perforated metal bar q, Figs. 4, 7, and 8,
and use wires r, Figs. 4, 7, and 8, instead of the instruments, the metal bar
being fixed by brackets to the end frames parallel with the reed cap. The
wires are formed with a short legs and a long leg t thickened at the
bottom the wires being so bent as to leave a narrow space u at the top part
and a wider space v below, there being above the wires a metal band or rod
to prevent them from rising too high. Between the narrow slots in the
instruments or the narrow spaces in the wires is threaded a flat rod w,
Figs. 4, 7, and 8, having at its lower edge as many cross pins & as there
are instruments or wires, which rod is connected at one end to the rod y,
Figs. 3 and 4, working in guides z fixed to the bracket k, and at the other
end by a bracket to the rod a' working in the guides b' fixed to the bracket i,
one end of the rod y being shewn about full size in Fig. 9. The rod a¹ is
attached to one end of the spiral spring c¹, having its other end connected to
a slotted block d¹ placed in guides fixed to the bracket i, and through the
slot is passed the plate e fixed to the back of the slay, and having two
opposite inclines f", g³, for acting on the spring o', and causing the flat rod w
to make a pick or short stroke to and fro as the slay moves forwards and
backwards. Near the end of the rod y there is a short incline h³, Fig. 9,

page_text: for acting on the tail end of the hooked lever, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, jointed
to the back of the slay, and to the under side of the breast beam is jointed
the catch lever 1, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, for acting on the spring handle or setting-
on rod h when required. As the instruments n or wires rare formed with
slots or spaces narrow at the top part and wider at the lower part it is only
when they are all lifted by the warp threads when the loom is working and
the shed formed that the flat rod w which is threaded through the narrow
slots or spaces of the instruments or wires can make a pick or short stroke
as the cross pins a in the rod can only pass through the wider parts of the
slots or spaces, that is, the parts which come opposite the pins when the
instruments or wires are raised; thus when the loom is at work, and there is
no float, all the instruments or wires are lifted by the warp threads and place
the wider slots or spaces above the cross pins in the flat rod, thereby allowing
the said flat rod and the rod y connected to it to be moved in the direction
of the arrow as the slay is moving forwards by the incline f on the plate e¹
acting on the slotted block d¹ and spring c', so that the incline on the
rod y shall act on the tail end of the lever k¹, and raise its opposite hooked
end out of reach of the catch lever A, and prevent the stoppage of the loom,
the hooked end being held up the required time by the part m², Fig. 9, of
the rod y, and when the crank is near the back centre the rods to and y
are brought back to their original positions by the incline y¹ on the plate e'.
When a float is formed the warp threads in its vicinity are entangled, and
the instruments n or wires r in connection with them remain depressed, the
effect of which is that the cross pins near the instruments or wires come in..
contact with the sides of the narrow slots or spaces and prevent the move-
ment of the flat rod w and rod y, and thereby prevent the incline h' from
depressing the tail end and raising the hooked end of the lever ¹, and
therefore the hook seizes the catch lever I', and causes it to force the spring
handle out of its detent and stop the loom, and it is to prevent the instru
ments or wires from being damaged by the pressure of the cross pins on the
flat bar that the pressure is communicated through the small spring c¹,
Fig. 4, which is so light as to yield before damage can be done, but does not
yield in ordinary working. The flat rod may have a traverse notion
imparted to it from any suitable part of the loom, or a helical or box spring
may be let into the reed cap and wound up by a key, so as to let out the
power with which it has been charged for driving a heart motion connected'
to the apparatus and giving the flat roda slight traverse which would dispense
with the necessity of having so many-instruments or wires, as one instrument.

page_text: or wire would cover from one quarter to an inch of space according to the
distance of the traverse.
The second part of my improvements consists in further developments of an
Invention for which I have obtained Letters Patent entitled "Improvements
in Looms for Weaving," bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, No. 2292, which
Invention consists in the construction and employment of a shuttlecase or box
open at the top and bottom in connection with improved mechanism for enabling
a shuttle in which the weft is broken or absent to be changed for another shuttle
having weft without stopping the loom, and so on continuously as long as the
loom is at work, or until any given number of shuttles contained in the shuttle
case are exhausted. In the Specification of that Patent I stated that imme-
diately after the breakage or absence of weft the picking stick at the opposite
end to the shuttle case is pushed back into a hole or space to allow the shuttle
with broken weft to come with its broadside against the picking stick, which
is then allowed to spring from the recess into its working position and force
the shuttle before it into a receiving box. The picking stick now makes its
pick, but having no shuttle before it the pick is a blank one, and according to
the regular order in which the motions of the loom take place the weft fork
would fail to be lifted, the sector would hook, and the changing motion be
repeated, thus making an unnecessary change. To obviate this defect I
introduce what may be called substitute or artificial weft, shewn in the plan
Fig. 10, Sheet 2. This substitute weft consists of a piece of wire n¹ bent so as
to assume the position of weft across the weftgrate, and is kept in its position for
acting on the weft fork by means of a spring o¹; but when the working shuttle
driven from the box pl enters the box q'it comes in contact with a small swell
projection or button head, which it presses back against the action of the
spring o' and gives part of a revolution to a small shaft s', to which the wire n¹
constituting the substitute weft is fixed and moves the wire out of the way of the
weft fork, so that when the working shuttle is driven from the boxp' the weft
fork can detect the breakage or absence of weft or be acted upon by the real
weft. Thus it will be seen that this substitute weftis always up and ready to act
on the fork when a working shuttle is absent from the box, so that when the
picking stick t¹ makes its blank pick, as before described, this substitute weftis
not taken out of the way, as there is no working shuttle to be driven into the
boxq',and so it acts as weftand prevents a change at the wrong time. All the
shuttles are recessed as at u¹, Fig. 11, so that the fresh shuttle when dropping
from the shuttle case into the shuttle box q¹ shall not act on the swell
projection or button head 71.

page_text: In the Specification of the Invention before alluded to I described a sliding
bar in front of the slay employed as part of the means for effecting the
changing of the shuttles, and I now shew how this bar can be used for giving
one motion to substitute weft. In Figs. 12, 13, and 14, represents the slay
or batten, v¹ the sliding bar, and w³, ', the picking sticks. The substitute
weft consists of a wire or small rod y¹ on a bracket z', fixed to a rod a³ placed
in guides below the slay,-the said bracket projecting beyond the front of the
slay, and on the sliding bar o' there is a snug or projection c². When there
is breakage or absence of weft the picking stick w¹ is moved back as before
stated, and causes the rod v¹ to be moved in the direction of the arrow, and
then the snug c3acts on the projecting part of the bracket 2¹, and places the
substitute weft in front of the weft fork, and prevents the unnecessary change,
and when the picking stick a¹ makes its pick it strikes the projection d² fixed
to the rod a², and moves back the substitute weft for enabling the weft fork
to detect absent or broken weft, or be acted upon by the real weft.
The third part of my improvements is to enable loose reed looms to work
with my self-changing shuttles. If the weaver allows all the shuttles to be
thrown out into the receiving box thelonse reed looms would continue working
without weft, inasmuch as the absence of the shuttles from the box does not
stop the loom, as is the case in stop-rod looms, and the weft motion in my
shuttle-changing loom described in the Specification before alluded to does
not serve to stop the loom, but only to bring the changing motion into
operation, besides which the wire weft substitute before described would in
the absence of all shuttles act as weft. To obviate this inconvenience I
employ a swell lever e², Fig. 15, in the back of the feed box f, or it may be
placed at the front or near either end, which swell lever has a tendency to
press inwards, but as long as there are two shuttles, that is, one in addition to
the working shuttle, the swell is kept outwards. The moinent the last shuttle
drops into the working shuttle box the swell lever springs inwards and allows
one end g of a balanced lever to be lowered and come in contact with a pro-
jection on the spring handle h and stops the loom. In my previous
Specification mention is made of a common stop rod to answer this purpose,
but my present plan dispenses with the necessity of the shuttle having to work
a stop rod, and thus the advantage of easy working of the shuttle peculiar to
loose reed Jocins is retained.
Fourthly, I apply an improved check for the shuttle, which is constructed
as follows:-On the side of the picking stick 2, Fig. 16 (in under-pick
looms) I fasten a piece of leather /, india-rubber, or other yielding material at
such a position that as the picking stick is finally forced backwards by the

page_text: shuttle the downward course it is taking brings the leather or india-rubber in
contact with the top of the picker m², which resting on the fly plate does not
yield, and therefore the shuttle is resisted or checked by the pressure of the
leather or material against the picker, and this cheek is more or less gradual
as the leather or material is made to yield less or more easily. For con-
venience I apply the leather or material at the feed end of the loom lower
down on the picking stick side, but as high as possible if it clears the wider
side of the slay.
The fifth part of my improvements is for the adaptation of the self-changing
shuttles to over-pick looms. At the back part of the bottom of the shuttle
case or feed box containing the several shuttles ready for changing there is a
long slot or space through which the picker is passed, the picker being con-
I nected to the strap of the overhead picking stick and guided on a fly spindle
fixed to the back of the slay behind the shuttle box. The slot or space is
level with the working shuttle, and forms a free course for the picker, the fly
spindle being placed so far back as not to interfere with the dropping of the
shuttles, and at the other or ejection end of the slay the fly spindle is placed in
its ordinary central position and the picker connected to the overhead picking
stick in the usual manner. At the ejection end of the slay one side of the slot
in the fly plate in which the picker foot works is cut away a part of its length
to allow the picker to be turned on its fly spindle to such a position that when
there is breakage or absence of weft the shuttle which has to be ejected can
glide under the said picker, where it is held for an instant by a check strap
across the end of the slay, as described in my former Specification. Below
the foot of the picker, which is left longer than usual for that purpose, there
is a prong forming one aim of a double lever jointed to the bottom of
the slay, the other arm being connected by a band to a lever on a long
rod which extends from one end of the loom to the other, and is put in
motion by the sextor hammer and weft lever when a shuttle has to be
changed, as described in my former Specification. When there is breakage
or absence of weft the rod is partly turned, and causes the band when the
crank is passing the back centre to turn the picker on its fly spindle, and
place it in the recess in the fly plate to allow the empty shuttle to pass under
it. When the slay is coming to the front a projection on the loom side acts
on the double lever and places the prong and picker in their original positions,
the empty shuttle passing from the slay into a receptacle, there being at that
end either a short stationary shuttle guard or a longer guard, which is raised
up to allow the passage of the shuttle; or instead of the projection on the
loom side a second lever may be placed on the long rod, and be brought into

page_text: .position for returning the prong and picker by the same turn of the rod
which tightens the band. It will be evident that the action of the projection
in replacing the prong, lever, and picker in their original position serves also
to eject the shuttle into the receiving box.
In another arrangement I place the shuttle case or box in an inclined or
horizontal position so as not to interfere with the action of the picking stick,
and when the box is placed in a-horizontal position the shuttles are forced
inwards by a spring.
Having now described the nature and particulars of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be understood
that I claim,-
First, the improved float or floating motion for stopping the loom whilst in
the act of making a float.
Secondly, the employment of substitute or artificial weft for preventing the
weft fork from being acted upon by the sector hammer after the blank
pick.
Thirdly, the improvements for enabling my improved system of self-changing
shuttles to be applied to loose reed looms.
Fourthly, the improved check for the shuttle.
And, fifthly, the adaptation of my system of self-changing shuttles to over-
pick looms, as all such improvements are herein described and illustrated.in
the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bullough, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named John Bullough, in
the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JOHN BULLOUGH. (L.S.)