IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING CHECKS AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Taylor and Mark Duckers, both of White-
field, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING CHECKS AND OTHER
SIMILAR FABRICS."
Sealed the 1st April 1873, and dated the 15th October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Taylor and
Mark Duckers at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 15th October 1872.
We, ROBERT TAYLOR and MARK DUCKERS, both of Whitefield, in
the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOOMS FOR WEAVING
CHECKS AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS," to be as follows:-
"
--
"
Our Invention relates to the construction of an improved shuttle box
motion for actuating what are known as 'drop boxes in looms
employed for weaving checks, or in other looms wherein two or more
shuttles are employed. Near the end of the crank shaft which projects

page_text: beyond the loom frame at the "drop box" end we fix a skew bevil
wheel, driving (by means of a similar wheel) a short cross shaft upon
which are mounted two cams, cach formed of two semicircular plates,
which cams act on levers as herein-after described. One half of each
cam is fast to the shaft, and the other half works loosely thercon but is
connected to the former by means of a pin in one half working in a
curved slot in the other, in such a way that when the shaft is turning in
one direction one of the cams remains in the form of a semicircle and
thus acts as a cam, whilst the movable half of the other cam works
round the shaft till the two halves form a complete circle, and con-
sequently this cam does not impart any motion to its respective lever.
When the motion of the loom is reversed, the cam which was in the
form of a semicircle expands into a complete circle, and hence becomes
inactive, and the one which was a complete circle becomes semicircular
and comes into action. These cams act upon the cranked ends of
vertical levers, the upper ends of which act against certain discs fixed
on studs. These studs are carried and slide endwise through holes in
two circular plates fixed a few inches apart upon a long boss which is
capable of turning upon a shaft or stud fixed to the loom side, so as to
bring the discs into position for being acted upon in succession by the
upper ends of the vertical levers. Thus it will be seen that as the cam
shaft revolves (the levers being held to the cams by springs), when the
flat side of a cam comes opposite to its lever the latter is drawn inwards
by its spring and presses inwards the disc opposite to its upper end.
The inner extremity of each sliding stud carries a wheel or roller acting
beneath a long lever called the "box lever," and which is connected
by a rod to the "drop boxes." The underneath part of the box
lever is made with steps, and as cach wheel or roller passes beneath
this lever it raises one or other of the shuttle boxes to the level of the
shuttle race, according to which step of the box lever it is projected
under by the action of the vertical lever before-named.
:
The distance to which cach wheel or roller is respectively projected
before passing under the box lever is determined in the following
manner Above the sliding studs which carry the discs are a series of
levers (called the " 'pattern levers") and these levers when in their
lowest position act as stops for the discs on the sliding studs, so that
each of the latter can only be pressed inwards until its disc comes
against one or other of the levers. So long as all the levers remain

page_text: down the boss does not revolve as herein-after described, and all the
wheels or rollers remain stationary and clear of the box lever, and the
upper shuttle box remains in work. If the first lever only is raised the
next stud is pressed inwards till its disc comes against the side of the
second lever. The wheel or roller at its end is thus projected a
sufficient distance to come beneath the first step of the box lever and
raises the second shuttle box to the level of the shuttle race; but if two
or three levers are raised the wheels come under the second or third
step of the box lever and cause it to raise the third or fourth shuttle box,
and so on.
دو
The long boss which carries the sliding studs is caused to revolve a
certain portion of a revolution at each " 'pick so as to present each disc
in succession to the vertical lever by means of a star wheel fixed on one
end of the boss, actuated by a pin in a rim wheel driven by spur
gearing from the crank shaft. This rim wheel is thrown in or out of
gear by means of a double lever provided with reversed inclined planes
and actuated by the same pattern chain which works the pattern levers
as herein-after explained. As the boss revolves the side of each wheel
or roller in passing in succession beneath the centre comes into contact
with an inclined plane which presses it (together with its sliding stud
and disc) outwards into its. original position; ready to be acted upon
again in its turn by the vertical cam lever.
The "pattern levers" are mounted upon a short shaft or stud towards
the back part of the loom and are actuated by means of a pattern chain
of suitable construction, the chain well known to fancy weavers as
"Rostron's pattern chain" answering the purpose well; but any other
known pattern chain having rollers, pegs, or studs of different widths,
arranged according to the pattern desired might be employed.
med by the said Robert Taylor and Mark Duckers in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 15th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
TAYLOR and MARK DUCKERS, both of Whitefield, in the County of
Lancaster, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Robert Taylor and Mark Duckers, Her
special license that we, the said Robert Taylor and Mark Duckers, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Robert Taylor and Mark Duckers, 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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF
LOOMS FOR WEAVING CHECKS AND OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Robert Taylor and Mark Duckers,
our exccutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or one of our, 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 Robert Taylor, on behalf of
myself and the said Mark Duckers, 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :—
Our Invention relates to the construction of an improved shuttle box
motion for actuating what are known as "drop boxes" in looms
employed for weaving checks, or in other looms wherein two or more
shuttles are used, for the purpose of bringing the several shuttle boxes
to the level of the shuttle race in the order required by the check
or other pattern to be woven.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention we will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be
or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that the
same may be clearly understood we have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and

page_text: "
thereof:
Fig. 1, in the annexed Drawing represents a partial side view of a
drop box" loom with one modification of our Invention shown as
applied thereto, and Fig 2 is a front view of the apparatus.
a, a, is the framing of the loom; b, b, the lathe or slay; c, c, the
crank arm; and d, d, the crank shaft. Near the end of the crank shaft
d, d, which projects beyond the loom frame a, a, at the "drop box" end
we fix a skew bevil wheel e, e, driving (by means of a similar wheel ƒ,f,)
a short cross shaft g, g, upon which are mounted two cams 1, h, formed
of two semicircular plates, which cams act on levers m, m, hereafter
described. One-half of cach cam (see enlarged detached view, Fig. 3)
is fast to the shaft g, g; and the other half works loosely thereon, but is
connected to the former by means of a pink in the half h¹ working in a
curved slot 1, 1, in the other half h in such a way that when the shaft is
turning in one direction (see Fig. 3¹) one of the cams remains in the
form of a semicircle, and thus acts as a cam whilst the movable half of
the other cam (see Fig. 3) works round the shaft till the two halves
form a complete circle, and consequently this cam does not impart any
motion to the respective lever m. When the motion of the loom is
reversed the cam which was in the form of a semicircle expands into a
complete circle, and hence becomes inactive, and the one which was a
complete circle becomes semicircular. These cams h, h, act upon the
cranked ends of vertical levers m, m, the upper ends of which act against
discs n, n, fixed on studs o, o. These studs o, o, are carried and slide
endwise through holes in two circular plates p, p, fixed a few inches
apart upon a long boss q, q, which is capable of turning upon a shaft or
stud r,, fixed to the loom side a, a, so as to bring the discs n, n, into
position for being acted upon in succession by the upper ends of the
vertical levers m, m. Thus it will be seen that as the cam shaft g, g,
revolves, the levers being beld against the cams h, h, by springs 8, 8,)
when the flat side of a cam comes opposite to its lever m the latter is
drawn inwards by its spring s, and presses inwards the disc opposite to
its upper end. The inner extremity of each sliding stud o, o, carries a
wheel or roller t, t, acting beneath a long lever u, u, called the "box
lever," and which is connected by a rod u, v, to the lever 10, w, to onc
end of which the "drop boxes" x, x, are attached by the rod y, y. The
underneath part of the box lever u, u, is made with steps (sec also

page_text: detached view Fig. 4) and as cach wheel or roller t, t, passes beneath
this lever it raises one or other of the shuttle boxes to the level of the
shuttle races according to which step of the box lever u, u, is projected
under by the action of the vertical lever m, m, before named.
The distance to which cach wheel or roller t, t, is respectively pro-
jected before passing under the box lever t, t, is determined in the
following manner-Above the sliding studs o, o, which carry the discs
n, n, are a series of curved levers ≈,, (called the "pattern levers") and
these levers when in their lowest position act as stops for the discs n, n,
on the sliding studs, so that each of the latter can only be pressed inwards
until its disc a comes against one or other of the levers z, z. So long as
all the levers remain down the boss does not revolve as herein-after
described, and all the wheels or rollers t, t, remain stationary and clear
of the box lever u, u, and the upper shuttle box remains in work. If
the first lever only is raised the next stud is pressed inwards till its
disc comes against the side of the second lever 21. The wheel or roller t
at its end is thus projected a sufficient distance to come beneath the first
step of the box lever u, u, and raises the second shuttle box to the level
of the shuttle race, but if two or three levers are raised the wheels come
under the second or third step of the box lever and cause it to raise the
third or fourth shuttle box, and so on.
The long boss 7, 9, which carries the sliding studs o, o, is caused to
revolve a certain portion of a revolution at each "pick," so as to present
cach disc in succession to the vertical lever m by means of a star wheel
1, 1, fixed on one end of the boss 7, 7, actuated by pins 2, 2, in a rim 2
whcel 3, 3, driven by spur gearing 4, 4, from the crank shaft d, d. This
rin wheel 3, 3, is thrown in or out of gear by means of a double lever
5, 5, provided with reversed inclined planes 6, 6, and actuated by a
separate set of bowls 9' mounted on the pattern chain which works the
pattern levers as herein-after explained. As the boss q, q, revolves, the a
side of cach wheel or roller t, t, in passing in succession beneath the
centre, comes into contact with an inclined plane or lever 7, 7, which
presses it (together with its sliding stud and disc) outwards into its
original position ready to be acted upon again in its turn by the vertical
cam levers m, m.
The pattern levers 2,5, are mounted upon a short shaft or stud 8, 8,
1

page_text: imitation or modification thereof constructed and operating in sub-
stantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Taylor, on behalf of myself
and the said Mark Duckers, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord Oue thousand 6
cight hundred and seventy-three.
Witnessed by
JOHN HUGHES,
Clerk to George Davies, O.E.,
Patent Office,
Manchester.
ROBERT TAYLOR. (L.S.)