CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINE LOOMS FOR WEAVING FIGURED RIBBONS
Year: 1819

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SAWBRIDGE, of White Friar's Lane, in the Parish of Saint Michael, in the
City of Coventry, Loom Maker and Ribbon Weaver, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, in and by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen, for
Himself, His heirs and successors, did give and grant unto me, the said William
Sawbridge, His special licence, full power, sole priviledge and authority, that I,
the said William Sawbridge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
every of them, by myself and themselves, or by my and their deputy or
deputies, servants or agent, or such other as I, the said William Sawbridge,
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
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also within all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN ENGINE LOOMS FOR WEAVING FIGURED RIBBONS;"
in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
William Sawbridge, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,

page_text: particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Sawbridge, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by the Plans or
Drawings in the margin of these Presents, and by the following description
thereof, that is to say :-
Plan Number 1 represents the engine loom as in general use, for the
weaving figured ribbons. By this loom the tackling (as so called) which
operates to raise an opening when at work is sixty tumblers, thirty shafts,
thirty lams, and thirty treadles, which will not make a figure more than thirty
shoots in length, and that of an inferior texture. If the figure was put in to
cut fine, it is necessary for it to be a great depth, the workman forcing down
a treadle to raise an opening for the shuttle to pass through. The remaining
twenty-nine treadles and twenty-nine lams counterbalance the remainder of
the harness up, so that it is impossible to make the figure clear. If the
lingoes of the harness are of weight sufficient to keep it in its proper place,
the weight would be so great that no workman could earn a livelyhood; and
if it were so obtained, the figure would be so short it would not be noticed,
being necessary to strike them so much closer if they are cut fine. My
Invention is to remedy these inconveniences, so that the figure can be worked
from any small number of shoots to any length required on a ribbon, and not
inferior in texture.
Plans No. 2 and 3 represent my improvements. In the Plan No. 2 the
improvements consist,-First, by adding a greater quantity of tumblers and
shafts than can be worked by what is called a course of treadles. Second, by
fixing compass boards D under pole C; the number of holes in each compass
board equals the number of shafts B; the quantity of shafts equal to the
quantity of shoots wanted to make the figure its proper length; the tumblers,
two to every shaft, and the quantity of the said compass boards D, equal to
the quantity of paterns that the loom is intended to make (the Plan is for
three). Third, by the pole I, I, with compass boards J, J upon the top, each 3
said compass board having holes in it equal to the depth of the figures
intended to be made, which will admit of the tugs K, such tugs being looped
on the shafts L to come through to be tied to the bunches of lash G, when
counted out, the number of the said shafts L equal to the depth of the

page_text: figure in each apartment or length, having one strap M looped on to each
space. If the figure will be to a point or to make two forms opposite to each
other, two of the said straps M to each space will answer with half the
quantity of lash G, and half the quantity of the said shafts L. These
shafts are thin strips of wood an eighth of an inch thick and half an
inch wide, and work in three lengths; each end length takes four spaces
and the middle six; the said straps M to be tied to the straps N. Fourth. By
an improved engine H, fixed on the top of the pole I, calculated for working
in the engine loom.
Previous to describing the actions of this engine I think it proper to make
an observation on the side engines which are used in the weaving of broad
figured silk, &c. Some of them are single, which take a cord and leave onc
in it's progress until it has worked as far as required; it then works back
again and takes the cords which are left. Others are double, and take every
cord in regular succession. When worked as far as required, the workman
pulls a cord or moves a lever to raise the catch which then works in the rack
to admit of the slides running back or being drawn back.
My improved engine in Plan No. 2, as here described, works with
two treadles T, from any small number of shoots to eighty or upwards, and
the course is repeated without a stop or the least hindrance whatsoever. Its
actions are as follow:-When the loom is ready for working, the two slides
which slide on the shafts, with racks sliding in them (see Plan of engine H),
are placed at the back end of the shafts ready to take the two first cords E
which come from the tumbler A. The workman treads down the left treddle
first to raise an opening for the shuttles to pass through; and if so applied,
the right will rise by the two pulleys which are on the ends of the shafts, being
connected together by a cord half way round each. The workman then treads
down the right treadle and the left rises, and so on until the slides have taken
all the cords E separately. When the left slide takes the last cord on it's side,
the cranks which are fixed in the frame of the engine press against the wire
which comes through the small roller fixed to work in the circular part of the
slide. By this pressing, the catch which works in the rack is raised up, and
the right slide taking the last cord on its side, the left side will then imme-
diately run back by weight S. The left slide then taking the said first cord,
the right side will immediately run back by weight S, and so on successively.
The cranks at the back end of the frame, when the slides so run back, press
against the wire which goes through the small roller, and causes the catch to
fall into the rack. The improvements in Plan No. 2 I always use where the
figure does not require to be made above one hundred shoots in length and

page_text: one hundred in depth, unless the figure will tie to a point. In the Plan
No. 8 the improvements are used by me when the figure is of great length
and depth (as by this plan I can work a figure any length and depth required)
on a ribbon. The improvements in the Plan No. 3 I describe as follows:-
The engine A is fixed at the top of the loom, which is made to work reverse
to that in Plan No. 2, as it raises the cords up instead of taking them down.
The small rollers, with wires through them, are fixed to work on the upper
part of the slides instead of being in the semicircular part, as in Plan No. 2,
engine H. With these exceptions, the movements are the same as in Plan
No. 2 (see Plan of engine A, No. 3). The cords C which pass through the
compass boards of engine A are knotted at the end to fix on tugs D, which
are looped on the shafts E. The tugs F are tied on the shafts E, as loops
for lash G to be fixed in. The lash G is to be counted out according to the
draughts; when so counted out it is bunched, and tug J fixed to the end of
it so as to pass through the holes in the compass board I, in order to be tied
to the straps K. The holes in compass board I equal the number of bunches
of lash G, and at such distances as will part the lash G, so that it will rise
and fall clear of each of the bunches.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-
fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and nineteen.
Inrolled the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year above written.