IMPROVE- MENTS IN JACQUARD FRAMES, IN THE SLIDES OR BOXES, AND GAUGING BITS, TO ENABLE A GREATER NUMBER OF SPRING DROPPERS TO BE USED IN THE WIDTH WITHOUT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, AND FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAME GENERALLY
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Benson, of Robin Hood Street, of the Town and
County of the Town of Nottingham, Engineer, and Henry Hickton, of Long
Eaton, in the County of Derby, Lace Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN JACQUARD FRAMES, IN THE SLIDES OR BOXES, AND GAUGING BITS, TO
ENABLE A GREATER NUMBER OF SPRING DROPPERS TO BE USED IN THE WIDTH
WITHOUT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, AND FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAME GENERALLY."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Benson and Henry
Hickton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th April 1877.
WILLIAM BENSON, of Robin Hood Street, of the Town and County of the Town of
Nottingham, Engineer, and HENRY HICKTON, of Long Eaton, in the County of
Derby, Lace Maker. IMPROVEMENTS IN JACQUARD FRAMES, IN THE SLIDES OR
BOXES, AND GUAGING BITS, TO ENABLE A GREATER NUMBER OF SPRING DROPPERS
TO BE USED IN THE WIDTH WITHOUT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CYLINDERS, AND
FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FRAME GENERALLY."
"
Our Invention relates to those machines that are attached to machines for
making lace and other fabrics, and known as jacquards, consisting,―
Firstly. In the method of arrangement and construction of thin bars of metal
known as slides or boxes, whereby a greater number of spring droppers may be
used in the width without increasing the number of cylinders.
Secondly. In improvements in the construction of the frame generally, as sub-
sequently described and illustrated.
For the first part of our Invention each slide or box is fitted with two pro-
jections, each alternate slide or box having the projections on opposite sides, which
may be distinguished by stating that the slides or boxes are right and left handed,
the projections on the right-hand slide or box being placed between the projections
on the left-hand slide or box, so that they form four points from which the slides or
boxes may be driven; the slides or boxes are also made alternately long and short,
the long ones being partially cut away to allow of passing under the guaging bits
of the short ones.

page_text: The guaging bits consist of a screw working in a fixed bearing, and connected to
a sliding nut, and are attached to the end of each of the long or short slides or
boxes. The bars to be operated upon are attached to the sliding nuts which are
adjustable by means of a wrench fitting on the square end of the screw; by this
arrangement the work is nearly in a line with the centre of the slides or boxes,
thereby insuring a direct action.
The perforated metal plates forming a guide for the droppers (called sleys), and
also the perforated cylinder in which the ends of the droppers work, are of the
ordinary description, but of greater width to allow of a greater number of droppers
being used, which droppers are divided into two sets over each cylinder, one set
taking a curved or angular position to the right hand the other set a curved or
angular position to the left hand.
The driving plates for giving motion to the slides or boxes are made double,
each one having two driving faces. These driving plates (which may be made
either double or single) have recesses at the back of the driving faces to allow of
the projections on the slides or boxes going underneath.
In the second part of our Invention, for improvements in the frame generally, we
employ two slides moving on each side of a dividing plate or web on each standard.
The supports or guides to the slides, which are of an angular shape and screwed
to the top and sides of each standard, provide substantial guides, economise space,
and give a ready means of taking up the wear.
The bracket or frame for carrying the sleys for slides or boxes and bars is cast
in one piece, forming a stay to the top of the standards to which it is attached,
enabling the whole of the slides or boxes to be fitted, fixed, or removed together.
The brackets for carrying the dropper guides or sleys are attached to the under
sido of the slides that give motion to the driving plates; they also form the bearing
or guide for the spindles, two of which form part of the racking-on motion, the
other four forming the bearings for the two cylinders; a projection is cast to one
bracket to carry a lever, to which the rack is attached for giving rotary motion to
the cylinder; we prefer to cast each pair of brackets together by a frame to which
the perforated plates or sleys may be fastened.
The bearings for the rocking shaft (to which are attached the levers, giving
vertical motion to the cylinders) are cast in one piece, and forms the bottom stay
to the standards.
The four spindles which form the bearings for the cylinders has an elongation
to which the levers that give vortical motion to the cylinders are connected; two
of these spindles are made with a projection on each side, to which the studs to
carry the springs for the racking-on motion are fastened; by this means the line of
action is more direct.
The lever to which the rack is attached, that gives the rotary motion to the
cylinder, is of the ordinary kind, but connected by a link at the top end, one end
of which link is secured by a stud to the standard; by this arrangement the lever
is quiet in working and positive in action.
Upon the main shaft is fastened four cambs that give motion to the slides to
which the driving plates are attached; an eccentric is also on the same shaft
actuating the rocking shaft that works the cylinders.
Each of the two folding apparatusses consists of a racking-on lever worked from
the rocking shaft to the folding cylinder, which cylinder has the square (on which
the spring works) and also the studs (for racking-on cylinder) attached to it. The
axle carrying the cylinder has a bearing at each end in two brackets screwed to
the standards; these brackets also form the bearing for the folding wires, and are
so arranged that the folded cards slide towards the perforated cylinder; the same
brackets have projections at each end to which two loops of flat iron (resembling
the back of the letter D) are screwed, these loops have ono end under the folding
cylinder and the other end under the perforated cylinder, for the purpose of keeping
the cards delivered to and from the cylinders separate.
The flat steel spring working on the square end of folding cylinder for holding

page_text: the cylinder in position during the interval of racking-on is screwed to one of the
orackets. This arrangement admits of folding any number of cards by the folding
cylinder being placed closer to or further from the jacquard.
The machine is driven in the ordinary way by gearing on the main shaft.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood, we shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheets of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all corresponding Figures.
Figure 1 of our Drawings is a front elevation of a jacquard machine having our
improved mechanism for enabling a greater number of spring droppers to be used
in the width without increasing the number of cylinders, and for improvements in
the construction of the frame generally; Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations; Fig. 4 is
a plan.
Fig. 5 show plan, section, and end view of the driving plates.
Figs. 6 and 7 shows plan and elevation of slides and boxes, with the arrangement
of adjusting screw at the end; also the driving pieces placed left and right handed,
as described.
Figs. 8 and 9 show front and side views of the arrangement for working the
cylinders.
Figs. 10 and 11 slow the arrangement of our improvements in slides for actuating
the driving plates; Fig. 12, the shape of camb for actuating the same.
Figs. 13 and 14 show our improved arrangement for folding the cards.
In Figures 6, 6a, 7, 7a, are the slides or boxes which go the width of the sleys ;
F, F, are the right and left handed projections forming the four points from which
they may be driven; Figures 6, 6, are the long slides or boxes; Figures 7, 7ª, are
the short ones; G, G, are the guaging bits, consisting of a screw working in a fixed
bearing and attached to a sliding nut.
In Figures 9, 4, 3, h, h, are the perforated metal plates (called sleys); y, y, Figures 1,
3, are the spring droppers.
In Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, m, m, are the double driving plates for giving motion to
the slides or boxes; Figures 5 b, 5 c, show the recesses at the back of the driving
faces.
In Figures 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, n, n, are the slides under the improved arrangement,
with a dividing web between; 1, 1, 1, 1, are the supports or guides of an angular
shape; o, o, are the trucks working on axles attached to slides n, n; y, y, are the
cambs which act upon the trucks o, o, and kept in contact by the springs k, k.
In Figures 1, 9, h, r, h, r, are the two brackets carrying the spindles for racking-
on motion, as well as the spindle, which forms the bearings for cylinders, and to
which the perforated metal plates h, h, called dropper guides or sleys are attached.
In Figure 4 H, H, is the bracket or frame carrying sleys for slides or boxes and
bars, and which forms the stay to top of standards; z, z, are the sleys for slides or
boxes and bars which are fastened to bracket or frame H, H.
In Figures 8, 9, we show a detailed front and side elevation of the bracket for
carrying the spindles and dropper guides or sleys, and our arrangement of the
racking-on motion. a, a, is the shaft passing through cylinder h; a, a, is the cog
wheel actuated by rack c, which we for one cylinder connect to lever c, lever c being
connected by link v, that is, connected to the standard by a stud.
In Figures 1, 2, A, A, are the standards; L is the bracket carrying rocking shaft
and lever, and forms the bottom stay to the standards; N are the spindles forming
the bearings for cylinders with elongations, two of which have projections to carry
studs for springs i, i; M are the two spindles forming part of the racking.on
motion; g, g, are the links for connecting racking-ou motion levers c to spindles for
giving vertical motion to cylinders.
Figures 13 and 14 are front and side elevations of our improved apparatus for
folding the cards, which admit of any number of cards being folded.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, we would observe that

page_text: we do not confine ourselves to the exact shape or configuration of the several parts
described and illustrated, as these may be varied, but what we consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The method of arranging the slides or boxes with the guaging bits to enable a
greater number of spring droppers to be used in the width without increasing the
number of cylinders, substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The arrangement of the frame generally, comprising, first, arrangement
of bracket for carrying top sleys for carrying slides and boxes and bars; secondly,
arrangement of double set of droppers working to one cylinder, as shown; thirdly,
arrangement of double driving plates, as shown in Sheet 5; arrangement of brackets
carrying dropper guides or sleys, as described and identified by letters R; arrange-
neut of racking-on motion lever with motion for working same, having a stationary
connection, as shown in Figure 8.
The arrangement of folding apparatus, as shown and described; the means of
keeping the cards (to and from the cylinders) separate; together with the arrange-
ment of brackets carrying the folding cylinder, by which the folded cards slide
towards the perforated cylinder, thus releiving both the cards and the perforated
cylinder from the pulling strain upon them, as in ordinary use,
In witness whereof, we, the said William Benson and Henry Hickton, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness to the signatures of
the said William Benson
and Henry Hickton,
G. E. WEBSTER, C.E,
Nottingham.
WILLIAM BENSON. (L.S.)
HENRY HICKTON. (L.S.)