THE

London

JOURNAL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES.

No. XXXIX.

Recent Patents.

TO RICHARD ROBERTS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, for certain Machinery or Implements applicable to the Process of Weaving Plain or Figured Cloths, or Fabrics, which may be used on, and in Conjunction with, Looms now in common use; and also certain Improvements in the construction of Looms for Weaving Plain and Figured Cloths or Fabrics, and in the Method of Working Looms either by Hand, by Steam, or by other power.

[Sealed 14th November, 1822.]

THESE improvements are divided into several heads, the first of which consists in an improved manner of constructing and applying the tappets which are employed for raising and depressing the different shafts or heddles in those looms where more than two shafts or heddles are used. This part of the improvement is applicable both to hand looms and

those which are worked by power. Plate VI. contains several views of a power loom, having six shafts or heddles, adapted to weave twilled cloths or fustians, and such other fabrics as have the threads crossed in weaving, in that peculiar manner called twill. Fig. 1, is a front view of the loom (the cloth-roller and breast-beam being removed, in order to exhibit the parts behind). Fig. 2 represents the left hand end of the loom; Fig. 3, the right hand end; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal view, that is, looking down upon the top.

The framing is of cast iron, bolted or screwed together, so as to render the whole firm; a is the yarn-roller, upon which the warps are wound, and this is made to turn with considerable friction, by means of cords passing over pullies, with weights suspended in order to keep the warp tight. The warp is drawn from this roller over a small roller b, and from thence is conducted to the lease-rods c, and through the loops of the several heddles d. These heddles are made to move up and down (in the manner hereafter to be described), for the purpose of separating the warp into two sheds, between which the shuttle is to pass, for the purpose of bringing the weft threads between those of the warp, and thereby weaving the fabric; e is the lay in which the reed is placed, consisting of a series of fine wires; between these wires the warp passes, and by it the threads are separated. This lay is supported by two arms ff, and vibrates upon a shaft with pivots below.

The lay is moved backward to enable the shuttle to pass along its race between the divided parts of the warp, and it is brought forward to beat up the weft after the shuttle has passed; g is the place of the breast-beam, over which the cloth or other fabric passes when it is woven, and descends from the breast-beam to the roller h, where it is wound up. On the end of the axle of this roller h, there is a toothed

wheel i, (seen in fig. 3,) which takes into a pinion upon the axle of the ratchet-wheel k. A click or pall at the end of the cross-lever falls into this ratchet, and the lower end of the cross-lever being connected to the leg of the lay, moves with it, turning upon a pivot in the centre of the cross, and every time that the lay goes backward, the click pulls the ratchet-wheel one tooth, thereby causing the pinion to move the roller i, round with a very slow motion, by which the cloth is progressively drawn on to the roller as it accumu lates in the loom.

The machinery is put in motion by means of the band m, seen in fig. 2, which proceeds from the steam-engine, or any other first mover, and passes over the rigger n, which is fixed to a small fly-wheel upon the end of the main shaft of the loom shown at o o, fig. 4. This shaft o, has two cranks upon it, which by means of the connecting links pp, gives motion to the lay. The other end of this shaft has a small toothedwheel q, seen at fig. 3, which takes into another toothedwheel r, of twice the diameter, which last is fixed upon the end of an horizontal axle t t, extending the whole width of the loom, as shown at fig. 1. This axle has a small bevil-pinion v, fixed upon it, which actuates a bevel-wheel u, upon the cross axle w. The tappet-wheel x, is also fixed upon this axle, and the geer is so regulated that the tappet-wheel makes one revolution to every nine revolutions of the crankshaft.

The tappet-wheel x, is formed by two wheels which carry nine small axles, on each of these axles are six small friction rollers, making in the whole fifty-four friction-rollers. These rollers are intended to act upon twelve curved levers y, z, fig. 1. The curved levers move upon fixed centres supported in small bearings; six of these curved levers are supported at 1, and the other six at 2, crossing each other, as shown in fig. 1, the extremities of the levers alternately