4109. Howorth, F. W., [Schelling & Stõubli]. Feb. 18. Loom reeds; shedding-motions.-In a loom for weaving cross-woven fabrics, in which the threads are crossed in groups as shown in Fig. 9, the reed is made in upper and lower portions 6, 7, in which the dents 8, Fig. 10, are arranged in groups of three dents connected together at their ends by fillings of tin solder. The groups of dents are fastened at one end between flat bars 10 and double collars 9 wound with wire. The reed portions 6, 7 are carried by longitudinal bars 11, secured by plates 12 to guide-pieces 13, which are free to slide verticilly on bars 15 carried by the lay frame. The crossing and standard warps are drawn through the spaces between the dents of the reed portions 6, 7 respectively, and normally each group of dents in the portion 6 is behind a space in the portion 7, as shown in Fig. 9. During the ordinary working of the loom, the reed portions 6, 7 are held in their central and upper positions respectively, and a plain-woven fabric is produced. When a crossing is to be produced, the healds bring all the warps to the middle shed, and a cord from the dobby pulls the spring handle 29 out of its retaining-notch, so that it acts upon the belt fork 26 to shift the driving-belt from the fast to the loose pulley on the driving-shaft 1. At the same time, a dobby cord acts on a string-controlled lever 34, pivoted on a forked lever 25, to cause the lever 34 to be engaged by a recessed piece 33 on the belt fork 26, thus coupling the belt fork to the lever 25. The lever 25 is moved with the belt fork, and slides a disc along a feather on the hub of the loose pulley, so that pins 20 on the disc are engaged by slots 21 in a disc 22 loosely mounted on the driving-shaft 1. The disc 22 is thus coupled to the loose pulley, and, by means of an attached chain-wheel 23, chain 38, and wheel 37, drives a shaft 36. Eccentrics 39, 40 on this shaft act through rods 41, 44, cranked levers 42, 45, and rods 43, 46, pivoted to the plates 12, to raise and lower the reed portions 6, 7 respectively. A pawl pivoted to the reed portion 6 operates upon a ratchet-wheel on the shaft of a tappet-wheel, to turn the tappet-wheel one step. The tappet-wheel acts upon a spring-controlled pivoted lever which allows the reed portion 6 to be moved longitudinally by the action of a spring, through a distance equal to the width of one or two groups of dents, so that, when the reed portions 6, 7 are lowered and raised respectively by the continued action of the eccentrics 39, 40, a crossing of the gronps of warps, Fig. 9, is produced, the tappet-wheel being provided with small and large tappets alternately. One of two tappets 60 on a disc 59 on the shaft 36 now oscillates a pivoted lever 61, 62, which, by means of a rod 64, an arm 65, a shaft 67, and an arm 66, moves the spring handle 29 into its retaining-notch, thus bringing the driving-belt on to the fast pulley and uncoupling the disc 22 from the loose pulley. The dobby cord now releases the lever 34 from the recessed piece 33, and all the healds are brought into the upper shed position. The crossing-threads are, however, still depressed by the reed portion 6, and a weft is inserted and beaten up. The warps are again brought into the middle shed, and, in the same manner as before, the shaft 1 is stopped and the shaft 36 started. The reed portions 6, 7 are raised and lowered as before, but the reed portion 6 is now moved longitudinally in the reverse direction or into its original position, so as to complete the crossing of the warps, and when the shaft 36 is stopped and the shaft 1 started, plain weaving is re-commenced and continued until another crossing is desired. The shaft 36 is held in position after each halfrevolution by a spring- controlled lever engaging in recesses in a disc on the shaft. If it is desired to produce the crossings at intervals only across the fabric, the groups of reed dents are inserted at the desired places in notches 72 in a bar 71, Fig. 16, and are held fast by a bar 73 and clips 74. Vertical movement of the dents in the bar 71 is prevented by a wire 75, which extends across the reed, and enters recesses in the dents. The middle dent of each group of the reed portion 6 may be made deeper, so that it extends through the space between two groups of the portion 7, and is flush with the front side of this portion.