US169608A - Improvement in pattern-chains for looms - Google Patents

Description

I J. F. WICKS. PATTERN-CHAINSFOR LOOMS.

Patented Nov. 2. 1875.

INVENTOR.

WITNE S SE SI MPETERS. FHOTDLITHOGBAPHEE. WASHINGTON, ll 0 Uivrrnn STATES Josnrn F. WIGKS, or PROVIDENCE,

RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF lFART OF HIS RIGHT TO EDWARD P. OHAPIN, OF SAME PLACE.

lMPR OVEMENT 1N PATTERN-CHAINS FOR LOOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,608, dated November 2, 1875; application filed February 24, 1875.

To all whom it may concern! Be it known that I, JOSEPH F. WICKS, of the city and county of Providence, in the 7 State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pattern- Ohains for Looms; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in con nection with the drawings furnished, and forming apart of the same, is a clear, true,

and complete description of myinvention and several embodiments thereof.

It is well known to weavers of fancy goods that a harness-controlling chain, as heretofore constructed and operated on fancy looms, when made up for producing any pattern composed of several distinct figures consecutively repeated, must of necessity have one bar of the chain which is the beginning. and the ending of a series of perfect patterns.

7 To illustrate, I will assume that a sixteen heddle loom is expected to produce a pattern endless chain, the ninebar figure must be repeated seventy-seven times, the eleven-bar figure sixty-three times, and the seven-bar figure ninety-nine times.

I seek by my present invention the production of patterns, whether simple or complex in their styles, by the employment of the least possible number of chain-bars, and, as an instance of what may be effected thereby, I will state that, instead of using six hundred and ninety -three bars of chain, heretofore necessary for working a pattern like that already described, I can produce the same pattern by using but twenty-seven bars. It will be seen that this great difference in the number of bars employed for producing the same result practically involves a saving, approximately represented by the difference in time requisite for building'up a chain of six hundred and ninety-three bars and the time required for building up a chain of but twenty seven bars.- In addition to this advantage it will also'be seen that, if a pattern were too complex for its production heretofore on an ordinary fancy 100111, by reason of the great length of chain required for the purpose, through my invention it could be readily produeed,'as only a small number of bars may be made to perform the same service heretofore performed by a much larger number of bars.

My invention consists in the combination of a harness-controlling chain, constructed in independent longitudinal sections, with a chain shaft or cylinder, which is provided with engaging surfaces for rotating all the sections simultaneously with the cylinder, and with guides which confine each section to its proper space on the cylinder.

But more particularly to describe my invention I will refer to the drawings, in which Figure 1 represents in end view a loom provided with my harness-chain and cylinder. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent different styles of harness-chains mounted on ehain-cyliuders. Fig. 5 represents a chain, as formerly constructed, for operating as in Fig. 3.

The loom shown in Fig.1 belongs to a wellknown class of looms, which are largely employed in weavin g fancy cassimeres, and which are frequently operated with. as many as twenty heddles, and sometimes a greater number. Ten heddles are shown therein in this instance.

A denotes the harness-chain. It is composed of four sections. Sections (1 b c 01 control, respectively, one, two, three, and four harnesses each. Each section has its particular part to perform in producing the fabric, and they are shown to have ten, twenty-five, thirty, and seventeen bars respectively, giving an aggregate length in all of eighty-two bars. Should this same service be sought in.

a chain constructed as formerly, and not in sections, said chain would of necessity be two thousand five hundred and fifty bars longthat is to say, the ten bars would have to be repeated in the chain two hundred and fiftyfive-times, the twenty-five bars onehundred and two times,fthe thirty bars eighty-five times, and the seventeen bars one hundred and fifty times before the two ends of the chain could be united, and make a perfect endless chain for producing perfect results. 7

. In-Fig.2 I show "a sectional chain, in which .harnesses each, and the two inner ones control five each, Y a In Fig.5 I show a chain of the constructionand width'heretofore employed on such a loom,ias indicatedin Fig. 3.

'In- Fig. 4 I .show a sectional chain of the pattern card system, in which the same advantages may accrue by reason of its sec- .tion'al construction, as in the instances previously cited. The operative functions of both systems of chains are the same, in that they are the controllers of the warp-openin g or shedforming devices. It is not to be understood that any particular number of sections con- 'stitutes my invention, provided that thechain for controlling the heddles be constructed in two or more longitudinal sections, each of WlJlOll' is complete in itself, and all of which, mounted on the same cylinder, operate in producin g the desired pattern, as one single chain has heretofore been operated.

.It is, however, to be distinctly understood that-I do not herein claim as my invention a harness-controlling chain of the character described, except in combination with a chainshaft or cylinder, which is provided with engaging surfaces for rotatively connecting all .of-the sections with the cylinder, and also with guides which prevent each section from lateral movement on the cylinder while it rotates; g

It is Well known that chains are variously constructed, and that the chain-cylinder is always provided with rotatively-engagin g surfaces, adapted to the character of the chain as, for instance, in Fig.2, the sections of chain are composed of side pieces, as at e, and crossbars, as at f, on which the rollers g are axially mounted. For this class ofchain the shaft or cylinder is provided with fixed collars, as

at h, which have concave recesses in their pe ripheries, for receiving the bars f, and thereby secure the rotation of the chain with the cylinder. These concave recesses in the collars, therefore, constitute, in this instance, the engaging surfaces of the chain-shaft, Whereby it maintains control of the chain when rotated. Another; kind of chain is shown 'in Fig. 4:, in which the sections are composed of flat pattern-cards. The chain shaft or cylinder, with which such chains are used, is square,

as shown, and its flat surfaces enable it to engage with the cards, and rotatively control the chain. In this connection the flat sides or surfaces of the chain-shaft perform the same function as the recesses in the collars it previously described. sections may be'prevented fromhaving any lateral movement on the cylinder, each section of chain is provided with guides on the cylinder or chain shaft, and these guides also vary in form according to the construction of the chain; as, for instance, with the chain shown in Fig. 2 the collars h are provided, two for each section of chain, and they are so located on the shaft with relation to each that the outer side of each collar will be in close proximity to the adjacent inner surface .of the side pieces 6 when the barsf occupy the recesses, and therefore these collars serve as guides for this class of chain, and prevent each section from having any lateral movement on .the cylinder.

For convenience of adjustment I prefer to have the chain-shaft longitudinally slotted, and the collars h provided at their eyes with lugs for entering the slot, and with means for securing them to the shaft, for preventing longitudinal movement thereon.

With the pattern-card chain shown in Fig.

4 the recessed collars cannot be used for per-.

forming the function of guides, because the flat surfaces of the chain-shaft perform the same service as the recesses in the collar h of Fig.2, and therefore I use on that kind of shaft guides, as at h, which may be narrow straight strips. of wood or metal, secured to each of the four sides of the shaft, thus separating it into divisions, each of which is occupied by a section of chain.

To still further illustrate the value of my invention I will assume that for producing a certain pattern I require twenty heddles, that said pattern involved three separate figures;

that for these figures I required five, seven,

and eight heddles, respectively, and sections of chain of nine, eleven,,and fifteen bars, respectively. For preparing for weaving this figure by means of chains, constructed as here.- tofore, said chain would have to be built up, bar after bar, until the initial bar would also constitute the terminal bar, and so form an endless chain. In other words, it appears from mathematical calculation that, in said chain, the ninebar figure would have to be d uplicated fifty-five times, the eleven -bar fortyfive times, and the fifteen-bar pattern thirtythree times, thus making, in the aggregate, a chain of four hundred and ninety-five bars in length, while, with my sectional chain, the same service would be performed with an aggregate length of chain of thirty-five bars.

To show to what an extent the addition of a single bar to one of these patterns would afiect the length of the chain, I will suppose, that the fifteen-bar figure be changed to a six;

N ow. in order that the other and to their particular section of chain,

I teen-bar figure,other figures remaining as before. In this case the chainwould-necessarily.

combination with a different figure, to take the place of the third in the figure previously stated. With chains asformerly constructed the entire chain structure must be taken apart and "rebuilt. 'With my improved sectional chains the retained figure-sections remain intact, and only a new section will be required for the new figure. By this means, and by reason of the fact that the changed sectiononly requires the precise number of bars 'to produce the new figure, a change of pattern involves only the labor of a few minutes, while heretofore it has always only been accomplished in several hours.

It will be seen that, by reason of my invention, there is not only great economy attained in the greatly lessened quantity of chain material requisite, but the labor heretofore requisite in building up the chain is so far lessened as to cause the cost in time of making up entirely new patterns with my sectional chain a matter of trifling consequence; whereas with chains as heretofore constructed said labor and expense constituted a heavy item in production of goods. It will also be seen that the side bars and pulley-bars of the sectional chain may be made much lighter than heretofore, and therefore several sections may readily be constructed so as to occupy no more space than the old style of chain of full width.

Moreover, by means of my novel sectional chain 1 am enabled to produce what I term kaleidoscopic efl'ects, whereby varieti s of irregular and sometimes beautifully-regular figures may be produced as irregular patterns by the employment of no more skill or thought than is requisite for displaying the changeable figures in a kaleidoscope. To illustrate, I will refer to that always marketable style of cassimeres known as pepper and salt, and assume that I was working a loom with ten harnesses (for instance) in the production of those goods, and that a chain .const-ructedin five sections was employed for controlling the harnesses. For producing a kaleidoscopic effect I would advance one chain a bar or two, perhapswithdraw another, orin other words I would mix them up at random as I would turn a kaleidoscope. As

partial enumeration of the adv'antages'accruing by reason of my invention, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art, that styles of weaving, which haveheretofore been deemed as capable of being performed only in a Jacquard loom, are, by reason of my inven;,

tion, brought within the capacity of ordinary pattern-chain looms, and that operations with ,a Jacquard loom may be greatly simplified,

so far as labor and expense is concerned, in

the necessary preparation and construction of card-chains. In connection with the Jacquard looms, it is only necessary further to say, that with afgeneral assortment of card-chain sections, each adapted to produce an isolated figure, a complex pattern involving any desired number offigures selected from the assortment may be promptly provided for.

It is not to be understood that each section of the chain need be confined to the execution of a single perfect figure or series of figures, because any one section of chain may, under some circumstances, be made to assist adjacent sections in completing a figure, when the several sections thus coacting are of equal length, or when the coacting bars in the assisting sections may be located at perfectly regular intervals therein.

I am well aware thatharness-controlling chains, as illustrated in Fig. 5, and not constructed in independent longitudinal sections, have heretofore been used on chain-shafts, provided with recessed collars for engaging with the long bars at each end thereof, and adjacent to the inner surfaces of the side pieces, so as to prevent lateral movement of the chain on the shaft, and also that cardpattern chains, not constructed in independent longitudinal sections, have heretofore been used on chain-shafts provided with guides, one on each side (or at each edge) of the wide chain, for preventing it from moving laterally on the shaft. As before stated, I do not broadly claim herein a harness-controlling chain constructed in longitudinal sections, but only claim such a chain in combination with a chainshaft or cylinder, which operates all the sec tions as one chain, is provided with engaging surfaces which enable it to rotatively control all of the sections, and with guides, which confine or limit each section to its precise proper position on the shaft.

I deem it proper to state in this connection, with relation to the pre-existing state of the art, that I well know that it is not new teflivi'he the mmeshdmrhuth chain ihto' twtiltiitgituiiiiial sec JOIiS, -n'dtfo' operate these shtifons fllt'ertiafiely as itifl'ep'r'l'd'ent -Chziii1's; als-mthat it is not new to mount upon the -sm ne shtfta-h'aruess' boi'itrolling chain and a box-controlling (aha-in; and t0 01.)er'at'e them togethf a's b't're'eliztiii by mehii's 'of a chain-shaft prbvided with engaging su'rfatc'es'fdr rotating theeh ztins, and also with guides for keeping the two chai'n's'f'rom having any lateral indwe- -me'n't (in the shaft; Neither is it new to divide the h'striiess eontrollingq 'ehain into lbn'githdirial sections (if 'e'qiuil llig'th and to connet tli'ei'n by'bars Or rorls; so as to render theij'n in 'd 'pe'ratibn the same as" one Wide chain.

1 The co'mbih'ation 6f the htti'nes's-ctintrollihg chain cmistrl'i'c'ted' in. independent longitudinal "SeCtiOnSQWith a chain-shaft or cylinder 'iihvided with enga ing surfaces-and guides, I d" wrran' edw rotate the several sections as if theywer'e one wide chain, as herein described binetiori; the 'ra' tical application of which,

invelves an improve'hient'in rehash? 'be-pfo'due'ed to" several indepehdht mn ituhi'n'il secti'dns (if the hedhle-cbdtrouing patte'rh ch'ztih, whereby the pattern to be woven may he prhdiicjed with an'aggregate number (if bar in all th'e secti ns which 'e'q'iiil's the sum or a gregate, or never exceeds the aggregatei of the bztrs aetii etlly rediiis'ite fo'r prhdueihg the pattern, 0r the several figures thereof. I V Having thus described my invention; I claim as new and desire to" secure by Letters Pitte'nt The cehihiii'zttihn' of a herhes's-bentfbllirfi-g chain 'ebn'str'uted iii iiidependent l'ohgitutt inal seetions;'with a .vcheif shaft br cylinder which is pife'yiiied with engaging surfaces for ldtatiilg an the seem-us simultattieous'ly with w cy1im1er, and With guides which confine each secti'dn' to its firopi' space On'the cylinder; substantially 's'petiified.

.i'osiiieii F; Wicks.

Witnesses: v

W'AI'ZTER B'. VINCENT;

HOS. T; RICH;

as and for the purpzjses 1

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