12. A Machine
OF A MACHINE, For driving the SHUTTLE of POWER LOOMS.
It is too late to bring this Machine into what might almost be called an overstocked market of ingenuity--since many power Looms exist, work, and seem to want nothing to make them perfect. But an idea of forty years standing, founded on a principle worthy of attention then, may perhaps not be altogether vain at present: Besides--I have engaged in my prospectus to present it to the public. I could, indeed, enter into other parts of the Power Loom--which I had then begun to execute; but such is the rapidity with which that Machine is now striding to perfection, that it would be superfluous. I merely then, fulfil my promise.
On the afore-mentioned occasion, I thought it of importance, that the force employed to throw the shuttle, should be capable of being regulated to any and every degree: and especially should be fully prepared to act, before it's action began: and should, then, act independently of every other impulse.
In fig. 1 of Plate 48, A is a wheel or pulley of about six inches in diameter, from which two cords proceed in opposite directions (B C) to the pickers, which drive the shuttles D E in the usual method. This pulley runs on an axis going through the bottom of the lathe, (or beater) and it might have a crank, behind, of a radius equal to a b; but to shew the whole in one figure, I suppose the following mechanism to be placed in the front of the lathe, and just before the face of this wheel or pulley A. c d is a bar turning on the centre c, and receiving at it's other end the pressure of a spring e d, which in it's turn, is susceptible of different degrees of springiness, as regulated by the screw f. On a stud i in the wheel A, is put the small bar i d, which forms also a turning joint in the bar c d; and thus communicates the effort of the spring to the stud i, and thence to the wheel A. Finally, this wheel has either under it, on the front side of the lathe, or on it's axis, at the back, a pulley, by which it can be turned, by means of one or other of the cords brought from the breast beam of the loom, round the pullies x and y, to this wheel a b i, according to the dotted lines. Supposing then, one of these cords to be tightened by the backward motion of the lathe, it will draw the wheel A about half round: when the stud i will rise to the point b, straining the spring to get over the centre: and as soon as it is over, the spring will act, and drive the picker and the shuttle with the desired speed, independently of any other mover. And it is evident, that now the opposite cord x or y, will be tightened so that when the lathe shall be again pushed backward to form the opening for the shuttle the slide will be carried back over the centre a, and re-produce another impulse in a contrary direction.