I, cheeks of sheet iron attached on either side to the cross-bar F, which serve as a safe to a kind of claw K, composed here of eight small metallic bars, seen in section [fig. 567.] and [568.], and on a greater scale in [fig. 570.]
J, upright skewers of iron wire, whose tops bent down hook-wise, naturally place themselves over the little bars K. The bottom of these spindles likewise hooked in the same direction as the upper ones, embraces small wooden bars l, whose office is to keep them in their respective places, and to prevent them from twirling round, so that the uppermost hooks may be always directed towards the small metallic bars upon which they impend. To these hooks from below are attached strings, which after having crossed a fixed board m n, pierced with corresponding holes for this purpose, proceed next to be attached to the threads of the loops destined to lift the warp threads. K K, horizontal spindles or needles, arranged here in eight several rows, so that each spindle corresponds both horizontally and vertically to each of the holes pierced in the four faces of the square axis D. There are therefore as many of these spindles as there are holes in one of the faces of the square.
[Fig. 571.] represents one of these horizontal spindles. n is an eyelet through which the corresponding vertical skewer passes. o another elongated eyelet, through which a small fixed spindle passes to serve as a guide, but which does not hinder it from moving length-wise, within the limits of the length of the eyelet. p, small spiral springs placed in each hole of the case q q, [fig. 570.] They serve the purpose of bringing back to its primitive position, every corresponding needle, as soon as it ceases to press upon it.
[Fig. 572.] represents the plan of the upper row of horizontal needles. [Fig. 573.] is a fragment of the endless chain, formed with perforated cards, which are made to circulate or travel by the rotation of the shaft D. In this movement, each of the perforated cards, whose position, form, and number, are determined by the operation of tying-up of the warp, comes to be applied in succession against the four faces of the square axis or drum, leaving open the corresponding holes, and covering those upon the face of the axis, which have no corresponding holes upon the card.
Now let us suppose that the press B is let down into the vertical position shown in [fig. 568.]; then the card applied against the left face of the axis, leaves at rest or untouched the whole of the horizontal spindles (skewers), whose ends correspond to these holes, but pushes back those which are opposite to the unpierced part of the card; thereby the corresponding upright skewers, 3. 5. 6. and 8. for example, pushed out of the perpendicular, unhook themselves from above the bars of the claw, and remain in their place, when this claw comes to be raised by means of the lever G; and the skewers 1. 2. 4. and 7., which have remained hooked on, are raised along with the warp threads attached to them. Then by the passage across of a shot of the colour, as well as a shot of the common weft, and a stroke of the lay after shedding the warp and lowering the press B, an element or point in the pattern is completed.
The following card, brought round by a quarter revolution of the axis, finds all the needles in their first position, and as it is necessarily perforated differently from the preceding card, it will lift another series of warp threads; and thus in succession for all the other cards, which compose a complete system of a figured pattern.