1116 WEAVING BY ELECTRICITY 



to which the machine was submitted gave but small hope to those who saw it that the 

 inventor would succeed in his object. The public trial at Turin, in 1853, in the 

 presence of manufacturers, was not so successful as to remove all doubts as to the 

 merits of the novel apparatus. In the following year it was submitted to the judg- 

 ment of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, who appointed a committee to examine it, 

 but it is believed that no report was ever made. In 1855, a model of the loom had a 

 place at the Universal Exhibition of Paris, but the lateness of its arrival there prevented 

 any official report being made in reference to its merits. M. Bonelli afterwards 

 devoted much time and attention in endeavouring to remedy its defects and to perfect 

 its working, so as to render it capable of holding its place in the factory. This 

 M. Bonelli believed he had at last accomplished, and he brought over to this country 

 not merely a model, but a loom in complete working order, which he submitted to 

 the judgment of manufacturers, as a machine, which, from its economy and efficiency, 

 might be put in favourable comparison with the Jacquard loom. 



In the first place, it must be understood that the special object of M. Bonclli's 

 machine was to do away with the necessity for the Jacquard cards used to produce the 

 pattern at the present time, the source of delay and very considerable cost, more 

 especially in patterns of any extent and variety of treatment. M. Bonelli used an 

 endless band of paper, of suitable width, the surface of which is covered with tin-foil. 

 On this metallised surface, the required pattern is drawn, or rather painted with 

 a brush in black varnish, rendering the parts thus covered non-conducting to a current 

 of electricity. This band of paper, bearing the pattern, being caused to pass under a 

 series of thin metal teeth, each of which is in connection with a small electro-magnet, 

 it will be readily conceived that as the band passes under these teeth, a current of 

 electricity from a galvanic battery may be made to pass through such of the teeth as 

 rest on the metallised or conducting portion of the band, and from such teeth, througli 

 the respective coils, surrounding small bars of soft iron, thus rendering them temporary 

 magnets, while no current passes through those connected with the teeth resting on 

 the varnished portions. Thus, at every shift of the band, each electro-magnet in 

 connection with the teeth becomes active or remains inactive according to the varying 

 portion of the pattern which happens to be in contact with the teeth. In a moveable 

 frame opposite the ends of the electro-magnets, which, it should be stated, lie in a 

 horizontal direction, are a series of small rods or pistons, as M. Bonelli termed them, 

 the ends of which are respectively opposite to the ends of the electro-magnets. These 

 pistons are capable of sliding horizontally in the frame, and pass through a plate 

 attached to the front of it. When this frame is moved so that the ends of the pistons 

 are brought into contact witli the ends of the electro-magnets they are seized by such 

 of them as are in an active state, and on moving the frame forward, those are retained 

 while the others are carried back with it, and, by means of a simple mechanical 

 arrangement, becomes fixed in their places ; thus there is in front of the frame a plate, 

 with holes, which are only open where the pistons have been withdrawn, and this 

 plate, as will be readily understood, acts the part of the Jacquard card, and is suitable 

 for receiving the steel needles which govern the hooks of the Jacquard in connection 

 with the warp threads as ordinarily used. 



The ordinary Jncquard cards are shown in the following woDdcut, fig. 2110. 



Instead of this arrangement, which will be understood by reference to the article 

 JACQUARD, M. Bonelli, as we have said, instead of the cards prepares his design on 

 metal foil, in a resinous ink, which serves to interrupt the current, and thus effect the 

 object of the machine. 



figs. 2110 and 2111 explain generally the arrangements by which the process is 

 effected. 



A, fy. 211 0, represents the plate pierced with holes, which plays the part of the card. 

 Each of the small pistons or rods, b, forming the armatures of the electro-magnets 

 c, have a small head, d, affixed to the end, exactly opposite the needles, e, of the 

 Jacquard, and are capable of passing freely through the holes of the plate, A. At a 

 given moment the plate is slightly lowered, which prevents the heads of the pistons 

 passing, and the surface of the plate then represents a plain card. The pistons 

 are supported on a frame, //, which allows them to move horizontally in the 

 direction of their length. At each stroke of the shuttle, the frame, carrying with it 

 the plate A, has, by means of the treddle, a reciprocating motion backwards and for- 

 wards, and in its backward movement presents the end of the pistons to one of the 

 poles of the electro-magnets, and, by menus of certain special contrivances, contact 

 with the magnets is secured. When the frame, ff, returns with tho plate A tow; mis 

 the needles of the Jacquard, the electro-magnets, which become temporarily mag- 

 netised by the electric current, hold back the pistons, the heads of which pass through 

 tho plate A, and rest behind it. On the other hand, the electro-magnets which are 

 not magnetised, owing to the course of the current being interrupted, permit the other 





