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1840 Thorp and Angell's Patent Model of a Loom Heddle

National Museum of American History

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Object Details

inventor
Thorp, John
Angell, William G.
Description
Loom Heddles Patent Model
Patent No. 1,498, issued on February 26, 1840
John Thorp and William G. Angell of Providence, Rhode Island
These heddles, both wire and twine, were exhibited in the Patent Office in a round wooden frame. In the patent specification, Thorp and Angell described the dimensions of heddles for use on a common power loom. A chain of the heddles was formed by taking two pieces of wire or twine and tying them with a common square knot, “which will unite them in the same way and manner that a lady ties her apron strings or a child his shoestrings.” The placement of the knots resulted in the formation of the eyes of the heddles, which raise and lower warp threads in weaving cloth.
Thorp and Angell did not include a patent drawing with the specification. The 1841 Journal of the Franklin Institute remarked of this omission: “We must suppose . . . that the description, although to us somewhat obscure, would be clear to a professional weaver.”
Location
Currently not on view
model constructed
before 1840-02-26
patent date
1840-02-26
ID Number
TE.T11409.032
catalog number
T11409.032
accession number
89797
patent number
1,498
Object Name
loom heddle patent model
Object Type
Patent Model
Physical Description
wire (heddle material)
twine (heddle material)
wood (frame material)
associated place
United States: Rhode Island, Providence
Related Publication
Janssen, Barbara Suit. Patent Models Index
See more items in
Cultural and Community Life: Textiles
Patent Models
Patent Models, Textile Machinery
Textiles
National Museum of American History
subject
Patent Models
Invention
Record ID
nmah_1070872
Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a9-0b0d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

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