In of HYDRAULIC OR FIRE-HOSE, AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAME
Year: 1877

page_text: A
LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
" IMPROVED
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
HYDRAULIC OR FIRE-HOSE, AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAME."
cominunication from abroad by John Van Dussen Reed, of the City, County,
and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 3rd July 1877, and dated the 13th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th January 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVED HYDRAULIC OR FIRE-HOSE, AND METHOD OF FABRICATING
THE SAME. A communication from abroad by John Dan Dussen Reed, of the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention consists in a new manufacture of multi-ply fire or hydraulic hose
composed of cotton, linen, or other analogous material, which, being woven in a
cylindrical or equivalent form without abrupt bends in the weft strands, in contra-
distinction to being woven in two flat sheds, with the woof strands sharply curved
where they pass from the one shed around into the other, and the woof strands
being closely packed into the web, is of substantially uniform appearance and
strength throughout.
The Invention also consists in the method of fabricating the fire-hose herein
described, wherein the warp threads are arranged and held in a cylindrical or
equivalent form while two or more woof threads are interwound with said warp
threads in concentric helical coils, one within another, the warp threads being
thrown as described, whereby the whole are tied together and form a single cylindrical
tubular web of more than one ply.
I am aware that hose of more than one ply has heretofore been made, but it has
lacked the qualities of compactness and uniformity of strength and appearance of
that of this Invention. It has been woven in the form substantially of two flat or
plane webs, tied together at the edges by the same weft threads, passing around
through both with sharp bends at the edges, and it is obvious that a hose thus
woven will not possess when expanded the strength, as if woven in precisely or
nearly the form it will assume when subjected to internal hydraulic pressure, Along

page_text: the line of the sharp bends of the weft threads there are in the flat woven hose
necessarily weak places of different appearance also from the flat portion of the web.
These sharp bends in the weft threads are of course objectionable, both because of
such weakness and differing appearance.
The Drawings represent several sections of the new fire-hose constituted of more
than a single ply, Figure 1 being a cross section on line 8, 8, and Figure 2 a longitudinal
section of a three ply hose, showing a modification in which each and all the warp
threads pass back and forth through the entire thickness of the web.
In Figure 1 the large circles represent the woof threads of a three-ply hose, and
the small circles the ends of the warp threads. Each woof thread and its adjacent
warp threads constitute in fact a distinct web, and then the said three webs are tied
together by certain strands a of the warp which pass through the web, from face to
face, between and crossing the woof threads.
In order that those skilled in the art may be able to fabricate the new hose,
whether two, three, or more ply, I will describe a method and a loom by which it
may be produced, not limiting myself, however, to any special instrumentality, my
claim being for the product itself, as a new manufacture, and the method of
fabricating it.
Former Letters Patent were granted to me for improvement in looms for weaving
hats. The said loom may be employed with certain modifications, changes, and
additions, in the weaving of this new fire-hose of more than one ply.
The general description of that loom I shall not here repeat, but refer thereto for
the same, confining my present description to the changes and additions necessary
for the production of the new bose by the method of this Invention.
In this loom the warp strands are held on spools carried by jacks arranged around
a circle, the strands converging toward the centre of the circle, where they pass down
through a hollow cylinder over the upper circular edge of the said cylinder. Just
at this edge the woof strands are woven into the warp by a shuttle which is carried
around the circle, and winds the woof into the web spirally, thus forming a con-
tinuous cylindrical tube. The ends of the warp threads, before the operation of
weaving in the woof is commenced, are gathered together, carried down through
the cylinder around, under, and over drums, and back around an axle. By the
stress of a weight or spring upon the said axle the proper strain is given to the
warp threads.
The drums are driven by gearing, to which motion is communicated from the
driving pulley. The warp carriers or jacks are held between vertical guide plates
or partitions, and are caused to move up and down in their places between the said
guide plates by the harness, to give the requisite motion to the warp strands in the
act of weaving, the shuttle being carried in the end of the arm which is attached
to the frame carrying the harness, and revolves with it, thus winding the said woof
thread into the web spirally and continuously from end to end of the hose, all of
which, so far as relates to the action of the woof carriers and shuttle, is fully
described in the Letters Patent before referred to.
Now to produce a double-ply web a second shuttle and shuttle-carrying arm are
provided, the said arm being attached to the revolving carriage or rings of the loom,
the two arms being placed at opposite sides of the loom, each shuttle carrying a
separate woof thread. A certain number of the jacks or warp carriers are made to
carry the warp threads to form the one ply, and an equal number to carry those to
form the other ply. The warp threads for each web are thrown by their carries
to form, with the woof threads delivered from the shuttle respectively, a separate
web, and then the two webs are tied together into one by another set of the warp
threads, which cross through both webs back and forth around the two woof threads,
the jacks carrying these tying threads being, by the direction of the guide rings
of the harness which actuate, made to thus pass back and forth through the entire
thickness of both webs. Usually about every fourth warp strand is made such
tying strand; & greater or less number may be used at pleasure.
The operation described will produce a fabric, the relative position and direction

page_text: of the several threads of which are represented by the Figures 1 and 2, the formner
being a cross section of the hose and the latter a longitudinal section.
In these Drawings the strands or threads are represented on an enlarged scale
and as separated widely from each other, in order that their relative position and
direction may be plainly seen.
In the actual web the strands are of course crowded into close contact with each
other. To do this I attach, at essentially right angles to the end of the shuttle-
carrying arm, a divider consisting of two arms formed into an oblate frame. The
shuttle travels between the arms of the divider and delivers the weft evenly and
close between the warp strands, which are forced apart in its passage, and these
warp strands being closed after the passage of the divider tie the warp up solidly
and firm, and it is further compacted by the next passage of the shuttle and
divider.
The arrangement of the threads shown in Figure 1 I consider the preferable
fabric, but I do not intend to limit myself to it, as this is obviously only a matter
of mere mechanical detail to arrange the harness in such a manner as to produce a
great variety in the arrangement of the warp strands, and consequently in the
construction of the hose; one such variation is shown in Figure 3.
To make a three-ply hose (the one represented in the Drawing) it is only necessary
to add a third shuttle and shuttle carrier, divide the warp threads into three sets,
besides the tying strands, one set for each web, and construct and arrange the
harness to throw the carriers of the several sets to weave with three woof strands
three separate webs, and then to cause the tying strands to pass through the three
webs and bind them together, or to cause all the warp threads to cross and recross
entirely through the three webs, as shown in Figure 3.
As will be observed the peculiarity of the method of fabricating fire-hose herein
described, so that in the weaving the warp threads at the actual point of weaving
are held in a circular or equivalent position precisely as the hose will be under
internal pressure, and that while held there the two or more woof threads are inter-
wound with the warp threads in helical coils, one coil within another, and the whole
fabric tied together and completed while in this position, thus forming an expanded
woven tube of uniform strength and appearance around its whole periphery, and
obviously without the weakness of a hose which, woven originally flat, is expanded
when submitted to internal pressure, as above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
July 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVED HYDRAULIC OR FIRE-HOSE, AND METHOD OF FABRICATING
THE SAME.' A communication from abroad by John Van Dussen Reed, of the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention consists in a new manufacture of multi-ply fire or hydraulic hose
composed of cotton, linen, or other analogous material, which, being woven in a
cylindrical or equivalent form without abrupt bends in the weft strands, in contra-
distinction to being woven in two flat sheds, with the woof strands sharply curved
where they pass from the one shed around into the other, and the woof strands
being closely packed into the web, is of substantially uniform appearance and
strength throughout.
The Invention also consists in the method of fabricating the hose herein described,
wherein the warp threads are arranged and held in a cylindrical or equivalent form
while two or more woof threads are interwound with said warp threads in concentric
helical coils, one within another, the warp threads being thrown as described

page_text: whereby the whole are tied together and form a single cylindrical tubular web of
more than one ply.
I am aware that hose of more than one ply has heretofore been made, but it has
lacked the qualities of compactness and uniformity of strength and appearance of
that of this Invention. It has been woven in the form substantially of two flat or
plain webs tied together at the edges by the same weft threads, passing around
through both with sharp bends at the edges, and it is obvious that a hose thus
woven will not possess when expanded the strength as if woven in precisely or
nearly the form it will assume when subjected to internal hydraulic pressure. Along
the line of the sharp bends of the weft threads there are in the flat woven hose
necessarily weak places, of different appearance also from the flat portions of the web.
These sharp bends in the weft threads are of course objectionable, both because of
such weakness and differing appearance.
The Drawings represent several sections of the new fire-hose constituted of more
than a single ply, Figure 1 being a cross section on line x, x, Figure 2, and Figure 2 a
longitudinal section of a three-ply hose; Figure 3 is also a longitudinal section of a
three-ply hose, showing a modification in which each and all the warp threads pass
back and forth through the entire thickness of the web.
In Figure 1 the large circles represent the woof threads of a three-ply hose, and
the small circles the ends of the warp threads. Each woof thread and its adjacent
warp threads constitute in fact a distinct web, and then the said three webs are tied
together by certain strands a of the warp which pass through the web from face to
face, between and crossing the woof threads.
In order that those skilled in the art may be able to fabricate the new hose,
whether two, three, or more ply, I will describe a method and a loom by which it
may be produced, not limiting myself, however, to any special instrumentality, my
claim being for the product itself as a new manufacture, and for the method of
fabricating it.
Former Letters Patent were granted to the said John Van Dussen Reed, dated
November 28th, 1871, No. 3220, for improvements in circular looms for weaving
hats, caps, and other articles. The said loom may be employed, with certain
modifications, changes, and additions, in the weaving of this new fire hose of more
than one ply.
The general description of that loom I shall not here repeat, but refer thereto for
the same, confining my present description to the changes and additions necessary
for the production of the new hose by the method of this Invention.
In order that these changes and additions may be the more readily understood I
have reproduced here, in Figure 4 of the Drawings, a sectional view of the parts of
the said loom, by which the warp strands or threads are carried and the woof threads
delivered into the web and packed therein, with the above-named necessary additions
and changes.
In this loom the warp strands are held in spools carried by jacks arranged
around a circle, the strands converging toward the centre of the circle, where they
pass down through a hollow cylinder over the upper circular edge of the said
cylinder. Just at this edge the woof strands are woven into the warp by a shuttle
which is carried around the circle and winds the woof into the web spirally, thus
forming a continuous cylindrical tube. The ends of the warp threads, before the
operation of weaving in the woof is commenced, are gathered together, carried
down through the cylinder A, Figure 4, around under the drums B, over the drum C,
and back around a drum or axle D. By the stress of a weight or spring upon the
said axle D the proper strain is given to the warp threads. Upon the shafts c, c¹,
of the drums B, C, are gears which are driven by the worm E', to which motion is
communicated from the driving pulley F through the shaft and gears 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
and 7, and the worm and gear 8 and 9. The warp carriers or jacks a are held
between vertical guide plates or partitions, and are caused to move up and down in
their places between said guide plates by the harness, to give the requisite motion
warp strands in the act of weaving, the shuttle being carried in the end of
to the

page_text: the arm E, which is attached to the frame carrying the harness and revolves with it,
thus winding the said woof thread into the web spirally and continuously from end
to end of the hose, all of which, so far as relates to the action of the woof carriers
and shuttle, is fully described in the Letters Patent before referred to.
Now to produce a double-ply web a second shuttle and shuttle-carrying arm are
provided, the said arm being attached to the revolving carriage or rings of the loom,
the two arms being placed at opposite sides of the loom, each shuttle carrying a
separate woof thread. A certain number of the jacks or warp carriers are made to
carry the warp threads to form the one ply, and an equal number to carry those to
forin the other ply. The warp threads for each web are thrown by their carriers
to form with the woof thread delivered from the shuttle respectively a separate
web, and then the two webs are tied together into one by another set of the warp
threads, which cross through both webs, back and forth, around the two woof
threads, the jacks carrying these tying threads being, by the direction of the guide
rings of the harness which actuate them, made to thus pass back and forth through
the entire thickness of both webs. Usually about every fourth warp strand is made
such tying strand; a greater or less number may be used at pleasure.
The operation described will produce a fabric, the relative position and direction
of the several threads of which are represented by the Figures 1 and 2.
In these Drawings the strands or threads are represented on an enlarged scale
and as separated widely from each other, in order that their relative position and
direction may be plainly seen.
In the actual web the strands are of course crowded into close contact with each
other. To do this I attach, at essentially right angles to the end of the shuttle-
carrying arm, a divider consisting of two arms e, e, formed into an oblate frame.
The shuttle travels between the arms of the divider and delivers the weft evenly
and closely between the warp strands, which are forced apart in its passage, and
these warp strands being closed after the passage of the divider tie the weft up
solidly and firm, and it is further compacted by the next passage of the shuttle and
divider.
The arangement of threads shown in Figure 1 I consider the preferable fabric,
but I do not intend to limit myself to it, as it is obviously only a matter of
mere mechanical detail to arrange the harness in such a manner as to produce a
great variety in the arrangement of the warp strands, and consequently in the
construction of the hose; one such variation is shown in Figure 3.
To make a three-ply hose (the one represented in the Drawings) it is only necessary
to add a third shuttle and shuttle carrier, divide the warp threads into three sets
besides the tying strands, one set for each web, and construct and arrange the
harness to throw the carriers of the several sets to weave with the three woof
strands three separate webs, and then to cause the tying strands to pass through the
three webs and bind them together, or to cause all the warp threads to cross and
recross entirely through the three webs, as seen in Figure 3.1
As will be observed the peculiarity of the method of fabricating fire-hose as herein
described is that in the weaving the warp threads at the actual point of weaving
are held in a circular or equivalent position, precisely as the hose will be when under
internal pressure, and that while held there the two or more woof threads are inter-
wound with the warp threads in helical coils, one coil within another, and the whole
fabric tied together and completed while in this position, thus forming an expanded
woven tube of uniform strength and appearance around its whole periphery, and
obviously without the weakness of a hose which, woven originally flat, is expanded
when submitted to internal pressure, as above described.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. As a new manufacture, fire or hydraulic hose of more than one ply composed of
cotton, linen, or other analogous material woven whole, in a cylindrical or equivalent
form, with two or more weft threads interwound and packed with the warp threads

page_text: in concentric helical coils, one within another, and without any sharp bends, thus
possessing substantially uniform strength and a uniform appearance around its entire
body, substantially as described.
2nd. The method herein described of fabricating woven fire-hose of more than one
ply by arranging and holding the warp strands in a cylindrical or equivalent form
while two or more woof strands are without any sharp or short bends interwound,
and packed with them in concentric helical coils, one within another, the warp
threads being thrown as described, whereby the whole are tied together to form a
single cylindrical tubular web of uniform strength and appearance throughout, sub-
stantially as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.