IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,.
North Britain, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS."
Sealed the 3rd September 1857, and dated the 1st April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st April 1857.
I, WILLIAM SMITH, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
5.Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS," to be
as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to a new system or mode of drawing or preparing
manufacturers' designs for the production of figured fabrics having two distinct
.patterns, one on each side of the cloth, or the same pattern on each side of
the fabric with reversed colours. The Invention is carried out in an ordinary
loom with a full harness.
Pattern No. 1, hereunto attached, represents how the design is to be drawn.
This pattern represents a forty tye four covers, and is drawn as follows.
5 [See Sheet of Drawings.] Every line of the design represents a shot of
weft; the shots that are required to show the figures on the under side
"

page_text: of the cloth are painted of one color, and those required to show the
figure on the top or upper side are painted of another color, and the
shots not required in the figure of either side are put between or in
the centre of the cloth (adding to its thickness) by catching every alter-
nate space of the design where it is not colored, and by being cut in this
way it halves the unoccupied warp. For each shot, as before stated,
there are two colours on each line; two will do, but more may be
used, and whatever colour is intended for the under side of the cloth is all
cut), and whatever colour is intended for the upper side of the cloth is
left uncut; and to make the two colors do for each line the under side color
is caught with the upper side color, and the upper side color with the under
side color, that is, the coloring of the catchers and figuring is reversed, so
that there may be catchers on both sides, as one color is only cut. And to
make it plain and easy for the card cutter, the operator catches the unnoccupied
space of the design with the same color which is used for figuring the under
side and catching or twilling) the upper side; but the reverse half would do
that is to cut the design not caught and the color used of the upper side and
catchers of under side; but great care must be taken not to lift the same
thread or threads to let in weft into the centre which has been left down as
catchers for the under side of the figure; that would make a cross on the
warp, and prevent weft of the same bridle from getting properly up. This
only applies to one bridle or set of cards. The warp threads halved to admit
the weft not wanted for figuring on either side may be reversed in each bridle,
if the foregoing precaution be taken not to lift the threads that have been
left down as catchers for the figure on the under side. And the same care
must be taken with the catchers for the upper side, that they are always
lifted to let in weft to the centre, so if the warp is divided thread about, which
is far the best way, the catches (or twilling) for the upper and under sides
must be on different spaces of the design paper, as shewn in design No. 1,
hereunto attached. The catchers of the upper side are on the odd cord,
the catches on the under side must be on the even cord, or vice versa.
In design No. 2, hereunto attached, [see Sheet of Drawings,] which is the
same figuring as No. 1, all the catches are reversed, as above explained.
They can be wrought each by itself or together, as it suits for the weft even
in the same bridle (of an open flower, and caution be taken in twilling both
sides and catching for the centre weft.) The fabric can also be produced
by using a design for each colour of weft (or cover) as shewn in designs
Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6, hereunto attached. [See Sheet of Drawings.] These
four designs will form on the cloth the same figuring, as No. 1 caught

page_text: both figuring and centre weft. It must be observed in reference to designs
Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6, that each has two colours, one representing the
under side, and the other the upper side, and where no figuring on
either side warp is divided to let it in to the centre, one color only is
cut on each design as they stand, but more colors may be used. Sup-
posing the operator cuts them as they stand, all the yellow on No. 3, all
the black on No. 4, all the red on No. 5, and all the green on No. 6, is
cut, and the cards are laced one about alternately, giving the same figures as
No. 1 gives, by cutting the same colors; or if wanted to reverse them the
operator cuts the other colours and paper. These numbers can be pro-
duced with reverse catches for the centre, and reverse catches for figuring
on both siles, as shewn in Drawings No. 7, 8, 9, and 10, hereunto attached.
[See Sheet of Drawings.] They can be wrought in the same way as Nos. 3,
4, 5, and 6, by cutting in the same way, either by cutting one color on each
design, and lacing the cards alternately; or by cutting the other color and
paper. They are capable of being wrought as shewn in the designs, or
reversed, as shewn in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, or 7, 8, 9, and 10, and both can
be wrought together, so as to have part of the pattern caught on the odd, and
part on the even cords or threads, so that any colour can be made catchers,
that is, supposing two or more colours of the warp threads are warped in the
web thread about.
The warp can be divided not only thread about (which is preferred), but
two or more threads about. Cloth with two patterns, one on each side, or the
same pattern in reversed colours, may also be made by the following method,
referring to the designs Nos. 11 and 12 hereunto attached. [See Sheet of
Drawings.] The two patterns are cut thus:-What is intended for the under
side of the pattern is painted as in No. 11, on every alternate space of the
design, suppose on the odd spaces, namely, 1st, 3rd, 5th, &c. &c. to the full
extent of the tye. The design here shown is a forty tye.
The design is cut in the usual way of covered work, each color standing for
itself. No. 12, which forins the top or upper side of the same pattern, is
painted in the usual manner, each colour standing for itself, and is cut in the
following manner:-No. 11, as before stated, is cut in the usual way, and
No. 12 is cut on the same card as No. 11; in No. 12 all the colours are cut
except the colour that is wanted to show as the pattern or figure on the upper
side of the cloth, and cut only with using half of the punches, the cutter
observing that, as these designs are drawn, No. 12 must be cut on the even.
needles or with the even punches, namely, with 2nd, 4th, 6th, &c., &c., over
the whole extent of the tye. To make it as plain as possible to produce the

page_text: patterns or designs Nos. 11 and 12, the operator cuts the yellow on No. 11
in the usual way on one card, and on the same card he cuts all except the
yellow with the even half of the punches on No. 12. The next card has cut
upon it the blue of No. 11, and on the same card there is cut all except the
blue on No. 12 with the even half of the punches, and so on throughout the
whole of the designs. It will be evident to the practical man that this
system may be reversed so as to produce the same result, namely, two-
faced cloth by painting the pattern No. 11 on different spaces of the design,
say, on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, &c., instead of as painted on the 1st, 3rd, 5th,
&c., and cutting No. 12 on the odd punches, that is, on the 1st, 3rd, 5th,
&c., &c., and following the directions already given.
It will be observed from the statement that care must be taken to cut
No. 12 with the punches opposite the paper, or what is not painted, of
No. 11..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said William Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SMITH, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manager, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Smith, Her special license that I, the said William Smith,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Smith, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, usc,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Smith, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed;
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a new system or mode of drawing or pre-
paring manufacturers' designs for the production of figured fabrics, the said
fabrics having two distinct patterns, one upon each side of the cloth, or
the same pattern on each side of the fabric but with reversed colors.:
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several illustrative Figures on the Sheet of:
Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing certain
modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried out in
practice.
My Invention may be carried out in an ordinary loom with a full harness.
In the illustrative Drawings accompanying this Specification, Figure 1.
represents one system or mode of drawing a pattern or design according to my
improvements. In this modification the pattern represents a 40 tye 4 covers,
and is drawn in the following manner :-Every space on the design paper
represents a shot of weft; the shots that are required to show the figure upon
the under side of the cloth are tinted.or painted of one colour, and those shots
that are required to show the figure upon the upper side of the fabric are
tinted of another color. Those shots of weft not required upon either side of
the fabric are woven in to increase its thickness, and are inserted in the centre
of the cloth by catching every alternate space of the design where it is not
coloured; and by being cut in this way it halves the unoccupied warp. For
each shot, as before stated, there are two colours on each line of the design,
but a greater number of colors may be used. Whatever color is intended for.
the under side of the cloth is cut, and the colour for the upper side of the
cloth is left uncut. To make the two colours do for each line, the under side
colour is caught with the upper side colour, and the upper side colour is in
like manner caught with the under side colour; that is to say, the colouring of
the catchers and figuring is reversed, so that there may be catchers on both
sides, as one colour is only cut.
And in order to render the card cutter's work
clear, the designer catches the unoccupied space of the design with the same
colour that is used for figuring the under side and catching or tweeling the
upper side. But the reverse half would do, that is to say, to cut the parts of

page_text: the design not caught and the colour used for the upper side and catchers of
the under side; care, however, must be taken not to lift the same thread or
threads to let in weft into the centre, which has been left down as catchers for
the under side of the figure, as it would make a cross on the warp and prevent
weft of the same bridle from getting properly up. This only applies to one
bridle or set of cards. Those warp threads that are halved to admit the weft
not required for figuring on either side may be reversed in each bridle if the
precaution be taken not to lift the threads which have been left down as
catchers for the figure on the under side. Corresponding care must be taken
with the catchers for the upper side, that they are always lifted to let in weft
to the centre, so that if the warp is divided thread about, as it is technically
termed, which is the preferable mode, the catchers or tweeling for the upper
and under sides must be on different spaces of the design paper, as shown in
Figure 1 of my illustrative Drawings. If the catchers or tweeling of the
upper side are upon the odd cord, the catchers upon the under side must be on
the even cord.
In Figure 2 of my Sheet of Drawings the catchers are reversed, as before
described; with this exception the figuring is the same as in Figure 1.
The catchers may be wrought either singly or in concert, as may be suitable
for the weft, and even in the same bridle if the design be an open flower and
caution be used in tweeling both sides and catching for the centre weft. The
fabric may
also be produced by using a design for each colour of weft or cover,
as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 of my Sheet of Drawings. These four
designs will conjointly produce in the fabric the same figuring as that shown
in Figure 1, both figuring and centre weft being caught. It may be here
observed in reference to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, that each design has two
colours, one representing the under side and the other the upper side of the
fabric; and where there is figuring on each side, the warp is divided to let
it into the centre. One colour only is cut on each design as they stand, but
more may be used. If the card cutter cuts them as they are arranged in the
Figure, all the yellow on No. 3, all the black on No. 4, all the red on No. 5,
and all the green on No. 6, is cut, and the cards are laced one about alter-
nately, producing the same figure as in No. 1, if the same or corresponding
colours are cut; or the colours may be reversed by the card cutter using the
other colour and design paper. These numbers may be produced with reverse
catchers for the eentre and reverse catchers for figuring on both sides, as
shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 of my illustrative Drawings. These figures
may be wrought in a similar manner to those shewn in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6,
by cutting the cards in the same way, either cutting one colour or each design,

page_text: and lacing the cards alternately; or cutting the other colour and paper. The
figures may be produced as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, or reversed, as
shewn in Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10; or both may be worked together, so as to
have part of the pattern caught on the odd and part on the even cords or
threads. By this means any of the colours may be made catchers, provided
that two or more colours of the warp threads are warped in the web thread
about. The warp may be divided not only thread about, which is preferred,
but two or more threads about if required. Referring to the designs shown in
Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, there are two colours on each to produce the two
patterns, as before described. The two patterns may be produced by each
design paper having the paper untinted for the figure of the upper side of the
cloth, and for the catchers to tweel the under side; or the figure of the under
side and the catchers of the upper side may be tinted of one colour, or vice
versa. The weft not required for figuring is to be used up as before explained,
or it may be caught with a different colour from what is used for figuring and
tweeling, which would still give two colours. But differently disposed cloth
with two patterns, one on each side, or the same pattern in reversed colours,
may be produced by another mode, as shown in Figures 11 and 12 of my
Sheet of Drawings. The two patterns are cut in this manner :-The parts in-
tended for the under side of the pattern is tinted, as in Figure 11, on every
alternate space of the design paper; for example, on the odd spaces, namely,
the first, third, fifth, and so on to the full extent of the tye. The design is cut
in the usual way of covered work, each colour standing for itself. The design
shown in Figure 12 of my Sheet of Drawings forms the upper side of the
design shown in Figure 11, and is tinted or coloured in the ordinary manner,
each colour, but only to half the extent of the tye, standing for itself. The
design is cut as follows:-Figure 11 is cut on the cards in the usual way, and
the design Figure 12 is cut on the same card as the under side, Figure 11.
In Figure 12 all the colours are cut except the colour that is required to show
the pattern or figure upon the upper side of the cloth, using only one half of
the punches. The cutter must observe that, as these designs are drawn,.
Figure 12 must be cut on the even needles or with the even punches, that is
to say, with the second, fourth, sixth, and so on over the whole extent of the
tye. To make it as clear as possible to produce the patterns Figures 11
and 12, the operator cuts the yellow on Figure 11 in the usual manner on one
card, and upon the same card he cuts all except the yellow with the even half
of the punches on Figure 12; the next card has cut upon it the blue of
Figure 11, and on the same card there is cut all except the blue of Figure 12
with the even half of the punches, and so on throughout the whole of the

page_text: lesigns. It will be evident to the practical man that this system may be
reversed so as to produce a like result, namely, two-faced cloth, by colouring
the pattern Figure 11 on different spaces of the design, for example, on the
second, fourth, and sixth spaces instead of the first, third, and fifth, and so on,
and, in this modification, cutting Figure 12 on the odd punches, that is to say,
on the first, third, fifth, and so on, following the directions already given. It
must be observed that care be taken to cut the cards for Figure 12 with the
punches opposite the untinted paper of the design Figure 11.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the system or mode of preparing manufacturers' designs for the pro-
duction of ornamental fabrics in which the fabric to be produced is intended
to have two distinct patterns, one upon each side of the cloth, or similar
patterns but with the colours reversed, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of preparing cards for the production of
ornamental fabrics from designs arranged and tinted or coloured as hercin-
before described.
Third, the system or mode of producing figured or ornamental fabrics by
means of cards prepared in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
WILLIAM SMITH. (L.S.)

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