Method of and Apparatus for Reproducing by Weaving all kinds of Paintings and Designs.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Method of and Apparatus for Reproducing by Weaving all kinds of
Paintings and Designs.
I, HENRI RONSSE of Clan, Commune de Jaulnay (Vienne) France, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to a novel method of and apparatus for reproducing by
weaving all kinds of paintings and designs to any scale without the use of a
jacquard or other harness.
The chief results obtained by the present improvements are (1) the possibility
of mechanically reproducing in a practical manuer and in a very short space of
time and in any number of copies, designs, or pictures of the most complex
character including artistic productions such as could only be copied by Gobelin
tapestry work, these mechanical reproductions being superior to the latter in the
finish of the contours, the precision of the lines, and the blending of the tints.
(2) The possibility of producing the richest fabrics under economical conditions
hitherto unattainable and of thus enabling their more general use as a consequence
of the reduction in the cost of manufacture.
In order that the invention hereinafter described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings may be more readily understood, it may be supposed, without,
however, in any way restricting the field of the invention, that it is desired to
reproduce a design such as that shown in Figure 12 in a chenille fabric or velvet
pile fabric, subject however to the observation that it is not necessary that the
design to be reproduced should be transferred onto square ruled paper as is the
subject of Figure 12, the process and apparatus being directly applicable to
the picture, sketch or drawing made by the artist, the design on square ruled.
paper shown in Figure 12 having only been chosen with a view to facilitate the
understanding of the description. The process involves the employment of two
looms making two different fabrics, as in the manufacture of chenille carpets, the
first loom making the multi-colored chenille in the manner bereinafter described,
and the second loom weaving it.
The first loom for making the chenille is of the ordinary kind in which the warp
forming the foundation or core of the chenille is composed of any suitable material,
usually cotton, the weft being made of differently colored threads or yarns. There
would be as many chenillo cores or warp foundations as there are copies of the
design to be reproduced. For example, if it is desired to reproduce the
design Figure 12 twenty four times, there would be twenty four chenilles exactly
identical to one another throughout their length Thus, for the design Figure 12,
there would be 45 wefts or fillings in the second loom, and supposing these 45 wefts
to be placed end to end and extended in a single length, they would together form
one of the chenilles; if on the other haud the cheuille be doubled to and fro, as
shown in Figure 13, it will reproduce the design or sketch, supposing A B to be
the exact breadth at the reed in the second loom.
I will first describe the mode of weaving the chenillo by the application of the
graphic method and apparatus of this invention. Suppose the design Figure-1.2
to contain, for example, eleven colors (although there may be any number) by
designating the horizontal lines by the figures 1 to 45, and the vertical lines by
the letters A to Z and from a to t, each stitch or point of the design may be
indicated by a sign, thus, 25 n is pink. Itake a strip of paper in the roll which
may for convenience in use be ruled in both directions, the 5th 10th 15th, &c.,
lines in the direction of its length being of a special color. To each of these

page_text: Tongitudinal lines 18 given the name or one of the colors in the design, mere being
at least as many lines as there are colors. Thus, supposing the design, Figure 12
contains the following shades of color, viz.-brick red, green, white, pink, sienna,
blue, vermilion, black, light yellow, deep yellow, chestnut brown.
The operator
has before him a board having upon numbered hooks a sample of thread of each
tint, this arrangement which is unnecessary for a small number of colors being..
indispensable when there is a large number of tints differing imperceptibly from
one another to enable the shades to be properly reassorted.
The first line on the paper strip (Figure 1) indicates chestnut brown.
The 2nd line indicates deep yellow.
3rd
"
"
"
4th
"
"
light yellow.
black.
5th
"
"
6th
"
"
"
vermilion.
blue.
7th
"
"
""
Bienna.
"
8th
"
15
pink.
9th
"
white.
"
"
10th
"
"
"
11th
green.
brick red.
"
19
"
The paper strip is applied to the edge of weft 45 (Figure 12) commencing at
point A and a hole or mark is made at a Figure 1, the chestnut brown line being
then followed as far as a' making the distance a a¹ correspond to the first 13
chestnut brown stitches or points of the first weft. The two next points of the
design (Figure 12) are dark yellow; and one therefore passes from a to b on the
dark yellow line where a hole or mark is made as before, this line being followed
to a distance equal to two points or stitches, then passing to c upon.
n the light
yellow line where another hole or mark is made, and so on. It will thus be under-
stood that all the small holes in Figure 1 respectively represent. the commencement
of the colors corresponding to the line on which the holes are made, and which are
met with in traversing in succession the whole of the wefts in Figure 12. The
weft 44 is similarly followed and plotted down, but in the direction from t towards A,
and weft 43 from A to t and so on."
The foregoing description applies to chenille employed in the form of a single
weft, but if, which is preferable, it is desired to employ the chenille in the form of
a double weft, the graphic translation of each weft is made in two editions, the
second edition being a reproduction and continuation of the first, the points being
however plotted down in inverse order. This graphic method of translating designs
by the employment of a strip of any suitable material, the method of marking the
beginnings of the several colors by perforations or marks, the number of colors and
the dimensions of the design, constitutes one of the features of the invention
which is applicable in the manufacture of fabrics generally.
The strip either while receiving the graphic translation of the pattern, or
afterwards, is wound upon a reel A represented in face view and cross section in
Figures 2 and 3 respectively which figures also show the mechanism for operating
the strip. The reel A carrying the strip C is mounted upon a spindle E fixed to a
plate D provided with fixing lugs 20. The cheek H of the reel is fast to the
core F, whilst the opposite cheek G is removably secured thereto by a screw and
nut I.to allow of slipping on F the rolls of paper ready wound on a sleeve J which
is connected to the core of the reel by studs K. L are friction springs for checking
the drum and keeping the paper strip in tension when unwinding. N is a guide
roller for the strip as it is uncoiled from the recl. O is a spring tension device for
the strip. P is a bracket fixed to plate D by screw Q and steady pins T. R is
the spindle of a roller X for drawing off the strip journalled in bracket P and
plate D. S is an arm pivoted on spindle R and receiving a slight up and down
motion from a cam Z (pivoted at in plate D and bracket P and working in a
rectangular slot M in arm S) through the lever Y and rod 5 operated from the
batten of the loom. U V U are small rollers journalled freely, in S between which

page_text: the strip C passes and by which it is presented in a slightly convexed' form to
contact with the feeler pins 6. 7 is a pinion keyed on spindle R of roller X
driven through the endless chain 8 from the revolving cloth beam of the loom.
9 9 are a pressing lever and roller, and 10 and 11 are their pressure spring and
adjusting scrow. 12 is a pinion geared by an endless chain 13 with a pinion 12' of
equal diameter keyed on the spindle R' of a second roller X'. 14 are frame plates
fixed parallel to plate D by pillars 15 at just sufficient distance apart to admit the
paper strip C between them. 16 slot made in plates 14 to receive the spindle 18
of a winding roller 17 upon which the strip C is coiled by contact with roller R'
against which it is pressed by arms 19. The strip passes beneath a series of feeler
pins 6 spaced to correspond to the color lines upon said strip (Figure 1) upon
which they are pressed constantly downwards by light springs for the pins of
odd and similar springs for the pins of oven numbered rows so as to enter the
perforations of the strip C as it passes beneath them and these pins transmit either
by mechanical or electrical means movements corresponding to the passage of the
holes beneath them to the apparatus for supplying the colored threads represented
in Figures 4. 5. 6. 7. This apparatus consists of a guide bar 21 for sliding latch
bolts E' E' E &c., and provided with lugs 22 for attaching it to the first loom.
The latch bolts E' E' E' &c. (one of which is separately represented in Figure 14)
are of the form shown and have each a bevelled tooth G G or G' and correspond
in number to the pins 6 (Figure 2). F is a slotted locking bar through which the
latch bolts E E, &c., pass, sliding in guides 23, a spring 24 tending to maintain
it in the position shown in Figure 4. P1 P2 P3, &c., are weights or springs for
holding the latch bolts E! E, &c., raised.
Supposing the tooth G of one of the latch bolts E (Figure 14) to be engaged
beneath the locking bar as shown on the left hand of Figure 4, it can only be
released from this position and allowed to rise by the descent of one of the others;
thus if latch bolt E be pressed down by the hand, the bevelled surface G³ of its
catch will force the locking bar F towards the stop 221 while by continuing its
descent its catch will engage beneath the locking bar which will be returned by
the spring 24 to the position shown in Figure 4. By still coutinuing to press
down the latch bolt E, the inclined surface p of the head of the latch bolt will
push the locking bar towards the right but as this surface p projects further than
the catch G and as all the catches G', G' &c. are alike, the locking slide bar will
be carried further to the right than it was by the catch G', thus completely
unlatching G and allowing E' to rise. On then unlatching E, its catch G
iu turn becomes engaged with the locking bar. Thus, when one latch bolt is
latched it rises immediately another one descends, in other words, each latch bolt
as it descends, causes the rising movement of the one already latched. N¹ N', &c.,
are stops to limit the upward movement of the latch bolt.
The operation of these latch bolts is as follows. The downward movement of
the latch bolt E' raises the corresponding mail M' as shown in Figure 4 and with
it the colored thread led therethrough. This series of mails is situated at one
edge of the fabric (say the left for example) like the mails of the selvedge threads
of ordinary fabrics. The rise of a mail brings its thread into position to be seized
by the weft hook of the first loom hereinafter described. The object of the latch.
bolt is thus to hold its thread in position to be seized all the time it is raised. If,
for example, the latch bolt carrying the chestnut brown is latched during ten
beats up of the lay, ten single chestnut brown wefts will be woven in, or ten double
wefts, if the fabric is to be made of double weft. If the latch hook corresponding
to the pink thread be latched, the one corresponding to the chestnut brown thread
will be unlatched and the pink thread will be substituted therefor.
It has been before stated that the pins 6 (Figure 2) may transmit their movement
to the latch bolts in two ways, either mechanically or electrically.
describe the mechanical transmission shown in Figure 2.
I will first
The roller V, Figure 2, is formed with as many circumferential grooves vl
(Figure 15) as there are pins 6,-and when a pin enters a hole in the strip: C under

page_text: the pressure of springs or its downward, movement may be caused by suitable
mechanical means to actuate a detent for releasing the corresponding latch bolt.
To transmit the movement by electrical means also as represented.in Figure; 2,
the roller V is made of metal and the plate D and the parts mounted thereon.(with
the exception of pins 6 which are mounted in insulated bearings.61) are connected
by means of terminal 1 to the negative pole of a battery. 2 are the binding studs
for the odd numbers of pins connected therewith by the springs, and 21 are the
binding studs for the even numbers of pins which are connected therewith by the
contact of springs. Each pin of odd number has its wire 3, and each pin of
even number its wire 3' communicating with the electro-magnet 4, Figures 4 and 5,
of its corresponding latch bolt and through it with the positive pole of the battery
to which all the wires converge, the circuit which is illustrated diagrammatically
in Figure 16 being closed only by the contact of a pin 6 with roller V, the graphic
strip C through the perforations in which the pins pass being made of paper or
other nonconducting substance. In the forked shank of each latch bolt (Figures 4
and 5) are pivoted elbow levers R' R' R³, &c., of the form shown in Figure 5, one
member Tor T of which forms the armature for the electro magnet, and the
other terminates, in a hook, and when the circuit is broken the hooked members
hang down vertically as shown in this figure, in which position they are prevented
from deviating towards the left by the stops S¹ S³ S³, &c. When the circuit is
closed by one of the pins 6 its corresponding electro-magnet 'attracts the
armature T and brings the hooked member into the path of a griff bar Z which
receives an up and down motion from the loom driving mechanism at each beat up
of the lay. In Figure 5 the hook R' is shown as thus engaged by the griff bar Z
which overcomes the attraction of tlie electro-magnet if the current is still flowing,
draws down the latch bolt E, and causes it to engage with the locking slide bar F.
On the griff bar Z rising, the hook R' resumes its vertical position, and during the
whole time the latch bolt remains engaged, the griff bar Z will not come in contact
with the hook R', and consequently when the latch bolt is released it will rise
without its hook being engaged by bar Z.
It has been before mentioned that the downward movement of a latch bolt during
the whole time it was engaged by the locking bar F, brings the corresponding
thread into the path of the weft throwing apparatus which consists either of a weft
hook rod or carrier. The weft carrier or hook serves the purpose of a shuttle, and
there may be either a single rigid or jointed aud flexible rod, or two such rods
working from opposite sides, the weft being transferred from the one to the other.
The single rigid weft carrier is represented in Figure 8 as placed at the right
hand side P of a hand loom and is arranged and operated in the following manner.
Lis the weft carrier made of very light wood provided with a pivoted weft
hook K (as shown full size in elevation and plan, Figures 9 and 10) said hook being
held normally in the position shown by a spring K. It is fitted to slide in a
slotted guide box O and is projected across the loom by pulling a handle A attached
to a cord E passing over a pulley B and attached to a picker lever M pivoted
adjustably to a. bar F and connected by a link N to the rear end of the weft
carrier L, the return motion of the weft carrier being produced by a spring C
attached to the tail end of lever M, said motion being limited by a check strap D.
G G' batten of the loom. II pivoted abutment having a shoulder I so as to be
movable only in the direction of the arrow to give free passage. to the hook. K in
one direction and disengage it from the weft in the other direction. At the same
level as the weft carrier at the left hand side of the loom, are placed the colored
threads passing through mails which are below the level of the underside of the
carrier, and on a mail being raised by its corresponding latch holt being drawn down,
it is brought on a level with the upper side of the weft carrier, say to the height
of the point in Figure 9. The weft carrier on being thrown passes beneath the
thread and seizes it by the hook K and carries it back rapidly through the shed..
The abutment. H then turns down the hook K and disengages the thread, thus
forming a double woft terminating in a small loop or bight which renders unnecessary

page_text: the knife commonly used. So long as a latch bolt remains depressed, its mail
remains raised, and its thread is repeatedly seized and woven into the fabric by the
weft carrier.
..
Figures 9 and 10 represent a side elevation and plan of a duplex weft carrier
composed of two members working from opposite sides and in opposite direction,
the one terminating in a forked female head P, and the other in a male part Pi
entering the forked part, the female part P being at the left hand side and the.
male part at the right hand side of the loom. The single weft carrier shown in
Figure 8 traverses the whole breadth of the fabric, whereas each member of the
duplex carrier traverses one-half only of its breadth, the two members meeting at
the centre where the weft is transferred from the one to the other. The female
part P has notches in which it catches the thread and carries it to the centre of
the fabric where the thread is seized by the hook K on the male part by which it
is carried across the other half of the fabric, both members of the carrior being
simultaneously operated by the same pull cord E. This arrangement possesses the
advantage of considerably increasing the rate of production and requiring less
space at the sides of the loom.
Figure 1 illustrates part of a jointed weft carrier (whether single or duplex):
which is made of links jointed together coiling upon an octagonal drum to which
it is attached at its rear end. By imparting alternate rotary motion to the drum,
the jointed weft carrier will be thrown to and fro in the same manner as a rigid
carrier. Instead of the weft carrier being in the form of a rigid or jointed rod, it
may be in the form of a shuttle similar to that of a Lyall loom, but provided with
pivoted hooks at each end; so as to permit of having two series of weft threads
and mails, one at each side of the loom, both series being operated at the same
time by the same latch bolts acting through a double system of pulleys, thereby
considerably increasing the rate of production.
Referring generally to the apparatus herein described, it may hero be observed:
(1) That the paper strip C (Figure 2) is not in permanent contact with the pins 6,
otherwise the latter would in time make furrows in the strip; the contacts are
therefore rendered intermittent by the action of the cam Z, which at each beat up
slightly lifts the arm S at the proper moment in order that the mail carrying the
thread to be selected may be raised so that the thread shall be seized by the weft
carrier hook. The roller V is thus lifted as many times per minute as the batten
beats up, and it is during one of these lifts that the electrical contact is made.
(2.) Instead of perforating the strip C it may be marked with chemical ink
which renders the paper a good electrical conductor.
(3.) The perforations may be made at the same time as the reading in of the
patterns by using a small keyboard perforating machine.
(4.) The scale on which the chenille is made depends on the diameter of the
wheel 7 (Figure 2) which regulates the rate of feed of the strip C relatively to
the take up of the chenille woven, this rate of feed being either faster, equal to,
or slower than the take up. Thus, if the paper strip moves at a speed exactly
equal to the surface speed of the take up beam, the chenille would be made for a
mathematically equal reproduction of the width of the design, whatever may be
the diameter of the colored threads as each thread is worked into the chenille
during the whole time the strip is passing the distance of one perforation to the
next. From the foregoing it follows that,
(5.) The second loom termed the cloth loom in which the chenille thus made is
used as the weft, will exactly reproduce the design in the direction of its height if
the "take up be suitably regulated in the ordinary way.
"
(6.) If the second loom weaves closer than the first, the design will be contracted
in the direction of its height, and if less closely it will be expanded in the direction
of its height.
(7.) By varying the combinations 'between the rate of feed of the graphic strip
and the closeness of the weaving of the second loom, results the possibility of
weaving any pattern without a jacquard by means' of a graphic strip which may
'

page_text: be used any number of times whatever may be the number of pieces made or the
size of the threads, to any scale whether larger, smaller, or of the same size, or
varied only in height or in breadth. The immense facilities offered by these
combinations for varying the fabrics and their designs will be readily understood.
It is not necessary that the graphic strip should always have the same number
of rows of holes, or that there should be the same number of pins, or of latch
bolte, as there are different colors in the design. Thus, in the design represented
in Figure 12, the pink, white, and green colors only occur between the 5th and
33rd wefts. In a very complicated design such shades may only occupy a very
limited space and be there grouped; taking the place of others. In this case the
work would be divided into sections as if reproducing several designs, and as many
graphic strips would be employed corresponding to the successive stages of the
work. On changing the strip, the colored threads which are to be brought into
use in the next stage of the work are substituted in the same mails for the threads
used in the preceding stage, so that with a certain number of latch bolts, designa
may be produced in a much larger number of colors, thus considerably reducing
the first. cost of the loom.
(8.) The latch bolts may also be employed for changing the shuttle' boxes or
weft carriers of ordinary looms.
By means of the improvements herein described I am enabled among other
results :-
1st. To manufacture fabrics having a pile design in relief upon a smooth ground;"
in this case the electro-graphic chenille making apparatus produces chenille whose
weft is interrupted in places, the intermissions being formed by ceasing to throw
the colored threads.
2nd. To manufacture fabrics of multi-colored dyed threads which are used as
wefts in the same manner as chenille for the reproduction of designs. In this
case the locking bolts, instead of bringing colored threads into work, would operate
carriages containing dyes and provided with markers for making stripes of different
colors across the warp threads of the first loom. These multi-colored threads may
be employed alone or in combination, with chenille, or serve as the warp or core for
the intermittent chenille threads above mentioned. The threads may also be
printed in 'hanks in a similar way instead of employing the machines ordinarily
used.
3rd. To manufacture table or toilet linen with a velvet, plush, or pile surface.
Having now particularly described (and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :―
1st. The herein described method of 'and apparatus for weaving colored designs
consisting more particularly in the combined employment of the graphic strip, the
graphic: apparatus, the latch bolts and the weft carriers with pivoted hooks, as
specified and shown in the drawings.
2nd. The employment of these. elements in weaving operations generally, either
separately or partly combined in any suitable manner, according to the nature of
each application, such as for example. the employment of the latch bolts, for
changing the shuttle boxes or the weft carriers of ordinary looms.
Dated this 27th day of August 1891.
Dated this 27th day of August 1891.
H..RONSSE,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent 'Agents.