IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Lawson Knox, of Glasgow, Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING
CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF TEXTILE FABRICS."
Sealed the 26th May 1854, and dated the 16th December 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Lawson
Knox at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 16th December 1853.
I, ANDREW LAWSON KNOX, of Glasgow, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNA-
MENTING CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF TEXTILE FABRICS" to be as follows:-
My improvements relate to fabrics which are raised upon one surface
by carding or other similar treatment, and also to fabrics which aro
woven with loops or other such raised loose threads on one side, as
terries, for instance, the said loops, for the purposes of my improvements,
being either cut or uncut, and the Invention consists in producing
patterns upon the other side of such fabrics by printing, staining.
embossing, or other such process.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Andrew Lawson Knox in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ANDREW LAWSON KNOX, of Glasgow, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of December, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, and in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Andrew Lawson
Knox, Her especial licence that I, the said Andrew Lawson Knox,
my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Andrew Lawson Knox, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, my In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ORNAMENTING CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF
TEXTILE FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
hand
Andrew Lawson Knox, by an instrument in writing under my
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my
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
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Andrew Lawson Knox, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to fabrics which are raised upon one surface
by carding or other similar treatment, and also to fabrics which are
woven with loops or other such raised loose threads on one side, as
terries, for instance, and consists in producing patterns upon the other
side of such fabrics by printing, staining, embossing, or other such

page_text: process. The weaving and finishing of the fabrics constitute no part
of my Invention; they may be produced by any of the ordinary methods,
and, if intended, for the first-mentioned class of goods, carded on one
side by the machinery usually employed for that purpose, whereby a fabric
is produced known by the name of "swan down;" upon the other side
I print the required design as commonly practised for textile fabrics.
The looped fabrics I employ are those known as terries, whether woven
with or without wires of the latter description. I use cloth manu-
factured by the method described under a Patent granted to Robert
William Sievier, bearing date the Twelfth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and forty-three, the Specification of which was duly
enrolled; by this method a terry fabric is produced similar in general
character to that woven upon wires, but at a decreased cost. Upon the
reverse side to the loops I print or produce a design by printing or
other such process. Previously to or subsequent to the printing, the
loops produced, either with or without wires, may be cut as such fabrics
are commonly treated for other purposes. The goods ornamented
according to my Invention may be applied to any purpose for which a
soft, spongy character of fabric is required, but they are particularly
applicable to that class of goods known by the name of "zebras,"
robes-de-chambre, and some kinds of shawls. I would remark, as an
advantage consequent upon the use of my Invention, that the looped
fabric, after the colours of the printed side are faded, may be used for
towelling or other purposes for which the plain cloth was designed, and
that as printed goods they will be found to possess the required
warmth and durability with equal or superior appearance to zebras, &c.
manufactured by the old methods, and at a lower cost. I am aware
that fabrics have been manufactured with loose threads on one side for
the purpose of printing on the other, to produce "zebras," but in such
case the said loose threads were obtained by the system of weaving
technically called "blacklash" or "flushing;" I therefore desire it o
be understood that I lay no claim thereto, but confine myself, firstly, to
printing, staining, or embossing upon a fabric, the other side of which
is "raised by carding or other such process; secondly, ornamenting
as aforesaid a fabric, the other side of which is woven with loops, after

page_text: the manner of terries, or imitations thereof, whether woven with or
without wires, and whether such loops be cut or not.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Lawson Knox, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-four.
ANDREW LAWSON KNOX. (L.S.)