IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF A FELTED TISSUE, APPLICABLE TO REPLACING LEATHER IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARDS,
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, in
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, and 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris,
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION
OF A FELTED TISSUE, APPLICABLE TO REPLACING LEATHER IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CARDS, "A communication.
Sealed the 28th August 1855, and dated the 16th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Armand le Comte
de Fontaine Moreau at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 16th April 1855.
I, PETER ARMAND le Comte DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of 4, South Street,
Finsbury, London, and 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRO-
DUCTION OF A FELTED TISSUE, APPLICABLE TO REPLACING LEATHER IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF CARDS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me, & dated 3rd of June
1854, I described the means for the manufacture of a tissue composed of
cotton, flax, hemp, or other textile materials, which, being united, with a
woollen tissue, producea double-felted stuff, replacing advantageously leather
in various applications, & specially for the manufacture of cards.
In the before-mentioned Specification I described a process of manufac-
turing two felted stuffs, one being lined on one of its faces, the other on both
faces, with a tissue of cotton, hemp, or flax, without the use of an adhesive
substance, but merely by the weaving process. In both cases I described wefts
composed of twisted wool, cotton, flax, hempen threads, wove single on the
weaver's bobbins ; but I have found it more economical for the workmanship,

page_text: & more advantageous for the quality of the product, to weave these wefts with
two threads together on the weaver's flyer. To effect this, I follow exactly the
mode of weaving indicated by the weaver's reading card, shewn in Figure 1
of the annexed Drawing, by throwing continually twisted wefts composed of
double threads. This does not inany way change the setting up of the warp.
In my said Specification I only described the process of manufacturing a
tissue for making cards for working cotton; by an improvement on my first
Patent I am enabled to produce a felted tissue, applicable to making cards for
working wool, which consists as follows:-The warp is composed of the same
kinds of threads, & is set up as herein-after described. The weaving is
effected with double wefts by following exactly the weaver's reading card,
shewn at Figure 2 of the annexed Drawing. Iemploy a power loom provided
with a jacquard machine supplied with 104 hooks, & I set up a warp of
6,700 threads, either of cotton, flax, or hemp, span to about 4,300 yards of
2lbs. of double twist thread. The stuff obtained by the said improvements
is composed of a tissue, to which is united by weaving a tissue prepared for
fulling. Another tissue is wove to the two first tissues, & lastly a fourth
tissue, also prepared for fulling, is wove to the three others so as to cover the
whole. I thus produce a fabric composed of four tissues.
The peculiar mode of weaving shewn by the reading card, Figure 3, is
intended to manufacturea felted stuffsuitable for the manufacturing of the fly
for the cards used for working wool, & is composed of a tissue suitable for
making felt wove between two tissues without the aid of adhesive matters. To
obtain the requisite strength for this peculiar fabric; the woollen weft twisted
with flax, hemp, or cotton will have to be wove with one thread only, instead
of being doubled on the weaver's flyer, (see Fig. 3 of the annexed Drawing.)

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 10th October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
T₁ PETER
ARMAND le Comte DE FONTAINE MOREAU, of 4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
and 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, Her special license
that I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Peter Armand le
Conte de Fontaine Moreau, my executors, administrators, and 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,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRODUCTION OF A FELTED TISSUE, APPLICABLE TO REPLACING LEATHER IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CARDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine Moreau, 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 calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Peter Arinand le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereto annexed, and to the figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The Invention communicated to me relates to the production of a felted
tissue composed of a wollen fabric uuited to the fibres of hemp, flax, cotton,
or other suitable material; which tissue, after being wove and subjected to
the finishing processes of fulling, drying, and rolling, is intended as a sub-
stitute for leather in the manufacture of cards for carding, and for other
purposes herein-after mentioned.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the annexed Drawing represent the different reading
cards employed in the manufacture of the felted tissue.

page_text: In order to weave such tissues fit for stitching card teeth, I place upon a
hand or power loom, provided with a jacquard machine, a cotton, flax, or
hempwarp.composed of about 7,700 threads spun to 24,000 yards per pound,
and in a reed of six threads per tooth by 2 yards wide, entered on a straight
harness of 12 laimes.
To produce a tissue fit for stitching cards for cotton, I use a wool weft spun
to about 7,800 yards per pound of sixteen twists, conjointly with a hemp, flax,
or cotton thread of 24,000 yards per pound, which must be doubled and again
united by three twists. This thread so formed is wove with the herein-
before described, by following the reading card, Figure 1, up to 102 double
shoots per inch. I use the double weft to reduce the work of the shuttle and
produce a saving of labor.
warp
To form a tissue suitable for stitching cards for wool, the reading card,
Figure 2, must be followed, and I weave into the warp, as herein-before
described, a weft composed of 150 double shoots per inch. In weaving by this
process I produce a fabric composed as follows-firstly, of a linen cloth;
secondly, of a web intended to make a felt, which is united to the first linen
by the weaving; thirdly, of another linen cloth which the weaving unites to the
felt; fourthly, of another web serving to make a felt, and which byits external
surface is united to the preceding linen cloths.
The placing of a felted web between two linen cloths which envelope the
woollen texture produces a fabric maintaining the flock with which the lower
extremities of the card teeth are stuffed, and which flock may even be dis-
pensed with, as the extremity of the card is strengthened by the superficial
felt which according to the size of the thread can be made more or
less thick.
For stitching wool cards for flyers, the same kind of warp as herein-before
described is employed, and by following exactly the arrangement of the
reading card, Figure 3, the same weft will be wove, but without doubling it
as before up to 127 shoots per inch. The web thus manufactured will contain
a thin felt enveloped between two linen cloths. The twisting of the wool
yarn with one of the fibrous substances, herein-before stated, is required to
obtain the felt web without trouble; and if the combination of those several
yarns were not to take place, the wool thread would be alone felted, whilst the
other yarns remaining isolated would curl by the drawing in of the stuff
during the felting operation. By this method of weaving, the woollen yarn
draws with it regularlythe other threads, around which it is twisted,and being
united together by the felting operation, forms a tissue possessing all the
advantages of teather without its defects.

page_text: The fulling takes place in cylindrical beating troughs,and in the width only
until the tissue is drawn to forty-five per cent. of its width, taking care at the
same time that the fulling should be conducted so as to draw in the length.
After the fulling and scouring, the piece, being well stretched on the frame,
is dried and then sheared on both surfaces. It is submitted to a strong
current of steam, and is passed fin illy between powerful cylinders to press it
very close and make it smooth. The stitching and cleansing of the cards is
facilitated by using a gelatinous compound containing potato flour, which
is spread in a thin layer over the bands or ribbons by means of a brush with
long hairs, and forms an even surface, over which the omission of any tooth
might be perceived.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the precise details herein-before described, reserving
the right of modifying the nature and thickness of the tissues by combining
threads of different numbers, and to modify it according to the degree of
strength required; but what I claim as the Invention communicated to me is,
the mode or method of weaving a felted tissue,by combining wool with linen,
cotton, hemp, or other suitable substance of a sufficient strength to serve as a
substitute for leather, more particularly in its application to the manufacture
of carding cards, driving straps, varnished leather; and other useful purposes,
as herein-before described, and referred to in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Armand le Comte de Fontaine
Moreau, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-five
L'DE FONTAINE MOREAU. (L.S.)