AN IMPROVED FABRIC IN IMITATION OP THE SKINS OF ANIMALS SUITABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LADIES' MANTLES, CARRIAGE RUGS, AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Firth, of Dewsbury, in the County of York,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED FABRIC IN IMITATION
OP THE SKINS OF ANIMALS SUITABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LADIES'
MANTLES, CARRIAGE RUGS, AND OTHER ARTICLES."
Sealed the 16th April 1867, and dated the 8th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Firth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
February 1867.
I, EDWIN FIRTH, of Dewsbury, in the County of York, Manufacturer,. do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FABRIC
IN IMITATION OF THE SKINS OF ANIMALS SUITABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
LADIES' MANTLES, CARRIAGE RUGS, AND OTHER ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed for the production in the loom of a fabric in
imitation of the skins of animals, such fabric being suitable for a variety of
useful and ornamental purposes for which real skins have hitherto been
employed.
The Invention consists of a fabric composed of a warp and weft of cotton,
wool, or other material, or mixture of materials, into or between the warp
threads of which are introduced at intervals during the process of weaving
locks or tufts of wool in a raw state, that is to say wool which has not been
either.carded, combed, or spun.

page_text: In manufacturing this fabric the hand loom weaver proceeds as follows:-
Having woven a certain length of plain cloth as a commencement be takes
a number of tufts or locks of the wool and inserts the root ends (or that
which grows next the skin) into or between the shed of the warp threads at
certain intervals across the piece; he then treads so as to cross the warp
threads and procceds to throw the shuttle with the weft thread; he next
weaves a certain length of the plain fabric and then proceeds to insert a fresh
row of tufts or locks of wool, and so on until the required length of fabric bas
been produced. The wool employed for this purpose may be either in the
unbleached state as taken from the skin of the animal, or bleached or dyed to
any required shade. By the intermixture of tufts or locks of dyed or colored
wool with white a variety of patterns or designs may be produced. The wool
may be that of the sheep, lamb, goat, or alpaca, or any other wool of a like
character. After the fabric has been woven in the loom as above described
it is scoured and dyed, if necessary, and then dried and finished by hand by
means of teazles, cards, or brushes. The
The tufts or locks of wool may be
inserted either on one or both sides of the fabric, as may be desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin Firth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
FIRTH, of Dewsbury, in the County of York, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edwin Firth, Her special licence that I, the said Edwin Firth, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin
Firth, 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 for "AN IMPROVED FABRIC IN IMITATION
OF, THE SKINS OF ANIMALS SUITABLE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LADIES' MANTLES,
CARRIAGE RUGS, AND OTHER ARTICLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Edwin Firth, my executors or administrators,' by an instrument

page_text: in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Edwin Firth, 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, that is to say:-
This Invention is designed for the production in the loom of a fabric in
imitation of the skins of animals, such fabric being suitable for a variety of
useful and ornamental purposes, for which real skins have hitherto been
employed.
The Invention consists of a fabric composed of a warp and weft of cotton,
wool, or other material or mixture of materials, into or between the warp
threads of which are introduced at intervals during the process of weaving
locks or tufts of wool in a raw state, that is to say wool which has not been
either carded, combed, or spun.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "An Improved
Fabric in Imitation of the Skins of Animals suitable for the Manufacture of
Ladies' Mantles, Carriage Rugs, and other Articles," I will now proceed to
describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, which will be readily understood
from the following description of the manufacture or weaving of the fabric.
In manufacturing this fabric the weaver proceeds as follows:-Having
woven a certain length of plain cloth as a commencement he takes a number
of tufts or locks of the wool and inserts the root ends (or that which grows
next the skin) into or between the shed of the warp threads at certain
intervals across the piece; he then treads so as to cross the
warp threads,
and proceeds to throw the shuttle with the weft thread; he next weaves a
certain length of plain fabric, and then proceeds to insert a fresh row of tufts
or locks of wool, and so on until the required length of fabric has been
produced. The wool employed for this purpose may be either in the
unbleached state, as taken from the skin of the animal, or bleached or dyed
to any required shade. By the intermixture of tufts or locks of dyed or
colored wool with white a variety of patterns or designs may be produced.
The wool may be that of the sheep, lamb, goat, or alpaca, or any other wool
of a like character. After the fabric has been woven in the loom as above
described it is scoured and dyed, if necessary, and then dried and finished by

page_text: hand by means of teazles, cards, or brushes. The tufts or locks of wool may
be inserted either on one or both sides of the fabric, as may be desired. If
the tufts or locks of wool are inserted in both sides of the fabric the colors of
the two sides may be different from each other, and one may be plain and the
other ornamental, and if the tufts or locks of wool are inserted in one side
only of the fabric the other side may be covered or lined with scarlet or
. other cloth or fabric.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"An Improved Fabric in Imitation of the Skins of Animals suitable for the
Manufacture of Ladies' Mantles, Carriage Rugs, and other Articles," together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried
into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my
Invention the improved fabric manufactured substantially as above described,
having locks or tufts of raw wool inserted in one or both sides during the
weaving thereof, as herein-before more particularly set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Firth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
EDWIN FIRTH. (L.S.)