IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILED FABRICS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Collier, of Halifax, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PILED FABRICS."
Sealed the 24th February 1857, and dated the 16th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Collier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th October 1856.
I, GEORGE COLLIER, of Halifax, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF PILED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate, firstly, to when (as in the Specification of a
recent Patent granted to me, dated the 22nd day of May 1855,) a cord or
band, or it may be a chain, is employed as the means by which the insertion
of each pile wire into the open shed is effected, and consists in so arranging
the motion given to such band, cord, or other like acting instrument, that the
wire may be moved faster in the middle of each motion into the sheds than
at the beginning or end thereof, by which ease will be given to the wire
carrier and parts acting therewith. What I have found to answer well for
this purpose is a double volute or scroll in place of a cylindrical pulley, to
which the end of the cord is attached.
Secondly, the Invention relates to the production of that class of pile fabrics
which are woven double or face to face, and united by the pile threads in the
weaving, to be cut asunder to produce two fabrics, and particularly to those
looms commonly called vertical looms (that is, such as have the warp &
fabric placed during the weaving somewhat vertically, or in a direction from

page_text: the upper to the lower part of the loom, in place of horizontally or from back
to front.)
The warp threads are supplied from the upper part of the loom, whereby
the work produced will pass towards the lower part thereof, the beat up
being subsequently effected in a downward, in place of, as heretofore, an
upward or horizontal direction, by which I obtain considerable facility for the
weaver to repair the warp yarns when they break, by their ends always
banging downwards towards those from which they have broken; as also for
the inspection of the work as produced.
Races for the shuttles in such looms are formed of combs, projecting
inwards through the sheds from the back of each fabric towards the space
between them, in such manner as to admit of the free action of the reed in
beating up. Bars are employed to come into the space between the two
sheds, to act upon the pile warps, and bring them into a line with the shed, in
which such pile is next to be bound, thereby to ease the working of the weft.
The cutter for cutting the pile, and thereby separating the two fabrics, is of
the rotary kind, traversing with its carriage, and this rotary motion is caused
to be slow at one end as compared with that whilst cutting the pile, in order
that the sharpening thereof by suitable means may more readily be effected.
Stop motions are arranged to act upon each weft thread when weaving such
double fabrics in upright looms.
The motions of the shuttle in producing such fabric in upright looms, I
prefer to be so arranged that, whilst one shuttle is going from right to left, the
other is going from left to right, with a stop motion at each selvage capable of
acting upon the weft thread of either shuttle, but this may be varied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters, Patent, filed
by the said George Collier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
COLLIER, of Halifax, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did;
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said George
Collier, Her special licence that I, the said George Collier, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Collier, my

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILED
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Collier,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or,
their,, or one of their bands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, aud 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 monthis next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Collier, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements relate, firstly, to when (as in the Specification of a
recent Patent granted to me, dated the Twenty-second day of May, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five,) a cord or band, or it may be a chain, is
employed as the means by which the insertion of each pile wire into the open
shed is effected, and consist in so arranging the motion given to such band,
cord, or other like acting instrument, that the wire may be moved faster in
the middle of each motion into the shed than at the beginning or end thereof,
by which ease will be given to the wire carrier and parts acting therewith.
Secondly, the Invention relates to the production of that class of pile fabrics
which are woven double, or face to face, and which are united by the pile.
threads in the weaving, to be cut asunder to produce two fabrics, and parti-
cularly the improvements apply to those looms commonly called vertical looms
(that is, such as have the warp and fabric placed during the weaving somewhat
vertically, or in a direction from the upper to the lower part of the loom, in.
place of horizontally, or from back to front).
But that the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner I carry the
same into effect, may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the
Drawings annexed.
i
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a portion of the front view of a loom, with improvements
applied thereto according to the first part of my Invention, and it will be seen

page_text: described in the Specification of Patent referred to, and they are marked with
letters of reference there used. But in place of the cord or band.¹ being
attached to a cylindrical pulley " there described; it is, according to my present
improvements, attached to a double volute or scroll A, which I have found to
answer well for giving the desired variation of speed to. the wire carrier,
though I do not confine myself to that particular instrument. This volute or
double scroll is attached to a pulley 2, which is acted upon by the periphery
of the wheel, in like manner to what is explained in the said Specification
referred to, and the variations of speed to the motions of the instrument i,
when the insertion of a wire is effected, are obtained by the cord in the
beginning of its motion being taken up by coiling or winding into the groove
formed in the smaller part of the scroll (the line of which is indicated by the
stars ()), and thence progressively to the largest part thereof, when the cord
or other band i will be travelling at its fastest speed, and which speed will
then gradually decrease again by the cord or band continuing to wind on to
that part of the scroll which gradually decreases. Figures 2, 3, and 4 show
the two sides, and an edge view of this double scroll or volute separately.
When carrying out the improvements under the second head of the Inven-
tion, by the employment of a vertical loom, the warp threads would be
supplied from the upper part of the loom, whereby the work produced will
pass towards the lower part thereof, the beat up being subsequently effected
in a downward, in place of as heretofore (in vertical looms) in an upward
direction or in a horizontal direction, by which I obtain considerable facility
for the weaver to repair the warp yarns when they break, by their ends in
connection with the warp always hanging downwards towards the work, or
those from which they have broken, as also facility for the attendant better
to inspect his work as it is produced. I have not shewn by Drawings a' loom
to illustrate the disposition of the parts as here stated, as to a workman
acquainted with weaving machinery such would be unnecessary. The races
for the shuttles in such looms I form by means of combs, which project
inwards through the sheds from the back of each fabric, and towards the space
between them, but in such manner as to admit of the free action of the reed
in beating up.
Figure 5 shews by a diagram fabrics being produced according to this part
of the Invention, with an arrangement of shuttle races such as I prefer to
employ; a, a, being the fabric produced; b, b; the body warps; and c, c, the
pile warps; d, the reed for effecting the beat up, and which reed has simply
an up and down motion given to it; e, e, are combs set in leads e¹, secured to
be-reed to form races, one for the shuttle of each fabric. The upper surface

page_text: of the combs e is to the same level as the supporting surface of the shuttle boxes
acting with them.
Figures 6 and 7 show a lead of combs e separately. A thin bar or flat
wire is employed to come into the space between the two sheds, and by acting
upon the pile warps to bring them into a line with the shed in which such
pile warp is next to be bound, in order thereby to ease the working of the
weft. f, in Figure 5, shews a section. of one of. such thin bars or flat wires
just moved into the space between the two sheds, and the dotted lines f¹ shew
the same fully in position, pressing the pile warp down upon the formed pile
previous to (and as it would be during) the beat up. This bar. or wire f is
attached at one end to a lever arm or other suitable carrier, to which motion:
is given in such manner as to take the bar or wire f fully into the space
between the two separate sheds, and so as to cover all the pile warps therein,
and then to recede clear of them after each tying in of them into one or other
of the fabrics, whilst the pile warps are changed for the formation of a fresh
row of pile. These motions to the bar or wire f may be given in a similar
manner to when operating pile wires. which are affixed permanently to arms
or other carriers. The bar or wire f may be of steel or other suitable
material; and it is better that the end thereof farthest from the holding and
actuating 'means: be somewhat turned upwards and pointed, to enable it
more readily and freely to enter between the two sets of warps. The cutter
for cutting the pile, and. thereby separating the two fabrics, is of the rotary
kind, traversing with its carriage; and such cutters I am aware are not new
as applied to the cutting of the pile for the separation of double fabrics. But
to the best of my belief in all adaptations of such cutters for such purpose,
they have heretofore had a uniform rotary motion given to them during their
traverse, and I have discovered that it is important to arrange the motions
thereto, so that such rotary motion may be slow at one end of the traverse as
compared with that whilst cutting the pile, in order that. the sharpening of
such cutter may be more readily effected whilst a slower speed is being given
to it. For this purpose, I apply to the shaft giving motion to such rotary
cutter two drums or pulleys, which, when in gear with their straps or bands,
revolve at different speeds, and in connection therewith I apply change.
motions to change from the fast to the slower speed at the dwell of the cutter
carriage where the sharpening of the cutter is effected, and the sharpening I
effect by a pair of suitable stones somewhat inclined, so as to effect a bevilling
to the edge, and I cause these stones to bear by spring or other suitable
means. So soon as the carriage with the cutter recedes from the sharpening
means, the speed of such cutter is again changed to a faster one, suitable for

page_text: the cutting of the pile. The method of effecting the variation in speed to such
cutter is such as employed in effecting variations of speed in planing and
other such machines. I apply stop motions to act upon each weft thread to
stop the motions of the loom when either of the weft threads fails. The
motions of the shuttle in producing such fabric in upright looms I prefer to be
so arranged that, whilst one shuttle is going from right to left, the other is
going from left to right, with a stop motion at each selvage capable of acting
upon the weft thread of either shuttle, but this may be varied.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood, that I do
not confine myself to the precise details shewn and described, so long as the
peculiar character of either part of my improvements be retained; but what I
do claiin is,
Firstly, the so arranging the inserting motions of the wire carrier, (when a
cord or band or such like, actuating means is employed to act upon such
carrier,) that the wire may be moved faster into the open shed in the middle of
its traverse than at the beginning or end thereof.
Secondly, I claim the so arranging and combining parts of looms (of the
vertical character) for the weaving of double pile fabrics, that the supply of
warp will be from the upper to the lower part of the loom, and the work
as produced will pass to the lower part of the loom, and the adaptation thereto
of combs or other such like acting means as supporting races to the shuttles.
Also, I claim the application of a bar or flat wire f, for the purpose
explained..
Also, I claim the application of a varying rotary motion to the rotary cutter
employed to cut the pile, and thereby separate such double fabrics, in order
that such rotary motion may be slower whilst the sharpening process thereto
is effected, as compared with that whilst cutting the pile, as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Collier, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,.
T. PALETHORPE,
Halifax.
GEORGE COLLIER. (L.s.)