IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLES OR WIRES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS, LOOPED PILE FABRICS, AND VELVETS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Lumby, of Halifax, in the County of
York, Ironmonger, and Zacchæus Sugden, of Halifax aforesaid,
Tin Plate Worker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN NEEDLES
OR WIRES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS, LOOPED PILE
FABRICS, AND VELVETS."
Scaled the 7th December 1853, and dated the 9th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Lumby and
Zacchæus Sugden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 9th September 1853.
We, EDWIN LUMBY, of Halifax, in the County of York, Ironmonger,
and ZACCHŒEUS SUGDEN, of Halifax aforesaid, Tin Plate Worker, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
NEEDLES OR WIRES USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS, LOOPED PILE
FABRICS, AND VELVETS," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to those needles or wires which are formed

page_text: with an eye at one end to facilitate their withdrawal from the loops of
the fabric
Heretofore it has been usual to form the eyes or loops at the drawing
out end of the wires by bending over to the required form a portion of
the same wire upon which the loops are formed, but the wires are often
rendered useless by the breaking off of such looped parts, especially
when using very fine wire, the loops of which are too weak, and do not
offer sufficient hold to the drawing out instrument, whilst it is difficult
to prevent more than one such wire being withdrawn each time; now
the improvements consist in forming such eyes or loops out of wire or
other metal separate from that on which the loops or pile are formed,
and which, when for fine wires, may be formed of metal of greater sub-
stance than the needles, in order to obtain a greater strength thereto,
and better hold for the drawing out instrument, and we attach such
looped parts to the wires or needles by brazing or otherwise.
Also the improvements relate to the formation of the cutting edge
and end of wires employed to produce cut pile carpets or velvets. The
knife edges have heretofore been formed by flattening a portion of
the end of the wire, and forming a knife edge upon the upper edge
thereof, but by thus reducing the thickness of the metal it has been
found to weaken the wires, so that they often bend and break in use;
and this part of the Invention consists in applying a piece of steel of a
suitable form for the cutting edge, and of thickness corresponding with
that of the wire used, and affixing the same to the wire by brazing or
otherwise, by which increased strength and capabilities for wear are
obtained, and such cutting edge may readily be replaced, when required;
and also to forming such end of the wire or knife into a pointed form,
the point being towards the centre of the height of the enlarged end of
the wire, to facilitate its passage between the warps, and to prevent
cutting during insertion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edwin Lumby and Zacchæus Sugden in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
EDWIN LUMBY, of Halifax, in the County of York, Ironmonger, and
ZACCHOEUS SUGDEN, of Halifax aforesaid, Tin Plate Worker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Edwin Lumby and Zacchoeus Sugden, Her
special licence that we, the said Edwin Lumby and Zacchoeus Sugden,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Edwin Lumby and Zacchoeus Sugden, our 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 NEEDLES OR WIRES
USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS, LOOPED PILE FABRICS, AND VELVETS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Edwin Lumby
and Zacchocus Sugden, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 we, the said Edwin Lumby and Zacchocus
Sugden, 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 statement thereof, that is to
say:
In the manufacture of certain kinds of carpets, such as Brussels,

page_text: tapestry, and velvets, and also in the manufacture of other looped pile
fabrics and velvets, needles or wires are employed over which certain
of the threads are laid during the weaving to form the rows of loops
constituting the pile, and according to some arrangements of machinery
employed in the manufacture of such fabrics the needles or wires used
are formed with an eye at one end to facilitate their withdrawal from
the loops of the fabric by suitable hooked instruments provided for the
purpose. And heretofore it has been usual to form these eyes or loops
at the drawing out end of the wires by bending over to the required
form a portion of the same wire upon which the loops are formed, but
the wires are often rendered useless by the breaking off of such looped
parts, especially when in the manufacture of very fine fabric very fine
wires are used, the loops of which are too weak, and do not offer
sufficient hold to the drawing out instrument, whilst from the thinness
of the wire thus used it is difficult to prevent more than one such wire
being withdrawn each time. Now one of the improvements consists in
forming such eyes or loops out of wire or other metal separate from
that on which the loops or pile are formed, and affixing thein to the
wires or needles by brazing or otherwise, in order that when broken or
otherwise injured eyes or loops thus formed and applied may be replaced
by others. And when for fine wires or needles, they may be formed of
metal of greater substance than the needles or wires, and thus greater
strength and better hold for the drawing out instrument will be
obtained.
When such wires or needles are used in the manufacture of cut pile
carpets or velvets the cutting of the loops to form the cut pile or
velvet is sometimes effected by means of knife edges formed on the ends
of the wires, the drawing out of which produces the required cutting to
the loops. And these knife edges have heretofore been formed by
flattening a portion of the end of the wire, and forming a knife edge
upon the upper edge thereof, but by thus reducing the thickness of the
metal in flattening it has been found to weaken those portions of the
wires, so that they often bend and break in use.
:
And another part of the Invention consists in applying a separate
piece of steel of a suitable form for the cutting edge, and affixing the

page_text: same to the wire by brazing or otherwise, by which arrangement
increased strength and capability for wear are obtained, and such
cutting edge may readily be replaced, when required.
The improvements also relate to forming such end of the wire or
knife into a pointed form, the point being towards the centre of the
height of the enlarged end of the wire to pacilitate its passage between
the warps, and to prevent cutting during insertion.
But that the nature of the Invention, and the means we adopt for
carrying the same into operation, may be fully understood, we will
proceed to explain the Drawing annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows the drawing out end of a portion of a wire or needle,
such as hicretofore used with the eye or loop a, formed by bending over
a portion of the same wire over which the loops of the fabric are
formed, and the dotted lines at a', show where the end when thus bent
over into an eye or loop is secured to the main portion of the wire b.
Figure 2, shows a similar portion of a needle or wire. In this case,
however, the eye or loop a, has not been formed by bending over a
portion of the wire b; but the eye or loop a, has been formed by
bending over to the required figure a separate piece of metal, which,
when the needle or wire is very fine or of an oval or other figure, may
be of increased thickness to give increased thickness or strength, and it
is affixed to the wire b, by brazing or otherwise.
Figure 3, shows the cutting end of a wire or needle as heretofore
used for cutting the loops during its withdrawal therefrom for the
production of cut pile or velvets. c, is the part flattened, and conse-
quently considerably reduced in thickness, for the production of a
cutting edge from c', to c².
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, show different forms of the cutting
ends of wires or needles according to our improvements; in each case
the cutting part is from about c', to c², of the piece of metal c, and such
parts c, are affixed to the wires b, by preference by brazing, and when
worn or broken they can readily be replaced by others, and similarly
fixed. The line of fixture is in each case indicated by the dotted line d.

page_text: Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, also show the ends pointed at e, to
facilitate the passage of the wire between the warps, and to prevent
cutting during insertion. The part from c³, to e, is left with a dull or
blunt edge.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, we would
have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise
details herein shewn and described; but what we claim is, the con-
structing and arranging parts of needles or wires used in the manufac-
ture of carpets, looped pile fabrics, and velvets, as herein explained.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edwin Lumby and Zacchoeus
Sugden, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Seventh
day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
EDWIN LUMBY.
SUGDEN
ZACCHOEUS SUGDEN
his Mark
(L.S.)
+ (L.S.)
Witness,
+
WILLIAM C. COOPER.