An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Weaving Figured Fabrics.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 189
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Weaving Figured
Fabrics.
We, EDWIN FIELD, of Tentercroft Mills, Skelmanthorpe, near Huddersfield,
in the County of York, Manufacturer, and CHARLES EDWIN FIELD, of the
same place, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention has reference to looms employed in weaving fabrics in which
borders or figures formed by the warp are required at certain intervals, the object
of our improvements being to save the warp at such times as it is not required for
the formation of that portion of the fabric for which it is intended.
It has hitherto been the practice, in using warps for bordering, figuring, or
otherwise, that when a certain portion of the warp was not required on the face in
the formation of the pattern, that such warp has been interwoven in the body or
ground of the cloth, or floated on the surface or back of the cloth, so that when
this warp was only required for figuring or bordering at distances apart, a greater
portion of the warp was lost sight of than what appeared on the face of the fabric;
consequently the border or figure was produced at a considerable expenditure of
warp.,
According to our invention, we prevent the loss of the warp not used in the
formation of the pattern, by bringing the said warp into use only when required,
and discontinuing, the use of the said warp when the pattern for which it was
is effected
required is completed, consequently a considerable saving of warp
thereby.
In carrying out our invention, we place each warp which is to be separately
operated upon on a separate beam. We use two sorts of warp, which we name
respectively ground and pattern warps. By ground warps we mean those warps
which are used throughout the fabric, and are not severed until the whole piece of
fabric is finished, and by the pattern warps we mean those portions of warp which
can either be interwoven with the ground, or severed from the cloth and suspended
independently of the said ground cloth or warp, just as desired. The said warps
are all passed through the healds or harness and reed as hitherto, and the weaving
of the ground warp is proceeded with as hitherto, but instead of the pattern warps
being interwoven, into the ground of the fabric, the free ends which project through
the reed are separately secured or taken hold of by one or more laths or suitably
shaped bars or rods, such laths or bars being suspended on hooks or other pro-
jections, attached. to the framework or other portion of the loom. The said pattern
warps are also supported at the back of the reed or other convenient position, to
keep them clear of the ground warp lying underneath, when it is in the process of
interweaving with the weft. Therefore when a pattern warp is required to be
woven into the cloth, the rods or laths in which it is secured are removed from the
suspender, the device at the back of the reed is also made to release the said
pattern warp, so as to allow it to fall to the level of the cloth, to which it is to be
interwoven, in conjunction with the weft, for as long a period as required, after
which it is severed from the cloth, the free ends of the pattern warp being again
secured by the rods or laths, and suspended and supported as previously mentioned
Here the pattern warp remains until again required, when the laths are removed
and the pattern warp brought into use as before. Any one or more pattern warps
may be interwoven in the cloth at the same time, and those not in use remain.
suspended, until required.

page_text: Any number of beams may be used, and where beams are impracticable, bobbins
may be substituted.
By the above named means and method of using only that portion of the warp
which is required to form the pattern, a considerable saving of warp is effected.
Dated this 16th day of November 1891.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Weaving Figured
Fabrics.
We, EDWIN FIELD, of Tentercroft Mills, Skelmanthorpe, near Huddersfield, in
the County of York, Manufacturer, and CHARLES EDWIN FIELD, of the same
place, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention has reference to looms employed in weaving fabrics in which
borders or figures formed by the warp are required at certain intervals, the object
of our improvements being to save the warp at such times as it is not required
for the formation of the face or that portion of the fabric for which it is intended.
It has hitherto been the practice, in using warps for bordering, figuring, or
otherwise, that when a certain portion of the warp was not required in the
formation of the pattern, that such warp has been interwoven in the body or
ground of the cloth, or floated on the surface or back of the cloth, so that when
this warp was only required for figuring or bordering at distances apart, a greater
portion of the warp was lost sight of than what appeared on the face of the fabric;
consequently the border or figure was produced at a considerable expenditure
of warp
According to our invention, we prevent the loss of the warp not used in the
formation of the pattern, by bringing the said warp into use only when required,
and discontinuing the use of the said warp when the pattern for which it was
required is completed, consequently a considerable saving of warp is effected
thereby.
Such being the nature and object of our invention, we will make reference to
the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 is cross section of those portions of a loom as is necessary to shew the
application thereto of our invention.
A represents the slay board, B the hand rail, C the reed, and D the healds or
heddles arranged and operated in the ordinary manner. The warp which forms
the ground of the fabric is unrolled from the warp beam E.
If we are weaving a fabric with a border on as in N Fig. 5, the warp for that
purpose is unrolled from beam G, and it is interwoven with the ground as the
pattern requires, and while this warp is being interwoven the warp on beam H
which is required for portion of fabric marked O and which we intend to economise
is not allowed to be interwoven at this time, but is caused to remain temporarily in
a state of suspension. To do this we pass this particular warp under a lath or
bar I and by inserting the lath together with the ends of the warp into a staple or
frame J, the said warp is secured or held, after which the frame is placed into a
suitable frame or holdfast K attached to the front of the handrail B or other
convenient place. The said warp is also supported, so as to prevent entanglement
with the other warps, by means of a rod L supported in hooks M hanging from
any portion of the loom by an elastic or other cord. The weaving of portion of
fabric marked N in Fig. 5 then proceeds, the warp therefor issuing from beam G,
whilst beam H remains stationary and delivers no warp.
When sufficient of pattern N has been woven, the warp required for pattern O

page_text: from beam H is removed from its position in the handrail. B, the rod L being
removed from under the warp, the healds for operating it being duly connected up,
after which the warp together with the lath and staple are placed in the position
as shewn in Fig. 2 and the warp woven into the fabric in the ordinary manner.
When a few picks have now been inade the warp from beam G which had been
used for weaving pattern N and which we now intend to economise is made secure
as in Fig. 3 and severed from the cloth and suspended in the holdfast K, thus
occupying the position in front of the healds previously occupied by warp from
beam H. The weaving of pattern O from beam H is now proceeded with whilst
beam G remains stationary and delivers no warp.
Fig. 5 represents a rug or fabric wherein N represents one pattern or colour
and another pattern or colour which in weaving according to our improved
method the warp for pattern O would not be interwoven in the portion of pattern N
nor the warp for N in the portion of the pattern O.
The lath and the staple or grooved bar J is shewn on enlarged scale in
Fig. 4.
Although in Fig. 1 we have only shewn two pattern warps three or more may
be employed of the same or different colours the laths securing the warps being
placed one above another in front of the handrail as shewn in Fig. 6 or in any
other convenient place and we would observe that any number of ground warp
beams and pattern warp beams may be used and where beams are impracticable
bobbins may be substituted and further either one or more warps may be inter-
weaving at the same time.
By the above named means and method of using only that portion of the warp
which is required to form the pattern, a considerable saving of warp is effected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
In weaving figured fabrics with more than one beam the means or method
substantially as herein shewn and described for suspending the pattern warps when
not required for the formation of the pattern.
Dated this 16th day of August 1899
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.