IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FRILLS, RUFFLES, OR FRILLED TRIMMINGS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Whyte and Malcolm Macdonald, of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FRILLS, RUFFLES, OR
FRILLED TRIMMINGS."
Sealed the 31st October 1861, and dated the 15th May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Whyte and
Malcolm Macdonald at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 15th May 1861.
We, ALEXANDER WHYTE and MALCOLM MACDONALD, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FRILLS, RUFFLES,
OR FRILLED TRIMMINGS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of frills, ruffles, or frilled trim-
mings in various kinds of white or colored fabrics, and applicable in various
ways for dress or other ornamentation, whilst they are produced in an im-
proved, simplified, and economical manner.
In practising the Invention the frilled or gathered part, and the plain or
"band" part are woven together, the greater fullness of the frilled part being
obtained by a special arrangement and working of the warps and heddles

page_text: similar to that adopted in weaving what are termed "crimped " goods. The
fabric is according to one modification woven with plain bands or stripes,
alternated with full bands or stripes of widths corresponding to the size of
trimming wanted. The fabric is then cut or divided along the centres of the
full stripes, and (unless a double-edged frill is wanted) along the centres of the
plain stripes; the fabric will thus be separated into comparatively narrow
pieces, each having a plain portion, and a full or frilled portion (or two frilled
portions), and the frilled part is completed by hemming its edge, this being
effected by preference by a stitching machine. The band part bas been described
as plain, but it may be ornamentally woven, provided it is made.scant or short
as compared with the full frilled part.
It is convenient in some cases to make the weaving produce two or more
webs or thicknesses at the band portion, in order that more material may be
thrown into the frilled portion to render it fuller.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Whyte and Malcolm Macdonald in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 13th November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALEXANDER
WHYTE and MALCOLM MACDONALD, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Alexander Whyte and Malcolm Macdonald, Her special licence that we, the
said Alexander Whyte and Malcolm Macdonald, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such other as we, the said Alexander Whyte and
Malcolm Macdonald, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FRILLS, RUFFLES, OR FRILLED TRIMMINGS," "pon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Alexander Whyte and
Malcolm Macdonald, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in

page_text: writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Alexander Whyte and Malcolm
Macdonald, do hereby declare the nature of our 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 in writing, that is to say:-
Our said Invention relates to the manufacture of frills, ruffles, or frilled
trimmings in various kinds of white or coloured fabrics, and applicable in
various ways for dress or other ornamentation, whilst they are produced in an
improved, simplified, and economical manner.
In practising the Invention, the frilled, gathered, or full part, and the plain
or "band" part are woven together, the greater fulness of the frilled part
being obtained by an arrangement and working of the warps and heddles
similar to that adopted in weaving what are termed " crimped," "tucked," or
plaited" goods. The fabric is, according to one modification, woven with a
number of plain bands or stripes alternated with full, tucked, or plaited bands
or stripes of widths corresponding to the size of trimming wanted, the stripes
running the long way of the web. Two warp beams are employed, one sup-
porting the warps for the plain or "band" portions, and the other those for the
full or frilled portions, and these two beams are differently "paced," in order
that the warps for the full portions may be drawn off more freely than the
other warps, to supply the extra fulness required for the frills. Tho two sets
of warps are shed by different sets of heddles, and it is convenient to employ
four heddle leaves for each set of warps, although fewer or more may be
used if the weaver prefers it, or if it is required for the kind of fabric
intended to be produced. If the fabric is to appear as plain woven, with the
frilled part the same as the "band" part, except in being fuller, it is con-
venient to make the web of the "band" part double, and such double or two-
fold band is advantageous in many applications of the finished trimming. To
obtain this double band, the corresponding warps are divided into four sets,
which we will distinguish by the letters A, B, C, D, and which are shed by
four corresponding heddle leaves, but in such a way that the warps A and B
never cross the warps C and D. One shed for the upper fold is made by
raising the warps A, and lowering B, C, and D, the other by raising B, and
lowering A, C, and D; and one shed for the lower fold is made by raising

page_text: A, B, and C, and lowering D, the other by raising A, B, and D, and lowering C.
The sheds may be formed in such order as to lay the weft alternately in the
upper and lower folds, or so as to lay two shots in the upper and two in the
lower fold alternately. In either case four shots only give two weft threads
in the lengthway of the piece in each of the "band" folds, whilst by the same
four shots a length equal to four weft threads is produced in the full or frill
part, the shedding of the warps for which last is the same as for single-fold
plain weaving. As far as the weaving is concerned, the object is simply to
produce full portions combined with plain or scant portions, and the weaver
will understand that the desired effect may be obtained in various ways besides
the one which has been detailed as an example. Thus, both the "band" and
the frill or full portions may be ornamentally woven instead of being plain
woven, and one may show weaving different from that of the other, provided
the "band" part be made scant or short compared with the full frill part.
The band may be made single-föld, or it may be made of two or more thick-
nesses or folds which will permit of more material being thrown into the frill
part to render it fuller.
Another way of weaving the fabric is by means of two warps woven
together, one full for the frilled portions, and the other scant for the "band"
portions. These warps are shed so as to be interwoven along longitudinal
lines, that is, so as to be attached together along such lines, the intermediate
parts being distinct and separate. In this case one side of the compound
fabric before it is cut up presents an entirely frilled, tucked, or gathered
web, the other side presenting an entirely scant or plain web. The fabric
woven as described or indicated is afterwards cut or divided along the full
stripes, and (unless a double-edged frilling is wanted) along the "band" stripes
also, whereby it will be separated into comparatively narrow pieces, each
having a plain or "band" portion, and a full or frilled portion, (or two frilled
portions connected by a central band), and the frilled part is completed accord-
ing to one modification by hemming its edge, this being effected by preferenco
by a stitching machine. Or with the view of dispensing with the hemming,
the fabric may be woven with double "gauze" splits or imitation selvages
along the intended lines of division, being afterwards divided or cut between
such imitation selvages, or lines of "button-hole stitching" may be produced
in the loom by means of the well-known "circle frame" at the parts intended
for the edges of the separate frills.
In making frills, ruffles, or frilled trimmings in the manner described, not
only is a superior article obtained, but the separate and additional process

page_text: hitherto resorted to of gathering the frilled part, and fixing it to the band by
band, or by a stitching machine specially arranged for the purpose is entirely
dispensed with, and a great saving in cost is effected in consequence.
According to another modification the fabric may be woven in comparatively
narrow or in single widths. In a ribbon loom, for example, each width com-
prising one "band" stripe (of one or more thicknesses), and a single full or
frill stripe with plain or ornamental selvages, or each width may comprise a
central "band" stripe with a full or frill portion at each side, the two frill
portions having plain or ornamental selvages. In practising this modification
the warps and heddles are arranged and worked similarly to those for the wide
crimped fabric, and as herein-before explained, except that the full warps are
placed to the outside or outsides of the web, and so that one selvage is, or
both selvages are formed on the full stripe or stripes instead of exclusively
upon the scant stripes as hitherto practised in weaving wide crimped fabrics.
When woven in, this way the frilled trimmings do not require hemming upon
the frill edge.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, we have to state
that we do not claim to have invented the producing of woven fabrics having
several "crimped," "tucked," or "plaited" portions, alternated with plain or
scant portions, and without "gauze," "button-hole stitch," or such like imitation
selvages; nor the hemming of the full outer edge of frills, the fulness or
gathering of which is obtained by a separate process subsequent to the weaving
of the fabric, nor the machinery; but that what we consider to be novel and
original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is, the producing of frills, ruffles, or frilled
trimmings of a novel and improved kind, and in a new and more economical
manner.
First, by combining together the several processes of weaving fabrics with
alternate full and scant portions; of dividing such fabrics longitudinally, and
of hemming the full edges of the strips so obtained, substantially as herein-
before described.
Second, by introducing "gauze," "button-hole stitch," or such like imitation
selvages in the weaving of fabrics having alternate full and scant portions, and
by dividing the fabrics longitudinally along such imitation selvages, substan-
tially as herein-before described.
And, third, by weaving a narrow fabric with a band and a crimped or full
stripe, the latter having an external selvage, or with a band and two crimped

page_text: or full stripes, the latter having external selvages, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alexander Whyte and Malcolm
Macdonald, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day
of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one.
ALEXANDER WHYTE. (L.S.)
MALCOLM MACDONALD. (L.S.)
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT, Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow.