IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING THE VELVET PILE AND WITNEY FINISH IN CLOTHS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR THE SAME
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morphet, of Leeds, in the. County of
York, Cloth Finisher, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING
THE VELVET PILE AND WITNEY FINISH IN CLOTHS, AND IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR THE SAME."
Sealed the 21st April 1857, and dated the 8th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morphet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
November 1856.
I, WILLIAM MORPHET, of Leeds, in the County of York, Cloth Finisher,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRODUCING THE VELVET PILE AND WITNEY FINISH IN CLOTHS, AND IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR THE SAME," to be as follows:-
I raise the pile and produce the Witney finish in woollen and other cloths
by the application of india-rubber and wire cards, as the frictional surfaces to
produce those finishes, such surfaces being caused to operate and take effect
through the agency of machinery.
The machinery which I employ for this purpose is this:-Two side frames
are placed at distances apart suited to receive the breadth of the cloth; between
these side frames supporting rollers are placed, over which the cloth traverses
while under operation. These supports are mounted so that they may be

page_text: clevated or depressed, to produce greater or less pressure of the rubbing sur-
faces on the cloth: they are placed nearly in the same plane, and at distances
apart. The rubbing surfaces are placed alternately with the supporting
rollers, but at a level more or less below the top of the rollers, so that the
cloth in its passage from the one roller to the other is deflected more or less
out of the direct line. These rubbing surfaces are suspended on arms (moving
on fixed fulcra) from above, and have a reciprocating motion imparted to
them by means of connecting rods and cranks, actuated by the mechinery.
These rubbing surfaces extend beyond the breadth of the cloth, and act on the
whole breadth at one time. They are supported by two arms, one at either
end, with connecting rods to each. The cloth on entering the machine is passed
between two bars, in order to give sufficient tension, which may be increased
or diminished by varying the position of the bars. The cloth is drawn through
the machine by two drawing rollers, which bite or grip the cloth with sufficient
tension for the purpose. From these rollers the cloth passes up ever a carry-
ing roller, where the back is brushed by a rotary brush; from this it passes
back to the feeding end of the machine over a roller suitably disposed and
driven for that purpose. If the cloth is to be passed through the machine
more than once, the two ends are sewn together to make it endless.
The rubbing surfaces to produce the Witney finish are faced with india-
rubber, by preference vulcanized: other substances of a somewhat similar
character or nature may be used in lieu of the india-rubber.
To produce the Witney finish it may be necessary first to raise the nap of the
cloth; this is effected by facing the first rubbing surface with wire card, having
straight teeth or wires; from this it passes to the rubbing surfaces, which
complete the finish, the operation being simultaneous and continuous. The
amount of friction is regulated by the tension on the cloth and the difference
in the plane of the rubbing surfaces and the cloth supports. The rubbers have
a rapid reciprocating motion while the cloth moves slowly through. I prefer
that the rubbers should act in pairs, so that the tension produced in the cloth
by one rubbing surface will neutralize that of the other.
To produce the velvet pile finish. it is simply necessary to make the whole
of the rubbing surfaces of wire card instead of india-rubber. I make a vari-
ation in the finish of cloths by producing the velvet finish and Witney finish in
alternate stripes, which is effected by forming the rubbing or raising surfaces
to produce stripes accordingly; or the Witney finish may be produced in stripes
and the other part of the cloth left unaltered in its progress through the
machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Morphet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I WILLIAM
MORPHET, of Leeds, in the County of York, Cloth Finisher, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, 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 William
Morphet, Her special licence that I, the said William Morphet, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morphet,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING THE VELVET
PILE AND WITNEY FINISH IN CLOTHS, AND IN MACHINERY OR AFPARATUS FOR
THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Morphet, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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 I, the said William Morphet, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures thereon, and marked herein (that is
to say);-
My Invention of improvements in producing velvet pile and Witney finishes
relates to the means used for producing those finishes in cloths, whereby I am
enabled to produce a uniform surface on a piece of cloth, and impart to inferior
pieces of cloth a better appearance than can be produced on a much better
class of goods by the means heretofore employed.
My Invention has for its object to raise by machinery the nap or pile of
woollen or other kinds of cloth, and at the same time to produce the Witney
finish on the cloth. The nap or pile upon the cloth is raised by the action of

page_text: wire card, after which it is submitted to the action of indin-rubber. or other
substances of a gummy, glutinous. or similar nature, which will form the nap
or pile so raised, as before mentioned, into a series of small sectional curls all
over the piece of cloth from end to end, which is well understood. and known
as the Witney finish.
I raise the pile and produce the Witney finish in woollen and other cloths
by the application. of india-rubber and wire card as the frictional surfaces to
produce those finishes, such surfaces being caused to operate and take effect
through the agency of machinery.
The machinery which employ for this purpose is this:-Two side frames
are placed at distances apart suited to receive the breadth of the cloth;
between these side frames supporting rollers are placed, over which the cloth
traverses while under operation. These supports are mounted, so that they
may be elevated or depressed, to produce greater or less pressure of the
rubbing surfaces on the cloth; they are placed nearly in the same plane, and
at distances apart.
The rubbing surfaces are placed alternately with the supporting rollers, but
at a level more or less below the top of the rollers, so that the cloth in its
psssage from the one roller to the other is deflected more or less out of the
direct line. These rubbing surfaces are suspended on arms (moving on fixed
fulcra) from above, and have a reciprocating motion imparted to them by
means of connecting rods and cranks, actuated by the machinery. These
rubbing surfaces extend beyond the breadth of the cloth, and act on the whole
breadth at one time; they are supported by two arms; one at either end, with
connecting rods to each. The cloth in entering the machine is passed between
two bars, whereby to create friction, in order to give sufficient tension, which
may be increased or diminished by varying the position of the bars. The cloth
is drawn through the machine by two drawing 1ollers, which bite or grip the
cloth with sullicient tension for the purpose. From these rollers the cloth
passes up over a carrying roller, where the back is brushed by a rotary brush;
from this it passes back to the feeding end of the machine, over a roller suit-
ably disposed and driven for that purpose. If the cloth is to be passed through
the machine more than once. the two ends are sewn together to make it
endless, and the operation performed continuously.
'The rubbing surfaces to produce the Witney finish are faced with india-
rubber, by preference vulcanized; other substances of a somewhat similar
character or nature may be used in lieu of the india-rubber.
To produce the Witney finish, it may be necessary first to raise the nap of
the cloth; this is effected by facing the first rubbing surface with wire card

page_text: having straight teeth or wires; from this it passes to the rubbing surfaces, which
complete the finish, the operation being simultaneous and continuous. The
amount of friction is regulated by the tension on the cloth, and the difference
in the plane of the rubbing surfaces and the cloth supports. The rubbers have
a rapid reciprocating motion, while the cloth moves slowly through; and
1 prefer that the rubbers should act in pairs, so that the tension produced in
the cloth by one rubbing surface will neutralize that of the other.
To produce the velvet pile finish, it is simply necessary to make the whole
of the rubbing surfaces of wire card instead of india-rubber. I make a varia-
tion in the finish of cloths by producing the velvet finish and Witney finish in
alternate strips, which is effected by forming the rubbing or raising surfaces to
produce strips accordingly; or the Witney finish may be produced in strips, and
the other part of the cloth left unaltered in its progress through the machine.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Figure represents a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of a machine,
according to my Invention. In Figure 2 the upper parts of the machine are
removed. A, A, are two cast-iron side frames, which are placed at suitable
widths apart to suit the width of the goods to be operated upon; across one
end of the two frames is a wrought-iron crank shaft B, B, which I drive at
about three hundred revolutions per minute; this shaft has double cranks b, b',
at each side of the frame, best seen in the plan, Figure 2. This shaft is driven
by a strap and fast & loose pulleys, in the ordinary manner. C is a fly wheel
upon shaft B for the purpose of equalizing its speed; D, D, are two break and
stretching rails, which turn upon a central bearing y at each end, and are held
fast in any suitable position by a catch; over and between the last-mentioned
rails the cloth to be operated upon passes in first entering the machine; it
then proceeds forward over the roller C. thence in a horizontal direction over
the guide rollers d, d. d, d, and then under the guide roller e to the drawing
rolls or cylinders 7. f. which draw the cloth through the machine. The course
of the cloth is indicated by the red dotted line; from the drawing rolls f, f, it
passes over the upper guide roller g. under the revolving brush E. which is of
bristles or other suitable material, and by which the back of the cloth is well
brushed; thence it passes forward over the guide rolls F, G, which latter is
driven by shaft r & bevil gear s, s, at a rate rather quicker than the traverse
of the cloth, whereby to keep a slight tension upon it, and to deliver to the
cutting frame ; it then proceeds through the machine again, if necessary, and
so on until the operation is completed. h, i, k, l, are iron arms, depending one
from each end of the shafts m, m, which are supported in bearings on each end

page_text: frame A, A. To the lower end of such pair of arms are fastened pieces of
timber n, n', n, n³, slightly curved on the under side. The arm h, i, k, l,
above mentioned are each connected to the crank shaft by a connecting rod to
ench crank, in such a manner that two of them, say hand k, will move in one
direction, while the other two will move in the contrary direction, so as to
produce a double reciprocating motion. For this purpose it will be observed
in the plan that each arm h, i, k. . is furnished with a pin p, two of which p, p,
are connected with crank b, while the other two p', p', are connected with bl.
Upon the under side of the piece of timber n, n, a piece of wire card is nailed
or otherwise secured throughout the length of the timber, and of any suitable
breadth, say about six inches; these cards I make somewhat different from
common cards the teeth or wires being quite straight. The reciprocating
motion communicated to the arms, as before described, causes the cards to
take effect upon the cloth, and raises the wool or nap thereon.
To produce the Witney finish, I fix upon the underside of the timbers n', n³, n³,
by nailing or otherwise, sheet india-rubber, or other substances of a guminy,
glutinous, or similar nature, of about six inches in breadth, and of the length
of the timbers. After the cloth has passed under the card beam where the wool
or nap is raised, it then passes under the beams n', n, n, with india-rubber upon
them, which by the reciprocating motion imparted to the india rubber they
produce the series of sectional curls or Witney finish required. The guide
rollers C and d, d, d, d, are so supported in their bearings that by means of
racks and pinions or other suitable contrivances, they may be raised or lowered,
as circumstances require, to produce and exert grenter or less pressure of the
cloth against the cards or india-rubber. These friction or bearing rollers, if
raised and lowered independent of each other. may produce greater or less
pressure on each of the separate rubbing surfaces. And further, when it is
found that the wool has been raised sufficiently by the card n before mentioned,
after passing once through the machine, the first guide roller C may be lowered
sufficiently to allow the cloth when again entering the machine to pass clear
of the card a, so that it will be subjected only to the action of the india-rubber
by continuance of which the Witney finish required will be produced.
The brush E, which is mounted in bearings on the frames A, A, is of the full
width of the machine, I cause it to revolve at a rapid rate; it is furnished with
suitable pullies, so as to reverse its motion when required; it may be driven
from the crank shaft or otherwise. The object of this brush is to brush and
finish the back of the cloth, which is effected simultaneously during the time
the cloth is undergoing the operation of the Witney finish, so as to be com-
pleted at one and the same time. This brush E is furnished with suitable

page_text: racks or other means for raising or lowering its bearings, and with them the
brush, so as to exert greater or less pressure upon the cloth, as circumstances
may require.
In producing the Witney finish, the cloth may or may not require the nap
to be raised previously to the india-rubber acting on the cloth; if the nap is
not so required to be raised as described, the timber n may be faced with india-
rubber, in the same manner as n', n, and n³, or another piece of timber faced
with india-rubber may be substituted for n, when four sheets of india-rubber
will act on the cloth simultaneously. Instead of removing the card or
timber n, the guide roller c may be lowered so as to allow the cloth to pass
clear of the card n, whereby the three rubbers n', n³, n³, will alone act on the
cloth to produce the Witney finish required.
In order to adapt the machine to produce the velvet pile or velvet finish,
which consists in raising the nap of the cloth. I make the following alteration:
for this purpose all the rubbers n', na, n³, n', are covered with cards of the kind
herein-before mentioned, the cloth being operated upon precisely in the manner
described with reference to the Witney finish, but with cards alone; or one
card only can be used, say the one on rubber n, or any number of cards that
may be desirable may be used. The cloth, after having been sufficiently
operated upon, may then be cut to the proper length to suit the ñnish required,
which is what is called and well known as the velvet pile or velvet finish.
This machine is adapted to raise the nap or Witney finish in various patters
or stripes. (that is to say,) one stripe of the Witney or velvet finish and another
and adjoining stripe of common pile, usually made upon woollen or other
cloths; these stripes may alternate and be of various widths, and run through-
out the whole length and breadth of the piece operated upon. For this purpose
I fix on the rubbers n', n². n³, narrow pieces of india-rubber, or other sub-
stances of a gummy, glutinous, or analogous nature, of the proper breadth
required.
Figure 3 represents a face view of one of the rubbers n, so covered. On
the rubber n I fix suitable breadths of cards, so as to be in a line with the
pieces of india-rubber upon the arms n', n³, n³, which will then raise the nap
or pile of the cloth in stripes, as required; by raising or lowering the guide
rollers C or d, d, d, as circumstances require, either the velvet or Witney finish
in stripes will be produced. All other operations are the same as herein-
before described, and the brush E to be used or not as may be required.
Instead of applying cards only on n to act in and produce stripes on the
cloth, the card may be throughout its length and act on the whole breadth of
cloth, so as to produce a velvet finish, which is afterwards acted on by the

page_text: other rubbers n', n2, n³, furnished with narrow pieces of india-rubber, whereby
the Witney finish will be produced in stripes. In this case the cloth can only
proceed once through the machine. A sufficient number of rubbers of wire
and india-rubber must be employed to complete the operation at one time.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same may be performed. I declare that what I claim as the Invention in-
tended to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the use and application of machinery for the purpose of producing the velvet
finish and Witney finish on cloths. either plain or in stripes, as herein-before
described.
And I also claim the use and application of india-rubber applied for pro-
ducing the Witney finish; & I also claim the use of cards with straight teeth
to produce the velvet finish.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morphet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
WILLIAM MORPHET. (L.S.)
Witness to the above signature,
THOMAS BARKER.