IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTED FELT CARPETS, AND OTHER PRINTED FELTED FABRICS
Year: 1884

page_text: .
ROBERT JOHN CHADWICK MITCHELL of Waterfoot in the County of Lancaster
Felt Carpet Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
'IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTED FELT CARPETS, AND OTHER
PRINTED FELTED FABRICS to be as follows:-
•
This invention is principally designed for the manufacture of narrow printed
felt carpeting for stairs, but the invention is also applicable to the manufacture of
other kinds of printed striped felt carpeting horse clothing skirts, and other printed
striped felted fabrics.
The object of this, invention, is to produce printed felted fabrics which though
principally composed of brown black or grey wools (or a combination of these
wools) should be capable of receiving bright and delicate colors by the usual
process of surface printing.
To ensure the best effects in regard to brilliance of color it has hitherto been
necessary to print only upon fabrics, the surfaces of which, were composed of wool
either, naturally white or pale yellow.
It is well known that the presence of grey or dark haired wools detracts from
the brilliancy of the colors and this invention is therefore principally designed to
incorporate into one and the same fabric the characteristic cheapness of grey and
other mixtures and the brilliant colors of the naturally white or yellow wools.
To accomplish this purpose I introduce into grey or other mixed fabrics stripes
of white or yellow wool, which stripes run in lines parallel to the selvages from
end to end of the piece.
These stripes will necessarily vary in width, in number and position according
to the requirements of the design to be printed. The stripes can be introduced on
the face of the fabric and so printed on one side only or they can be made in solid
stripes from face to back and so printed on both sides. In the latter case the
fabric would be reversible and could be advantageously used for purposes of stair
carpets, travelling rugs, horse clothing, ladies skirts and other printed striped felted
goods.
To produce a fabric which has to be printed on one side only I commence
by feeding the carding engine with the grey or dark wool in the usual way
that is by evenly distributing the grey mixture over the entire width of the feed
"brat."
.

page_text: I continue to feed the carding engine in this manner until one half (or there-
abouts) of the thickness of the piece is made, then introduce the stripes by
feeding in stripes of white or yellow wool simultaneously with the grey or dark
wool at such distances from the selvages and in auch widths as the pattern may
.require until the requisite thickness of the piece is attained; or this process may be
reversed by making the striped face first and adding the plain back. The piece
is then passed through the subsequent operations of hardening fulling and finishing
and will then be a homogeneous fabric all grey or brown at the back but having
stripes of white or yellow.wool on the face and running from end to end of the
piece on which brilliant colors can be obtained by printing..
Suppose for example that I wish to make a felted stair carpet with the centre
or ground of grey wool and a border on each side for printing in rich colors.
After having fed the carding engine with grey or mixed wool over the full width
of the feed "brat" for say one half the piece I then arrange to introduce the
stripes of white or yellow wool at the sides. If the feed "brat" were 72 inches
wide I should continue to feed (say) 48 inches in the centre as before using the
grey wool (or other mixtures) but the 12'inches on each side of the feed brat
would cease to be fed with the grey mixture and would instead be fed with white
or yellow wool which would be evenly distributed on the feed brat in stripes of
12 inches wide on each side of the 48 inches of grey mixture.
In the case of reversible printed stair carpets or other reversible fabrics which
have to be printed on both sides I should commence at once with the stripes of
white or yellow wool so that the stripes through the whole thickness of the piece
would be composed of one and the same material.
:
Any desired stripe or running pattern may now be produced by printing on
this white border and will have all the brilliancy of colors printed upon white
wool.
-
The stripes may be printed in one color only such as scarlet or blue for
example with a plain black border line or a floral or any other class of designs.
The central portion may be either left plain grey, or it may have any dark
pattern printed upon it if desired or the centre may be white and the borders
grey.
I may here remark that as the line of junction between the grey and white
wools will naturally be more or less imperfect it is advisable in all cases to cover
this line with a stripe of some dark color to hide the imperfect joint.
:
I may also remark that by grey wool or grey mixtures I should include a
mixture of grey, black brown, or other dark haired wools which can be used in
combination with (if desirable) hemp, flax, and other vegetable fibres, and that
I do not confine myself to the use of one carding engine in the manufacture
of these striped goods, as two or more carding engines might be advantageously
used.
!

page_text: I ROBERT JOHN CHADWICK MITCHELL of Waterfoot in the County of Lancaster
Felt Carpet Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTED FELT CARPETS AND OTHER
PRINTED FELTED FABRICS s" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention is principally designed for the manufacture of narrow printed felt
carpeting for stairs, but the invention is also applicable to the manufacture of other
kinds of printed striped felt carpeting, horse clothing skirts and other printed
striped felted fabrics.
The object of this invention is to produce printed felted fabrics which though
principally composed of brown black or grey wools (or a combination of these
wools) should be capable of receiving bright and delicate colors by the usual
process of surface printing.
To ensure the best effects in regard to brilliance of color it has hitherto been
necessary to print only upon fabrics the surfaces of which were composed of wool
either naturally white or yellow.
It is well known that the presence of grey or dark haired wools in fabrics which
are intended to be printed upon detracts from the brilliancy of the colors and this
invention is therefore principally designed to incorporate into one and the same
fabric the characteristic cheapness of grey and other mixtures and the brilliant
colors of the naturally white or yellow wools.
To accomplish this purpose I introduce into grey or other mixed fabrics stripes
of white or yellow wool which stripes run in lines parallel to the selvages from end
to end of the piece.
These stripes will necessarily vary in width, in number and position according
to the requirements of the design to be printed. The stripes can be introduced
on the face of the fabric and so printed on one side only or they can be made in
solid stripes from face to back and so printed on both sides. In the latter case the
fabric would be reversible and could be advantageously used for purposes of stair
carpets, travelling rugs, horse clothing, ladies skirts and other printed striped felted
goods.
To produce a fabric which has to be printed on one side only I commence
by feeding the carding engine with the grey or dark wool in the usual way
that is by evenly distributing the grey mixture over the entire width of the feed
"brat."
I continue to feed the carding engine in this manner until one half (or there-
abouts) of the thickness of the piece is made, I then introduce the stripes by
feeding in stripes of white or yellow wool simultaneously with the grey or dark
wool at such distances from the selvages and in such widths as the pattern may
require until the requisite thickness of the piece is attained: or this process may be
reversed by making the striped face first and adding the plain back. The piece
is then passed through the subsequent operations of hardening fulling and finishing
and will then be a homogeneous fabric all grey or brown at the back but having
stripes of white or yellow wool on the face and running from end to end of the
piece on which brilliant colors can be obtained by printing.
Suppose for example that I wish to make a felted stair carpet with the centre
or ground of grey wool and a border on each side for printing in rich colors.
After having fed the carding engine with grey or mixed wool over the full
width of the feed "brat" for say one half the piece I then arrange to introduce

page_text: •
the stripes of white or yellow wool at the sides. If the feed "brat" were 72 inches
wide I should continue to feed (say) 48 inches in the centre as before using the
grey wool (or other mixtures) but the 12 inches on each side of the feed brat
would cease to be fed with the grey mixture and would instead be fed with white
or yellow wool which would be evenly distributed on the feed brat in stripes of
12 inches wide on each side of the 48 inches offgrey mixture.
In the case of reversible printed stair carpets or other reversible fabrics which
have to be printed on, both sides I should commence at once with the stripes of
white or yellow wool so that the stripes through the whole thickness of the piece
would be composed of one and the same material.
on
Any desired stripe or running pattern may now be produced by printing
this border and will have all the brilliancy of colors printed upon white or yellow
wool.
The stripes may be printed in one color only such as scarlet or blue for example
with a plain black border line or a floral or any other class of designs.
The central portion may be either left plain grey or it may have any dark
pattern printed upon it if desired or the centre may be white or yellow and the
borders grey.
I may here remark that as the line of junction between the grey and white
-wools will naturally be more or less imperfect it is advisable in all cases to. cover
this line with a stripe of some dark color to hide the imperfect joint.
I may also remark that by grey wool or grey mixtures I should include a
mixture of grey, black, brown or other dark haired wools which can be used in
combination with (if desirable) hemp, flax, and other vegetable fibres and that
I do not confine myself to the use of one carding engine in the manufacture of
these striped goods, as two or more carding engines might be advantageously
used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The improved manufacture of printed felted carpets and other printed
felted fabrics substantially as herein before described.
Secondly. The improved printed felted fabric manufactured as herein before
described.