Improvements in the Means of and Apparatus for Cutting Designs on the Face of Fabrics.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means of and Apparatus for Cutting Designs
on the Face of Fabrics.
I, JOSEPH LOWDEN, of Melbourne Street Mills, Leeds, in the County of York,
Dyer and Cloth Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the production of designs upon
fabrics used in upholstering, wearing apparel, and the like. Hitherto designs upon'
fabrics have been produced by embossing, weaving, or cutting.
In the case of embossing, the pile fabric is subject to pressure, and under certain
conditions, the pile resumes its former position.
In the case of weaving, the cost is considerable, as it involves the production of the
fabric in Jacquard Looms.
In the case of cutting, the designs are of a very limited character, that is to say,
straight lines, or serpentine.
The fabric is woven in the ordinary manner having a plain surface, and upon it
and by my improvement, I can produce almost any conceivable design, and in
such a manner that, it is of a far more durable character and less costly than designs
produced by embossing.
I carry my invention into effect by forming the design to be cut on the fabric
upon any flexible material in bass relief, which may be produced for example in
the following manner, by first tracing the design upon an endless web, say of cotton
or other material, and stitching the same with a raised stitch, or stitching on to the
tracery of the design a cord, round or flat braid.
The fabric upon which it is desired to cut the design, is passed through the
cutting machine on the top of the design in bass relief, and subjected to the cutting
operation in an ordinary cutting machine, with the following advantages.
The design in bass relief raises the surface of the fabric, and the surface projecting
to the configuration of the design is cut away, and thus may be produced almost all
manner of designs upon the surface of any fabric.
Dated this 13th day of August 1888.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means of and Apparatus for Cutting Designs
on the Face of Fabrics.
I, JOSEPH LOWDEN, of Melbourne Street Mills, Leeds, in the County of York,
Dyer and Cloth Finisher, 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 :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the production of designs upon
Hitherto designs upon
fabrics used in upholstering, wearing apparel, and the like.
fabrics have been produced by embossing, weaving, or cutting.
In the case of embossing, the pile fabric is subject to pressure and under certain
conditions, the pile resumes its former position.
In the case of weaving, the cost is considerable, as it involves the production of the
fabric in jacquard looms.
In the case of cutting, the designs are of a very limited character, that is to say,
straight lines, or. serpentine.

page_text: The fabric is woven in the ordinary manner, having a plain surface, and upon 1
and by my improvement, I can produce almost any conceivable design, and in such
a manner that, it is of a far more durable character, and less costly than designs
produced by embossing.
I carry my invention into effect by forming the design to be cut on the pile fabric,
upon any flexible material in bas-relief, which may be produced for example in the
following manner by first tracing the design upon an endless web, say of cotton or
other material, and stitching the same with a raised stitch, or stitching on to the tracery
of the design a cord, round or flat braid.
The pile fabric upon which it is desired to cut the design, is passed through the
cutting machine on the top of the design in bas-relief, and subjected to the cutting
operation in an ordinary cutting machine, with the following advantages.
The design in bas-relief raises the surface of the pile fabric, and the surface
projecting to the configuration of the design, is cut away, and thus may be produced
almost all manner of designs upon the surface of any fabric.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1. represents a transverse section through an ordinary cutting machine, with my
improvements attached thereto.
Fig. 2. is a front view of the apparatus, the centre portion of the machine being
cut away.
Fig. 3. is a detail showing the means employed for regulating the height of the
pattern cylinder for the purpose of stretching the endless web upon which the design
is formed.
Fig. 4, a cross section through the cutting knife and bed, and
Figs. 5 and 6. details showing the mode of driving the cylinders.
Upon the end frames A. of an ordinary cutting machine, 1 secure brackets B. and
mount thereon a cylinder C. the axis of the same at each end of the cylinder carrying
one end of a plate B¹ on which is mounted an additional cylinder C₁the same being
driven by gears from E. or other convenient shaft of the machine; the opposite end
of each plate B being supported by a screw and links S. by the regulation of which,
the height of the additional cylinder may be adjusted to suit the length of the
endless web J. upon which the design is formed.
The revolving spiral knife G. is driven in the usual manner, and the cutting
blade Gis of the ordinary construction, but the "bed" H. on the machine, is formed
stronger and of a different section, being curved on each side and terminating at the
top with a curved narrow edge. The "bed" H. is bolted to the lugs H' so that it
may be easily removed from the end frames A. in order to pass over it an
endless flexible web J. upon which a design is formed in bas relief by stitching as
before described.
The circumference of the additional cylinder C¹ is of the same surface speed, as the
circumference of the card covered cylinder C. and the pile fabric K. to be cut, may be
conducted over a front bar L. under another bar L' and behind the circular brush M. to
the "bed" H. where it joins the endless web J. passing over the "bed" H. in a stretched
condition; when the design in bas-relief on the endless web raises portions of the pile
fabric K. to the configuration of the said design, the raised portions being cut off by
the rotating spiral knife G. and the stationary cutting blade G' in the same manner as
when the fabric is passed between a common "bed " and the cutting instruments; the
rotating card covered cylinder C. drawing the fabric in a stretched condition through
the machine in the direction described, delivering it below into a suitable receptacle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :
1. The method of producing designs upon pile fabrics, which consists in super-
imposing said fabric upon a base having the design in bas-relief thereupon, and while
in such position subjecting the fabric to the action of a cutting machine substantially
as described.

page_text: 2. The method of producing designs upon pile fabrics which consists in super-
imposing said fabric upon an endless belt on which the design is first produced in
bas-relief by a cord or braid, and then subjecting said fabric to the action of a cutting
machine substantially as described.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.