A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR NAPPING CLOTH AND OTHER FABRICS CROSSWISE
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Frederic Lacassaigne, of St. Aubin,
Epinay, in the Department of the Scine Inféricure, in the
Republic of France, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Frederic
Lacassaigne at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 13th December 1873.
I, ALFRED FREDERIC LACASSAIGNE, of St. Aubin, Epinay, in the
Department of the Seine Inférieure, in the Republic of France, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR NAPPING CLOTH AND OTHER FABRICS CROSSWISE,"
to be as follows:-
My improved machine for napping fabrics crosswise is composed of
two frames of wood or of metal, shown Figures 1 and 2 of the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawing. These two frames are tied together by the
cross pieces t, t, t, fixed to the uprights by wood screws. Further, on

page_text: the side where the workman places himself a cross piece ( adds to the
strength of the whole machine, which by means of suitably arranged
props or wedges rests on the floor of the factory. On the upper part of
each of the frames and crosswise are fixed five cross picces a, b, c, d, e,
which serve at the same time as ties to the whole and to receive the
cloth. Finally, two small wooden frames of less dimensions crown the
whole and serve to uphold the arrangement I have adopted for the
napping, and which is herein-after described.
?
Fig. 1 represents the machine seen from the side of the transmission
or driving gear composed of four toothed wheels A, B, C, D. The
pinion D receives motion from the steam engine by means of a pulley P
keyed on its shaft (see Figures 2 and 3). This pinion gears with the
wheel B, on the shaft of which is keyed the wheel C, which in its turn
actuates the wheel A keyed on the same shaft as a cylinder Q covered
with shag, woollen velvet ("panne"), or similar material, the use of
which will be herein-after set forth.
To set in motion the parts which produce the napping I have fixed on
the upright of one of the frames (see Figures 1 and 3) two supports or
brackets E, E', which uphold an iron shaft. On this shaft are keyed the
two connecting rods F, F, which give a come-and-go movement to the
rods G, G', fixed to the Drawing apparatuses. To obtain this come-and-go
motion I have keyed on the shaft a small connecting rod in two parts H
and H¹ joined by a bolt at K, and the end H¹ of which is keyed on a
stud placed eccentrically on the pinion D. Finally, to consolidate the
whole, two iron rods L, L³, are bolted at one end to the supports E, E¹,
and fixed at the other to the frame by wood screws.
I will now describe in what consists the arrangement adopted for the
napping.
P
On reference to Fig. 2 there will be seen above the main frames two
other smaller frames; each of these serves to uphold two screw threaded
rods passing through iron bow straps and regulating the position of the
drawing pieces, which are composed as follows:-Two oak.boards p and
pare cut, so that they may slide in rebates made in the pieces of
wood q, q¹, q¹¹, q¹¹¹. Each board has on its upper face two cross pieces
of flat iron, and a piece of iron into which is bolted the rod G, G¹, giving
the come-and-go motion. On the under face of each of these boards p
and p¹ there is also fixed by wooden pins two bands or strips of cards, so
11
•

page_text: placed that one of them may clean or strip itself whilst the other draws
or naps. The boards p and p' are slid into their sliding grooves from the
side opposed to the driving gear, and to facilitate this operation the cross
pieces and ¹ (Figures 1 and 2) are suppressed. All being thus
arranged the cloth or fabric to be napped is put into the machine so as
to be in contact with the napping cards in the best position for the work.
This putting in of the cloth is effected, firstly, by passing it round the
piece of wood M, then by the above-mentioned pieces a, b, c, d, e, and
finally by the special arrangement which I have adopted, and which is
shown detached, Figures 4 and 5.
Two pieces of wood 6 and 6¹, each having a sloping end, are fixed to
the uprights of the main frame by the bolts x and x¹ (Figures 1 and 2),
on which they are loose. They are also united by a series of cross
pieces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (Figures 4 and 5). Further, a sort of iron
screw V, V¹, of the particular shape shown in detached views, Figures 6
and 7, turns in wooden bearings c and c¹ fixed upon 6 and 6¹. Finally,
to each of the cross pieces 1, 2, 5, and 6 are added two blocks d, d',
movable horizontally or vertically, their object being to prevent the
cloth from gathering or rucking up near the edges. The screw V, V¹, is
also intended to prevent any rucking of the cloth by reason of the
inverse arrangement of its two sides in relation to its axis.
When an entire piece of cloth has been napped another is passed into
the machine by joining them end to end by means of a large pin of
copper or other suitable material. It is necessary that this pin, which
has a diameter of 25 to 325 of an inch ("2 to 3 millimetres") should not
come in contact with the cards on the boards p and p¹, the entire
arrangement shown Figures 4 and 5 must therefore be lowered. For
this purpose I have bolted upon cach of the pieces 6 and 6¹ an iron rod
suitably curved to permit the movement required. These rods 7, 1, have
at their upper part an eye, which enters into a fork at the end of the
iron bar and are united by a bolt. The other ends of the bars are
fixed to the small frame surmounting the whole at the point m, their
ends being connected by the round iron rod n.
When the machine is working the rod n comes against two springs o, 0¹,
which prevent any rocking or pivoting. When on the contrary it is
desired to lower the cloth for the passage of the pin or needle the effect
of the springs o, o¹, is made to cease, the rods ", ", partially rotate on

page_text: the entire arrange-
The pin or needle
the points m, and the rod / lowers, carrying with it
ment, which is moveable, on the points x and x¹.
having passed the rod n is again brought under the action of the
springs o, o¹, and the whole acts as before.
The working of my machine is as follows:-Assuming that the cloth
or fabric to be operated upon is suitably put into the machine and the
machine is working, the operative being placed on the side of the
springs o, o, the wheel A. being set in motion turns the cylinder Q,
which in its turn actuates another cylinder Q' of smaller diameter, and.
which counterweights R and R¹ keep pressed against the first. These
two cylinders are covered with shag ("panne "), and in turning they
draw along the cloth, which is thus made to pass under the action of
the cards, and is thereby napped. As it leaves the cylinders Q, Q', the
cloth passes on to a table T, T¹. This table has a comic-and-go motion,
compelling the cloth to submit to a bending, which aids the successive
manipulations which it must undergo...
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Frederic Lacassaigne, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 12th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
FREDERIC LACASSAIGNE, of St. Aubin, Epinay, in the Department of
the Seine Inférieure, in the Republic of France, Manufacturer, send.
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,.
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Frederic Lacassaigne, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Frederic Lacassaigne, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alfred Frederic Lacassaigne, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time

page_text: 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR NAPPING CLOTH
AND OTHER FABRICS CROSSWISE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Alfred Frederic Lacassaigne, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 Alfred Frederic Lacassaigne,
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 following statement :—
My improved machine for effecting the napping of fabrics crosswise is
composed of two frames of wood or of metal, shown. Figures 1 and 2,
(Sheet I.) of the accompanying 2 Sheets of Drawing. These two frames
are tied together by the cross pieces t, t¹, t", fixed to the uprights by
wood screws. Further, on the side where the workman places himself
a cross piece adds to the strength of the whole machine, which by
micans of suitably arranged props or wedges rests on the floor of the
.factory. On the upper part of each of the frames and crosswise are
fixed five cross pieces a, b, c, d, e, which serve at the same time as ties
to the whole and to receive the cloth. Finally, two small wooden frames
of less dimensions crown the whole and serve to uphold the arrangement
I have adopted for the napping, and which is herein-after described.
Figure 1 represents the machine seen from the side of the transmission
or driving gear composed of four toothed wheels A, B, C, D. The
pinion D receives motion from the steam engine by means of a pulley P
keyed on its shaft (see Figures 2 and 3). This pinion gears with the
wheel B, on the shaft of which is keyed the wheel C, which in its turn
actuates the wheel A keyed on the same shaft as a cylinder Q covered
5 with shag, woollen velvet ("panne"), or similar material, the use of
which will be herein-after set forth.
To set in motion the parts which produce the napping I have fixed on
the upright of one of the frames (see Figures 1 and 3) two supports or

page_text: brackets E, E¹, which uphold an iron shaft. On this shaft are keyed
the two connecting rods F, F¹, which give a come-and-go movement to
the rods G, G¹, fixed to the drawing apparatus. To obtain this come-
and-go motion I have keyed on the shaft a small connecting rod in two
parts H and H¹ joined by a bolt at K, and the end H' of which is keyed
on a stud placed eccentrically on the pinion D. Finally, to consolidate
the whole, two iron rods L, L, are bolted at one end to the supports E, E',
and fixed at the other to the frame by wood screws.
I will now describe in what consists the arrangement adopted for the
napping..
On reference to Figure 2 there will be seen above the main frames
two other smaller frames. Each of these serves to uphold two screw
threaded rods passing through iron bow straps, and regulating the
position of the drawing pieces, which are composed as follows:-Two
oak boards p and p¹ are cut, so that they may slide in rebates made in 1
the pieces of wood q, q¹, q¹¹, q¹¹¹. Each board has on its upper face two
cross pieces of flat iron and a piece of iron into which is bolted the
rod G, G¹, giving the come-and-go motion. On the under face of each
of these boards p and p¹ there is also fixed by wooden pins two bands or
strips of card so placed that one of them may clean or strip itself whilst
'the other draws or naps. The boards p and p³ are slid into their sliding
grooves from the side opposed to the driving gear, and to facilitate this
operation the cross pieces and ¹ (Figures 1 and 2) are suppressed.
All being thus arranged the cloth or fabric to be napped is put into the
machine so as to be in contact with the napping cards in the best 2
position for the work. This putting in of the cloth is effected, firstly, by
passing it round the piece of wood M, then by the above-mentioned
pieces a, b, c, d, e, and finally by the special arrangement which I have
adopted, and which is shown detached, Figures 4 and 5.
Two pieces of wood b`and b', each having a sloping end, are fixed to 3
the uprights of the main frame by the bolts x and x¹ (Figures 1 and 2),
on which they are loose. They are also united by a series of cross
pieces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (Figures 4 and 5). Further, a sort of iron
screw V, V¹, of the particular shape shown in detached views Figures 6
and 7 turns in wooden bearings c and c¹ fixed upon 6 and 6¹. Finally, 3
to each of the cross pieces 1, 2, 5, and 6 are added two blocks d, d²,
movable horizontally or vertically, their object being to prevent the

page_text: cloth from gathering or rucking up near the edges. The screw V, V¹,
is also intended to prevent any rucking of the cloth by reason of the
inverse arrangement of its two sides in relation to its axis.
When an entire piece of cloth has been napped another is passed into
the machine by joining them end to end by means of a large pin of
copper or other suitable material. It is necessary that this pin, which
has a diameter of 225 to 325 of an inch (2 to 3 millimètres), should not
come in contact with the cards on the boards p and p². The entire
arrangement shown, Figures 4 and 5, must therefore be lowered. For
this purpose I have bolted upon each of the pieces 6 and 6ª an iron rod
suitably curved to permit the movement required. These rods 1, 2, have
at their upper part an eye, which enters into a fork at the end of the
iron bar and are united by a bolt. The other ends of the bars are
fixed to the small frame surmounting the whole at the point m, their
ends being connected by the round iron rod n.
When the machine is working the rod n comes against two springs o, o¹,
which prevent any rocking or pivoting. When on the contrary it is
desired to lower the cloth for the passage of the pin or needle the effect
of the springs o, o³, is made to cease, the rods 1, 1, partially rotate on
the points m, and the rod / lowers, carrying with it the entire arrange-
ment, which is movable on the points x and x². The pin or needle
having passed the rod n is again brought under the action of the
springs o, o, and the whole acts as before.
The working of the novel machine for napping cloth crosswise above
described, and the use of which I claim as secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is as follows:-Assuming that the
cloth or fabric to be operated upon is suitably put into the machine, and
that the machine is working, the operative being placed on the side of
the springs o, o, the wheel A. being set in motion turns the cylinder Q,
which in its turns actuates another cylinder Q¹ of smaller diameter, and
which counterweights R and R keep pressed against the first. These
two cylinders are covered with shag ("panné "), and in turning they
draw along the cloth, which is thus made to pass under the action of the
cards, and is thereby napped. As it leaves the cylinders Q, Q¹, the cloth
passes on to a table T, T. This table has a come-and-go motion,
compelling the cloth to submit to a bending, which aids the successive
manipulations which it must undergo.
.

page_text: 3
Sheet II. of the accompanying Drawings illustrates certain modifi-
cations of the machine hercin-before described and illustrated, Sheet I.'
These modifications consist,-
1°. In the double action of the drawing boards or apparatus which
modifies the ensemble of the machine.
.2%. In a new arrangement of the setting-up apparatus or picces for
receiving the cloth ("embarrage") both as regards its action upon the
fabric as upon the movement from top to bottom and reciprocally.
'
My machine as herein-before described and shown, Sheet I., is a
double-action machine, that is to say, it is provided with two drawing
boards. In the one I am about to describe the action is quadruple in
consequence of the addition of two other drawing boards, which increase
'the productive power of the machine. These four boards p, p¹, p", p¹¹,
move in cast iron slide bars fixed at each end to a small framing a, b, c,
d, e, f, g, h, also of cast iron. Each of them is joined by means of a
wood screw to a cross piece T, T', supported by several uprights fixed in
a base S, S¹, resting on the floor of the factory. Lastly, to strengthen
the whole suitably arranged cross pieces have been joined to the uprights
see Fig. 1 (Sheet II.). As in my first described machine shown, Sheet I.,
I each of these boards p, p, p", "", is set in motion by an iron rod G,
itself receiving motion from an iron shaft F, F¹, supported upon three
bearings E fixed on the wooden uprights (Fig. 1, Sheet II.): This
* shaft F, F¹, is set in motion by a series of toothed wheels A, B, C, D,
actuated from a pulley B fixed on the shaft of the pinion D (Fig. 1).
The drawing boards being provided with their cards as in the machine,
Sheet I., the cloth has to be set up so that it may be submitted to their
action. This operation is produced, firstly, by the piece M. and the cross
pieces n, o, q, which are found here as in the machine, Sheet I., and then
by means of the setting-up arrangement ("embarrage") to which I have
applied the following modifications:-Two pieces of wood a¹, a', ending
in a sloping part are united by means of cross picces d'. The whole may
receive a rotary motion around an axle C¹ fixed to the uprights of the
main frame (Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet II.). At each end of the wooden
pieces d' there is a groove r¹ (Fig. 4. Sheet II.), which permits the cross
pieces e¹ to receive a horizontal come-and-go motion (Fig. 4). This
movement is given by mcans of two iron rods &¹ (Figures 2 and 4) screw
threaded in an inverse direction at their ends. The result is that by
k

page_text: framing; n, o, q, wooden cross pieces for receiving the cloth; p, p', p¹,
p, drawing boards; a¹, a¹, sides of the setting-up apparatus; e¹, e¹, piece
moving in the grooves 21 in the cross pieces d¹; f¹, f¹, support of the
blocks; r, r¹, grooves in the cross pieces d¹; t¹, t¹, iron rods, screw
threaded at both ends and serving to move the pieces e¹, e¹; x², x¹, wooden
cylinders covered with cards; y¹, y¹, y¹, blocks of the setting-up
apparatus; ¹, 2¹, rods of same; and d', d, cross pieces thereof.
My machine is applicable in all cases for the napping of any kind of
fabric, and I do not limit myself to the use of any particular materials in
its construction, as cast or wrought iron may be substituted for wood, and
so on, according to requirement.
I
may also place a cylinder furnished with cards in front of the roller
at the end of the machine to set up again in the direction of the length
the nap which is laid in the direction of the breadth by the action of the
transverse cards.
In witness whercof, I, the said Alfred Frederic Lacassaigne,
have hereunto set my hand and scal, this Eighth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
LOUIS EUGÈNE COLSON.
JEAN BAPTISTE GIRARD.
ALF. F. LACASSAIGNE. (L.S.)