IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VELVETS, VELVETEENS, AND OTHER PILED FABRICS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Smith, of Manchester, and Edwin Kenyon,
of Hollinwood, both in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention
of “IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VELVETS, VELVETEENS, AND
OTHER PILED FABRICS."
Scaled the 29th October 1872, and dated the 2nd May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Smith and Edwin
Kenyon at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 2nd May 1872.
WC, ALFRED SMITH, of Manchester, and EDWIN KENYON, of Hollin-
wood, both in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VELVETS,
VELVETEENS, AND OTHER PILED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to the manufacture of cotton, silk, and
other velvets and velveteens, and to plush and other similar piled
fabrics, the objects of the Invention being to produce by power a piled
fabric approaching as near as possible in appearance and feel to a hand-
made fabric, at the same time that the binding of the pile is exceedingly

page_text: firm, and the pile can be put in much closer than heretofore, without
increasing the weight.
Instead of having a warp all of one substance of yarn, as heretofore
practised, I have a warp of two different counts, every third thread
being of about the ordinary strength of yarn, and the remainder only
half the thickness. We draw the warp in through the reed three threads
in each dent, cach group of three having one thick between two thin
threads, that is to say, the second, fifth, eighth, cleventh, and so on are
coarse, and the first, third, fourth, sixth, seventh, and so on are finc.
Our improved method of weaving may be practised with from eight
to twelve shafts, and the peculiarity of the "tic up," which in combi-
nation with the drawing in of the warp (three ends in a dent) produces
the desired effect, will be readily understood by the practical weaver
on reference to the annexed diagram, showing the method of weaving
with twelve shafts. The blue lines are the warp threads arranged in
groups of three (one coarse between two fine), and the black lines are
the weft threads. The fifth, tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth are the
binding picks, the remainder are pile picks. The three upper lines
marked thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen show our method of weaving a
corded or tape selvedge in place of the tabby selvedge as usual in cotton
velvets and velveteens.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Smith and Edwin Kenyon in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 31st October 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALFRED
SMITH, of Manchester, and EDWIN KENYON, of Hollinwood, both in the
County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Alfred Smith and Edwin Kenyon, Her
special license that we, the said Alfred Smith and Edwin Kenyon, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Alfred Smith and Edwin Kenyon, our executors, administrators, and

page_text: 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 THE MANUFACTURE
OF VELVETS, VELVETEENS, AND OTHER PILED FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Alfred Smith and Edwin Kenyon,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Alfred Smith and Edwin Kenyon,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
5 manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
diagram (that is to say) :-
These improvements relate to the manufacture of cotton, silk, and
other velvets and velveteens, and to plush and other similar piled
O fabrics, the objects of the Invention being to produce by power a piled
fabric approaching as near as possible in appearance and feel to a hand-
made fabric, at the same time that the binding of the pile is exceedingly
firm, and the pile can be put in much closer than heretofore, without
increasing the weight.
Instead of having a warp all of one substance of yarn, as heretofore
practised, we prefer to have a warp of two different counts, every
third thread being of about the ordinary strength of yarn, and the
remainder only half the thickness (but the yarn may be all of the
same count). We draw the warp in through the reed three threads
in each dent, cach group of three having by preference one thick
between two thin threads, that is to say, the second, fifth, eighth, eleventh,
and so on are coarse, and the first, third, fourth, sixth, seventh, and so
on are fine.
Our improved method of weaving may be practised with from six
to twelve shafts, and the peculiarity of the "tie up," which in combi-
nation with the drawing in of the warp, three ends in a dent, produces
the desired effect, will be readily understood by the practical weaver on
reference to the annexed diagram, showing the method of weaving with

page_text: twelve shafts. The blue lines are the warp threads, arranged in groups
of three (one coarse between two fine), and the black lines are the weft
threads.
It will be seen on examining this diagram, that for the first, ninth,
thirteenth, and seventeenth picks the second warp thread is raised; for {
the second, sixth, fourteenth, and eighteenth picks the eighth thread is
raised; for the third, seventh, eleventh, and nineteenth picks the fifth
thread is raised; and for the fourth, eighth, twelfth, and sixteenth the
cleventh thread is raised, and so on. The fifth, tenth, fifteenth, and
twentieth are the binding picks, the remainder are pile picks. The
three upper lines marked thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen show our method
of weaving a corded or tape selvedge in place of the tabby selvedge as
usual in cotton velvets and velveteens.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention,
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be :
performed or carried into practical effect, we wish it to be understood
that we claim as our Invention, the manufacture of velvets, velveteens,
and other piled fabrics in the manner herein-before described by
drawing in three ends or warp threads through each dent of the reed,
whether such warp threads be all of the same count or of different
thicknesses and arranged one thick between two thin threads, and
whether the fabric be made with a corded or tape selvedge as described
or with the ordinary tabby selvedge.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alfred Smith and Edwin Kenyon,
have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Thirtieth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-two.
Witnessed by
JOHN HUGHES,
Clerk to George Davies, C.E.,
Patent Office,
4, St. Ann's Sq.
Manchester.
ALFRED SMITII. (L.S.)
EDWIN KENYON. (L.S.)