IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILED FABRICS, SUCH AS VELVET OR VELVETEEN.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Brookes, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent and Registration Agent, for the
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE USED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILED FABRICS, SUCH AS VELVET OR VELVETEEN.".
A communication from abroad by Henry Wattinne, of Roubaix,
France, Manufacturer, and Edouard Roettger, of Lille, France, Civil
Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brookes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th November 1875.
I, WILLIAM BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the County of
5 Middlesex, Patent and Registration Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OB APPA-
RATUS TO BE USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILED FABRICS, SUCH AS VELVET OR
VELVETEEN," (a communication from Henry Wattinne, of Roubaix,

page_text: this means the end of the rib being cut will be in close propinquity to
the beginning of the next rib to be operated upon. The fabric is mounted
upon two drums or rollers, which if there be sufficient space should,
by preference, be placed at such a distance one from the other that the
whole length of the fabric be stretched round them like a strap over
two pullies. Or the said fabric may be rolled round one or two drums
or rollers of such a diameter that the whole length of fabric will be
held upon the circumference of the said drum or drums, or tho fabric
may be passed over two drums or rollers placed a short distance apart
and kept in a state of tension by rollers or other suitable means.
The axes of the said drums or rollers are mounted in a suitable frame,
and rotatory motion is communicated to them from suitable pulleys or
gearing. A table for supporting the fabric under the needle and cutter
is disposed between the said drums or rollers; the said table may or
may not be provided with a magnet to guide or attract the needle. The
needle and cutter are mounted above the said table, and the levor to
which the needle holder is jointed is mounted on an endless screw, or
provided with other mechanical arrangements, by which it may be
moved from one side to the other of the machine across the fabric, so
as to bring the needle and cutter successively into a line with each
of the ribs to be severed. A small grooved roller in front of the needle
point serves to give the required tension to that rib of the fabric then
being operated upon.
When the fabric to be operated upon consists of ribbed velveteens or
other like fabrics in which any slight irregularity in the velvety surface
would not be remarked, a series of any suitable number of needles and
cutters may be placed side by side so as simultaneously to operate on
the fabric.
An electric current may be made to indicate the fact of the needle
point piercing one of the two surfaces of the fabric.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Brookes in the Great Seal Patent Offico
on the 4th May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent &
and Registration Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
in the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Brookes,
Her special license that I, the said William Brookes, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Brookes, 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE USED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILED FABRICS, SUCH AS VELVET OR VELVETEEN," a
communication to me from abroad by Henry Wattinne, of Roubaix,
France, Manufacturer, and Edouard Roettger, of Lille, France, Civil
Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Brookes, 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 Brookes, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention, as communicated to me, relates to machinery or
apparatus to be used in the manufacture of pile fabrics, such as velvet,
or velveteen, or cotton or worsted velvets, for the purpose of ripping up

page_text: the surface threads of weft in order to obtain the velvety surface of
the fabric, mechanical means for which purpose are described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me bearing date the 15th
of April 1873, No. 1357, and this Invention consists in the improvements
herein-after described in the construction and arrangement of the needles
and cutters and parts of the machine by which the operation of the
machinery is more regular and effective.
When a number or series of needles and cutters are used for effecting
the cutting it becomes very difficult in certain cases to obtain such
regularity of action and adjustment of the parts as will ensure perfect
regularity in the severing of the lines of weft threads, and in the velvety
surface produced.
According to this Invention, although in some cases a series of needles
and cutters may be used, it is preferred to employ only one needle and
cutter to sever the said surface threads and successively to operate upon
each line of weft threads in the fabric:
The needle which is formed in front so as readily to penetrate under
the weft threads is made from a strip of steel, or two strips of steel
joined together and affixed at its or their rear end to a plate or holder,
by which it is jointed to an adjustable lever supported by the frame of
the machine. In the upper side of the said needle is a longitudinal slit
or slot in which revolves the edge of a rotatory cutter mounted above
the needle on a supporting plate affixed to the needle holder. The said
rotatory cutter is actuated by a disc wheel affixed upon it, the teeth
of which disc wheel take into the teeth of another disc wheel, receiving
motion from a grooved pulley and gut cord or other suitable means
which allows the cutter to readily follow the movements of the
needle.
The ends of the fabric to be operated upon are sewn together so as to
form an endless band; or the ends of the said fabric may be stitched
on to a separate piece of cloth, thus leaving a space between them.
By this means the end of the rib being cut will be in close propinquity
to the beginning of the next rib to be operated upon. The fabric is
mounted upon two drums or rollers which, if there be sufficient space,
should by preference be placed at such a distance one from the other
that the whole length of the fabric be stretched round them like a strap

page_text: over two pulleys; or the said fabric may be rolled round one or two
drums or rollers of such a diameter that the whole length of fabric
will be held upon the circumference of the said drum or drums; or
the fabric may be passed over two drums or rollers placed a short
distance apart, and kept in a state of tension by rollers or other suitable
means.
The axes of the said drums or rollers are mounted in a suitable frame,
and rotatory motion is communicated to them from suitable pulleys or
gearing. A table for supporting the fabric under the needle and cutter
is disposed between the said drums or rollers; the said table may or
may not be provided with a magnet to guide or attract the needle. The
needle and cutter are mounted above the said table, and the lever to
which the needle holder is jointed is mounted on an endless screw, or
provided with other mechanical arrangements by which it may be moved
from one side to the other of the machine across the fabric so as to
bring the needle and cutter successively into a line with each of the ribs
to be severed. A small grooved roller in front of the needle point serves
to give the required tension to that rib of the fabric then being operated
upon.
When the fabric to be operated upon consists of ribbed velveteens or
other like fabrics in which any slight irregularity in the velvety surface
would not be remarked, a series of any suitable number of needles and
cutters may be placed side by side so as simultaneously to operate on
the fabric.
Having now explained the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed
to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, means
pursued in carrying the same into effect.
Figure 1 is side elevation of a machine constructed according to
this Invention; Figure 2 is a cross section of the same; and Figure 3
is a plan of the same.
Figure 4 is a side elevation and plan of the needle and rotatory cutter
herein-after described.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts
wherever they occur in the different Figures of the Drawing.
a, a, is the frame carrying the bearings a', a', in which are mounted the
axes of two drums or rollers b, b', over which rollers the fabric
to be

page_text: operated upon is stretched by means of the press rollers 63, 64, supported
by brackets attached to the framo a. The ends of the said fabric 6° are
sewn together, or are stitched on to a separate piece of cloth so as to
form an endless band, a part of which is stretched over the drums or
rollers b, b', and the remainder is allowed to fall loosely from the press
rollers 6, 6, as shewn. Upon the axis of the drum or roller bare
mounted the fast and loose pulleys 66, 66. The fast pulley receives
motion from a suitable pulley, not shewn in the Drawing. Between the
two drums or rollers b, 62, is an adjustable table c, having on its under
side two projecting lugs c¹, each of which has in it a slot c. The said
table is attached to the frame a by means of a spindle c³ passing
through the lugs c¹ and secured to the frame by means of suitable
nuts.
It will be readily understood that the position of the table c may be
varied according to the degree of pressure to be exerted against the
point of the needle. With some classes of fabrics, and when the fabric
is stretched sufficiently, the said table may be omitted. d is the needle,
and e is the rotatory cutter. The said needle and cutter are represented
separately drawn to a larger scale in Figure 4. The needle d which is
made from a bent strip of steel, is formed in front so as readily to pene-
trate under the weft threads, and is affixed at its rear end to a plate or
holder d¹, the end of which is jointed to one end of an adjustable
lever & mounted on a screwed rod 7 carried by brackets & affixed upon
the frame a. The piston of the said lever d² is regulated by means of
a set screw d' passing through a screw box formed on the arm a³ of the
said lever d. The needle holder should be of sufficient length to
give elasticity to the parts, in order that the needle may readily follow
any irregularity in the fabric. To the needle holder d' are affixed the
cheeks d, d, between which is mounted the rotatory cutter e, which
cutter takes into a slit or slot in the needle, and by its rotation severs
the weft threads under which the said needle has penetrated. The said
cutter is traversed by and receives rotatory motion from a spindle f
mounted in bearings carried by the frame a, and to which spindle
rotatory motion is communicated from a pulley b' on the axis of the
drum or roller b', which pulley bi actuates the pulley f' upon the said
spindlef. The cutter e is mounted loosely upon the spindlef so as to
be capable of longitudinal motion along it. Between the cheeks & pro-
jecting before the cutter e, is mounted a small roller h, in the periphery

page_text: of which is formed a groove shaped to correspond with the ribs of the
fabric. The said roller presses on the fabric and serves to give
additional tension thereto in front of the needle and cutter. Upon the
screwed rod y is affixed a hand wheel g', by turning which the lever d
may be made to travel upon the said rod so as to adjust the position of
the needle and cutter as required, or the required intermittent motion
may be given to the screwed rod g and lever d automatically by the
application thereto of any suitable and well-known mechanical means.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The fabric to be operated
upon having been stretched over the drums or rollers b, b', as herein-
before described, the needle is brought into position to penetrate under
a line of weft threads to be severed, motion being then communicated
to the fast pulley 6º and drum b', and at the same time to the pulley f¹
and spindlef. The fabric is drawn from the drum or roller to the
drum or roller b', at the same time the weft threads are drawn over the
needle and are severed by the rotatory cutter. When one line of weft
threads has been completely severed the machine is stopped, and by
means of the hand wheel g¹ the needle and cutter are moved on to the
next row of weft threads, and the operation is renewed till the whole of
the surface weft threads have been cut and the fabric has assumed the
appearance of velvet.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and means
pursued in carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, as the same
may be varied without departing from the nature of the said In-
vention; but I claim as the improvements in machinery or apparatus
to be used in the manufacture of piled fabrics, such as velvet or
velveteen,―
Firstly. The combination and arrangement of the needle, needle
holder, and cutter, and the mode of mounting the same so that the
said needle and cutter together are enabled to follow irregularities in the
fabric, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The combination with the needle and cutter of a small