Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 12th Oct., 1888
RESERVE
I, HENRY BARHAM HARRIS, of No. 10 Colville Gardens, Bayswater in the County
of Middlesex, Accountant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
1. In this method, instead of treating the material in the usual way, by inserting
the tufts, by means of needles or otherwise, during the process of weaving the
foundation of the carpet, I proceed as follows:
2. I first weave a plain web of any suitable fibre, but by preference of a shrinkable
material of a known rate of shrinkability. This web may be left the natural colour
of the yarn, or it may be dyed any required colour. It may also be made the full
width of the intended carpet, or in narrower strips to be joined together, by sewing or
other means, before or after being embroidered in the manner hereinafter described.
The rate of shrinkage of the material must be borne in mind and, if the finished carpet
is intended to have eight stitches to the lineal inch, then the web must, presuming a
shrinkage of 25 per cent., have only six threads pick and throw to the inch. The
carpet will, also, have to be made one third wider and longer than it is intended to
be when finished.
3. The web, when ready, is rolled upon a beam, (which takes the place of the usual
warp beam) and is placed in the Embroidery Loom. The free end is then unwound,
carried beneath a roller, then across the Embroidery bar, and so on to the other end of
the loom, where it is gripped between the draw off rollers. In thus arranging the
web great care must be taken that the weft or "shoot" threads are quite straight and
level and, more particularly, the one which lies on the top of the Embroidery bar
now to be described.
4. The Embroidery bar crosses the loom from side to side, and, in cross section, is
a triangle of any sort, apex upwards, or a cone, or any figure provided it has a ridge
over which the web may be folded. This ridge is not a sharp edge, however, but is

page_text: cut down until a plane is formed the whole length of the bar, and about an eighth of
an inch wide, upon which the weft thread being operated upon may lic. This plane
may be slightly grooved out for the better accommodation of the wefts of the weft
thread, and may be provided with cross nicks at suitable intervals to allow the easier
passage of the needles. The Embroidery bar is furnished with vertical slits at intervals
on its front and back faces, if triangular or conical in section, or in any convenient
place if of any other figure, and through these slits work, at regular intervals, small
steel points attached to endless chains or bands and operated by suitable wheels, bars
or rollers at the top and bottom, the top one being within the body of the bar. By
the action of the Loom all the points in one horizontal line are simultaneously inserted
under one and the same line of weft thread, and, so, raise it evenly to the ridge or top
of the bar. The top of the bar, however, being solid, the points are automatically
withdrawn before reaching that far, and crossing to the back face are again thrust
into the carpet and aid its onward progress to the draw off rollers. In lieu of the
above the ordinary sewing machine feed motion may be applied.
5. The tufting yarn party dyed, or drum printed. Presuming that each pattern
stitch takes 24 inches of tufting yarn, and that the first line of the pattern vertically
taken reads as follows: 4 stitches red; 3, green; 2, yellow; 1, black, &c., then the
yarn is dyed or printed accordingly, 10 inches red; 7 inches green; 5 inches
yellow2 inches black, and so on and, if the repeat of the pattern, read horizontally,
occurs at say 9 inches or the 72nd thread, the yarn is warped 1st and 72nd-2nd and
73rd and so on and it is wound upon a beam which takes the place of the pile beam
in an ordinary velvet loom.
6. The embroidering needles are of the usual point-eyed or sewing machine type and
are fixed in a bar by binding screws or other means. The bar extends the whole
width of the loom or of the piece of web in work, and the needles may be one eighth
of an inch, or one sixth or any other suitable interval apart. A simple backward and
forward motion is given to the needle bar by cam, or pitman, or other means, from
one or both sides of the loom.
7. On the needle bar is arranged a series of spring or lever "take ups," or a single
one operating all the threads may be employed, the object being to pull the yarn
tight when the needle is withdrawn from the cloth; and, behind this series of, or
single "take up," or in any other suitable part is fixed a series of "tensions," or a
single tension extending the whole width of the loom, by which the tightness of the
yarn can be regulated at will.
::
8. Facing the needles, and in close contact with the web, which it presses against
the embroidery bar and holds in its place, is a presser bar furnished with a series
of small hooks or indentations, one for each needle. To this bar is given a circular
or an up and down eccentric motion, the purpose of which is to catch the tufting
thread as soon as the needle is withdrawn from the web, and carry it downwards so
that the thread shall be kept clear of the needle point at the moment when the next
stitch is being commenced, and then release it so that the needle may draw it tight.
9. Behind the embroidery bar is a series of small rods, point upwards, one for each
needle, and these points by suitable motion are made to enter the loop formed by the
yarn at the moment of the needle's retrocession, just as the shuttle of a sewing machine
enters the loop in the cotton at the corresponding period of the stroke, and hold the
yarn at the proper length to form the future tuft while the needles are withdrawn.
The lower part of these rods change to knife edges to cut the loops as they are forced
down upon them by the clearer bar next described.
10. Behind these points is a clearer bar which at the proper moment, that is, just
as the steel points referred to in section 4 move the web forward one stitch, strikes
the loops already formed and held upon the rods mentioned in the preceding section,
and so tightens them, forces them downwards towards the cutting knives, and clears
the way for the next stitch.
11. The web being in its place, as described in section 2, the pile yarn is brought
down and each thread threaded through, first the tension, then an eye near the
foot of the "take up," then through the take up, back again to an eye near

page_text: the needle shank, and then through the eye of the needle itself, and knotted at
the end. The tension is then regulated so that it shall be the same as it was
when the yarn was printed, and the loom is ready to start.
12. When power is applied, the needles insert the tufting wool under a line of
the weft and retire, the loops being caught on the rods referred to in section 9.
The presser bar, described in section 8, catches the tufting wool in its hooks and pulls
it aside the steel points of the feed motion advance the web the distance of one
stitch, and the clearer bar forces the loops already formed down upon their respective
rods. Then the whole series of motions is repeated, until the carpet is finished
when all the tufting threads are cut and the ends knotted as at first. The needles
are then thrown out of action, the web moved forward six inches or so and the
embroidery recommenced.
13. When the first carpet is quite below the draw off rollers it may be cut off the
warp ends tied or secured, the carpet wetted or steamed to shrink it according to
the plan mentioned in section 2 and stretched to dry upon a frame in the usual
way so that it may not shrink more than is intended, nor dry out of the square.
14. By these simple means I claim to be able to make a carpet fully equal to
the costly productions of Turkey or India at a fraction of the cost; and, by the
peculiar stitch obtainable by means of the folded cloth, which has not hitherto been
used in carpet manufacture, to have found a method of securely, easily, and
rapidly binding in the tufts, so that they shall not pull out by any ordinary wear
and tear the carpet is likely to be subjected to. I also claim the method of
inserting the tufts directly into a previously-woven material, by the aid of a modifi-
cation of the sewing machine, and without the use of cotton, thread, or similar means
of fastening samme. I also claim the method of further tightening the binding in of
the said tufts by the shrinking process herein described.
Dated this Tenth day of December 1886.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New Method of Manufacturing Carpets of the Turkish or Indian
Style, Applicable also to other Long Piled Fabrics, and Machinery
for same.
I, HENRY BARHAM HARRIS of No. 10 Colville Gardens, Bayswater, in the county
of Middlesex, Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
Before proceeding to describe the details of the manufacture, I give the following
rationale of the make of these carpets, which I intend to call, distinctively,
Harris
Carpets. Let W, on sheet 6 of the drawings hereunto attached, represent a line of
webbing, and X a piece of tufting wool carried through the webbing by means of a
needle. If the webbing is kept straight, as shown in Fig. 12, one half the tuft will
he on each side of it, and a slight pull at either end will be enough to remove it. If
the webbing be folded, however, (Fig. 13) the tufting wool passed through, and the
webbing straightened again, (Fig. 14) the effect is the same as if the tuit had been
passed through from one side, and repassed back from the other. The two ends of
the tuft are, thus, brought to one side of the webbing and form a pile, but a slight
pull at either end will still suffice to remove the tuft from the webbing.
"
If, however, the wool is passed through twice while the web is folded, the webbing
being shifted slightly between each passing, (Fig. 15) a stitch is formed somewhat
like a figure of 8, (Fig. 16) and, in this form, it makes the "pile," as before, and, in
addition, as it passes under one thread, and then completely round another, it ties
itself in, and forms, in point of fact, a tuft which can no longer be withdrawn by
pulling its ends.
2. In carrying the above facts into practical effect, therefore, by this method, instead
of following the usual method of carpet manufacture, by inserting the tufts, by means
of needles or otherwise, during the process of weaving the foundation of the fabric,
I proceed as follows:
3. I first weave a plain web of any suitable fibre, and of a convenient thickness and
closeness of texture, but by preference I would make this web of a shrinkable material
of a known rate of shrinkability. This web may be left the natural colour of the
yarn, if desired, but it will give more finish to the carpet if it be dyed some colour
harmonizing with the tints of the tufting wool, so that it may not assert itself too
much in the completed goods. It may, also, be made the full width of the intended
carpet, or in narrower strips to be joined together by sewing or other means, before
or after being embroidered in the manner hereinafter described-The rate of shrinkage
of the material must be borne in mind: and, if the finished carpet is intended to have
eight tufts to the lineal inch, then the web must, presuming a shrinkage of 25%;
have only six tufts to the inch-The carpet will also have to be made one third longer
and wider than it is intended to be when finished.

page_text: This shrinking process is by no means to be considered compulsory. It may be
carried out where desired but in most cases will be found practically superfluous.
4. The web when ready is rolled upon a beam (see drawings, A) which takes the
place of the usual warp beam, and is placed in the embroidery loom-The free end
of the web is then unwound, carried over the small roller, C, through the feed-
motion, E-F, to the embroidery bar, N. It is then folded back, carried under the
draw-off rollers, H, and, so, passes off again over the large roller A. In thus arranging
the web, great care should be taken that it is kept as straight as possible; so that it
may be fed through the machine in a flat and regular manner; and not tend to run
in from either side, or to buckle up in its course.
5. The embroidery bar, N, crosses the loom from side to side; and, in cross section,
is a wedge or triangle or a cone or any figure providing it has a ridge over which the
web may be folded. This ridge is not a sharp edge, but is very fine say about a
sixteenth or an eighth of an inch wide, rounded, and very finely polished or burnished.
Along the ridge are cross cuts, just wide enough to admit the needle and just deep
enough to take half the width of its flat side. This bar or wedge may be rigidly fixed
to sides of loom, or made to move backwards and forwards to a slight extent so as to
facilitate the passage of the webbing across its ridge.
6. The embroidery bar or wedge here figured, N, is much smaller and more simple
than that contemplated in the Provisional Specification; and, therefore, the arrange-
ment there made for feed motion does not apply. In the place of same I substitute
the following:
An endless band, plain or furnished with points, travels over the rollers E and F ;
another endless band travels over the rollers, C, in close contact with the underside
of the first mentioned band; and these two bands clasp the webbing between them
and carry it forward to the wedge, when the points, if used, are withdrawn by the
action of the roller, F, and are reinserted as the webbing passes between rollers
F and H.
7. Motion is given to this
« feed
by a cam, V, operating a lever, U, connected
with a ratchet and pawls, T. The extent of the motion of this ratchet is controlled
by an adjusting screw, t, and the lever is furnished with a handle, u, so that the
web may be moved forward, if required, while the rest of the loom is at rest.
In lieu of the above, the ordinary sewing machine feed motion may be applied.
8. The tufting yarn is party dyed or drum printed-Presuming that each pattern
stitch takes 24 inches of tufting yarn, and that the first line of the pattern, vertically
taken, reads as follows: 4 stitches, red; 3, green; 2, yellow; 1, black &c., then, the
yarn is dyed or printed accordingly, 10 inches, red; 7 inches, green; 5 inches,
yellow; 2 inches black, and so on: and, if the repeat of the pattern, read hori-
zontally, occurs at say 9 inches or the 72nd thread, the yarn is warped 1st and 72nd-
2nd and 73rd and so on; and it is wound upon a beam, B, which answers to the pile
beam in an ordinary velvet loom. Or, if preferred, the tufting yarn may be fed into
the loom from bobbins or cops arranged on a frame.
**
9. The embroidery needles are of the usual point eyed or sewing machine type,
but of the special forin shewn in plan and elevation in K (Sheet 5) and which I call
graver pointed oblique-eyed." The special object striven for in shaping the needle
thus is explained in section 14. The needles are fixed in a bar by means of binding
screws or otherwise. The needle bar extends the whole width of the loom or of the
piece of web in work, and the needles may be one eighth of an inch apart, or one
sixth or any other suitable interval-A simple backward and forward movement is
given to the needle bar by cam, or pitman, or other means, from one or both sides of
the loom; or, by preference, the cams may be constructed to give the motion shewn
in q, Fig. 17 (Sheet 6).
10. Connected with the needle bar is arranged a series of spring or lever "take-
ups," or a single one operating all the threads may be employed, the object being to
pull the yarn tight when the needle is withdrawn from the web; and behind this
series of, or single "take-up," or in any other suitable part, is arranged a series of
tensions," or a single tension extending the whole width of the loom, by which
"
22

page_text: the tightness of the yarn can be regulated at will. In the accompanying drawings
the "take up and tension are combined into one (Sheet 1 Figs. 1 & 2-L).
:3
6<
11. In front of the points of the needles and in close contact with the webbing
which
presses against the embroidery bar and holds in its place, is a
presser bar,'
furnished with a series of small hooks or denticulations, one for each needle.
To this bar is given a slight circular, or up and down eccentric motion, the
purpose of which is to catch the tufting yarn when the needle is withdrawn from
the web and carry it clear of the needle points at the moment when the next stitch
is being commenced, and, then, release it so that the advancing needles may
draw it tight.
12. Behind the embroidery bar, or on the opposite side to the needles is a series
of hooked knives, one for each needle-These knives are called "rods" in the
Provisional Specification, but the close proximity of the needles to each other has
made a flattening and widening of the "rods" necessary, to ensure the required
thinness and keep their strength. They are made of the form shown in Fig. 11.
J (Sheet 5) the sloping portion possessing a keen knife edge.-These hooked knives
are fastened to a bar worked from one or both sides of the loom, by cam or other
means, and their office is to enter the loops formed by the tufting wool when the
needles make their first slight retrocession, just as the shuttle of a sewing machine
enters the loops formed in the cotton at the corresponding period of the stroke, and
hold the yarn to form the future tufts while the needles are withdrawn. The
distance between these hook knives and the webbing is adjustable to a certain degree,
so as to vary, if required, the length of the pile. When as many loops have been
formed upon the hook knives as fill the straight part of it, the sloping knife edge cuts
them as fast as new ones are formed.
13. The clearer bar, described in section 10 of the Provisional Specification, is
discarded as superfluous.
14. Referring to the drawings accompanying this, they are as
Sheet 1-The manner of forming the tufts.
Sheet 2 The arrangement of interior parts.
Sheet An exterior side view of loom.
Sheet 4 do.
do. Front view.
Sheet 5 Enlarged view of separate parts.
Sheet 6 Ideal formation of stitch and patterns of cams.
A The webbing roller B The yarn roller.
follows:
C-C-C Three small rollers working the lower endless band D.
E-FA large and a small roller working the band G of feed motion.
H H Two small india rubber rollers adjustable by screw, so as to be forced tightly
down upon the carpet and assist in drawing it off.
I The knife bar.
J The Hook-knives.
K The needles.
L The tension-take up.
M The needle bar.
N The embroidery bar or wedge.
O The webbing being made into a carpet.
P The Tufting yarn.
Q The needle cam.
R The knife cam.
S The fast and loose pulleys.
T The ratchet.
U The lever.
V The ratchet cam.
The pattern for needle cam.
The pattern for knife cam.
t The adjusting screw for lever.
v The handle of laver

page_text: Fig. 10-K represents the " graver pointed oblique eyed needle "--The special
object sought for in their shape is this. If the needles were direct eyed, as in a
sewing machine needle, when drawn back a little the wool would form a loop on
both sides, and, the space between the needles being very small, the hook knives
might catch both loops, that is, those from two adjacent needles should they overlap,
and, in that case, one thread would be at once broken, and the machine would have
to be stopped for repairs. By leading the tufting yarn up the face of the needle
and then through to the side, only one loop presented to each hook knife, and
there is no possibility of the occurrence of an accident of the above nature-The
groove in the needle also protects the yarn to a great extent, from friction.
15. The needles are mounted in the needle bar so that their longer side is next the
wedge; and, when the canvas or other groundwork is round the wedge, the distance
between the point of entry of the needle on the underside of the wedge and its point
of exit on the upper side forms one "rib" or "cord" of the carpet, no matter how
many threads of the webbing or canvas may be taken up to form it.
16. To set the loom to work, the web being in its place as described in
Section 4. the tufting yarn is drawn off from the roller or bobbins or cops and
threaded first through the lower eye of the needle bar then through the "tension-
take up," then through the upper eye of the needle bar and, finally, through the eye
of the needle itself and knotted at the end. The tension, the adjustment of the feed
motion and the hook knives are then regulated so as to give the required width of
stitch and length of pile, and the loom is ready to start,
17. When power is applied, the needles advance; insert a line of tufting yarn
through the webbing, hold it while the hook knives advance; and, then, retire leaving
a loop upon each of the hooks. The presser-bar," described in Section 11,
catches the tufting yarn in its denticulations and holds it out of the way of the
needle points; and the feed motion advances the webbing the distance of one stitch.
Then the whole series of motions is repeated until the carpet is finished, when all
the tufting threads are cut and the ends knotted as at first. The feed motion is
then worked by hand, the webbing moved forward some six inches, or as far as may
be wished, and the embroidery recommenced.
18. When the first length of carpet has passed both the rollers Hit may be cut off,
the webbing ends tied or secured, and, if the shrinking process be followed, the carpet
may be wetted or steamed and stretched to dry upon a frame in the usual way,
so that it may not shrink more than required nor dry out of the square.
19. 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
1st. As a novelty the use of the folded cloth or webbing, which has not hitherto
been used in carpet manufacture.
2nd. The system of inserting the iufts directly into a previously woven fabric by
aid of a modification of the sewing machine, and without the use of cotton, thread, or
any similar means of fastening same.
3rd. The method, as described herein, of securely, easily and rapidly binding in the
tufts so that they shall not pull out by any ordinary wear and tear to which the
carpet is likely to be subjected.
4th. I also claim the special form of "graver pointed oblique eyed" needle
described and figured herein.
5th. And generally and as a whole the machinery described and figured herein.
Dated this Sixth day of September 1888.
H. B. HARRIS.