IMPROVEMENT IN THE DESIGNS & MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS & SIMILAR FABRICS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM LEA FAWCETT Carpet pattern designer 11 Church Street Kidder-
minster do hereby declare the nature of my invention for the IMPROVEMENT IN THE
DESIGNS & MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS & SIMILAR FABRICS to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to introduce a greater number of shades or colours
in Jacquard Brussels or Velvet carpets & similar fabrics than can be obtained in the
ordinary way, & at the same time in some cases to manufacture the fabrics with
greater economy.
The invention may thus be either employed to produce greatly increased &
superior effects with the usual five or six frames of figure warps, or, with, say, only
three frames of figure warps, effects, equal to what can be produced by five or six
frames (working in the usual way) may be obtained with a saving of two or three
frames of figure warps.
In drawing the patterns according to this invention, the objects are shaded
(lengthwise of the fabric) with alternate lines or cords in two or more shades
of a colour or colours, working from two or more frames in the loom; say, one
series of lines in lighter shades & the alternate ones in darker shades, so that
by the various combinations of which they are capable, a greater number of shades
& effects can be produced.
The patterns may be either wholly or partially drawn according to this invention.
It is also applicable to Tapestry carpets & similarly printed fabrics, as it would
give a novel appearance, & in both Brussels & Tapestry looped surfaces, the alternate
lines of darker shades, contrasting with the lighter ones, would impart somewhat of
a velvet appearance to the fabrics.
The figure warps will have to be arranged on the looms to correspond with the
patterns drawn for this invention.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, WILLIAM LEA FAWCETT of 11 Church Street, Kidderminster in the County of
Worcestershire Designer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVE-
'MENTS IN DRAWING DESIGNS FOR, & IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
To carry out my invention the patterns should first be drawn in accordance
therewith, as follows; In preparing them for Jacquard Brussels and velvet carpets,
those colors which in the ordinary way would be self colors, or of one shade, may
each consist of two or more shades, or colors, arranged in alternate lines or stripes,
lengthways of the pattern; technically called cord & cord, which will be explained
hereafter in connection with the loom arrangements. Stripes may also be
produced by placing a color or colors in alternate lines, or cords, only, leaving the
others vacant, arranging them so that they shall work in the required combinations
with the other set or sets of stripes in the design.
It will be more convenient for any one set of stripes to work in one of the frames
or series of figure warps of which these fabries are composed. There may be several
sets of stripes working in the several frames, and some of them or portions of them,
may have self colors therein.
The maximum number of frames employed are five or six, but they may be varied
according to the style of pattern, and quality of carpet required. The greater the
number of frames, the greater is the scope for the artist in drawing the pattern.
It will thus be obvious that where, in the ordinary way there would be, say, two
shades only (a light & dark) working in two frames employed, there may be, say,
four shades introduced; that is to say one frame may have the first & second
shades altenated, & another frame may have the third & fourth shades altenated;
these two frames of stripes can then be made to produce the effect of three frames
or shades, by shading or intersecting them, as required by the design. in the
following manner. The first & second shade will naturally make the light shade,
the second & third, (by putting the third in place of the first,) will make the next
darker shade, & the third & fourth in like manner will make a still darker, also,
a still darker one may be obtained by alternating the fourth shade with a black,
or any dark color suitable for the purpose that may be working in the pattern, or
in the case of moss or granite patterns, the individual stripes bave the further
advantage of appearing as separate shades.
As every frame or portion of a frame thus treated produces a double effect, when
the whole number of five or six are employed, & all except perhaps, the ground
frame are more or less arranged according to myinyention, very.superior effects can
be obtained.
On the other hand with a less number of frames, say three or four, effects equal
to the full number, according to the old style, can be produced, with a corresponding
saving of worsted, woollen, cotton, jute or whatever may be used for figure warp
material

page_text: This arrangement of alternate lines of colors or shades, also enables them to bo
used in other combinations than for mere graduated shadings, especially where two
classes of colors are employed, as they may be alternated with each other to produce
intermediate or neutral effects, also they may be intersected with any of the self
colors that may be working in the pattern, & when this latter is the case, some
portions of the design may be drawn with the self colors only, whilst others are
treated according to this invention, & thus a great variety of effects can be
produced, as would be well understood by any carpet designer.
In arranging the figure warps in the frames of the Jacquard Brussels or Velvet
looms, the colors or shades that are intended to appear as alternate lines (being on
the usual bobbins), are planted or placed one & one or cord & cord in the required
frames, according to the design & quality desired to be produced, What is meant
by a cord or course, is one of the ordinary longitudinal divisions into which the
Jacquard harness is divided. These divisions also include the series of cords, for
operating the several frames which the Jacquard is constructed to work, all which
would be well understood by any practical Carpet Manufacturer.
In all other respects the arrangements & weaving would be carried out in the
ordinary manner.
In applying my invention to drawing patterns for, & the Manufacture of
Tapestry Carpets, the conditions are very different to those which obtain in Brussels
fabrics. There is only one figure warp employed, upon which an unlimited number
of colors & shades can be printed; so that there is not the same necessity to obtain
shades for graduated shading & other purposes in this way. Again these goods are
mostly, if not always made of a wider pitch or count, in the reed than the general
make of Brussels fabrics, which gives a coarse appearance to the fabric & would not
be so suitable for designs prepared according to this invention, therefore I prefer to
have them drawn of increased fineness, say of double the pitch or count in the
width from selvage to selvage, while the proportion lengthways remains the same
as before.
By this means a novel & fine appearance may be obtained & equally improves
the ordinary style of shading, it also enables the figure warp to be economised as
will be further explained in the arrangement of the figure warps for the looms.
It is well known that the juxtaposition of certain colors tends to preserve their
freshness, in like manner intermediate tones produced by fine blends of suitable
colors will wear better than homogeneous shades, & will have less tendency to show
the uneveness of color to which these printed fabrics are liable. These may be
produced by shading on the fine alternate lines afforded by the double pitch.
Combinations are thus rendered possible for grounds, & the various require-
ments of design, such as moresque, oriental, & other styles which could not be
produced by the ordinary morde, & which any artist would know how to employ.
The patterns may be drawn with the new effects more or less introduced, whilst
other portions are treated in the ordinary style, but improved by the finer scale.
Thus a novel appearance & superiority would be generally given by the increased
fineness, & the combinations produced by shading on the alternate lines, would.
impart a lustre & a velvet appearance in the case of looped carpets, as well as
increased richness to velvets themselves.
In arranging the figure warps for the Tapestry loom, I divide the two threads or
three threads (slightly twisted together) which ordinarily work in each dent of the
reeds, into two halves, printing separately, & where three threads would be used
I have two threads, a little thicker individually, so as to be about the same
substance as the three finer threads. Two such threads would cost less for spinning
than the three finer threads & thus a saving of cost would be effected.
These pairs of threads may be divided in the dents of the reeds by arranging one
on each side of the binding warp, this may be done either by providing double
healds for the figure warp, or the ordinary heald may be made to do by putting the
two threads, that are drawn through the same eyes of the heald, into two separate

page_text: dents of the reed next to each other, so that the pairs of threads coming from the
heald will be split by the dents of the reed.
This will more equally distribute the figure warp thread, & compensate for two
threads being employed instead of three. Where only two threads would in the
ordinary make be used, by this better distribution a fewer number could be
employed to produce as good a surface, & thus a saving in quantity could be effected.
This mode of economising figure warps is also applicable to patterns drawn upon
the ordinary scale, & for lower grades of goods, a further economy in cost of
printing may be accomplished, by putting together in the setting three or more of
the threads, that are printed alike, on the same drums, as there would be by so
much, a lesser quantity to print to complete a pattern, which could be done as
cheaply as the larger quantity. In this case the designs would have to be prepared
to correspond.
All that would be necessary to do, to carry this out, would be to wind the
threads in single state, on the printing drums, putting them proportionately closer &
arranging the necessary number of skeins on the drums. Also to provide the
additional number of bobbins on the setting frames with reeds to correspond, all of
which any practical Manufacturer would understand.
All other arrangements of printing & weaving would be the same as usual.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. I, claim obtaining additional shades or colours in Jacquard Brussels or velvet
Carpets & similar fabrics, by shading (lengthways of the fabric) with alternate lines
or cords, in two or more shades or colours, working from two or more frames in the
loom, as described.
2. I claim giving a novel or finer appearance to Tapestry carpets & similarly
printed fabrics, & by shading with alternate lines of darker & lighter shades or
colours, imparting somewhat of a velvet appearance, or increased richness to the
fabrics, as described.
3. I claim economising figure warps as described.