AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS POR DYEING AND PREPARING COTTON, WORSTED, AND SILK WARPS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Abraham Akeroyd, of Bradford, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS POR
DYEING AND PREPARING COTTON, WORSTED, AND SILK WARPS."
Sealed the 23rd May 1865, and dated the 4th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Abraham Akeroyd at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
March 1865.
I, ABRAHAM AKEROYD, of Bradford, in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PROCESS AND
APPARATUS FOR DYEING AND PREPARING COTTON, WORSTED, AND SILK WARPS,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention has special reference to the warps used in weaving fancy
goods of various shades and patterns where it is requisite that some threads
of the warp should remain white, for instance in checks, whilst the remainder
are dyed black, or any other desired colour, and is particularly useful in
warps used in the getting up of patterns as samples where it is desired to
have a great variety of patterns from one warp.
My process consists in dyeing the warp in lengths instead of all at once by
an apparatus which I will now describe. To the periphery of a wooden

page_text: roller provided with an iron axis running on a suitable framework, I attach
pegs at such distances from each other as the pattern required may necessitate.
Over these pegs I pass to the warp beam such ends of the warp as do not
require to be dyed, or which require dyeing another colour than those con-
tiguous to them. The remaining ends of the warp to be dyed are passed
on to an ordinary beam, and the dye liquor required being placed in suitable
vessels underneath the same, by means of a winch upon the end of the axis
I raise up those threads in contact with the pegs which do not require
dyeing or which require dyeing a different colour. The stick used in dress-
ing is now passed through the warp and run up to the extremity of the
length to be dyed. An ordinary slay is then introduced for the purpose of
separating the threads more effectually. The threads to be dyed are now
dipped in the liquor placed underneath to such length as may be required,
the "stop" being made by tying the threads together or any other convenient
method. The length so dyed may now be passed together with those threads
passing over the pegs (which it is not requisite to dye) on to the warp beam
and dressed in the usual manner. Another length may now be dyed any
other desired colour, and so on to the end of the warp.
When it is desired to dye the threads passed over the pegs, those already
dyed may be passed over other pegs, and raised in the manner before described.
The weaver is thus enabled to weave a variety of patterns, changing his warp
beam for each pattern being unnecessary.
By another method a grey warp, for instance, may be tied or threaded into
a slay, and "males" similar to "haruess" used, so that each end of the warp
is independent; then by means of a "card" roller the ends may be lifted
which it is not desired to dye. Or the warp may be passed through an
ordinary slay, and the ends which require dyeing may be tied by the fingers
ready for dipping.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Abraham Akeroyd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ABRAHAM
AKEROYD, of Bradford, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Abraham Akeroyd, Her special licence that I, the said Abraham
Akeroyd, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Abraham Akeroyd, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN
IMPROVED PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DYEING AND PREPARING COTTON, WORSTED,
AND SILK WARPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Abraham Akeroyd, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under ny, or their, or one of their bands 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 Abraham Akeroyd, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention has special reference to the warps used in weaving fancy
goods of various shades and patterns where it is requisite that some threads
of the warp should remain white, for instance in checks, whilst the remainder
are dyed black or any other desired colour, and is particularly useful in warps
used in the getting up of patterns as samples where it is desired to have a
great variety of patterns from one warp.
My process consists in dyeing the warp in lengths instead of all at once-
by an apparatus which I will now describe. To the periphery of a wooden
roller provided with an iron axis running on a suitable framework (and placed
in front of the warp beam of an ordinary warp dressing apparatus,) I attach
pegs at such distances from each other as the pattern required may necessitate.
Over these pegs I pass to the receiving warp beam such ends of the warp
as do not require to be dyed, or which require dyeing another colour than
those contiguous to them. The remaining ends of the warp to be dyed are
passed on to an ordinary beam, and the dye liquor required being placed in
suitable vessels underneath the same by means of a winch upon the end of the
axis. I raise up those threads in contact with the pegs which do not require

page_text: dyeing, or which require dyeing a different colour, and tie the same together,
lowering the roller by an ordinary mechanical applicance in order that the
ends to be dyed may be conveniently dipped. The stick used in dressing
is now passed through the warp and run up to the extremity of the length to be
dyed. An ordinary slay is then introduced for the purpose of separating the
threads more effectually. The threads to be dyed are now dipped in the
liquor placed underneath to such length as may be required, the "stop" being.
made by tying the threads together or any other convenient method. The
jength so dyed may now be passed together with those threads passing over
the pegs (which it is not requisite to dye) on to the warp beam and dressed
in the usual manner. Another length may now be dyed any other desired
colour, and so on to the end of the warp.
When it is desired to dye the threads passed over the pegs, those already
dyed may be passed over other pegs, and raised in the manner before described.
The weaver is thus enabled to weave a variety of patterns, changing his warp
beam for each pattern being unnecessary.
By another method a grey warp, for instance, may be tied or threaded
into a slay, and "males" similar to "harness" used, so that each end of the
warp is independent; then by means of a "card" roller the ends may be
lifted which it is not desired to dye.
Ordinary warp dressing apparatus being well known, as well as the use
of slays, males, harness, and card rollers, I have not deemed it necessary to
append a Sheet of Drawings hereunto, the new part of the first-named
apparatus when it is used in preference to hand operation consisting simply in
the wooden roller having a pegged periphery placed transversely immediately
underneath the warp threads in a suitable frame, or the warp may be passed
through an ordinary slay, and the ends which require dyeing may be tied
by the fingers ready for dipping by hand. By this plan (which I consider
more generally useful than the mechanical appliances before named) a
manufacturer has simply to tie up the warp in the rough in such lengths
and in such proportions as the pattern required may necessitate. If, for
instance, various patterns of black and white checks are required throughout
one warp, the threads by looping may be tied so that all may be dipped at
once; or if black or any other colour prevails more or less throughout every
pattern in the warp, the threads for the same may be looped together and
tied so as to be dipped simultaneously.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and how the same
may be performed, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the

page_text: method of preparing and dyeing warps for the purposes and in the manner
previously described, viz., either by hand or by apparatus such as I have
named.
In witness whereof, I, the said Abraham Akeroyd, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 24th day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
ABRAHAM AKEROYD. (L.S.)