Rugs, and other Pile Fabrics.
Year: 1886

page_text: Rugs, and other Pile Fabrics.
I, WALTER PHILIP O'REILLY, of 20 Western Road, Wood Green, in the County
of Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Many attempts have heretofore been made to produce machines for stretching
the material, such as canvas, on which the work is to be placed, and such material
forming the ground or base to which the work is connected. This ground is
usually stretched between rollers, round which the canvas or other material is
wound, and the rollers are usually kept in position, and the tension maintained by
ratchet wheels and pauls at the end of the said rollers. The whole framework is
usually supported upon a stand-up frame which may be made to fold up for the
sake of portability if required.
My invention particularly refers to that class of machine wherein wool or its
equivalent material is employed, and for making by hand such articles as wool
mats; or where silk is used for making such articles as antimacassars, table covers,
and the like. This wool is put on the ground fabric in tufts, and it is necessary,
in order that the work be well performed, that the tufts should be placed on the
ground fabric evenly and close together, so that when the work is finished the
surface may be even and present a smooth, and finished appearance with none of
the ground surface visible. The object of my invention is to accomplish this
result.
According to my invention I provide means whereby the work is produced on
the surface of the material without having to place the needle under the ground
material, as heretofore. For this purpose I wind the canvas or other material to
which the wool or silk is to be stitched on a roller carried in a frame, and free to
rotate so as to release the work a given distance when required. The canvas is
carried from the roller up and over a bar which extends across the frame and from
end to end thereof; on the surface of this bar there are a series of grooves or
channels distanced from one another according to the nature of the work to be done,
and the material to be used, whether that be wool, silk, cotton, jute, or any other
material suitable to the manufacture. The object of the grooves or channels is for
them to act as guides for the passage of the needle when stitching the tufts to the
A

page_text: ground material. Above the grooves or channels there is placed a sley or reed
also extending across the frame and. this is divided into the number of spaces to
correspond with the grooves or channels below, the said channels being each
arranged at or about the centre of each space aforesaid.
The divisions or spaces are made up of a series of split tubes composed of thin
brass or other metal connected to the cross bar which latter extends across the
machine and is secured in a convenient manner in the framework, and so that it
can be easily removed therefrom and fixed therein, when required. Provision is
also made for the removal of the sley when required. The tuft is connected or
secured to the fabric in the following manner. A needle is passed from the back
through the ground material and one of the grooves and up through the canvas in
the centre of one of the divisions of the sley, then out over the canvas but beneath
the division, and then the cord is, by the slit in the division, passed into the
middle of same. The tuft is held in the left hand the cord being passed over same
the needle is again inserted in the canvas in the same hole passing out behind, and
the cord then drawn tight passes again through the slit at the side of the division
and thus drawing down the tuft with it, and holding same securely to the ground
fabric. The act of making a succession of stitches in the manner described forms a
ridge in the material which gives great body to the mat or other manufacture.
The edges of the divisions in the sley are rounded to guide the cord into the slits,
and to prevent the cutting of same. The fabric as it is made passes over the edge
of the bar, and is kept at a proper tension by spring of india rubber, or otherwise
in the side frame of the apparatus, the fabric being secured to the bar by spikes
or pins.
The side standards are supported by cross bars which are further strengthened
by struts, all of which can be removed for packing. Under the roller and between
the standards the space is utilized by a trough or receptacle for the material to be
worked. Holders being provided to carry each separate skein of material whereby
the same can be conveniently cut up and placed in the allotted division for that
particular colour. When all the tufts composing a row are attached to the ground
and secured the rough ends are cut off, the sley is removed, and the ground fabric
advanced ready to receive a new row, the sley is then replaced in position and the
work before described is proceeded with as before, and so on, until the article
under manufacture is completed..
Dated this 92nd dox of Fahr 188e

page_text: тротошению ш дурагание UE
Rugs, and other Pile Fabrics.
3335
I, WALTER PHILIP O'REILLY of 20 Western Road, Wood Green but now of
399 Edgware Road both in the County of Middlesex Manufacturer 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:-
Many attempts have heretofore been made to produce machines for stretching
the material, such as canvas, on which the work is to be placed, and such material
forming the ground or base to which the work is connected. This ground is usually
stretched between rollers, round which the canvas or other material is wound, and.
the rollers are usually kept in position, and the tension maintained by ratchet
wheels and pawls at the end of the said rollers. The whole framework is usually
supported upon a stand up frame which may be made to fold up for the sake of
portability if required.
My invention particularly refers to that class of machine wherein wool or its
equivalent material is employed, and for making by hand such articles as wool
mats; or where silk is used for making such articles as antimacassars, table covers,
and the like. This wool is put on the ground fabric in tufts and it is necessary,
in order that the work be well performed, that the tufts should be placed on the
ground fabric evenly and close together so that when the work is finished, the
surface may be even and present a smooth, and finished appearance with none
of the ground surface visible. The object of my invention is to accomplish this
result.
For this purpose I provide means whereby the work is produced on the surface.
of the material without having to place the needle under the ground material, as
heretofore.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood I will describe the
same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a back elevation of a machine or apparatus for making wool mats
constructed according to my invention, Figure 2 is a vertical cross section of the
same machine having a piece of material shewn thereon in course of manufacture.
Figure 3 is an end view of the ratchet arrangement but drawn on a larger scale.
than the previous figures and Figure 4 is a plan of one end of the machine drawn
to the same scale as Figure 3. Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating
the process and manner of manufacture of such mats or pile fabrics.
According to my invention I wind the canvas or other material A to which the
wool or silk is to be stitched, on a roller B carried by standards C at each end and
free to rotate so as to release the work a given distance when required as hereafter,
described.
The side standards C are supported and held together by cross bars C₁ the said
standards C fitting at their lower ends into feet, or rests C which can be removed.
for packing, and the standards are further supported by struts C³ hinged or pivotted
--

page_text: to the rests C³ and hooked or otherwise adjustably fixed to the standards C. Under
the roller B and between the standards C the space is utilized by a trough or
receptacle D for the tufts or material to be worked."
The canvas A is carried from the roller B up and over a bar E which extends
acros the upper part of the frame and from end to end thereof between the
standards C, on the upper edge of this bar E there are a series of grooves or
channels E¹ distanced from one another according to the nature or the pattern of
the work to be done, and the material to be used, whether that be wool, silk,
cotton, jute or any other material suitable to the manufacture and the bar E is
made removable so that it may be changed if desired for one having the grooves E¹
of any pitch that is suitable for the material to be worked. The object of the
grooves or channels El is for them to act as guides for the passage of the needle
when stitching the tufts to the ground material. Above the grooves or channels E¹
there is placed a sley or reed also extending across the frame and this is divided
into the number of spaces to correspond with the grooves or channels on the edge
of the bar E below the said channels E¹ being each arranged at or about the centre
of each space aforesaid.
:
The divisions or spaces are made up of a series of split tubes F composed of
thin brass or other metal and connected to a cross bar F¹ which latter extends
across the machine and is secured in a convenient manner in the framework and
so that it can be easily removed therefrom and fixed therein, when required.
For example and as shewn in the drawings the ends of the standards C are
slotted or grooved see Figure 4 so that the bar E having been dropped into the
slot E and the canvas having been drawn over same the sley or reed bar F¹ is
dropped into the slot which extends further across the top of the standard and is
held in place by a catch or button F2 which is turned over the end of sley bar F¹.
The tubes F are slit and fixed to the bar F¹ with the split side outwards as at
Figure 4 and the corners of the slit are rounded off as will be seen by reference to
Figure 1 said slit being sufficiently wide to allow the sewing thread to be passed
through it.
When the fabric has been passed over the bar E and the sley F' has been closed
down it is desirable to give the canvas some degree of tension in order to hold
same straight and so that when the sley is raised and the roller allowed to revolve
the canvas shall be traversed evenly and automatically over the bar E. For this
purpose I provide a bar G with suitable hooks G onto which the canvas is hooked;
the bar G slides vertically on the side frames C in guides G2 and has a downward
tendency or spring given to it by having attached to each end an india rubber or
other suitable spring band H. The spring bands or cords H pass over pulleys H¹
at the lower part of the framework and the pulleys are held there between the
guides G and thence return upwards and are secured near the top of said frame-
work. In order that the downward motion of the bar G shall accord more nearly
with the unrolling of the roller B I fix cords J to the said bar G and wind and fix
the other ends of such cords over the canvas A to the roller B so that as the roller
is revolved and the canvas unrolled therefrom the cords J will also unwind and
allow of the descent of the bar G. As the fabric is worked and passed over the
bar E the weight of such fabric will be frequently found sufficient to give the
requisite tension to the canvas without employing the tension bar G.
When a fresh row of work is to be commenced it is necessary that the canvas
should be traversed over the bar not only smoothly and regularly but a measured
distance, in order that the rows of work should be uniform. To accomplish this
object I preferably employ a ratchet arrangement on one end of the roller B by
which the said roller may not only be prevented from being carried round by the
tension of the canvas wound thereon but is also an assistance to the operator in
allowing the canvas to be drawn over the bar E such measured distances as are
required. For example and as shewn in the drawings, I fix on the end of the
spindle of the roller B a ratchet wheel K and a handle K' best seen at Figure 3
the ratchet K is controlled by a retaining spring pawl K' to which is fixed a handle K

page_text: for throwing said pawl K* out of the ratchet teeth and allowing same to rotate ;
K is a spring pawl and which when the retaining pawl K² is released and the
ratchet K rotated will spring over the teeth of such ratchet and fall into each
rebate in succession as the wheel is revolved, and enable the operator to judge by
the sound how many teeth are allowed to pass and the pitch of the teeth of the
ratchet K may be arranged so that the passing of a given number of the teeth, say
two or three would pass the canvas over the bar E the exact distance required and
by this or analagous means the rows of tufts may be kept at equal distances from
each other without any special skill of the operator. Sometimes I fit an indicator
in connection with the arrangement or equivalent means employed whereby the
exact distance may be correctly indicated.
The method of manufacture of mats rugs and other pile fabrics according to my
invention is as follows,
The thread or other material such for example as Scotch yarns (generally in
skeins) is first cut into suitable short lengths or tufts as at A¹ Figure 8 which.
represents such a length say Scotch yarn, and holders may be provided to carry
the skein of material whereby the same may be conveniently cut up into tufts as
at. Figure 8 and which may be then- placed into a division in the trough or box
marked D in Figure 2. The fabric forming the base of the material is placed in
position on the machine in the manner hereinbefore described and shown at
Figure 2 and marked A. The tuft A¹ is connected or secured to the fabric A in
the following manner, A needle is passed from the back through the fabric or
material A and passing by one of the grooves E¹ in the bar E and up through the
fabric A in the centre of one of the divisions or slit tubes F of the sley then out
over the fabric A but beneath the division F, see Figure 5 that is passing out
where the corners of the slit tubes F are rounded off and then the sewing cord is
drawn through the slit in the division or tube F passed into the middle of same
as shown at Figure 6. The tuft A¹ is held in the left hand, the sewing cord being
passed over same the needle is again inserted through the fabric at or near the
same hole passing out behind by the groove E¹ at which it entered but a little to
the right hand of same (when working from the right hand to the left hand end
of sley). The cord is then drawn tight and passes again through the slit in the
division or tube F and thus drawing down the tuft A with it by the loop which
has been formed by the insertion and return of the needle see Figure 9 and holding
same securely to the ground fabric as at Figure 10. The act of making a succession
of stitches in the manner described forms a ridge in the material which gives great
body to the mat or other manufacture. The edges of the divisions in the sley are
rounded to guide the cord into the slits and to prevent the cutting of same. When
all the tufts composing a row are attached to the ground and secured the rough
ends are cut off, the sley is removed, and the ground fabric A advanced ready to
receive a new row as previously described the sley is then replaced in position and
the work is proceeded with as before described, and so on, until the article under
manufacture is completed.
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:
First-In the manufacture of mats rugs and other pile fabrics the mothod of
sewing the tuft onto the base material wherein the needle is passed through
the ground material and parallel with the plane of same such ground material
being held between a grooved bar and aley F¹, the needle being again caused
to pass through the material about the centre of one of the split divisions F"¹
and being still travelled parallel with the material or nearly so is drawn through
the rounding of the split division and being withdrawn therefrom the thread
is pulled upwards through such split into the division F'. The needle being
again inserted at the space left at the rounded corners of the split division F1 is
given a similar reverse travel thereby forming a loop into which the tuft is inserted

page_text: and the loop drawn tight, a succession of these stitches forming a ridge in the
material which gives great body to the mat or other manufacture substantially as
set forth.
Second: In machinery for making mats, rugs and other pile fabrics, the frame-
work C, C1, C2, C3, the movable bar E with grooves El over which the base material
is passed or stretched, in combination with the movable sley F¹ provided with
split divisions F for the proper distancing of the tufts composing the surface of
such pile fabric substantially as herein described and shewn with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Third-In apparatus or machinery for making mats, rugs and other pile fabrics,
the framework C C C C³ and D; the grooved bar E.E'; the sley with split
divisions FF, in combination with the roller B, the ratchet arrangement K to K*,
the traction bar G G with suitable guides G' and tension arrangement all substan-
tially as herein shewn and described with reference to Figures 1 to 10 of the
accompanying drawings.
In apparatus or machines for making mats rugs and other pile fabrics. The
construction and employment of the movable sley F' having split divisions therein
for distancing the tufts composing the surface of the fabric substantially as herein-
before described and shown particularly with reference to Figure 4 of the accom-
panying drawings.
D
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