Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Producing Plush Fabrics in Double Plush Looms in such a manner as to Prevent Pile Marks.
Year: 1892

page_text: ate of Application, 18th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Producing Plush
Fabrics in Double Plush Looms in such a manner as to Prevent
Pile Marks.
We, HENRY BOARDMAN, of 21 Northfield Place, Manningham, Bradford, in
the County of York, Manufacturer, and GEORGE BURR, of Devonshire Street,
Keighley, in the said County, Solicitor, 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 :-
This invention relates to the production of fabrics such as Utrecht velvet in
what is known as a double plush loom in such a manner that, "pile marks" may be
prevented.
A large proportion of the class of goods known as Utrecht velvet are now made
in hand looms, the pile being mohair yarn.
Attempts have been made to successfully produce the goods in what is known
as the double plush power loom, that is to say, a loom in which two pieces are woven
together the pile passing between the top and bottom piece in the weaving, and by
means of a horizontal knife cutting midway between the two pieces, they are severed
in the loom during the operation of weaving, but such goods have been hitherto
subject to the defect of "pile marks."
The object of this invention is to produce fabrics in the double plush power loom
free from "pile marks."
Various means have been hitherto tried having this end in view, but such
attempts have not so far been successful.
By some persons it has been contended that, such pile marks are the result of
bad weaving or that they are attributable to the method adopted of cutting the
pile in the double plush power loom. On the hand loom the pile is cut upwards,
whilst in the double plush power loom, the pile is cut horizontally in the direction of
the weft as the piece is woven. Others have attributed the pile marks to bad
finishing.
This latter opinion has had some sort of foundation inasmuch as upon a similar
loom silk plushes are woven, the pile marking being visible in the piece when woven,
but such marks have been obliterated in the process of finishing.
But this obliteration is attributable to the difference in the respective materials,
silk, as is well known, is very soft and pliable, it beds and shapes itself to the weft,
and pile marks disappear in the finishing.
But mohair fibre is stiff and strong and does not bed, and the pile marks remain
after the process of finishing.
By a series of experiments, we have discovered that pile marks may be avoided,
by arranging the succession of movements of the healds carrying the warp threads
In such a manner that, the pile ends or in other words the pile warp threads are
bound at regular intervals to the ground or backing cloth throughout the piece, so
hat equal tension to each "shed" is obtained. The result of this modification in
he ordinary process is that, when the pile threads are severed, the equality
of tension and regularity of piling cause an even surface to be produced free
rom pile marks.
Hitherto the pile ends have been irregularly bound, for instance the tappets
itherto used on this class of goods requiring four heald shafts for the pile warp
nd four heald shafts for the warp of the backing or ground cloth, have been so
onstructed that each pile shaft has been operated so that the pile has been
ound say at the tenth and again at the sixth tread respectively, that is
regularly.

page_text: By a suitable construction of tappets we cause the pile warp heald shafts to be
so operated that the pile warp is bound say at the eighth and again at the eighth
tread respectively, thus insuring the piling of every pile warp thread or end in
regular order and equal tension. Goods of this class when so woven, are when
finished, entirely free from pile marks.
In order that our invention may be better understood by persons skilled in the
art of weaving, we show, by way of illustration, drawings of a tappet suitable for
producing the results herein specified upon a double plush power loom having four
heald shafts for the pile warp and four heald shafts for the ground or backing
portion of the cloth.
Fig. 1. representing an elevation of the tappet and
Fig. 2. a vertical section of the same through line a. b.
We also show, by way of illustration, by Fig. 3. a diagram of the design of the
weaving, wherein the pile heald shafts are represented to work in regular order
throughout, thereby giving equal tension to the pile warp.
In the diagram of the design, the pile heald shafts are represented by the
letters A. B. C. and D. and the heald shafts for operating the warp_threads
of the ground or backing cloth to which the pile is secured, by the letters E. F. G.
and H. whilst the picking of the shuttle is indicated by numerals: the picks along
the divisions 1. 3. 5 and 7. being through the top cloth or piece, and 24. 6 and 8.
representing the picks through the bottom cloth or piece.
The pile warp threads raised by the tappets or other operating mechanism for
each pick of the shuttle through the top cloth in the loom, are represented in the
diagram of the design by an entire division being filled in black, the raised warp
threads of the top ground or backing cloth being represented by a smaller square
of black in the centre of a division; whilst for further distinction, the pile warp
threads lowered for each pick of the shuttle through the bottom cloth in the loom
are represented by an entire division being filled in with vertical lines, and the
warp threads of the ground or backing cloth are represented by a smaller square of
vertical lines.
For the top cloth, immediately preceding the first pick of the shuttle for each
repeat of the design, the pile warp threads indicated by an entire black division
operated by the heald shaft represented by the letter A will have been raised by
the tappet and at the same time the warp threads of the ground or backing cloth
operated by the heald shaft G. will have been raised also, the remainder of the
warp threads in both series indicated by the white divisions being operated by the
respective heald shafts in the opposite direction, thus forming the "shed" to allow
the shuttle to pass across the loom.
Before the return of the shuttle through the bottom cloth on the line of divisons 2
of the diagram of the design, some of the heald shafts of both the pile and of the
ground or backing cloth are changed, the pile warp threads indicated by the vertical
lines operated by the heald shaft C. and the warp threads of the ground or backing
cloth indicated by the small square of vertical lines are down, whilst the remainder
of both series indicated by the diagonal lined spaces or divisions are raised, thus
forming the "shed" for the shuttle to pass.
These operations are repeated the full width and throughout the length of the
piece as required for each pick of the shuttle, the pile warp threads represented by
the entire black divisions and the backing or ground warp threads by the smaller
divisions of black being raised for the top cloth whilst the remaining warp threads
represented by the white divisions are lowered as respectively indicated for each
pick, thus forming a "shed" for the shuttle to pass through the top cloth; the
shuttle returning through the bottom cloth in which the vertical lined divisions and
the smaller vertical lined divisions respectively represent the pile warp threads
and the ground or backing cloth warp threads that are lowered, the remaining
warp threads represented by the diagonal divisions being raised in the order as
they are represented by the diagram thus by this method, as will be understood

page_text: by persons skilled in the art of weaving, the pile warp ends are secured in regular
order and of equal tension.
It will be understood that the diagram illustrates the principle of the mode of
operation which we pursue, and that the succession of movements may be varied
in detail so long as the pile threads are bound in regular order, so as to give equal
tension.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved method or process for the production of plush fabrics on a double
plush loom in which the pile ends or warp threads are caused to bind at regular
intervals throughout the piece, whereby equality of tension is produced and pile
marks are avoided substantially as described.
2. A double plush loom for weaving Utrecht velvet and similar fabrics, in which
the healds carrying the pile threads are actuated by suitable mechanism such for
instance as the tappets herein before described in such a manner that the pile ends are
bound at regular intervals, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described.
Dated this 16th day of February 1892
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.