IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Turner, of Leicester, in the County.
of Leicester, Elastic Fabric Manufacturer, for the Invention of
TACTIC HARRICS
Sealed the 29th November 1870, and dated the 22nd July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Turner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd July 1870.
I, ARCHIBALD TURNER, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
3 Elastic Fabric Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," to
be as follows:-
=
My Invention relates, firstly, to a novel mode of manufacturing elastic
terry fabrics, more particularly terry gusset webs, whereby the appear-
ance of the fabric is much improved and the rubber strands are prevented
from contracting or running up in the tubular spaces made for them in
the fabrio.
In the manufacture of terry gusset webs the fabric is usually woven

page_text: These warps when woven without rubber strands and without binding
threads would make a tubular fabric. By introducing rubber strands
inside the tubular fabric and dividing these rubber strands by binding
threads the fabric is rendered flat and elastic longitudinally, con-
sequently these binding threads which are introduced between the rubber
strands divide the fabric into as many tubes as there are dents in the
reed.
In the ordinary manufacture of this kind of fabric these tubes are
too large for the strands, or if the latter are of large size the fabric will
be rendered thick and heavy. Moreover, the crowding of a thick rubber
strand with six or eight threads (generally the latter) and a binder or
sewing thread into the same dent of the reed causes the threads which
form the face of the fabric to crowd on each other instead of being
spread out regularly on the surface.
In order to correct these evils I use an additional binding or sewing
thread which I place between the other warp threads so as to divide
them and reduce the size of the tube which is to contain the rubber
strand to half the usual size. By thus dividing the tube into two parts,
one of which contains the rubber strand, the other is left empty, con-
sequently the tube is only half the usual size, and the india-rubber thread
will not contract or run up into the fabric. By introducing the extra
binding thread the silk or cotton or other material forming the face of
the web will be equally divided and thereby improve the appearance of
the web.
The next part of my Invention relates to various improvements
whereby elastic fabrics may be made with a face resembling woollen
cloth. This has already been attempted by substituting woollen warp
threads for the silken or other warp threads usually employed in the
manufacture of elastic fabrics and weaving such woollen threads in the
ordinary manner. Practically, however, this has not been found to answer,
as ordinary weaving with a woollen warp produces an uneven surface or
want of sufficient quantity of pile. I have discovered that by weaving
these same yarns in a peculiar manner I can attain the desired result.
To this end I weave the face warps of the fabric as a kind of twill, that
is, I cause these threads to float over two or more weft threads on the
surface of the fabric so as to bring from two-thirds to three-fourths of
the woollen yarn to the surface so that a pile may be made therefrom
and sheared as in the manufacture of woollen cloth. In this instance

page_text: the warp threads, except the binders or sewing threads, consist of woollen
yarns and the weft of cotton or other cheap yarn, but the same result
may be produced by causing a woollen weft to float over cotton or other
warp threads. The napped surface will then be produced from the weft
instead of the warp.
This woollen fabric may be made with a white or black back, and of
either cotton or other material. It will be obvious that an elastic
fabric with a woollen face may be made by arranging woollen warp
thread in the manner explained under the first head of the Invention,
and as by dividing the tubes which receive the rubber strands, the
fineness of these strands may be increased, it follows that an economy
of rubber may be made, and by reducing the thickness of the rubber
the elastic fabric may be made thinner and finer than if the rubber
strands were thick and clumsy.
To make this elastic woollen fabric complete the pile will have to be
raised with the ordinary machinery used for that purpose, and the fabric
will be dressed and finished in the usual way.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Archibald Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 20th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARCHIBALD
TURNER, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Elastic Fabric
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Archibald Turner, Her special licence
that I, the said Archibald Turner, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Archibald Turner, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Archibald Turner, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands 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 Archibald Turner, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
.
My Invention relates, firstly, to a novel mode of manufacturing elastic
terry fabrics more particularly terry gusset webs whereby the appearance
of the fabric is much improved and the rubber strands are prevented
from contracting or running up in the tubular spaces made for them in
the fabric.
In the manufacture of terry gusset webs the fabric is usually woven
from a warp or warps for the face, and a warp or warps for the back.
These warps when woven without rubber strands and without binding
threads would make a tubular fabric. By introducing rubber strands
inside the tubular fabric and separating these rubber strands by binding
threads (which connect together the face and back of the fabric) the
fabric is rendered fat and elastic longitudinally, consequently these
binding threads which are introduced between the rubber strands divide
the fabric into as many tubes as there are dents in the reed.
In the ordinary manufacture of this kind of fabric these tubes are too
large for the strands, or if the latter are of large size the fabric will be
rendered thick and heavy. Moreover, the crowding of a thick rubber
strand with six or eight threads (generally the latter) and binders or
sewing threads into the same dent of the reed causes the threads which
form the face of the fabric to crowd on each other instead of being
spread out regularly on the surface.
In order to correct these evils I use an additional binding or sewing
thread which I place between the other warp threads so as to divide
them and reduce the size of the tube (which is to contain the rubber

page_text: strand) to half the usual size; by thus dividing the tube into two
parts, one of which contains the rubber strand, the other is left
empty, consequently the tube is only half the usual size. and the india-
rubber strand will not contract or run up into the fabric. By this
arrangement of the binding threads the silk or cotton or other material
forming the face of the web will be equally divided and thereby improve
the appearance of the web.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved
fabric when in a state of tension (drawn on an enlarged scale); Fig. 2.
is a longitudinal section of the same shewing clearly the way in which.
the binding or sewing threads "tie" or connect the face and back of the
fabric together; Fig. 3 is a transverse or cross section shewing the spaces
occupied by the rubber strands; Fig. 4 is a diagram representing the
order in which the threads are introduced in the harness; and Fig. 5
is a diagram of the "tie" shewing the formations of the shed.
s, s, are the silk warp threads which form the face; c, c, the cotton
warp threads which form the back; ", r, the elastic rubber strands,
and 6, 6, the binder or sewing threads which connect the face and back
of the fabric together; w, w, are the weft threads. The Figures 1, 2, 3,
4, &c., in the diagram, Fig. 4, denote the order in which the warps are
threaded through the harness. Similar Figures of reference in the other
diagrams indicate the same threads.
The next part of my Invention relates to improvements whereby
elastic fabrics may be made with a face resembling woollen cloth. This
has already been attempted to be effected by substituting woollen
warp threads for the silken or other warp threads usually employed in
the manufacture of elastic fabrics, and weaving such woollen threads in
the ordinary manner. ·Practically this has not been found to answer
as ordinary weaving with a woollen warp produces an uneven surface or
want of sufficient quantity of pile; I have, however, discovered that by
weaving these same yarns in a peculiar manner I can attain the desired
result. To this end I weave the face warps of the fabric as a kind of
twill, that is, I cause these threads to float over two or more weft threads
on the surface of the fabric so as to bring from two-thirds to three-
fourths of the woollen yarn to the surface so that a pile may be
made therefrom and sheared as in the manufacture of woollen cloth.
In this instance the warp threads (except the binders or sewing threads)
consist of woollen yarns and the weft of cotton or other cheap yarn, but

page_text: the same result may be produced by causing a woollen weft to float
over cotton or other warp threads. The napped surface will then be
produced from the weft instead of the warp.
Fig. 6 is a sectional diagram of the fabric woven in this manner; 1, 1,
are the woollen warp threads; c, c, the cotton warp threads; a, a, the
rubber warp threads or strands, and b, b, the binder threads. The small
circles w, w, denote the weft threads whereby the fabric is made
complete. This woollen fabric may be made with a white or black back
and of either cotton or other material. The back of the fabric is formed
of cotton or other warp threads, and this back is tied or connected to
the fabric (which forms the woollen face) by the binder or sewing
threads b, b, which pass up and down from the woollen face to the
cotton back. The woollen surface warp threads are never carried down
between the rubber strands and consequently the larger portions of the
useful fibres (which are to form 'the napped surface of the fabric) are
kept on the face. It will be obvious that an elastic fabric with a woollen
face may be made by arranging woollen warp threads in the manner
explained under the first head of the Invention, and as by dividing the
tubes (which receive the rubber strands) the fineness of these. strands
may be increased, it follows that an economy of rubber may be effected,
and by reducing the thickness of the rubber the elastic fabric may be
made thinner and finer than if the rubber strands were thick and clumsy.
To make this clastic woollen fabric complete the pile will have to be
raised with the ordinary machinery used for that purpose and the fabric
will be dressed and finished in the usual way so as to produce a woollen ?
cloth surface.
Having now described my Invention of "improvements in the manu-
facture of clastic fabrics, and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid.
First. The use of additional binder threads for the purpose of dividing
into two parts the tubes containing the rubber strands or warp threads
so that by reducing the size of such tubes the rubber strands will be
more securely held and will be prevented from contracting or running
up into the fabric as is now the case.
Second. I claim making an elastic fabric with a woollen cloth face by
causing the woollen warp threads to float over two or more weft threads
or by causing woollen weft threads to float over two or more warp
3
3

page_text: threads so as to bring an additional quantity of woollen yarn to the
surface which may then be fulled, dressed, and finished in the same
way as woollen cloth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Turner, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
A. TURNER. (L.S.)