CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Whyatt, of Openshaw, in the County of
Lancaster, Dyer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Whyatt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
March 1855.
I, GEORGE WHYATT, of Openshaw, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS" to be as
follows:-
My Invention applies to well-known machines now in use for cutting,
shearing, or cropping the pile of such goods as velvets, fustians, moleskins, &c.
in the process of finishing. These machines are provided with rapidly revolving
spiral cutters or knives mounted in the cutting cylinder, which act against a
stationary or "ledger blade" in a similar manner to the two edges of cutting
shears, by which the pile upon the face of the cloth becomes cropped or shorn;
the cloth passing over a straight edge or "bed plate" placed immediately
under the cutting shears so as to present the pile in a suitable position to be

page_text: cut, cropped, or shorn. All this arrangement is common and well under-
stood.
My improvement in such machinery consists in giving an upward motion
or action to this "bed plate" at any required distance or interval, which
ascent of the bed plate will necessarily cause the cloth to be raised and held
nearer to the cutting shears at such intervals, and thus allow the shears to cut
the pile shorter in those places, and thus produce the novel effect of a long
and a short pile or nap, either transversely (or diagonally if required), across
the piece of goods, or from selvage to selvage. This alternate rising and
falling of the "bed plate" may be produced by any suitable mechanical
contrivance, such as a crank or excentric, being actuated by any convenient
part of the machine.
The intervals of space between the reciprocating movements of the "bed
plate" will be regulated by such crank or excentric, and the width of either
the long or the short pile may be varied at pleasure to suit the pattern required
to be cut or produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Whyatt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WHYATT, of Openshaw, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Whyatt, Her especial licence that I, the said George Whyatt,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Whyatt, 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
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OF FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Whyatt, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the

page_text: 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 George Whyatt, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):-
This Invention applies to well-known machines now in use for cutting,
shearing, or cropping the pile of such goods as velvets, fustians, moleskins,
&c., in the process of finishing. These machines are provided with rapidly
revolving spiral cutters or knives, mounted in the cutting cylinder, which act
against a stationary or ledger blade in a similar manner to the two edges of
cutting shears, by which the pile upon the face of the cloth becomes cropped
or shorn; the cloth passing over a straight edge and "bed plate" placed
immediately under the revolving cutting shears, so as to present the pile in a
suitable position to be cut, cropped, or shorn. All this arrangement is common
and well understood.
My improvements in such machinery consist in giving an upward motion
or action to this bed plate "and straight edge" at any required distance or
interval, which ascent of the "bed plate" will necessarily cause the cloth to be
raised and held nearer to the cutting shears at such intervals, and allow the
shears to cut the pile shorter in those places so presented to the cutters, and
thus produce the novel effect of a long and a short pile or nap transversely
(or diagonally if required) across the piece of goods, or from selvage to
selvage. This alternate rising and falling of the "bed plate "may be produced
by any suitable mechanical contrivance, such as a crank or excentric, being
actuated by any convenient part of the machine.
The intervals of space between the reciprocating movements of the "bed
plate" will be regulated by such crank or excentric, and the width of either
the long or the short pile may be varied at pleasure to suit the pattern required
to be cut or produced.
In order that this Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have attached to these Presents a Sheet of Drawing, made upon a
scale of about two inches to the foot, having throughout the several Figures
placed similar letters of reference on corresponding parts of the machinery
or apparatus.
Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal sectional elevation of a machine or appa-
ratus for cutting piled goods, having these improvements attached thereto;
Fig. 2 exhibits a plan or top view of the same, representing the fabric as
passing through the machine, and having the striped design or pattern shewn

page_text: as cut upon it; Figure 3 exhibits an end view of Figs. 1 and 2, and, clearly
illustrates the position of the "bed plate" and "straight, edge," together
with the acting mechanism; Fig. 4 illustrates the entire of these improvements
detached from the machine.
+4.
The pile of the cloth or fabric to be operated upon is first to be produced
and cropped or shorn in the ordinary manner, being consequently of an equal
length and evenness throughout the piece. My improvements being intended
to cut such pile, shorter or closer at any given intervals, and thereby pro-
ducing the effect of stripes as required, the cloth is to be passed through the
machine as indicated by the arrows; the novel and peculiar arrangement and
operation of the machine being as follows:-a, a, represents the frame of the
machine; and b, the revolving circular, cutters or knives; c, the ledger blade;
and.d, the bed plate; and d', the straight edge. My improvements consist in
giving to the bed plate," which has hitherto been held, stationary, a recipro-
cating-upward and downward motion, which is effected as follows:-The "bed
plate" and "straight edge" d being allowed to act freely in the slides or tenons
e, e, of the inner sides of the framing, upon either end of the shaft f is 'a small
projecting finger or crank arm g, and secured to the shaft f is the bent lever h,
slotted at its lower end for the reception of an adjustable pin or finger i
attached to the disc k;. motion is imparted to the disc k by the small pinion
upon the same shaft, which in this case gears into one of the ordinary spur
wheels of the machine. In this machine motion is communicated from the
driving pulley m to a pulley and strap or band at the opposite side of the
framing, from whence a rapid rotary motion is imparted to the revolving
circular knives or cutters 6; a second motion is then given from the shaft
of the driving pulley through the pulleys and strap m, n, to the shaft o and
pinion-p secured to it; this, through the spur wheel 9 and appropriate gearing,
communicates motion to the winding-on and draught rollers, at the same time
imparting motion through the spur wheel 9 to the: pinion l, from whence it is
through its shaft transmitted to the disc k. The continued revolutions of the
disc k cause the bent, lever or rod h to partake of a reciprocating vibratory
motion by means of the finger upon the disc k, within the slower slotted part
of the bent lever h. This motion causes. the alternate. elevation and depression
of the crank arms 9, 9, thus, causing the rise and fall of the "bed plate
and straight edge; the pattern, design, or stripe being thus produced by the
"straight edge in its rise pressing upward, the piled fabric in the machine
against the revolving cutters or knives and "ledger blade," by this means
cutting that part of the piled fabric (which is presented by. the elevation of the
bed plate and straight edge." shorter in. such. places, or at such intervals,

page_text: as arranged by the reciprocating action of the bed plate. At the fall of the
straight edge the piled cloth passes freely over the straight edge and bed
plate, thus being clear from the action of the rapidly revolving knives or
cutters.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be under-
stood that I claim as my improvements in machinery or apparatus for cutting
piled goods or fabrics, the causing of the "bed plate" with its "straight edge"
to be alternately raised and depressed, in order to present the pile of the cloth
closer to the cutting shears, in such places or at such intervals as may be
desirable, to produce the effect of stripes in the pile or velvet, by cutting the
pile shorter in the places so presented by the means referred to.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Whyatt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
GEORGE WHYATT. (L.S.)