THE MANUFACTURE OF A NEW OR IMPROVED KIND OF CRIMPLED FABRIC
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
1, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE MANUFACTURE
OF A NEW OR IMPROVED KIND OF CRIMPLED FABRIC" a communication to me from
abroad by Paul Depoully, Charles Depoully and la Société C. Garnier and Francisque
Voland, all of Paris, France, to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a new species of fabric which is
termed "crimpled cloth," and which is so named because a crimpled effect is
produced by the contraction of the threads composing the said fabric.
Under the influence of certain chemical agents textile fibres become contracted
to such an extent that their length may be considerably diminished. According to
this Invention advantage is taken of this fact to produce a now fabric.
The fabrics which can be operated on may be divided into two kinds viz:
(1) those composed of two different materials one vegetable and the other animal
and (2) those composed of a single material only.
In order to carry out this invention as applied to the first class, a fabric is woven
of which either the warp or the weft or both is composed of cotton threads alternated
with silk threads in such order as to produce the desired effect, and this fabric is
submitted to the action of concentrated alkaline solutions whereby the vegetable
fibres (cotton) are contracted to, it may be, upwards of fifty per cent of their
original length. It will be readily understood that while the whole of the cotton
threads will be contracted by the chemical action the silk threads being insensible
to this action will not contract, but will become buckled or folded on themselves
and produce undulations or wrinkles of such arrangement and extent as to form
asperities on the surface of the fabric and produce the desired crimpled appearance.
It will likewise be understood that it is possible to vary, to an almost infinite
extent the crimpled effect produced on the material by varying the shedding
motion of the loom and also by modifying the order in which the threads of
different material are alternated or arranged whether in the warp or weft or in both,
thereby obtaining entirely a new and original variety of effects.
In carrying out the invention as applied to fabrics of the second class, for example
those composed entirely of cotton or of cotton mixed with other vegetable fibres, if

page_text: such a fabric were subjected to the action of concentrated alkaline solutions, the
whole extent of the fabric would be uniformly contracted without producing the
desired crimpled effect. In order to produce the desired result a substance is
therefore applied to the fabric either by printing or otherwise which will act as a
reserve and when this is sufficiently dry the fabric is submitted to the action of the
concentrated alkaline solutions and the reserve afterwards removed by suitable
solvents. That part of the fabric only which has not been protected by the
reserve will be subject to molecular contraction, while the protected portions will
retain their original dimensions and being interspersed in the contracted portions
will form asperities which produce the crimpled effect desired. This reserve may
for example be composed of a gummy or gelatinous mucilage, fatty bodies or of
combinations of fatty bodies, or of resinous solutions, of caoutchouc, of gutta
percha &c. and it may be applied in the form of lines or figures which may be
infinitely varied at will.
The plastic reserves may also be applied with good results to fabrics of the first
class that is to say composed of both animal and vegetable fibres.
The crimpling may bo graduated in the direction either of the warp or weft from
very salient reliefs to very fine and soft effects yielding in light fabrics elegant
contrasts of matt and transparent effects. A careful examination of the fabric
enables one in this latter case to observe without difficulty the molecular change in
the portions which were not protected by the reserve.
The chemical agents which it is preferred to employ are concentrated alkaline
solutions, caustic, soda lyes, &c. at from 15° to 32° Baumé according to the degree of
contraction it is desired to produce.
The operation may be quickly effected the action being very rapid. The fabric
is passed, either in a distended state or not, through the alkaline bath and then
rinsed in running water and also, if found necessary, in water slightly acidulated to
neutralise any remaining traces of alkali and prevent subsequent action.
The contractile effect may be obtained not only by immersion in the concentrated
alkaline solution but also by a sufficiently strong solution of caustic soda thickened
with any suitable mucilage and applied upon the fabric by printing or otherwise
but in this caso it will be the printed portions which will become contracted whilst
the non printed portions will retain their original dimensions.
I may also employ as contracting agents, concentrated acids, sulphuric acid for
instance.
It only remains now to show that the crimpled effects obtained by this process
are entirely different from the relief effects heretofore produced upon fabrics by
various methods such as gaging, puckering, pleating and goffering (which are the
results of manual or mechanical operations as well known) or crisping (as crape)
which is based on the employment of threads very much spun or twisted which
after being woven have a tendency to frizzle or curl of themselves more or less
uniformly especially when wetted or slightly fulled, producing the well known
wrinkled effect of crisped crape.
The product of this invention differs essentially from all the results produced as
just above mentioned both in respect of its mode of manufacture and the decorative
effect produced.
This process is distinguished from the crisping of crape which is only obtained
by the extra torsion of the threads, and it is moreover applicable to all kinds of
fabrics including net, such as tulle, lace, knitted and braided or plaited fabrics.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "THE MANUFACTURE
OF A NEW OR IMPROVED KIND OF CRIMPLED FABRIC ' (a communication to me from
abroad by Paul Depoully, Charles Depoully and la Société C. Garnief and Francisquo
Voland, all of Paris, France), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
The object of this invention is to produce a new species of fabric which is termed
crimpled cloth," and which is so named because a crimpled effect is produced by
the contraction of the threads composing the said fabric.
Under the influence of certain chemical agents textile fibres become contracted
to such an extent that their length may be considerably diminished. According to
this Invention advantage is taken of this fact to produce a new fabric.
The fabrics which can be operated on may be divided into two kinds viz:
(1) those composed of two different materials one vegetable and the other animal
and (2) those composed of a single material only.
In order to carry out this invention as applied to fabrics of the first class a fabric
is woven of which either the warp or the weft or both is composed of cotton threads
alternated with silk threads in such order as to produce the desired effect and this
fabric is submitted to the action of concentrated alkaline solutions whereby the
vegetable fibres (cotton) are contracted to, it may be upwards of fifty per cent of
their original length. It will be readily understood that while the whole of the
cotton threads will be contracted by the chemical action the silk threads being
insensible to this action will not contract but will become buckled or folded on
themselves and produce undulations or wrinkles of such arrangement and extent as
to form asperities on the surface of the fabric and produce the desired crimpled
appearance.
It will likewise be understood that it is possible to vary to an almost infinite
extent the crimpled effect produced on the material by varying the shedding motion
of the loom and also by modifying the order in which the threads of different
material are alternated or arranged whether in the warp or weft or in both, thereby
obtaining an entirely new and original variety of effects.
In carrying out the invention as applied to fabrics of the second class, for example
those composed entirely of cotton or of cotton mixed with other vegetable fibres, if
such a fabric be subjected to the action of concentrated alkaline solutions the whole
fabric will be uniformly contracted without producing the desired crimpled effect.
In order therefore to produce the desired result a substance is applied to the fabric,
either by printing or otherwise, which will act as a reserve and when this is

page_text: sufficiently dry the fabric is submitted to the action of the concentrated alkaline
solutions and the reserve afterwards removed by suitable solvents. That part of
the fabric only which has not been protected by the reserve will be subject to
molecular contraction, while the protected portions will retain their original
dimensions and being interspersed in the contracted portions will form asperities 5
which produce the crimpled effect desired. This reservo may for example be
composed of a gummy or gelatinous mucilage of fatty bodies or combinations of
fatty bodies, or of resinous solutions of caoutchouc, gutta percha etc. and it may
be applied in the form of lines or figures which may be infinitely varied at will.
The plastic reserves may also be applied with good results to fabrics of the first 1
class, that is to say composed of both animal and vegetable fibres.
The crimpling may be graduated in the direction either of the warp or weft from
very salient reliefs to very fine and soft effects yielding in light fabrics elegant
contrasts of matt and transparent effects. A careful examination of the fabric
enables one in this latter case to observe without difficulty the molecular change in 1
the portions which were not protected by the reserve.
The chemical agents which it is preferred to employ are concentrated alkalino
solutions, caustic soda lyes &c at from 15° to 32° Baumó according to the degreo of
contraction it is desired to produce.
The operation may be quickly effected, the action being very rapid. The fabric
is passed, either in a distended state or not, through the alkaline bath and then
rinsed in running water and also if found necessary in water slightly acidulated to
neutralise any remaining traces of alkali and prevent subsequent action.
The contractile effect may be obtained not only by immersion of the fabric in the
concentrated alkaline solution but also by a sufficiently strong solution of caustic
soda thickened with any suitable mucilage and applied upon the fabric by printing
or otherwise; but in this case it will be the printed portions which will become
contracted whilst the non printed portions will retain their original dimensions.
Concentrated acids may also be employed as contracting agents, sulphuric acid for
instance.
It only remains now to show that the crimpled effects obtained by this process
are entirely different from the relief effects heretofore produced upon fabrics by
various methods such as gaging, puckering, plaiting and goffering (which are the
results of manual or mechanical operations as well known) or crisping as crape
which is based on the employment of threads very much spun or twisted which
after being woven have a tendency to frizzle or curl of themselves more or less
uniformly especially when wetted or slightly fulled, producing the well known
wrinkled effect of crisped crape.
The product of this invention differs essentially from all the results produced as
just above mentioned both in respect of its mode of manufacture and the decorative
effect produced.
This process is distinguished from the crisping of crape which is only obtained by
the extra torsion of the threads, and it is moreover applicable to all kinds of
fabrics including net such as tulle lace knitted and braided or plaited fabrics.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The new article of manufacture herein designated crimpled fabrics consisting
of fabrics subjected to the partial contraction of their component threads as
described.
2nd The process of manufacturing the herein described crimpled fabrics consisting
in subjecting fabrics composed of a mixture of threads of animal and vegetable
origin to the action of certain chemical agents as herein described, whereby certain
of the threads are caused to contract and thus produce the effects constituting the
novel feature of the product.

page_text: 3rd The process of manufacting the herein described crimpled fabrics, consisting
in the partial application by reserve printing or otherwise of chemical agents whose
action causes the partial contraction of the component threads of the fabric
substantially as herein described.