IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCING TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1885

page_text: T, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRODUCING TEXTILE FABRICS (a communication to me from abroad by Emile
Maerteus of Oswego Falls in the County of Oswego and State of New York
United States of America, Manufacturer,) 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 my invention is to produce new textile fabrics by a combination
of mechanical and chemical processes thereby reducing the cost of production and
producing a class of goods not known heretofore.
My invention relates to three distinct classes of goods which for the sake of
explanation I term "plain" openwork or looped or pile work" and "fancy."
The plain fabric relates to a fabric made inore particularly of combed fibres and
to such as are worked on worsted machinery. The open work and fancy fabrics
relate equally as much to either combed or carded fibres worked on either woolen
or worsted machinery.
By plain goods I mean a fabric of any weave whatever, made of all wool or other
animal fibres dyed a solid colour or kept in its natural colour.
By openwork goods etc, I mean fabric in which there are open or light spaces
produced by leaving out or eliminating either warp or weft threads, or both in
certain places, thereby giving the cloth, a lace like, looped pile or similar
appearance.
By fancy goods, I mean a fabric wherein patterns, or designs are produced by
the combination of different colors, or materials.
In reference to the production of plain fabrics, by my process, I will state that
it has heretofore been found impossible to make a single warp cloth, of such fibres
as mohair, camel's hair, alpaca, long, coarse, and lustre wools, and other similar
Prins G21

page_text: textile animals fibres, nor has it been practical, to weave fine wools, or other fine
animal fibres as single warp, when spun to their full spinning capacity.
I do not deny the possibility of making single warp fabrics of the fibres just
named; but this can only be accomplished, by spinning them to a much lower
count, than the length and fineness of the fibre permits, thereby making, the fabric
too hard and unsightly, and unprofitable to manufacture.
Reference is to be had, to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal view, of a fabric made of a twisted thread composed of
an animal fibre and a vegetable fibre thread. Figure 2 is a face view of a fabric
made of vegetable fibre threads and animal fibre threads. Figure 3, is a face view
of the same, the vegetable fibre threads, being eliminated. Figure 4, is a cross
sectional view of a pile fabric. In my process I spin the yarn of such animal fibre,
that I intend to use, as fine as the fabric to be produced requires it to be spun, and
if necessary, as far as the fibre, will spin.
I then double the thread obtained, with a fine cotton or other vegetable thread,
and twist the two together The double yarn, thus obtained, is made into warps
which are sized, if this is necessary or useful, and then woven into a fabric, in the
usual manner.
When the cloth comes from the loom, or after it is scoured, crabbed, fulled or
otherwise treated, according to the result to be obtained. or the style of goods, to
be made, the vegetable threads twisted with the animal thread, is treated with
sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, bydrochloric acid gas, or any other chemical
agent, that produces the same result and which destroys, and carbonizes, or
incinerates, the vegetable fibres when the same are exposed to the action of heat.
When the vegetable part of the cloth is entirely carbonized, or incinerated the
fabric is passed dry through a dolly, fulling mill or any other machine, that will
shake out or rub out the destroyed vegetable matter from the cloth.
When this is accomplished, and the fabric washed or the chemicals still contained
therein have been neutralized, the said fabric, is ready to be dyed, or treated, as if
no vegetable fibre had been used in the manufacture, and the fabric obtained,
contains nothing but animal fibres.
In figure 2, the warp threads A, are of animal fibre, and the warp threads A¹ of
vegetable fibre, the weft threads B, are of animal fibre, and the weft threads B¹ of
vegetable fibre.
The warp, is made of twelve wool or other animal threads A, four cotton or
other vegetable fibre threads A', their four wool, or other animal fibre threads A,
then four cotton or other vegetable threads A¹, and so on, and the weft is intro-
duced in the same way and order, and thus an apparently plain piece of fabric is
produced. After it comes from the loom, it is scoured, fulled, crabbed, or otherwise
treated according to the finish, or style of goods desired.
The fabric is then subjected to the action of sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid,
hydrochloric acid gas, or any other chemical agent having the same effect on the
vegetable components, of the fabric, which are thus destroyed, and eliminated after
having been subjected to heat, and dollied, or fulled in a dry state, as before
specified. The result obtained is shown in Figure 3, where the animal fibre warp,
and weft threads, A, B, are still in the fabric; but the vegetable fibre warp and
weft threads A¹, and B', have disappeared, leaving a lace like or open work fabric,
as the result. This fabric after having been washed, or the chemicals otherwise
neutralized, is ready to be dyed and finished like any other animal fabric.
In an openwork fabric, any weave beside a plain weave, as shown in Figures 2
and 3 may be made use of, and the warp and weft effects, can be produced separately,
making stripes or cross overs, or together producing, checks, or in any combina-
tion or order as may suggest itself to the designer or by the demand of trade or
fushion.

page_text: When a smooth faced fabric, of a worsted nature and appearance is to be
produced, I prefer setting the cloth immediately after weaving or just after
scouring, in order to keep the warp and weft in their respective places, and
preserve the symmetry of the pattern.
If a flannel or woolen effect is desired and if the cloth is fulled before setting, it
is well to first tenter it in the width before setting it, so as to bring all the weft
threads to their proper places, and keep the symmetry of the pattern.
It can be set before fulling however, but this renders the fulling process more
diflicult.
The method of weaving cotton, or vegetable threads, with woolen or other
animal threads, into fabrics and then destroying the vegetable threads chemically,
can also be used to produce other fabrics than openwork, for instance looped or pile
fabrics or matelassé, and repoussé, or sunken effects can be obtained by weaving
vegetable threads into the fabric, in such a manner, as to make the animal fibres
over or under them, form a tube, bridge or cavity, after the destruction of the
vegetable fibre in the manner set forth.
In figure 4, a are the animal threads woven over the vegetable threads, b, which
are then destroyed leaving the bridges or loops c, which may be cut or sheared to
form a pile.
For instance, plushes and velvets can be made in this way by shearing off the
tops of the loops c, in the fabric produced, and hollow tubular effects, can be
produced by weaving loops over the vegetable cords and not cutting the loops. In
fact, there is no limit to the effects, that can be produced by my new method of
making textile fabrics. In all cases, where a well cut, and distinct effect is to be
obtained, I prefer to set the fabric thoroughly, before attempting the destruction of
vegetable fibres.
In cases, where some cotton or other vegetable fibre, has to remain in some parts
of the finished cloth, those vegetable threads to be destroyed are to be acidulated,
or otherwise chemically prepared, then woven into the fabric, and finally carbonized
or incinerated after the cloth is woven by steaming or moistening the cloth, and
then subjecting it to heat, whereby only those vegetable fibres are destroyed, that
have been chemically treated, and those not treated, are not affected.
In case only parts of the vegetable fibres are to be removed those parts that are
not to be removed, are covered so as not to be affected, by the heat or chemicals
used.
To produce fancy fabrics, the fabric is woven with mixed vegetable, and animal
fibre threads, either mixed in carding, spinning, twisting, or any other way, both
the warp and weft, or only in the warp, or only in the weft and vegetable and
animal fibre threads, can be used in alternating groups, or alternating singly, in the
warp or weft, or in both. To produce the desired pattern, parts of the vegetable
fibre threads, must be destroyed which is accomplished, in the manner herein set
forth, by treating those parts to be destroyed, with sulphuric or hydrochloric acid,
or hydrochloric acid gas, or any other chemicals that will accomplish the same
result, whereby, the chemically treated parts of the vegetable fibre threads, are
carbonized or incinerated; that is, eliminated from the fabric. The destroying
agent or chemical, can be printed on the surfaces of the fabric, in the same manner
as cloth, such as calicoes, paper hangings, etc, are printed. Instead of applying the
chemicals in this manner, they can be applied on the entire cloth, or fabric, and
portions of the fabric, may be protected from the action of the acid by stencil
plates, or those portions not to be acted upon by the acid, may be treated with a
size applied previous to the subjection of the fabric to the action of the destroying
agent or acid. The destroying agent may also be sprinkled on, to produce spots,
or, as has been stated above, the entire cloth or fabric, can be treated with
chemicals, and those parts in which the vegetable fibre threads are not to be
destroyed, are protected by plates, or by size, so that they will not be carbonized,
or incinerated, when the fabric is subjected to heat.

page_text: After the portions of vegetable fibre threads have been removed, the cloth is
washed, and then dried and finished, in the usual way. If a wool dye is used, the
vegetable fibre, left in the fabric will not be affected thereby; hence in those
portions of the fabric, from which the said vegetable fibre, is not to be removed,
the effect will be that of a mixed thread, while in all other parts of the fabric, the
effect will be that of a plain thread. Or if a cotton dye is used, the wool threads
will not be affected, or if desired, the wool threads may first be dyed one colour,
and the cotton threads, then dyed another colour. In some cases, the same effect
can be produced, by doubling a dyed cotton yarn with a white wool yarn, or carding
dyed cotton with white wool, the wool or animal fibre threads being dyed, if desired
after the fabric been woven, and the cotton or vegetable fibre threads removed,
front the required places. A dyed wool or wool yarn, may be combined with white
or dyed cotton or cotton yarn. Preliminary dyeing of the wool is not advisable as
the destroying agent influences the dye.
If desired, in all cases, the destructive agent may be such as to affect the wool
or animal fibre and leave intact the vegetable fibre; but this is not economical and
not advisable in most cases.
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
1. The mode herein described of making openwork, gauze, pile, looped matelassé
repoussé, sunken or other fabrics consisting in weaving the fabric with animal and
vegetable fibres, and then eliminating the vegetable fibres from the woven fabric
by destroying them substantially as set forth.
2. The mode herein described of making openwork, gauze, pile, looped matelassé,
repoussé sunken or other fabric consisting in first weaving a fabric of animal and
vegetable fibre threads, then setting the threads and then subjecting the fabric to
an agent that destroys the vegetable fibres without affecting the animal fibres,
substantially as set forth.
3. The mode herein described of making fabric consisting in twisting threads of
animal fibres and threads of vegetable fibre together using the double threads
thus produced as warps in weaving the fabric and then subjecting the fabric to an
agent that destroys the vegetable fibre threads without affecting the animal fibre
threads, substantially as set forth.
4th The mode herein described of making fabrics consisting in weaving it of
animal fibre threads and vegetable fibre threads part of the latter being treated
with sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid or an analogous chemical agent before being
woven and then subjecting the woven fabric to heat after the fabric has been
steamed or moistened whereby the chemically treated vegetable fibre threads are
destroyed and eliminated from the fabric, the vegetable threads not treated
remaining in the fabric substantially as set forth.
5. The mode herein described of making pile fabrics consisting in weaving loops
of animal fibre threads over vegetable fibre threads which latter are then carbonized
or otherwise destroyed and eliminated from the fabric whereby loops or bridges are
formed of animal thread which may if desired be sheared off or cut substantially
as set forth.
6. The herein described method of producing fancy fabrics consisting in weaving
the fabric of animal and vegetable fibre threads then applying a destructive agent
that will destroy the vegetable fibre threads upon the fabric according to some
design in the different ways set forth in the specification and then subjecting the
fabric to beat, substantially as shown and described.
7. The herein described method of producing fancy fabrics consisting in weaving
fabrics of mixed animal and vegetable fibre threads then treating certain parts of
the fabric, according to the design to be produced with chemicals, whereby some of
of the vegetable fibre threads are eliminated and then washing and finishing and
dyeing the fabric in the usual manner, substantially as described.

page_text: 8. The herein described method of producing fancy fabrics consisting in weaving
fabrics of mixed animal and vegetable fibre threads then treating certain parts of
the fabric according to the design to be produced with chemicals, whereby some of
the vegetable fibre threads are eliminate and then finishing and dyeing the animal
and vegetable components of the fabric in different colors substantially as herein
set forth and described.