Improvements in Wire Cards, and in the Foundations of the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 1st May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wire Cards, and in the Foundations of the
same.
I ELIJAH ASHWORTH of The Moss Brook Works, Collyhurst, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to improvements in wire cards and in the manufacture
of the material, foundation or backing into which the fine wire teeth or dents are
inserted.
In the Specification of an invention for which I have applied for Letters Patent
No. 14295 of 1895 I set forth the disadvantages of the ordinary method of cementing
together several thicknesses or plies of woven fabric to form a card foundation.
In the same specification I describe and claim a new method of forming such
foundations by stitching or sewing several thicknesses together.
According to my present invention which relates to the same subject matter,
instead of taking the several layers separately and stitching or sewing them together
as indicated, I arrange to weave the several and separate thicknesses or layers one
above another in a loom, and tack the layers to each other as the weaving proceeds
by means of binding picks, which binding picks might extend through the whole of
the layers or simply from layer to layer. The said binding picks would be most
conveniently constituted by certain of the warp threads, say for example a
proportion of about 5 per cent. of the whole warps, worked by independent healds
so as to be dropped and raised at suitable times from the upper to the lower layers
or vice versa or from layer to layer as arranged, the effect being to knit the whole
of the separate thicknesses together and thus produce the same result as if the
thicknesses or layers were sewn or stitched together. By the indicated means I
produce simply by the operation of weaving, a card foundation consisting of
several distinct thicknesses or layers firmly bound or knit together. Such a
foundation of multiple, thicknesses must not be confounded with a homogeneous
thick fabric for the same purpose. In a homogeneous thick fabric all of the warps
zig-zag from face to face of the fabric with the result that when subjected to the
extreme and prolonged strain under which the foundation is wound upon the card
cylinders, the said strain lasting in most cases for a long term of years, the warps
would become partially straightened out and the whole fabric stretched, thus
destroying the pitch and angle of the dents, while at the same time the wound-on
foundation becomes slack on the cylinder.
In my improved multiple-thickness foundation however, the several warps of
the distinct thicknesses are, owing to the comparative thinness of each layer, very
little out of the straight and do not yield to the stretching strain as in a homogeneous
thick fabric.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wire Cards, and in the Foundations of the
same.
1 ELIJAH ASHWORTH of The Moss Brook. Works, Collyhurst, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, 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 and accompanying
drawings:-
My said invention relates to improvements in wire cards and in the manufacture
of the material, foundation or backing into which the fine wire teeth or dents are
inserted.
.
In the Specification of an invention for which I have obtained Letters Patent
No. 14295 of 1895 I set forth the disadvantages of the ordinary method of
cementing together several thicknesses or plies of woven fabric to form a card
foundation. In the same specification I describe and claim a new method of forming
such foundations by stitching or sewing several thicknesses together.
According to iny present invention which relates to the same subject matter,
instead of taking the several layers separately and stitching or sewing them
together as indicated, I arrange to weave the several and separate thicknesses or
layers one above another in a loom, and tack the layers to each other as the
weaving proceeds by means of binding picks or threads, which binding picks or
threads might extend through the whole of the layers or simply from layer to
layer. The said binding picks would be most conveniently constituted by certain
of the warp threads, say for example a proportion of about 5 per cent. of the whole
warps, worked by independent healds so as to be dropped and raised at suitable
times from the upper to the lower layers or vice versa or from layer to layer as
arranged, the effect being to knit the whole of the separate thicknesses together
and thus produce the same result as if the thicknesses or layers were sewn or
stitched together. By the indicated means I produce simply by the operation of
weaving, a card foundation consisting of several distinct thicknesses or layers firmly
bound or knit together. Such a foundation of multiple thicknesses must not be
confounded with a homogeneously woven thick fabric for the same purpose. In
a homogeneous thick fabric all of the warps zig-zag from face to face of the fabric
with the result that when subjected to the extreme and prolonged strain under
which the foundation is wound upon the card cylinders, the said strain lasting in
most cases for a long term of years, the warps would become partially straightened
cut and the whole fabric stretched, thus destroying the pitch and angle of the
dents, while at the same time the wound-on foundation becomes slack on the
cylinder.
In my improved multiple-thickness foundation however, the several warps of the
distinct thicknesses are, owing to the comparative thinness of each layer, very
little out of the straight and do not yield to the stretching strain as in a
homogeneous thick fabric.
Although to a practical weaver the foregoing description is sufficiently full to
enable him to produce my improved multiple-thickness wire card foundation,
nevertheless for the sake of greater clearness I will with the assistance of the
annexed drawings endeavour to make the invention more plain.
Fig. I is a sectional view of my multiple thickness card foundation to an
enlarged scale.
Fig. 2 is a diagram intended to illustrate a convenient method of weaving in
the binding warp yarns which connect together the several woven thicknesses.

page_text: Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are similar views illustrating modifications of the mode of.
weaving in the binding warp yarns.
Fig. 7 shows the manner in which my improved multiple foundation may be
applied.
Referring to Fig. 1, the multiple thickness foundation as here illustrated is.
composed of six thicknesses marked a, a, a, a, a, a. The binding warp yarns
(comprising about 5 per cent. of the whole warps) are marked b. The wire dents.
are marked c. The binding yarns b are raised and lowered by special healds so as
to extend entirely through the several thicknesses a which are at the same time.
independently and separately woven, the yarns b binding the separate thicknesses.
together as the weaving proceeds. The pitch or distance apart of the respective-
binding engagements of the yarns or their method of engagement with the wett
yarns and also the number of separate thicknesses a may be modified at pleasure.
For example in Fig. 2 the weaving of a four thickness foundation is diagram-
matically illustrated. The sets of warp sheds composing the different thicknesses
are marked a', a', a², a², a³, a³, aud a', a'. The wefts are marke.! d. The binding
warps are indicated by the dotted line b. Four shuttles are used to throw the weft
picks d, and the healds governing the binding warps are raised or lowered i.
consonance with the pre-arranged plan for inserting the binding warps.
For instance in Fig. 2 the binding warps bare raised from a to a² and are
lowered from a² to a³. From a³ the warps are lifted to a' and lowered from a¹-
to a*.
This completes a cycle of four binding insertions or engagements of the binding-
warps b, and the cycle is continuously repeated, thus binding the four separate and
independently woven thicknesses of fabric together.
In Fig. 3 the warps b are raised and lowered at each pick, but I consider this
method of manipulating the binding warps to be inferior to that shown at Fig. 2 as
the warps require to be lifted at each second pick for the full distance from top.
to bottom, which at no time occurs in Fig. 2.
b
In Fig. 4 the biuding warps 6 are raised successively from pick to pick so that
the line b representing the binding warps passes in an inclined direction or rather
in échelon from thickness to thickness, falling perpendicularly through the four-
different thicknesses on the descent.
In Fig. 5 the binding warp healds are raised or lowered after each two picks of
weft, while in Fig. 6 the lift or rise of the healds takes place at each four picks..
These diagramatic indications of variations in the methods of manipulating the
binding yarns are only given as examples of the manner of producing my
improved foundation. They are not exhaustive as many other variations might be
given.
The splicing of my improved card foundation may be effected in the same
manner as set forth in the Specification of my said former Patent No. 14295.
of 1895.
The binding warps are unpicked and the different layers connected by a series
of lap joints secured by stitching. In Fig. 7 the stepped lap ends a', a³, a³, a are.
shown placed opposite to each other and ready for being spliced and stitched.
together in the indicated manner. Such a splice can be made of exactly the
same thickness and quite as flexible and strong as the main body of the
foundation.
The multiple thickness foundation produced as hereinbefore described may be
stretched and pressed or calendered and finished, stiffened or polished on one or on
both surfaces prior to the insertion of the wire dents, or it may be stretched after
the insertion of the dents.
An incidental advantage obtained from my invention, more especially when.
applied to the manufacture of filletting, is that the foundation can be woven to the
proper width so that uncut edges are presented on both sides and no paring.
is necessary. I thus obtain economy of material and the edges cannot become
unravelled.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
The improved wire card having a foundation composed of several separately
woven and independent thicknesses, the said separate thicknesses being attached or
connected together in the act of weaving as set forth.
Dated the 24th day of March 1897.
For the Applicant,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, Chartered Patent Agents.