IM- PROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH JACQUARD APPARATUS FOR WEAVING
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cunningham, of Paisley, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Card Perforator, for the Invention of " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH JACQUARD APPARATUS FOR WEAVING."
Sealed the 4th January 1860, and dated the 8th August 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cunningham at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th August 1859.
I, JOHN CUNNINGHAM, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Card Perforator, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH JACQUARD APPARATUS FOR WEAVING,"
to be as follows, that is to say :-
These improvements relate in part to the re-utilization of used jacquard
cards, in part to the reduction of the quantity of jacquard cards used in certain
kinds of jacquard apparatus, and in part to the testing of jacquard cards to
ascertain if they are correctly perforated.
The first part of the Invention is more particularly applicable where the
cards to be re-used are those of coloured patterns of the kind designated
"covered work," and of which the Paisley "barness" shawls afford examples;
in a set or "bridle" of cards for such patterns no perforation ordinarily
occurs in the same place in any two cards, and this part of the Invention
consists in applying or fixing together these used cards in couples, and in re-
perforating each couple as a single card for a new pattern. Prior to such

page_text: re-perforation, each couple constitutes a blank," any perforations in one card
being closed in the other. In cards of "interlined" patterns (that is, having
some of the colours perforated more than once in the same set or bridle), a
blank couple may generally be obtained by combining the cards with
"interlined" perforations with others of the set not "interlined" with the
same colours. If the blank couples should present uncovered-perforations,
these may be closed. by pieces of thin pasteboard or stout paper pasted or
applied to the outsides of or between the cards composing the couple. In
the same way more than two cards may be combined to form a blank.
"
"
The second part of the Invention is more particularly applicable to and in
connection with. jacquard apparatus for patterns for which. two holes are
ordinarily formed in the card for each check or square of the "design paper,"
in order to produce a twill on the cloth. Cards of this kind are used in con-
nection with "single neck " harness in producing Paisley shawls. . In applying
this part of the Invention, a "double neck." harness is used instead of the old
single neck harness; but the ordinary single draught-board jacquard
apparatus is retained. The needles are divided into two equal sections in any
convenient way, and in tieing the harness the "even pairs" of the double
neck are tied in regular order to the cords or tails of one section of the
needles, which may be termed the "even" section, the "odd pairs" being
similarly tied to the other or "odd" section. The action of two needles, one
in each section, will be the same in effect as that of a single needle in the
"double neck" jacuard apparatus with its two draught, boards, but a single
draught board only is used, the needles of each section acting alternately. To
obtain this alternate action, a cover or slip of thin metal or other material
is introduced between the needles and the card cylinder, and is made to
alternately cover the parts of the cards appertaining to each section. Thus,
in working of a set or bridle of cards according to one plan, the entire set or
bridle are made to act in succession on the needles of one section, the cover or
slip is then changed, and the cylinder being turned back, the same cards are
made to act in succession on the needles of the other section. In this system
a single perforation only is required for each check or square of the design
paper, and one half of the card is devoted to the "even" line, and the other
half to the "odd" line, so that only half as many cards are required as are
used in connection with the "single neck" harness. A similar saving is
obtained in applying the improvements to "double neck" jacquard apparatus
when the tie of the pattern does not exceed one-half the capacity of the
apparatus. In this case the needles being divided into two equal sections,
the "even pairs" of the "double neck " harness are connected to the needles

page_text: of one section, so as to be drawn by one of the draught boards, the "odd
pairs" being similarly connected to the needles of the other section, so as to
be drawn by the other draught board. The cards being perforated, as herein-
before explained, the two sections are worked off alternately without the
intervention of a cover or slip, the alternate action of the two draught boards
dispensing therewith. The "double neck" apparatus may also be made to
act similarly by using only one draught board, but this virtually renders the
apparatus a common jacquard, and the harness must be tied as first herein-
before explained, and the cover or slip must be used. The same effect may
be produced by using two sets of cards or jacquard apparatus acting alternately,
one for the "even" lines and the other for the "odd" lines.
66
The third part of this Invention relates more particularly to the cards of
'covered work" patterns, and consists in contriving a machine of the jacquard
class through which the cards to be tested may be passed, and by the jacquard
action shift markers corresponding to the several holes or spaces, so that when
all the cards of a set or bridle have been passed through, all the markers will
have been shifted equally if perforations have not been omitted nor repeated.
Where a perforation has been omitted or repeated, the corresponding marker
will show it by being to one or other side of the general line, and the defect
may be at once traced and corrected, so as to save an immense deal of time
and trouble. In a simple modification of this testing machine, the needles
acted upon by the jacquard cylinder act on cords or tails held by springs at
their upper and lower ends, the springs at the latter being the stronger; and
these cords carry a mark at a convenient level for the operator's observation.
A draught board is provided to lift the cords selected by the action of the
cards and needles, through a short lift of, say, three-fourths of an inch. When
lifted, the cords are retained by the action of a catch board on knots formed
on the cords for the purpose. If the cards are correct, the cord marks will all
be lifted up to the same level. If a perforation has been omitted, the corre-
sponding mark will remain in its original position, and so indicate the defect.
To provide for the repetition of perforations, two or more knots are formed on
each cord to be acted upon by the lift and catch boards, so that if a cord is
selected by a card after it has been already lifted, it becomes lifted a second
stage; or if it has been twice or oftener acted on before, it will be lifted a
third or other stage accordingly, and the mark will be correspondingly above
the general level, and so indicate the defect. When a set or bridle of cards
has been passed through the machine, the cords are all dressed down to return
the marks to their original level.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cunningham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th February 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CUNNINGHAM, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Card
Perforator, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto. me,
the said John Cunningham, Her special licence that I, the said John
Cunningham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
T, the said John Cunningham, my executors, administrators, or 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 Chanuel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH JACQUARD APPARATUS FOR WEAVING,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Cunningham, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 per-
formed, 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 John Cunningham, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates in part to the re-utilization of used jacquard
cards, in part to the reduction of the quantity of jacquard cards used in
certain kinds of jacquard apparatus, and in part to the testing of jacquard
cards to ascertain if they are correctly perforated.
The first part of my said Invention is more particularly (though not exclu-
sively) applicable where the cards to be re-used are those of coloured patterns
of the kind designated "covered work," and of which the Paisley "harness
shawls afford examples. In a set or "bridle" of cards for such patterns no
"

page_text: perforation ordinarily occurs in the same place in any two cards, so that when.
two cards are put together, the perforations of one are covered by the unper-
forated parts of the other; and this part of the Invention consists in applying
or fixing together these used cards in couples, and in re-perforating and
re-using each couple as a single card for a new pattern. In cards of "inter-
lined" patterns (that is, having some of the colours perforated more than
once in the same set or bridle), a blank couple may generally be obtained by
combining the cards having "interlined" perforations, with others of the set
not "interlined" with the same colours. In the case of patterns of the kind
alluded to, the blank couples or compound blanks may be obtained in a
regular way, but they may also be obtained from cards perforated for patterns
of other kinds, and the individuals of each couple may be taken from the
same or different bridles of the same pattern, or from different patterns, it
being simply necessary to select for coupling or combining such cards as have
unperforated portions, covering more or less of each other's perforations. If in
any case a compound blank presents uncovered perforations, these may he
closed by pieces of thin pasteboard or stout paper pasted or applied to the
outsides of, or between the individual cards. In the same way more than two
used cards may be combined to form a compound blank. Previously to reper-
forating the compound blanks, it is preferred to paste or otherwise fix togethe:
the cards composing them, so that they may not afterwards become disarranged;
this is not, however, absolutely necessary.
The second part of my said Invention is more particularly applicable to and
in connection with jacquard apparatus for patterns for which two holes are
ordinarily formed in the card for each check or square of the "design paper,"
in order to produce a twill on the cloth. Cards of this kind are used in con-
nection with "single neck "harness in producing Paisley shawls. In prac-
tising this part of my said Invention according to one modification, a "double
neck" harness is used instead of the old "single neck " harness, but the
ordinary single draught-board jacquard apparatus is retained. The needles
are divided into two equal sections in any convenient way, (or they are arranged
or dealt with so as to virtually form two sections), and in tieing the harness
the "even pairs" of the double neck are tied in regular order to the cords or
tails of one section of the needles, which may be termed the "even section,"
the "odd pairs" being similarly tied to the other or "odd section." The
action of two needles, one in each section, will be the same in effect as that of
a single needle in the ordinary "double neck" jacquard apparatus with it;
two draught boards, but a single draught board only is used, the needles of each
section acting alternately or at different times. To obtain this alternate action

page_text: a moveable cover or slip of thin metal or other material is introduced between
the needles and the card barrel, and is made to alternately cover the parts of
the card appertaining to each section. The moveable cover or slip may be
conveniently constructed and arranged as represented in Figures 1 and 2; on
the acccompanying Sheet of explanatory Drawings, these Figures being respec-
tively a face and an edge view. The moveable cover or slip is in this instance
a plate of thin steel A, of a size to cover one half of the jacquard card as divided
horizontally. This form corresponds to a horizontal division of the needles,
that is to say, to that arrangement of the needles in which all the needles
above an assumed horizontal centre line or plane are treated as appertaining
to one section, and those below such line or plane as of the other section.
The needles may, however be divided, or treated as though divided, other-
wise, provided the tieing of the harness, the perforating of the cards, and
the form of the moveable cover or slip A, are correspondingly modified. The
slip A is carried by a rod B working in guides C, D, E, upon a plate F, which
is to be attached to the frame of the jacquard apparatus. The lower end of
the rod B is flattened, and has a spring temper imparted to it to admit of its
yielding, and so allowing the slip A to be pressed against the needles by the
jacquard barrel, whilst the bottom guide C is elongated for the same purpose.
A crosshead G is fixed to the rod B, and works upon guide surfaces formed
upon the plate F. The slip is supported in its highest position (as represented
in full lines) by a bell-crank latch E, the bevilled point of which enters
through a hole in the plate F beneath the cross head G. A weight 1 is placed
on the top of the rod B, to cause the slip A to descend when the drawing up
of the bell-crank latch H by the cord J releases it. The lower position of the
slip A is indicated by dotted lines; it is raised by the cord K, and is caught
by the latch E, which is acted upon by a spring so as to enter under the
cross head G. The cords J, K, are attached to levers or pass over pulleys,
and descend thence to treadles, by means of which the shifts of the slip A are
effected, as required. In perforating the cards an even and an odd line of the
pattern on the "design paper" are transferred to each card, the "even" line
being perforated on the part of the card corresponding to the "even section
of the needles, and the "odd" line on the part corresponding to the "odd
section," only one perforation being made for each check or square of the
"design paper," as in perforating for ordinary "double neck" machines.
Each set or bridle of cards will in this way contain as much of the pattern as
two sets or bridles perforated for the ordinary "single neck " harness, the
perforations on each section representing what formerly occupied the entire
card. The "even and odd sections" of the set are wrought off successively
"

page_text: without interfering by first setting the moveable slip so as to free or uncover
the section of the card coming first in the order of the pattern, and all the
cards composing the set having been drawn over in succession, the barrel is
turned back to the first card of the set, and the moveable slip at the same
time shifted to free or uncover the other section, whereupon all the cards of
the set are again drawn over. The moveable slip is shifted back again before,
proceeding with the next set, and the operations are repeated in regular order.
If the pattern requires "twice drawing," the set of cards are drawn a first and,
second time for one section, and then a third and fourth time for the other
section.
It will be evident to the practical jacquard. weaver that the arrangements
just described provide for the production of a twill on the cloth as effectively as
the ordinary systems, whilst a saving of one half the quantity of cards is
obtained as compared with the ordinary "single neck " system.
A similar saving is obtained in applying this second portion of my said.
Invention to "double neck" jacquard apparatus when the "tie" of the
pattern as ordinarily arranged does not exceed one-half the capacity of the
apparatus. In this case the needles being divided (or considered as divided)
into two equal sections, the "even pairs" of the "double neck" harness are
connected to the needles of one section in such a way as to be drawn by one.
of the draught boards, the "odd pairs" being similarly connected to the needles
of the other section so as to be drawn by the other draught board. The cards
being perforated as herein-before described, the two sections are worked off
alternately as in the first modification, but the intervention of a moveable slip
or cover is unnecessary, as the. alternate action is obtained by working or
putting into gear first one draught board and then the other. The "double
neck" apparatus may also be made to act similarly by using only one draught
board, but this virtually renders the apparatus a common jacquard, and, the
harness must be tied as first herein-before explained, and the moveable cover
or slip must be used. Further, the same effect may be produced by using two
sets of cards or jacquard apparatus, acting alternately or at different times,
one for the "even" lines and the other for the "odd" lines of the "design
paper."
The third part of my said Invention relates more particularly to the cards
of "covered work" patterns, and consists in contriving a machine of the
jacquard class, through which the cards to be tested may be passed, and by
the jacquard action shift. markers corresponding to the several holes or spaces,
so that when all the cards of a set or bridle have been passed through the
apparatus, all the markers will have been shifted equally if perforations have

page_text: not been omitted nor repeated. Where a perforation has been omitted or
repeated, the corresponding marker will show it by being to one or other side
of the general line, and the defect may be at once traced and corrected, so as
to save an immense deal of time and trouble. In a simple modification of
this testing machine, the needles acted upon by the jacquard barrel act on
cords or tails arranged to some extent as in ordinary jacquard apparatus.
In Figure 3 on the accompanying Sheet of explanatory Drawings, a single
cord or tail is shown, the description of which will make the entire arrange-
ment easily understood, every cord or tail being arranged and acted upon in
the same manner. The various movements required are such as are met with
in ordinary jacquard apparatus, and may be obtained in a variety of ways.
In the Diagram, Figure 3, the needles, of which a vertical line is shown at A,
are supposed to be in transverse vertical section, and the cord or tail B, apper-
taining to one of these needles, is shown in front elevation. The upper end of
the cord B is attached to a spring C, fixed to the top board D of the machine,
whilst its lower end is drawn down by a weight E. which is sufficient to
overcome the tension of the spring C, but is prevented from drawing down the
cord B beyond a determined point by a knot F on the cord, and a perforated
stop board G; at a short distance above the needles A the cord B passes
through a perforated guide board H, and thence up to the index bar I. At
this index bar the entire series of cords are spread out into a single line,
being passed through perforated metal strips at bottom and top of the bar,
and proceeding thence to the springs at C. A mark J of any easily
distinguishable or convenient kind is applied to or formed upon the cord B, so
as to be at the lower part of the index bar I when the cord is in its lowest
position. At a short distance below the needles A there is a lift board K
constructed like an ordinary lift or draught board, and which acting on a knot
L on the cord B, raises the latter when the needle leaves it in a suitable
position. When the cord is lifted at L, its upper end is drawn up by the
spring C, and the mark J is raised to an extent corresponding to the lift,
which may be three-fourths of an inch, for example. When raised, the cord B
is retained by a stationary catch board M, perforated like the lift board K,
and acting upon a knot or knots N on the cord. If the cards of a set or
bridle are correct, the marks J of the entire series of cords B will be all equally
raised, whilst, if a perforation has been omitted, the corresponding mark J
will remain in its original position, and so indicate the defect. To provide for
the repetition of a perforation being indicated, two or more knots are formed
on each cord B, at L and N, to be acted upon by the lift and catch boards
K, M, so that if a cord is selected by a card after it has been already lifted,

page_text: it becomes lifted a second stage, or if it has been twice or oftener acted on
before, it will be lifted a third or other stage accordingly, and the mark J will
be correspondingly above the general level, and so indicate the defect. The
index bar I may be graduated and numbered to facilitate the tracing and
rectifying of defects. When a set or bridle of cards has been passed through
the machine, and the defects, if any, noted, the cords B are all dressed down to
return the markers J to their original level. This dressing may be effected by
means of a grating, the movement of which sets the whole of the cords clear
of the catch slits of the lift and catch boards K, M, whereupon the weights E
immediately draw down the cords.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I have
to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein-before
described or delineated, and that I do not claim to have invented every separate
detail herein-before described and delineated; but that what I consider to be
novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the combining of two or more used or perforated jacquard cards to
form a blank for re-perforation and re-utilization, substantially as herein-before
described.
Second, the arranging of jacquard weaving apparatus so as to work off
separate sections of the needles alternately or at different times for the
purpose of producing a twill with half the usual quantity of cards, substantially
as herein-before described, and the transferring of the pattern to the jacquard
cards so as to suit this arrangement.
Third, the contriving of a machine for testing jacquard cards, substantially
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cunningham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT, Patent Agent,
JOHN CUNNINGHAM. (L.S.)
28, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow.