IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING TWILLED FABRICS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Henry Hooper, of Eastington, in the County of
Gloucester, Woollen Cloth Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN WEAVING TWILLED FABRICS."
aled the 6th November 1877, and dated the 13th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Henry Hooper at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th August 1877.
CHARLES HENRY HOOPER, of Eastington, in the County of Gloucester, Woollen
Cloth Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN. WEAVING TWILLED FABRICS."
This Invention relates to the weaving of fabrics such as are known as twilled
coatings.
Twilled coatings are at the present time in some cases manufactured of two
colours running in parallel diagonal lines across the fabric. For this purpose a warp
of one colour and a weft of another colour have been employed, and the warp
differing in colour from the weft has by the manipulation of the sheds been brought
to the surface or face of the cloth, so that the colours are seen to cross each other at
an angle more or less acute, thus obscuring each other at regular distances. It is
thus obvious that in such cloths the weft must be prominent in order to show the
oblique line.
Now cloths of this nature having weft face do not wear so smoothly or so well,
and cannot be cleared so completely of fibres as those having a warp face, and con-
sequently are more liable to show the dust.
According to this Invention, in order to produce a twilled coating in two colours.
arranged in lines diagonally, whilst still retaining intact a handsome warp twill face,
a double warp is employed, one warp of each of the colours, and two wefts are also
employed of the same two colours, and they are shot alternately.
To produce the novel fabric, four times as many leaves of headles are employed
as the twill nominally requires. Thus, for a four-leaved twill, sixteen leaves will be
'
j

page_text: used, and so on, and these are so worked that in one stripe the warp and the weft
of the one colour produce the twilled face, whilst the whole of the warp and the
weft of the other colour is buried; and in the stripe of the other colour this is
reversed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Henry Hooper in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
February 1878.
CHARLES HENRY HOOPER, of Eastington, in the County of Gloucester, Woollen
Cloth Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS-IN-WEAVING TWILLED FABRICS."
This Invention relates to the weaving of fabrics such as are known as twilled
coatings.
Twilled coatings are at the present time in some cases manufactured of, two
colours running in parallel diagonal lines across the fabric. For this purpose a warp
of one colour and a weft of another colour have been employed, and the warp
differing in colour from the weft has by the manipulation of the sheds been brought
to the surface or face of the cloth, so that the colours are seen to cross each other at
an angle more or less acute, thus obscuring each other at regular distances. It is
thus obvious that in such cloths the weft must be prominent in order to show the
oblique line.
Now cloths of this nature having a weft face do not wear so smoothly or so well,
and cannot be cleared so completely of fibres as those having a warp face, and con-
sequently are more liable to show the dust.
: According to this Invention, in order to produce a twilled coating in two colours
arranged in lines diagonally, whilst still retaining intact a handsome warp twill face,
a double warp is employed, one warp of each of the colours, and two wefts are also
employed of the same two colours, and they are shot alternately.
To produce the novel fabric, four times as many leaves of headles are employed as
the twill nominally requires. Thus for a four-leaved twill, sixteen leaves will be
used, and so on, and these are so worked, that in one stripe the warp and the weft
of the one colour produce the twilled face, whilst the whole of the warp and the
weft of the other colour is buried; and in the stripe of the other colour this is
reversed.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing illustrates the method by which in accordance with my Invention'
I weave a fabric in two colors arranged in diagonal stripes, and with a warp twill
face, such as if woven in one color would require six leaves of headles for its pro-
duction. Twenty-four leaves are, however, here employed, that is to say, there are
four times as many leaves and different lifts of the warp threads as are required to
produce the twill, irrespective of colour..

page_text: The warp is composed of two distinct colours or mixtures arranged alternately;
the weft is of the same colours as the warp, and it is shot alternately.
To save repetition and by way of example, I shall speak of these colors as
"black" and "brown."
In the diagram the rows of dots marked "O" represent brown warp threads,
and the rows alternating with these and marked " + represent black warp
threads.
"
The lines marked a represent brown weft threads, and the lines alternating with
these, and marked b, represent black weft threads. A dot in any row indicates that
the warp thread which the row represents, is at this point depressed, so that the
next shoot of the weft will pass above it.
In width the diagram represents twenty-four warp. threads, each of which is
actuated by its own headdle, and the fabric to any width is made up of
repetitions of this series.
The diagonal lines around the diagram show how in weaving the figure the
black and the brown stripes will form.
On studying the diagram, the plan on which it is drawn, and which is the
same for all twills, will be apparent; whilst the black stripes are being produced.
by the indroduction of the. black weft, the whole of the brown warp in the black
stripes is depressed, so that the black weft passes over it, whilst the black warp is
flushed on the face of the stripe.
In like manner, the next shoot being brown, the whole of the black warp in the
brown stripes is depressed, whilst the brown warp is flushed on the face of the
stripe.
The black weft is buried in the brown stripes, and the brown weft is buried in
the black stripes.
The black warp threads pass beneath the brown stripes, whilst the brown warp
threads pass beneath the black stripes.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,
-
The production of twilled fabrics in diagonal stripes of different colours or
mixtures by the use of warps arranged alternately, and of wefts shot alternately,
and with four times the number of different lifts of the warp threads as would be
requisite to produce a similar plain twill.
I claim the production of fabrics in diagonal stripes of different colours or
mixtures, and with a warp twill face; substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Henry Hooper, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
CHARLES HENRY HOOPER. (LS.)