CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING FIGURED FABRICS PRINCIPALLY DESIGNED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CARPETING
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TEMPLETON, of Glasgow, in the Kingdom of Scotland, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the thirteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Templeton, Her especial licence, full power, sole privi-
lege and authority, that I, the said James Templeton, my exors, admors,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said James Templeton, my exors,
admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term. of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUFACTURING FIGURED FABRICS PRINCIPALLY DESIGNED FOR THE PRODUCTION OF
CARPETING;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said James Templeton, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause
the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Templeton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto. annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon; that is to say:
My Invention of Improvements in Manufacturing Figured Fabrics princi-
pally designed for the Production of Carpeting, consists in producing the
pattern either on one or both sides of the fabric by means of printed weft; also
in producing either the same pattern or different patterns on both sides of the
fabric by means of printed weft; also in the use of printed party-colored fur or weft
in the manufacture of Axminster carpets, and other similar fabrics, according
to the process described in the Specification of Templeton and Quiglay's
Patent, dated July Twenty-fifth, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
My Invention is also applicable to the production of figured chenille weft
for the manufacture of chenille shawls. Carpets, and other fabrics with patterns
on the surface, have beretofore been produced by means of printed warps, and
also by printing individual threads of warp, which are placed together after-
wards to form a complete warp; but I am not aware that such figured fabrics
have, previous to my Invention, ever been made with printed weft, so that the
pattern may be produced by the weft threads alone. In printing the weft
threads I operate upon a large number (say, for example, one hundred
threads) at the same time,, by means of the process and apparatus hereafter
described, so that by one printing operation I am enabled to produce printed
weft enough to make at least one hundred repeats of the same pattern.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings I have shewn the method I
adopt for printing the weft threads in a suitable manner to form a pattern on
the surface of the fabric when woven into cloth. The Diagram, Fig.: 1, repre
sents a piece of the ordinary ruled paper upon which a portion of a pattern is
drawn in colors. Supposing this diagram to be drawn full size, and to
'represent the width of the intended piece, the piece of goods when wefted
with one of the one hundred threads already alluded to (or a repeat of the
pattern) would be six inches in width and three inches in length, having six
shoots to the inch. The length of printed weft required to produce any parti
cular pattern must depend entirely upon the nature and extent of the patter
and the fineness of the fabric, or number of shoots to the inch. The wef
when printed and finished is to be woven up either by hand or power in a

page_text: ordinary loom, a suitable warp or warps according to the size of the pattern
and the nature of the fabric intended to be made being properly arranged in
the loom and prepared and spaced, care being taken that the weft is thrown
in evenly, and that the marks that are made or printed thereon to denote
where the weft is to forin the selvage should always be brought to the edge of
the piece. The operation of weaving and the mode of arranging the warps
will be hereafter more particularly described.
I will now proceed to explain the mode of printing the weft; various
methods may be adopted for this purpose, but the plan which I have found
most suitable is that hereafter described.
Having prepared the pattern or design on the ruled paper, as shown in
Fig. 1 of Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings, I take a long strip or
tape of, say, three yards in length, according to the length of the intended
pattern; this strip or tape is to be ruled or divided transversely to correspond
with the squares of the ruled pattern or design, as shewn in the diagram
Fig. 2. This strip or tape being made of the length of the pattern (suppose
such a pattern as shewn at Fig. 1), the colors on the pattern paper are copied
on to the strip square by square, as they occur in the design. To facilitate
this object the long strip Fig. 2 is placed beneath the pattern paper, and the
colours on the first line of the design commencing at 1 on the left-hand side
of the pattern paper are carefully copied on to this strip, as shewn in the
diagram. At the end of each line of the design (that is at 2, where the
selvage occurs) a narrow blue, black, or other distinctive mark is made, and
when one line of the design has been transferred to the strip or tape, as shewn
in Fig. 2, the tape is turned round, and the second line of the pattern, that is,
from 3 to 4, is copied on to the strip or tape which for this purpose is placed
in the position of the dotted lines in Fig. 1, that is, over the line of the
design that has just been copied, the black or selvage mark on the strip or
tape being placed in coincidence with the selvage or edge of the pattern or
design. The second line being then copied on to the strip or tape, it will
appear as shewn in the Diagram, Fig. 3; and when this line is completed
the strip or tape is turned round again; and the next line of the design,
that is, from 5 to 6, is copied in like manner, and so on for the whole length
of the strip or tape, or the whole extent of the design, which in the present
instance, following the direction of the weft, extends to the length of three
yards. The colours of the whole design having thus been read off and painted
on to the tape or strip, the latter may be supposed to represent the required
party-colored weft threads, which, as before stated, is three yards in length; for

page_text: one repeat of the pattern, six shoots to the inch being employed. The colored
strip or tape is then laid out flat, and a number of thin strips or blocks of
wood, the surfaces of which are exactly the width of the squares of the design
and are covered with felt or some other suitable and absorbent material, are
then to be arranged in a box or frame, the surfaces of such blocks having been
previously provided with a suitable quantity of coloring matter, according to
the color indicated on the pattern strip or tape. This operation will perhaps
be best understood by referring to Figures 4 and 5; Fig. 4 represents a box
or frame a, a, with a number of coloring blocks suitably arranged to produce
the pattern shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 8; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional
view of the same. In order to arrange the coloring blocks in the frame a, a,
the pattern strip is placed alongside the frame, either above or below the
same, as shewn at Fig. 6; the attendant or workman then takes a coloring
strip or block, one of which is shewn in perspective at Fig. 7, and, after
dipping or saturating its absorbent surface in the requisite color which is
indicated in the pattern strip, the block is placed in the frame; he then takes
another block, and after dipping its surface in another color, according to that
indicated in the pattern strip, Fig. 6, the second block is placed in the frame, and
so on, until all the frame is filled. Occasionally there will be parts of the design
which are not colored, and when these occur as at 4 and 6, Figures 4, 5, and 6,
the workman places a space or short block without a coloring surface. It
will also be seen that the squares 9, 10, 11, Figures 1 and 2, in the first line,
are of the same color, instead, therefore, of having three separate coloring
blocks all of the same color, I employ a single block of the width of three, as
shewn at b, b, Figures 4 and 5. A little further on again four red squares
occur on the pattern strip Fig. 6, the workman therefore takes a single block
of the width of four blocks, and places it in the frame a, a, as shewn at c,
Figures 4 and 5. All the blocks are pressed up close together in the frame,
and are retained in their positions by means of the first and last blocks, the
ends of which are let into grooves made near the ends of the frames, as shewn
in the plan view, Fig. 4. A number of these block frames in succession,
according to the extent of the pattern, are employed, and if thought advisable,
they may be connected together by spring catches or hooks, as shewn at d in
Fig. 4. The coloring blocks I prefer to make of wood, one of which is shewn
detached upon an enlarged scale at Figures 7 and 8; but cast metal or any
other suitable substance may be employed. The blocks are furnished on their
upper side with felt, cloth, or other suitable absorbent material to receive and
retain the color, and on their under sides they may have a strip of india

page_text: rubber, or some other elastic or yielding material affixed to them in order to
give a proper amount of elasticity, which will be found useful when the blocks
are submitted to pressure in order to print the weft threads.
The foregoing description refers to the method of printing weft for pro-
ducing a pattern on one side only of the fabric; if, however, it be desired to
produce, say for instance, the same pattern on the other side of the fabric,
then a sufficient length of the weft must be allowed to each square of the
design to admit of the weft being carried both up and down, so as to show
the same pattern on both sides. In order to print a sufficient length of weft
to each square of the design to form the pattern on both sides of the fabric,
I divide the squares of each line of the design into two sets or series, which
I have numbered respectively 1 and 2. Upon referring to Fig. 9, which
represents a piece of a design drawn and colored upon the ordinary ruled
paper, it will be seen that the squares are numbered alternately 1 and 2 from
end to end of the line; now, in transferring the design from the pattern paper
to the pattern strip or tape, I in the first place take only every alternate
square, such, for instance, as all the squares marked 1, 1. The color of these
squares 1, 1, is transferred to the pattern strip or tape, the squares 2, 2,
being left for a subsequent operation. Instead, however, of coloring only
one square on the pattern strip for every square on the pattern or design, I
color two squares on the strip for every square on the pattern, as will be
seen by inspecting the pattern strip shewn at Fig. 10. Having thus marked
on the pattern strip all the colors of the squares marked 1 in the first line,
the strip is turned round as in the former instance, and all the squares
marked 2, in Figure 9, are then transferred to the pattern strip as shewn in
Figure 11, two squares on the strip being taken for every square in the
design, as before. From this it will be seen, that two lengths of weft are
required to complete every line of the design in the fabric, that is, the first
length of weft will take half the number of colors and shew them on both
sides of the fabric, and the other length of weft will carry in the second half
of the colors, which will also be shewn on both sides of the fabric and will
complete the first line of the design. The pattern strip being completed
that is, the entire design having been transferred thereto, the operation of
arranging the coloring blocks in the frames a, a, must be effected: this is
done in precisely the same way as in the former instance; it will therefore be
only necessary to remark, that the coloring blocks must be twice the width
of those shewn in Fig. 4. This will be perfectly understood by referring to
Figures 12 and 13 which represent part of a frame a, a, with the blocks
therein, and a portion of the pattern strip placed immediately beneath it."

page_text: Fig. 14 is a diagram shewing the printed weft interwoven between the warp
threads, and the manner of producing the colored pattern on both sides of the
fabric. Fig. 15 is another diagram, showing in plan the printed weft passed
under and over the warp threads.
"
Figures 16, 17, and 18, represent diagrams of a somewhat different mode
of producing the same pattern on both sides of the fabric. Fig. 16 repre-
sents part of a pattern, and Fig. 17 is part of the long strip or tape on to
which the pattern is marked for the purpose of facilitating the arrangement
of the printing blocks. Upon referring to the diagram, it will be seen that
the first line of the pattern Fig. 16, is marked on to the strip or tape, Fig. 17,
precisely as it occurs in the design; that is, all the squares from 1 to 6 are
transferred to the strip or tape, and upon arriving at the end of the line,
that is, at 6, the same line of the pattern is again transferred to the strip or
tape, but in an inverse manner, that is to say, from 6 to 1. The manner in
which the pattern is produced upon the surface of the fabric will be best,
understood by referring to the sectional diagram Fig. 18, in which it will be
seen that the arrangement of the colours is precisely similar on both sides.
The mode.represented in Figures 16, 17, and 18, produces the pattern
complete on both sides. The mode represented in the previous Figures
9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 14, and 15, does not produce the pattern complete on the
under side, but it shows how larger blocks may be employed. In the plans
represented in both sets of Figures, viz, Fig. 9 to 18 inclusive, it is assumed
that twelve shoots are to be used to the inch. The above description in
reference to Figures 9 to 18, relates exclusively to a mode of producing the
same pattern on both sides of the fabric. Sometimes, however, it may be
thought desirable to have different patterns on the two sides; when this is the
case two dissimilar patterns are taken, as A and B, and for the sake of facili-
tating the reading I number the squares on each, say from 1 to 12; then,
in order to transfer both patterns to the same strip or tape, I in the first place
mark on the latter all the squares in pattern A which have odd numbers, such
as 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and so on, care being of course observed, that the colours
these numbers represent are marked on alternate squares; then I mark on
the alternate blank, squares of the strip all the squares of pattern B which
have even numbers, that is, 2, 4, 6, 8, and in returning I in the same manner
take all the even numbers of A and the odd numbers of B, which will com-
plete one line of each pattern, as shewn in the Diagram, Fig. 19, and also in
the sectional Diagram, Fig. 20.. The frames a, a, being thus furnished with
the coloring blocks suitably arranged and duly supplied with the proper colors,
according to the pattern to be produced, it only remains to shew the manner

page_text: in which pressure is applied to the blocks, in order to transfer or print the
colors on to the weft. A variety of plans may be devised for effecting this
object, I do not therefore intend to confine myself to any particular arrange-
ment, but in Sheet II. of the accompanying Drawings I have shewn three
different constructions and arrangements of apparatus for performing this
operation. In one apparatus the pressure is given by a flat surface or platten;
which is brought down on to the surface of the blocks, which are arranged in
the frames a, a, above described, and are supported upon a fixed table and
the weft threads passed between the platten and the blocks.
In the second apparatus the blocks are arranged in the same manner in
frames a, a, but they are placed upon a travelling endless belt or table, and
pressure is given by cylinder or roller above, instead of by a flat surface as
in the former instance.
&
In the third apparatus the coloring blocks are arranged round a drum or
cylinder, which is made to revolve with them.
Fig. 1, Sheet II., is a plan view of the first-mentioned arrangement, viz*,
that in which the block frames are placed on a flat table, and pressure is
given by means of a platten or flat surface. .Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the same. The block frames before described and shewn in
Sheet I. are seen at a, a, a; when properly filled, they are placed by boys or
attendants on the wooden table b, b, from whence they are pushed forward
in proper succession on to the strong metal table c, c, of the press. The
weft threads or yarns d to be printed are wound on a beam or roller e, which
is mounted in bearings in the standards at the head of the apparatus. From
this beam or roller, which is properly weighted, the weft threads or yarns
pass over a small breast roller e*, and between the teeth of a comb f, to the
printing table c, c. The platten or printing surface g is worked vertically by
means of a screw or lever, or other suitable mechanical contrivance. In order
to keep the printing surface of the platten covered bencath with printing
blanket, for coming into contact with the wet coloring surfaces of the blocks,.
it is protected by a waxed cloth, or other impervious travelling cloth or fabric
h, h, which is wound on the upper weighted roller or cylinder i, i, also mounted
in the upright standards. The length of the travelling cloth corresponds to
that of the weft or yarn to be printed, and it is caused by means of suitable
gearing always to travel forward with the latter. From the press the printed.
weft or yarn passes with the waxed cloth into a drying chamber or stove j, j,j,
where, by means of steam or hot air, the colours printed on the yarns d are
dried, and after passing over a roller k (or a series of rollers if thought neces-
sary) the coloured weft issues from the chamber j, j, in a dry state, and is

page_text: then wound on to a beam or roller .. The waxed or impervious cloth after
passing round a roller m in the drying chamber issues therefrom, and is wound
on to another beam or roller o above. It will be seen that the beam o which
receives the waxed or impervious cloth, and also the beam or roller Z, which
receives the dried coloured weft, are mounted in standards outside the dry-
ing chamber; and on the axles of these rollers are toothed wheels of pre-
cisely the same number of teeth, which by gearing into each other cause the
rollers to revolve always at the same speed. The lower roller is also furnished
with a ratchet wheel and pall to prevent it from rotating in the wrong
direction. The operation of the machine is as follows:-The block frames
a, a, filled with colored blocks, having been properly placed on the printing
table c, c, the platten is brought down and pressure communicated to the
blocks, which impart their colours to the weft threads or yarns. This having
been done, motion is communicated to the winch handle n, which, by means
of the pinion p, shewn by dots in Fig. 2, actuates the toothed wheels on the
axles of the rollers 2 and o, and consequently draws forward a certain length
of the printed yarns and a corresponding length of the waxed cloth at the
same time. Those blocks which have been printed from are moved from the
printing table c on to the adjoining table q, and fresh blocks are then put in
and the operation of printing again takes place, and so on until the whole
length is completed. I would here observe, that as a measure of precaution
to prevent the undried colored yarns from staining the roller k, an additional
waxed cloth r is used to protect its surface, as seen best in Fig. 2. This
waxed cloth is wound round a roller s, which is mounted in standards in the
drying chamber, and as the colored yarns are by the operation of the winch n
drawn forward on to the cylinder or roller k, the waxed cloth is unwound from
the rollers and drawn in with it, and after passing round the roller k is
wound upon a receiving roller l, which is caused to revolve by being held
in contact with the under side of the roller s, by means of a weighted
cord u.
Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 a longitudinal vertical section of another
arrangement of apparatus for printing the weft threads or yarns. In this
instance the block frames a, a, are placed upon a travelling endless table or
cloth b, b, which passes over two end rollers w, w, and is further supported by
rollers u, v, v. A strong bed roller c, made of metal or other suitable material
capable of sustaining a strong pressure, is mounted in bearings in the framing,
and immediately above the bed roller c is mounted the impression cylinder g
which is covered with blanket or some other suitable material. The weft threads
or yarns d to be printed or colored are, as in the former instance, wound on a

page_text: beam or roller & mounted in bearings in the end standards; a waxed cloth or
other waterproof travelling surface h is also wound on to a roller i, and travels
with the weft threads or yarns to be printed or colored in order to prevent
the wet colour blocks or yarns from soiling the printing surface of the roller g.
In the present arrangement I have not thought it necessary to shew the
passage of the wet coloured yarn through a drying chamber, as the arrangement
of apparatus for effecting that purpose will be the same whatever may be the
peculiar construction of the printing machinery.
Fig. 5 represents a partial plan view, and Fig. 6 a vertical section of another
construction of apparatus whereby the block frames a, a, are dispensed with.
The long and narrow coloring blocks are fixed in or adapted to a large printing
cylinder by means of notches or grooves into which the ends of the coloring
blocks fit, as seen best in Fig. 2. The operation of printing with this large
cylinder is as follows:-The large cylinder is mounted horizontally in bearings
in a suitable framing, as seen in the sectional view Fig. 7, an impression
cylinder being also mounted in suitable bearings immediately above the
large cylinder. The yarns or threads d to be printed and also a waxed
or waterproof cloth are passed between theso two rollers, and the color is
transferred from the blocks to the weft threads or yarns as in the former
instances. After the blocks have passed under the impression cylinder and
printed the colors on to the yarn, they are either allowed to fall out of or
are removed from their grooves in order to receive an additional and fresh
supply of color, after which they are fixed in their places again, and by the
continuous but slow rotation of the large cylinder the pattern will be repeated
on the yarns from end to end.
The foregoing description applies to my improvement for producing a
pattern on one or two sides of a fabric by printing individual weft threads, and
afterwards weaving them into a fabric.
Another of my improvements consists in producing a pattern on an
Axminster carpet or cut pile fabric by printing a texture which is afterwards
cut up into weft. Patent Axminster carpeting or figured chenille shawls
are made by first weaving a texture of woollen, cotton, silk, flax, or other
fibrous materials composed of weft threads of divers colours. The warp
threads of this texture are spaced or set in the reed at certain equal distances
from each other, one or more splits of the reed are filled each with three
threads to form Turkey gauze or cross weaving which binds the weft threads
when thrown in, then a space of the reeds or a number of the reed splits
are left empty (according to the depth, thickness, or fineness of the fabric
to be afterwards woven), then another split or splits are filled, then again so

page_text: many left empty, and repeating the same until the required breadth is com-
pleted. The weft, previously dyed in the hank of various colors according
to the pattern intended, is then thrown into this warp so spaced, and is
operated on by Turkey gauze mounting. I propose to furnish the reed with
warp in the same way, but instead of employing a variety of coloured wefts,
I throw in a white weft or a weft of one uniform colour, which, after being
woven into the warp so as to form a texture, is printed across the texture
with divers colours according to the intended pattern, and in a similar
'manner to the process already described for printing weft threads. By this
means a coloured texture suitable for producing the wefts used in the manu-
facture of patent Axminster carpeting or figured chenille shawls is produced,
and only requires to be afterwards cut up into strips between the splits of
warp, and thereby form a cut pile weft, which may then be woven in the
usual manner to form the cut pile fabrics before mentioned. In this way I
produce a fabric, which, for the sake of distinction, I may call a printed
party-coloured weft texture.
Having described the various plans whereby the weft thread or weft texture
is printed, I will now proceed to explain the manner in which they are woven
up into cloth and the pattern weft brought to the surface. As the pattern on
the surface of the fabric is to be produced by the weft, it will be found
desirable when the pattern is only on one surface to employ two separate warps
and also a binding weft as well as a pattern weft to make the fabric strong
and hold it together, one of the warps having two threads in the split forms
a ground warp for holding in the pattern weft threads, and the other is a
thick and heavy dead warp having one thread in a split, and is intended to
'throw up the pattern weft. The pattern weft is made always to pass over this
last warp, which by its thickness will give a good body to the finished fabric.
The ground weft of flax or any other material is made to pass under the
heavy warp for the purpose of binding it in the fabric. A diagram of this
mode of employing two warps, viz³, a ground warp or one for holding in the
pattern weft threads or stripes, and a thick heavy warp for giving a body to the
fabric, and also two weft threads or stripes, viz, one to produce the pattern on
the surface, and one to bind the fabric together beneath, is given at Figures 21
and 22 in the Drawings, and will be understood by the practical weaver
without further explanation.
Diagrams 18 and 20 show the weaving where a pattern is on both sides,
and one description of warp only is used.
Having now described my several improvements, and the best means with
which I am acquainted for carrying the same into effect, I would observe in

page_text: conclusion that I am aware that the pattern on carpets and other similar
fabrics has, before my Invention, been produced by means of printed warps, and
also by means of a party-colored chenille; I do not therefore intend to claim
such methods of producing a colored pattern on the surface of carpet fabrics as
constituting any part of my present Invention; nor do I claim as of my Invention,
or the exclusive use of, the apparatus and arrangements herein-before decribed,
except when the same are employed for the purposes of my said Invention.
And I hereby declare that what I claim as the Invention secured to me
under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, the manufacture of carpeting and figured fabrics with a colored
pattern or design on one or both sides by means of printed weft threads, as
above described.
And I further claim the manufacture of carpeting and figured fabrics by
means of a party-colored cut pile weft from a plain cloth or texture of one
colour, and printed with different colours, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Templeton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fift.v.