IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PLAIN AND ORNAMENTAL WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Henry Kay and Alfred Thomas Richardson,
Manufacturers, and George Mallinson, Pattern Designer, all of the City
of Manchester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF PLAIN AND ORNAMENTAL WOVEN FABRICS."
Sealed the 4th March 1856, and dated the 12th October 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Henry Kay,
Alfred Thomas Richardson, and George Mallinson at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th October
1855.
We, ROBERT HENRY KAY and ALFRED THOMAS RICHARDSON, Manufacturers,
and GEORGE MALLINSON, Pattern Designer, all of the City of Manchester, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF PLAIN AND ORNAMENTAL WOVEN FABRICS" to be as follows:-
The nature of our Invention consists in producing piled fabrics suitable for
mantles, vestings, or other purposes, the surfaces of which are either corded or
plain. In weaving these improved fabrics, the weft threads are floated over
the warp threads, and the races thus formed are cut to produce the pile. The
weft employed may be of flax, silk, spun silk, cotton, woollen, worsted, mohair,
or alpaca, or any combination of any two or more of these materials. By
floating the weft over a sufficient number of warp threads, and by choosing
weft of suitable materials and colours, the fabrics when cut and finished may

page_text: be made to imitate the furs of animals or the feathers of birds, or other plain
or ornamental fabrics may be produced, according to the draught and tie-up
employed.
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Henry Kay, Alfred Thomas Richardson, and George
Mallinson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
HENRY KAY and ALFRED THOMAS RICHARDSON, Manufacturers, and GEORGE
MALLINSON, Pattern Designer, all of the City of Manchester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred, and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for, Herself, Her heirs and, successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Robert Henry Kay, Alfred Thomas Richardson, and George Mallinson, Her
special license that we, the said, Robert Henry Kay, Alfred Thomas Richard-
son, and George Mallinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Robert Henry Kay, Alfred Thomas Richardson, and
George Mallinson, our executors, administrators, and 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 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF PLAIN AND ORNAMENTAL WOVEN FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Robert Henry Kay, Alfred Thomas
Richardson, and George Mallinson, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their,, or one of our or their hands and
seals, should particularly describe, and, ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to, be performed, 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 we, the said. Robert Henry Kay, Alfred Thomas
Richardson, and George Mallinson, do hereby declare: the nature of our, said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following Specification thereof, refer-
ence being had to the accompanying Drawing or Sheet, of, Diagrams (that is
to say): -

page_text: The nature of our Invention consists in producing-piled fabrics suitable for
mantles, vestings, hat plushes, trimming for dresses," or other purposes, the
surfaces of which are either corded or plain.
In weaving these improved 'fabrics, the weft threads are floated over the
warp-threads and the races thus formed are cut to produce the pile: The
weft employed may be of flax, silk,' spun silk, cotton, woollen; worsted;' mohair;
or alpaca; or any combination of any two or more of these materials. By
floating the weft over a sufficient number of warp threads, and by employing
weft of suitable materials and colours, the fabrics when cut and 'finished may
be made to resemble the furs of animals or the feathers of birds, or other plain
or ornamental fabrics may be produced; according to the' draught and tie-up
employed.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the said Sheet of Diagrams, in which
severál draughts and-tie-ups are given to illustrate the manner of perform
ing our improvements in the manufacture of plain 'and' ornamental woven
fabrics: The figures on the draughts marked A, B, C, D, and E, on the left-
hand side of the Sheet of Diagrams indicate the order of succession in which
the warp threads' are drawn into 12 shafts or heddles; and the corresponding
letters A, B, C, D, and E, on the right-hand side of the Sheet of Diagrams;
are placed upon the tie-ups that may be used in combination with the said
draughts: Two of these tie-ups are shewn for fourteen treadles, and one of
thein for eight treadles. The other draughts and tie-ups, shewn on the Sheet
of Diagrams, and marked consecutively from F'up to W, represent various
other modes of arranging the harness of looms; to produce our improvements
in the manufacture of plain and ornamental woven fabrics; the horizontal
lines on the draughts indicating the number of shafts or heddles which we
intend to employ, and the vertical lines on the tie-ups the number of treadles
to be used in combination with the draughts: It will be seen; on.reference to
the capital letters over the tie-ups, that most of them may be used in combina-
tion with several of the draughts.
We wish to remark that the figures on the tie-ups are placed in the order
most convenient for weaving by hand,. but any competent weaver, after
examining the accompanying Diagrams, would be able to arrange the tie-ups
for producing the same results: on a power loom. It is also necessary to
observe, that the various patterns or fabrics produced by these draughts and
tie-ups may be produced by employing as many shafts or heddles as there are
figures in each draught.
The sheds of the warp may also be produced by means of indexes, witches,

page_text: tappets, jacquards, or other contrivances at present in use. In all the examples
of the draughts above described and referred to, the number of heddles may
be increased or diminished in order to obtain a longer or shorter pile or plush,
or according to the number of warp threads in an inch, or to suit the fabric
required. In weaving plain fabrics we prefer to employ two shuttles, one con-
taining the weft for the back, and the other the weft for the face or pile of the
fabric, and in weaving ornamental fabrics two or more shuttles are or may be
required. In most fabrics cotton warps are employed, but warps of other
materials may be used, according to the purpose for which the fabric is
intended. The races or floated parts of the weft of the fabrics thus woven are
cut in the ordinary manner, and the fabrics are then printed, dyed, or finished
by any of the known processes to complete them for the market.
Having thus particularly described the nature of our Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we wish it to be understood that draughts
and tie-ups similar to those above described have before been used in producing
fabrics made with weft of woollen, worsted, mohair, and alpaca, as described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to Alfred Thomas Richardson and
George Mallinson, on or about the Twelfth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five; we therefore make no claim to such draughts and
tie-ups except when used in producing fabrics with piled surfaces made with
weft of flax, silk, spun silk, and cotton, or of combinations of flax, silk, spun
silk, and cotton, with woollen, worsted, mohair, and alpaca; and .we claim the
manufacture of plain and ornamental woven fabrics, suitable for mantles,
vestings, hat plushes, trimmings for dresses, or other purposes, the piled sur-
faces of which are either corded or plain, and formed by floating flax, silk,
spun silk, cotton, woollen, worsted, mohair, or alpaca, weft threads, or any
combination of two or more of them, over the warp threads, as described and
illustrated by the Diagrams, with the exception above referred to.
In witness whereof, we, the said Robert Henry Kay, Alfred Thomas
Richardson, and George Mallinson, have hereunto set our hands and
seals, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
ROBERT HENRY KAY.
. (L.S:)
ALFRED THOMAS RICHARDSON. (L.S.)
GEORGE MALLINSON.
(L.S.)