A METHOD OF SIMULTA NEOUSLY MARKING AND PIERCING' OR PERFORATING PLATES OF METAL, CARD- BOARD, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIAL EMPLOYED IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING FIGURED FABRICS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Emile Alcan, of Coleman Street Buildings, in the
i City of London, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A METHOD OF SIMULTA
NEOUSLY MARKING AND PIERCING' OR PERFORATING PLATES OF METAL, CARD-
BOARD, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIAL EMPLOYED IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING
FIGURED FABRICS." - A communication from abroad by Michel Alcan,
of Paris.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION- left by the said Emile Alcan at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th March
1861.
OP
I, EMILE ALCAN, of Coleman Street Buildings, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
METHOD OP SIMULTANEOUSLY MARKING AND PIERCING OR PERFORATING PLATES
METAL CARDBOARD, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIAL EMPLOYED IN LOOMS FOR
WEAVING FIGURED FABRICS," (communicated to me from abroad by Michel'
Alcan, of Paris) to be as follows:-
The Invention is intended chiefly to apply to the marking and perforating
of cards or plates to supersede cards to be employed in the jacquard looms for
producing figured fabrics. A pattern formed upon a metallic paper divided
squares by substituting for the ordinary colours an insulating varnish is

page_text: substituted for the ordinary reading (l'opération du lisage). The method once
set forth it becomes almost unnecessary to develop it. It will be sufficient at
all events to explain the mode of operation for one single line. Let us
suppose the pattern prepared with interlineations of metallic paper, and in
insulating varnish; let us also suppose this pattern in communication with
the poles of a battery through a flat or cylindrical metal surface, the current
will be cut off at all the parts covered with the insulating varnish, and on the
contrary it will be transmitted to rods, teeth, or metallic points corresponding
to the conducting points, that is to say, to such parts of the pattern as are not
protected by the varnish. Let us also suppose that a metallic point rests upon
every interlineation upon the pattern, and that this metallic point is united by
levers to a perforation or piercer, under which a band of cardboard or sheet of
other material has been placed, the metallic points are united to one of the
ends of the levers just mentioned; the piercers to the other ends of the same
levers, which are jointed at the middle to act as a kind of horizontal beam.
The current generated will cause the points, rods, or teeth resting upon the
metallic parts to adhere while the non-conducting points will remain free as
well as the piercers; it will then be only necessary to make them act simulta-
neously by any suitable mechanical arrangement, in order that each shall
pierce the required hole.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Emile Alcan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
September 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EMILE
ALCAN, of Coleman Street Buildings, in the City of London, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty. Queen; Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Emile Alcan, Her special licence that I, the said Emile Alcan, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Emile
Alcan, my 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'

page_text: Islands, and. Isle of Man, an Invention for "A METHOD OF SIMULTANEOUSLY
MARKING AND PIERCING OR PERFORATING PLATES OF METAL, CARDBOARD, PAPER,
AND OTHER MATERIAL EMPLOYED IN LOOMS FOR WEAVING FIGURED FABRICS," (com-
municated to me from abroad by Michel Alcan, of Paris,) upon the condition
(amongst others) that I the said Emile Alcan, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under his, 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 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 I, the said Emile Alcan, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that is
to say:-
The Invention is intended chiefly to apply to the marking and perforating
of cards or plates to supersede cards to be employed in the jacquard loom for
producing figured fabrics. A pattern formed upon a metallic paper divided
into squares, in which an insulating varnish is used instead of colours is
substituted for the ordinary reading (l'opération du lisage.) The mode of
operation for one single line or one single weft to be prepared is as follows --
Let us suppose the pattern prepared with interlineations on metallic paper and
in insulating varnish; let us also suppose this pattern in communication with
the poles of a battery through a flat or cylindrical metal surface, the current
will be broken at all the parts covered with the insulating varnish; it may also
be transmitted to rods, teeth, or metallic points corresponding to the conducting
points, that is to say, to such parts of the pattern as are not protected by the
varnish. Let us also suppose that a metallic point rests upon every inter-
lineation of the pattern, and that this metallic point is united by levers' to a
perforator or piercer, under which a band of cardboard or sheet of other
material has been placed. Admitting the current established it will cause the
points, rods, or teeth resting upon the metallic parts to adhere, while the non-
conducting points will remain free as well as their corresponding piercers, it
will then be only necessary to make them act simultaneously by any suitable
mechanical arrangement, in order that each shall pierce the required hole.
The pattern is placed so that each of its lines is successively presented in the
order of the wefts (that is to say, so that each transverse interlineation shall
act in turn upon the teeth of this species of comb) in front of the selection of

page_text: piercers which are to act. It will now be sufficient to explain. one. of..the
methods which may be employed in practice to arrive at the electric. reading.
.In Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawings I have set forth the
general arrangement of parts which may be adopted for carrying my Invention
into effect; the piercing of cardboard, or paper by means of piercers being
known, I have thought it unnecessary to represent the parts required to produce
the, piercing.
a is a frame, supporting the machine; b is a copper cylinder, for which a
plain surface may be substituted for. transmitting the action of the poles of a
battery to the squared metallic paper c; d, d, are copper blades, upon an ivory
axis e placed side by side, and insulated from one another by ivory discs..upon
the same axis. Each blade is formed on the under side with a point fin
contact with the squared paper, which is made to advance by and with the
rotation of the cylinder b. There should be as many blades as there are
piercers, in order that each may act according to the pattern and inde-
pendently of one another; g,g, are electro-magnets, each of which is connected
by a wire to each of the blades d; i, i, are wires connecting the electro-
magnets with a battery as well as the cylinder b; j, j, are levers, free to move
about the fixed axis k; l, l, are piercers, connected to one end of the levers j
by a cord m. The other end of these levers j terminates in a plate of iron or
steel n, which adheres only, to such of the electro-magnets 9 as have received
the current from the battery; those electro-magnets, which are not under the
influence of the current in consequence of their insulation from the squared
metallic paper in those parts protected by the varnish, with which the point f
is in contact permit of the levers j escaping, which being under the influence
of the weight of the piercers 1, assume the position represented by the red
lines. The piercers fall upon the cardboard or on the paper, are kept fixed
in their position, and the piercing of the holes in the cardboard or paper is.
effected. The piercing having been effected, lower the frame o, which carries
cross-bars p, p, and these coming in contact with the levers raise the piercers.
and place the plates n, n, in contact with the electro-magnets; q is a lever, for
moving the frame o; and u, u, are bars, for keeping the levers j apart from
another. The plates on each of the levers j being now in contact with the
electro-magnets the squared metallic paper c is caused to advance under the
points f, which come in contact with the metallic or insulated parts thereof,
the frame o is raised, and then those levers, the piercers of which are to cause
the perforation of the cardboard or paper, become liberated from the magnets g.
Those piercers which are to act descend while the others are retained, first, from
the electro-magnets acting upon the plates at one end of the levers; second,.

page_text: by the rising of a transverse bar r, which comes in contact with projections s
on the plates n. The bar r is brought into action by an inclined slide t fixed
to the frame o and moving with it. The action just described is repeated for
every row of holes to be pierced. To facilitate the fitting and the working of
the levers j, I place them upon different axes, and in such case there are as
many bars p as axes for the levers.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim marking and
piercing plates of metal, cardboard, paper, and other materials employed in
looms for weaving figured fabrics from a pattern prepared with insulating
varnish upon metallic paper by means of electric currents in manne herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Emile Alcan, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-one.
E. ALCAN. (L.S.)