IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING PILE FABRICS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Cunliffe Lister, of Manningham, near
Bradford, York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING PILE
FABRICS."
Sealed the 15th February 1856, and dated the 6th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th November 1855. .
I, SAMUEL CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Manningham, near Bradford, York, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING
PILE FABRICS" to be as follows:-
My improvements in looms which weave pile fabrics by what is known as
cross weaving, consist in fixing the instruments which lift the warp threads
over the wires or metal points, which form the loops to two bars, so as to lift
half the warp at a time, thereby making a more regular and even pile surface
than when all the pile yarns are lifted at the same time.
Another improvement in pile looms consists in having a slide mounted on
bars or levers which oscillate at the side or selvage of the fabric, so that the
wires after being withdrawn are by their movement brought opposite the open
shed, and then the wires are moved along with the slides to which they are
fixed, and placed in the warp, and' are then beaten up, the slides and wires
moving in advance of the slay. When wires fixed' to slides have been used,
it has always been difficult to insert a sufficient number of wires; this I

page_text: accomplish by placing arms, which carry the slides and wires, so as to oscillate
upon centres above as well as below; by this means the slides and wires will
pass each other more readily when being inserted and withdrawn. When
weaving with slender wires for fine fabrics, I find it advantageous to use the
supporting trough recently patented by me; this I do by having the wire to
slide within the supporting trough, which moves in a slide, and carries and
supports the wire into the shed, and then withdraws, so as to leave the wire;
when the wire is withdrawn it slides into the trough, and is then ready to
be inserted again. I would remark that the supporting trough is placed and
fixed on to the oscillating lever along with the wire and slides, and is governed
and regulated so as to be always opposite the open shed, and to be inserted
and withdrawn at the proper time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
CUNLIFFE LISTER, of Manningham, near Bradford, York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, 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 me,
the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, Her special licence that 1, the said Samuel
Cunliffe Lister, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, 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 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING PILE FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office wthin six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, do hereby
eclare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
o be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
ollowing statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention in pile looms consists in having a slide mounted on bars or
evers which oscillate at the side or selvage of the fabric, so that the wires
after being withdrawn are by their movement brought opposite the open shed,
and then the wires are moved along with the slides to which they are fixed,
and placed in the warp, and are then beaten up, the slides and wires moving in
advance of the slay. When wires fixed to slides have been used, it has always
been difficult to insert a sufficient number of wires; this Iaccomplish by placing
arms, which carry the slides and wires, so as to oscillate upon centres above.
as well as below; by this means the slides and wires will pass each other more
readily when being inserted and withdrawn. When weaving with slender
wires for fine fabrics, I find it advantageous to use the supporting trough
recently patented by me; this I do by having the wire to slide within the
supporting trough, which moves in a slide, and carries and supports the wire
into the shed, and then withdraws, so as to leave the wire; when the wire
is withdrawn, it slides into the trough, and is then ready to be inserted again.
I would remark that the supporting trough is placed and fixed on to the
oscillating lever along-with the wire and slides, and is governed and regulated
so as to be always opposite the open shed, and to be inserted and withdrawn
at the proper time.
Figure 1 shows a side view, and Figure 2 a portion of a front view, of so
much of a power loom for weaving pile fabrics, with my improvements applied
thereto, as will enable me to explain the part of my Invention relating to the
introduction and withdrawal of the pile wires; and I will here remark that
I have only thought it necessary to shew one of the wire apparatus, as
the others are repetitions of the one shewn, and can be readily applied to the
loom by a mechanic conversant with this class of machinery. a, a, is the
framing of the loom; 6 is the crank axis. The crank axis b gives motion to
the cam shaft or axis c by means of the toothed wheels b, c, represented in
the Drawing by pink circles. d is the bar on which the slides e, f, move, the
wire e¹ and supporting trough being respectively attached to them; the
bar d is attached to the lever arm d³, moving on an axis at do, and the bar d
is caused to oscillate from time to time so as to carry the wire to the deep
part of the shed and then return with the slay, by means of the cam d'
acting on a truck or roller on the lever d², which is connected by means of the
connecting rod d³ to the lever d', attached to the lever is carrying the bar d.

page_text: The slide e and wire e¹ are caused to slide to and fro on the bar d, so as to
enter and withdraw from the fabric, by means of the cam e³ acting on the
lever e; the lever gives motion by the connecting rod to the lever e,
and the lever gives motion by means of the connecting rod e to the bell
crank lever e', which at its upper end gives motion to the slide e. Motion is
given to the supporting trough f¹ so as to cause it to travel into the shed
with the wire, and then return rapidly before the beating up of the wire takes
place, in the following manner :-e is a spring catch attached to slide e, seen
in the separate view, Figure 3; and when the slide e withdraws a wire from
the fabric, the catch es takes hold of the pin f in the slide f, as shewn-in
Figure 3; and when the slide e travels forward towards the fabric, it takes the
slide f, and supporting trough f¹ with it, by reason of the catches, and they
travel together until the catches is acted upon by the pin d' on the bar d,
when the slidef will be separated from the slide e, and left free to be pulled
back by the weight f³ acting on the lever arm f, while the wire e¹ and slide e
continue to travel forward.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Cunliffe Lister, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
4,. Old Square, Lincoln's Inn.
S. C. LISTER. (L.S.)