CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John. Mayo Worrall, of Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Dyer and Finisher, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS."
Sealed the 10th July 1855, and dated the 9th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Mayo Worrall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th May 1855.
I, JOHN MAYO WORRALL, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer and
Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS" to be
as follows:-
The improvement applies to the well-known machines at present in use for
the purpose of shearing or cropping moleskins, beavertcens, or such piled
fabrics, which process is accomplished by the means of rapidly revolving spiral
cutters acting against a stationary "ledger blade," the cloth passing over a
straight edge or "bed plate" placed immediately underneath.
My improvement consists in serrating or indenting "the bed plate," (which
has hitherto always been perfectly straight and plain, as required), by which

page_text: means I am enabled to form or cut a design upon the piled fabrics lengthwise,
according to the width apart or closeness of the indentations on the serrated
blade or bed plate. This is effected in consequence of the pile of the fabric, as
the fabric passes over the serrated or indented edge, becoming depressed
within the indentations of the bed plate, and consequently out of the reach
of the spiral cutters, whilst those parts of the piled fabric which in passing
over the projecting or most elevated portions of the bed plate aro presented
to the action of the spiral rotatory cutters, which remove so much of the pile of
the fabric as may thus be presented to them; and the design, corresponding
with the indentations of the serrated bed plate, is thus cut from end to end,
or lengthwise of the entire piece of goods, which, when thus cut, will present a
striped surface of a long and a short pile or nap, the stripes being variable
in width, but running in the direction of the warp threads of the cloth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Mayo Worrall in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MAYO WORRALL, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer and Finisher,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Mayo Worrall, Her especial licence that I, the said John Mayo
Worrall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Mayo Worrall, 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Mayo Worrall, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe

page_text: 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 John Mayo Worrall, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
This improvement applies to the well-known machines at present in use for
the purpose of shearing or cropping moleskins, boaverteens, or such piled
fabrics, which process is accomplished by the means of rapidly revolving spiral
cutters acting against a stationary "ledger blade," the cloth passing over a
straight edge or bed plate placed immediately underneath.
My improvement consists in serrating or indenting the straight edge of the
bed plate (which has hitherto always been perfectly straight and plain, as
required), by which means I am enabled to form or cut a design upon the
piled fabrics lengthwise, according to the width apart or closeness of the
indentations on the serrated blade or "bed plate." This is effected in con-
sequence of the pile of the fabric, as the fabric passes over the serrated or
indented blade, becoming depressed within the indentations of the straight
edge of the "bed plate," and consequently out of the reach of the spiral
cutters, whilst those parts of the piled fabric which in passing over the
projecting or most elevated portions of the "bed plate" are presented to the
action of the spiral rotary cutters, which remove so much of the pile of
the fabric as may thus be represented to them; and the design, corresponding
with the indentations of the serrated bed plate, is thus cut from end to end, or
lengthwise of the entire piece of goods, which, when thus cut, will present a
striped surface of a long and a short pile or nap, the stripes being variable in
width, but in the direction of the "warp threads" of the cloth.
In order that this Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have attached to these presents a Sheet of Drawings; Fig. 1 and 2
being made upon a scale of about two inches to the foot, and Figs. 3 and 4,
5, 6, 7, and 8 being about half the full size. Similar letters of reference are
marked on corresponding portions of the machinery or apparatus throughout
the several Figures shown.
Fig. 1 represents a back or end elevation of an ordinary machine or appa-
ratus for cutting or shearing piled fabrics, and is fully illustrative of the position
and method of securing and adjusting this improved straight edge or blade on

page_text: the bed plate, as well as its relative situation with regard to the spiral cutters;
Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of Fig. 1, and exhibits the pattern or design
formed upon the cloth after passing beneath the spiral cutters; Figs. 3, 4, 5,
represent elevations of straight edges, their upper edges being recessed or
indented according to the design, pattern, or stripe desired to be formed upon
the piled fabric; Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are their respective sections.
The pile of the cloth or fabric to be operated upon is first to be produced
and cropped or shorn in the ordinary manner, being consequently of an equal
length and evenness throughout the piece. The action of the ordinary machines
for cutting or cropping piled fabrics being well understood, it will be but
necessary here to explain the novel operation of this Invention, which is as
follows The piled fabric in its prepared state, as before described, having
been passed through the machine or apparatus, it will be observed, on reference
to Fig. 1, would rest on this improved straight edge or blade a in such a
manner that the extreme or elevated edges only of the straight edge a would
present to or hold the piled fabric against the cutting edges of the rapidly
revolving spiral cutters or knives 6 and ledger blade c, while the recessed or
sunk portions c of the straight edge a will allow such parts of the piled fabric
as pass over them to sink or become depressed between the more clevated
portions of the straight edge a. It will now be observed, that the machine or
apparatus being put in motion, and the piled fabric caused to take its ordinary
course through the machine, the rapidly revolving spiral cutters can only take
off so much of the pile of the fabric as is presented to them by the fabric
passing over the most elevated parts of the straight edge a, while the recesses
of the straight edge a, allowing of the depression or sinking of the remaining
portions of the piled fabric, cause such portions to pass under and without the
range of the spiral cutters, thus leaving a perfect stripe of the original material.
The effect of this entire operation may now be seen by referring to Fig. 2,
where it will be observed that the piled fabric, after having passed between the
rapidly revolving spiral cutters or knives 6 and the recessed straight edge a,
has formed upon it the pattern, design, or stripe (according to the straight
edge employed), running longitudinally from end to end of the fabric under
operation.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be performed, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I
claim, the novel application, employment, and use of an indented or recessed
blade or straight edge, as above described, to be used in place of the ordinary
straight edge of the bed plate, in machines for cutting piled fabrics, for the

page_text: purpose of producing or effecting (with the aid of the ordinary revolving spiral
cutters or knives) a pattern or design on the face of such goods in the direction
of the warp, as herein particularly described and set forth, and fully illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Mayo Worrall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JNO. M. WORRALL. (L.B.)