IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING AND MANUFACTURING RAISED PILE FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1853

page_text: Weaving Raised Pile Fabrics,
LETTERS PATENT to Edward Briggs, of the Castleton Mills, near
Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING AND MANUFACTURING
RAISED PILE FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
Sealed: the 2nd May 1854; and dated the 22nd November 1853.
J
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the, said Edward Briggs
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 22nd November 1853.
I, EDWARD BRIGGS, of the Castleton, Mills, near Rochdale, in the
County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING AND MANUFACTURING
RAISED PILE FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as
follows:-
331
My improvements in weaving, consist in the application of the double
shuttle loom, for which Luke Smith obtained, Letter Patent on the
Sixteenth November, One thousand eight hundred and forty-three, to
weaving pile fabrics composed entirely or partly of silk, by which
means the upper and under surfaces of the fabric produced may be
varied in material and in colour.

page_text: My improvements in the manufacture of raised pile fabrics consist
in preparing silk yarn before it is woven, by subjecting it to a bath of
diluted sulphuric or other suitable acid.
My improvements in the machinery employed in manufacturing
raised pile fabrics consist in making a table with an elastic surface,
on which the fabric is distended during the operation of raising, and
in placing raising rollers in a diagonal position with respect to the
selvages of the fabric on which a pile is to be raised, to facilitate
the operation of raising, and to avoid or diminish the contracting of the
fabric. Another of my improvements consists in the application of a
revolving comb to machines for shearing; this comb is to raise or set
up the nap of pile fabrics before they are sheared. And lastly, in an
improved machine for ironing or finishing the surface of pile fabrics.
The fabric to be operated upon passes between two rollers, the lower
one of which is partially immersed in liquid to damp the surface to be
ironed, the fabric then passes over a guide roller and partly round a
drum or revolving table, from whence it goes to a delivering roller and
is then wound on a lap. The fabric on being carried forward by the
drum, passes over three or other suitable number of concave heaters,
which are kept hot by steam or other means; these heaters are pressed
against the fabric, and sufficient space is left between and on each side
of them for luring and brushing rollers. I would also observe that
other arrangements of the heaters and tables may be made, namely,
the table may be stationary and the heaters made to move. The table
instead of being curved or cylindrical may be longitudinal, and the
heaters either stationary or moveable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Briggs in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
EDWARD BRIGGS, of the Castleton Mills, near Rochdale, in the County
of Lancaster, Manufacturer, send greeting,

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Edward Briggs, Her special licence
that I, the said Edward Briggs, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Briggs, 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 AND MANUFACTURING RAISED PILE FABRICE, AND IN MACHINERY
EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Briggs, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Edward Briggs, 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, that is to say:-
.
My Invention of improvements in weaving consists in the applica-
tion of the double shuttle loom, for which Letters Patent were granted
to Luke Smith, on or about the Sixteenth day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and forty-three, by which both the shuttles are
thrown across the shed at the same time, to weaving pile fabrics con-.
posed entirely or partly of silk, whereby the upper and under surfaces
of the fabric produced may be varied in material and in colour; for
instance, when each of the two shuttles are furnished with silk threads
of different colours, a fabric will be produced with each face of a
different colour, and when one of the shuttles contains silk weft and
the other a cotton weft or a weft of other fibrous material, it is evident
that the fabric produced will have a silk face and a cotton or other back.

page_text: My improvement in manufacturing raised piled fabrics consists in
preparing silk yarn- before it.is woven, by subjecting it to a+bath of
diluted sulphuric or other suitable acid. It has been found beneficial to
submit fabrics composed either wholly or partly' of silk to such a bath,
in order to prepare the silk on the face of the fabric for the operations.
of raising a nap or pile thereon. When the fabric itself is subjected
to the bath, it is evident that the back and face of the fabric are acted
upon by the bath, but as the action of the bath is only beneficial to the
silk forming the face that has to be raised, I now propose to subject
the silk yarn to the action of the bath before it is woven, thereby
avoiding the necessity of applying the bath to the back of the fabric,
where it does no good'and-may be injurious.'
My improvements in machinery for manufacturing raised pile fabrics
consist, first, in placing the raising rollers in a diagonal position with
regard to the selvages of the fabric on which a pile is to be raised,
instead of placing the said raising rollers at right angles to the
selvages as in the ordinary manner. When the raising rollers
are placed in a diagonal direction, it is requisite to have a table
over which the fabric passes, and the surface of this table must be
covered with thick flannel or other yielding material, so as to
duce an elastic surface, on which the fabric rests when acted upon
by the diagonal raising rollers. Two or more of these diagonal rollers
may be placed with their axes in contrary directions, so that when
they act'in succession on the fabric, the nap is raised thereon in the
same manner as is sometimes effected by hand. The diagonal rollers
may be driven by bevel wheels, or in any other convenient manner.
pro-
.
My second improvement in machinery for manufacturing raised
pile fabrics consists in the application of a comb or combs to the
machines used in shearing the nap or pile on fabrics after it has
been raised in the usual manner; when the nap is short, as in ordinary
plush, it is sufficient to raise it by card teeth as is now customary, but
when the pile is long as in some descriptions of silk plush and some
other fabrics, I propose to employ a revolving comb or combs in lieu of
the card teeth; this comb or combs is made to act on the fabric so as t
to raise the pile before it is taken forward to the cutting instrument.

page_text: I also propose, instead of the revolving comb. above mentioned; to
make; use of a comb to which an eccentric motion is given in the
same manner as to the doffing combs used, in carding, engines; in this
case the comb must be so set that every revolution of the crank by
which it is driven shall cause the comb to enter the pile and raise. it as
the comb recedes from the fabric.
"
My last improvement in machinery for manufacturing raised pile
fabrics, consists in a machine for ironing or smoothing the surface of
such fabrics and will be best understood, in reference, to the annexed
Drawing, and to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1, is a transverse section of the machine; and Figure.2, a
side elevation, partly in section, of the same. a, is, the roller on which
the fabric, to be operated upon is brought to the machine; b and c,
are a pair of rollers between which the fabric passes,..the lower.
roller is partly immersed in water or other fluid contained in the
trough d, so that the fabric may be damped in passing between them;
e, is a guide roller over which the fabric is taken previous: to passing.
under the drum f; the surface of which is covered with flannel or
other suitable material; g, g, g, are three boxes or heaters, the sur-
faces of which are concave to fit the drum f; these box irons: are
kept hot by heaters, g', as shewn in the Drawing; or by gas, steam,
or other suitable means; the heated boxes g, are held in contact with
the fabric by the springs g, and-set screws g', by this means an elastic
pressure is given to the fabric; h, h, are two brushes, and i, i, are four
luring rollers, which are placed in convenient positions for acting on
the surface, of, the fabric as it is carried through the machine by
the action of the drum f, and taking up roller k, the friction of
which winds it on the roller l. The. requisite motion is given to
the various parts of the machine by straps and pulleys or other
means which are not shewn in the Drawing, as they will vary accord-
ing to the quality and nature. of the fabric to be operated upon,
and any competent workman can apply them. I wish to remark, that
I do not limit myself to the number of heaters, or to the arrangement
of the luring or setting up rollers, nor do I confine myself to making
the drum revolve and the heaters stationary, as a stationary table may
be used and moving heaters. The table, instead of being curved or

page_text: cylindrical, may be a fixed straight surface, and the heaters made to
move to and fro upon it, the heaters being lifted clear of the fabric in
the back stroke, or the heaters may be stationary, and motion given to
the table in the same manner, all of these variations effecting the same
object.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood, that I do not limit
myself to the details herein set forth, as the same may be varied without
departing from the peculiar character of my Invention, but what I do
claim, is,―
First, the application of double shuttle looms, for the purposes
herein-before described.
Secondly, subjecting silk yarn to the action of a bath of diluted
sulphuric or other suitable acid.
Thirdly, placing raising rollers, so as to act diagonally on the fabric
on which a pile is to raised, and combining therewith a table with
an elastic surface.
Fourthly, the application to shearing machines of a comb or combs,
to which a revolving or eccentric motion is given for raising the pile
before it is sheared.
And, lastly, the improved machinery for ironing or smoothing the sur-
face of fabrics, as shewn and as described, or any modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Briggs, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four..
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Edward Briggs,
in the presence of
H. B. BARLOW,
EDWARD BRIGGS. (L.S.)
Patent Agent,
Manchester.