IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING PILED AND OTHER FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Orr at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th July 1863.
I, JOHN ORR, of Kidderminster, in the County of Worcester, Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of the said .Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WEAVING PILED AND OTHER FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
The present Invention has chiefly for its object certain methods of inserting
or supplying weft while weaving (either by hand or power) piled or other
fabrics, such, for example, as hearth rugs, carpets, and other articles of a
heavy material, wherein weft of a bulky kind is necessarily used.
By the proposed methods the use of the ordinary shuttle is dispensed with,
and the weft may be put into the cloth to an indefinite length during the
process of weaving without any break, thus effecting a saving of time and
material, inasmuch as the frequent supplying of fresh "quils" or "pirns" is
done away with, and the stoppage of the loom to effect the same rendered
unnecessary.
Towards describing the nature of the present Invention I would here
observe that the proposed plans for the introduction of weft into fabrics while
weaving are in a general way similar to the methods described in the Specifi-
cation of the Letters Patent granted to me on the 11th day of July 1862,
N° 1999, for the introduction of chenille fur into piled fabrics; such modes of
introduction having been found not only suitable for introducing the fur but
also the ground or foundation weft of such piled or other fabrics, and also for
inserting the weft of a variety of other fabrics, particularly .as already

page_text: mentioned, when bulky weft of jute, flax, or other material is used. Some-
times when two kinds of weft are required to form a fabric, one of the kinds
may be put in by the ordinary shuttle, and the other by the proposed
mechanism; in other cases the whole of the weft, whether it be of one or
more kinds, will be put in without the use of the ordinary detached shuttle.
It may be further stated that in connection with such last-named arrange-
ments one mode of putting in weft (as described in the Specification before
referred to) is by a levér, rod, or shaft placed longitudinally with the warp
and moving upon a centre at or near the back part of the loom, above one
warp beam and under another; the weft being drawn from a reel or other
convenient apparatus, and passed through eyelets placed along the length of
the lever rod, is woven into the cloth by the vibrating or pendulum action
of the said rod from side to side of the loom while the process of weaving goes
on. An open space for its so doing being provided by having a double set of
upper heddle shafts, and by having one division of the warp worked through a
needle frame instead of heddles in conjunction with a reed, having its splits!
or "dents." open at. the upper side to allow the entrance and egress of that
division of the warp, which is to be raised and depressed by the. aforesaid
needle frame during the process of weaving.
Another method for effecting the same end is as follows: - Instead of the
lever rod what may be called a small "carriage ".is placed upon slide rods at
the back of the reed, which rods extend from side to side of the loom; this
carriage is drawn from one side of the web to the other by the loom's
mechanism, bringing the weft along with it; by reason of its being passed
through an eyelet in the same the loop of the weft may be caught in the same
manner as when the pushing rod (herein-after mentioned) is used; or if
worked in connection with a reed open at the upper end. of the "splits" or
"dents" the shoots may be drawn singly forward, into the cloth, which will
generally be done when a pattern is arranged on. such shoots as in. the case of
chenille fur.
"..
Another method of inserting weft by the present Invention is by injecting
or inserting rods or shafts into the, opened shed from each side of the loom
alternately, one rod being inserted and withdrawn, once for each opening of a
shed during the process of weaving, the mechanism of such rods being so
arranged in connection with a supply of weft (conveniently placed for such
purpose) that it, will be pushed into the open shed by the rod in a double
form, namely, two shoots will, pass in at once, and when the loop has reached.
the opposite side from that at which it entered it will be caught by a pin
(actuated by suitable mechanism) in order to prevent the shoots being with-

page_text: drawn along with the rod as it retires during the closing of the shed. It may
be seen from this that if only one rod were used there would be an insufficient
selvedge at one side of the web, but that by the use of one or more pushing
rods actuated from each side both selvedges are rendered firm. It may be
here observed that the before-mentioned pushing rods may be worked either in
conjunction with an ordinary reed or with one open at its upper side; and also
that they may be worked in conjunction with the pendulum shafts or slide
carriage or by themselves, according to the nature of the fabrics desired to be
produced.
I would further state that another part of this Invention consists in inserting
chenille fur into the fabrics wherein it is used by previously placing each
"fur shoot" in a detached form along the length of a fluted wire rod, having
springs or pins placed along its length at intervals the more firmly to hold the
"fur shoot" and keep it to its proper place. Such rods, with the "fur shoots"
thereon, are to be inserted into and withdrawn from the cloth while weaving,
after the manner in which the wire rods are so actuated in weaving Brussels
carpeting.