CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN FABRICS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Louis David, Manufacturer, of Paris,
in the French Empire, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN FABRICS."
Sealed the 19th February 1853, and dated the 23rd December 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Louis David
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd December 1852.
I, JEAN LOUIS DAVID, Manufacturer, of Paris, in the French
Empire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN FABRICS" to
be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to remove the knots or projections
on woven cloth, caused by the inequalities of the yarn, which have
usually been picked off or removed by hand. This Invention
consists of removing the knots by means of toothed instruments,

page_text: preferring to use an instrument similar to a plane, having a steel
blade or blades, with the edge or edges made into teeth or points;
this instrument is moved over the fabric by hand or by machinery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Jean Louis David in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 15th June 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
JEAN LOUIS DAVID, Manufacturer, of Paris, in the French Empire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Jean Louis David,
Her special licence that I, the said Jean Louis David, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Jean
Louis David, 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 THE
MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Jean Louis David, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Jean Louis David, 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 (that is to say):

page_text: The object of this Invention is to remove the knots or projec-
tions on wove cloth, caused by the inequalities of the yarn, which
have usually been picked off or removed by hand. This Invention
consists of removing the knots by means of toothed instruments,
preferring to use an instrument similar to a plane, having a steel
blade or blades, with the edge or edges made into teeth or points.
This instrument is moved over the cloth either by hand or by
machinery.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood
and readily carried into effect, I will procede to describe the Draw-
ing hereunto annexed with.
Figure 1, shows a plan view of part of the instrument which I
prefer to employ.
Figure 2, an enlarged view of part of the instrument.
Figure 3, is a section through the line 1, 2, of the plan. a, is a
frame of wood or cast iron, or iron, which has a longitudinal opening
through which the knots fall after being removed from the cloth ;
b, b, are the two combs or toothed instruments which remove the
knots. They consist of thin plates of stecl, about 4 of an inch
wide, in which are cut teeth of a size which varies according to the
sort of fabric to be operated upon; but for merinos I prefer to use
a blade having from 30 to 65 teeth in the inch, of a depth varying
from to of an inch. The shape of the teeth may be varied, but
I prefer to use those of the form shown in the Drawing, and they
should be sufficiently sharp at the root to sever with facility any
knot with which they come in contact. These blades, b, b, are
placed on the wooden, or cast iron, or iron frame a, in such a
manner that their teeth just project over the longitudinal opening.
The covering pieces of metal c, c, are then placed on them and
screwed to the frame a, so as to secure the blades b, b, in their
proper position. These covering pieces may be dispensed with

page_text: when the blade b, is sufficiently thick to be at once screwed to the
frame a, or on a convenient rotatory roller.
This apparatus just described may be moved over the cloth by
land, but I prefer to work it by machinery, and a machine for this
purpose is shown at Figures 4, and 5, which show respectively a
plan and sectional elevation of the machine.
A, is a roller on which the fabric is rolled when brought to the
machine; to its axis is hung, by means of a hook, the lever d, which
turns about the centre e, and on which is placed the weight f. This
arrangement prevents the cloth from running off the roller too
fast. The cloth passes from the roller under the beam B, then
over the beam C; it is then acted upon at E, by the apparatus or
instrument before described, which is fixed at each end to the
beam T, which works on the the centre U. It is moved backwards
and forwards by the connecting rod R, to which it is attached at S.
The other end of the connecting rod R, is attached to the crank N¹,
on the axis N. Motion is given to this axis N, either by hand at O,
or by means of a band on the pulley P. After being operated upon,
the cloth passes over the beam G, then round the roller H, and
over the bearers I, and K. The selvages are then taken by the point
wheels i, i, which are placed at an angle so as to keep the cloth
extended. These wheels may be set to any width of fabric by
means of the screws 1, 2, which clamp the axes j, j, in any required
position; the cloth then passes over the roller L, which should be
covered with thick cloth, to which sand paper is attached. This roller
L, is driven by the train of wheels shown at X, Y, Figure 5, and
also in dotted lines in Figure 4. The roller L, turns by contact
with the cloth beain M, which is kept in contact with it by means
of the weights h, h, and the levers g, g, which carry the axis of the
roller M.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the precise details herein described; but

page_text: what I claim is, the method herein described of removing the knots
from the surface of woollen fabrics.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Louis David, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Taken and acknowledged by the within
named Jean Louis David at Paris, on
this Seventh day of April, 1853,
Before me, Her Britannic Majesty's
Consul at Paris,
THOMAS PICKFORD.
(L.S.) J. L. DAVID.