IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTED OR COLOURED WARP FABRICS
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick William Norton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
February 1855.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM NORTON, of Edinburgh, in the County of Midlothian,
North Britain, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRINTED OR COLOURED WARP
FABRICS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the treatment and preparation of that class of
printed warps generally used in the manufacture of tapestry and velvet pile
carpets, the object of the improvements being the facilitating the process of
manufacture, and obtaining a superior degree of excellence in the work.
According to the general process of manufacture at present pursued in this
branch of manufacture, each thread or bundle of small threads formed into one
thick thread, as the case may be, is printed or colored separately in such
manner that the necessary number of threads may be thereafter combined side
by side, for the purpose of forming a complete ornamental design. When so
laid side by side in the form of a warp, they are wound upon the ordinary
weaver's beam, and then woven up into the intended fabric. The printing is
effected by stretching the threads upon the periphery of a large drum; and as
the threads naturally vary in elasticity, and as there is also very great

page_text: difficulty in preserving all the threads at one uniform degree of tension in
winding them upon the printing drum, the chances of distortion in the pattern
are very considerable. The pattern is obviously somewhat elongated when
viewed upon the slack or loosely wound threads, as compared with the result
of the printing process upon the distended threads on the drum surface. The
derangement thus arising must be corrected as far as is possible in the after
process of beaming, this corrected process being technically termed " 'setting,"
that is, the actual disposition of the printed threads in their proper relation for
the production of the complete pattern. This setting is effected by hand,
each thread being drawn so as to bring the portion or detail of the figure
thereon into its precise place as determined by the sysmetrical require-
ments of the figure, and when thus arranged the mass of threads is securely
held by a clasp until wound upon the weaver's beam.
Now, by the present Invention the accurate setting of the printed threads is
very much facilitated, and in carrying it out in practice the warp printer goes
to work in the usual manner; and after putting the first thread upon the
drum, and before printing that thread, he prints with a dissolved gum resin, or
with any other suitable pigment or substance, a small line across the thread so
wound up. This operation is repeated before commencing to print each of the
threads intended to form the printed or figured warp, always printing the gum
line upon the same division of the drum throughout the pattern.
In this way hard stiff gum spots are formed upon the warp threads. After
printing the threads with colours in the usual way, they are steamed, washed,
and dried, and finally arranged to form the pattern. When in the setting
frame for this purpose, the operator proceeds by drawing up all the stiff gum
spots or lines on the threads into a straight line side by side across the breadth
of the warp, just as is usually accomplished by the aid of the white line
ordinarily left by the printer for the purpose, and which white line in this
process may be dispensed with. This system of procedure insures the pro-
duction of a perfect figure, as the hard gum spots upon each thread are all
printed upon the same division of the drum, and they therefore always fall
upon one exact part of all the threads in a straight line across the figured
warp. The adjusted length of warp is then beamed, and the succeeding line
of gum spots are then brought under operation for the setting of that part of
the warp; but instead of now drawing each thread separately, all the threads
are clasped between a pair of straight metal bars immediately in front of the
gum marks. The opening between these bars is just sufficient to allow the
threads to pass between them horizontally. These bars are so arranged that
they can be turned to bring their horizontal opening into a vertical position, or

page_text: in such manner as to make an angle in the line of warp threads. The clasp
in this position is then gently pushed back, and the entire mass of warp
threads passes through the clasp opening until the gum spots enter the
clasp. Now, the gum spots by reason of their stiffness will not turn the angle
without considerable resistance, and hence all the threads aro checked at the
gum marks in a straight line across the warp's breadth. The arranged portion
warp is now passed on to the beam as before, and the action is repeated
throughout the length of the warp.
of
In another modification of the process the gum may be applied after the
threads are printed. Or, instead of printing gum spots upon the warp threads,
a composition of black magnetic oxide of iron may be similarly applied, an
electric wire or an electro-magnetic bar being fitted upon one or both sides
of the warp for the purpose of attracting the metallic deposits, and thus
setting up the threads to their proper relative positions. A gum resin is
preferably used for the production of the setting marks; but it is to be under-
stood that various other matters and modes of application may be adopted
to secure the end herein-before referred to.