A NEW AND IMPROVED MODE OF CUTTING LAPPET CLOTHS OR OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Blair, of the firm of John Blair & Co.,
New Milns, Ayrshire, Scotland, Cutters, for the Invention of "A
NEW AND IMPROVED MODE OF CUTTING LAPPET CLOTHS OR OTHER
SIMILAR FABRICS."
Sealed the 16th December 1858, and dated the 16th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Blair at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th June 1853.
I, JOHN BLAIR, of the firm of John Blair & Co., New Milns,
Ayrshire, Scotland, Cutters, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW AND IMPROVED MODE OF CUTTING LAPPET CLOTHS
OR OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in first cutting the " wheep threads," or
threads required to be cleared away, and then causing their severed
ends to be turned up so as to be afterwards operated upon with better
effect by the cutting knives of the common cutting machine.
The cutting of these threads may be performed in various ways, but
I prefer to use for the purpose the common cutting machine, with a

page_text: series of knives fixed to a bar of wood or iron stretching across the
machine from one side to the other, the knives being fitted on the bar
at such distances as may be suited to the pattern of the cloth required
to be cut. The points or ends of these knives should be made to press
on the cloth sufficiently to enable them to pass under the "wheep
threads" so as to cut them asunder as the cloth passes on to the
ordinary cutting knives of the cutting machine. The former set of
knives should be blunted or rounded at the point or end to prevent
their cutting or passing through the cloth when pressing on it.
The "wheep threads" being thus severed while the cloth is going
through the machine, & before reaching the ordinary cutting knives,
are made to turn up by the tight pressure of the cloth over a sharp bed
as it passes on.
This bed is fixed immediately under the ordinary cutting knives,
which are thereby made to cut the severed ends of the threads close to
the top of the raised figure of the lappet cloths or of other similar
fabrics.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Blair in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the
16th December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN BLAIR, of the firm of "John Blair and Co.," of New Milns,
Ayrshire, Scotland, Cutters, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Blair, Her special license that
I, the said John Blair, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Blair, my execators, 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

page_text: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW AND IMPROVED MODE OF
CUTTING LAPPET CLOTHS OR OTHER SIMILAR FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Elair, 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 John Blair, 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, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
My Iavention of "A New and Improved Mode of Cutting Lappet
Cloths or other similar Fabrics," has for its object the prior cutting or
ripping of the "wheep threads," or threads required to be cleared away,
and causing their several ends or portions to be turned up so as to
prepare them to be operated upon with better effect by the cutting
kuives of the ordinary cutting or shaving machines.
And I accomplish this object by means of a set of adjustable knives
fixed in their required position, under which knives the cloth is made to
pass, and by which the "wheep threads" are cut or ripped. These
knives may be mounted in various ways, and may be adapted to the
ordinary cutting or shaving machine, and made to operate upon the
threads as the cloth passes from the beam on which it has been
previously rolled towards the ordinary cutting or shaving knives; or the
said knives may be employed to perform the preliminary operation of
cutting or ripping in a separate machine; or a single knife may be
employed for the purpose. My Invention is not confined to the precise
mode of operation herein, so long as the threads are submitted to a
prior process of cutting or ripping.
The threads being thus cut or ripped by means of a knife or knives
as preferred, and the cloth being made to pass in a state of tension

page_text: over the ordinary bed, above which the ordinary spiral and flat knives
are made to operate, the severed ends or portions of the threads will be
thereby turned up so as to be presented to the action of these knives in
a manner calculated to ensure their being more effectually cleared
away from the cloth than heretofore.
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood I
will describe a form of knife that I have found to be well adapted for
the purpose, and the mode of its use as a single knife, or when com-
bined with other knives to form a cutting apparatus.
Fig. 1, represents the knife referred to. It is sharp from the part
marked a, to the part b. There is a kind of shield c, which is blunt
and smooth at the point in order to prevent it from going through the
cloth as the knife is passed under it. This shield may be slipped on
and off at pleasure in order to allow the knife to be sharpened. The
sharp edge of the knife begins to rise gradually above the shield at
about an inch from its point. Thus by moving the knife forward above
the cloth, and under the "wheep threads," the latter will be cut or
ripped as soon as they come in contact with the sharp edge of the knife
projecting above the shield c.
Fig. 2, represents in elevation a diagram of the mode in which any
required number of sucli knives (according to the number of rows
of threads to be cut) may be combined to form a cutting apparatus.
A, is the side of one of such knives which may be arranged side by side
at such distances apart from each other as may be suitable for the
particular cloth the "wheep threads" in which have to be cut or
ripped. These knives are bent as shown, and are held between two iron
bars, and screwed therein, the bars being then firmly screwed together:
there is a screw (made to act upon a bar underneath the points of the
knives), by means of which the points of the knives may be adjusted to
their required degree of pressure upon the cloth.
As the cloth passes from the beam as at e, to the beam as at f, the
several "wheep threads" projecting from the surface of the cloth will
be brought in contact with the sharp edges projecting from the shields
of the respective knives, and will become cut or ripped thereby.
A set of knives as described may be applied to the ordinary cutting

page_text: or shaving machine, and be made to cut or rip the threads as the cloth
is passing to the ordinary cutters, instead of doing it in a separate
machine or by hand as a separate process.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that
I do not mean or intend to confine myself to the precise forms and
arrangements of the parts shewn and described. But what I claim as
of my Invention is, the cutting or ripping of the "wheep threads" so
as to cause them to be turned up as they pass over the ordinary bed
underneath the ordinary cutters or shavers, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Blair, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
JOHN BLAIR. (L.S.)
5 JAMES CAMERON, Witness.