CERTAIN IMPROVE MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Mayo Worrall, of Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Dyer and Finisher, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Mayo Worrall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th May 1855.
I, JOHN MAYO WORRALL, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer and
Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS" to be
as follows:-
This Invention applies to well-known machines at present in use for the
In these
purpose of cropping or cutting certain piled goods or fabrics.
machines, rapidly revolving spiral knives or cutters, acting against a stationary
"ledger blade," in connection with a bed plate or straight edge, effect the
desired cutting or cropping of the piled goods or fabrics as the cloth passes
over the "bed plate," as is now well understood. The first improvement is
effected by employing, in lieu of the ordinary bed plate in such machines, a
fluted cylinder, roller, or drum, (the flutes or raised edges running in the
direction of the weft or transversely across the fabric.) These fluted or rigid

page_text: edges become a rotary "bed" or straight edge for the cloth to pass over, and
as the extreme edge or periphery of the fluted roller only press or present
the cloth close up to the cutters, the pile is thus cut out or shortened at any
suitable intervals transversely across the piece of velvet, the width of the stripe
thus produced corresponding with the width apart of such flutes or stripes
upon the revolving bed or straight edge; the velvet as it passes over such
fluted bed roller sinking out of the way of the spiral cutters into the flutes or
indentations, and presented to the operation of the cutters only at such places
as are pressed towards the cutters by the upper edges of the flutes, or extreme
periphery of this revolving bed roller. By the above-described process but
one design can be furnished from each cylinder or roller; but by employing
rollers with adjustable beds or surfaces, wherein projecting pieces or straight
edges may be inserted as desired, many designs or widths of stripes may be
worked from the same roller, the projecting pieces acting on the piled fabric
similarly to the extreme periphery of the before-described fluted roller, the
spaces between them corresponding in their position and effect to the flutes or
indentations.
The second improvement consists in the adaptation of a roller or cylinder
with adjustable bed, and projecting rings at right angles with the axis of the
roller or cylinder, the peripheries of these rings being adjusted so as to effect
similar object against the revolving knives or cutters, (the production of a
stripe,) as that before described, as effected by the periphery of the fluted
cylinder or roller, the spaces between the rings allowing the piled fabric to
remain perfect, and thus, instead of, as by the before-described methods, cutting
or producing the pattern or design transversely, or in the direction of the
weft, cutting it continuously throughout the whole length of the velvet or in
the direction of the warp.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Mayo Worrall in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MAYO WORRALL of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Dyer and Finisher,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reigu,

page_text: did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Mayo Worrall, Her especial license that I, the said John Mayo Worrall,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Mayo Worrall, 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 IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING PILED GOODS OR FABRICS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Mayo Worrall, 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 Mayo Worrall, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
This Invention applies to well-known machines at present in use for the
purpose of cutting or cropping certain piled goods or fabrics. In these
machines, rapidly revolving spiral knives or cutters, acting against a stationary
"ledger blade," in connection with a bed plate and straight edge, effect the
desired cutting or cropping of the piled goods or fabrics as the cloth passes
over the "bed plate," as is now well understood.
The first improvement is effected by employing in lieu of the ordinary bed
plate in such machines a fluted cylinder, roller, or drum, the flutes or raised
edges running in the direction of the weft, or transversely across the fabric.
These fluted or ridged edges become a rotary "bed" or straight edge for the
cloth to pass over, and as the extreme edge or periphery of the fluted roller
only presses or presents the cloth close up to the cutters, the pile is thus cut
out or shortened at any suitable intervals transversely across the piece of
velvet, the width of the stripe thus produced corresponding with the width
part of such flutes or stripes upon the revolving bed or straight edge. The
velvet as it passes over such fluted bed roller sinking out of the way of
the spiral cutters into the flutes or indentations, the fabric is presented to the
operation of the cutters only at such places as are pressed towards the cutters
by the upper edges of the flutes, or extreme periphery of the revolving "bed

page_text: roller." By the above-described process but one design can be furnished
from each cylinder or roller; but by employing rollers with adjustable beds or
surfaces, wherein projecting pieces or straight edges may be inserted as desired,
many designs or widths of stripes may be worked from the same roller, the
projecting pieces acting on the piled fabric similarly to the extreme periphery
of the before-described fluted roller, the spaces between them corresponding in
their position and effect to the flutes or indentations.
The second improvement consists in the adaptation of a roller or cylinder,
with adjustable bed and projecting ridges at right angles with the axis of the
-roller or cylinder, the peripheries of these rings.being adjusted so as to effect
a similar object against the revolving-knives or cutters, (tho production of a
stripe,) as that before described, as effected by the periphery of the fluted
cylinder or roller, the spaces between the rings allowing the piled fabric to
remain perfect, and thus, instead of, as by the before-described methods, cutting
or producing the pattern or design transversely, or in the direction of the weft,
cutting it continuously throughout the whole length of the velvet or in the
direction of the warp.-
In order that this Invention-may-be the better understood-and-explained.in.
detail, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawing, having throughout the
several Figures shown similar letters of reference marked on corresponding
parts of the machinery or apparatus. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are drawn upon a
scale of about two inches to the foot; Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, are about
half the actual size. Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of an ordinary machine
for cutting piled goods, with a taking-up" motion attached to the sido
framing, for the purpose of allowing a "dwell" (to be hereafter explained) to
be imparted to the fabric at certain intervals while passing through the
machine; Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of Fig. 1, and exhibits, by
arrows, the direction and course which the piled fabric under operation tra-
verses through the machine; Fig. 3 exhibits a plan or top view of Fig. 1, and
is illustrative of the stripe when formed in its passage through the machine or
apparatus. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, are longitudinal elevations of different kinds or
designs of rollers employed in carrying out this Invention, with their respective
transverse sections 8, 9, 10, 11; but it will be understood that such a bed roller
or cylinder must be employed as would correspond with whatever design or
pattern may be required. For more perfect illustration it may be here
remarked, and will be evident, on reference to the Drawing, that the roller 4
would, in its revolutions beneath the spiral knives or cutters, cause to be pro-
duced a design of a stripe extending transversely across the cloth or fabric

page_text: under operation; the roller 5 would cause to be produced a design represent-
ing portions of a stripe extending transversely across the fabric; the roller 6
in its continuous revolutions would cause to be sheared or taken off by the
spiral cutters round dots or circles of the piled fabric, wherever the projecting
pins or pegs of the roller 6 present or press upwards such fabric against the
circular revolving spiral knives or cutters, the intermediate space between the
projecting pins or pegs allowing such parts of the piled fabric as may occupy
such space to sink below the surface of the projecting pins or pegs, and thus
remain unoperated upon by the spiral cutters. The roller 7, it will be observed,
has rings secured upon it; or it may be formed in the lathe by removing the
metal of the roller occupying such spaces as it may be desired to leave between
the projecting pieces or rings. The operation of this roller is somewhat dif-
ferent to those before described, inasmuch as the stripe or pattern, by the aid
of such a roller as Fig. 7, is caused to extend longitudinally throughout the
piled fabric, instead of, as before described with regard to the rollers Figs. 4,
5, and 6, being formed transversely on the piled fabric, or from selvage to
selvage.
The pile of the cloth or fabric to be operated upon is first to be produced
cropped or shorn in the ordinary manner, being consequently of an equal
length and evenuess throughout the piece; it must now be passed through the
machine, as indicated by the arrows (Fig. 2). The machine being now set in
motion, its action will be best understood by first referring to Fig. 2, where it
will be observed that the bed roller a employed in this instance is square, and
consequently has four right angular edges. It will be further understood that
these angular edges describe (in the revolution of the roller) .a larger or more
extended circle than any other portion of the square or flat sided roller or
bar a, so that it will now become evident, that as the piled fabric is strained
on and passes over the revolving roller a, the previous adjustment of the
roller must only allow the angles or edges of the roller to present the piled
fabric within the range of the revolving cutters; the effect of which will be
shearing or cutting of the stripe, or otherwise the removal of such pile as may
be presented to the cutters. The continued revolution of the roller now presents
to the cutters but its flat side, when the piled fabric is consequently withdrawn
from the action of the "cutters" and such portion left in its original state;
again the revolving roller presents one of its angular edges, and the process
of shearing or cropping is repeated, and thus throughout the entire passage of
the piled fabric through the machine or apparatus the fabric is alternately
presented to the action of the spiral cutters and withdrawn, thus effecting

page_text: the design of a sunken or indented stripe transversely from end to end of
the piece.
The action of all other rollers which it might be desirable to employ in
these machines would be precisely similar to the one above described, with
this exception, that where rollers are employed to produce a design or pattern
extending longitudinally or from end to end of the piled fabric, a perfectly
continuous rotary motion may be imparted to the roller employed, as already
described with regard to the "ringed roller," Fig. 7; but where it is desired
to produce a transverse stripe from "selvage to selvage," or part of a stripe, or
any other similar design or pattern, it is advisable to communicate, a "dwell"
to the main drawing roller, by which means, when the extreme edge or
periphery of the roller a presents the piled fabric to the action of the spiral
cutters, a momentary "dwell" is attained, which materially assists the opera-
tion of the spiral cutters or knives, by giving them time to effect a clear and
well-defined cut or indented stripe. To control this "dwell," a click wheel b
(Fig. 1) is employed, bearing upon the framing c, c, of the machine, and
secured upon the shaft of the drawing roller d; motion having been communi-
cated from the driving pulley e, is transferred along its shaft to the speed.
pulleys f, and thence to the pulley g; the shaft of the pulley 9 has secured
upon it the pinion h, which gives motion to the spur wheel i; from the wheel i
motion is given to the carrier wheel j, and through it to the pinion k, on which
is secured a slotted fitting 1; in the slot of the fitting a click m is carried,
working loosely and gearing into the click wheel b; a second click n is like-
wise employed to check any reaction of the click n. The carrier wheel j
likewise imparts motion to the spur wheel o, secured upon the shaft of the
bed roller or bar a. It will now be observed that the click or "taking-up
wheel "b, attached to the main drawing roller d, is worked by the adjustable
click m, so that any desired number of teeth may be "taken up' commen-
surate with the "dwell" required on the roller a, and in proportion and
accordance with the design upon the fluted or other roller employed. p repre-
sents the bed plate on which the revolving rollers are secured.
"
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in
which the same may be performed, I wish it to be distinctly understood that
I claim, the novel application, employment, and use of such or similar cylin
ders, rollers, or drums as above described in machines for cutting piled fabrics
for the purpose of producing, with the aid of the ordinary revolving spiral
cutters or knives, patterns or designs on such fabrics, in the manner also above
described; the cylinders, rollers, or drums, being so constructed or arranged

page_text: as to effect the production of a design or pattern on the piled fabric either
transversely and in the direction of the weft, or longitudinally and in the
direction of the warp, as herein particularly described and set forth, and clearly
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Mayo Worrall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JNO M. WORRALL. (L.S.)