IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WEAVING SEAMLESS CORSETS AND OTHER SHAPED FABRICS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clayton Mewburn, of 169, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WEAVING SEAMLESS CORSETS AND
OTHER SHAPED FABRICS." A communication from abroad by La Société
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clayton Mewburn at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th July 1880.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WEAVING
SEAMLESS CORSETS AND OTHER SHAPED FABRICS." [A communication from abroad
by La Société Stiegler Jeune et Cargemel, of Bar-le-Duc, France.]
*Seamless corsets have sometimes been made on hand looms. For articles of this
nature and other analogous articles which have concave and convex forms at certain
points it is necessary to make gores or gussets, the production of which on the band
loom is comparatively easy, because as the manufacture of the gore progresses the
attendant gives successively less travel to the batten. When the material of the
gore is woven the material is brought up by the batten until it is a straight line;
the material of the gore is then taken by a presser or holder which keeps it forward;
the weaving for the whole width of the fabric is continued, and the gore is formed.
This method is not applicable to power looms because the lay (chasse) has always
the same travel. It has been attempted to apply the method by bringing back the
material in parts at each reduction in length, that is to say, at the different phases
in the formation of the goro, but the mechanisin was complicated and did not work
well.
Now this Invention consists in making in full the travel corresponding to the
production of the gore; when this travel is finished the presser or holder frees the
fabric, and the weight which tightens the warp threads brings up into a straight
ine the line of weaving stopped by the reeds; the shuttle then weaves for the
whole length, and the gore is made. The lengths woven in the course of the
ormation of the gore are as usual determined by the jacquard. This arrangement
llows of the employment of fly shuttles, which cannot be used with the ordinary

page_text: methods. The characteristic feature of this Invention is therefore the application
to power looms of a movable presser or holder which draws the fabric by the
action of the loom itself, as will be understood by the following description of the
mechanism.
The presser or holder is composed of a supporting bar connected to a frame,
which is free to oscillate on a horizontal shaft; this bar is fitted with an elastic
band, leather, cloth, or caoutchouc, on which is placed the fabric which the presser
or holder is to draw; the fabric is pressed upon the supporting bar by another bar,
which has teeth or notches to prevent the fabric slipping; this toothed bar is kept
pressed against the supporting bar by levers and a weight. To the frame carrying
the bars are fixed two racks with guides. A transverse shaft carries two pinions
gearing with these racks, and near its end it carries a toothed wheel which is loose
thereon. Near this wheel there is keyed on the shaft a rod traversed by the tail
of a hooked bolt, the nut of which carries a handle. The toothed wheel is moved
by the regulator of the loom. Supposing the frame and the bars are in their back
position, and the looked bolt be then tightened by means of the nut and handle,
the toothed wheel becomes fixed to the transverse shaft and under the action of the
regulator causes this shaft to turn. The two pinions and racks thus draw forward
the frame, and at the same time the fabric which is held between the two bars.
After the frame has moved a few inches the loom stops through the action of the
jacquard; the lay assisted by the hand, if necessary, takes up its position at the
end of its travel, and in this position it stops the fabric as soon as it bears against
the last threads woven of the weft; therefore without fear of the fabric receding,
the nut may be released; the toothed wheel becoming then loose on its shaft will
no longer retain the presser or holder, and if the attendant puts his foot on a pedal
so as to raise the toothed bar all the parts of the fabric which do not bear against
the reeds of the lay will do so. After having returned the presser or holder into
the position it occupied at first the material or fabric to be shaped can be formed;
the attendant then removes his foot from the pedal in order that the presser may
again take hold; then after having tightened the hooked bolt which fixes the
toothed wheel on the transverse shaft the loom is again put into motion to weave
a few more inches, as before.
Instead of the racks, before described, connecting rods, screws, or other suitable
devices may be used to transmit the necessary movement. The toothed bar may
be below instead of above the other bar; or a bar may be employed having pins or
points which are passed through the fabric, this bar, like that previously described,
receiving its movement from the regulator of the loom. Or a presser bar and a bar
with points may be used in conjunction with each other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Clayton Mewburn in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th January 1881.
"
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR WEAVING
SEAMLESS CORSETS AND OTHER SHAPED FABRICS." (A communication from abroad
by La Société Stiegler Jeune et Cargemel, of Bar-le-Duc, France.)
Seamless corsets have sometimes been made on hand looms. For articles of this
nature and other alalogous articles which have concave and convex forms at certain
points it is necessary to make gores or gussets, the production of which on the hand
loom is comparatively easy, because as the manufacture of the gore progresses the
attendant gives successively less travel to the batten. When the material of the
gore is woven the material is brought up by the batten until it is in a straight
line; the material of the gore is then taken by a presser or holder, which keeps it
forward; the weaving for the whole width of the fabric is continued, and the gore
is formed. This method is not applicable to power looms because the lay (classe)
has always the same travel. It has been attempted to apply the method by bringing
back the material in parts at each reduction in length, that is to say, at the different
phases in the formation of the gore, but the mechanism has been complicated and
has not worked well.
Now this Invention consists in making in full the travel corresponding to the
production of the gore; when this travel is made the presser or holder frees the
fabric, and the weights which tighten the warp threads bring up into a straight
line the line of weaving stopped by the reeds; the shuttle then weaves for the
whole length, and the gore is made. The lengths woven in the course of the
formation of the gore are as usual determined by the jacquard. This arrangement
allows of the employment of fly shuttles, which cannot be used with the ordinary
methods. The characteristic feature of this Invention is therefore the application
to power looms of a movable presser or holder which draws the fabric by the action
of the loom itself, as will be understood by the following description and the annexed
Drawings.
Figure 1 represents the appearance of a breadth of fabric for two corsets after the
formation of the reduced breadths of weaving corresponding to the gores to be
formed. It is then that the fabric is brought back by the presser or holder, and
that the line of weaving again becomes straight against the reeds, as shown in
Figure 2. The fabric is then woven the whole width, as seen in Figure 3.
The mechanism of the movable presser or holder is represented in front view in
Figure 4, in side view in Figure 5, and in plan in Figure 6. It is composed of a
supporting bar A connected to a frame, which is free to oscillate on a shaft N;
this bar is fitted with an elastic band, leather, cloth, or caoutchouc, on which is
placed the fabric O which the presser or holder is to draw; the fabric is pressed
upon the supporting bar by another bar A', which has teeth or notches to prevent
the fabric slipping; this toothed bar is kept pressed against the supporting bar by
levers R, S, T, and weights G. To the frame carrying the bars are fixed two
racks C with guides K. A transverse shaft B carries two pinions L gearing with
these racks, and near its end it carries a toothed wheel M, which is loose thereon.
Near this wheel M there is keyed on the shaft B (see Figure 7, which is on a
larger scale) a rod P traversed by the tail of a hooked bolt, the nut of which
carries a handle F. The wheel M is moved by the regulator of the loom. Supposing
the frame and the bars are in the position drawn in dashes and dots (-.-.), and the
hooked bolt be then tightened by means of the nut and handle F, the wheel M
becomes fixed to the shaft B, and under the action of the regulator causes this shaft

page_text: to turn. The two pinions and racks thus draw forward the frame, and at the same
time the fabric which is held between the two bars A, A'. After the frame has
moved a few inches the parts have reached the position shown in full lines; at this
moment the loom stops through the action of the jacquard; the lay D, assisted by
the hand if necessary, takes up its position at the end of its travel, as indicated in
dotted lines, and in this position it stops the fabric as it bears against the last
threads woven of the weft; therefore without fear of the fabric receding the nut
may be released by the handle F; the wheel M becoming loose on its shaft will
no longer retain the presser or holder, and if the attendant puts his foot on the
pedal H so as to raise the toothed bar A' all the parts of the fabric which do not
bear against the reeds of the lay will then do so. After the presser or holder has
been returned into the position it occupied at first the material or fabric to be
shaped can be formed; the attendant then removes his foot from the pedal in order
that the presser may again take hold; then after having tightened the hooked bolt
which fixes the wheel M on the transverse shaft the loom is again put into motion
to weave a few more inches as before.
Figure S is a section of the presser or holder on a larger scale; it is seen in the
position shown in Figure 5; there is only added at X an elastic band of cloth, felt,
or caoutchouc; o is the joint of the rack C.
Instead of the racks, before described, connecting rods, screws, or other suitable
devices may be used to transmit the necessary movement. The toothed bar may
be below instead of above the other bar; or a bar may be employed having pins or
points, which are passed through the fabric, this bar, like that previously described,
receiving its movement from the regulator of the loom. Or a presser bar and a bar
with points may be used in conjunction with each other.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention as communicated to
me, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The employment in machinery for weaving seamless corsets and other
shaped fabrics of a movable presser or holder for bringing back the fabric after the
work or travel corresponding to the gore has been finished, the said presser being
actuated by means of racks or other suitable devices, substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in the annexed Drawings.
Second. The manner of forming the fabric with gores by moving back the
presser or pin bar, substantially in the manner herein before described.
Third. Constructing machinery for weaving seamless corsets and other shaped
fabrics, as hereinbefore described and represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clayton Mewburn, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty sixth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and eighty one.
J. C. MEWBURN. (L.S.)