IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOVEN AND PILED FABRICS."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Smith, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Mechanician and Cloth Designer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF WOVEN AND PILED FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th April 1877.
JOHN SMITH, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanician and Cloth
Designer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOVEN AND PILED FABRICS."
My Invention is applicable to the manufacture of the woven fabrics known as
corduroys, velveteens, plushes, and other piled fabrics made of cotton and other
fibrous materials, or of a combination of fibrous materials.
The object of my Invention is to produce a superior face, and to render the back
or foundation soft, pliable, and elastic, and therefore better adapted for making
wearing apparel.
In performing my Invention I employ a loom of the ordinary construction, in
which eight, or other convenient number of heald shafts for the warps are used,
and I use one or more shuttles for the weft, that is to say, when the weft for the
back and face are of different qualities or materials one shuttle is used for each.
The weft is floated over the warp and bound into the back to produce races of various
widths, and the races are cut in the usual manner.
The accompanying design represents one mode of interweaving the warp and weft
to produce my improved fabric, but the details can be considerably varied to suit
the particular sort of fabric to be woven, as will be more fully described in my
final Specification.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd October
1877.
JOHN SMITH, of Oldham, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanician and Cloth
Designer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOVEN AND PILED FABRICS."
My Invention is applicable to the manufacture of the woven fabrics known as
corduroys, velveteens, plushes, and other piled fabrics made of cotton and other
fibrous materials, or of a combination of fibrous materials.
The object of my Invention is to render the back or foundation soft, pliable, and
elastic, and therefore better adapted for making wearing apparel.
In performing my Invention I employ a loom of the ordinary construction, in
which eight or other convenient number of heald shafts for the warps are used,
and I use one or more shuttles for the weft, that is to say, when the weft for the
back and face are of different qualities or materials, one shuttle is used for each.
The weft is flonted over the warp and bound into the back to produce races of
various widths, and the races are cut in the usual manner.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of diagrains.
In all these diagrams the vertical lines represent the warp threads, and the
horizontal lines the weft threads; the crosses at the intersection of the lines denote
the foundation picks, and the short diagonal lines the pile picks.
The improved fabrics, hereafter described, are woven in looms of the ordinary
construction, and when the weft threads are of different colours or qualities, two or
more shuttles are employed.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 represent three designs for weaving ribbed piled fabrics of very
clastic texture with a deep pilo and with the face so covered that the foundation is
not visible. These designs are particularly applicable for weaving cotton and woollen
cords, or any other description of cords, and the fabrics so woven are stronger, more
durable, and less liable to tear than the ribbed weft piled fabrics made in the
ordinary manner. The foundations or backs of the fabrics woven according to these
three designs are similar to those of the fabrics known as the old Bath cords.
The designs, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, can be woven with eight healds, and tappets with
12 to the round.
Fig. 4 represents a design for weaving a ribbed pile fabric with 4 or other con-
venient number of healds having ribs equal in size to the common 8 shaft cords.
Fig. 5 represents a design very similar to that shewn in Fig. 4, but with fewor
warp threads. In drawing in the warp threads in Fig. 5, two-fold tens or a single
five is drawn into the dent No. 8, two twenties are drawn into each dent of No. 7
and 6, two tens are drawn into cach dent of No. 5 and 4, two twenties are drawn
in each dent of No. 3 and 2, and two tens or one five are drawn into No. 1. The
fabric produced has two ribs of the same size as a common 8 shaft cord.
Fig. 6 represents a design for weaving cords with woollen weft threads, and with
cight warp threads, partly of wool and partly cotton; the fabric produced having
two ribs equal in size to a seven shaft woollen cord. The woollen warp threads
are placed between the cords so as to give a good appearance, and to prevent the
light-coloured foundation appearing between the ribs. The fabric is thus rendered
warmer when made into wearing apparel.
The pile warp threads may be made with two twenties cotton, and will in
weaving sustain the strain from the weft, as well as if the warp threads were all
made of cotton yarn.
Fig. 7 is a design for weaving a woollen cord with 12 warp threads forming two
ribs or cords equal in size to the ten end woollen cords, which are made at
Huddersfield and the neighbourhood; in other respects this design is somewhat
similar to Fig. 6.

page_text: Fig. 8 is a design for weaving a fabric with twelve warp threads, six warp threads
to each rib, the ribs being equal to the twelve end cord woven in the ordinary
manner.
In Figs. 7 and 8 I use a reed of 22 or 24 dents to the inch, and with a two-fold
eighteens warp in a dent, or two-fold nines one in a dent.
In Fig. 8, if the foundation be woven alone without pile threads, a moleskin back
is produced.
Fig. 9 is a tic-up for weaving a cord with a Barathare foundation.
Fig. 10 is a design in which each warp thread acts as two threads; the ribs
produced are equal in size to the original 24 end cable cords, by using two-fold
nines warp, one end in a dent, instead of two-fold twenties, two in a dout.
Fig. 11 is a design for weaving a fabric with a foundation similar to Fig. 10,
but with smaller ribs.
Figs. 12 and 13 are tie-ups for weaving cords.
In woollen cords the light-coloured stripes between the ribs are completely hidden.
By means of the designs and tie-ups above described, fabrics are woven in which
the weft threads are floated over the warp threads, and bound into the back or
foundation to produce races of various widthis, and the races are afterwards cut in
the usual manner to produce corduroys, velvetcens, plushes, and other piled
fabrics.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described several convenient
nodes of carrying the same into operation, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the details given, as the same can be varied or modified, and I claim
the improved designs and tie-ups, shewn and described, or any modification thereof
for weaving corduroys, veletcens, plushes, and other piled fabrics with an elastic
back or foundation and a well covered facc.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Smith, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.