IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING RIBBONS, FRINGES, TRIMMINGS, AND OTHER NARROW FABRICS." FABRICS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Aaron Lester, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick;
Ribbon Designer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING
RIBBONS, FRINGES, TRIMMINGS, AND OTHER NARROW FABRICS."
RIBBONS, FRINGES, TRIMMINGS, AND OTHER NARROW FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Aaron Lester at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd
March 1858.
I, AARON LESTER, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Ribbon Designer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
WEAVING RIBBONS, FRINGES, TRIMMINGS, AND OTHER NARROW FABRICS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention of "Improvements in Weaving Ribbons, Fringes, Trimmings,
and other Narrow Fabrics," relates to the manufacture of those fabrics in
which two or more fabrics of different colors or patterns arc-combined together
in one piece.
My Invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of ribbons of
this description, but the improved mode of weaving whereby the object of my
Invention is effected, is equally applicable to the manufacture of other narrow
fabrics where a combination such as that above referred to is required. Com-
bined fabrics of this description have been heretofore made by placing the two
warps side by side in the same reed and batten, and forming separate sheds,

page_text: through which the weft threads are thrown in succession. It will be evident
to a practical weaver that such an arrangement will necessarily make the pro-
duction of the compound fabric a somewhat tedious operation. The object of
my improvements is to facilitate the manufacture of such combined fabrics,
and to reduce the labor as well as economize the time required for their pro-
duction. To this end, instead of throwing the shuttles alternately through
their sheds, I propose to form both the sheds and throw both the shuttles
simultaneously. The shuttles are thrown through the sheds by means of pins
mounted on moveable or sliding bars, which are worked somewhat in the
manner adopted in ordinary ribbon or smallware looms. The pins for working
both shuttles in one direction are fixed in one bar, while the other corre-
sponding pins for throwing the shuttles in the opposite direction are mounted
in another bar of a similar kind, and the shuttles are transferred from the one
bar to the other, when passing through the sheds. This apparatus, I would
remark, forms no part of my Invention.
The sheds of the warps are formed simultaneously, by means of healds or
headles worked by levers or other suitable mechanical contrivances, well
known to practical weavers for actuating these parts of looms. It will be
understood that by driving the shuttles simultaneously in this manner the loom
will be somewhat simplified, and a power will be obtained of producing the
combined fabric in considerably less time than is now occupied in producing
such or other combined fabrics, and consequently a great saving of expense
and time must result.
It will also be obvious that either one or both of the fabrics of which the
combined fabric is composed, may be figured or ornamented by jacquard or
other suitable apparatus, and that fabrics of different kinds or qualities may be
combined; for instance, a silk or satin fabric may be combined with a gauze,
in any style or proportion that may be required, and the compound or com-
bined fabric may be ornamented with an admixture of sewings, fringes, or
trimmings.
The compound fabric first above described is formed of two or more narrow
widths joined together laterally, by means of any suitable number of tie warp
threads placed between the two warps for the purpose. For general purposes
two narrow fabrics joined together side by side, will be found to give a suffi-
cient amount of variety of appearance or pattern, but if desired three fabrics
may be combined in a similar manner.
A compound fabric may also be produced by placing two sets of warps one
above the other, and throwing wefts simultaneously through the two sheds,
provision being made in forming the sheds to tie the two warps together..

page_text: In case of requiring to produce in the loom merely a simple and ordinary
fabric, it must particularly be noticed that a single shuttle may be as readily
worked as it now is in the ordinary looms. Also that the shuttles may
be worked alternately or irregularly, as the pattern or style may render
necessary.
From this it will be understood that although by my improvements I am
enabled to produce combined fabrics, as above mentioned, yet the novel
arrangement of parts of the loom necessary to produce the desired effect does
not preclude the manufacture of simple or ordinary fabrics in the same loom
when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Aaron Lester in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AARON
LESTER, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Ribbon Designer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Aaron Lester, Her special license that I, the said Aaron
Lester, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Aaron Lester, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WEAVING RIBBONS, FRINGES, TRIMMINGS, AND OTHER NARROW FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Aaron Lester, 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 Aaron. Lester, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
My Invention of "Improvements in Weaving Ribbons, Fringes, Trimmings,
and other Narrow Fabrics," relates to the manufacture of those fabrics in
which two or more fabrics of different colours or patterns are combined
together in one piece. My Invention is intended to be applied more par-
ticularly for the manufacture of ribbons of this description, but my improved
mode of weaving is equally applicable to the manufacture of other narrow
fabrics where a combination such as that above referred to is required.
Combined fabrics of this description have been heretofore made by placing the
two warps side by side in the same reed and batten, and forming in succession
separate sheds through which the weft threads are thrown in succession.
It will be evident to a practical weaver that such an arrangement will
necessarily render the production of the compound or combined fabric a some-
what tedious operation. The object of my improvements is to facilitate the
manufacture of such combined or compound fabrics, and to reduce the labour
as well as, economize the time required for their production. To this end,
instead of forming separate sheds in succession from the separate warps, as
heretofore, and throwing the shuttles alternately through these sheds, I propose
to form sheds from both the warps at the same time, and throw both the
shuttles simultaneously through such sheds.
The shuttles are arranged in two or more tiers or rows, one above the other,
and are actuated or thrown simultaneously through the sheds by means of
pins mounted on moveable or sliding bars or rods, which are worked somewhat
in the manner adopted in ordinary ribbon looms for actuating single shuttles.
Supposing two tiers or rows of shuttles are employed, the pins for working
the shuttles.of both tiers or rows in opposite directions are fixed in the same
pair of bars. This apparatus as applied for working a single row or tier of
shuttles forms no part of my Invention, but when combined and used for
throwing two or more tiers or rows of shuttles simultaneously, as hereafter
described, it will be found to effect a considerable saving of time and labour.
The sheds of the warps are formed simultaneously by means of healds or
heddles, worked by levers or other suitable mechanical contrivances well
known to practical weavers for actuating these parts of looms, but instead of
so arranging and operating the levers and heddles as to form the sheds
alternately in the two warps, as heretofore, they are made to work together,
so that the sheds of both warps are formed at the same time. It will be
understood that by driving the shuttles simultaneously in the manner above

page_text: mentioned the loom will be somewhat simplified, as only two bars or rods with
their pins will be required to throw all the shuttles in both directions, whereas
in the looms heretofore used a pair of rods or bars is required for every tier of
shuttles. The fabric will also be produced in less time and with less labour
than usual. It will also be obvious that either one or both of the fabrics of
which the combined fabric is composed may be figured or ornamented by
jacquard or other suitable apparatus, and thus a great variety of pattern may
be produced, as the compound or combined fabric above described is formed
of two or more narrow widths joined together laterally by means of any
suitable number of tie warp threads placed between the two warps for the
purpose. For general purposes two narrow. fabrics joined together side by
side will be found to give a sufficient amount of variety, but if desired three
fabrics may be combined in a similar manner. A compound or double fabric
may also be produced by placing two sets of warps, one above the other, and
throwing wefts simultaneously through the two slieds, provision being made in
forming the sheds to tie the two warps together.
In carrying out my Invention I find it convenient and advisable to adopt a
different arrangement of the warp rollers to that usually employed. Instead
of passing the whole of the warps round one large guide roller, as heretofore,
I propose to divide or separate the several warps, and pass them round separate
rollers or bars, according to the number of warps employed. These bars or
rollers are made of glass, boxwood, or any other suitable material. By this
arrangement of parts I am enabled to place each of the warps composing the
compound fabric on a separate roller or beam, and thus to obtain in the whole
of the sheds the proper tension and proper angles required for working the silk
in an easy and efficient manner. The sheds will also be formed without
unduly straining any of the warp threads, as is now frequently the case.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn so much of a ribbon loom as
will serve to illustrate my improvements.
Fig. 1 is a transverse section, and Fig. 2 is a partial front view of a loom
in which there are two coloured warps and one binding warp, and consequently
there are two rows or tiers of shuttles; a is the stationary framing; b, the
batten suspended by the swords c. The two rows or tiers of shuttles are
shewn at d, d, and are placed one above the other and work in pairs. These
shuttles are actuated by the sliding rods or bars e, e, which are furnished with
pinsff, for the purpose of taking into holes made in the shuttles, as is well
known. These sliding rods or bars work the two rows or tiers of shuttles in both
directions, the one throwing them a portion of their race to the right and left,

page_text: and the other bar or rod throwing them the remaining portion of their race.
These sliding bars or rods are actuated by means of the belts or straps ġ, which
are driven by the levers and tappets h, i, in the same way as is now adopted
for driving a single row or tier of shuttles; k, k, are the coloured warps which
are brought from the rollers or beams 7 above, and are passed round guide
rollers or bars m, n, o. These rollers are so placed with respect to each
other, that when the several warps are raised and lowered by the heddles P,P.P,
for the purpose of forming the sheds for the shuttles to pass through, the whole
of such warps shall be equally distended, thus preventing any of the threads
from being unduly strained and the work from cockling up as it is woven. It
will be seen on referring to Fig. 1 that by thus arranging the warps the angle
of the sheds will be about the same in all.
The four front heddles p, p, by which the double shed of warps is produced,
are actuated vertically by means of the tappets q, q, operating alternately upon
the levers,, which on being depressed draw down the heddles, and thus by
the agency of the rocking levers s, s, above, produce an alternating recipro-
cating motion.
The operation of the several parts is as follows:-Let us suppose that it is
required to produce a ribbon or fabric composed of warps of two different
colors, say blue and red, arranged side by side.
A blue and a red warp are
wound on separate beams, and are arranged side by side in the reed, and
worked by distinct or separate heddles, and a third narrow warp wound on
another beam is placed between the blue and red warps, and has also its
separate heddles which are worked independently of the other heddles, but
simultaneously with them, so that by working a portion of this centre warp
in conjunction with the other warps, these latter will be connected together by
the weft threads.
The different warps being mounted as before mentioned upon separate
beams, the first one (say the red warp k) is passed from its beam down to and
under the roller m at the back of the loom, and through the reed as usual.
The other or blue warp k' is passed down to and under the roller o, and through
the reed, and the middle or binding warp 3 is passed under the middle roller n
at the back of the loom, and being passed through the reed between the other
warps serves to connect the two coloured warps together when the fabric is
completed. The blue and red sheds are formed by means of the heddles p, p,
which are worked by the levers 7, r, and s, s.
When the sheds are formed the shuttles d,. d, with the different coloured
wefts are thrown simultaneously through the shods by shogging the sliding

page_text: rods or bars e successively first in one direction (when they rise and cause
their propelling pins to enter into the respective holes in the shuttles), and then
in the opposite direction.
By this means the weft is put in both the sheds at the same time, and then
the sheds are changed and the shuttles are thrown back again. It will, of
course, be understood that in forming the red and blue sheds a portion of the
middle or binding warp 3 is always combined with the coloured warps, so that
the wefts may be thrown through it in order to bind the several warps
together at their edges, and thus form one combined fabric either of two
or more whole colours, or ornamented in any manner desired. The work thus
produced is passed over a guide bar or breast beam, and is conducted to the
work roller v, on which it is wound in the usual manner.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Weaving Ribbons,
Fringes, Trimmings, and other Narrow Fabrics," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured
o me by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein set forth of simul-
taneously forming two or more sheds from warps arranged side by side so as to
admit of two or more shuttles being thrown simultaneously through the sheds
so formed; I also claim the use and application of separate rollers or bars for
dividing the warps, so that when the sheds are formed therein the threads may
be kept at proper tension without any undue or partial strain, and the angles of
such sheds may be practically uniform or nearly so; I further claim actuating
the several tiers of shuttles simultaneously by a single pair of sliding bars or rods
arranged and fitted as above described, whereby the weaving of narrow fabrics
will be greatly expedited.
In witness whereof, I, the said Aaron Lester, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
AARON LESTER. (L.S.)