IMPROVE- THE MANUFACTURE OF FRINGES, AND OTHER PLAIN AND ORNAMENTAL FABRICS
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Crofts at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd September
1854.
I, WILLIAM CROFTS, of Derby Terrace, Nottingham Park, Lace Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
THE MANUFACTURE OF FRINGES, AND OTHER PLAIN AND ORNAMENTAL
FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to improvements upon arrangements of machinery,
and mode of working to produce weavings, for which Letters Patent were
granted to me, bearing date on or about the 1st day of April, 1858, and
whereby guides used for carrying and actuating warp threads are made
capable of moving towards, from, and past each other in such manner as to act
as shuttle races; and also admit of weft threads being introduced by a shuttle
when an angular shed is made, & by a shuttle or by guides when the guides
carrying the warp threads are moved away from each other, so as to leave an
opening into the shed; and whereby guides carrying warp threads are rendered
independent, so as to be actuated by jacquard or pattern surfaces in such
manner as at different times to produce different effects by their threads in the
weaving of a piece of fabric. The Specification of the said Patent describes
means, by which amongst other things several narrow or other breadths of
fabric may be produced at the same time, and my present improvements

page_text: consist in part in adaptations to and modifications of the working of such
arrangement of parts, so that fringes may be produced from the weft threads
in spaces between narrow and other breadths of fabrics. And also the present
improvements relate to the production of velvet and other pile surface in
ornamental pattern or otherwise upon such fringe fabrics, and also upon other
fabrics produced by means such as mentioned in the Specification referred to.
In arranging the machinery so that fringes may be produced, warps are
arranged at intervals along the machine; and in quantities suitable to the
width of back or selvage to the fringe, or other width of fabric which is to
have fringe formed with it.
The weft threads to form the fringes are carried by. weft guides, and
according to one mode, the spaces left between pairs of warp threads are equal
to two lengths of fringes, and the weft threads, to form the fringes are caused
in each case to traverse in or over the space left for that purpose between
such separate sets of warp threads, and at the same time to weave more or
less with the back or selvage edges or other fabric of which they are to form
part, and the length of fringe thus obtained between adjoining fabrics is then
to be cut across, producing two fringes; or the fringes may be obtained
separately to each back or selvage or other fabric, by the outer ends of the
fringes being held distended during the weaving by points or by suitable
lacing threads.
The weft guides are supplied with thread from rollers, spools, or other
suitable means; and extra weft guides may also be employed to carry extra
threads wholly or in part to produce the fringe threads. The different threads
employed may be of the same or of different colors, & several threads of
the same or of different colors may, if desired, be conducted through the eye
of any or all of the various guides.
The spaces between the separate breadths of warp will be supplied with a
shuttle race, or other suitable supporting and guiding means for the shuttle,
where guide bar weft threads are not used. In producing pile surfaces on such
fringe or other fabrics, the pile threads, when for producing plain pile work,
may be actuated by a bar, or by bars of guides; but when for figure or
ornament, they will be actuated by independent guides or instruments, which
at suitable periods cause these threads to be protruded through from the back
to the front of the ordinary warp threads in such manner as may be desired.
Pile wires or needles then move between such sheds of pile threads, lifting
them and forming loops or pile from the pile threads used. By passing
several threads together through the eye of each guide, a closer pile may be
obtained.

page_text: The various threads employed in carrying out this part of the Invention
may also be of the saine or of different colors, and the pile threads, when
actuated by independent guides or instruments, will be supplied from separate
bobbins or spools.
The ends of the pile wires used, if it be desired to produce cut pile, may be
formed with cutters, in order that their withdrawal from the loops may effect
the desired cutting open of the loops for cut pile or velvet; or the wires may
have a slit at the end of each of them, to receive cutting blades attached to
a sliding bar, which cutters will be caused to enter the slits, and traverse
therein along with the withdrawal of the bar of pile wires, and thus cut
the pile loops.
In carrying out my present improvements, I in some cases have one row
of the warp threads or yarus stationary, and passed through stationary guides
or sleas, when the other set of warp threads will be capable of passing these
stationary warps to open a shed on either side of them.