IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING TOGETHER OR UNITING LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cotton, of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING TOGETHER OR UNITING LOOPED FABRICS."
Sealed the 4th January 1860, and dated the 13th July 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cotton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th July 1859.
I, WILLIAM COTTON, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING TOGETHER OR UNITING LOOPED FABRICS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of the improvements is, when connecting together the edges of
two or more looped fabrics, or the parts of such fabrics, or what is commonly
called seaming, pricking on, or grafting, and turning off, so to control the
motions of the apparatus employed, that the connecting thread may be con-
ducted through the loops of the fabric in consecutive or such other order
desired.
Machinery or apparatus as heretofore arranged by me, and since by others,

page_text: for connecting together or sewing parts of looped fabrics, have not had the
points holding the work and the other parts so arranged as to admit of the
connecting or sewing thread used passing through particular loops, and such
thread was only passed through or between such of the loops of the fabric as
might happen to come opposite the point of the needle.
be
In carrying out my improvements the points holding the work are set at
distances apart corresponding with the rows or lines of loops, or the "guage"
of the fabric, or in such manner that the uniting thread or threads may
conducted correctly through the desired loops. When adjoining loops across
the fabrics are thus connected, the connecting thread may form a looping
corresponding with that of which the fabric is composed. The times of the
needle or thread carrier are adapted to the step-by-step motion to the holding
means, or vice versa; and the hook or instrument which takes into the thread
as passed through the loops of the fabric, to hold a loop thereof, and place such
loop on to the needle at its next time of entering I, by preference, form double
so as to embrace such needle, by which I am enabled to traverse in either
direction, but I do not confine myself to so doing.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Cotton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAN
COTTON, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Cotton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Cotton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Cotton, 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 "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING TOGETHER OR UNITING

page_text: LOOPED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Cotton, my executors or administrators, by an instruinent in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 William Cotton, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:-
The object of the improvements is, when connecting together the edges of
two or more looped fabrics or the parts of such fabrics, or what is commonly
called "seaming," "pricking on," or "grafting," and "turning off," so to
control the motions of the apparatus employed, that the connecting thread may
be conducted through the loops of the fabric, in consecutive or such other order
desired.
Machinery or apparatus as heretofore arranged by me, and since by others,
for connecting together or sewing parts of looped fabrics, have not had the
points holding the work and the other parts so arranged as to admit of the
connecting or sewing thread used passing through particular loops, and such
thread was only passed through or between such of the loops of the fabric as
might happen to come opposite the point of the needle.
guage
"
In carrying out my improvements, the points holding the work are set at
distances apart corresponding with the rows or lines of loops, or the "
of the fabric, or in such manner that the uniting thread or threads may be
conducted correctly through the desired loops. When adjoining loops across
the fabrics are thus connected, the connecting thread may form a looping
corresponding with that of which the fabric is composed. The times of the
needle or thread carrier are adapted to the step-by-step motion to the holding
means, or vice versa; and the hook or instrument which takes into the
thread as passed through the loops of the fabric, to hold a loop thereof, and
place such loop on to the needle at its next time of entering, I, by preference,
form double so as to embrace such needle, by which I am enabled to traverse
in either direction, but I do not confine myself to so doing.
But that my improvements may be more fully understood, I will proceed,
aided by the accompanying Drawings, to describe the means pursued by me.

page_text: Figure 1 shews a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a sectional view,
of apparatus which I have found to answer in carrying out my Invention
other Figures shew some of the parts separately. In each of the views the
same letters are employed to indicate like parts wherever they occur.
a, a, are the points upon which the loops of the two portions of fabric to
be united are suspended. These points a, a, are set in the ring a', which,
according to the arrangement shown, is capable of rotating on the fixed table
or bed b, whilst all round on its upper edge it is formed with teeth a³ (only
some of which are shewn by the plan), which are taken into by the teeth of
the pinion c upon the axis c', which is supported so as to be capable of
revolving in the stationary bearings d, d, whilst at its other end there is
affixed to it the disc c, with pins, two of which embrace the edge of the
circular plate on the axis g; and this plate f is formed with a part of its
circumference at f', twisted as shewn, by which at each revolution, when the
part comes between two of the teeth, the disc will be moved a distance
equal to that between one tooth and the next, by which a step-by-step
motion will be given to that wheel, and thence to the ring a', to bring up fresh
loops. Motion is given to the axis 3 by means of a strap or band g', acting
on the pulley g affixed to that axis g, whilst the axis g is supported in the
bearings h, h. is the needle for conducting the uniting or connecting
thread j. The thread j, as fed from the bobbin k, passes through guides 1, 1,
and through an eye in the needle i, whilst the needle i is affixed by a set
screw to the bar i³, which is capable of sliding to and fro in the fixed
standards it, and it has a projection is formed at one end to receive one end
of the link to, whilst the other end of that link i embraces the crank pin i',
standing out from the crank g³, affixed to or formed with the axis g, and thus
in the revolution of the axis g, the desired to-and-fro motion is imparted to the
needle i to take the uniting thread ; through the loops of the fabrics to be
united. m is the book or instrument which takes into the loop of the thread j,
as passed through one pair of loops by the needle i, and hold such loop till
the next time of entering of the needle or thread carrier i. The hook or
instrument m is formed, by preference, double or of two plates 1, 1, and the
needle or thread carrier enters between them, in order that the ring a' may,
if desired, be able with equal advantage to travel in either direction. The
hook or instrument m is affixed in a plate m', which at its upper end is
suspended by the pin m² from the lever m³, whilst it is constantly borne

page_text: towards the needle by the spring m', one end of which is connected to the
plate m', and the other end to the standard m³, which also supports the
axis m of the lever m³. The end of the lever m³ opposite to that carrying
the instrument m carries a pin m', which is kept bearing upon the cam m³,
affixed to the axis g by means of the spring me; thus, in the revolution of the
axis g, the cam m³ will operate upon the lever m³, to give the desired up-and-
down motion to the hook or instrument m, whilst it is otherwise controlled
in its motion as acted upon by the spring m', causing it to bear against the
stationary piece m¹. The apparatus, as shown, is adapted to receive the
loops of fabric to be united on the consecutive points a, and the needle or thread
carrier enters opposite and under each of such points, and to facilitate the
correct entry of the needle or thread carrier into each pair of such loops, each of
the points a is formed hollow or recessed on the under side, so that the point of the
needle or thread carrier as it comes to a point a will pass into this hollow or
recess, and having thus been conducted correctly into the loops supported on
the point a, for the time in a line with the needle, and supposing the apparatus
to have been at work, so that the previous loop is held by the instrument m,
the parts will now be in the position indicated by Figures 1, 2, and 3, as also
by the separate diagram of the parts Figure 4. The needle or thread carrier
will then in its progress pass between the two plates 1, 1, of the instrument m,
as shown by the separate view of these parts at Figure 5, when the instru-
ment m rises, lifting the previous loop over the point of the needle i. The
instrument m in its further rising becomes altogether relieved of the previous
loop, as indicated by Figure 6, when it again descends, but by reason of the
slight bend given to it at its lower end, it now descends with both plates (1, 1,)
thereof by the side of the needle i, where the thread is lying, and so as to
pass between the thread for a new loop, and the needle by which, as the needle
is in the working of the apparatus drawn back, a new loop will be formed on
the instrument m, as shown by Figure 7, and then when the needle or thread
carrier has been fully withdrawn from the work, the ring a' will be moved with
the work suspended from the points thereof, so as to bring a fresh point a
opposite to the needle i, and the operations will be repeated. According to
the arrangement shewn, there are 32 teeth in the disc c³, 16 teeth in the
pinion c, 240 teeth a' in the ring a', and 480 points a; but these may be varied.
And whether for "seaming" or "pricking on," "grafting" or "turning off,"
the operator will simply have to take care that the pairs of loops which are in
succession to be united are correctly laid on to the respective points a, for the
time acting with the needle i.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the means
which I have found to answer in carrying the same into effect, I would have
it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown and
described, so long as the peculiar character of the improvements be retained
substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cotton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
JOHN WHITBY,
Nottingham.
WILLIAM COTTON. (L..s.)