IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Whitehead, jun', and Robert Kay Whitehead,
of Elton, near Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Bleachers and Dyers.
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Whitehead and
Robert Kay Whitehead at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 28th May 1855.
We, JOHN WHITEHEAD, jun', and ROBERT KAY WHITEHBAD, of Elton, near
Bury, in the County of Lancaster, Bleachers and Dyers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING WOVEN
FABRICS" to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates, firstly, to such fabrics as are known by the name of
royal rib," or to others which have the like character of a ribbed texture, and
consists in raising the surface thereof by the operation of carding, or by other
similar means, and also shearing the same, whereby a velvety effect may be
produced.
Secondly, our Invention relates to fabrics which are woven with patterns,
and consists in finishing the same by the process of carding, or by other similar
means, in such manner that a portion only of the surface is raised. Thus,
suppose a fabric woven partly of the said "royal rib" and partly with stripes,
we operate upon the piece by carding, or by other such means, and also by-
shearing, whereby the face of the ribbed part will be raised.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Whitehead and Robert Kay Whitehead in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 28th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
WHITEHEAD, junior, and ROBERT KAY WHITEHEAD, of Elton, near Bury, in the
County of Lancaster, Bleachers and Dyers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Whitehead, junior, and Robert Kay Whitehead, Her especial license
that we, the said John Whitehead, junior, and Robert Kay Whitehead, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John
Whitehead, junior, and Robert Kay Whitehead, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS," upon the condition,
amongst others, that we, the said John Whitehead, junior, and Robert Kay
Whitehead, by an instrument in writing under our 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Whitehead, junior, and Robert
Kay Whitehead, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
26
Our Invention relates, firstly, to such fabrics as are known by the name of
royal or Paris rib," or to others of a similar character; the peculiar feature
required for the purposes of our Invention being a surface or surfaces of a
ribbed texture, and consists in raising the surface or surfaces thereof by the
operation of carding, or by equivalent methods. The fabrics may be manu-
factured by any ordinary means, the weaving thereof constituting no portion of
our Invention, and the machinery employed for raising may be similar to that
in common use for finishing fustians, and such like fabrics. The goods thus
treated may for some purposes be suitable for the market; but in order to attain

page_text: a superior effect they may be shorn, as is now practised in reference to fustians
and other fabrics. The "royal or Paris rib" above-mentioned is a well-known
trade term for goods which are woven with ribs, and we either treat one or
both surfaces as above described.
Secondly, our Invention relates to fabrics which are woven with patterns,
and consists in finishing the same by the process of carding, or equivalent means
in such manner that a portion only of the surface is raised. As an example,
suppose a fabric woven partly with the said rib and with intervening portions
of another fabric, the threads of which are not suitably arranged for being
raised, we operate upon the piece by carding, wheroby the face of the ribbed
portion will become raised. In like manner woven goods may be produced
with stripes or other devices of fustian, the intervening portions being such
fabric as aforesaid; the said portions of fustian will then be the only parts
raised.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be under-
stood that we claim, as secured to us under the above in part recited Letters
Patent,
-
Firstly, obtaining a finish to such fabrics as aforesaid by the process of
carding, or by equivalent means, whereby a raised surface or surfaces are
obtained, and whether they be subsequently shorn or not.
Secondly, in reference to fabrics which are woven with patterns, we claim
operating upon the same so that a portion only of the surface or surfaces shall
be raised, such portion being subsequently shorn or not.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Whitehead, junior, and Robert
Kay Whitehead, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.
JNO WHITEHEAD, JN. (L.S.)
ROBT KAY WHITEHEAD.
JNO WHITEHEAD, JN". (L.S.)
ROBT KAY WHITEHEAD.