IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR WEAVING AND FOR CUTTING PILE FABRICS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Dean and Arthur.
Orrah at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 8th November 1875.
We, WILLIAM DEAN and ARTHUR ORRAH, both of Huddersfield, in
the County of York, Overlookers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR WEAVING
AND FOR CUTTING PILE FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the means of and apparatus
for weaving, and for cutting as woven in the loom or after removal
therefrom the velvets, woollen or cotton cords, or other pile fabrics.
Our Invention consists,-
Firstly. In the use of and weaving into the races of velvets;
woollen or cotton cords, or other pile fabrics, two or more conductors,
or guide wires, or conductor, or guide threads which are cut into
lengths, and one end thereof is secured at a distance behind the healds,
the conductors. thence passing through one or more healds and through
the sley, and afterwards secured in front of the breast beam of the loom.

page_text: "
The conductors are operated by means of the healds or other like
appliances, so that the said conductors are woven loosely in the grooves
ΟΙ races " of the pile as woven. We also employ a metal shaft
transversely across the woven cloth; in or on this shaft is a key bed, or
a projecting key lengthwise. This shaft receives a number of circular
cutters which fit easily on the shaft, so that they may readily be set or
adjusted thereon for cutting the pile weft, and to ensure the centre of
the weft being cut we insert one cutter in and between each of the two
conducting wires or threads referred to. The breast beam over which
the woven cloth passes is true planed or otherwise made true so as to
serve as a straight edge, and over which the woven cloth passes, and
over which straight edge or breast beam is placed the shaft and circular
cutters, the cutters being set as named heretofore; the shaft and cutters
are caused to rotate, and as the woven cloth passes over the breast beam
straight edge the pile is cut and the conductors are released or separated
from the woven cloth at the place where the pile weft comes in contact
with the cutters, the cloth is then wound on to the cloth beam in the
usual way. In some cases a "cut length" or more of the "conductors"
may be wound upon a beam, and the ends passed through one or more
healds and the sley, afterwards over a rod or roller of wood or metal
placed in front of the breast beam; at this point the conductors are
liberated from being woven further with the cloth by cutting the pile
weft, thus we place shields of metal or other hard substances over or
surrounding the "conductors," which at this point (the straight edge)
are separated and then carried over a roller or bar placed in front of the
straight edge, and connected with the woven cloth again which is being
wound upon the cloth beam, and so secure tension and regularity in the
position of the conductors which is essential to even cutting. Between
the said shields we introduce thin steel cutters to which is given a very
quick motion, and being placed in contact with the weft which forms
the pile cuts it...
The second part of our Invention consists in the application of an
improved guide or conductor for opening the races of pile fabrics before
the weft pile is cut, which guides are woven in the loom, or it can be
applied for the same purpose after the woven cloth has been removed
from the loom. These guides or conductors are made of two or more
straight pieces of steel wire tempered and braized together at both ends,
leaving most of the length unbraized so as to form a slot. In using

page_text: these guides during the cutting of the pile weft we insert into each race
or rib of pile one end of these guides, or when the guides are thus
inserted we place one or more rollers or bars under and over on the pile
cloth near to the fore part of the inserted guides so as to direct and
secure the regular passage of the fabric and guides, and to prevent the
guides from striking or penetrating through to the body of the fabric.
We then introduce into the slots formed in the guides (the points or
ends of which are the only part of the guides inserted) circular cutters
mounted on a cross shaft, the said shaft having a projecting key for
turning the cutters, and on a revolving motion being given thereto, and
the pile warp brought in contact therewith it is cut. This arrange-
ment is applicable in connection with suitable framework for cutting
pile fabrics after the same has been removed from the loom. In the
latter case we find an advantage by first stiffening the back side of the
cloth or pile fabric, thereby giving more firmness to the groundwork of
the races along which the guides traverse.
The third part of our Invention has for its object the securing
firmness of the shuttle box sides, which hitherto have been fastened by
means of bolts passed vertically through shuttle box sides, also
through the lathe going part or sley boards, and screwed underneath
with a nut; this method of fastening the shuttle box sides necessitates
constant readjustment and screwing up of the nuts with consequent
loss of time and labour, and prevents to a certain extent expeditious
weaving. In addition to the ordinary fastenings of shuttle box sides we
attach to the lathe going part or sley board sides metal plates formed
according to the shape of shuttle box sides to which they may be fixed
by means of screws, bolts, and nuts, or otherwise.