IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILE AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lawson, of 2, Morris Place, Glasgow, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILE AND OTHER
FABRICS."
Sealed the 28th April 1857, and dated the 31st October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lawson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1856.
I, JOHN LAWSON, of 2, Morris Place, Glasgow, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILE AND
OTHER FABRICS" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in manufacturing terry or looped and plated fabrics
by fastening a face, consisting of worsted or other yarn, on to a plain back by
sewing the same thereto by machinery. When a terry fabric is to be made
pile wires are used, and they are placed parallel to the selvage of the back,
and the yarns which are to form the pile are laid across the wires, and are
attached to the back in between each of the wires by the thread of the sewing
machine, or, in place of looping the yarns over wires, the loops may be formed
on cords, or hoops, or otherwise. The terry fabric thus produced may be
converted into a cut-pile fabric by cutting the loops, as is well understood,
either by means of a knife on the end of the pile wire, or otherwise. When
a plated fabric is to be produced the yarns are laid transversely across the

page_text: back as when producing a terry fabric, and they are attached thereto by the
thread of the sewing machine in the same way, except that they are kept in
an extended state in place of being drawn into loops over wires, as in the
former case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lawson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LAWSON, of 2, Morris Place, Glasgow, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Lawson, Her special licence that I, the said John Lawson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Lawson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PILE AND
OTHER FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Lawson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 John Lawson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention consists in manufacturing terry or looped and plaited or
plain fabrics by fastening a face, consisting of worsted or other yarn, on to a
material to form a back by sewing the same thereto by machinery. When a
terry fabric is to be made, pile wires are used, and they are placed parallel to
the selvedge of the back and the yarns to form the face are laid across the

page_text: wires, and are attached to the back in between the wires by the thread of the
sewing machine, or in place of looping the yarns over wires, the loops may be
formed on cords, or hooks, or otherwise. The terry fabric thus produced may
be converted into a cut-pile or velvet fabric by cutting the loops, as is well
understood, either by means of a knife on the end of the wire or otherwise.
When a plaited fabric is to be produced the yarns are laid transversely across
the back, as when producing a terry fabric, and they are attached thereto by
the thread of the sewing machine in the same way, except that they are kept
in an extended state in place of being drawn into loops over wires, as in the
former case.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I now proceed to describe
the manner in which the same may be performed; and, first, the sewing
machine which I prefer to employ is one made on the principle of Thomas's
shuttle machine, but with a number of needles and shuttles working simul-
taneously and similar so far as the machine is concerned to that mentioned
in the Patent granted to Archibald Templeton and myself, dated 19th Sep-
tember 1856. The material to form the back is laid on the face of the
shuttle boxes and under the needles; the pile wires are next laid upon
this, and arranged parallel to the selvage; they may be held in their exact
position for the needles to work between by any convenient methods; that
which I prefer is to have them fixed to a thin metal plate, which will stretch
across the whole width of needles following the diagonal direction of the
latter; this bar is laid upon the material to form the back, and is screwed to
the frame of the machine at each side. Bobbins of yarns are next placed
upon a bank and wound off on to a roller.
side by side in a pair of clips, and sufficient is drawn off the roller to stretch
across the back from side to side; then another pair of clips is fixed across the
yarns, which are then cut off. The yarns secured, are next laid upon the
material to form the back, the clips resting upon carriages one at each side,
which being in connection with the motions of the machine are moved forward
simultaneously with the back, and the worsted carried over the wires at every
stitch of the needles; the metal plate from which the wires project is placed in
advance of the needles, and the wires are of such length as to extend, say, half
an inch behind the needles; thus there are always a few stitches holding down
the ends of the wires. When a plaited or plain fabric is to be produced, all
the above-described operations are the same, except that the pile wires are
omitted and the yarn for the face kept in an extended state.
The ends of the yarns are placed
I would observe that I do not confine myself to the use of a woven fabric to
form the back, as a felted stuff' will suit; also a layer of wool or cotton or other

page_text: material, or a series of threads of cotton, flax, or any suitable material, may
be laid in a position to form a back; the threads of the sewing machine uniting
them together and to the yarns which form the face; but my Invention consists
of manufacturing pile and other fabrics by placing worsted or other yarns
upon any suitable material to form a back, and fastening them together by
means of any suitable sewing machine, the yarns for the face being looped
over wires or other instruments, so as to form a terry or cut pile fabric; also
the forming a plaited fabric in a similar manner, only omitting the pile wires.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lawson, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.