IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER CUT-PILE FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Thornton, of Nottingham, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS
AND OTHER CUT-PILE FABRICS."
Sealed the 14th May 1858, and dated the 16th December 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Thornton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
December 1857.
I, JAMES THORNTON, of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF
CARPETS AND OTHER CUT-PILE FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of carpets
and other cut-pile fabrics. For these purposes each loom is fitted with a bar
across the front, and this bar has affixed to it instruments on which the pile
warps are lapped; at the back end of each of these instruments there is an
incline, so arranged that the pile warp acting thereon is caused to ascend on
one side, and descend on the other side of such instrument. The weaving, in
respect to the throwing-in of the weft or wefts used, may be in the ordinary
The instruments are each formed with a groove near the bar, which
carries it, and in this groove is applied a knife or cutter, so that as the laps of
the pile warp around an instrument are driven towards the bar by the beating.

page_text: up of the work, the lappings of the pile warp on each of the instruments are
brought in succession under the action of the cutter or kuife, and they are in
succession divided thereby.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Thornton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th June 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
THORNTON, of Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing dato the Sixteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
nic, the said James Thornton, Her special licence, that I, the said James
Thornton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Thornton, 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, aud Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER CUT-PILE
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Thornton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my or
their or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describo and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what mannor 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 James Thornton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of carpets
and other cut-pile fabrics. For these purposes, each loom is fitted with a bar
across the front, and this bar has affixed to it instruments on which the pile
warps are lapped; at the back end of each of these instruments there is an
incline, so arranged that the pile warp acting thereon is caused to ascend on

page_text: one side, and descend on the other side of such instrument. The weaving in
respect to the throwing-in of the weft or wefts used may be in the ordinary
manner. The instruments are each formed with a groove near the bar, which
carries it, and in this groove is applied a knife or cutter, so that as the laps of
the pile warp around an instrument are driven towards the bar by the beating
up of the work, the lappings of the pile warp on each of the instruments are
brought in succèssion under the action of the cutter or knife, and they are in
succession divided thereby.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully to
describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an end view of the parts and the arrangement of parts which
are peculiarly to my Invention, together with such portions of an ordinary
weaving loom as will serve to illustrate the carrying out of my Invention.
Figure 2 shows one of the loop-forming instruments, and the cutter used there-
with separate from the other parts. a is a set of flattened wires or instruments,
which are furnished on their upper edges at the part (1), (1), with grooves,
over which grooves and dipping into them is the set of knives or cutting imple-
ments b. At the other end of each of the instruments a at the broad part (2)
there is a twist or incline, so that the pile thread c in rising passes on one side
of the instrument, and in its descent it passes down on the other and so laps
round the instrument; on beating-up the work, the loop or pile on each
instrument a is forced along the instrument a, as shewn at (3), and when the
loop on the instrument a comes to the point (4), or thereabouts, the loop is
cut by the knife or cutter. The points e are applied to aid in the safe and clear
opening of the shed. As soon as the pile threads have entered the points, the
points move from their position over the instrument a to the point (1), where the
points hold the pile threads until the reed c in beating-up comes near them,
when they are slightly raised and moved above to the point 6 out of the way of
the reed. The point bar e is raised and lowered by the endwise movement of
the small slide bar d, which has inclines on its upper edge, bearing against the
throats of the brackets e for that purpose. The motion from e to the point (1)
and to the point b, is communicated to the points by means of a lever and link,
or by other suitable connexion between the main shaft and the bar f, as is
well understood; and the endwise motion is given to the point bar, by means
of a slightly inclined slot at the end, in which a bracket attached to the point
bar moves. The knife bar g, which is carried by the bracket h, is caused to
move forward for the purpose of bringing into action the different parts of the

page_text: edges of the knives by the endwise movement of the small bar I, which is
supplied at the back with a succession of steps for that purpose. These steps
are reached by inclines, which have a bearing against the stationary brackets
h. By the same bar it will readily be seen, that by means of a lever or other
suitable communication with the shaft, action may be given to the knife bar
during the process of cutting. The slots J are parallel with the line of the
edges of the knives. The knife bar has also a bearing in a horizontal slot, by
which it is governed endwise. The instruments a are so formed as to ensuro
equality between the sides of the loops, and the knives are kept in the centre
of the grooves at the point where the cutting is effected by a more contracted
part. In the case of using circular knives, I prefer to have them slightly loose
upon a square spindle or shaft, so that they would be distanced and steadied by
the grooves in the instruments a, assisted by wires placed between the circles
on the upper sides. In cutting by this method it would be necessary that a
slight motion should be given to the shaft carrying the knives. The back of
the fabric may be of an ordinary kind. Varieties in the piled surface, however,
may be obtained by varying the sizes of the instruments a.
Having thus explained the nature of my Invention, I would have it
understood that I claim the combined apparatus herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Thornton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
HENRY BOSTOCK.
JAMES THORNTON. (L.B.)