IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RUGS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thomson, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF RUGS."
Sealed the 15th March 1859, and dated the 12th January 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thomson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th January 1859.
I, JOHN THOMSON, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF RUGS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture or production of what are
technically known as "beam rugs," entirely or chiefly from jute or jute hemp..
In manufacturing rugs according to this Invention, the jute or jute hemp is
woven from a beam or beams in the ordinary manner of weaving other fabrics,
and the jute or jute hemp warp is subsequently cut in the process of weaving
to form the pile or shag of the rugs; the essence of the Invention being the
application and use of jute or jute hemp, either wholly or chiefly in the
portion of the warp which is made to form the pile or shag in the manufacture
of beam rugs.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Thomson in, the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th July 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THOMSON, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Thomson, Her special license that I, the said John Thomson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Thomson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and 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 MANU-
FACTURE OF RUGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Thomson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Thomson, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, that is to say
-
My said Invention relates to the manufacture or production of what are
technically known as "beam rugs," entirely or chiefly from jute or jute hemp.
In manufacturing rugs according to this Invention, the jute or jute hemp
warp is woven from a beam or beams in the ordinary manner of weaving
other fabrics, and the jute or jute hemp warp is subsequently cut in the
process of weaving to form the pile or shag of the rugs; the essence of the
Invention being the application and use of jute or jute hemp, either wholly or
chiefly in the portion of the warp which is made to form the pile or shag in
the manufacture of beam rugs.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe more particularly the nature of the said improve-

page_text: ments, and the manner in which the same may be judiciously carried out in
practice.
The kind of rugs which I propose to manufacture under my present
improvements are known in the trade and technically designated "beam
rugs," that is to say, these rugs are woven from a beam or beams having the
warp or warps wound thereon. Woollen rugs manufactured according to this
system or mode are, however, well known in the trade, the novelty of my
Invention being confined to the material made use of. In weaving rugs
according to my improvements, little or no alteration is required in the weaving
machinery from that ordinarily used for the same kind of goods. I prefer to
wind the warp which is used to form the pile or "shag" of the rug upon a
beam arranged at the back of the loom, and above a corresponding beam,
upon which is wound the warp intended to form the back or lower side
of the rug. The warp which is wound upon the upper beam and intended
to form the pile of the rug is composed of jute or jute hemp, which I use in
lieu of the more costly fibrous material, wool. The jute warp is prepared in
manner similar to wool, and is to be dyed or printed previous to being woven,
or the printing operation may be effected subsequently. The pile and body
warp is carried from their respective beams, and is passed through the heddles
in the usual manner. As the weaving of the rug is proceeded with, the jute
warp is cut through on the upper surface to form the pile or shag on the right
side of the rug. In this manner rugs may be manufactured at a cost far
below those in which wool is used to form the pile surface.
Although I have mentioned jute as the material for forming the surface
warp, I do not intend to confine myself to using it alone for this purpose, as
in some cases it may be expedient to mix other fibrous materials with the jute
to form the surface warp, and yet produce an article much lower in price than
those in which the more expensive textile materials are made use of.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had
occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made there-
from without deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention;
but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,
is,―
First, the system or mode of manufacturing rugs in which that portion of

page_text: the warp which is made to form the pile or shag is composed of jute, or Jute
hemp, either wholly or in part, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of jute, or jute hemp to and in the manu-
facture of "beam rugs," for the purpose of forming the pile or shag of the
rug, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine.
JOHN THOMSON. (L.S.)