AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS." A communication
from abroad by Leon Sival la Sorve, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1880.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex. "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS."
[A communication from abroad by Leon Sival la Servo, of Paris, in the Republic of
France.]
This Invention has for its object to produce in tulle and lace machines, and in
particular in "Leaver's " machines, all kinds of fabrics of close or open texture that
are now only made either by hand or in the loom, such as figured or embroidered
fabrics, ribbons, Indian shawls, tapestry, velvet, and the like.
The Invention consists mainly in combining in one and the same weaving
operation warp threads, weft threads, and bobbin or carriage threads, which are
interwoven one with another in various peculiar ways, and which each perform a
special function, namely, firstly, the bobbins or carriage threads serve to fix the
design according as they occur between certain of the warp threads, in order to
unite or interlace with the weft embroidery or figuring threads; secondly, the
warp threads which are stretched straight, as in ordinary looms, and which are
worked by jacquard healds, serve as the ground or foundation of the fabric, the
bobbin and weft threads being interlaced with them; and, thirdly, the figuring or
embroidery weft threads which pass over one or more of the warp threads, forming
the fabric by passing under the bobbin threads between certain of the warp
threads, according as the design may require, and operating either alone or in
combination with special figuring weft threads; these weft threads may also be
worked by jacquard healds, like the warp threads. If plain fabrics have to be
produced without jacquard apparatus, the healds working the warp and weft
threads may be actuated in regular order by means of cams or other known
mechanism.

page_text: The various descriptions of fabric that can be produced by these means may be
enumerated as follows:-Firstly, plain striped or chiné fabrics, according to the
design determined by each bobbin carriage or each two or three carriages.
Secondly. Fabrics with embroidery or figured on the surface, the embroidery
threads being secured by the bobbin threads between certain of the warp threads
alternately to the right and to the left, no cutting of the superfluous threads being
required, as in ordinary figured weaving in tulle machines. This is effected by
means of auxiliary threads that work continually either in the ground or in the
embroidery, according to the design, and beneath which are situated tho superfluous
portions of the embroidery or figuring threads that do not appear in the design,
and which being in front, could not otherwise be hidden from view. In like
manner, by the new mode of interlacing the threads, the embroidery or figuring
-threads can be transferred from one part of the fabric to another, no matter what
their position or colour may be, without the-floating-part.of thread appearing.
Thirdly. Fabrics produced by means of one and the same set of threads forming
the ground and the embroidery. This is effected by forming the weft by means of
the threads that are floated, as figuring or embroidery threads, either to the right
or to the left, the above described mode of interlacing and of employing auxiliary
threads being employed for enabling the variously coloured thread to be transferred
from one part to another without the floating parts appearing on the fabric. In
addition to theso three examples of fabrics, the further effect may be produced of
stopping the close weaving process at any point, to produce in combination there-
with open work of tulle or lace, such as is ordinarily produced in "Leaver's " and
other tulle and lace machines.
-In order to obtain fabrics of the above described nature, it is necessary on tho
one hand to employ the shoot or weft of the ordinary loom, and secondly, to render
invisible the interlaced parts either of the bobbin threads on the warps, or of the
weft threads on the hobbin thread. By these means fabrics are obtained that are
smooth to the touch and of greats solidity, resembling closely the fabrics produced
in ordinary looms, while they are superior to the latter in that they do not crease,
being more pliable on account of the interlacing of the threads, and that when cut
they do not fray. It will also be seen that by these means figured fabrics may bo
produced, having their back and front surfaces précisely of the same appearance, or
the two surfaces may even be made to present different designs.
For more readily understanding the essential feature of this improved manu-
facture, the warp threads may be considered as a barred grating, across the bars of
which the bobbin threads pass, in order to secure the embroidery or figuring weft
to them by interlacing with both. Or the weft threads may serve to secure the
bobbin threads to the warp by interlacing with them. The bobbin threads may be
passed either above or below the warps, but it is for many reasons advantageous to
arrange them above the weft between certain of the warp threads.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
January 1881.
CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lanc, in
the County of Middlesex. "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE FABRICS."
A communication from abroad by Leon Sival la Serve, of Paris, in the Republic of
France.
The object of this Invention is to produce by tulle and laco machines, especially
those known as "Leaver's," fabrics of close texture, such as are usually woven by
hand or power looms, for example, figured embroidered fabrics, ribbons, shawls,
tapestry, or velvets.
This is effected by modifying the method of operating with "Leaver" machines
without altering their construction or action. In order more clearly to explain how
the Invention is practised, I refer to Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings, as
shewing by a diagrammatic vertical section the character of the machine employed
for the manufacture of tulle, by the interlacing of two sets of threads, the one set
or weft derived from bobbins, and the other set constituting as it were the warp.
The bobbins are mounted in carriages c which slide to and fro transversely along
curved slotted guides d, each set of which form together a kind of comb, having in
the middle between them a longitudinal slot e, through which pass the warp
threads f coming from the beams g. Just before they enter the slot e, these threads
are caught in notches of the rules h, by which they receive the to and fro
longitudinal movements that guide them among the bobbin threads i, with which
they become interlaced. The crossings thus formed are fixed as meshes by the
introduction of the needles projecting from the bars k. When a machine of this
kind is used for lace, the rules have their movements governed by jaequard
apparatus, the warp threads being thus variously displaced, according to the
exigencies of the design. Hitherto all fabrics produced by these machines have
been of the open nesh kind; the present Invention consists in so applying these
machines as to produce close woven fabrics. This is effected by a sort of exchange
of the functions of the two sets of threads, the bobbin threads becoming as it were
the warp, constituting a grating, between and among the bars of which the threads f
are interlaced as if they were weft threads. According to the ordinary working of
the machines referred to the fabric produced is open, as illustrated by Fig. 2,
shewing openings between the bobbin threads a and the warp threads b. In operating
according to this Invention the fabric is modified, as indicated at Fig. 3, the warp
threads being made to pass a number, such as 5, of the bobbin threads a, so that
they become laid side by side, constituting a kind of weft, rendering the texture
close. In carrying out the Invention, the warp threads are arranged in two sets,
those of the one set remaining straight as warp threads, and those of the others
being made by jacquard action to pass as weft various numbers of the bobbin and
warp threads, according to the character of the design. Thus, there are employed
three sets of threads; 1, bobbin threads; 2, warp threads; and 3, weft threads, each
set having its own function.
1. The bobbin threads (indicated by the finer curved lines in the accompanying
diagrams, Fig. 4 to 7 inclusive), serve to fix the design according as they present
themselves among the warp threads to tie the embroidering or figuring threads.
2. The warp threads (indicated by fine straight lines in the Figures referred to) are
kept straight and tight, as in ordinary looms, and are engaged with the bobbin and
weft threads by their movements resulting from the jacquard apparatus, care being
taken to prevent them from showing undulations,

page_text: 3. The embroidering or figuring weft threads as they may be called are made to
pass, either alone or with others superposed, according to the design, one or more of
the warp and bobbin threads, their rules being governed by jacquard apparatus.
They may be coloured or shaded, as desired.
For producing plain fabrics, the rules which guide the warp and weft threads
receive regular movements from cams or otherwise.
may
--
By operating as above described fabrics of the following kinds can be produced:-
1. Close fabrics, striped or chiné, according to the arrangement of the harness,
which may be set to pass one bobbin, two, three, or more.
2. Close fabrics, embroidered or figured, by the passage either way of weft threads
over various numbers of the warp and bobbin threads. The design in these cases
requires.no_clipping, as additional threads are employed, which serve to conceal the
portions of the pattern threads-between_the_patterns. By properly arranging the
harness which works the rules guiding the warp threads, the pattern threads can
be made to appear and disappear at the intervals required by the design which is
thus produced without the clipping required in fabrics produced in the usual way.
By multiplying the numbers of warp threads between each pair of bobbins designs
of extreme delicacy can be produced.
3. Fabrics of which the same threads form the body and the embroidery, the
wefts for this purpose being made to move and knot in both directions, some:
constituting the body, while others are forming the design. By using coloured
threads appearing and disappearing, as already described, great variety of designs
can be produced. Obviously parts of the fabrics can be woven as open work with
the designs employed for tulle and lace, and thus stuffs can be produced combining
close and open texture. Thus it will be seen that in the method of operating
according to this Invention two conditions obtain,―
1st. Producing the effect of the weft in ordinary looms.
2nd. Concealing the necessary threads, either those of bobbins by the warp, or
those of the weft by those of bobbins. The fabrics produced as above described
are smooth and strong, resembling those produced by ordinary looms; they are:
extremely supple, and in consequence of the interlocking of their threads they are
not liable to fray when they are cut, the warp being held by the knots does not
draw out, so that there is no waste of stuff.
In order that the principle of action may be more clearly understood, the warp
threads may be conceived to constitute a sort of grating with the bobbin threads
crossing its bars, and by their crossings interlocking those bars with the weft
threads. The bobbin threads can be caused to pass either over or under the warp
threads as may be desired, but in arranging them so as to be retained on the weft
between the warp threads better work is produced.
The accompanying Figures 4 to 9 inclusive, give some examples of the methods
of interlacing, which might be multiplied indefinitely, but a few of which will now
be referred to.
1st. Stroke of weft double, treble, quadruple or other multiple, according as the
weft threads are caused to pass two, three, or more bobbins. There might be only
one such weft thread for every two, three, or four bobbins, but for good work
there should be at least two.
2nd. Double, treble, or multiple of weft either over or under. The warp also
may be superposed double, treble, or multiple.
3rd. Weft made to work figures by suitable harnessing, by which means any
coloured designs can be produced, since the coloured weft between patterns is
completely concealed. In harnessing there should be provided for each warp thread
at least one weft thread shooting to the right, and one to the left, or conversely.
4th. Work with double warp and double weft, the bobbin threads being
interlocked either with the front or the hinder warps, or with both, as desired.
Thus plain or figured fabrics can be produced with both sides alike, or with
different designs front and back. Openings can also be left in the fabric, and the
bobbin threads can be interlocked with warp threads by the weft threads passing

page_text: under the bobbin thread and over the warp thread, instead of passing the bobbin
threads always under the warps, as stated above. The latter method however is
preferable for the production of smooth, strong, supple, and rich stuffs, sound both
front and back. These results can be obtained by causing the threads to move
obliquely or for figuring, or as weft or as warp, and in consequence of the inter-
locking described the fabrics are strong and durable. In tulle machines, ospecially
those of the Leaver kind, having a large number of warp guides, a great number
of colours may be employed, as there can be a different colour for each warp guide,
and thus thero is a wide field for variety of design. As moreover the figuring can
be extended over the whole width, often three or four yards, the production can bo
rapid.
As stated above, this method of operating dispenses with all clipping or shearing
of threads, and thus largely economises time and material, besides giving greater
freedom of design. There may however be cases in which clipping may be resorted
to without affecting the general principles of action. Whatever be the number of
colours, either in warp or in woft or figures, there is no retardation, the action
going on the same as for plain stuffs, and as the warp and weft can be interchanged
at will, an indefinite number of shades and variations can be produced.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I claim,―
First. The heroin described method of producing by tulle or lace machines
fabrics of close texture, the warp threads or part thereof being for this purpose
interlaced as weft with the bobbin threads, or others of the warp threads, according
to the arrangement of the harness.
Second. Arranging the harness so as to cause, when required, the embroidering
or figuring threads to pass out of sight.
Third. The use of additional threads to conceal the required portions of the weft
threads.
Fourth. The methods of harnessing for the production of various characters and
designs of fabric, according to the examples herein described.
Fifth. The means herein described for dispensing with the clipping of threads
between patterns.
Sixth. The production by the means described of stuffs alike on front and
back.
Seventh. As new articles of manufacture, fabrics produced as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
CHA8. D. ABEL. (L.S.)
CHA8. D. ABEL. (L.S.)