IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Newton, of Brighton, in the County
of Sussex, Mat Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATS."
Sealed the 9th November 1853, and dated the 18th May 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION-left by the said Benjamin Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th May 1853.
1, BENJAMIN NEWTON, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, Mat
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MATS" to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in making mats in a matting
loom, the foundations being made on the principle of weaving cocoa
nut matting, but reversed, so as to place the twill or right side at the
back of the mats; by this process there is in the top a straight warp for
the thrum, the other parts of the warp form the twill back at the same

page_text: time during the process of making. The Invention is carried into
effect by reversing, so that in weaving the twill forms at the back of
the mats, leaving one shade of the warp on the top of the foundation
to thrum on
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 18th November 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
BENJAMIN NEWTON, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, Mat Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto mic, the said Benjamin Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Benjamin Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin Newton, 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 MATS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Newton, by an instru-
iment in writing under iny hand and scal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained

page_text: in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:
The nature of my said Invention consists in making mats in a
matting loom, with the foundations produced in the manner adopted in
weaving cocoa nut matting, but reversed, so as to bring the twill or
right side at the back of the mats; by which arrangement there is on
the upper side of the foundations a straight warp for the thrum, the other
parts of the warp forming the twilled back of the mat. This effect is
produced by reversing the ordinary arrangement of the parts of matting
looms, so that when the weaving takes place the twill will be formed
at the back of the mats, leaving one shed of the warp on the top surface
of the foundation to thrum on.
The looms which I employ in carrying my Invention into effect are
similar in construction to those ordinarily used in weaving cocoa nut
mátting; the arrangement of the harness, however, is reversed, as above
mentioned, in order to bring the twill at the back of the mats. This
reversal of the harness is effected by connecting the harness with the
treadles of the loom by means of cords passing over pulleys at the
upper part of the loom framing, and connected at their extremities
with iron rods or wires which pass down through the work, and
are connected to the treadles at their lower ends. By this means a
single straight shed of warp for the reception of the thrum is formed in
the upper portion of the work, and at the same time the twill is
woven at the back of the thrum.
Figure 1, of the Drawings annexed is a side elevation of a matting
loom arranged for carrying my Invention into effect. Figure 2, is a
transverse section of the same; and Figure 3, a back elevation, with a
portion of the warp removed. a, a, is the framing of the loom; b, c, d,
the harness for the different sets of warp threads; and e, f, g, cords
passing over pulleys h, k, (mounted in the top rail of the loomi
framing,) and connected to the rods l, m, n, which rods are jointed at
their lower extremities to the treadles o, p, q. r, is the warp roller on
which the warp threads are wound, and from which they are passed in
three sets through the harness b, c, d, and through the reeds, there
being three threads of warp through each dent of the reed, except at

page_text: .
each side or edge of the work, where two threads of warp only are
passed through the dents to admit of the formation of the selvages.
.
The mode of weaving with the loom as thus arranged is.as follows:-
The warps composed of cocoa nut fibre, hemp; or other material
suitable for the manufacture of mats having been disposed, as before
mentioned, and the thrum,' of whatever material composed, being
conveniently placeil for use, the workman proceeds to weave about two
or three inches of the material. without thrumming; he then depresses
the treadle p.. which, by means of the connections before described,
causes the harness c, to rise, and with it the straight 'shed of warp.
The weft is then thrown and driven up. by the reed s, and the thrum is
then placed on the straight shed, while thus raised, by hand or by means
of a grooved iron bar or rod; the thrum is, then pulled or beaten up to
the end of the shed by means of the reed s, or by the hands. The
treadle o, is next depressed, and the harness b; thereby elevated, and, at
the same time the treadle p; is allowed to rise, and the harness c, to
fall. The weft is again thrown, and the thrums are then cut by a knife
if the rod is used in thrumming, but if the thrumming is performed by
hand only then the thrums are cut with shears during the process of
'weaving. These several actions; combined with the throwing in of the
weft at the proper intervals, as well understood..hy weavers, effect the
binding in of the thrum and the formation of the twillant the back of the
work. In this manner the harness is alternately: raised and depressed
until the required length of mat has been produced; about three inches
of plain weaving is then formed, and the mat thus completed is cut ont
of the loon. The plain ends, when turned up and sewn through, form
the end thrums: of the mat, and give it the finished form. Instead of
cutting the mat out of the loom when finished; as before described, the
plain weaving may he continued to any required length, and by this
means mats may be produced partly plain and partly with a thrummed
surface.
1.
:
And having now described the nature of 'ny said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
as my Invention is,...
The manufacture of mats with woven foundations, having the twill

page_text: or right side at the back of the mat, and a straight single warp on the
upper side to receive the thrum, as before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
BENJAMIN NEWTON. (L.B.)