IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SEVERING THE PILE OF PILED FABRICS
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN FARRAN of 17 Trafalgar Square Brook's Bar Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SEVERING THE PILE OF PILED FABRICS to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to that class of piled fabrics wherein two pieces of cloth
are woven in the loom joined together face to face and the pile is produced by the
cutting or severing of the threads which join the faces of the two cloths, which
threads when severed form the pile.
The invention consists of an improved machine whereby the automatic cutting
asunder of the two cloths to form the pile is effected in a much more perfect even
and rapid manner than has hitherto been accomplished.
The main features of the machine are somewhat similar to the invention for
which Letters Patent were granted to me dated March 12th 1874. N° 899. in so far
as the cutting is effected by knives actuated by endless straps or bands running in
a transverse direction to the cloth, and cutting between two horizontal cutting
bars over and under which the two cloths are drawn tightly (as the cutting or
severance thereof proceeds) by means of two card-covered taking-up rollers.
According to my present invention, one of these taking up rollers is driven by
toothed gearing direct from the main driving shaft and the other (by preference
the upper one) is driven by friction gear; the object of this being to ensure the
same amount of tension upon the two cloths so that the one cannot have any undue
influence over the other, so as to cause either cloth to be pulled away from its
respective cutting bar and thus cause unevenness in the pile.
The cutting bars are carried on a strong rail and are mounted with both vertical
and horizontal slides so that they can be adjusted upwards or downwards either
together or separately so as to set them accurately and adjust them to the length
of the pile, and also to advance or retire them both together to adjust them to the
knives. This adjustment is effected by means of screws actuated by bevil gear and
turned by a hand wheel.
The knives are attached to carriers which run in an endless grooved "race
consisting of a front and back groove both parallel and extending across the

page_text: machine, and being joined together at each side thereof by means of a corre-
sponding semicircular grooved piece. The carriers are provided with springs to
give them a certain amount of lateral freedom in passing round the curved ends of
the grooved "race"; and also with other springs to hold the knife down firmly
onto the upper edge of the grooved race which forms the guide thereof and ensures
the passage of the knives accurately in the centre between the edges of the two
cutting bars above referred to, so that the pile will be cut perfectly level and
exactly the same length upon each cloth.
When a very long pile is required I sometimes employ a metallic comb at top
and bottom between the knife and the cloth, to hold the threads whilst being cut.
The carriers (with their knives) are caused to run continuously round the endless
grooved race by means of fingers which act against the carriers and are attached to
an endless strap, which strap passes around a pulley at each side of the machine;
the said pulleys corresponding in position and dimensions and being concentric
with the curved ends of the grooved race so that as the knives are carried
round the grooved race they pass along between the cutting bars severing the two
cloths, then round one curved end, back along the return groove, round the second
curved end and so on continuously.
"
"
As the knives pass round the curved ends they are sharpened by coming into
contact with revolving Turkey stones (or other suitable sharpening device) whereby
a sharp curved cutting edge is maintained.

page_text: Improved Apparatus for Cutting or Severing the Pile of Piled
Fabrics.
I JOHN FARRAN of 17 Trafalgar Square Brooks Bar Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Machinist do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR CUTTING OR SEVERING THE PILE OF PILED FABRICS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to that class of piled fabrics wherein two pieces of cloth
are woven in the loom at one time, joined together face to face, and the pile is
produced by the cutting or severing of the threads which join the faces of the two
cloths, which threads when severed form the pile.
The invention consists of an improved machine whereby the automatic cutting
asunder of the two cloths to form the pile is effected in a much more perfect even
and rapid manner than has hitherto been accomplished.
The main features of the machine are somewhat similar to the invention for
which Letters Patent for Great Britain were granted to me dated March 12, 1874
No 899, in so far as that the cutting is effected by knives actuated by endless straps
or bands running in a direction transverse to the cloth and cutting between two
horizontal cutting bars over and under which the two cloths are drawn tightly (as
the severance thereof proceeds) by means of two card covered or pin-pointed or
other suitable taking-up rollers,
Such being the nature and object of my said invention I will now proceed to
describe in detail the construction and operation of my improved apparatus, and in
order that the same may be more readily explained and clearly understood I have
annexed hereunto two sheets of drawings illustrative thereof and have marked the
same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof.
с
On the drawings Fig. 1. is an elevation (partly in section) of one side of the
improved machine. Fig. 2 is a part elevation of the opposite side of the same and
Figs. 3. 4. 5. 6. and 6* are enlarged views of the knife and its carrier as hereinafter
referred to.
Fig. 7. represents a plan view of the machine, a, a is the main framing of the
machine and b, b is the main driving shaft fitted with fast and loose pulleys;
c, and c¹ are the two card covered pin pointed or other suitable taking-up rollers.
According to my present invention as shown at Figs. 1. and 2 on the drawing
one of these taking up rollers c is driven by toothed gearing d d¹, d² d³ dª d³ direct
from the main driving shaft b, b, and the other c¹ (by preference the upper one
as shown) is driven by friction gear e, e; the object of this arrangement being to
ensure the same amount of tension upon the two cloths, so that the one cannot have
any undue influence over the other, so as to cause either cloth to be dragged or
pulled away from its respective cutting bar and thus cause unevenness in the pile.
The cutting bars f, f and g, g are carried on a strong rail h, h and are mounted in
vertical slides i, i so that they can be adjusted upwards or downwards, either
together or separately to adjust them to the length of the pile and the height of the

page_text: knives, and this adjustment is effected by means of screws k, k actuated by bevil
gear 1, and turned by a hand wheel m for setting the top bar f, f above and
screws, ¹, bevil gear, and hand wheel m¹, m¹ for raising and lowering the
rail h, h with the two bars together.
And the two bars f, f and g, g are also capable of sliding horizontally upon the
rail h, h so as to advance or retire them together to adjust them to or from the
knives. This adjustment is effected by similar screws k², k² bevil gear 12, 1 and
hand wheel m².
$1
"
The knives n, n are attached to carriers o, o which run in a horizontal endless
grooved race P, p consisting of a front and back groove both parallel and
extending across the machine and being joined together at each side thereof by
means of a corresponding semicircular groove p¹, pl.
The knife carriers (see detached views Figs. 3, end view, 4 side view, 5 plan
view) are made in three pieces o, o¹ and o², held together by bolts q, q fitted with
springs to hold the knife n, n firmly down onto the upper edge of the grooved race
Pp and still to give a certain amount of vertical clasticity, and the middle piece o¹ o¹
(see detached plan view Fig. 6.) is made in two pieces connected by pins and coiled
springs, to allow a certain degree of lateral freedom in passing round the curved
ends of the grooved race. Fig. 6x is an underneath plan view (partially in section)
of a modification of the knife carrier with the piece o² removed.
The piece o¹ is made in three parts and is fitted with four spring bolts q', q¹ the
knife being held down by two screw bolts. This arrangement gives still greater
elasticity to the carrier in passing round the curved ends of the race.
These arrangements ensure the passage of the knife accurately in the centre
between the edges of the two cutting bars f, ƒ and g, g above referred to; so that
the pile will be cut perfectly level and exactly the same length upon each cloth, or
when required the pile of one cloth may be cut longer than that of the other.
When a very long pile is required I sometimes employ a metallic comb at the
top (or at both top and bottom) extending the whole width of the machine between
the knife n, n and the cloth to hold the latter firmly against the rail or rails whilst
the pile threads are being severed.
The carriers 0, o with their knives n, n are caused to run continuously round the
endless grooved race p, p by means of fingers s, s see Fig. 7. which act against the
carriers o, o and are attached to an endless strap t, t which strap passes around a
pulley at cach side of the machine; one of the said pulleys being driven from
the main driving shaft b, b by means of the endless band v, v; the said pulleys u, u
correspond in position and dimensions, and are concentric with the curved ends
p, p, of the grooved "race," so that as the knives n, n are carried round the
grooved race they pass along between the cutting bars f, f and g, g severing the
two cloths, then round one curved end p¹ back along the return groove round
the second curved end p¹ and so on continuously; whilst the double cloth is being
constantly drawn forwards against the edge of the knives n, n by the action of the
two card covered or pin pointed or other suitable rollers c and c¹.
In some cases I propose to run the endless strap t, t beneath the grooved race so
as to afford a clear view of the work and allow of easy access to the cutting knives
and other working parts.
As the knives n, n pass round the curved grooves p¹ they are sharpened by
coming into contact with revolving Turkey Stones w, w (or other suitable sharpening
device) whereby a sharp cutting edge is always maintained.
The stones ww may be driven by means of endless bands from the vertical shafts
which carry the pulleys u, u as shown, or in any other convenient manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The general construction and arrangement of apparatus constituting a
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page_text: together face to face, so that the threads which unite the two cloths form (when
severed) the piled faces of two separate cloths, such improved apparatus being
constructed arranged and operated substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawing annexed.
Secondly. claim in such apparatus the combination with two card covered or
pin pointed or other suitable taking up rollers, and two adjustable cutting rails of
knives attached to carriers running in an endless horizontal groove arranged trans-
versely to the cloth, so that the knives will sever the pile threads and divide the
double cloth so as to form two evenly piled fabrics.
Thirdly. I claim the screws and bevilled gear for adjusting the two cutting rails
in a vertical direction either higher or lower simultaneously or to and from cach
other so as to set them to the length of the pile; and the screws and bevilled gear
for advancing and retiring the two bars together horizontally so as to adjust them
towards or from the knives.
Fourthly. I claim the employment of two combs for pressing the cloths against
the two cutting rails when cutting a deep pile substantially as described.
Fifthly. I claim the method of driving the taking up rollers, one by toothed
gearing and the other by friction gearing substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Sixthly. I claim the peculiar construction of the knife carriers substantially as
described and illustrated with reference to Figs. 3. 4 5 6 and 6* of the annexed
drawings and the method of actuating them by means of fingers attached to an
endless strap or band placed either above or below the grooved race.
Seventhly. The construction of the horizontal endless grooved race for guiding
the cutting knives and their carriers substantially as hereinbefore described, and
Eighthly. I claim the method of giving a curved cutting edge to the knives by
causing them to come into contact with revolving Turkey stones (or other equi-
valent sharpening device) whilst they are passing round the curved portions of the
endless race.
Dated thi. 02nd June of Manoh 1986