Improvements in or Connected with Looms for Weaving Cut Pile Fabrics.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1887
Complete Left, 15th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th Apr., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Looms for Weaving Cut
Pile Fabrics.
1, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by H. Raymond Parmentier, of Paris, in the Republic
of France, Carpet Manufacturer, to be as follows:-
This Invention relating to looms for weaving carpets or other cut pile fabrics
consists in the employment of a self-acting knife or trevette acting in combination with
grooved pile wires as hereinafter described.
This knife or trevette with the mechanism directly connected therewith is arranged
above the pile wires being supported by a horizontal transverse bar of suitable shape
extending across the loom above the fabric and in proximity to the wires. On this
bar slides a carrier provided with a plate sliding vertically in guides in the said
carrier. This plate carries the knife or cutter and is supported when the knife is
out of action on a spring catch or support.
The sliding carrier is caused to travel across the fabric by a link and lever or
other suitable mechanism worked by the loom. The knife being held out of action
by the aforesaid spring catch the sliding carrier is first drawn across the fabric
to one end of the transverse bar and just before it reaches the end of its stroke
the sliding plate engages with a stationary projection at the same time as another
stationary stop acts upon and disengages the spring catch from the sliding plate
which then remains for a moment suspended on the aforesaid stationary projection
after which it drops and causes the knife to slide over a suitable projecting guide
which directs it into the groove in the wire where the threads are to be cut.
The sliding carrier is then moved back to the end of the bar from whence it started
and the knife or cutter is thereby drawn along the groove in the wire and severs the
pile threads thereon.
Just before the carrier arrives at its original position a pin or projection on the
sliding plate meets and rides up a stationary incline which causes the plate to rise and

page_text: the spring catch re-engaging with the plate maintains it in this elevated position with
the knife out of action as before. The position of the knife relatively to the wires can be
adjusted by suitable set screws and in the case of fabrics woven with slight wires
a slight pressure is applied to the wires by a supporting piece connected to or acted
on by a spring. A bent plate or pin is also employed to press on the first wire so as
to keep it straight being provided with recesses or notches for the passage of the ends
of broken threads in order to enable the ends to be connected to thread grippers
or holders the sides of which are provided with openings combined with a specially
arranged Ushaped spring appliance acting on the said openings for facilitating the
attachment of the ends of the threads above the fabric.
A claw acted on by a weight presses on the wire after the threads are cut so
as to maintain it in the proper position for engaging with the device employed
to remove it.
This apparatus cuts the threads with great accuracy and regularity without straining
or dragging them and is capable of being worked at a high speed being entirely
automatic in its action.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Connected with Looms for Weaving Cut
Pile Fabrics.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Henri Raymond Parmentier of Paris in the
Republic of France, Carpet Manufacturer and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relating to looms for weaving carpets or other cut pile fabrics
consists in the employment of a self-acting knife or trevette acting in combination
with grooved pile wires as hereinafter described.
This knife or trevette with the mechanism directly connected therewith is arranged
above the pile wires being supported by a horizontal transverse bar of suitable shape
extending across the loom above the fabric and in proximity to the wires-On this
bar slides a carrier provided with a plate sliding vertically in guides in the said
carrier-This plate carries the knife or cutter and is supported when the knife is out
of action on a spring catch or support-The sliding carrier is caused to travel across
the fabric by a link and lever or other suitable mechanism worked by the loom.
The knife being held out of action by the aforesaid spring catch the sliding carrier
is first drawn across the fabric to one end of the transverse bar and just before
it reaches the end of its stroke, a stationery stop disengages the spring catch from the
sliding plate which then drops and causes the knife to slide over a suitable projecting
guide which directs it into the groove in the wire where the threads are to be cut-
The sliding carrier is then moved back to the end of the bar from whence it started
and the knife or cutter is thereby drawn along the groove in the wire and severs the
pile threads thereon.
Just before the carrier arrives at its original position a pin or projection on the
sliding plate meets and rides up a stationery incline which causes the plate to rise and
the spring catch reengaging with the plate maintains it in this elevated position with
the knife out of action as before.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a longitudinal elevation of an automatic

page_text: cutting apparatus according to this invention applied to one of the looms for weaving
pile fabrics constructed by Messrs. J. Crossley & Co. of Halifax for example, and
figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in a different position as hereinafter
explained.
Figure 3 is a transverse section viewed from the left hand side and figure 4
is a similar section viewed from the right-hand side. These figures show only
so much of the frame and mechanism of the loom as are necessary to explain the
invention all other parts being omitted to avoid confusion.
This mechanical automatic cutting apparatus consists of an inclined knife a mounted
on a plate A sliding vertically in guides in a carrier B capable of sliding horizontally
on a guide bar C. C¹ of a length equal to the breadth of the loom.
1
On one side of the carrier B is a spring whose bent end engages in a catch
or notch e in the plate A when the knife is out of action as hereinafter explained.-
Near the left hand extremity C of the transverse bar or guide C. C¹ is fixed a
stationery incline E up which sides a pin or projection g on the sliding plate A just
before the latter reaches the position indicated in figure 1. and near the right hand
extremity is a stationery projection F which acts on the spring » and disengages it
from the notch in the plate A, when the carrier reaches that end of the bar as
indicated in figure 2-Below the projection F is a stationery guide 6 (figures 1, 2
and 4) presenting an inclined surface (figure 4) for guiding the knife a truly into
the groove in the wire on the descent of the plate A when the latter is released by the
spring This guide b may be either rigid or slightly flexible or yielding according
to the nature of the material to be made.
b
The position of the transverse guide bar C. C₁ placed across the loom immediately
over the table T supporting the fabric and pile wires i. can be adjusted relatively
to the table T by adjusting set screws v. v. working in suitable supports or legs and
bearing on the table T or on brackets attached to a cross bar or rod carried by the
frame of the loom-This guide bar is not mounted in an absolutely rigid manner but
is free to partake of a slight oscillating movement in order to enable it to accommodate
itself to slight irregularities in working and maintain the knife in the proper position
for acting on the material-With this object the guide bar C. C' is provided with
pendent weights c. c. suitably arranged and tending to maintain the front of the
guide bar in a vertical position.
When the self-acting knife is combined with looms such as those made by Messrs.
J. Crossley of Halifax as in the example illustrated the carrier B is connected by a
link to the oscillating lever D (figures 1 and 2) ordinarily employed to operate the
pile wires i.
In the case of looms which are not constructed with this oscillating
lever D the carrier B may be operated directly or otherwise by any other equivalent
or suitable moving part of the loom. In either case the action of the apparatus is as
follows:-
Assuming the parts to be in the position indicated in figure 1 the carrier B
is caused by the action of the lever 1 for example to slide on the guide bar C. C
from left to right, the plate A being supported during this movement by the spring r.
in such a position that the knife a does not come in contact with the fabric (indicated
at W) resting on the table T. When the carrier B is on the point of reaching the
other side of the loom (figure 2) the spring meets the stationery projection F which
arrests the motion of the spring while the carrier completes its stroke-This stoppage
of the spring has the effect of releasing the plate A which descends and brings down
the knife a into the groove of the first wire the point of the knife being guided into
the said groove with precision by the action of the incline on the guide 6 Figure 4-
Figure 5 drawn to a larger scale represents the knife a in the act of descending into
the groove in the first pile wire i. A small cam or eccentric o pivoted on the plate A
bears on the upper side of the carrier B and limits the descent of the knife-The
extent to which the knife is allowed to penetrate into the groove can be regulated by
means of this cam so as to prevent the cutting edge from coming in contact with and
damaging the wires.

page_text: When the plate A has dropped to its lowest position as indicated in figures 2 and 4
the carrier returns from the position indicated in figure 2 to that indicated in figure 1
thus moving from right to left and causing the knife a to cut the pile threads from
one end of the wire to the other-The knife moves with such rapidity as to enable it
to cut all kinds of threads even the hardest jute-When the carrier has returned to
the left side or first position as shewn in Figure 1 the pin or projection g on the
plate A meets and rides up the stationary inclined plane E and raises the plate and
knife and the spring catch reengages with the notch in the side of the plate thus
maintaining the knife out of contact with the cloth during the next movement of
the carrier from left to right. The reciprocating movements hereinbefore described
are repeated for each advance of the fabric this advance corresponding to the distance
between the pile wires measured from centre to centre of the said wires-The knife a
enters the groove and cuts the loops on each wire whilst the arm D is not acting on
the wires this being an advantageous condition for working as the vibration produced
by the arm would otherwise be liable to displace the knife.
When the loops are cut the wire leaves the fabric easily being completely disengaged
and the fabric is not liable to be dragged sideways as is the case when cutting wires
are employed and the working of the loom is smoother or easier.
In weaving with ordinary cutting wires, the cutting leaves much to be desired,
hollows or depressions are formed across the fabric together with other faults well
known to weavers, whereas with this cutter, the cut is perfect and the shearing
or shaving is only necessary to remove the loose fibres and may even be dispensed
with altogether when the best materials are employed.
This cutter leaves no threads or knots uncut but does its work so thoroughly that a
piece of string laid upon the fabric would be cut at the same time as the loops―This
cutting apparatus can be employed in the manufacture of all kinds of pile fabrics, as
Wilton carpet velvet plush and other materials-The dimensions of the apparatus will
evidently vary according to the construction of the loom for which it is intended and
the nature of the material to be cut-For example the length of the bar C. C¹ can be
varied and the knife arranged to operate on fabrics four or five yards or more
in breadth.
This invention can be applied to any loom at small cost and the knife is capable of
being worked at a high speed-No modification or alteration in the loom is required
and the apparatus can be fixed in position and removed without disturbing any other
portion of the mechanism of the loom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a loom for weaving cut pile fabrics an automatic or self acting knife
or cutter arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
2. In an automatic cutting apparatus for cutting the loops of pile fabrics as herein-
before set forth the combination of a plate A provided with a knife a and a notch e
with a carrier B provided with a spring and capable of sliding horizontally on
a guide bar C Ci substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In an automatic cutting apparatus for cutting the loops of pile fabrics as herein-
before set forth the combination of a plate A having a knife a and supported by
a carrier B provided with a spring and sliding on a guide bar CC with a stationery
incline E and a stationery stop F for alternately raising and lowering the knife in the
manner and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
4. In an automatic cutting apparatus for cutting the loops of pile fabrics as
hereinbefore set forth the combination of the plate A and the carrier B with an
adjustable cam or eccentric o and a guide 6 for regulating the descent of the knife

page_text: into the grooves in the wires substantially as herein before described with reference to
the accompanying drawings.
5. In an automatic cutting apparatus for cutting the loops of pile fabrics as
hereinbefore set forth the method of arranging or supporting the guide bar C. C¹¹
forming a guide and support for the carrier B the said guide bar being supported
on adjusting screws and provided with pendent weights c whereby the level of the
knife a is enabled to be adjusted with precision and its introduction into the groove
is facilitated substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 19th of M1 1000