IMPROVE- MENTS IN COMBINED RIPPING AND CLIPPING MACHINES FOR LAPPETS OR OTHER SPOTTED HARNESS GOODS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Dundas Smith Porteous, of Paisley, in the
County of Renfrew, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COMBINED RIPPING AND CLIPPING MACHINES FOR LAPPETS OR OTHER
SPOTTED HARNESS GOODS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Dundas Smith Porteous
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th October 1875.
1, DUNDAS SMITH PORTEOUS, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED RIPPING AND CLIPPING MACHINES POR LAPPETS
OR OTHER SPOTTED HARNESS GOODS," to be as follows, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to mechanism to be used for ripping and
clipping the loose surface threads of lappets and similar woven fabrics.

page_text: 66
In working the machinery or apparatus employed in carrying out this
Invention the uncut fabric is passed over tension bars and over a
straining or pace "beam or roller, then over another roller which may
be raised or lowered to suit the angle required in working. The fabric
is then made to pass under a row of feclers or fingers set on a bed or bar
at suitable distances, according to the divide of the pattern on the fabric
to be cut. These feelers or fingers enter the loops formed by the loose
surface threads as the fabric is drawn forward, and thus raise the threads
from the surface of the fabric, and press them against the lower surface
of a beam, by which they are held tight while a horizontal reciprocating
knife, traversing close under the feelers, cuts them from the fabric.
After the loops are cut the fabric passes downwards over a bed or bar,
then under a roller, and upwards over another bed or bar, where it is
clipped by a rotating spiral cutter similar to that commonly used in
clipping similar goods. The fabric then passes downwards and through
delivering rollers, and may be either batched upon a roller or delivered
on the floor in folds.
The ripping apparatus herein-before referred to is placed in front of
and at a lower level than the clipping mechanism, in order that the
operator may distinctly see the separate actions of ripping and clipping
whilst these are being performed, and also that he may be enabled to
inspect the fabric whilst on its passage from the ripping to the clipping
apparatus.
The reciprocating or ripping knife is carried on a sliding carriage.
provided with an internal bar, which together with the knife is casily
removed or withdrawn when the knife requires to be sharpened, or at
other desired times.
The beam against which the fabric is pressed by the feelers or fingers
whilst the thread loops are being ripped or cut, as herein-before described,
has a rising and falling motion, and it is so arranged as to be capable of
being quickly raised when a new piece of goods is being introduced into
the machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Dundas Smith Porteous in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DUNDAS
SMITH PORTEOUS, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
in the 39th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Dundas Smith Porteous, Her
special license that I, the said Dundas Smith Porteous, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, or such others as I, the said Dundas Smith
Porteous, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED RIPPING AND CLIPPING MACHINES FOR
LAPPETS OR OTHER SPOTTED HARNESS GOODS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Dundas Smith Porteous, 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 Dundas Smith Porteous, 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
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
My said Invention relates to mechanism to be used for ripping and
clipping the loose surface threads of lappets and similar woven fabrics.
In working the machinery or apparatus employed in carrying out my
said Invention the uncut fabric is passed over tension bars and over a

page_text: "
straining or pace "beam or roller, then over another roller which may
be raised or lowered to suit the angle required in working. The fabric
is then made to pass under a row of feelers or fingers set on a bed or bar
at suitable distances, according to the divide of the pattern on the fabric
to be cut. These fingers or feelers enter the loops formed by the loose
surface threads as the fabric is drawn forwards, and raise the threads
from the surface of the fabric and press them against the lower surface
of a beam, by which they are held tight while a horizontal reciprocating
knife, traversing close under the feelers, cuts the threads from the fabric.
After the loops are cut the fabric passes downwards over a bed or bar,
then under a roller, and upwards over another bed or bar, where it is
clipped by a rotating spiral cutter similar to that commonly used in
clipping like goods. The fabric then passes downwards and through
delivering rollers, and may be either batched upon a roller or delivered
on the floor in folds.
The ripping apparatus herein-before referred to is placed at a lower
level than the clipping mechanism, in order that the operator may
distinctly see the separate actions of ripping and clipping whilst these
are being performed, and also that he may be enabled to inspect the
fabric whilst on its passage from the ripping to the clipping mechanism.
The reciprocating or ripping knife is carried on a carriage provided
with an internal sliding bar, which together with the knife is easily
removed or withdrawn when the knife requires to be sharpened or at
other desired times.
The beam against which the fabric is pressed by the feelers or fingers
whilst the thread loops are being ripped or cut, as herein-before
described, has a rising and falling motion, and it is so arranged as to be
capable of being quickly raised when a new piece of goods is being
introduced into the machine.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood,
I now proceed more particularly to sot forth the system, mode, or
manner in or under which the same is or may be used or practically
carried into effect, reference being had to the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended the improved com-
bined ripping and clipping machine constructed in accordance wit

page_text: my said Invention is illustrated in elevation of the gearing end at
Figure 1; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the machine, which, as
indicated by the broken lines, may be of any desired width; Figure 3
is an elevation of the driving end; whilst Figures 4 and 5 are respect-
ively a detailed vertical section and plan of a portion of the apparatus,
these Figures being drawn to a larger scale than the others for the
purpose of more clearly illustrating certain parts of the mechanism.
As shewn by the Drawings the apparatus consists of two end
frames A, which are bound or held together by stays B. The driving
shaft C of the machine is carried in bushes or bearings supported on
the framings A; and on the said shaft fast and loose pulleys D and E
respectively are placed and driven by a belt or band from a prime mover
or from a pulley placed upon a motion shaft suitably situated for that
purpose. All the moving parts of the combined ripping and clipping
machine are actuated from the pulley D and shaft C by means of the
gearing shewn at Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings. The fabric, the
loose threads of which are to be cut, is passed into the ripping apparatus
over and under the tension bars F, which are situate at the front of the
machine. From the bars F the fabric is conducted partly round the
straining or "pace" roller G, which is caused to hold it in a state of
tension by means of the arrangement H (Figures 1 and 2), consisting
of a toothed wheel and detent or pawl a and of a friction plate <. The
amount of tension is regulated by the hand wheel I. The end of the
shaft or axis of the roller G being screwed, and a corresponding thread
formed on the centre of the wheel I when the said wheel is rotated, so
as to move inwards, it forces the friction disc against the face of the
wheel H with the requisite amount of pressure or frictional contact.
From the "pace" roller G the fabric is led over the eccentric roller
or bar J, which is capable of being raised or lowered to suit the required
angle in working, or to lessen the tension on the fabric when required.
The fabric after passing over the roller or bar J is conducted under a
row of feelers or fingers K set on the bed or bar L, as more particularly
seen at Figures 4 and 5, or otherwise arranged on the said bar or bed,
according to the pattern of the fabric being operated upon. These
feelers or fingers enter the loops made by the surface threads of the
lappets or similar woven fabric as the fabric is drawn forwards, and
raise and press the said loops against the periphery of the iron roller or
beam M, by which means they are tightly held whilst the horizontal

page_text: horizontal reciprocating knife N. The levers O are connected together
by a tie rod which, when it is desired to raise the roller or beam M, is
pulled downwards by the operator. On the axis of the roller or beam M
a hand wheel is also fixed, by turning which the operator is enabled
to simultaneously turn the said roller or beam and the roller or beam X
backwards or forwards whilst the machine is stationary.
The reciprocating knife N by which the ripping action is performed,
as herein-before set forth, is, as more particularly seen at Figures
4 and 5, bolted to a bar or slide which is supported on a table or
carriage m attached to the end frames A of the machine. The bar or
slide is so arranged that by withdrawing the screw or pin by which
the slide is attached to the reciprocating mechanism, as herein-after
set forth, the knife N when requiring to be sharpened can, together
with the slide, be withdrawn or removed from the carriage or table m.
Reciprocating motion is communicated from the driving shaft C to
the knife N by means of the bevil wheel p fixed on the said shaft, and
geared with the corresponding pinion on the horizontal shaft s. A.
friction plate or disc t is also fixed on the said shafts, against which
a friction pulley u placed on the vertical shaft v bears so as to rotate the
said shaft, on whose upper extremity a revolving disc wo is fixed, and
provided with a crank or eccentric pin which is coupled by a link to the
bar or slide whereto the knife N is attached.
The fingers or feelers K provided in conjunction with the knife N
are held in their proper positions on the bed or bar L by clamps x and
bolts and nuts y, Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings.
On the driving shaft C a small clutch pinion 1 is situated and con-
nected by means of the lever 2 and rod or link 3 to the belt shifter 4,
which latter is also connected to the rod 5 passing along the front of
the machine. By means of this arrangement when the operator slides
the rod 5 the driving belt is shifted from the fast pulley D on to the
loose pulley E, and at the same time the spur gearing which drives
the rollers or beams X and M is disengaged through the intervention
of the link 3, lever 2, and clutch 1. The revolution of the beams
X and M is thus instantaneously stopped, and the further feed or
onward progress of the fabric through the machine is thereby prevented.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the

page_text: same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that 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 general arrangement of the combined ripping and clipping
apparatus, substantially as herein-before described and shown on the
Drawings hereunto annexed, or any mere modification of such arrange-
ment, wherein the ripping apparatus is placed in front of and at a
lower level than the clipping apparatus, as and for the purposes herein-
before set forth.
Second. The combination of the carriage m, sliding bar 1, and
horizontal reciprocating knife N, as scen at Figures 4 and 5 of the
Drawings, and the employment of the same in ripping the loose
surface threads of lappets and similar woven fabrics, substantially as
herein before described.
Third. The rising and falling beam or roller M against which the
threads constituting the loops are held whilst being ripped by the
knife N, substantially as herein-before described with reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Dundas Smith Porteous, have
hercunto set my hand and scal, this Thirteenth day of April
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
DUNDAS SMITH PORTEOUS. (L.S.)