IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF CARPETS AND OTHER ORNA- MENTAL FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Merrylees, of Paisley, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF CARPETS AND OTHER ORNA-
MENTAL FABRICS."
Sealed the 24th November 1857, and dated the 29th May 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Merrylees at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th May 1857.
I, JAMES MERRYLEES, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF CARPETS AND OTHER
ORNAMENTAL FABRICS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the weaving or manufacture of three-ply carpets
or other fabrics, produced by interweaving three plies of plain single cloth of
various colors or materials. It consists in constructing and arranging the
weaving or pattern-producing apparatus, whereby figures or devices differing
from each other may be simultaneously produced on the opposite side of the
fabric in such a manner as that patterns are produced of equally large extent,
in proportion to the number of needles in the'jacquard machinery, to those that
are produced by the machinery at present in use in the manufacture of three-
ply carpets. The patterns are produced by means of the simultaneous action

page_text: of two jacquard machines, of a construction similar to those which are in use
for "double-necked harnesses." Each machine is furnished with two comb or
draught boards, either of which by the action of a needle can be left at rest,
while the other is raised by the lever or handle of the machine. The said
fabrics are to be woven with a triple harness, tied in three pairs of "journals,"
or moveable sections of hole board, arranged as in the common three-ply
carpet loom; but the neck of the harness is to be tied in such a manner as
that both machines shall be capable of acting upon the warp of the first ply
of cloth, while one machine acts also upon the second, and the other on the
third. Supposing that a fabric is to be woven consisting of three plies of
cloth, white, blue, and red: in that case the white yarn is to be entered or
drawn through the eyes or mails of the harness that is tied in the first pair of
journals, the blue warp is to be drawn through the mails of the harness that
is tied in the second pair of journals, and the red warp is to be drawn through
the mails of the harness that is tied in the third pair of journals. The first or
white harness is to be tied with a double neck to the cords or tails which are
acted upon by the first draught board of both machines; the blue harness is
to be tied with a single neck to the tails which are acted upon by the second
draught board of the first machine; and the red harness is to be tied with a
single neck to the tails which are acted upon by the second draught board of
the second machine. The "cylinder" or barrel of each machine is of a
hexagonal form, and made sufficiently long to admit of a row of four holes
being made at one or both ends of the cylinder beyonds the cards. Four
needles are inserted in each machine, the points of which touch the space at
the end of the barrel. One of these needles determines which of the two
draught boards is to rise; the other three needles act on three cords, to which
the journals are attached. The holes for governing the shifting needles are
cut in the said space on the hexagonal barrel, so that the first and fourth sides
shall each raise the second draught board of each machine, and thus draw the
red and blue harness. The second and fifth sides raise the first draught board
of the first machine and the second draught board of the second machine, and
thus draw white and red harness. The third and sixth sides each raise the
second draught board of the first machine and the first draught board of the
second machine, and thus draw blue and white harness. Two designs are
prepared on ruled paper, one for each side of the fabric; these designs may
be drawn in the colours that are to appear in the woven fabric. The designs
thus prepared are ready for the card cutter, who takes twice as many cards
as there are to be shots of weft in one repeat of the pattern. He first
numbers these cards in sets of six cards each; numbers 1, 3, and 5. being

page_text: white, blue, and red cards, for the first machine; and numbers two, four,
and six, white, blue, and red, for the second machine. These cards are then
cut in pairs; numbers one and two for the white, three and four for the
blue, and five and six for the red, or any other colors used. in. the design of
the under side of the fabric. He then re-arranges the cards in pairs, putting
together numbers one and five, two and four, and three and six; and following
the colours in the design for the upper side of the fabric, he cuts in all the
pairs one and five the parts marked blue in the design, in the pairs two and
four he cuts in all that is red in the design, and in the pairs three and six all
that is white in the desigu; he then lays up the cards numbered one, three,
and five in one set for the first machine, and those numbered two, four, and
six in another set for the second machine. The weaver then places the cards
on a jacquard machine, observing that numbers one and two must come up
on the first or third faces of the barrel of each machine respectively, and by
having a treadle so mounted as to work the levers or handles of the two
machines simultaneously, the weaver will require only one treadle to raise the
three sets of harness and six journals, each in their proper places. It may be
proper to observe, that, instead of using two separate jacquard machines, it
may be found advantageous, in constructing the jacquard machinery required,
to combine the two into one compound machine. The foregoing arrangements
are applicable either to power or hand-loom weaving.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Merrylees in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MERRYLEES, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Merrylees, Her special license that I, the said James
Merrylees, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Merrylees, my executors, administrators, or 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,

page_text: 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 OR PRODUCTION OF CARPETS AND OTHER ORNAMENTAL FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James. Merrylees,
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 James Merrylees, 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,
that is to say:
My said Invention relates to the manufacture or production of three-ply
carpets or other ornamental fabrics, in which patterns are produced on both
sides by the interweaving of three plies of plain or tweeled cloth of different
colours or materials; and consists in a new or improved construction or
arrangement of the harness and jacquard or other pattern-producing machinery
of the "three-ply" carpet loom, whereby different patterns or devices are
simultaneously produced on the two sides of the said fabrics; and whereby,
instead of four levers being required for the machine and six levers for the
journals, as in the ordinary three-ply carpet loom, the whole apparatus can be
actuated or governed by one lever, which acts upon the jacquard machinery,
and through it both upon the journals and the harness, and thus greater
facility is obtained in the weaving of three-ply fabrics than in the ordinary
three-ply carpet loom.
The said fabrics are to be woven by the simultaneous action of two jacquard
machines, of the kind known as the "double-neck harness" machine, com-
monly used for producing large patterns in the manufacture of harness shawls:
The characteristic features of this kind or class of machine are, that each
needle is furnished with two eyes for acting upon two different harnesses or
necks of harnesses, and the cords which pass through these two eyes also pass
through two different comb or draught boards, and the said draught boards
are not directly attached to the levers of the machine, but are raised, by move-
able frames at the ends of the machine, attached to the said levers; and the
said frames are made to take hold of either one or other of the two draught
boards at pleasure by means of a needle called the shifting needle, the action
of which is governed by holes pierced in the cards or in the barrel of the
machine:

page_text: The two machines should be so placed as that the cards will hang over the
front of the loom, and they may be united together into one machine by
connecting together the parts which adjoin each other when so placed. Thus
the horizontal shafts which carry the levers or handles may be joined together
into one shaft of the length of both machines, so as that both machines can
be simultaneously operated upon by one lever or handle, allixed to the hori-
zontal shaft in the usual way. In like manner the cylinders or barrels may
be connected together into one barrel of the length of both machines, so as
to dispense with the sliders for carrying the lay or frame on which the barrels
are fixed at those ends of the two machines which adjoin each other, and
when the said sliders are removed a double frame with apparatus for lifting
the draught boards of both machines can be substituted for the two moveable
frames, adjoining each other in the centre. All of which modifications will
be apparent to the practical machine maker on seeing two machines of the
aforesaid kind or class so placed together in conjunction with each other.
The webs are to be warped with a thread of each ply in succession, the
same as for a common three-ply carpet, and there are to be three harnesses,
one for each ply, working through three pairs of "journals" or moveable hole
boards, with rows of knots on the harnesses immediately above the journals,
in the same manner as in the ordinary three-ply carpet loom; but the necks
of the harnesses by which they are connected with the jacquard machinery
are to be so tied as that both machines shall be capable of acting on the
warp of the first ply, whilst one machine shall be capable of acting also on
the second ply, and the other machine shall be capable of acting also on the
third ply. Supposing that a fabric is to be woven consisting of three plies,
black, white, and red: the red yarn may be entered in the eyes or mails of
the harness which works through the two back journals, the white yarn in
the harness which works through the two mid or centre journals, and the.
black yarn in the harness which works through the two front or fore journals;
the red or back harness is to be tied to the cords which work through the
back comb or draught board of the first machine, the white or mid harness.
is to be tied to the cords which work through the back draught board of the.
second machine, the black or fore harness is to be tied with a doublé néck
to the cords which work through the front draught boards of both machines;
that is to say, each cord of the harness diverges into two cords immediately
above the journal knot, and one of these cords is tied to a cord of the front.
draught board of the first machine, while the. other is tied to the corresponding.
cord of the front draught board of the second machine.
The barrel is to be constructed of a hexagonal form, and at the parts which.

page_text: impinge upon the two shifting needles there are to be holes pierced in such
a way as to cause the draught boards of the two machines to be raised in
proper rotation, thus both of these parts should be pierced on the first and
fourth sides of the barrel, so that either of these sides coming in contact with
the needles will allow the back draught boards of both machines to be raised,
and thus allow the cards to operate upon the red and white harnesses. The
second and fifth sides should be pierced only at the point which impinges on
the shifting needle of the first machine, so that when either of these sides
comes in contact with the needle's the back' draught board of the first machinė
and the front draught board of the second machine will be raised, and thus
the cards will operate upon the red and black harnesses. The third and
sixth sides should be pierced only at the part which impinges on the shifting
needle of the second machine, so that when either of these sides comes in
contact with the needles the front draught board of the first machine and the
back draught board of the second machine will be raised, and thus the cards
will operate on the black and white harnesses.
The outside sliders, which carry the lay or frame on which the barrel is
fixed, are to be placed a little further out from the ends of the machines than
is usual, so as to admit of a row of six stout needles at each end being
inserted between the said sliders and the moveable frames by which the draught
boards are raised. These needles are to govern the action of the six journals
by means of six strong cords at each end, which pass through the eyes of the
said needles, and by which the six journals are suspended from the upper
part of the machine. These cords are to be operated upon by a small comb
or draught board with the eyes reversed, fastened to the outside of each of
the two moveable end frames, and on the parts of the barrel which impinge
on the six journal needles at each end holes are to be cut or pierced upon
all the six sides, saving that one hole is to be left uncut on each side. Thus,
on the first side, the hole which is left uncut is to be opposite the needle
which governs the first black warp journal; on the second side, that which
governs the first white journal; on the third side, that which governs the
first red journal; on the fourth side, that which governs the second black
journal; on the fifth side, that which governs the second white journal; and
on the sixth side, opposite that which governs the second red journal; so as
that by the six sides of the barrel coming into contact with the journal
needles successively the six journals will all be raised one after another in
proper rotation.
The design for this kind or class of fabric is to be drawn on transparent
ruled paper, of which the number of perpendicular lines may correspond with

page_text: the number of warp threads, and the horizontal lines with the number of, weft
shots in one ply of the cloth. Two patterns are to be drawn, one on each side
of the design, so as that the design shall correctly represent the two sides, of
the cloth, one representing the pattern which is to appear on the under side
and the other that which is to appear on the upper side of the cloth. as it is
woven in the loom. In drawing the second pattern, the designer must avoid
using any colour or ply in those parts of the design where he has already made
use of the same colour or ply in drawing the first pattern; and in drawing
this second pattern he will readily see what colours or plies he is to be
restricted to, by seeing the colours of the first pattern shining through the
transparent paper on which the design is drawn. In cutting from this design,
the card-cutter is to produce two chains of cards, one for each machine, which
are to operate simultaneously, and each of these chains must contain a sepa-
rate card for every weft shot in the design. There will thus be six cards
required for producing on the cloth each successive horizontal line of the
design. These six cards may be numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the odd
numbers being for the first machine and the even numbers for the second
machine; Nos. 1 and 2 being the cards for the black weft, Nos. 3 and 4 for
the white weft, and Nos. 5 and 6 for the red weft. These cards are to be. cut
in two successive processes of cutting, and in the first cutting the card-cutter
is to arrange them together in pairs, according to the weft colour which they
represent, and cut on them the weft colours which appear in the first or under-
side pattern of the design. Thus, he is to put Nos. 1 and 2 together, and
cut on them all the black of this under-side pattern; then putting Nos. 3 and
4 together, he is to cut on them all the white; and then putting Nos. 5 and 6
together, he is to cut on them all the red of this under-side pattern; and in
this manner he is to proceed with every successive set of six cards, by which
the successive horizontal lines of the pattern are to be produced on the cloth.
In the second-cutting he is to re-arrange each set of six cards together in
pairs, according to the warp colour on which they are to operate, and to cut
on each pair the warp colour of that pair from the upper-side pattern of the
design. Thus, he is to put Nos. 4 and 5 together, because these both operate
on the black warp, and cut on them all the black of the upper-side pattern;
in like manner he is to put Nos. 2 and 6 together, and cut on them all the
white; and putting Nos. 1 and 3 together, he is to cut on them all the red of
this upper-side pattern. In this second cutting he must observe to cut each:
horizontal line on the same six cards as were used for the same horizontal
line in the first cutting, and he must likewise commence to read each
horizontal line from the same margin of the design as in the first cutting..

page_text: The cards being so cut and laced in two chains, Nos. 1, 3, and 5 in one
chain, and Nos. 2, 4, and 6 in the other chain, the weaver is to place them
on the barrel in such a manner as that the odd numbers shall always act on
the needles of the first machine and the even numbers on the needles of the
second machine, and so as that Nos. 1 and 2 shall always be carried by either
the first or fourth side of the barrel, Nos. 3 and 4 by the second or fifth side,
and Nos, 5 and 6 by the third or sixth side of the barrel respectively. The
whole of the journals and harnesses will thus be raised in proper rotation by
repeatedly acting upon the aforesaid lever, by which the motion is commu-
nicated to the jacquard machinery, and the said lever may be acted upon by a
single treadle in hand-loom weaving, or by suitable gearing in working by
power.
If it is desired to weave a fabric of three plies of tweeled cloth, a larger
number of journals, as for instance, nine journals for a three-leaf tweel, or
twelve for a four-leaf tweel will be required, together with a corresponding
number of journal cords and needles; and instead of the journal needles being
acted upon by holes left uncut on the barrel, these holes may be all cut and.
the journal needles acted upon by two small chains of metal cards hung upon
the two ends of the barrel, so as to cover the said holes and to impinge upon
the points of the said journal needles.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but 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 system of weaving or producing three-ply carpets or other three-
ply ornamental fabrics, whereby different patterns can be simultaneously pro-
duced on both sides of such fabrics through the united operation of two com-
partments of perforated card surface upon two compartments or sets of double-
eyed needles, which regulate the action of four combs or draught boards upon
one double and two single harnesses, so as to operate on three different warps
in proper rotation, in order to the simultaneous production of the said
patterns.
Second, the system or mode, in connection with the arrangements herein-
before described, of raising in proper succession by the jacquard machinery the
journals or apparatus by which the three plies are woven into cloth, indepen-

page_text: dently of the needles and perforated card surfaces which are required for the
production of the said patterns, and the concentration thereby upon the action
of a single lever or treadle of the motion or propulsion of the whole machinery
for governing the harnesses and journals, in order to obtain greater facility in
the weaving of said fabrics than in the ordinary three-ply carpet loom.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Merrylees, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-seven.
JAMES MERRYLEES. (L.S.).