Improvements in the Manufacture of Axminster or Chenille Carpets and other Fur Pile Fabrics and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 19th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 13th July, 1888
Improvements in the Manufacture of Axminster or Chenille Carpets
and other Fur Pile Fabrics and in Apparatus therefor.
We, ROBERT MORTON, of the firm of Alexr. Morton & Co. Manufacturers, Darvel
in the County of Ayr and GAVIN MORTON of Gowan Bank, Darvel aforesaid do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of Axminster or chenille carpets and similar fabrics as heretofore
practised the formation of the backing and the securing of the fur or pile thereto are
effected simultaneously in the process of weaving, and the thickness or weight of the
backing is limited by the thickness of weft which can conveniently be carried in a
shuttle, whilst the width of the fabric is determined by the breadth of the loom which
for this class of work cannot advantageously be made of great breadth. Our invention
has for its object to obviate these inconveniences and to produce Axminster or chenille
carpets and similar fabrics to any required width and of suitable weight, and it consists
in the manufacture of such fabrics by securing the chenille weft or fur in rows by
sewing threads on to a woven backing or a series of widths of backing, the stitching
on of the fur being effected by means of apparatus specially designed for the purpose
and constituting part of our invention.
In carrying out the invention the backing is stretched from a paced roll or beam on
which it is wound over a slab or table to a porcupine roll which serves to draw up the
fabric as it is formed. Over the backing on the slab or table is carried a needle bar
having in it a row of needles set to any desired gauge the needle bar being reciprocated
vertically like that of a sewing machine and the needles passing down through the
fabric and through holes formed for them in the table or bed of the machine.
The needle bar with its row of needles extends the full breadth of the carpet or
fabric to be produced and each of the needles carries a tacking or binding thread led
from a beam or bobbin over a take up bar to the eye of the needle. Underneath the
bed of the machine are fitted as many shuttles or loopers or their equivalents as there
are needles each shuttle or looper carrying the under thread and coöperating with
the needles to form stitches. The shuttles when such are used are made extremely
narrow and carry bobbins or spools, and they are operated in a manner analogous to

page_text: that in which the shuttles of a lace making machine are actuated, being reciprocated
across the row of needles so that they pass through the loops of the needle threads
when the needles descend and form stitches. One row or shot of the fur is stitched or
tacked on at a time, the fur being laid either by hand or by a mechanically operated
guide running from side to side of the apparatus and being properly placed by an
attendant in front of a pusher bar which is reciprocated horizontally in front of the
needles by suitable mechanism and beats up the fur against the preceding shot.
To obviate the necessity of combing up the fur the needles are only raised to about
midway of the thickness of the fur so that they form tracks for the needle threads
which lie in grooves or cut away portions of the needles and follow their points.
Whilst the needles are raised the backing is drawn forward by the porcupine roller to
the extent of the breadth of one fur shot and the pusher, which is grooved or indented
to make way for the needles, follows up the fur which is pushed to the back of the
needles. The needles then descend in front of the fur through the grooves or dents in
the pusher bar and through the backing, and the fur shot is firmly tacked down by
the shuttles passing through the needle loops to form stitches. The needle bar is
operated through suitable links or levers from cranks or eccentrics or other devices,
and the shuttles are or may be thrown by long pinions or grooved bars on each side of
the needles acting on teeth on shuttles. When loopers are used for the under threads
they may be carried upon a bar having imparted to it by suitable mechanism the
reciprocating and lateral movements requisito for the formation of stitches with the
needle threads.
In a modified arrangement the needles are turned so that the loops are all thrown
to one side of the row and a hooked wire is thrown across the whole width between
the needles and their loops to draw a double thread through the whole of the loops
thus tacking them all down.

page_text: manufacture of Axminster or Chenille Carpets
and other Fur Pile Fabrics and in Apparatus therefor.
We, ROBERT MORTON of the firm of Alexr. Morton & Co. Manufacturers, Darvel,
in the County of Ayr, and GAVIN MORTON of Gowanbank, Darvel, aforesaid, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
In the manufacture of Axminster or chenille carpets and similar fabrics as hereto-
fore practised the formation of the backing and the securing of the fur or pile thereto
are effected simultaneously in the process of weaving and the thickness or weight
of the backing is limited by the thickness of weft which can conveniently be carried
in a shuttle, whilst the width of the fabric is determined by the breadth of the loom
which for this class of work cannot advantageously be made of great breadth.
Invention has for its object to obviate these inconveniences and to produce Axminster
Our
or chenille carpets and similar fabrics to any required width and of suitable weight
and it consists in the manufacture of such fabrics by securing the chenille weft or fur
in rows by sewing threads on to a separately woven backing or a series of widths of
backing, the stitching on of the fur being effected by means of apparatus specially
designed for the purpose and constituting part of our invention.
An example of the apparatus referred to is represented in end elevation at figure 1,
in front elevation at figure 2, in cross section at figure 3 and in detail at
figures 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
In carrying out the Invention the previously woven backing A is stretched from a
paced roll or beam B on which it is wound over a slab or fable C to a porcupine
roll D which is rotated by suitable gear so as to draw up the fabric as it is formed.
Over the backing on the slab or table C is carried a needle bar E, having in it a row
of needles e set to any desired gauge the needle bar being reciprocated vertically like
that of a sewing machine and the needles passing down through the fabric and
through holes formed for them in the table or bed of the machine or in a guide bar E¹
secured thereto.
The needle bar E with its row of needles e extends the full breadth of the carpet or
fabric or width of the piece to be produced and each of the needles e carries a tacking
or binding thread fled from a beam or bobbin F over a take-up bar G and through
suitable guide eyes to the eye of the needle. Underneath the bed C of the machine
are fitted as many shuttles H, (or loopers or their equivalents) as there are needles,
each shuttle (or looper) carrying the under thread and coöperating with the needle
over it to form stitches. The shuttles H are made extremely narrow and carry
bobbins or spools I as seen particularly at figures 4 and 5; and they are operated in
manner analogous to that in which the shuttles of a lace making machine are
ctunted being reciprocated across the row of needles e so that they pass through the
oops of the needle threads when the needles descend and form stitches.
One row

page_text: or shot of the fur is stitched or tacked on at a time, the fur j being led from a reel J
and laid either by hand or by a mechanically operated guide running from side to side
of the apparatus whilst being properly placed by an attendant in front of a pusher
bar K which is reciprocated horizontally in front of the needles and beats up the fur
against the preceding shot.
To obviate the necessity of combing up the fur the needles e may be only raised to
about midway of the thickness of the fur so that they form tracks for the needle
threads which lie in grooves or cut away portions of the needles and follow their
points. Whilst the needles are raised the backing A is drawn by the porcupine
roller 1 to the extent of the breadth of one fur shot, and the pusher K, which is
grooved or indented as shown at figure 6 to make way for the needles follows up the
fur which is pushed to the back of the needles. The needles then descend in front of
the fur through the grooves or dents & in the pusher bar K and through the backing,
and the fur shot is firmly tacked down by the shuttles passing through the needle
loops to form stitches.
Figure 7 is a diagram representing in section the fabric as produced in the manner
above described.
The needle bar E is fitted on a framing E¹ which is reciprocated in guides E² on
the frame work L of the machine by means of levers M, which are operated through a
connecting link M' from a lever arm M2 having on it a pin or roller m fitted in a cam
groove in a cam m² on a shaft m² driven by gearing m³ from the driving shaft m the
said driving shaft being fitted with fast and loose belt pulleys m³, m; but the needle
bar may be operated from cranks or eccentrics or other devices. The shuttles H
which are fitted in guide grooves are thrown back and forth by long pinions or
grooved bars n on each side of the needles, acting on teeth formed on the under sides
of the shuttles. These grooved bars n are rotated alternately in one direction and the
other by means of pinions n' on their ends gearing into a rack N which is recipro-
cated in guides by à lever N whose end is acted on by a cam o on the cam shaft m².
To facilitate the passage of the shuttles H through the loops of the needle threads,
the said loops are opened up by spikes or ticklers pon a rocking bar P, which is
centred on the machine framing and operated by a lever P¹, from a cam on the
shaft m² to throw the ticklers between the needles and their threads, whilst an endwise
movement is imparted to the tickler bar P by a lever R acted on by a cam surface R'
on the cam m¹ to cause the ticklers to draw the loop threads laterally from the
needles and thus open the loops.
The pusher bar K. is fitted to reciprocate in guides on the table and is operated by
means of a cam S acting on a lever S¹ which is connected by means of a link S² to a
bar S3 on which are bell cranks connected to the pusher. A rod or bar T is fitted
over the pile fabric to prevent it from rising with the needles when they ascend
and draw up the slack of the tacking threads. When loopers are used for the under
threads they may be carried upon a bar having imparted to it by suitable mechanism
the reciprocating and lateral movements requisite for the formation of stitches with
the needle threads.
In a modified arrangement not shown on the drawings the eyes of the needles instead
of being placed in line are turned to be at right angles to that portion so that the
loops are all thrown to one side of the row, and a hooked wire is thrown across the
whole width through the loops i.e. between the needles and their threads to engage
with and draw a double thread through the whole of the loops which when drawn up
by the needles in rising serve to tack down the fur.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The manufacture of Axminster or chenille carpets and other fur pile fabrics in
the improved manner hereinbefore described.
2. A fur pile fabric composed of a backing separately woven and a surface covering
of fur subsequently secured thereto in rows by stitching or tacking threads, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 3. The combination of parts constituting the apparatus hereinbefore described for
use in the manufacture of Axminster or chenille carpets and other fur pile fabrics.
4. In apparatus of the kind hereinbefore described the combination of a series of
sewing needles and a series of shuttles or loopers arranged to operate substantially as
set forth.
5. In apparatus of the kind hereinbefore described the combination of a serios of
sewing needles, a series of shuttles or loopers cooperating therewith to stitch chenille
weft or fur upon a woven backing and a reciprocating pusher adapted to beat up the
fur, substantially as set forth.
6. In apparatus of the kind hereinbefore described the combination of a series of
shuttles provided with gearing teeth and a grooved bar or bars engaging said teeth
and operated to throw the shuttles back and forth between sewing needlos,
substantially as set forth.