IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER PILED FABRICS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lawson, of 2, Morris Place, Glasgow, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND
OTHER PILED FABRICS."
Sealed the 5th December 1862, and dated the 21st June 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lawson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st June 1862..
1, JOHN LAWSON, of 2, Morris Place, Glasgow, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS
AND OTHER PILED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
carpets and other piled fabrics. For this purpose, in producing a piled
figured fabric, I employ a ground warp distended as is usual between a
warp beam and another beam or roller on which the fabric when
finished is wound. This warp is arranged, by preference, in a vertical
position, and is threaded through harness, by which it can be divided
into sheds for the passage of a shuttle. For the pile yarn I employ as
many beams as there are rows in the pattern, and I wind on each of these
beams colored yarns, the colors on each beam being arranged to succeed each
other in the same order as they do in the row of the pattern to which the
beam corresponds. Each of the pile yarn beams has attached to it a row of
needles, and each pile yarn is threaded through the eye of a corresponding
needle, a short length of the yarn hanging down below the eye of the needle.
When, in the process of working, it is desired to tye the pile yarn into the
fabric, and produce with it a row of pile tufts, corresponding with one row or
line of the pattern, the pile yarn beam corresponding with this row or line is
brought forward, and its needles are caused to pass through the warp, carrying
Price 8d.1

page_text: the ends of their pile yarns with them sufficiently far to be clear of the vertical
warp; a shoot of weft is then thrown in, and the needles having moved back
out of the way, the weft is beaten up upon the pile yarn which has been
placed through the ground warp in the manner above described. Then the
needles of the same pile yarn beam are again passed through the ground
warp, carrying loops of the pile yarn with them, and a pile wire is entered
through these loops; afterwards another shoot of weft is thrown in, which,
"when the needles are withdrawn out of the way, is beaten up. A suitable
cutting apparatus then divides the loops of pile yarn over the wire, and the
pile beam in receding draws out the loose ends of pile yarn, leaving the loops
in the fabric; the tufts to form the next row of the pattern are then similarly
produced by another pile beam, and so on.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lawson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
December 1862.
TO ALL. TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, JOHN
LAWSON, of 2, Morris Place, Glasgow, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two,in the twenty-sixth year of Herreign,did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Lawson, Her special licence that I, the said John Lawson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Lawson,
my executors, administrators, and 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, 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 MANU-
FACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER PILED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Lawsou, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 John Lawson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the 'manufacture of
carpets and other piled fabrics. For this purpose, in producing a piled
figured fabric, I employ a ground warp distended, as is usual, between a warp
beam and another beam or roller, on which the fabric, when finished, is wound..
This warp is arranged, by preference, in a vertical position, and is threaded
through harness, by which it can be divided into sheds for the passage of a
shuttle. For the pile yarn, I employ as many beams as there are rows in the
pattern, and I wind on each of these beams colored yarns, the colors on each
beam being arranged to succeed each other in the same order as they do in
the row of the pattern to which the beam corresponds. Each of the pile yarn
beams has attached to it a row of needles, and each pile yarn is threaded
through the eye of a corresponding needle, a short length of the yarn hanging
down below the eye of the needle. When, in the process of working, it is
desired to tie the pile yarn into the fabric, and produce with it a row of pile
turfs, corresponding with one row or line of the pattern, the pile yarn beam
corresponding with this row or line is brought forward, and its needles are
caused to pass through the warp, carrying the ends of their pile yarns with
them sufficiently far to be clear of the vertical warp; a shoot of weft is
then thrown in, and the needles having moved back out of the way, the weft
is beaten up upon the pile yarn, which has been placed through the ground
in the manner above described. Then the needles of the same pile yarn
beam are again passed through the ground warp, carrying loops of the pile
yarn with them, and a pile wire is entered through these loops. Afterward
another shoot of weft is thrown in, which, when the needles are withdrawn
out of the way, is beaten up.. A suitable cutting apparatus then divides the
loops of pile yarn over tlie wire, and the pile beam, in receding, draws out the
loose ends of pile yarn, leaving the loops in the fabric. The tufts to form the
next row of the pattern are then similarly produced by another pile-beam, and
warp
so on.
Andin order that my said Invention maybe most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
Figure 1 is a front view, and Figure 2 a transverse section, of one of the
beams which I employ for holding the pile yarn. a, a, is a bar, having at its
ends bearings to receive the axis of the roller b, on which the pile yarn is
regularly wound, in the same manner as the warp for a fabric is commonly

page_text: wound on the warp beam, the colors of the yarns corresponding with those in
that line of the pattern which the beam is to be employed in producing; c, c,
are guides on the bar a, through which the yarns are threaded in regular
order; d, d, are needles projecting from the front of the bar a; the distances
between these needles correspond with those between the dents of the reed of
the loom. Each needle has an eye d¹at its end, and has its yarn threaded
through it, as is shown; the axes of the roller bare so carried, that
the roller shall not turn with too great facility, but only when some force is
applied to draw the yarn off from it. Figure 3 shows a front view, on a
smaller scale, of one of the yarn beams."
Figures 4,5, and 6, are diagrams showing in progressive stages the method
in which the pile fabric is produced. In these diagrams a is the work beam;
b, a portion of fabric already completed; c, the warp, capable of being divided
by harness into two parts to form a shed in the usual manner; is the
shuttle, and e one of the pile yarn beams, with the ends of the yarn hanging
from it at e¹. In Figure 4, the workman having by treddles connected with
the harness, as is usual, divided the warp into two parts to form a shed,
the needles of the yarn beam are entered through the warp in their proper
places, carrying the ends of the pile yarns with them; then the shuttle is
thrown across, the needles are drawn back just clear of the warp, and the weft
beaten up by the batten; then the yarn beam is further drawn back, according
to a gauge, with which the workman is furnished, until only enough of the
pile yarn is left projecting through the fabric to produce the pile required.
This being done another shed is opened, and the needles are again protruded
through the warp, as before, into the position shown at Figure 5, and the
shuttle is again passed through. A wire f, such as is shown separately at
Figure 7, is also passed in between the pile yarn and the warp; the needles
are then again drawn back clear of the warp, and the wire and shoot are
beaten up by the batten. On drawing back the pile beam after making the
row of pile loops, as above described, the pile beam is drawn back to the
same distance as before by the gauge, and so a quantity of yarn is drawn off
the beam equal in length to that which has been used up in the previous
motions; then by drawing out the wire, which, as will be seen, is made with
a knife at its end, the loops of pile yarn are cut, and the workman is then able
to remove the pile beam, leaving the row of tufts in the fabric. He then
takes the pile beam proper to produce the next line of the pattern, and with
it he operates in the manner already described, and so the work continues.
In some cases I employ also in power looms, pile yarn beams having needles
combined with them, so as to pass the yarn between the warps of the fabric.

page_text: . Figure 8 is a side view, and Figure 9 a front view with some of the parts
removed, of a power loom arranged to work with such pile yarn beams and
needles. a, a, is the frame of the loom; b, b,are warp beams carried thereby;
c, cl, are the warp threads passing from these to the point where the work is
produced, and thence to the work beam; the warps c are threaded through
the harness & in the usual way, but the warp c¹ is stationary, and not acted on
by the harness; e is the work beam for drawing the fabric regularly forward
as it is produced; it has spikes on its surface, which lay hold of the fabric;
fis a roller, on which the finished fabric is wound up from time to time; the
warp beams are weighted in the usual manner to keep the warp at the proper
tension, and the work beam is driven from the cam shaft g by means of the
vertical axis and horizontal or inclined axis i, which are geared with it by
bevilled wheels; at the end of the axis i is a worm i actuating a worm wheel
on the axis of the work beam e. The harness d is actuated by the treddles 7,
which turn on centres at k¹, and are alternately depressed by cams on the
shaft g; is the batten, with its swords, it has axes at 1, and is worked by
another cain on the shaft g. This cam gives motion to the bell-crank leverm,
and the batten and this lever are connected together by the link n; o is a
cylindrical rack for holding the series of yarn beams used in the production of
the fabric. This rack consists of two fixed end frames of L-shaped section;
these receive and retain studs or projections affixed at the ends of the frames
of the pile yarn beams, and there is also between the end frames a drum, with
notches in its periphery, and these notches receive the studs of projections of
the yarn beams, so that as the drum revolves it carries round the yarn beams
with it. Motion is given to this drum by means the notched disc P, which
takes into pegs on the periphery of the drum. The disc phas on its axisa pinion
gearing with a spur wheel mounted on the same axis as a ratchet wheel,
which is driven by a pawl on the lever q, and this is moved up and down by a
rod descending to a cam on the shaft g; the fixed frame of the rack o is
notched at o', and when a yarn beam is by the motion of the drum brought up
to this notch it is able to fall out of the rack. At the moment this takes place
the frame ; is not in the position in which it is shown in the Drawing, but it
is raised so as to bring the brackets upon it up to the notch o', so that
directly a yarn beam is liberated it drops down on to these brackets in which
there are recesses to receive the studs or projections of the beams, so that
when a beam thus descends it is taken and held by the frame r,.and then for
the time moves therewith as if it were part of the frame. When the frame
has taken a roller it descends and lays the ends of the yarns which project
beyond the needles on the lower jaw of the nippers s, s. The upper jaw then

page_text: immediately closes on the ends, and the frame recedes into the position in
which it is shown,drawing off yarn from the beam during this motion; then
two sheds being produced, the one over and the other under the dead warp,
two shuttles are simultaneously thrown, the upper one, which carries a com-
parative fine weft, passing on the top of the pile yarn; the lower shuttle
carries a thicker weft to assist in forming the back. When the shuttles are
trapped the frame moves forward, so as to clear the points of the needles
from the warp, and to bring them, vertically or nearly so over the point where
the work is produced. During this motion the slack of the pile yarn is again
wound upon its beam, the batten then beats up the two wefts, and knives
cut off the yarns, leaving the length required for pile; the frame 1 then again
rises and deposits the studs or projections of the yarn beam, it holds in the
notches ol of the rack, and the drum therein then moves round, pushing forward
this yarn beam, and placing the next of the series on the brackets, so that
another row of tufts may be similarly produced. Two or any desired number
of picks of weft may be introduced between the rows of tufts; also the dead
warp may be omitted, and only' one shuttle used. The required motion is
given to the frame r by two cams, both on the shaft g, one of these gives an
up-and-down motion to the lever 72, and consequently to the frame, jointed
to it. The lever turns on a centre at *; the other cam acts upon a friction
pulley at the end of the rod 3, which is at its upper end connected with an
arm fixed on the same axis as the arms 5, and these arms have studs on
their ends entering slots in the side bars of the frame r, so that, as will be
seen, when the arm 14 is drawn downwards, the frame r will be brought to a
vertical or nearly vertical position, and when the arm is again forced
upwards by the action of its cam the framer will be drawn back into the inclined
position in which it is shown. The nippers s, which, with some other parts,
are shown on a larger scale at Figure 10, consist of blades running across
the loom, and fixed at their ends to arms turning on the axes s', s¹. These
axes have spur wheels s upon them, which are actuated by the curved rack t.
When the rack is in the position in which it is shown in Figure 8, it holds
the nippers closed, the lower jaw being prevented by a stop with which it is
provided from descending lower than the position in which it is shown. When
the rack t moves to the position in which it is shown in Figure 10, it first
raises the upper jaw, and then comes up to and acts on the pinion on the axis
of the lower jaw, which is thus similarly raised. When the reverse movement
takes place the lower jaw first descends, and when the ends of the yarn have
been placed uponit, then the upper jaw descends and nips them. Motion is given
to the rack by a cam t'on the axis i, as is shown. The motion for winding

page_text: up the slack of the yarn as the frame moves forward, is obtained by
means of the toothed board it, which bears on the yarn beam at this time, and
hence as the framer moves forward the beam is caused to rotate. The board
is moved out of the way when it is not required by means of another cam
also on the axis i; this gives motion to the lever u', to the upper end of which
the extremity of the board u is jointed; u² is a loop on the back of the board,
and which suspends it to the guide u³, and this, as will be seen, is depressed
at its forward end, so that the loop descending into the depression may
allow the board to descend on to the surface of the yarn beam. The first
motion in drawing back the board raises it out of contact with the beam;
the cutting is effected by two blades acting together like shears; is one of
these blades, it is mounted on arms turning on axes v¹.
When the yarns are
to be cut off the blade is lowered by the action of the horizontal cam v²,
shown in plan at Figure 11. This cam, by means of the rod v3, having on its
end a friction pulley working in the cam course, moves the arm vt, on the same
axis with which are the arms 5, and these are connected by links with the
arins of the blade ; the rod v3 is slotted to pass over the axis of the cam,
which serves as a guide for it at one end, at its other end it works through a
guide on the frame; the bladev works with another blade w capable of sliding to
and fro in horizontal guides on the framing; it is actuated by a projection w
on the cylindrical cam on the vertical axis h. This projection catches in
passing a stud on the connecting rod w2, and so the lever w³ is moved forward,
and to this the blade is connected by a link w4; there is a spring w to draw
back the lever w; the forward motion of the blade w takes place when the
blade v is down, so that they act together like a pair of shears.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the mauner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the use of
pile yarn beams, having needles, or such like instruments, combined with
them, each holding its own yarn, and introducing the end thereof through and
between the warp threads, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lawson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOHN LAWSON. (L.S.)