IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL TRXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clarke, of Raleigh House, Nottingham, Lace
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION
OF ORNAMENTAL TRXTILE FABRICS."
Sealed the 13th December 1867, and dated the 20th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clarke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
June 1867.
I WILLIAM CLARKE. of Raleigh House. Nottingham, Lace Manufac-
turer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL TEXTILE FABRICS." to be as follows:-
In carrying out my improvements by the aid of stitching or sewing machinery
the fabric may as produced be formed on another fabric or separately therefrom.
In the manufacture of this fabric there are what may be termed warp
threads, and also warp weft threads, and one or more needle threads. When
only one needle thread is used it is caused by the action of the needle and
instrument or instruments acting therewith to loop or lock into itself, or may
be locked or fastened by shuttle or other threads. When two or more needle
threads operated by separate needles are employed, the several threads or some
of them loop or lock into each other, or are locked or fastened by shuttle or
other threads, whilst another or other threads are caused to traverse across and
between, or twist into or upon the needle threads. so as to be held by the
looping, locking, or fastening together, and aid in forming an ornamental or
other fabric with them; these warp and warp weft threads are actuated by

page_text: carriers. When it may be desired to produce the effects on another fabric,
such will be obtained by conducting the fabric on to which the effects are to
be produced in position. so that a portion of the looping or locking may pass
through such fabric or the connection may be obtained by the aid of an
additional shuttle or other thread. Points or holders may be employed to
hold the transverse thread or threads in position for obtaining the forms
thereto desired.
In carrying out these improvements warp machinery may also be applied
when warp threads will loop over the needles or instruments for forming
loopings, and two, three, or more of them may also when desired be twisted
together or laid between courses of looping, by which a twisted or other
transverse tie will be obtained between chains or series of loops. By these
means may various ornamental and openwork fabrics he produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Paient, filed
by the said William Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1:1
20th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARKE, of Raleigh House, Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign, did.
for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Clarke. Her special licence, that I, the said William Clarke, my executors.
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Clarke,
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 PRODUCTION OF ORNAMENTAL
TEXTILE FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I. the said William
Clarke, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clarke, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say :-
The object of the Invention is the production of peculiar descriptions of
ornamental textile fabrics or textile fabrics having various ornamental effects
by the use of means such as are employed in stitching or sewing machinery,
aided by other means or instruments adapted in their action to lay transverse
or weft threads, and also by the use of means or instruments such as are
employed in the manufacture of warp fabrics aided by other instruments
adapted to lay in weft and warp weft threads in various forms into the fabric
being produced.
In carrying out these improvements, different fabrics or fabrics of a different
character may be produced separately or in combination.
But that the Invention may be fully understood, I will, by. the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying
the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a front view; Figures 2 and 3, two opposite end views,
and Figure 4 a section of apparatus arranged to carry out my Invention;
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32 show parts separately. In each of
these views the same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they
occur
"
u, a, is the main framing, and b is the main axis or shaft from which motion
is given to the various parts by means of a winch handle b', or in place
thereof or in addition to it there may be a pulley applied on the shaft or axis b
to be driven by a band from a steam engine or other suitable power. In the
arrangement shown by these Drawings, two fabrics differing in character are
produced at the same time and united together during their production. One
of these fabrics is produced by means of threads laid by means of guides c on
to needles d, which are operated with the guides c, so that a succession of
loops may be formed and passed over each needle by a guide thread from a
guide c acting therewith, and with each row of loops thus formed on the several
needles d a thread is laid into the fabric transversely by the instrument e, so
as by the aid of an instrument f to be held in the loops formed over the
several needles-d. which thread then acts as weft to such looped guide threads.
The other of these fabrics or the other portion of the fabric is produced by the

page_text: use of the needles or instruments g acting with other guides or instruments h
to cause the respective threads to open sheds for the passage of a transverse
or weft thread carried by the instrument i aided by one of the needles d, when
the two fabrics are to be united in their manufacture, or by a pointer acting
in the place thereof, and by points or instruments acting as a reed for
beating up the weft thread so laid into the fabric; and I are other guides
or instruments for carrying separate threads to be laid in as warp weft
threads when desired to give increased ornamental effects or otherwise.
There are four needles shown similar to the needles or instruments used in
stitching or sewing machines, each having an eye for the passage and guidance
of a thread, and there are four guides shown, but this number of the
instruments and others acting with them may be varied, and when working
with another fabric as indicated only one needle and guide may be employed
to work together.
The operation of the various parts is as follows:-The threads to the
guides c are supplied by bobbins m, and those guides are applied to an arm c¹
from the axis c, which is supported so as to be capable of turning in its
bearings as well as of slight endway motion in bearings carried by the main
framing; this axis is actuated for both directions of motion by the cam
courses and c' formed respectively on the periphery, and on the side of the
wheel c (affixed on the shaft or axis b) acting on the parts 6 and 7 respec-
tively of the nib or projection standing out from the lever arm aflixed to
the shaft or axis c; the bar c² is borne in the opposite directions by springs "
and c. The needles d are set in the bar d'affixed to or formed on the
sliding bar d, which is formed with dovetail or bevil edges to enable it to be
held whilst it may slide between the bevil or dovetail guides of the stationary
plate a carried by the standard . Up and down motion is obtained to this
sliding bar d by means of a bowl on a crank pin from a cam or tappet f³
on the axis moving in a slot d' formed in the back of the plate d². The
instrument is formed, as shown more clearly by the separate views thereof
at Figures 10, 11, and 12, with teeth or projections f to pass between
the needles d, thereby to enable those projecting parts to come over the
thread laid by the instrument e, and the under side of these parts are
roughened or toothed in order that when they come forward upon the thread
just laid on the teeth n by the instrument e they may in the back motion
given to them, and when the needles d have been fully raised draw that weft
thread close up to the work, so that when the needles d again descend they
may pass in front of such weft thread to have the threads for the new loops
laid on them and thereby tie in such weft thread. The teeth of the plate *'

page_text: act as
The
The
sinkers" in warp machinery to retain the work in position.
plate n' is stationarily fixed on the bed or table a of the machine.
instrument is formed on or affixed to the upright bar f which is formed with
a slot f at its upper part by which it is capable of sliding on the stationary
pin f', whilst it is free to move on as it is actuated by the cam and
stud acting against the surfaces f, f. of the bar the bar being
borne to the surfaces of the cam f and stud and upon the work by means
of the spring f, one end of which is connected to the stationary pin a' and
the other to the pin aflixed to the bar f. o is a lever which turns upon
the fixed stud o', and which at one end is drawn upon by the spring o², whilst
the other end of it is capable of being borne upon by the arm o", which is
affixed with capability of adjustment to the arm, and which is actuated in the
motion of that arm c¹ with the guides c to bear against the end o' of the lever o,
which end of, when thus borne inwards upon the needles as they rise from their
lowest position, acts as a presser bar to press or close the beards of the needles,
and thereby allow the last formed loops on the work passing over on to the
threads just laid for the new loops.
The instrument è is supported so as to be capable of turning on the stud e¹
standing up from the sliding plate e2. which plate e is formed with bevilled or
dovetailed edges to slide between the dovetail or bevilled and adjustable
guides a carried by the bed or table a³, whilst this plate e is actuated to slide
in the guides by means of the lever e", which turns upon the stud et from the
standard a, and at its lower end is forked to embrace a piu e from the sliding
plate e, whilst its upper end carries the shoe e" for traversing the groove
courses e formed in the periphery of the wheel e. To facilitate the move-
ment of this shoe e in the courses e it is supported by and is capable of
turning on a stud e" carried by the upper end of the lever e, so that when in
the revolution of the came the shoe e" comes to the part e" of the courses e
where those courses cross one to the other the shoe may cross from the course
on the one edge to that on the other edge of the cam alternately from one
course to the other of the cam es, and thereby effect the required motions to
the lever e. The instrumente is formed with a tail e", carrying a stud and a
small bowl e, which passes into the curved slotted groove e (shown by
dotted lines in Figure 5) formed for it on the stationary plate el, so that as
the slide e moves to and fro the instrument e will have a motion not only
across the needles d, but also inwards at the opposite ends of its traverse
adapted to lay the weft thread more fully against the needles d, and when
desired into position to be held by a pointer or other holder during the receding
of the instrument e. The cam e is affixed on and moves with the axis or

page_text: shaft b. The thread to the instrument e is supplied from the bobbin e, and
thence in its way to the instrument e it passes round the stud e¹ and through
the eye e The instruments or needles are set in a plate g', which is
affixed by set screws on the sliding plate g, which is formed with slots g³, g",
through which pass the screw pins g', g', which act as guides to retain the
plate in position, yet so that it may slide vertically on those pins g' which
pass into the stationary standard a. The necessary up-and-down motion to
the plate g, and consequently to the needles g, is imparted by means of the
bowl d³, which actuates the slide d moving in the slot g formed in one end
of the lever g (shown separately at Figure 17) which turns upon a fixed
stud g, and at its other end by its slot 8 embraces the stud g" affixed to the
projection go from the sliding plate g. The threads to these needles g are
supplied from a bobbin g", and they are guided to the eyes of the needles g by
the guides g. The guides h, h, are applied to a bar h', which is capable of
sliding endways in the brackets u, and is moved in one direction by means of
the lace wheel h, to which the bar is borne by a spring h. The lace wheel
is affixed to the shaft h, which is capable of turning freely in the brackets a³,
and has applied to it the tooth wheel, which is actuated to move a distance
of one tooth by means of the fin wheel he affixed on the shaft or axis b. The
instrument i is formed on the end of a lever i', which is supported so as to be
capable of turning on a stud 2 carried by the sliding plate i", which plate is
formed with slots to embrace and slide on the studs i affixed in the edge of
the table 3, whilst it is actuated by the cam i affixed to the shaft b acting
upon the upper end of the lever , which turns upon the fixed stud ", and its
lower end by a slot embraces the stud carried by the sliding plate . The
by means of the spring . The
lever is borne to the surface of the cam
tail of the lever carries a truck or bowl 0, which passes into the curved slot
formed for it in the stationary plate a on the under side of the table ', so as
to give the desired in-and-out motion to the end of the instrument i, carrying
the thread, and to enable the thread so carried to be placed in position behind
the needle d next this part of the fabric in order that in the descent of that
needle the thread may be thereby held, or by a pointer or other holder brought
into position at the time desired to hold the thread during the return motion
of the instrument . This instrument i traverses to and fro to lay thread
between the threads carried by the instruments g and the threads carried by
the instruments h, and to be taken by a needle or other holder, as stated
when the needles g are at their lowest position, and when according to the
arrangement shown the threads of the needles g are extended from the work
to those needles below the threads from the work to the guides h, and are

page_text: thereby forming a shed with those guide threads. When the needles are in
their highest position, as shown by the Drawings, so as to form a shed with and
over, the threads from the guides h they are in position for the traverse of the
threads from the instruments and 1. The instrument is affixed to the
guide bar k. which is supported so as to be capable of moving endways in the
brackets a, and it is actuated by the lace wheel affixed on the shaft ór
axis h, whilst the bar is borne up to the wheel k², so as to follow its course
by means of the spring. The instrument is in like manner affixed to the
guide bar 1, which is also supported with capability of endway motion in the
brackets a. and is actuated by the lace wheel affixed to the shaft or axis hf.
The bar is drawn by the spring to the wheel 12. The threads to the
instruments and 1 are respectively supplied from bobbins 5 and 15 aided by
guides . 1: these instruments; as shown, are arranged to aot simultaneously
in opposite direction, but this may be varied to the effect desired to be
obtained. In place of the bars h. 1. 1, being actuated by lace wheels they
may be operated by jacquard or other pattern surface. The points or instru-
ments are affixed to the arm from the shaft or axis, which is supported
so as to be capable of turning on pivots carried by the lower ends of arms . .
from the shaft, which shaft is supported so as to be capable of turning on.
pivots carried by the arms from the shaft or axis which is capable
An up-and-down motion
instruments by means of
of turning on pivots 18 carried by the standards 7.
is imparted to the shaft . and consequently to the
the cam 10 affixed on the shaft or axis acting upon the truck or bowl ",
which turns upon a stud carried by one of the arms : this arm is borne
to the cam by the action of the spring and the arms are guided in
their up-and-down motion by the guides *. Upon the shaft, or axis is also
affixed an arm which by a link is connected to the lower end of the
lever je, which turns upon a fixed stud 7. and at its upper end carries a
truck or bowl 18, which moves upon and is operated by the cam or tappet 19.
affixed on the shaft or axis b. The work as produced is drawn away by
passing between the pair of nipping rollers p. upon the axis of one of which
is affixed the wheel q. the rim q of which is nipped by the opposite sides of
the groove formed in the upper end of the lever . which is formed with a
slot to admit of its taking a slight twist whilst it is capable of turning upon
the shaft p of one of the rollers p. and at its lower end it is by means of the
link q connected to the lower end of the lever q. which turns upon a fixed
stud q, and at its upper end is bent over, and so as to be actuated with a
tendency to put a drag on the wheel q' by means of the stud q
Having thus described means which I employ in carrying out my

page_text: improvements; I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise arrangements and dispositions of parts shown and described, as the
same may be varied without departing from the peculiar character of the
Invention, and in place of weft threads being laid into the respective parts of
the fabric by instruments e and i weft threads or other threads may be laid in
from other guides or thread carriers aided by hooked instruments adapted to
carry such threads from one or more guides, shuttles. or other thread carriers
into position to be taken and drawn back by the instrument or by a needle or
a point in manner referred to; or separate shuttles or thread carriers may
be employed to carry threads through the open sheds. The needles and a.
and guides and h may also be applied to separate bars and operated inde-
pendently to produce various ornamental effects in textile fabrics: jacquard
or other pattern surfaces may also be brought in aid when required. The sheds
may also be formed by the aid of heddles or threads actuated by jacquard or
other pattern surface. When the weft or other inlay thread is intended to
extend beyond the longitudinal threads looped or otherwise of the fabric, as in
the manufacture of gymps or other trimmings, or fringes, or other ornamental
textile fabrics, with extended looped edges, points or other holders may be
used to come into position and hold the projecting loops at the respective
selvages during the return of the carrying instruments to such threads, or until
such transverse threads are fully tied in. But what I do claim is the
adaptation or combination of means for the production of ornamental textile
fabrics acting in manner substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof. I. the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
WILLIAM CLARKE. (L.S.)