IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHENILLE, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes and
Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHENILLE, AND IN THE MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."-A communication from abroad by
Louis Bernardin, residing at Lyons, in the Empire of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th September 1863.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "ÏMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHENILLE, AND IN
THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," a communication to me from
abroad by Louis Bernardin, residing at Lyons, in the Empire of France, to
be as follows:-
In the manufacture of chenille, after its last preparation I give the last
twist which it requires by the following improved arrangement of machinery
or apparatus:-On a suitable framework there is a railway, on which is placed
a carriage having attached to it the two ends of a band which passes round
two grooved pulleys, one at one end of the railway and the other at a short
distance beyond it, so that when motion is given to one of the pulleys the
carriage shall move on the railway. At the top of the carriage there is a
small pulley or warve, having fixed. to it a hooked spindle or flyer to which

page_text: the chenille to be finished is attached, and the warve is caused to rotate when
the carriage moves one way on the railway, and thereby gives the required
torsion for producing the bristly appearance of the chenille after it is cnt, the
carriage being returned to its original position by hand. I also employ an
improved knife carrier for holding the knife which cuts the pile. The said
carrier has a plate with a screwed hole and a metal plate with a pressure
screw to fix the knife, there being a spring to maintain the cord or thread at
its proper tension. Travelling motion one way is given to the carriage on the
railway, and revolving motion to the warve at the top of the carriage, and
also revolving motion to the threads for forming the chenille, by means of a
main driving wheel and pulleys and bands, the driving wheel being provided
with a handle by which the apparatus can be worked with very little power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special licence that I, the said. Edward
Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHENILLE, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED, THEREIN," a communication to me from abroad by Louis Bernardin,
residing at Lyons, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Thomas, Hughes, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar monthis
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 (that is to say):-
This Invention will be clearly understood by referring to the Figures on the
accompanying 2 Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, similar letters and figures denoting similar parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of this improved machine or apparatus employed
in the manufacture of chenille, and Figures 2 and 3 are plans of parts of the
same; Fig. 4 is a front elevation, and Fig. 5 a back elevation of the frame-
work of the machine for carrying the necessary gearing for giving motion
thereto, and shewing the means adopted for obtaining the necessary friction
upon the band for imparting travelling motion to the carriage or wagon;
Fig. 6 is a front, and Fig. 7 a side elevation, of the travelling carriage or
wagon; Fig. 8 is a front, and Fig. 9 a side elevation of part of the framing
which carries the knife for cutting the chenille and the reel or bobbin upon
which the silk is wound; Fig. 10 is a detached view of the said reel or bobbin
shewing the steel tube and screws through which the cords pass; Fig. 11 is a
side elevation of a drum or barrel working in bearings, and also a frame
having a knife attached thereto. The drum. or barrel is grooved in its peri-
phery and has an india-rubber or other elastic covering stretchied upon it,
which covering forms itself to the shape of the periphery. The knife attached
to the frame is for cutting the chenille as it passes between the groove in the
periphery of the aforesaid drum or barrel. Fig. 12 is a front elevation. of the
said drum or barrel without the elastic covering, and Fig. 13 is a front eleva-
tion of the said drum or barrel with the india-rubber or other elastic. material
covering. Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5 are drawn to a scale of one-fifth; Figures
3, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, to a scale of two-fifths; and Figures 11, 12, and 13, are
drawn their natural size.
In Fig. 1 it will be seen that part of the apparatus is detached and placed
below in order to complete the Drawing upon one Sheet, and it will be easily
understood that the frame and cords, which are represented as being broken
or detached, are intended to be whole:
-
This improved machine-or-apparatus consists of a railroad W formed of any
suitable material and resting upon trestles or supports .C. On this railroad is
mounted a four-wheeled wagon or carriage B which is caused to travel back-
wards and forwards at the will of the operative. This machine or apparatus.

page_text: is put in motion by the cranked handle D, which turns a shaft on which are
keyed the large grooved pulley E and the grooved conical pulley F. Round
the large wheel E is passed a band G which turns the grooved pulley H and
the double grooved pulley I, which gives motion to the reel or bobbin T
round which the silk is wound by means of the india-rubber or gutta percha
band K. An endless cord or band c, d, also passes round the double pulley I,
then over the small wheel or warve L, and afterwards over the small wheel or
warve M on the top of the carriage B, and gives revolving motion to the
chenille J attached to the hook or flyer upon which the small wheel M is
keyed, and thereby imparts the required twist to the chenille in a perfect and
regular manner. This cord or band c, d, on leaving the small wheel or warve M,
passes on to the grooved pulley N fixed in suitable bearings at the end of
the railroad, and from thence it passes back over another small pulley L to
the starting point, thus forming an endless cord or band. One end of the cord
or band a, b, is fastened to a hook at one end of the carriage or wagon B and
passed round the conical grooved pulley P and round the grooved, pulley Q
(shewn in Fig. 3), and is then continued to the book on the other end of the
said carriage or wagon, to which it is fastened. This band draws the carriage
to the end of the railway and gives the required torsion or twist to the chenille
by means of the cord c, d, and the small wheel or warve M. When the
wagon has arrived at the end of the railroad it is brought back by hand in
order to recommence the work. The cord K gives revolving motion to the
flyer S, which winds the silk off the reel or bobbin T on to the calibers or
foundation cords; the said flyer S revolves upon a steel tube held firmly by
the set screw U, which tube has four screws on its head, the first two have
each a hole at its, extremity, the bottom screw has one, and the top screw two
holes, and calibers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, pass through the holes in the top screw.
V represents the knife carrier, which has a steel plate and set screw for
fastening the knife; this carrier is capable of being moved backwards and
forwards as may be required. The spiral spring X is for the purpose of
keeping the calibers at their proper tension. The grooved pulley 9 is keyed
on a shaft and has motion imparted to it by the endless cord or band y passing
over the conical grooved pulley F, then round the small pulley Z, and after-
wards over the double block pulley f, which block is suspended upon a spiral
spring for giving the necessary tension to the cord or band y. To the shaft
which carries the pulley g is fixed another pulley h, which, by means of two
intermediate pulleys, gives rotary motion to the conical grooved pulley P,
which, in its turn, causes the wagon or carriage to travel, besides turning the
drums R. For making the No. 3 up to the largest sizes of chenille I employ

page_text: a drum or barrel, represented in Figures 11, 12, and 13, which drum or barrel
is marked 1 and has two grooves b, c, on its periphery; these grooves receive
a covering a of india-rubber or other elastic material, which, when once placed
upon the drum, will form itself into the shape of the periphery, and in the so
covered grooves rests the fork 8, having two flat prongs. To the. upright
standard 6 is attached the metal plate 5, upon which slide the knife and drum
carriers 3 and 7, which may be fastened at any desired point upon the said
metal plate by means of screws, in order to insure precision in the cutting of
the chenille and to facilitate the work of the operative. A knife 2, fixed in
the carrier 3 by a screw, rests upon the fork 8, and the cutting edge of the
knife 2 passes between the prongs of the said fork so as to be held steadily.
The silk is wound round the calibers by the flyer 9 fixed on the face of the
revolving pulley or warve 4. As the chenille 10 passes over the covered
groove in the drum beneath the fork 8 it comes in contact with the cutting
edge of the knife 2, and the india-rubber or other elastic material yielding to
the pressure of the chenille gives an evenness and purity to the cut not
hitherto obtained. Each size of chenille requires a certain sized groove, so
that it becomes necessary to have different covered drums for each of the
different sizes.
The working of the improved machine or apparatus herein-before described
is as follows:-The carriage or wagon B being brought by hand to the end of
the railroad, the threads for forming the chenille are fastened to the hook of
the flyer which is turned by the small wheel or warve M; that operation
finished, I commence to turn the cranked -handle D, which, by means of the
cord K, gives revolving motion to the flyer S and winds the silk off the
bobbin Tupon the calibers; the cord c, d, turns the small wheel or warve M, and
the cord y at the same time, through intermediate wheels, imparts travelling
motion to the wagon B and revolving motion to the calibers R. When the
silk wound round the calibers and threads for forming the chenille comes in
contact with the knife it is there cut, and the required torsion given by the
cord a, b, causing the wagon to move away from the knife; the requisite twist
is imparted by the small wheel or warve M. The machine will continue to
form the chenille until the carriage or wagon arrives at the other end of the
railroad, when the length already finished is cut off, the carriage or wagon
brought back to the starting point, and the same process repeated. This
improved machine or apparatus requires only a young person to work it, and
by the aid of these improvements I am able to produce chenille as small as
possible, even as fine as embroidery thread; and by means of the drum
covered with india-rubber or other elastic material I can produce the larger

page_text: sizes of chenille of a superior quality for forming velvet, the chenille so manu-
factured being as even as possible on its surface, that is to say, that no fibre
projects beyond its neighbour.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I desire it to be understood that I claim,—
Firstly, the application of the wagon or carriage running on the railroad,
the said wagon or carriage having a small wheel or warve fixed to and turning
a flyer to which the chenille is fastened, and, which thereby imparts the
required twist to the chenille, the requisite torsion being produced by the
carriage moving on the railroad, as herein-before described and set forth.
Secondly, the application of the knife carrier, having a plate and set screw
for fastening the knife at any desired angle, the said carrier capable of being
.moved backwards or forwards, and by means of which the operative is enabled
'to make a fresh start without injuring the shade, and can produce the chenille
as small as possible, even as fine as embroidery thread.
Thirdly, the use and application of a drum having grooves on its periphery,
the said drum having a covering of india-rubber or other elastic material,
.which forms itself to the shape of the periphery, on which drum the chenille
is cut, as it passes beneath the knife and over the covered grooves, for manu-
facturing the No. 3 up to the largest sizes of chenille, as described.
And, lastly, the general arrangement and combination of the various parts
of the machinery or apparatus used in the manufacture of chenille, as herein
.described and illustrated in the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.