Improvements in the Manufacture of Carpets and similar Woven Fabrics with Raised Figures, and Apparatus for this Purpose.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Carpets and similar Woven
Fabrics with Raised Figures, and Apparatus for this Purpose.
1, ROBERT ETHERINGTON, of the Town of Paris, in the County of Brant, and
Province of Ontario, Canada, Carpet Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to devise a process of and apparatus for producing
raised figures in carpets and similar woven fabrics, and it consists, essentially, in
applying tension to the ground threads of the warp so that the figure threads remain
loose and permit the woof threads in the figures to rise above the level of the
ground to form a raised pattern or figure. My invention further consists in
such improvements in the warping box and loom end, for the purpose of
applying such tension, as are hereinafter more specifically described and then
definitely claimed.
Figure 1, is a perspective view of a warping box provided with my improvements.
Figure 2, is a perspective view of the loom end used in putting my process into
practice.
Figure 3, is a cross section of the warp beam showing the figure threads overlaying
the ground threads.
In the drawings, like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
different figures.
A, is a warping box composed of suitable frames and side pieces.
B, C, and D, are three reeds located respectively at the far end, the middle, and
the near end of the warping box. These reeds are formed by the vertical wires E
which run from top to bottom of each reed. In the drawings, only six such wires
are shown in each reed, but for a full "super weave" about eight hundred and
thirty-six wires would be used in reed B, or one for each warp thread, but in
the other two reeds, fifteen or twenty warp threads may be collected together and
passed together between the wires. The warp threads are passed from the spools
on which they are usually wound, between the wires of the reeds B, the figure and
ground threads H and I, between alternate wires. The figure threads H are
preferably confined as to vertical motion by the leads F, while the ground
threads 1, are free to pass up and down the full length of the reed. By so confining
the figure threads H, the action of separating the figure and warp threads to pass
on opposite sides of the roller G is much facilitated. This roller G has its spindle
or bearing pieces sliding in the slot a in the bearing blocks J. The roller G rests
upon a roller K, which has its spindle or bearing pieces journalled in the bottom of
the said slots.
L, are two grooved pulleys journalled at each end of the spindle of the roller G.
Only one of these is seen in the drawing.
Cords M, are connected at one end to the reed B, pass over the grooved pulleys L,
and have weights N hung at their other ends. These weights thus serve to impart
a downward pressure to the roller G.
At the front of the reed D, is located the roller O, journalled in bearings P which
are slotted as shown so as to be adjustable by means of the bolts b.
It will be seen that after leaving the reed B, the figure threads H lead direct
through the reeds C and D and over the roller O, while the ground threads [ pass
between the rollers G and K and through the reeds C and D below the roller O.

page_text: Considerable tension is thus applied to the ground threads, causing them to tighten
while the figure threads pass through the warping box quite loosely and are then
wound upon the warp beam Q, which is shown in Fig. 2. As the figure and ground
threads are separated by the roller O, it follows that on the warp beam the figure
threads overlap the ground threads, as seen in Fig. 3.
In Fig. 2 is shown the end of the loom. Q, is the warp beam, the spindle c of
which has been slipped into the bearings R. S, is a ratchet wheel on one end of
the warp beam with which a dog d engages to hold the warp beam from turning.
T, is the first dead rail, and U, is the second, both being attached to the loom end
by the brackets e and f.
V, is a roller suitably journalled in the brackets g. These brackets, it will be
noticed, are slotted so as to be adjusted vertically on the rail U by means of the
bolts i.
From the warp beam Q, the figure threads H are carried straight up and over
the roller V thence to the harness and working parts of the loom which are of the
ordinary construction, and not forming part of my invention are not shown in the
drawings. The ground threads I pass under the dead rail T, then back and over
the dead rail U, thence passing to the harness with the figure threads. The result
of this arrangement is that still further tension is put upon the ground threads and
the figure threads made much looser than before.
The essential parts of the mechanism used in my process are the tension rollers G
and K which tighten the ground threads, the adjustable roller O, which may be set
to permit the figure threads to pass clear of the roller G and which also separates
the figure and ground threads that they are wound in layers on the warp beam, and
the roller V, which guides the figure threads into the loom with a minimum of
tension, while a strong tension is put upon the ground threads by the dead rails T
and U. As a result of this treatment of the ground and figure threads, the figure
threads, which are always brought to the upper surface of the carpet in the figured
portion thereof, allow the filling or woof threads to rise above the general surface
of the carpet producing a raised pattern.
The shotabout, or shaded work, is produced by using half figure threads and half
ground threads, thus producing a figure or pattern standing little higher than the
ground, but not raised to such an extent as the full figure work. In the ground,
the ground threads only are used or brought to the upper side of the carpet, thus
forming the lowest portion of the carpet surface. I find by my process that a great
saving may be effected, first, in the quantity of harness used; second, in the number
of cards used, and third, in the power required to run the loom. As regards the
first point I find that when my process is used, I am enabled to reduce the
threads in the warp from about ten hundred and seventy-two to eight hundred
and thirty-six, and it will be readily understood by those acquainted with weaving
that as about twenty per cent. less warp threads are used, a corresponding saving
must be effected in the harness. As I use fewer warp threads, I find it advisable
to use somewhat heavier filling or woof threads. I find also that by the use of
my process, an equally as good an effect may be produced in a carpet containing
only two combinations in the shotabout work, such as white and red, and yellow
and black, as in a carpet of ordinary weave in which four combinations, such
as white and black, white and red, yellow and black, and yellow and red are used
in the shotabout work, having fewer combinations to make, it necessarily follows
that fewer cards are required to operate the warp threads for the making of the
necessary combinations. In regard to the third point, as the amount of harness
is reduced, the power required to operate the harness is also reduced. Again,
the roller at the back of the loom also saves power because the figure
threads pass over it without friction. It will thus be seen that by the
employment of my process, which consists, essentially, of the complete division of
the ground and figure threads and the loosening of the latter, that I succeed in
producing very economically, a carpet which will look equally as well as, or better
than, a much more expensively produced article.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The process of producing raised figures in carpets, which consists, essentially,
in subjecting the ground threads of the warp as they pass through the loom to a
greater tension than the figure threads, so that the figure threads are left loose to
form with the woof threads a raised figure or pattern, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
2. The process of producing raised figures in carpets, which consists, essentially,
in winding the figure and ground threads of the warp in separate layers on the warp
beam, then in subjecting the ground threads of the warp as they pass through the
loom to a greater tension than the figure threads so that the figure threads are left
loose to form with the woof threads a raised figure or pattern, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
3. The process of producing raised figures in carpets, which consists, essentially,
in subjecting the ground threads of the warp to a greater tension than the figure
threads before winding them on the warp beam, then winding them in separate
layers on the warp beam while under the same conditions of tension, then in
subjecting them to a greater tension than the figure threads so that the figure threads
are left loose to form with the woof threads a raised figure or pattern, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
4. The apparatus for producing raised figures in carpets, comprising the loom
end, a warp beam journalled thereon, two suitably supported dead rails and a
vertically adjustable roller to separate the ground and figure threads of the warp,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. In an apparatus for producing raised figures in carpets, the combination in the
warping box A, of the reeds B, C and D; the journalled roller K; the vertically
movable roller G; means for applying pressure to the said roller; and the roller
adapted to separate the ground and figure threads of the warp, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
6. In an apparatus for producing raised figures in carpets, the combination in the
warping box A, of the reeds B, C and D; the journalled roller K; the vertically
movable roller G; means for applying pressure to the said roller; and the vertically
adjustable roller O, adapted to separate the ground and figure threads of the warp,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 19th day of March 1896
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.