IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING WARPS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Turner, of Leicester, Elastic Web Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING WARPS FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS."
Sealed the 5th July 1861, and dated the 19th February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Turner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
February 1861.
I, ARCHIBALD TURNER, of Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PREPARING
WARPS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," to be as follows:--
My Invention of improvements in preparing warps for the manufacture of
elastic fabrics relates to a novel mode of cutting, warping, and beaming elastic
or india-rubber strands or threads preparatory to weaving them into elastic
fabrics.
According to the ordinary plan of preparing elastic warps for the weaving
operation, the elastic threads or strands are first wound separately from the
skeins (in which form they are delivered by the india-rubber manufacturer) on
to bobbins. The required number of bobbins is then taken according to the
width of fabric to be produced, and are placed in a rack in the loom, or the
threads are wound from the bobbins on to a warp beam or cylinder ready
to be placed in the loom. It is found in practice that these threads vary in
length, the difference between them being from one to five yards, owing to
[Price 8d.]

page_text: their being cut from sheets of different lengths. By proceeding in the manner
above mentioned it is almost, if not quite, impossible to obtain uniformity of
tension in all the elastic strands, and great waste of material is occasioned, as
owing to the india-rubber strands not being all of uniform length, it is impos-
sible to use up all the threads to the end without adding pieces to those
threads which are deficient in length. The adding on short lengths of elastic
strands is objectionable, as the knots made at these junctions injure the
appearance of the fabric when made, and therefore it is usually the practice to
cast aside and waste all the odd pieces or extra lengths of thread beyond the
shortest.
The objects of the present Invention are to remedy these inconveniences
and objections, and to economise the thread thus wasted, and also to obtain
throughout the entire length of the strands as uniform a tension as possible.
These objects are effected, in the first place, by cutting all the india-rubber
threads or strands intended to form one warp or two warps from one and the
samsheet of india-rubber, which of course is made of one uniform length.
By this means all the elastic strands of the warp or warps cut from this one
sheet of india-rubber must inevitably be of the same length, which is a great
desideratum and effects a considerable economy in the rubber, there being
little or no waste or odd pieces when the strands are of uniform length. In
cutting the sheet rubber into strands I prefer to secure one extremity of the
sheet in a groove or recess made for the purpose on a cylinder, and so arranged
that the sheet may be divided into threads from end to end throughout, except
a narrow piece at the end, which will be that part that is held in the groove
in the recess in the cylinder. By this means I shall obtain a narrow piece or
band of rubber, which may be called a head with a given number of threads
of uniform length pendent therefrom. The clastic warp thus produced is then
wound up in a skein and tied, so that the ends should not get entangled. It
is then transferred to and loosely placed on a cylinder or roller, from which it is
drawn off by the head or uncut end on to a beam, cylinder, or warping mill,
and from this it is again drawn off by the other end or tail, and is wound
tightly on to the warp roller or beam, so that the warp may be placed in
the loom with the india-rubber or elastic strands all stretched to the same
tension.
I prefer to perform the warping operation in a long room, in which the
whole length of the warp may be operated upon, one end of the threads being
attached to the uncut piece of rubber or head, and the other ends secured in
a clamp or in any other convenient manner, so that they may be stretched and
subjected to uniform tension. Although I prefer when cutting the elastic

page_text: warp threads from sheet rubber to leave a narrow slip of rubber uncut at one
end of the sheet, thereby forming a head, as above described. I sometimes
find it convenient to cut the sheet throughout into separate threads in the
usual manner, and these threads are afterwards to be tied up together in any
desired number to form a warp; these threads are to be clamped or tightly
secured at the ends, so that they may be uniformly stretched from end to end
in the subsequent operations of beaming, and be brought to one uniform length
and tension in the warp, so that in the weaving operation all the threads may
be uniformity used up to their ends, and all waste arising from inequality in
the length of the warp threads will be thereby avoided. Sometimes it may not
be convenient or possible to perform the beaming and stretching of the elastic
warp threads in a long room, owing to the want of sufficient space or length
of room to extend the warp threads from end to end. I sometimes therefore
arrange an apparatus whereby the beaming and stretching operation may be
performed in a more limited space. This apparatus consists simply of a series
of rollers or cylinders mounted in frames at the respective ends of the room,
and over which rollers or cylinders the elastic threads are extended from end
10 end in a serpentine direction. The ends of the threads are secured as in the
former case, and the tension of the strands will take place between the rollers
or cylinders, and any inequality of tension that may ensue upon the first
stretching operation will be equalized upon the operation being repeated once
or twice.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Archibald Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th August 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, ARCHIBALD
TURNER, of Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Archibald Turner. Her special license that I, the said Archibald Turner,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said
Archibald Turner, 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,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
PREPARING WARPS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," upon the condi-
tion (amongst others) that I, the said Archibald Turner, by an instrument in
writing under ny hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Archibald Turner, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, (reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in Preparing Warps for the Manufacture
of Elastic Fabrics," relates to a novel mode of cutting, warping, and beaming
elastic or india-rubber strands or threads preparatory to weaving them into
clastic fabrics.
According to the ordinary plan of preparing or arranging elastic or india-
rubber strands or threads in the form of warps for the weaving operation, the
elastic threads or strands are first wound separately from the skeins (in which
form they are delivered by the india-rubber manufacturer) on to bobbins.
The required number of hobbins is then taken according to the width of fabric
to be produced, and these bobbins are placed in a rack in the loon, or the
threads are wound from the bobbins on to a beam or cylinder, which is to be
afterwards placed in the loom, and constitutes the elastic warp beam. It is
found in practice that these elastic threads vary in length, the difference
between them being from one to five yards, owing to their being cut from
sheets of different lengths. By arranging and preparing the elastic warp
threads for weaving, in the manner above mentioned, it is almost, if not quite,
impossible to obtain uniformity of tension in all the elastic strands, and great
waste of material is occasioned, as, owing to the india-rubber strands not being
all of uniform length, it is impossible to use up all the threads to the end
without adding pieces to those threads which are deficient in length. The
adding on short lengths of elastic strands is objectionable as the knots made
at these junctions injure the appearance of the fabric when made, and therefore
it is usually the practice to cast aside and waste all the odd pieces or extra
lengths of thread which remain after the shortest of the elastic strands has
been used up in the weaving operation.

page_text: The objects of the present Invention are to remedy these inconveniences
and objections, and to economise the thread thus wasted, and also to obtain
throughout the entire length of the strands as uniform a tension as possible.
These objects are effected, in the first place, by cutting all the india-rubber
threads or strands intended. to form one warp or two warps from one and the
the same sheet of india-rubber, which, of course, is made of one uniform
length. By this means all the elastic strands of the warp or warps cut
from this one sheet of india-rubber must inevitably be of the same length,
which is a great desideratum, and effects a considerable economy in the
rubber, there being little or no waste or odd pieces when the strands are
of uniform length. In order to cut the sheet rubber into strands of the
requisite thickness one extremity of the sheet of rubber should be secured
in a groove or recess made for the purpose on a cylinder. The sheet
being thus securely held at one end an uniform strain throughout its
entire width and length may be put upon it, and the sheet may then be
divided in the usual manner into threads from end to end throughout,
except a narrow piece at the end, which will be that part that is held in
the groove or recess in the cylinder. By this means I shall obtain a
narrow piece or band of rubber which may be called a head with a given
number of threads of uniform length pendent therefrom.
The elastic warp
thus produced is then wound up in a skin, and tied so that the ends should
not get entangled. It is then transferred to and loosely placed on a cylinder or
roller, from which it is drawn off by the head or uncut end on to a beam
cylinder or warping mill, and from this it is again drawn off by the other end
or tail and is wound tightly on to the warp roller or beam, so that the warp
may be placed in the loom with the india-rubber or elastic strands all stretched
to the same tension.
I prefer to perform the warping operation in a long room in which the
whole length of the warp may be operated upon, one end of the threads being
attached to the uncut piece of rubber or head, and the other end secured in a
clamp or in any other convenient manner, so that they may be stretched and
subjected to uniform tension. Although I prefer when cutting the elastic
warp threads from sheet rubber to leave a narrow slip of rubber uncut at onc
end of the sheet, thereby forming a head as above described, I sometimes
find it convenient to cut the 'sheet throughout into separate threads in the
usual manner, and these threads are afterwards to be tied up together in any
desired number to form a warp. All the threads of the elastic warp are to be
clamped or tightly secured at the ends in a suitable holder such as that shewn
in the Drawing at Fig. 1, so that they may be uniformly stretched from end to

page_text: end in the subsequent operations of beaming, and be brought to one uniform
length and tension in the warp. In order that all the threads may be properly
clamped and held, the faces of the clamp may be covered with india-rubber or
some other suitable material. The two parts of the clamp are hinged together
and the threads a are tightly held by screwing up the screw b. In the weaving
operation all the threads being of the same length, and at the same tension,
may be uniformly used up to their ends, and all waste heretofore arising from
inequality in the length of the warp threads will be thereby avoided. It may
not always be convenient or possible to perform the beaming and stretching of
the elastic warp threads in a long room owing to the want of sufficient space or
length of room to extend the warp threads from end to end, I sometimes
therefore arrange an apparatus whereby the beaming and stretching operation
may be performed in a more limited space. This apparatus consists simply of
a series of rollers or cylinders mounted in frames at the respective ends of the
room, and over which rollers or cylinders the elastic threads are extended from
end to end in a serpentine direction. The ends of the threads are secured as
in the former case, and the tension of the strands will take place between the
rollers or cylinders, and any inequality of tension that may ensue upon the
first stretching operation will be equalized upon the operation being repeated
once or twice.
Fig. 2 in the accompanying Drawing represents a diagram of an apparatus
of this kind for facilitating the beaming and stretching operation. The elastic
strands being all of the same length as above described are first beamed in the
ordinary way on to a cylinder or warp roller c, on which the ends are secured
in a clamp; and in order to ensure the threads being laid regularly on to the
beam they are passed through a reed d. The other ends of the elastic strands
are then secured in the clamps of another roller e, on to which the threads are
wound from off the first beam. The beam or roller e is then mounted in its
bearings, as shewn in the Drawing, and as the threads are unwound therefrom
they are passed round the tension rollers f, f. f, and the beam c is then
placed in its bearings, and turned on its axis by means of a winch until all
the elastic strands are tight. All those parts of the strands between the
rollers c and f¹ will be strained, but the other parts of the warp will be
scarcely strained at all; when therefore the first portion has been strained
sufficiently the rollers f, f', and f, may be turned so as to slacken the first
portion, and thereby equalize the tension throughout the rest of the warp, the
beam e being unwound at the same time. The upper portion of the warp
may then be tightened again by rotating the roller c.. The lower portion of
the warp between the rollers e and may then be strained in the same manner,

page_text: and the roller f rotated afterwards to bring the middle portion of the warp
under operation. By thus alternately winding and unwinding the warp from
the rollers cand e the tension throughout the warp will be rendered uniform,
and by rotating all the rollers at the same speed, and removing the intermediate
rollers in succession, the whole warp may be transferred to one roller or beam
ready to be placed in the loom.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Preparing
Warps for the Manufacture of Elastic Fabrics," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect I claim as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent as aforesaid the mode herein set forth of preparing elastic
warps for the purposes 'above described. I also claim the mode above
described of imparting an uniform tension to ilie elastic strands.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Turner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
A. TURNER. (L.S.)