IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS
Year: 1854

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Cumming at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th December
1854.
I, JOHN CUMMING, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Pattern Designer, do hereby declare this my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE TREATMENT OR MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to various mechanical arrangements to be used in
the treatment or manufacture of woven goods having loose surface threads or
flushings thereon, as in the example of what are known as "lappet " fabrics.
The loose threads herein referred to, whether the goods are produced according
to the "lappet," "leaf," or "harness" system, are on the back or reverse face
of the fabric, and they arise from the effect of the pattern-producing action,
which works the ornamental device on the one face only, throwing the pattern
threads to the other face at those parts where blanks occur on the ornamented
face. After weaving, these loose threads must be cut clear off, to bring the
fabric to its finished condition. To do this according to the present Invention,
the fabric,. beamed upon a roller in the ordinary manner, is unwound from the
roller, and passed in the first instance under or in contact with a stationary pile
raiser. This is a bar, fixed along its edge with caoutchouc or other severely
frictional material, so that as the fabric passes along and rubs against it, the
loose threads or loops are raised up from the body of the fabric, so as to be
the better disposed for the subsequent cutting action. After leaving this raiser,

page_text: the fabric is passed over a bar, also stationary, and notched or recessed
along its face, to suit the pitch or repeat of the pattern details; the face of this
bar is differentially curved or shaped, and it has projecting over it a set of
correspondingly curved guide fingers, the free projecting ends of which fingers
are set somewhat down into the notches on the bar beneath. As the fabric
comes forward with its loose thread side uppermost, the free ends of these
fingers catch the advancing loops, being so set that the body of the fabric
passes clear away between the fingers and the bar, whilst the loose threads or
loops are guided along and over the fingers themselves. Each finger is slotted
through longitudinally at some distance from its end, and over the line of
fingers is set a rotatory cutting shaft, carrying a series of cutting knives, one
knife for each finger. These knives, which may be of the ordinary class as
already in use for cutting fabrics of different kinds, are so set that the periphery
of each works through a slot in a guide finger, and as the loose threads
advance over this slot, the knife in its rotation severs the threads. The fingers
and their bar are so shaped that the finger ends may have facilities for
accurately entering the loops, whilst a proper bagging action is secured for the
production of an effective cut. After leaving this cutting action the fabric is
passed onwards in contact with a rotatory shaving knife, which clears off the
loose ends of the severed threads. This apparatus may be modified in various
ways, as, for instance, a straight knife may be employed for making the
primary cut or clip instead of the rotating knife; or each finger may have a
separate stationary knife set over it. All fabrics having loose threads or loops
upon either face may be treated in this machine. The action of the rotatory
shaver may be improved by fixing an angular guide bar near the cutting
periphery, so that as the fabric is directed over this angular piece, the loops
or threads thereon are presented to the cutting action at the angle. best
suited for the cutting effect. And this modification of shaver may in some
cases be used for clearing off the loose threads without the necessity of using
a primary cutter, as herein-before referred to.