IMPROVE- SEANNO IN MUD TREATMENT OR MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Richard Cochrane, of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
SEANNO IN MUD TREATMENT OR MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS."
Sealed the 7th July 1857, and dated the 12th May 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Richard Cochrane at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th May 1857.
I, JOHN RICHARD COCHRANE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS,"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to that part of the manufacture of woven fabrics of
the lappet, or generally similar class, wherein the loose surface threads pro-
duced in, forming the pattern or device upon the goods are cut and removed
from the piece to bring it to its finished state. Under one modification of
the machinery or apparatus employed in carrying out this Invention in prac-.
tice, the unclipped piece is wound upon a roller or beam, and passed there-
from, in the process of clipping or cutting, beneath a row of fingers, feelers, or
elevators, disposed at equal distances asunder upon a stationary bar, or it may,
be passed through the machine in a loose or folded condition. The fingers or
feelers catch or enter into the loops formed by the loose or flush threads as
the piece traverses forward, and they thus lift up the loops from the surface of

page_text: the cloth. Over the set of fingers or feelers a heavy pressing roller is disposed,
so as to bear upon the fingers, and upon the loops of threads as the latter are
passed up or along the fingers. Between the fingers or feelers and the cloth
operated upon there is set a horizontal knife, which is made to vibrate or
traverse back and forwards with a cutting action by means of a crank,
eccentric, or other movement. Thus, as the elevated loops of threads come
forward they are pressed against the cutting edge of the knife and severed
close off by the surface of the cloth, the pressing roller acting to stay the
stretched loops and keep them in a proper position for being accurately
severed. The cutting knife is made in short pieces, screwed to a back or
holder, in order to avoid difficulties connected with the distortion of large
pieces of steel. The fabric is directed up to the point of cut by being passed
over a bar of angular section, so as to insure proper presentation of the threads
to the cloth...
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Richard Cochrane in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RICHARD COCHRANE, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Richard Cochrane, Her special license that I, the said John Richard
Cochrane, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Richard Cochrane, my executors, administrators, or 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OR MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL FABRICS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Richard Cochrane, by an'
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Richard Cochrane, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures maked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to that part of the manufacture of woven fabrics
of the lappet, or generally similar class, wherein the loose surface threads
produced in forming the pattern or device upon the goods are cut and
removed from the piece to bring it to its finished state. Under one modi-
fication of the machinery or apparatus employed in carrying out this Invention
in practice, the unclipped piece is wound upon a roller or beam, and passed
therefrom, in the process of clipping or cutting, beneath a row of fingers,
feelers, or elevators, disposed at equal distance asunder upon a stationary bar,
or it may be passed through the machine in a loose or folded condition.
These fingers or feelers catch or enter into the loops formed by the loose or
flushed threads as the piece traverses forward, and they thus lift up the loops
from the surface of the cloth. Over the set of fingers or feelers a heavy
pressing roller is disposed, so as to bear upon the fingers, and upon the loops
of threads as the latter are passed up or along the fingers. Between the
fingers or feelers and the cloth operated upon there is set a horizontal knife,
which is made to vibrate or traverse back and forwards with a cutting action
by means of a crank, eccentric, or other movement. Thus, as the elevated
loops of threads come forward they are pressed against the cutting edge of
the knife and severed close off by the surface of the cloth, the pressing roller
acting to stay the stretched loops and keep them in a proper position for being
accurately severed. The cutting knife is made in short pieces, screwed to a
back or holder, in order to avoid difficulties connected with the distortion of
large pieces of steel. The fabric is directed up to the point of cut by being
passed over a bar of angular section, so as to insure proper presentation of the
threads to the cloth.
"'
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood. I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of
Drawings, which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing
certain modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried
out in practice.
Figure 1 on my Sheet of Drawings is a front elevation of one modification
of the machinery or apparatus employed for the purpose of cutting off the

page_text: Loose surface threads from figured muslins, technically termed." lappet " goods,
or from other woven fabrics of a similar kind; Figure 2 is an end view.of
the machine.; Figure 3 a vertical section, and Figure 4 a plan of the same;
Figures 5 and 6.are a vertical section and plan of a portion of the details of
tlie machine, drawn to a larger scale than Figures 1 to 4, for the purpose
of showing certain parts of the machinery. with greater distinctness than can
be done in the other Figures.
The framing A consists of two A-shaped cast-iron standards, united to each
other by tie rods of malleable iron. The moving parts of the machine are
actuated by means of an endless belt, which passes round the pulley B on the
main shaft C. The fabrić to be operated upon is placed loosely upon the
floor in front of the machine, and is passed over the upper one and under
the lower one of a pair of tension bars D, which extend across the machine..
The fabric is then carried over the roller E and partially round the roughened
roller F. The roller E is caused to press with a certain amount of force
against the roughened roller F, by means of a lever G and counterweight H
fitted at each end of the roller. The levers G are each carried upon a stud
-projecting from the inner sides of the standards A. The shorter arms of the
levers are hooked and pass under the spindle of the roller E; the longer
arms of the levers are made with a series of notches, into which the links
of the counterweights are placed. By shifting the links of the counter-
weights to or from the lever's fulcrum, the upward pressure of the roller E
against the roller F is regulated as required. The fabric passes round the
outer portion of the periphery of the roughened roller F, the surface of which
is roughened by means of a coating of coarsely pounded glass, emery, or other
suitable material for giving a granulated surface to the roller. From the
roller F the fabric is passed over the bar I, and thence under the roller J ; this
roller is of cast iron turned to a smooth surface, its bearings are carried in the
brackets which project above the side standards A. The roller J presses upou
the upper surface of a series of horizontally disposed fingers, piercers, or guide
pieces K; these are slender steel bars somewhat similar to an ordinary bodkin.
The points of these fingers or piercers enter the loops or flushed threads upon
the surface of the lappet fabric, and serve to keep them distended whilst they
are cut off by a knife, the edge of which presses against the under side of the
-row of piercers. The loop fingers or piercers K rest upon the bar L at the
back of the roller J; this bar is made with a dovetailed groove in it, and the
fingers or piercers are fixed in any required position by means of the clips M,
which are fastened to the bar by the nuts N. The loop fingers or piercers are
passed in between the bar L and the under sides of clips M, which are then

page_text: made fast by the nuts N. The fingers or piercers are arranged at such
distances apart as to correspond with the loops on the surface of the fabric to
be cut, every distinct pattern of course requiring a rearrangement of the loop
fingers or piercers. The bar L is made with a stud at each end, which .drops
into a socket in the framing A, and outside the bar at each end of it is a
projecting rod O, upon which a counterweight is hung. These counterweights
serve to give the bar L a tendency to turn upon its axes, and thereby keep the
loop fingers or piercers in close contact with the roller J, and their points in
the best position for entering the loops of the fabric; this object is also
facilitated by carrying the fabric downwards at a slight angle from the bar I.
Below the loop fingers or piercers, and immediately under the centre of the
roller J, are fitted two bars of metal P, Q; these bars extend across the
machine, and are arranged nearly close together like the jaws of a vice, as is
clearly shown in the enlarged sectional view, Figure 5, of my Sheet of illus
trative Drawings. The fabric is passed under the loop fingers or piercers K,
and downwards between the bars P and Q, the edge of the bar P being slightly
bevilled off where the fabric passes over it. It is at the part immediately
over the opening of the bars P and Q that the loops of the fabric are cut.
The severing of the loops is effected by means of a knife R, made somewhat
longer than the breadth of the fabric; this knife is made in pieces, which are
fastened to a flat bar of metal S. The upper surface of the knife is quite
flat, and presses against the under sides of the loop fingers or-piercers K, and
its under surface is bevilled off to a fine cutting edge, and being formed in
several sectional pieces, the distortion which would arise in a single long.piece
of steel is prevented, The knife R is moved rapidly to and fro across the
machine, and its edge just reaches the part where the loops are fully distended
by the loop fingers or piercers, and are nipped by the roller J. The rapid
reciprocatory movement of the knife as it comes into contact with the loops,
which are for the instant held by the roller J, servers the threads close to the
surface of the fabric, which then passes downwards between the bars P and Q.
The knife R is prevented from deflecting by means of several antifriction
rollers T, which are fixed to a bar U extending across the machine. These
antifriction rollers support the blade as it traverse to and fro, and keep it
close up to the loop fingers or piercers, for if the deflection of the knife were
not prevented it would be liable to injure the fabric. The bar of metal S, to
which the blades forming the knife are screwed, is fastened to the flat piece of
metal V by a link and thumbscrew W. A slot is made in the outer end of
the connecting bar V, in which the crank pin of the disc X travels. The
disc X is carried on the upper extremity of the spindle Y, which is supported

page_text: in collar and footstep bearings cast on the projecting parts of the framing A.
The spindle Ý has upon it a horizontal disc, which presses against the vertical
disc or friction plate Z on the end of the main shaft C. . The main shaft is
driven by means of the belt pulley arrangement, and communicates a rapid
rotatory motion to the spindle Y, whilst the eccentric motion of the crank pin
imparts a correspondingly rapid reciprocatory movement to the knife R. As
the loops are cut off the surface of the fabric the short pieces of thread are
received into a tin trough hung at the back of the machine, and below the arms
of the bar L. This receptacle for the waste thread is not shown in the Drawing.
The cut or severed fabric after passing through the bars P and Q, is carried
round the roughened roller a, over the roller b, and between it and the presser
bar c, whence it falls in loose folds upon the ground. The roller bis
pressed up against the roughened roller a by means of a pair of levers d and
counterweights e, similar to the arrangement herein-before described in
reference to the roller E. The fabric is drawn through the machine by the
motion communicated to the roller a, which also gives motion to the metal
roller J. On the main shaft C is a pinion f, which gears with the wheel g,
fitted upon a stud projecting from one of the side standards A. The wheel g
is made with a pinion h, which gears with a wheel i; this wheel has a pinion j,
which gives motion to the wheel K. The pinion on the wheel K drives the
wheel m on the spindle of the roller a, and the motion of this roller, together
with the pressure of the roller b against it, draws the fabric through the
machine. The rollers E and F therefore only serve to keep the fabric suffi-
ciently stretched, and prevent its passing in a loose and wrinkled state through
the machine. The wheel m on the spindle of the roller a also drives the
pinion n, which gives motion to the wheel o on the spindle of the roller J,
the rate of motion of which corresponds to that of the roller a. The rate of
motion of the drawing roller a is made to correspond with the effective
working of the knife, for if the loops to be cut succeed each other closely
the taking up of the fabric must be proportionably slow; on the other hand,
where the loops are farther apart the speed may be advantageously increased.
The motion of the roller a may be stopped without interfering with the action
of the knife by means of a clutch or coupling p, which throws the spindle of
the drawing roller a out of gear with the wheel m. The clutch p is put into
or out of gear with the wheel m by means of the handle q. When the
attendant moves this handle to the right hand the clutch or coupling is
disconnected from the boss of the wheel m, and the spindle of the drawing
roller a is no longer affected by the rotatory motion of the wheel m. The
motion of the knife is stopped by means of a belt lever, which throws the

page_text: moving parts of the machine out of gear, in the ordinary and well-known
manner. By means of this machinery or apparatus the loose flushed threads
or loops upon the surface of lappet or other similar kinds of ornamental
fabrics are expeditiously and effectively cut or severed and removed therefrom.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict.myself.
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe
or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from.
the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the.
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus.
for the treatment or manufacture of textile fabrics in which loose flushed.
threads or loops are required to be cut or otherwise removed therefrom, as
herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of effecting the removal of loose threads or
loops from the surface of textile fabrics by means of machinery or apparatus,
as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of opening or distending the loops or flushed
threads to be cut by means of a series of adjustable feelers, fingers, or piercers,
as herein before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of cutting or severing the distended loops with-.
out injury to the fabric by means of a knife or other similar cutting instrument
actuated by machinery as herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of forming the cutting knives of lappet cutting.
machines in separate or sectional pieces, as herein-before described.
Sixth, the system or mode of severing the loose or flushed threads of lappet
fabrics, wherein the fabric is deflected over an angular ridge or bar edge at.
the part where the elevation loops or threads meet the cut of the knife, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Richard Cochrane, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
J. R. COCHRANE. (L.S.)