IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MOHAIR, ALPACA, AND WORSTED PILE FABRICS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ely Smith Stott, of Halifax, Woollen Manufacturer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MOHAIR,
ALPACA, AND WORSTED PILE FABRICS."
Sealed the 20th May 1856, and dated the 19th March 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ely Smith Stott at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
March 1856.
I, ELY SMITH STOTT, of Halifax, Woollen Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MOHAIR,
ALPACA, AND WORSTED PILE FABRICS," to be as follows:-.
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of mohair,
alpaca, and worsted pile fabrics. For this purpose, the pile face or surface of
each fabric is made of mohair, alpaca, or worsted, as heretofore; the weft of the
fabric, in place of being of cotton or other vegetable fibre, is to be of wool,
waste silk, or felting fibre. The fabrics are subjected to the process of milling
or felting, and subsequently to the action of steam, and afterwards the pile is.
cropped or cut.
5
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said Ely Smith Stott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th August 1856.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Ely Smith Stott, Her special license that. I,. the said Ely Smith Stott, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ely Smith
Stott, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
MOHAIR, ALFACA, AND WORSTED PILE FABRICS," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said. Ely Smith Stott, my executors or administrators, 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 same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, the said Ely Smith Stott, 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
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of mohair,
alpaca, and worsted pile fabrics. For this purpose the pile face or surface
of each fabric is made of mohair, alpaca; or worsted, as heretofore; the weft of
the fabric in place of being of cotton or other vegetable fibre, is to be of wool,
waste silk, or felting fibre. The fabric's 'are subjected to the process of milling
or felting, and subsequently to the action of steam, and afterwards the pile 'is
cropped or cut.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I now proceed more
fully to explain my improvements in the manufacture of what I call "seal
skin cloth." Hitherto mohair, alpaca, or worsted pile fabrics have been wefted
with cotton or linen, and have been chiefly used for furniture covering, though
sometimes for garments, and the pile of such cloth has generally been made
about the eighth of an inch in depth. The object heretofore desired has been
to get a full even surface, which would give great resistance and firmness in
the wear, and such fabrics have not been felted.
A
My improvement.consists in producing a cloth for over-garments, which aas
a rich, shady, soft, and silky appearance, and looks like the finest fur's in wear.

page_text: In the weaving of the above cloth I use woollen, worsted, or silk waste as weft,
which when felted or milled produces a soft clothy surface. The wires that
produce the pile I prefer to be not less than a quarter of an inch in depth, so
that when the pile surface is cut it has a long, soft, shady, and silky appearance.
After the cloth leaves the loom it is scoured or cleansed with urine and
ammonia, or any other wash or scouring liquor, after which I pass it through
rollers with water till thoroughly clean; the goods are then drained until suf-
ficiently dried to mill: then I lay soap upon the cloth in the usual way previous
to its being placed in the fulling stock, where it is milled, after which the cloth
is thoroughly washed with water. I then (after the cloth has been drained or
the water pressed out by any convenient means) return the cloth to the fulling
stock or other machine for a few minutes, for the purpose of pressing or laying
the pile unevenly while the cloth is in a wet state, after which the cloth is taken
out and allowed to remain in a creased and wet state for a time to set or fix
the pile in that uneven cloudy manner, which gives the beautiful fur-like
appearance desired. The dyeing of the cloth may be done either before or
after the milling process. After the cloth is dyed and washed, it is tentered,
stretched, and dried in the usual way, and then the cloth is passed over a steam
brushing mill, in which is fixed a steam pipe, perforated with small holes to
allow the steam to blow through the cloth, in order to raise up the loose hairs
or fibres on the face, which also takes out the twist from the pile yarn, and
makes it spread more and leaves a finer appearance on the surface, after which
it is cropped by being passed through the Lewis machine in the ordinary
way.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would bave it understood that I make no claim to the
processes herein described separately; but what I claim is, the manufacture of
mohair, alpaca, and worsted pile fabrics, herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ely Smith Stott, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JOHN COLLIER.
ELY SMITH STOTT. (L.S.)