Improvement in the Art of Weaving Wide Fabrics.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in the Art of Weaving Wide Fabrics.
I, ABRAM DAVID EMERY, Mechanical Engineer, of Taunton, in the county of Bristol
and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
My invention consists in weaving wide fabrics in a narrow loom by weaving them
in two parts side by side in the loom, forming selvago edges on one side of the loom
and the centre of the fabric on the other side. I use two shuttles and two weft threads
which are simultaneously passed through different parts of the fabric at all times,
producing fabrics twice the width of the loom in the time now consumed in weaving
single widths. I may weave the two parts of the double fabric one over the other in
horizontal loom or side by side in vertical loom as desired. I may also weave one or
both parts less than the full width of loom as desired.
In accompanying drawings, figures 1 to 12, illustrate four sheddings and flights
of shuttles, forming the sequence of operations in all variations of my method and also
a particular way of shedding the chain threads and transferring the weft threads,
forming one of the variations of my method and producing special fabrics shown
in figures 13. 24. 31 and 32.
The chain threads are shed in pairs forming two paths between threads 14, 15
and 16, 17 respectively. The adjoining edge chain threads 14 and 17 on the front
of loom are shed to be both on face or both on back of the fabric at each sbedding.
The two weft threads 1 and 2, represented as shaded and plain for convenience,
simultaneously pass at first shedding, figures 1. 5 and 9, from the stationary shuttle
boxes, say at rear of loom to the front reversible shuttle boxes 3 and 4, shaded
thread through upper half of the chain threads and plain thread through the lower
half. The boxes 3 and 4 are then reversed in position by appropriate mechanism
such, say as to give them a movement of revolution about a common axis and in the
direction indicated by arrows, figure 1, passing the wefts by each other outside of
the fabric, shaded thread passing next the cloth and from upper half to lower half,
and plain thread passing next the reed and from lower half to upper. The weft
threads being beaten up form the first pick of fabric indicated at 18 and shown at
top of figure 31, each weft occupying half of the pick.
The weft threads are then simultaneously passed through the second shedding,
figures 2. 6 and 10, shaded thread in bottom half and plain thread in top half
forming the second pick, each weft occupying half of same as before but being in
opposite positions in the fabric.
The operation of weaving by reversing the wefts with the shaded thread next the
cloth and coming from upper half, together with subsequent passage of the wefts
from first into second pick and into opposite positions in the fabric, crosses the wefts
over and under each other in the forination of centre of fabric, the shaded thread
passing over the lower edge chain thread 17 with plain thread under same.
In this, as in all variations of the method, the weft thread passing next the cloth
in reversing lies on the face of fabric, the other weft being on back of same.
At the third shedding, figures 3. 7 and 11, the wefts return to the front from the
stationary boxes on rear, shaded thread in bottom half as before and plain thread
in top half, shaded thread passing around edge thread 17 at rear of loom to form
one selvage, plain thread around corresponding thread 14 to form the other selvage,
(see right figure 7).
This forms the third pick, each weft occupying half of same and in same half of
fabric as in last pick.
The wefts are then reversed at the front of loom in direction indicated by arrows

page_text: in figure 3, shaded thread passing next the cloth as before but from lower half to
upper, plain thread passing next the reed, from upper half to lower.
At fourth shelling, figures 4. 8 and 12 the wefts return to initial position through
the balves first traversed forming fourth pick.
The reversal of the wefts with shaded thread next the cloth and coming from
lower half and the passage of wefts from third into fourth pick crosses the wefts over
and under each other with shaded thread over as before but with thread 14 between
the wefts instead of 17 as before, (see first two transfers, figure 31.)
These operations are repeated indefinitely, the wefts turning opposite selvage edges
at each second pick and being transferred to opposite parts of the fabric at each
intervening second pick, crossing each other over and under, with first one of two
adjoining centre chain threads between them and then the other.
The fabric produced, figure 31, is a plain one ply fabric twice tho width of loom,
face being the upper and lower outsides of the two halves as formed in loom, (in the
figures of fabrics, the right hand side corresponds with upper half in loom). Each
pick is composed of two wefts, transferred at each second pick, crossing each other,
as described and each remaining in one half for two picks and then in other half for
two picks. The chain threads are over and under in regular order across the fabric,
except threads 14 and 17, which are both over or both under, one over or under one weft
and the other over or under the other weft, this relation being reversed at next
transfer. The back of the fabric is like face except that plain thread is over in crossing
instead of shaded thread. This may be woven as face by passing plain thread next
cloth in reversing, producing the fabric as shown figure 32.
Shedding as before, figures 14 to 21 and passing, first shaded thread next tho cloth,
from upper half and then plain thread I produce fabric shown side view, figures 22:
and 23 and flat figures 33 and 34. The fabric, figure 33 is like fabric figures 31 and 32,
except that wefts now cross over and under same edge chain thread 17, with shaded
and plain threads alternately over and under. The back of fabric is like face except
that plain thread is over, where shaded thread is over on face. This may be woven
as face of fabric by passing first plain thread then shaded throad next the cloth in
weaving, making fabric figuro 34.
Shedding as before, figures 35 to 42, except that edge thread 14 is uniformly shed
to be on the face, when the weft thread approaches the centre, in that half and edge
thread 16 is on the back at same time and passing shaded thread next the cloth, from
upper to lower half at first transfer and plain thread next the cloth at next transfer, a
as indicated by arrows figures 35 and 39 and I produce fabric shown figures 43 and 75.
The wefts now cross each other between the two adjoining edge threads 14 and 16,
which are also both between wefts at each transfer, the weft crossing over the other weft
passing beneath both edge threads and the other weft passing over same and this
relation of over and under being alternated at each transfer. The chain threads are 4
now over and under in uninterrupted sequence across the fabric, the edge thread 16,
under the other weft or reverse.
Shedding as in last (Figs. 44 to 51) except that at second transfer, the shaded
thread is passed next the cloth, from lower half, thus passing the same thread always
next the cloth and I produce the fabric, shown figures 52 and 73. The first two
picks are the same as in last, but at second transfer, shaded thread still passing next
the cloth and coming from below passes over two centre chain threads 14 and 16
and over plain thread, which coming from above is between the two centre threads,
thus crossing the wofts over and under the two centre threads.
Reversing the operations (Figs. 53 to 60) last described and passing plain thread 5
uniformly next the cloth, first from lower half and then from upper half and I produce
the fabric shown figures 61 and 74 corresponding to back of fabric, figure 73
except that the long cross is formed at the transfer where the short cross is formed
in figure 73 and plain thread is over at each cross, instead of shaded thread.
Reversing the operations of figures 35 to 43, as in figures 62 to 69 and passing, 5
first plain thread next the cloth from below and then shaded thread next the cloth,
from below thus making a long cross at each transfer, with plain and shaded threads

page_text: alternately over and under I produce fabrics, figures 70 and 76. This is a long cross
over and under two adjoining chain threads at each transfer, first plain thread over
and then shaded thread and so on.
The individual heddles, figures 1 to 4 may be replaced by two heddles perforining
the same functions, as shown in figures 25 to 30 and 71 and 72. Each heddle cord
is provided with two eyes. for an upper and lower chain thread respectively except
that in figures 25 to 30, the heddle 19 contains a single eve for thread 14, to shed
the chain as explained in connection with figures 1 to 34, with the edge threads both
on the face or back of fabric at each pick. In heddles Figs. 71 and 72, adapted to
shed as explained in connection with figures 35 to 76, with edge threads one on
faco and one on back at each pick the two edge threads 14 and 16 are operated by
the single heddle 19.
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 :-
1-1 claim as my invention, the method of weaving a wide fabric in a narrow loom,
by weaving the same in two parts, forming two selvages on one side of the loom and
the centre of fabric on the other side, by the use of two weft threads, which are
simultaneously passed through different parts of the fabric at all times.
2-In carrying out such a method, I claim, passing two weft threads from opposite
selvages on one side of the loom, to and out of the centre of the fabric, on the other
side and thence to opposite selvages from which they started and return.
3-In such a method I claim, passing two weft threads in opposite directions,
through a continuous fabric, by passing such threads out of the fabric, at the centre
and then passing them by each other outside the fabric and thence crossing them
over and under each other into a succeeding pick.
4-1 claim, the method of reversing the front shuttle boxes 3 and 4, for the pur-
pose of transferring the wefts from one half of the fabric to the other, as explained
in connection with figures 1 to 4.
5-I claim, the stationary and reversible shuttle boxes for forming selvages on one
side of the loom and the centre of the fabric on the other as explained.
6- claim, the method of reversing the shuttle boxes 3 and 4, in such manner,
that either weft may be placed on the face or back of the fabric at centre, as
desired.
7- claim, the method of shedding the chain threads in pairs in connection with
the use of two wefts and four shuttle boxes as described.
S-I claim, the same, when the adjoining edge chain threads 14 and 17 or 14 and 16
are shed to be both on the face or back or one on face and one on back, as described
in connection with figures, 1 to 34 and 35 to 76.
9-1 claim, the particular way of shedding the chain threads, (with 14 and 17 on
face or back) and reversing wefts, shown in figures, 1 to 12, producing fabric 31, also
reversing said operation and producing the fabric, figure 32.
10- claim, also, the particular way of shedding and reversing, shown in
figures 14 to 21, producing fabric, figure 33, also reversing the operations and pro-
ducing the fabric, figure 34.
11-1 claim, the particular way of shedding, (with either 14 or 16 on the face and
other on the back) and reversing shown, figures 35 to 42, also that shown in
figures, 44 to 51, 53 to 60 and 62° to 69, producing the fabrics, figures, 75—73—
74 and 76, respectively.
12 I claim, the plain one ply fabric produced by my method of weaving and
containing two weft threads, each occupying approximately, a half of each pick.
(A) The same, with the weft threads transferred to opposite positions in the
fabric, at each second pick.
(B)-The same,
with the wefts crossed, as in figures 31 and 34.

page_text: 13-1 claim, the double heddles, figures 25 to 30, for shedding the chain threads,
in pairs, with the edge threads 14 and 17 both on the face or back as described.
14-I claim, the double heddles, 71 and 72, for shedding the chain threads, in
pairs, with one of two edge threads 14 and 16 on the face and one on the back, as
described.
Dated this Twenty-second dex of Octobias
1000
ABRAM D. EMERY.
Abel & Imray,
Agents for the Applicant.