IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO LOOMS FOR WEAVING VELVETS AND OTHER PILE FABRICS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CUTTING OR FORMING THE PILE AS THE FABRICS ARE BEING WOVEN, A MODIFICATION OF THE SAID IMPROVEMENTS WITHOUT THE CUTTING ACTION BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FORMING THE LOOPS OR PILE IN FABRICS OF THE NATURE OF BRUSSELS CARPET OR OTHER MATERIAL WHICH CAN BE MADE THICKER BY A LOOP OR PILE OB CORRUGATIONS
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Christopher Brakell at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
January 1874.
I, CHRISTOPHER BRAKELL, York Street Chambers, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE APPLIED TO LOOMS FOR
WEAVING VELVETS AND OTHER PILE FABRICS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CUTTING OR
FORMING THE PILE AS THE FABRICS ARE BEING WOVEN, A MODIFICATION OF THE
SAID IMPROVEMENTS WITHOUT THE CUTTING ACTION BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
FORMING THE LOOPS OR PILE IN FABRICS OF THE NATURE OF BRUSSELS CARPET
OR OTHER MATERIAL WHICH CAN BE MADE THICKER BY A LOOP OR PILE OB
CORRUGATIONS," to be as follows:-
At the present time velvets, velveteens, cords, carpets, and other pile
fabrics are either woven and cut afterwards lengthways of the piece by
hand, or else the pile is cut or formed in the loom by wires or blades
being woven into what is known as the races crossways of the piece.
The said wires or blades which are alternately woven in and drawn out
either have a cutting edge at one end which cuts the loops and forms
the pile when so drawn out, or else the pile is formed by a cutter

page_text: drawn out.
Instead of the methods described I take wires or blades equal in
number to the races in the material to be woven, and secure the same at
each end lenghtways of the fabric. The cross frame holding the wires
or blades at the one end is secured a little beyond the centre line of the
roller or beam on which the fabric is wound as it is woven, and the cross
frame holding the other ends of the wires or blades is beyond the shuttlo
of the loom. I then arrange by means of the healds or similar appliance
to weave the wires or blades so described into what I have termed the
races of the fabric, and the loom being set in motion it will be evident
that the said wires or blades must be released from the races as the
fabric is being wound round the roller or beam. This I effect by means
of a knife vibrating crossways of the fabric, and in contact with the
wires or blades referred to, thereby cutting the loops and forming the
pile, and releasing the wires or blades continuously at the point named;
or instead of a vibrating knife I can use a revolving knife or cutter, or
else I can let each wire or blade have a cutting edge at or about the
centre line of the roller or beam on which the fabric is wound, as
explained, giving them, if necessary, a vibrating motion lengthways of
the fabric, and so cutting the loops and forming the pile.
Instead of forming a cutting edge on the wires or blades themselves
I can make knives of thin steel plate of sufficient breadth at one end to
allow of a slot, so that they can be fixed on a cross bar, while at they
other end they terminate in a fine or sharp point like the ordinary knife,
as used at present by a velvet or fustian cutter by hand, except that the
fine or sharp point referred to is formed a slot or needle eye, through
which the wires or blades are passed and secured.
In some cases it may be more suitable for me to use threads or cords
of silk or other material instead of wires or blades.
A modification of my said improvements without the cutting action,
applicable for forming the loops or pile or corrugations of fabrics of the
nature of Brussels carpets or other material which can be made thicker
by a loop or pile I carry out as follows:-The wires, blades, cords, or
threads as already referred to are held or secured at one end beyond the
shuttle or shuttles of the loom, and are woven into the races as described;
but the other ends of the said wires, blades, cords, or threads are not

page_text: fixed but left free and loose, so that the loops or pile, as for instance in a
Brussels carpet, can slip off the ends of the said free or loose wires,
blades, cords, or threads as the fabric is being woven and rolled upon the
roller or beam of the loom.
As an example of one of the applications there are corded or corrugated
fabrics which are formed by cords or threads being woven in, but by my
Invention I can dispense with such cords, and produce the appearance
of a corded fabric by means of the loop pile, or form a thick fabric from
a less weight of raw material.