AN IMPROVEMENT IN WEAVING ELASTIC FABRICS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Luke Turner, of the firm of Hodges and Turner,
of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Manufacturers, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN WEAVING ELASTIC FABRICS."
Sealed the 18th May 1855, and dated the 15th December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Luke Turner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 15th
December 1854.
I, LUKE TURNER, of the firm of Hodges and Turner, of Leicester, in the
County of Leicester, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN WEAVING ELASTIC FABRICS" to be
as follows:-
This Invention is intended to apply to the manufacture of elastic fabrics
only. The improvement is applicable to weaving looms, containing two or more
tiers of shuttles, each tier of shuttles containing or working a different colour
or material, and the tiers of shuttles throwing the colours or materials alter-
nately; and it consists in throwing two or more coloured threads, or threads
of different materials in the weft, to the surface at will. This will be attained
in various ways; for example, by working the shaft or beam holding the elastic

page_text: threads in such manner as to throw either of the colours in the shuttles to the
surface at pleasure, or by so working the battens as to produce the same effect.
The usual way of working the shaft holding the elastic threads is to lift it up,
then pass one of the shuttles through the warp, then drive it down, then pass
another shuttle through the warp, and so on; when my Invention is carried
into effect by working the elastic web shaft, I act upon it by means of wheels,
or otherwise, in such manner as to hold it still whenever it is desired to change
the colour or material of the surface until two or more shuttles have been
passed separately through the warp, by which means I am enabled to bring
either of the colours or materials in the weft to the surface at pleasure, and
thus produce plaids and other fancy patterns without changing the motion or
altering the position of the shuttles.
My Invention may be carried into effect by various other means, which will
readily suggest themselves to a practical weaver of elastic webs and fabrics,
and which will be further alluded to in my final Specification. What I seek
to secure and intend to claim is, the throwing of two or more colored threads,
or threads of different materials in the weft, to the surface when weaving
elastic webs or fabrics.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Luke Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LUKE
TURNER, of the firm of Hodges and Turner, of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Luke Turner, Her special licence that I, the said Luke Turner, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Luke
Turner, 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN WEAVING
ELASTIC FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Luke
Turner, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Luke Turner, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say) :-
This Invention is applicable to weaving looms, containing two or more tiers
of shuttles, each tier of shuttles containing or working a different colour or
material, and the tiers of shuttles throwing the colors or materials alternately.
And my improvement consists in throwing two or more colored threads, or
threads of different materials in the weft, to the surface at will. This is
attained in various ways; as, for example, by working the shaft or beam hold-
ing the elastic threads in such manner as to throw either of the colours in the
shuttles to the surface at pleasure, or by so working the battens as to produce
the same effect. The usual way of working the shaft holding the elastic
threads is to lift it up, pass one of the shuttles through the warp, next drive it
down, then pass another shuttle through the warp, and so on.
When my
Invention is carried into effect by working the elastic web shaft, I act upon it
by means of wheels, or otherwise, in such manner that it may be held still
whenever it is desired to change the color or material of the surface, until
two or more shuttles have been passed separately through the warp, by which
means I am enabled to bring either of the colors or materials in the weft to
the surface at pleasure, and thus produce plaids and other fancy patterns
without changing the motion or altering the position of the shuttles. In
practice, however, in order to produce a great variety of pattern and color, I
find it preferable to adapt to machines for weaving elastic fabrics the jacquard
system, as being much simpler in arrangement and more effective. The india-
rubber or clastic threads are the only threads that are connected to the lifting
wires of the cards, and according to the pattern pierced upon these cards, the
proper number of elastic threads is lifted or brought to the surface, and
the weft is thrown above, or below, or between these elastic threads, in accord-
ance with the design to be produced. By using several tiers of shuttles, each
tier carrying threads of a different material or colour, a great variety of pattern

page_text: may be produced by alternately bringing the different shuttles even with the
sheds, and at the same time, by means of the pattern on the cards, so shifting
the position and number of elastic threads as to bring the required colour or
material to the surface. Simple patterns, such as checks, or plaids, or stripes,
may be produced independently of the jacquard arrangement, and in the ordi-
nary looms for weaving elastic web, where two or more tiers of shuttles are
used, by so working the shaft or beam holding the elastic threads that at every
change of color or material the shaft is held stationary while the shuttles are
thrown twice; the shaft carrying the elastic thread is then worked up and
down together with the throwing of the shuttles, until the required length of
pattern is produced; the shaft carrying the elastic thread is next held still,
and the shuttle again thrown twice, which thereby brings the next required
color or material to the surface. The shaft of the elastic thread is then
worked in this position until the required number of this surface color or
material has been thrown, when the shaft is again shifted, and both tiers of
shuttles, if two tiers are being used, thrown twice, which brings the next
colored weft to the surface; and this color is then worked the required
number of shoots, and the elastic thread shaft is again shifted, and the throw
of the shuttles again continued. The elastic thread shaft may be held, if
desired, while the shuttles are thrown four times, or any other even number of
times; but I prefer to hold it while the shuttles are thrown twice, as any
greater number exposes a larger space of elastic thread uncovered, and there-
fore more liable to wear; or, instead of the above method of acting upon the
elastic threads, I work the battens up or down, in such manner as to bring
the tier of shuttles carrying the required surface color or material of weft
even with the work, so that when the shuttles are thrown, the desired color
or material is brought to the surface. At every change of colour or material
to be thrown by the shuttles, the battens must remain up or down while
either of the tiers of shuttles are thrown twice, or any other even number
of times.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware that the
jacquard arrangement has been applied to looms for weaving elastic web, and
that the same has been used for shifting the non-elastic warp threads for the
production of a variety of patterns, and to this I therefore lay no claim; but
what I claim as my improvement in weaving elastic fabrics is, the method of
operating upon the elastic threads alone, and this whether by the ordinary
loom for weaving elastic fabrics, or by the adaptation thereto, in combination

page_text: with two or more tiers of shuttles, carrying each a weft of a different color or
material, of the jacquard arrangement, so as to lift or bring the required
number of elastic threads to the surface, in such manner that when the
shuttles are thrown between the sheds, the required pattern is produced, all
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Luke Turner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-five.
LUKE TURNER. (L.S.)