IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING ORNAMENTAL FABRICS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Craw, Warehouseman, and James Macaulay,
Pattern Designer, both of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING ORNAMENTAL
FABRICS."
Sealed the 21st March 1865, and dated the 6th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Craw and James
Macaulay at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 6th January 1865.
We, JOHN CRAW, Warehouseman, and JAMES MACAULAY, Pattern Designer,
both of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEAVING ORNAMENTAL
FABRICS," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the weaving of ornamental fabrics in an improved
and simplified manner, so as to present a distinct and complete pattern on
both faces, and it is more particularly suitable for the production of "shawl"
and similar designs.
In practising the Invention, warps are provided for both faces, and the
warps for each face are actuated by separate sets of harness and separate sets
of jacquard cards, the harness for one face being placed in front of that for the-
other face. Each harness, mail has a single warp thread passing through it,
and each warp thread for one face passes between two of the harness tails for
the other face, the two sets of warps being thus alternated thread by thread as
taken across the loom. A number of differently colored wefts are used, and'

page_text: when any one of them is being picked, the warps of the under face are raised at
all points at which that weft has to appear on the under face, whilst the warps
of the upper face are lifted at all points excepting those at which that weft
has to appear on the upper face.
Ordinarily, the warps used in weaving fabrics of this kind are fine, and of a
dull color, so as to show as little as possible upon the pattern surfaces of the
fabric, being used for binding the wefts together, and thus "forming cloth;"
but by the present Invention the warps used are of one or more bright or
other colors, suitable for forming essential parts of the design; and whereas,
in ordinarily weaving such fabrics, the warps cross over single weft lines
where a "plain cloth" texture is formed, or over double weft lines when
the texture is a "twill," and that in both cases in a plain regular manner.
By the present Invention, the warps are made to cross over one, two, or more
weft lines, and that according to a "diaper" or "damask" pattern in the
texture, which is of course made to combine with the general particolored
details of the complete design. These results are obtained in a simple way by
suitably cutting the jacquard cards, and in a manner which the foregoing
explanation will render obvious to any competent card cutter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Craw and James Macaulay in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CRAW, Warehouseman, and JAMES MACAULAY, Pattern Designer, both of
Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Craw and James Macaulay, Her special licence that we, the said John
Craw and James Macaulay, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said John Craw and James Macaulay, our executors, ad-
ministrators, 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 WEAVING ORNAMENTAL FABRICS,"

page_text: upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Craw and James
Macaulay, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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 immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Craw and James Macaulay, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner tho
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement in writing, that is to say :-
Our said Invention relates to the weaving of ornamental fabrics in an
improved and simplified manner, so as to present a distinct and complete
pattern on both faces, and it is more particularly suitable for the production of
"shawl" and similar designs.
Various fabrics of a somewhat similar kind have been produced by weaving
processes, in such a manner as to show distinct patterns on both sides or faces;
but the fabrics produced according to our Invention possess a peculiar
character and appearance not imparted by the weaving processes hitherto in
use for producing two-faced fabrics.
The distinguishing characteristics of our fabric are due to the employment
of the warp threads in a peculiar manner as an essential constituent in the
production of the patterns upon both faces or sides.
Ordinarily the warps used in weaving fabrics of this kind are fine and of a
dull color, so as to be nearly invisible, or to show as little as possible upon the
pattern surfaces of the fabric, being used as is well understood for binding the
wefts together, and thus "forming cloth;" but by our Invention, the warps
are of heavier "counts" or qualities, and of one or more bright or other colors,
suitable for forming essential parts of the design, whilst in the wefts, the color
that the warps are of is omitted, so that there is a saving in the number of
wefts, and in the labour or power employed in shuttling.
In practising our Invention warps are provided for both faces of the cloth,
corresponding in fineness to the texture required, and the warps for each face
are actuated by separate sets of harness and separate sets of jacquard cards,
the harness for one face being placed in front of that for the other face.
In one modification each harness mail has a single warp thread passing
through it, and each warp thread for one face passes between two of the
harness mails or tails for the other face, the two sets of warps being thus
alternated thread by thread as taken across the loom. A pattern for each face

page_text: is designed in color in the ordinary way upon the common design paper used
for "thread" harness work, care being taken not to put the color of any of the
wefts on any corresponding part of both designs. If the warps for both faces
are of the same color, this color may of course be put on corresponding points
of both designs, as the two sets of warps are quite independent of each other.
The jacquard cards are perforated in such a way as that when each weft is
picked, the warps for the under face will be raised at all points at which that
weft has to appear on the under face, whilst the warps of the upper face will
be raised at all points, excepting those at which that weft has to appear on
the upper face, as is well understood in the manufacture of two-faced fabrics.
In ordinarily weaving such fabrics, the warps (of the fine and almost invisible
kind) are made to cross over single weft lines when a "plain cloth" texture
is formed, or over one, two, or more weft lines when the texture is a "twill,"
and that in all cases in a plain regular manner; but by our Invention the
warps are made to cross over varied numbers of weft lines, according to a
diaper," "damask," or varied pattern in the texture, which varied textural
pattern, in consequence of the prominent color of the warps, forms an important
element of the general particolored design.
66
In general four or five colors of weft are used in practising our Invention
in addition to the color or colors of the warps; and our fabric differs from
certain kinds of coarse inferior two-faced fabrics, in which three or four sets
of warps of different colors are combined with three or four wefts of the same.
colors, each color of warp, wherever it is shown on either face, being there
interwoven with weft of its own color. In our fabric, the warps being of a
different color from all the wefts, can be and are used to modify and alter the
hues of the different wefts, or in other words the warps have their own hues
modified or altered by the various wefts, and by being interwoven with the
wefts in various ways to show different proportions of the various colors, as
will be well understood by the practical weaver.
. Another important peculiarity due to our mode of weaving is a changing-
color or chameleon effect, such as is seen in what is known as shot silk, which
is caused by the warp threads and weft threads receiving the light differently
in different positions. This chameleon effect is made stronger in one part
than another by throwing the warps more to the surface, and the general effect
is greatly enriched and enhanced by the judicious introduction of effects of
this kind. The various effects to be produced are provided for in preparing
the colored paper design. Thus, wherever each color of weft is required to
appear as strong, clear, and unmixed as possible, there the warps are thrown
to the respective faces to a very small extent only, and so as to be barely

page_text: sufficient to tack down the said wefts; on the other hand, wherever the
warp is to show strong, clear, and unmixed, there it is thrown to the surface
as much as possible, being crossed over by weft (and that of a color harmonising
most nearly with it) only where it is absolutely necessary to tack it down.
Between these extremes the weft and warp may be made to combine in
various proportions. Additional prominence is in some cases given to the
warps by putting in each harness mail two or more threads to be woven as
one thread.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, we have to state that what we believe
to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to us by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the weaving of two-faced
ornamental fabrics, or fabrics presenting a distinct and complete pattern on
both faces with warps differing in color from any of the wefts, and woven so
as to constitute essential parts of the design, and produce varied chameleon
effects, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Craw and James Macaulay, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirtieth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN CRAW.
(L.S.)
JAMES MACAULAY. (L.S.)