IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING WARPS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MORTON, of Morton Place, Kilmarnock, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of
March, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the tenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Alexander Morton, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Alexander
Morton, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Morton, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PRINTING WARPS;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso, that I, the said Alexander Morton, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,

page_text: to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immedately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Morton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following Statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to certain modes of printing the yarns of which warps
are composed, so as to obtain regular patterns when such yarns are woven by
ordinary looms into carpets and other fabrics by plain weaving, the same
being principally applicable when weaving fabrics with piled or raised surfaces.
In manufacturing figured fabrics it has before been the practice to print yarns
for warps both before and after making up warps of such yarns, and several
Patents have before been taken for the different means by which such printing
processes have been accomplished.
Now my Invention consists,-
First, of so arranging apparatus that several succeeding threads of the same
warp may have the colors applied thereon for producing a regular pattern
when woven by plain weaving into a fabric; and,
Secondly, my Invention consists of so arranging apparatus that a single
warp thread or several warp threads may have a succession of colors applied
thereto in succession at intervals apart, so that when a warp is made up and 2
the same woven into a fabric by plain weaving, regular patterns will be pro-
duced by the coming together of the various colours on the different warp
threads. And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood
and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued
by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
9
Figure 1 shows the front view, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 detached
parts of apparatus to be used for winding on the warp threads, in order that
they may be printed; this apparatus consists of several planks a, a, suitable
for being placed on a common axis b, and they are retained together when on 3
the axis h by bolts
The and of the

page_text: drives a band e on the screw axis f, the screw of which is so arranged as to lay
the several coils of each warp thread side by side, as is well understood. 9 is a
sliding bar sliding in brackets, as is shewn; this bar carries as many eyes h as
there are planks used, so that a warp thread will be wound on each of the
planks, and in working with this apparatus any desired number of planks a, a,
may be used. I have shown ten, which is a convenient number, and I wind on
ten separate succeeding warp threads on these ten planks. Thus the outer warp
which comes on to the selvage would be placed on plank a', the second warp
thread would be wound on the plank a³, and so on; and as there will be several
such winding machines employed the whole of the threads of a warp may be
so prepared or wound on planks a, and the planks being placed side by side
in the printing machine, they will receive their separate colors according to a
designed pattern at intervals along their length, so that the succeeding threads
of a warp or part of a warp will by the printing machine have the. designed
pattern or portion of the pattern printed on the same. The printing machine
for this purpose may be made suitable for printing a complete warp or only
part of a warp, according to the wish of the manufacturer who may use the
machine.
Figure 4 shows a plan, Figure 5 shows an end view, Figure 6 shows a
longitudinal elevation, and Figure 7 shows. detached parts of apparatus. for
printing, which is arranged suitably for acting on ten succeeding threads of a
warp, but this may be varied. The ten planks a, a, having wound thereon the
succeeding threads of a warp are to be brought from the machine above
described, and placed into the frames i in the position shown in Figure 5 by
red lines, by which they will be held in a proper manner to have color applied
at their ends, after which they are to be laid on their sides, as shown at
Figure 7, so as to have color laid on; then they are to be placed in the position.
shewn by dotted lines at Figure 5 to have color applied; then the planks are to
be again laid on their sides, so as to have color laid on to the other side, all
which will be better understood hereafter. j.j, are springs which retain the
planks steady when in a vertical position, the ends of the projecting ribs of the
planks a entering into notches i* in the frames i, as is shown, and the project-
ing side ribs on the planks also rest on the frame i, and are supported thereby
when in a horizontal position, as is shewn. The frames i are placed on
uprights, and can slide up and down thereon, but they have at all times
a tendency to remain at their highest position by means of a weight k to each,
as is shown; l, are uprights fixed to the framing, as is shewn, and they carry
the several axes m, such axes each turning on points at m¹. Each axis has two
arms m³, m³, fixed thereto, and the frames i are each attached to one of the

page_text: arms m² by means of two connecting rods m³, m³, such arrangement of parts
being simply with a view to obtain parallel motion to the frames i as they rise
and fall, as hereafter explained. It will thus be seen that there are at the
same time ten (or it might be other number) of succeeding threads of a warp
placed side by side into a machine, and they are to receive colors at intervals
along their length, according to a designed pattern, by the means which I will
now describe. n is a carriage carrying as many compartments or color troughs
as it is desired to employ; it is shewn to consist of ten compartments, and
therefore capable of applying ten colors to the warp threads in any order in
which the designed pattern may require it, but the number of colors may be
varied. This carriage is mounted on wheels n', n', so that it may be capable
of traversing along a line of railway laid across the machine, as shewn, and
the manner of its progressive progress across the machine will be hereafter
described. In each of the color departments there is a roller n³, n³ on a
suitable axis, as will be more clearly seen at Figures 8 and 9, where two full
size views of one of the color compartments is shewn, and each roller is
provided with doctors or scrapers, as is shewn, and these rollers are of a width
suitable for laying on the color to the threads of the warp in like manner to
what has heretofore been practised, the quantity of color laid on to any warp
thread at one time being of such length as to produce one loop when weaving
into carpets or other fabric; but this is all well understood, and of itself is not
claimed by me. The railway on which the carriage n moves is carried by a
platform o, which is mounted on wheels o¹, and the same is capable of moving
on rails o³, o³, from end to end of the machine; and this platform is caused to
move to and fro from end to end of the machine by the workman turning the
handle p, which gives motion to the axis p³, on which are fixed the pulleys p
and by means of the straps p³ motion is given to the axis p', and the pulleys
thereon, as will readily be traced in the Drawings; and the platform being
fixed to the straps p³, motion will be given to the platform so as to cause it to
move from end to end of the machine. And I prefer that the color roller
should pass to and fro in contact with the warp threads on the planks, and
then to be moved so that the color rollers, in again passing to and fro, may
act on a fresh length of each warp on which the pattern requires color to
be laid; and the carriage n is moved across the machine in the following
manner :-g are ratchet bars fixed on the platform o, there being clicks to the
carriage m to prevent its running back, the carriage being constantly drawn
towards the right-hand side of the machine by weighted cords r, as shown in
the Drawing. 3, 8, are drivers taken into the ratchet bars 9, and these drivers
are connected to the arms t, t, affixed on the axis t', to which is affixed the

page_text: arm t, which is constantly kept upwards by means of a weighted arm P,
except when pressed downwards by means of the rod u, to move the carriage n
towards the left-hand side of the machine, and this takes place each time the
platform o comes to the position in which it is shown by the Drawing. The
rod u is at each end bent at right angles, and has necks u', by which it is
supported in the framing of the machine, as shown. v is a projection from
the platform o. This projection, in the travelling of the platform o into the
position in which it is shown by the Drawing, acts upon the bar u to depress
it at the same time that the arm t has been brought under the bar u, by which
that arm will be depressed, causing the drivers s, s, to move the carriage n a
distance equal to one tooth of the ratchet bars q, so that the color rollers in
again passing to and fro under the warps may do so a distance in advance
equal to the width of the color rollers, and the teeth in the ratchet bars will
be regulated accordingly. The frames i are caused to descend to have color
applied to the warps carried over the planks a in the following manner:-the
frames i have each at one end a series of openings ¹ formed therein, capable
of receiving a roller . The platform o carries a series of arms a, carrying
surfaces a¹ one to each color trough, and so placed with respect to the open-
ings in the frames i that as the platform o travels under the frames i the
surfaces will each pass over one or other of the openings i¹, and the order
of descent of the frames i, according to the color required to be received, will
depend upon the placing of the rollers ?.
I would here state, that although I have been particular in shewing and
describing each detail as used by me, I do not confine myself thereto so long
as the peculiar character of this part of my Invention be retained, which, from
the foregoing description, it will be seen consists in so arranging apparatus
that several succeeding threads of a warp may be placed side by side, and have
color applied thereto at intervals in their length, each yarn only receiving its
particular colors, so as to produce the pattern or regular design, or part thereof,
according as the whole or only part of the warp threads are placed into a
printing machine at the same time; and the yarns of the warp thus printed
will only require to be removed from the planks a by sliding off the ends
therof, then steamed, washed, beamed, and woven in a plain loom, as hereto-
fore practised when acting with warps printed by other means. The pattern
is to be designed in the usual manner on paper divided into squares, and tho
colors will be brought to act in succession by the apparatus above described,
so as to be applied at the required intervals on each succeeding yarn, the
pattern paper being used to read in the rollers t, which govern the order in
which the color should be applied to each separate thread.

page_text: I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which has for its
object a better arrangement of apparatus for printing several warp threads at
the same time with the same colors at the same intervals, so as to produce
like results as when working according to the Invention for which Letters
Patent were granted Mr. Whytock.
Figure 10 shows a front view, and Figure 11 a side view, of apparatus to be
used for the winding on of warp threads, in order that they may be printed
according to the second part of my Invention. This apparatus is for the most
part similar to that shewn and described with respect to Figures 1 and 2, the
difference being that in this case only one plank A is used, and this is capable
of receiving several warp threads, each to be similarly printed. Figure 12
shews a plan, Figure 13 a front view, and Figure 14 a longitudinal elevation
of a machine suitable for acting upon warps according to this part of my
Invention. The planks A in this case are capable of being supported in
the frame B in the various positions described with respect to the planks a.
The platform B has standards C to aid in supporting the planks A in a
vertical position whilst the warp wound over the ends of the plank A are
printed. The platform B is supported on grooved wheels B', which travel
on the V-guides D, and the platform B is caused to travel to and fro across
the machine by means of the straps E which pass over pullies, and have
motion given thereto by means of the handle E¹, as shewn or otherwise. F is
the color carriage, carrying troughs of color, one of which troughs is shewn
separately to a full-sized scale at Figures 15 and 16.
In the Drawing fourteen color troughs are shewn, but this number may be
varied. The rollers G which revolve in the troughs when brought in contact
with the warps are each affixed to an axis which turns in arms G¹, affixed to
the spindle G³, and it is by the raising of these color rollers that color is given
off to the warps; and the order in which the different color rollers are raised so
as to give off color to the warps is controlled by suitable pins H placed in the
bars I, there being bent levers J (one to each of the color troughs), one end of
each of which comes under a projection from one of the arms G¹, and the
other arm of which is capable of resting on a pin H, and when so resting of
sustaining its color roller in a position to impart color to the warp. The
lifting of the levers J is accomplished in the following manner:-K is a bar
carried by arms K', affixed to the axis K³, supported in projections from the
carriage F; to the axis K* is affixed the arm K³, which, in the movement of
the carriage F to and fro, is constantly under the bar L. This bar L is at
each end bent at right angles, and so as to have necks or axes, as shewn. By
depressing the bar L the arm K³ will be depressed, raising the bar K, and at

page_text: the same time raising the whole of the levers J, each of which has a projection
resting on the bar K. The bar L is acted upon by the projection B³ from the
platform B each time that the platform B moves to the left-hand side of the
machine, and whilst the bar L is thus depressed, and the levers J are conse-
quently raised by the further movement of the platform B to the left hand,
the inclined surface B is caused to come in contact with the arm M from the
axis M', which has other arms M², carrying drivers which take into ratchet
teeth on the bars N affixed to the carriage F, and drive the carriage each time
a distance equal to one tooth, and so as to bring the levers J over another row
of holes in the bars I; then by the movement of the platform B to the right
the bar L will be allowed to rise, and the levers J will fall on to the bars I,
excepting the one selected, which, having a pin K on its bar I, will be kept
raised, and consequently the particular color roller will be kept elevated to
give off color to the warp as the platform B passes over the color troughs to
the right and back again to the left, when a change will again take place;
or by another pin being placed in the next hole of the same bar I the same
color will be repeated.
Having thus described the second part of my Invention, and the best means
I am acquainted with for performing the same, I would remark, that although
I have been particular in shewing and describing the exact details as used by
me, I do not confine myself thereto, as the same may be varied, so long as the
peculiar character of my Invention be retained, which, from the above
description, it will be seen, consists of so arranging apparatus that several
warp threads, each requiring to be printed with the same colors at the same
intervals apart, can be operated on by printing apparatus wherein several
colors are employed in such manner that each time of printing the proper
color apparatus shall be selected and separated from the others, as herein
described, by having the designed pattern from a suitable pattern paper read
into the mechanical apparatus before commencing to print, whereby the colors
will be brought into action at the proper intervals by the simple working of
the machine in place of the work-people having to select each color, and
applying it as heretofore, when working according to the Invention of the said
Mr. Richard Whytock.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Morton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
ALEXANDER (L.s.) MORTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fifth day of September,
in the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid Alexander Morton came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord