Improvements in the Manufacture of Endless Fabrics.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Endless Fabrics.
A communication from abroad by DOMENICO FILEPPI, of Lyons, in the Republic
of France.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and, 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to a new industrial product, namely, an endless
fabric without a joining piece, and to the means employed for manufacturing
the same.
For a long time past, endless fabrics have been employed in a great number of
industries. The arrangement of these fabrics and the composition thereof, that is,
the material employed in their manufacture, varies according to the uses for which
they are intended.
In all these endless fabrics, an additional piece must be used for the purpose of
joining the ends of the piece of cloth, so as to form a circular band. Now this
joining piece, whether well or badly made, is always a defect which in certain
industries involves great disadvantages, as for instance, in the paper manufacture,
where in consequence of this additional piece it is impossible, except with great
difficulty, to obtain endless paper beyond a certain length.
The present invention remedies this state of things, and permits of a ring of fabric
being obtained, which everywhere possesses the same thickness and regularity.
These endless fabrics are obtained by weaving any kind of textile material or
metallic wire, and their chief characteristic is that the selvage is woven at the same
time as the body of the fabric, as in the case of any ordinary fabric.
The principle of this manufacture is based essentially upon the use, 1st, of a
one-thread warping, that is to say, the warp is formed with one and the same thread
as will be shown hereafter, and 2nd, of a special comb.
The warping machine comprises two horizontal rollers supported by two horizontal
boards fixed on edge to suitable trestles. A third roller is placed below one of the
first mentioned rollers, and against one of the trestles. The aforesaid horizontal
boards are provided with a sliding device, which permits of the distance between the
first two rollers being varied at will.
The comb is webbed at its lower part, that is to say, every other consecutive tooth
interval has a piece soldered between the teeth extending to a distance of a centimetre
or a centimetre and a half, from the bottom of the comb. This arrangement is
intended to assist the weaving when the end of the piece is reached, and especially
in the case of taffeta (draught and tie). Moreover this comb can be taken to pieces
and opened at its upper part. For this purpose, each tooth is pierced at its upper
extremity by two small holes, for the purpose of allowing two long spindles to pass
through the teeth of the comb. Moreover, in order to leave regular intervals between
the teeth, small plates or washers are inserted between them, and are also pierced
with two small holes, which allow the aforesaid spindles to pass through them. The
spindles have at one end a head, and are at the other end provided with a screw
thread and nuts, by which the whole can be firmly tightened up. In this manner a
comb is obtained which is as solid as if it were soldered on both sides or made rigid
in any other manner.
The warping machine is employed in the following manner. The before-described
comb is placed vertically in its open position in a groove made in the end roller of the
warping machine, that is the roller which stands alone at one end of the machine.

page_text: Then taking the bobbin carrying the warp thread, the latter is passed through the
first tooth interval of the comb, and, winding it off as required, it is passed over small
fixed ledges, over the verification rules, over the roller at the other end of the machine,
and over the one below it, and then brought back to the first end roller, so as to form
as it were, the first coil of the warp. The warp thread is then passed through the
next tooth interval of the comb, and a second coil is formed; and so forth until the
number of threads necessary for the desired width of warp, has been obtained, care
being taken to arrange each coil very regularly side by side, without overlapping
them.
Whilst the warp is being thus formed, the healds are also formed. For this purpose,
the lower part of the leaf is placed at one side of the warp threads, and the upper part
on the other side. The lower part of the first leaf is supported at one side by its rail,
and at the other by a spindle, while the lower part of the second leaf is similarly
supported on its rail, and on a similar spindle. The upper part of the healds is
supported by a similar system of rails and spindles, both systems of healds with their
rails and spindles being placed side by side. The supports for these rails and spindles
may be of any convenient form.
This being accomplished, let it be supposed for simplicity's sake that the cloth,
draught and tie, is employed. At the first coil of the warp thread the operator will
pass it between the two spindles of the first leaf, and will place it just against the first
mesh of the lower part of the first heald. Then, with this first mesh, and by means
of a special thread, he forms a second mesh on the rail and spindle of the upper
part of the leaf. This mesh embraces the warp thread and constitutes the upper part
of the first heald.
At the second coil, the operator passes the warp thread between the spindles of the
second leaf, and by repeating the previous operation, he forms a mesh constituting the
upper part of the second heald.
With the third coil he begins again on the first leaf, and so on.
Thus as the warping proceeds, the healds are formed as required. It must be
understood that instead of employing two leaves as described, a greater number might
be used, and any known draught-and-tie might be employed. Moreover, this endless
warp consisting of one single continuous thread could also be formed on an ordinary
weaving loom, or any other suitable apparatus, as the system of warping constitutes
my invention, and not the warping machine.
The warping having been completed, the needles or spindles in the leaves are
withdrawn, the comb is closed and the entire system of warp, healds, and comb
are placed on a weaving loom, which is provided with five removable rollers, the
latter of which can be shifted in a direction at right angles to its axis on the framing
of the loom, in order to maintain the endless warp always taut. This loom carries,
besides, a mechanical device to lift the healds, and a supporting frame for the comb.
The lower and upper cross bars which retain the comb in this frame are both removable
for a purpose, which will hereinafter be set forth.
In a loom so arranged, the weaving is effected in the same manner as in an ordinary
loom, but when the end is reached, that is, when there remains only a small space
between the beginning of the woven part and the end thereof, very small shuttles
must be employed, the healds not being capable of forcing the warp threads apart
far enough to permit of the ordinary shuttles being passed through the threads. At
length a time arrives when it becomes necessary to suppress the healds and the comb
entirely. For this purpose, the upper ends of the healds are cut (the lower ends
being still serviceable for another weaving operation), the two spindles securing the
teeth of the comb together, are withdrawn, the spacing washers are removed, and
the lower bar of the comb supporting frame being then taken down, the comb is
allowed to fall.
The small space which remains to be woven is easily filled up by passing the weft
through by means of a needle or other kind of tool.
It will be easily understood, that as already set forth, all kinds of draught-and-tie
can be employed for the weaving operation, but it must also be added that it is

page_text: absolutely necessary that the warping be formed with only one continuous thread, so
that no crossing of the warp thread occurs when both ends of the fabrics are joined.
This is an important point, as the cloth may now be employed without the previous
difficulties and drawbacks. Nevertheless the cloth can be used without difficulty
even if the warping has been formed with several threads, the condition being that
each thread must always be continuous. There is, however, one exception, if plaited
draught-and-tie be employed, several threads can be used instead of a single one,
according to the number of the draught-and-tie, thus with a plaited draught-and-tie
of two, two threads will be used; with one of three, three threads etcetera.
it is always necessary for the threads to be continuous, and the warp circular, that is
endless.
D
0 A
1000
But
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Endless Fabrics.
A communication from abroad by DOMENICO FILEPPI, of Lyons, in the Republic
of France.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S. M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street Liverpool & 6, Bank Street, Manchester both in the
County of Lancaster & 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The present invention relates to a new industrial product, namely, an endless
fabric without a joining piece, and to the means employed for manufacturing the same.
For a long time past, endless fabrics have been employed in a great number of
industries. The arrangement of these fabrics and the composition thereof, that is,
the material employed in their manufacture, varies according to the uses for which
they are intended.
In all these endless fabrics, an additional piece must be used for the purpose of
joining the ends of the piece of cloth, so as to form a circular band.
Now this joining piece, whether well or badly made, is always a defect, which in
certain industries, involves great disadvantages, as for instance, in the paper
manufacture, where in consequence of this additional piece, it is impossible, except
with great difficulty, to obtain endless paper beyond a certain length.
The present invention remedies this state of things, and permits of a ring of fabric
being obtained, which everywhere possesses the same thickness and regularity.
These endless fabrics are obtained by weaving any kind of textile material or
metallic wire, and their chief characteristic is that the selvage is woven at the same
time as the body of the fabric, as in the case of any ordinary fabric.
The principle of this manufacture is based essentially, upon the use, first, of a
one-thread warping, that is to say, the warp is formed with one and the same thread,
as will be shown hereafter; and second, of a special comb.
In the accompanying drawings
--
Figure 1 shows the warping machine in elevation.
Figure 2 a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 a detail view of the comb.
Figure 4 a side elevation showing the working of the loom.
The warping machine comprises two horizontal rollers A B supported by two
horizontal boards D D fixed, on edge, to suitable trestles c c¹. A third roller C is
placed below the roller B, and against the trestle c¹. The aforesaid horizontal
boards D D are provided with a sliding device, which permits of the distance between
the rollers A and B being varied at will.
The comb P is webbed at its lower part, that is to say, every other consecutive

page_text: tooth interval has a piece soldered between the teeth extending to a distance of a
centimetre or a centimetre and a half from the bottom of the comb. This arrangement
is intended to assist the weaving when the end of the piece is reached, and especially
in the case of taffeta (draught and tie) as hereinafter explained. Moreover this comb
can be taken to pieces and opened at its upper part. For this purpose, each tooth
is pierced at its upper extremity by two small holes o o, for the purpose of allowing
two long spindles to pass through the teeth of the comb. Moreover, in order
to leave regular intervals between the teeth, small plates or washers m m m are
inserted between them, and are also pierced with two small holes o o, which allow
the spindles to pass through them. The spindles have at one end a head, and are
at the other end provided with a screw thread and nuts, by which the whole can be
firmly tightened up. In this manner a comb is obtained which is as solid as if it
were soldered on both sides or made rigid in any other manner.
The warping machine is employed in the following manner :-
The comb P is placed vertically in its open position in a groove made in the end
roller A of the warping machine. Then taking the bobbin carrying the warp thread,
the latter is passed through the first tooth interval of the comb, and, winding it off
as required, it is passed over small fixed ledges s s, over the registering bars pp,
over the roller B at the other end of the machine, and over the roller C below it,
and then brought back to the first end roller A, so as to form, as it were, the first
coil of the warp. The warp thread is then passed through the next tooth interval of
the comb, and a second coil is formed, and so forth, until the number of threads
necessary for the desired width of warp has been obtained, care being taken to
arrange each coil very regularly side by side, without overlapping them.
Whilst the warp is being thus formed, the healds are also formed, as seen in
Figures 1 and 2. For this purpose, the lower part of the leaf is placed at one side.
of the warp threads, and the upper part on the other side. The lower part of the
first leaf is supported at one side by its rail and at the other by a spindle a', while
the lower part of the second leaf is similarly supported on its rail and spindle a².
The upper part of the healds is supported by a similar system of rails and spindles,
namely 6, L, L³, both systems of healds with their rails and spindles being placed
side by side. The supports for these rails and spindles may be of any convenient
form. No method for supporting these rails and spindles has been shown, that the
drawings may not become too complicated.
This being accomplished, let it be supposed for simplicity's sake, that the cloth,
draught and tie, is employed. At the first coil of the warp thread, the operator
will pass it between the two spindles a¹, b', and will place it just against the first
mesh of the lower part of the first heald. Then, with this first mesh, and by means
of a special thread, he forms a second mesh on the rail L' and spindle 6'. This mesh
embraces the warp thread and constitutes the upper part of the first heald.
At the second coil, the operator passes the warp thread between the spindles a², 88
of the second leaf, and by repeating the previous operation, he forms a mesh con-
stituting the upper part of the second heald.
With the third coil, he begins again on the first leaf, and so on.
Thus, as the warping proceeds, the healds are formed as required. It must be
understood that instead of employing two leaves as described, a greater number
might be used, and any known draught and tie might be employed. Moreover, this
endless warp consisting of one single continuous thread could also be formed on an
ordinary weaving loom or any other suitable apparatus, since this invention lies not
in the warping machine but in the system of warping.
The warping having been completed, the needles or spindles a¹, 61, a², 62, in the
leaves are withdrawn, the comb P is closed, and the entire system of warp, healds,
and comb is placed on a weaving loom as shown in Figure 4, which is provided with
five removable rollers, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the latter of which, 5, can be shifted in a direction
at right angles to its axis on the framing of the loom, in order to maintain the
endless warp always taut. This loom carries, besides, a mechanical device to lift
the healds, and a supporting frame for the comb. The lower and upper cross bars,

page_text: which retain the comb in this frame, are both removable for a purpose which will
hereinafter be set forth. In a loon so arranged, the weaving is effected in the
same manner as in an ordinary loom, but when the end is reached, that is, when
there remains only a small space between the beginning of the woven part and the
end thereof, very small shuttles must be employed, the healds not being capable of
forcing the warp threads apart far enough to permit of the ordinary shuttles being
passed through the threads. At length the time arrives when it becomes. necessary
to suppress the healds entirely. For this purpose, the upper ends of the healds are
cut (the lower ends being still serviceable for another weaving operation). The comb
may now be utilized to form the shed in the following manner. The soldered portions
between the teeth of the comb rest below the alternate warp threads, for example the
even numbered threads and these normally lie at a lower level than the odd threads
by reason of being separated therefrom by means of a needle or bar passed across
through the warp.
The shuttle is first passed above the even and below the odd threads, and the former
are then raised above the latter by means of the soldered pieces of the comb, and the
shuttle again passed, in this case above the odd and below the even.
The even
threads are now allowed to drop to their original position by lowering the comb, when
the shuttle may again be passed as in the first case, & so on in regular sequence. The
two spindles securing the teeth of the comb together, are now withdrawn, the
spacing washers m m are removed, and the lower bar of the comb supporting frame
being then taken down, the comb is allowed to fall.
2"
The small space which remains to be woven is easily filled up by passing the weft
through by means of a needle or other kind of tool.
It will be easily understood, that, as already set forth, all kinds of draught and tie
can be employed for the weaving operation, but it must also be added that it is
absolutely necessary that the warping be formed with only one continuous thread, so
that no crossing of the warp thread occurs when both ends of the fabrics are joined.
This is an important point, as the cloth may now be employed without the previous
difficulties and drawbacks. Nevertheless, the cloth can be used without difficulty,
even if the warping has been formed with several threads, the condition being that
each thread must always be continuous. There is, however, one exception, if plaited
draught and tie be employed, several threads can be used instead of a single one,
according to the number of the draught and tie, thus with a plaited draught and tie
of two, two threads will be used; with one of three, three threads etcetera.
is always necessary for the threads to be continuous, and the warp circular, that is
endless. (Figure 5 shows the carding of a plaited draught and tie of two and
three threads.)
But it
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The new industrial product called endless fabric without a joining piece resulting
from the manufacture above described.
2. The use of a system of circular warping with a single endless thread, as shown
and described.
3. The use of a special comb P above described.
4. The method of forming leaves during the first operation of warping above
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
5. The various modifications and detail arrangements above described and shown
in the accompanying drawings, by means of which the endless chain can be fixed
on the loom and the comb brought into action.
Dated this 29th day of April 1889.
WM. P. THOMPSON & CO.,
Agents for the Applicant.