IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Widnell, of Lasswade, in the County of
Midlothian, North Britain, Carpet Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER TEXTILE
FABRICS."
Sealed the 29th May 1855, and dated the 29th December 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Widnell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th December 1854.
I, HENRY WIDNELL, of Lasswade, in the County of Midlothian, North
Britain, Carpet Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER TEXTILE
FABRICS to be as follows:--
My Invention consists, in the first place, in printing threads or yarns in such
a manner as to omit the ground colours of the pattern, which may be separately
filled in as required; and, secondly, in the adaptation and application to looms
of a swinging frame with heddles working at the top, for the purpose of
forming a "shed" for the weft to pass through. In printing the threads or
yarns the process is the same as that known as Whytock's plan for printing
warps, except that instead of including on the printing paper the ground colours
in the places in which they occur in the pattern, the colouring on the printing
paper is arranged so as to take only the several rows in succession of the

page_text: device or pattern on the ground, as such device or pattern is marked on the
said printing paper. By this means, the pattern as transferred stands on a
few lines, as compared with the original, because the whole of the ground is
left out. The threads are then printed from this paper in the ordinary
manner. The ground colour may be inserted after the completion of each row,
or it may be done before the coloured worsted or other material is put in. The
loom referred to under the second part of my Invention has a frame, on the
top of which are placed two beams, containing warps or chains of cotton or
any other material. Inside this frame works another frame on a pivot or axle
in the centre, resting on the outer frame. Across the top of this frame the
heddles are placed, through which the warp threads of one beam pass, the
threads of the other beam passing through the intermediate spaces; conse-
quently, when the frame is moved to or fro, the warp ends which pass through
the heddles are brought backwards or forwards, thereby making a "shed"
through which the weft is passed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Widnell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WIDNELL, of Lasswade, in the County of Midlothian, North Britain, Carpet
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth 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 Henry Widnell, Her special license that I, the said Henry Widnell,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Widnell, 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 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Widnell, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,

page_text: 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 Henry Widnell, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Carpets and other
Textile Fabrics" consists, in the first place, in printing threads or yarns in such
a manner as to omit the ground colours of the pattern, which may be separately
filled in as required.
And, secondly, in the adaptation and application to looms of a swinging
frame with heddles working at the top, for the purpose of forming a shed for
the weft to pass through.
In printing the threads or yarns, the process is the same as that known
as Whytock's plan for printing warps, except that instead of including
on the printing paper the ground colours in the places in which they occur
in the pattern, the colouring on the printing paper is arranged so as to
take only the several rows in succession of the device or pattern on the ground,
as such device or pattern is marked on the said printing paper. By this
means, the pattern as transferred stands on a few lines, as compared with the
original, because the whole of the ground is left out. The threads are then
printed from this paper in the ordinary manner. The ground colour may be
inserted after the completion of each row, or it may be done before the colored
worsted or other material is put in. The loom referred to under the second
part of my Invention has a frame, on the top of which are placed two beams,
containing warps or chains of cotton or other material. Inside this frame
works another frame on a pivot or axle in the centre, resting on the outer
frame. Across the top of this inner frame the heddles are placed, through
which the warp threads of one beam pass, the threads of the other beam
passing through the intermediate spaces; consequently, when the frame is
moved to or fro, the warp ends which pass through the heddles are brought
backwards or forwards, thereby making a "shed" through which the weft is
passed.
As
In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood, I will
proceed to describe the mode in which it is to be carried into effect.
regards the first part of my Invention the mode of proceeding is as follows:-
The pattern to be printed is to be put on ruled paper, as in Whytock's plan,

page_text: each square corresponding to every half inch in the circumference of the drum
or cylinder, supposing half-inch pulleys to be used, but they may be more or
less. The pattern is then transferred to another paper, ruled or lined, as the
before mentioned, in the following manner :-Suppose the circumference of the
drum to be equal to one hundred half inches, the paper to which the pattern is
transferred must be one hundred squares long. I then begin with the first
color, which occurs in line No. 1 of the pattern, and paint that on the printing
paper; then the second and third, and so on, until the whole one hundred
squares are completed; when I begin with No. 2 of the printing paper, taking
up the colors at the point where I before terminated on the original pattern.
When this is done, and the whole of the colors are transferred to the printing
paper, it will be seen that the pattern as transferred stands on a few lines,
compared with the original, because the whole of the ground is left out, and
the successions of lines of colors are confined to those respectively of the
pattern. I then print from this paper after the ordinary method. It will thus
be seen, by any one acquainted with that kind of work in which printed worsteds
or other materials are used, that by inserting the first end of No. 1 thread into
the right place in the chain, and working on over the sliding mesh or wire to
form the pile, as far as the termination of the printed threads for that row, that
the whole of the figure of that row is complete. The ground color is then
inserted, or it may be done before the colored worsted or other material is
put in. The next row (of the pattern) is then commenced, beginning at the
point of the printed thread where the previous row terminated, and so on,
until the whole of the printed thread is exhausted and the pattern complete.
The printed worsted or other material is wound on to a bobbin, and from
that bobbin again wound on to a sort of pointed pirn, with which it is worked
round the warp ends of the fabric. The warp of the fabric is composed of
cotton, linen, or other material, and the weft of the same materials, or the
warp and weft may be of different materials. These are plain, or not printed,
the pattern being formed on the surface of this foundation by means of the
printed worsted or other material put in by hand, the ground being also put in
as above described.
I will proceed now to describe the second part of my Invention, more
particularly by the aid of the accompanying Drawing, in which my improve-
ments are shewn by means of two diagrams.
Fig. 1 represents the swinging frame, above referred to; and Fig. 2, the two
warp beams, also referred to. A is a frame, on the top of which are placed
two beams B and C, containing warps or chains of cotton or other material.
Inside this frame is mounted another frame D, which turns on a pivot or axle

page_text: E at its centre, such pivot or axle being fixed in the outer frame A. Across
the top of the inner frame D are placed the heddles F, through which the warp
threads of one beam pass, the threads of the other beam passing through the
intermediate spaces. Thus, when the frame D is moved to or fro on its
centre E, the warp threads which pass through the heddles F are brought
backwards or forwards, and a shed formed for the passage of the weft. G is
the sliding mesh or needle, over which the worsteds are brought or worked to
form the pile.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not mean or
intend to confine myself to the precise arrangements above described; but
what I claim as of my Invention is,-
First, the mode of printing, as above described, by omitting the ground
color on the printing paper, and the application of the same to embroidery,
carpets, rugs, or other kind of fabric, either piled, flat, or looped.
And, secondly, the application to looms of an inner frame with heddles
working at top, for the purpose of forming a "shed" in the warp, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Widnell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN ARMSTRONG,
Witness.
HENRY WIDNELL. (L.S.)