AN IMPROVEMENT IN MANUFACTURING ORNAMENTED LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ball, of Nottingham, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN MANUFACTURING ORNAMENTED LOOPED FABRICS."
Sealed the 4th August 1854, and dated the 24th May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ball at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
May 1854.
I, THOMAS BALL, of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN MANUFACTURING ORNAMENTED LOOPED
FABRICS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in producing ornament on
piled loop-made fabrics.
Heretofore in manufacturing loop-made fabrics, whether produced by warp
threads looped into each other or by knitting machinery, the same have in
some cases been made with or have had pile raised thereon, but hitherto the
pile yarn has only been used of self colors, and has only produced the pile of
one color or of a mixture of colors, or in stripes of different colors, by which
ornament can be produced only to a comparatively limited extent. Now, my
Invention consists of printing with one or more colors the pile surfaces of
such loop-made fabrics after they have been produced in warp or knitting
machines, by which very beautiful and novel effects can be obtained to these
clastic and piled fabrics.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Ball in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BALL, of Nottingham, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Bali, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Ball,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Ball, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN MANUFACTURING ORNAMENTED LOOPED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Ball, 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, 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 Thomas Ball, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention has for its object an improvement in producing ornament
on piled loop-made fabrics. Heretofore in manufacturing loop-made fabrics,
whether produced by warp threads looped into each other or by knitting
machinery, the same have in some cases-been-made-with-or-bave had pile
raised thereon, but hitherto the pile yarn has only been used of self colours,
and have only produced the pile of one colour or of a mixture of colours, or in
stripes of different colours, by which ornament can be produced only to a com-
paratively limited extent. Now, my Invention consists of printing with one or
more colours the pile surfaces of such loop-made fabrics after they have been
produced in warp or knitting machines, by which very beautiful and novel
effects can be obtained to these elastic and piled fabrics.

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed to
describe the manner of performing the same:-
Two descriptions of piled fabrics are now manufactured by warp and knit-
ting machines; one where the pile is raised after the fabrics have been
produced in the machinery, the other where the pile is produced in the act act
of making the fabrics in the machines. But both classes of fabrics, by reason
of their being composed of loops, are as is well known elastic, and they are
peculiarly applicable as linings for gloves, as well as for other uses where like
elasticity is required; and it is the giving to these classes of fabrics a more
ornamental character by printing them, which constitutes the peculiarity of
my Invention. In carrying out my Invention, when using knit or warp fabrics,
where the pile is raised after the fabrics have been taken from the machine, I
cause them to be subjected to a raising process, as is well understood, and, by
preference, before they are subjected to the printing process; and I cause
these piled fabrics to be then printed by suitable blocks or surfaces, having
first stretched, dressed, and hot-pressed the fabrics, taking care that the fibres
of the pile are well and smoothly laid before pressing. I would, however, state
that I do not claim such processes of stretching, dressing, and pressing as
applied to these fabrics, as it is in the above-mentioned plain state that such
fabrics have been heretofore sold. The printing of the fabrics may be accord-
ing to taste, and by the means ordinarily practised in printing other fabrics,
and which are well understood. The fabrics having been printed and the
colours fixed, as is well understood, when producing other printed fabrics, they
are again to be stretched, dressed, and hot-pressed, in dike manner to what
has been done previously to subjecting the loop-made piled fabrics to the
process of printing. These fabrics having been thus printed and again
pressed, they are fit for the market.
When looped-made fabrics with pile are produced, in the act of working of
warp or knitting machinery, whether the pile be all over or only in patterns,
as is sometimes the case in loop-made piled fabrics, I do not generally find
that it is necessary first to get up such fabrics by stretching, dressing, and
pressing the same (as when acting on raised surfaces on looped fabrics), before
printing them, but it is desirable that their piled surfaces should be laid
smooth by brushes or card surfaces. The printing is then to be performed
according to the patterns desired, and the colors are to be fixed, as is well
understood, in respect to producing other printed fabrics made of like fibres
when using like colours. The fabrics are then to be stretched, dressed, and
hot-pressed, when they will be fit for the market. I would, however, remark
that I prefer to shear such last-mentioned loop-made fabrics after printing

page_text: them; and I would state generally, that in getting up or finishing such clastic
piled fabrics, that I use more or less stiffening in the process of dressing,
according as it is desired to retain more or less of the natural elasticity of
these loop-made fabrics.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it. understood that what I claim is, the
manufacture herein described of printing looped piled fabrics made in warp
and knitting machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Ball, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
THOMAS BALL. (L.S.)
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.