IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC WEB
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ellis Jefferson, of the Firm of Messrs. Henry
Turner and Son, of Leicester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC WEB."
Sealed the 16th August 1878, and dated the 28th May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ellis Jefferson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th May 1878.
WILLIAM ELLIS JEFFERSON, of the Firm of Messrs. Henry Turner and Son, of
Leicester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC WEB."
By this Invention it is proposed to improve those elastic terry webs technically
known as trails.
In these webs there are two weft threads which pass through the sheds at the
same time in opposite directions, as in ordinary double-weft webs made in double-
shuttle looms. In these trail webs the warp threads which form the terry face each
time they move to form a shed do so to the same extent as the warp thread which
is technically known as the binder, and is consequently secured in its position by
both the weft threads, and itself assists the binder in securing the rubber thread in
the web, and to a very considerable extent prevents one of the worst evils elastic
fabric are subject to, viz., the slipping of the rubber thread out of its proper placo
in the web. But while ordinary trail webs possess the great advantage of having
their face warps and rubber threads more securely bound in their respective
positions they are subject to one great drawback, as respects the reverse side or
back of the web; this, in consequence of the face warps passing through to the
back of the web, presents the appearance of alternate black and white zig-zag lines'
instead of what is desired a uniformly white surface.
The object or purpose of this Invention or arrangement is to produce a web,
which, while it possesses the appearance and security of a trail web, also possesses
the advantage of a uniformly white or colored back. For this purpose I employ in
..

page_text: addition to the face warps and binder threads another set of warps for forming the
back; these have given to them the same motions as the face warps, but reversed;
and in addition the back warps are not carried through to the face of the fabric, but
are held with the binder threads by one shuttle thread only, whilst the face warps
are carried through to the back and held by both shuttle threads. By this means
there is no possibility of the back warps being seen on the face of the fabric, even
when the fabric is stretched.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Ellis Jefferson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
November 1878.
WILLIAM ELLIS JEFFERSON, of the Firm of Messrs. Henry Turner & Son, of
Leicester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC WEB."
By this Invention it is proposed to improve those elastic terry webs technically
known as trails.
In these webs there are two weft threads which pass through the sheds at the
same time in opposite directions, as in ordinary double-weft webs made in double-
shuttle loons. In these trail webs the warp threads which form the terry face each
time they move to form a shed do so to the same extent as the warp thread which
is technically known as the binder, and is consequently secured in its position by
both the weft threads, and itself assists the binder in securing the rubber thread in
the web, and to a very considerable extent prevents one of the worst evils elastic
fabrics are subject to, viz., the slipping of the rubber thread out of its proper place
in the web. But while ordinary trail webs possess the great advantage of having
their face warps and rubber threads more securely bound in their respective
positions they are subject to one great drawback, as respects the reverse side or
back of the web; this, in consequence of the face warps passing through to the back
of the web, presents the appearance of alternate black and white zig-zag lines
instead of what is desired, a uniformly white surface.
The object or purpose of this Invention or arrangement is to produce a web,
which, while it possesses the appearance and security of a trail web, also possesses
the advantage of a uniformly white or colored back. For this purpose I employ, in
addition to the face warps and binder threads, another set of warps for forming the
back these have given to them the same motions as the face warps, but reversed;
and in addition the back warps are not carried through to the face of the fabric, but
are held with the binder threads by one shuttle thread only, whilst the face warps
are carried through to the back and held by both shuttle threads. By this means
there is no possibility of the back warps being seen in the face of the fabric, even
when the fabric is stretched.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I have shown in the Drawing hereunto annexed diagram views of an elastic
fabric formed in the manner above described.

page_text: Figure 1 shows on an enlarged scale a longitudinal section of the fabric; Figure 2,
a diagram plan view; and Figure 3 shows the order in which the different warps
are drawn through the harness shafts. The spaces between the horizontal lines
represent the harness shafts; the dots show the order in which the different warps
are drawn through them.
In Figures 1 and 2 the elastic threads of india-rubber are shown by the thick
lines A; the face warps are shown by the thinner full lines B; the back warps by
the fine dotted lines C; and the binder warps, the coarse dotted lines D.
The spots in Figure 1 represent the back and face wefts; in Figure 2 the front
weft is shown by a vertical coarse line and the back weft by a fine dotted line.
It must be understood that the back and front wefts in this diagram are under-
neath one another, as in the diagram of the fabric at Figure 1. The various warps
are shown where they are tied in by the wefts, and are represented by the same
kinds of line as in Figure 1. Also, for each shoot of back and front wefts one of
the face warps is lowered to be caught by both wefts, whilst one of the back warps
is raised to be caught by the back weft only. To effect this the heddles through
which the face warps are threaded are connected to the longer arms of levers, the
short arms having connected to them the heddles through which the back warps
are threaded; thus, when the face warps are lowered they descend a greater distance
than the back warps rise.
In the fabric shown by the diagrams there are for each rubber warp four pairs of
back and front warps and one pair of binder warps, and for each shoot of back and
front weft one of the binder warps is lowered for both wefts to pass over it, whilst
the other is raised to keep it above the wefts.
The elastic warps are, as is usual, stretched whilst the fabric is being woven.
When the fabric has been woven and allowed to contract, the long floats of warps,
both on the back and face of the fabric, gather up, and form as it were terry loops
on the back and face of the fabric, whilst the binder warps, which are weighted to
a greater extent than the other warps, and are crossed at each pair of shoots of
weft, remain in the centre of the fabric, and do not appear on the surface. Thus it
will be seen that the back of my new elastic fabric is formed by back warps in
terry loops, whereas heretofore the back face of such fabrics has been formed by a
back weft tied in by the binder and face warps.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would remark that I do not confine myself to the exact number of back
warps and front warps interposed between the elastic threads, as this may be
varied, as also that the order in which the warps are raised and lowered may be
varied, but what I claim is,-
First. The manufacture of elastic fabrics, substantially as herein-before described.
Second. The manufacture of elastic fabrics with the face formed by terry loops
of face warp and the back by terry loops of back warp, substantially as herein-
before described.
Third. The manufacture of elastic fabrics with the face formed by terry loops of
face warp and the back by terry loops of back warp, and with the face warps tied
in by both the front and back wefts, whilst the back warps are tied in by the back
weft only, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Ellis Jefferson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand ight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM E. JEFFERSON. (L.B.)

page_text: In the Matter of a Patent granted to William Ellis Jefferson, of the Firm of
Messrs. Henry Turner & Son, of Leicester, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC WEB," bearing date
the 28th day of May 1878, No. 2131.
DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION proposed to be
entered by the said William Ellis Jefferson as such Patentee as aforesaid,
pursuant to the statutes in that case made and provided.
WHEREAS since filing the Specification to the said Letters Patent it has
come to my knowledge that elastic fabrics had been made before the date of my
Patent with the face formed by terry loops of face warp, and with the back formed
by back warp, and also that such fabrics had been made with the face warps tied
in, both by the front and the back weft, whilst the back warps were tied in by the
back weft only:
And whereas I have been advised that the claims to Invention made in my said
Specification are too extensive, and might be held to include more than was new at
the date of the Patent:
And whereas all that I desire to retain within the Patent is the manufacture of
elastic fabrics, substantially as described in the Specification, that is to say, in
which manufacture the face of the elastic fabric is formed by terry loops of face
warp, and the back by terry loops of back warp, and in which the back warps
have given to them the same motions as the face warps, but reversed, and in which
also the face warps are tied in by both the front and back wefts, whilst the back
warps are tied in by the back weft only.
I for these reasons wish to disclaim and alter my said Specification, and I do
hereby disclaim and alter the same by striking out at page 3 of the Specification,'
as it is printed by Her Majesty's Printers, line 30, the words "Thus it," down to
and including the words "face warps" at line 33; also, by inserting after the
words "the same, I would" at line 35 on the same page the words "state that I'

page_text: am aware that elastic fabrics have before been made with the face composed of
terry loops of face warp, and with the back formed by back warp, and also that
such fabrics have been made with the face warps tied in both by the front and
back weft, and with the back warps tied in by the back weft only, but in the
fabrics so made heretofore the back warps have not had given to them the same
motions, but reversed as the face warp, and consequently such fabrics have not had
the same soft plush like back which is obtained with fabrics made as hereinbefore
described. I would also"
Also by striking out from the same page lines 40 to 46 inclusive.
Also by striking out at line 49 on the same page the word "First."
And in order that the effect of such Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration
may be better understood I have annexed hereto a copy of the said Specification,
as it will appear when such Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration have been
made as aforesaid.
Also by striking out from the same page lines 40 to 46 inclusive.
Also by striking out at line 49 on the same page the word "First."
And in order that the effect of such Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration
may be better understood I have annexed hereto a copy of the said Specification,
as it will appear when such Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration have been
made as aforesaid.
" TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
" ELLIS JEFFERSON, of the Firm of Messrs. Henry Turner & Son, of Leicester,
" send greeting.
"WHEREAS Hor most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
"Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our
"Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight, in the forty second year
" of Her reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
"the said William Ellis Jefferson, Her special license that I, the said William
" Ellis Jefferson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
"the said William Ellis Jefferson, 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 ELASTIC WEB," upon the condition (amongst others)
"that I, the said William Ellis Jefferson, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said William Ellis Jefferson, do hereby declare
"the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
"to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
"thereof, that is to say:-
"By this Invention it is proposed to improve those elastic terry webs technically
"known as trails.
"In these webs there are two weft threads which pass through the sheds at the
same time in opposite directions as in ordinary double weft webs made in double
"shuttle looms. In these trail webs the warp threads which form the terry face
"each time they move to form a shed do so to the same extent as the warp thread,
"which is technically known as the binder, and is consequently secured in its
"position by both the weft threads, and itself assists the binder in securing the
"rubber thread in the web, and to a very considerable extent prevents one of the
"worst evils elastic fabrics are subject to, viz., the slipping of the rubber thread
"out of its proper place in the web. But while ordinary trail webs possess the
great advantage of having their face warps and rubber threads more securely
"bound in their respective positions, they are subject to one great drawback as
" respects the reverse side or back of the web; this, in consequence of the face
warps passing through to the back of the web, presents the appearance of
«
.

page_text: "alternate black and white zig zag lines instead of what is desired, a uniformly
"white surface.
**
"
"The object or purpose of this Invention or arrangements is to produce a web
which, while it possesses the appearance and security of a trail web, also possesses
"the advantage of a uniformly white or colored back. For this purpose I employ
"in addition to the face warps and binder threads another set of warps for
forming the back; these have given to them the same motions as the face warps,
" but reversed, and in addition the back warps are not carried through to the face
"of the fabric, but are held with the binder threads by one shuttle thread only,
"whilst the face warps are carried through to the back and held by both shuttle
"threads. By this means there is no possibility of the back warps being seen in
"the face of the fabric even when the fabric is stretched.
"In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
" effect I have shown in the Drawing bereunto annexed diagram views of an elastic
"fabric formed in the manner above described.
".
*
Figure 1. shows on an enlarged scale a longitudinal section of the fabric;
Figure 2, a diagram plan view; and Figure 3 shows the order in which the
"different warps are drawn through the harness shafts. The spaces between the
"horizontal lines represent the harness shafts, the dots show the order in which
"the different warps are drawn through them.
"
"In Figures 1 and 2 the elastic threads of india rubber are shown by the thick
lines A, the face warps are shown by the thinner full lines B, the back warps
by the fine dotted lines C, and the binder warps, the coarse dotted lines D.
$1
The spots in Figure 1 represent the back and face wefts; in Figure 2 the
"front weft is shown by a vertical coarse line, and the back weft by a fine dotted
"line.
"
"It must be understood that the back and front wefts in this diagram are
" underneath one another as in the diagram of the fabric at Figure 1. The various
warps are shewn where they are tied in by the wefts, and are represented by
"the same kinds of line as in Figure 1. Also for each shoot of back and front
"wefts one of the face warps is lowered to be caught by both wefts whilst one of
"the back warps is raised to be caught by the back weft only. To effect this
"the heddles through which the face warps are threaded are connected to the
longer arms of levers, the short arms having connected to them the heddles
through which the back warps are threaded, thus when the face warps are
"lowered they descend a greater distance than the back warps rise.
"
"
"
In the fabric shown by the diagrams there are for each rubber warp four
"pairs of back and front warps and one pair of binder warps, and for each shoot
" of back and front weft one of the binder warps is lowered for both wefts to pass
over it, whilst the other is raised to keep it above the wefts.
"
"
"
10
The elastic warps are, as is usual, stretched whilst the fabric is being woven.
"When the fabric has been woven and allowed to contract, the long floats of
warps, both on the back and face of the fabric gather up, and form as it were
terry loops on the back and face of the fabric, whilst the binder warps which are
weighted to a greater extent than the other warps, and are crossed at each pair
"of shoots of weft remain in the centre of the fabric, and do not appear on the
"surface.
<<
"
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
"the same, I would state that I am aware that elastic fabrics have before been made
"with the face composed of terry loops of face warp, and with the back formed by
"back warp, and also that such fabrics have been made with the face warps tied in
"both by the front and back weft, and with the back warps tied in by the back
"weft only; but in the fabrics so made heretofore, the back warps have not had
given to them the same motions, but reversed as the face warp, and consequently
"such fabrics have not had the same soft plush like back which is obtained with
"fabrics made as hereinbefore described. I would also remark that I do not confine
myself to the exact number of back warps and front warps interposed between the
<

page_text: "elastic threads, as this may be varied, as also that the order in which the warps
"are raised and lowered may be varied, but what I claim is,―
"The manufacture of elastic fabrics, substantially as herein before described.
"In witness whereof, I, the said William Ellis Jefferson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
I hereby grant my fiat, giving leave to the above named William Ellis Jefferson
to file in the Office of the Commissioners of Patents for Inventions with the
Specification to which the same relates, the above written Disclaimer and
Memorandum of Alteration.