IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cunliffe and Frederick Piggott, both of the
City of Manchester, Manufacturers, and George Mallinson, of Salford,
in the County of Lancaster, Pattern Designer, for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cunliffe, Frederick
Piggott, and George Mallinson at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 12th March 1859.
We, JOHN CUNLIFFE and FREDERICK PIGGOTT, both of the City of Man-
chester, Manufacturers, and GEORGE MALLINSON, of Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Pattern Designer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ORNAMENTAL WOVEN FABRICS,"
to be as follows:-
In performing our Invention fabrics are woven by any suitable mechanism,
with the weft floating over the warp so as to leave races, and the ornamental
velvet effects or patterns required are produced by cutting parts of the races
and leaving the other parts uncut. By this means designs of great variety
can be obtained in silk, cotton, wool, or other materials.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cunliffe, Frederick Piggott, and George Mallinson in.
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CUNLIFFE and FREDERICK PIGGOTT, both of the City of Manchester, Manu-
facturers, and GEORGE MALLINSON, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Pattern Designer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said John Cunliffe, Frederick Piggott, and George Malliuson,
Her special licence that we, the said John Cunliffe, Frederick Piggott, and
George Mallinson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Cunliffe, Frederick Piggott, and George Mallinson,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to timo and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exorcise, 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 ORNAMENTAL WOVEN FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said John Cunliffe, Frederick Piggott, and George Mallinson, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of our or 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 we, the said John Cunliffe, Frederick Piggott,
and George Mallinson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say):-
In performing our Invention fabrics are woven by any suitable mechanism
with the weft floating over the warp so as to leave races, and the ornamental
velvet effects or patterns required are produced by cutting parts of the races
and leaving the other parts uncut; by this means designs of great variety can
be obtained in silk, cotton, wool, or other materials.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us, reference
being had to the accompanying Diagram, which represents a draught or
tie-up suitable for producing our improved manufacture of ornamental woven
fabric in a loom of the ordinary construction.
The eight horizontal lines in the Diagram indicate the shafts or healds, the
four upper lines are for one warp beam, and the four lower lines for another
warp beam. The six vertical lines represent the treadles, and the rising cords
are marked with a X.

page_text: In weaving our improved woven fabrics the ornamental velvet effects or pat-
terns are produced by floating the weft threads at intervals over the warp threads,
and then cutting the races formed by the floated weft, thereby producing a
fabric partly cut pile or velvet and partly plain or uncut. The plain part of
the fabric is woven by the treadles marked 9 and 10, and the alternate shafts
or healds and the floating of the weft is effected by acting on all the treadles
and shafts or healds in the succession indicated by the tie-up. The cutting of
the floats of weft is effected by an instrument similar to that used in cutting
cotton cords. By means of these improvements ornamental woven fabrics,
particularly suitable for ladies' dresses, can be produced in silk, cotton, wool,
or other materials, and as the cutting of the weft increases the depth of color
of the silk or other material employed in weaving that portion of the fabric
which has to be cut, it is evident that the patterns and effects can be varied
to a great extent.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, we wish it to be understood that we do not limit
ourselves to the details given, as the tie-up may be varied or modified without
departing from the peculiar character of the Invention; but we claim the
improvements in the manufacture of ornamental woven fabrics, in which the
weft threads are floated over the warp threads, so as to leave races, which are
afterwards cut or partly cut, in order to produce fabrics partly plain or floated
and partly cut velvet, as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Cunliffe, Frederick Piggott, and
George Mallinson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh
day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
JNO. CUNLIFFE.
(L.S.)
FREDERICK PIGGOTT. (L.S.)
GEORGE MALLINSON.
(L.s.)