IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOTH KNOWN AS 'INDIAN KUTAR,' AND OF OTHER CLOTHS OF A SIMILAR NATURE, AND IN APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edward Simpson and Christopher Cross, both of
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOTH KNOWN AS 'INDIAN KUTAR,' AND OF
OTHER CLOTHS OF A SIMILAR NATURE, AND IN APPARATUS USED IN SUCH
MANUFACTURE"
Sealed the 13th June 1876, and dated the 20th March 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edward Simpson and
Christopher Cross at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th
March 1876.
JOHN EDWARD SIMPSON and CHRISTOPHER CROSs, both of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOTH KNOWN
AS INDIAN KUTAR, AND OF OTHER CLOTHS OF A SIMILAR NATURE, AND IN
APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE."
These improvements relate to a method of and apparatus for weaving "Indian
kutar or other border woven fabrics in such a manner that the borders of the
fabric shall be wefted or woven with a different color of thread to the body or
central part of the cloth, or, if preferred, the borders may be wefted or woven with
a different material, whether of the same or a different color; for instance, the
body or central part of the cloth may be wefted with cotton, and the borders of silk
or wool either of the same or a different color. The line of junction between the
body of the cloth and the borders may bo either a straight line or vandyked, waved,
or otherwise, as may be preferred.
"
"
"
We effect these improvements in any ordinary loom fitted with a dobby or
"index machine" by a peculiar "tie up," hereafter described, and by the use of a
loose " whip thread
of the color and material desired passing along each selvedge,
round which "whip thread" the ordinary weft passes, and becoming looped therein
drags it a certain definito distance into the shed of the warp threads, and causes it
to act as a weft. For example, in weaving a plain white "kutar " or other cloth
with a black border we arrange the warp accordingly, that is, a white warp in the
centre, and at each edge a black warp corresponding with the depth of the border
desired, and, in addition to this, outside the selvedge, on each side we employ an
extra "whip thread" of a flexible material (black also) which we draw from two
"whip bobbins,” which are mounted loosely upon axles and provided with friction
Perice 631

page_text: cords and weights to give a certain amount of "drag" to the "whip" threads. These
threads then pass through the lease rods, and thence through a mail provided with
a "lingo" or weight to take up the slack, then through a ring or loop at the ends
of the ordinary heald shafts, and, lastly, through a dent of the reed outside each
selvedge.
The "tie-up" or drawing-in of the warp threads through the harness and the
perforation of the pattern cards is such that the shuttle which carries a white weft
corresponding with the central warp weaves plain or twilled cloth with this warp
only, although it passes through the border warp also, as the border or black warp,
instead of crossing each pick (as the central or white warp does) has two sheds
exactly alike; the whip thread outside the selvedge, however, crosses between these
two picks. The consequence is that the ordinary or white weft in returning becomes
looped round or noosed into the "whip thread," and as it returns into the same
open shed through which it has just previously passed it drags or carries the black
whip thread into the shed as far as the open shed or black border extends; it then
comes in contact with the first crossed thread at the commencement of the white
central part. The white weft then ceases to drag the loop of black whip thread any
further, as it stopped by this crossed thread, and it then weaves plain cloth or twill
across the central white warp to the other side. The same action takes place at this
side of the cloth, and as the shuttle returns it drags in the other "whip" thread
with it as far as the border extends, and so on alternately.
Care must be taken that the tension on the shuttle weft must be in excess of that
on the "whip threads," or it will form a selvedge round the latter instead of draging
it into the "shed," or, if preferred, a regular or variable letting off motion may be
imparted to the "whip bobbin" by means of excentrics or tappets and tail cords from
the "
dobby" or other shedding motion, which will at the proper intervals give off
a longer or shorter length of the whip thread as the shuttle weft shall require it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Edward Simpson and Christopher Cross in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th September 1876.
JOHN EDWARD SIMPSON and CHRISTOPHER CROSS, both of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOTHI KNOWN
AS INDIAN KUTAR,' AND OF OTHER CLOTHS OF A SIMILAR NATURE, AND IN
APPARATUS USED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE."
These improvements relate to a method of and apparatus for weaving "Indian
kutar" or other bordered woven fabrics in such a manner that the borders of the
fabric shall be wefted or woven with a different color of thread to the body or
central part of the cloth, or, if preferred, the borders may be wefted or woven with
a different material, whether of the same or a different color; for instance, the body
or central part of the cloth may be wefted with cotton and the borders of silk or
wool either of the same or a different color. The line of junction between the body
of the cloth and the borders may be either a straight line or vandyked, waved, or
otherwise, as may be preferred.
We effect these improvements in any ordinary loom fitted with a "dobby” or
"index machine" by a peculiar "tie-up," hereafter described, and by the use of a
loose "whip thread" of the color and material desired passing along each selvedge,
round which "whip thread" the ordinary weft passes, and becoming looped therein
drags it a certain definite distance into the shed of the warp threads and causes it to
act as a weft.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention, we will now proceed to
describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, and in order that the same may be clearly understood
we have annexed hereunto two Sheets of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have

page_text: marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in
the following explanation thereof :-
Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawings is a vertical section of so much of an ordinary
power loom as is necessary to illustrate the application of our Invention thereto.
a, a, is the side framing of the loom; b, b, the yarn beam; c, c, the ordinary healds;
d, d, the breast beam; and c, e, the cloth roller. The ordinary healds are worked in
the usual manner, and the warp for the central portion or body of the cloth is drawn
in through them in the ordinary way. The border warp (which may be of a different
color or material or both) is drawn in through mails f, f, provided with "lingoes"
or elastic springs g, g, and connected by springs to levers or treadles h, h, above,
worked by cams or tappets i, i, or by a dobby or other convenient and known means
of shedding warps. The central and border warps are both shown as wound on to
the same beam, but they may be wound on separate beams if preferred. The "whip
threads" (one outside cach selvage) are wound on to bobbins h, k, each being passed
through an eye connected to a lever l, l, and worked by tappet m, m, so as to
draw off a certain definite length of the "whip thread" at each revolution.
For an example of weaving, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the "tie-up" for
weaving a plain white "kutar" or other cloth with (say) a straight black border on
each side. We arrange the warp accordingly, that is, a white warp from n to n in
the centre, and a black warp from o to o at cach side.
We may here remark that although in the diagram only 32 white threads are
shown for the central part and four black threads on each side for the border, it will
of course be understood (in this and the following examples) that a sufficient
number of black warp threads must be employed on each side to weave the width
of border required, and there will be several hundreds of the white or central warp
threads, according to the width of the kutar" or other bordered fabric to bo
woven; the "tie-up," however, will be a mere repetition of that shown.
In addition to the border warps outside the selvage on each side we employ an
extra "whip thread" p, p, of a flexible material (black also) which we draw from
the two whip bobbins k, k, which are mounted loosely upon their axles and provided
with friction cords and weights 79, to give a certain amount of drag to the
whip threads p, p. These threads then pass through lease rods, and thence through
the eyes j,, (or through a mail provided with a lingo" or weight to take up the
slack), and then through a ring or loop at the end of the ordinary heald shafts c, c,
and, lastly, through a dent of the reed outside each selvage.
The arrows at the right hand side of the diagram, Fig. 2, show the direction in
which the shuttle passes at each shed; the shuttle carries a white weft corresponding
with the central warp threads n, n, and the first pick from left to right enters the
shed at the point * and weaves a plain cloth across the piece with this warp only,
although it passes through the right-hand border warp 0, 0, also, but as the border or
black warp, instead of crossing at each pick (as the central or white warp does), has
two sheds exactly alike, and as the whip thread p crosses between these two picks
the consequence is that at pick No. 2, from right to left, the ordinary or white weft
in returning becomes looped round or noosed into the whip thread p, and as it
returns into the same open shed of the border warp o, o, through which it has just
previously passed it drags or carries the black whip thread p, p, doubled into this
shed as far as this open shed or black border extends; it then comes into contact
with the first crossed thread n, n, at the commencement of the white central part.
The white weft then ceases to drag the loop of black whip thread p, p, any
further as it is stopped by this crossed thread, and it then weaves plain cloth across
the central white warp to the other side. The same action takes place at this side
of the cloth, and as the shuttle roturns it drags in the other or left-hand whip
thread p with it as far as the border o, o, extends, and so on alternately.
The point where the interlocking or looping together of the white weft and the
whip thread occurs is shown by the three squares drawn in thicker lines in the
diagram.
Care must be taken that the tension on the white or shuttlo weft must be in

page_text: excess of that on the black whip threads p, p, or it will form a selvage round the
latter instead of drawing it into the shed, especially if the whip thread merely runs
through weighted mails; but with a regular letting off motion, as shown at j, l, m,
or with any other suitable letting off motion, worked by the "dobby" or otherwise,
so as regularly to give off the required length of whip thread, there will be no
danger of this.
The above example only refers to weaving plain white or grey cloth with a
straight colored border; any ordinary weaver will know how to apply the same to
weaving a twill or other fancy cloth if required.
The diagrams, Figs. 3 and 4, represent the method of weaving a "kutar" or other
fabric with a vandyked border. The same letters of reference being made use of as
for Fig. 1, no further explanation will be necessary, excepting to remark that as the
points are necessarily woven with a white warp they will not be solid black like the
straight part of the border, but "seeded" black and white.
Fig. 3 is shown as tapered every four ends, and Fig. 4 every two ends, but any
other arrangement may be adopted according to the pattern to be woven.
In order to prevent the tension on the weft in the shuttle from puckering or dis-
arranging those threads round which the white or shuttle weft is looped, wo some-
times find it advisable to draw in through the same mails additional or sustaining
threads, as at 8, s, s, s, for the purpose of sustaining or keeping those particular
warp threads in a parallel position, and preventing the "pull" of the weft from dis-
arranging thom. These sustaining threads may be made either of stiffened threads
or of fine wire or horse or other hair. They are fixed to a bar at the back of the
healds, having their ends free, and of such a length that they will be woven into
the cloth for a few picks, but will draw themselves out of the fabric as the weaving
proceeds.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical
effect, we wish it to be understood that we claim as our Invention the manufacture
of "kutar" and of other cloths of a similar nature (that is, having a border or
borders of a different color or material or both), substantially in the manner herein-
before described; and, more particularly, we claim the method of wefting the border
by means of a "whip thread," which is looped into the ordinary weft and drawn in
through the shed to form the weft for the border, as before explained; and, secondly,
we claim the use of the mechanism herein-before described for effecting this object,
or any mere modification or imitation thereof constructed and operating in substan-
tially the same manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said Christopher Cross (on behalf of myself and
the said John Edward Simpson) have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.
CHRISTOPHER CROSS. (L.S.)