IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CHENILLE AND OTHER PILED FABRICS, AND ALSO IN THE MACHINERY CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Rickard, of Derby, in the County of Derby,
Silk Manufacturer, and William Rickard, of Derby, in the County of
Derby, Silk Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF CHENILLE AND OTHER PILED FABRICS, AND ALSO IN THE
MACHINERY CONNECTED THEREWITH."
Sealed the 21st August 1860, and dated the 29th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Rickard and William
Rickard at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 29th February 1860.
We, JOHN RICKARD, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Silk Manufacturer,
and WILLIAM RICKARD, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Silk Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF CHENILLE AND OTHER PILED FABRICS, AND ALSO IN THE
MACHINERY CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
In this Invention a skeleton frame of iron or other material is constructed
to hold six or more spindles (each holding a bobbin of silk) or six or more
circular discs (each holding one or more bobbins of silk, and attached to the
lower part of the frame is a cylinder which (by means of bands) drives these
spindles or discs, and also a corresponding number of circular knives revolving
opposite thereto. This frame is made to run or slide upon long conducting
rods or rails, by means of an endless cord round a pulley and crab, or by other
suitable gearing; at the extreme, end of the rods or rails is another cylinder
(also driven by an endless cord or other gearing) constructed so as to turn (by
means of bands) the same number of hooks, for twisting up the chenille as

page_text: made) as there are spindles or discs employed, whilst at the opposite end of
the rods or rails, motive power is communicated to the whole apparatus by
one motion.
Through, each spindle or disc are passed one pair of permanent wires,
extended to the length the chenille is required to be made, and which wires
may be of various thicknesses according to the size or diameter of chenille
desired; there is also at the same time passed through cach spindle or disc one
fine chenille wire or thread drawn from a bobbin fixed to the frame, and the
silk being (by means of the rapid revolution of the spindle or disc) made to
pass round the two permanent wires, and the one fine chenille wire or thread
lays itself thereon; another chenille wire or thread (also drawn off a bobbin
fixed to the frame) is by means of two small rollers or pulleys brought close
up to the covered wires, and at this point the circular knife which revolves
between the two fine wires or threads (here kept asunder for that purpose by
a small stud or pulley) cuts the silk now confined between the two fine wires
or threads, which latter being connected to one of the revolving hooks are
twisted up, and the whole is thus converted into a perfect chenille.
By substituting two fine chenille wires or threads for one in each case (both
within and outside the laid silk), and by adjusting the revolving knife or
substituting two such knives'so as to cut the silk twice instead of once, the silk
will thus be divided into two halves, each half being confined between two
wires, and being twisted constitutes a separate end or length of chenille, by
which means two such ends or lengths are produced by each spindle, and thus
the machine described above (by a slightly different arrangement) produces
twelve lengths or ends of chenille together.
. By this apparatus and process, motive power being communicated at the
driving end of the machine, the covering, cutting, and twisting of all the lengths
or ends of chenille are proceeded with simultaneously, and completed in one
operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Rickard and William Rickard in. the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
RICKARD, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Silk Manufacturer, and WIL-
LIAM RICKARD, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Silk Manufacturer, send
greeting..

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,"
the said John Rickard and William Rickard, Her special licence that we, the
said John Rickard and William Rickard, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Rickard and William Rickard,.
our 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
OP CHENILLE AND OTHER PILED FABRICS, AND ALSO IN THE MACHINERY CONNECTED
THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John.
Rickard and William Rickard, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or one of our, 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 we, the said John Rickard and William Rickard,
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 in writing, and on reference to the accom--
panying Drawings, that is to say:-
In this Invention a skeleton frame of iron or other material is constructed'
to hold four, six, or more spindles (each holding a bobbin of silk), or four, six,
or more circular discs (each holding one or more bobbins of silk), and attached
to the lower part of the frame is a cylinder, which (by means of bands) drives
these spindles or discs, and also a corresponding number of circular knives
revolving opposite thereto; or, instead of a cylinder, a series of pulleys may be
employed. This frame is made to run or slide upon long conducting rods or
rails, by means of an endless cord round a pulley and crab, or by other suitable
gearing; at the extreme end of the rods or rails is another cylinder (also
driven by an endless cord or other gearing), constructed so as to turn (by means.
of bands) the same number of hooks (for twisting up the chenille as it is
made) as there are spindles or dises employed, whilst at the opposite end of
the rods or rails, motive power is communicated to the whole apparatus. by
one motion.

page_text: Through each spindle or dise are passed one pair of permanent wires
extended to the length the chenille is required to be made, and which wires
may be of various thicknesses according to the size or diameter of chenille
desired; there is also at the same time passed through each spindle or disc one
fine chenille wire or thread drawn from a bobbin fixed to the frame, and the
silk being (by means of the rapid revolution of the spindle or disc) made to
pass round the two permanent wires, and the one fine chenille wire or thread,
lays itself thereon; another chenille wire or thread (also drawn off a bobbin
fixed to the frame) is by means of two small rollers or pulleys brought close
up to the covered wires, and at this point the circular knife, which revolves
between the two fine wires or threads, cuts the silk now confined between
the two fine wires or threads, which latter, being connected to one of the
revolving books, are twisted up, and the whole is thus converted into a
perfect chenille.
By substituting two fine chenille wires or threads for one in each case (both
within and outside the laid silk), and, by adjusting the revolving knife, or
substituting two such knives, so as to cut the silk twice instead of once, the
silk will thus be divided into two halves, each half being confined between two
wires, and being twisted, constitutes a separate end or length of chenille, by
which means two such ends or lengths are produced by each spindle, and thus
the machine described above: (by a slightly different arrangement) produces
double the number of lengths or ends of chenille together.
By this apparatus and process, motive power being communicated at the
driving end of the machine, the covering, cutting, and twisting of all the lengths
or ends of chenille are proceeded with simultaneously, and completed in one
operation.
Such being the nature and object of our said Invention for improvements in
the manufacture of chenillo and other piled fabrics, and also in the machinery
connected therewith, we will proceed to describe more in detail the manner
in which the same, is to be or may be performed, and in order that our improve-
ments may be perfectly understood, we have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and
letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof.
Figure 1 is a side view of the machine shewing the general arrangement of
the same; and Figure 2 is a back view of the carriage and its appurtenances,
the tramway being shewn in section; Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 4 represents the driving end of the machine; and Figure 5 is the
opposite end, where the chenille is twisted as it is made.

page_text: a, a, are the end frames of the machine supporting the rails or tramway b, b,
and the main driving shaft c, c, which latter receives its motion from a band
passing around the main driving pulley d, d, and communicates movement to
the other parts of the machine; e, e, is an endless cord or band (driven.by the
pulley f on the shaft c), which imparts motion to the carriage g,g, by means of
the pulley h, and also to the twisting hooks i, i, by means of the pulley k, the
said pulley being mounted on a cylinder 2, 1, round which the bands 'm, m,
driving the twisting hooks i, i, pass. The shaft n, n, at the lower part of the
carriage, being driven by the pulley h, actuates a shaft o, o, above (see Figure 3)
by means of the speed pulley p and band q, q. Upon this shaft o, o, is a
worm r, driving a worm wheel 3, s, fixed on the axle of the propelling wheels t, t,
whereby the carriago 9, 9, is caused to traverse slowly along the rails b, b;
u, u, are hollow spindles which carry bobbins of silk u*, u*, (see also enlarged
view, Figure 6,) and are furnished with guiding wires or flyers *, *. The
bobbins and flyers are caused to revolve by means of bands v, v, passing around
their wharves, and also round grooved pulleys on the shaft n, n; w, w, are two
permanent. wires fastened to the crabs x, x, passed through the hollow
spindles u, u, which carry the bobbins of silk and round the studs y, y. These
wires w, w, can be tightened as much as required by means of the crabs x, x.
Upon the shaft n, n, is a pulley,, which by means of a band drives a
pulley 1, 1, fixed on a shaft 2, 2, which carries the circular knives 3, 3; 4, 4,
are bobbins for holding the centre threads 5, 5, of cotton; fine wire, or other
material, which pass over guiding rollers 6, 6, at the front of the carriage 9, g.
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the cutting apparatus; 7 is an iron stud
supported by the bracket 8, for keeping asunder at this point the permanent
wires w, w, between which the circular knife 3 revolves; 9 represents the
chenille, when made, passing over a roller 10 supported by a bracket 11.
In making chenille by our improved method, and with the above-described
machine, we proceed as follows:-We first place the carriage 9, 9, at the
twisting end of the machine, and having passed one of the centre threads or
wires 5, 5, through each of the spindles u, u, below and between the two per-
manent wires w, w, and passed another such thread or wire over and under
rollers +, +, (as shewn in Figure 1,) these threads or wires 5, 5, are together
fastened upon their respective twisting hooks i, i. Motion being then imparted
to the machine, the carriage g, g, is slowly propelled along the rails 6, 6, at the
same time that by the revolution of the bobbins u*, u*, and flyers *, *, or by
discs carrying bobbins, the silk is plated around the permanent wires w, w, and
one of the fine wires or threads 5, 5, as above described. This silk plating is
severed upon its upper surface only by the circular knives 3 (as shewn at

page_text: Figure 8), and is at the same time caught below in the centre between the two
fine wires or threads 5, 5, and by means of the hooks i, i, twisted up into
chenille. The quality of the chenille will depend upon the rapidity with which
the carriage g, g, is made to traverse, and this is regulated by means of the
speed pulley p (Figure 3), and the size or diameter of the chenille is determined
by the use of thicker or thinner permanent wires w, w.
. In the accompanying Drawings, the machine is represented as adapted for
making four lengths of chenille at one time, but this number can be readily
increased by applying the additional parts requisite.
In manufacturing other piled fabrics by means of this apparatus, we substi
tute a thick silk piping or a twisted cord for the outer fine thread or wire 5,
which being passed over and under the rollers +, +, in a similar manner
catches the silk when cut, and is twisted up as one of the centre threads, in
the manner before described; by this means the silk pile forms a distinct worm
or spiral round the centre threads, thus making a spiral chenille piping or
chenille cord. :
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention for "Im-
provements in the Manufacture of Chenille and other Piled Fabrics, and also
in the Machinery connected therewith," together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed, we desire it to be distinctly understood that
we claim as our Invention, the novel method of and apparatus for manufac-
turing chenille and other piled fabrics as above described and illustrated in the
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof, by which the same end may be
attained, and especially we claim the use or employment for such purposes of
two permanent fixed wires, round which the silk is plated by a traversing
carriage, and cut by a circular knife revolving between them and travelling
with the carriage.
"In witness whereof, I, the said William Rickard, on behalf of myself
and of the said John Rickard, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.
WILLIAM RICKARD. (L.S.)