THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS OR OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Akroyd and John Thompson, both of
Halifax, in the County of York, Carpet Weavers, for the Invention
of "THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS OR OTHER FABRICS."
Sealed the 10th February 1857, and dated the 21st August 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Akroyd and
John Thompson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 21st August 1856.
We, WILLIAM AKROYD and JOHN THOMPSON, both of Halifax, in the County
of York, Carpet Weavers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS OR OTHER FABRICS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore in the manufacture of all carpeting, except pile or terry faced,
the warp used on one side is occasionally shewn on the other, so that to
produce a flat-surfaced carpet or other fabric having no pile, terry, or raised
surface the worsted or other yarns on the face occasionally crosses, so as to be
seen on either side of the cloth or carpet. Our improvement consists in
producing a flat-surfaced carpet or other fabric having no pile, terry, or raised
surface, using cotton and worsted for the warp, and by means of the weft
we cause the cotton to appear on one side of the fabric only, and the worsted
on the other side of the fabric.
We make use of the term "cotton on one side of the fabric and worsted
on the other side" simply to shew that the warp seen on one side does not
cross, so as to be seen on the other side.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Akroyd and John Thompson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 20th February 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
AKROYD, of Mount Pleasant, and JOHN THOMPSON, both of Halifax, in the
County of York, Carpet Weavers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said William
Akroyd and John Thompson, Her special licence that we, the said William
Akroyd and John Thompson, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said William Akroyd and John Thompson, 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 "THE MANUFACTURE OF CARPETS OR OTHER FABRICS," upon the
"condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Akroyd and John
"Thompson, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
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 saine 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 William Akroyd, and John Thompson
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
and by the following statement, that is to say:-
Heretofore in the manufacture of all carpeting, except pile or terry faced,
the warp used on one side is occasionally shewn on the other side, so that to
produce a flat-surfaced carpet or other fabric having no pile, terry, or raised
surface the worsted or other yarns on the face occasionally crosses in such
way and manner as to form figure, or ground on either or both sides or
surfaces of the cloth or carpet.
Our Invention consists in producing a flat-surfaced carpet or other fabric
having no pile, terry, or raised surface, using cotton and worsted for the warp,
one or more shuttles with the weft. A portion of the cotton warp used on one

page_text: side and a portion of the worsted warp used on the other side of the carpet or
other fabric crosses the weft in certain proportions, and in such way and
manner as not to form figure or ground on the contrary side of the fabric.
We make use of the term "cotton on the one side of the fabric and worsted
on the other side of the fabric" simply to shew that the warp forming figure
or ground on the. one side of the fabric does not cross, so as to form figure or
ground on the other side of the fabric.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, we state that what
we do claim is this:-
Firstly, the producing, by any means, of a carpet or other fabric having no
pile, terry, or raised surface, in which carpet or other fabric the warp used on
one side does not cross so as to be seen on the other side, so as to form figure
or ground.
Secondly, the producing a reversible carpet or other fabric of two distinct
patterns, by using different warps (party-coloured or otherwise) of silk,
cotton, worsted, or woollen yarns, in the manner before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Akroyd and John Thompson,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
JOHN H* BRIERLEY.
WILLIAM AKROYD. (L.S.)
JOHN THOMPSON.
(L.S.)