IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF ARTICLES OF LADIES' DRESS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Watson, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF ARTICLES OF LADIES' DRESS."
Sealed the 29th February 1856, and dated the 21st December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Watson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
December 1855.
I, JOHN WATSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF ARTICLES OF LADIES' DRESS"
to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture or production of woven fabrics
for the skirts and other portions of ladies' apparel, so as to avoid the labor of
joining together two or more breadths, or the selvedges of a single breadth,
and consists in weaving such fabrics so as to be endless transversely, and
without selvedges or longitudinal margins. This kind of fabric is woven in a
common hand or power loom, the heddles or harness being suitably arranged
and worked to produce the desired result. The fabric is taken out of the
loom in the form of a double cloth, or two webs or folds of cloth joined to each
other at what would be the selvedges of a piece of ordinary cloth, but quite

page_text: separate from each other at all other points, whilst the cloth is continuous
round the edges, which when opened out present little or no difference in
appearance from any other part of the cloth. To produce this effect two sets
of warps are employed; one set forming the upper portion of the fabric, and
the other set forming the lower portion. A single weft is used, and the warps
are shed so that the weft passes round and round the fabric; thus, for example,
the first shed is formed so that all the warp threads of the lower portion of the
fabric are carried down out of the way, and the warp threads of the upper
portion of the fabric are shed up and down, as in ordinary weaving, for the
shuttle to pass through them and form cloth in the upper warp threads. At
the next shed all the warp threads of the upper portion of the fabric are
raised out of the way, and a shed is formed in the lower warp threads, through
which the shuttle passes, making cloth in the lower warp threads. At the third
shed the lower warp threads all descend, and and the upper warp threads are
shed up and down, as for what would be their second shed in ordinary weaving,
whilst at the fourth shed the lower warp threads are similarly acted upon as
for what would be their second shed in ordinary weaving. In this manner
the weaving goes on, the weft being shot alternately through the upper and
lower warp threads, so as to form a continuous encircling line round the fabric.
By suitable modifications of the heddle or harness arrangements various kinds
of fabric may be produced, such as twilled or other kinds, as well as plain
woven goods, as will be well understood by the practical weaver.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Watson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WATSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of.
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Watson, Her special license that I, the said John Watson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Watson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should. at any time

page_text: 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 OR PRODUCTION OF ARTICLES OF LADIES. DRESS," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Watson, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Watson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, that is to say:-
"
My said Invention relates to the manufacture or production of woven fabrics
for the skirts and other portions of ladies dress or apparel, in the tubular or
bag form, so as to dispense with the operation of joining together two
two or more
breadths of fabric, or the selvages of a single breadth, as is necessary with
ordinary single or non-tubular cloth, the goods so made being endless trans-
versely when they leave the loom, and without any selvage or longitudinal
margin. This species of fabric is or may be woven in a common band or
power loom, the heddles in number and arrangement being suitably contrived
and worked for the production of the desired result, after the general manner
hitherto pursued in the manufacture of solid tubular sacks, hose pipes, and
lamp wicks, as is well understood by the practical weaver. When such a
fabric is removed from the loon, it presents the appearance of a double cloth,
or two webs or pieces of cloth joined to each other at the positions occupied
by the selvages in an ordinary plain fabric, but quite separate and independent
of each other at all other parts. The fabric is woven in a horizontal plane,
as in ordinary weaving, but with an upper and lower independent layer or
thickness, as it is in the loom; the entire piece, however, being continuous
round or over the double edges, so that when the piece is removed and
expanded or opened up, these edges for the time being present little or no
difference in appearance from any other part of the cloth. In producing this
cloth two complete warps are employed; one warp being arranged for making
the upper and the other the lower layer or thickness of the cloth as it appears
in the loom. The same weft answers for both layers of fabric, the
warp threads
being so shed, that the continuous back and forward traverse of the shuttle
1. A
.L

page_text: conducts the weft in reality round the flattened tube of the piece being woven ;
that is to say, the weft is consecutively passed along the two sheds of the
separate layers of cloth, proceeding round round the temporary selvage bends
of the cloth without any break or interruption to its proper course of inter-
weaving. For this purpose four separate leaves of heddles are used, two for
each warp, so that the weaver can give the necessary reverse sheds to each
warp independently. In the actual weaving operation, the weaver proceeds by
forming the first shed in such a manner, that all the warp threads for the lower
section or layer for the time being of the warp are carried downwards out of the
way of the rest of the threads, and the warp threads for the upper layer or
section of the cloth are then shed for the first throw of the shuttle. When the
first weft shot has been made, all the warp threads for the upper section or
layer of the fabric are elevated out of the way, and a shed is then formed in
the lower warp threads, through which shed the shuttle is now passed. Prior
to the third weft shot, the lower warp threads are all caused to descend as at
the first movement, and the upper warp threads are then shed reverse to their
first shed, just as they would be at their second shed in ordinary plain weaving.
When the shuttle is passed through, the next change is for the fourth shed of
the combined warps, or the second shed of the lower warp. At this move-
ment the upper warp threads are elevated, and a reverse shed is formed in the
lower warp, and through this shed the fourth weft shot is passed. This com-
pletes the cycle of movements, and the whole are consecutively repeated, the
weft being thrown alternately into the sheds of the upper and lower warp
threads, so as to produce a continuous encircling line of weft round the fabric,
considered as a tube.
It is obvious that what I have herein-before described relates to plain cloth
weaving only, but by suitable modifications of the heddles or harness arrange-
ments, various kinds of fabrics, such, for example, as twilled goods, may be
produced. The fabrics so produced are more especially intended for petticoats,
each piece being woven so as to contain several such articles of dress, the long
piece being severed transversely into the required lengths, which form in them-
selves complete petticoats, the top and bottom sewing and the trimmings only
being wanting.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what

page_text: I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the manufacture or production of articles of ladies' dress, as herein-
before described.
Second, the application and use of the tubular or "double cloth" system of
weaving in the manufacture or production of articles of ladies' dress.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Watson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-six.
JOHN WATSON. (L.S.)