IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING THE PILE OF WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Patterson, of the City of Manchester,
Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
CUTTING THE PILE OF WOVEN FABRICS."
Sealed the 20th July 1866, and dated the 13th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Patterson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th February 1866.
I, JOHN PATTERSON, of the City of Manchester, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING THE PILE OF WOVEN FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The object of my improved machinery is to cut the binding warp or
weft uniting two pieces of fabric which are woven together in the usual
manner, such binding warp or weft, when cut, forming the pile on two
separate pieces of fabric. The double fabric to be cut is guided between
two rollers, the circumferences of which may be plain, or fluted, or
roughened to give the requisite adhesion to the fabric; the distance
between these two rollers must be regulated according to the length of
the binding warps or wefts, which are cut by the sharpened edge of an
endless band of thin steel passing around pulleys in the same manner as the
usual band saws. The sharpened edge of the endless band projects slightly

page_text: beyond a guide fitting partly into the space between the two rollers. When
the binding warps or wefts are cut, each piece of pile fabric is conveyed
away in opposite directions and wound on a roller or otherwise disposed of.
By means of the above described machinery the pile on each piece of
fabric can be kept at an uniform length, the cutting can be performed
more rapidly than by the machinery hitherto employed, and by applying
occasionally a sharpening stone or other equivalent to the endless band
the cutting edge can be kept sharp without stopping the machine, or the
cutting may be performed by a knife to which a to-and-fro and lateral
motion is given by cranks and eccentrics or other equivalents, or by a
knife to which only a to-and-fro motion is given, or the endless band for
cutting may have a to-and-fro motion given to it in addition to its revolving
motion around the pulleys, or the pile may be cut by a circular knife
traversing to and fro.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Patterson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
PATTERSON, of the City Manchester, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Patterson, Her special license that I, the
said John Patterson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Patterson, my 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 MACHINERY FOR CUTTING
THE PILE OF WOVEN FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Patterson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, 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

page_text: 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 Patterson, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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) :--
The object of my improved machinery is to cut the binding warp or
weft uniting two pieces of fabric which are woven together in the usual
manner, such binding warp or weft, when cut, forming the pile on two
separate pieces of fabric. The double fabric to be cut is guided between
two rollers, the circumferences of which may be plain, or fluted, or
roughened to give the requisite adhesion to the fabric. The distance
between these two rollers must be regulated according to the length of
the binding warps or wefts, which are cut by the sharpened edge of au
endless band of thin steel passing around pulleys in the same manner as
the usual band saws. The sharpened edge of the endless band projects
slightly beyond a guide fitting partly into the space between the two
rollers. When the binding warps or wefts are cut, each piece of pile
fabric is conveyed away in opposite directions and wound on a roller or
otherwise disposed of. And in order that my Invention may be fully
understood and readily carried into operation I will proceed to describe
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being had to the figures
and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is an end view, and Figure 2 a front elevation of my improved
machinery for cutting the binding warp or weft uniting a piece of double
fabric; Figure 3 is a detached view of the cutting knife and parts con-
nected therewith. a, a, are the two side frames of the machine to which
are fixed the brackets b, b, supporting the bearings for the pulleys c, c¹,
around which passes the band of thin steel d, one end of which is sharpened
to cut the binding warps or wefts of the double fabric, shewn at e in
Figure 3, and by the dotted line e in Figure 1. In the sides frames a are
fixed the bearings for the lower roller f, above which is the top roller g,
which is guided in side plates; the fabric e is compressed between these
rollers, and their surfaces may be either plain, fluted, or roughened, or
covered with india-rubber or other suitable material to give the requisite
friction for gradually drawing forward the fabric; the top roller g bears
with its own weight on the fabric, but it may in some cases be desirable
to apply pressure thereto; this may be accomplished by screws or weighted
levers. The sharpened edge of the cutting knife d projects slightly beyond

page_text: the angular guides h, shewn in section in Figure 3; these guides are
made hollow of brass or other metal or material, and they contain flax or
other suitable substance saturated with oil or grease to lubricate the knife;
the guides are connected by screws passing through slots to the side
bars which are acted upon by the springs j, see Figure 1. The side
bars are supported in the slot pieces ¹ fixed to the side frames; the
object of the springs j is to draw the guides h into contact with the surface
of the pile fabrics as they pass around the rollers fand g, on leaving which
they are taken round the rollers f¹ and g¹ and then wound up on the
batch rollers and g². To the angular guides h are fixed the slot pieces k;
these slot pieces serve to connect the guides h and also to support the
knife when it has to be moved out of cut; in these slot pieces are fixed
wooden wedges to hold the knife up to its work and to prevent its vibrating
when cutting. The knife d and the rollers f and g are put in motion in
the following manner :-A strap from the driving shaft passes around the
pulley fixed on the side shaft m, which is supported in suitable bearings
fixed to one of the brackets b. On the shaft m is fixed a set of speed
pulleys n. The speed pulleys n communicate motion to the pulleys q,
which are loose on the shaft r, revolving in bearings fixed to the frame
side a; these speed pulleys q are connected to the shaft r when required
by the sliding catch box o actuated by the lever p, as shewn in Figure 1;
to the shaft is also fixed the worm s gearing into the worm wheel t fixed
to the axle of the lower roller f; by this means a slow rotary motion is
given to the lower roller, which speed can be varied by altering the
position of the driving band in the grooves of the speed pulleys. To the
side shaft m is fixed the band pulley c which gives a rapid motion to the
cutting knife d, passing around it and around the pulley c¹, fixed on the
shaft v, revolving in moveable bearings at the opposite side of the machine,
as shewn in Figure 2. The pulley c¹ is carried round by the friction of
the band knife, and in order that the band may always be kept in the
proper state of tension, the bearings in which the shaft v revolve are
pressed outwards by the spring w acting upwards on the rod x, the lower
end of which is connected to the lever y fixed to the squaring shaft y¹.
On this shaft are fixed the two levers y³, each of which is connected by a
link to one of the bearings of the shaft v. The upper end of the rod x
is screwed, and the hand wheel serves as a nut to tighten or slacken the
spring w, by which the tension of the cutting band is regulated; or this
object may be effected by pinions on the squaring shaft y' gearing into
racks connected to the bearings of the shaft v. As it is sometimes

page_text: necessary to move the cutting band laterally in order to examine the cutting
edge, or for other purposes, the shafts m and v, with the band pulleys c
and c¹, are moved laterally simultaneously by the hand wheel z fixed at
the top of the shaft z¹; near the lower end of this shaft is fixed the
worm gearing into the segment which is fixed on the cross shaft ;
on this shaft are fixed the two segments gearing into racks m² and v¹
which are connected to their respective shafts by fixed washers, as shewn
in Figure 1, or in any other convenient manner. By this arrangement
the cutting knife can be moved out of cut and again instantly brought
into action, and the knife is kept at all times in line with the warps or
wefts to be cut. By means of the above described machinery, the pile on
each piece of fabric can be kept at an uniform length, the cutting can be
performed more rapidly than by the machinery hitherto employed, and
by applying occasionally a sharpening stone or other equivalent to the
endless band, the cutting edge can be kept sharp without stopping the
machine; or the cutting may be performed by a knife to which a to-and-fro
and lateral motion, or a to-and-fro or lateral motion is given by cranks and
eccentrics or other equivalents, or the endless band for cutting may have
a to-and-fro motion given to it in addition to its revolving motion around
the pulleys.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described a con-
venient mode of carrying the same into operation, I declare that I claim,-
First, the application of an endless band of steel for cutting the pile of
a double fabric.
Secondly, cutting the pile threads of a double fabric as they are passing
the rollers fand g.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Patterson, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
JOHN PATTERSON. (..)