IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS, AND PROAL THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN SUCH
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Pierre Antoine Roux, of Saint Ramberd, l'Ile
Barbe, Lyons, in the Republic of France, Merchant, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS, AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Pierre Antoine Roux
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th June 1875.
I, PIERRE ANTOINE ROUX, of Saint Ramberd, l'Ile Barbe, Lyons, in
the Republic of France, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC
FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANufacture,” to be as
follows, that is to say :—
This Invention consists in improvements in and in the machinery
employed in the manufacture of elastic fabrics of the class or kind
formed of a sheet of india-rubber pressed between two other suitable
fabrics, the object of my improvements being to form such fabric with

page_text: edges or selvages which cannot be torn, and which shall not become
disunited.
The india-rubber and the face and lining fabrics are placed on separate
rollers or beams; the width of the india-rubber is less than that of the
face fabric, the difference of the width varying according to the width of
the fabric to be made; the face fabric will thus extend a certain
distance beyond the sides of the india-rubber, and is turned over with
the india-rubber, as herein-after described, to form the improved border
or selvage.
The face fabric and the india-rubber are brought together by a suitable
arrangement of rollers on a table, the india-rubber being cemented to
the face fabric as the latter leaves a roller imbibed with a suitable
gummy solvent. The two fabrics are then caused to pass between a
pair of adjustable devices or edge makers, the openings in the front part'
of which are widened spirally in such a manner as to form a longitudinal
fluting or pleat a short distance from each edge of the india-rubber, and
then double or fold over the said edges and the face fabric at the said
pleat or fluting, and the back or exit openings of the said devices or
edge makers are made narrow and slightly flattened, so as to leave only
the space required to sufficiently press the fabric, and prevent it from
becoming uncemented.
On leaving the edge makers the sides of the fabric which oxtend
beyond the edges of the india-rubber, and which are impregnated with a
solvent, which has caused the gum with which the fabric is coated to
become dissolved, are cemented on the india-rubber, and the material
passes through two moveable guides, which can be adjusted to suit the
width of the fabric by means of two set screws at their lower parts and
a moveable directing rod at their upper part. The object of these guides
is to keep the edges of the fabric issuing from the edge making devices
turned down, and of the width fixed, until the fabric joins the lining:
fabric and passes under a suitably placed roller, which helps to complete
the edges or selvages. The fabric then passes respectively under and
over two other rollers or cylinders, and then between a pair of steam
drying cylinders, where the edges or selvages are subjected to sufficient
heat on both sides to complete the operation.
The improved edges or selvages may also be formed without the herein-
before described fluting.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filled in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Pierre
Antoine Roux in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th January
1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
ANTOINE ROUX, of St. Ramberd, near Lyon, in the Republic of France,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Pierre Antoine Roux, Her special
licence that I, the said Pierre Antoine Roux, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Pierre Antoine Roux, 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY
EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Pierre Antoine Roux, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument 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 to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters

page_text: In order that this Invention may be more fully understood I shall
now describe the apparatus used, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 2, a horizontal plan
of part of the apparatus; Figs. 3 & 4, horizontal plans showing the
arrangement of guides for turning the hems; Fig. 5, a side elevation of
same arrangement.
The distribution of the materials required is effected by means of three
drums, on which the materials have been previously wound, and of two
pad rollers soaked with chemicals.
A is the drum carrying the material or stuff which will become the
right side of the composite fabric; B is the drum carrying the india-
rubber, which will be the core; and C, the drum carrying the stuff,
which will be afterwards the wrong side of the fabric. From drum A
the stuff passes under roller F, over the pad roller D soaked with solvent
and adhesive chemicals, then round the small rod E, and goes on the
table G, where it joins the india-rubber. From drum B the india-rubber
goes over roller H, and is stuck on the right side stuff from drum A,
over the table G a little before they both enter in the turning up or
hemming guides T, T. The wrong side stuff coming from drum C
passes over roller I, under the small rod J, over the pad roller K soaked
with solvent and adhesive chemicals, and after passing under the rod M
of the sliding guides L, L, it meets the right side stuff and the india-
rubber coming from drums A & B, and then they pass all three together
under the roller N, over roller O, under roller P, then over drying
cylinder Q, and under drying cylinder Q'; these cylinders are hollow,
and heated by steam. From the last drying cylinder the composite
fabric passes over the roller R, under the roller S, and finally is wound
on the receiving drum V.
The improvement in this mode of manufacturing elastic fabrics relates
more especially to the untearable edges mechanically obtained by the
use of the turning up or hemming guides T, T, the mouth ends of which
are twisted in spiral, the other ends being narrowed to flattened openings
so that the composite fabric passing through them may be sufficiently
squeezed so as not to get unstuck before it reaches the two sliding
guides L, L. The distance between these two guides may be regulated

page_text: at will by working the two set screws U, U. These guides are used
for maintaining the composite fabric coming from the hemming
guides T, T, hemmed according to an uniform width until it reaches
the roller N, which assists in completing the hemming. The hems are
dried completely on both sides on the two heated cylinders. It is
necessary to point out, besides, that the two stuffs, as well as the india-
rubber, have been gummed previously to their being wound on the
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Antoine Roux, have to this
my Specification, set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day
of December, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.