IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RUCHES AND OTHER TRIMMINGS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Grey Hill, of Alfred Street, Nottingham,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF RUCHES
AND OTHER TRIMMINGS."
Sealed the 9th November 1869, and dated the 15th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Grey Hill at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th September 1869.
I, CHARLES GREY HILL, of Alfred Street, Nottingham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF RUCHES AND OTHER TRIMMINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
ruches and other trimmings. In order to set ribbon into a band in a
series of loops as it is required for ruches and other trimmings it is
common to lap the ribbon around a spiral or open screw resembling a
corkscrew, the lapping being performed in the direction of the spiral.
Frequently two similar spirals are employed revolving parallel to each
other and at a short distance apart, and the ribbon is lapped around the
two spirals simultaneously, and is pressed down and cemented into a

page_text: band between them. The rotation of the spirals carries the work forward
away from the point at which the lapping is effected.
According to my Invention in order to produce loops of a better form
than are produced by the means above referred to the ribbon or material
is lapped upon the spiral in a direction opposite to that in which here-
tofore it has been lapped, or in a direction opposite both to the spiral
itself and to its direction of rotation. I prefer to use a double-threaded
spiral, and to lap the ribbon on each thread of the spiral, the ribbon
carrier revolving twice for each rotation of the spiral. The threads of
the spiral are made broad and flat that they may act as meshes to hold
the loops open, by which I get a more marked crossing of each loop. The
spiral may be made with more than two threads, the ribbon or ribbons
being lapped accordingly. The band may be formed by cementing in
the usual way or by sewing the loops down by a sewing machine.
Sometimes I lap two or more ribbons upon the spirals.
Also according to my Invention I produce trimmings of a cord like
appearance by passing a cord or bundle of threads through the axis of a
spiral, whilst a ribbon or band is led upon it externally in the direction
of its length, and is bound down upon the spiral by a thread laid around
it in the hollows of the spiral. The spiral by its rotation releases--itself
from the trimming.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Grey Hill in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
GREY HILL, of Alfred Street, Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and' successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Charles Grey Hill, Her special licence
that I, the said Charles Grey Hill, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Grey Hill, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no

page_text: 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 RUCHES AND OTHER TRIMMINGS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Charles Grey Hill, 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 Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Grey Hill, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
ruches and other trimmings. In order to set ribbon into a band in a
series of loops as it is required for ruches and other trimmings it is
common to lap the ribbon around a spiral or open screw resembling a
corkscrew, the lapping being performed in the direction of the spiral.
Frequently two similar spirals are employed revolving parallel to each
other and at a short distance apart, and the ribbon is lapped around the
two spirals simultaneously, and is pressed down and cemented into a
band between them. The rotation of the spirals carries the work forward
away from the point at which the lapping is effected.
According to my Invention in order to produce loops of a better form
than are produced by the means above referred to the ribbon or material
is lapped upon the spiral in a direction opposite to that in which
heretofore it has been lapped, or in a direction opposite both to the
spiral itself and to its direction of rotation. I prefer to use a double-
threaded spiral, and to lap the ribbon on each thread of the spiral, the
ribbon carrier revolving twice for each rotation of the spiral. The
threads of the spiral are made broad and flat that they may act as
meshes to hold the loops open, by which I get a more marked crossing
of each loop. The spiral may be made with more than two threads the
ribbon or ribbons being lapped accordingly. The band may be formed

page_text: .
by cementing in the usual way or by sewing the loops down by a
sewing machine.
The machinery which I prefer to employ is such as is described in the
Specification of a former Patent granted to me, and dated the 8th day of
April 1868, No. 1186.
In Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings a shows a double spiral such as
I prefer to employ, and the arrow at a' shows the direction in which it is
rotated; the arrow at 6 shows the direction in which the narrow ribbon
or other similar material is lapped around the spiral and also around a
suitable retaining instrument at cat such a distance off the spiral a as
to produce loops of the length desired. The instrument at c may be
simply a smooth wire or mesh, along which the ribbon or material will
slip as it is carried forward by the spiral a, or it may be a spiral opposite
in direction to the spiral a, and of such a pitch and so driven as to
receive and carry forward the loops laid upon it at the same rate as this
spiral. The ribbon carrier makes two revolutions for each revolution of
the axis of the spiral a so as to lay a loop of ribbon into each turn of the
double spiral. The ends of the loops held by the instrument care
pressed and cemented into a band, as is described in the Specification of
my former Patent herein-before referred to, and as is well understood, or
they may be sewn into a band by means of a sewing machine. Some-
times I lap two or more ribbons upon the spirals.
Figure 2 represents a portion of a trimming manufactured as above
described. Sometimes in order to facilitate the making up of such
trimmings into ruches I crimp the band, as the Drawing represents, by
passing it through fluted rollers. The manufacture of the ruche is
completed by sewing or otherwise fixing the band of the trimming on a
suitable foundation.
I claim as respects this part of my Invention the manufacture of
ruches and other trimmings substantially as herein described by lapping
ribbon or such like material upon a spiral in a direction opposite to its
twist and setting the loops so produced into a band.
Also according to my Invention I produce trimmings of a cord-like
appearance by passing a cord or bundle of threads through the axis of
a spiral, whilst a ribbon or band is led upon it externally in the direction
of its length, and is bound down upon the spiral by a thread laid around
it in the hollows of the spiral. The spiral by its rotation releases itself

page_text: from the trimming. Figure 3 shows a spiral with a hollow axis such as
I employ for this purpose. I pass a cord or a bundle of threads through
the hollow axis at a speed corresponding with the pitch of the spiral and
its rate of rotation. At the same time I lay on the spiral longitudinally
a ribbon or band of such a width as to be able nearly to envelope the
spiral, and I lap a thread around the spiral over the ribbon or band in
the direction of its twist and turn for turn. Figure 4 shows a portion
of a cord like trimming thus produced.
I claim, as respects this part of my Invention, the manufacture of cord
like trimmings, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Grey Hill, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
CHARLES GREY HILL. (L.S.)