AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ELASTIC CORD AND BRAID FOR MARKET
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Luke Turner, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Elastic Web Manufacturer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF
AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ELASTIC CORD AND BRAID FOR
MARKET."
THE
Scaled the 8th April 1879, and dated the 14th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Luke Turner at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th October 1878.
LUKE TURNER, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturer.
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ELASTIC CORD AND
BRAID FOR THE MARKET."
Elastic cord or braid is (as is well known) manufactured in long lengths con-
taining many yards, and is ordinarily prepared for the market by winding these
lengths upon wide boards or cards, which are kept by the retailer indiscriminately
mixed together in drawers or boxes, so that when a customer requires a piece of
elastic the particular quality has first to be selected from among the leap in the
box or drawer, and then the required length is to be measured off, cut from the
piece, and packed up for the customer. This is found in practice to be a very
inconvenient plan of keeping the goods, and the object of the present Invention is
to so prepare the articles for the market that the customer may see at a glance
the various qualities that are for sale, and may be served with the desired length
without the trouble of measuring.
Attempts have been made to remedy the inconveniences above indicated, but at
a material cost to the manufacturer. I now propose as an improvement in preparing
elastic cords and braids for the market to divide the long pieces (as manufactured)
into hanks of convenient lengths, say, from one to two yards each, the exact length
being determined by the quality of the goods, each length moreover being intended
for sale at one specific price, say one penny.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention I (by successive operations) wind up the piece of
goods into short hanks by means of a winding machine, the principal feature of
which may be described as consisting of a bar mounted on the end of a horizontal
spindle, and carrying two parallel wires at its opposite ends. These wires are set
apart a distance equal to the length of the intended hank, and are adjustable along
the cross bar, so that their position may be regulated according to the thickness of
the fabric intended to be wound. One of the wires by being extended beyond the
other will serve as a handle to rotate the winder. There is also a third wire adapted
to the cross bar, and provided with pins or points, on to which the ends of the cords
or braids are placed. Five or six lengths of cord or braid may be wound simul-
taneously by the same operation, for which purpose the required number of pieces
is brought to the winding machine, and one end of each piece is applied to the pins
of the holding wire, and is thereby held in place while the winder is being turned.
On the spindle which carries the cross bar is mounted a stopping disc provided
with a notch, into which drops a catch at the proper moment, and which stops the
rotation of the winder. On this same spindle is a worm which takes into and drives
a worm wheel, which is divided on the face, and is in fact the measuring part of
the apparatus, as it supports the stop catch until the latter drops into a hole made
in the face of the wheel, and thereby stops the winding operation. When the
lengths of braid are wound up on the wires their ends may be secured by tying up
each hank with a thread or yarn or a band of paper (carrying a trade label or
designation of the goods) may be lapped around the centre of each hank and
fastened in place by means of gum or equivalent cement. When the ends of the
hanks are securely tied or secured they are drawn off the winder, and when a
certain number of hanks (say, 3 dozen) have been made they may be placed in a
hopper and bound up in a square or other suitably shaped bundle, and lapped round
with a wrapper. This mode of preparing the goods for sale may be rapidly effected
and at an inappreciable cost.
Hanks thus prepared and bound together in bundles according to their quality
(each bundle containing, say, 3 doz. hanks) are placed in boxes, drawers, or trays
having some 4 or 6 divisions for receiving different sorts or qualities of goods. The
goods thus presented to the retail customer will enable him to select the quality
he is in search of and to obtain the quantity desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Luke Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th April
1879.
"
LUKE TURNER, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturer.
AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ELASTIC CORD AND
BRAID FOR THE MARKET."
Elastic cord or braid is (as is well known) manufactured in long lengths con-
taining many yards, and is ordinarily prepared for the market by winding these
lengths upon wide boards or cards, which are kept by the retailer indiscriminately
mixed together in drawers or boxes, so that when a customer requires a piece of
elastic the particular quality has first to be selected froin among the heap in the
box or drawer, and the required length has then to be measured off, cut from the
piece, and packed up for the customer. This is found in practise to be a very
inconvenient plan of keeping the goods, and the object of the present Invention is
to so prepare the articles for the market that the customer may see at a glance
the various qualities that are for sale, and may be served with the desired quantity
without the trouble of measuring off the same.
Attempts have been made to remedy the inconveniences above indicated, but at
a inaterial cost to the manufacturer. I now propose as an improvement in preparing
elastic cords and braids for the market to divide the long pieces (as manufactured)
into hanks of convenient lengths, say, from one to three yards each, the exact length
being determined by the quality of the goods, each length moreover being intended
for sale at one specific price, say, one penny.
In carrying out my Invention I (by successive operations) wind up the piece of
goods into short hanks by means of a winding machine, the principal feature of
which may be described as consisting of a bar mounted on the end of a horizontal
spindle, and carrying two parallel rods at its opposite ends. These rods are set
apart a distance equal to the length of the intended hank, and are adjustable along
the cross bar, so that their position may be regulated according to the thickness of
the fabric intended to be wound. One of the rods by being extended beyond the
other will serve as a handle to rotate the winder. There is also a third rod adapted
to the cross bar or to the horizontal spindle provided with hooks, pins, or spring
clips for securing the ends of the cords or braids which are to be wound upon the
reel. Several lengths (say, from one to six) of cord or braid may by this apparatus
be wound into hanks simultaneously. The length of material to form the hank is
determined by mechanism attached to the reel, which mechanism will arrest the
further rotation of the reel when the determined length has been wound up.
The completed hanks may be secured by a binding thread while on the winder;
or a band of paper (carrying a trade label or designation of the goods) may be
lapped around the centre of each hank and secured by means of gum or equivalent
cement.
The hanks are then drawn off the winder and brought in groups of, say dozen,
under pressure to receive binding strings, after which a trade label is wrapped around
the bundle.
Hanks thus prepared and bound together in bundles according to their quality
(each bundle containing, say, three dozen hanks) are placed in boxes, drawers, or trays,
having some four, six, or more divisions for receiving different sorts or qualities of
goods.
This mode of presenting the goods to the retail customer will enable him to select
the quality he is in search of, and to obtain the quantity desired.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of the winding
apparatus; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an end elevation,
shewing the mode of guiding the cord or braid up to the reel or winder, and holding
it so that when a length is severed the loose end will not fly back.

page_text: In these views A, A, is a framing, on which is mounted a horizontal spindle B.
Keyed to this spindle is a cross bar C, which carries at its opposite ends rods D, D,
such rods being connected thereto by clip extensions which embrace the parallel
edges of the bar and are free to slide thereon. The extremity of the spindle B is
forked, and the prongs of this fork are drilled through to receive the transverse
screw E, which is formed with a right and left handed thread.
The ends of this screw pass through threaded holes in the rods D, D, and by
means of a milled head or pin wheel e keyed to the screw E, and set within the fork
of the spindle B, the screw is turned, and by that means the rods D are adjusted to
suit the size of hank intended to be made.
F, F, are the bobbins carrying the cords or braids intended to be wound into
hanks; these bobbins run loosely on supporting pins provided to receive them, and
the cords or braids are led up to the winder under and over fixed guide bars F1, F2,
and thence to the winder. Here the cord is attached by means of a pin, spring
clip, or its equivalent to a rod G, which extends outwards from the spindle B, and
is furnished with a proper means of attachment at given distances along its length.
The end of one of the rods D is extended, as at D¹, to form a handle, and by means
of this handle rotary motion is imparted to the winding apparatus. In order to
guage the length of the cord taken up by the winder from the several bobbins F
the following contrivance is adopted is a disc keyed on the spindle B, and
formed with a notch in its periphery, into which takes at a given time the end of a
catch bar I keyed to a rock shaft I', which has its bearings in the framing A. This
catch bar I carries at its side a pin, which rests upon the face of a horizontal worm
wheel K, and by this means the catch bar is held up clear of the notch in the disc.
This worm wheel gears into and is driven by a worm on the spindle B, and within
the circle which the pin of the catch bar describes on the wheel face a hole is made
to receive the pin. When by the rotation of the winder the worm wheel is rotated
so as to bring the pin hole into coincidence with the pin the catch bar will drop,
and engaging with the notch in the rotating disc will arrest the action of the
winding apparatus. This will occur when the desired length of cord or braid has
been taken up by the winder. Fig. 4 represents a detached sectional view of these
locking parts when the winder is thus arrested.
The worm wheel K (see the detached vertical section, Fig. 5) is mounted loosely
on a sleeve K¹ which surrounds a rod K³ pendent from the catch bar. The sleeve K¹
passes through the hub of a second worm wheel L, which is mounted on a bracket
projecting from the framing.
This wheel carries on its face a spring stop, which lies in the path of a projection
on the hub of the wheel K, and it is intended to limit the back motion of that
wheel.
Fig. 6 shews in horizontal section the relative position of the two wheels K, L,
when the back notion of the wheel K is arrested; and Fig. 7 shews the position of
the projection on the hub of the upper worm wheel K when the pin hole of that
wheel is in coincidence with the pin of the catch bar.
The lower worm wheel is adjusted axially by a worm L¹ turned by a hand wheel,
and by this means the spring stop is advanced or retracted so as to adjust the
stopping position of the wheel K on its back motion. When the motion of the
winder is arrested by the catch bar the hanks are secured by binding strings, as
already explained. They are then severed from the cord on the bobbin E, and
slidden off from the rods D, D. When this has been effected it will be necessary to
adjust the apparatus to prepare it for rewinding. For this purpose a treadle con-
nected with the rock shaft I' is depressed, and the catch bar I is thereby lifted into
the position shewn in Fig. 5.
The effect of this rise of the catch bar I will be not only to release the disc of the
winder, but also by means of the pendant rod K² to lift the worm wheel K out of
gear with its worm, which result is obtained by means of a flange on the bottom of
the rod pressing upwards against the lower end of the sleeve, which bearing against
a shoulder in the hub of the wheel K will lift that wheel clear of its worm.

page_text: The worm wheel K is now free to return to its starting position, and for this
purpose there is wound around its hub a weighted cord (as shewn at Figures 6 and 7)
the drag of which will give it a back axial motion until arrested by the spring stop
on the worm wheel L. On the attendant releasing the treadle the catch bar I and
worm wheel K will drop again into their acting position.
In order to recommence the winding operation the cords or braids are to be re-
attached to the winder, and the winding of the hanks may then proceed, as before
explained. To prevent the flying back of the cords or braids when severed from the
hanks each cord is pressed down and held firmly against the guide bar F2 by a weighted
presser F, which is fitted with a staple or staples that pass down through the bar F2,
and have a weight attached thereto. The ends of the cords or braids are thus held
in a position for the attendant to pick them up readily and secure them, as explained,
to the winder.
It should be remarked that as I propose to sell the hanks at a uniform price of, say,
one penny per hank retail, the length of the cords or braids forming such hanks will
vary according to the quality of goods; thus, supposing the braid to have 4 strands,
the length composing a hank that shall be of the value of one penny will be greater
than the length of a six-strand braid forming, a hank of similar value, and the
length of an eight-strand braid to form a hank will be proportionately shorter than
that of a six-strand braid. The like remark applies to cords, the length of which to
form a hank will diminish in proportion as the size or diameter increases. It is to
provide for this that the contrivance above explained for adjusting the starting
position of the worm wheel K is found necessary, the amount of axial motion of
this wheel being limited in proportion to the increased value of the braid or cord
that is being wound into hanks.
If desired, instead of employing bobbins, tin cylinders may be used as receptacles
for the cords or braids which are to be measured off' and made into hanks.
Sheet II. of the Drawings illustrates the manner of preparing for the market
the hanks formed in the winding apparatus.
Fig. 8 shews in sectional elevation, and Fig. 9 in plan view the means for tying
up the banks in bundles. A is a rectangular box intended to receive the hanks,
say, three dozen, which are to form a bundle. In the sides of the box two vertical slits
are formed to receive binding strings, which are laid across the bottom of the box
before the hanks are inserted, and then lapped over the inserted hanks. Above
the box is mounted a plunger B, which is run down into the box by a screw and
hand wheel in order to compress the hanks, and while the hanks are still com-
pressed the binding strings are drawn tight and their ends secured, the lower
face of the plunger being recessed to allow of the binding strings being drawn to
tension.
A simpler means of effecting this object is shewn at Figures 10 and 11, Fig. 10
being a side elevation, and Fig. 11 a front elevation, partly in section, of the press.
In this example the plunger carries up the hanks, pressing them against a fixed inverted
Ushaped bar, which holds the hanks firmly, leaving the hanks uncovered, so that the
binding strings may be readily secured in their proper positions. The strings in this
case are laid in grooves in the plunger below the pile of hanks. The bundles of hanks
thus formed are next to be labelled by an enveloping band, on which the trade
mark is printed, also the quantity of hanks so composing the bundle, the quality of
the goods, and the length of the hanks. Bundles thus formed I arrange in boxes,
as shewn at Figs. 12, either filling the box with bundles of one uniform quality, or
with an assortment of qualities, as may be desired.
The facility thus offered to the retailer will be manifest, for he can at once select
the quality of goods required, and by simply breaking the bundle he can supply his
customer with any given length of the goods by handing him one, two, or more
hanks to meet his demand.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Mode of and
Apparatus for Preparing Elastic Braid for the Market," and explained the manner

page_text: of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
The means above described for winding cords or braids of varying quality in
determined lengths into hanks of uniform value, and packing the same in bundles,
in boxes, or trays, as and for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Luke Turner, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-nine.
LUKE TURNER. (L.S.)