IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MEASURING WOOLLEN AND OTHER CLOTHS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hebdon, of No. 95, Mortimer Road, De
Beauvoir Square, Kingsland, in the County of Middlesex, for the In-
vention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MEASURING WOOLLEN AND
OTHER CLOTHS."
Sealed the 1st May 1866, and dated the 6th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hebdon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
November 1865.
I, WILLIAM HEBDON, of No. 95, Mortimer Road, De Beauvoir Square,.
Kingsland, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MEASURING WOOLLEN AND
OTHER CLOTHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for measuring
woollen and other cloths. For these purposes a rotating cylinder is used, the
circumference of which it is preferred should be one yard, but this is not
essential, but whatsoever be its diameter it should be such as to give precise
measures at each revolution, and that these revolutions should be indicated
by a pointer on a dial graduated in such manner as to show the number of
yards and parts of a yard which have passed through the machine..
The machinery is peculiarly applicable in the measuring of woollen and
other fabrics which are measured when folded longitudinally, and where it is re-
quisite that the measuring should be at the crease and not at the selvage or list.

page_text: The cylinder above mentioned is covered with plush or like fabric for a part
of its length, so that the selvages or lists of the fabrics being measured may
come on a part of the roller which is uncovered, whilst the crease comes to
the end of the roller. The cylinder is at one end driven by a winch handle
by hand, but it may if desired be otherwise driven, and at the other end the
axis of the cylinder is geared with an upright shaft which, by a worm, gives
motion to a worm wheel, the axis of which gives motion to a pointer, and
there is a dial graduated, as above explained; so that as the pointer is caused
to rotate it will indicate the number of yards or other measure. There is a
pressing roller used with the cylinder of a length corresponding with the length
of the cylinder which is covered as above explained; hence it will be understood
tbat selvages or lists of a folded piece of cloth will not be pressed on, but will
be beyond the end of the pressing roller, but the crease and the parts inter-
mediate of the crease, and the lists or selvages will be pressed on by the pressing
roller. The folded cloth as it passes into and from the machine is simply
supported by supporting rollers, one in front and one at the back of the
machine, by which all strain on the cloth is prevented.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Hebdon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HEBDON, of No. 95, Mortimer Road, De Beauvoir Square, Kingsland, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Hebdon, Her. special licence that I, the said William
Hebdon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Hebdon, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MEASURING WOOLLEN AND OTHER CLOTHS," upon the con-
'dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Hebdon, my executors or

page_text: 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 William Hebdon, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for measuring
woollen and other cloths. For these purposes a rotating cylinder is used, the
circumference of which it is preferred should be one yard, but this is not
essential, but whatsoever be its diameter it should be such as to give precise
measures at each revolution; and these revolutions should be indicated by a
pointer on a dial graduated in such manner as to show the number of yards
and parts of a yard which have passed through the machine.
The machinery is peculiarly applicable in the measuring of woollen and
other fabrics, which are measured when folded longitudinally, and where it is
requisite that the measuring should be at the crease and not at the selvage or
list. The cylinder above mentioned is covered with plush or like fabric for a
part of its length, so that the selvages or lists of the fabrics being measured
may come on a part of the roller which is uncovered, whilst the crease comes
to the covered end of the roller. The cylinder is at one end driven by a winch
handle by hand, but it may, if desired, be otherwise driven, and at the other
end the axis of the cylinder is geared with an upright shaft, which by a worm
gives motion to a worm wheel, the axis of which gives motion to a pointer,
and there is a dial graduated as above explained, so that as the pointer is
caused to rotate it will indicate the number of yards or other measure. There
is a pressing roller used with the cylinder of a length corresponding with the
length of the portion of the cylinder, which is covered as above explained,
hence it will be understood that the selvages or lists of a folded piece of cloth
will not be pressed on, but will be beyond the end of the pressing roller, but
the crease and parts intermediate of the crease, and the lists or selvages will
be pressed on by the pressing roller.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and.
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed

page_text: Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 an end view of a machine constructed
according to my Invention; with this machine apparatus is also combined for
winding and unwinding the cloths, but such apparatus may be dispensed with,
if desired, the cloth being received into and when measured delivered by the
machine in a loose or unfolded state..
a, a, is the frame of the machine; 6 is an axis mounted in bearings thereon;
and carrying the measuring cylinder c, which conveniently is one yard in
circumference; at the end c' this cylinder is covered with plush or some
similar material, which will prevent the fabrics slipping upon it whilst they
are being measured; the other end of the cylinder c is kept bare; d, d, are
spindles carried in bearings a¹, a', of the frame, which, as is shown, are so
constructed as to open when required to release the spindles; at other times
they are held closed by spring catches a²; d¹, d', are blades on the spindles d,
to enter into the centre of a roll of cloth, which is to be unwound and mea-
sured; the roll is thus held in the machine, and the cloth can be drawn off it
freely to be measured. The end of the cloth is lead from the roll on the
spindles d under a small guide roller e, and then on to the surface of the
measuring cylinder c, which can be caused to rotate by means of a crank
handle on its axis. If the fabric is of a description to be measured when
folded longitudinally, and to the measurement of such fabrics my machine is
peculiarly applicable, then the selvages of the cloth are arranged to pass over
the bare portion of the cylinder c, whilst the crease along which the fabric is
to be measured, and the parts near to it, are caused to pass over the covered
end of the cylinder. On the fabric supported on this part of the cylinder,
the small roller f presses to cause the fabric to travel regularly with the
cylinder. The axis of the roller f is carried in the stems f¹, which are able
to slide vertically through the spring boxes f2, which are fixed on the frame
of the machine; these spring boxes contain spiral springs tending constantly to
press the stems f¹ downwards, and cause the roller f to bear on the cylinder c.
On the upper ends of the stems f¹ nuts f³ are screwed, by means of which
the roller can be raised to any desired extent, so as either barely to touch
the fabric, or, on the contrary, to press upon it with the full strength of the
springs. 9 is a guide fixed to one of the stems f¹; it is a plate of metal cut
so as to fit the cylinder c for about one-half of its circumference, it guides the
fabric as it passes over the cylinder c; g', g', are rods passing from the guide g
to the frame to steady the guide. The axis 6 of the cylinder c has a wheel b¹
with inclined teeth upon it, and this drives another similar wheel h¹ on the

page_text: spindle h; or in place of these wheels 61, h¹, ordinary bevilled gear may be
used. At the upper end of the spindle h is a worm h³, which drives a worm
wheel i, and this latter wheel has on its axis a pointer indicating on the dial k
the measurement of the cloth. The fabric when it has been measured may
be discharged in a loose or unrolled state, or it may be led back under the
cylinder c, and wound on blades 1, 4, on the spindles 1, 1, which are mounted
on the frame a in the same way as the spindles d already described. One of
these spindles receives a crank handle 1, by turning which the fabric is wound
up as it comes from the measuring cylinder. When working with strong
inelastic fabrics it is necessary only in working the machine that the handle 1*
should be turned, but with fabrics which should not be submitted to much
strain whilst measuring the cylinder c should also be turned by means of the
crank handle c; m, m, are supports for the cloth as it passes from the
cylinder c to the rolling-up apparatus; n, n, are adjustable side checks on
the supports m to guide the cloth, so that it may be wound up regularly. By
means of the supports m more or less strain may be put on the fabric whilst
it is being wound up; the fabric when required to be strained being passed
under and over the said supports, or it may be under one only of them.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hebdon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
WILLIAM HEBDON. (L.S.)