AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HOLDING COILS OR ROLLS OF RIBBON, TAPE, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th March 1878. A communication from
abroad by Henry Gengembre Hubert and Charles C. Gengembre Hubert, both
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR HOLDING COILS
OR ROLLS OF RIBBON, TAPE, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES." [A communication from
abroad by Henry Gengembre Hubert and Charles C. Gengembre Hubert, both of
the City and State of New York, United States of America.]
The first part of this Invention has for its object to provide a clip or slide
fastening, which when closed will operate as a perfect clamp to hold the ends of
narrow textile fabrics, such as ribbon, braid, tape, and the like when the same are
coiled in the form of a roll or rolled upon a block; and which when open will act
as a loose slip ring and permit a part of the said textile fabric to be withdrawn or
unwound without causing any unnecessary friction on the fabric, thus preserving
from injury the most delicate ribbon.
Heretofore silk ribbons which are wound or rolled upon blocks or reels have
been kept from unrolling by inserting through the end and through several thick-
nesses or turns of the ribbon pins, which with certain delicate shades and fabrics
are so injurious as to render the ribbon entirely worthless.
Attempts have been made to keep the ribbon from unrolling by means of spring
slips or drags, and also by means of slip rings through which two of the turns of
the ribbon were passed; but in the case of the spring drag or slip, when the spring
is made to press upon the slip with sufficient force to prevent the unwinding of a
silk ribbon, it will scratch or distort said ribbon when it is pulled forcibly from
under the drag for unwinding a part thereof; and in the case of the slip ring, either
it has to be made to fit so loosely upon the ribbon that it will not hold it tightly
coiled, and the slightest motion will allow the whole bolt to become loose and to
unwind, or if made to fit tight enough to hold the bolt in coil it will not allow of
a part of the ribbon to be pulled out without materially injuring the same.
To remedy these defects, this Invention provides a fastener or clasp having two

page_text: parallel pressing surfaces capable of being either brought away one from the other,
or brought nearer one to the other, or which can be open and closed in such a
manner that the said clasp when open will act as a slide or slip ring permitting of
several thicknesses of the narrow textile fabric passed between the pressing surfaces
to slide or slip through without any injury to the finest ribbon; and the said clasp
when closed will operate as a perfect clamp, pressing all the thicknesses of ribbon
together, so as to retain said ribbon tightly coiled or rolled upon the block or reel,
and yet cause no injury to the fabric as it is held by direct pressure only, and not
by creasing, indenting, or distorting, as is the case with ordinary buckles or clamps.
The second part of this Invemtion relates to a ribbon guide applied to or forming
part of the ribbon clamp, whereby the ribbon is held centrally upon the roll of
paper, or upon the block or reel upon which the said ribbon is wound.
In putting up ribbons upon blocks or rolls, it is customary for the purpose of
protecting effectually the edge of the ribbon to use a roller or block wider than the
ribbon, and to coil the ribbon upon a strip of paper of about the same width as the
block or roll.
When the ribbon is unrolled and rolled up again, if great care is not taken it
will often get all to one side, that is to say, it will not lie in the centre of the strip
of paper. Therefore an untidy appearance is presented and the edge of the ribbon
is exposed to soiling or other injuries.
To remedy this inconvenience according to this Invention, the ribbon clip or
clamp is provided with a ribbon guide or central aperture or slot less in width than
the clasp itself, and through this aperture or slot the ribbon alone is passed, and
this slot or aperture is so shaped and located on the clamp that it will act as a
guide, and always deliver the ribbon issuing therefrom is a central position upon
the paper and block, upon which both paper and ribbon are wound.
The distinctive character of this improved ribbon clasp is, that it has two or
more smooth parallel pieces so arranged, guided, and connected with each other
that they may be spread apart to permit several thicknesses of ribbon to pass
freely between them, and provided with means or devices for bringing said pieces
nearer to each other and holding them so, in order that all the thicknesses of ribbon
passed between said pieces will be pressed or clasped together and kept from slipping
without however be ng injured by said pressure. Moreover the upper pressing
piece is provided with a slot or aperture of less width than the width of the clasp,
which aperture or slot is to act as a guide for holding the ribbon centrally upon
the roll or coil of paper when the said clamp is used for holding a ribbon upon a
coil of paper or block wider than the ribbon itself.
The said improved apparatus comprises a bottom piece which may be a single
flat piece or several small pieces; also a top piece which may be made of any size,
shape, and design, provided it has the requisite configuration to correspond to the
said bottom piece.
Two end pieces are fastened to or form part of the said bottom piece, and are used
for connecting and guiding the aforesaid pieces. These end pieces are slotted to
allow small tenons on the top piece to pass out at each end, and thus guide and
retain in place the said top piece, but allow it to rise and fall freely.
An eccentric or cam roller is pivotted in said end pieces and provided with a
handle or other suitable device for turning it over or rotating it on its pivots, so
that when the said handle is thrown back the clamp or clasp is open.
Instead of using an eccentric for bringing and pressing together the ribbon
strands, it is obvious that the closing of the clamp may be accomplished by a wedge,
screw, or other means.