IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MARKING PATTERNS OR DESIGNS UPON GORED AND STRAIGHT SKIRTS AND SKIRTINGS TO SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR SEWING AND EMBROIDERING THEREON
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Thorpe, of Whittle's Croft, London Road,
City of Manchester, County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MARKING PATTERNS OR DESIGNS
UPON GORED AND STRAIGHT SKIRTS AND SKIRTINGS TO SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR
SEWING AND EMBROIDERING THEREON."
Sealed the 23rd May 1864, and dated the 26th November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Thorpe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th November 1863.
I, JOHN THORPE, of Whittle's Croft, London Road, City of Manchester,
County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF MARKING PATTERNS OR DESIGNS
UPON GORED AND STRAIGHT SKIRTS AND SKIRTINGS TO SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR
SEWING AND EMBROIDERING THEREON," to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to the marking of various designs upon any
kind of woven goods, but chiefly linen and calico goods, which designs are for
the purpose of serving as a guide to the attendant of a sewing machine, in
order that she may follow the same by the stitches made by the sewing
machine, and these improvements consist in using rollers with the required
design engraved thereon or otherwise put in relief, which rollers are made to

page_text: rotate, and being pressed against the cloth leave an impression of the design
thereon, the roller being fed by a suitable inking roller. For skirts and
skirtings which require the pattern to follow a certain curve, I use a tapered
or conical marking roller carried and rotating upon a radial arm, which turns
upon a fixed centre, by this means any curve that is part of the circumference
of a circle can be made, and enables me to mark them much more rapidly
than by flat blocks; also both sides can be done at one and the same time
if required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Thorpe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THORPE, of Whittle's Croft, London Road, City of Manchester, County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Thorpe, Her special licence that I, the said John
Thorpe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Thorpe, 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 MODE OF MARKING PATTERNS OR DESIGNS UPON GORED
AND STRAIGHT SKIRTS AND SKIRTINGS TO SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR SEWING AND
EMBROIDERING THEREON," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Thorpe, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 John Thorpe, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
These improvements relate to the marking of various designs upon all
kinds of woven goods, such as calicoes, woollens, and other materials,
which designs are for the purpose of serving as a guide to the attendant
of a sewing machine, in order that he may follow the said designs in sewing.
The improvements consist in using a roller bearing a design on the surface
in relief or otherwise; the roller is inked and passed over the cloth or skirt,
and an impression of the design is left thereon. As the pattern or design on
gored skirts must follow a circular curve, I use a tapered or conical marking
roller carried and rotating between two arms fixed to a radial bar, which
turns upon fixed centres. The taper of the roller is varied according to the
Sweep of the skirt.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe the Drawings hereunto annexed and forming part of this Specifica-
tion, in which Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2
represents a plan shewing part of a skirt just marked. In each of the
above Figs. the same letters of reference indicate like parts.
A is a roller made of any suitable material; it is shewn in the Drawing of
wood with the design in relief fixed thereon in copper, indicated by the
letter B. The roller A is carried by the radial arm D by means of two
adjustable bars E, fastened by the set screws G; the roller A revolves upon
the points of the screws C. Resting upon the marking roller A is an inking
roller F, which is held in position by slots in the adjustable bars E, through
which the axle passes; it will be seen therefore that as one side of the roller A
is marking, the other side is being replenished with ink from the inking
roller F. The skirt S to be marked is placed flat upon the table K, above
which the radial arm D works on pulling round the radial arm, and at
the same time pressing it down, so that there is sufficient pressure of
the roller against the skirt to take off the ink. The roller revolves in a
circular plane, whose center is at M, the point upon which the radial arm
rotates, and prints off an impression of the design upon the skirt, as shewn in
Fig. 2.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I would have it understood that I do
not claim the peculiar construction and combination of parts herein-before
described and shewn in the Drawings, as they may be variously modified and
changed; also I am aware that cylindrical rollers have been used for
marking purposes, and therefore do not claim a true cylindrical roller; but

page_text: what I do claim is, marking or imprinting upon straight or gored skirts various
designs for sewing and embroidering purposes by means of a tapered or conical
roller carried by a radial bar or fixing turning upon a fixed center, the said
tapered or conical roller having the design in relief upon its circumferential
surface.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thorpe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Signed, sealed, & delivered in the
presence of
JOSEPH WILLCOCK,
Patent Agent, &c.,
(L.8.) JOHN THORPE.
of 24, Market Place, Manchester,
& 89, Chancery Lane, London.