IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cole, of Coventry, in the County of
Warwick, Commercial Traveller, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS:"
Sealed the 19th June 1866, and dated the 6th April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cole at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
April 1866.
I, WILLIAM COLE, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Commercial
Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," to be as follows:-
Elastic webbing is for the most part subject to severe wear, especially from
frictional contact, as when used for the elastic sides of boots and otherwise,
consequently the foundation or fabric surface enclosing the india-rubber or
.elastic material is soon chafed through exposing the elastic material, and the
whole is speedily worn out.
Now my Invention consists in manufacturing elastic fabrics with a raised
rib or pattern surface, which is thrown up in the form of a pile or terry surface.
This pile surface, by reason of its projection above the general surface of the
-fabric, receives the chafing wear to which it is subject, and so protects the
general surface or foundation of the fabric, hence it will be more enduring
than ordinary elastic fabrics. In weaving these fabrics, if ribbed, I form the
raised ribs in sufficiently close proximity to protect the foundation, and if of a

page_text: scroll or other pattern I take care to adopt such that the raised and sunk
parts of the surface are generally and equally interspersed, and in no case
leave any considerable area of the plain or sunk surface in one spot. The
ribs and patterns are produced in the ordinary manner of producing patterns
in woven fabrics, the ribs of terry pile being raised as in ribbing woven fabrics,
while a jacquard apparatus may be applied to produce and vary the patterns
as well understood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Cole in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COLE, of Coventry, in the County of Warwick, Commercial Traveller, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Cole, Her special licence that I, the said William Cole,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Cole, 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 MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Cole, 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 eause 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 Cole, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, that is to say :-
Elastic webbing is for the most part subject to severe wear, especially from

page_text: trictional contact, as when used for the elastic sides of boots and otherwise,
consequently the foundation or fabric surface enclosing the india-rubber or
elastic material is soon chafed through, exposing the elastic material, and as a
consequence the webbing is speedily worn out.
Now my Invention consists in making elastic fabrics with a raised rib or
pattern on the surface, which is thrown up in the form of a pile or terry
surface, which raised surface presents a dull appearance, forming a contrast
to the bright appearance of the lower surface, which is the same as in ordinary
elastic fabrics of the kind. This raised surface, by reason of its projection
above the general surface of the fabric, receives the chafing wear to which it
is subjected, more especially when it is applied to boots and shoes, and so
protects the general substance or foundation of the fabric, hence it would be
more enduring than ordinary elastic fabrics used for such purposes. In
weaving these fabrics, if ribbed, I form the raised ribs in sufficiently close
proximity to protect the foundation, and if of scroll or other pattern I take care
to adopt such that the raised and sunk parts of the surface are generally and
equally interspersed, and in no case leave any considerable area of the plain
or sunk surface in one spot. The ribs and patterns are produced in the
ordinary manner of producing patterns in woven fabrics, the ribs of terry pile
being raised as in ribbing woven fabrics, while a jacquard apparatus may be
applied to produce and vary the pattern as well understood in weaving
operations. For ordinary elastic fabrics for boots and shoes, I find that a
plain ribbed surface protects the general surface extremely well, and involves
the least possible introduction of extra material to form the raised pile or
surface with the maximum of the effect desired. For this purpose I introduce
a given number of additional warp threads in the fabric in the position of the
raised stripes desired to be produced; I find, for instance, that the terry stripe
may extend to about the width of two cords or strips of the india-rubber
covered, while the plain or uncovered surface may extend to two, three, or
even more of the said cords, which will have the bright silky appearance of
the ordinary elastic, while the terry ribs will have a dull appearance as before
mentioned. These additional warp threads being kept constantly above the
elastic material and woven in with the weft produce raised ribs on the surface,
even when the fabric is in tension and the india-rubber stretched as in the state
in which it is woven, but which is much enhanced by the subsequent con-
traction of the fabric when removed from the loom; the contracted form being
the normal condition of the fabric, the strongly marked and raised ribs thereof
present a surface capable of resisting a great amount of tear and wear. Instead
of forming continuous ribs, the additional warp threads may be carried through

page_text: to the back of the fabric at short intervals, which will produce a series of
isolated raised spots on the surface, which partake more of a fancy character
and exposing more of the bright surface, but which answers the purpose of
protection extremely well. A variety of designs of raised terry-like appearance
'may be produced on the surface of the fabric by the use and application of
jacquard apparatus to the loom, which being well understood in weaving
generally, and its application for the purposes of this Invention so obvious,
'that it is unnecessary herein to enter into any detail thereof.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the manufacture and use of
elastic fabrics with raised stripes or other designs on the surface as and for
'the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cole; have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
COLE. (L.D.)
(OT)