IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS BY THE USE OF WHICH PIERCED OR PERFORATED COCOONS MAY BE SPUN
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge
and Son, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS
BY THE USE OF WHICH PIERCED OR PERFORATED COCOONS MAY BE SPUN."-A
communication from abroad by Louis Ferdinand Palayer, Jean Hubert
Keyen, Denis Adolphe Enout, and Joseph Elisée Richard, all of Paris,
France.
Sealed the 27th March 1863, and dated the 4th October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th October 1862.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of
No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS
OR APPARATUS BY THE USE OF WHICH PIERCED OR PERFORATED COCOONS MAY BE
SPUN," (a communication to me from abroad by Louis Ferdinand Palayer,
Jean Hubert Keyen, Denis Adolphe Enout, and Joseph Elisée Richard, all
of Paris, France,) to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention, which is to enable the silk to be spun off
damaged cocoons, or such as will not float on water may be carried into effect
by two different means. The first consists in the application of a capsule, at
the orifice of which is a tube with wide neck around which the capsule is
fastened; this tube has therefore one of its extremities within and one without

page_text: the capsule; the end of the tube within the capsule is terminated by a washer
(of caoutchouc or similar material), which by the pressure of a flat spring
hermetically closes the end of the tube, these two pieces being fixed to the
tube by a screw. The capsule being introduced into the cocoon with its free
end towards the opening; the nose of a bellows is placed in the opening, and
on blowing the washer is lifted and the air introduced causes the capsule to
dilate until it meets the sides of the cocoon which it somewhat develops, and
the air thus introduced upholds it at the surface of the basin.
The second means consists in the application of a metal case covered with
a jacket of caoutchouc or other suitable elastic material, and having in its
interior a spiral spring, which presses against a metal washer to which adheres
one in caoutchouc. The case is closed by a cover pierced to receive the nose
of a bellows, on working which the washer is raised and the air penetrates
by orifices beneath the cover into the caoutchouc jacket, which dilates, dis-
tending the cocoon as in the first method. The elastic jacket or envelope is
fastened on to the neck at each end of the casing by a ligature or by the
elasticity of the material. The spiral spring may be replaced by one of
another form and material occupying less of the case, and closing at the same
time the opening of the cover or lid and the orifices beneath.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, of No. 11, Wellington
Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Edward Gedge, 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

page_text: "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPARATUS BY THE USE OF WHICH PIERCED OR PERFORATED
COCOONS MAY BE SPUN," a communication to me from abroad by Louis Ferdinand
Palayer, Jean Hubert Keyen, Denis Adolphe Enout, and Joseph Elisée
Richard, all of Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Edward Gedge, 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 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 Edward Gedge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing hereunto
annexed, and forming part of this my Specification, and to the figures and
letters of reference placed thereon.
In part No. 1, Figures 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7, being drawn twice, and Figures 3
and 4 three times the usual size, and in part No. 2, Figures 1 to 12 inclusive,
being drawn twice the usual size, and the cocoon, Figure 13, to its natural size.
Hitherto silk spinners have been obliged to reject as waste all cocoons, which
from any cause whatever are pierced or perforated, and this necessity was the
more distressing inasmuch as the silk thus lost is generally of superior quality,
nevertheless as it was owing to a natural cause it was perforce submitted to.
This Invention provides means, as simple in combination as easy of appli-
cation, by which even the last thread of these hitherto rejected cocoons may
be removed while avoiding immersion and thereby all waste, and to obtain
this result two methods may be used; the first consists in the application (see
part No. 1 of the Sheet of Drawing), of a capsule, at the orifice of which is
the small apparatus (an exterior view of which is shewn, Figure 1, and which
is indicated by A, A, Figure 2), which is nothing more than a tube with a
greatly developed throat, around which passes the thread forming the ligature
which fixes the two pieces together; this tube has therefore one of its extre-
mities F within the capsule, while the other E remains on the exterior; as
shewn, Figure 2, which is a section through the centre. The tube within the
capsule terminates in a caoutchouc washer, which by the
spring C hermetically closes the extremity of the tube;
pieces are fixed to the tube by the small screw D. The application is as
follows:-Introduce the capsule into the cocoon, leaving the open part of
the tube towards the opening, then insert the nozzle of a bellows in the
pressure of a flat
these two latter

page_text: opening E; on blowing the bellows the washer above mentioned is raised, and
the air thus introduced causes the capsule to dilate until it meets the sides of
the cocoon to which it also imprints a certain developement. The nozzle of
the bellows is then withdrawn, and the air introduced into the capsule keeps
the whole on the surface of the basin. Figure 3, part No. 1, shews sectional
elevation through the centre; and Figure 4, plan of a simplified apparatus in
two parts, a cylinder with collars or rings H in which moves a rod or piston I.
On the first is a jacket of caoutchouc fixed at its base at the fourth of its
height, and at the opposite point in a neck or throat formed on the rod by
a thread or other material. The caoutchouc jacket by its elasticity tends
always to bring back the rod to the level of the cylinder from which
only
moves taking the rod with it as far as this latter is driven, which takes place
when the blowpipe is set at work at the extreme end, in other words, the
rod acted upon by the blowpipe leaves the cylinder and obliges the tube of
caoutchouc to follow it, rise and lengthen, at least as far as the opening or
orifice J, in order that the air may infiltrate and escape to inflate the second
jacket or envelope N, which is thus constrained to join the inner sides of the
cocoon. The collapse would take place as soon as the rod or piston ceased to
receive the impulsion from the blowpipe if the first india-rubber jacket in
resuming its primitive position did not immediately bring it back in the
cylinder which serves as its sheath. Figure 5, part No. 1, is a section
through the centre of same apparatus with this only difference, that a
chamber L is reserved for a spiral spring, which acts on the head of the rod
or piston and forces the apparatus to remain closed. It will not open to give
passage to the air excepting by pressure on the point M. Figure 6, part
No. 1, shews a tube in which a hole is made for introduction of air. It is
covered with a ferrule of caoutchouc or other elastic material forcibly com-
pressing it, which dilates under the action of the blowpipe, and permits the
escape of the air necessary to puff or swell out the exterior envelope. When
the desired quantity is obtained, and the blowpipe withdrawn, the ferrule
tightens again and thereby closes the opening against exit of the air intro-
duced. Figure 7, part No. 1, is an apparatus differing only in form. The
use of caoutchouc is the basis of this system, but any material or web
combining the same advantages of elasticity and compression may be used,
and the rest of the apparatus may be made of wood, copper, ivory, iron, horn,
or other suitable material.
The second means is shewn, Figures 1 to 12, of part No. 2, of the annexed
Drawing, and consists in the application of a metal case A' covered with a
jacket of caoutchouc, gold beaters' skin, or other elastic material. Inside the

page_text: said case is a spiral spring A, which presses against the metal washer B, to
which adheres the caoutchouc washer C. The case is closed by a cap or
cover D (which may be fixed either by solder or a screw thread) pierced to
permit the passage of the nozzle of a bellows, which operates as in the means
first described, by lifting the caoutchouc washer. The disengagement takes
place by the orifices E placed beneath the cover or cap, and forces the
envelope or jacket of caoutchouc, (gold beaters' skin or other material) above
mentioned, to develope so as to produce the effect previously described. The
envelope or jacket is fixed at the two extremities of the case in the necks or
throats G, either by the natural pressure of the web or material used or by
a ligature. Figure 8, part No. 2, does not indicate a different method, but
only a different application of that previously described. Here the spiral
spring disappears, and may be replaced by a metallic spring of another form,
caoutchouc or other elastic material occupying but a part of the case, and
serving at the same time as stopper to the orifice of the cap or cover and to
the orifices of communication. Figure 1, part No. 2 is a sectional elevation
taken through the centre; Figure 2, view of the apparatus in the cocoon;
Figure 3, plan of Figure 1; Figure 4, principal cylinder; Figure 5, washers
B, C, detached; Figure 6, caoutchouc tube; Figure 7, exterior elevation
of principal tube; Figure 8, section through the centre of different appli-
cation above explained; Figure 9, plan of Figure 7; Figure 10, plan of
Figure 8; Figure 11, detached view of cap closing the principal tube;
Figure 12, plan of same; and Figure 13, cocoon, drawn to natural size.
To sum up the object of this Invention, as previously stated, is to spin pierced
or perforated cocoons hitherto deemed waste, and that by the application of a
tube of caoutchouc or other elastic material developing under the action of gas,
more especially of air, so that the vacuum in the cocoon is filled by the
bladder which is formed by the inflated caoutchouc, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in parts No. 1 and No. 2 of the annexed Sheet
of Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)