Improvements in Tape or Ribbon Leaders or Threaders.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1593
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tape or Ribbon Leaders or Threaders.
A communication by AUSTEN GLOVER, of 38, East 29th Street, New York, in
the United States of America.
I ALBERT WILLIAM WALLACE MILLER of Manhattan, Rainhill in the County
of Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object a thread leader by which sacks can have their
strings or tapes quickly threaded into them, by which tapes can be threaded into
dresses, and other like articles, and consists in a single plate of steel bent over so
as to form a pair of pincers. At the centre where the steel is bent over and for
some distance beyond, the plates are held tight together; they then widen out from
cach other as in the tweezers. A little before this point and for some considerable
distance beyond it they are each pierced with a longitudinal slot and in this slot
works a rivet holding two washers one on the outside of each plate, the two
washers being riveted just so far apart that the two plates have to touch each
other where the rivet comes through them. The ends of the two can be bent over
towards each other and are serrated so that when the end of the tape is placed
between them and the rivet pressed forward they hold the tape rigidly between
their jaws. This however has a tendency to cut the tape as the great wear and
tear in the tape takes place at the extremity of the tool. I therefore prefer to
slightly round, by grinding or otherwise the extremities, and have the end portions
of the plates approximately parallel to each other, but indent the two plates, or
punch holes in them with ragged or projecting burrs on the inner side. These
can be if desirable one of slightly larger diameter than the other and concentric.
The result is that when the rivet is pulled forward towards the gripping extremity,
it brings the two flat sides of the device towards each other, the burrs or pro-
jections bite into any ribbon or tape placed between them, holding it tight, the
two ends also if desirable having a biting action. The projections can be in a
single row one beyond another longitudinally or they can be formed at intervals
The
or continuously across the entire plate or in zig zag or other manner.
advantages of this device are that whereas if a large needle be used the thread is
bunched to get through the eye and liable to cut at this point, in this case the
thread can be spread out evenly, the end of the thread can be grasped and the
entire width of the tape can be held tight either by the gripping serrated ends of
the device above mentioned, or as I prefer it by projections on the device.
stamping out the plates, in order to economise metal, they are preferably stamped
out alternately with the ends of two tweezers on each side opposite the centre of a
single tweezers. The centre is then made considerably narrower than the ends.
It thus forms nearly a point to enter the hole easily or make a hole if desirable ant
lead the tape while the other end is wider and so grasps the tape evenly through
its entire breadth.
Deted the 16th day of January 1893
In

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tape or Ribbon Leaders or Threaders.
A communication by AUSTEN GLOVER, of 38, East 29th Street, New York,
United States of America.
I, ALBERT WILLIAM WALLACE MILLER of Manhattan, Rainhill in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object a thread leader by which sacks can have their
strings or tapes quickly threaded into them, and by which tapes can be threaded
into dresses and other like articles.
It is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which :—
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of this apparatus :
Figure 2, section of part of same, double scale :
Figure 3, side view of the same holding the tape :
Figure 4, front view of Figure 3: and
Figure 5, modification, similar view to Figure 1.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 4-
A single plate of steel is stamped out and bent over at A. At the centre A,
where the steel is bent over and for some distance beyond, the plates are held
tight together; they then widen out from each other as in the tweezers. A little
before this point and for some considerable distance beyond it, they are each
pierced with a longitudinal slot B, and in this slot works a rivet C holding two
washers D D, one on the outside of each plate, the two washers being rivetted just
so far apart that the two plates have to touch each other where the rivet comes
through them. The ends of the two can be bent over towards each other and
are serrated at E, as in Figure 5, so that, when the end of the tape is placed
between them and the rivet pressed forward, they hold the tape rigidly between
their jaws, as seen in Figures 3 and 4. This, however, has a tendency to cut the
tape, and great wear and tear in the tape takes place at the extremity of the tool.
The extremities are, therefore, preferably slightly rounded, by grinding or other-
wise, and have the end portions of the plates approximately parallel to each other,
but the two plates are indented or have holes punched in them with ragged or
projecting burrs on the inner side, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, at G. These can be,
if desirable, one of slightly larger diameter than the other and concentric, or one
plate can be punched out as a clean punched hole and the other as a jagged or
raised-rim hole, said rim fitting into the larger clean punched hole, as shown in
Figure 2.
.
The result is that, when the rivet is pulled forward towards the gripping
extremity, it brings the two flat sides of the device towards each other, the burrs
or projections bite into any ribbon or tape placed between them, holding it tight,
the two ends also, if desirable, having a biting action. The projections can be in a
single row, one beyond another longitudinally, or they can be formed at intervals
or continuously across the entire plate or in zig-zag or other manner.
The advantages of this device are that, whereas, if a large needle be used, the
thread is bunched to get through the eye and liable to cut at this point; in this
case, the thread can be spread out evenly, the end of the thread can be grasped and
the entire width of the tape can be held tight either by the gripping serrated ends
of the device above mentioned, or, preferably, by projections on the device. In
stamping out the plates, in order to economise metal, they are preferably stamped
out alternately with the ends of two tweezers on each side opposite the centre of a
single tweezers. The centre is then made considerably narrower than the ends.
It thus forms nearly a point at A to enter the hole easily or make a hole, if

page_text: desirable, and lead the tape while the other end is wider and so grasps the tape
evenly through its entire breadth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a tape or ribbon leader or threader, two jaws formed of a single piece of
metal bent over and having a regulating sliding rivet and washers or equivalent
sliding device tending, when pushed to one end, to close the jaws, the said jaws
being formed with projecting points or their equivalents as described.
2. In a tape or ribbon leader or threader, one or more projections or holes with
raised rims or equivalent projections formed in the inside of one jaw fitting into
hollows in the other jaw, said jaws having smooth ends, whereby the tape is
securely held between the jaws at a point or points distant from the ends, and thus
cutting action at the end is obviated."
Dated this 17th day of February 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.