Improvements in Measuring Appliances for Measuring Pieces of Cloth and other Goods when Wrapped on a Piece-board or Rolled Up on Rolls.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1894
Complete Specification Left. 22nd Avr., 1895-Accepted, 17th Aug.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Measuring Appliances for Measuring Pieces of
Cloth and other Goods when Wrapped on a Piece-board or
Rolled Up on Rolls.
I, THOMAS CROWTHER, of 5, Retford Place, Grantham Road, Bradford, in the
County of York, Draper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
--
This invention relates to improvements in measuring apparatus or appliances for
measuring pieces of cloth, oilcloth, ribbon and other goods when wrapped on a
piece board or rolled up in a roll, and its object is to enable the length of goods to
be ascertained with sufficient accuracy without unwrapping them.
For measuring pieces or other goods wrapped upon a piece-board I employ a
tape or the like having, first, a series of marks representing the width of different
piece-boards, and, second, a series of figured graduations so arranged in relation
thereto that when the girth of the piece is taken by the tape the figures of the
graduations nearest to the mark marked with the width of the piece-board will
indicate in inches the length of the central fold of the folded piece. Then by
multiplying the length of the central fold by the number of folds the total length
of the piece is obtained. A convenient arrangement is to employ a spring tape
having a number of eyelets, for the marks representing the different widths of
boards, adapted to be hooked on a hook, or its equivalent, on the tape box, or an
attachment thereto, when the girth is taken. In this arrangement the strength of
the spring determines the tension of the tape when the girth is measured.
For measuring cylindrical rolls of goods I may use a measure or scale having a
sliding block thereon and a point or finger at one end. In use the point or finger
is placed against one side of the roller upon which the goods are rolled or against
one side of the cylindrical hole through the goods and the sliding block is brought
against the outer periphery of the roll diametrical opposite, or furthest away
from the point, and the figured graduations are so arranged on the measure in
relation to said point or finger that the figure of the graduation nearest to the
block or periphery of the roll gives the circumference in inches of the central fold
of the roll. A tape may be used instead of the measure.
66
It is obvious that a table may be used arranged in the form of an ordinary
ready-reckoner" to show the result at a glance of multiplying the length of the
central fold by the number of folds.
1
T... 100.1
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Measuring Appliances for Measuring Pieces of
Cloth and other Goods when Wrapped on a Piece-board or
Rolled Up on Rolls.
I, THOMAS CROWTHER, of 5, Retford Place Grantham Road, Bradford, in the
County of York, Draper, 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 relates to improvements in measuring apparatus or appliances for
measuring pieces of cloth, oilcloth, ribbon and other goods when wrapped on a
piece-board or rolled up in a roll, and its object is to enable the length of goods to
be ascertained with sufficient accuracy without unwrapping them.
For measuring pieces or other goods wrapped upon a piece-board I employ a
tape or the like having, first, a series of marks representing the width of different
piece-boards, and, second, a series of figured graduations so arranged in relation
thereto that when the girth of the piece is taken by the tape the figures of the
graduations nearest to the mark marked with the width of the piece-board will
indicate in inches the length of the central fold of the folded piece. Then by
multiplying the length of the central fold by the number of folds the total length
of the piece is obtained. A convenient arrangement is to employ a spring tape
having a number of eyelets, for the marks representing the different widths of
boards, adapted to be hooked on a hook, or its equivalent, on the tape box, or an
attachment thereto, when the girth is taken. In this arrangement the strength of
the spring determines the tension of the tape when the girth is measured.
For measuring cylindrical rolls of goods I may use a measure or scale having a
sliding block thereon and a point or finger at one end. In use the point or finger
is placed against one side of the roller upon which the goods are rolled or against
one side of the cylindrical hole through the goods and the sliding block is brought
against the outer periphery of the roll diametrical opposite, or furthest away
from the point, and the figured graduations are so arranged on the measure in
relation to said point or finger that the figure of the graduation nearest to the
block or periphery of the roll gives the circumference in inches of the central fold
of the roll. A tape may be used instead of the measure.
<<
"
It is obvious that a table may be used arranged in the form of an ordinary
ready-reckoner to show the result at a glance of multiplying the length of the
central fold by the number of folds.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part of
this Specification in which similar letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts
in each of the figures..
Figure 1, represents a view of my improved measuring tape and spring box in
which the tape is shown to be partly withdrawn from the box.
Figure 2, represents a portion of a folded piece with the tape placed round it in
position for measuring it.
Figure 3, represents an end view of the same.
Figure 4, represents a side view of my improved measure or scale for measuring
rolls of goods.
Figure 5, represents a plan view of the same.
Figure 6, represents an isometric view of the end of a roll of "floor cloth" with
said measure applied thereto in the manner required to measure the goods.
In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the tape A is fitted in a spring box B in a similar manner

page_text: to an ordinary spring tape measure. The box B is fixed upon a base piece B' and
is placed upon the "piece" D to be measured as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The
tape is then drawn out of the box B and is passed round the piece and one of the
eyelets A figured or marked to correspond with the width in inches of the "piece
beard" E (or its equivalent) is passed on to the stud or pin B' fixed on B. The
figured graduations A³ on the tape are half an inch apart are so placed in relation
to sail eyelets that when in this position the figures next to the graduation
immediately against the spring box indicate the length in inches of the central
fold of the "piece," that is to say, the average length of the folds, therefore it is.
simply necessary to count the number of folds and multiply the average length of
the folds by this number to obtain the total length. The said eyelets are an inch.
apart.
The principle on which the figures and eyelets are arranged will be more readily
understood after first considering how a rolled piece may be measured by an
ordinary tape measure graduated in inches. In this case supposing the piece board
to be nine inches wide, the length of the innermost fold may be considered to be
twice this that is to say eighteen inches long. Then assuming that the length of
the outer fold to be twenty two inches (which may be ascertained by measuring the
outer girth of the piece with the tape) the length of the inner and outer folds are
added together and divided to obtain the length of the middle fold or the average
length of the folds. To follow out the above example 18+ 22 = 40 ÷ 2
which is the average length of the fold in inches. Again assuming there to be
eighteen folds of the piece 20 × 18 = 360 and 360 inches is ten yards which is the
length or approximately the length of the piece.
= 20.
In my improved tape the graduations are double the size of an ordinary inch
measure so they only indicate half the actual measurement and if they were
continued down to zero the tape would indicate the average length of the folds of
a piece folded solid upon itself without piece board that is to say it would give
half the actual length of the outer fold which is the average length of the folds..
But as in practice fabrics are not folded in this way but mostly on a board of one
kind or another the eyeletted divisions are introduced and when they are used in
conjunction with the remainder of the tape the same result is obtained as by
adding the length of the innermost fold to half the actual outer girth of the folded
fabric which is the length of the average fold.
The method of measuring a rolled piece of fabric of the size given in the above
The piece.
mentioned example by my improved tape is shown in Figures 2 and 3.
board E is represented to be nine inches in width therefore the eyelet marked 9" is
hooked onto the stud A' and the graduation on the tape immediately against the
spring box is marked 20 which is the average length of the folds and assuming as
before there to be 18 folds of the piece 20" x 18" = 360" or ten yards.
The scale or measure A for measuring rolls of material represented in
Figures 4, 5 and 6 is provided with a fixed finger on pointer Fat one end
which in use is placed against the side of the cylindrical hole D' through the
roll D as shown in Figure 6 then the sliding block H on A is moved along the
latter until it is brought against the outer periphery of the roll. Graduations A³,.
a quarter of an inch apart, are marked on the scale in such relation to the finger F
that the number of graduations adjacent to the block gives the circumference in
inches of the central fold of the cloth. In the drawing this number is 16 and
325, and 325 inches
assuming there are twenty coils of cloth in the roll 16+ × 20
is 9 yards 1 inch which is the approximate length of the roll.
=
In case the goods are mounted upon a roller the face F' of F is placed in line
with the periphery of the roller and at the opposite side to that on which the
block His brought against the goods, that is to say, A is placed diametrically
In this.
across the end of the roller with the face F2 in line with one side.
instrument the graduations are obtained by actual experiment and the instrument
is drawn to scale.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. A tape or the like, for measuring pieces of cloth and other goods when folded
on a piece-board, having a series of eyelets or their equivalent at one end followed
'by a series of graduations, substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purpose specified.
T:
2. The combination with the tape A marked and graduated as shown, of the
spring box B, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
specified.
3. A measure or scale, for measuring goods cylindrically rolled, having a
finger F or its equivalent so placed in relation to numbered graduations on said
scale that when used as shown in the drawing the circumference of the central fold
of the roll' may be thereby ascertained, substantially as herein shown and described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings...
Dated this 19th day of April 1895.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.