IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Caleb Bedells, of Leicester, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Caleb Bedells at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th December 1853.
I, CALEB BEDELLS, of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS"
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of manufacturing elastic fabrics by winding
silk or other yarn or thread on to a cylinder or surface, so as to cover
the same. The yarns or threads thus wound, or laid side by side, have
a coating of cement applied thereto; a thin sheet of vulcanized or
changed india-rubber is to be coated with india-rubber cement, and

page_text: the surface thereof brought in contact with the cylinder or surface on
which the yarn or thread is wound or laid, by which the whole or a
part of the yarn will be combined with vulcanized or changed india-
rubber. If only part of the surface is so combined with india-rubber,
the other part may be turned over and cementel to the other surface
of the vulcanized or changed india-rubber, or the other side of the india-
rubber may be covered with other color of the material, or a different
material may be used for the two sides of the fabric; and in some cases
I enclose longitudinal strands of braided or covered vulcanized india-
rubber within the fabrics produced as above stated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Caleb Bedells in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th June 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
CALEB BEDELLS, of Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Caleb Bedells, Her special
licence that I, the said Caleb Bedells, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Caleb Bedells, 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 "IMPROVE-
THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Caleb Bedells, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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

page_text: Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Caleb Bedells, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention consists of manufacturing elastic fabrics by winding
silk or other yarn or thread on to a cylinder or surface, so as to cover
the same. The yarns or threads thus wound or laid side by side, have
a coating of cement applied thereto; a thin sheet of vulcanized or
changed india-rubber is to be coated with india-rubber cement, and
the surface thereof brought in contact with the cylinder or surface on
which the yarn or thread is wound or laid, by which the whole or a
part of the yarn will be combined with vulcanized or changed india-
rubber. If only part of the surface is so combined with india-rubber,
the other part may be turned over and cemented to the other surface of
the vulcanized or changed india-rubber, or the other side of the india-
rubber may be covered with other color of the material, or a different
material may
be used for the two sides of the fabric; and in some
cases I enclose longitudinal strands of braided or covered vulcanized
india-rubber within the fabrics produced as above stated.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same.
In carrying out my Invention, the yarn or thread of silk, cotton,
or other material is first wound on to the surface, by preference, of
a cylinder, though other forms might be used, but not, I think, so
conveniently; and in winding the yarn or thread, care is to be
observed that the yarns or threads come close together, so as to closely
cover the cylinder. On to the surface of yarn thus obtained, india-
rubber cement is applied, which cements the whole of the thread or
yarn into a fabric, and generally two fabrics thus produced on separate
cylinders are cemented together, with or without vulcanized india-rubber
between them, according to the purpose to which the completed fabrics
are intended to be applied; and for the better understanding of the
uses of these fabrics, some examples will be given. Generally the two

page_text: fabrics are cemented together, so that the yarns or threads in the two
will be parallel to each other or run in the same direction, or the threads
or yarns in the two fabrics in some cases are caused to run more or
less obliquely to each other. When the threads or yarns of both
fabrics run in the same direction, the elasticity of the fabric is in the
opposite direction to the direction of the threads or yarns, but when
the threads or yarns of the two are oblique, that state of elasticity is
somewhat modified, and if the threads or yarns of the two fabrics are
cemented together at right angles to each other, the elasticity will only
be when pulled at an angle at of about 45°, hence the manufacturer
will place the two fabrics (made of yarns or threads and india-rubber)
so that their threads or yarns may run in the same or in a more oblique
or transverse direction to each other, according to the effect he desires
to obtain, and he will introduce between such fabrics, when cementing
them together, vulcanized india-rubber in sheet, or in thread, or braided,
where it is wished to retain elasticity, and yet get greater strength
than what the combined fabric itself offers; and when it is desired to
obtain inelastic parts to the compound fabric, there are to be portions
of cotton or other inelastic fabrics introduced, so as to restrain the
clasticity of the fabrics made by cementing yarns or threads together.
I would here remark, that I am aware that the surfaces of fabrics have
had layers of yarn or thread cemented to them by the aid of india-
rubber, and I mention this in order to state that I do not claim
generally to cement yarns or threads side by side, but only the manner
of producing clastic fabrics as herein explained.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a section of so much of the apparatus I employ for
coating the metal cylinders or rollers, previously covered by having a
thread or yarn wound or laid thereon; is the cylinder or roller on
which the thread or yarn is wound; the cylinder a is supported in
chucks at each end, and caused to revolve in contact with the front of
the trough b. containing a solution of india-rubber or other suitable
cement, which is forced towards the front of the trough by the blade c,
and as soon as the cylinder or roller is sufficiently coated with the

page_text: cement, the blade c is moved backwards, which causes the cement to
move away with it from the front of the trough, which is then to be
tilted upon its axis b', as shewn in red lines; and thus will a uniform
coating of cement be obtained to the cylinders previously covered with
yarns or threads, as before described.
Figure 2 shows a manified section of the arrangement of apparatus
I employ when manufacturing clastic fabrics suitable for being applied
to the tops of gloves, to give elasticity thereto; d, d, are strips of vul-
canized or changed india-rubber, coated with cement, laid in suitable
recesses formed in the surface c, c; and are braided or covered
cords of india-rubber coated with cement, which are also laid in recesses
in the surface e, e. The cylinder or roller a, previously covered by
having silk or other yarn wound thereon, and coated with india-rubber
cement, is placed on the surface e, and when rolled over it, in the direc-
tion of the arrow, will cause the strips of india-rubber d, and cords f; to
adhere to its surface, as shewn at A; the silk, yarn, or thread on the
cylinder a, is then to be cut by laying a straight edge along the length
of the cylinder, and passing a sharp cutting edge across, so as to divide
the silk yarns or other threads, which will then separate from the sur-
face of the cylinder and may be laid open, as shewn at Figure 3; the
ends of the silk yarns or threads are then turned over the cords, by
placing a straight edge in the position shewn by the red lines and
turning up the ends of the yarns against it, and then over the cords
on to the strips of india-rubber d, so as to adhere thereto, as shewn
at Figure 4; the silk yarns or threads are again folded over the
middle cord, as shown at Figure 5, so as to produce an elastic band
suitable for being sewn on to a glove-top to give elasticity thereto, the
two edges of the band being sewn with the top or fabric of the glove
between them.
I will now describe the arrangement of apparatus I employ when
manufacturing elastic fabrics suitable for being used as elastic gores,
fronts or sides of boots or shoes.
Figure 6 shews the shape of a piece of non-elastic fabric; and Figure
7 shows the shape of a piece of vulcanized or changed india-rubber,
which, when combined and covered according to my Invention, will be

page_text: suitable for being used as an elastic gore for the front of a shoe; in
order to combine the non-elastic and elastic parts g, h, together, I coat
them with india-rubber cement, and I first place the piece of india-
rubber h, of the shape shewn or of any other suitable shape, in a recess
of the same shape formed in the surface i, as shewn at Figure 8, and
over it I place the non-clastic piece g, within another recess of the same
shape as the piece y, formed in the surfice i, by which the parts g, h,
will be correctly placed together. I then arrange a series of such parts
combined together, as shewn at Figure 9, and place over them a cylin-
der or roller, having silk or other yarn wound thereon, and coated with
india-rubber cement, as before described, and by cutting the coated
yarn along the length of the cylinder, the yarn or thread will be sepa-
rated therefrom and laid over the surface of the parts y, h, so as to coat
or cover one side thereof, which may be the back or inside of the fabric.
The parts g, h, thus covered are then to be turned over and another
cylinder of yarn or thread, also coated with india-rubber cement, suit-
able for the face of the elastic article or fabric, is placed over the parts
g, h, and separated from the cylinder by cutting, as before, by which
both sides of the elastic gores will be covered with silk or other yarns
or threads, and 1 cause the cylinder of yarns for the face of the fabrics
to project beyond the edge of the enclosed parts g, h, and I lay a cord
along the edge, and turn the ends over it, so as to form a more perfect
edge or selvage to the elastic gore; and in some cases I lay in and
enclose cords or other devices, so as to produce a pattern or ornamented
surface to such fabrics; and I also combine the elastic gores with the
parts which form the fronts of boots or shoes, which will be readily
understood on examining Figure 10, where the non-elastic parts g,
are of a suitable form and size for making up into the fronts of shoes
when cut through the dotted line a, b, and I avoid waste of material
by enclosing parts i, j, suitable for gores or other small articles in the
spaces formed by arranging a series of the articles together, when
being covered with yarns or threads.
h,
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the best
manner I am acquainted with for performing the same, and having
given some examples of the uses of elastic fabrics made according to my

page_text: Invention, I would state that I do not confine myself to the details as
herein described; but what I claim is, the manufacture of elastic fabrics
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Caleb Bedells, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Wimess,
J. G. TONGUE.
CALEB BEDELLS. (L.S.)