AN IN- PROVED CARD FOR FACILITATING THE WITHDRAWAL OF SINGLE THREADS FOR SEWING PURPOSES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Tatton, of 44, Stockwell Street, Leek,
in the County of Stafford, Silk Dyer, for the Invention of "AN IN-
PROVED CARD FOR FACILITATING THE WITHDRAWAL OF SINGLE THREADS FOR
SEWING PURPOSES."
Sealed the 25th January 1870, and dated the 26th November 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Tatton at
the Office of the Commissiouers of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th November 1869.
I, SAMUEL TATTON, of 44, Stockwell Street, Leek, in the County of
Stafford, Silk Dyer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for AN IMPROVED CARD FOR FACILITATING THE WITHDRAWAL OF SINGLE THREADS
FOR SEWING PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to prepare sewing threads, silks, or
cottons for use in lengths or needlefuls upon cards in such a manner that
a single length can be withdrawn without entangling the other lengths.
And the Invention consists in stamping cards of paper or other

page_text: suitable material with a number of holes or slots, and lacing the thread,
silk, or cotton, which is cut into lengths, into and through the holes or
slots. so that a single length can
length can be withdrawn at pleasure without
interfering with the other lengths in the card. The ends or lacings of
the threads may be held close to the cards by bands or strips which may
bear the number of the thread or other imprint, or the card itself may be
impressed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Tatton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
TATTON, of 44, Stockwell Street, Leek, in the County of Stafford, Silk
Dyer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord Oue thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third year
of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Samuel Tatton, Her special licence, that I, the said
Samuel Tatton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Samuel latton, 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 "AN IMPROVED CARD FOR FACILITATING THE WITH-
DRAWAL OF SINGLE THREADS FOR SEWING PURPOSкS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Tatton, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or ono
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 Samuel Tatton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to prepare sewing threads, silks, or
cottous for use in lengths or needlefuls upon cards in such a manner that
a single length can be withdrawn at a time.
And the Invention consists in stamping cards of paper or other suitable
material with a number of holes or slots and lacing the thread, silk, or
cotton which is cut into lengths into and through the holes or slots, so
that a single length can be withdrawn at pleasure at a time. The ends
or lacings of the threads may be held close to the cards by bands or
strips, which may bear the number of the thread or other imprint, or
the card itself may be impressed.
The Invention will be well understood by referring to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawing in which Figure 1 represents a face view of a card cut
or formed with a series of holes according to one method for lacing the
thread, silk, or cotton into and through. Of course in lacing the lengths
through the holes care should be taken not to allow them to cross
one another, and so prevent them leaving easily when they are being
drawn.
The best way of cutting the card that I am acquainted with is re-
presented in Figure 2, that is, with three holes at one end and two at the
other. Two of the holes at the three hole end and the two holes at the
other end have slits leading from them to the outer edge of the card in a
diagonal direction; this admits of one of the sides being bent slightly from
the other to allow of a number of lengths being passed into the holes
freely. Figure 2 is a front view of the same card as that shewn in
Figure 1, but in this case the card has the threads in the holes as just
mentioned; Figure 3 represents the back of the same card. Here it will
be seen that the required number of lengths are folded, and the looped
ends are passed through the unslit hole in the three hole end from the
back, and project a sufficient distance to give a finger hold to the selected
length. The cut ends are then passed into one of the holes in the two
hole end, and brought straight up to the corresponding hole in the three
hole end, then it is carried across the back to the other hole of the two hole
end, and again to the corresponding hole at the three hole end, which
it passes through, and the ends are allowed to hang down, as seen in

page_text: Figures 1 and 3. The cards may be of any length and width, and may
have any number of holes in them. The looped end of the threads only
need project, and the cut ends can be tucked in under some of the lacings,
so as to terminate near the middle of the card; then by putting a band
of paper or other material over that part the ends are hidden from view,
and the card is not rendered unsightly. The band may have any mark to
denote the number or quality of the thread, silk, or cotton which may be
on the card, or any ornament, name, or device of any kind to distinguish
the maker's name. In many cases the card itselt would likewise be
printed or impressed with some design or device to improve its appearance
and make it more saleable.
Figure 4 represents the position in which the card is held in the hand
while one finger of the other hand is drawing out one of the lengths of
thread, silk, or cotton which may be on the card.
Of course the cards may be of any shape or form, and may have holes
at or near the middle for the threads to be put through as well as the
holes near the end or ends, or all the holes may be near the middle, in
fact it matters not where the holes are cut so long as the lengths of thread,
silk, or cotton are laced into or through them or some of them for the
purpose of making a marketable article containing lengths or needle-
fuls of thread which can be drawn out in single lengths for use as
desired without becoming entangled with the others.
I have referred to the production of a card with holes in it for the
thread to be laced into. By the use of the word card I intend that it
should be used in its broadest sense and not only to imply that it should
be made of paper, because thin strips or pieces of wood, vulcanite or other
composition, ingredient, or material are essentially cards and as such I
desire that this my Specification shall cover. And I also desire that no
restriction should be placed upon me by the used of the word thread, as
it means threads or lengths of worsted, mohair, twist, and all other
kinds of filamentous threads which are capable of being used with a
needle or some such implement for sewing or working.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
Invention,

page_text: The manufacture of cards in which holes are made for the reception of
lengths of threads in the manner and for the purposes herein-before
described and substantially as represented in the annexed Drawings.
Secondly. The supplying of cards in which lengths of thread, silk, or
cotton are laced so that the lengths can be drawn out singly with facility
in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Tatton, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and soventy.
SAM. TATTON. (L.B.)