IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC GUSSETS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Miller and James Miller, junior, of No. 5,
Park Road North, Bow, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC GUSSETS."
Sealed the 18th June 1867, and dated the 31st December 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Miller and James
Miller, junior; at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 31st December 1866.
We, JAMES MILLER and JAMES MILLER junior, of No. 5, Park Road
North, Bow, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC GUSSETS,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of elastic
gussets suitable for use in boots and stays and for other purposes. In the
manufacture of gussets it is usual to weave the vulcanized india-rubber
springs into the fabric in the process of manufacture, the india-rubber forming
a portion of the warp of the fabric; or where the gussets are of leather the
vulcanized india-rubber springs are commonly attached to the leather by
means of cement, and in either case each spring or line of india-rubber has
been a separate piece..
Now according to our Invention we secure the vulcanized india-rubber
springs between two pieces of woven fabric, leather, or other material by

page_text: stitching with a sewing machine, the stitches running in parallel lines and
passing through the two pieces of fabric or material between the india-rubber
springs in place of being each a separate piece are in one piece, the length of
vulcanized india-rubber cord at the end of each traverse across the gusset
being turned round and caused to return parallel to itself, thus the liability of
the india-rubber to slip and work out of the gusset is much reduced. When
gussets made in this manner are worked into boots or other articles the
stitches by which they are secured are passed through a margin on each
side of the gusset and not through the india-rubber part of the gusset as
heretofore.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Miller and James Miller, junior, in the Great Seal
. Patent Office on the 29th June 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
MILLER and JAMES MILLER, junior, of No. 5, Park Road North, Bow, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,.
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James Miller and James Miller, Her special licence that we, the said
James Miller and James Miller, executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said James Miller and James Miller, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF ELASTIC GUSSETS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
James Miller and James Miller, executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 mouths next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Miller, junior, on behalf of
myself and the said James Miller, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,. to..be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
that is to say-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of elastic
gussets suitable for use in boots and stays and for other purposes. In the
manufacture of gussets it is usual to weave the vulcanized india-rubber springs
into the fabric in the process of manufacture, the india-rubber forming a
portion of the warp of the fabric; or where the gussets are of leather the vul-
canized india-rubber springs are commonly attached to the leather by. means
of cement, and in either case each spring or line of india-rubber has been a
separate piece.
Now according to our Invention we secure the vulcanized india-rubber
springs between two pieces of woven fabric, leather, or other material by
stitching with a sewing machine, the stitches running in parallel lines and
passing through the two pieces of fabric or material between the india-rubber
springs, and the springs in place of being each a separate piece are in one
piece; the length of vulcanized india-rubber cord at the end of each traverse
across the
gusset being turned round and caused to return parallel to itself,
thus the liability of the india-rubber to slip and work out of the gusset is
much reduced. When gussets made in this manner. are worked into boots or
other articles the stitches by which they are secured are passed through .a.
margin on each side of the gusset and not through the india-rubber part of
the gusset as heretofore.
:
In order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will describe the manner in which we prefer to proceed.
We first cut the material, leather, silk, cotton, or any other woven fabric
and the lining to the size required for the gusset when extended, and for
leaving the required margin; we then turn over the top edge and baste or
tack it down to the lining; we then commence: to stitch with a sewing
machine a series of rows in parallel lines transversely across the gusset, the
stitching passing through the two materials commencing at the top, and so
on from row to row until the whole of the gusset is stitched; the distance
between the rows of stitches will depend on the the thickness of the india-rubber
thread to be inserted, about 8 or 10 rows to the inch is usually a convenient
distance; we then pass between the two materials into every space or: cavity
between the rows of stitches wires or needles of a length somewhat longer
than the width of the gusset and of the size of the cavity; the gusset is.then

page_text: ready to be contracted or drawn up to the size required; to do this we employ
a machine made with two jaws in a similar manner to a vice, one jaw being
fixed and the other moveable, so that it may be slid backwards or forwards to
or from the fixed jaw by means of a screw passing through the centre;
the jaws are by preference of wood, and are made flat on their upper surface;
when the jaws are closed a row of teeth or pins of wire is driven into the
upper surface of each jaw, the rows of teeth being made to correspond with
the contour of the sides of the gusset; when this is done the moveable jaw
is moved away from the fixed jaw in order to put in the gusset for the purpose
of contracting or crimping it (the gusset still having the wires or needles in
every cavity or row); we then lay the gusset on the machine or vice by placing
each wire or needle between two of the teeth or pins on each jaw, the teeth or
pins being at the same distance apart from one another as the wires or needles
passing through the gusset, the gusset being in this manner fixed;' we then
screw up the machine or vice to bring the moveable jaw up to the fixed jaw,
this contracts or draws up. the gusset to the size required; we now take the
gusset out of the machine in its contracted form with the wires or needles.
still in, as previously mentioned, and it is now ready for the process of filling
with the india-rubber thread or cord; to do this we place it as it is on a
table or stand and turn down over it a small plate of steel hinged to the table,
and by pressing down this plate the gusset is held securely; we then withdraw
the needles or wires and insert with a bodkin or needle in the same cavity or
tunnel made by the wires the thread or strand of india-rubber which is in one
length; we commence at the top cavity to insert the india-rubber thread or
cord and follow back in the next row or cavity, causing it to return parallel
to itself, and so on the same from row to row until the whole of the cavities
are filled. with the india-rubber; we then pull back the margin that is left as
large as required, and tack it down with an ordinary needle, and the gasset is
ready for use; the bodkin or needle we prefer to employ for inserting the
india-rubber thread is composed of a wire having a hole bored longitudinally
into one of its ends, a short length of the end of the wire is thus formed into
a tube, a portion of the side of the bodkin is cut away to form a side opening
in the rear end of this.tube; this short tube at the end of the bodkin is for
the purpose of holding the end of the thread of india-rubber. To insert the
end of the thread into the tube a loop of cotton is passed through the side
opening, above mentioned, and caused to project out from the end of the
bodkin; the end of the india-rubber thread is then passed through the loop and
the loop is drawn back, by which means the end of the india-rubber thread is
drawn into the tube, and as the tube will be internally of less diameter than

page_text: the india-rubber thread the end of the thread will be held securely. When it
is desired to form a strong margin to the sides of the gusset (before with-
drawing the needle or wires from the tubes or spaces formed between the
rows of stitching) we press down on to the points at each end of the needles
or wires a strip of canvas, the points being caused to pass through the middle
of the strips; the strips are then pressed down on the points to bring them
close up to the edge of the gusset, and afterwards the wires are removed and
the thread or strand of india-rubber inserted, as above described; the india-
rubber being passed through the holes formed by the wires through the
canvas, as well as being passed through the spaces or tubes formed across the
gusset; when this is completed the canvas is doubled over, and the margin
or edge of the gusset will be composed of two thicknesses of canvas in addition
to the fabric and lining of which the gusset is composed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Miller, junior, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JAMES MILLER, JUN. (L.S.)