IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TWINE OR CORD
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Waithman, of Prestwich, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF TWINE OR CORD."
Sealed the 18th February 1876, and datod tho 4th September 1875.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Arthur Waithman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 4th September 1875, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHER
WAITHMAN, of Prestwich, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF TWINE OR CORD," and have petitioned Her Majesty
to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her
Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration
that I am the first and true Inventor thercof.

page_text: that is to say :—
This Invention relates more especially to that kind of twincs or cords
known to the trade as New Zealand twines or variagated or mixed
colored twines which have hitherto been made by twisting two or more
strands or threads together, one or more of which had been previously
dyed different colors.
My Invention consists in a new process of manufacturing twines or
cords of the character above referred to, in which the exterior of a singlo
strand twine, twisted twine, or cord is printed in the manner herein-after
described so as to produce a twine or cord of the desired character, being
so printed as to make the surface of the twine or cord of a variagated
color, or marked in stripes, or otherwise, with one or various colors.
For this purpose I pass the twines or cords under or over a printing
roller or rollers, or through or under and over printing rollers which may
be of wood, metal, or other material, but I prefer india-rubber or other
yielding materials.
The colors are supplied to the roller or rollers by one or more
distributors so as if required to print several colors at the same time
upon the same twine or cord. The twines or cords are passed through
-the-machine--in endless lengths from one bobbin or reel to another, the
-printing roller or rollers being either plain or grooved or of any desired
pattern.
When the twine or cord is passing through the machine I cause it to
be properly printed by giving a rotatory motion to the twine or cord to
and fro sideways. I give the twine or cord this motion in some cases by
causing a reciprocating motion to and fro to be given to the printing
rollers (lengthways of the rollers) while the cord or twinc is passing
through them or under and over them. In others I cause a simple
to-and-fro motion to be given lengthways of the roller or rollers if the
twine passes simply under or over them.
I find that the following arrangement may be used with especial

page_text: advantage for giving this rotatory motion, that is to say, the arrange-
ment by means of which the twine or cord is passed through a pair of
rollers covered with some yielding elastic substance (by preference india-
rubber). These rollers have a reciprocating to-and-fro motion length-
ways of the rollers, by which means the twine or cord is rolled
backwards and forwards upon the printing rollers. The printing roller
or rollers may be placed either immediately before but are better placed
immediately after the reciprocating rollers. Both the reciprocating and
printing rollers all revolve at the same rate as the twine or cord which
max ha nassing through
rubber). These rollers have a reciprocating to-and-fro motion length-
ways of the rollers, by which means the twine or cord is rolled
backwards and forwards upon the printing rollers. The printing roller
or rollers may be placed either immediately before but are better placed
immediately after the reciprocating rollers. Both the reciprocating and
printing rollers all revolve at the same rate as the twine or cord which
may be passing through
Besides the modes mentioned I in some cases give the twines or cords
a rotatory motion by other suitable arrangements of mechanism, many
kinds of which may, as is well understood, be so arranged that the twine
or cord shall roll or rotate upon the printing roller or rollers.
It will now be understood that by means of such arrangements as are
above referred to, all which are capable of giving the twine or cord a
rotatory motion in combination with printing rollers, printing plates, or
blocks of any pattern, I am enabled to print, dyc, or stain gild, silver,
or bronze the twine or cord of any thickness with perfect rings or other
patterns while passing through the printing rollers, however uneven in
thickness the twines may be, and the twine or other material is kept
perfectly round and the color even and distinct, while with spiral
printing a perfect imitation is obtained of an ordinary two or more fold
twine which might have one or more dyed strands.
By my method there is a great saving in cost in production, a better
appearance can be produced out of a single strand twine than can now
be obtained from a twine made as at present of two or more strands, one
or more of them being colored, consequently a much heavier yarṇ can bẹ
used at a less cost of spinning, and all twisting and winding of grey,
white, or colored strands are avoided, and the dyeing and drying of the
colored strands are dispensed with; and it will be seen that in my twines
printed externally the reeling, dyeing, drying, and winding of the
colored strands are avoided, thus saving labor and consuming less
coloring matter, the printing process requiring much less coloring
matter than the dycing process, I sometimes arrange the printing

page_text: washed, sized, finished, and printed at one continuous operation, sub-
stantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Waithman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Third day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five
ARTHUR WAITHMAN. (L.S.)
Signed, scaled, and delivered by the
within named Arthur Waithman in
the presence of
G. SEPTIMUS HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.