A NEW OR IMPROVED FRINGING MACHINE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
FRINGING MACHINE." A communication from abroad by Jesse Bethuel Lincoln,
of the City and County of Providence, State of Rhode Island, United States of
America
ealed the 29th September 1877, and dated the 3rd May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd May 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent. "A NEW OR IMPROVED FRINGING MACHINE." A communication
from abroad by Jesse Bethuel Lincoln, of the City and County of Providence, State
of Rhode Island, United States of America.
This Invention is designed for the manufacture of a fringe having a feathery
edge, which is extensively used as a dress trimming. The fringe is made of silk or
other suitable cloth which is cut in strips diagonally, and the threads of which, both
of the warp and the woof, are separated and drawn out apart to form a fringe upon
one side of the strip, thus constituting a rich and beautiful trimming.
Hitherto this work has been done by hand, and the threads have been separately
picked out and apart by a needle or pin. The only attempt, so far as I know, to
do this work by machinery has been to use a needle with a flat notched end in a
sewing machine, which, being thrust through the cloth rapidly in a vertical direction,
produced a similar but imperfect result, but this device frequently broke the threads
instead of separating them, besides so clogging the machine with the refuse as to
intefere with its usefulness for general work.
This Invention consists in a feeding attachment, properly geared, advancing the
strip of cloth into contact with a rotating series of points or hooks which, engaging
with the threads, separate them and form the fringe.
The feeding attachment consists of a roll mounted on a spindle, turning in
bearings upon a table properly mounted and braced. The feeding roll may be
corrugated or otherwise roughened, to seize on and carry forward the cloth, and

page_text: grooved circumferentially to allow the revolution of a wheel or fringer turning upon
a spindle, rotated by means of a crank, and having on its periphery a series of
metallic hooks or points set at a sharp angle thereto. These points may be set
straight into projections on the rim of the wheel, or may be bent into a hook shape
and inserted directly into the rim itself.
The fringer spindle has its bearings in and through the standards of the table
and at the end opposite the crank, terminates in a small gear wheel to engage with
and revolve a cog wheel on the spindle of the feed roll. By this gearing the feeding
mechanism is revolved very slowly while the fringing mechanism revolves rapidly,
thus enabling the latter to fully separate and draw out the threads of the cloth
while the strip is advancing. A guard is erected to protect that part of the cloth
not to be fringed from contact with the fringer.
The cloth, being inserted beneath the feed roll, is slowly carried forward, and one
edge of the strip is brought upon the fringer, the sharp hooks of which enter the
cloth, and, continuing as the wheel revolves, draw each thread out from the fabric.
This series of hooks or points is the essential feature of the Invention, and is new
as applied for the purpose aforesaid, and though used in connection with any other
device than a wheel (as, for example, upon the edge of a straight bar advancing in
a vertical plane) is equally within this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
23rd October 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"A NEW OR IMPROVED FRINGING MACHINE." A communication
from abroad by Jesse Bethuel Lincoln, of the City and County of Providence, State
of Rhode Island, United States of America.
This Invention is designed for the manufacture of a fringe having a feathery
edge, which is extensively used as a dress trimining. The fringe is made of silk or
other suitable cloth which is cut in strips diagonally (see Figure 3), and the threads
of which, both of the warp and of the woof, are separated and drawn out apart to
form a fringe upon one side of the strip, thus constituting a rich and beautiful
trimming.
Hitherto this work has been done by hand, and the threads have been separately
picked out and apart by a needle or pin. The only attempt, so far as I know, to
do this work by machinery has been to use a needle with a flat notched end in a
Bewing machine, which, being thrust through the cloth rapidly in a vertical direction,
produced a similar but imperfect result, but this device frequently broke the threads
instead of separating them, besides so clogging the machine with the refuse as to
intefere with its usefulness for general work.
This Invention consists in a feeding attachment, properly geared, advancing the
strip of cloth into contact with a rotating series of points or hooks which, engaging
with the threads, separate them and form the fringe.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1, is a perspective view of the machine
of this Invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same; Figure 3 shows the
product of the machine.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.
A is a table properly mounted and braced with bearings B and C at opposite
ends, within which the spindle D turns. On the end of this spindle is the feeding
roll E, which may be corrugated or otherwise roughened, to seize on and carry
forward the cloth, and grooved circumferentially at a to allow the revolution of the
wheel F. The wheel F, turning upon its spindle G, is rotated by means of the
crank H, and has on its periphery a series of metallic hooks or points b, b, set at a

page_text: sharp angle thereto. These points may be set straight into projections c on the rim
of the wheel, or may be bent into a hook shape and inserted directly in the rim
itself.
The spindle G has its bearings in and through the standards of the table A and
at the end opposite the crank terminates in a small gear wheel d, to engage with
and revolve the cog wheel I, which latter wheel, being fastened to the spindle D,
turns the feed roll E. By this gearing the feeding mechanism is revolved very
slowly, while the fringing mechanism revolves rapidly, thus enabling the latter to
fully separate and draw out the threads of the cloth while the strip is advancing.
A guard J is provided to protect that part of the cloth not to be fringed from
contact with the fringer.
The cloth, being inserted beneath the feeder E, is slowly carried forward, and one
edge of the strip is brought upon the fringer F, the sharp hooks b, b, of which enter
the cloth, and, continuing as the wheel revolves, draw each thread out from the
texture. This series of hooks or points b, b, is the essential feature of this Invention,
and is new as applied for the purpose aforesaid, and though used in connection with
any other device than a wheel (as, for example, upon the edge of a straight bar
advancing in a vertical plane) is equally within the present Invention.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The series of metallic hooks or points b, b, set into a fringing surface at
intervals, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The rotating wheel F having on its periphery a series of fringing points b, b,
in combination with a feeding mechanism E, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
3rd. The combination of the table A and revolving fringer F, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
4th. The fringing machine, substantially as described, consisting of the table A,
bearings B, C, spindles D, G, crank H, gearing d, I, wheel F, fringing points b, b,
and guard J, all made and operating as shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
A M CLARK (TO)
AM CLARK
(L.S.)