IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TRIMMINGS AND CAP FRONTS
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Hesketh Hughes and James
Sanders at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 20th January 1863.
We, HESKETH HUGHES, of Homerton, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, and JAMES SANDERS, of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TRIMMINGS AND CAP
FRONTS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention consists in constructing machines for making and apparatus
for folding trimmings and cap fronts as hereafter described. These trim-
mings and cap fronts consist of loops of ribbon, chenille, silk, or other
fabric, with or without goffered net or quilling between the ribbons. We
take a roller or mandril, the shape and size of which may be varied, and we
mount this roller in a frame in such manner that it may be made to rotate.
The roller is formed of two halves or otherwise, so as to leave two grooves
along its whole length; in each of these grooves we place two strips of net or
other foundation covered with gum or other adhesive material, or we lay on
the strips gummed thread to cause the ribbon to adhere to the foundation
strips. We placed a threaded shaft parallel with the grooved roller, and
through a nut we connect a bobbin or reel carrying the ribbon to be used in
forming the trimming or cap front to the threaded shaft. In some cases, for
the purpose of varying the trimming or front, we use two or more different
ribbons, and lay them alternately; we connect as many bobbins to the shaft as

page_text: there are different ribbons. By wheelwork we drive both roller and threaded
shaft from one main wheel, but other gear may be used. Supposing the
machine ready to work, we fix one end of the ribbon from the bobbin on the
grooved roller, and cause both roller and shaft to revolve, the bobbin will
be carried along the machine, and the roller will wind on itself the ribbon
from the bobbin. When the ribbon becomes wound on its whole length it is
dried, a knife or cutter is run along each of the grooves and the ribbon thereby
severed. The fabric removed will be in the form of two sets of strips of
ribbon, the ends of which will be united to the two longitudinal strips of
gummed foundation. Or before being dried the material may be dressed.
The strips of ribbon may be embossed or not as desired, and the strips of
ribbon being doubled or folded, the two foundation strips are brought one
over the other, and are secured by a banding machine or by sewing in a sewing
machine or otherwise. The strips of ribbon may be partly or entirely goffered
or not. For inserting the goffered net between the ribbons we use an appa-
ratus made with flaps to fold over and hold down the foundation strips while
the goffered net is being inserted. The strips of ribbon are received in a
hinged "making up" box. We use a guide for the insertion of the goffered
net, and after the strips of ribbon have been placed in the box, and the edges
held down by the flaps, the goffered net is inserted, one flap removed, and the
strips of ribbon folded over the net; the box is then turned over, leaving part
of the foundation strips exposed. The remaining flap or flaps is or are then
removed, and the making up box with its contents is taken away. The pro-
truding edges are caused to adhere by means of a heated press.