IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR SUPPORTING OR DISTENDING LADIES' DRESSES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Denis Mulkay, of No. 69, Rue Rasière, Brussels,
in the Kingdom of Belgium, Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
Sealed the 16th November 1860, and dated the 23rd May 1860.
Belgium, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR SUPPORTING OR DISTENDING LADIES' DRESSES," to-
be as follows:-
My Invention consists in making springs for supporting or distending ladies"
dresses of continuous tempered steel, covered with filamentous or fibrous-
matter or of metallic wires, either in the form of a spiral covered with cotton
or other filamentous or fibrous matter, or in the form of a cylinder. In the-
former case the spring is hollow, and covered with cotton or other fibrous
substance; in the latter case the steel is coiled around catgut or other organic
matter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Denis Mulkay in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd November 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DENIS
MULKAY, of No. 69, Rue Rasière, Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Denis Mulkay, Her special licence that I, the said Denis Mulkay, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Denis Mulkay,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR SUP-
PORTING OR DISTENDING LADIES' DRESSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Denis Mulkay, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one 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 Denis Mulkay, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in making springs for supporting or distending
ladies' dresses of continuous tempered steel, covered with filamentous or
fibrous matters, or of metallic wires, either in the form of a spiral covered
with cotton or other filamentous or fibrous matters, or in the form of a
cylinder. In the former case the spring is hollow, and covered with cotton or
other fibrous substance; in the latter case the steel is coiled around catgut or
other organic matters. I prefer to make the springs of round steel wire,
tempered and covered with a metallic or filamentous substance.
I will now proceed to describe the furnace and machinery which I employ
in the manufacture of springs to be used in the making of crinolines.

page_text: Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accompanying Drawing represent a furnace
for heating and tempering the steel wires to be used in making springs
according to my Invention. The same letters indicate the same parts in
Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
a, a, a, is the masonry and arch, on which is placed the grate of the furnace;
b, b, is the fire-place; c, c, is the ash-pit; d, d, are the chimneys; e, e, is the.
arch; ff, is a passage or opening (as best seen in Figures 2 and 4), through
which the steel wires pass to be heated before being tempered; g, g, are the
furnace doors; h, h, are openings in the masonry communicating with the fire-
place b, through which said openings the fire-place is furnished with coke;
i, i, are the backs of the chimneys. Cast-iron plates are placed above the fire-
place b, as best seen in Figure 4, and marked j.
The method of working the furnace and its application is as follows:-
When I employ the furnace I begin by lighting the fire, and when the com-
bustion of the fuel has advanced sufficiently I introduce the wire or steel to be
heated and tempered into the passage f (see Figures 2 and 4), in which
passage it begins to be heated, and I draw it gradually along over the fire, by
which means it soon acquires the required degree of temperature. When
sufficiently heated I draw it back into the passage f, on leaving which it is
immersed in two tubs placed one in the other, and filled with a proper liquid,
the one underneath receiving the liquid falling over from the other. Any
suitable liquid may be employed, such as water, oil, or soapy water, according
to the quality of the steel to be tempered. These tubs are supplied from a
reservoir placed above them, and filled with the proper liquid; the quantity of
liquid required is regulated by a stop-cock. When the steel or wire has been
tempered I continue to pass it along the cast-iron plates j of the furnace.
These cast-iron plates are moveable, and can be brought nearer to or further
from each other, as required, in order to allow more or less flame to issue
through the opening thus made. By the peculiar construction of the furnace
the tempering is continuous, even if the object to be tempered be many
hundred yards long. It has also the advantage of tempering straight objects,
which is important for the manufacture of springs for crinolines; the degree
of heat depends entirely on the quality of the steel and the degree of elasticity
required.
The machinery which I use to manufacture hollow spiral springs and to coil
springs to be employed in the making of crinolines, is illustrated in Figures 5
and 6 of the Drawing. The same letters are employed to indicate the same
parts in Figures 5 and 6.
a, a, is an iron pillar supporting the machine; b, b, is a hollow axis; c, c, is

page_text: a graduated pulley at different degrees of speed; d, d, are the bearings of the
hollow axis b; f, f, is a lathe disc fixed to the said axis b, to which disc are
affixed the reels g, g, round which the iron or steel wire is wound; h, h, are
the axis of the reels g, g; i, i, are tubes, between which the hollow rod k, k, is
situated; h2, h3, supports for the tubes i, i; j, j, is the iron or steel wire on
the reels g, g; 1, 1, is a pulley graduated to different degrees of speed to
regulate the working of the endless worm m. Instead of the said pulley
suitable gearing may be employed; n is a worm wheel, into which the worm
m gears; 0, 0, are two rollers, between which the hollow or coiled springs
pass; p, p, are the supports of the shafts m¹ and q; r is a rod for the manu-
facture of hollow springs.
The machine, Figures 5 and 6, is worked in the following manner:-When
I wish to manufacture a hollow spiral spring I take a length of steel or iron
wire, which I pass through the furnace herein-before described and illustrated
in the Drawing, to make it more malleable. I then twine it round the reels
g, g, and place them on their axes. I introduce the end of the wire into the
tubes i, i, and turn it a few times round the rod r, and pass it between the
rollers 0, 0.
I regulate the speed of the rollers o, o, according to the working
and thickness of the wire to be rolled, by placing the strap or band t suitably
on the graduated pulleys 1, 1. The machine is put in motion when the wires
are uncoiled from the reels g, g, on to the rod r, as the said rod r is slowly
carried out of the machine by the motion of the rollers o, 0. After the
springs have been made they are tempered to the required temper in the
usual way.
I manufacture another kind of spring in round steel wire, tempered and
covered with a metallic wire or fibrous substance in the following manner :-I
take a length of steel wire tempered. I place it on a winder, which is behind
and opposite the machine. After having removed the rod used in the manu-
facture of hollow springs, herein-before described, I place on the axis 6 of the
machine a cap, which said cap has a hole in its centre through which the tubes
i, i, pass. I introduce the steel wire into the hollow rod at k. This passage con-
ducts the steel wire without letting it touch the sides of the hollow axis of the
machine, which it traverses in its whole length, and comes out at the lathe
discf. At the end of the axis of the machine I fix a cap, having a hole in its
centre, and of the same size as the wire which takes the place of the rod r,
which I used in the manufacture of hollow springs. This cap has as many
grooves as there are wires to be coiled. Each of these grooves is shaped in
such a manner as to allow the coils of wire to press tightly one against
another when they are coiled around the tempered steel wire forming the

page_text: centre piece. Care must be taken that the grooves are tangent to the centre
hole, leaving space for the wire to be coiled. In fact, too much care cannot
be bestowed on this part of the machine, as the regularity of the coiling and
the quantity of work done depends entirely on it, for it must be remembered
that one of these machines will coil upon any kind of cord, and even on
leather thongs shaped round, and on reeds equally as well as on tempered
steel wire.
Besides these advantages it has that of coiling continuously, which the
manufacturers of crinoline will be able to appreciate, as it will furnish them
with springs of any length without waste.
And lastly, to complete my improvements, I have invented a small tube;
one of its extremities has a screw thread to the right, and the other extremity
has a screw to the left, so that it is immoveable when attached in the
crinoline.
When I make open spiral springs the steel wire is also coiled around a
central piece of metal wire, according to the method before described for the
manufacture of springs in steel wire covered with wire. Springs in tempered
steel wire of the round form will lie more easily in the petticoat; they will be
almost imperceptible in the stuff, and will wear much longer. Being tempered
and coiled continuously, and being coiled in from two to ten wires they will be
much more durable, and their elasticity makes them fit for any work, and they
can be placed spirally in a petticoat.
In witness whereof, I, the said Denis Mulkay, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. CAHEN, Merchant,
Brussels.
DENIS MULKAY. (L.S.)