CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU. FACTURE OF BRAID, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NATHANIEL
JONES AMIES, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date West-
minster, the First day of February, in the fourteenth year of Her reign, and
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Nathaniel
Jones Amies, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Nathaniel Jones Amies, iny exors, admors, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said Nathaniel Jones Amies, my exors, adñiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England and Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU.
FACTURE OF BRAID, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH;'>
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Nathaniel
Jones Amies, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
[Price 8d.1

page_text: immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letter Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Nathaniel Jones Amies, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
My Improvements in the Manufacture of Braid, and in the Machinery or
Apparatus connected therewith, apply principally to the manufacture offringed
braid, and consist,-
First, in manufacturing or forming a firm flat braid, with an uniform selvage
upon one side or edge thereof, and with portions only of a selvage upon
the other side or edge of the same, between which portions of selvage the
loops constituting the fringe are, formed.
Secondly, in making a firm flat braid in or upon any braiding machine
having more than thirteen spindles, such braid having portions only of a
selvage upon each side or edge, between which portions of selvage loops are
formed.
Thirdly, in manufacturing or forming a firm flat braid in or upon any
braiding machine having thirteen spindles, or less, with portions only of selvage
upon each side thereof, between which portions of selvage loops are formed,
such loops exceeding one eighth of an inch in length, and the number of loops
formed from the thread on the bobbins between each portion of selvage
exceeding two in number. And,
Fourthly, in platting or braiding one or more threads of india rubber, or
other suitable elastic substance, in any platted or braided fabric, such india
rubber or other elastic substance forming one of the threads of which such
braid or plat is composed. The improvements in the machinery or apparatus,
by which I effect or attain these objects, is represented in the annexed Draw-
ings, and consist,-
First, in the following novel combination of mechanism for effecting the
above objects, namely, the combining an ordinary flat braid machine having
one or more fingers of iron or other suitable material (round which the loops
are formed, and off which they can easily slide), with spindles, having an
unequal tension given to the threads by means of suitable weights applied
thereto.
Secondly, in applying a spring (or other pliant material that will readily
regain its position) to the upper part of a braiding spindle, so as to cause it to

page_text: push aside the nnger over which the loops are formed in making a fringed
braid.
In the annexed Drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan or horizontal view of an
ordinary braiding machine with seventeen spindles, and illustrating the com-
bination above mentioned; and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is
an horizontal section of the machine taken through about the line A, B, in
Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken through the line C, D; and Fig. 5 is
a section taken through about the line E, F, in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 represents
two elevations of the spindle. a, a, is the framing of the machine, supporting
in suitable bearings the spindle carriers b, b. The carriers 6, b, are provided
with notched discs c, c, for carrying the spindles (see Fig. 3), and the spindles
are guided in their progress, as usual, by means of the governors d, d. One
of the carriers is driven by means of a band passing around a pulley e (see
Figs. 2 and 5), and the other carriers are driven by means of the spur
gearing fff, (see Figs. 2 and 4) in the usual manner. 9, 9, is what is
termed "the drawing-off iron," upon one end of which the braid is made. It
will be observed that one of the carriers b¹ extends upwards above the notched
plate, and is furnished at its upper extremity with a tapering finger h, h,
of polished metal or other suitable material (extending to the "drawing-off
iron" g), and around this finger the loops are formed on that side or edge
of the braid, the threads necessarily passing over and under the finger as the
spindles pass around the carrier. When a certain number of loops have been
formed upon the edge of the braid they have to be slidden off, and the finger /
moved on one side in order to form a portion of selvage to bind the fringe.
This I effect by providing one or more of the spindles with heavier weights i, i,
(see Fig. 5). When these heavier-weighted spindles pass around the barrier b
the greater tension of the thread or threads draws the finger hout of the way.
sliding those loops off that had been previously formed, and forming a small
portion of selvage. In the Drawing annexed the heavily-weighted spindles
are represented as having purple threads, whilst the other spindles with the
ordinary tension have red threads. As the weighted spindle progresses
towards the other side of the machine the superior tension of its thread draws
the finger / in the reverse direction, causing loops to be formed over the taper
end of the same, and so on, each portion of looped fringe being alternated
with a small portion of selvage. The extra amount of tension of the last-
mentioned thread or threads will also have the effect of drawing the braid
into a serpentine or waved form, provided the heavily-weighted spindles follow
in succession, and the machine will manufacture a fringed braid of the form
represented at Fig. 7; but if the heavily-weighted spindles are not placed in

page_text: unbroken succession, but are disposed in different parts of the machine,
although the form of the braid will be somewhat varied, still, whenever
these threads pass round the edge of the braid, they will pull the loops
off the finger, and form a firm selvage. This occasional pushing aside of
the finger h may also be effected by providing one or more of the spindles with
a spring or other pliant material, which will come into contact with the finger
as the spindle passes under it, in which case a straight braid will be formed,
provided the spindles have uniform weights. It will also be evident that if
two fingers are employed, loops may be made on both sides or edges of the
braid, in which case an upright wire (as at *Fig. 1) will be necessary in order
to keep the two fingers asunder. In making the elastic braid one or more of
the spindles are provided with india rubber or other elastic threads, instead of
silk or other non-elastic threads, which elastic thread or threads are thus inan
extended state braided or platted into the fabric, and as they contract in length
they become straight and consequently draw the braid or platinto a serpentine
or waved form.
Having thus described the nature and object of my several improvements,
together with the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I would
remark, in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention,-
First, the manufacturing or forming a firm flat braid having an uniform
selvage upon one side or edge thereof, and with portions only of a selvage upon
the other side or edge of the same, between which portions of selvage loops
are formed.
Secondly, I claim the manufacturing or forming a firm flat, braid in any
braiding machine having more than thirteen spindles, such braid having
portions only of a selvage upon each side or edge, between which portions of
selvage loops are formed.
Thirdly, I claim the manufacturing or forming a firm flat braid upon any
machine having thirteen spindles, or less, with portions only of a selvage upon
each side thereof, between which portions of selvage loops are formed, such
loops exceeding one eighth of an inch in length, and being more than two in
number between each portion of selvage, such two loops being formed from
the threads that may be on the bobbins of two spindles.
Fourthly, I claim the manufacturing an elastic braid by plaiting or braiding
in one or more threads of india rubber or other suitable elastic substance, such
elastic substance forming one of the threads of which such plait or braid is
composed. And,
Fifthly, I claim as improvements in braiding machinery or apparatus
(whereby such objects are effected), the combination of an ordinary flat braid

page_text: machine having one or more tongues of iron or other material over which the
loops are formed, with spindles having unequal tension given by the application
of suitable weights, such weights in the process of manufacturing are
attached to the thread or threads forming the braid, by the thread or threads
passing through the eye of the weight in each spindle. And also the
application of a spring or other suitable elastic substance to the upper end of
braid spindles for the purpose of pushing aside the finger when required, in
order to produce the effects in the manufacture above particularly described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Nathaniel Jones Amies, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.