IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Archibald Turner, of Leicester, Elastic Web Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
ELASTIC FABRICS."
Sealed the 6th February 1857, and dated the 28th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Archibald Turner at the
Offico of tho Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th.
November 1856.
I, ARCHIBALD TURNER, of Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturer, do hereby
declaro the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
PACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the manufacture of clastic fabrics relates'
to various methods of producing an ornamental edging on that kind of elastio
fabric which is made in braiding or platting machines. In the braiding or
platting machines now in use the fabric has heretofore always been produced
with straight edges, one or both of which have in some cases been crimped or
puckered up, so as to form a kind of ornamental frill. My improvement
consists in producing an ornamental edging on such fabrics by breaking the
straight line that has heretofore been made, and imparting to the edges of the
fabric a serrated or indented appearance, which, as far as I am aware, has

page_text: '
never yet been produced on such fabrics. This serrated or indented appearance
is effected by breaking the straight line of the edging at regular intervals
in the process of manufacture, and throwing the broken edge at an angle to
the line of the fabric.
Narrow elastic fabrics, such as those to which my Invention is applicable,
are made either in braiding or platting machines, or in looms or warp machines.
In the former machines two, three, or more longitudinal strands of india-rubber
are employed, and woollen, silk, cotton, or other threads aro braided, platted,
or intertwined with these india-rubber strands, in such a manner as to cross
and recross the clastic strands in a diagonal direction, thereby producing
a fabric which is capable of being elongated or stretched out to a very con-
siderable extent; or such narrow elastic fabrics may be produced in a loom, in
which non-clastic strands of silk, cotton, or other suitable fibrous substance is
employed in conjunction with the elastic strands to form the warp or foundation
of the fabric, while other non-elastic threads are used as a weft to complete the
fabric. In manufacturing an elastic fabric in the loom in this manner, the
elastic strands are stretched or elongated during the process of manufacture,
and consequently when these strands are allowed to resume their normal con-
dition they will contract or pucker up the fabric, and if proper provision
be made at the selvages by the introduction of additional on-elastic yarns
or warp threads, a frill edging will be produced, when the fabric is drawn
or puckered up by the contraction of the elastic strands which form part of the
warp or foundation of the fabric.
I mention these methods of producing an ornamental edging to elastic
fabrics, in order to point out the difference between them and my present
improvements, which relate exclusively to the means of producing an orna-
mental, serrated, indented, or broken edging in the braiding or platting
machine, and which has never hitherto been done.
This object may be effected in a variety of ways, which I will now proceed to
enumerate. One of the simplest and most effectual plans for producing the
desired result consists in leaving out the two outermost strands of india-rubber,
one on each side or selvage of the fabric, (or what amounts to the same thing,
and will answer precisely the same purpose, is,) to introduce additional braiding
or platting threads, so as to produce a kind of selvage or extra width of fabric
beyond the elastic strands; a stronger draft or pressure is put on one or more
of these additional non-elastic braiding or platting threads or strands on each
side than is put on the other braiding threads or strands; the effect of this
will be that those threads or strands, with the extra draft on them, will pull or
drag over the edge of the fabric, and will indent the selvage of the fabric

page_text: whenever these braiding or platting threads during their traverse arrive at
either edge of the fabric. For example, I take an ordinary braiding or
platting machine, constructed to cover six strands of india-rubber; this machine
will contain thirteen traverse bobbins, each of which would traverse from
selvage to selvage of the fabric. Now, by simply removing the two outer
strands of india-rubber, the machine would be left in the proper stato
for effecting the object of my Invention. It then only remains to adapt
an extra weight or pressure to one or more of the braiding threads, so as to
put a stronger draft on them than on the remainder of the thirteen braiding
threads.
By this simple contrivance am enabled to produce the serrated edge which
forms the ornamental effect before mentioned; or, instead of putting an
additional draught or weight on certain of the braiding threads, as above
described, a similar effect may be produced by making use of yarns of
different quality, description, or fineness, as the binding threads, whereby the
ornamental serrated or indented effect is produced. By these threads being of
finer quality they will slip through the interstices of the other threads, which
are of a coarser gauge, and will drag the edging inwards, and thereby indent it
'as in the former instance.
The ornamental edging may also be produced by leaving out one or more of
the traversing, braiding, or platting threads, as well as the two outermost
of the india-rubber strands, the remaining parts of the braiding machine being
allowed to operate in the ordinary manner, without any change whatever. By
this method, however, the india-rubber strands would be left uncovered at
certain parts, as, for instance, at those parts where the missing braiding
or platting threads would otherwise occur.
Another method of producing the desired effect consists in the employment
of traversing india-rubber or elastic strands, which are made to traverse to and
fro diagonally across the fabric from edge to edge, precisely like the ordinary
braiding or platting threads. A proper amount of tension or draft being put
upon these traversing elastic strands, they will draw in or indent the selvage of
the fabric at all points whenever they arrive at the edge.
In order to produce a serrated, indented, or ornamental edge on one
side or selvage only of the fabric, I cause an elastic or non-elastic strand or
thread to pass between the first and second india-rubber strands, and round
the outside or selvage of the fabric, remaining on the outside as long as may be
considered desirable, and depending upon the distance of the indentations from
each other. This effect is produced by means of a reservo bead, which carries
the additional or ornamenting elastic or non-elastic strand or strands; and this

page_text: ornamenting strand or strands is or are, by means of suitable mechanical
contrivances, kept in the reserve head and out of work as long as may be.
desired, and until they are required to come into operation, when they aro
carried forward into the old part of the machine for the purpose of being
passed a second time between the first and second india-rubber strands. Of
course it will be evident that by this means both edges may be ornamented by
employing an additional elastic strand to work on the opposite edge of the
fabric.
From the foregoing description it will be understood by practical men that
the essential feature of my improvements consists in working the several
operative parts of the braiding or platting machine, without the introduction in
the outer edge of the machine of any longitudinal india-rubber or elastic
strands, as is now the case; in other words, that no longitudinal india-rubber or
elastic strands are introduced in the outermost platt of the fabric.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Archibald Turner in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARCHIBALD
TURNER, of Leicester, Elastic Web Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Archibald Turner, Her special license that I, the said Archibald Turner,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Archibald Turner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Archibald Turner, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Archibald Turner, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of " Improvements in the Manufacture of Elastic Fabrics"
relates to various methods of producing an ornamental edging on that kind
of elastic fabric which is made in braiding or platting machines.
In the braiding or platting machines now in use the fabric has heretofore
always been produced with straight edges, one or both of which have in
some cases been crimped or puckered up, so as to form a kind of ornamental
frill.
My improvements consist in producing an ornamental edging on such
fabrics by breaking the straight line that has heretofore been made, and
imparting to the edges of the fabric a serrated or indented appearance, which,
as far as I am aware, has never yet been produced in such fabrics. This
serrated or indented appearance is effected by breaking the straight line of
the edging at regular intervals in the process of manufacture,, and throwing
the broken edge at an angle to the line of the fabric.
Narrow clastic fabrics, such as those to which my Invention is applicable,
are made either in braiding or platting machines, or in looms, or warp
machines. In the former machines two, three, or more longitudinal strands
of india-rubber are employed, and woollen, silk, cotton, or other threads aro
braided, platted, or intertwined with these india-rubber strands, in such a
manner as to cross and recross the elastic strands in a diagonal direction,
thereby producing a fabric which is capable of being elongated or stretched
out to a very considerable extent; or such narrow elastic fabrics may be
produced in a loom in which non-elastic strands of silk, cotton, or other
suitable fibrous substance is employed in conjunction with the elastic strands
to form the warp or foundation of the fabric, while other non-elastic threads
are used as a weft to complete the fabric. In manufacturing an elastic fabric
in the loom in this manner the elastic strands are stretched or elongated
during the process of manufacture, and consequently when these strands are
allowed to resume their normal condition they will contract or pucker up
the fabric, and if proper provision be made at the selvages by the introduction
of additional non-elastic yarns or warp threads, a frill edging will be produced
when the fabric is drawn or puckered up by the contraction of the elastic
strands which form part of the warp or foundation of the fabric. I mention

page_text: these methods of producing an ornamental edging to elastic india-rubber fabrics
in order to point out the difference between them and my present improvements,
which relate exclusively to the means of producing an ornamental, serrated,
indented, or broken edging in the braiding or platting machine, and which
has never hitherto been done in this kind of elastic india-rubber fabric. This
object may be effected in a variety of ways, which I will now proceed to
enumerate.
One of the simplest and most effectual plans for producing the desired
result consists in leaving out the two outermost strands of india-rubber, one
on each side or selvage of the fabric, and to allow the non-elastic braiding
or platting threads to produce a kind of selvage or extra width of fabric
beyond the elastic strands. By making use of yarns or threads of different
quality, description, or fineness, in lieu of some of the other braiding or binding
threads, those finer threads or strands will narrow the edge of the fabric,
and will indent the selvage of the fabric at all those points wherever these
finer braiding or platting threads during their traverse arrive at either edge
of the fabric.
It will be understood by all persons conversant with braiding machinery
that as the several braiding threads, whatever may be their gauge or fineness,
are all made to traverse from selvage to selvage, the width of the fabric
will of course depend upon the fineness of the yarns or threads employed in
its manufacture. For instance, a set of threads or yarns of a given substance,
say No. 40, would produce a fabric of double the width or nearly so of that
made of threads or yarns of No. 80, the reason being that in braiding machinery
there are no reeds, points, or other contrivances, as in looms or knitting or
lace machinery, to keep the threads at stated and given distances from each
other, but all the threads are made to lie close against each other; if, therefore,
some of the thicker and coarser braiding threads are dispensed with, and in
lieu thereof threads of a much finer substance are used, these threads which
are of finer quality than the others will slip through the interstices of the
cther threads, which are of a coarser gauge, and will therefore leave that
part of the fabric narrower where the fine threads cross, thereby producing
an ornamental serrated or indented effect.
Instead of employing fine traversing braiding threads to produce the serrated
selvage, as above described, this object may be effected by employing threads
of about the same substance, but of different material, and specially prepared
for the purpose; for instance, threads prepared and stiffened by gum or other
glutinous material may be employed in combination with limp and unprepared

page_text: threads, which will lie closer than the stiffened threads, and as the limp and
unprepared threads will draw in closer round the selvage than the stiffened
threads the fabric will be narrowed at all such points.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn diagrams of the different
modes of producing the ornamental serrated edgings.
Fig. 1 represents the mode just described, in which the effect is produced
by the introduction of fine braiding threads in place of some of the ordinary
coarse threads. a, a, are the longitudinal india-rubber strands, colored yellow;
b, b, b, are part of the ordinary braiding or platting strands, which form the
body of the fabric, and are colored red; c, c, are the fine braiding threads,
also forming part of the body of the fabric, and whereby the serrated appear-
ance is produced. These threads are colored blue, and it will be seen that
whenever they arrive at the edge of the fabric, the latter is narrowed at those
points; and when the longitudinal india-rubber strands are contracted, the
latter will draw up and widen the fabric, and at the same time throw the
broken edge (produced by the coarser threads) at an angle to the line of
the fabric.
.
Fig. 2 represents a diagram of a fabric, in which the serrated appearance is
produced by a combination of prepared or stiffened threads with limp threads
of about the same substance. a, a, are the longitudinal india-rubber strands;
b, b, are the stiffened or prepared threads; and c, c, are limp unprepared
threads, which draw in and narrow the fabric whenever they arrive at the
selvages. Or a similar effect may be produced by leaving out the two outer-
most india-rubber strands as before, one on each side or selvage of the fabric,
and to put on some of the non-elastic braiding threads a stronger draught or
pressure than is put on the other braiding or platting threads or strands. The
effect of this will be, that those non-elastic braiding threads or strands with the
extra draught or pull on them, will pull or drag over the edge of the fabric,
and will indent the selvage whenever these weighted non-elastic threads or
strands, during their traverse, arrive at either edge of the fabric. The
diagram, Fig. 2, will illustrate the fabric produced by the plan just described.
à, a, are the longitudinal india-rubber strands; b, b, the common braiding
strands; and c, c, the strands which have the extra draught or pull on them.
For example, I take an ordinary braiding or platting machine, constructed to
cover six strands of india-rubber; this machine will contain thirteen traverse
bobbins, each of which would traverse from selvage to selvage of the fabric.
Now, by simply removing the two outer strands of india-rubber, the machine
would be left in the proper state for effecting the object of my Invention. It

page_text: then only remains to adapt an extra weight or pressure to one or more of the
braiding threads, so as to put a stronger draught on them than on the
remainder of the thirteen braiding threads.
By this simple contrivance I am enabled to produce the serrated edge, which
forms the ornamental effect before mentioned.
The ornamental edging may also be produced by leaving out one or more
of the traversing, braiding, or platting threads, as well as the two outermost of
the india-rubber strands, the remaining parts of the braiding machine being
allowed to operate in the ordinary manner without any change whatever. By
this method, however, the india-rubber strands would be left uncovered at
certain parts, as, for instance, at those parts where the missing braiding or
platting threads would otherwise occur, as shewn in Fig. 3.
Another method of producing the desired effect consists in leaving out the
two outermost india-rubber strands as aforesaid, and employing one or more
traversing india-rubber or elastic strands, which are made to traverse to and
fro diagonally across the fabric, from edge to edge, precisely like the ordinary
braiding or platting threads; and a proper amount of tension or draught
being put upon these traversing elastic strands, they will draw in or indent
the selvage of the fabric at all points whenever they arrive at the edge.
In order to produce a serrated, indented, or ornamental edge on one side or
selvage only of the fabric, I cause an elastic or non-elastic strand or thread to
pass between the first and second india-rubber strands and round the outside
or selvage of the fabric, remaining on the outside as long as may be considered
desirable and depending upon the distance of the indentations from each
other. This effect is produced by means of a reserve head, which carries the
additional or ornamenting elastic or non-elastic strand or strands, and this
ornamenting strand or strands is or are, by means of suitable mechanical
contrivances, kept in the reserve head and out of work as long as may be
desired and until they are required to come into operation, when they are
carried forward into the old part of the machine, for the purpose of being
passed a second time between the first and second india-rubber strands. Of
course it will be evident that by this means both edges may be ornamented
by employing an additional elastic strand to work on the opposite edge of the
fabric.
From the foregoing description it will be understood by practical men, that
the essential feature of my improvement consists in working the several
operative parts of the braiding or platting machine without the introduction
in the outer heads of the machine of longitudinal india-rubber or elastic

page_text: strands, as is now the ease; in other words, that no longitudinal india-rubber
or elastic strands are introduced in the outermost plait of the fabric, and
certain of the braiding or platting strands are made to bind or drag on or
indent the sides of the fabric whenever during their traverse they arrive there.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture
of Elastic Fabrics," and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish
it to be understood that I do not mean or intend to confine myself to the
precise mechanical arrangements herein described for producing the intended
effect, as they may, doubtless, be varied in some particulars without departing
from the nature and object of my improvements.
In conclusion, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid, the mode or modes herein described of producing an ornamental
edging on elastic fabrics, made in braiding or platting machinery, by breaking
the straight line of the edging at regular intervals in the process of manu-
facture, and throwing the broken edge at an angle to the line of the fabric,
thereby imparting to the edges of the fabric a serrated or indented
appearance.
In witness whereof, I, the said Archibald Turner, have hercunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
JOHN BURTON,
of Leicester.
A. TURNER. (L.S.)