THE MANUFACTURE OF A NEW KIND OF THREAD, AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"
THE MANUFACTURE OF A NEW KIND OF THREAD, AND MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by the Company,
Daniel Rousseau and Co., of Paris, France, Silk Manufacturers.
Sealed the 27th December 1879, and dated the 10th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1879.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. THE MANUFACTURE OF A NEW KIND OF
THREAD, AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS THEREFOR." [A communication from
abroad by the Company, Daniel Rousseau and Co., of Paris, France, Silk
Manufacturers.]
This Invention has for its object a novel manufacture of thread which is so made
that it presents the appearance of a thread with pearls fixed thereon at intervals.
For obtaining this result the thread has applied to it at suitable intervals drops of a
pasty matter which is vitrifiable or crystallizable, and which in solidifying forms an
adherent bead resembling a pearl which has a vitreous appearance, and which may
have any desired colour.
It will be understood that this result can be obtained with thread of any material,
such as silk, flax, cotton, hemp, wool, and of any size and kind, such as ordinary
thread cords used for trimming, and other cords or lines. The thread before the
operation of pearling or applying the so called pearls thereto may be prepared or
worked in any desired manner, for instance, by the process known as diapering or
figuring.
In the production of the aforesaid thread with its adherent pearls any suitable
material may be employed that is susceptible of solidification by cooling,
evaporation, or otherwise, for instance, wax, resin, varnish, gum lac, enamel, or
the like.
This improved thread with the adhering so-called pearls may be manufactured by
hand or by any suitable mechanism. In manufacturing the same by hand the
thread may be first impregnated with the matter which is to form the said pearls

page_text: by bringing portions of it at suitable intervals into an aperture or slit formed
in a small tube communicating with a reservoir containing a quantity of such
matter.
This pearl-thread-may-be-used-for-lace-work_or_embroidery, for trimming or
ornamenting articles of dress, for the manufacture of woven fabrics, and
otherwise.
This Invention also-comprises machinery for the manufacture of the above
described pearl thread. This machinery-has a reservoir or kind of hopper wherein
is placed the liquid matter which is to form the pearls. This reservoir is furnished
with a number of tubes closed at their lower end, and each being-perforated-with a
small hole or orifice in such a manner that the liquid can form into pearls at all of
-these orifices. The operator turning the thread horizontally brings the thread into
engagement with all of these orifices; when it is removed therefrom the drops of
liquid are carried with and adhere to the said thread. By their drying and hardening
these drops form the so called pearls, as above described.
Below the said tubes there is placed a small receiver for the surplus liquid:
The prepared thread is drawn along by a weighted reel at successive intervals,
according as it is presented by the operator to the above described apparatus.
The aforesaid reel has preferably four bars united by arms, and whereon the pearl
thread is wound. The said reel is secured on a shaft by means of a screw which
may be readily unscrewed to permit a reel full of the pearl thread to be removed and
replaced by an empty reel.
To ensure the thorough drying of the wet thread, and prevent the sticking
together of adjacent threads, the said reel is caused to advance in proportion to its
rotation. For this purpose the said shaft has on a portion of its length a screw-
thread so formed as to cause it to advance in a bearing which is also formed with a
thread, while the other part of the shaft and its bearing are plain; therefore the
shaft as it turns advances or moves endwise in these bearings. The said bearings.
have no upper part, so that the shaft and reel may be raised thereon as required.
The control of the reel is effected by means of a weight attached to the extremity
of a cord which is coiled on a drum and passed over a driving pulley. The shaft of
the said drum carries a toothed wheel which gears with a pinion on the said shaft.
This pinion is fitted to slide upon the said shaft which is grooved to receive a
feather in the boss of the said pinion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
January 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "THE MANUFACTURE OF A NEW KIND OF
THREAD, AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS THEREFOR." A communication from
abroad by the Company, Daniel Rousseau and Co., of Paris, France, Silk
Manufacturers.
This Invention has for its object a novel kind of thread, which may be called
pearl thread, so manufactured as to present the appearance of a thread on which
pearls or beads are strung at intervals. To obtain this result I impregnate the
thread with drops of a pasty vitrifiable or crystillizable matter, the said drops
having intervening spaces between them. This matter as it hardens forms an
adherent bead of a vitrous appearance and of any desired colour.
This result can be obtained with thread of silk, flax, cotton, hemp, wool, or other
material of any required thickness or quality, such as ordinary thread laces, small
cords, or horsehair. These threads can be submitted before the beading process to
any required operation, especially that known as diapering or figuring.
To obtain in this manner adherent beads I may employ any materials susceptible
of solidification by the action of cold, or by evaporation, or otherwise, and more
especially wax, resin, varnish, gum, gum-lac, enamel, and the like.
These pearl
threads or strings of beads can be manufactured by hand or mechanically. To
make them by hand I can impregnate the thread with the substance forming the
beads by introducing the thread at proper intervals into an opening or slit made in
a small tube communicating with a receptacle in which the pearl or bead forming
substance is contained. These threads or strings of beads can be used for any
purpose, for gimp or trimmings of dresses, or for the making up of fabrics, or for
other like purposes.
The accompanying Drawing shews the different arrangements of the mechanical
apparatus employed to make the said pearl or beaded threads.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the most simple arrangement of the beading
apparatus.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same; it consists of a reservoir or species
of hopper A, in which the bead forming liquid or substance is placed. This hopper
is furnished with tubes a closed at their lower extremities and perforated with a
small hole o near the bottom so that the liquid forms beads or drops at each of these
orifices. The operator holding the thread horizontally inserts it simultaneously in
all of these orifices; when it is raised or withdrawn the drops of liquid adhere to
the thread or string, and in hardening they becoine beads. Under the tubes a is
placed a small overflow receptacle q.
The prepared thread or string is wound on a reeling apparatus in successive
lengths as the operator presents them to the aforesaid apparatus.
This reeling
apparatus is shewn detached in side and end view in Figures 3 and 4 ; it is composed
of four bars b connected by arms c.on which is wound the thread or string when
beaded. The reel is secured to its axle o by means of a thumb screw which is.
easily unscrewed to permit the removal of the reel when it is covered with the
beaded string, and to substitute an empty reel. In order that the thread moistened
with the liquid may be thoroughly dried, and that the adjacent strings may not
adhere to each other, the reel is caused to move slowly endwise as it turns. For
this purpose the shaft or axle o is screw-threaded for a portion of its length so as to
pass through the half bearing d seen detached in Figures 5 and 6, whilst the half
bearing e and the corresponding portion of the axle are not screw-threaded..
Therefore the axle o will advance or move endwise as it turns.

page_text: The said bearings have no upper parts, so as to permit of the ready removal of
the reel and axle. The reel is worked by a weight p attached to the extremity of
a rope which is wound round the drum 'g, passing over a return pulley h. On the
-axle-of-the-drum-is-fixed-the-wheel-k-which-gears-with-the-pinion-m-of-the-axle-o.
The pinion seen detached in Figure 7 is free to slide on the axle o, and for this purpose
the axle is grooved, and the boss of-the-pinion has a stud or feather projecting into
'
the groove.
Figure 8 shows an elevation of the entire apparatus; the beading apparatus is
'shewn on the left, and the above described recling apparatus on the right of the
same. The other Figures of the Drawing represent a machine which performs the
whole of the work mechanically. In this self acting machine the thread is taken
from the bobbins and passes into the beading apparatus, it is then lowered to
impregnate it with the bead forming substance; and, lastly, is wound on the drying
reels. All of these operations are carried on continuously, and the operator has but
to turn the handle which sets in motion at the proper time all of the parts of the
said machine. The arrangement and working of this machine will easily be under-
stood by reference to the following Figures of the Drawing.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal elevation.
Figure 10 is an end elevation.
Figure 11 is a plan, and
Figure 12 is a longitudinal section on the line A, B, Figure 11.
This machine has a frame A supporting the thread bobbins B and the beading
apparatus; alongside the frame is the reel carrier. The machine is capable
of manufacturing simultaneously several strings of beads, the number of the
bobbins B and reels D being varied as required; there are supposed to be four of
each of these, but only two are shown in the Drawing. The threads f from the
bobbins B pass through the guides a, then over the tubes b which present on their
upper surfaces small apertures through which the thread is impregnated with the
viscous mixture when lowered to these apertures. These tubes bare supplied by
two funnels c from which they hang, the said funnels are mounted on supports d
which permit of their being raised or lowered at will to vary the spaces between
the threads and between the tubes at the moment when the threads are raised. On
leaving the tubes b the threads pass over or under the pullies p which are peculiarly
shaped, as shewn in Figure 12, so as to preserve the beads intact. Numerous beads
or strings can be passed over or under each of the pullies, although two only are
shewn in the Drawing. The level of these pullies is such that the threads are by
being stretched maintained above the tubes b. The beaded strings are then directed
to the reeling apparatus D, and thereby wound.
In order that the threads may be impregnated with the bead or pearl forming
matter it is only necessary to lower them to the holes in the tubes b. Their
depression is obtained by the means of two blades e, e¹, one of which, e, is free in its
support (see Figure 13), the other, e¹, works over a cushion g of felt or other suitable
-material;-each-blade-is-furnished with a counterpoise h. It is important that the
threads be impregnated on all sides with the viscous matter in order that the drops
shall exactly represent pearls or beads. To this end the threads or strings when
lowered are submitted to a slight twisting motion so that they turn in the holes of
the tubes b. This twisting motion is imparted to the threads by two slides i, i³,
between which they pass.
These slides and the mechanism connected with them are shewn detached in
Figure 14, which is a section on the line C, D, Figure 11. One of the slides i is
stationary, the other, i¹, is mounted on a balanced rod ; which is moved when the
threads are not lowered on the tubes b, but which presses on the threads when the
beads are being formed. The pressing faces of these slides are covered with cloth
or felt, and each slide has an oscillating motion which causes the threads to rotate,
as in twirling a thread between the fingers.
guide (Figure 12), preferably of a sheet
regulate the distances between the threads.
Parallel to the twisting slides is a
of copper, with slits therein which
Motion is imparted to the shaft or

page_text: axle o by the handle M which the operator turns by hand, but a treadle motion
may be substituted for this handle, or the apparatus may be worked mechanically.
To the axle O is attached the pinion E which gears with the wheel F fixed to the
axle G on which are mounted the cams that regulate the action of the aforesaid
blades and slides. As seen in Figure 13 the blades e, c¹, tend constantly to lower
the threads (shewn in full lines) by the action of the counterpoise h, but they are
upheld, as shewn by dotted lines, when the beaded or pearled threads have to pass
on to the reeling apparatus by the action of the cams of the axle G.
The raising of the friction slide i (Figure 14) is effected by the lever m jointed
(or hinged) in the middle, and actuated by the cam n of the axle G.
The motion of the two slides i, i, is caused by the beam o and the connecting
rods q, the beam o being acted on by the connecting rod r jointed on the pinion
E of the axle or shaft o.
At one end the shaft G carries a bevel wheel H which gears with the wheel I of
the crank shaft J. The latter shaft imparts through the connecting rod K. an
oscillating motion to the crank L; this is provided with a catch s which acts on the
ratchett of the shaft N. By these means the shaft N is caused to revolve only
when the threads ƒ are raised. This shaft imparts motion to the aforesaid
reeling apparatus as hereinafter explained. The shaft N carries a pulley P con-
nected by a belt with the pulley Pi of the first reel. The reels are connected with
each other by means of the pulleys P2, P3, P4, and as I have already explained it is
important in order that the threads should not stick together that the reels should
have a longitudinal motion. For this purpose each shafts of the reeling apparatus
has a screw thread at the end whereby it is caused to advance as it revolves.
ensure the continuity of the action it is necessary that the pulley P¹ should follow
the other pulleys; to this end its shaft N is also screw-threaded and slides through
the ratchet wheel t, the said shaft and ratchet wheel being connected by a pin and
groove.
To
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. As a novel manufacture the pearl or beaded thread of silk, wool, cotton,
flax, hemp, horsehair, or other material on which are deposited drops of any suitable
viscous and vitrifiable or crystallizable substance for the purpose specified.
Second. The employment in the manufacture of this beaded or pearl thread of
any suitable vitrifiable or crystallizable substances of any desired colors, applied to
the thread by hand or mechanically, the thread or string being prepared or not
prepared in any particular manner before the process of beading.
Third. The apparatus hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 of
the Drawing, for the manufacture of the said beaded or pearl thread, as above set
forth.
Fourth. The self-acting or automatic machine for the manufacture of the aforesaid
bead thread, substantially as described, and represented in Figures 9 to 14 of the
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Tenth day of January in the year of our Lord One
Wч. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)