A. NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MEASURING ALL KINDS OF WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS OR MATERIALS MADE IN THE LENGTH OR PIECE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Guy Wilson, of the British and Foreign Patent
Office, 71, Market Street, in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "A. NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
MEASURING ALL KINDS OF WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS OR MATERIALS MADE
IN THE LENGTH OR PIECE." A communication from abroad by Antou Dörner,
of Waldheim Saxony, in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Guy Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th October 1879.
OTHER
A communication from
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the British and Foreign Patent Office, 71, Market Street,
in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent. "A NEW
OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MEASURING ALL KINDS OF WOVEN AND
FABRICS OR MATERIALS MADE IN THE LENGTH OR PIECE."
abroad by Antou Dörner, of Waldheim, Saxony, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention principally consists of a measuring drum of any desired breadth
made of polished wood or other suitable material, and mounted horizontally in a
frame work. The circumference of this drum being equal to one meter or one
yard, or any other unit of measurement, is provided on its surface with ten, or
other desired number of horizontal grooves, and is fitted with needle-points suitably
placed and fine enough not to injure the fabric or material required to be measured.
These needle points serve to carry along the fabric or material more regularly than
is possible by the use of rollers alone. Vertically over the centre of this drum is
placed a roller which exercises a slight pressure upon the fabric or material passing
between it and the drum, and so guides the same through the machine.. To prevent
injury to the fabric by the needle points passing below this pressure roller the
latter is provided with corresponding circular grooveз. A feed roller is placed in
front of the measuring drum, and the same is provided with suitably disposed
pieces of paste board which serve to straighten out and lay the fabric evenly on
the surface of the drum. The face of the measuring drum is provided with a
scale indicating the units of measurement, whilst an other scale is fitted to the
frame which indicates by means of the handle of the apparatus, and by a pawl and
ratchet disk the number of revolutions of the measuring drum, that is to say, the
number of measured yards, meters, and the like. For measuring cords the drum
is also provided with a circular groove fitted' with needle points to carry the cords
regularly whilst being measured. The horizontal grooves of the measuring drum
serve at the same time to allow of the passage of the scissors during the cutting off
operation.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Guy Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
April 1880.
JOHN GUY WILSON, of the British and Foreign Patent Office, 71, Market Street,
in the City of Manchester, Mechanical Engineer, and Patent Agent. "A NEW
OR IMPROVED MACHINE FOR MEASURING ALL KINDS OF WOVEN AND OTHER
FABRICS OR MATERIALS MADE IN THE LENGTH OR PIECE." A communication from
abroad by Antou Dörner, of Waldheim, Saxony, in the Empire of Germany.
This Invention principally consists of a measuring drum of any desired breadth
made of polished wood or other suitable material, and mounted horizontally in a
frame work. The circumference of this drum being equal to one meter or one
yard, or any other unit of measurement, is provided on its surface with ten, or
other desired number of horizontal grooves, and is fitted with needle points suitably
placed and fine enough not to injure the fabric or material required to be measured.
These needle points serve to carry along the fabric or material more regularly than
is possible by the use of rollers alone. Vertically over the centre of this drum is
placed a roller which exercises a slight pressure upon the fabric or material passing
between it and the drum, and so guides the same through the machine. To prevent
injury to the fabric by the needle points passing below this pressure roller the
latter is provided with corresponding circular grooves. A feed roller is placed in
front of the measuring drum, and the same is provided with suitably disposed
pieces of paste board which serve to straighten out and lay the fabric evenly on the
surface of the drum. The face of the measuring drum is provided with a scale
indicating the units of measurement, whilst another scale is fitted to the frame
which indicates by means of the handle of the apparatus, and by a pawl and ratchet
disk, the number of revolutions of the measuring drum, that is to say, the numbers
of measured yards, meters, and the like. For measuring cords the drum is also
provided with a circular groove fitted with needle points to carry the cords
regularly whilst being measured. The horizontal grooves of the measuring drum
serve at the same time to allow of the passage of the scissors during the cutting off
operation. On the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal
view partially in section of the improved measuring machine; and Figure 2 is a
front view of the same representing more clearly the indicating apparatus;
Figure 3 is a section upon the line a-b (Figure 2) through the bearer, and indi-
cating disc; Figures 4, 5, and 6 are details of the indicating apparatus and of the
handle; Figures 7, 8, and 9 are details of a modification of the Invention; and
Figures 10 and 11 represent another combination of the crank and handle, with
the registering pawl or indicating apparatus.
This improved measuring machine consists principally of a drum T of any desired
width made of polished wood, or any other suitable material. The circumference
of this drum is exactly equal to one meter, one yard, one ell, or to any other
desired unit of measurement. It is supported by the standards L and L. The
drum T is provided with ten grooves N all arranged parallel to the axis of the
drum, and their distance from each other is equal to, say, the tenth part of the unit
of measure chosen as the circumference of the drum T. The surface of the drum is
also fitted with needle points 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, arranged in alternative positions, and
which points are fine enough not to injure the cloth or other material by entering
its texture. These needle points serve to carry the material along more regularly
than is possible with pressure rollers alone. Vertically over the centre of the
measuring drum T is placed the pressure roller W which exercises only a slight
pressure by its own weight upon the material being measured, and ensures a smooth

page_text: .
is
passing of the fabric through the rollers. In order that no injury of the material
may be possible by the needle points coming in contact with the pressure roller the
latter is provided with circular grooves N₁ corresponding to the needle points, and
thus they pass the roller without touching it.. The conducting roller W' is provided
with paste board spirals, as illustrated, which serve as a deploying means for
straightening or smoothing out the fabric as it enters the machine. The cloth or
other fabric to be measured is carried forward in the direction of the arrows.
Upon the front side of the drum T is applied a scale S' in such that the marks of
division denoting the decimeters on the scale correspond. with the horizontal
grooves of the drum. It is clearly understood that by one revolution of the drum
one meter of the fabric is measured, and that each part of a succeeding meter may
be read on the 'scale of the drum if the scale is divided in the manner hereinbefore
described, that is to say, if the numbers proceed from the right hand to the left
hand side, or in the contrary direction to the fabric. It remains only to describe
the registering and indicating of the meters measured, and this is as follows:-To
the bearer L' is applied the ring R, which is concentrically bored with the bearing
of the drum T. On its face it is fitted with a scale S¹, representing in its entirety
one revolution of the drum, and also indicating the divisions or parts of one meter.
A second ring turns within the ring R, and is fitted as a ratched wheel with
internal teeth. This ring r is held in position by means of the tops of the screws p
projecting into the circular groove n formed on its exterior, and thus the ring r is
prevented from becoming displaced sideways, and is yet free to turn upon its
axis. To the shaft of the measuring drum T is fixed a handle K¹, by means of
which the drum may be caused to revolve, whilst the advance of the ring
indicated on the scale S'. For this purpose the handle K is provided with a double
pawlff, which after each revolution forces the ring to advance one tooth of
the ratchet ring, and at the same time causes the index finger z fixed to the ring r
to advance one mark upon the scale S¹. The pawl f of the handle K slides over
the upper surface of the circular projection ¹ fixed to the bearer L' until the
point y is reached without performing any function, but upon arriving at y it falls
into a tooth of the ratchet-ring r, and advances this tooth one mark of the scale;
this done, the upper projecting pawl f¹ touches the stud Z' fixed to the bearer, and
thereby raises the pawlf from out of gear with the internal ratchet wheel, and into
the position to slide again on the projection . In this way every tooth advanced
represents the measuring of one meter of fabric, and is registered on the scale S¹,
whilst the number of measured meters may be seen on the scale. A modification
of the pawl and handle is represented in the Figures 7, 8, and 9, which differs only
from the before described arrangement in possessing a more perfect and solid
guidance for the pawlf. Another arrangement of mechanism for effecting the same
object is represented by the Figures 10 and 11. In these Figures f is a pawl
swinging round the stud z fixed to the bearer l; x is an eccentric fixed to the
pivot of the measuring drum, or the nave of the crank K, and embraced by the
pawlf. The upper part of the pawl hanging and swinging round and about the
stud x is provided with a slot to allow its up and down movement when influenced
ly the eccentric x. Now in turning the crank K the pawl f makes a combined
motion, it swings round the stud 2, and it moves up and down at the same time
under the influence of the eccentric x. These two combined motions are so
measured and timed that the pawl gears one tooth during one revolution of the
measuring drum. For measuring cords and similar fabrics the drum T is provided
with a circular groove N" fitted with needle points, but the pressure roller W is
not grooved. The horizontal grooves of the measuring drum T serve at the same
time for the insertion of the scissors in cutting off the stuffs. Having thus par-
ticularly described the said Invention, together with the best methods with which
I am acquainted for carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that I claim,-1st. The general arrangement and combination of mechanism
for measuring cloths and other fabrics, substantially as hereinbefore described and

page_text: illustrated on the accompanying Drawing. 2nd. The index rings R and r, in.
combination with the sliding pawls f and f', when mounted and operating
substantially as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Guy Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
1880.
JOHN G. WILSON. (L.S.)