IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAP OR BONNET FRONTS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Timothy Railton, of the City of Manchester, Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAP OR BONNET FRONTS."
Sealed the 16th April 1859, and dated the 28th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Timothy Railton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th October 1858.
I, TIMOTHY RAILTON, of the City of Manchester, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAP OR BONNET FRONTS," to be as follows:-
In making cap or bonnet fronts, the apparatus hitherto employed has
consisted of two parallel holders hinged together, and the front, when made,
has been parallel throughout its length. Now my Invention consists in making
the holders of such a shape that the centre of the front is lower than the two
extremities, the front gradually increasing in width.
Another part of my Invention consists in making one of the holders with a
hinged division at each end, so that the cap or bonnet front may be made with
three sides. When the blond or net or other fabric of which the front is to be
made has been laid in the holders, the hinged parts of them are closed, and

page_text: the projecting selvages are secured together by placing a damp piece of muslin
or other material over them, and passing a hot iron over it, the stiffening in the
blond or net answering the purpose of starch or cement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Timothy Railton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, TIMOTHY
RAILTON, of the City of Manchester, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Timothy Railton, Her special licence that I, the said Timothy
Railton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Timothy Railton, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CAP OR BONNET
FRONTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Timothy Railton,
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 Timothy Railton, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 (that is to say):-
In making cap or bonnet fronts, the apparatus hitherto generally employed
has consisted of two parallel holders hinged together, and the front, when
made, has been parallel throughout its length. Now my Invention consists in
making the holders of such a shape that the centre of the front is lower than
the two extremities, the front gradually increasing in width.

page_text: Another
I part of
my Invention consists in making one of the holders with a
hinged division at each end, and so that the cap or bonnet front may be made
with three sides. When the blond or net or other fabric of which the front is to
be made, has been laid in the holders, the hinged parts of them are closed and
the projecting selvages are secured together by placing a band or folded piece
of net or other fabric over them, and then laying a damp piece of muslin or
other material thereon; a hot iron is then passed over the damp muslin or
other fabric, thereby causing the stiffening or dressing in the blond or net to
adhere together, and thus uniting the selvages.
And in order that my Invention may be better understood, and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me,
reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is an end view, and Figure 3 a plan
of my improved-holders or apparatus employed in the manufacture of cap or
bonnet fronts; Figure 4 is an end view of the apparatus when closed, and of
the block on which it is placed, and Figure 5 a plan of the same; a, a, are the
two outer, and b, b, the two inner partitions of the holders, one of each is
hinged to one of the bottom plates c, c, which latter are also hinged together.
The strips of blond or net or other fabric to be made into a cap or bonnet
front, after having been goffered or otherwise prepared in the ordinary manner,
are placed in the holders, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3, the
attendant then closes the holders, as shewn in Figure 4, and cuts off with a
pair of scissors or otherwise that part of the fabric which, owing to the raised
shape of the holders, projects beyond the selvage required for securing the
fabrics together; the closed holder is then placed on the block or board d,
shewn in Figures 4 and 5, and the selvages are secured together by placing a
band or folded piece of net or other fabric over them; a damp piece of muslin
or other material is then laid thereon, and a hot iron is passed over the damp
muslin or other material, the stiffening or dressing in the blond or other fabric
is thus caused to adhere together, thereby uniting the selvages.
Another part of my Invention consists in making one side of the holder
with a hinged partition e at each end, as shewn partly in Figure 6, so that the
cap or bonnet front may be made with three sides or rows of blond, net, or
other material.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the particular form of, nor to the precise mode of constructing the holder
or apparatus, but what I do claim is the improvements in apparatus as shewn

page_text: and described, or any mere modification thereof, whereby cap or bonnet fronts
of gradually increasing widths may be produced.
In witness whereof, I, the said Timothy Railton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
H. B. BARLOW,
Manchester.
TIM. RAILTON. (L.S.).