IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRACES
Year: 1845

page_text: 15EDELLS, Of Leicester, Manua
greeting
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-first day of January, in the eighth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Caleb
Bedells, Her especial licence full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Caleb Bedells, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Caleb Bedells, 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, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my.
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BRACES;" in which said
Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Caleb Bedells,
shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery, within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters 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
Caleb Bedells, lo hereby doclare that the nature of my said Invention and the

page_text: manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described, and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, (that is to say):-
It is well known that in making braces it is usual to make that part which
passes over the shoulders comparatively wide; and at each end narrow straps
are sewn on. Now the object of this Invention is to produce the narrow
straps or proper narrowing of the fabrics in the progress of the manufacture of
the proper webs, by applying strands of india-rubber as weft at the parts which
re required to be narrow. This mode of manufacturing webs is applicable
when making webs with warp and shuttle, and also when making webs of loop
fabrics in what are called warp machines; and the mode is applicable when
making such webs with nonclastic warp threads or yarns separately, or with
non-elastic warp threads or yarns combined with strands of india-rubber in a
covered or uncovered state.
And in order that the Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to
describe the means pursued by me.
When weaving webs in warp and shuttle looms suitable for making
braces, I cause the weaving to be performed by throwing across proper
non-elastic weft of cotton, silk, or other fibre for a length equal to that part
of a brace which is to pass over the shoulder of the wearer; and then
where the narrow parts or straps are required, I proceed to introduce
india-rubber strands as weft (either covered or uncovered), and I continue to
work the loom, throwing in such, india-rubber strands as weft, till a length of
web is produced equal to that which is required for the length of two straps or
narrowed ends or parts of braces; and then again I use non-elastic weft, and
weave a length of web equal to what is required for the widest part, as before
explained, and so on, alternately using elastic weft for some length of the
weaving, and then non-elastic weft for some length, by which the web pro-
duced when taken out of the loom, though all of the same width (owing to the
india-rubber weft being used in the non-elastic state), will, when heat is
applied, as is well understood, be caused to become narrow at all those places
where india-rubber strands are used as weft, and thus will webs be produced
more suitable and useful for making braces. And if more longitudinal elas-
ticity is desired to the webs, then the warps used will contain more or less
strands of india-rubber covered or uncovered, as is well understood.
When webs of loop fabric are to be made according to my Invention, then
india-rubber strands are to be laid into the webs transversely for a length in
each web suitable for making the required length of narrowing, in the same
manner as india-rubber is laid in when making those parts of fabrics which
produce the wristbands of gloves; and, as is well understood, by this means

page_text: webs will be produced in warp machines, partly wide for the shoulder parts of
braces, and partly narrowed for the straps. I would remark that I am aware
that in weaving in warp and shuttle looms, and also in warp machines, india-
rubber has been before laid in transversely of the fabrics produced, applicable to
the making of gloves and other articles; but webs with narrow and wide parts
proper for making braces have not been made in either of thoso classes of
machines, by producing, for a certain length, webs without any transverse
strands of india-rubber, and then introducing india-rubber strands transversely
for such a length of the webs as will be proper for narrowing the same at the
ends, or other parts suitable for the narrow parts or straps of braces. And it
is this mode of making webs for the manufacture of braces, which constitutes
the novelty of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Caleb Bedells, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
CALEB (L.S.) BEDELLS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of July, in
the year of our Lord 1845, the aforesaid Caleb Bedells came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.