AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MILANESE OR FLOSS CORD
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Dew, of Derby, in the County of Derby,
Machinist, for the Invention of “AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS
FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MILANESE OR FLOSS CORD."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Dew at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1871.
I, BENJAMIN DEW, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE
OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MILANESE OR FLOSS CORD," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of cords which are formed
of a core of cotton or other inferior fibre and a covering of silk, mohair,
or other superior fibre, the use of the cords being to manufacture therefrom
fringes of various kinds and union or binding cords.
In carrying out my Invention, instead of using as heretofore the slide
upon which the combination of the core and covering strands takes
place on their passage from their respective bobbins to the flyer, I lead

page_text: the cotton or core cord through fixed guides, one above and one below
a guide plate, which in addition to being pierced with a central hole
of suitable size to pass down to the flyer the cord and covering strands
is pierced with a ring of holes set at equal distances apart and corre-
sponding in number with the number of covering strands desired to
be laid. These fixed guides are mounted with their centres in the line
of the axis of the flyer spindle, and set around the guides are the bobbins
containing the covering strands. The strands are led from their bobbins
up through their respective holes in the pierced plate, and thence down
the central hole together with the core (through the lower guide) to
the flyer. When therefore rotary motion is given to the flyer the core
being held steadily by the guides and the covering strands advancing
at tension in a radial direction thereto the strands will be lapped evenly
around the core and a covered cord will be produced which will be taken
up by or laid upon the bobbin of the flyer.
I would remark that the even manner in which I am enabled to lay
the covering strands around their core permits of variously colored
strands being employed, the most perfect uniformity of variation being
obtained throughout the length of the fabric.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Dew in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
DEW, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Benjamin Dew, Her special licence,
that I, the said Benjamin Dew, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Benjamin Dew, 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,

page_text: within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND
APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MILANESE OF FLOSS CORD," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Benjamin Dew, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hand 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 Benjamin Dew, 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 Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of cords which are formed
of a core of cotton or other inferior fibre and a covering of silk, mohair, or
other superior fibre, the use of the cords being to manufacture therefrom
fringes of various kinds and union or binding cords.
In carrying out this manufacture the combination of the core and
covering strands has heretofore taken place on a slide carried by the
workman. This mode of manufacture has the disadvantages of requiring
the cord to be produced in short lengths and of using a length of cover-
ing strands disproportioned to the length of the core cord, and con-
sequently rendering the covering strands liable to displacement when
the cord is being worked up into fringe, and of the strands being
distributed unequally over the core.
Now according to my Invention I use automatic machinery in which
I lead the cotton or core cord through fixed guides, one above and one
below a guide plate, which latter in addition to being pierced with a
central hole of suitable size to pass down to the flyer, the core and
covering strands is pierced with a ring of holes set, say, at equal distances
apart, and corresponding in number with the number of covering strands
desired to be laid. These fixed guides are so mounted that the holes
through which the core cord passes is in the line of the axis of the flyer
spindle, and set around the guides are the bobbins containing the covering
strands. The covering strands are led from their bobbins up through

page_text: their respective holes in the pierced plate, and thence down the central
hole together with the core (through the lower guide) to the flyer.
When therefore rotary motion is given to the flyer, the core being held
steadily by the guides and the covering strands advancing at tension in
a radial direction thereto, the strands will be lapped evenly around the
core, and a covered cord will be produced which will be taken up by or
laid upon the bobbin of the flyer.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn in several views my
improved apparatus for manufacturing Milanese cord.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved machine; Fig. 2 is a vertical
section of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the
pierced guide plate and the bobbins which carry the covering strands,
and Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on the same scale of this part of the
machine.
2
A, A, is the framing of the machine similar to that of the throstle;
it is fitted at front with a spindle B, carrying a flyer C; over this spindle
is placed a bobbin D, which rests upon a copping rail E, which rail
receives an up-and-down motion by means of the ordinary heart cam
motion for the purpose of distributing the covered cord as it is spun over
the bobbin. The bobbin is provided with a pulley for driving it at a
speed somewhat inferior to that of the spindle and flyer. The spindle B
and bobbin D are both driven by the endless cord F, which passes over
a pulley on the main driving shaft G, and is held at tension by a pulley H
mounted on a pendent lever H³ the upper end of which is connected to a
fixed point by a coiled spring H2. Set immediately above the flyer is a
H².
guide plate I (shewn in plan view at Fig. 3) pierced with holes to receive
respectively the cotton core cord or strands, and also the covering strands
of silk. The central hole of this group of holes is in a line with the axis of
the spindle B, and above it and below it are fitted the guides I³, I³, each
pierced with one hole to receive the cord and hold it steady while the 3
covering operation is proceeding. These guides are held together by a
screw bolt which may serve also to secure a bracket which carries a pair
of guide rollers K (see Fig. 4) when the same are required to be used.
The cord to be covered is led down from a bobbin L (Figures 1 and 2)
between a pair of feed rollers M to the guides and guide plate I, and the 3
cord passing thence is led to the flyer, which lays it (when covered) on to
the bobbin D. On either side of the guides and guide plate I are
arranged the bobbins N which carry the covering strands. These bobbins

page_text: may be of any desired number, and may contain silk or wool of any
desired colour. The number however of these bobbins and the number of
the holes in the plate I surrounding the central hole should correspond,
or rather the number of bobbins or holes in use for the time being should
correspond. The covering strands are severally introduced to their
respective holes in the guide plate I by being led to the under side
thereof, and they are then drawn up over the plate and led down the
central hole through which the core cord passes. Thus they will
approach the cord which they are intended to cover in a radial direction,
being drawn down with the cord as the action of the flyer proceeds.
This manner of bringing the covering strands up to the cord to be
covered ensures their always being at a proper tension, and as the cord
is held steadily by the guides I while the covering operation is pro-
ceeding an uniform lapping of the covering strands around the core will
be secured.
I would remark that the even manner in which I am enabled to lay
the covering strands around or upon their core permits of variously
colored strands being employed, the most perfect uniformity of variation
being obtained throughout the length of the fabric.
The mode of transmitting motion from the driving shaft G to the feed
rollers M is indicated in Fig. 2. In some cases it may be desirable to
supplement these feed rollers M with guide rollers, as shewn at K,
Fig. 4. These I propose to employ when making a harder twisted cord,
their action being to prevent the twist running back.
In the Drawing I have shewn the machine as adapted only to making
one floss cord at a time, but it will be obvious that the framing admits
of extension laterally to receive any desired number of groups of appa-
ratus such as that described. The number of spindles being limited only
by the capacity of the attendant to superintend the operation of the
machine, and piece the broken threads.
I would further remark that the requisite tension put on the covering
strands by the pierced guide plate I may be also attained by fitting that
plate with tension pins or their equivalent and laying the strands over
them on their passage to the central hole.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved
Mode of and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Milanese or Floss Cord,"
and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to
be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I

page_text: claim, the means above described or any mere modification thereof for
laying the covering strands upon the core cord, whereby I am enabled to
avoid the disadvantages and secure the advantages above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Dew, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
BENJAMIN DEW. (L.S.)