IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO WIRE TASTE, SOMETIMES DENOMINATED RIBBON WIRE, CAP WIRE, OR THREE WIRE RIBBON
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING
TO WIRE TASTE, SOMETIMES DENOMINATED RIBBON WIRE, CAP WIRE, OR
THREE WIRE RIBBON." A communication from abroad by Jesse Fettis, of
New York City, in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 12th January 1877, and dated the 24th October 1876.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Lloyd Wise at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1876.
WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO WIRE TASTE, SOMETIMES DENOMINATED
RIBBON WIRE, CAP WIRE, OR THREE WIRE RIBBON." A communication from
abroad by Jesse Fettis, of New York City, in the State of New York, United
States of America.
"Wire taste has long been known in the market and is of great utility in many
articles of clothing, particularly the head dresses of ladies and children. As
heretofore constructed it was a narrow ribbon or tape of cotton, with three of the
warps omitted and three slender iron wires substituted in the place thereof.
I have discovered that an article rivalling this old manufacture in all its useful
qualities and exceeding it in some of the most important, may be manufactured
rapidly and with little cost, enclosing the wires held at a suitable distance apart
within a folded fabric previously prepared by the ordinary cheap processes in great
widths and cut up into strips. I have devised a construction which conceals and
defends the edge, and the cementing material is doubly useful by contributing
stiffness to the manufacture.
The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out
the Invention. The accompanying Drawings form a part of this Specification.
Figure 1 is a face view of a short length of my completed ribbon wire; Figure 2
a cross section thereof.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the essential parts of the apparatus I employ in
the manufacture.
I cut by hand or by machinery two sets of strips of muslin, one set has a

page_text: width nearly twice as great as the proposed article, the other is less than half as
wide. I wind these sets on separate reels ready to be delivered as required.
I lead through suitable guides under proper tension two wires at a proper
distance apart to form the edges of my narrow goods, and I lead midway between
them a yarn of cotton. All of these, the two wires and the cotton yarn, are
moistened with the cementing material, preferably a strong solution of size or glue
with water and dextrine. I lead through a suitable folding guide one of the wide
strips of muslin and fold the edges inward over the wires. So soon as the edges
are fairly folded over, the narrow strip previously made adhesive with the cementing
material on its under surface, is pressed down and covers the folded edge and nearly
the entire upper surface. The thread or yarn presented in the middle of the width
is held between the abutting edges of the wide strip. The material having been
properly compressed together in this condition is dried and wound on thin board
for sale and use.
Referring to the Figures, A, A, are the edge wires; B, the central yarn; and
C, C, the broad strip of muslin; D, is the narrow strip; and e, the dextrine or
other cement. I prefer that the drying shall only be carried to a moderate extent
by rapid artificial heat, and that it shall be completed by the slower process of
exposure to the air in the shade. I thus increase the toughness of the product.
Referring to Figure 3, G is a roller partially immersed in a dish containing the
liquid cementing material, and slowly revolving as the narrow strip of material D
is drawn in contact therewith; F is a scraper that removes most of the cement and
allows only just enough to go over on the roller and be transferred to the lower
face of the strip D. The two wires A, A, and the intermediate yarn are wound
around a wheel which is partially immersed in a dish of cement, as shewn in
Figure 3; H is a folding guide through which the wide fabric C, C, is drawn and
folded over upon the wires and yarn; I, J, are rollers, preferably of india-rubber,
which press the compound and dampened material gently but firmly together; K is
a steam-heated cylinder, around which the finished but damp fabric is carried one
or more times and partially dried.
'
I can use wires for all three of the longitudinal parts, A, B, if preferred, and can
use more than three of the wires or other longitudinal parts. I can use paper
instead of muslin for one or both of the parts C, D. Preferably, however, the whole
is made exactly as I have described. It can be produced rapidly by machinery.
The machines are found to require but little skill or care.
By the employment of a yarn B instead of an additional wire along the centre of
the ribbon, I secure a proper abutment for the folded edges C' of the strip C without
the increased cost and weight which would be caused by the addition of another
wire."
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
it as communicated to me as aforesaid, I claim,-
1st. The folded fabric C, C¹, enclosing the wires A, A, held at a distance apart,
as and for the purposes herein specified.
2ndly. The compound ribbon wire described having the folded fabric C, C¹,
wires A, A, and covering strip D joined by a cementing material e, as herein
specified.
3rdly. The central yarn B and edge wires A in combination with the flexible
folded strip C, C¹, and covering strip Ď, as and for the purposes herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
TIT TLAND WISin
W. LLOYD WISE. (...)