IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MEASURING PIECE GOODS AND FABRICS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry William Grace Child, of College Hill,
in
the City of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR MEASURING PIECE GOODS AND FABRICS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by William Frombling, of Bielefeld, Prussia.
Sealed the 14th September 1875, and dated the 2nd April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry William Grace
Child at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd April 1875.
I, HENRY WILLIAM GRACE CHILD, of College Hill, in the City of
London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MEASURING PIECE GOODS AND FABRICS," to be
as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct a simple and cheap portable
apparatus for measuring piece goods and fabrics, and which may be
fixed to an ordinary table or counter.

page_text: The apparatus consists of a cast-iron wheel of, say, half a yard in
_circumference mounted on a horizontal shaft having its bearings in a
metal frame, which is hinged at its rear end to a second and smaller
frame intended to be fixed to the table or counter.
The cast-iron wheel which bears on the fabric to be measured is fluted 5
or corrugated on its periphery, or is otherwise roughed so as to take a
firm grip on the fabric as it passes under it. This wheel has, say, four
radii or spokes, each of which is intended to indicate the eighth of a
yard, and the spaces on the felloc of the wheel between the spokes may
be marked to indicate sixteenths of a yard.
1
A worm wheel on the horizontal shaft gears into a worm wheel
mounted on a vertical shaft, which has its bearings in a vertical frame
attached to-tho-main frame, and to the upper end of the vertical shaft
is fitted a dial plate which is divided off to represent a certain number of
yards. This dial plate is provided with a ratchet wheel and pawl, and if 1
desired any suitable tell-tale apparatus may be attached to it to give
notice when one revolution has been completed. A fixed pointer is also
provided, so that the attendant may have little difficulty in setting or
adjusting the apparatus before commencing to measure.
The mode of working the apparatus is as follows-The apparatus 2
being set and attached to the table the fabric is introduced, and is pulled
by the attendant under the main wheel, which rests with its whole
weight thereon. By this means motion is given to the wheel, and by
means of the worm gear wheels a rotary motion is communicated to the
dial plate. The main frame being hinged at its rear end allows of the
whole weight of the apparatus bearing on the fabric, and thus sufficient
friction is obtained to turn the bearing wheel.
Although the apparatus can be fixed to an ordinary table or counter it
is preferred to have special tables with staves to give the tension or
stretching required by soft goods, such as flannels or moleskins, and a
winch or other suitable apparatus will be provided, whereby the goods
can be wound or rolled upon a roller or beam as they are measured.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry William Grace Child in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 2nd October 1875
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WILLIAM GRACE CHILD, of College Hill, in the City of London, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and' seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry William Grace Child, Her special
licence, that I, the said Henry William Grace Child, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
William Grace Child, 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 "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MEASURING PIECE GOODS AND
FABRICS," being a communication to me from abroad by William
Frombling, of Bielefeld, Prussia, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henry William Grace Child, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry William Grace Child, do
hereby declare the nature of the 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
hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-

page_text: portable apparatus for measuring picce goods and fabrics, and which
be fixed to an ordinary table or counter.
may
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the
improved apparatus; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
The apparatus consists of a cast-iron wheel A. of, say, half a yard in i
circumference mounted on a horizontal shaft B, having its bearings in
a metal frame C, which is hinged at its rear end to a second and smaller
frame D, which is fixed to the table or counter by means of screws or
clamps, or in any other suitable manner
The cast-iron wheel A, which bears on the fabric to be measured is
fluted or corrugated on its periphery, or is otherwise roughed so as to
take a firm grip on the fabric as it passes under it
This wheel has, say,
four radu or spokes, cach of which indicates the eighth of a yard, and
the spaces on the felloc of the wheel between the spokes may be marked
to indicate sixteenths of a yard
On the horizontal shaft B is a worm E (shown by dots in Fig 2),
which gears into a worm wheel F mounted on a vertical shaft G, which
has its bearings in a vertical frame II attached to the main frame C of
the apparatus To the upper end of the vertical shaft G is fitted a dial
plate I, which is divided off to represent a certain number of yards, say,
fifty. This dial plate I is provided with a ratchet wheel J and pawle J'.
If desired any suitable tell-tale apparatus may be attached to it to give
notice when one revolution of the dial has been completed. A fixed
pointer K is also provided, so that the attendant may have little difficulty
in setting or adjusting the apparatus before commencing to measure.
The mode of working the apparatus is as follows -The apparatus is
set by turning the dial plate I until the number fifty is opposite the
pointer K, and the fabric is then introduced under the main wheel A.
The fabric is then pulled forward by the attendant, whereby motion is
given to the wheel A, and by means of the woim and gear wheels a
rotary motion is communicated to the dial plate. The main frame
being hinged at its rear end allows of the whole weight of the apparatus
bearing on the fabric, and thus sufficient friction is obtained to turn the
bearing wheel.

page_text: Fig. 3), or it may be passed to a folding machine to be rolled up or
folded, as may be desired, and a winch or other device may be provided,
whereby to actuate the roller or beam.
Although the apparatus can be fixed to an ordinary table or counter it
is preferred to construct special tables with staves to give the tension or
stretchung required by soft goods such as flannels or moleskins. When
a special table is not employed a spring L in rear of the wheel A, and
carrying a presser foot, is used to give the necessary tension.
The apparatus may be easily fitted to machines such as looms so as to
measure the fabric as it is manufactured.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect as communicated
to me from my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the improved
apparatus herein described for measuring picco goods and fabrics, or any
mere modification thereof, consisting of a bearing wheel mounted in a
hinged frame, and provided with mechanism for actuating a counting
apparatus, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry William Grace Child, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the First day of October,
m the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
A