IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLESS GARMENTS OR OTHER USEFUL ARTICLES OF FELT
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, of 32, Essex
Street, Strand, London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLESS GARMENTS OR OTHER USEFUL ARTICLES
OF FELT." A communication.
Sealed the 19th October 1855, and dated the 25th April 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux
Bellford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 25th April 1855.
I, AUGUSTE EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 32, Essex Street, Strand,
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLEES GARMENTS OR OTHER USEFUL
ARTICLES OF FELT" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in a novel method of forming the various parts
necessary to the production of seamless garments or other articles of felt, which
is described as follows:-
A bat of fur, wool, or other fibrous material that is capable of being fitted is
formed in the same way in all respects as for making ordinary felt cloth, being
in a flat sheet of any desired size, and having the fibres crossed by any of the
usual methods. This bat is placed upon the machine usually known as the
hardener, felter, or jigger, between two linen or cotton sheets. Above or below
these sheets is placed a pattern, which may either be permanently attached to
the machine as a part of the hardening plate, or may be detached therefrom,

page_text: and made of a number of layers of woven or other fibrous material secured
together in any convenient manner. It should be of considerable thickness,
say, half an inch or upward, and made to conform' in shape to the article
required, or any portion thereof, only being reduced to such an extent as may
be deemed necessary where a union corresponding to a seam is subsequently
to be effected, so. that in those places a margin of, say, two or three inches
may be left, which margin, together with all other parts of the bat not directly
embraced within the limits of the pattern, being protected from the action of
the hardener, felter, or jigger by the interposition of the pattern, will remain
nearly or quite unfelted and soft, whereas those parts which are covered
by or rest upon the pattern will receive the whole weight and action of the
hardening plates, aud will consequently become thoroughly hardened or felted.
The hardening having been accomplished as above described, the bat is
taken from the machine, and all the soft unfelted parts removed, except those
necessary to be retained to effect the union of the several parts to form the
article desired. Having prepared the bat and obtained margins of soft unfelted
wool, the perfect union of the several parts is to be effected simply by felting,
as in the old and. well-known process of forming felt hat bodies, proper care
being taken to separate those parts not to be united by interposing linen or
cotton cloths.
The great advantage of the above process consists in the fact that the
margins to be united retain their felting properties unimpaired; whereas had
the bat been felted uniformly throughout, this would not be the case, as the
difficulty of uniting would be much greater, and the risk of imperfections
much increased.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 25th October 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTE
EDOUARD LORADOUX BELLFORD, of 32, Essex Street, Strand, London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford, Her special licence that I, the
said Auguste Edouard Loradoux. Bellford, my executors, administrators, and.
assigns, or such others as I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OP SEAMLESS GARMENTS OR OTHER USEFUL ARTICLES OF FELT," a communication,
upon the condition (amongst others). that I, the said Auguste Edouard
Loradoux Bellford, by an instrument in writing. under my hand and seal,
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 Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
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, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in a novel method of forming the various parts
necessary to the production of seamless garments or other articles of felt, which
is described as follows:-
Above or
A bat of fur, wool, or other fibrous material that is capable of being felted
is formed in the same way in all respects as for making ordinary felt cloth,
being in a flat sheet of any desired size, and having the fibres crossed by any.
of the usual methods. This bat is placed upon the machine usually known as
the hardener, felter, or jigger, between two linen or cotton sheets.
below these sheets is placed a pattern, which may either be permanently
attached to the machine as a part of the hardening plate, or may be detached
therefrom, and made of a number of layers of woven or other fibrous material
secured together in any convenient manner. It should be of considerable
thickness, say, half an inch or upwards, and made to conform in shape to the
article required, or any portion thereof, only being reduced to such an extent
as may be deemed necessary where an union, corresponding to a seam is
subsequently to be effected, so that in those places a margin of, say, two or
three inches may be left, which margin, together with all other parts of the
bat not directly embraced within the limits of the pattern, being protected from
the action of the hardener, felter, or jigger by the interposition of the pattern,
will remain nearly or quite unfelted and soft, whereas those parts which are

page_text: covered by or rest upon the pattern will receive the wholé weight and action
of the hardening plate, and will consequently become thoroughly hardened or
felted.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate the use of the pattern. A, A, Figs. 1
and 2, represent bats; B, Fig. 1, is a pattern for a coat body; and C, Fig. 2,
a pattern for a sleeve. In both Figures the extent of the reduction of the
patterns is indicated by dotted lines, which represent the margin required for
the union of the parts; the letters a, a, in Fig. 1, indicating margins left for the
union of the sleeves; b, b, indicating lines in which the bat is to be cut to
receive gussets; and c, c, indicating margins for the union of the gussets. In
Fig. 2, d, d, indicate margins to be united together to produce the sleeve;
and e, margin for the union of the sleeve with the body.
The hardening having been accomplished as above described, the bat is
taken from the machine, and all the soft unfelted parts removed, except those
necessary to be retained. to effect the union of the several parts to form the
article desired. Having prepared the bat and obtained margins of soft unfelted
wool, the perfect union of the several parts is to be effected simply by felting,
as in the old and well-known process of forming felt hat bodies, proper care
being taken to separate those parts not to be united by interposing linen or
cotton cloths.
The great advantage of the above process consists in the fact that the
margins to be united retain their felting properties unimpaired; whereas had
the bat been felted uniformly throughout, this would not be the case, as the
difficulty of uniting would be much greater, and the risk of imperfections much
increased.
"
I claim the method of forming the various parts necessary to the production
of seamless garments or other articles of felt by the use of a pattern in the
manner and for the purposes substantially as herein described; but I do not
claim the manner of producing the bat or uniting the several parts, as both.
are old and well-known processes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Edouard Loradoux Bellford,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 23rd day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
A. E. LORADOUX BELLFORD. (L.S.)