IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPLYING SPRINGS TO BRACES, TO PORTFOLIOS, TO HATS AND CAPS, AND MEMORANDUM AND OTHER BOOKS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHarles
DowSE, of Camden Town, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirty-first day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and forty-six, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Charles Dowse, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence,.
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Charles Dowse, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Dowse, my
exors, adññiors, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPLYING SPRINGS TO BRACES, TO PORTFOLIOS, TO HATS AND CAPS, AND
MEMORANDUM AND OTHER BOOKS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Charles Dowse, should cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are 'fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows so much of the back parts of a pair of braces made
according to my Invention as will enable me to describe the same. a is a
strong ring, or it may be several thin rings, of what is called vulcanized or
converted india rubber, to which the parts b, c, and parts d, e, which pass over
the shoulders, are attached, by passing the ends of the straps or parts b, c, and
d, e, through the ring a, and then making such ends fast by sewing or other-
wise to the parts b, c, d, e. It is not, however, necessary that the india rubber
spring a should be a ring, as shewn in Figure 1, as a piece or pieces of the
properly prepared and permanently, elastic india rubber may simply have holes
through it, as shown at Figure 2, where like parts of a pair of braces aro
shewn attached to such a form of india rubber spring.
Figure 3 shows the application of springs of the permanently elastic india
rubber applied to the front parts of a pair of braces attached in like manner
to that described in Figure 1.
Another node of applying clastic springs of india rubber made permanently
elastic is shewn at Figure 4, where the part a is of such india rubber, and the
parts of the braces are attached by sewing, and this is the more securely done
by preparing the ends 1, 2, 3, 4, with canvas, either interior or exterior, as is
practised by the manufacturers when it is desired to have straps fixed to the
india rubber by sewing. The centre portion a being thus made, the parts b, c,
d, e, are to be attached by sewing.
Figure 4* shews another mode of applying the permanently elastic india
rubber, by forming the ends c, d, of that material, either alone or combined
with canvas, which, when placed crosswise of the fabric, would have consider-
able elasticity, and give strength to the india rubber. The ends c, d, may be
formed of one strap passed through the article as shewn, or otherwise. My
improvements in applying springs to hats and caps consists of applying a ring
or rings a of permanently elastic india rubber to the straps used for keeping a
hat or cap on the head. This will be readily understood on referring to Figures 5
and 6, where suitable straps are shewn for a hat or a cap; at Figure 5 they
are shewn to be applied to a cap; but it will be understood that the same may

page_text: be applied to a hat in like manner. The ends of the straps b, c, are passed
through the spring ring a, and then sewed as is shewn.
The third part of my Invention has for its object the application of spring
rings of permanently elastic india rubber to portfolios and memorandum and
other books. In carrying out this part of my Invention, I employ rings of
perinanently clastic india rubber, and affix the same to the backs of portfolios,
or to memorandum or other books, in any convenient manner; but I prefer the
two modes shown in the Drawing.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 shew a front view, an end view, and a back view of a
pocket book having a metal plate with an eye fixed at the back, as is shewn
separately at Figure 10. In making this eye, the ring of india rubber is first
introduced, and then the plate of metal is fixed in the back of the book or
portfolio, the eye and the elastic band or spring a being made of a size and
strength according to the size of the portfolio or book.
Figures 11, 12, and 13 shew a side view, an edge view, and a back
view of a portfolio; and Figure 14 a proper ring or spring of the pro-
perly prepared india rubber for the same. In this case there is a stud or
button fixed at the back, and there is a hole in the ring a at a', which being
stretched will enable it to pass on to the button, which will retain it in its
place. By thus using india rubber springs to books and portfolios the same
will at all times be kept closed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details, so long as the peculiar character of either
part of my Invention be retained. And I would state that I make no claim
to the manufacture of india rubber so as to render it permanently elastic; nor
do I claim making spring rings or parts a thereof suitable for carrying out my
Invention, as the same are not of my Invention. But what I claim is,―
First, the modes of applying springs to braces as described in respect to
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 4*.
Secondly, I claim the modes of applying springs to the straps of hats and
caps, as described in respect to Figures 5 and 6; and,
Thirdly, I claim the mode of attaching springs to portfolios and memorandum
and other books, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Dowse, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
CHAS (L.s.) DOWSE.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid Charles Dowse 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 Thirtieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousandi
eight hundred and forty-seven.