IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THIS MANUFACTURE," ELASTIC FABRICS, AND THE
Year: 1858

page_text: .LETTERS PATENT to Caleb Bedells, of Leicester, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THIS MANUFACTURE,"
ELASTIC FABRICS, AND THE
Sealed the 11th February 1859, and dated the 29th November 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Caleb Bedells at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th November 1858.
I, CALEB BEDELLS, of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS, AND
THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THIS MANUFACTURE," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of,
elastic fabrics, and the machinery employed in this manufacture. The elastic
fabric to be manufactured is composed of sheet vulcanized india-rubber,
cemented between two woven fabrics, or between a woven fabric and a
stocking or warp fabric, or between two stocking or two warp fabrics, or
other fabrics may be employed. The sheet vulcanized india-rubber, is
cemented on its two surfaces, and is dried until it is only slightly tacky; it
is then wound on a beam, together with a cloth, to prevent the cemented
surfaces coming in contact the one with the other. In the same frame with
this beam two other beams are mounted, on which are wound the two fabrics
to be cemented to the sheet vulcanized india-rubber; and each of these fabrics
.
021

page_text: previous to winding it on its beam is cemented on one face, and dried when
the machine is in operation. The india-rubber and the fabrics are drawn
from their respective drums, and are brought in contact with each other.
They all pass together over a surface, against which their tension presses
them strongly.and they afterwards pass between pressing rollers, which makes
the adhesion of the surfaces complete. The drums are so geared or actuated
that the india-rubber passes from its drum at a much slower speed than the
fabrics, and consequently the india-rubber becomes distended or elongated.
At each of the edges of the compound fabric, in order to make a perfect
selvage, cemented thread of vulcanized india-rubber is introduced, and the
face fabric is turned over and pressed down on to it by a suitable guide and
presser. Afterwards the fabric passes down through a bath of water, which
assists it in running up when the tension is withdrawn. This takes place
after the fabric has passed between a pair of weighted rollers, placed just
beyond the water bath. The speed at which the weighted rollers are driven
regulates the speed at which the fabric passes from the machine. In some
cases I give a coating of cement to the surfaces of the fabrics or of the india-
rubber, or to both, by means of a rotating brush or otherwise, while they are
passing through the machine. When it is not desired to make a water-
proof fabric, I pass the fabric, when produced, over a porcupine roller, which
perforates it all over with very fine holes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Caleb Bedells in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CALEB
BEDELLS, of Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Caleb Bedells, Her special licence that I, the said
Caleb Bedells, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Caleb Bedells, 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 terin therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Im.
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS, AND IN THE MACHINERY
EMPLOYED IN THIS MANUFACTURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Caleb Bedells, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Caleb Bedells, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of elastic
fabrics, and the machinery employed in this manufacture. The elastic fabric
to be manufactured is composed of sheet vulcanized india-rubber, cemented
between two woven fabrics, or between a woven fabric and a stocking or
warp fabric, or between two stocking or two warp fabrics, or other fabrics
may be employed. The sheet vulcanized india-rubber is cemented on its two
surfaces,and is dried until it is only slightly tacky; it is then wound on a beam,
together with a cloth, to prevent the cemented surfaces coming in contact
the one with the other. In the same frame with this beam two other beams
are mounted, on which are wound the two fabrics to be cemented to the
sheet vulcanized india-rubber, and each of these fabrics, previous to winding
it on its beam, is cemented on one face, and dried when the machine is in
operation. The india-rubber and the fabrics are drawn from their respective
drums, and are brought in contact with each other. They all pass together
over a surface against which their tension presses them strongly, and they
afterwards pass between pressing rollers, which makes the adhesion of the
surfaces complete. The drums are so geared or actuated that the india-
rubber passes from its drum at a much slower speed than the fabrics, and
consequently the india-rubber becomes distended or elongated. At each o
the edges of the compound fabric,in order to make a perfect selvage, cemented
thread of vulcanized india-rubber is introduced, and the faced fabric is turned
over and pressed down on to it by a suitable guide and presser; afterwards
the fabric passes down through a bath of water, which assists in running
up when the tension is withdrawn. This takes place after the fabric has
passed between a pair of weighted rollers, placed just beyond the water bath;
the speed at which the weighted rollers are driven regulates the speed a

page_text: which the fabric passes from the machine.
In some cases I give a coating
of cement to the surfaces of the fabrics or of the india-rubber, or to both,
by means of a rotating brush or otherwise, while they are passing through
the machine. When it is not desired to make a waterproof fabric, I pass
tlie fabric, when produced, over a porcupine roller, which perforates it all
over with very fine holes.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 is a plan of machinery
such as I employ in the manufacture of elastic fabrics. a, a, is the frame of
the machine; b is an axis carried by the frame, and receiving motion by a
belt or otherwise; it has mounted on it a number of worms 61, 62, 63, 64, and
65. One of these_worms 6¹ gives motion to the train of wheels c¹, c², c³, and c4.
On the axis of the last of these a drum d is fixed, which regulates the speed at
which the vulcanized india-rubber sheet e is drawn off the beam fon which it
is wound, the india-rubber passing between the driveu drum d and a weighted
roller d above. In some cases I cement the vulcanized india-rubber sheet on
both sides before it is wound on its beam f, and then, as before mentioned, a
cloth should be employed for preventing the layers of india-rubber from
sticking together. In this case also the cementing apparatus with which it is
preferred that the machine should be furnished, as is herein-after described, is
employed only to refresh the cement on the india-rubber sheet, or the cementing
apparatus may then be thrown out of use. I have, however, found that the
india-rubber sheet may be effectually coated with cement by the cementing
apparatus while passing through the machine; I therefore prefer that the
The
india-rubber sheet wound on the beam f should be without cement.
india-rubber sheet, as it is drawn off its beam by the drum d,passes under the
guide pulley g, and then over the roller h, the lower part of which dips into a
box i, containing thick india-rubber cement. The roller serves to bring up
constantly a thin coating of the cement, which it applies to the surface of the
india-rubber. For the roller h a rotating brush may be substituted, but I find
that a roller applies a more uniform and better coating; j is a scraper over
which the cemented india-rubber is drawn; this scraper renders the coating
more even, and removes any excess of cement which runs back into the box i
afterwards the sheet of india-rubber passes over three guide pulleys k, k, and
then over another cementing roller hand scraper j,by which a coat of cement

page_text: is applied to the other side of the sheet. The two cementing rollers h, h, are
geared together, and the lower one is driven by a band passing round a pulley
on its axis to a pulley on the axis of the roller b, and this axis is driven by
a band passing to the axis of the roller m, and in its turn this axis is driven
from the axis of the roller n, which receives motion from the worm 62.
It will be perceived that the diameters of the driving wheels and pulleys
are such that the cementing rollers h, h, travel at a somewhat greater sur-
face speed than the drum d; the cementing rollers are also so geared
together that the upper one revolves at a greater surface speed than the
lower, there being two or three less teeth in the spur wheel on the axis of
the upper cementing roller than there is on the wheel on the axis of the
lower one; the rollers and m also, over which the india-rubber now passes,
revolve at a greater speed than the cementing rollers, and thus the india-
rubber is extended to the desired extent. Between the second cementing
roller and the roller a guide roller is placed, and a short distance over this
a bar, so that should the india-rubber sheet break as the full stretch comes
on it, the end will make itself fast by lapping round either the roller or the
bar; o is a beam on which the fabric is to form the face of the fabric is wound,
its back having been first cemented. The axis of the beam o has friction
applied to. it to keep the fabric distended; it passes up over the board or
surface P, where it is brought in contact with the cemented india-rubber
sheet, which passes on to the same board or surface between the adjustable
guides p, p, and the india-rubber sheet is by its tension pressed firmly down
on the cemented- surface of the fabric; the two then pass together over the
roller, and are pressed between it and the roller n', which is kept down
by the counterpoise weight acting through the lever n³.
The fabric on the beam o is somewhat wider than the india-rubber sheet in
its distended state, and as it passes over the board or surface p, it has laid on
it, in addition to the vulcanized india-rubber sheet, two selvage threads of the
same material, which pass up from bobbins through the trough r containing
cement; the bottom of this trough has passages formed through it sufficiently
large just to permit the threads to pass freely, and at the same time to prevent
of cement; the cover of the trough also has holes formed in it for
the passage
e of the threads, and it serves to scrape from them the excess of the
cement which they take up. The cemented threads pass over the small
rollers which is driven by the worm 63; gearing with the worm wheel on its
axis, and they are nipped between it and the small weighted roller s¹, so that
in consequence of the greater speed at which the fabric travels, they may
become stretched to the required extent. These cemented threads lay in
the escape

page_text: grooves in the guides p³, and are guided by them, so as to come on to the
fabric from the beam o just outside of the edges of the india-rubber sheet. As
the india-rubber sheet and the faced fabric pass between the rollers n and,
the back fabric is brought down from the beam t on to the india-rubber; this
fabric, as well as the faced fabric, may, if it be thought desirable, be taken over
the board or surface p, as already described; in practice, however, I have not
found it necessary to do so, as the fabric being already cemented, the pressure
of the rollers n and n¹ is quite sufficient to produce a perfect adhesion. The
back fabric on the beam t should be very slightly wider than the india-rubber
sheet in its distended state, but not so wide as to come to or cover the india-
rubber threads from the bobbins g. After the passage between the rollers n
and n¹, the crushing down of the threads on to the face fabric causes the
edges of this fabric to turn up so soon as the pressure is removed, and in this
state it passes along over the surface until it comes to the guides v for
forming the selvages; these guides are shown full size at Figures 3. They
consist of a plate fixed to the surface w in a suitable position by screws; this
plate is furnished with a projecting edge vl, which completes the turning over
of the edges of the face fabric; the edge v is slightly bevilled away at the
entrance, to prevent the fabric catching. 2 is aspring presser, which presses
on the turned over edge of the face fabric just inside the vulcanized india-
rubber selvage threads, which pass clear of the pressers, and between them and
the thicker part of the plate of which the guide ( ) is formed; thus the extreme
edge of the back fabric is pressed down on and securely stuck to the face
fabric,and the edge of this fabricis pressed down on and stuck to the extreme
edge of the back fabric, and a good end selvage is made, which does not turn
over when the fabric is allowed to draw up, as would be the case were not
elastic selvage threads introduced; should the face fabric be slightly wider
than is absolutely necessary, as is convenient in practice, rendering extreme
accuracy of adjustment unnecessary, the excess can be removed by a knife
after the fabric leaves the guide. The fabric, as it passes over the end of
tlie piece u, is perforated all over by the porcupine roller w+, on to the points
of which it is pressed by the soft roller w' above; this perforation prevents the
fabric from being altogether impervious, which for many purposes is unde-
sirable. The fabric now passes between the pressing rollers a and a¹ arranged
in the same manner as the rollers n and n¹, the roller a being driven by the
worm 64; then the fabric passes into the water bathy, and under the roller at
the bottom thereof, and afterwards between the last pair of pressing rollers y¹
and y2 (the lower one of which is driven by the worm 65) to the take-up beain =
driven by a slack band passing over a pulley on its axis, and over another

page_text: pulley on the axis of the roller gl; the slipping of this band compensates for
the increase in the diameter of the beam z, as the fabric accumulates on it.
I would remark that if it is desired apparatus such as is employed for
cementing the sheet of india-rubber as it passes through the machine may
also be employed for cementing the fabrics to be attached to it.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would state that I am aware that it has before been
proposed to manufacture elastic fabrics by causing two cemented fabrics and
an uncemented sheet of india-rubber to pass from suitable beams between
pressing rollers to cause them to adhere together. I do not therefore claim
the manufacturing elastic fabrics in this manner; but what I do claim is,―
The general arrangement of machinery for the manufacture of elastic
fabrics, as herein described.
Also, the use of elastic selvage threads and the turning and pressing down
the edges of the face fabric over them by means of guides and pressers, as
herein described.
Also, the application of apparatus to cement the vulcanized india-rubber
sheet or the fabrics to be applied to it as they pass through the machine, as
herein described.
Also, the perforating the fabric continuously as it passes through the
machine, as herein described.
And, lastly, the causing the fabric to pass through a water bath, as it
travels through the machine, and before it is allowed to run up, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Caleb Bedells, have hereunto set my
haud and seal, this Twenty-eight day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.
CALEB BEDELLS. (L.s.)