AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC BANDS, APPLICABLE TO THE PRODUCTION OF LADIES' SKIRTS OR CRINOLINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Brown, of Leicester, Mechanic, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC BANDS, APPLICABLE
TO THE PRODUCTION OF LADIES' SKIRTS OR CRINOLINES.'
> "
Sealed the 1st March 1864, and dated the 7th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
December 1863.
I, CHARLES BROWN, of Leicester, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC BANDS,
APPLICABLE TO THE PRODUCTION OF LADIES' SKIRTS OR CRINOLINES,"" to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of elastic bands suitable for
conversion into ladies' skirts or crinolines. To this end I provide narrow
strips of steel or strands of flattened wire in any required number, say, three
four, or more, which, while lying parallel to and abreast of each other, I
enclose within a covering of woven fabric, the inner face of which is coated

page_text: with india-rubber or other suitable cement. The wire is put upon beams and
introduced through guides between two strips of the woven fabric. These
strips are of different breadth and previously treated with a coating of, say,
dissolved india-rubber. The broader strip has its edges turned over the outer
metal strands, and the narrower strip is made to meet the overlapping edges
and thus complete the enveloping of the strands or wires. The pressure
of weighted rollers then completes the manufacture of the band, the strands
of which are effectually secured in the woven fabric.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Brown. in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
Brown, of Leicester, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Brown, Her special license that I, the said Charles
Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charles Brown, 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
"AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC BANDS APPLICABLE TO THE PRODUCTION
OP LADIES' SKIRTS OR CRINOLINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Charles Brown, 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 Charles Brown, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention relates to the manufacture of elastic bands suitable for
conversion into ladies' skirts or crinolines. To this end I provide narrow
strips of steel or strands of flattened wire in any required number, say, two,
three, four, or more, which, while lying parallel to and abreast of each other,
I enclose within a covering of woven fabric, the inner face of which is coated
with india-rubber or other suitable cement.
The manner of carrying out my Invention will be clearly understood by
referring to the accompanying Drawing, which is a diagram representing the
principal working parts of the machine.
The wires or thin metal strips a, a, which it is intended to cover are put
upon beams as at a', a', a', in the Drawing, in which three beams are shewn,
but a greater or lesser number may be employed. These wires pass over and
under guide rollers b, b, b, and are introduced through guides b', b', between
two strips of the woven fabric. One piece of woven fabric is contained on the
roller c below the wires, and another piece of fabric is contained on the
roller e above the wires. These strips of fabric are of different breadth, and
are previously treated on one side with a coating of, say, dissolved india-
rubber. The broader strip c¹ comes from the roller c, and has its edges
turned over the outer metal strands a by means of the turning over apparatus
d, which is shewn detached in longitudinal and transverse section at Figures
2 and 3. The narrower strip of fabric e', e, is made to meet the overlapping
edges of the wide strip c¹ and thus complete the enveloping of the strands or
wires a, a, between the strips of woven fabric which are pressed into contact
by means of the weighted rollers g, g. This operation completes the manu-
facture of the band, the metallic strands a, a, of which are effectually secured
between the two pieces of woven fabric c¹ and e¹. The compound fabric thus
produced passes onward and between a second pair of weighted rollers g¹, g¹,
and from thence over a guide roller b to the work roller h, on which it is
wound. It will of course be understood that several pieces of covered
crinoline will be made in the same machine simultaneously, and therefore a
multiplication of the parts already described will be required for each separate
piece of covered crinoline. There will of course be separate rollers a¹, a', for
the wires or metallic strips, and in order to bring these wires accurately to
their proper places in the woven fabric, as indicated in the plan view Fig. 4,
the wires are made to pass between the vertical guides b¹, b¹, which are
secured on a bar J, and are made adjustable laterally by means of adjusting.

page_text: screws.
The piece of woven fabric on the roller c is wide enough to form
the lower strips for several pieces of crinoline, it is necessary therefore to
divide it into strips of the proper width, as shewn at Fig. 4. This is done by
means of the rotating discs k, k, the edges of which being sharp and kept in
rotary motion as the fabric is being drawn forward will divide the same into
strips of the required width. The piece of woven fabric on the roller e is also
wide enough to form the upper strips for a corresponding number of pieces of
crinoline, and it must therefore be divided in the same manner by rotary disc
cutters,, into strips of the requisite width. Care must be taken to
guide these narrow strips e with great accuracy to cover the central part of
the fabric so as to coincide with the overlapping edges of the lower piece of
woven fabric. To this end the narrow strips e¹ are made to bear against the
pins in the bar m, which is adjustable laterally by means of an adjusting
screw, so that the strips e¹ may be moved laterally in either direction as may
be required for their proper adjustment. The two fabrics c¹ and e¹ with the
wires a between them are pressed together by the rollers f, f, previous to the
lower piece of woven fabric being divided. The construction of the turning
over instrument is shewn at Figures 2 and 3. It consists of an inverted
trough with an inclined top piece, whereby, in combination with the sides of
the trough, the edges of the lower piece of woven fabric are turned over as
shewn at Fig. 5. The notches shewn in the cross section, Fig. 3, are to
receive the projecting wires or metallic strips and keep them in their proper
place as they are drawn through the apparatus.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Manufacture of
Elastic Bands, applicable to the Production of Ladies' Skirts or Crinolines, and
having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would observe
that, in order to avoid unnecessary complexity in the Drawing, I have not
shewn the toothed gearing whereby the several parts are actuated, as it is
precisely similar in character to that used for actuating the several parts
employed in the manufacture of elastic fabrics composed of strips of rubber
cemented between two woven or knitted fabrics, all of which machinery is
well known and in use for manufacturing such descriptions of elastic fabrics.
I would also observe that for some purposes I find it convenient to leave a
selvage of woven fabric on each side of the crinoline instead of causing the
wider or under strip of fabric to fold close round the edges of the outermost
metallic strands. By covering the metallic strands in this manner the
crinoline may be sewn on to any fabric by merely stitching down the sides
instead of sewing over the metallic strands. In conclusion, I claim as my

page_text: Invention making elastic or flexible bands for ladies' skirts or crinolines by
covering metallic bands or wires in the manner herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
HENRY MARTIN,
Warehouseman,
80, Conduit Street,
Leicester.
CHARLES BROWN. (Ls.)