AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF FOLDING AND UNFOLDING TAPES, TAPE LACES, GIMPS, OR EDGINGS, BRAID, LACE TRIMMINGS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of No. 11, Wellington Street,
Strand, London, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF FOLDING AND UNFOLDING TAPES,
TAPE LACES, GIMPS, OR EDGINGS, BRAID, LACE TRIMMINGS, AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES." A communication from abroad by Gabriel Balas, Florian Balas, and
Stéphane Balas, trading as Balas frères, of Saint Chamond (Loire), France, Tape
and Trimming Manufacturers.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Edward Gedge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th January 1879.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No. 11, Wellington Street, Strand, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF
FOLDING AND UNFOLDING TAPES, TAPE LACES, GIMPS, OR EDGINGS, BRAID, LACE
TRIMMINGS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES." A communication froin abroad by Gabriel
Balas, Florian Balas, and Stéphane Balas, trading as Balas frères, of Saint Chamond
(Loire), France, Tape and Trimming Manufacturers.
A method of folding narrow woven fabrics, such as tapes, braid, gimps, or edgings,
plaited and other similar articles, if suitable to buyers and consumers by reason of
the convenience with which they may retail or use the piece, may be of great
importance to the manufacturers of these articles, who, having the sole right to this
improved mode of folding, will ensure to himself a more ready sale of his manu-
factures, and obtain the orders of buyers preferably to his competitors.
The convenience to the consumer in unfolding, as well as the better preservation
of the merchandise, are therefore two things at which an improved folding should
aim, and to obtain this improvement a very simple device may prove sufficient.
The process of folding and unfolding, herein-after described and illustrated on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawing, may be applied to all kinds and styles of braids,
gimps, or edgings, round or flat, lace trimmings, that is to say, to everything which
may be manufactured upon a plaiting or braiding machine, whatever may be the
name given to the article.
It consists in letting the first end, that which is usually hidden, project from the
inside of the folded piece, so that when being retailed or used, this piece may be
unrolled or unfolded in the reverse direction to the present mode of developement;
that is to say, that instead of unrolling or unfolding the piece by pulling the last
end folded, by this improved process it is unwound or unfolded by the first end

page_text: that was wound or folded, and the unfolding thus takes place in the same order as
the folding.
The great economy of this mode of folding will be readily understood when it is
stated that the last coils or folds (A) of the end of the piece serve, so to say, as
fastenings for the package shown in the Figures of the annexed Sheet of Drawing,
the folding of which is that most commonly used, and when their unfolding com-
inences, nothing then retaining the rows (1), (2), (3), (4), the use or retailing of the
piece is scarcely begun before these rows come apart, slacken, and finish by entangling,
to the detriment of their easy retailing or use, and even to tho preservation of the
goods in their proper. Hat state.
If, on the contrary, the consumer finds at (B) issuing from the interior of the piece
thus folded the end by which the folding was begun, he may pull the tape, as shown
at Figure 3, after having cut the fastenings or ties (b), (61), and retail or give out
the whole piece row by row with much less chance of entangling this piece, which
the coils or folds (A) effectually protect during the greater part of the unfolding.
As illustrated by Figure 6, where the rows (1), (2), (3), (4), are set a little apart
expressly to make it apparent that they are formed of a single tape, without any
break or solution of continuity, the end (B), by which the folding has been com-
menced, will therefore be that which will be drawn out in unfolding, the other
end (C) finishing the last coil or fold, which completes the folding, may remain
pinned until the end of the unfolding of the piece.
The result of presenting to the consumer the end to be pulled may be attained in
several ways, either as shown, Figure 1, 2, and by sticking it to a double-faced
ticket (D), (D), which folds on the end, the back of those faces being gummed, and
which is pinned on to the piece, or as at Figure 5, by leaving the end within the
piece, but sticking it to a ticket (d), which carries a thread (e), coming outside the
piece; or, again, as at Figure 4, by passing around the first inside rows (f) of the
piece a cord or fastening (Q), which projects therefrom, to be seized and used to
bring these first rows out of the piece.
The end to be pulled may however be left without any covering or appliance
either inside or outside the piece, or any ticket, woven thread, wire cord, or other
appliance which may be found suitable, may be used to permit the pulling out of
the said end, and also for the first inner rows to be pulled out, any suitable means
may be used to bring them outside the piece, whether thread, cord, ticket, or other
device.
The first end may also be made to come out either as shown on the Drawing at
the sides of the piece, or at the top, or abovo, or underneath the packet or bundle
between two of the rows (1), (2), (3), (4).
This mode of folding and unfolding is especially useful in its application to folding
in packages, such as shown on the accompanying Drawings, but it may be applied
to all other kinds of folding, whether flat, square, oval, round, or other folding.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the Invention communicated
to me as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is or may be performed, what I
claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, the process or method of folding and
anfolding narrow fabrics (such as tapes, tape laces, braids, gimps, or edgings, and
other analogous articles), in which the folding and the unfolding are commenced
from the same end of the piece, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.