Improvements in Ornamental Frames and Furniture.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 13th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 1st Apr.. 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ornamental Frames and Furniture.
HENRY WILLIAM SHORT Scientific Instrument Maker 40 Hatton Garden
London E.C: do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a method of producing ornamental effects in clock,
barometer, picture, & photograph frames & furniture by the use of real rope.
Inasmuch as the rope & cable being popular devices for imitating in wood,
metal etc., & the same having to be laboriously cut, wrought, or moulded, this
invention consists in substituting actual rope itself for such worked designs, thereby
lessening the amount of skilled labour required, & producing realistic effects, that
no amount of practical artistic skill could equal.
Particularly where the rope design is used as a beading or moulding to encircle a
round frame, in which case employ a novel method of so joining the two ends of
the surrounding rope that the strands follow in succession, producing the effect of
perfect continuity.
To effect this I proceed as for making an ordinary "long splice" but instead of
"tucking" the free ends, I strand them off in pairs, whip them round as close as
possible to the main part, cut them off short below this & bury the remaining ends
in small recesses cut in the material of the frame.
Doted thin 9th of D1000
HENRY W. SHORT.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ornamental Frames and Furniture.
I, HENRY WILLIAM SHORT, of 40 Hatton Garden, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Scientific Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a method of producing ornamental effects in clock,
barometer, picture and photo frames and furniture by the use of real rope.
Inasmuch as the rope and cable being popular devices for imitating in wood,
metal, etc., and the same having to be laboriously cut, wrought, or moulded, this
invention consists in an improved method of substituting actual rope itself for
such worked designs, thereby lessening the amount of skilled labour required
and producing realistic effects that no amount of practical artistic skill could
equal.
Particularly where the rope design is used as a beading or moulding to encircle a
round frame in which case T employ a novel method of so joining the two ends of
the surrounding rope that the strands follow in succession producing the effect of
perfect continuity. To effect this I proceed as for making an ordinary "long
splice" but instead of "tucking" the free ends, I strand them off in pairs, whip
them round as close as possible to the main parts, cut off close below this and bury
the remaining ends in a recess cut in the material of the frame.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the first step in joining the two ends of a rope having
three strands.
Fig. 2 a diagrammatic view of the rope when the free ends of the strands are
paired off and twisted together.

page_text: Fig. 3 a plan view of a round rope when the connection of the ends is
completed.
Fig. 4 a front elevation of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 a front elevation of a round frame with a continuous rope applied thereto,
and
Fig. 6 a transverse section of such frame and rope.
Although the invention is illustrated as applied to a round frame, it will be
readily understood that the rope may also be applied to a frame of oval or other
desired form.
I take a length of rope A suitable for the size of frame to which same is to be
applied, and (as shown in Fig. 1) first bind same tightly with a piece of wire or
other suitable material a a certain distance from each end thereof, after which I
carefully separate the strands from each end down to the wire. The untwisted
strands of one end are then "wedded" to those of the other end, that is to say each
of the strands 1, 2, 3, of one end is inserted between two of the strands 1*, 2*, 3*,
of the other end and vice versa. The two ends of the rope are then forced together
as far as they can go, that is until the part where one end is bound by the wire a,
abuts against the part where the other end is bound, so that the rope is then
of circular form with its untwisted strands interlaced but remaining free or
unsecured.
The wires a are then removed and strand 1× unlaid for a short distance back-
wards, the strand 1 of the opposite end being carefully inserted in its place
between the strands 2x and 3*. The strands 1 and 1* are then twisted together as
shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to project from one side of the rope. Strand 2 is
then unlaid for a short distance backwards (that is in the opposite direction to
what strand 1* was untwisted), and strand 2× carefully inserted in its place between
strands 1 and 3. Strands 2 and 2* are then twisted together and project on the same
side of the rope as the twisted ends of strands 1 and . The remaining strands 3
and 3*, simply require twisting together in the centre between the ends of the two
other pairs of strands so as to project from the rope on the same side as the latter.
The joint is thus completed and the projecting ends only require to be suitably
and permanently secured together, the rope on the opposite side to such projections
presenting an appearance of perfect continuity all round.
A simple and efficient method of securing the projecting ends is illustrated in
Figs. 3 and 4, and consists in taking one pair of projecting ends and twisting same
together with the required degree of tightness, when a pointed pin C is thrust
through the two strands a short distance from the main body of the rope. This pin
is then turned slightly in the direction to untwist the strands, thus separating the
two strands somewhat between the place where the pin is inserted and the body of
the rope.
Glue or other binding material is then dropped between the separated
part of the two strands, and the pin is turned in the reverse direction so as to tighten
the strands again, when its end c is placed under the body of the rope and prevents
the strands untwisting until the glue or other binding material is set hard. When
this occurs the pin C is removed, and the pair of strands cut off as close as possible
to the body of the rope. Each pair of strands is similarly treated and the rope is
then ready to be placed on the frame or other article which it is intended to
ornament.
This frame D (Figs. 5 and 6) or other article is made with recesses E of the
necessary size and depth and the requisite distance apart to receive the slight
projecting ends of the different pairs of strands, such projections being secured
therein, and the body of the rope being also secured to the frame by glueing,
nailing or other suitable means. It will be seen that when the rope is thus secured
to the frame or other article, the ends projecting from the back thereof will be
entirely hidden, while the front of the rope will present a perfectly uniform,
continuous, unbroken surface, as if same had been made originally in the form it
has been made to assume.
It will be readily understood that the natural flexibility of the rope will permit

page_text: of same, when joined up as described, being applied to frames or other articles of
varying shape.
It is further clear that if desired the rope may be painted, stained, or otherwise
treated, so as to suit the particular article to which it is to be applied, or to suit
individual taste.
Although the invention has been described as being carried out with a rope
having three strands, it will be apparent that a rope having any other number of
strands may be employed, the method of joining same being similar to that given as
an example, that is to say the untwisted strands of each end of the rope being
interlaced and one caused to take the place of the other for a certain distance, and
then twisted together in pairs. The number of recesses in the article to which the
rope is applied will of course be made to correspond with the number of twisted
pairs of strands projecting from one side of the finished rope.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The application to the ornamentation of frames or other articles, of a rope the
ends of which are connected together by untwisting the strands thereof and inter-
lacing the strands of one end with those of the opposite end, then causing the strand
of one end to take the place of one of those in the other end for a suitable distance,
and finally twisting the strands together in pairs and securing them permanently
together, substantially as specified.
2. The method of applying the rope joined in the manner set forth in Claim 1 to
the article it is to ornament, consisting in forming recesses in such article and
inserting the ends of the strands projecting from one side of the finished rope into
such recesses, substantially as specified.
3. The method of permanently connecting together the pairs of strands projecting
from one side of the rope joined in the manner set forth in Claim 1, substantially as
described and as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.
Dated this 13th day of February 1803
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.