IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FRINGE UPON WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FRINGE UPON
WOVEN FABRICS."-A communication from abroad by Nathaniel
..
L
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th February 1870.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING
FRINGE UPON WOVEN FABRICS," a communication, to be as follows:-
By this Invention I convert into fringe the parts adjacent to the edges
of strips of woven goods. The apparatus acting to destroy the collo-
cation or assemblage of the threads produced by weaving to draw out

page_text: the warp and weft threads in lines perpendicular or nearly so to the
line of the edge of the strip. This operation is commonly known as
frizzling.
The acting part of the instrument used consists of a point or points
and shoulders. I prefer two points with a shoulder between them.
The points at their extremitics should be sharp, and the shoulders should
have a rounded edge. The points penetrate through or between the
threads, and the shoulder bears upon the threads and draws them out.
The said instrument may be formed of an ordinary sewing machine
needle by breaking it in two through the eye and then sharpening the
two sides of the cyc. The part between the point should be smooth
and rounded so that the shoulder shall not cut or fray the threads.
This instrument may have a handle applied to it and be used by hand;
I prefer however to mount it in the needle carrier of a sewing machine,
by preference that known as the Wheeler and Wilson machine, with the
line connecting the points perpendicular to the line of feed, but the
angle of the line connecting the points to the line of feed is not
cssential.
In order to use the instrument or tool thus mounted, I need the
reciprocating needle arm, the presser foot, the table for supporting the
goods, and the feed bar or wheel of a sewing machine, and I find that
the best work is done when the feed is small or through a short distance
between each stroke of the tool. The tool should be so set as to descend
far enough below the table to destroy the collocation of the threads to
their ends. I find that I can do the best work upon strips cut bias
at an angle of 45° or nearly so with the selvage of the goods. I snip off
one edge of this selvage, as it is sometimes so tightly woven that it is
difficult to frizzle. I then put the strip under the presser foot and set
the machine in motion, I then gradually turn the goods so that the tool
strikes further and further from the edge, and when the desired distance
from the edge is reached feed the stuff parallel with the edge or
nearly so.
In order to frizzle the other edge of the strip, I feed it the other
end first so that the warp threads have the same angle to the direction
of the feed.
When the strip is cut at an angle of 45° with the selvage the warp
and weft threads form fringe of about the same length. If the strip be

page_text: cut at a different angle ono set of threads when frizzled out project
further than the other set..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Scal Patent.
Office on the 6th August 1870..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton
Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign,. did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence,,
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,.
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my exc-.
cutors, 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, sliould 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 "IMPROVED.
APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING FRINGE UPON WOVEN FABRICS,” a communication
to me from abroad by Nathaniel Wheeler, of Bridgeport, Connecticut,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands.
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of tho
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 William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
By this Invention I convert into fringe the parts adjacent to the edges
of strips of woven goods, the apparatus acting to destroy the collocation
or assemblage of the threads produced by weaving to draw out the warp
and weft threads in lines perpendicular or nearly so to the line of the
edge of the strip. This operation is commonly known as frizzling.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING..
Figure 1 is an elevation of the instrument or tool used in practising
my Invention; Figuro 2 is an enlarged olevation of the acting end of
the same; Figure 3 is a diagram explanatory of the mode of using tho
apparatus; Figure 4 is a side view of certain operative parts of a sewing
'machine adapted to the purpose of the said Invention..
A represents the reciprocating needle arm; B, the presser foot;
C, the cloth plate; and D, the feeding device of the said sewing
machine.
;
The acting part of the instrument used consists of a point or points
and shoulders, I prefer two points with a shoulder between them, the
points being represented at a, a, and the shoulder between them at b.
The points at their extremities should be sharp, and the shoulders should
have a rounded edge. The points penetrate through or between the
threads, and the shoulder bears upon the threads and draws them out.
The said-instrument may be formed of an ordinary sewing machino
needle by breaking it in two through the eye, and then sharpening or
pointing the two sides of the eyc. The part at 6 between the points
should be smooth and rounded so that the shoulder shall not cut or
fray the threads or shall do so as little as possible.
This instrument may have a handle applied to it and be used by hand;
I prefer however to mount it in the needle carrier of a sewing machinc,
by preference that known as the "Wheeler and Wilson," machine, with the
line connecting the points perpendicular to the line of feed, but the angle
of the line connecting the points to the line of feed is not essential.
In order to use the instrument or tool thus mounted, I need the
reciprocating needle arm, the presser foot, the table for supporting the
goods, and the feed bar or wheel of a sewing machine, and I find that

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
mo by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,--
First. The frizzling instrument or tool constructed substantially as &
herein described.
Second. The combination of the reciprocating needle arm, presser
foot, supporting table, and feeding device of a sewing machine with
a frizzling instrument or tool constructed substantially as. herein set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have
hercunto set my hand and scal, this Sixth day of August
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and.
seventy.
I
Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE.. (L.S.)