IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BONNET AND CAP FRONTS, ROUCHES, AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES OF MILLINERY
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Morrison, of Nottingham, Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BONNET AND CAP FRONTS, ROUCHES, AND
SUCH LIKE ARTICLES OF MILLINERY."
Sealed the 1st September 1858, and dated the 4th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Morrison
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th May 1858.
I, WILLIAM HENRY MORRISON, of Nottingham, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BONNET AND CAP FRONTS, ROUCHES,
AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES OF MILLINERY," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to means of folding goffered or fluted lace or net,
and for the application to the back or folded part thereof of bands or tapes.
The band or tape gummed or otherwise cemented is first placed over a groove
in the table, and between a pair of sliding bars in position for the edge of a
blade or knife to come down thereon, as operated by a treddle, and give a

page_text: crease or fold thereto. Above these bars there is a pair of sliding plates,
which have a tendency to approach by spring or other pressure to within a
short distance of each other, but are capable of being caused to separate as
required by the action of a treddle, and so soon as the tape is correctly laid
over the groove, these plates, which had by the action of the treddle been kept
back for the purpose, are allowed to approach each other, by which they
prevent the tape rising with the knife. The goffered or fluted lace is then
placed on this pair of sliding plates, and between other adjustable bars or
straightedges, which are capable of simultaneous motion when operated by a
treddle, so as to lay the lace uniformly over the band or tape; and when the
lace or net is thus adjusted with the centre of the width thereof over such
slit, the knife edge is again caused to descend by the action of the treddle, so as
to cause such lace or net to be folded with the outer edges projecting uniformly
upwards, and the folded edge to come on to the band or tape when the sliding
bars between the supporting plates and the table, and which are capable also
of being simultaneously acted upon by a treddle, are caused to pinch between
them the lace or net thus folded with the band or tape thereon. The knife
edge is then allowed to rise out of the way, and by the action of the treddle,
these bars between the supporting plates and the table, are again caused to
pinch the band or tape on to the folded edge of the lace or net. Variations
may be made in these details.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Morrison in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY MORRISON, of Nottingham, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Henry Morrison, Her special licence that I, the said William
Henry Morrison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Henry Morrison, 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

page_text: 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BONNET AND CAP FRONTS, ROUCHES, AND SUCH LIKE ARTICLES OF MILLINERY," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Henry Morrison, 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 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 William Henry Morrison, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements relate to means of folding goffered or fluted lace or net,
and for the application to the back or folded part thereof of bands or tapes.
The band or tape gummed or otherwise cemented is first placed over a groove
in the table, and between a pair of sliding bars in position for the edge of a
blade or knife acting as a presser to come down thereon as operated by a
treddle, and give a crease or fold thereto. Above these bars there is a pair of
sliding plates which have a tendency to approach, by spring or other pressure,
to within a short distance of each other, but are capable of being caused to
separate as required by the action of a treddle, and so soon as the tape is
correctly laid over the groove, these plates, which had by the action of the
treddle been kept back for the purpose, are allowed to approach each other, by
which they prevent the tape rising with the knife. The goffered or fluted
lace is then placed on this pair of sliding plates and between other adjustable.
bars or straightedges which are capable of simultaneous motion when operated
by a treddle, so as to lay the lace uniformly over the band or tape; and when
the lace or net is thus adjusted with the centre of the width thereof over such
slit, the knife edge is again caused to descend by the action of the treddle, so
as to cause such lace or net to be folded with the outer edges projecting
uniformly upwards, and the folded edge to come on to the band or tape when
the sliding bars between the supporting plates and the table, and which are
capable also of being simultaneously acted upon by a treddle, are caused to.
pinch between them the lace or net thus folded with the band or tape thereon.
The knife edge acting as a presser is then allowed to rise out of the way, and

page_text: by the action of the treddle these bars between the supporting plates and the
table are again caused to pinch the band or tape on to the folded edge of the
lace or net.
But that the nature of these my improvements and the means which I adop
may be more fully understood, I will proceed to describe the means pursued
by me, aided by the accompanying Drawings, in the various Figures of which
the same letters are employed to indicate like parts wherever they occur,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure I shows a front view, Figure 2 an end view, and Figure 3 a plan
of apparatus according to my Invention. Other Figures show some of the
parts in the different positions assumed during operation; a, a, is the main
framing, the table, c, d, and e are treddles to be acted upon by the foot
of the operator in effecting some of the movements of the parts of the
apparatus.
The "band" or tape to be applied to the folded part of the goffered or
fluted lace or other fabric, after being cut to the length desired, has applied to
it, as is well understood, gum or other adhesive cement by which to cause it
to adhere to such lace or other fabric, or when such fabric has previously been
dressed by the aid of starch or other glutinous matter, simply clear water may
be used. It is then creased or partially folded lengthwise, and in that state it
is placed over and partly between the plates f, f, (which have been previously
drawn asunder by the operator acting on the treddle c) and also over the
groove i in the table b, as indicated by red line in the Diagram, Figure 4, in
position for the lower edge of a blade j, when brought downwards to press
the "band" or piece of tape with the folded edge towards the groove i, and
then by releasing the treddle c the plates f, f, will, by the spring pressure
applied to them, simultaneously approach each other, as indicated by
Figure 5.
The blade is held by its ends in position, yet so as to be capable of sliding
vertically on stationary guides a¹, a', and it is borne with a tendency upwards
by means of the springs of india-rubber j, j', whilst the downward pressure
thereto is obtained by the hands of the operator, or it may be by a treddle
acted upon by the foot, and connected to the blade or knife by suitable bands
or rods. The plates f, f, are by preference moveable, and are borne with a
tendency for them to approach each other by means of springs f¹, f¹, con-
nected at their ends to studs projecting from lever arms f, f², which are
affixed to the axes f³, and at their upper ends pass into openings formed in

page_text: projections from the plates f acting with a tendency to draw them towards
each other, and these plates f, f, are drawn with a tendency to separate from
each other by means of the treddle c, which by means of the links or wires
ff, is connected to the arms f, fs, also affixed to the axes f³, by which,
when the outer end c¹ of the treddle c is depressed, the plates or bars f will be
caused to separate from each other.
The "band" or tape having been thus passed through the opening between
the inner edges of the plates f, f, and between the bars 9, 9, the edges of such
"band" will separate somewhat so as to come under the plates f, f, which
will then serve to prevent the band or tape from rising with the blade j, when
that blade is permitted to rise by the withdrawal therefrom of the hands of
the operator, as indicated by the Diagram, Figure 6, which Figure also shews
the next stage of the operations when the length of goffered or fluted lace or
other fabric (indicated by the yellow line) to which the band is to be applied
is placed on the sliding plates. f, f, and between the bars or straightedges
h, h, acting as guages, which bars h, h, are adjustable as well as being
capable of a simultaneous motion towards each other when operated by the
treddle d.
upon
The object of this simultaneous motion of the bars h, h, towards each other
is to lay the fluted lace or other fabric equally over the opening formed
between the plates f, f, and the band or tape. In order to this, the bars h, h
have a tendency to separate from each other by means of the spring h¹ acting
the arm affixed to the axis h³, upon which, at each end of the machine
is affixed a lever h*, the opposite ends of which are by links h³ connected to
levers he, he, the lower ends of which turn upon fixed centres h³, whilst the
upper ends receive pins projecting from the ends of the bars h, and the treddle
d is caused to draw the bars h, h, towards each other by means of the link or
wire h³, one end of which is attached to the treddle d, whilst the other end is
attached to the arm h² affixed on the axis h³.
When the fluted or goffered lace or other fabric is thus adjusted, with the
centre of the width thereof over the opening between the plates f, f, the
blade is again caused to descend so as to cause such lace or other fabric to
be folded with the outer edges projecting uniformly upwards, and with the
folded edge laid on to or within the band or tape, as indicated by the Diagram,
Figure 7, when other bars, 9, 9, will be acted upon. These bars, g, g, are
connected by pin joints to the upper ends of levers g¹ at each end of the
machine, and turn upon centres of motion g², whilst their lower ends are
capable of being acted upon by a cam or tappets g³ affixed to the axis g'.

page_text: There are springs 95, one end of each of which is affixed to the frame a, whilst
the other ends thereof are attached to the levers g', with a tendency to keep
the bars g separated.
And when the parts have been brought into the position as described in
respect of Figure 7, the treddle e is operated upon by which the link g
attached at one end thereto, and at the other end to the arm g° affixed to the
axis g', will cause that axis to make a partial rotation by which the cam or
tappets g³ thereon will be brought to act on the lower ends of the levers g', to
cause the bars g to approach each other, and thereby pinch between them the
lace or net folded with the tape thereon, as indicated by Figure 8; g³ is a
spring attached to the lever g' to pull the axis g' into its former position, when
the treddle e is released by the operator.
In most cases the band or tape will be found sufficiently secured to the lace
or other fabric; but, if desired, the blade j may be withdrawn, and the bars 9,9,
again pinched thereon; 1, 1, are levers turning upon centres of motion,
carried by the bar j to act as stops to adjust the depth of motion of the bar j.
When it is required for these stops to act, the operator depresses the ends of
the levers towards the bar or blade j, when the lower ends of such levers
will be moved slightly outwards into position to come on to the upper ends of
the set screws m, and thereby prevent the edge of the bladej descending quite
to the bottom of the groove in the table as that blade will be capable of doing
when such levers are not thus acted upon.
I would here state, that although in the description given of the working of
apparatus according to my Invention, I have only mentioned goffered fabric
such as used for ladies cap and bonnet fronts, apparatus constructed according
to the improvements is equally applicable in other cases, where it is desired to
apply bands or tapes of a similar character in other articles of millinery. And
in some cases, in place of the band being applied to the folded fabric in the
machine, I only fold such fabric in the manner described in the machine, so
that it may be ready to receive a band if desired, and apply such band
separately afterwards.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the means
which I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown and described, as
these may be varied; but what I do claim is, the adaptation and combination
and mode of working mechanical parts to be used in the manufacture of
bonnet and cap fronts, rouches, and such like articles of millinery, substantially
as explained.

page_text: Also, I claim the application in apparatus or machinery of the character
referred to of bars or guages h, h, operated to move simultaneously towards
the lace or other fabric, substantially as explained.
Also, I claim the adaptation of plates f, f,. operating in and for the purpose
substantially as explained, when employed in the manufacture of bonnet and
cap fronts, rouches, and such like articles of millinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Morrison, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
THOMAS JAMES.
WILLIAM HENRY MORRISON. (L.S.)