IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION, ADAPTATION, AND APPLICATION OF MACHI- NERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATS AND ENVELOPES OF FIBROUS MATERIAL TO COVER AND PROTECT BOTTLES AND OTHER FRAGILE ARTICLES, AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUCH MATS AND ENVELOPES
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Clark at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th February
1866.
I, GEORGE CLARK, of No. 2, Napier Street, Dover Road, Southwark, in
the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION, ADAPTATION, AND APPLICATION OF MACHI-
NERY AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF MATS AND ENVELOPES OF FIBROUS
MATERIAL TO COVER AND PROTECT BOTTLES AND OTHER FRAGILE ARTICLES, AND IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SUCH MATS AND ENVELOPES," to be as follows:-
My Invention as to the construction, adaptation, and application of machi-
nery and apparatus for and to the manufacture of mats or envelopes of
fibrous material consists in sundry improvements which I describe and classify
as follows:-
1st, fixing clips or clip frames made as described in the Specification of
my Invention for which I obtained Letters Patent, No. 1650, dated the 20th
June 1865, or any other clips or frames for the same purposes on plates
sufficiently thin to admit of passing the fibrous material operated on under the
needle of a sewing machine.
2nd, making grooves or fixing bars, flanches, or studs as runners in or on
the above-mentioned plates and rails, or grooves ou the sewing machine table,
so that the said plates carrying the aforesaid clips or frames may be readily

page_text: and systematically propelled, and made to pass as required under the needle
of a sewing machine.
3rd, the addition to the wheel sometimes employed in sewing machines to
propel the work they execute of pins, studs, or cogs, made to fit or take into
corresponding holes, slots, or cogs in or on the before-mentioned clips or
frames containing, holding, or carrying fibrous material, or vice versa.
4th, so constructing the aforesaid frames which hold fibrous material that
the sides and ends thereof may be made to expand or contract, and that such
frames may be enlarged or diminished in size to suit and be adaptable to the
dimensions of the envelopes or mats intended to be produced.
5th, fixing on or applying to a board or table described and termed a pad
board in the Specification of the aforesaid Letters Patent, No. 1650, dated
the 20th June last, narrow and thin plates or pins in a vertical position in
rows at suitable distances apart for the purpose of placing lengths of fibrous
material between such vertical plates or pins, and thereby dividing the fibrous
material into quantities of strands or bunches suitable for the envelopes or
mats intended to be made.
6th, attaching a roller working on a spring to a suitable sewing machine,
and causing a rod or bar forming part of any before-mentioned clip or clip
frame to travel under such roller in such manner that the fibrous material
contained in the said clip or clip frame is pressed down by the action of the
said wheel, and held in position under and during the action of the needle of
a sewing machine.
7th, so placing and arranging two or more sewing machines in a line with
or opposite each other, that two or more lines of sewing or fastening on, aud
of the same fibrous material contained in the aforesaid clip frames may be
executed simultaneously, or successively and consecutively.
.
8th, fixing to a convenient part of a suitable sewing machine a metallic
spring or some elastic material of such a form and in such a position that the
said spring or elastic material shall present a rounded and smooth surface to
and press on the fibrous material contained in any clip or frames as aforesaid,
close to and alongside the needle, and so keep the fibrous material well pressed
down on the bed of the machine as if by the pressure of a finger.
9th, fitting to or fastening in front of the knife of any suitable cutting
machine with which fibrous material may be cut into lengths for making
mats or envelopes, a table at or near the level of the bottom of the trough in
which the straw or other fibrous material is placed in the machine, leaving a
slit across the top of such table through which when the material is pushed
or brought from the trough a string or other legature may be passed to tie the

page_text: straw or other fibrous material into a bunch.or bundle, the object of this
improvement being to maintain the material straight and immoveable in its
position whilst being cut.
: :
10th, the construction and use of a bat, having on one of its edges projecting
pins made to fit into corresponding rows of holes on the above-mentioned straw
cutting table, such holes being two or three in a row at required distances
from the edge of the cutting knife. The object of this improvement is to
apply and use the flat sides of the said bat for the purpose of striking the ends
of fibrous material so as to make them when in the trough of the machine
even, and to make use of the side of the bat when fixed in a vertical position
in the cutting table as aforesaid to stop the material when pushed or brought
out of the cutting trough at a required distance from the knife, thus deter-
mining the length of the material to be cut off by the distance of the bat in
the rows of holes from the knife before referred to.
11th, the use of a hood of a size sufficient to cover the fibrous material
when pushed or brought out of the trough of the cutting machine in order to
confine the same, and prevent it from spreading until tied into a bunch or
bundle in the manner before described.
12, the adaptation and fitting to the fixed side of the circular hole of the
machine used for tying the ends of rockets and other fireworks, and which is
also used to tie the tops of bottle envelopes, and known as a clip-tying machine,
half to three-quarter segments of metallic rings of various thicknesses, so
arranged and fitted that one or the other of such segments can be inserted
into the fixed side of the hole, and removed at pleasure to be replaced by
another of such segments, so that the diameter of the hole can be made greater
or less to correspond with the varying thickness of the top of the envelopes to
be tied.
As to the manufacture of mats and envelopes of fibrous material, my Inven-
tion consists in the following improvements :-
1st, in manufacturing mats or envelopes by the use of a sewing machine
in combination with such of the apparatus and mechanical appliances before
described or referred to as are suitable for such combination.
2nd, in the use and application of paper or linen, or any kind of textile
material placed and interposed between long and short lengths of straw or
other fibrous material intended to be sewn or otherwise fastened together, so
that such paper or linen or other textile material shall form a joint between
such long and short lengths, and prevent the ends of the latter intermingling
with or passing between the former.
3rdly, in producing by the apparatus and incans aforesaid, or some of them

page_text: greater regularity and solidity of the sewing and fastening of the threads or
strings of the mats of fibrous material, with or of which the said mats and
envelopes are made, greater expedition in the production of such mats
and envelopes, and especially greater elasticity of the fabric of such mats and
envelopes, whereby the same envelope will be sure to fit, and securely cover
bottles or jars differing in circumference.