IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marcus Brown Westhead, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Merchant, and Robert Smith, of the same
Place, Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION
--
Sealed the 22nd January 1875, and dated the 25th July, 1874.
JE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Marcus Brown West-
head and Robert Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 25th, July 1874.
1
.
WC, MARCUS-BROWN WESTHEAD, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, and ROBERT SMITH, of the same Place, Agent,
do-hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE PRODUCTION OF TAPES OR 'LADDERS' FOR VENETIAN BLINDS," to be as
follows:-
"
Our Invention relates to that operation in the production of tapes or
"ladders" which consists in marking off the divisions which_guide_tho
operator when sewing or otherwise attaching the narrow cross, tapes.

page_text: For this purpose, we cause the longitudinal tapes to pass between or in
contact with a roller or rollers provided with parts for marking them
transversely at the desired distances apart, and we propose to use a pair
of rollers or other drag for guiding them as they enter, and another pair
to draw them forward.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Marcus Brown Westhead and Robert Smith in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, MARCUS
BROWN WESTHEAD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancastor, ]
Merchant, and ROBERT SMITH, of the samic Place, Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, and in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Marcus Brown Westhead and Robert
Smith, Her special license that we, the said Marcus Brown Westhead
and Robert Smith, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said Marcus Brown Westhead and Robert
Smith, our 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
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 THE PRODUCTION OF TAPES OR LADDERS' FOR
VENETIAN BLINDS," upon the condition, amongst others, that we, tho
said Marcus Brown Westhead and Robert Smith, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and soals (or under the hand and seal of one
of us), 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Marcus Brown Westhead and
Robert Smith, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and
accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
Our Invention relates to the operation in the production of tapes or
"ladders," which consists in marking over the divisions which guide
the operator when sewing or otherwise attaching the narrow cross tapes.
For this purpose we cause the longitudinal tapes to pass between or in
contact with a roller or rollers provided with parts for marking them
transversely at the desired distances apart.
The arrangement of apparatus for effecting the object of our Invention
may be varied, but in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawing we
have shown a form of apparatus which we have formed to answer.
At 1 is the framework, provided on each side with a slot in which are
bearings 2 for a roller 3, which roller has engraved lines in the direction
of its axis corresponding in distance apart to the lines which are intended
to be marked upon the tape. In the aforesaid slots is a second pair of
bearings 4 which carry a roller 5, the surface of which is caused to press
upon that of the roller 3 by means of weighted levers 6. The frame 1
is provided with guides 7, in which are two rods as at 8, carrying at
their upper ends a box 9 containing any suitable printing colour, and
within the said box is a roller 10 made after the manner of ordinary
colour rollers. The rods 8 are connected at their lower ends to a fork 11
turning upon a centre at 12, and formed with a weighted lever 13, by
means of which the said rods and consequently the roller 10 are borne
upward, the latter being thus pressed against the surface of the roller 3.
At 14 is a ductor blade mounted in bars 15, which are capable of
turning upon a centre. by the force of a spring 16, the tension of which
may be modified by a screw 17, and thus the said ductor blade is caused
to press upon the roller with any required force, and it has a reciprocating
motion imparted to it, as will hereafter be explained. At 18 is a second
ductor blade mounted in bars 19, which are capable of turning upon a
centre by the force of an adjustable spring 20, and thus to bear upon
the surface of the roller 3. At 21, 21*, are rods fixed to the frame, the
latter being furnished with collars 22 capable of adjustment by means
of set screws, so that their distances apart may be altered. At 23 is a

page_text: roller with ribs on its surface, and mounted in the framework so as to be
capable of revolving. The driving shaft is shewn at 24, upon which
thero is a spur wheel 25 taking into another 20 on the axis of the
roller 3, and at the other end of this axis is a pinion 27 in gear with a
wheel 28 on the axis of the roller 5. Upon the main shaft 21 is a ||
pulley 29 provided with a crossed band which passes over a pulley 30 on
the axis of the roller 23. On the face of the pinion 27 is a cam 31, in
contact with which by the pressure of a spring 31* is a roller carried by
a lever 32 turning on a centre 33, and connected by means of a slot and
pin to the axis 34 of the ductor 14.
The tape to be marked is passed over and under the rods 21, 21*, and
from thence between the two rollers 3, 5, as shown by the line A, and
in the present machine it is supposed that two tapes are to be marked at
the same time, each of them being passed between a pair of collars 22,
but one tape only or more than two may be applied. Motion having 1
been communicated through the driving shaft and gearing above
described, the rollers 3, 5, will draw forward the tapes, printing upon
them transverse marks by means of the engraved lines on the roller 3,
which lines are supplied with colour by means of the roller 10 pressing
against them, the superfluous quantity of colour being removed by the 2
ductor 14. The tapes now passing forward are conducted to the roller 23,
the revolution of which is sufficient to convey them into any convenient
receptacle. The second ductor 18 is for the purpose of removing any
fibrous matter from the roller 3, and which may be detached from the
tapes. During the above-described operations the cam 31 imparts a 2
slight reciprocating motion to the ductor 14, the edge of which is set at
an angle to the axis of the roller 3 to prevent it from passing into the
lines engraved thercon. To the framework is jointed a lever 10, 40*,
the latter part of which may be turned under the lever 6, so as to raise
the roller 5 from that shewn at 3 when the machine is not at work, and 3
the same arrangement is at both sides of the machine.
In order to obtain markings on the tapes of definite distances apart
(say two inches) we find in practice that it is necessary to engrave the
lines on the roller somewhat more than that distance apart, so as to
allow for the contraction which takes place in the said tapes after 3
they have been strained by the tension caused by passing over the
rods 21. 21*.

page_text: Having thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim as secured to us under the above in part
recited Letters Patent and for the purpose above set forth, the use of a
roller or rollers for placing divisional marks upon tapes, substantially in
the manner described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Marcus Brown Westhead and
Robert Smith, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.