IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING CLOTHS AND FABRICS.
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Chambers, of 8, Parade, Northampton, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING CLOTHS
AND FABRICS.
Sealed the 17th September 1867, and dated the 20th March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Chambers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th March 1867.
I, GEORGE CHAMBERS, of 8, Parade, Northampton; do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING
CLOTHS AND FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for exhibiting
cloths and fabrics. For this purpose I employ a frame of suitable ornamental
form in which a number of rollers are mounted horizontally, the one over the
other; by preference they are arranged in two parallel planes. To each of
the rollers a length of cloth or fabric to be exhibited, say, two or three yards
is attached in a similar way to that in which a window blind is attached to its
roller. I prefer that each roller should be fitted with a spring in such manner
that in unwinding the length of cloth or fabric the spring may be strained
sufficiently to cause it to wind up again the length of cloth or fabric as soon
as it is set free by means of a catcb, which is provided for the purpose. 16
is not essential that the rollers should be provided with springs, if preferred

page_text: a small handle may be applied at the end of each roller, by which it can be
turned to cause it to wind up the cloth or fabric upon it. The form of the
frame may be much varied and may be either fixed or moveable:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Chambers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th September 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CHAMBERS, of 8, Parade, Northampton, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Chambers, Her special licence that I, the said George Chambers,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Chambers, 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 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
APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING CLOTHS AND FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Chambers, 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 George Chambers, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for exhibiting
cloths and fabrics. For this purpose I employ a frame of suitable ornamental
form, in which a number of rollers are mounted horizontally, the one over
the other; by preference they are arranged in two parallel planes. To each
of the rollers a length of cloth or fabric to be exhibited, say, two or three
yards is attached in a similar way to that in which a window blind is attached

page_text: to its roller. I prefer that each roller should be fitted with a spring in such
manner that in unwinding the length of cloth or fabric the spring may be
strained sufficiently to cause it to wind up again the length of cloth or fabric
as soon as it is set free by means of a catch which is provided for the purpose.
It is not essential that the rollers should be provided with springs, if preferred
a small handle may be applied at the end of each roller, by which it can be
turned to cause it to wind up the cloth or fabric upon it. The form of the
frame may be much varied and may be either fixed or moveable.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
Figure 1 shews a front view, an
re
view
apparatus constructed as above described for exhibiting cloths and fabrics. In
the apparatus shewn in the Drawings the frame carries two sets of horizontal
rollers, ou to which the cloths or fabrics are wound; one of these sets of rollers
is at the front and the other at the back of the frame; the frame also is
shewn to be moveable, it being supported on castors or wheels, but in place
of this the frame may be fixed in any desired position in a warehouse or shop,
and may be made with one set of rollers only in place of with two sets, as in
the apparatus shewn. The way in which I prefer to carry the ends of the
rollers and to give motion to them is shewn more clearly in the full size view,
Figure 3, which shews the two ends of a roller and the manner in which each
end is supported by the frame.
In the Drawings a is the frame of the apparatus; b, the rollers, which are
by preference of wood, and on to which the cloth or fabric is wound. I prefer
that each length or piece of cloth to be exhibited should be doubled over on
itself, and that the two ends of the cloth which have thus been brought
together should be fastened to one of the wooden rollers, the face only of
the cloth will thus be exposed to view; one end of each roller is furnished
with a metal cap, from which projects a stud or axis c which drops into a slot
cut vertically in a casting d fixed to the side of the frame. When all of the
rollers of the front or back set have been set up in their places these ends are
prevente. from rising up out of the slots in the castings d by horizontal slots
in a thin board e as seen in Figure 2; this board is placed in position and
attached to the side of the frame after all the rollers have been set up in their
place; to the other end of each roller is attached another metal cap f, on the
outer circumference of which is a ratchet wheel f¹, into which a click g carried

page_text: by the side of the frame catches and sets or fixes the rollers at any point
required by this means when one roller is being turned to wind up a cloth
upon it the cloth rubbing on the cloths wound on the rollers below it will not
cause these rollers to turn; through the centre of the end of the capfis a
square hole which is passed over a similar square end of an axis g' which is
carried by a small casting a³ attached by screws to the side of the frame; on
the axis g is a toothed wheel 9, into which gears another toothed wheel h,
the axis of which is furnished with a crank handle h¹, by which it can be
turned, and consequently impart rotary motion to the roller b, thereby winding
up the cloth. On the axis g¹ is also a ratchet wheel g³, the teeth of which
are in the opposite direction to the teeth of the wheel f¹; into the teeth of the
wheel ga ratchet or pawl i catches, which holds the rollers from turning in the
direction to let down the cloth. When the cloth is desired to be let down
then the pawl i is lifted out from the teeth of the ratched wheel g³ by a lever l
which is turned on its centre by pulling a cord le attached to its lower end.
When the cloth is to be unwound from a roller, then the click g is turned over
by hand, so as not to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel f¹. When
the apparatus is used for exhibiting cloths or heavy fabrics I prefer to employ
crank handles, as shewn in the Drawing for turning the rollers b, but for
light fabrics springs may be employed in place thereof, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Chambers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
GEORGE CHAMBERS. (L.S.)