A. NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS FOR ACCURATELY MEASURING INTO REQUIRED LENGTHS, ALL KINDS OF LACES, FRILLINGS, AND SIMILAR MATERIALS, FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH JENNEY MACHINES, FOR WINDING THE SAME ON CARDS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED HERBERT DAVIES, Consulting and Mechanical Engineer and Patent
Agent of the Firm Westmoreland and Davies, The Central Engineering and
Patent Offices, Eskell Chambers, Market Place, Nottingham, in the county of
Nottinghamshire do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "A. NEW OR
IMPROVED MEANS FOR ACCURATELY MEASURING INTO REQUIRED LENGTHS, ALL
KINDS OF LACES, FRILLINGS, AND SIMILAR MATERIALS, FOR USE IN COMBINATION
WITH JENNEY MACHINES, FOR WINDING THE SAME ON CARDS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in carring the material to be measured, partly round
with the periphery of a measuring drum,-whose circumferance shall equal a
convenient unit of length-by means of fingers, moving upon pins, fixed at
intervals round the edge of such drum, and revolving with it, being made to
alternately hold the material being measured, to the face of the periphery, with
just sufficient pressure to cause it to travel with the periphery, through an arc of
its revolution, and release it, just previous to its leaving the periphery. The
opposite ends of the aforesaid fingers move in, and on, a fixed guide or cam, which
guide or cam, is so shaped as to cause each finger to alternately hold, and release,
the material as described; in order to prevent the material being crushed, by the
fingers pressing upon it, that part of the guide or cam, which is concentric with
the axis of the measuring drum and upon which the opposite ends of the fingers
ride, when the material is being carried over the drum is made adjustable, to suit
the various thickness of materials, and is supported upon light springs, which
cause it to compress, under a slight pressure, thus preventing the fingers crushing
the materials.
On the axis of the measuring drum, is a worm, into which works a worm-wheel
and to the axis of this worm-wheel, is fixed a hand which turns in front of a dial
marked with numbered divisions, representing yards; thus indicating the length of
material that as been passed over with the periphery of the measuring drum.
A point is fixed on the leaving side of the measuring drum, at which, the material

page_text: is cut off when it has attained the required length, the dial hand is then put back
to 0; the length of the following piece is measured from this same point.
Fixed conveniently in front of the measuring drum is the Jenney proper, which
consists of a light stand, having a bearing for the axis of a kind of fork, that
carries the card, upon which the material is coiled after leaving the measuring
drum, the fork is made to revolve by a cord passing over a pulley on its axis, from
a pulley on the axis of the measuring druin.
The axis of the measuring drum revolves in bearings made in a suitable support,
and fixed by screws, passing through its base into a table, or other convenient
position; it is driven by a handle fixed on axis of measuring drum, or by pulleys.

page_text: A New or Improved Means for Accurately Measuring into
Required Lengths all Kinds of Laces, Frillings, and similar
Materials. for Use in Combination with Jenney Machines.
I, ALFRED HERBERT DAVIES, Consulting and Mechanical Engineer and Patent
Agent, the Central Engineering and Patent Offices, Eskell Chambers, Market Place,
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
A NEW OR IMPROVED MEANS FOR ACCURATELY MEASURING INTO REQUIRED
LENGTHS, ALL KINDS OF LACES, ETC, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention has for its object to provide a simple, easy, and reliable machine
for accurately measuring into required lengths laces, frillings; lisse, ribbons and
all similar materials or fabrics, requiring delicate handling, or for testing the
accuracy of the length of such goods measured by other processes, and consists in
carrying the material to be measured by means of fingers, hereinafter described
with the periphery and through an arc of the revolution of a measuring drum-
the circumferance of which equals a convenient unit of length-A number of
brackets are fixed at intervals round one or both edges of such drum, the said
brackets forming bearing or supports for pins, upon which pins move fingers, the
said fingers are made by means of a cam or guide to alternately hold to the
periphery of the measuring drum the material being measured, and release it at a
convenient point of the revolution of such drum in order to permit the measured
material to fall into a basket or other recepticle, or to allow it being wound on a
card fixed in a jenney, or other apparatus for carding, or winding on a bobbin, or
for spooling.
A mark is made or a line cut on the face of the measuring drum, to which mark
or line the material to be measured is put when commencing to measure a length
or piece, and at which same mark or line it is cut when the required length is
attained. A worm fastened to the spindle that carries the measuring drum works
into a worm wheel, and on the end of the pin that carries the worm wheel is a
finger or hand which moves in front of a dial, marked with divisions representing
yards, half yards, or dozens of yards, or any convenient unit of length it may be
required to use. The beforementioned finger or hand after having indicated a
required length can be loosened and put back to 0, then again fastened. The
machine is driven by a handle or by pulleys fixed at one end of the drum spindle.
If it is required to jenney or wind the material on cards at the same time, a jenney
can be fixed conveniently, and driven by a cord from a pully on the drum spindle
to a pulley fixed on spindle of jenney. The spindle carrying the drum, worm,
handle or pulleys, revolves in bearing provided in a suitable stand. This simple
and reliable means can be arranged to measure materials of any width.
Now in order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed
to more particularly describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the

page_text: figures on the annexed sheet of drawings, the same letters of referance indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1. in the accompanying drawings represents a part sectional elevation.
Fig. 2. a side elevation, and Fig. 3. shows more plainly the cam, carrier, and
connecting rod ends.
A is the measuring drum fixed to the spindle B, and revolved by the handle C,
or substituted by pulleys, D is a worm fixed to the spindl B working into the
worm wheel E, the said worm-wheel is fixed to the pin F to which is also fastened
by means of the nut G the finger or hand H which moves in front of the dial I.
J is the stand containing the bearings for the spindle B and the pin F, the said
stand is screwed on a counter top or other convenient position. L, L, L, are the
fingers, movable upon the pins K, K, K, and supported by the brackets N, N, N,
which brackets are shown screwed to rim of measuring drum. O. O. O. are rods
connected to the fingers L. L. L. by means of the pins P, P, P, the opposite ends of
the said rods move upon the periphery of the cam R. S. S. S. are adjustable
supports for the springs T, T, the other end of the said springs being held on the
lugs U, U, which are connected to the carrier V, the said carrier is fixed to the
spindle B, and acts as a guide for the ends of the rods O, 0, 0. At Z a line is cut
on the face of the measuring drum, for the purpose hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The carrying of the material to be measured with the periphery and
through an arc of the revolution of a measuring drum, and releasing it at a
convenient point of the revolution of the measuring drum, as herinbefore described,
and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second. I am aware that rollers or drums of a convenient circumferance have
been previously used for measuring purposes, I therefore do not claim such drum in
itself but what I claim is: An arrangement for carrying the material to be
measured through an arc of the revolution of such drum, and causing the material
to be released at a convenient point of the revolution consisting of fingers movable
upon pins supported by brackets fixed to measuring drum, of rods connecting the
said fingers by pins, of a cam by means of which the said rods cause the aforesaid
fingers to alternately lift from, and fall to the face of the measuring drum, of a
carrier or guide for the ends of the said rods, and of springs held by adjustable
supports, enabling the aforesaid rods to decend the falling side of the cam all
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of February 1885