IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES OF DRESS WHERE LOOPED FABRICS ARE USED, AND IN PREPARING LOOPED FABRICS FOR MAKING ARTICLES OF DRESS AND PARTS OF GAB- MENTS
Year: 1852

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
BILLSON, of Leicester, Manufacturer, and CALEB BEDELLS, of Leicester afore-
said, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirtieth day of Sep-
tember, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in the sixteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant to us,
the said Charles Billson and Caleb Bedells, our exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said
Charles Billson and Caleb Bedells, our exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such
others as we, the said Charles Billson and Caleb Bedells, our exors, admors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES OF DRESS WHERE LOOPED FABRICS ARE USED, AND IN
PREPARING LOOPED FABRICS FOR MAKING ARTICLES OF DRESS AND PARTS OF GAB-
MENTS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that we, the said
Charles Billson and Caleb Bedells, or one of us, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under our hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's

page_text: reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Charles Billson and Caleb Bedells, do hereby declare that the nature of our
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that
is to say:-
.
Our Invention consists,-
First, of making polka and other jackets or dresses by combining non-elastic
materials for the fronts and elastic or looped fabrics for the backs.
Secondly, our Invention consists of cementing vulcanized india rubber
between surfaces of looped fabric.
Thirdly, our Invention consists of cementing fibres or yarns endwise on an
elastic back, composed of vulcanized india rubber or looped fabrics, so as to
produce elastic plush.
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by us.
In carrying out the first part our Invention, we combine non-clastic or
looped fabrics in making up polka and other jackets or dresses in the following
manner: The jacket or other form of dress is made up in the ordinary form,
using looped fabrics, which are as is well known elastic, and into the front
parts of each of such jackets or dresses the top fronts of a waistcoat of non-
elastic fabric; that is, fabrics woven with warp and weft are sewn, by which
combination very useful dresses are produced; the front parts of the jackets
coming beyond the parts where the fronts of the waiscoats are sewn.
In carrying out the second part of our Invention, we prefer to employ very
fine warp fabrics of silk (though others may be used), as by such means very
thin elastic fabrics, composed of two surfaces of warp fabric with vulcanized
india rubber, may be obtained. And in order to combine the vulcanized india
rubber with the two surfaces of looped fabrics, we fasten each fabric to a
square frame of wood, so as to keep them distended evenly; and in order to
coat one side of each fabric, we place the frame over a marble or other suitable
slab, the frame of wood being large enough to allow the fabric to lie on the
slab. A trough of india-rubber cement is then brought to the surface and
spread out and tilted so that the cement may fall on to the fabric near one
edge of the frame, and the trough is to be moved carefully over the fabric,
delivering the cement on to the surface thereof, the under edge of the trough
resting on the fabric acts as a doctor and only allows a thin film of the cement

page_text: to remain on the surface of the fabric, and in this manner the two frames of
fabrics are to be prepared which are to be cemented together. The sheet of
vulcanized india rubber to be used between such fabrics is to be fixed in a
frame and very slightly distended in order to get it even in all parts. India-
rubber cement is then applied by a brush to both surfaces, which will cause it
to bag and become very unequal, but after a time on being hung up it
becomes even and when taken from the frame will retain an even character,
and may be cut up into the forms desired; and as it is desired in most cases,
that the vulcanized india rubber should be inclosed between the two surfaces
of looped fabrics in such manner that the two looped fabrics should extend
beyond the vulcanized india rubber all around, and thus be allowed to come
in contact with each other; and as it is desirable that this should be done
regularly and not cause waste, particularly where a large number of pieces of
vulcanized india rubber are to be shut in between two sheets of looped fabrics,
we find it desirable to employ what we call moulds, which are surfaces of wood
having recesses formed therein of the forms of the pieces of vulcanized india
rubber, by which it will readily be understood that the several pieces of
vulcanized india rubber may each be laid into a recess in the surface of wood.
which is of the size of the frame having the fabric thereon, and thus when
the cemented side of the looped fabric is placed down on to the surface
wherein the pieces of vulcanized india rubber are and pressed thereon, the
india-rubber cement will adhere, but the same will not adhere to the wood by
reason of the cement on the fabric having been allowed to stand for some
time. By this arrangement the pieces of vulcanized india rubber will adhere
to the surface of the looped fabric, and thus may they be removed from the
mould, and then by bringing the other frame of fabric in contact with the
pieces of vulcanized india rubber and the first mentioned fabric, and by pressing
them, they will adhere together and become as it were one fabric, the pieces of
vulcanized india rubber being enclosed and at intervals apart, according to the
margin it is desired to retain when the compound fabric is cut up for its
purposes. In some cases it is desirable to strengthen these margins of fabric,
and to make them non-elastic at those parts particularly where they have to
be sewed to other parts of dress or garments; in these cases portions of strong
linen or other fabric, of the form and size desired, are laid in the moulds with
the pieces of vulcanized india rubber, and therefore are cemented between
the two looped fabrics, which when the article is made from the two outer
surfaces, and by reason of such two outer surfaces being of looped fabrics, and
having vulcanized india rubber within such pieces, will be permanently elastic,

page_text: excepting at those parts where non-elastic fabrics are introduced. If it be
desired to give to these elastic fabrics an embossed character, this may be
done by vulcanizing the sheet india rubber in moulds of the desired pattern,
or the sheet vulcanized india rubber may be cut out in pattern, or the com-
pound elastic fabric above described may be cut out in pattern and inclosed
between surfaces of looped fabric, as above explained.
We will now describe the third part of our Invention, which consists of
employing looped fabrics in place of non-elastic fabrics when making piled
fabrics by causing the ends of yarns or fibres to adhere thereto. The manu-
facture of piled fabrics by the employment of yarns or fibres laid parallel and
packed together in such manner as to have slices cut from the ends, being
well known and understood, it will not be necessary to enter into a description
thereof, but heretofore, in making such articles the fabrics used have been
inelastic, and this part of our Invention consists of employing looped fabrics
which are elastic either after having vulcanized india rubber inclosed between
two surfaces thereof, as above explained, cemented to the ends of the fibres
before a slice or surface is cut off thereof, and this is the manufacture wo
prefer, but looped fabrics may be used and cemented to the ends of fibres or
yarns without having incorporated therein vulcanized india rubber.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, we would havo it under-
stood that we do not confine ourselves to the details herein given, so long as
the peculiar character of any part of our Invention be retained.
we claim is,
But what
First, the combining non-elastic and elastic fabrics in making up jackets
and dresses, as herein explained.
Secondly, we claim the combining of vulcanized india rubber with looped
fabrics, as herein described.
And,
Thirdly, we claim the mode herein described, of making piled fabrics.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Billson, on behalf of myself and
Caleb Bedells, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this twenty-sixth
day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-three.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-sixth day of March, in
the year of our Lord 1853, the aforesaid Charles Billson came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.