AN IMPROVED MODE OF PRE- PARING TAPES FOR THE MARKET
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Brown, of Gresham Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, for the Invention of" AN IMPROVED MODE OF PRE-
PARING TAPES FOR THE MARKET."
Sealed the 28th August 1857, and dated the 2nd March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd March 1857.
I, WILLIAM BROWN, of Gresham Street, in the City of London, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MODE
OF PREPARING TAPES FOR THE MARKET," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel mode of preparing tapes for sale, the object
being to put lengths of tape into a convenient form for use, and also to facili-
tate the inspection thereof by the retail purchaser, and afford a ready means
whereby the retailer may give his orders without risk of their being misunder-.
stood. It has heretofore been the custom to prepare tapes for the market by
winding them up in the form of long loops, and then binding these loops
together by passing the end of the tape around them. The effect of this
arrangement is, that when a portion of the tape is cut off for use, the whole
piece becomes loose and is liable to get entangled, to prevent which the pur-
chaser is compelled to undo the whole length and make it up into a roll.
Now, to avoid these inconveniences, 1 wind the tape in the first instance
upon a slip of wood or other rigid substance, the breadth of which corresponds
with the breadth of the tape, and when so wound up I secure the outer end
P

page_text: by the application of a band of paper or other material. Lengths of tape thus
prepared I arrange in trays or boxes with partitions, each tray or box having
an assortment of the different breadths manufactured, and on the lid
of the box I place a printed paper with numbered diagrams, representing the
various sizes contained in the box. I thus present to view the various
sizes of tape in their progessive order, and by giving them consecutive
numbers by which they will be known by the trade, I enable the purchaser
(whether wholesale or retail) to select or order any one or more of the different
sizes without risk of mistake.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Brown in the Great Sea! Patent Office on the
2nd September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BROWN, of Gresham Street, in the City of London, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eighthundred and fifty-seven in the twentieth yearof Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Brown, Her special license that I, the said William Brown, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Brown, 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 "AN IMPROVED MODE OF
PREPARING TAPES FOR THE MARKET." upon the condition (amongst others)
that 1, the said William Brown, by an instrumentin writing under my haud
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
thic same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Brown, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-

page_text: This Invention relates to a novel mode of getting up or preparing tapes for
sale, the objects to be attained being to put lengths of tape of various kinds
and sizes into a convenient form for use, and also so to arrange them as to
facilitate the inspection thereof by the retail purchaser, and likewise to afford a
ready means whereby the retailer may give his orders without risk of their
being misunderstood. It has heretofore been the custom to prepare tapes for
the market by winding them up in the form of long loops, and then binding
these loops together by passing the end of the tape around them. The effect
of this arrangement is, that when a portion of the tape is cut off for use, the
whole piece becomes loose and is liable to get entangled, to prevent which the
purchaser is impelled to undo the whole length and make it up into a roll.
Now, to avoid these inconveniences, I wind the tape in the first instance
upon a slip of wood or other rigid substance, the breadth of which corresponds
with the breadth of the tape,and when so wound up I secure the outer end by
the application of a band of paper or other material.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figures 1 shew in plan and edge view the
mode of blocking lengths of tape according to my Invention; Fig. 2 shews,
the manner of arranging tapes so blocked in a box, for wholesale and retail
dealers, to permit of their easy inspection by the retail purchaser; Fig. 3
shews the inner face of the lid furnished with a numbered diagram, corre-
sponding to the sizes of the tapes contained in the box; and Fig. 4 is a
longitudinal section of the tape box, shewing blocked tapes contained therein.
In these Figures, a, a, are the lengths of tape wound round a slip of wood
or other rigid substance b; the outer end, being secured by a pin and covered
by a paper band c, which is lapped round the tape, and retained in place by
gum or paste applied to the band. Blocks of tape thus prepared I arrange
according to their size in compartments in shallow boxes, formed by prefer-
ence as shewn in the Drawing. The different sizes of blocks I designate by a
numeral or other mark, and I apply the same numbers or marks to the.
diagrams or the lid of the box, corresponding respectively to the different
widths of tape contained in the various compartments. I thus present to view
the various sizes of tapes in their progressive order, and by giving their con⚫
secutive numbers by which they will be known by the trade, I enable the
purchaser (whether wholesale or retail) to select or order any one or more of
the different sizes without risk of mistake. When the blocks of tape are in
use, it will be readily seen that any length may be unwound and removed
without disturbing the remaining portion, which, when its end is secured
as before with a pin,will not be liable to get loose, or become entangled in the
work basket.

page_text: Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Mode
of Preparing Tapes for the Market," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, I claim the means, herein before described, of carrying
out in combination the above-mentioned objects.
In witness whereof, I. the said William Brown, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
WILLIAM BROWN. (L.S.)