IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN GARMENTS."
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Thomas Tait, of No. 10, Essex Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN GARMENTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Thomas Tait at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th November 1863.
I, ROBERT THOMAS TAIT, of No. 10, Essex Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN GARMENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
woollen garments. Heretofore in the manufacture of woollen garments it
has been usual by hand to mark out on the piece of woollen cloth or fabric,
with chalk or otherwise, the forms of the different parts of the garments to be
made, and the pieces have then been cut out according to the design so marked
on the woollen fabric. When many garments of the same or nearly the same
pattern have to be made, much time is uselessly employed in so marking the
pattern on the cloth or fabric. Now, according to my Invention, I print on the
woollen cloth or fabric by means of rollers or blocks the outline of the pieces
to be cut from it; this outline serves as a guide for the cutter, and the time
which would otherwise be expended in chalking or marking by hand is saved.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Thomas Tait in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
THOMAS TAIT, of No. 10, Essex Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Thomas Tait, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Thomas Tait, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Robert Thomas Tait, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WOOLLEN GARMENTS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Thomas Tait, 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 Robert Thomas Tait, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
woollen garments. Heretofore in the manufacture of woollen garments it has
been usual by hand to mark out on the piece of woollen cloth or fabric, with
chalk or otherwise, the forms of the different parts of the garments to be made,
and the pieces have then been cut out according to the design so marked on
the woollen fabric. When many garments of the same or nearly the same
pattern have to be made, much time is uselessly employed in so marking the
pattern on the cloth or fabric. Now, according to my Invention, I print on
the woollen cloth or fabric by means of rollers or blocks the outline of the
pieces to be cut from it; this outline serves as a guide for the cutter, and the

page_text: Figure 1 is a front view, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the appa-
ratus which I employ. a, a, is the frame of the machine, it carries the
pressing roller band the upper or printing roller c; this roller has a surface of
wood upon it, on which the contour of the several parts of the garments to be
made is marked out by strips of metal attached to the surface in the manner
common in making blocks for blocking or printing fabrics. The bearings of the
printed roller are mounted in guides on the frame, and by means of screws they
can be set up so as to press on the fabric which passes between the rollers
b and c with any force which may be desired. The printing roller c is caused
to revolve by means of a spur wheel c¹ on its axis, gearing with a pinion d,
having on its axis the hand-wheel d', by means of which it is turned. Color
is applied to the printing surface of the roller c from the trough e; the color
is taken up by the roller f, revolving in the trough, and is by it transferred
to the roller g, which has a felt or other soft surface, and revolves in contact
with the printing surface, to which it transfers a sufficient amount of color.
The woollen cloth to be marked for cutting passes under the two rollers h, h,
and then along the table i. The rollers h put sufficient friction on the fabric
to keep it evenly stretched on the table before it comes to the printing roller c;
the fabric passes between the rollers b and c, and as the roller c is caused to
rotate it is drawn forward, and it comes out from between them marked ready
for cutting. The roller c is for thick fabrics made of metal, for thin fabrics it
should be padded.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Thomas Tait, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
ROBERT THOMAS TAIT. (LS.)