US2321920A - Measuring tape - Google Patents

Description

A. W. KEUFFEL ET AL MEASURING TAPE Filed Oct. 6/1939 FIGJ.

lhil CC CC PL CP LC PC LP CL PC LP LC LP PC CL LP PC L CP PL CC CC INVEN? OHS ADOLF n4 AEf/FFEL 00mm 5 memoc/r from woven'strips of narrow fabric. and numerals thereon.

Heretofore woven measuring tapes have been "Additional objects will be hereinafter set forth made in a number of ways as for example, by or made clear from the following more particuweaving. an ordinary narrow strip as a more or lar description of the invention. less conventional tape and printing graduations We have found-that where at least part of and numerals thereon. Obviously such tapes the warp threads of a strip are made from fibres were useful only to give approximate measure of an inorganic material such as glass that ments and could never be used where accuracy an'improved product results. In one of the prewas necessary. To improve the accuracy of ferred forms of the invention at least some of these tapes, metallic strands have been introthe warp threads are made from continuous glass duced in certain types. The inclusion of vrnefilaments suitably combined to form threads tallic strands produced a conductive tape that which have only a slight twist; Inorganic fibres made it dangerous for measurements around have beenmade' into threads of two principal electrical apparatus. types. In one case extremely fine filaments 'of, This invention is directed particularly to for example, glass are drawn to any desired woven measuring tapes with increased durabillength and a number of these continuous'filaity able to withstand the severe conditions in merits combined to form a strand or ply of yarn mining, lumbering, dock building, railroad conand several; of these may be twisted'together to struction, carpet laying and other industrial opgive a thread. Such threads, in which each erations where a high degree of accuracy is filament is extremely long and may be as long desired but not necessarily that of a steel tape, as the thread, are very smooth; free from proor where metal tapes cannot be used. jecting fibres and generally preferred as warp It is an object of this inventionto provide threads. The second type of thread is spun an improved woven measuring tape that has a from glass fibres which individually-are only a smaller elongation or strain for a given stress fewinches long. Spun glass thread is fuzzy applied than other woven tapes thereby insurand produces a correspondingly fuzzy fabric ing greater accuracy in use. which would require special care in singeing Another object of this invention is to provide and coating. Such threads ofinorganic fibres an improved woven measuring tape of great either alone or preferably combined with threadsstrength and highly resistant to wear under norof organic fibres when employed asa straight mal conditions of use. v warp held together with a light weight loosely. An important object of this invention resides woven filler produce strips having unusually dein the provision of a measuring tape which sirable properties for measuring tapes. can stand extended exposure to aqueous liquids In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a view. without changing its properties and when so of a measuring tape, Fig. 2 a plan. view of the treated that any of its measuring properties are woven strip, and Fig. 3 a sectional view of Fig. 2

affected the variation isonly'temporary, or at all with explanatory legends. the most of a minor nature. While the invention is illustrated and described Also an object of this invention is to provide 4;; by reference to certain preferred embodiments, a woven strip having warp threads of two types, it is to be understood that variations may be the fibres of one of which areinorganic filamade from the specific disclosures hereinwithments, which warp threads are substantially out departing from the spirit and scope of the straight and held together with a weft or filler invention as set forth in the broader outlines which weaves the warp threads together withof this disclosure. out causing them to vary from a straightlin'e. Example I The invention seeks to provide a-woven strip on a tape 100m capable of weaving a large wperem threads; of orgfmlc fibre are l number of such tapes simultaneously, the fortywlth threads of Inorganic fibre to produce Sum two warp threads, of which there were thirty of edge of cotton, some of the intermediatapairs Patented June 15, 1943 I UNITED STATES "rATENT orricr.

MEASURING TAPE Adolf W. Keufiel, Montclair, and Donald E. Whitlock, Orange, N. J assignors to Keuffel & Esser Company, Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey I Application Qctober 6, 1939, Serial No. 298,338

8 Claims. (01. 33-137) This invention relates to measuring tapes made warp, a coating for the strip, and graduations with novel properties particularly usefulin view cotton (C) and twelve of filamentglassxwx en measurmg a Y were arranged as twenty-one double ends in the A further obJect is to providev a woven measfollowing order.

uring tape with high resistance to stretch or. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 n elongation and high resistance to wate'rflcomprising a woven strip in which the warp ends "C are woven in pairs the first two pairs at each combining a filament glass thread with anor-. 'QC ganic fibre thread and held together with a spe The threads were run through the harness in cially woven weft or filler to provide a'str pairs as indicated. The strip-is. sl ghtly more (C), linen (L), the following manner:

with the threads arranged through the harness as in Example I.

Example II 5 Another tape loom was threaded with cotton and glass fibre threads (P) in In each of the foregoing examples, the tape was woven with a cotton weft, the filling passing over and under the straight that the tension on the various warp threads be so adjusted that after the strip is woven the various types of thread in the warp will be very nearly, if not exactly, the same length. This is shown where the filler is stripped from several inches on any section moderate tension applied from each end of the stripped section. the warp threads will original tensions on the warp threads during weaving were correct.

warp. It is important .2

of woven tape and a to the tape a few inches It is also necessary to adjust the tension on the filler or weft threads against the tension on the warp. In this manner the woven tape becomes a series of substantially straight warp threads with all of the weaving, i. such, in the filler. With this applied at the ends of the stretching due to taking the waves out of the warp threads.

e., sinuous form, as construction, tension strip will not permit in In one of the foregoing examples, there were only five threads of inorganic fibre out of a total of forty two ends yet tapes so prepared when finished as marked improvement in many important respects over tapes constructed otherwise identical.

hereinafter described produced solely of organic fibres but In addition to the warp arrangements suggested in Examples I and II above, a number of other possible combinations illustrative of the invention are suggested in; as follows:

0 o oo-oo-i o-oPooPooPooPo-or In the construction of tapes according to the achings of this invention, the warp threads are 70 kind of threads. 76

closely woven near the edges for additional strength which may be further increased by using a longer fibre cotton thread for the edge threads.

: In the weaving of the tapes it should be borne in mind that long fibre cotton threads are pre- 'ferred for the edges. One reason is that subsequent finishing treatments tend to draw the filler threads into the edge threads which could be done only when the edge threads are of a soft cotton. Such thread is stronger than short fibre. A 24/2 ply long fibre cotton thread of 2%; pound test which in four feet elongates 1% inches when aone pound weight is applied is very good as an edge thread.

The tension applied to the warp threads during the weaving operation should be such that the filament glass threads are under the greatest stress because they are most important in conro'lling masuring properties of the tape. Glass filament thread (900/4/4)- testing about six pounds per thread and which lengthened oneeighth inch in four feet when stretched with a one pound weight is very satisfactory in the Warp. While tapes can be made with all of the warp threads of glass filament thread we prefer to use cotton edge threads and also to mix inorganic fibre threads throughout the strip. The organic fibre threads keep the filling from sliding along the warp and are more receptive to the impregnating coating and printing during the finishing steps. The cotton threads other than the edge threads may have a shorter fibre such as ll'l' 8. 24/2 ply combed peeler with a breaking test of.-one and one-half pounds. Such a thread will elongate 2 inches in four feet when a one pound weight is applied. This relatively great elongation requires careful adjustment on the tension of such warp threads because if the tension is too high during weaving the tape will be bumpy and wavy and if the tension is too loosse the warp will not be straight. In the preferred constructions a filament glass thread and a cotton orja linen thread are paired, the two ends acting as one warp end, and woven together as such. Itwill be understood that the glass filament thread is not affected by wetting. Cotton thread is the most elastic and in tape fabrics is most easily stretched again after Wetting and drying. Linen thread, on the other hand, while stronger (5;; test) and stretching less (1# elongates a four foot thread one-half inch) is subject to shrinkage when wet and is harder to stretch when dried.

After the tape has been woven as a ribbon, a number of steps are necessary to convert it into a measuring tape. The first step is to expose the ribbon to a direct flame for singeing the free fibers on the surface whereupon the strip may .bepassed through a sizing bath containing starch preferably with a small amount of wax after which the tape is dried. The dry tape is now calendered which includes passing the tape through heated rolls one of which may or may not be travelling at a greater or less speed than the tape which is, in effect, an ironing operation. This tends to reduce the thickness of the strip by flattening the threads both of the warp and the filler which latter is also slightlytightened. From the calenderthe strip is preferably passed into an impregnating solution which may be primarily an oxidizing oil such as China-wood oil with a drier. When the strip has been thoroughly impregnated with an oil, it is permitted to dry with it can be calendered again.

The impregnated calendered tape is now coated with a paint containing a pigment, a drying oil and a thinner. A typical paint may be made from one hundred pounds of white lead base, two

gallons of linseed oil and two gallons of turpentine. When the paint has been dried, the tape is calendered and given a second coat. When this coat is dry the strip is again calendered and exposed to the atmosphere preferably for several days to insure thorough drying. The strip is then printed with numerals and indicia which are preferably protected by the application of a top coat of relatively non-yellowing drying varnish and again dried to produce the finished measuring tape which may then be put in suitable cases or on reels for commercial use.

The method for making a measuring tape from the woven strip has been set forth in great detail to illustrate the preferred steps. These steps accomplish two principal purposes. The first, involving impregnating with or without a separate coating, sets the fibres and gives the threads protective coatings. Thus the strip becomes relatively unaffected by water and the like and is provided with a surface receptive to the indicia and numerals. The application of the indicia serves the second purpose of making the prepared strip useful for measuring. While the indicia might be applied to the raw strip it is advantageous to give the strip preliminary treatment.

It will be evident that the number of warp threads may be varied and each may be woven singly instead of in pairs. Similarly organic and inorganic fibres may be combined in a single thread. Other variations will also suggest themselves.

One comparative test which illustrates the superiority of the tapes constructed as herein described. including inorganic fibre threads involves putting a fifty foot tape under the stress of a three pound pull applied at the end of the horizontal supported strip. The fifty foot mark now becomes the point of reference. The pull is then increased to five pounds and the tape permitted to stretch until it is at rest which occurs in a relatively short time. The increase in length is then noted and the pull increased to seven pounds and the maximum elongation noted. Thereafter, the seven pound pull is reduced to three pounds and the tape will shorten but not to the same extent that it was elongated, and so the length when the weight is reduced to three pounds is always greater than the original length for a three pound weight. Thereafter, all weight is removed and the tape is permitted to stand without any stress applied to it over night and the same procedure as just described is repeated. It will uniformly be found that the tape has recovered to a certain extent and that the subsequent application of three pounds is nearer to the original fifty foot reference mark than was the point noted when the weight was reduced to three pounds in the previous test, but the tape probably will not have recovered so that it is identical with the original measurement of fifty feet. The same operations are repeated daily and the tape permitted to recover over night.

The foregoing tests were made on two commercial woven tapes constructed solely of organic fibre. The maximum elongation in tests repeated day after day gradually and uniformly increased from almost one inch elongation or strain with seven pound stress the first day to one and onehalf inches on the fifth day. In each case the residual elongation when the weight was reduced to. three pounds gradually increased but the recovery over night brought the tapes back to substantially the same length of about one-fifth of an inch over fifty feet.

Two tapes including filament inorganic fibre threads were also subjected to the same tests. One of these tapes contained thirty warp threads of cotton and twelve of filament glass fibre more or less uniformly distributed across the tape as in Example I. The other tape had nineteen cotton threads, eighteen linen threads and five filament glass fibre threads substantially as in Example II. Both tapes were woven in the manner described above. Since the results obtained were substantially identical the results of the tests as app to only one of these need be given. With the application of a three pound tension on the tape the measurement of fifty feet was the reference point. Increasing the weight from three pounds to five pounds and from five pounds to seven pounds as above described produced an elongation of the tape of four-tenths of an inch. When the weight was reduced to three pounds, the tape promptly returned to within one-tenth of an inch of the fifty foot reference mar Over night there was a slight recovery so that the initial length of the tape when the three pound weight was again applied was just barely over the fifty foot length. Upon repeating this operation for five successive days, the increase in elongation when the seven pound weight was applied over the first days maximum was one-tenth of an inch.

At the end of the fifth day, the commercial organic fibre tapes and the tapes manufactured as herein described were given an eight hour water immersion which Was considered as not sufficient to thoroughly penetrate through the coating on the tape and the tests were then repeated. One of the commercial tapes when the three pound weight was first applied and while the ta e was still wet showed an increase in length of fourtenths of an inch. The other commercial tape was shrunk so that when the three pound weight was applied the tape was four-tenths of an inch short. Both tapes containing the glass filament threads were less than one-fifth of an inch short. When the weight was increased on the organic fibre tapes to seven pounds both of these tapes were stretched until they were two and two-tenths inches longer than fifty feet. Both of the tapes which included the filament glass threads increased their length less than one-half inch beyond the reference point.

Repeating the increase in weights without any further immersion for six more of seven tests, the organic fibre tapes recovered to the point where their maximum daily elongation was to one and six-tenths inches and their maximum recovery over night restored them to fifty feet and six-tenths inches. At the same time the tapes containing the filament glass threads never elongated more than six-tenths of an inch and recovered to either exactly fifty feet or less than one-tenth of an inch over the fifty feet. At the end of this period the several tapes were given a twenty-four hour immersion in water and while still wet the three pound weight was applied to each of the tapes. Both commercial all organic fibre tapes were one and twotenths inches short. The tape containing the linen and the filament glass thread was ninetenths of an inch short while the cotton and filament glass thread tape was two-tenths of an inch short. Upon increasing the tension to seven pounds, both of the all organic fibre tapes stretched until one was two and one-half inches too long and the other was one and seven-tenths inches too long. Both of the filament glass fibre tapes elongated only three-tenths of an inch over days for a total the fifty foot mark. After a repetition of the test, the maximum elongation was limited to fourtenths of an inch and the recovery Was to the exact fifty foot mark while with the commercial tapes the mam'mum elongation in one case was just short of an inch and in the other case was about an inch and a half withreco-veries to onehalf inch too long and one-half inch too short.

The foregoing tests show that a woven tape varies considerably in length depending upon the tension or force exerted on the tape when the measurement is made and that if a tape is wet and put under tension it elongates all out of pro portion to the stress applied. Similarly, if the tape is wet too much it may permanently shrink. On the other hand, tapes constructed according to the teachings of this invention having as few as five filament glass fibre threads out of fortytWo warp threads vary only slightly upon increasing tension and uniformly recover. Furthermore, the soaking or immersion in Water has little permanent effect on the accuracy of the measurements thereafter made with the tape.

The weft thread or filling has been referred to as loosely woven. a relative definition comparing it to the warp. Actually the filling will not freely slide on the warp threads, is closely woven along the length and only sufiiciently loose across the width to permit the elliptical flattening deformation of the straight warp threads during calendering without breaking the filling, which, loose as it is, embeds itself in the edge cotton threads. The calendering steps improve the appearance and reduce the thickness of the tape so it can be accommodated in a small case.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments and by specific examples, these are to be considered as illustrative of the invention and not in limitation thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A woven measuring tape comprising organic edge warp threads, certain of the intermediate warp threads being organic fibre threads, other of the intermediate Warp threads being glass fibre threads, all warp threads being substantially straight, a filler of sinuous path which retains the warp substantially straight, a coating on the tape and graduations and numerals depicted on the tape.

2. A woven measuring tape having a high resistance to elongation and a high resistance to water comprising a woven strip wherein the warp threads are straight and lie in pairs, the two pairs at each edge being of cotton, certain of the intermediate pairs being of both filament glass thread and organic fibre thread, a filler retaining the respective pairs of threads, a coating on the strip,

This should be understood as and graduations and numerals depicted on the coating.

3. A woven measuring tape comprising a woven strip in which the warp threads are straight and lie in pairs, some of the pairs being a filament glass thread and an organic fibre thread, a filler of sinuous path retaining the warp relatively straight, a coating filling the interstices between the threads and forming a surface on the strip, and graduations and numerals depicted thereon.

4. A Woven measuring tape having high resistance to elongation comprising a woven strip wherein the warp threads are straight and lie in pairs, one thread of each of predetermined pairs being of filament glass and the other thread of said pair being of organic fibre and a filler of organic fibre thread retained relative to the warp by the engagement of organic fibres of warp threads with fibres of the filler.

5. A woven measuring tape having a high resistance to elongation and a high resistance to water comprising a woven strip wherein the warp threads are straight, the edge warp threads being of organic fibre, certain of the intermediate warp threads being of filament glass and others of organic fibre, a filler retaining the respective warp threads, a coating on the strip, and graduations and numerals depicted on the coating.

6. A woven measuring tape comprising a Woven strip in which the Warp threads are straight, some of the warp threads being of filament glass, others of the warp threads being of organic fibre, a filler of sinuous path retaining the warp relatively straight, a coating filling the interstices between the threads and forming a surface on the strip, and graduations and numerals depicted thereon.

7. A Woven measuring tape comprising a woven strip in which the warp threads are straight, the straight warp threads being of filament glass and organic fibre, a filler of sinuous path retaining the warp relatively straight and retained relative to the warp by the engagement of organic fibres of the warp threads with the fibres of the filler, a coating filling the interstices between the threads and forming a surface on the strip, and graduations and numerals depicted thereon.

8. A woven measuring tape having high resistance to elongation comprising a woven strip wherein the warp threads are straight, certain of the warp threads being of filament glass and other of the Warp threads being of organic fibre, a filler of organic fibre thread retained relative to the warp by the engagement of organic fibres of Warp threads With fibres of the filler and graduated indicia thereon.

ADOLF W. KEUFFEL. DONALD E. WHITLOCK.

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