Patent GB-191203212-A (GB)
Title: Machine for Gathering Material into Plaits.
Inventor: BRAUCHLIN GOTTLIEB
IPC: B65H45/101
Filed: 1912-02-08
Granted: 1912-10-24
Abstract: 3212. Brauchlin, G. Feb. 8. Pleating.-A machine provided with a reversing device for gathering material into plaits has a carriage, carrying folding-blades, which is continuously reciprocated and reversed to fold the material, and an automatic arrangement which periodically acts on the reversing-mechanism so as to make, intermittently, one plait longer, and which is adjustable so that the moment at which a longer plait is formed can be varied. The machine is provided with means to vary the length of the plait to be made. The carriage x, comprising flanges 1, 2, provided with journals 1<1>, 2<1> and carrying folding- blades 3, 4 and steadying-rollers 10, is continuously reciprocated and reversed to fold the material. Rollers 5. 6. mounted loose on the journals .1',. 2', run on guide rails 8, 9 provided on the frame. 7. Guide rails 8<1>, 9<1> act on top of the steadying-rollers 10 so as to prevent, accidental turning of the carriage. A reversing point 9<11> is so arranged on the guide rail 9<1> that the carriage with the folding- blades 3, 4 will be turned through 180 degrees when passing the point. The guide rail 8<1> has no reversing point, but is interrupted at a corresponding point so as not to interfere with the rollers 10 when turning through 180 degrees. Endless cords 13, 14 are attached to sleeves 11, 12 loosely mounted on the journals 1<1>, 2<1> and pass over guide rollers 15, 17 on the ends of the machine and over driving-pulleys 16 keyed to a shaft 18, which is . turned in either direction by means of pulleys 19, 20 driven one by an open cord and the other bv a crossed cord from a common driving-shaft 23. The pulleys 19, 20 are adapted to be connected in turn to the shaft 18 by a cone clutch 24 operated by a screw device 27 partly rotated in either direction by a crossed cord 30, which passes over a roller 31 on the frame 7. the ends of the cord being attached to a tube 32, Fig. 5, forming part of the locking and releasing device for the reversing-mechanism y. The screw device 27 is positively locked by a spring 27<11>. The tube 32 is pushed on the reversing-rod 33, which is longitudinally displaced by the carriage x at the end of its travel. A disk 36 is fixed on the rod 33 and engages springs 34. Bell-crank levers 38<1>, 39' are crossed over and connected by a spring 40, and are provided with projections 38<1111>, 39<1111> and shoulders 38<111>, 39<111> adapted to engage stops 41, 42. When the rod 33 is reciprocated by the carriage x at the end of its travel, the disk 36 engages one of the projections to release the shoulder 39<111>, which causes the tube and consequently the reversing- device 27 to be operated and locked by the other shoulder 38<111>. The movement of the rod 33 is effected by the carriage alternately striking against a fixed stop 44 and an adjustable stop 45 mounted on the rod 33. The fold gripper 46 is stationary and the other fold gripper 48 is adjustable. The mechanism for intermittently making one plait longer is shown at z, Fig. 1, and comprises a block 59, Fig. 3, sliding in a slot 58 in the frame 7. A lever 66 pivoted at 67 is connected to the block 59 by a notched rod 63 passing through a pivot on the block 59 and adjusted by a pin 65. The lever 66 is held against a stop 66<11> by a spring 66<1>, and carries a pawl 68 operating a ratchet-wheel 69 locked in position by a brake device 71 engaging teeth in a wheel 70 in one with the ratchet-wheel 69. A saddle piece 61 mounted on the carriage x is adapted to engage a roller 60 on the block 59 so that, on movement of the carriage x, the roller 60 rides up the saddle piece 61 and so operates the block 59 and the ratchet 69 through the lever 66. The front face of the ratchet is made as a cam surface on which works one end of a pivoted lever 73<11>, the other end of which operates a spring-controlled bolt 74, so that the bolt is brought into the path of the bell-crank lever 75 pivoted on the part 61 and forming that part of the carriage which strikes against the stops 44, 45. Normally, the arm 75<1> of the lever 75 engages the stop 44, but when the bolt 74 strikes the arm 75<11> and so turns the arm 75<1> vertically, the stop 44 strikes against the lower part of the bell-crank 75, so allowing the carriage x to travel a little further to make a longer plait. On the return travel, the bolt strikes the arm 75<1>, restoring the bell-crank to its normal position. By adjusting the rod 63 by means of the pin 65, the period of forming a longer plait can be varied.