Patent GB-191318300-A (GB)
Title: Pattern Cutting and Sewing Machines.
Inventor: FORRESTER HAROLD JOSEPH CHARLE
IPC: B26D3/10
Filed: 1913-08-12
Granted: 1914-10-12
Abstract: 18,300. Forrester, H. J. C., [Littauer, L. N.]. Aug. 12. Feeding webs; delivery apparatus; grippers and gripper mechanism. - A combination of sewing-machines and cutting-devices operates automatically on fabric drawn from a roll to produce wearing-apparel such as union suits and pyjamas, sacks, hemstitched handkerchiefs, napkins, towels, &c. according to the adjustment of the several parts. The fabric roll 36, Fig. 5, rests upon a driven roller 39, and the fabric is led over another driven roller 40 to a tensioning-device 45, and thence through sideways positioning-rollers 73, 78 or guides 73<A>, 78<A>, Fig. 1<a>, to the main feed-rollers 69, 413. Before reaching the main feed-rollers the fabric is operated upon by one or both of two oppositelysituated cutting-out and sewing-machines A, B, which are stationary or are moved across the fabric by a pattern-cam in accordance with the shape of the article being produced. These sewing-machines have no feed-dogs, and the transverse movement of the machines and the lengthwise feed of the fabric are usually continuous. Bevond the main feed-rollers the fabric passes between transverse cutters 317, 321, and into the jaws 703 of a gripper flyer, which carries the free end of the fabric towards the end of the machine. When a complete article has been drawn out by the gripper flyer, the transverse cutters operate to separate it from the roll, and it is released from the gripper flyer. The article falls upon one of two tables 940, which are moved by a mangle motion alternately into position to receive the finished articles. The main feed-rollers 69, 413 are geared together and the upper roller is universally-jointed to the shaft 407, Fig. 1<a>, and a variable-speed gear 367. The upper roller runs in open topped bearings 422, Fig. 22, which prevent the two rollers from coming into contact when no fabric is between them and is pressed to the lower roller by levers 427<a> loaded with adjustable weights 430. 432. When thin fabrics are being fed, the feed-rollers are supplemented by a series of pusher plates 475, Fig. 23, supported in part and actuated by cranks on a shaft 449. These plates push the fabric on the plate 360 forward past the transverse cutter until it is seized by the gripper flyer. They are lifted into an inoperative position as shown in Fig. 22 by a part of the cutter mechanism when the cutter is in operation. The carriage 660, Fig. 1<a>, of the gripper flyer runs on a track 29, 30 and is drawn backwards and forwards by steel tapes. The two tapes 639, 650 which draw it towards the rear of the machine are secured to drums 636, 637 on a shaft 28. One end of another tape 532 is normally wound up on a third drum 628 secured to the shaft 28, and the shaft is rotated to cause the tapes 636, 637 to pull the carriage by winding up the other end of the tape 532 on a drum 513, Fig. 132, driven from the variable-speed gear 367 through a universally-mounted shaft 414 and a clutch 522. In the rearward movement of the carriage, two tapes 731, 732 attached to the front of the carriage are pulled out and unwound from drums having clock springs attached to them, and on the release of the power-driven tape 532 the clock springs wind back the tapes 731, 732 and so pull the carriage rapidly back towards the front of the machine. Friction surfaces are provided on the carriage and the machine frame to bring the carriage to rest without shock at the end of its rapid return movement. At the end of the return movement, an incline on the gripper contacts with a lever and by it renders operative the clutch gear of the power-driven tape 532. The jaws 703 of the gripper flyer may be made of roughened spring steel or of rigid material faced with serrated india-rubber. The jaws are angularly adjustable on a frame, itself longitudinally adjustable on the carrier. The jaws are opened and closed by means of a hand-lever 668 and are snapped into either extreme position by a spring-pressed toggle device. This hand-lever is moved automatically to close the jaws when the clutch 522 is thrown in by means of a cam bowl on the clutch disk. The jaws are opened, when an article is completed, by means of a jaws-control tape 670 attached at the one end to the hand-lever and wound at the other end upon a drum 819 controlled by a light clock spring so as to be free to follow the movement, of the gripper flyer. When the transverse cutters are operated to sever a finished article from the roll of fabric, a trip device on a lever forming part of the cutter gear causes a clamp device 778 to grip the control tape so that, in the continued movement of the gripper flyer, the control tape exerts a pull upon the hand-lever, and the finished article is thereby released. At the same time a roller 829 over which the power-driven tape 532 is guided is given a sudden movement upwards, deflecting the tape and causing the gripper flyer to move with a jerk clear of the released article. Thereafter, another trip device actuated by the cutter gear engages a part of the clutch gear 522 of the tape 532. disconnects the clutch, and permits the spring- urged tapes 731. 732 to draw the gripper flyer back towards the front of the machine. The cut end of the fabric that hangs from between the transverse cutters is raised into the jaws of the gripper flyer as the latter comes to rest. by a pivoted wire framework 856, Fig. 5, which is swung upwards by the impact of the gripper flyer with a lever 843 linked to the wire framework. Two tables 940 are provided to receive alternately the finished articles. They are mounted on frames 934, 922, Fig. 1, which slide longitudinally upon a frame 914, which slides laterally upon a rail 19. The tables have curved mangle-gear racks 930 and guide-bars 928, so that by rotating the spur-wheel 932 one table frame 934 is moved rearwards and to one side and the other table frame 922 is then engaged by the spur-wheel and moved laterally into the central position and forwards into workreceiving position. The spur-wheel passes from one rack 930 to the other by way of a short rack section carried by the mid-rail of the suporting-frame 914. The tables turn a ratchetwheel through one step for each movement, and the wheel rings a bell 962, Fig. 5, at each completed revolution.