IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY or APPARATUS FOR PLAITING FABRICS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Newton Wilson, of High Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Sowing Machine Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY or APPARATUS FOR PLAITING FABRICS."
Sealed the 13th October 1877, and dated the 16th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Newton Wilson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th April 1877.
NEWTON WILSON, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING
FABRICS."
•
This Invention relates to certain peculiar combinations or arrangements of appa-
ratus for plaiting fabrics in sewing machines, the plaits being secured at the time
they are made; and also for plaiting or kilting fabrics independently of a sewing
machine, the plaits being subsequently secured by stitching; and consists partly of
improvements in the mechanical arrangements embodied in the plaiting appliance
described and illustrated at Figures 6, 7, and 8 (Sheet 1) of the Drawings of the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on or about the 21st of December
1874, No. 4396.
My improved and simplified arrangement of sewing machine plaiter consists of a
bar or carrier intended to be secured by screws to the side of the head of the sewing
machine, such bar having an enlarged part attached thereto, or formed thereon,
which carries a loose stud forming the axis of a ratchet wheel, and of one or more
tappets which are screwed or otherwise fixed thereon, the number of such tappets
varying according to the number of plaits to be made in a given space, and therefore
it will be necessary to be provided with different varieties of tappets or tappet
wheels which can be readily changed to suit the kind of work required.
The ratchet wheel is rotated step by step at each descent of the needle by a posi-
tive up-and-down motion imparted to a pall lever, which works freely on the axis
of the ratchet wheel, and is formed with a yoke or forked end to receive and
embrace the needle cam, which thus imparts a positive up-and-down motion thereto
at each revolution thereof. A spring detent serves to hold the ratchet wheel stationary
between caclı movement.
077

page_text: To the aforesaid enlargement on the fixed bar there is pivotted at its upper end
a pendent lever, to the lower or free end of which is hinged or jointed the plaiting
blad in such a manner as to adinit of it oscillating vertically on its horizontal hinge
pin, thereby ensuring its edge being always in contact with the fabric, a helical ten-
sion spring being so applied to the blade holder as to keep the front edge of the
blade always depressed. On the boss of the said pendent lever there is fitted loosely
au adjustable arm, which projects upwards beyond the fulcrum of the lever, and
extends some distance below the same, the upper end of such arm carrying a pin,
against which the tappets operate as they revolve, whilst the lower end of the said
adjustable arm has a curved slot made therein, through which a tightening screw
enters the body of the lever. On releasing this screw the arm may be adjusted so
as to bring the pin at its upper end nearer to or remove it farther from the tappets,
thereby regulating the amount of backward motion of the plaiting blade, and conse-
quently varying the width or depth of plait or amount of fabric tucked under the
presser foot or folded over the blade at the return or forward stroke of the latter, 1
which is accomplished by the same spring that serves to keep the edge of the blade
tilted downwards, so soon as the revolving tappet has passed the striking pin.
My improved arrangement of apparatus for plaiting or kilting fabrics indepen-
dently of a sewing machine consists of an upper and under pressing roller working
between suitable standards, and receiving a continuous rotary motion by the aid of
spur gearing from a first motion shaft fitted with a winch handle worked by the
hand of the operator, or driven by a band and pulley, by steam, or other power.
To the lower ends of two pendent levers working on centres in each standard
there is pivotted a reciprocating plaiting blade capable of turning vertically on its
longitudinal axis, its front edge being kept always held down upon the fabric to be
plaited by the action of a helical spring or springs. The forward edge of this blade
moves to and fro either upon the surface of the lower roller or upon a stationary flat
or curved plate or table fixed in front of and between the two rollers, the front edge
of this table reaching close up to the line of contact between such rollers, so that
the blade may form the plait entirely entirely upon the table surface.
The pivotting motion of the blade upon its centres serves to increase its traverse
over the plaiting surface without necessitating a corresponding throw of the levers.
These levers are connected together by tie bars, and receive their vibrating motion
from a cam or from one or more tappet wheels containing tappets mounted upon the
first motion shaft, the number of tappets and the length of throw of the same being
changed according to the greater or less fullness required in the plaited work, and to
the width or depth of each plait.
In order to facilitate the changing of the tappet wheels the first motion shaft is
made in two sections or lengths, the one being screwed or otherwise connected to the
other in such a manner as to enable the two portions of the shaft to be divided or
separated, and thereby facilitate the adjustment and removal of the tappet wheels
as required.
The lower roller is heated by an internal gas burner, as is well understood in this
class of machines, and the fabric is guided on to the folding surface by a frame pro-
vided with cross bars and laterally adjustable guides to suit the width of fabric to
be operated upon.
By the use of change tappet wheels of different numbers and sizes of tappets I am
enabled to produce great variety in the work, the plaits being either broad or
narrow, and made either to overlap each other, as for full plaiting, or at longer
intervals, so as to leave more or less single fabric between each plait.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Newton Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th October
1877.
NEWTON WILSON, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING
FABRICS."
"
My said Invention relates to a peculiar combination or arrangement of apparatus
constituting a sewing machine attachment for plaiting fabrics, the plaits being
stitched or secured at the time they are made; also to a peculiar combination or
arrangement of plaiting or kilting machine to be used independently of a sewing
machine.
The improved plaiting attachment is of cheap and simple construction, efficient in
its action, and may be readily adapted to any type of sewing machine. It is so
constructed and arranged as to afford special facilities for regulating in a simple
manner the width and fullness of the plaits, and for controlling and regulating
the pressure of the plaiting blade to suit the particular nature of the fabric operated
upon.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the explanatory Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding
Figures.
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of my Drawings represents my improved plaiting attachment
as applied to a sewing machine of what is known as the "Singer" type, the plaiter
and a portion of the head of the machine being shown in front clevation.
Figure 2 is a corresponding back clevation of the plaiter detached from the
machine.
Figure 3 is a corresponding edge view of Figure 2.
Figure 4 reprosents detailed views of the parts employed for regulating the width
or depth of the plaits.
Figure 5 is a back elevation showing a modified arrangement for regulating the
pressure of the edge of the plaiting blade upon the fabric to be plaited; and Figure 6
is a corresponding edge view of the same.
In these Figures a is the carrier or attachment plate of the plaiter, which I prefer
to make of a circular form for the sake of economy, it being readily turned in a
lathe. In or near the centre of this plate there is formed a boss, within which turns
freely the stud or pin b, which carries at the back of the plate a ratchet wheel c,
and at the front of the plate one or more revolving tappets d, the number of such
tappets varying according to the fullness of the work, that is to say, the greater or
less number of plaits to be made in a given space. Hence it will be convenient to
employ a variety of tappet wheels to be changed according to the nature of the
plaiting to be produced.
The ratchet wheel c is rotated step by step at each descent of the needle by a
spring pall e, carried on the bent lever f, which works freely on the axis b, and
receives a positive vibrating motion from the machine, a yoke or forked end being
formed on the said lever to receive and embrace the needle actuating cam (in some
types of machines), or to engage with an antifriction roller g on the needle slide, as
shown in my Drawings; is a spring detent for holding the ratchet wheel and
tappets stationary during the back movement of the pall.
i is a pendent vibrating lever working on the pin k in the fixed plate a. To the
lower free end of this lever there is jointed at the holder m of the plaiting blade n,
the front edge of which blade is thus free to rise or fall, but in order to ensure the
requisite pressure of the edge of the blade n upon the fabric I attach one end of a
helical or other spring o to the rear portion of the blade holder, and connect the
opposite end of such spring to any convenient fixed point, which in my Drawings I

page_text: have shown as consisting of a pin p in the end of a rigid bent arm a secured to the
plate a. ris a tail piece for clevating when required the blade (which is otherwise
always depressed) by the pressure thereon of the finger.
I have found in practice that it is important to be able to increase or diminish at
will the pressure of the edge of the plaiting blade upon the fabric, according to the
particular nature of the fabric operated upon, as some fabrics require a much lighter
or heavier pressure than others, and therefore I propose to adopt means for regu-
lating or adjusting the said pressure. For this purpose I make the free end of the
helical or other spring o adjustable nearer to or farther from the joint pin 7 of the
plaiting blade, the result being that the farther the end of the spring is removed 1
from the said joint the greater will be the pressure of the edge of the blade upon
the fabric, owing to the increased length of lever through which the spring operates.
This may be carried out in various ways; for example, a spiral groove or projection
may be made in a spindle 8, mounted in an upright support t, attached to or formed
on the blade holder m, as shown clearly in Figures 1, 2, and 3; this spindle is free
to be turned by a milled head on the top thereof, and as the end of the spring is
engaged in the spiral groove or under the spiral projection, it follows that by turning
the spindle & more or less, the end of the spring will be raised or lowered, as the
case may be, to any desired extent.
In lieu of a spiral groove or projection, annular grooves or projections may be
made at suitable intervals on the spindle, which in this case may be fixed, the end
of the spring being slipped by hand from one groove or projection to another; or an
upright bar 8 (see Figures 5 and 6), having teeth or notches in one edge, or having
a series of holes made at intervals along it, may be substituted for the spindle 8 for
the purpose of enabling the end of the spring o to be fixed at any desired position
by land.
On a boss formed on the upper end of the vibrating lever i there is fitted loosely
an adjustable arm u (see Figure 4), one end of which projects beyond or above the
boss of the lever i, whilst the other end projects below the said boss, and lies against
the side of the lever. To the upper end of this arm there is fitted a pin or anti-
friction roller v, against which the tappets & strike in succession as they revolve,
and force the upper end of the arm back. As this arm is rigidly secured by a
pinching screw w passing through a slot in the arm, and entering the lever i, it
follows that a vibrating motion will be imparted to the said lever and plaiting blade.
When the arm is so adjusted as to receive the full stroke of the tappets, the plaits
will be wide, but by adjusting the arm u so as to withdraw more or less the pin v
from the tappets, the back stroke of the plaiting blade will be diminished, and con-
sequently a smaller quantity of fabric will be taken up, and the plaits will be
narrower. By this simple contrivance the operator can readily vary the width of the
plaits to any desired extent, and by changing the tappet wheels may vary the
number or fullness of the plaits.
The adjustable spring o, which serves to press the edge of the blade down upon
the fabric, serves also to produce the forward stroke of the plaiting blade for making
the plait and tucking it under the presser foot directly ench tappet has passed the
pin v.
My improved combination and arrangement of apparatus for plaiting or kilting
fabrics independently of a sewing machine is partly based on the herein-before
described plaiting attachment, and is illustrated on Sheets 2 and 3 of my Drawings.
Figure 1 (Sheet 2) is an elevation of the driving end of my improved kilting
machine, the fly wheel having been removed.
Figure 2 (Sheet 3) is a front elevation of the same drawn to a scale of half the
full size.
And Figures 3 to 9 inclusive are details which will be herein-after referred to and
described.
a, b, are two rollers working in bearings in the side
roller a being pressed down upon the work, which passes
the springs d, d, bent levers c, c, and regulating nuts f.f.
standards c, c, the upper
under it by the action of
The journals of these