IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING, FOLDING, AND FINISHING WOVEN AND OTHER PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION, SUITABLE FOR TRIMMINGS AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ferdinand Ráth, of Goldsmith Street, in the
City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING, FOLDING, AND FINISHING WOVEN AND OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ferdinand Ráth at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 26th October 1875.
I, FERDINAND RÁTH, of Goldsmith Street, in the City of London, do
5 hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING, FOLDING, AND FINISHING WOVEN AND
OTHER FABRICS, SUITABLE FOR TRIMMINGS AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," to be as
follows :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery and
apparatus for plaiting, folding, and finishing woven and other fabrics,
suitable for trimmings for wearing apparel and other like purposes.

page_text: In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me dated 28th June,
1871, No. 1688, machinery is described for plaiting and folding woven
and other fabrics by first passing the fabrics between a pair of rollers
having ratchet formed teeth or grooves cut or formed thereon, which
first crimp or crease the fabric preparatory to folding or ironing such
folds down by hand labour.
Now according to my present improvements after the fabric is crimped
or creased into folds by passing between a pair of rollers such as pre-
viously referred to it is conducted on to a travelling endless band of
india-rubber, leather, linen, cloth, velvet, felt, composite, or other
suitable surface or material, which carries it under a roller covered with
either of the above-named materials (or it may be a heated metal roller)
which will by its friction upon the fabric take hold of and gather in the
folds as they are presented to the surface of the roller.
The successive folds of the creased fabric as it passes between the
upper roller and an elastic bed or table pressed up by springs are pressed
down to such a degree that the fabric can be passed between a pair of
rollers, also covered as previously described, to further compress and
secure the folds. From this pair of rollers the creased fabric may either
be finished by ironing, or by passing it between heated rollers or surfaces,
or under and between a roller and a heated surface (advantageously
curved) so as to conduct the folds between the surfaces and deliver the
same in a finished condition.
The pressing rollers are pressed together by springs, and the driving
gear is so arranged that the relative speed of the endless travelling
band and of the rollers can be regulated to any extent required.
The series of machines above described may either be worked
separately or be combined so that the fabric may be passed through the
whole series and be delivered in a finished condition.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Ferdinand Ráth, Her
special license that I, the said Ferdinand Ráth, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ferdinand
Ráth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING, FOLDING,
AND FINISHING WOVEN AND OTHER FABRICS, SUITABLE FOR TRIMMINGS AND OTHER
LIKE PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Ferdinand Ráth, 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 Ferdinand Ráth, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
-
This Invention bas for its object improvements in machinery and
apparatus for plaiting, folding, and finishing woven and other fabrics
suitable for trimmings for wearing apparel and other like purposes.
In the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me dated 28th June,
1871, No. 1688, machinery is described for plaiting and folding woven
and other fabrics by first passing the fabrics between a pair of rollers
having ratchet formed teeth or grooves cut or formed thereon which
first crimp or crease the fabric preparatory to folding or ironing such
folds down by hand labour.
Now according to my present improvements after the fabric is
crimped or creased into folds by passing between a pair of rollers such
as previonsly referred to it is conducted on to a travelling endless band

page_text: or surface of india-rubber, cork, leather, linen, cloth, velvet, felt,
composite, or other suitable surface or material, which carries it under
a roller covered with either of the above-named materials (or it may
be a heated metal roller) which will by its friction upon the fabric take
hold of and gather in the folds as they are presented to the surface of
the roller.
The successive folds of the creased fabric as it passes between the
upper roller and an elastic bed or table pressed up by springs are pressed
down to such a degree that the fabric can be passed between a pair of
rollers, also covered as previously described, to further compress and
secure the folds. From this pair of rollers the creased fabric may cither
be finished by ironing, or by passing it between heated rollers or
surfaces, or under and between a roller and a heated surface, advan-
tageously curved so as to conduct the folds between the surface and
deliver the same in a finished condition.
The pressing rollers are pressed together by springs, and the driving
gear is so arranged that the relative speed of the endless travelling band
and of the rollers can be regulated to any extent required.
The series of machines above described may either by worked
separately or be combined so that the fabric may be passed through the
whole sories and be delivered in a finished condition.
And in order that mv Invention
max ho aloosle understood l
Figure 1, Sheet 1, shows a left-hand side view, Figure 2 a right-hand
side view, and Figure 3 a front view of a machine constructed in
accordance with my Invention, and which may advantageously be used
directly the fabric comes from the crimping rollers.
a, a', are drums or rollers mounted in adjustable bearings b, b¹, and 8
carrying a continuous band of india-rubber, felt, or any other suitable
material c which serves to feed forward the crimped muslin or other
fabric desired to be folded down and pleated under the folding down
roller d which is also covered with india-rubber or other suitable material
and mounted in the adjustable bearings e; the roller d is driven by the 3

page_text: A. small toothed
hand pulley which is keyed on the roller shaft h.
wheel g koyed on the opposite end of the shaft h communicates motion
to the large spur wheel j by means of the intermediate toothed wheels
k, k, which are fixed in an adjustable quadrant ; m is a table or surface
supported on springs n, n', regulated by the adjustable nuts o, o'. The
object of the table or surface m is to press the crimped fabric as it travels
onward upon
the endless band c between it and the roller d. In case
the fabric becomes entangled or otherwise deranged in order that it may
not be scriously injured the small lever p is raised, and the rods q are
thus brought down, by which means the table is depressed and the fabric
passes through the machine without any effect being produced.
It will be found advantageous to place a cover r of metal or other
suitable material over the band c, as shown in Figure 2, which will
allow the fabric to slip over easily. Adjustable guide bars 8 dircct the
material to be folded down and pleated, a small set screw keeping the
guide in its place.
It is of great importance that the spur wheels g, 1, 1, and j should
be of proper relative proportions as the efficiency of the machine depends
on the relative speeds of the rollers a, a¹, and d.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The crimped fabric is
brought over the cover until it meets the continuous band c which
carries it forward under the roller d, which revolve faster than the
fabric is brought forward pulls over the crimps and lays them down flat.
The pressure table m is depressed when any fault or kink in the fabric
passes over the guide cover ", the fabric passing under the roller d
without being injured in any way.
Figure 1, Sheet 2, shows a left-hand side view, Figure 2 a right-hand
side view, Figure 3 a front view, and Figure 4 a plan of a similar
machine to that previously described, arranged and constructed in
accordance with my Invention.
a is a large roller, advantageously covered with felt and driven by the
cone pulley bhaving a hollow axis through which a gas pipe or row of
gas jets may be introduced to heat the roller; c is a smaller milled
roller mounted in the bearings d and driven by the cone pulley e; the
5 axis of this roller is made hollow to allow of its being heated by gas or
otherwise; f is a small roller driven by the pulley and the cone

page_text: pulley e which serves to pass the fabric on to the ironing roller h, which
is advantageously covered with felt; this roller presses into the hollow
of the curved metal platej which is heated by the gas pipe placed
underneath; 7, 1, are screws to adjust the distance between the rollers a
and c.
The bearings of the roller c are made moveable in order to allow
of the roller being raised. In case the fabric is passing imperfectly
through the machine the catches m, m³, are pulled back and the top
roller c lifted up by means of the handles n, n', which are connected to
the bearings d, d'; guide rods o, o', with moveable discs p, p', direct
the crimped fabric to be folded down and pleated to the rollers a and c.
The machine operates as follows:-The crimped fabric to be folded
down and pleated is passed over the guide rods o, o', and between the
rollers a and c, the roller c revolving faster than the roller a (which
feeds only) draws over the crimps or folds of the fabric. As the fabric
is fed forward it comes in contact with the roller f, which revolving at a
high speed throws it over and prevents the fabric from passing down
underneath the large roller a. After the fabric has passed the roller f
it is conducted under the ironing roller and is carried down between
the hot metal plate j and the felted roller , and the pleats are thereby
laid down quite flat and at a regular pitch.
The machine above described may either be worked separately or be
combined so that the fabric may be passed through the whole scries and
be delivered in a finished condition.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing or carrying the same into practice, I would remark that I
do not confine myself to the exact details herein-before described and
shown in the Drawings hereunto annexed, as the same may be con-
siderably varied without departing from the true character of my
Invention; but what I claim is,―
First. The improved arrangement and combination of machinery or
apparatus for plaiting, folding, and finishing woven and other fabrics
suitable for trimmings and other like purposes, substantially in the
manner herein-before described and represented in reference to Sheet 1
of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement and combination of
machinery or apparatus for plaiting, folding, and finishing woven and

page_text: other fabrics suitable for trimmings and other like purposes, substantially
in the manner herein-before described and represented in reference to
Street 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed, or any combination of the
machinery herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ferdinand Ráth, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
six
Sheet of the Drawings hereunto any
machinery herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ferdinand Ráth, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
civ
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lanc,
London, W.C.
F. RÁTH. (L.S.)