An Apparatus for Use in Gathering Fabrics for Sewing.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1886
Complete Left, 2nd June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 5th July, 1887
An Apparatus for Use in Gathering Fabrics for Sewing.
I WILLIAM HENRY GRAMOLT, of 88 South Lambeth Road in the County of Surrey,
Commercial Traveller do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
My Invention relates to an apparatus to be used in " gathering" fabrics previous
to sewing; and it is designed more especially to enable lengths of material used in
the manufacture of ladies' underclothes to be gathered" regularly and expeditiously,
so that the "gathered" material may be prepared in advance ready for attachment to
a band either by hand or in a sewing machine. The apparatus consists of a pair of
arms or jaws pivoted together at one end and at the other end provided with a catch
which serves to hold the jaws closed against the pressure of a spring which tends to
separate them. The pivotal connection of the jaws is such that they are adapted to
be set at the proper distance apart to suit the thickness of the material to be "gathered."
To this end, one of the jaws may be provided with a slide block secured in guides on
the other jaw fixed by a set screw. The catch for holding the jaws closed is in the
form of a yoke pivoted so as to swing into and out of position and furnished with a
set screw for regulating the jaws at their free ends. The apparatus would generally
be a casting provided with feet by which it would be secured to a sewing machine,
table, or other fixed support. In the operation of "gathering" the fabric is inserted
between the jaws which are held closed by the catch, and the material is first
"gathered" by the fingers and this " gathering" is then completed by means of a
blade which passes between the jaws and is furnished with handles, the said blade being
forced against the material so as to forcibly compress it and impart a "gathering,
to the material which will remain after the jaws are opened and the material released.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1886.

page_text: I, WILLIAM HENRY GRAMOLT of 88 South Lambeth Road in the County of Surrey,
Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to an apparatus to be used in " gathering" or crimping
fabrics such as cottons, linens, silks, muslins, etc.; previous to stitching the same to
a band, and it is designed more especially to enable lengths of material used in the
manufacture of ladies' underclothing to be " gathered" (i.e. crimped) regularly and
expeditiously (without the necessity of stroking down the pleats or gathers as in
gathering by hand) so that the material may be gathered or prepared in advance ready
for attachment to a band either by hand or in a sewing machine.
The apparatus consists of a pair of parallel jaws secured rigidly, but preferably, adjust-
ably; so that they may be set at the proper distance apart to suit the thickness of the
material to be "gathered" the operation being performed by forcing the material in
the direction of its own plane along the gap between the jaws, and forcibly squeezing
or compressing it in this direction between a pushing blade and a fixed stop whereby
the material will be regularly gathered, as required, the gathers or pleats remaining
permanent after the material is released from the jaws.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifi-
cation; wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation, and figure 2 a plan, of the preferred
form of the apparatus. In the latter figure, a piece of fabric is shewn as being
crimped or gathered. Figure 3 is an end view. Figure 4 is a cross section on line 1-1
figure 1; and figure 5 is a section on line 2-2 figure 1. Figure 6 is a part sectional
side elevation of a modification; and Figure 7 is a side elevation of another modifi-
cation in which the jaws are not made to open for the removal of the fabric. The
same letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.
A B, are a pair of jaws of which the lower one is provided with feet by which it
may be secured to a table. The jaws have their adjacent faces a b parallel and preferably
flanged or widened laterally, as shewn in figure 4. In Figure 7, the jaws are shewn as
bolted together, or they may be in one casting, but it is preferred that they should
be capable of being readily opened and adjustable, to suit the fabric, in one of the
ways hereafter described.
In figures 1 to 4, the upper jaw A is pivoted at c to an ear or lug C which is
secured adjustably to the jaw B by a screw bolt D passing through a vertical slot d
in the jaw, the ear being held between ribs d' on the side of said jaw, for the purpose
of enabling the width between the jaws to be gauged. A spring E, connected at e e
to the two jaws tends to raise the upper jaw, as shewn in dotted lines in figure 1, when
released. Its front end is received between lateral guides G fixed to the lower jaw
and is held down by a U-shaped yoke or catch F pivoted at f to the lower jaw and
provided with a set screw f¹ which bears upon the end of the upper jaw and can be

page_text: adjusted according to the height of the lug C. H is the pusher, being a steel blade with
handles at the ends, the blade between the handles being adapted to slide between the
jaws A B. I is a stop block inserted between the rear end of the jaws for the fabric
to be compressed against.
In figure 6, the jaws are connected by a screw pillar K fixed in a boss formed on
the lower jaw and passing through a corresponding boss on the upper jaw, a hand
wheel k screwing on its threaded upper end and pressing the jaws securely together.
The jaws are forced apart by a spiral spring L applied upon the pillar K and received
within the bosses which are chambered out at this point, and the distance between the
jaws is gauged by inserting U-shaped plates or packing pieces M between the bosses.
The upper jaw is prevented from turning on the pillar by a dowel pin N which screws
through the tail end of the jaw A and engages in a hole in jaw B. This screw may
also act as a set screw, or abutment to resist the forcing apart of the front ends of the
jaws.
The jaws being separated and the fabric laid flat between them, the upper jaw is
brought down and secured. The fabric is then pulled or pushed by the fingers
towards the abutment or stop, until it is regularly but loosely gathered after which
the operation is completed by forcing the pusher H up against the partially gathered
fabric thereby forcibly compressing it and imparting a crimped or gathered form
thereto, which will remain after the fabric is removed from the apparatus.
With the form of apparatus shewn in Figure 7, it is necessary to use a second
pusher to remove the crimped or gathered fabric from between the jaws as they are
not intended to be opened for the removal of the work as are the other arrangements.
In figure 7 a packing piece may be placed between the flanges by which the jaws are
bolted together, and may be changed when required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;
1. An apparatus for use in gathering or crimping fabrics; consisting of a pair of
rigid parallel jaws or bars with a gap between them (closed at one end by a stop) in
combination with a pusher adapted to be slid between the jaws or bars, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
2. The respective arrangements of apparatus for use in gathering or crimping
fabrics; consisting of a pair of rigid parallel jaws or bars connected adjustably
together, and capable of separating to release the fabric, substantially as herein
specified with reference to figures 1 to 5, and figure 6, of the drawings.
3. The arrangement of apparatus for use in gathering or crimping fabrics; con-
sisting of a pair of parallel jaws connected rigidly and permanently (whether adjustably
or not) together so that they are not readily separable for the purpose of releasing
the work, in combination with a pair of pushers adapted to be slid between them, for
the purposes specified.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1887.
W. H. GRAMOLT.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.