Improvements in or connected with Machinery for Laying-up and Cutting Cloth and other Fabrics.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application (in the United Kingdom), 7th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Machinery for Laying-up and
Cutting Cloth and other Fabrics.
I, HENRI COUZINEAU, of 81 Rue Léon Gambetta, Lille, in the Republic of
France, Wholesale Clothier, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention refers to machinery whereby cloths that have to be cut together
in layers in the manufacture of civil and military clothing, may be laid-up with
rapidity, regularity and economy; and this laying-up is effected by placing all
the sections with the right side in one direction, the said sections being taken
from one piece of cloth, or together in layers from different pieces.
According to my invention, I employ an endless apron carrier turning round a
table or other support, the said table having one part full and one part open. The
apron is provided with pinchers or other appliance suitable for holding the edge
of the cloth, the said pinchers being capable of opening automatically, under the
action of a projection fixed on the framework.
The apron is carried over four pulleys situated in pairs at the ends of the
machine, and the pulleys are actuated by a crank or by a power belt. In the
interior of the frame within the apron, a horizontal table is provided being
supported by slides which are adjustable in height by means of screws. These
screws are connected together in pairs by means of bevel gearing, and a pawl and
ratchet motion is provided for connecting the two pairs of screws together so that
they may be all actuated from one source. A rib or projecting edge is provided on
the edge of the apron for the purpose of ensuring the regularity of the superposed
cloths. The pinchers may be composed of a fixed jaw attached to the apron, and
a movable jaw fulcrumed to the fixed jaw and kept up to it by a spring; and the
movable jaw is prolonged to the outside of the apron for the purpose of enabling
it to be actuated automatically by means of an adjustable projection which may be
set at any desired position in the length of the framework. A fixed horizontal
knife is situated at the front of the machine, and a movable descending knife is
situated over the cloth immediately above the fixed knife, the two knives thus
forming a pair of shears. The movable knife can be actuated automatically by
means of a spring or counterpoise weight.
The cloth to be cut and laid up, can be fed from pieces mounted in a frame
situated at the end of the machine in any suitable way, but it is preferred to employ
a rotary frame, having four or other suitable number of sets of superposed shelves,

page_text: in such a way as to enable the frame to present three, four or other suitable number
of superposed compartments towards the laying up machine. These shelves are
in front of the shears, and the frame is mounted on a central pivot, a stop being
provided for the purpose of ensuring the framo remaining in the required position.
The compartments are arranged so as to be equally suitable for receiving folded
and rolled pieces; in the latter case the pieces being mounted in bearings situated
in the sides of the compartments.
The working of the machine is as follows:-
The apron is turned so as to bring the pinchers in front of the rollers which
serve to guide the cloth to the front of the machine. The jaws of the pinchers are
then closed on the front edge of the cloth; or on the front edges of the several pieces
of cloth, should it be desired to lay up several pieces at a time. The crank is then
turned, and the apron travels along carrying away the cloth or cloths in its move-
ment, until the prolongation of the pinchers comes in contact with the adjustable
projection, the position of which has been adjusted according to the length of the
sheets to be laid up. The pinchers then open automatically, leaving the cloth
stationary on the apron, which latter continues its movement. sliding under
the cloth. The open part of the apron then presents itself progressively under the
layer of cloth, and as the full part of the apron gives place to the open part, the
cloth lays itself naturally on the table or on the layers of cloth already laid up.
A bell actuated in any suitable way, indicates the exact time when the cloth is
correctly placed in position, thus enabling the shears or other cutting apparatus
to be operated. The cutting apparatus could with advantage be actuated at the
proper time by an automatic movement which could be actuated by any suitable
means. The cutting of the cloth being effected, the apron is moved until the
pinchers are again in front of the rollers, and the front edges of the cloth being
placed in the jaws of the pinchers, the operation is continued as before. The
working of the pinchers could be rendered automatic for picking up as well as for
leaving the cloth. The table is lowered step by step through the medium of its
lever, thus compensating for the increase in the thickness of the cloth. In order
to change the cloth to be laid up, the rotary frame holding the cloth is turned and
the front edges of another set of pieres are placed in the pinchers in the place of
thoso before in use. If the cloths in certain compartments have not to be employed
again, they can be taken out and replaced by others during the time the machine
is at work using the cloths in the compartments in front of the rollers. This
operation is done without causing any waste of time. In consideration of the
advantages of these shelves for the distribution of cloths, I wish to reserve to
myself the right of its application to any sort of machine for laying up cloths. even
in the case of laying up cloths by hand. Finally. I reserve to myself the right to
modify the forms, dimensions, materials, and all details of construction of the
machine for laying up cloths hereinbefore described, aml to employ it with any
kind of feeding frame or even without a feeding frame at all.
Improvements in or connected with Machinery for Laying-up and
Cutting Cloth and other Fabrics.
I, HENRI COUZINEAU, of 81 Rue Léon Gambetta, Lille, in the Republic of
France, Wholesale Clothier, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and 5

page_text: in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention refers to machinery whereby cloths that have to be cut together
in layers in the manufacture of civil and military clothing, may be laid-up with
rapidity, regularity and economy; and this laying-up is effected by placing all
the sections with the right side in one direction, the said sections being taken
from one piece of cloth, or together in layers from different pieces.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawing in which similar letters refer to
like parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, Figure 2 a transverse section, and Figure 3
a plan, of apparatus constructed according to my invention; and Figure 4 is a
detail view.
The
According to my invention, I employ an endless apron A having one part full
and one part open, and the said apron is preferably composed of two endless
belts A, A which support an oil cloth or other non-frictional surface forming the
apron proper along one portion of their length, whilst the other portion between
the points a, a¹ is left open and A is a raised border which is situated on one of
the sides of the apron A. Pinchers B are carried on the apron A, being actuated
automatically at the required time by a projection hereafter described.
apron A is carried over four rollers D', D³, D³ and D, one of which D' for instance
receives motion through a crank d, or power may be transmitted by a belt pulley
or by other suitable means. C is the frame of the machine, and E is a table
carried on brackets G which are adjustable in height by means of screws h. Theso
screws are coupled together in pairs by means of shafts and bevel gearing h³:
and pawl and ratchet motions H, H and connecting rod II', connect the two pairs
of screws together so that they may be all actuated from a handle H or from
other suitable source. The pinchers B are constructed with a fixed jaw b resting
on the two belts A¹, A¹, a movable jaw being fulcrumed to the jaw b to which it
is kept closed by means of a suitable spring, and the movable jaw b is prolonged
on one side at 3 for the purpose of enabling it to be actuated automatically by
means of a projection L, which may be set by means of a screw L at any desired
position in the length of the framework C, preferably on a graduated scale. A
fixed horizontal knife N is situated at the front of the machine, and a movable
descending knife N¹ is situated over the fixed knife N, the two knives thus forming
a pair of shears.
The cloth to be cut and laid up, can be fed from pieces mounted in a frame
situated at the end of the machine in any suitable way, but it is preferred to
employ a rotary frame M, having four or other suitable number of vertical series
of superposed compartments m, m³, m³, and m³, in which the cloths to be laid up
are placed. The frame M turns on a central pivot P, and is carried on rollers R,
and a stop is provided for the purpose of ensuring the frame M remaining in
the required position. The compartments m, m³, m³, and m³, are arranged so as
to be equally suitable for receiving folded and rolled pieces; in the latter case,
the pieces are mounted in bearings situated in the sides of the compartments.
The working of the machine is as follows:-
The apron A is turned so as to bring the pinchers B in front of rollers r. r which
serve to guide the cloth to the front of the machine. The jaws of the pinchers B
are then closed on the front edge of the cloth; or on the front edges of the several
pieces of cloth, should it be desired to lay up several pieces at the same time. The
crank d is then turned, and the apron 'A travels along carrying away the cloth or
cloths in its movement, until the prolongation of the pinchers B comes in con-
tact with the projection L (the position of which has been adjusted according to
the length of the sheets to be laid up). The pinchers B then open automatically,
leaving the cloth stationary on the apron A, which latter continues its movement
sliding under the cloth. The open part of the apron A then presents itself pro-

page_text: gressively under the layer of cloth, and as the full part of the apron gives place to
the open part, the cloth lays itself naturally on the table E or on the layers of cloth
already laid up. A bell actuated in any suitable way, indicates the exact time
when the cloth is correctly placed in position, thus enabling the shears to be
operated at the required time. The cutting of the cloth being effected, the
apron A is moved until the pinchers B are again in front of the rollers r, r¹, and
the front edge or edges of the cloth being placed in the pinchers B, the operation
is continued as before. The table E is lowered step by step, through the medium
of the handle H³, thus compensating for the increase in the thickness of the cloth.
In order to change the cloth to be laid up, the frame M is turned and the front
edges of another set of pieces are placed in the pinchers B in the place of those
before in use. If the cloths in certain compartments have not to be employed
again, they can be taken out and replaced by others during the time the machine
is at work using the cloths in front of the rollers.
The apron A may be made having several full and open parts, and a correspond-
ing number of pinchers should be provided. The number of open parts that could
be formed is governed by the proportional length of the cloth to be cut and laid
up, and the length of the apron employed in the machine.
It must be clearly understood that the mechanism for moving the table is only
described as an example and could be replaced by any other mechanism fulfilling
the same object. I also reserve to myself the right to fix the tablo in the frame-
work, and to raise and lower the frame carrying the rollers of the apron.
Although I have described the various parts of the machine as being operated
independently by hand, it is obvious that the several parts to be operated may be
coupled together by mochanical means, so as to operato at the required times
automatically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
-
1. In a machine for laying-up cloth, an endless apron having one or several
parts full and one or several parts open, and having pinchers which are operated
automatically at the required time, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a machine for laying-up cloth, the combination of a frame provided with
rollers for carrying an endless apron having one part full and one part open,
pinchers carried by the apron and actuated by a projection situated on the frame,
a cutting apparatus, and an adjustable table for receiving the cloth as it is laid up,
substantially as set forth.
3. In a machine for laying-up cloth, the employment of a rotary frame for dis-
tributing the cloths, carrying on its periphery a series of compartments, substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of the various parts
forming the machine for laying-up and cutting cloth and other fabrics, substan-
tially as set forth.
Dafod is wath dow at Databan
הנה on Yah
TOBS
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.