Improvements in Apparatus for Folding and Measuring Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1894
Complete Soecification Left, 20th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Folding and Measuring Textile
Fabrics.
I, WILLIAM HENRY HACKING of the California Iron Works, Bury, in the
County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates generally to mechanism for folding and measuring
textile fabrics, and in which the fabric is plaited down into measured folds.
Particularly my improvements refer to a prior invention of the same nature for
which I have obtained Letters Patent No. 4669 of 1886. In my said former
apparatus, the cloth was folded upon a curved table supported upon springs, and
the holding bars or cloth grippers, were raised and depressed at the proper times
by side arms operated by oscillating cams at the foot of the frame. Anti-friction
bowls at the foot of the sliding arms bore against the under side of the cams the
arms being drawn up and the bowls kept in contact with the cams by springs.
When the movement of the cams brought the out springing portion of the cams
opposite to the howls on the arms, the springs pulled the arms up and allowed the
fold to be placed beneath the raised gripper. The combined working of the springs
and cams has proved to be subject to certain disadvantages and one of the objects
of my present invention is to modify this. I therefore dispense with the springs
and form each cam with an additional cam portion opposite to the outspringing
part, so that when the anti-friction bowl comes to this part it is positively moved
between two cam surfaces instead of being held by a spring in contact with one
cam surface as formerly. This gives a more steady and positive movement of the
arms and grippers than before, and gets rid of the objections due to the use of the
springs. Stops on the arms prevent them from dropping below a fixed level when
the anti-friction bowls are opposite to the normal portions of the cams.
Another part of my invention relates to the measuring indicator on the apparatus.
At present this is worked from a worm on a continuously revolving shaft, whereby
motion is transmitted to an index finger or dial. As the index moves so slowly
from point to point it is sometimes difficult to tell exactly what the recorded
measurement is. According to my improvement instead of the worm I fix a disc
with pegs on the revolving shaft. These pegs, as they are carried round, engage
with and intermittently rotate a star wheel which is thus moved in successive jerks
riz. a jerk at each fold. The shaft of the star wheel carries a worm which gears
with a worm wheel on an upright shaft which carries the index finger or dial. The
dial is marked in such a manner that each stroke of the star wheel registers a point
on the dial, so that there is no uncertainty as to the completion of a fold and the
exact number and measurement is apparent at a glance. So long as the star wheel
and pegs are used I might modify the arrangements for transmitting the movements
to the index or dial.
Dated the 19th day of November 1894.
E. K. DUTTON & Co..
5 John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Folding and Measuring Textile
Fabrics.
I WILLIAM HENRY HACKING of the California Iron Works, Bury, in the
County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, 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 and accompanying
drawings:-
My said invention relates generally to mechanism for folding and measuring
textile fabrics, and in which the fabric is plaited down into measured folds.
Particularly my improvements refer to a prior invention of the same nature for
which I have obtained Letters Patent No. 4669 of 1886. In my said former
apparatus the cloth was folded upon a curved table supported upon springs, and the
holding bars or cloth grippers, were raised and depressed at the proper times by
side arms operated by oscillating cams at the foot of the frame. Anti-friction
bowls at the foot of the sliding arms, bore against the under sides of the cams, the
arms being drawn up and the bowls kept in contact with the cams by springs.
When the movement of the cams brought the out-springing portion of the cams
opposite to the bowls on the arms, the springs pulled the arms up and allowed the
fold to be placed beneath the raised gripper. The combined working of the
springs and cams has proved to be subject to certain disadvantages and one of
the objects of my present invention is to modify this. I therefore dispense with
the springs and form each cam with a cam portion opposite to the outspringing
part, so that when the anti-friction bowl comes to this part it is positively moved
between two cam surfaces instead of being held by a spring in contact with one
cam surface as before. This gives a more steady and positive movement of the
arms and grippers than before, and gets rid of the objections to the use of the
springs. Stops on the arms prevent them from dropping below a fixed level when
the table is pushed down to remove a folded piece for example.
Another part of my invention relates to the measuring indicator on the
apparatus.
In order that my said invention may be properly understood I will now proceed
to describe and ascertain the same more particularly, reference being had to the
annexed sheet of illustrative drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side view of the folding and measuring apparatus.
Fig. 2. is a side view to an enlarged scale and Fig. 3. a plan of one of the
oscillating cams for raising and lowering the cloth gripper arms.
Figs. 4 to 8 illustrate my improvements in the indicated mechanism.
The framing of the apparatus is marked a. The pivot shaft b. carries the
rocking cams c. The curved rising and falling and elastically supported table top
upon which the cloth is folded is marked a'. The radial gripper arms d slide on
the fixed bars e, and are prevented from being lowered beneath the normal position
shown on the left hand side of Fig. 1 by the provision of stops el which project from
the fixed bars e through slots d' in the gripper arins d. Thus when the table a¹ is
lowered as for example to remove the folded piece, the stops e' bear against the
shoulders at the upper ends of the slots d' and the gripper arms are supported at
that point, while the slots d' enable the gripper arms to be lifted as is shown for
example on the right hand side of Fig. 1. The rocking cam c is formed with a
portion of its internal curve concentric with the pivot shaft b as clearly shown in

page_text: the drawings, and about the centre of the curve is a recessed curve or bay c¹.
Opposite to this recessed curve or bay c is fixed a double diverting incline c the
duty of which is to divert or push one of the bowls f to one side and into this
recessed curve or bay c'. The said bowls f are carried on the lower ends of the
moveable gripper arms d so that it will be plain that when a bowl f mounts upon
one of the inclined faces c² and is again drawn down by the curve as the cam
rocks back, the corresponding gripper arm d is raised and lowered thereby actuating
the cloth grippers at the proper times. Thus the grippers are positively operated
and do not depend upon the action of springs as in my previously referred to Patent.
Of course it will be evident that the same positive movement of the gripper arms
might be obtained by dispensing with the stops e and forming a continuous groove
all round the cam with a deflected portion at the point occupied by the double
incline or bay e' but this would entail so much more friction on the bowls that it is
less advantageous and economical than the arrangement I have described.
I now proceed to the improved indicating mechanism.
In apparatus at present manufactured by me this is worked from a worm on a
continuously revolving shaft whereby motion is transmitted to an index finger or
dial. As the index moves so slowly it is sometimes difficult to tell exactly what
the recorded measurement is. According to my invention and as shown in general
arrangement in Figs. 1 and 8 instead of a worm I fix a disc g upon the revolving
shaft h the disc g having two pegs 9' 9' and the shaft running at the rate of one
revolution per two folds. The disc g is shown to an enlarged scale in Figs. 4.
and 5. Above the disc g I place a star wheel i (see Figs. 6 and 7) carried on
a spindle j. As the pegged disc revolves the pegs 91 9' engage with slots
in the star wheel which is thus moved in successive jerks, viz. a jerk at each
fold. The spindle of the star wheel i carries a worm k which gears with a
worm wheel on an upwardly inclined spindle m which carries the index finger n
revolving above the dial o. The dial o' is marked in such a manner that each
stroke of the star wheel i registers a point on the dial representing a fold, so that
there is no uncertainty as to the completion of a fold and the exact number and
measurement is apparent at a glance. So long as the star wheel and pegged
dise or their mechanical equivalents are used I might modify the arrangements
for transmitting the movements to the index or dial.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. As means for positively operating the grippers or gripper arms of cloth
folding and measuring apparatus, the double inclines or cam suriaces c² acting in
combination with the curbs or cams e substantially as described and illustrated.
2. As means for operating the gripper arms or grippers of cloth folding and
measuring apparatus the oscillating cams c with double incline portions c² and acting
in combination with the sliding gripper arms d which are prevented from being
lowered beyond a certain fixed point by stops e¹, substantially as described and
shown.
3. The general arrangement construction and combination of parts comprising
the improved mechanism for operating the gripper arms and grippers of cloth
folding and measuring apparatus substantially as described and shown.
4. Operating the index finger or dial of the indicating mechanism of cloth
folding and measuring apparatus by a series of intermittent and successive strokes
or jerks each stroke or jerk representing a fold of a given length, the said successive
strokes or jerks being effected in the manner and by the means substantially as
herein before described and shown.
5. As means for operating the indicating mechanism of cloth folding and
measuring apparatus the pegged disc g acting in conjunction with the star wheel i
substantially as described and shown.

page_text: 6. The general arrangement construction and combination of parts comprising
my improved arrangement of indicating mechanism for cloth folding and measuring
apparatus substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 10th day of Anomat 1005
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 5 John Dalton Street, Manchester,
For the Applicant.