AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CRIMPING OR FOLDING LEATHER, CLOTH, OR OTHER LIKE MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, HARNESS, TRavelling Bags, Trunks, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick John Chcesbrough, of the Office for
Patents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE
FOR CRIMPING OR FOLDING LEATHER, CLOTH, OR OTHER LIKE MATERIALS USED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, HARNESS, TRavelling Bags, Trunks,
AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."-A communication from abroad by George
Platts and Joseph Walden, both of Newark, in the County of Essex,
and State of New Jersey. United States of America.
Scaled the 5th February 1875, and dated the 27th August 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick John Choes-
brough at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 27th August 1874.
I, FREDERICK JOHN, CHEESBROUGH, of the Office for Patents, 15,
Water Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"S AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CRIMPING OR FOLDING LEATHER, CLOTH, OR OTHER
LIKE MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS, SHOES, HARNESS, TRAVELLING

page_text: The pressure ram is raised up by means of a spring set in a receptacle
fixed to the rear of the bed plate, so that the ram will be promptly
raised when relieved of the force which presses it down. The stroke of
the ram is regulated by means of a set screw fitted in a lug made on
the back part of the bridge or bow frame. Power is applied to the
pressure ram by a lever and eccentric.
The guide picce consists of a rib made on or fitted to the front side of
the pressure ram and extending along its entire front, the front edge
being champhered off and rounded a little to allow the leather, cloth, or
other material to slip off readily when the folding plate is applied.
The folding plate or blade is made of two pieces of thin sheet metal,
the front ends of which are both made in exactly the same form and to
correspond precisely to the front of the pressure ram.
The two plates
or sheets are fitted close together one on the other, the bottom plate
being made to slide to and fro under the top plate, the distance which it
is allowed to move being fixed by means of screws arranged to screw
into the bottom plate and pass through slot holes of a given longth in
the top plate, by which means the operator can, when the blade or plate
is folded down on the platform, move the bottom sheet to and fro, whilst
the top sheet remains stationary, and by means of a lever the blade or
folder can be shoved forward under the ram, when the latter is raised up
into position. The operator works the bottom sheet of the folder by
means of a handle which moves in a slot of given length in the top
sheet.
The folding blade or plate is hinged to arms fitted upon a shaft
arranged across the front end of the machine under the platform. The
arms work up through slots cut in the front end of the platform. The
working lever is connected to the end of the shaft on the outside of the
frame, and furnishes the means by which the operator works the folding
plate, or rather the means by which the plate is shoved forward under
the ram to fold the leather or cloth, the plate or lever being forced back
by means of a spring set in a receptacle made or bolted to the side of
the frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick John Cheesbrough in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 23rd February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
JOHN. CHEESBROUGH, of the Office for Patents, 15, Water Street, Liver-
pool, in the County of Lancaster, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant. unto me, the said Frederick Jóhn Chees-
brough, Her special licence, that I, the said Frederick John Cheesbrough,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Frederick John Cheesbrough, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CRIMPING
OR FOLDING LEATHER; CLOTH, OR OTHER LIKE MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURe
OF BOOTS, SHOES, HARNESS, TRAVELLING BAGS, TRUNKS, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES,"
n communication to me from abroad by George Platts and Joseph
Walden, both of Newark, in the County of Essex, and State of New
Jersey, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Frederick John Cheesbrough, my executors, or admi-
nistrators, 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 the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
"".
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick John Cheesbrough,
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, reference being had

page_text: to the annexed Sheets of Drawings making part of this Specifica-
tion :-
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of the said machine.
Figure 2, Sheet 1, is a longitudinal vertical section, showing the
pressing ram closed down upon the bed plate.
Figure 3, Sheet 2, is a longitudinal vertical section showing the
pressing ram or iron raised up ready to receive the fold of the leather or
cloth.
And Figure 4, Sheet 2, is a top view of the said machine.
Figures 5 and 6, Sheet 3, show a different form of the said machine,
to be herein-after described.
The object of this Invention is to facilitate the folding, embossing, or
crimping of the edges of leather or cloth used in the manufacture of
shoes, harness, travelling bags, trunks, or any other article made of
leather or cloth or a similar material, in the manufacture of which it
may be necessary or desirable to fold, crimp, emboss, or press down the
edges or scams, whether they be straight or curved. And this Invention
consists of certain mechanism to accomplish that object.
The machine consists,-
First. Of a platform or bed plate, upon which to lay the leather or
cloth to be wrought upon.
Second. A guide against which to lay the edge of the leather to deter-
mine the width of the fold.
Third. A folding plate or blade to turn the edges of the leather or
cloth between the pressure ram and the platform, bed plate, or frame
against which the fold is pressed.
Fourth. A pressure ram to force the fold, crimp, or figure in the
leather or cloth, the platform, folder, guide, and ram being made in the.
form required to yield the desired form of fold or impression.
In the Drawings A represents the bed plate or platform upon which
the leather or cloth is laid or supported. B represents the guide made
fast to the pressure ram upon which the edge of the leather or cloth is
laid to determine the width of the fold; C represents the ram by which
the fold is pressed down, and to which the guide is affixed and made-

page_text: part of; D represents the plate or blade by which the fold is forced in
the space or crease between the bed plate and ram.
In the Drawings the bed plate is made with a plane surface, and, sets
horizontally, and the folding blade or plate is made to work horizontally
on the bed plate to force the fold of the leather or cloth into the opening
between the bed plate and ram, and in this machine the ram works
vertically upon the bed plate, but it is manifest that the form of the bed
plate and its relation to the ram could be easily changed to make the
ram work horizontally, and the folding blade or plate vertically without
changing any of the essential principles of the machine, and without
multiplying its essential parts, as shown by Figures 5 and 6, Sheet 3; of
the accompanying Drawings, Figure 5 being a top view, and Figure 6 a
vertical cross section of the form of the machine. A represents the
platform; B, the ram; and C, the folding blade by which the fold of the
leather or cloth is pressed in the crease between the ram and bed plate,
the guide being shown by D bolted fast to the top of the ram, but so
arranged nevertheless that it may be adjusted back or forth to determino
the width of the fold; the ram in this case being worked by the lever E,
which is fast on the crank shaft F, and is connected to the ram- by
means of connecting rods H and the cranks I made on the shaft. This
form of the machine is especially. adapted for folding straight edges, but
it involves the essential principles of the other form of machine. The
gas is applied under the ram B through the pipe S, as shown in Figure 6,
Sheet 3, of the accompanying Drawings.
The pressure ram C shown in Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, and Figures 3
and 4, Sheet 2, of the accompanying Drawings, is made in two sections
united or hinged together at H, the rear part is shown by E and is
hinged at g to the bracket F bolted to the rear part of the platform.
The front post C of the pressure ram is readily disconnected at H and
its place supplied with a front or different form to suit the style or form
of fold or impressiom to be made. The front of the ram shown in the
Drawings is curved to fold the edge around the vamp of a shoc, but
when a different form of fold is to be made the front of the ram shown
in the Drawing is to be taken off and its place supplied with one of a
different form to make the style of fold or impression required whether
it be straight or curved, or both straight and curved.
'
The Drawing shows both the front and back sections of the ram made
hollow, and the front section fitted over an Argand gas burner, the flame

page_text: from which strikes up in the inside of the iron, the current of heat and
air from the burner passing out through the section E, the rear end of
which is open. The gas pipe and burner are shown by K.
The object of heating the pressure ram is of course to make it the
more effectual in folding or pressing down the fold of the leather or
cloth, especially where the leather or cloth is thick and stubborn; but
in cases where the leather is thin and pliable the heat is not absolutely
necessary, although it is better to use it in all cases.
The object of using the Argand burner in heating the iron is to avoid
the escape of unconsumed gas or smoke and to secure a more intense
heat in the pressing iron, by which greater economy is secured in the
operation of the machine, while at the same time the health and comfort
of the operator is not unpleasantly or injuriously affected. The pressure
ram or iron is raised up by means of a spring L set in a receptacle fixed
to the rear of the bed plate either in the manner shown or in any con-
venient and efficient manner, by which the ram will be promptly raised
the required distance when relieved of the force which presses it down.
The distance the ram is to raise is regulated by means of a set screw I
fitted in a lug made on the back part of the bridge or bow frame. M.
The power is applied to the pressure ram through the agency of a lever
and an eccentric. The lever being shown by J and the eccentric by O,
the latter being made fast to the former moves with it and forces the
arm N down on the ram when moved forward to the position shown in
Figure 2, Sheet 1, and allows it to rise when thrown back to the position
shown by Figure 1, Sheet 1.
The guide piece B consists of a rib made on or fitted to the front side
of the pressure ram, and extends along its entire front as shown in the
Drawing, the front edge, being champhered off and rounded a little to
allow the leather or cloth to slip off readily when the folding plate is
applied.
The folding plate or blade is made of two pieces of thin sheet metal,
the front ends of which are both made of exactly the same form; and to
correspond precisely with the front of the pressure ram, the two plates or
sheets are fitted close together one on the other, the top plate being
shown by D and the bottom one by h. The bottom plate being made to
slide to and fro under the top one the distance which it is allowed to
move being fixed by means of screws a arranged to screw in the bottom

page_text: plate, and pass through slot holes of a given length in the top sheet, by
which means the operator can when the blade or plate is folded down
on the platform move the bottom sheet to and fro while the top sheet
remains stationary, and by means of the lever S the blade or folder can
be shoved forward under the ram, when the latter is raised up to the
position shown by Figure 1, Sheet 1, and Figure 3, Sheet 2. The
operator works the bottom plate of the folder by means of the handle ƒ
which moves in a slot of given length in the top sheet in the manner
shown.
The folding blade or plate D is hinged to arms P fitted upon a shaft Q
arranged across the front end of the machine under the platform, the
arms work up through slots cut in the front end of the platform to
connect to the plate D. The lever S being connected to the end of the
shaft Q on the outside of the frame, furnishes a means by which the
operator works the folding plate or rather the means by which the plate
is shoved forward under the ram to fold the leather or cloth, the plate
or lever being forced back by means of a spring R set in a receptacle
made or bolted to the side of the frame in the manner shown in Figure
4, Sheet 2.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The folding blade or
plate is first thrown back to the position shown in Figure 1, Sheet 1, of
the accompanying Drawings, and the pressure ram raised up to the
position shown in Figure 1, the vamp or other piece of leather or cloth
to be folded is then laid on the platform with the edge to be folded on
the guide rip or lip B, the folder is then brought down on the leather or
cloth as shown in Figure 2; the sheet h is then shoved forward to its
extreme limit; the folder is then pressed forward by the lever S by which
the fold is forced under the pressing iron or ram. The sheet D of the
folder is then drawn back by the lever S, while the sheet is held still
by the handle to hold the leather or cloth from moving, while the
pressure ram is forced down on the fold to complete the operation. The
sheet might be dispensed with without changing any of the essential
principles or purpose of the Invention, but the machine operates better
with it in all cases, and in some cases this bottom sliding plate will be
found absolutely necessary.
It will be seen that this machine is adapted to fold or turn over the
edge of the leather or cloth, and press it down either with a cold or hot

page_text: iron, whether the edge of the leather be curved or straight, and that the
devices used to do this work are a pressing iron, a folding blade, and a
bed plate, and that to fold edges of various shapes a separate pressing
ram and folder must be provided to match each of the several forms or
edges to be folded and pressed, unless it be short straight edges which
can be folded and pressed upon some of the curved forms, that is, forms
leaving the ends curved only. It is not intended therefore to limit the
Patent of which this is a part to any particular form of pressing ram,
or iron, or folder, or bed plate, or to any particular arrangement of these
parts, but what I claim as the Invention communicated to me by my
correspondents George Platts and Joseph Walden is,-
First. The combination of a pressing ram, a folding blade, a guide and
bed plate, made and adapted with reference to each other to do the work
herein described, substantially as set forth.
Second. The pressing ram made hollow and in two parts hinged or
united together that one form may be taken off and its place supplied by
another, substantially-as-described..
.
Third. The guide on the front of the former by which the width of the
fold is determined.
Fourth. The hinged folding blade in one or two pieces as described
and combined with the platform in such a manner as to press or force
the fold between the ram and bed plate, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick John Cheesbrough, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-five.
FREDERICK JOHN (L.S.) CHEESBROUGH: