IMPROVEMENTS IN GOFFERS AND IN GOFFERING OR FLUTING FABRICS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hutchinson Farmer, of the Midland Lace
Company, Limited, Nottingham, in the County of Nottingham, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GOFFERS AND IN GOFFERING OR FLUTING
FABRICS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 11th March 1879, and dated the 9th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hutchinson Farmer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th October 1878.
"
WILLIAM HUTCHINSON FARMER, of the Midland Lace Company, Limited,
Nottingham, in the County of Nottinghain. IMPROVEMENTS IN GOFFERS AND
IN GOFFERING OR FLUTING FABRICS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
My Invention relates to what is known as the goffering or fluting of fabrics, and
consists of an improved form of goffer and in the mode and means of producing the
same.
According to my Invention I goffer or form fabrics with nearly complete tubular
flutings which in position are alternately upper and lower, the goffered fabric thus
formed consisting of a continuous succession of double flutings approximating in
shape to the Figure S.
In order to produce goffering of this description I first partially goffer the fabric
by the usual means, and I then pass the fabric partially goffered through two or
more sets of flat surfaced rollers revolving at different speeds. Thus the plain
fabric first passes through a pair of goffering rollers or chains as in the ordinary
manner, then as it issues from this it is conducted into and through a pair of flat
surfaced rollers revolving at the same speed as the goffering roller or chain, and
thence through a second pair of rollers revolving at less speed, and so on in
succession according to the degree of closeness of the goffer required, each suc-
ceeding pair of rollers revolving at a less speed than the preceding pair, having the

page_text: effect of pressing the alternately reversed flutings of the goffer into closer proximity
until the desired figure is obtained.
The distance between the upper and lower rollers may be regulated so as to
admit of the size of the goffer being varied as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Hutchinson Farmer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th April 1879.
WILLIAM HUTCHINSON FARMER, of the Midland Lace Company, Limited,
Nottingham, in the County of Nottingham. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GOFFERS AND
IN GOFFERING OR FLUTING FABRICS AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
My said Invention relates to the goffering of fabrics with nearly complete tubular
flutings which in position are alternately upper and lower, the goffered fabric thus
formed consisting of a continuous succession of double flutings approximating in
shape to the Figure 8. In order to produce goffering of this description I first
partially goffer the fabric by the usual means, and I then pass the fabric partially
goffered through two or more sets of plain rollers revolving at different speeds.
Thus the plain fabric first passes through a pair of goffering rollers or chains as in
the ordinary manner, then as it issues from this it is conducted into and through a
pair of plane surfaced rollers revolving at the same speed as the goffering roller or
chain, and thence through a second pair of rollers revolving at less speed, and then
if necessary through a third pair and so on in succession according to the degree of
closeness of the goffer required, each succeeding pair of rollers revolving at a less
speed than the preceding pair, having the effect of pressing the alternately reversed
flutings of the goffer into closer proximity until the desired figure is obtained.
The distance between the upper and lower rollers may be regulated so as to
admit of the size of the goffer being varied as required.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the
several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of a goffer finishing and
fixing machine constructed according to my said Invention, and Figure 2 is a
corresponding plan of the same; Figure 3 is a diagram shewing the form of goffer
produced.
A is the first motion shaft mounted in bearings B carried in brackets C attached
to the main framing D of the machine. This shaft has keyed thereon a worm E
and a level pinion H, the former for imparting rotatory motion to two pairs of
cylinders F, F, and G, GI, which form the goffers, and the latter (videlicet, the bevel
pinion H) for actuating another pair of cylinders I, I', which secure the goffers and
deliver the fabric from the machine in the manner herein-after described.
1. Al

page_text: The axes a¹, b¹, of the lower cylinders F and G₁ are mounted in stationary
bearings in the main framing D, whilst the upper cylinders F and G are carried in
an adjustable frame D¹ capable of being raised and lowered, so as to render the
distance between the upper and lower cylinders variable to suit different sized
goffers.
The cylinders F, F, are actuated from the worm E on the shaft A by means of
discs K, K¹, fast on the axes a, a¹, and provided near their peripheries with pins c
which gear with the worm E, and motion is transmitted from these cylinders to the
cylinders G, G', in the following manner :-
On the axis a, a¹, are keyed spur wheels e, e', which are in gear with corre-
sponding pinions f, f', carried on the outer ends of two adjustable arms g, g¹, and
gearing with wheels h, h¹, keyed respectively on the axes b, 61, of the cylinders
G, G¹, the arms g, gl, being mounted loosely on the axes a, a', so as to admit of the
necessary adjustment to suit various sizes of wheels h, k, which are changed in
order to enable the speed of the cylinders G, G¹, relatively to that of the cylinders
F, F, to be regulated as required.
The
The cylinders I, I¹ are driven from the bevel pinion H on the shaft A through the
intervention of a bevel wheel H' fast on one end of a transverse shaft L mounted in
bearings in the main framing D, the said shaft carrying at its opposite end a spur
pinion M in gear with a corresponding wheel N mounted on a stud centre o.
wheel N gears with a spur wheel P¹ fast on the axis of the lower cylinder I', the
said spur wheel engaging with a similar wheel P keyed on the axis i of the upper
cylinder I.
The cylinders I and I are each fitted or formed at the centre of their length with
a flange or annular projection or presser 12 which flatten or press the goffers and
secure the same and finally deliver the completed fabric from the machine. On
each side of the flanges or pressers I* there is fitted loosely a cam I³, and mounted
loosely over these cams so as to turn freely thereon are cylinders I', the surfaces of
which press upon the goffers so as to maintain the material level as it issues from
the machine.
Pins care provided in the sides of the flanges or pressers I which as the latter
rotate (by the revolution of the cylinders I, I,) engage with notches c formed in
one edge of each of the cylinders I, and thus impart to them a rotatory motion
round the cams I³.
The cams I are provided for the purpose of adjusting the distance between the
surfaces of the upper and lower cylinders I' to correspond with the distance
between the cylinders F, FL, and G and G¹, the adjustment being effected in the
following manner-Q is a hand wheel provided with a screwed stem / working in
a thread in the boss of a bar m, and bearing at its extremity against the framing
D of the machine.
The bar m extends across the front of the machine and is connected at its
opposite ends to two vertical levers n mounted on a transverse shaft o; these
levers are connected by means of rods p to two other levers q mounted on another
transverse shaft 7, and connected at their upper ends by means of brackets or links
8, 8, to the cams I³.
It will be obvious that by rotating the hand wheel Q the levers n and q will be
turned on their axes, and thus the came I³ will be moved round the cylinders I, I',
and the surfaces of the cylinder I thereby be brought into closer proximity or
caused to recede further from each other as required.
The distance between the surfaces of the pairs of cylinders F, F, and G, G¹ is
effected by means of rods or bars t, t, connected to the upper ends of the levers n,
each of the rods or barst being provided with a cam surface or inclined portion u,
which as the levers n are turned bear upon inclined projections v fitted or formed
on the adjustable framing D¹ carrying the cylinders F and G, and thus cause them
to be raised or lowered simultaneously with the adjustment of the cylinders I';
R is a trough containing liquid in which is fitted to rotate a spool or bobbin S

page_text: carrying cotton or other yarn or thread for securing the goffers before they pass out
of the machine.
The fabric to be acted upon (having been partially goffered (as at W, Figure 3)
by any ordinary or other goffering machine) is fed into the finishing machine by
first passing the end of the fabric over the reel T, thence along the shoot or guide U
and into or between the first pair of cylinders F, F1, the surfaces of these cylinders
being by preference somewhat roughened, so that by exercising slight pressure upon
the goffers the fabric will be carried along to the next pair of cylinders G, G².
The surface speed of these last-mentioned cylinders is less than that of the
cylinders F, F, whereby the progress of the fabric is slightly retarded and the
goffers are pushed more closely together, and thus caused to somewhat resemble a
series of figure eights arranged side by side as shewn at Z (Figure 3). The
goffers thus "pushed up" passed between the cylinders I and the pressers I², which
latter flatten the goffers in the centre of the fabric, and at the same time secure
them in position by pressing on to the surface of the fabric the moistened yarn or
thread which is conducted from the spool S by guides w to between the upper
surface of the fabric and the surface of the top presser.
The axes of the cylinders I, I, are made hollow for the introduction of a jet or
jets of gas in order to maintain the cylinders and pressers in a heated condition
whereby (in conjunction with the adhesive material contained in the fabric) the
moistened yarn or thread is caused to adhere to the fabric and the goffers to retain
their form as the fabric issues from the machine.
The fabric is supported in its course through the machine upon a series of wires a
which extend from the front to the rear of the machine, and is prevented from
rising out of position by another series of wires a extending in like manner from
the front to the rear but arranged above the fabric, the several cylinders F, F',
G, G¹, and I being provided with grooves y in which the several wires a, a¹, enter
so as not to project above the surface of the said cylinders.
The sides V of the guide or shoot U are capable of being adjusted to suit various
widths of fabric to be passed through the machine.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and the manner in which the samo is or may be used or carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
The production of goffers of the description herein-before referred to by sub-
jecting fabrics which have been partially goffered to the action of two or more
sets of plain rollers revolving at different speeds, substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hutchinson Farmer, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, One
thousand aight hundred and seventy-nine
Witness,
P. M. RIACH.
W. H. FARMER. (L.S.)