MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FOLDING AND MEASURING WOVEN OR TEXTILE FABRICS, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND FOR INTRODUCING CARDS INTO THE FOLDS READY FOR THE PRESS
Year: 1861

page_text: MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FOLDING AND MEASURING WOVEN OR TEXTILE
FABRICS, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND FOR INTRODUCING CARDS INTO
THE FOLDS READY FOR THE PRESS."
Sealed the 2nd August 1861, and dated the 6th February 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolphe Drevelle at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition. on the 6th
February 1861.
I, ADOLPHE DREVELLE, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR FOLDING AND MEASURING WOVEN
OR TEXTILE FABRICS, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND FOR INTRODUCING CARDS
INTO THE FOLDS READY FOR THE PRESS," to be as follows:-
1 construct an apparatus with any convenient number of arms working or
moving on their centres, similar to the toy called "Jacob's ladder," so that as
the fabric passes over one atu and under another alternately, each one closes
and makes a fold the required width or measure. This apparatus may be
used either in a horizontal position or vertical, as may be found most conve
nient. Instead of introducing the card or pasteboard, or other suitable mate-
rial, as used by finishers, between each fold by hand separately. I use two
boxes with a number of compartments or divisions, each of which is wide
enough to admit of one cardboard or material. and at the back of each box
1 fix a small roller or other mechanical contrivance with a number of pins on
it, eo that when it is moved or turned a little it will open or spread the ends
L Pri &11

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Adolphe Drevelle in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th August 1861.
-
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ADOLPHE
DREVELLE, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February. in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one. in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors. give and grant unto me, the said
Adolphe Drevelle. Her special licence that 1. the said Adolphe Drevelle,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I. the said
Adolphe Drevelle, my executors, administrators, and assigns. should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FOLDING AND MEASURING WOVEN OR
TEXTILE FABRICS, PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND FOR INTRODUCING CARDS INTO
THE FOLDS READY FOR THE PRESE," upon the condition (amongst others) that 1,
the said Adolphe Drevelle, my executors, or administrators, 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 manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Oflice within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1. the said Adolphe Drevelle. do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say): -
construct an apparatus with any convenient number of arms working or
moving on their centres. similar to the toy called "Jacob's ladder." and place,
in communication with the said arms, other arms projecting outwards in such

page_text: manner that the fabric or material can be in contact with them. By means
of a rack and pinion, lever, or other mechanical contrivance, both sets of arms
are raised and lowered alternately to their highest and lowest positions. When
both sets of arms are lowered the projecting arms expand from each other in
a zig-zag direction, and spread out or fold the material into as many folds of
any desired measurement as there are arms, the length of the fold. being
determined by adjusting the positions of the projecting arms. By this arrange-
ment one piece of fabric or material is folded and measured, but two pieces
may be operated upon at the same time by employing three ladders, and
Either arrange-
removing the two outer ones when the material is folded.
ment may be used in a horizontal or vertical position, as may be found most.
convenient, and used for folding and measuring either singly or conjointly.
Instead of introducing the card or pasteboard, or other suitable material. as
used by finishers, between each fold by hand separately. I employ boxes at
each side of the material with a number of ribs placed at the same distances
apart as the folds, and place each set of boxes upon an endless band or chain
which has an intermittent motion imparted to it, so that it may dwell a short
time at the place where the cards are to be delivered into the folds of the
material. The cards are removed from their supports into the folds by arms
or levers put in motion by any suitable mechanical contrivance.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the figures
and letters on the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
Figs. 1 and 2 are front elevations in different positions of one arrangement
of my improved apparatus for folding and measuring woven fabrics and other
materials and placing cards in the folds and Fig. 3 is an end or side eleva-
tion of the same; Figs. 4 and 5 are end and front elevations of another com-
bination for the same purpose; Fig. 6 is a detached view of a modification
of the ladder; and Fig. 7, an elevation of an improved frame or guide for
employing a great length of chain or ladder. The material to be operated
upon may be placed in a heap. upon a roller, or in any convenient manner.
In Figs. 1. 2, and 3. the material is shewn at a; it is placed upon the roller b
and under the weighting roller c, from whence it passes over guide rods or rollets
d, and between the projecting arms or bars e, which are attached by adjustable
bars or rods to the arms g, connected together in a similar manner to the
toy called Jacob's ladder. The arms are jointed together in the middle by
bolts h, the heads of which work up and down in the slot or groove i in the
metal frame k, fixed to the wall or in a standard contrived for the purpose.
The ends of the arms are jointed by bolts or pins which carry bosses I having
holes, into which are fitted the rods f, which are adjusted to suit the required

page_text: length of the folds and held fast by screws.
The two bottom arms of the
ladder work upon a stationary bolt or pin m. and the centre pin or bolt n of
the two next arms are connected to a rack o. into which is geared a pinion p
fixed to the shaft g. provided with a crank or handle for turning it either way.
although a lever or other mechanical contrivance may be employed for the
same purpose. It is well known that if one pair of the arms of the ladder be
raised or lowered all the others are raised or lowered in the same proportion,
that is, each pair rises or falls to an extent equal to that pair to which the
moving power is applied, and consequently the extent of elevation or depres-
sion of the ladder and projecting arms connected with it depends upon the
number of pairs of arms of the ladder. In Figs. and. 3, the ladder is
shewn in its elevated position, the fabric or material passing in a straight line
between the projecting arms. As the ladder is lowered the said projecting
arms gradually extend transversely into zig-zag positions with each other and
pull the fabric or material with them, and when the ladder has descended to
its lowest position, as shown in Fig. 2, the fabric or material is formed into as
many folds as there are projecting arms, which operation is performed without
the necessity of the workman handling the fabric or material: and as the
projecting arms are all extended to an equal distance apart, the material is
folded to any determined measurement at the same time. For simply folding
the material to any desired length this apparatus may be employed in a hori-
zontal or inclined position. In order to place within each fold of the fabric
the card or pasteboard used by finishers. I employ at each side a skeleton box
or framer, having narrow ribs s at the same distances apart as the folds. The
boxes charged with cards are placed upon endless bands or chains having their
motion so regulated that they carry the boxes from below to their proper level,
and then dwell a sufficient time for the cards to be delivered into the folds,
after which the empty box is removed and a fresh box supplies its place.
In order to cause the cards, which are placed upon compound levers similar
to the ladders, to be removed from the boxes to the folds, arms or levers
moved forwards and backwards by any mechanical contrivance may be em-
ployed. The apparatus before described is adapted for folding and measuring
one piece of fabric or material. but by modifying the arrangement so as to
employ three ladders two pieces may be operated upon at the same time. In
Figs. 4 and the ladders are shewn at 1, u, r; each is formed of two sets of
arms ir connected together by bolts. The middle hudder has on each side
projecting arms y, and each side ladder 1. r. has projecting arms z midway
between the arms y, so that when all the arms are lowered they extend or
expand from each other in a zig-zag direction, the extent of which is deter-

page_text: mined by the sliding motion given to the side ladders. The pins of the centre
joinis a' or their heads work in slots in the standards b', c', and the outside
standards c' are spread out at the bottom, as at d'. Fig. 4, so as to contain two
slides e and f; the top slide receives the lowered arms and folded material,
and can be shifted to and fro transversely by a rack or screw in order to
stretch or tighten the material; the lower slide supports the short slotted
standard g, which, with the top slide, the arms, and material, can be drawn
back from the main standard in order to release the material from the pro-
jecting arms: the top slide being made of any suitable length to give any
required stretch. The main standards are kept firm in their proper positions
by fixing them at the bottom to the floor or foundation. and at the top to
cross beams. there being tie-rods when necessary. The three ladders are
raised and lowered simultaneously by a lever, rack, and pinion, or other desired
means, so as to fold and measure at one operation two pieces of material, and
certain kinds of fabrics may be stretched and smoothed as required. When it
is necessary to introduce cards into the folds. I employ at the sides of each
piece skeleton boxes or other frames having as many divisions and cards as
there are folds. The boxes are raised by chains or bands and the cards
delivered into the folds by any self-acting arrangement. In order to employ
great length of ladders I cause them to work in a groove terminating in a
circular groove, and to enable the ladder to pass the curve the arms at
one side opposite the projecting arms must be disconnected, and afterwards
jointed again when they are in their vertical position. I also modify the
arrangement by forming the arms of the ladder with two joints instead of
three, similar in appearance to the half of the Jacob's ladder, as shewn in
Fig. 6, and by placing projecting arms in alternate positions upon two of these
halves opposite each other. similar to those shewn in Fig. 5. I am enabled to
perform the operations of folding and measuring woven fabrics and other
materials as efficiently as in the arrangements before described. This modified
form of ladder can be used as an endless chain, and be made to traverse a
longitudinal groove terminating in a circular or curved groove. as shewn in
Fig. 7. in order to be able to operate upon any length of material either by
working the arms conjointly or one after the other. In this arrangement.
instead of giving the stretch to the material, as shewn in Fig. 4. the frames of
the ladders are moved transversely, so as to measure and stretch the material
as required, and moved longitudinally for the purpose of removing the fabric.
or the folding arms may be made to slide for the same purpose. In all the
arrangements the projecting arms between which the material passes may be
hinged or jointed, in order to be able to place them in convenient positions,

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed. I desire it to be understood that I claimi
as my Invention, for the purpose of folding and measuring woven or textile
fabrics. paper. and other materials. and for introducing cards into the folds
ready for the press.-
Firstly, the employment of one or several ladders, each similar to the toy
called "Jacob's ladder," and the application to the arms of the ladder of other
projecting arms having hinges or otherwise. so that when the ladder is lowered
the projecting arms extend in a zig-zag direction, and thereby fold, stretch,
and measure the material in contact with them.
Secondly, the employment of ladders of a modified form, in which the arms
have two joints instead of three, and appear similar to the half of the Jacob's
ladder, and the application to these halves of projecting arms for folding.
stretching, and measuring the material when the ladders are depressed.
Thirdly, the employment of slides for the convenience of stretching and
measuring the material, and the system of shifting the outer frames in which
the ladders are guided for obtaining the same result.
Fourthly, the employment of a slot or guide for maintaining the ladders in
their course, which slot may be straight or curved, as desired.
Fifthly, the employment of skeleton boxes or frames for holding the cards,
and placing the boxes upon endless bands or chains, and also the application
of levers similar to the Jacob's ladder for placing the cards in the exact
positions for introducing them into the folds, as all such improvements are
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof. I. the said Adolphe Drevelle, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Adolphe Drevelle. in
the presence of
E. J. HUGHES.
Patent Agent.
Manchester.
A. DREVELLE. (L.S.)