IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING OR KILTING FABRICS."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Holroyd, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR PLAITING OR KILTING FABRICS."
"
IM-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Holroyd at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th December 1878.
JOHN HOLROYD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING OR KILTING FABRICS."
This Invention relates more particularly to a peculiar arrangement of the knife
actuating connections or mechanism, whereby the throw or traverse of the plaiting
blade can be more readily varied to any desired extent, and greater simplicity and
compactness of the parts are obtained; also to an improved gas arrangement for
heating the plaiting surface. The knife bar is pivotted at each end to a rocking
frame or arms working loose on the driving shaft. This shaft carries at one end an
eccentric or crank of uniform throw, the connecting rod or link from which is
coupled to a slot in one of the arms of a bell crank lever working on a stud centre.
The other arm of this lever is also slotted, and in this slot engages the pin of a
second link or connecting rod which is coupled by a pin joint to one of the arms of
the rocking frame carrying the knife. In lieu of the arms of the before mentioned
bell crank being rigid or in one piece, each arm at its fulcrum end is formed with
a large surfaced joint or face plate, the one being held by friction or pressure
against the other by a tightening nut, so that when screwed up the two arms form
one rigid bell crank, but when the nut is slackened each arm is free to be inde-
pendently adjusted round its fulcrum to allow of the links or connections being
adjusted along their slots according to the particular throw or action of the knife
required. The lever arms are then fixed again in their adjusted positions by the
tightening nut. The edge of the knife operates upon a fixed smooth surface,

page_text: forcing the plaits underneath the presser bar, which I prefer to suspend on centres,
and in some cases to make in the form of a box with hinged lid or cover to receive
the heating irons. The pressure of the knife upon the fabric is produced by a cam
or eccentric on the driving shaft acting against an arm projecting from the pivotted
knife bar. Any convenient or well known arrangement of guides is placed in front
of the machine, and provision is made for lifting the presser bar by a lever catch, as
is well understood.
open
A
The gas arrangement which I prefer to employ consists of a hollow chamber
at one end, where the mouth of the gas pipe enters, ample space being left round
the pipe for the free ingress of air into the gas chamber along with the gas.
number of projecting lateral burners are made in one piece or otherwise along one
side of the gas chamber, which chamber I prefer to make in two parts, the one of
a hollow trough shape, the other a flat cover screwed thereon. The gas orifices
may consist of nicks made in the projections, which, when covered or partially
covered by the flat plate, form a series of lateral gas jets. The whole is fitted by
screws so as to be readily removeable to the underside of the bed plate or plaiting
surface of the machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Holroyd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th June
1879.
<< IM-
JOHN HOLROYD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING OR KILTING FABRICS."
My said Invention relates more particularly to a peculiar combination and
arrangement of the knife actuating connections or mechanism of plaiting or kilting
machines, whereby the throw or traverse of the plaiting blade can be more readily
varied to any desired extent, & greater simplicity & compactness of the parts are
obtained.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now pro-
ceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation (half size) of my improved kilting or plaiting machine;
Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing my peculiar arrangement of adjustable knife
actuating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the machine taken at or near
the middle. The rest of the Figs. are details, which I shall hereinafter refer to.
A is the knife & knife bar, a portion of which is shown in detail at Fig. 4,
pivotted at each end to a rocking frame B or arms working loose on the driving
shaft C. This shaft carries at one end an eccentric or crank pin D, the connecting
rod or link E from which is coupled by the adjustable pin a in the slot b, c, to one
of the arms F of a bell crank lever working on a stud centre G. The other arm F¹¹
of this lever is also slotted at d, e, & in this slot engages the adjustable pin f of a
second link or connecting rod H, which is coupled by a pin joint at g to one of the
arms of the rocking frame B carrying the knife. In lieu of the arms of the before
mentioned bell crank F, F', being rigid or in one piece, each arm at its fulcrum end
is formed with a large surfaced joint or friction face plate h, 1, (see detail, Fig. 5),
the one being held by friction or pressure against the other by the tightening nut i.
The edge of the knife operates upon a fixed smooth (or, if preferred, slightly
roughened) surface I forming the plaits underneath the presser bar K, which
prefer to hang on centres from the main standards by short arms or lugs k, as shown
in the Drawings, and in some cases the presser bar may be made in the form of a
box, as shown, for containing a heater, and provided with a hinged lid or cover, but
I do not claim this arrangement separately.
The pressure of the presser bar may, if desired, be regulated as required by an
adjustable weight on a lever arm m fitted to the back of the presser bar, but I do
not separately claim such application. The pressure of the knife upon the fabric is
produced by a cam or eccentric L on the driving shaft, acting against an arm M
projecting from the pivotted knife bar. Any convenient or well known arrange-
ment of guides N for the work is placed in front of the machine, & provision is
made for lifting the presser bar or box & supporting it in its raised position by a
lever catch O, as is well understood. The gas burner p, which I prefer to employ,
consists of a hollow V shaped chamber o, shown in partial detail plan at Fig. 6, open
at one end, where the mouth of the gas pipe m' enters, ample space being left round
the pipe for the free ingress of air into the gas chamber along with the gas. A
number of projecting lateral burners n, n, are cast along one side of the gas
chamber, which chamber I prefer to make in two parts, the one consisting of a
hollow trough o, of a V or other convenient section, having the several burners n
cast in one therewith, the other a flat plate or cover p screwed thereon. The whole
arrangement, which is simple and easy of construction, is fitted by screws to the
underside of the bed plate or plaiting surface I of the machine so as to be readily
removeable.

page_text: By varying the relative positions of the slotted arms F, F', of the bell crank
round the fulcrum pin & suitably adjusting the connecting pins along their
slots b-c & d-e, it is obvious that plaits of various widths and distances apart
may be readily produced, care being taken, after adjustment, to secure the
arms F, F', in their adjusted positions by tightening the nut, and to secure the
connecting pins in position in their relative slots, & by tightening the nuts
thereon.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, & the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel & original,
& therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the bereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is,
First. The construction & arrangement of kilting machine as hereinbefore
described & illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The application & use to & in kilting or plaiting machines of the
peculiar combination & arrangement of adjustable knife-actuating mechanism con-
sisting of the bell crank lever with its separately adjustable slotted arms F, F', and
surfaced joint or friction face plates h, h¹, in conjunction with the adjustable
links E, H, & their connections when arranged & operating together, substantially
in the manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Holroyd, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.