IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FOLDING, MEASURING, AND HOOKING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bridson, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of
Lancaster, Bleacher and Finisher, and John Alcock, of the same Place,
Millwright, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
Sealed the 27th March 1863, and dated the 14th October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bridson and John
Alcock at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th October 1862.
We, HENRY BRIDSON, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster,
Bleacher and Finisher, and JouN ALCOCK, of the same Place, Millwright, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR FOLDING, MEASURING, AND HOOKING WOVEN FABRICS," to be as
follows:-
The first part of our Invention consists in an improved combination of
machinery for folding fabrics lengthwise, that is to say, to bring the selvages
together. The fabric on leaving the mangle or other machine passes over and
under guide rods furnished with adjustable side guides placed at the same
distance apart as the width of the fabric. Beyond the guide rods. is a guide
roller rather larger in the centre than at the ends, set at the base of an
isosceles triangle at the apex of which are two rollers for drawing the fabric
in a folded state through the apparatus. The triangle is set in a diagonal
position with regard to the guide rods and roller.
The second part of our Invention consists in an improved arrangement of

page_text: A table is moved to and fro on
a foundation plate or bed by a crank or other convenient agent; at each end of
this table are upright guiders with a slot between them to receive the rods over
which the fabric is folded, these rods are supported in upright troughs
provided at each side of the entering slot through which the fabric to be
folded and measured passes.
When the machine is in operation the end of
the fabric is secured to the table, which is then set in motion; each traverse
of the table brings one pair of the upright guiders against the lowest rod in
the trough, which is thus liberated and drops on to the fabric. At the return
stroke of the table the other upright guiders liberate a rod from the trough;
at the other side of the entering slot the rods thus liberated catch the folds of
the fabric and retain them until they are withdrawn by hand or otherwise.
The distance between the upright guiders can be regulated to suit the length
of fold required, and the upright guiders may be placed in a diagonal position
to gradually increase or diminish the length of the folds so that the piece
when doubled may be even at the edge. By this means the clamps and holders
usually employed are dispensed with, and the fabric is not injured by the card
teeth, needle points, or other holder hitherto required. This part of our
Invention may be modified in the following manner :-Two weighted clamps
are employed which are placed a yard or other determined distance apart;
above these clamps is a frame or table to which two folders are jointed, this
table has a to-and-fro motion imparted to it by a crank or other agents; to tho
table are also hinged catches which act on levers to raise the clamps alternately,
the fabrio to be folded and measured is conveyed from a batch or otherwise
between the folders above referred to, and as soon as one clamp has been
raised one of the folders introduces a fold of the fabric under it, this clamp in
dropping takes hold of the fabric and retains it while the other folder at the
return stroke of the table delivers another fold to the other clamp. The
table on which the fabrics are folded may be gradually lowered as they
accumulate, or a rising motion can be given to the clamps. The machine can
be made to fold the fabrics uniformly or by varying the distance between the
clamps and the throw of the crank or other agent employed for moving the
frame, the lengths of the folds may be gradually increased or diminished,
so that the piece when doubled may be even at the edge.
machinery for folding and measuring fabrics.
The third part of our Invention consists in an improved mode of constructing
machinery or apparatus for hooking fabrics. The fabric in the open state
or when folded lengthwise is hooked on to the barbed needles or other suitable
instruments attached to a vibrating arm; these needles penetrate alternately
through the selvages, and when the required length of the fabric has been thus

page_text: suspended the barbed needles are loosened from the vibrating arm and
drawn through the folds of the fabric in the opposite way to the barb.
We wish to observe that these improvements may be used combined or
separately.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Bridson and John Alcock in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
BRIDSON, of Bolton-le-Moors, in the County of Lancaster, Bleacher and
Finisher, and JoHN ALCOCK, of the same Place, Millwright, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Henry Bridson and John Alcock, Her special licence that we,
the said Henry Bridson and John Alcock, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry Bridson and John
Alcock, our 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FOLDING, MEASURING, AND HOOKING WOVEN
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry
Bridson and John Alcock, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of our or 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 Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Henry Bridson and John Alcock,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
The nature of our Invention consists, first, in an improved combination of
machinery for folding fabrics lengthwise, or to bring the selvages together.

page_text: Secondly, in certain improved combinations of machinery for folding and
measuring woven fabrics.
And, lastly, in an improved combination of machinery for hooking woven
fabrics.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, we will proceed to describe the accompanying three
Sheets of Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked
thereon.
On Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a side view of our
improved machinery for folding fabrics with the selvages together.
a represents a roller on which the fabric to be folded is wound on, leaving
the mangle or other machine; 6 is the fabric which passes over and under
the guide rods c and d, which are furnished with adjustable guides e, e,
placed at the distance apart of the width of the fabric; f is a guide roller
under which the fabric passes. This roller is rather larger in the centre than
at the ends and beyond it; the fabric passes under the base of the isosceles
triangle g, at the apex of which are the two rollers h, for drawing the fabric
in a folded state through the apparatus. The triangle g is set in a diagonal
position, as shewn in Fig. 2, caro being taken that the base of the triangle
comes within a line drawn perpendicular from the outer end of the rollers h,
and the apex of the triangle comes between the other end of the said rollers,
to one of which is fixed a driving pulley h. The rollers are connected by
the spur pinions h', and the ends of the rollers near the apex of the triangle
are turned down, as shewn in Fig. 2, to prevent the sharp nip of the rollers
acting on the fabric, and producing a crease.
.
When the machine is in operation the fabric passes between the guides e,
and it is drawn forward by the nip of the rollers h, which are pressed together
by springs or otherwise, the selvages of the fabric being kept close together,
and the fold in the centre by the guiding influence of the roller f and
triangle g, above described. When the folded fabric has passed between the
rollers h, it is taken to the folding and measuring machine, herein-after
described, or it is otherwise disposed of.
On Sheet 2, Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of our improved
machinery for folding and measuring fabrics; Fig. 4 is a side elevation, and
Fig. 5 a plan of the same. a is the roller on which the fabric to be folded
and measured is wound; i is a table mounted upon rollers ', which run on
rails fixed to the framing j of the machine. The table i is moved to and fro
on the rails by means of the crank k fixed on the driving shaft k, which is put
in motion by steam or other power. To the crank k is jointed one end of

page_text: the link, the other end of which is jointed to the lever 1, the upper end of
which is jointed to the under side of the table i, and the lower end slides on
the block 1, mounted on a fulcrum stud fixed to the framing j. By this
arrangement the table is moved rapidly in the centre of its course and
gradually at each ond, which is very desirable for the proper working of the
machine, but the table may be moved by any other convenient arrangement of
machinery. At each end of the table are the upright guiders m and m³,
having slots to receive the rods n, n'. The distance between the upright
guiders can be regulated to suit the length of fold required, and the upright
guiders may be placed in a diagonal position to gradually increase or diminish
the length of the folds, so that the piece when doubled may be even at the
edges. The rods n, n', have a circular groove at one end fitting in the slot
of the left hand uprights m, m¹, see Fig. 5. The right-hand guiders are
hinged to the table i, as shewn in Fig. 4, to facilitate the removal of the
fabric, as will be described hereafter. Above the table i are fixed the upright
troughs o, o', for supporting the rods n, n¹; between the troughs o, o¹ is the
slot p, through which the fabric enters, as shewn by the line b, in Fig. 3.
On referring to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the rods n are shorter than
the rods n', and that the upright guiders m are closer together than the.
upright guiders m¹; the object of this is to allow the uprights m¹ to pass:
the ends of the rods n without touching them; the uprights m are also
shorter than the uprights m' to allow them to pass under the lowest.
rod in the trough o'. The mode of operation is as follows:-The
Drawing represents a portion of the fabric folded on the table i with one
of the rods n', n, in each fold. The table i is at the end of its stroke to
the left-hand side of the machine, and the lowest rod n' has just been
liberated from the trough o' by the uprights m¹; these uprights push against
the lowest rod n¹, and cause it to fall over the brackets o² into the slots of the
uprights. The other rods n' are at this moment supported by the uprights m¹,
but as soon as the table begins to move in the direction of the arrow, the
rods n drop on to the catches o. When the table has arrived in the position
indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 8, the uprights mact in a similar manner
on the lowest rod n in the trough o, which rod drops on to another fold of the
fabric, and these operations are repeated until all the fabric has been folded,
or until all the rods n, n', have been used. By this means the clamps and
holders usually employed are dispensed with, and the fabric is not injured by
the card teeth, needle points, or other holders hitherto required. Another
advantage is that the fabric is folded without a sharp crease, which in delicate
fabrics is very objectionable. When the folding is completed, the attendants

page_text: secure all the rods n, n', (at each end of the piece,) together by means of the
clamps and thumb screws 9, 9', shewn by dots in Fig. 5; the right-hand
uprights m, m', are then brought into a horizontal position, as shewn by dots in
Fig. 4, and the folded fabric is drawn off the rods, which are then held by the
circular grooves above referred to in the left-hand uprights; the rods are then
replaced in the troughs o, o', to be ready for the next operation.
On Sheet 3, Figs. 6, 7, and 8 represent three views of another of our
improved machines for folding and measuring fabrics. In this machine two
weighted clamps r, r, are employed for holding down the folds of the fabric;
these clamps are made heavy enough to hold the folds, or they are held down
by springs or weights; they are fixed on the shafts s, s¹, and to each shaft is
fixed a lever s² or s³. Above the clamps is the frame or table t, which has a
to-and-fro motion imparted in the manner described in reference to the table i,
on Sheet 2, or otherwise. The frame or table t slides on rails u, fixed to the
bed plate v, and to it are hinged the catches t' and t, acting alternately on
the levers and ; these catches bear against stop pieces, fixed to the frame
or table t, in which are grooves for the folders t' and to, each of which is
provided with an antifriction roller acting on the inclines v¹, v, fixed to the
bed plate v. The Drawing represents the frame or table t at the right-hand
end of its traverse; the folders to are now partly raised by the inclines v³, and
the clamp r¹, which has just been raised by the catch t³ acting on the lever s³,
is holding the fabric marked b, which on leaving the roller a passes through
the guide slot p and over the folders t*. The frame or table t is now ready to
commence its traverse in the direction of the arrow; at the commencement of
its traverse in that direction the catch t, rides over the end of the lever &³,
and the folders to slide down the inclines, and pass over the selvages of the
fabric, while the folders * pass under the top lap. When the frame t arrives
near the left-hand end of its traverse the folders t' are gradually raised by the
inclines v¹, and the catch t' acting on the lever s³, raises the clamp r into the
position indicated by dotted lines, but as soon as the frame b has completed its
traverse, the lever 82 is liberated by the catch t¹, and the clamp r drops to hold
the fold of fabric. These operations are repeated until the whole fabric is
folded. The clamps r and r¹ bear on the fabric at a little distance from the
fold to prevent the sharp crease produced by holders of the usual construction.
The table or bed plate on which the fabrics are folded may be gradually
lowered as they accumulate, or a rising motion can be given to the clamps.
The machine can be made to fold the fabrics uniformly, or by varying
the distance between the clamps and the throw of the crank or other agent
employed for moving the frame, the lengths of the folds may be gradually

page_text: increased or diminished, so that the piece, when doubled, may be even at
the edge.
Figs. 9 and 10 represent two views of our improved machinery or apparatus
for hooking fabrics. The fabric marked b, in the open state or when folded
lengthwise, is wound on the roller a, and it is hooked on to barbed needles y,
or other suitable instruments, attached to a vibrating arm x, which is
supported on the upright or horizontal support w. When the vibrating arm
is put in motion by steam or other power the needles y penetrate alternately
through the selvages, and when the required length of fabric bas been thus
suspended or hooked, the barbed needles aro loosened from the vibrating
arm, and drawn through the folds of the fabric in the opposite way, to
the barb.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, we declare that we claim,―
First, the general arrangement and combination of the parts constituting
the machine for folding fabrics lengthwise, as shewn and described in reference
to Sheet 1, and particularly the form of the roller f and the triangle g.
Secondly, the improved combinations and arrangements of parts forming the
machinery for folding and measuring fabrics, as shewn and described in
reference to Sheet 2, and in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 of Sheet 3.
And, lastly, the vibrating arm and barbed needles for hooking fabrics, as
shewn and described in reference to Figs. 9 and 10, on Sheet 3.
In witness whereof I, the said John Alcock, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN ALCOCK.
(L.B.)