IMPROVEMENTS IN PLAITING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Dowling, of 35, Jewin Street, in the City of
London, Engineer and Machinist, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PLAITING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Dowling at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th October 1881.
JAMES DOWLING, of 35, Jewin Street, in the City of London, Engineer and
Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLAITING MACHINES."
The Invention relates to that class of machines known as the reciprocating knife
plaiting machine, and consists, first, in the application of a reciprocating knife
attached to a rocking shaft or lever, which are together mounted in suitable frames,
which frames also carry the other necessary parts herein after spoken of, the said
rocking shaft or lever being connected with, and receiving its movements from, a
driving shaft or spindle by means of an eccentric and rod. The rocking shaft or
lever is provided with a slotted arm extending downwards from the centre of said
rocking shaft, to which the eccentric rod is attached, whereby the connection may
be made near the centre of rocking shaft to form a wide plait, and from the centre
to form a narrow one, the slot in the said arm being curved so that the reciprocating
knife cannot pass beyond a necessary point whether a wide or narrow plait is being
formed.
Also in the construction of friction clutch and two rollers, to one of which the
said clutch is attached, instead of using a ratchet wheel and pawl, as hitherto in
machines of this class, for rotating the rollers for pressing the plaited material,
whereby a more accurate adjustment is obtained. The said clutch is connected to
the driving shaft or spindle by means of an eccentric and rod, through which it
receives an intermittent movement and transmits the same to the rollers. The said
clutch is provided with a slotted arm, so as to admit of the same adjustment as in
the rocking shaft, as before described.
Also in attaching a lever to the reciprocating knife for causing the knife to give

page_text: the necessary pressure on the material to be plaited, the said lever receiving its
movements from an eccentric fixed on the driving shaft or spindle.
Also in attaching two rocking shafts or levers and two or more reciprocating
knives, one rocking shaft or lever being preferably mounted over the other, in order
that the material to be plaited may pass between the knives, so as to form what is
known as the box plait or the double box plait, as required, suitable frames and
connections, as before described, being used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Dowling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th April
1882.
JAMES DOWLING, of 35, Jewin Street, in the City of London, Engineer and
Machinist. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLAITING MACHINES."
This Invention relates to improvements in that class of plaiting machines known
as the reciprocating knife plaiting machine.
And in order that my Invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into practice, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a front view, Figure 2 a side elevation, and Figure 3 a transverse
section taken on the line 1-2 of Figure 1, of a plaiting machine arranged and
constructed in accordance with my Invention.
The machine can be fixed upon a table similar to a sewing machine, and actuated
by a treadle and endless band or by steam or other motive power.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in each of
the Figures.
My improvements consist, first, in the arrangement and application of the
reciprocation knife 7 mounted so as to be actuated by the rocking shaft n, the axis
of which moves in suitable bearings in the end frames a, b, which are connected
together by the tie or stretcher bars c, and the said frames carry the other parts of
the machine, hereinafter described.
The rocking shaft or lever n is connected with, and receives its motion from, the
driving shaft or axis o by means of an eccentric u and rod u'. The rocking shaft n
or lever n has a curved slotted arm v fixed thereon extending downwards from the
centre of the said rocking shaft n, to which the eccentric rod u' is attached, whereby
the connection may be made near the centre of the rocking shaft n to form a wide
plait, and from the centre to form a narrow one, the slot in the said arm & being
curved so that the reciprocating knife cannot pass beyond a necessary or fixed
point, whether a wide or a narrow plait is being formed.
The second part of my improvements relates to the arrangement, construction,

page_text: and application of a friction clutch 8, s³, for giving a step by step motion to the two
rollers d, e, so that the amount of such motion can be readily adjusted and varied
from time to time as required. The clutch 8, 8', is applied to the axis of one of the
rollers d, e, in place of an ordinary ratchet wheel and pawl (as hitherto used in
machines of this description) for driving or giving a step by step rotary motion to
the rollers d, e, which press the plaited material as it passes between them, and
whereby a more accurate adjustment is obtained, and the cost of such driving
apparatus much reduced.
The said clutch 8 is connected with the driving shaft or axis o by means of the
eccentric q and connecting rod r, by which the slotted clutch levers and clutch 8¹
receives an intermittent movement and transmits the same to the roller d, and by
the toothed wheels t, t¹, to the upper roller 6; thus the knife 7 and rollers d and e
are driven from one and the same shaft o only. The slotted lever arm a admits of
the same adjustment as the rocking shaft n previously described.
The upper cylinder or roller e is pressed down on to the lower cylinder or roller d
by means of the screw fand spring g resting on the bearings h, which are capable
of sliding up and down in the end frames a, b.
Another part of my improvements consists in attaching a lever w¹ to the recipro-
cating knife to cause the knife to put the necessary pressure on the material to be
plaited. The lever w' is actuated by an eccentric w fixed on the driving shaft or
spindle o.
i is the plate or table on which the fabric to be plaited rests, and is guided by
the bars or guides k. The plate i rests lightly on the lower cylinder or roller & to
act as a friction break thereon.
Z is the plaiting knife or comb attached to the rocker arm m oscillating on the
rocking bar or axis n (Figure 3).
It will be seen that all the motions of the cylinders d, e, and knife l are derived
from the one shaft o, which is actuated by the pulley p driven by a strap, fly wheel,
and treadle, similar to a sewing machine.
The feed motion is imparted to the lower cylinder or roller d by the eccentric q
and connecting rod r, the end of which is connected by a set screw a* to the
straight slot in the clutch levers in order to vary the space between the plaits when
required.
The lever & transmits a partial rotation to the cylinder or roller & by means of
the intermediate feed wheel 8'.
The reciprocating motion of the knife is produced by means of the second
eccentric u and connecting rod u³, the end of which can be raised and lowered in
the curved slot in the lever v in order to vary the depth of the plait. The lever v
is connected to the rocking shaft or axis n, which thus receives reciprocating
motion.
In addition to this reciprocating motion the knife is relieved and pressed down
upon the surface of the roller d by the eccentric w acting upon the lever w¹, which
is connected to the bar which carries the knife l. The lever w³ is constantly held
against the eccentric w by the spring a, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3.
In order to adjust the position and stroke of the knife l, and to advance it in
case of wear and tear, I employ the screws z, z¹, passing through oval holes to fix
the lever on the rocking shaft n of the knife or comb 1. By this means the
position of the knife can be adjusted to advance it more to the centre of the rollers
or cylinders d, e, no adjustment of the knife 1 on its bar l¹ being required.
The lower roller d is heated by means of gas from a supply pipe and tube y.
Another of my improvements consists in arranging and applying two rocking
shafts or axes and levers n and n', and two or more reciprocating knives 1, 1*, one
rocking shaft or axis being advantageously mounted over the other (as shown in
Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings), in order that the material to be plaited may pass
between the knives 1, 1x, so as to form what is known as the box plait or the double
box plait, as may be required.
It will be seen on examining Figures 4 and 5 that the top rocking shaft or axis n¹

page_text: and knife are actuated by the eccentric w acting on the lever n³, link n³, and
lever arms n' fixed on the rocking shaft n¹; wx; lever to press top knife down upon
the roller d.
Having thus described the nature of my several improvements in plaiting
machines, and the manner of carrying the same into practice, I would observe that
I do not intend to limit myself to the precise details hereinbefore described so
long as the novel features of my Invention are retained, at the same time I do
not claim any of the separate mechanical parts previously described, which are well
known and in common use, but what I claim is,-
First. The improved arrangement and construction of plaiting machines, in which
the plaiting knife or comb is actuated by eccentrics on the driving shaft o acting
upon lever arms, and apparatus capable of adjustment so as to form wide or narrow
plaits, and so that the reciprocating knife / cannot pass beyond its proper limits,
substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and represented in the
Drawings annexed.
Second. I claim the improved arrangement and application of an adjustable lever
clutch, such as 8, 81, to plaiting machines to feed the fabric to be plaited into the
machine by a step by step motion, substantially as and for the purpose herein before
described and represented in the Drawings annexed.
Third. I claim the improved arrangement and combination of mechanism, in
which two rocking shafts or axes, such as n and n³, and two adjustable reciprocating
knives and *, are caused to act to plait fabrics so as to form a box plait or a
double box plait, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described with reference
to Figures 4 and 5 of the Drawings annexed.
Lastly. I claim the improved general arrangement and combination of mechanism
for making plaited fabrics, arranged to act substantially in the manner and for the
purpose herein before described and represented in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Dowling, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
TUTO DAMT TATA