IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLAITING FABRICS
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Bristow Hunt at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 16th July 1877. (A communication from
abroad by Hermann Albrecht, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America.)
BRISTOW HUNT, of Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLAITING FABRICS." (A communi-
cation from abroad by Hermann Albrecht, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United
States of America.)
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery, whereby strips of fabric
may be rapidly and accurately plaited, the mechanism being such that it may be
easily adjusted for the formation of plaits of different widths, and of different
distances apart.
The main feature of the Invention, according to one modification, consists in the
use in combination of a metal base having a smooth upper surface with a movable
presser properly finished on the under side, and with a reciprocating plaiting
blade.
One end of the fabric to be plaited is placed between the presser and the base,
and a reciprocating motion is imparted to the blade; as this blade moves forward
its edge comes in contact with the fabric, and continuing its movement forms a fold
of the fabric, which it thrusts beneath the presser, which yields to the blade. After
the latter has introduced the fold beneath the presser it retreats prior to forming
another fold, which is also thrust beneath the presser, the first fold being pushed
in advance of the second, and thus fold after fold is formed and compressed into the
desired plaits by the presser.
The weight of the presser may be sufficient to compress the folds, and if the
presser is made hollow to receive a heated iron, the completion of the plaits under
heat and pressure will be more perfect.
It is preferable to hinge the presser at such a point that when it is elevated by
the action of the blade there may be ample room beneath it for the free passage of
the plaited fabric as it is intermittently pushed onwards by the blade.
While fair plaiting may be accomplished by this combination of a reciprocating
or vibrating blade or base and a presser, more certainty of action in the formation

page_text: of the folds and plaits may be insured by the addition of another element to the
combination.
In this modification there is used in combination with the base, and with the
yielding presser, which is made hollow for the reception of a heated iron, a hori-
zontally reciprocating blade, and another reciprocating blade arranged at right angles
or thereabouts thereto.
The operation of the two blades on the fabric may be described as follows:-
While the blades are in such a position that their plaiting edges are adjacent the
fabric is passed over the horizontal blade beneath the lower edge of the vertical
blade, and between the base and the presser.
The first movement is that of the vertical blade, which descends to a given point,
and forms a fold in the fabric, the fold being forced downwards through a slot in
the base.
The next movement is the ascent of the same blade to its first position, during
which movement the fold is left in the slot, the edge of the horizontal blade having
a tendency to retain it as the vertical blade rises. The moment the latter blade
has reached the limit of its upward movement the horizontal blade is pushed
forward, thereby thrusting the fold beneath the presser bar, after which the hori-
zontal blade retreats to its former position; during this retreat the presser bears on
the fabric with sufficient pressure to prevent the withdrawal of the newly formed
fold from beneath it.
When the horizontal blade has reached the limit of its rearward movement the
vertical blade again descends and forms another fold, and again ascends to the
position which permits the horizontal blade to force this second fold beneath the
presser, in doing which the first fold will be pushed forward in advance of the
second, and thus fold after fold is made and pressed into the desired plait.
It will be evident that the width of each plait will depend upon the extent of
the downward movement of the vertical blade below the horizontal blade, and the
distance between the edge of one plait and the corresponding edge of the adjoining
plait will depend upon the extent of the forward movement of the horizontal blade
beyond the vertical blade.
It will be seen that provision is made for regulating the extent of these move-
ments of the blades, so that plaits of different sizes and different distances apart may
be formed.
The above parts are operated by the following means:-To the base are secured
two frames or standards, and to the latter are bung by pins arms projecting from
the presser, which is made hollow for the reception of a bar of heated iron or other
material which may be introduced through an open end of the presser when the
latter is elevated, but it is preferred to make the top only of the presser open, and
to provide it with a hinged cover, after raising which the heated bar may be
introduced.
Two levers united at the top, where there is a suitable handle, are jointed, the
lower end of one lever to a pin at one end of the horizontal blade, and the lower
end of the other lever to a similar pin on the opposite end of the said blade.
To a pin on each lever is connected one end of a link, the other end of each link
being connected to a pin on one end of the vertical blade, which passes through and
is guided by vertical slots in the frames or standards, an arm projecting from each
link, so as to be within range of a stop referred to herein-after.
The horizontal blade is also guided by slots in the frames, and the limit of its
rearward movement is always the same, being arrested by a suitable stop.
By vibrating the duplex levers the desired relative movements of the blades as
described above will be imparted to the two blades in the following manner :-
Supposing the vertical blade has reached the limit of its upward movement, and
the horizontal blade the limit of its rearward movement, on moving the duplex
levers forward the pins uniting them with the horizontal blade will be the fulcrums
of the said levers by which the vertical blade will be depressed through the medium
of the links, but the moment the arms of the said links come in contact with the

page_text: said stop, the movement of the levers and the descent of the vertical blade will be
arrested, that is, after the said blade has forced the desired fold of fabric through the
slot in the base. The duplex levers are then moved back in the reverse direction,
and during the first part of this movement the same pins continue to be the
fulcrums of the levers, and the links the medium through which the said levers
elevate the vertical blade, but the moment the upward movement of the latter has
been arrested by the end of its slot or by any other stop; the levers during a
continuation of this rearward movement have as their fulcrums the pins uniting the
links with the vertical blade, and force the horizontal blade forwards beneath the
presser, until the said blade is arrested by its stop.
On again reversing the movement of the duplex levers, the pins last mentioned
continue to perform the duties of the fulcrums for the said levers to move the
horizontal blade rearwards, for the vertical blade cannot descend while the hori-
zontal blade is retreating, but the moment the front edge of this blade is clear of
the vertical blade, that is, when the rearward movement of the horizontal blade is
arrested, the pins mentioned in the second preceding paragraph again become the
fulcruins of the levers, and the links the medium through which the vertical blade
is depressed by the levers as described above. Thus by the aid of this mechanism
the simple vibration of the levers by the hand of the operator insures the proper
relative movements of the blades for plaiting the fabric.
The width of the plaits will depend upon the extent to which the vertical blade
is depressed as determined by its stop, and the distance from the edge of one plait
to the corresponding edge of another, upon the extent to which the horizontal blade
is moved forwards as determined by its stop. These stops consist of two bars
adapted to slots in the base of the machine. Each bar has at one end an inclination
for bearing against the end of the slot in the base, and at the other end an inclination
with a system of steps, any one of which can be brought to bear against the end of
the slot in the opposite end of the base.
A bell-crank lever acted upon by a spring tends to force each stopping bar against
the ends of its slots in the base, the steps on one of the inclinations on each bar
serving to retain it in any position to which it has been adjusted, from which
position however it may be readily dislodged, when a new adjustinent demanded by
an alteration in the character of the plaits is required.
The further the one stopping bar is moved forward the less will be the downward
movement of the vertical blade, and the further the other stopping bar is adjusted
in the same direction the less will be the forward movement of the horizontal
blade.
A bar extends nearly from one standard to the other standard of the machine,
and has arms pivoted to the said frames. The sole object of this bar is to keep the
fabric straight by bearing upon it near the vertical blade.
For the purpose of readily raising the presser bar a lever is hung to one of the
standards, this lever being such that when turned and depressed it will bear on a
projection of one of the arms projecting from the presser and thereby raise the
presser.