IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PLAITING CLOTH AND SIMILAR MATERIALS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Miller, of Prince of Wales' Road, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR
PLAITING CLOTH AND SIMILAR MATERIALS."
Sealed the 6th September 1878, and dated the 5th Junė 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Miller at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th June 1878.
ALEXANDER MILLER, of Prince of Wales' Road, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PLAITING CLOTH AND SIMILAR MATERIALS."
My Invention relates to machines for plaiting or "kilting" cotton, muslin, silk,
and other materials for dressmaking and other purposes, and is designed chiefly to
increase the efficiency and convenience of the machine commonly known as the
"crown plaiter" or "American plaiting machine."
This machine is constructed to be secured by clamps on the edge of a table, and
has a yoke attached to a plaiting blade. On the base plate is placed a heater box,
which is adjustable by means of a lever at the side of the machine. At the sides
of the said machine are slotted guides, and the said yoke has projections which fit
and slide in the slots of the said guides.
This machine is operated by means of a handle attached to or forming part of
the said yoke. This handle is grasped by the operator, who thereby moves the
yoke to and fro in the said guides, thus giving to the plaiting knife or blade a
reciprocating motion; and by this action of the said knife or blade the cloth or
fabric is doubled and folded into plaits of the required width. The size of the
plaits is varied by means of adjustable pins which are arranged in the said guides.
The working of this machine by hand in a proper manner is very difficult and
fatiguing, and requires considerable strength and skill on the part of the operator.
I therefore by my present Invention have adapted the said machine to be driven by

page_text: mechanical means. For this purpose I arrange at the end of the machine, and
extending across the same, a shaft which carries a crank disc. In this disc I fit a
pin which is connected by a suitable connecting rod to the sliding blocks or pieces
which carry the aforesaid plaiting blade. The said pin is adjustable in the crank
disc to permit the throw or length of stroke to be varied. This adjustability may
be obtained by means of a series of holes formed in the crank disc at different
distances from its centre; or by forming a groove across the said disc, and attaching
the pin to a block fitted to slide in the said groove and moved therein by a screw
or otherwise.
The end or head of the connecting rod is slotted and provided with an adjustable
block in which the said crank pin is fitted, the said block being adjusted when
required and held in any desired positions by a screw passed through the end of the
connecting rod head or by other suitable means.
Instead of a crank disc or crank I may use an adjustable excentric for operating
the said blade.
I prefer to form the guides for the plaiting blade of straight rods or bars, round
or square, or otherwise, and to attach the said blades to blocks or sleeves fitted to
slide on the said guide bars.
The said crank shaft is provided with a pulley, over which is passed a belt
whereby the said shaft is driven. The power for driving the same may be derived
from the driving shaft of an engine, or from a treadle or otherwise, as may be found
most convenient.
Instead of moving or adjusting the heater box, as in the aforesaid " crown
plaiting machine," I effect the movement of the said box as follows, that is to
Bay I attach to the sliding blocks or other convenient part of the machine a cam or
projection arranged to act on a lever, and thereby raise and lower the said heater
box at the proper times to admit the cloth and knife, and to press the cloth properly
when the knife is withdrawn.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Miller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th December
1878.
ALEXANDER MILLER, of Prince of Wales' Road, in the County of Middlesex.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR PLAITING CLOTH AND SIMILAR MATERIALS."
My Invention relates to machines for plaiting or kilting cotton, muslin, silk, and
other materials for dressmaking and other purposes, and is designed chiefly to
increase the efficiency and convenience of machines of the class commonly known
as the "crown plaiter" or "American plaiting machine."
This machine has heretofore been constructed to be secured by clamps on the
edge of a table, and has a yoke attached to a plaiting blade. On the base plate is
placed a heater box, which is adjustable by means of a lever at the side of the
machine. At the sides of the said machine are slotted guides or guideways, and
the said yoke has projections which fit and slide in the slots or apertures of the
said guides.
This machine is operated by means of a handle attached to or forming part of
the said yoke. This handle is grasped by the operator, who thereby moves the
yoke to and fro in the said guides, thus giving to tho plaiting knife or blade a
reciprocating or forward and backward motion; and by this action of the said
knife or blade the cloth or fabric is doubled and folded into plaits of the required
width. The size of the plaits is varied by means of adjustable pins which are
arranged in the said guides.
The working of this machine by hand, as above described, is very difficult and
fatiguing, and requires considerable strength and skill on the part of the operator.
I have sought to obviate this difficulty and inconvenience, and have therefore
devised my present improvements, whereby I have adapted the said machine to be
driven by mechanical means.
The manner in which I carry the said Invention into practice is clearly illus-
trated in the accompanying Drawing, which I will now proceed to describe, and in
which,
Figure 1 is a plan or top view, and Figure 2 is a side elevation of the said
machine.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
I arrange at the end of the machine, and extending across the same, a shaft a
which carries a crank disc b at each end. In each of these discs I fit a pin b' which
is connected by a suitable rod c directly or indirectly to the sliding blocks or
pieces d, which work in the said guideways and carry to and fro the plaiting or
kilting blade e The said pins b¹ are adjustable in the crank dises to permit the
throw or length of stroke to be varied. This adjustability may be obtained by
means of a series of holes formed in the crank disc b at different distances from its
centre. I prefer that these holes should be tapped to receive a screw-threaded
portion on the end of the crank pin 6', which passes through the end or head c¹ of
the connecting rod, and may be readily unscrewed to permit its required adjustment
from one to another of the said holes; or I may form a groove across the said disc,
and attaching the pin b' to a block fitted to slide in the said groove, and moved
therein by a screw or otherwise.
Instead of a crank disc or crank I may use an adjustable excentric for operating
the said blade.
In some instances I may form the the guides for the plaiting blade of straight rods
or bars, round or square, or otherwise, and attach the said blade to blocks or sleeves
fitted to slide on the said guide bars.
I prefer, however, to adopt the construction and arrangement shown in the
Drawing, that is to say:-In the sides A of the machine frame I provide slots or
"

page_text: apertures which form the guideways f for the said blocks d. To these blocks I
pivot the arms d', which are provided with studs or pins d for the connection of
the rods c.
These arms are formed on or attached to the bar e' that carries the
blade e.
The said arms, by their rocking or vibrating movement on their pivots,
effect the necessary raising and depressing of the edge of the blade e, whereby the
cloth is alternately held and released by the said blade. On the front edge of the
blocks d I form vertical projections d³, which limit the movement of the said arm,
and thereby prevent too great a rising of the edge of the blade e. The two blocks d
are connected by a spring d under the bed of the machine; this spring maintains a
uniform amount of friction on the blocks, and thereby assists in ensuring great
regularity in the plaiting or kilting.
The said crank shaft may be provided with a pulley, over which is passed a belt:
or strap, whereby the said shaft is driven; but I prefer to employ a countershaft g,
on which I fix the belt, pulley, or wheel g', and which is geared with and drives
the said crank shaft by a spur wheel or pinion h geared with the toothed rim i of
the crank disc. The power for driving the machine may be derived from the
driving shaft of a steam or other engine, or from a treadle or otherwise, as may be
found most convenient. Or the said wheel g¹ may be provided with a handle g³, as
shewn, for operating the machine. This wheel is held on its shaft by a screw g³
and cross ping, which permit it to be readily removed to facilitate the adjustment
of the crank pins in the discs.
In using this machine the strip of material to be plaited or kilted is passed
through or between the guides at the front of the machine and under the blade e,
the heater box being raised to allow the end of the strip to enter below the same;
then the box is lowered or depressed, and the machine is set in motion by turning.
the wheel g¹. The blade e as it moves forward carries with it a fold or plait of the
said material, which it leaves under the said heater box, and the weight or pressure
of the latter effects the creasing of the same, while the blade brings forward a fresh
fold, and the fold last formed passes onward out of the machine, the operation being
continued till the whole of the strip is plaited or kilted.
" crown
Instead of moving or adjusting the heater box j, as in the aforesaid
plaiting machine," I effect the movement of the said box as follows, that is to say:-
I provide a cam or excentric arranged to act on a lever, and thereby raise and lower
the said heater box at the proper times to admit the cloth and knife, and to press
the cloth properly when the knife is withdrawn.
In plaiting or kilting light or thin materials the weight of the heater and heater
box will be sufficient to effect the creasing of the plaits or folds after they have
been pushed by the blade forward or under the said box; but for heavy or thick
materials it is desirable to increase the pressure. For this purpose I arrange in
combination with the heater box j at the side of the machine a lever k fixed on one
end of a small shaft or bar l, which is supported to work freely in bearings l fixed
or formed on the box j. At or near the other end of this bar I secure on the
Bame a spring m whose portion m³ is in contact with the periphery of the cam or
excentric n on the countershaft g. On the end of the heater box j adjacent to the
said lever I provide a small projection which has in it two or more notches for
the reception of a tooth o on the lever k.
In the operation of the said machine if it is desired to subject the work to
greater pressure than that due to the weight of the heater box j I so adjust the
said lever as to cause its tooth o to enter one of the notches in the heater box, the
said lever being sufficiently elastic to spring laterally and thereby permit said
adjustment. Then at each revolution of the cam n at the moment when the blade
is receding or leaving the fold it has last brought forward the said cam acting on
the spring m will, through the lever k and its connection with the heater box, exert
the required extra pressure on the work. This extra pressure can be increased or
diminished by setting the tooth o of the lever in the upper or lower notch in the
heater box. The said lever is prolonged or extended behind the shaft or bar l, and
its extremity is notched or recessed to engage with the pin or stud and hold the

page_text: heater box up when it is desired to insert the material into or remove the plaiting
or kilting from the machine.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. The combination with the reciprocating plaiting or folding blade and the
heater box in the above-described machine of the mechanism whereby I am enabled
to effect the working or operation of the blade by or from a rotating shaft forming
part of the said machine, and to which power is applied in any convenient manner,
as above set forth.
Second. In a plaiting or kilting machine, in which the folding or plaiting blade is
operated by or from a rotating shaft, the devices or means for connecting the
said folding or plaiting blade with the rotating shaft in such a manner as to
permit the proper working and adjustment of the said blade, as and for the purposes
set forth.
Third. In a plaiting or kilting machine, in which the folding or plaiting blade is
operated by or from a rotating shaft, the devices whereby the rotation of the said
shaft causes pressure on the heating box at the time when the folding blade has
passed under the box, which pressure is greatest as the blade recedes, and leaves a
fold or plait in the proper position to effect the creasing of the said fold or plait, as
above set forth.
Fourth. The plaiting or kilting machine consisting of the parts constructed and
combined as shewn in the Drawing, and operating as and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Miller, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ALEXANDER MILLER. (L.S.)