IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FOLDING FABRICS ON TO CARDBOARDS OR METALLIC PLATES FOR THE PURPOSE OF HOT PRESSING
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Speakman Yates, of Leeds, in the County
of York, and Arthur Freeman, of the City of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR FOLDING FABRICS ON TO CARDBOARDS OR METALLIC PLATES FOR
THE PURPOSE OF HOT PRESSING."
Scaled the 29th September 1865, and dated the 21st July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Speakman Yates
and Arthur Freeman at tho Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 21st July 1865.
We, WILLIAM SPEAKMAN YATES, of Leeds, in the County of York, and
ARTHUR FREEMAN, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FOLDING FABRICS ON TO CARDBOARDS OR METALLIC
PLATES FOR THE PURPOSE OF HOT PRESSING," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for folding
fabrics for pressing. In order to preparo fabrics for pressing, especially for hot--
pressing they have to be evenly folded with sheets of glazed paper, cardboard
or metal laid in between the folds; this operation, which is usually performed
by hand, we perform by machinery.

page_text: The fabric to be folded is brought to the machine on a roller, or it may be
led through guide rollers, or conducted to the machine in any other convenient
manner. The fabric is then brought down through a guide consisting of two
parallel bars placed a short distance apart; this guide we call the cuttle or
folding bar, the end of the pice of fabric after passing through the cuttle
bar is secured to the edge of a table beneath it, and the cuttle bar is made to
travel to and fro over the table so as to lay the fabric in fulds upon it. On
each side of the table on which the fabric is folded are two othor tables on
which are laid piles of the cardboards or plates to be placed between the folds,
these boards or plates are fed forward one by one by padded feeders worked
mechanically so as to cause cach card or plate to project from the pile one
after the other at the time required. The cuttle bar carries one or two pairs
of nippers, one or one pair on each side of it, and when tho cuttlo bar comes
to the end of its course in either direction the nippers ou that side seize the
board or plate, and as the cuttle bar returns they draw it forward on to the folding
table, laying it on the top of the fabric. When the board or plate is laid
truly on the pile the nippers drop it, and then to prevent it becoming dis-
placed it is taken near its leading edge and held firmly down on to the table by
two clamps. When the cuttle bar returns it folds the fabric aver the edge of
the board or plate thus laid in, and at the same time it draws in another board
or plate from the other side and thus the work progresses. As the pile
on the folding table increases in depth the table gradually falls so as to
keep the working surface always at the same level or thereabout, and
similarly as in the working of the machine the piles of cardboards or
plates diminish, the tables are made to rise to maintain a uniform working
level.
If the machine is required to work with fabrics and boards or plates of
various thicknesses, change wheels or other similar contrivances are provided
to vary the speed of the rise and fall of the tables. There is a projection in
communication with one of the tables which acts on a lever when the table
approaches the end of its course and throws off the driving strap, otherwise with
au inattentive workman a fracture of some of the parts of the machine might
result. A motion is provided by which when the folding is complete the tables
may be run back to their starting points ready to fold another piece. The several
motions may be given to the parts of the machine in various ways, the cuttle
bar we prefer to mount on a slide on the frame, and to actuate it by a lever
and an adjustable crank. The mechanical pads for feeding the boards or plates
forwards are iods faced at the end with india-rubber, and the weight of the

page_text: arm is so adjusted that these faces bear with sufficient friction on the board or
plate to cause it to move forward with the fingers, at the back stroke the
fingers are lifted. The boards or plates may if desired be fed forward by
hand.
The nippers we sometimes make narrow, and place them one at each side of
the cuttle bar so that they take the board or plate by one corner only; one
jaw of each nipper is rigidly fixed as respects this bar, and the other jaw is
moved by means of a slide or bolt, also mounted so as to move with the cuttle
bar, and this slide or bolt is traversed in its guides so as to shut one pair of
nippers and open the other by coming against an adjustable stop each time
the cuttle bar comes to the end of its course, or the nippers can be opened
and closed by the action of a cam or otherwise. The jaws of the nippers are
lined with india-rubber.
In order to clear the boards or plates out of the jaws of the nippers, we
employ fingers fixed on rocking shafts, and the motion is given to the fingers
at the proper time by an arm on the rocking shaft coming against a stop. In.
order that the nippers may take the boards or plates truly, and that they may
enter between the jaws notwithstanding any tendency they may bave to buckle,
each board or plate when it is protruded forward for the nippers to take it is
passed between lips or guides; the lower one is fixed and the upper is move-
able, and bears on the board or plate by its own weight, which is sufficient to
hold the edge straight for the nippers to take it; these lips are also useful in
ensuring regularity in the feeding in of the boards or plates. The clamps for
holding the boards or plates in position on the folding table we prefer to be
drawn down towards the table by springs or weights, and each time that a
new board or plate is to be placed under the clamps they are lifted by cams
and turned partly round so as to be out of the way, they then turn back so as
to be over the pile of folded fabric, and they again descend upon it over the
board or plate which has just been laid in, or in place of clearing the clamps
out of the way by turning them partly round they may be drawn back to
clear them of the pile, and pushed forward again when the new board or
plate has been placed; or the clamps may pass through slots in the boards or
plates, they then sink down through these slots to get out of the way, and as
cach fresh board or plate is placed the clamps rise up through the slots,
then move forward over the pile and descend upon it. The rise and fall
of the tables we prefer to obtain by screws driven by worms and worin
wheels.
In another arrangement of machinery for the same purpose the fabric

page_text: passes from or over a roller to the centre of a frame having at each side a
layer or cardboards or plates on a platform or table, to which is given ascending
motion by means of a drum or shaft encircled by chains attached to the
bottom of the platform, the drum being turned by a ratchet wheel and ratchet
worked from the driving shaft of the machine. The cards or plates one after
the other at each side alternately are pounced upon by padded feeders,
which lead them sideways to a projecting ledge or fence, after which the said
cards or plates at each side are seized by nippers closed by a spring and
having to-and-fro motion imparted to them by a vibrating arm worked by a
crank. The top card at one side of the fabric is seized by the nippers and
carried to the fabric and folds it, and then the nippers are opened by an
incline or cam, and leave the card in the fold of the fabric; the nippers now
pass to the other side and seize the top card on that side, and when the
vibrating arm is reversed it brings the card forward and folds the fabric
by the card itself, after which the nippers are opened to allow the card to be
retained in the fold, and the farther movement of the arm carries the nippers
to the side first mentioned, and again seizes a card which is carried to the
fabric and folds it, and so the operations are continuously repeated. The
folds as they are completed are held on a central table or platform having
a descending motion in proportion to the thickness of the cards and
the fabric, the said motion being given by a ratchet wheel and drum and
chains.
In one arrangement each of the padded levers which lead the cards or
plates to the projecting ledge or fence is connected by a hinge joint to an
upright forked lever, worked by an eccentrio on the driving shaft of the
machine; and in another arrangement it is placed on a vertical shaft working
in a similar manner to the vertical picking shaft of a loom acting in connection
with a stationary machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Speakman Yates and Arthur Freeman in the s
Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
SPEAKMAN YATES, of Leeds, in the County of York, and ARTHUR FREEMAN,
of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Iler Letters 35
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of
Iler reign, did, for Herself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Speakman Yates and Arthur Freeman, Iler special
license that we, the said William Speakman Yates and Arthur Freeman, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Speakman Yates and Arthur Freeman, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR FOLDING
FABRICS ON TO CARDBOARDS OR METALLIC PLATES FOR THE PURPOSE OF HOT PRESSING,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Speakman
Yates and Arthur Freeman, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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
bo filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar inonths next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Speakman Yates and Arthur
Freeman, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement (that is to say)
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for folding
fabrics for pressing. In order to prepare fabrics for pressing, especially for
hot pressing, they have to be evenly folded with sheets of glazed paper,
cardboard, or metal laid in between the folds; this operation, which is
usually performed by hand, we perform by. various arrangements of improved
machinery.
The fabric to be folded is brought to the machine on a roller, or it may be
led through guide rollers, or conducted to the machine in any other convenient
inanner. The fabric is then brought down through a guide consisting of two
parallel bars placed a short distance apart, which guide we call the cuttle or
folding bar. The end of the piece of fabric after passing through the cuttle.
bar is secured to the edge of a table beneath it, and the cuttle bar is made to
traverse to and fro above the table so as to lay the fabric in folds upon it. On
each side of the table on which the fabric is folded are two other tables, on
which are laid piles of the cardboards or plates to be placed between the folds.

page_text: The boards or plates are fed forward one by one by padded feeders worked
mechanically so as to cause each card or plate to project from the pile one after
the other at the time required. The cuttle bar carries on each side a pair of
nippers, and when the cuttle bar comes to the end of its course in either direction
the nipper on that side seizes the top board or plate on that side, and as the
cuttle bar returns the nipper draws the board or plate over the folding table,
laying it on the top of the fabric, and when the board arrives at its proper
position the nipper opens and mechanical fingers push it out of the jaws, and then
the board drops, and to prevent it from becoming displaced it is held firmly on
the table by two clamps; when the cuttle bar returns it folds tho fabric over
the edge of the board or plate thus laid in, and at the same time it draws in
another board or plate from the other side and thus the work progresses. As
the pile on the folding table increases in depth the table gradually falls so as
to keep the working surface always at the same level or thereabouts, and as
the piles of cardboards or plates diminish the tables are made to rise to main-
tain a uniform working level, the rise and fall of the tables being obtained by
screws driven by worms and worm wheels.
If the machine is required to work with fabrics and boards or plates of
various thicknesses, change wheels or other similar contrivances are provided to
vary the speed of the rise and fall of the tables. There is a projection in
communication with one of the tables which acts on a lever when the table
approaches the end of its course and throws off the driving strap, otherwise
with an inattentive workman a fracture of some of the parts of the machine
might result. A notion is provided by which when the folding is complete, the
tables may be run back to their starting points ready to fold another piece. The
several motions may be given to the working parts of the machine in various
ways.
We mount the cuttlo bar on a slide on the frame, and actuate it by a lever
and an adjustable crank on each side. The mechanical pads for feeding the
boards or plates forwards are blocks having their under sides faced with india-
rubber, and the weight of each pad is so adjusted that its face bears with
sufficient friction on the board or plate to cause it to move forward, there being
inclines or curves to raise the pads during their backward movements. We
sometimes make the nippers narrow and place then at each side of the cuttle
bar so that each nipper takes the board or plate by the corner only, one jaw of
each nipper is rigidly fixed as respects this bar, and the other jaw is moved by
means of a slide or bolt, also mounted so as to move with the cuttle bar, and
this slide or bolt is traversed in its guides so as to shut one pair of nippers,
and open the other by coming against an adjustable stop each time the cuttle

page_text: bar comes to the end of its course, or the nippers can be opened and closed
by the action of a cam or otherwise, the jaws of the nippers in all cases being
lined with india-rubber. The mechanical fingers before mentioned employed
for clearing the boards or plates out of the jaws of the nippers are fixed on
rocking shafts, and the motion is given to the fingers at the proper time by
arms on the rocking shafts coming in contact with stops. In order that the
boards or plates, notwithstanding any tendency they may have to buckle, shall
enter truly between the jaws of the nippers, we cause each board or plate when
it is protruded forward for its corresponding nipper to take it to pass between
two lips or guides, the lower one of which is fixed. The upper lip or guide is
moveable, and bears on the board or plate by its own weight which is sufficient
to hold the edge of the board or plate straight for the nippers to take it, tho
said lips being also useful in ensuring regularity in the feeding in of the boards
or plates. The clamps for holding the boards or plates in position on the
folding table are drawn down towards the table by springs or weights, and each
time that a new board or plate is to be placed under the clamps they are lifted
by cams and turned partly round so as to be out of the way, they then turn
back over the pile of folded fabric and descend upon the board or plate which
has just been laid in. Instead of clearing the clamps from the board or plate
by turning them partly round, as before described, they may be drawn back
for that purpose, and pushed forward again to hold the next board or plate
when it has been placed. Or the clamps may pass through slots in the boards
or plates and sink down through these slots to get out of the way, and as each
fresh board or plate is placed the clamps rise through the slots, then move for.
ward over the board or plate and descend upon it.
In another arrangement of machinery for the same purpose the fabric
passes from or over a roller to the centre of a frame having at each side a
layer of cardboards or plates on a platform or table to which is given ascend-
ing motion by means of a drum or shaft encircled by chains attached to the
bottom of the platform, the drum being turned by a ratchet wheel and ratchet
worked from the driving shaft of the machine. The cards or plates one after
the other at cach side alternately are pounced upon by padded feeders which
lead them sideways to a projecting ledge or fence, after which the said cards
or plates at each side are seized by nippers closed by a spring, and having
to-and-fro motion imparted to them by a vibrating arm worked by a crank.
The top card at one side of the fabric is seized by the nippers and carried to▸
the fabric and folds it, and then the nippers are opened by an incline or cam
and leave the card in the fold of the fabric; the nippers now pass to the other

page_text: side and seize the top card on that side, and when the vibrating arm is
reversed it brings the card forward and folds the fabric by the card itself, after
which the nippers are opened to allow the cord to be retained in the fold, and
the farther movement of the arm carries the nippers to the side first men-
tioned, and again seizes a card which is carried to the fabric and folds it, and
so the operations are continuously repeated. The folds as they are completed
are held on a central table or platform having a descending motion in pro-
portion to the thickness of the cards and the fabric, the said motion being
given by a ratchet wheel and drum and chains.
In one- arrangement each of the padded levers which lead the cards or
plates to the projecting ledge or fence is connected by a hinge joint to an
upright forked lever worked by an eccentric on the driving shaft of the
machine, and in another arrangement is placed on a vertical shaft working in
a similar manner to the vertical picking shaft of a loom acting in connection
with a stationary incline.
This Invention will be clearly understood by the following detailed
description thereof, reference being had to the figures on the accompanying
three Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, are longitudinal and transverse sections with
parts in elevation, and Figure 3 a longitudinal elevation of one of our
improved machines employed for placing sheets of paper, cardboard, or metal
between the folds of fabrics; Figure 4, a sectional plan of the lower part of
the machine; Figure 5, an end elevation of the framework and some of the
movements; Figure 6, a plan of the machine looking at the top.; and
Figure 7, a detached view of one of the parts drawn to an enlarged scale.
In Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, a represents the framework of the machine;
b, the driving shaft; c, d, the fast-and-loose pulleys; e, the fabric; f, the
shaft or roller on which the fabric is placed; g, the folding table; h, a pile
of cardboards and folded fabric; i, k, the piles of cardboards or plates which
have to be inserted between the folds of the fabric; l, m, the tables on which
the said piles are placed; n, the two bars forming the cuttle or folding bar;
o, p, the mechanical pads for feeding the boards or plates forwards, and q, r,
the nippers at each side of the cuttle bar for seizing the boards or plates and
placing them on the fabric. The roller f is provided with a break when
required for preventing the fabric from overrunning, the said brake consisting
of a piece of wood pressed in contact with the shaft by a lever and weight,
and previous to operations the end of the fabric is secured to one edge of the
folding table, and the side tables are covered with piles of boards or plates.

page_text: The ends of the cuttle bar are fixed to small frames s connected to sliding
bars t working in vee or other guides on the side frames of the machine. The
said bars have at their outer sides studs placed in slots formed in the upper
ends of the arms u fixed to a cross shaft v working in bearings in the frame-
work. The levers u are connected by rods w to adjustable crank pins fitted to
crank wheels y fixed to the second or main shaft z, which is geared with the
driving shaft b by means of the toothed wheel band pinion c¹, so that when
the driving strap is on the fast pulley & the crank shaft revolves and gives a
to-and-fro traversing motion to the sliding bars t, small frames s, and cuttle
bar n. The mechanical pads o, p, are jointed by pins d¹ to arms e¹ fixed to
shafts working in bearings adjusted and fixed to levers 7' keyed or other-
wise fastened to shafts h. Two of the levers have additional arms jointed
to the bar k', having a stud and bowl working in the groove of an internal
eccentric fixed to the main shaft, so that as the eccentric revolves the bar
shall move to and fro and give by means of the arms and shafts h³ to-and-
fro motion to the levers g' and mechanical pads o, p, in connection with them.
The lips or guides for ensuring the entry of the boards or plates between the
jaws of the nippers are shewn at m³, Figure 1, the lower guides being fixed to
the side frames of the machine, and the upper guides having pivots at their
ends resting in bearings. The nippers q, r, on each side of the cuttle bar are
cach composed of two jaws, the upper stationary and the lower moveable,
and these jaws have to be opened and closed alternately on each side. The
two lower jaws are of one piece of metal connected to or forming part of
pivots working in bearings in the small frames s, and the under sides of the
ends of the lower jaws are in contact with slides n' fitted in the small frames &,
and baving inclines or cams formed in them, so that when the small frames and
cuttle bar are arriving at the termination of each traverse the slides n' shall be
shifted by their ends coming in contact with the buffers o', Figure 6, and thereby
cause their inclines or cams to close and open the nippers first at one side and
then on the other side of the cuttle bar alternately. When the mechanical
pads move forwards they push the boards or plates through the lips or guides to
the nippers, but when they are moved back they are raised above the boards
or plates by the pins d' riding on the stationary curves p', after which the pins
clear the curves and the pads fall on the boards or plates ready for a fresh
movement. The mechanical fingers for pushing the boards or plates from the
jaws of the nippers are shewn at g'; they are fixed to rocking shafts r',
working in bearings in the small frames s, and carrying at opposite ends the
arms or levers s'. Both sets of fingers are kept inwards by springs t¹,

page_text: Figure 6, but when the jaws on one side are opened the arm s¹ on that side is
moved by its coming into contact with a stop w' on the same side, and thereby
moves the shaft and fingers, and clears the board from the nipper. The
clamps for holding the boards or plates after they have dropped on the
folding table or pile are shown at v', Figures 1, 2, and 6, two at opposite
corners being used for one board or plate, and the two on the other opposite
corners for the next board or plate, and so on continuously. The clamps aro
fixed to the tops of upright shafts w³, working in bearings a¹, y', and having
their lower ends resting on cams fixed to horizontal shafts a³ connected by
spur gearing with the main shafts, and near the bottoms of the upright shafts
there are studs or projections, on which aro linked the upper ends of india-
rubber springs 6, the lower ends of which are held by pins fixed to the
framework. In each of the bearings y' there is a cam-shaped groove, shewn
enlarged in Figure 7, in which groove is fitted a projection or stud on its
corresponding upright shaft, so that the clamps shall be turned outwards and
inwards when they are being raised and lowered by the cams and springs b³.
As a board or plate is being brought from one side table to the folding table
two of the clamps move upwards and outwards, and when the board or plato
has dropped on the fold the same clamps move downwards and inwards, and
hold the board, and when a board from the other side table is being brought
to the folding table the other two clamps perform similar operations, and so
on as long as the folding and insertion continue. The side tables l, m, and
folding table g are fixed to vertical barrels d³, &, having internal threads
fitting screws fixed to worm wheels f, g, placed in bearings so that they
can revolve but not move vertically. The worm wheels gear into worms h³, 1*,
fixed to the horizontal shafts j, k, geared together by change wheels Z³, and
connected or disconnected with the main shaft by the bevil wheel m² and
clutch box n. The screws and worms are all either right or left handed, but
the central worm is and wheel 9 are of greater pitch than the others in order
to give more motion to the folding table than to the two side ones, aud as the
two shafts,, turn in opposite directions, the two worms h³ turn in onc
direction and the central worm is in a reverse direction, thereby enabling the
folding table to move in an opposite direction to the side tables. The driving
strap is shifted from the fast to the loose pulley, and vice versa, by hand or
foot. The strap fork n is fixed on one end of the sliding bar o, having at its
other end a slot in which works a lever på fixed to the shaft q', working in
bearings in the framework, and having at each end a treddle, and at one
end a levers, by which the strap can be shifted by foot or hand as desired.

page_text: For stopping the machine by self-acting means when the side tables have
been raised to their highest positions, and the folding table lowered to its
lowest position, we employ an escapement motion consisting of a catch or
detent on the lever, an arm or lever t, jointed to the framework, a pro-
jection u on one of the vertical barrels d³, a strong spring & fixed to the
framework and studs or pins w² on the sliding bar o. When the machine is
at work and not required to stop, the lever & is beld by the arm to, and no
movement is given to the strap fork, but when the barrels d' are arriving at
their highest positions the projection u³ comes in contact with the under side
of the arm, and as the projection continues to rise it raises the arm clear of
the detent on the lever s, and allows the spring v to move the sliding bar o
and strap fork n³, so as to place the strap on the loose pulley and stop the
machine. After the boards or plates have been been inserted in the folds of the
fabric and the machine stopped, the tables have to be returned to their origina!
starting positions, and for effecting this object we turn the shafts ³, 1, in
reverse directions either by hand or by the action of the machine. For
reversing by hand we place on a stationary stud the spur wheel a³ and handle
wheel, both connected together, which spur wheel can be put in or out of
gear with the spur wheel c³ fixed to the shaft. The spur wheel a³ is pulled
out of gear when the machine is working, but when the machine stops the
bevil wheel m³ is thrown out of gear to disconnect the shaft from the other
working parts of the machine, and then the spur wheel a³ is put in gear and
turned so as to turn the worm wheels and raise the folding table and lower
the side ones; or the worms may be turned reversely by the bevil wheels d³,
Figure 4, one fixed on the shaft, and the other placed on the shaft c', to which
it is connected or disconnected by the clutch box and lever f. The shaft e
carries the fast-and-loose pulleys g³, and when the machine is folding the fabric
and inserting the boards or plates the bevil wheels d³ are out of gear and the
strap on the looso pulley, but when the worms have to be reversed to lower the
side tables and raise the central one the bevil wheels are put in gear and the
strap is placed on the fast pulley. Thus when the fabric is secured to the
folding table and the side tables charged with boards and the machine set in
motion, the top board on one side is pushed through lips or guides by a
mechanical pad to a nipper, and when the board is nipped it is carried above
the fabric and folding table, the cuttle bar at the same time stretching the
fabric from one side of the table to the other. The jaws of the nipper are
now opened and the board pushed from them by the mechanical fingers, and
then it drops on the fabric and is held by two of the clamps, and at the same
time that the nipper has opened the other nipper has closed and seized a

page_text: board from the other table, the board having been previously pushed forward
through the lips on that side by the other mechanical pad. The cuttle
bar in its reverse movement stretches the fabric to the other side of the
table, and the last-mentioned nipper carries the board above the fabric
and table, after which the nipper is opened and the fingers on that side
push the board from its jaws and then it drops on the fabric and is held
by the other two clamps. In the interim another board or plate has been
scized by the first-mentioned nipper which carries it over the table to bo
inserted in the next fold of the fabric, and so the operations are carried on
continuously.
.
In another arrangement of our improved machinery for folding fabrics on
to boards or metallic plates we employ at each side of the cuttle bar two
narrow nippers for seizing the boards or plates and taking them over the
folding table, and for holding each board or plate steady after it has dropped
on the fold wo use clamps which move up and down and to and fro through
slots in the boards or plates.
In Sheet 2, Figure 8 is a longitudinal section, and Figures 9 and 10
end and side elevations of the main portions of a machine provided with
these modifications of our nippers and clamps; Figure 11, a plan of
the lower part of the machine; Figure 12, a plan of some of the parts
looking from the top; and Figures 13 and 14 are detached views of some
of the working parts. In bearings in the framework a there is a shaft b
carrying the fast-and-loose pulleys c, d, and pinion e, gearing into a toothed
heelf fixed to the main shaft g, which as it revolves gives motion to the
cross shaft hand crank shaft i by means of the spur wheels-k, l, m.
At
the ends of the crank shaft there are crank plates or wheels n, having
adjustable crank pins o connected by rods p to oscillating arms 9 for working
the sliding bars r and cuttle bar, as before described and represented in
Sheet 1. To each of the sliding bars is fixed a pedestals having at the
bottom a vec slide t, to which is huked the bottom end of a lever u, having
its top end jointed to the top of its corresponding pedestal. Two of the
nippers at one side of the cuttle bar are shown at v, Figure 9, and on the
other side of the cuttle bar are other two nippers and levers. On one side of
the cuttle bar the two lower jaws of the nippers form part of the levers, but
the two upper jaws are jointed to the levers, and on the other side of the g
cuttle bar these positions are reversed, the lower jaws being moveable, and the
upper ones forming part of the levers. At the back of each moveable jaw
there is a slotted arm, in both of which at each end of the cuttle bar is placed
a cross pin w, which when moved up and down opens the nippers at one sido

page_text: of the cuttle bar, and closes those at the other side. On the vee slides t thero
are studs working in slots in the levers a placed on rocking shafts y, each
baving a long key or feather, so that the levers can vibrate with the shafts,
and move to and fro with the pedestals and nippers. At one end of the
shafts y there are levers, connected by the rods a' to the levers b' fixed to tho
shafts c', at the end of which there are other levers d¹ carrying bowls fitting
cam-shaped grooves in the peripheries of the cam wheels e' fixed to the main
shaft g. The cam-shaped grooves are formed in opposite positions, so that as
the wheels revolve the levers and rods shall move one vee slide with its lever
and nipper inwards, and the other vee slide with its lever and nipper out-
wards. To the levers u on each side of the cuttle bar are jointed rods f',
linked at their other ends to a short lever 7', so that when one lever and
Bipper at one side move to and fro the opposite lever and nipper on the samo
side have corresponding motions. The cross pins w, Figures 9, 10, and 14,
for opening and closing the nippers are fixed in vertical rods f¹, fitting holes
in the pedestals s, and jointed at the bottom to rods 2, the lower onds of
which are mounted with studs and bowls working in cam-shaped grooves in
the faces of the cam wheels e', the rods at the same time being guided by
vee slides attached to the vibrating arms 9. Each cam groove is so arranged
in relation to the centre of the shaft that as each rod i recedes from or
approaches to the perpendicular position it is made to draw nearer to or
advance farther from the centre of the cam wheels, in order to allow for or
make up the difference of length required in the ever varying positions of the
rod as it passes to and fro with its corresponding pedestal and cuttle bar.
When the rod is at one termination of its traverse, as at Figure 14, either the
rod must have been lengthened to reach the extreme end of the stroke, or the
cam groove must have pushed the rod to the position required, and this
pushing of the rod is what the cam performs, thereby allowing the rod to act
ns if it were continually shortening or lengthening, the difference being made,
up by the cam groove. The nippers are closed or opened at the extremes of
the stroke of the cuttle bar, and are so maintained by the action of the cam
grooves on the bowls and rods. In order to depress the boards or plates after
they have been liberated from the nippers, for enabling the board or plate
next taken hold of to have a free course over the one last liberated, we employ
levers working on studs in the insides of the pedestals, and fix to the frame-
work pins or studs , against which these levers strike as the cuttle bar
moves to and fro, and are alternately depressed and press down the board or
plate last liberated.

page_text: Our modified arrangement of clamps for holding the boards or plates steady
after they are dropped on the folds is shewn in Figures 8 and 11. On studs
fixed to the framework there are four rocking arms A, having slots or grooves,
into which are fitted rods having at their tops clamps m', which pass through
four slots in the boards or plates, and also through the table. These rods
and clamps have an independent up-and-down motion, and also a backward
and forward motion in connection with the arms . The said backward and
forward motions are caused by the cams n' on the crank shaft operating upon
them, by means of rods p', guided by or resting on the crank shaft, and held
by collars. The up-and-down motions of the clamps are caused by levers q',
having bowls working on tappets, or in suitable grooves in the other sides of
the cams n'. Each time a board or plate is liberated from one pair of nippers
the four clamps pass through the slots, and then move forward, so as to bring
the ends of the clamps over one of the ends of the slots, and then the clamps
descend and secure the board or plate. When the clamps are liberated they
move backwards, to allow the board or plate to be deposited, and then
forwards, and lowered to secure the said board or plate. For giving motion
to the worms and worm wheels which act upon the screws, and raise and
lower the side and central tables, we fix on the main shaft g a mitre wheel s',
gearing into the mitre wheel t' on the longitudinal shaft u¹, connected by
gearing to another longitudinal shaft, on which all the worms are fixed.
When the side boxes and tables are filled with boards or plates, and the fabric
secured to the central folding table, and the machine set to work, the padded
feeders push the top boards or plates alternately first at one side and then at
the other through the lips or guides v', Figure 8. When the board or plate on
one side projects through the lips on that side the nippers on the same side
have been moved inwards by the action of the groove in the periphery of one
of the cam wheels, and the levers and rods working in connection with it,
and also the arms f¹ and lever 9', Figure 9, on that side, and then the nippers
are closed, as before described, and the board or plate carried over the table
or fold, and when the cuttle bar has passed to the other side these nippers
open and move outwards to allow the board or plate to drop on the fold of
the fabric, and to be held by the clamps. At this time the nippers on the
other side of tho cuttle bar have been brought inwards ready to close and
seize the board or plate on that sido by the movements of the other cam
groove and levers and arms, and then the board or plate is carried to the next
fold, and so on continuously as long as there are boards or plates to bo
inserted in the folds of the fabric.

page_text: In Sheet 3, Figures 15 and 16, are longitudinal and end elevations, and
Figure 17 a plan of the last arrangement of our improved machinery for folding:
fabrics and inserting boards or plates between the folds, and Figures 18 and 19
are end and side views of some of the parts drawn to an enlarged scale.
a represents the framework of the machine; b, the driving straps; c, d, the
fast-and-loose pulleys; e, the second or main shaft of the machine, and f the
fabric. The two side boxes for containing the boards or plates to be inserted
between the folds of the fabric are shewn at g, h, and the central box for
receiving the folded fabric at i. In the interiors of the boxes g, h, there are.
platforms or tables k, l, each having projections placed in vertical slots or
spaces in the sides of the boxes. To the projections are attached chains m,
which pass over guide rollers n, and are coiled round and connected to
drums o on the shafts p. On the ends of these shafts there are other drums,'
to which are coiled and fixed chains 9, connected at their other ends to drums
7, to the shafts of which are fixed the ratchet wheels s, worked by ratchets t'
at the sides of the levers u, which are raised up and down' and vibrated to
and fro by eccentrics on the main shafte for the purpose of giving a
gradual ascending motion to the platforms or tables k, l. In the interior of
the central box i there is a platform or table & having projections placed in
vertical slots or spaces in the sides of the box, and to these projections are'
attached one end of chains y, which pass over guide rollers, and are coiled on'
and connected to drums fixed to the shaft a'. On this shaft is coiled and'
connected one end of a chain 6, the other end of which is coiled on and con-
nected to the shaft c', having fixed on it the ratchet wheel d¹, worked by a
ratchet fixed to the vertical rod e', which descends by its own gravity, and is
raised by an eccentric on the cross shaft g', geared to the main shaft by
the bevil wheels A³, for the purpose of giving a gradual descending motion to
the central platform or table, and on the shaft c is coiled another chain j' for
supporting the weight''. The fabric passes over the flanged rollers A, and
between the feed rollers m³ to the central platform to which it is secured, and.
the boxes g, h, are filled with boards or plates, which are acted upon by
padded feeders n' hinged to the tops of the levers u, the feed rollers having
revolving motion giving to them by straps o' and pulleys p². The padded.
fecders move up and down and to and fro with the levers u, first at one side'
and then at the other alternately, the eccentrics being placed in opposite
positions for producing that effect. The boards or plates at each side are one'
after the other pounced upon by its corresponding padded feeder, and led
sideways to a projecting ledge or fence q' on the top of the framework; after

page_text: which they are seized by the two jaws 7, 8, of a nipper connected to the
small frame t', which slides on a bar u' projecting from the framework. Tho
front part of the frame t' has a slot v', in which is fitted a stud fixed to the
top of tho arm w', working at the bottom on a stationary stud, and connected
by the connecting rod a¹ to a crank pin in, the wheel y¹ fixed to the cross
shaft, so that as the crank revolves the arm shall vibrate to and fro and
give sliding motion to the small frame and nipper. The lower jaw s¹ of the
nipper is firmly fixed to the small frame t' by the arm a³, and the upper
jaw jointed to the frame by the arm 6, on which arm there is a projection c³,
which can ride over inclined plates d'jointed to the outside of the ledge or
fence q', and both arms are connected together by an india-rubber or metal
spring. After the board or plate from one side box has been brought
against the ledge or fence q¹ it is seized by the nipper and carried to the
fabric and folds it, and as the projection c³ on the arm 6 rides up the incline
on that side, the nipper opens and leaves the board or plate in the fold of the
fabric, in which it is retained by clamps worked as before described. After
the projection has passed the highest part of the inclino the spring closes the
nipper, which in closing takes hold of the top board or plate from the opposite
side box, the said board or plate having previously been brought within range
of the nipper by its being moved to the ledge or fence by the padded feeder
on that side, and as the vibrating arm w³ is reversed the projection &² passes
under the incline, and the board or plate is taken to the other side of the
fabric and folds it, and then the nipper is opened by the other incline, and so
on from one side to the other continuously. When the fabric is duly folded
ready for removal the ratchet and holding catch are pulled off the ratchet
wheel d¹ so as to allow the weight to descend and raise the central plat-
form, and by means of the levers f³ acted upon by the foot the mass of
folded fabric with the boards or plates are pushed out of the way of the
nipper and removed from the platform. When the ratchets and palls aro
pulled from the teeth of the ratchet wheels s, tho weights of the parts cause
the side platforms to descend to their lowest positions, and when the side
boxes are filled with fresh boards or plates, and another piece of fabric
secured to the central platform, and the machine put in motion, the
operations of folding and inserting the boards or plates are repeated.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be
understood that we claim the several combinations and arrangements of our
improved machinery or apparatus for folding fabrics on to cardboards or

page_text: metallic plates for the purpose of hot pressing, as all such improvements
are herein described and illustrated on the accompanying three Sheets of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Speakman Yates, for and on
behalf of myself and the said Arthur Freeman, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord Ono thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named William Speakman
Yates in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
W. S. YATES. (L.B.)
Patent Agent,
Manchester.