Improvements in and relating to Machines for Automatically Cutting, Folding and Winding Strips of Flexible Material.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machines for Automatically Cutting,
Folding and Winding Strips of Flexible Material.
We, ABRAHAM LINCOLN ADAMS, and GEORGE ERSKINE HAWES, citizens of the
United States of America, residing respectively at 23 Harrison Street, and 439
Main Street in the City of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of
Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
-
Our invention relates to certain improvements in Machines for Automatically
Cutting, Folding and Winding Strips of Flexible Material, such as any textile or
woven material, so that such strips may be available for use in the form of spools,
and be applicable for binders in the manufacture of corsets and also for covering
seams, steels, bones and the like used in corsets and waists, also for dress purposes
generally where ordinary tape is used. The edges are folded so that they will be
perfectly smooth and not present any raw surfaces, and the strips are coiled so as to be
readily available for use like ordinary tape. The strips are cut longitudinally
out of a piece of cloth in order to be as long as possible, or of shorter pieces pasted
together, and by pasting short sections of bias cut fabric we are enabled to cut,
fold and coil strips on the bias, thus affording a very approved form of strip
fully equal to the bias binding or tape now used.
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application
Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved machine.
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional elevation.
Figure 3 a detailed detached sectional elevation of the instrumentalities
utilized for folding the strips.
Figure 4 a detailed detached face elevation of the cutter rolls.
Figure 5 a detailed detached elevation of the rolls which we employ for creasing
the strips.
Figure 6 a detailed broken horizontal sectional view illustrating the mechanism
which is connected with the appliances for shifting the belt, and which acts as an
automatic stop mechanism.
Figure 7 a detailed sectional elevation of the winding drum.
Figure 8 a detailed broken sectional elevation illustrating particularly the
devices which we utilize for folding the strips in instances where the strips are
composed of certain material which does not necessitate the use of the rolls
carrying complementary collars and grooves.
Figure 9 a detailed elevation of the folding collars utilized in the construction
shown at Figure 8, and
Figure 10 a detailed detached sectional elevation showing the appliances
employed in the construction shown at Figure 8 for folding the strips.
Similar numbers of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
1 is the frame of the machine which is supported in any usual manner as by

page_text: legs 2, and 3 is the bed or table. 4 is the power shaft which carries the tight and
Icose pulleys 5, 5ª.
The cutting mechanism comprises two rolls 6, 7, journaled within the frame
of the machine one above the other, each roll carrying a series of cutter disks 8, 9,
which respectively engage each other after the manner of a pair of shears. These
disks are separated by a space equal to the full width desired of the strips, and
rigid with said rolls 6, 7 are intermeshing spur gears 10, 11, one of which gears
also meshes with a gear 12 carried by the power shaft 4, so that it will be clear
that the proper revolution of the cutter rolls will be effected directly from the
power shaft.
13, 14, are rolls journaled within the frame of the machine and carrying inter-
_meshing spur gears 15, 16, one of which latter is also engaged by the gear 12 on
'the power shaft. The roll 13 has in its periphery a series of annular grooves 17
whose width is equal to the width of the folded strip, and the roll 14 carries a
series of peripheral collars 18 which fit snugly within said grooves. 19 is the
ironing roller which is journaled within a frame 20 which latter at its lower end
is pivoted around the shaft of the roller 13 or in any other suitable manner, while
its outer extremity carries a set screw 21 which bears upon a shelf 22 rigid with
the frame of the machine. This ironing roller is beyond the rolls 13, 14, and
is elevated so that its upper circumference is considerably above the lower cir-
cumference of the roll 13, and such ironing roller carries a gear 25 which meshes
with a gear 15" and also carries a series, of peripheral collars 24 of such width
as to fit snugly within the grooves of the roller 14.
As the strips already cut, in the manner herein before set forth, pass between
the rollers 13, 14, the collars on the roller 13 will force the strip within the
grooves of the roller 14, thereby causing the edges to be creased so as to lie flat
against the side walls of the grooves, and the tension on the creased strips as
the latter are deflected upward around the bottoms of the grooves, will draw the
creased edges down flat against the bodies of the strips, and the roller 19 will
then act against these folded edges to firmly iron them into place. The pressure 3
of the ironing roller may be regulated by the adjusting screw 21.
It will be observed that there is a space between the points of contact which
the roller 14, 19, have with the roller 13, and the object of this of course is to
enable the creased edges of the strip to be drawn down flat against the body of
the strip by the upward deflection of the latter around the roller 14, so that said 3
edges may be properly disposed before they are brought in contact with the ironing
roll, and in this connection we would say that this manner of drawing down the
edges of the strips preparatory to ironing is a very important feature of our inven-
tion, since we are enabled thereby to dispense with any special appliance for
performing the folding operation.
26 is a guide roller journaled in the frame of the machine and having in its
periphery a series of grooves 27 just wide enough to contain the folded strips.
This roller 26 carries gear 28 which is connected to gear 15 on roll 13 through
intermediate idle gear 30.
4
After the strip has been folded and ironed it is delivered to certain appliances 4
which operate to wind the strip into coil form suitable for commercial use, and
these appliances we will now describe.
42 is a frame loosely supported at one end around the power shaft so as to be
capable of a free vertical swinging movement, a pawl 43 being secured to the
other end of the frame and adapted to engage with ratchet teeth 44 in a lever 45 5
which latter is pivoted at its lower extremity to the frame of the machine or a
bracket rising therefrom. 47 is a coil spring whose extremities are connected
respectively to said frame or bracket and to the lever 45, the function of this
spring being to normally throw said lever toward the pawl 433 so that the lever
will yield resiliently as the frame 42 is elevated to permit the pawl to engage with 5
succeeding ratchet teeth.
48, 49, are separate head blocks which are supported and journaled within the

page_text: frame 42 at opposite sides in such a manner as to be capable of revolution. 50 is
a keeper ring secured to the inner end of the block 48 by means of a collar 51
interposed between said ring and block and screws 52 driven through the ring
and collar into the block. 53 are fingers whose inner ends extend within the
ring 50 and are attached to the latter by means of screws 54 which pass through
elongated slots 55 in the ring into the fingers themselves. These screws are
merely driven into the fingers to a depth sufficient to permit the heads of the
screws to project beyond the outer surface of the ring a slight distance, so that
when the fingers are not supported in the manner presently to be described, said
fingers will drop or collapse until their movement is arrested by the striking of
the screw heads against the body of the ring, the elongated slots 55 readily per-
mitting this movement. The fingers are interiorly beveled or chamfered at both
extremities, and the contiguous ends of the blocks 48, 49 are correspondingly
beveled, the beveled parts of the blocks being always in engagement with the
beveled portions of the fingers for the purpose presently to be explained.
The block 49 is tubular and the spindle 58 passes freely through this block and
is provided at its free end with a hand wheel 59. The inner end of this spindle
is threaded and takes within a thread in a socket 60 formed within the inner face
of the block 48. Around the inner end of the block 49 is a keeper ring 61 which
is secured in position by means of a collar 62 which is placed around the block,
and screws 63 driven through said ring and collar into the block itself.
Presupposing the parts to be in the position shown at Figure 7, it will be clear
that if the hand wheel 59 be operated so as to withdraw the spindle 58 from the
block 48, the latter may then be readily retracted, whereupon the fingers 53 will
collapse. The parts are restored to the position shown at Figure 7 by simply
pushing the block 48 inward, whereupon its beveled end will strike the beveled
portions of the fingers and cause the latter to distend until they rest firmly upon
the block, and then the spindle is operated to drive its threaded end within the
block 48, and thus securely lock the parts together.
The outer surface of these fingers 53 are curved so as to present as a whole in
cross section a circle, and these fingers constitute the drum on which the folded
strip is wound, and for this purpose a slit 66 is formed in one of the fingers within
which slit the ends of the strips may be forced so as to attach the same in order
that a proper winding may be insured.
As the coil increases in diameter during the winding operation, it will of course
rest by gravity against the roll 26, and the frame 42 will be gradually elevated
thereby and will be successively locked in its elevated position by means of the
pawl 43 and ratchet 44.
Of course the winding must not be performed at a rate faster than the rate at
which the folded strip is delivered from the the folding rolls, and therefore we
have provided the usual means whereby the winding may be properly performed,
which means we will describe although it is specifically the same as is used in
similar instances in connecton with several kinds of machinery.
A. shouldered collar 67 is secured around the block. 48 and mounted around this
collar and bearing against the same by friction only is a loose pulley 68; 69 is a
ring around the block 48 and capable of a movement lengthwise thereof and 70 is
a washer of leather or other suitable material interposed between said ring and
the side of the pulley 68; 71 is a nut on the outer end of the block 48, and 72 is
a coil spring around the block and bearing against said nut and against the
ring 69 so that a pressure is brought to bear against the pulley 68 whereby the
latter may be bound with friction against the collar 67.
A belt connects the pulley 68 with a pulley A carried by the power shaft, and
when the winding drum has a tendency to take up a greater length of the folded
strip than is proper, the pulley 68 will simply slip without causing such drum to
revolve.
A rod 72 extends beneath the bed to the front of the machine and is properly
supported within suitable hangers, the rear end of such rod extending through an

page_text: eye 73 at one end of a link 74, the extremity of said rod being provided with a
head 75 to prevent disengagement from the link, while at the same time said rod
may have a free lengthwise movement through said eye.
76 is an extension from the bed within which is supported a rock shaft 77 to
which are secured at the sides thereof L-levers 78. These levers in connection
with the rock-shaft form in reality a bell crank lever and we will make use of
this term in the further description of our improvement.
79 are cross wires
which extend horizontally from side to side of the extension 76, and 80 parallel
U-shaped wires which depend from the inner ends of the bell crank and are
adapted to pass freely between the cross wires 79. The free end of the link 74
is pivoted to the lower leg of the bell crank, so that it will be clear that when the
upper leg of the bell crank drops down the lower leg will operate to retract the
link 74 in a direction away from the machine proper for the purpose presently
explained.
81 is a rod held within boxes 82 secured to the bottom of the frame, said rod
being capable of a free sliding movement, and having secured to one extremity
au ordinary belt shifter 83. 84, 85, are toggles, the former pivoted to one of the
boxes while the toggle 85 is pivoted to a block 86 rigidly secured to the rod 81.
87 is a link, one end of which is pivoted to the toggles at the point where the
latter are pivoted together, the other extremity of such link being pivoted to a
hand lever 88, which is within reach of the operator, so that it will be clear that
when this hand lever is operated to contract the toggles, the belt will be shifted
from the loose pulley upon the tight pulley for the obvious purpose of starting
the machine.
89 is a coil spring whose extremities are connected to the frame and to the
biock 86 in such manner as to normally throw the toggles into the position
shown in Figure 6.
This belt shifter construction is quite ordinary and forms no part of our inven-
tion proper and it is merely described in order that no confusion may arise as to
the operation of the structure illustrated in the drawings.
90 is a notch in the rod 81 and 91 is a spring actuated latch supported in any
ordinary way within a housing 92 secured to the bed, which latch will engage
with said notch when the toggles have been contracted in the manner
herein before described, for the purpose of holding the belt upon the tight pulley.
93 is a link-bar to which the spindle of the latch is pivoted the outer end of said
bar extending within a groove in the housing 92 and bearing against said housing.
The rod 72 is loosely secured to the inner end of the link 93, and the withdrawal
of the latch 91 from the notch 90, will enable the spring 89 to shift the belt on to
the loose pulley.
The material 94 as it is led through the machine passes directly over the cross
wires 79, and the U-shaped wires 80 rest upon such material and are prevented
from dropping through the cross-wires only by the resistance afforded by the
material itself, and it will therefore be readily understood that when the end of
the material has been reached and the latter is withdrawn from between the
cross-wires and the wires 80, the upper portion of the bell-crank will then drop
by gravity, thus withdrawing the latch 91 from the notch 90, and causing the
machine to come to a state of rest. This enables the operator, to join a succeeding
strip to the rear end of the preceeding strip, and furthermore it relieves the
operator from any anxiety as to the withdrawal of the strip from the folding
devices, and the consequent entanglement of such strip during the winding
operation.
A dog 95 is pivoted at the side of the frame, the lower extremity of the dog
being pivotally connected to a block 96 which latter is secured to the wire rod 72ª,
so that the operator may, at any time, by depressing this dog, cause the machine
to stop independent of the operation of the bell crank lever at the rear of the
machine.
In some kinds of material it is not necessary that the edges should be first creased

page_text: by the complementary collars and grooves heretofore described for the material
may be fed at a tension over and against any surface between lateral collars that
are separated from each other by a distance equal to the width of the folded
strip, and we have therefore shown in Figures 8, 9, and 10, a shaft 97, which has
secured thereto collars 98 which are separated by a distance equal to the width
of the folded strip, while above this shaft are ironing rolls 99, 100, between which
the strip is passed after it is folded and preparatory to being wound.
The strip is delivered at a tension against the shaft 97, and is then deflected
p between the ironing rolls, and this deflection of the strip will cause the edges
to fold over flat against the body of the strip preparatory to the ironing and
winding.
It is immaterial what the shape of the shaft 97 is in cross section since in any
event the folded edges will be caused to closely hug the body of the strip
preparatory to ironing.
It being necessary that the unfolded strip should be delivered to the folding
devices at a suitable tension we have provided a combined guide and tension
device which we will now describe.
Our combined guide and tension plate comprises side bars 101 and a series of
stiff wires 102 whose extreme ends are secured within said bars, the wires being
arranged at suitable distances apart. 103 are parallel bars through which these
wires pass loosely, so that said bars may be readily moved toward or away from
each other upon the wires, and 104 are set-screws carried by these bars by means
of which the latter may be rigidly secured to one of these wires. The distance
between these bars 103 when properly adjusted for use must be exactly equal
to the width of the material, while at the same time said bars must be so adjusted
and held by the set screws 104 that the material may be properly fed and guided.
It will be evident that our machine may be varied as to many of its details of
construction, and also that parts may be omitted with a like omission of corres-
ponding functions, without departing from the spirit of our invention, and we
therefore do not wish to be limited in these respects.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare tnat what
we claim is:-
1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of the shaft against
which the folding is effected, the collars mounted on said shaft and separated by
a distance equal to the width of the folded strip, means for delivering the strip
at a tension between said collars, and means for deflecting the folded strip at a
tension around said shaft whereby the latter is closely hugged by said strip,
substantially as set forth.
2. In a machine of the character described the combination of the shaft against
which the folding is effected, the folding collars mounted on said shaft and
separated by a distance equal to the width of the folded strip, means for delivering
the unfolded strip between said collars, and means for drawing the strip between
the collars and suugly around said shaft, whereby the edges are folded and caused
to lie flat against the body of the strip, substantially as set forth.
3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of the shaft, the
cellars secured thereon at a distance apart equal to the width of the folded strip,
means for delivering the unfolded strip between said collars at a tension, and a
pair of ironing rolls through which the folded strip is passed, the location of such
rells with respect to said shaft being such that the folded strip will be deflected
and caused to closely hug said shaft, substantially as set forth.
4. In a machine of the character described, the combination of the shaft, the
adjustable collar secured thereon, the combined tension and guide devices
supported on the bed of the machine and whereby the strip is delivered at a proper
tension and in the proper direction with respect to said collars, and the ironing
rolls through which the folded strip is passed, said rolls being capable of drawing

page_text: the strip between the folding collars and snugly against said shaft, substantially
as set forth.
5. The tension and guide device comprising the side bars, the cross wires
extending between the same at suitable distances apart, and the guide bars through
which said wires pass freely, said bars being capable of a sidewise movement and
provided with means for securing them in suitable adjustment, substantially as
set forth.
6. The combination of the pivoted frame, the winding drum journaled therein,
the ironing rollers from which the folded strip is delivered to said drum, the
pivoted vertically disposed lever provided with ratchet teeth, the pawl carried by
said frame and engaging with said teeth, and means for resiliently keeping said
pawl and ratchet in engagement, substantially as set forth.
7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a pair of rollers
having complementary collars and grooves for creasing the strips, and means for
deflecting the creased strips at a tension against a rounded surface whereby the
creased edges are folded, substantially as set forth.
8. In machine of the character described, the combination of a pair of rollers
having complementary collars and grooves for creasing the strips, and means for
deflecting the creased strips against a rounded surface whereby the edges of the
strips are folded, and means for ironing down said folded edges, substantially as
set forth.
9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a pair of rollers
having complementary collars and grooves for creasing the strips, means for
deflecting the creased strips against a rounded surface whereby the edges of the
strips are folded, a roller for ironing down said folded edges, a winding drum
upon which said strips are wound in coils, and a guide roller provided with
peripheral grooves said coils extending within said grooves and resting by gravity
against the bottoms thereof, substantially as set forth.
10. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a pair of rollers
journaled one above the other and carrying complementary cutter disks, a pair of
rellers journaled one above the other and carrying complementary collars and
grooves for creasing the strips an ironing roller whose upper surface is con-
siderably elevated above the lower surface of the upper creasing roller and is
in close proximity to the effective periphery of such creasing roller, whereby the
creased strip is deflected against the rounded surface of such upper roller and
subsequently ironed down, and means for winding the folded strip, substantially
as set forth."
11. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a pair of rollers
having complementary collars and grooves for creasing the strips, and an ironing
roller whose upper surface is considerably above the bottom of the under creasing
roller while tue effective peripheries of said ironing roller and upper creasing roller
are in close proximity to each other, substantially as set forth.
12. The combination of the winding drum journaled within a frame capable
of a free vertical movement upon which drum the strips are wound in coils, and
the guide roller having a series of peripheral grooves, said coils extending snugly
within said grooves and resting by gravity against the bottoms thereof, substantially
a set forth.
13. The combination of the cutter rollers having a uniform and positive
retation, the winding drum journaled in a frame capable of free vertical movement
upon which drum the strips are wound in coils, the guide roller having a series of
peripheral grooves within which said coils depend and rest by gravity against
the bottoms of such grooves, the power shaft, a friction coupling between said shaft
and the shaft of the drum, and means for imparting to the guide roller a constant
and uniform speed corresponding to that of the cutter rollers, substantially as
set forth.
14. The combination of the frame which supports the winding devices, the
bead blocks supported within said frame one of said blocks being tubular and the

page_text: other block provided at its inner end with a threaded socket, while the inner
ends of both blocks are beveled, the keeper rings secured to the inner ends of
each block, the fingers interiorily beveled at both ends and loosely connected at
their bases to the keeper ring attached to the tubular block and whereby said
fingers may be capable of distention or contraction, and the spindle threaded at
its inner end to engage with said threaded socket, substantially as set forth.
15. The combination of the extension from the bed supporting cross wires over
which the strip is delivered, the bell crank pivoted to such extension and pro-
vided with U-shaped wires which are adapted to pass between said cross wires
when the upper leg of the bell crank is lowered, the belt shifting appliances, and
the rod connected to said bell crank and to said appliances, substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 20th day of April 1807
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.