Ar. IMPROVED MACHINE FOR PLAITING OR DOUBLING STRIPS OR SHEETS OF CLOTH,. PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Slater at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th July'
1868.
I, GEORGE SLATER, of Lambs Passage, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Ar.
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR PLAITING OR DOUBLING STRIPS OR SHEETS OF CLOTH,.
PAPER, AND OTHER MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a machine for plaiting or folding strips of
linen, cotton, or other fabric to form tucks or flounces for ladies' skirts
and other articles of clothing, and for other purposes, and the said
Invention consists chiefly in the peculiar devices whereby the plaits.
or folds are formed in the strips, and in the means for producing such.
plaits or folds of any desired width. I employ smooth or plain
cylindrical pressing rollers, or a single plain roller, arranged in com-
bination with a vibrating or reciprocating folding bar or plate. The
rollers are heated by gas or otherwise. The end of the strip to be
plaited is inserted between the rollers, which draw or feed it forward.
The said strip as it is drawn between the rollers passes under the.
folding bar whose edge lies upon the lower roller or upon a table. The.
said bar is caused to vibrate over the surface of the roller or table by

page_text: means of a crank or eccentric geared in connection with the rollers, and
at each vibration it forms a plait or fold, which is instantly carried
forward and compressed between the rollers. The machine may be
provided with a driving pulley and driven by a steam engine or may
be operated by hand or other power. Upright standards or side frames
are provided with suitable bearings in which are mounted the rollers
which are caused to rotate properly together by toothed pinions. I
prefer to employ two of these rollers, and to make them hollow and
heat them by means of gas passing through them. The bearings of
the upper roller are adjustable, so that the said roller may be set nearer
to or farther from the lower roller as desired. Springs are provided
over these bearings to allow the roller to yield slightly. The vibrating
bar or blade which is arranged in front of the lower roller is supported
in side plates fitted to work upon the ends of the said roller or its shaft,
and is operated by a crank or eccentric which is geared in connection
with the rollers. Change wheels are provided whereby the number of
vibrations of the folder in relation to the revolutions of the rollers
may be varied to form plaiting of any desired width. At the back or
top of the folding bar I place a presser bar which is provided with a
lever or arm. This lever carries a pin or stud which passes through a
slot in one of the side plates which carry the folding bar. This pin
is also connected to one end of the connecting rod of the crank or
eccentric. The slot or aperture through which the pin or stud passes
is of such a length as to allow the said pin to move a short distance
in each direction without moving the folding bar, and the presser bar
is so arranged that its edge is forced down upon the folder just before
the latter is moved forward to form the plait or fold. The stud is thus
brought in contact with the end of the slot or aperture, and the folder
and presser are moved forward together holding the plait or fold, the
edge of the folder passing with the plait between the rollers. The
crank then reverses the action of the lever of the presser bar, which
is thereby raised and allows the folder to be moved freely back to form.
the next plait or fold. I arrange a table or board in front of the
rollers and attach to the same folding devices for turning over the edges
of the strips before they are plaited. The edge of the strip runs in
contact with an adjustable piece provided with an aperture of such
a form that as the strip passes it is partially turned over, and in that
position enters a narrow taper aperture in another piece wherein the
folding or doubling is completed.

page_text: I modify the construction of my machine by arranging the folding
device to slide upon a table in front of the machine instead of upon
the roller. In this arrangement of parts the ends of the folding bar or
plate are fitted in slots formed in upright brackets at the sides of the
table. The said ends are also extended through curved slots or apertures
in the arms of levers whose fulcrums or centres are supported in sliding
bearings in longitudinal guideways at the sides of the table. The said
levers are also provided with arms which are extended downward
below the table and united by a bar or rod, the latter being attached
to one end of a connecting rod whose other end is connected to the
crank or eccentric. The strip of cloth or other material is fed forward
upon the table between the top of the same and the folder which is
pressed downward and raised at proper intervals by means of the curved
lever as the latter is caused to vibrate by the crank, the folder being
also moved forward to form and release the plaits or folds as already
described. In plaiting materials which are too elastic to remain
properly plaited or folded I prefer to run threads across the plaiting
while the same is being performed. For this purpose I arrange upon
the machine rods or spindles to carry the reels of thread, and place
over the rollers a small tank to contain water or sizing liquid through
which the thread is passed. The end of the thread is guided over
the folder and introduced between the rollers near the edge of the
plaiting and keeps the same properly together till it is secured by
sewing or otherwise.