IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FRILLING AND GATHERED WORK
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Grey Hill, of Nottingham, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FRILLING AND
GATHERED WORK.”
Sealed the 11th October 1878, and dated the 13th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Grey Hill at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th August 1878.
CHARLES GREY HILL, of Nottingham. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
THE PRODUCTION OF FRILLING AND GATHERED WORK."
Frilling or gathered work is at present sometimes produced in the sewing
machine, and for this purpose there is added to the machine an instrument called
a gatherer; it resembles in its action the foot or feeding instrument by which the
work is carried forward stitch by stitch through the machine, but it has a longer
stroke and it works in front of the needle, consequently it lays the band of fabric
upon which it acts in pleats up to the needle which sews down the pleats, and
usually at the same time attaches a straight band. The band is either a single
thickness or doubled over so as to enclose and cover the edge of the pleated band.
Sometimes two bands have been laid the one on the other and pleated simul-
taneously by the same gatherer; the pleats of the two bands then interlock or lie
the one within the other.
The object of this Invention is the production in a sewing machine of frilling
consisting of two bands of fabric which are separately pleated and sewn together,
and by preference sewn also to a band which is doubled or folded over so as to
enclose the edges of the two frilled bands. This I effect by combining with a
sewing machine two gatherers, one over and the other under the work. There is
a division plate between them, and one of the bands to be pleated is passed
between the underside of the plate and the lower gatherer, whilst the other band
to be pleated is passed above the plate and beneath the upper gatherer. The plate
keeps the two pleated fabrics apart until they reach the point where both are sewn
[Price 61

page_text: through by the needle. The straight band is also led up to the needle by a guide
tuble of suitable form to bend the fabric over and to deliver it to the needle with
one edge beneath and the other edge over the edges of the pleated bands.
In some cases I employ a double plate, or a plate made in two thicknesses in
place of a single plate for the gatherers to work against, which enables me when 5
I so desire to lead in another band of fabric between the pleated bands, and this
additional band is then sewn in with the rest.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Grey Hill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
February 1879.
CHARLES GREY HILL, of Nottingham. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE
PRODUCTION OF FRILLING AND GATHERED WORK."
Frilling or gathered work is at present sometimes produced in the sewing
machine, and for this purpose there is added to the machine an instrument called
a gatherer; it resembles in its action the foot or feeding instrument by which the
work is carried forward stitch by stitch through the machine, but it has a longer
stroke and it works in front of the needle, consequently it lays the band of fabric
upon which it acts in pleats up to the needle which sews down the pleats, and
'usually at the same time attaches a straight band. The band is either a single
thickness or doubled over so as to enclose and cover the edge of the pleated band.
Sometimes two bands have been laid the one on the other and pleated simul-
taneously by the same gatherer; the pleats of the two bands then interlock or lie
the one within the other.
The object of this Invention is the production in a sewing machine of frilling
consisting of two bands of fabric which are separately pleated and sewn together,
and by preference sewn also to a band which is doubled or folded over so as to
enclose the edges of the two frilled bands. This I effect by combining with a
sewing machine two gatherers one over and the other under the work. There
is a division plate between them, and one of the bands to be pleated is passed
between the underside of the plate and the lower gatherer, whilst the other band
to be pleated is passed above the plate and beneath the upper gatherer. The plate
.keeps the two pleated fabrics apart until they reach the point where both are sewn
through by the needle. The straight band is also led up to the needle by a guide
tube of suitable form to bend the fabric over and to deliver it to the needle with
one edge beneath and the other edge over the edges of the pleated bands.
. .
In some cases I employ a double plate or a plate made in two thicknesses in
place of a single plate for the gatherers to work against, which enables me when I
so desire to lead in another band of fabric between the pleated bands, and this
additional band is then sewn in with the rest."
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION of the DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a sewing machine having apparatus
combined with it in accordance with my Invention, adapting it to produce a double
frilling; Figure 2 is a plan of the same parts; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the
gatherers and other portions of the machine.
a, a, is the frame of the sewing machine; b is the needle slide, and c is the bar
by which the presser is carried. The table, plate of the sewing machine is indicated
by strong dotted lines, but the parts are shown as they appear when this plate is
removed; is the axis which carries the looping hook of the sewing machine. The
machine is of the single thread class; e is a lever carrying the feeder by which the
work is brought forward past the needle; is the feeder fixed to the lever e; its
form in plan is indicated in Figure 2 in part by dotted lines, and that these may
be more clearly traced the indicating letter is repeated at several of the angles.
The feeder is serrated on the face in the usual way, and as is seen in Figure J.
The serrations are arranged in several lines with intervals between to accom-
modate freely the projecting prongs of the division plate g, the outline of which
may be traced in Figure 2, the indicating letter being frequently repeated; h is the
presser extending over and beyond the feeder and operating with it in the usual
manner; is the upper gatherer and j the lower gatherer. They are both pro-
vided with serrations similar to those of the feed, and they operate on the fabrics
with which they come in contact in a similar manner, but they move over a greater
distance than does the feeder, and consequently they throw the fabrics into folds or
gathers.
The gatherer is fixed to a lever k, and this lever as well as the lever e turn upon
a pin fixed in the frame c. The levers e and k are both forked to embrace the
pin l, and are capable of moving longitudinally as well as rocking on the pin. The
rocking movement is given to both levers by an eccentric d' on the axis d, which
enters a slotted hole in the lever c; k' is a screw fast in the lever and passing
through an elongated hole in the lever e, so that the two levers e and k necessarily
rock simultaneously.
These levers receive longitudinal movement from a cam d² on the axis d. The
cam is lodged in a recess in the lever k, and it operates against the side of the recess
to thrust the lever towards the pin l, whilst a spring 2 acts upon the lever in the
opposite direction and draws the lever up to the cam. The movement given by
the cam to the lever k brings the gatherer j into contact with the feeder f, and then
the levers move together to the end of the throw of the cam.
The spring e¹ lodged in the fork of the lever e causes the lever to return with the
lever l as far as the screw stop k admits; m is an adjustable stop which controls
the throw of the lever k.
The upper gatherer i is carried by a lever n, having for its fulcrum a pin o fixed
in the frame. The lever n receives a rocking movement upon its fulcrum by means
of an eccentric d³, working in a slotted hole in the lever, and it also receives a
longitudinal movement from a cam d, the arrangement being similar to that
already described in respect to the lever k, except that both the eccentric and cam
in this case act directly upon the lever.
The horizontal throw of the lever n can be regulated by an adjustable stop ; p, p,
are springs which hold the lever n in its place and draw it towards the cam; q is a
guide tube fixed to the frame a to conduct to the needle the strip of fabric which is
to form the band of the frilling.
As the Drawing shows, the guide is so shaped as to deliver the band doubled to
a V form. The two strips or widths of fabric to be gathered are led, the one
between the upper surface of the division plate g and the upper gatherer i, and the
other below the division plate g and between it and the lower gatherer j; but above
the table of the machine, which is slotted to allow the serrations of the lower
gatherer to come up through the table r, is guide plate which frees the fabric

page_text: upon which the upper gatherer i acts from the gatherer when this latter rises pre-
paratory to its return motion. The guide is slotted so as to allow the serrated
parts of the gatherer to press upon the band of fabric.
The fabrics to be gathered may advantageously be prepared by crimping before
they are brought to the machine. The gatherers having a longer throw than the
feeders, gather up the fabrics on which they operate as they deliver them to the
needle, and the fabrics are so guided that their edges pass between the edges of the
folded band issuing from the guide tube q; so the edges of the three fabrics are all
caught by the needle and sewn together.
Figure 4 represents a portion of the finished work; Figure 5 shows separately
a part of the axis d; and Figure 6 represents a double division plate which may be
used when it is desired to introduce an additional strip or fabric between the two
gathered strips or bands.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim the combination with a
sewing machine of the two gatherers i and j, with the division plate g between
them, such parts operating to produce a double frill of gathered work, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Grey Hill, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
CHARLES GREY HILL. (L.S.)