IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FOLDING AND MEASURING FABRICS
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 1st Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
I WILLIAM HENRY HACKING, of the California Iron Works, Bury, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR FOLDING AND MEASURING FABRICS, to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of certain improvements in mechanism which are applicable
to and may be used in conjunction with the improved folding and measuring machine
for which Letters Patents No. 1142, were granted to me and to Thomas Hacking on
the 17th day of April 1872.
In my present improvements the table on which the cloth is folded is made rigid so
that it cannot be oscillated on a centre for the purpose of allowing the folding knives
to pass under the holding rails in the usual manner. The holding rails are carried by
aruis in the manner described in the aforesaid Specification, the arms being provided
with slides so as to allow the holding rails to rise and fall radially to the centre of the
rocking shaft which also carries the side arms and the folding knives. This radial
motion of the holding rails is for the purpose of allowing the folding knives to pass
under them and then to secure the plaited or folded cloth. It is obtained by means of
cams or lifters so shaped as that when the machine is in motion they alternately raise
and depress the holding rails.
These cams or lifters are keyed or otherwise fixed on the rocking shaft before
described and receive an oscillating or rocking motion from the same when the
machine is worked in the ordinary manner. In place of cams or lifters on the rocking
shaft other suitable mechanism may be employed for imparting the radial motion to
the holding rails.

page_text: I WILLIAM HENRY HACKING of the California Iron Works, Bury, in the County
of Lancaster, Machine Maker, 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 and accompanying drawings.:-
My Invention relates to the machines which are used in the folding and measuring
of textile fabrics wherein the fabric is plaited down into measured folds as is well
understood. The folds of cloth are formed upon a curved table as is usual but in
place of this table oscillating it is so guided as that it can only move in a vertical
direction or in a straight line. The holding rails are carried by radial arms as in the
case of a former invention for which Letters Patent number 1142 of the year 1872
were granted to me in conjunction with a Thomas Hacking. In my present invention
the said holding rails are attached to sliding parts so that the said holding rails can
rise and fall that is to say can move outwardly from the table to admit the folding
knives to pass below them and return toward the table to grip the folds of fabric the
said movements being in directions which are radials from the axis of movement of
the knife. The upward or outward movements of the said holding rails are effected
by means of springs the downward or inward movements being effected by oscillating
cams.
*
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will more fully describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the application
of my invention to the machine which has been made under the aforesaid former
Patent of 1872. In the said drawings Fig. 1 on sheet 1 represents parts of a folding
machine constructed in accordance with my invention parts of the machine not
necessary to the sufficient illustration of such invention not appearing in the drawing.
In sheet 2 Fig. 2 represents on a larger scale one of the radial arms which carry the
aforesaid holding rails. Fig. 3 drawn to the same scale as Fig. 2 is a sectional view
the section being taken partly on the line in Fig. 1 and on a plane at right angles
to that of the said Fig. In Fig. 1 A is the said curved table and B B are the radial
arms which carry the holding rails c c. The said table is carried by a frame consisting
of two parallel members d united by a cross rail d'. The members d are fitted to
slide in guides e e which permit of a vertical straight up and down movement of the
frame and of the curved table whilst preventing any oscillating movement of the table
or any movement otherwise than in a vertical direction. It will be understood that
there is a similar arrangement of frame and guides at the other end of the machine so
that the table is guided by the sliding of four upright members d in guides e or in any
.suitable slides or guides which may be used in lieu of the guides e. The table is
sustained by ordinary means or by means of springs as in the example. At one end
or at each end of the machine is a spring f which is connected with one end of a chain
which is attached by the other end to a pulley g. A second chain is attached by one.
end to the cross rail d'and by the other end to a sector g¹ which is attached to or
turns with the pulley g the result being that the tension of the spring sustains the
frames d d¹ and the table with its load the said tension increasing as the table descends
and the said load becomes heavier. Each of the arms B is composed of two parts B
and 6. The part B is mounted to swivel by its lower end upon the boss of the
bracket h in which is formed one of the bearings for the bottom rocking shaft i and
the upper end of the same part B is adjustably secured to the end frame of the
machine by means of a wing nut which passes through a curved slot as in the said

page_text: former invention. The part 6' is fitted to slide in or upon the part B. In the
example the first named part slides in two guides which are fixed to the part B. A
spiral spring k is attached. by one end to a projection upon the part B and by the
other end to a stud 7 which passes through a slot in the said part and is secured to the
sliding part b¹ the arrangement being such as that the spring causes the part 6' to
have a tendency to slide outwardly from the axis of the shaft i. The holding rail c is
secured to the upper ends of the part 6¹ and the corresponding part at the other end
or side of the machine. Upon the rocking shaft i at each end of the machine is fixed
a cam n which oscillates with the said shaft. The said cam is formed with two con-
centric surfaces at n. n between which is a curved recess. An anti-friction bowl o
which is mounted upon a stud which is fixed to the lower or inner end of the part b¹
bears upon the inner prepared surfaces of the cam whereby the upward or outward
thrust of the holding rail due to the action of the spring k is limited. The shaft i is
connected with the parts which carry the plaiting knives in the usual or in a suitable
manner the said shaft rocking in its bearings in unison with the to and fro move-
ments of the knives and as a consequence the cam n also moves in concert with the said
knives. As the said cam oscillates it moves from the position as indicated in Fig. 1
to a corresponding position with relation to the other arm B and back again so that at
the end of its movement in either direction the bowl o upon one of the parts b' is
permitted to enter the recess whereby the holding rail is permitted to rise. This rise
takes place at the time when the knife is approaching such rail the rising movement
of the rail admitting the knife to pass below the rail. In the drawings the knives are
indicated at p. p. As the knife recedes from the holding rail the inovement of the
cam draws downward the parts at each end of the machine until they are in rolling
contact with the concentric surfaces when the holding rail will be caused to grip the
fold of the fabric. It will be seen that as the cam oscillates the two holding rails are
alternately raised and lowered and that each rail remains down during the intervals
between each visit of the plaiting knife. I do not confine myself to the precise
manner in which the parts b₁ are mounted to slide in the parts B nor to the employ-
iment of the latter parts as the sliding arm's b' might be fitted to slide in parts which
would not be adjustable around the axis of the shaft i in case such adjustment should
not be considered to be necessary. I do not confine myself to the precise formation of
the cam n so long as it is adapted by its oscillating movement to permit and to cause
the sliding movements of the parts 6 for the purpose set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
-
(1) The combination of parts substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated hereinbefore and in the accompanying Drawings.
(2) In a folding machine the curved table carried by frames which are mounted in
slides or guides or are guided to move vertically so that the movements of the table
are limited to rising and falling.
(3) In a folding machine the attachment of the holding bars or cloth grippers to
sliding parts which are acted upon and controlled by oscillating cams fixed on the
rocking shaft substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
(4) In a folding machine the parts I carrying the holding rails sliding in the
adjustable radial arms B and acted upon by springs and by cams fixed on the rocking
shaft to slacken and tighten the grip of the cloth holding bars substantially as set
forth and indicated.
(5) The oscillating cam n formed applied and acting substantially as and for the
purpose set forth and indicated.