IMPROVE- MENTS IN GATHERING AND PLAITING APPARATUS TO BE USED AS AN ATTACII- MENT TO SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GATHERING AND PLAITING APPARATUS TO BE USED AS AN ATTACII-
MENT TO SEWING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Lansing
Onderdonk, of Adams Station, Sewing Machine Agent, Campbell Cox Brown,
Banker, and Henry Parkhurst Wells, Counsellor at Law, both of the City of
New York, all in the State of New York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th July 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN GATHERING AND PLAITING
APPARATUS TO BE USED AS AN ATTACHMENT TO SEWING MACHINES." A communi-
cation from abroad by Lansing Onderdonk, of Adams Station, Sowing Machine
Agent, Campbell Cox Brown, Banker, and Henry Parkhurst Wells, Counsellor at
Law, both of the City of New York, all in the State of New York, United States
of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in gathering and plaiting apparatus (to
be used as an attachment to sewing machines) of that class in which reciprocating
cloth-carriers or crimping slides are employed to form the plaits or gathers in the
material as it is carried between the needle-bar and the lower stitch-forming
devices of the sewing machine; and the said Invention has for its object to provido
an improved means for operating said carriers, as more fully hereinafter described.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, in which,―
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my entire apparatus or device applied to a
sewing machine as it appears when viewed from the front and right hand side of
the same.
Figure 2 is a similar view looking from the rear and left hand side of the
apparatus.
Figures 3 and 3 are similar views shewing a modified form of my Invention.
Figures 4 and 4° represent the bed-piece which sustains and upon which travel
the working parts of my improved device, and by means of which the said device
is attached to the machine.
.מ
A

page_text: Figure 5 represents a detached view of the main actuating lever which is
connected to the needle-bar of the sewing machine to operate the device.
Figure 6 represents a detached view of an auxiliary lever adjustably connected
to the operating lever, and adapted to carry the pawl which operates a rack-bar to
give motion to the cloth-carriers.
Figure 7 is a detached view of the said pawl.
Figures 80, 8b, 8c, represent the top side and bottom views of the said rack
bar.
Figures 9ª and 9b are top and bottom views of the slide carrying the upper
cloth-carrier.
Figures 10 and 10b represent similar views of the slide carrying the lower
cloth-carrier.
Figure 11 is a bottom view of the entire device.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of the-cloth-carriers detached, and the presser-
foot and needle-bar of the machine shewing the under crimping blade-or-cloth-
carrier acting alone.
Figuro 13 is a similar view of tho said parts showing the upper cloth-carrier
acting alone, and
Figure 14 is a similar view of said parts shewing the cloth-carriers acting
alternately, resulting in alternate folds.
Figure 15 represents detached views of the shifting device or "tumbler"
attached to the rack bar of the attachment for alternately engaging the slides
carrying the respective cloth-carriers.
"
Figure 16 represents detached views of a switch-lover by means of which the
-position of the shifting device or tumbler" is changed to operate the slides
carrying the cloth-carriers alternately.
Figure 17 represents a bottom view of the device shewing the shifting device-or-
"tumbler" and its operating mechanism in the position they assume just previous
to shifting the pin on the tumbler from one cloth carrying slide to the other.
Figure 18 represents a similar view showing the switch-lever, tho shifting device
or tumbler, and the operating mechanism in the positions they assume just after
shifting the pin on the tumbler from one cloth-carrying slide to the other.
Figure 19 is a similar view representing the cloth-carrying slides in their
intermediate positions.
Figure 20 represents a porspective view of a rack-bar and modified form of cloth-
carrying devices.
Figuros 21 and 22 aro detached views of two friction guides or pads, one of
which is located between the rack-bar and the upper cloth-carrying slido, and the
other between the two cloth-carrying slides.
Figure 23 represents a perspective view of an adjustable trip adapted to bo
clamped on the rack-bar to trip the double pawl and reverse the motion of the
said bar.
Figure 24 shows a devico hinged to one of the cloth-carrying slides for more
readily allowing the slides to be pulled out when they become by accident pushed
in to their shoulders.
Figure 25 represents an edge view and a perspective view of the rack bar-adaptod
to be placed edgewise between the cloth-carrying slides.
Figure 26 represents detached views of the respective cloth carrying slides adapted
to be placed on opposite sides of the rack-bar when the said bar is placed edgewise
upon the bed-plate between the said slides.
Figuro 27 is a detached view of the pawl employed in the modified form of this
Invention.
Figure 28 represents an automatic friction clutch applied to the attachment as a
substitute for the double pawl.
Figure 29 shews the said friction-clutch combined with the levers moved by the
needle-bar, and with the upper or carrying slide, and in the position which the
said clutch assumes when moving the carrying slide in the direction of the arrow.

page_text: Figure 30 represents the same parts and the position of the clutch when moving
the carrying slide in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow.
Figure 31 is a detached view of the said friction-clutch and of the pin on which
it oscillates.
A indicates a plate adapted to be secured to the bed of a sewing machine, and
provided with a rectangular extension A' forming a recess, in which the rack-bar
and cloth-carrying slides move back and forth, as more fully hereinafter described;
B indicates a rack-bar or carrying slide provided at one edge with a series of teeth
and adapted to travel back and forth in the recess formed by the extension A¹. A
friction guide or pad C, Figure 21, provided with shoulders x, x, is placed between
the rack-bar and the upper slide, the said guido or pad boing of sufficient thickness
to separate the slide from the rack-bar, to allow the shifting device or tumbler to
operate freely. The intermediate teeth of the said rack-bar aro rectangular in
form, while the teeth at each ond are bevelled or triangular; the wider end of the
said rack-bar terminates in a bent lip D, as shown in the various Figures of the
Drawings, for the purpose hereinafter more particularly specified. B1, B2, represent
two cloth-carrying slides which travel in the recess of the extension A', the lower
slide, or slide B², rests on the bottom of the recess, and a friction-guide or pad C¹,
Figure 22, similar to the guide C is placed between the said slides B¹ and B³.
These pads or guides fit loosely, but are kept from moving back and forth with the
slides by the square shoulders x, x, and the object sought in so arranging them as
to fit loosely is that the friction-spring C may transmit its pressure through said
slides and friction-guides to the bottom of the recess, thereby avoiding all looseness
or lost motion. Tho tension of the spring C is regulated by a thumb screw C³;
the rear end of the said spring rests upon the rack-bar B at the rear of the extension A',
and its forward end bears on tho said, rack-bar through an opening in the
top of the said extension. The bed-plate A is formed or provided with a vertical
standard E, which has fulcrummed to its upper end a lever F, provided at one end
with a connection F¹, by means of which it may be attached to the needle-bar of a
sewing machine; at the other end the said lever is provided with a bearing G,
which abuts against the end of the set-screw H, carried in a pivoted link H' secured
to one end of a supplemental lover I, fulcrummed to the standard E by tho pin E¹.'
This lever I carries on its lower arm a double pawl J, provided with a double
cam J' on its upper side, against which is adapted to bear the spring K attached to
the lever I so as to hold the pawl in either of the positions into which it may be
shifted. A plunger acted upon by a short spring may be used in the place of the
spring K if desired. Lindicates a curved trip pivoted to one end of the rack-
bar B; and M, an adjustable curved stop or trip secured to the other end of tho
said rack-bar, the said trip serving to trip the double pawl J at each end of the
stroke of the rack-bar so as to reverse the motion of the same. The rack-bar is
provided at one end on its lower side with a pivoted tumbler or shifting dovice N
(Figures 8b, 8, and 15), which is provided on its upper face with a pin N¹, pro-
jecting through a slot Ó in the rack-bar B; a toothed lever P attached to the said
rack-bar is adapted to engage with the pin N¹ for the purpose of locking the
shifting device or tumbler when desired. The said tumbler or shifting device is
also provided on its under side with a pin or projection N2, which is adapted to
engage with the hooks O¹ and 0%, formed by the slots 03 and O' in the respective
cloth-carrying slides B and B carrying the cloth-carriers B and B', as hereinafter
described. T and U indicate two springs attached to the under sides of the
respective slides B¹ and B', and serving to alternately move the hinged piece or
switch-lever V laterally to bring the spring V₁ attached thereto into engagement
with the pin N² on the shifting device or tumbler N, so as to shift the said tumbler
and cause its pin N² to engage alternately with each cloth-carrying slide B¹ and B²
at the end of the stroke of the rack bar to provide for alternately reciprocating said
slides. The adjustable trip M secured to the rack-bar may be moved back and
forth upon said bar and secured at any part thereon to operate in connection with
the pawl J to trip the same and regulate the movement of the rack-bar. The

page_text: pivoted trip L which serves to reverse the pawl J at the other end of the travel of
the rack-bar B is provided with a long arm L', the end of which has a hook L³,
adapted to engage in connection with a latch L³ the fulcrum-pin J2 of the double
pawl J, and to hold the parts in position so as to cause the rack-bar and cloth-
carrying slides to move together when the lever F is operated, making a series of
short movements, thus causing the device to operate as a gatherer or ruffler instead
of a plaiter.
I will now proceed to describe the reason for the difference in the shape of the
teeth of the rack or carrying slide B. When the double pawl J has brought the
carrying slide B in (that is to say toward the needle as far as its shoulders will
permit it to go) the arm of the double pawl nearest the adjustable stop M (which
has carried the slide in) will bear on the last square tooth toward the front or larger
end of the slide. The needle is then raised, the crimping blades having carried the
fold of cloth under the presser-foot in position to be sewn down. There the fold
--will remain -until after the pawl-is-reversed. This-reversal takes place.on.the.down.
stroke of the needle, and consequently the fold is fastened by the needle before there
is any tendency on the part of the slides to retreat and withdraw the cloth. Should
from any cause the pawl not change its position it will be readily understood that
it will slip over the slanting notches, or in other words, the power of the pawl to
force the slide toward the needle ceases when it engages the last square tooth, and
that is so placed as to ensure the proper position of the crimping blades as aforesaid,
but after the pawl has changed its position it could not move far enough to reach
a square tooth, and consequently strikes the standing portion of the slanting notches
and feeds the carrying slide away from the needle bar. The upper or carrying
slide B may be actuated by an automatic reversible friction-clutch a, of the form
shown in Figures 28 to 31, instead of by the double pawl. This friction-clutch a
-is-preferably-formed-of-steel,-and-is-substantially-of-the-form-shewn in Figure 31
It is provided with two pins b, b, fixed near its narrow end, as shewn, and at a
distance apart a little wider than the thickness of the carrying slide B. A slot c is
also made on the inedian line of the said clutch, and near its larger end. Through
this slot is passed the pin d, provided with a head larger than the slot, and an
extension which is passed through a hole in the lever I, and rivetted thereto. Thus
the clutch is secured to the lever, and may oscillate on the pin d.
The upper edge of the clutch is formed with a double incline e, e, having its apex
on the said median line. A spring K similar to that used in connection with the
double pawl J is attached to the lever I, and bears on one face or the other of the
double inclinc.
The employment of this clutch offers many advantages over the double pawl
herein before described, and is preferable to such pawl, as the rack may thus be
dispensed with, and that part of the carrying slide B which passes through the
extension A' may be made smooth and of uniform width and thickness, as shewn
in Figure 28. Moreover the clutch, since it will bite equally well on any part of
the carrying slide, saves the lost motion consequent on the inability of the double
pawl to move said slide until the pawl is in contact with a tooth of the rack.
The said clutch operates as follows :-
When the parts are in their proper working positions, as shown in Figures 28,
29, and 30 the carrying slide B passes between the pins b, b, of the clutch. The
interval between these pins being somewhat greater than the thickness of the
slide B allows the said slide to pass freely when the clutch is nearly perpendicular,
but when the clutch is inclined to any extent in either direction, as shewn in
Figures 29 and 30, then the pins gripe the slide firmly, and if the clutch moves the
slide must move with it. The clutch may oscillate freely on its pivot d. The
position of the free end of the spring K determines the direction in which the slide
will move, as it does in the case of the double pawl hereinbefore referred to.
Supposing the position of the spring K to be that shewn in Figure 29, as the
lever Frises, carrying the lever I with it, the spring K tends to increase the
inclination of the clutch and jams the slide B between the pins b, b, and the more,

page_text: resistance the slide offers the moro the clutch tends to incline and the firmer its
hold becomes. As the lever continues to move the clutch moves also, and drags tho
slido B in the direction of the arrow. The levers F and I having completed their
ascent then commence to descend. The spring K, since it still bears on the same
side of the inclined upper edge of the clutch, prevents the pins b, b, from griping tho
slido;
thus they slip back over the slide until the movement of the levers is
reversed; then the spring K forces the pins of the clutch to take a fresh hold, and
the slide is moved as before. Theso motions will continue until the lower part of
the clutch a comes in contact with some obstacle which will arrest its motion,
while tho bent lever I continues to move. This trips the friction-clutch; tho
spring K rides over the apex of the doublo incline e, e, and thereafter bears on the
other surface, as shewn in Figure 30. The slido then moves on the down instead
of the up stroke of the lever F, and in the opposito direction, as shown by the arrow
in Figure 30, and this movement continues until the clutch again encounters an
obstacle. The obstacles tripping and reversing the clutch consist of stops or trips L
and M secured to the carrying slide, and substantially the same as those used with
the double pawl, except that the hook on the oxtremity of the swivel stop L is
omitted, the said stop being given the form shewn in Figure 28; then when it is
desired to gather, the wider end L' of the swivel stop L is turned towards the
clutch; thon the heel of the lever I strikes against the stop L' and forces the slide B
in one direction, while the clutch pulls it in the other direction, thus attaining the
samo result as that gained by the hooked stop in combination with the double
pawl. When the clutch has fed the slido into its bearing A¹, until the shoulders of
the slide encounter the said bearing, it is obvious that an accident must result
should the clutch through any mal-arrangement of the trip or stop L not be reversed.
To obviate such an accident a safety notch g, shown in dotted lines in Figure 28,
and in full lines in Figure 30, is employed, and serves the same purpose as tho
sloping teeth of the rack in the carrying slide B when combined with the double
pawl; this notch, it will be observed, is formed by a gradual slopo on one side and
a shoulder on the other. This shoulder must fall on that side of the safety notch
which is nearest the clutch, and the notch itself must be so placed that the pins b, b,
on the clutch will fall into it when the slide has reached the limit of its proper
movement. On the long slope of the notch the slido is too thin for the pins in the
clutch to bite upon it, therefore until the clutch is reversed its pins slide back and
forth in the notch g without affecting the position of the slido, but the moment the
clutch is reversed the pins thereof bite beyond the notch g, where the slide is of
uniform thickness, and clamp and move it. A further advantage is secured by the
said safety notch; for instance, should it be desired to stop the motion of the
slide, that is to say, to throw the attachment out of operation without arresting
the movement of the levers, it is apparent that this may be accomplished by setting
the swivel-stop L so that it will not reverse the clutch. The pins of the clutch will
then slip back and forth in the safety notch without affecting the position of the
slide.
In the modification of my Invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 3ª, the rack-
bar B and the cloth-carrying slides B and B are turned up edgewise and arranged
In this case
in a horizontal position, the rack-bar being between the two slides.
the friction-spring C³ is located on the side of the extension A' instead of on the
-Two
top. The shifting devices in this modification are as follow, that is to say:-
sbifting devices or tumblers N' are pivotted, one on each side of the rack-bar B,
and rest, when idle, on studs N' on the said rack-bar. Two pawls T¹ pivoted to
the opposite sides of the extension A' are adapted by means of the springs U' to
operate in conjunction with the pins n' on the shifting devices or tumblers
alternately, and connect each cloth-carrying slide with the rack-bar, for the
purpose of operating the cloth-carrying slides, as more fully hereinafter described.
These pawls T are curved upwards at their free ends and are provided with
shoulders 3 adapted to engage with the pins n' on the cloth-carrying slides for
preventing said slides from moving outward with the rack-bar under the influence

page_text: of the friction caused by the spring C² when it is desired that the said slides
should remain at rest. The cloth carrying slides with the hooks O¹ and O2 at
their ends act in conjunction with the pins on the shifting devices or tumblers
N', and the pawls T₁, shoulders n³, and studs n' to alternately move the respective
cloth-carrying slides in order to form the folds.
The operation of the shifting devices as shewn in the various Figures is as follows,
that is to say :-
When all the slides are pushed into the recess formed by the extension A¹ of
the bed-plate up to their shoulders (this being the natural position of the slides
when the device is placed upon a sewing machine) the rack-bar B receives motion
from the needle-bar of the machine through the levers F and I and pawl J, and
commences to move away from the needle. The shifting device or tumbler N
pivoted to the rack-bar, and provided with the pin N moves with the said rack-
bar, the pin however moves but a short distance before striking the hooks O' and
..O² of the cloth-carrying-slides.B! and B. This pin. is. represented in Figure 11
as nearly in contact with the hook on the slide B₁, and for convenience I will follow
its movements supposing it to be in contact with that slide, the operation in con-
nection with the slide B being identical. As the pin N continues to move after
striking the hook on the slide B' it carries the said slide with it; thereupon the spring
U is no longer counterbalanced by the spring T which moves out with the slide B²,
but the spring U bearing on the switch-lever V pushes it over into the position
shewn in Figure 18. The rack-bar B after moving out its proper distance
commences to return, and nearly at the cominencement of this return movement
the lip D on the said rack-bar strikes against the end of the cloth-carrying
slide B' which has been drawn out, thus causing the said slide to return with the
said rack-bar. It will be observed (see Figures 9, 10,) that the slots O³ and O* in
--the-ends-of the-cloth-carrying-slides B-and-Bare so formed that the entrances to
the hooks O' and O' are somewhat wider than the diameter of the pin N on the
shifting, device or tumbler N; the said slots O³ and O' are also made sufficiently
deep to allow a little play or looseness between the ends of the cloth-carrying slides
and the lip D on the rack-bar. Thus on the return movement of the rack-bar
when the lip D comes in contact with the end of the cloth-carrying slide B¹ the
pin N2 in the shifting device or tumbler N, which is pivotted to said rack-bar, is
released from engagement in the inner portion of the slot in the cloth-carrying
slide, and said shifting device is then left free, so that its pin may be easily moved
out of the path of the hook O' and into the path of the hook 0%. When the
pin N upon its return comes within reach of the spring V₁ the said spring strikes
this pin so as to tend to force it towards the hook O2. At the same time the bend
in the spring T and the pin c on the slide B¹ causes the switch lever V to assume
the position shewn in Figure 17, and consequently the spring V₁ is bent until the
pin N' is clear of the hook O' when the pin is thrown over into engagement with
the hook O in the cloth-carrying slide B². The said pin N2 then acts on the
slide B² in the same manner as that in which it acted on the slide B', and so the
operation continues. From the above description it will be readily understood
why the slides B' and B² are carried back by the bend or lip D instead of by the
pin N, and that when the upper slide or slide B' acts the cloth folds toward tho
needle, and when the lower slide or slide B² acts the cloth folds away from the
needle, the result of this alternate motion of the two slides and their respective
cloth-carriers being box-plaiting, since it is made up of first a fold in one direction,
and then a fold in the other direction.
If however it should be desired to fold all the plaits in one direction it may be
accomplished by locking the pin N₁, which also locks the shifting tumbler N and
its pin N2 with the toothed or notched lever P when the pin N' is in the end of
the slot O, and as the pin N2 cannot then leave the hook of the slide it is engaged
with, then locked, that slide alone will continue to move out and in while the
other remains at rest.
In plaiting and gathering and ruffling with the fold always in one direction the

page_text: slides B and B and the shifting mechanism may be dispensed with, and the
crimping blades of said slides may be attached to a suitable arm connected directly
to the rack bar-B. This device is shown in Figure 20, and has been found to
answer the purpose very well.
If by accident or otherwise the slide should become pushed in to their shoulders
(see Figure 11), and the pin N be left without both hooks until the return of said
pin, the attachment would be inoperative. To remedy this, it will simply be
necessary to pull out one of the slides B' or B by hand, until the pin No passes the
hook in the slide, and then push the slide back again; or one of the slides may bo
made, as shown in Figure 24, with a hook a made of a separate piece and hinged to
the slide; this hook is held in position by a spring b, so that when the pin N' is
forced back, it will spring the hinged hook aside, until the pin is restored to its
proper position; after the passage of the pin, the spring will force the hinged hook
back again, and the attachment will become operativo.
The combination of three slides, wherein one, the carrying slide, moves con-
tinuously to and fro, transmitting its motion to the two other slides which act
upon the cloth, constitutes one of the principal features of iny Invention. I am
well aware that various devices other than those herein described for actuating the
carrying slide, and of transmitting its motion to the slides which act upon the cloth
may be employed, and I do not limit myself to those herein shown and described.
Having now described my Invention, will proceed to describe its operation.
The cloth to be operated upon is placed between the cloth-carriers, as shown in
Figures 12, 13, and 14. If it should be desired to sew the work down on another
piece of cloth or garment, the cloth or garment is placed below the cloth-carriers,
and the material to be crimped or plaited.
The stops or trips L and M being adjusted as shown in Figure 1 and the pin N¹
in the slot O unlatched, the device is then adapted to box-plaiting (see Figure 14),
since first the cloth-carrying slide B2 will move away from the needle, and then
toward it, forming a plait, as shown in Figure 12, and having formed one plait it
will remain at rest, and the slide B¹ will form a plait, as shewn in Figure 13, and
so on, each cloth carrying slide and its blade or carrier acting alternately the pin N',
in the meantime oscillating from one end of the slot to the other. When the
pin N' is at the end of the slot nearer the cloth-carrier B³, the lower slido B²
will move; and when at the opposite end, the other slide will act, while the lower
slide remains at rest. In case some box-plaits have been formed, and it is desired
to vary them by a succession of single knife or side plaits, all that is necessary to
do this is to lock the pin N¹ at either extremity of the slot O, and according to
the desire of the operator, the forms shewn in Figures 12 and 13 will be produced;
or he may wish to alternate any number of plaits shewn in Figure 12, with any
number shewn in Figure 13, and on unlocking the pin N₁, may again return to
box-plaiting, shewn in Figure 14.
The cloth-carriers move the cloth in the same direction as the feed of the sewing
machine; it is clear then, that if both moved the cloth at the same rate, no fold or
plait at all would result, and the fold or plait is due, and its amplitude is governed
by the excess of the motion given to the cloth by the cloth-carriers over the motion
given it by the feed. Therefore any change in the feed or in the length of the
stitch, will vary the fullness of the fold. Shortening the stitch without other
change in the attachment will make the plait more full, and the width apart of the
plaits less, that is to say, by lengthening the stitch, the machine feeds faster, but as
the attachment does not, the lap in the plait becomes less, and vice versa.
Again, the greater the notion of the lever I controlled by the thumb screw H,
the greater the distance the pawl J will force the cloth-carrying slides to each rise
and fall of the needle, and the greater will be the fold or lap in the plait, thus
the lap in the plait, and in a corresponding measure its width, can be varied
by varying the motion of the lever I through the thumb screw H, and also by
varying the length of the stitch without interfering with the stop or trip M, but

page_text: a corresponding change in Down the stitch and thumb Screw will not alter the tap
of the plait.
In adjusting the attachment the best practical direction is to adjust it by
actual trial on a waste pieco of cloth, remembering that increasing the distanco
travelled by the slide, and diminishing the length of the stitch of the machine,
and the amount of lost motion by the thumb-screw H, will increase the width of
the plait.
In changing from plaiting to ruffling, the pivotal trip L is swung around, and
the hook is hooked over the fulcrum pin J2, the latch L³ being used to lock the
hook upon the fulcrum-pin J². The double pawl J remaining idle, the rack-bar is
no longer operated by it, but the rack-bar is moved back and forth by the fulcrum
pin J striking in its movement against the hook L of the pivotal trip L and
the latch L³, the said pivotal trip being attached to the said rack-bar.
--The-attachment is thus made to ruffle, the width of the ruffle being increased
by taking up more or less of the lost motion between the levers F and I-by
regulating the thumb-screw H.
If in the meantime it is desired to do plain sewing it is not necessary to remove
the attachment, but simply to throw it out of connection with the sewing machine,
this being accomplished in two ways, namely, the swivel stop L is set at right
angles to the rack-bar B, and the pawl having fed the said rack-bar in until its
shoulders bear against the extension A¹ it cannot reverse, and therefore slips back
and forth over the slanting notches or teeth, as the actuating levers oscillate with
the rise and fall of the needle-bar without moving the slides at all, or the link H'
carrying the thumb-screw H may be turned downward over the end of lever F, so
that the short arm of the said lever no longer strikes the screw H in its oscillating
-movements; I-prefer, however, the former method.
In the modification of my improved device, shown in Figures 3 and 3, the
operation is as follows :—
When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 3, with one of the pawls T¹
resting on the pin n³ of one of the shifting devices or tumblers and disengaged from
the pin on the cloth-carrying slide B², and the other pawl is in the position
shewn in Figure 3a, the said slide B2 will be free to be moved outward with the
rack-bar B to the position shewn in Figure 3. It will be observed that the inner
portion of the slots 03 and O' of the cloth-carrying slides in this modification form
an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of said cloth-carrying slides, thereby
making an incline; it will also be seen that the extreme ends of the cloth-carrying
slides or outer portion of the hooks formed thereon are provided with a similar
incline. The purpose of these inclines will presently appear.
When the rack-bar has completed its outward movement and begins to return
the friction between said rack-bar and the cloth-carrying slide B2, induced by the
spring C, will cause the pin n² on the shifting device N to mount the incline at
the inner portion of the-slot, thereby raising the pin n² out of its hook in the cloth-
carrying slide and to the top of the slot; it is held in this position until after it has
passed the end of the pawl T', which will hold it out of engagement with its hook
when the rack-bar moves outward again. In the meantime the pin n² on the
shifting device N on the opposite side of the rack-bar will be in the position shown
in Figure 3ª, and as the rack-bar moves inward the said pin will ride up the incline
on the outer portion of the hook of the cloth-carrying slide thus being raised so
that it may fall into said hook; in so doing it will strike the under side of the
pawl T, raising the said pawl from its engagement with the pin n on the cloth-
carrying slide B', thus leaving said slide free to be moved outward with the said
rack-bar at the next outward movement of the latter. By repeating these
operations the cloth-carrying slide will be operated alternately, thus forming
box-plaiting, such as is shewn by Figure 14.
If it is desired to move both of the cloth-carrying slides inward and outward
simultaneously instead of alternately, it will only be necessary for the operator to

page_text: place both pawls T¹, in the position shown in Figure 3; this may be dono by
simply drawing out the rack-bar slightly, and raising that one of the pawls T,
which is in the position shewn in the Figure 3a, by the finger, so that on returning
the rack-bar to the position shewn in Figure 3 both pawls will rest on the pins n³
of the shifting dovico N. When the device is so arranged both cloth-carrying
slides will move out and in simultaneously, and then both will remain at rest, the
rack-bar making the alternate "round trips" alone.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to mo by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,―
First. In a gathering and plaiting attachment a bed-plate adapted to be secured
to the cloth-plate of a sowing machino, tho said bed-plate being provided with an
extension forming a recess, in which a rack-bar or slide, and cloth-carrying slides,
may be reciprocated, and a standard serving as a support for the actuating levers
and double pawl, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specifiod.
Second. In combination with the actuating levers, one of which is adapted to
be attached to the needle-bar of a sewing machino, and to engage with the other,
the double pawl having reversely inclined bearing surfaces, and the spring K,
adapted to bear against either of these surfaces of the said pawl, for the purpose of
holding the pawl in position to operate in either direction a rack-bar provided
with a series of teoth, some of which are rectangular and others triangular, and
sloping toward each other, substantially as above set forth.
Third. In a gathering and plaiting attachment for a sewing machine a rack-bar
having a series of teeth, the intermediate ones of which are rectangular in form,
and the teeth at one or both ends triangular in form, whereby the bar is adapted
to be operated by a suitable pawl in either direction for a portion of its length,
and in one direction only for the other portions of its length, substantially as above
set forth.
Fourth. In a plaiting attachment for a sowing machine the combination of three
slides, wherein one slide is moved continuously back and forth by any suitable
incchanism, and transmits its motion by any appropriate device alternately first to
one and then to the other, or simultaneously to both, or continuously to cither of
the slides, acting directly on the cloth to be operated on, for the purposo specified.
Fifth. The combination with the bed-plate and its extension A' of the rack-bar
and cloth-carrying slides, the friction-spring adapted to bear on the said rack-bar,
and the loose friction guides or pads, one of which is located between the rack-bar
and the upper slide, and the other between the upper and the lower slides, whereby
the pressure of the said spring inay be transmitted through the said rack-bar,
guides, and slides, to the bottom of the recess of the extension A', substantially as
above set forth.
Sixth. In a gathering and plaiting attachment for a sewing machine tho combi-
nation of the rack-bar provided with a series of teeth, rectangular in the middle of
the said bar, and inclined in opposite directions at the opposite ends of the rack-
for the double pawl, mechanism for operating the said pawl, and devices connected
to and moving with the said rack-bar for tripping the said pawl, whereby tho
said pawl will slip and be prevented from feeding the rack-bar beyond a certain
point in one direction, and upon being reversed will move the same in an opposite
direction, substantially as above set forth.
Seventh. In combination with the rack-bar having a series of teeth, the inter-
mediate ones of which are rectangular in form, and those at its extremities are
triangular or sloping towards each other, and mechanism for imparting motion to
the same, the pivotal trip L adapted to trip the pawl to reverse the motion of the
rack bar, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Eighth. In combination with the rack-bar the lever carrying the double pawl,
and the fulcrum pin of the said pawl, the pivoted trip L, the longer arm of which
is provided with a hook adapted to engage the fulcrum-pin of the double pawl,

page_text: whereby the attachment may be made to ruffle or gather as desired, substantially
. as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Ninth. The combination with the rack-bar, and mechanism for reciprocating the.
said rack-bar, of the cloth-carrying slides provided with engaging hooks, the shifting
device or tumbler N pivoted to the rack bar, and provided with the pin N³, the
switch lever V, and its spring V₁, and the auxiliary springs T, U, whereby the
tumbler is shifted, so that its pin N³ may be alternately engaged by the hooks
of the respective slides, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Tenth. In combination with the cloth-carrying slide and the rack-bar having
the shifting device or tumbler provided with the pin N2, a yielding hook secured
to the end of the said slide, whereby the said pin N³ may be restored to its proper
position, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Eleventh.-In-an-attachment-to-sewing machines the toothed lever P in com-
bination with the shifting device or tumbler having the pin N' and the rack-bar,
whereby the pin on the tumbler is adapted to be locked by said latch, and the
tumbler prevented from oscillating, substantially as above set forth.
Twelfth. In a plaiting attachment for a sewing machine a carrying slide in
combination with a shifting dovice or tumbler hinged thereto, whereby through
oscillations of said shifting device, the carrying slide is locked alternately with and
transmits its motion alternately to the slides, acting directly on the cloth to be
operated upon, substantially as above set forth.
Thirteeuth. In an attachment for a sewing machine the combination of an
oscillating lever, a spring, and a friction-clutch provided with clamping pins at its
lower extremity, and having its upper edge terminating in a double incline with a
-slide-or-bar-adapted-to-receive-from-the-said-clutch-a-reciprocating_motion_for_the_
purpose of operating the said attachment.
Fourteenth. The combination of the oscillating lever, the spring, the friction
clutch provided with clamping pins near its lower extremity, and having its
upper edg terminating in a double incline, and the slide or bar provided with
a safety notch or notches, substantially as above described and as shewn in the
Drawings.
Fifteenth. The combination of the oscillating lever, the spring, the friction-clutch
provided with clamping pins near its lower extremity, and having its upper edge
terminating in a double incline, the slide or bar, and the trip or trips attached to
said bar for the purpose of tripping and reversing the said friction-clutch, sub-
stantially as above described and as shewn in the Drawings.
Sixteenth. In a plaiting attachment for a sewing machine a rack-bar having
a shifting device or tumbler provided with pins n² hinged to each side thereof,
in combination with the cloth carrying slides having the hooks O' and 0%, and
the pawls or latches T", substantially as above described and as shown in the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand night hand