IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL PLAITERS FOR PILING CLOTH WHEN IN THE ROPE FORM
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Mather, of the Firm of Mather and Platt, of
Salford Iron Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL PLAITERS FOR PILING CLOTH WHEN IN
THE ROPE FORM."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Mather at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th February 1881.
WILLIAM MATHER, of the Firm of Mather and Platt, of the Salford Iron
Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL
PLAITERS FOR PILING CLOTH WHEN IN THE ROPE FORM."
The object of this Invention is to decrease the labour in bleaching and dyeing
processes by substituting a mechanical plaiter for hand labour, to form piles of cloth
when in the wet state on issuing from machines or vessels on issuing from machines
or vessels after washing or dyeing or other analogous operations.
The cloth to be plaited down is drawn by a revolving drum of suitable length,
driven by a pulley or otherwise through a "pot eye" or guide, and passed through
an oscillating trough or plaiter, which is open at the top and bottom by which it is
plaited down,
In performing my Invention I make use of a quick threaded screw, which may
be driven from the drum shaft working in bearings parallel to the axis of the drum
in which screw a right and a left hand thread are cut, the grooves of the threads
running into each other at either end, the "pot eye" or cloth guide is carried by a
bracket which slides on a guide bar parallel to the screw; fixed or connected to
this bracket is a pin having an elongated head so formed that it works easily in
the threads of the screw.. When the screw revolves it traverses the "pot eye'
continuously backwards and forwards from one end of the thread to the other, as
the right and left hand screw threads are so joined as to form an endless screw,
and the elongated head of the pin causes it to pass smoothly where the threads
intersect each other, and to follow from the right hand to the left hand thread, and
vice versa, at either end of the screw. By this means I communicate automatically
to the fabric a continuous lateral to and fro motion in addition to the oscillating
movement imparted by the plaiter and thus cause a great saving in labour, and
perform the plaiting regularly and efficiently.
The oscillating trough or plaiter is driven from the drum shaft by crank disks
and connecting links or otherwise.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Mather in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th August
1881.
WILLIAM MATHER, of the Firm of Mather and Platt, of the Salford Iron Works,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANICAL
PLAITERS FOR PILING CLOTH WHEN IN THE ROPE FORM.' ".
""
The object of this Invention is to decrease the labour in bleaching and dyeing
processes by substituting a mechanical plaiter for hand labour to form piles of cloth
when in the wet state on issuing from machines or vessels after washing or dyeing
or other analogous operations. The cloth to be plaited down is drawn by a
revolving drum of suitable length, driven by a pulley or otherwise through a "pot
eye" or guide, and passed through an oscillating trough or plaiter which is open at
the top and bottom, by which it is plaited down. In performing my Invention I
make use of a shaft which may be driven from the drum shaft working in bearings
parallel to the axis of the drum, in which shaft a right and a left hand thread are
cut, the grooves of the threads running into each other at either end; the "pot eye
or cloth guide is carried by a bracket which slides on a guide bar parallel to the
screw; fixed or connected to this bracket is a pin having an elongated head so
formed that it works easily in the grooves of the screw. When the screw revolves it
traverses the "pot eye" continuously backwards and forwards from one end of the
screw to the other, as the right and left hand screw threads are so joined as to form
an endless screw, and the elongated head of the pin causes it to pass smoothly where
the threads intersect each other, and to follow from the right hand to the left hand
thread, and vice-versa, at either end of the screw. By this means I communicate
automatically to the fabric a continuous lateral to and fro motion in addition to the
oscillating movement imparted by the plaiter, and thus cause a great saving in
labour, and perform the plaiting regularly and efficiently. The oscillating trough
or plaiter is driven from the drum shaft by crank disks, and connecting links or
otherwise. And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference
being had to the Figures and letters marked thereon.
"
Fig. 1 is an end elevation, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improved
mechanical plaiter. Fig. 3 is a detailed view shewing the "pot eye" and part of
the screw for traversing the same to and fro. The cloth to be plaited down is
marked a; b is the "pot eye;' c is the bracket to which it is attached; d, d, are
guide bars on which the bracket cslides; the bracket also slides on a slotted tube e;
f is a shaft having a right hand and a left hand thread cut in it, running into each
other at each end, thus forming an endless thread; the screw ƒ passes through the
tube e, and a pin g (see Fig. 3) moves in the slot from end to end of the tube c; the
shank of the pin g fits in a recess in the bracket. c, and the elongated head of
the ping works in the groove in the screw f; h is a drum which draws the cloth
through the "pot eye;" i is a pressure roller; j is an oscillating trough; keyed
on the drum shaft is a pulley h¹ driven by a band; at the other end of the
drum shaft is keyed the pinion which communicates motion to the screw f by
the carrier m and spur wheel n; there is an adjustable stud or crank pin on
the wheel n and also on the wheel q at the other end of the screw shaft, which
by the links o communicate an oscillating movement to the trough j. The threads
are cut on the screw f so as to traverse the "pot eye," a distance not greater than
the length of the trough j. When the drum h is set in motion the cloth is drawn
through the "pot eye" and delivered through the trough, the screw is caused to
rotate, and the pin g, and with it the "pot eye," is traversed from one end to the

page_text: Having stated the nature of my Invention and described how the same is to de
performed,
I declare that I claim,-
The quick threaded screw f cut from opposite ends for communicating a self-
reversing traversing motion for the purpose of piling cloth while in the form of a
rope, as herein shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Mather, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
WILLIAM MATHER. (L.S.)