IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING AND FLUTING OR CRIMPING
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Walter Alfred Barlow at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th January 1879. A communication
from abroad by Monsieur Le Comte Hugo de Seilern, of Paris, France.
WALTER ALFRED BARLOW, of. 6, St. Paul's Churchyard, London, Patent Agent
and Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING AND
FLUTING OR CRIMPING." A communication from abroad by Monsieur Le Comte
Hugo de Seilern, of Paris, France.
The various machines for plaiting and fluting or crimping hitherto constructed
present great inconveniences, of which the chief are:--
1st. The cylinders are not heated properly, and in consequence the work done is
deficient.
2nd. The machines are constructed so as to be able to produce at the same time
both the operations of plaiting and of fluting or crimping.
3rd. In case the work is not properly done or in case of accident it is not possible
to take it out of the machine quickly enough.
And 4th. The machines are too complicated to be sold cheaply.
The object of this Invention is the construction of machinery or apparatus
wherein these defects are obviated or avoided.
The apparatus consists of a frame fixed on a table carried on feet standards
which carry the cushions or bearings of a crank driving shaft receiving its motion
from pedals or by other power.
The work is effected between two. cylinders of different diameters receiving
rotary motion by means of gearing from an intermediate shaft; a plaiting comb is
mounted across the machine and receives a to and fro motion from a small con-
necting rod and an eccentric pin or stud carried by a disc wheel or plate mounted
on a shaft below the table.
This shaft receives its motion from the crank driving shaft by means of a strap
or a rope placed on two cone pulleys. A small engaging rod allows (when requisite)
the disc wheel shaft to turn without communicating its motion to the said disc
wheel and consequently to the plaiting comb.
The handle of the disc plate can be changed in position in order to augment or
diminish the length of the motion of the comb; besides a series of holes is made in
the inferior rod of the comb in order to allow of the changing the axle of articu-
lation of the eccentric, and consequently modify the length of the motion of the
comb. The axle of the upper "work-cylinder" rests on movable bearings, which
can be raised up immediately by the combined action of a hand wheel and of a
spring.

page_text: The under "work-cylinder is hollow and it communicates on one side with the
upper part of a warming apparatus heated by gas light or in any other way, and
on the other side_with_a_tube or chimney.
In this way the cylinder is a part of the chimney itself, and the flames or burning
gases pass through it and warm its interior exactly like a stove pipe. A small vane
placed-above-the-heating-apparatus_regulates the draught and consequently the
quantity of heat-given-to-the-cylinder.
The upper cylinder is warned from its contact with the under cylinder, but
it can also be heated by the flames-and-burning gases-by-means-of-a-kneed pipe..
The comb above referred to is composed of two lateral tubes, in which are placed
two rods maintained in place by springs; a plate is fixed by screws on the upper
part of these rods, on which are fixed the teeth of the comb. These teeth of the
comb are independent one of the other, and they can be removed for a required
length when the machine is intended to make at the same time the two operations
of plaiting and of fluting or crimping."
In this case it is to be understood that the upper and lower cylinders will have
a smooth surface, corresponding to the teeth of the comb, and a fluted surface
corresponding to the place where the teeth are suppressed for producing the
fluting.
The obliquity of the comb required is determined by means of small slides and
screws, which fix them on the lateral.tubes. As explained, the action of the comb
can be stopped by means of the rod of an engaging piece. The consequence
is that the cylinders will continue to turn, and the stuff will pass without being
plaited and intervals between the plaits will be so obtained. In order to determine
the length of these intervals I graduate the circumference of the fly wheel on the
crank shaft, and a small catch is arranged in connexion with it so as to count the
length. In order to let the comb free and to prevent the stuff from coming with
it on the backward motion the following arrangement has been devised:-On the
shaft below the table is fixed a peg-cam acting on a long lever, having at its end
á slide and a small roller, in contact with which the peg-cam works.
The other end of the lever bears a graduated piece mounted in a slide, which is
intended to raise up at each revolution of the shaft the device carrying the knives
requisite for producing the plaiting.
This motion is combined in such a way as to begin to act when the comb comes
backward, and so to raise it up when the plait is formed.
It gives an excellent result, as the stuff can never come backward along with the
comb.
In order to prevent the plait formed from getting loose they are fixed by
applying on one of their edges a glued thread, which by passing between the
cylinders at the same time as the stuff sticks on it and becomes dryed immediately
on account of the heat of the said cylinders.
The
arrangement-of-this-improvement-is-very-simple. On the central socket of
the frame is fixed a bar which carries at its end a small receiver containing glue;
the bobbin is suspended on a metallic rod soldered to the receiver. The thread
passes through the glue and becomes glued, and then it passes through a small
hole made in a cork in order to take off the exceeding quantity of glue it is
carrying; then it passes between the two cylinders at the same time as and along
with the plaited stuff. As the thread comes from above it avoids the action of
the plaiting comb, and it is brought perfectly straight on the plaited stuff.
A small rake arranged to act upon the upper work-cylinder" is intended to
prevent the stuff from coming up with the cylinder is composed of two pieces or
branches fixed on a bent rod, bearing at their end a small plate of copper and
resting on the upper cylinder.
"
The under cylinder may be dispensed with, and have substituted for it a curved
sheet iron bed in the shape of a reversed U bent in square on its under edge in
order to be fixed on the table of the machine.
In order to allow the plaited stuff to be perfectly free as it comes out from

page_text: between the cylinder and the plate of sheet iron the curve of the U is slightly
flattened so as to obtain a straight way instead of a curved one.
There also may be substituted for the teeth of the comb making the plaits
needles like those employed in net machines, and to separate and cut during the
plaiting of a certain width a strip of stuff, which is afterwards divided in several
parts equal or not. There is fixed at the front part of the machine on the plate
that guides the stuff vertical knife blades, which have rods screwed on the guide in
holes made in a certain number on a line in order to allow the strip of stuff to be
cut at any width requisite.
The stuff to be plaited must be at the commencement of the operation cut with
a pair of scissors according to the width required, and the parts cut are introduced
between the knives and then between the cylinders.
The machine continues to form the plaits, and it cuts at the same time the stuff
on all the width of the piece by the drag from the cylinders.
It is possible by this arrangement to obtain a great economy, because it is
possible to plait a very wide piece of stuff and make of it immediately a certain
number of narrow strips, which would take a long time to plait separately.