Improvements in Machinery for Doubling and Folding Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Doubling and Folding Textile
Fabrics.
I JOSEPH HACKING RILEY of Elton near Bury in the County of Lancaster, Machine
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to improvements in the construction and in the manner of
using machinery employed for doubling and folding textile fabrics.
After or during the process of finishing or the making up of certain kinds of textile
fabrics they require to be first doubled down the centre lengthwise and subsequently
to be folded or piled in plaits of a certain width for convenience of handling storage
or sale. The first operation is variously known as doubling crisping, creasing, or
rigging and the subsequent operation as folding, plaiting or cuttling and two distinct
machines are commonly employed for these operations which I shall hereinafter refer
to as doubling machines and plaiting machines respectively.
Hitherto it has not been found practicable to pass the doubled fabric direct and
uninterruptedly from the doubling machine to the plaiting machine and it has been
usual to wind the doubled fabric tightly on to a roller from which it is subsequently
unwound by the action of the plaiting machine.
The reason for this break between the operations of doubling and plaiting is that
the fabric is drawn into and passes through the doubling machine with a uniform
velocity whereas owing to the reciprocating motion of the principal working parts of
the plaiting machine the velocity of the fabric is continually varying and consequently
if the fabric is led to the plaiting machine directly from the doubling machine it is
subjected to a continually varying degree of tension and at certain intervals an
amount of slack" is caused which seriously interferes with the operation of
plaiting.
The object of one part of my invention is to permit of the fabric being drawn
immediately from the doubling machine to the plaiting machine by providing
automatic compensating appliances which shall take up any "slack" caused by the
varying velocity at which the fabric is drawn into the plaiting machine and shall
ensure a uniform drag or tension.
For this purpose I use between the doubling machine and the plaiting machine a
bar or roller over or under which the fabric passes and I mount the said roller or bar
in suitable moveable bearings or in guides and by the use of weights, springs, or
similar devices the bar or roller is pressed against the fabric in such a manner as to
take up any "slack" which may be caused by the fabric temporarily entering the
plaiting machine more slowly than it leaves the doubling machine and to yield and
give back the fabric when it is required to compensate for the plaiting machine
drawing in the fabric more quickly than it leaves the doubling machine. The
doubling machine and the plaiting machine may be of the ordinary construction.
I also provide an endless travelling sheet or apron to convey the doubled fabric
from the draw through rollers of the doubling machine to the hereinbefore mentioned
compensating mechanism and in order to readily adjust the mean velocity at which
the fabric is drawn into the plaiting machine to the velocity at which it is
delivered by the doubling machine I so arrange the two machines that the plaiting
machine derives its motion from the doubling machine preferably by means of a
driving strap or belt passing round a conical pulley on each machine, suitable means
such as for instance a strap guide traversed by a screw, being provided for readily
adjusting the position of the driving strap or belt on the pullies, or I may drive the
plaiting machine by means of a friction disc provided with a roll adjustable
radially thereon and deriving motion from the doubling machine.

page_text: The compensating mechanism herein before mentioned is also applicable to plaiting
machines when used alone for the purpose of ensuring a uniform drag or tension on
the fabric which is being plaited, whether such fabric has been previously doubled
or not.
Another part of my said invention relates to the method of mounting the draw
through rollers of doubling machines. Hitherto such rollers have been inserted in
their places, from underneath the part of the framing which carries them and it
has been found inconvenient to remove and replace them when required.
According to this part of my said invention I provide a portion of the frame-
work at each side of the machine with horizontal slots to which access is obtained
through openings in the top of the framing. In order to insert the rollers the
blocks or bearings in which the journals of the rollers revolve are passed through
the apertures in the top of the framing into the horizontal slots in which they are
placed in their proper positions; the vertical apertures are then closed by suitable
caps or covers. Screws springs, wedges, weighted levers or other similar devices
are provided for causing the draw through rollers to exercise the necessary nip
or pressure on the fabric passing between them.
Dated this Fifteenth day of March 1889.
JULIUS ALLMANN & Co.,
70, Deansgate, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Doubling and Folding Textile
Fabrics.
I JOSEPH HACKING RILEY of Elton near 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 in all the figures of which the same letters
refer to the same parts :-
My said invention relates to improvements in the construction and in the manner
of using machinery employed for doubling and folding textile fabrics.
After or during the process of finishing or the making up of certain kinds of textile
fabrics they require to be first doubled down the centre lengthwise and subsequently
to be folded or piled in plaits of a certain width for convenience of handling
storage or sale. The first operation is variously known as doubling crisping
creasing or rigging and the second operation as folding plaiting or cuttling and two
distinct machines are commonly employed for these operations which I shall herein-
after refer to as doubling machines and plaiting machines respectively.
In doubling machines the fabric passes through the machine with a uniform
velocity but owing to the reciprocating motion of the principal parts of the
plaiting machine the velocity of the fabric is continually varying and if the
fabric is passed direct from a doubling machine to a plaiting machine without any
intermediate mechanism it is subject to a continually varying degree of tension
and at certain intervals an amount of "slack" is caused which seriously interferes
with the operation of plaiting.
The object of one part of my said invention is to permit of the fabric being
conveyed immediately from the doubling machine to the plaiting machine by
providing the automatic compensating and guiding appliances hereinafter
described which while leading the fabric from one machine to the other shall take
up any
caused by the varying velocity at which the fabric is drawn into
the plaiting machine and shall ensure a uniform drag or tension.
"slack
33
In order to adjust the mean velocity at which the fabric is drawn through the
doubling machine into the plaiting machine. I so arrange the driving apparatus
connecting the two machines that the plaiting machine derives its motion from the
doubling machine preferably by means of a driving strap or belt passing round
"

page_text: conical pulleys or rollers and suitable means such as a sliding strap guide are
provided for readily adjusting the position of the driving strap or belt on the
conical pullies or rollers, or I may drive the plaiting machine by means of a
friction disc provided with a roll adjustable thereon and deriving motion from the
doubling machine.
Another part of my said invention relates to the method of mounting the draw
through rollers of the doubling machine. Hitherto such rollers have been inserted
in their places from underneath that part of the framing which carries them and
it has been found inconvenient to remove and replace them. According to this
part of my said invention I provide a portion of the framework at each side of the
inachine with horizontal slots to which access is obtained through openings in the top
of the framing. In order to insert the rollers the blocks or bearings in which the
journals of the rollers revolve are passed through the apertures in the top of the
framing into the horizontal slots in which they are placed the vertical apertures are
then closed by suitably shaped caps or covers. Screws springs wedges weighted levers
or other similar devices are provided for causing the draw through rollers to exercise
the necessary nip or pressure on the fabrics passing between them in the usual manner
as is well understood.
In order to more perfectly carry my said invention into practice I combine the
doubling and the plaiting machine into a single machine by the use of a suitably
designed framework and a corresponding disposition of the parts connecting the
machines as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the said drawings A represents a doubling machine which in its
principal features and mode of operation is of the ordinary well known type. The
cloth to be doubled is spread breadthwise on a tapering table a and is drawn upwards
and over the apex b where it is doubled lengthwise down the centre of the piece. A
pair of revolving draw through or nip rollers c c' draw the cloth over the table a and
by their pressure form a permanent crease at the part where the cloth has been
doubled.
1
B is a plaiting machine also of the ordinary well known type consisting essentially.
of a vertically sliding table g, grippers e e and a reciprocating guide piece f. The
cloth is guided backwards and forwards by the guide piece and laid in folds of any
desired width on the table which is depressed as the pile of folded cloth increases in
thickness. The various motions for actuating the guide picce and the parts for raising
and lowering the table (indicated by dotted lines at g¹y may be of the usual kind.
The driving pullies and other usual devices pertaining to the machines A & B are
omitted from the drawing in order to show more clearly the features of my said
invention.
As the doubled cloth leaves the draw-through rollers c c¹ it falls on to an endless
travelling sheet or apron d deriving motion by means of a strap from a convenient
revolving member of the doubling machine by preference from a pulley on the end of
one of the draw-through rollers. The sheet d conveys the doubled cloth upwards
under a roller and over a roller h¹ mounted in a swinging bracket 2 pivoted at h³.
and to which is attached a chain or cord and a weight h³. From the roller h¹ the
cloth passes to the reciprocating guide piece f of the plaiting machine B and is
plaited down on the table g in the usual manner. I provide a guard roller g' to
prevent the cloth coming into contact with the travelling apron d when the reciprocating
guide piece fapproaches thereto.
In one half of each stroke or movement of the guide piece the cloth is drawn more
rapidly than in the other half of such movement and than it is delivered by the draw-
through rollers of the doubling machine. It therefore follows that the roller ₁ over
which the cloth passes will be depressed to allow the necessary quantity of cloth to
pass to the plaiting machine. In like manner when the piece f is performing that
half of its movement during which the cloth is drawn most slowly or less rapidly than
it is being delivered by the doubling machine the roller actuated by the chain or
cord will rise and keep the doubled fabric in a state of uniform tension.
In Fig. 1 are two conical rollers of which derives motion by means of a belt

page_text: from and transmits such motion by means of a belt or gearing to the plaiting
machine B. The conical roller derives motion from a pulley on the end of one of
the draw-through rollers. Fig. 2 is a plan and Fig. 3 is a cross section through y
of Fig. 2 of the aforesaid conical rollers, 3 is a double ended strap fork or guide
capable of being traversed along the conical rollers k¹² by means of a screw h
working in a nut in the block carrying the strap guide, & are guide rods
extending across the machine and through eyes in the block to which the strap guide
is attached for the purpose of guiding the strap guide along the conical rollers.
the end of the screw is a pulley worked by an endless cord or band from the
hand wheel in such a manner that by rotating the hand wheel ¹ the screw k
may be caused to rotate and in this manner the strap guide k³ may be readily moved
by the person in charge of the machine so as to regulate the mean velocity at which
the cloth is drawn forward by the plaiting machine. By this device the speed of the
plaiting machine may be perfectly controlled and regulated to that of the doubling
machine.
.
At
That part of my said invention which relates to the method of inserting the draw-
through rollers is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing. m is a horizontal
slot in which the blocks or bearings m² m² carrying the journals of the draw through
rollers rest. An aperture n is formed in the upper part of the framing of the machine
through which the block m¹ is first passed and then slid along the slot m to its proper
place. The block m² is similarly inserted through the aperture n into the slot m and
a cap or cover n³ is then inserted in the aperture n in order to keep the block m² from
rising. The cap m³ is secured in its place by bolts screws or other suitable means.
It is of course to be understood that a similar horizontal slot with a corresponding
aperture and cap is provided at the other side of the machine.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I make no claim to the doubling machine A
nor to the plaiting machino B considered separately nor do I claim as new the separate
elements composing the combinations of mechanism I employ for guiding and
regulating the tension or speed of the double fabric but having now particularly
described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what 1 claim is
1. The combination in a single machine of a doubling and a plaiting machine
substantially in the manner and with the means of adjustment and regulation and the
method of conveying the cloth from one part of the machine to the other as herein-
before described and shown.
2. In a combined doubling and plaiting machine the combination and arrangement
of the endless apron d the rollers and g₁ and the compensating device h¹², hand-h³
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
3. In a combined doubling and plaiting machine the conical rollers the strap
guide and the traversing screw k for the purpose of accomodating the mean velocity
of the plaiting machine to that of the doubling machine substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown.
4. In a doubling machine the method of inserting the bearing blocks for the
journals; of the draw through rollers through an aperture in the upper part of the
framing into a horizontal slot therein with the means for securing the same in position
as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated this Thirteenth day of December 1889.
JULIUS ALLMANN & Co.,
70, Deansgate, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.