Improvements in Manufacturing Pleatings, Ruchings, Frillings and the like, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Feb., 192-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Manufacturing Pleatings, Ruchings, Frillings and
the like, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, CHARLES GREY HILL, of Arnot Hill, Nottingham, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
According to this invention I fold a strip of fabric backwards and forwards
into a zigzag and I partially pull out the folde lengthways and secure them along
one edge of the zigzag leaving the other edge free the folds along this edge
forming loose loops. By varying the manner in which the folds are made a great
number of different effects may be produced.
I generally secure the edge by putting it between a folded strip or band of
fabric which is fed into the machine through a guide or device similar to the
hemmer of a sewing machine which turns in the two raw edges and also folds the
band longitudinally down the middle. The band thus doubled passes between a
pair of rollers which draw it intermittently through the machine. Between the
entrance to the guide and the nip of the rollers there is a knife or blade which
reciprocates at an angle to the direction in which the doubled band passes through
the machine. This knife works over a table supporting the strip of fabric from
which the zigzag is to be formed the edge of the knife resting upon the fabric and
pressing it onto the table. When the knife advances it carries the line of fabric on
which it rests forward with it forming a fold which it introduces between the
doubled band in the guide and the two together pass to the nip of the rolls and are
held and secured by damp threads fed into the nip of the rollers or otherwise. The
knife in returning slips upon the fabric so that in advancing again it carries in a
second fold between the doubled band and so on. By varying the form of the edge
of the knife and its direction of motion and by varying the speed of the rollers
relatively to that of the knife many different effects may be produced. I sometimes
also give the knife a compound reciprocating motion so that it moves not only
transversely but also parallel to the direction in which the doubled strip passes
through the machine.
I sometimes omit the doubled band and secure the edge of the zigzag by the
damp threads alone or by sewing.
11
T
1001
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Manufacturing Pleatings, Ruchings, Frillings and
the like, and in Apparatus therefor.
1, CHARLES GREY HILL, of Arnot Hill, Nottingham, Manufacturer, 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:-
According to this invention I fold a strip of fabric backwards and forwards into
a zigzag and I partially pull out the folds lengthways and secure them along one
edge of the zigzag leaving the other edge free the folds along this edge forming
loose loops. By varying the manner in which the folds are made a great number
of different effects may be produced.
I generally secure the edge by putting it between a folded strip or band of fabric

page_text: which is fed into the machine through a guide or device similar to the hemmer of
a sewing machine which turns in the two raw edges and also folds the band
longitudinally down the middle. The band thus doubled passes between a pair of
rollers which draw it intermittently through the machine. Between the entrance
to the guide and the nip of the rollers there is a knife or blade which reciprocates
at an angle to the direction in which the doubled band passes through the machine.
This knife works over a table supporting the strip of fabric from which the zigzag
is to be formed the edge of the knife resting upon the fabric and pressing it
onto the table. When the knife advances it carries the line of fabric on which
it rests forward with it forming a fold which it introduces between the doubled
band in the guide and the two together pass to the nip of the rolls and are held
and secured by damp threads fed into the nip of the rollers, or otherwise. The
knife in returning rises above the fabric and in advancing again it carries in a
second fold between the doubled band and so on. By varying the form of the edge
of the knife and its direction of motion and by varying the speed of the rollers
relatively to that of the knife many different effects may be produced. I sometimes
also give the knife a compound reciprocating motion so that it moves not only
transversely but also parallel to the direction in which the doubled strip passes
through the machine.
I sometimes omit the doubled band and secure the edge of the zigzag by the
damp threads alone or by sewing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
A, Figure 1 is a strip of braid, this is folded backwards and forwards upon itself
along the lines A' A', A' A' as shown in edge view in Figure 2 and in front view
at Figure 3. The zig-zags are pulled out in the direction of the folds as shown by
an arrow in Figure 3, the end shown at the right hand side of Figure 2 and lying
at the back of Figure 3 being pulled to the right the end shown at the left hand
side of Figure 2 and at the front of Figure 3 being held stationary. The
folds A' A' along one edge of the zig-zag are secured between a folded strip of
fabric B, leaving the other folds A2 A³ free as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, Fig. 4
being a side elevation, Figure 5 a plan and Figure 6 an under side view of a
completed looped frilling made according to this invention except that in Figure 4
the front portion of the doubled strip B is turned down so as to shew the
folds A' A¹.
In practice as is hereinafter described the making of the folds and the pulling
out of the zig-zag takes place alternately or nearly so.
The distance the strip B overlaps the strip A may be varied at will provided
always that both ends of the loops A² A' are left open.
The upper folds A³ of the zigzag owing to the elasticity of the braid arrange
themselves transversely to the strip of fabric B as is clearly shown in Figure 5.
In place of the folds being made at right angles to the length of the strip A they
may be inclined to it at any angle and in place of being straight they may be
curved or zigzag.
The blade also in place of extending across the whole width of the strip may
only act on one edge as shown in diagram views Figures 7 and 8. In this way
and by changing the nature and especially the elasticity of the strip A and by
varying the width of the zigzag and the amount of longitudinal extension a great
variety of effects may be produced.
Figure 9 is a front elevation, Figure 10 a side elevation and Figure 11 a part
plan of the machine I employ. C is the guide (similar to the hemmer of a sewing
machine) into which the strip B of fabric is fed. In passing through the guide C
the fabric is folded as above described and then passes to the nip of the pressing
rolls D. These pressing rolls have at their ends pinions d d gearing together and
the lower one gearing also with the wheel E to which an intermittent motion of
rotation is given by the clawker ƒ taking into the teeth of ratchet wheel and

page_text: mounted upon the lever F rocked by the rod ¹ of the eccentric upon the shaft G.
By these means the strip B is intermittently fed through the machine.
The strip A is delivered into the guide h and on to table H being fed forward
and at the same time formed into a zigzag by the reciprocating blade J resting
upon the table H. In its rearward movement the blade J is caused to rise off the
fabric A by the compound motions of the rocking lever O pivotted at O' and the
eccentrick. The feed of the strip A takes place alternately or nearly so with that
of the strip B so that the edge of the fold formed by the advance of the blade J is
introduced between the open fold of the double strip B and then immediately
passes to the nip of the pressing rolls D which pull out the zig-zag in the direction
of the folds and secure the edge of every other fold as above described. The
direction of motion of the blade J may be inclined at any angle to the direction of
the feed of the strip B or it may have a compound motion given to it in the manner
illustrated in Figure 9. Here the blade J is mounted on the rod j whose other
end is forked and is bored to receive the double eccentrick on the shaft K the
rod being free to move longitudinally to the latter which is driven by bevel
gearing from the shaft G. L is a rod one end of which is forked to embrace
the shaft G whilst the other end is connected by a ball and socket joint to the
rodj M is a cam upon the shaft G and is a roller on the rod L bearing upon it.
As the cam revolves it causes the rod L to move away from the shaft G and
carry with it the rod ; and after the cam has passed it is brought back again
by the spring N. The result of this arrangement is that whilst the eccentric /
causes the blade J to reciprocate from side to side of Figure 11 the cam M causes
it to reciprocate up and down.
j
Figure 12 is a front elevation, Figure 13 an end elevation and Figure 14 a plan
of the same arrangement but having the pressing rolls D replaced by an ordinary
sewing machine. So far as the parts correspond the same letters are employed
as in Figures 9, 10 and 11.
As will be seen motion is intermittently given to the sewing machine in exactly
the same way as before described in reference to the rolls D.
In order to prevent the sewing machine from turning whilst the blade .J is at
work a disc P having in it a notch p is fixed to the axis of the pinion d and a
bolt Q pivotted at q engages with this notch once in every turn or once for every
two or more turns of the disc P. The bolt Q is moved to and fro by the rod K
one end of which is pivotted to it whilst its other end is slotted to embrace the
shaft G and beyond is bent at right angles to the rod (see Figure 12) to bear
against the cam S. This cam lifts the bolt Q out of the notch p whilst the
spring T tends to draw it back again.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Pleatings, ruchings, frillings and the like consisting of a strip of fabric folded
backwards and forwards upon itself into a zigzag pulled out in the direction of
the folds one edge of the zigzag that is to say every other fold being secured
leaving the other folds free to form loops substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for the manufacture of pleatings, ruchings, frillings and the
like, the combination of a blade or knife caused to reciprocate upon a band of
fabric in such manner as to fold it into a zigzag and feed it forward into the
machine with mechanism for pulling out the zigzag in the direction of the folds
and mechanism for securing one edge of the zigzag substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for the manufacture of pleatings, ruchings, frillings and the like
the combination of mechanism for folding a strip of fabric longitudinally and
feeding it into the machine, with a knife reciprocating upon a second strip of fabric
in such manner as to fold it into a zigzag and thrust one edge of the zigzag
between the fold of the first strip substantially as described.

page_text: 4. Apparatus for the manufacture of pleatings, ruchings, frillings and the like
substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of Fahre 1909
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.