Improvements in Cloth Folding and Measuring Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1898-Accepted, 9th July, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cloth Folding and Measuring Machines.
I, EDWARD HALL, of Worcester, in the County of Worcester and State of
Massachusetts, in the United States of America, 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:
-
My invention relates to improvements in cloth folding and measuring machines
and more especially to machines for folding and measuring cloth of a slippery,
wiry nature, which curls up and does not lay flat at the folds in the operation
of folding and measuring the same, but it is equally applicable for folding and
measuring other kinds of cloth.
As is well known by those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains,
cloth of the above slippery, wiry nature, such as gloria, silk and similar goods,
will not lay flat at the folds, but curls up, one fold over another, so that, after
a number of folds have been laid on the bed or table, quite a high ridge is
formed across each end of the folded cloth.
Owing to this fact, each successive layer of cloth laid, after the first few,
is liable to slip or roll back upon itself, before it is caught and held between
the jaws, and the consequence is that the different folds of cloth are laid in
uneven lengths. The tendency to slip and roll back, as aforesaid, is also aggra-
vated or increased by the friction of the folding blade against the cloth in its
return movement, after carrying each fold forward to the holding-jaws. The
foregoing objection arises, as will be understood, when the cloth is folded on a
bed or table extending close up to the jaws, and upon which the folds of the
cloth are laid in the usual folding and measuring operation.
To overcome said objection is the main purpose of my invention, which I
accomplish by constructing the machine as follows, and as shown in the drawings,
in which,
Fig. 1 represents a side view of so much of a cloth-folding and measuring
machine as is necessary to illustrate my improvements; portions thereof being
broken away to more fully illustrate my said improvements.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, showing a longitudinal section through a part of
the machine at the left-hand end of Fig. 1; the two following figures also
being upon the same enlarged scale.
Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, of part of the mechanism for operating
the movable jaw of the machine, shown also at the left-hand end of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 4 is a plan of the parts shown in said Fig. 3.
Referring to the letters of reference on said drawings, A represents the main
frame of the machine, upon which is mounted the bed or table B that the cloth
is folded upon. In this instance, said table being shown fastened in a level
position and made of the proper length to leave quite a space between the
ends B B thereof and the jaws CD, so that the cloth, when folded thereon
may drop down at the folded ends out of the way, as is shown in the drawings.
The parts marked E F represent the stationary jaws, and G H the movable

page_text: jaws. The latter are elevated and lowered by the action of cams I I¹ through
the levers JK, spring L attached to both springs and adapted to draw the
levers towards each other against their respective cams, crank-levers M N,
pivoted on shafts M¹ and N¹ fitted to turn in stationary bearings 0 0 on frame A,
and connecting rods 1' Q-the rod P connecting lever J with crank-lever M,
and rod Q connecting lever K with crank-lever N, the crank-lever M being
in turn connected with the movable jaw G, while the crank-lever N is connected
with movable jaw H.
The folding-blades R R¹ are mounted in the usual swivel or swinging-frame
consisting of the crank-lever S (mounted and secured on the same shaft T, as
cams II), pivotted rods U, V and W, and swivel bearing ✗; said swivel or
swinging-frame being adapted to be reciprocated forward and back by the action
of its crank-lever S, to alternately insert first one blade R between the jaws EG,
and then the other R between the jaws F H, in the operation of folding the
cloth Y on the bed or table B.
The cams are made of the proper shape, and the other parts so constructed
and timed in practice as to cause the movable jaws to be lowered to release the
previous fold placed therein by the blades, some little time before the blades
reach the jaws, thus giving ample time and opportunity for the fold to drop
down out of the same away from the incoming blade carrying the next fold,
and then quickly ascending again in time to close the jaws immediately after
the blades pass out from between the same, to grip the fold left therein, and
hold it until the proper time for it to be released and allowed to drop down out
of the way, as aforesaid.
One fold is thus gripped in one set of jaws, while the folding-blade is carrying
the cloth over to the other set of jaws, and is returning to insert the next fold
therein, as previously described.
By thus providing for the folded ends of the cloth dropping down away from
the jaws and folding-blade, and hanging from the ends of the bed or table as
shown in the drawings, rather than laying thereon, as usual, each fold may be
measured off accurately and then dropped down out of the way of each succeeding
fold laid, and therefore, when the pile of cloth is laid out flat, after having been
folded and measured, each fold is of exactly the same length, a fact which I
have fully demonstrated in practice; whereas, by the old method heretofore
employed, of folding the cloth on a bed or table extending close up to the
holding-jaws upon which the whole length of each fold is laid, quite a variation
in the lengths of the folds occurs, said variation increasing as the height of the
pile of cloth increases, by laying one fold upon another.
Upon the shaft M¹ of the crank-lever M, is arranged the usual torsion-
spring Me, secured at one end to a bearing M³, fastened to the shaft, and at
its other end adapted to bear upon the top of the crank-lever M4, arranged next
to the crank-lever M, and having a laterally-projecting stud M5 adapted to
bear on the top of said crank-lever M, except where held elevated therefrom
by the foot-treadle Z, which is connected by a rod Z with an arm M on said
crank-lever M. The stud 35 is thus held during the operation of the machine
a little above the lever M (by passing the foot-treadle Z under a shoulder Za
of frame A) for the purpose of permitting a free, upward action of the
levers MN, and the jaws G H with which they connect, so that the spring M²
may force said jaws up tight against the upper jaws to securely hold the cloth-
fold between them at the end of each forward throw of the cams I I¹.
In order to allow of said action of the spring, the levers M N and their jaws
independent of the operating cams and their levers, each lever is slotted at P¹
and Q respectively, where they connect with said levers M N, as is shown in
Figs. 1 and 2.
It will, of course, be understood that only one torsion spring M2 is used, the
action thereof being communicated through the rod N2 from the crank-lever M
to the crank-lever N to operate the jaw H from said spring, as usual.

page_text: The construction and operation of the folding-blades and their supporting and
operating frame, and also the general construction of the holding jaws and their
connections with the torsion spring is somewhat similar to other machines with
which I am familiar; but I am not aware that a direct connection of the con-
necting rods PQ with the crank-levers M N as in this instance, has heretofore
been adopted, or the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the
machine so modified as to allow of a space between the folding-table and jaws
sufficiently to accomplish the result herein specified, viz:-of permitting each
successive fold of cloth as it leaves the jaws to drop down out of the way, so as not
to affect the accurate measurement of the cloth in the folding operation. This
is an important feature, as I am thereby enabled to fold and measure cloth of
the most slippery, wiry nature, with perfect accuracy, a result which has not
heretofore been accomplished with said class of goods, while, at the same time,
the machine is equally applicable for folding and measuring any other desired
kind of goods.
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
I claim is:-
In a cloth-folding and measuring machine, the combination of table B,
frame A, stationary jaws E F, mounted transversely thereon in front and back of
table B, and the movable jaws G H having means for operating them vertically
towards and from said stationary jaws EF, said table being shorter than the
distance between the jaws to leave sufficient space between the ends of said table
and the jaws to permit the folded ends of the cloth to drop down below the level
of the table and hang loose between said table and jaws after each fold is laid,
in the folding and measuring operation, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.