IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RIGGING OR DOUBLING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS, ALSO FOR DOUBLING UP SUCH FABRICS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Heap, of Caldershaw, Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RIGGING
OR DOUBLING TEXTILE AND OTHER FABRICS, ALSO FOR DOUBLING UP SUCH
FABRICS."
Sealed the 14th August 1877, and dated the 20th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Heap at the Office.
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th February 1877.
CHARLES HEAP, of Caldershaw, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RIGGING OR DOUBLING TEXTILE AND OTHER
FABRICS, ALSO FOR DOUBLING UP SUCH FABRICS."
The object of the first part of this Invention is the construction of a simple and
efficient machine for rigging or doubling textile and other frabrics.
In accordance with this Invention I pass the end of the piece of fabric requiring to be
rigged or doubled first round a series of cylindrical rods or bars, thence over a frictional
guiding bar or cone roller, which guides such material over a tension roller mounted
in adjustable bearings over a disc wheel, which constitutes one of the essential
features of my Invention. This disc wheel is mounted in bearings so as to revolve
in the centre of the material and in the direction of its length, so that as such
material is drawn over such disc wheel by means of a pair of drawing rollers
working beneath it at right angles to its axis, such material causes the disc wheel
to revolve by frictional contact, and is thereby creased and folded in the centre, and
is thence carried downwards by the drawing rollers. After passing through the
drawing rollers, such fabric or material may be folded to any desired width by a
folding bar working eccentrically on revolving axes.
When applied to rigging woollen material, I employ one or more revolving
brushes working in opposite directions in contact with one or both sides of the
material, to regulate and smooth any irregularities in the nap.
My improvements in machinery for doubling up textile fabrics consists in the
employment of a series of drawing and adjustable guide rollers, working in con-
junction with a folding or plaiting box. In passing through these rollers, the fabric
is doubled up, and is afterwards folded or plaited to the desired width by being led

page_text: through the folding or plaiting box, to which an oscillating motion is imparted for
the purpose; or such folding may be effected by a folding bar worked eccentrically
from revolving axes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Heap in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th August
1877.
"IM-
CHARLES HEAP, of Caldershaw, Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RIGGING OR DOUBLING TEXTILE AND OTHER
FABRICS, ALSO FOR DOUBLING UP SUCH FABRICS."
The object of this Invention is the construction of a simple and efficient machine
for rigging or doubling textile and other fabrics.
In accordance with this Invention I pass the end of the piece of fabric requiring
to be rigged or doubled first round one or more cylindrical rods or bars, thence
over a frictional guiding bar which guides such material over a tension roller
mounted in adjustable bearings over a disc wheel, which constitutes one of the
essential features of my Invention. This disc wheel is mounted in bearings so as to
revolve in the centre of the material and in the direction of its length, so that as
such material is drawn over such disc wheel by means of a pair of drawing rollers
working beneath it at right angles to its axis, such material causes the disc wheel
to revolve by frictional contact, and is thereby creased and folded in the centre, and
is thence carried downwards by the drawing rollers. After passing through the
drawing rollers, such fabric or material may be folded to any desired width by a
folding bar working eccentrically on revolving axes, or by an ordinary folding or
plaiting box.
When applied to rigging woollen material, I employ one or more revolving
brushes working in opposite directions in contact with one or both sides of the
material, to regulate and smoothen any irregularities in the nap.
And in order that this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and carried
into practical effect, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings illustrative of
my improvements.
Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a front view of a rigging machine constructed
in accordance with this Invention, and drawn to a scale of about one inch to the
foot.
A is the framework of the machine, constructed of iron and bolted together as
illustrated, but the same may be formed of wood or any other suitable material.
B is the disc wheel mounted loosely in bearings C upon the brackets or pedestals D
rising from the table E. F, F, are a pair of drawing rollers working beneath and
at right angles to the disc wheel, and caused to spring together by the application
of a spiral spring G, and thus to ensure a constant and sufficient degree of drag upon
the material passing between them. H is the tension roller, which is capable of
adjustment in position over the disc wheel, by being placed in one or other of the
series of slots I, according to the width of material requiring to be treated. Jis
an intermediate roller, and K and La pair of cylindrical brushes caused to revolve
in opposite directions on either side of the material. M is the driving shaft pro-
vided with fast and loose pulleys N, and communicating motion to the drawing
rollers F by the bevil wheels O; the pulley P serves by means of strap P¹ to give
a revolving motion to the cylindrical brush L, and this brush in its turn by the
crossed strap Q communicates revolving motion in the contrary direction to the
other revolving brush. R is the frictional guiding mechanism, consisting of an
axis S and cylindrical bar T, the latter being secured at the extremity of a pair of
arms U, and thus capable of partially turning round the axis S, and secured by the
spring lever Vin any required position in the slotted quadrant W, according to the
degree of friction required. The friction bar R is further capable of sliding length-

page_text: wise upon its axis or through its bearings, so as to facilitate the guiding of the
material passing round it.
The action of this machine is as follows:-I pass the end of the piece of fabric, as
indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, first round the friction bars T and R, thence
round the brushes L and K over the intermediate roller J and tension roller H, and
then downwards, doubling the same in the centre over the disc wheel B, and finally
in the doubled state through the drawing rollers F, F. The machine is now set in
motion, when the drawing rollers F, F, will draw the material through the machine,
and the same in passing over the disc wheel B (which revolves by the frictional
contact) will be creased and folded in the centre, and in that state will continue to
pass through the drawing rollers; the guiding of the material whilst passing through
the machine being effected by sliding the friction bar R sideways in either direction,
as required. After passing through the drawing rollers the fabric may be folded to
any desired width by a folding bar working eccentrically on revolving axes, or by
passing through any ordinary folding or plaiting box. The revolving brushes K
and L, by revolving on either side of the material, serve in the case of woollen
materials to regulate and smoothen any irregularities in the nap, but these brushes
may be dispensed with for other fabrics.
My improvements in machinery for doubling up or folding four-fold textile
fabrics, consists in the employment of a series of drawing and guide rollers, working
in conjunction with a folding or plaiting box. On passing through these rollers the
fabric is doubled up and is afterwards folded or plaited to the desired width by
being led through the folding or plaiting box; or such folding may be effected by a
folding bar worked eccentrically from revolving axes.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said In-
vention, together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying the
same into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to
the precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions of the various parts of the
mechanism herein-before described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing,
as the same may be considerably varied without departing from the Invention, and
that I claim,
1st. The general arrangement and combination of mechanism, as and for the
purpose herein-before described and illustrated on the accompanying Drawing.
2nd. The disc wheel B in combination with the tension roller H when mounted
and operated, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and illus-
trated on the accompanying Drawing.
3rd. The revolving brushes K and L, and sliding frictional guiding bar R, as
applied to rigging machines for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Heap, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 17th day of August, 1877.
CHARLES HEAP. (L.S.)