CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLATTING AND BRAIDING
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANTOINE
PERPIGNA, of Paris, in the Kingdom of France, Advocate, send grecting.
WHEREAS. Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-first day of December, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Antoine Perpigna, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Antoine Perpigna, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Antoine Perpigna, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, an Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLATTING AND BRAIDING," being a communi-
cation from a Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso obliging me, the said Antoine Perpigna, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Antoine Perpigna, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described.
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being

page_text: had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention, as communicated to me, consists in certain improved arrange-
ments and constructions of the parts composing a platting or braiding machine,
whereby the wear and tear now experienced in such machinery will be consider-
ably reduced, less driving power will be required, and an economy in the first
cost of the machine will be effected. It is well known to all persons employed
in the manufacturing of elastic and other braids that not only is great accuracy
required in forming and relatively adjusting the rotary "heads" or tables
which carry round the spindles of the platting or braiding bobbins in notches
provided for their reception, but that, from the constant transference of the
spindles from the notches of one head to those of the other, the heads quickly
become defective at their edges, and require to be replaced with new ones,
and the spindles are worn away at the shoulder, thus adding considerably
to the cost of working the machinery. According to the present Invention
the heads are stationary, and around their periphery a groove is cut to receive
the edge of a horizontal collar attached to the spindle of the platting bobbin.
The plate in which the heads are set is also provided at the edge of its
circular openings with a continuous groove, corresponding in height with those
on the periphery of the heads, and between these two grooves the spindles
of the braiding bobbins are suspended by the collar before mentioned, which
slides in the grooves, and follows a serpentine or other winding course to
perform the braiding operation by the means to be presently explained.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the platting or
braiding machine; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same; and Figure 3
is a plan view of the gearing for driving the platting bobbins and their
spindles; Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the fixed head and the
bobbin carrying the clastic or non-clastic strand which is to form the ground
of the fabric. In this Figure the parts for driving the traversing bobbins
are also shewn. Figure 5 is a plan view of the same. It is obvious that the
width of the fabric will be determined by the number and the diameter of the
strands which form the groundwork for the platt; and as by this Invention
any required width of braiding may be produced, I do not confine myself to
the use of any given number of strands which are to be laid side by side,
although in the machine represented by the Drawing four strands only
are employed; but the action of the parts for forming the four-strand
platt or braid being explained, it will be readily understood how the pro-
duction of a platt of any other number of strands may be effected. A is the
main framing of the machine; B is a horizontal table to which the vertical

page_text: stationary pinions a are bolted (see Figure 2). Each of these spindies a (see
the detached view Figure 4) passes through and supports, by means of a step
or collar at its lower end, a hollow axis b, which is provided with arms-or
projections c at top, and at bottom carries a pinion d. The pinions & form
a train of gearing (see Figure 3), and receive notion from a cog wheel e, the
shaft of which is connected with any first mover. f is a metal plate supported
by the framing a, and furnished with circular openings cut in it to receive the
stationary circular heads 9, which are keyed on to their respective shafts a.
Between these parts ƒ and g a space is left to allow of the traversing
spindles h, h (which are suspended by the sides of the collars i, taking into
the circular and serpentine grooves) to move freely. These spindles, instead
of being tubes, as in the ordinary construction of braiding machines, are
formed as shewn in the detached view Figure 6. The plan or edge of the
collar is ovular in form to allow of its following the course of the grooves
without permitting the independant rotation of the spindle. The upper part
of the spindle is hollow, as in the ordinary construction, and carries the
bobbin j, which holds the silk or other thread, for binding together and cover-
ing the strands which form the base of the fabric. k, k, are the weighted rods
for keeping the thread of the bobbins j, j, in tension while they perform their
revolutions round the strands; and when arrived at a given point in their
course any thread which may have become broken will allow its respective
weight to fall and stop the machine in the manner ordinarily adopted in
machines of this description. The latch for regulating the unwinding of the
bobbin, and the back for guiding the thread being of the same construction
as those generally used, a description thereof will be unnecessary. The upper
part of the fixed spindle a is hollowed out, and in it a tube l is fitted, and is
supported thereby at about the middle of its' length. The tube is pro-
vided with a collar which rests upon the top of the spindle a, and is prevented
from turning by a pin projecting from the spindle and passing through the
collar. The tube l is intended to form the spindle for the bobbin m which
carries the elastic or non-elastic strand, and is placed above the head or table g.
n is a weight suspended in the hollow of the spindle a for the purpose of
holding the strand in tension as it is unwound from the bobbin m. The
several threads and strands of the bobbins are gathered up in the usual way,
and brought to the braiding point of the guiding bar C, attached to the
main framing A. The machine is now ready for operation. Rotary motion
being communicated to the wheels e and d, the hollow axis b-will be caused to
revolve, whereby the arms c will be brought into contact with the spindles h, h,
and push them forward in the grooves. They will thus commence the

page_text: lapping of the thread round the strands of the bobbins m; but in order to
unite or tie one strand with the next adjoining, it is necessary to guide the
spindles h round the next strand. This is effected by the guides o, which are
attached to the plates f in such a manner as to be allowed to rock freely
thereon, but are confined in their movements by stationary pins p, p. The
guides are formed with three arms, (see the plan view, Figure 1), and are
respectively moved by the spindles h as they are forced round by the rotation
of the arms c. By thus causing the spindles to traverse the endless slot
formed by the fixed heads g and the plate f, the bobbins of these spindles
will respectively lap a thread round the stationary strands, and produce the
platted or braided fabric desired. The fabric is kept at an equable tension
by any convenient arrangement of take-up motion, it being drawn off from
the guiding bar by the pulley D.
Having thus described the Invention as communicated to me by my
Correspondent, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the mode, herein-before described, of supporting the spindles of the
traversing bobbins whereby they may take a serpentine or other winding course,
suitable for producing a platt or braid, without being subjected to the injurious
friction consequent on the employment of the rotating heads or tables; and,
Secondly, I claim the mode of driving the traversing spindles, as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Antoine Perpigna, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
Taken and acknowledged by Antoine
Perpigna (party hereto) at Paris,
in the Kingdom of France, the
Eighteenth day of June, One thou-
sand eight hundred and forty-
seven, before me,
L. S.
ANTOINE (L.s.) PERPIGNA.
THOMAS PICKFORD,
Her Britannic Noiesty's Consul at Povis