IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FOLDING BROADCLOTH AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex for an
:
.
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FOLDING BROADCLOTH AND
OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS communicated to him from abroad by Edwin
Tatham, Merchant, of New York, United States of Amorica
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd July 1883.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex, " IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR FOLDING BROADCLOTH & OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Edwin Tatham, Merchant of New York, United
States of America,
Heretofore such fabric havo generally been first folded by one distinct operation
then rolled into packages by a separate and distinct operation, whether those have
been executed by hand or by machinery. The cloth so folded is generally uneven
at the selvedges; and as it is rolled into a package, the inner ply or half of the
folded cloth follows and occupies a spiral circumference of less radius than the
outer ply in proportion with the thickness of the fabric; and the surplus length
of the inner ply is necessarily crumpled and doubled upon itself so as to formu
wrinkles, and these become more or less permanent according to the solidity of the
package and the time during which it may remain in that condition. Various
devices have been used to remedy these disadvantages but none have been entirely
satisfactory.
The object of this invention is to combine these two operations so as to diminish
the cost thereof, and at the same time to fold and wrap the fabrics by machinery
which will wrap the inner ply evenly & smoothly upon its bearing and at the
same time shall subject the outer ply of the fold to a tension which shall be only
suflicient to enable it to encircle the diameter made by the inner ply without
stretching the outer ply beyond its own thickness, nor beyond its own elasticity.
The invention consists in providing the folder with a greater number of turning
edges or surfaces for action upon one side of the fold line of the web, than upon

page_text: .
the other side of the same, and winding up the folded fabric with the side having
the greatest tension upon the outer surface of the package.
Also in the combination of the reflected turning edge of the folder, with a
reflexing surface, located at one side of the folding line and operating to cause a
reverse movement in that part of the web, that lies on the corresponding side of
the fold line, prior to its engagement with the reflected turning edge of the
folder.
Also in the combination of a device for folding fabrics lengthwise of the web
and a tractively operating means for drawing the fabric over or through the
folding device, with a frictional dovice to produce a greater longitudinal tension
on one ply of the folded fabric than on the other ply thereof.
Also in providing a folder with a greater friction-surface-to-act-upon-one-side_of_
the fold line of the web than on the other side thereof and so winding up the
folded fabric that the side of greatest tension shall be on the outer spiral circle of
the wrapped package.
Also in a folding device comprising two turning surfaces, the edges of which are
made to incline at different angles from the central or fold line of the folder and of
the web.
Also in a folding device which provides a greater friction surface to act upon
one side of the fold line of the web than on the other side thereof, whether such
device be formed of a folded plato with flat surfaces or of a plate having a spiral
surface or their equivalent.
Also in the combination of a folding device with side guides connected together
with links pivoted in the central line of the receiving table and folder and of the
fold line of the fabric so that the movement of one of said guides shall produco a
like simultaneous movement to the other towards or from said central line.
Also in a spiral folding device constructed as follows:
"
The plate mentioned above is bent in a spiral form, a similar and suitable
difference of angle from the central line of the folder, to its discharging end, being
preserved. Attach it to a receiving table on the same general plan as the flattened
folded plate; and introduce the fabric on each sido of the central line, so that the
two selvedges of the fabric shall meet, and be discharged together, or as otherwise
desired, at the discharging end of the folder. This folder will receive and fold a
fabric upon the same principle as the flat folded plate oxcept that it will discharge
the folded fabric in a cylindrical form. It may be secured upon a machine that
will keep the selvedges together and wrap the folded fabric as desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Herbert John Haddan in the Patent Office on the 2nd January
1884.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR FOLDING BROADCLOTH AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS," a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Edwin Tatham, Merchant, of New York, United
States of America
This invention relates to certain improvements in machinery for folding broad-
cloth and other textile fabrics lengthwise of the web and winding the same into a
smooth and even package.
Heretofore such fabrics have generally been first folded by one distinct operation
and then rolled into packages by a separate and distinct operation, whether these
have been executed by hand or by machinery. The cloth so folded is generally
uneven at the selvedges; and as it is rolled into a package, the inner ply or half of
the folded cloth follows and occupies a spiral circumference of less radius than the
outer ply, in proportion with the thickness of the fabric; and the surplus length of
the inner ply is necessarily crumpled and doubled upon itself, so as to form
wrinkles and these become more or less permanent according to the solidity of the
package and the time during which it may remain in that condition. Various
devices have been used to remedy this disadvantage, but none have been entirely
satisfactory.
The object of this invention is to combine these two operations so as to diminish
the cost thereof, and at the same time to fold and wrap the fabrics by machinery
which will wrap the inner ply evenly and smoothly upon its boaring and at the
same time shall subject the outer ply of the fold to a tension which shall be only
sufficient to enable it to encircle the diameter made by the inner ply, without
stretching the outer ply beyond its own thickness, nor beyond its own elasticity.
This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1, represents a side elevation of the folding machine.
Figure 2, is an end view.
Figure 3. is a plan or top view.

page_text: to the ends of the arms g' g¹ are pivoted the inclined links hh, madle of similar
thin material with the arms g g' and pivoted to the upper surface of the table B
at their central points w.
The arms gg and links pivoted thereto, being made of thin material will not
interfere with the movement of the outspread fabric A, over the top of the table,
and the movement of one of the side guides either towards, or from the centre
line df, of the folder and table will cause the equal and similar movement of the
opposite side guide; thus whatever the width of the web the margins of which
are engaged by the side guides, the longitudinal centre line, or fold line of the
same will coincide with the vertical plane of the line af.
The side guides D_D¹ when connected to each other by means of the inclined
links hh, pivoted to the table, as shown in Fig. 3, will be moved both longitudinally
and laterally in changing their adjustment, but other modifications are hereinafter
described, in which the side guides are made capable of lateral movement only.
Between the table B and the folder C are placed the friction bars E E, which
serve to produce any desired degree of tension upon the fabric. The folder C may
be formed of a plate of sheet metal of sufficient thickness and rigidity. It is
primarily cut out in the form approximately shown in Fig. 4 at a, b, c, d, and
then bent or folded back upon itself from the middle line de which is parallel
with the base line b c, so that the acute angle a, will lie adjacent to the right
angle b as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and leave sufficient space between the adjacent
surfaces of the plate, to allow of the free passage of the web in its folded condition.
The oblique edge ad c of the plate will thus be reflected from the middle point a
toward the angle b, and the reflexing surface in the middle of which is the line de,
will operate for turning a portion of the web at one side of the fold line, in a
direction opposite to its initial movement over the top of the folder, prior to the
completion of the fold. The folder C so formed, is secured to the narrow table F
which forms a continuation of the table B the base bc of the folder plate being.
secured to the upper forward edge of the table F, and the angular portion a, to
the lower side of the same. An additional support may also be secured by means
of the bar i, which serves to connect the folder plate from the point e, to the side
of the upright standard G which supports one end of the packaging mechanism, as
shown in Fig. 3.
The principle on which the lengthwise fold is formed is illustrated in Figs. 8
and 9. Figure shows an outspread web A, passing over the upper surface of a
triangular plate a bc, and around its oblique turning edge a c thence in an out-
spread condition along the underside of the plate, in a direction at a right angle to
the initial direction of the web over the upper surface of the plate. If now the
deflected web A and the forward portion of the deflecting plate a b c be bent or
folded under the rear or base portion of the plate from the line xx which coincides
with the middle line of the deflected web, and of the plate, a lengthwise fold A¹
will be produced in the deflected portion of the web, as shown in Fig. 9.
When the unfolded web in its passage over the folder, reaches the line e d
Fig. 3 and Fig. 9, the ply at the right side of the fold line, is turned under the
plate by the oblique turning edge & c N° 1; and as it continues to the left under
the plate at a right angle from its original course, the ply at the left side of the
fold line is first turned by the reflexing surface N° 2, Fig. 5 and Fig. 3 (formed by
the folder plate at the line e d), which gives it a direction exactly opposite to its
original course over the table, until it reaches the angle formed by the edge of the
plate in the line d a N° 3 Fig. 5 which turns it at a right angle, also to the left,
and there it meets the first described ply of the web, which thus completely folded
passes to the wrapping machine D* and is evenly and neatly wrapped around a
board made to receive it and formed into a package.
It will thus be seen that in a folder of this kind which delivers the folded web
on the left side of the table, the ply of the web on the left side of the fold line
passes over the two turning surfaces, N° 2 and 3; whilst the ply on the right side

page_text: of the fold line, passes over the single turning surface N° 1. The ply upon the left
side thus passes over a greater surface and is subjected to a correspondingly greater
frictional resistance, and greater tension than the ply on the right side of the
fold line. Therefore as the web is thus folded and wrapped with its two plies
under this difference of tension, the ply from N° 1 being next to the board, will
occupy the inner spiral circle under little or no tension, whilst the tension upon
the other ply of the web may be regulated by increase or diminution of surface so
that it shall not be stretched more than shall be necessary to occupy the outer spiral
circle of the wrapped package.
It is found by experience that when in this form of folder, the angles of the
turning edges N° 1 and N° 3 are made alike—say 45 degrees from the central
line df of the folder, which is the fold line of the web-that the difference of
tension exerted upon the two plies of the folding web tends to swerve the central
line of the unfolded web from the contral line aƒ of the folder. To compensate
for this tendency, these folding surfaces are made of different angles; and it is
found that when the angle of N° 1 is made to incline at 45 degrees from the
line df Fig. 8 and the angle N° 3 is made to incline at about 431, degrees from
that line, this tendency is sufficiently compensated.
Further experience may show that different degrees of inclination of these angles
may be desirablo under different circumstances.
The wrapping machine D* Fig. 1 consists of two chucks 0 0¹ made to receive.
a thin board H upon which the folded web is wrapped. These chucks are secured
to short shafts P P¹ which are journalled to upright standards G G. The chuck
shaft P is provided with a driving gear I to which power is transmitted by the
intermediate gear J and the pinion K upon the driving shaft L which is likewise
journalled to the standard G G. The opposite chuck shaft P' is made hollow and
furnished with a screw j which is attached to a hand wheel M so that the chucks
may be readily brought closer or drawn further apart to hold or to release the
board H. The gear N is made to revolve at uniform speed with the gear I by
the intermediate goar Q and the pinion R upon the driving shaft L.
.
A modification of the link movement which connects the opposite side guides of
the receiving table B is shown in Fig. 15 in which C is the folder E E E are
friction bars arranged at the base of the folder and B is the receiving table, in the
opposite edges of which are made the slots pp, adapted to receive the guiding
pins o o made to project from the under surface of the side guides D D¹ and enter
the slots. Connection is made from the ends of the inclined links h h to the sido
guides D D' by means of the pivoted links 9 g, and the movement of one of the
side gudes will produce the like simultaneous movement of the other for the
purpose of guiding the web properly to the folder. Another mode of arranging.
the pivoted links h h to produce the simultaneous movement of the side guides in
opposite directions, is shown in Fig. 16, in which the pivoted links h h, are
connected to the side guides D D' by means of the slots 8 8, which are made in the
side guides D D¹ and also the pins u u, which enter the slots, and are secured in
the ends of the links.
The links h h instead of being pivoted to the top of the table may be readily
made to connect from one side guide to the other by passing under the table.
A modified construction of the folder C is shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 14, in
which the flat bar T Fig 10, having a smooth rounded edge a, c, is bent obliquely
at the line d, so as to form a reflected turning edge a d c, as shown in Fig. 11, and
to the bar so bent is attached the thin sheet metal plate U made in trapezoidal
form and provided with a reflexing surface, made to correspond with the bend of
the bar, at d, as shown in Figs 13 and 14; and with this construction the plate U
will form a continuous surface for the top of the folder, as shown in Fig 12 and
the comparatively open condition of the under side of the folder as shown in
Fig. 13, will facilitate the intitial threading of the same.
A conveniently operated and easily constructed folder, having three turning

page_text: 18 placed the angularly tenecien
which meet to form a right angle at a¹, and which is supported from its off set
extremities r r in a parallel plane sufficiently above the surface of the table, to 5
allow the outspread web to pass under the bar V.
The angular point a' is located in a vertical plane with the middle line of the
table, and above the bar V is placed the bar X which is in like manner supported
in a plane parallel with the table, by means of its off set end t; and so located,
that the turning edge d'e' will lie in a vertical plane with the point of the bar V 1
_and_the_middle_line_of_the_table.
The dotted lines m¹ n¹ represent the opposite margins of a web in its passage
over the surface of the table, under the bar V, and thence over the folder; the
margin n turning upward around the turning edge a cand thenco passing
horizontally, to meet the margin m³, which in like manner turns upward around 1
the turning edge a b¹ and thence horizontally to the turning edge d' c¹ above
and beyond which the folded web may pass horizontally to the packaging
mechanism.
Another form of folder may be made as follows:
The plate represented in Fig. 4. may be bent in a spiral form, a similar and 2
suitable difference of angle from the central line of the folder to its discharging
end being preserved-attach it to a receiving table on the same general plan as
the flattened folded plate; and introduce the fabric on each side of the central
line df, so that the two selvedges of the fabric shall meet, and be discharged
together, or as otherwise desired, at the discharging end of the folder.
This folder will receive and fold a fabric upon the same principle as the flat
folded plate, except that it will discharge the folded fabric in a cylindrical form.
It-may be received upon a machine that will keep the selvedges together and
wrap the folded fabric as desired. This form of folder is represented at Figs. 19,
20 and 21.
As already stated the web is folded with its two plies under different tensions
and the folded web is wrapped around the board E, the ply having the smallest
tension occupying the inner circle while the ply which occupies the outer circle is
sufficiently stretched to embrace the inner ply without producing any wrinkles
and by these means an even and smooth package is produced. At the same time
the finished package can be readily removed from the machine and replaced by a
fresh board to form the next package.
This machine can also be used successfully to form a cylindrical packago and in
this case a roller is substituted for the board H.
CLAIMS.
1. The improvement on the art of folding fabrics lengthwise of the web, and
wrapping the same into a package, which consists in providing a folder with a
greater friction surface to act upon one side of the fold line of the web then on tho
other side thereof, and so winding up the folded fabric that the side of the greatest
tension shall be on the outer spiral circle of the wrapped package, substantially
as described.
2. A folding device consisting of three turners or turning surfaces, that bear on
one side of the fabric and in folding give a greater tension to one ply than to the
other in combination with a winding apparatus placed in such relation towards
the folding device that the difference in the tension of the two plies remains
unchanged during the passage of the folded fabric from the folding device to the
winding apparatus.
3. A folding device consisting of three turning surfaces, two of which operate upon

page_text: the ply on one side of the fold line of the web, and one of which operates upon
the ply on the other side of said fold line, substantially as described.
4. A folding device comprising two turning surfaces, the edges of which are made
to incline at different angles from the central or fold line of the folder and of the
web as shown at d f Fig. 3 substantially as described.
In witness whereof I, the said Herbert John Haddan have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 2nd day of January AD 1884.