PROVED PLAiting or KiLTING MACHINE." AN IM-
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Henry Abbott at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1878.
WILLIAM HENRY ABBOTT, of Harrow, in the County of Middlesex.
PROVED PLAiting or KiLTING MACHINE."
AN IM-
My Invention relates to an improved machine for plaiting or kilting articles or
materials used for trimming or ornamenting ladies' and children's dresses, and for
similar purposes, and consists in a novel combination and arrangement of parts
whereby such machines are rendered more efficient in operation, more simple, and
less costly to manufacture, and generally more convenient than heretofore.
In my improved machine a folding blade or folder is arranged to move to and fro
under a roller and above a flat surface or over another roller, and the said blade or
folder in so moving moves the roller above it, and co-operates with the same to
form the folds and spaces while the roller effects the creasing or compression of the
plaiting or kilting; that is to say, the strip, band, or breadth of material to be
plaited or kilted as it passes under the said blade is caught by the edge of the
latter, and in its forward movement is pushed under the said roller, a fold being
thus formed in the said material. As the blade noves back the fold is retained
and creased or compressed by the said roller, which releases it and allows it to pass
onward as the knife pushes the next fold under the said roller.
For operating the said reciprocating blade or folder I place on a shaft which is
arranged parallel with the said roller two crank discs provided with pins connected
by rods or links with studs or pins at the ends of the said blade or folder.
The blade is jointed to blocks or pieces which slide to and fro in guideways in
the sides of the machine frame. And the said blade by being thus jointed has a
slight vertical or oscillating movement which facilitates its action.
One of the said crank discs is toothed on its periphery, and is geared with a
toothed wheel on the main or driving shaft of the machine. The said discs aro
provided with a series of holes for the reception of the crank studs or pins, so that
the latter can be set nearer to or farther from the centre of the discs for the purpose
of regulating or varying the depth of the folds or plaits; and the connecting roda

page_text: or links are provided with means for varying the length and consequently the
_distance.of the blade from the roller, so that the-blade-may-be-set-to-advance.more_
or less under the said roller to increase or diminish the width of the spaces between
the plaits. To ensure the proper action of the folding and creasing devices it is
necessary that the said roller should be free to rotate in one direction when pushed
by the knife in its forward movement, but should be incapable of turning back-
wards-For-this purpose I provide a ratchet wheel on the end of the said roller,
and arrange a pawl in combination therewith in such a manner that the said pawl
will permit the said ratchet wheel and roller to revolve when the latter is pushed
forward by the-blade-as-the-same-advances-with-the-fold, but will prevent any
backward or reverse movement of the said roller, so that the latter will retain and
crease the fold as the blade moves back.
The said roller is preferably covered with cloth or other suitable substance, which
will prevent the glazing of silk or other materials by the contact of the same with a
metal surface while heated.
The said roller may be mounted in bearings in arms or bars jointed to the sides
of the frame in such a manner as to permit the said roller to have a slight up-and-
down movement to alternately press and release the kilting. This up-and-down
movement may be imparted to the said roller by an eccentric or cam on the main
shaft, or by other suitable means. The front of the machine is preferably provided
with a series of bars or rods to guide and produce tension on the material being
kilted.