IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MEASURING AND FOLDING CLOTH
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McClure, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim,
Ireland, Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
MEASURING AND FOLDING CLOTH."
Sealed the 14th May 1880, and dated the 20th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McClure at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th November 1879.
JOHN MCCLURE, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Manager.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MEASURING AND FOLDING CLOTH."
These improvements consist of a novel arrangement of machinery whereby a
multiplicity of operations in the making up of linen, cotton, and other fabrics for
the market is performed simultaneously, and with a great saving of manual labor.
This is accomplished by a machine being so arranged that the web to bo,operated
upon can be "crisped or opened out of crisp, examined, measured, re-measured,
and rolled or folded, and a record of the measurement and re-measurement taken
by the machine all at the same time, and by one operation.
"
The machine is provided with two measuring rollers, one of which is for
recording the entire length of the web, and the other for checking the measurement
of the first, or for measuring and indicating the fractional parts into which the
web is intended to be cut. The second measuring roller can also be used for
recording the measurement between defects, should such exist, in the web under
operation.
The machine is fed by the web passing above the head and down before the eyes
of the attendant, so as to be readily inspected. After passing round the measuring
rollers the web is carried round other rollers to a "fly" or swing lever by which it
is loosely folded; or the web is conducted by a different passage through the
machine and wound onto a roller formed of a series of bars that can be readily
loosened so as to allow of the web being easily-drawn off, and afterwards flattened
by pressure; or the web can be rolled onto a spindle at pleasure, or be conducted
to another part of the machine where a self acting folding apparatus lays the
cloth in regular folds.
The machine can be driven by the attendant, or power can be applied if
necessary.

page_text: I would remark that in making up goods (linens in particular) it is necessary to
cut the web into sundry pieces, often even lengths from 3 yards long and upwards.
Suppose the webs to be 100 yards long and we want to cut it into 12 yard pieces
(a common occurence) the indicator of the one roller would indicate the 100 yards,
while the second would require to be thrown out of action, and reset every
12 yards.
The rollers themselves will be in constant motion while the machine is at work,
but provision is made for throwing the indicator of either or both rollers out of
motion at pleasure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John McClure in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th May
1880.
JOHN MCCLURE, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Manager.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MEASURING AND FOLDING CLOTH."
These improvements consist of a novel arrangement of machinery, whereby a
multiplicity of operations in the making up of linen, cotton, and other fabrics for
the market is performed simultaneously and with a great saving of manual labour.
The object of the Invention is to enable webs of cloth to be examined, measured,
remeasured, and rolled or folded, and a record of the measurement and remeasure-
ment taken by the machine all at the same time and during one operation.
The nature of this mechanism and the means whereby these various operations
are performed will be understood from the following description, reference being
bad to the Drawing wherein the same Figures and letters of reference always
apply to the same or like parts:-
Fig. 1 shews the machine in side elevation, and Fig. 2 in plan view; Figures 3
and shew on an enlarged scale the measuring parts of the apparatus in side
elevation and plan view; Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, are enlarged views to explain
in detail some of the parts. The machine consists generally of two measuring
rollers a, a¹, carried in suitable framing b. One of these measuring rollers a is used
for registering the entire length of the web under operation, and the other
measuring roller a¹ is for checking the measurements of the first roller a, or for
measuring and indicating the fractional parts into which the web c is intended
to be cut.
These measuring rollers can also be used for recording the distance longitudinally
between defects, should such exist, in the web under operation.
The circumferences of the measuring rollers a, a¹³, are made in an exact ratio to
a yard or other convenient standard, and have on the extremities of their axes
worms a³, a³, which gear into wheels d, d', see Figures 3 and 4. The surfaces of
these wheels d, d, are marked with suitable figures, so that the lengths of the
material passing round the measuring rollers a, a¹, can be easily observed and
registered by the principal attendant.

page_text: In connection with one of these wheels, and preferably with that marked d¹, is a
pointer d, which can be readily set to any figure upon the surface of the wheel
to shew the length of cloth c required to be indicated, and the pointer d³ is so
arranged that when this length of cloth has passed into the machine it will liberate
a spring, which brings a break into action and stops the machine. It is also so
arranged as to warn the attendant by ringing a bell just before stopping, that the
required length has been measured off.
When the machine is in operation the cloth under treatment passes above the
head and down before the eyes of the attendant, as shewn in dotted lines at c, c, in
Fig. 1, so as to admit of ready inspection.
66
If examination and measurement only be required the cloth c after passing
round the measuring rollers a, a¹, is carried round or between other rollers e to a
'fly" or swinging lever e¹ to which an oscillating motion is given by a crank e²
and connecting rod e³, by which means the cloth c is loosely folded upon the
surface of the table or shelf g, which is situate immediately beneath the "fly" e¹.
If the cloth c is required to be examined, measured, and rolled, it is conducted
in a different direction through the machine over guide rods h, which can be altered
in position so as to give the tension requisite to wind the cloth c tightly upon a
spindle i, which is slightly taper to allow of the cloth c being subsequently
drawn off.
For "flat silesia folds' "
a frame k, Figures 5 and 6, may conveniently be employed.
This frame is formed of a series of bars k which are carried at each end by levers
or connecting arms attached to the axis of the roller k. The bars k² are thus
kept parallel with the axis.
On the axis of the roller or frame k is a sliding boss k³, to which are attached
other connecting arms ², similar to those which carry the bars k¹, but closing in
the opposite direction.
When the boss k³ is moved along the axis the bars k¹ will be moved out or in as
the case may be, thus increasing or diminishing the diameter of the frame kat
pleasure.
The bars having been forced outwards from the centre when receiving the
cloth c are drawn inwards towards the centre by moving the sliding boss k³ end-
ways when it is wished to remove the cloth from the frame.
The spindle i, and also the collapsing frame k, are severally carried in sockets or
bearings b¹ in the framing b of the machine.
These bearing sockets 6 can be moved endways so as to allow of the spindle i
or the collapsing frame k being readily put in or removed from the machine.
In case the cloth c is not to be lapped or folded in either of the foregoing styles
means are provided by which the cloth may be conducted underneath the platform f
on which the principal attendant stands to another part of the machine which I
will now describe. It consists of a table m which is held up in position by a
weighted lever n, in such a manner that the table m keeps its horizontal position
no matter where the pressure is applied on its surface.
This is accomplished by suspending the table m at its four corners by chains m¹
which pass over pullies m³, and are all connected through pullies n' with a shaft n*.
On this shaft n³ is fixed a weighted lever n, which acts as a counterbalance to the
table m.
The weighted lever n is placed at such an angle as to maintain in its
descent practically the same tension on all the chains m³, thereby transmitting an
equable upward pressure to the table m.
Upon this table m the cloth c is folded by means of a sliding frame o formed of
two hinged rails o¹ having a blade-like edge to which a backward and forward
parallel sliding motion is given by means of a crank p, and connecting rod pl acting
upon a lever o, which is in connection with the sliding frame o of hinged rails o³.
The rails o' are moved backwards and forwards, and the length of their travel
can be regulated within a certain required range. The cloth o passes between the
hinged rails o¹, and is folded alternately over the edge of one or the other, and at
each end of the traverse the fold of the cloth c is seized hold of by levers or

page_text: clamps which retain their grip of the cloth c, and prevent its being drawn out by
the reverse motion of the rails o'. Thus the cloth c is laid in regular folds upon
the table m, which is held up to the edge of the clamps by means of the counter-
balance weight n. By preference the edges of the rails o' that carry the cloth are
made with indents o³ to correspond with elastic projections on the under surface
of the clamping levers r, so that practically the fold of the cloth is retained by a
series of elastic projections r¹ on the underside of the clamp 7, see Figures 7, 8, 9,
and 10.
The machine can be driven by the attendant either by means of a treadle fi
connected by rods f' to cranks on the driving shaft 8, or by a hand wheel t on a
diagonal shaft t connected by bevil gearing t² to the driving shaft a. Or, if
desired, when doing heavy work power can be applied to the machine by a belt v
acting upon driving pullies v¹ which are made made fast and loose, and so arranged
that the belt by suitable guides vs shall be thoroughly under the control of the
attendant.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
Machinery for Measuring and Folding Cloth," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that while I do not confine
myself to the exact forms or arrangements of mechanism described, I claim under
the above in part recited Letters Patent as my Invention, the combination and
general arrangement of mechanism as described with reference to the Drawing,
whereby it is rendered practicable to perform the operations of inspecting,
measuring, remeasuring, and rolling or folding cloth simultaneously, and sub-
stantially by one operation.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McClure, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
JOHN MCCLURE. (L.S.)