IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PLATTING OR BRAIDING STRAW, GRASS, AND OTHER MATERIALS, PRINCIPALLY DESIGNED TO PRODUCE WHAT IS CALLED OR KNOWN AS TUSCAN OR LEGHORN BRAIDED STRAW FOR HATS AND BONNETS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
Ross, of Woodbridge, in the County of Suffolk, Dissenting Minister, send
greeting.
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 Eleventh day of January, in the eighth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Ross, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Ross, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said John Ross, 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, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in the
Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, an Invention of
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PLATTING OR BRAIDING STRAW, GRASS, AND OTHER
MATERIALS, PRINCIPALLY DESIGNED TO PRODUCE WHAT IS CALLED OR KNOWN
AS TUSCAN OR LEGHORN BRAIDED STRAW FOR HATS AND BONNETS," being a
communication from a Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said John Ross, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, and to cause the same to be enrolled 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
John Ross, 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 had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thercou (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention, which was communicated to me from abroad, consists in a
peculiar construction of machinery whereby straw or grass, or other similar
substances, may be platted or braided so as to form therewith Tuscan or
Leghorn hats and bonnets, and other similar articles. In the accompanying
Drawings I have shewn several views of the platting or braiding machinery.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the machinery, part of the side framing
being removed the better to shew its construction. Fig. 2 is a plan or bird's-
eye view of the machine complete. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the machine,
looking at it on the opposite side to Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a left-hand end view
of the machine as seen at Figs. 1 and 2. A is the main driving shaft mounted
in bearings on the framing B, B. Motion is communicated to this shaft by a
driving band and pulley at its outer end, and upon its inner end a pinion C is
keyed. This pinion drives a large cog wheel D keyed to a hollow shaft E,
which is supported by a crank axle F mounted on standards, as shewn in the
Drawing. G, is a rim of bevelled teeth attached to or forming part of the
wheel D, and II is a bevelled wheel keyed upon the crank axle F, and corre-
sponding in size with G. These two bevil wheels revolve in opposite directions
by the intermediate pinion I being in gear with both wheels. To the crank
shaft F a crank rod K is attached, which communicates motion to a vertical
central shaft L, upon which is keyed a peculiarly formed bevil wheel M, shewn
detached at Figures 9 & 10, Sheet 2, and causes it to make part of a revo-
lution alternately to the right and left. From this wheel M the motions for
throwing over the straws or grass to form the "platt" are obtained, as will be
presently described. N is a vertical rod supported by brackets from the main
framing, and capable of sliding up and down in its bearings, but provided with
a feather edge to prevent it turning round. To this rod two cross pieces are
fixed, and to each end of the upper cross piece a chain is attached. These
chains are brought under and once over the pullies O and O*, which are
mounted in bearings on the framework. The chains are attached at their

page_text: lower ends to the lower cross piece. P is a connecting rod attached at it's
upper end to the rod N, and at its lower end to the crank Q, which is keyed
on to the horizontal shaft. R, supported in bearings at the bottom framing' of
the machine. Upon, the shaft R. a pinion.S; which gears into the large
vibrating wheel M, is loosely mounted, and upon the boss of the pinion an arm
or driver T rises, and is bent over at right angles, in order that its end shall bo
clasped by a pair of jaws U, U (see the detached views, Figs. 11' and' 12,
Sheet 2). These jaws turn upon pivots on the disc V, which is keyed to
shaft R, and when the jaws clasp the arm or driver T, the disc is made to
revolve along with the pinion S until the upper and thicker part of the jaw U
comes in contact with the stop W, when it is forced inwards, and the driver T
is allowed to escape and pass over that jaw. 1, 1, aro springs to effect the
return of the jaws U and U to their original position.. It will now be seen
that the vibrating movement of the bevil wheel M, which causes the pinion S
to complete almost a whole revolution, will, when the driver T, is clasped by
the jaws, drive the shaft R round half a revolution, and give the crank Qa
proper movement, but when the jaws are forced in by coming in contact with
either of the stops W, the arm T will be released, and the movement of the
shaft and crank. will be stopped.
Having thus explained the means whereby a backward and forward
revolving motion is given to the pullies O and O*, I will proceed to describe
the various parts and their action for feeding the straw, grass, or other sub-
stance to be platted into the machine, after which explanation the application
and use of the before-described movements will be readily understood: . . Upon
the hollow shaft E (see Fig. 4) is a pinion a, which gives motion to
a cog wheel b, mounted on the shaft c; which is in a line with the
main driving shaft A, and has its bearings) in the upper framework.
The outer end of this shaft, see plan view, Fig. 2, is connected by a
crank and connecting. rod d to the feeding plate c, which is capable of sliding
backwards and forwards upon the bed f, supported by arms f, f-projecting
from the framing. The peculiar construction of the feeding plate and bed' will
be better seen by referring to .Sheet 2; in which Fig. 13 is a section, taken
lengthways, of the plate and bed; and Figs. 14 represent thein* in detaclied'
plan and edge views upon a sinaller scale. 7 is a stationary box or hopper
(see Figs: 2 and 5) placed over the feeding plate e, and in it the straw' or grass
to be platted is laid. h is a presser for keeping the straw or grass compact in
the box. The straw, &c. being first well soaked, is laid in the box g, "and' tlio
presser put over it. Motion is then given to the crank rod'd, which 'draws'
back back thic plate e, over the stationary bed f; and the piece e, rising a

page_text: little by means of the uneven under surface of the bed ƒ (see Fig. 13, Sheet 2),
will, as the plate returns, catch a straw in the groove in its end, and shut it in a
cut or groove 2, made across the feeding plate, and thus convey it from under
the box. In order to take the straw from the groove 2, and deliver it into
the machine to be platted, a peculiarly formed wheel i is mounted opposite the
end of the groove, and furnished with forceps, which severally, as they come
under the straw, open and clasp it tightly, and, as the wheel revolves, draw
it out of the groove and deliver it into the machine. The position of this
wheel i will be best seen at Fig. 6, Sheet 1, which is a partial end view of the
machine. It is furnished with four sockets (see Fig. 15, Sheet 2), for holding
a corresponding number of forceps, which are slidden laterally into their places,
and are intended to be pushed out into a corresponding groove in the machine
when holding a straw, and returned to the wheel to fetch another when that
straw is used up by the platting fingers. The wheel i is driven in the following
manner: Upon the shaft c (Figs. 2 and 3) is a cam j, and against this cam
the short end of a lever k, mounted on a bracket from the framework, is
pressed by a spring *. The longer end of this lever is attached to a long
rod 7, which, at its further end, is furnished with a pawle, taking into a ratchet
wheel m, mounted on the vertical shaft n. At the upper end of this shaft is a
mitre wheel o, taking into a similar wheel o*, keyed upon the shaft p, which
forms the axle of the wheel i. It will now be seen that as the increasing
diameter of the cam j is presented to the shorter end of the lever k, the lower
end of that lever will be forced forward, and with it the rod carrying the
pawle, which, taking into the ratchet wheel m, furnished with four teeth (as
shewn in the detached view, Fig. 7), will carry it round a quarter of a revo-
lution, and consequently the mitre wheels o and o*, and the forceps wheel i.
When the smaller diameter of the cam j is presented to the lever r, a retro-
grade movement will be given to the pawle and its rod by the spring k
being allowed to exert itself upon the short end of the lever k. By this means
the forceps q, q, in the wheel i, are severally brought under the straw, which is
deposited, as before explained, in the groove of the plate e; but in coming up
to the straw the jaws of the forceps are parted by a wedge r, with which they
come in contact, and when clear of the wedge they immediately close upon the
straw, draw it out of the groove, and carry it into the machine. To prevent
each movement of the wheel i exceeding a quarter of a revolution, the notched
wheel p', shewn detached at Fig. 8, is keyed on the shaft p, and into its
notches a strong spring p³, attached to the main framing, catches, for the pur-
pose of holding it in that position until the next forward thrust of the rod 1.
The form of the studs to which the forceps are attached will be clearly seen by

page_text: referring to the detached views Figs. 16, Sheet 2. X, X (Figs. 1 and 2), is
a semicircular frame, secured in any convenient manner to the main framing,
and having on certain portions of its concave surface a grooves, corresponding
exactly in size with the sockets in the wheel i. Attached to the vertical
shaft L is a bent arm Y, which vibrates with the wheel M, for the purpose of
pushing the forceps to the extreme ends of the groove S in the framing X, X.
The movement of the finger Y towards the wheel is affected at the time
when that wheel has brought down a forceps with a fresh supply of straw, and
while the socket (holding the forceps) is stationary, in a line with the groove S.
By thus timing the movement of the bent arm Y the forceps just brought
down is pushed out laterally into the groove S by an empty forceps being
driven against it. The place of the forceps charged with a straw is thus filled
up by the empty forceps, which is taken out of the machine upon the next
movement of the wheel i.
It will be seen, on referring to the Drawing, that
a portion of the frame X is cut away, to allow of the revolution of the wheel i
and the shifting movement just explained. There are also other openings in
this framing to allow of the descent of the platting fingers, as will be hereafter
described.
Before proceeding to explain the means by which the forceps just
received into the machine with its supply of straw is removed, to make
room for the one that shall follow upon the next movement of the wheel i, and
bent arm Y, it will be necessary to describe the use of the teeth on the larger
diameter of the vibrating bevilled wheel M (see detached view, Fig. 10),
which communicates motion to other parts of the machine intimately cou-
nected with the platting process. Upon the bottom framing of the machine,
two sets of bearings (see Fig. 1) are fixed, for the purpose of receiving
respectively the crank shafts t, t, to which the connecting rods u, u*, aro
attached. v, v, are shafts, mounted on the top of the framing (immediately
over the crank shafts t, *), and to them the connecting rods are also attached
by the adjustable arms w, w*, which project from their respective shafts u, v,
and are furnished with a cross pin, which fits the sockets in the upper end of
the rods u, u. a, a, are bevilled pinions, attached respectively to loose
collars, supported on the crank shafts t, *; and rising from each of these
collars is an arm or driver 3, similar to that connected with the pinion S,
before described. They are in like manner at intervals clasped by a spring
clip, attached respectively to the discs y, y, upon the shafts t, t*. *,*, are
two pairs of stops for releasing the arms 3 from the clips, as before explained.
The detached view, Fig. 17, Sheet 2, shews the arrangement, on an cnlarged
It will now
scale, for giving a reciprocating motion to the crank shafts t, t*.

page_text: be understood that as the wheel M vibrates, motion is simultaneously commu-
nicated to the pinions, *; and when the armis 3 come between the ends of
the spring clips, the crank shafts to which the discs y, y, are fixed, will be
driven round until the stops,, release the arms 3, by forcing one end of
the clips inwards. A reciprocating motion is thus conveyed through the
rods u,, to the shafts v, v, which motion is given to two fingers, which
assist in performing the platting or braiding operation, as will be hereafter
described.
There are three other movements necessary to the perfect working of the
machine which I will now explain before detailing the movements of the
forceps which bend over and platt the straw, grass, or other material into the
desired form for making bats, bonnets, &c. These movements are intended
first to give a momentary check to the action of the parts which receive their
motion from the bevilled wheel H, while the straw is being fed into the
machine. Second, to cause two peculiarly shaped levers to vibrate and bend
up the straw as it is platted, so as to produce a compact fabric; and, third, to
give motion to a pair of rollers which take hold of the ends of the straws as
they are cut off from the platt, and convey them out of the machine. At
Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and the detached view, Fig. 5, the mode of effecting the
first of these operations (viz.), stopping the parts dependent on the revolution
of the wheel H, will be clearly seen. 4, 4, is a shaft mounted in bearings
on the left-hand end of the framing. This shaft is furnished with two fixed
arms 5, 6, the former of which is jointed by an intermediate piece 7, to a
branching arm 8, mounted loosely on the crank shaft F, which arm carries
the pinion I, and having a cord and weight attached to it at 8*, it has always
a tendency to fall. 9 is a cam keyed on the shaft, and upon this cam the
arm 6 presses. When, therefore, by the revolution of the shaft, the smaller
diameter of the cam 9 is suddenly brought in contact with the arm 6, the
latter falls forward, and with it also the arm 5, and the branching arm 8, with
its pinion I, which will in a measure slide over the teeth of the bevilled
wheels G and I until it arrives at the position shewn in the Drawing. Thus
a momentary check will be given to the crank axle F, the connecting rod K,
and bevilled wheel M, and all the parts receiving motion from that wheel
while the feeding in of the straw is going on. The time for effecting this
suspension of the operating parts will be regulated by the position of the
cam 9 on the shaft. The mode of effecting the "beating-up" motion will be
clearly understood by the following description, reference being had to Figs.
1 and 2, and the detached views, Figs. 18 and 19. Sheet 2. drawn upon an
enlarged scale. Upon the crank shaft F is a cam 10, which is embraced by

page_text: a sliding piece 11. To this sliding piece (the guides of which are fixed on
the main framing, as represented) one end of a rod 12 is jointed, its other
end being connected to a semi-cogwheel 13, mounted on the horizontal work
plate 14, 14, which is placed immediately over the central shaft L, and
supported by a transverse bar affixed to the main framing. 15 and 16 are
two pinions also mounted on the work plate, and gearing into the teeth of the
wheel 13. The axles of these pinions are somewhat lengthened for each to
carry (at its upper end) its respective beaters 17 and 18. These beaters are
furnished on their inner edge with a hooked projection, over which the straw,
when delivered into the machine, is alternately bent as the platting operation
is proceeding. 19 is a bed supported by a standard 20, which is bolted to
the plate 14. This bed, by means of side pieces screwed thereto, forms a
channel for conducting away the platt when made. The inner end of the
channel terminates in a circular head, which has an eye in it to receive the
straws while the platting operation is proceeding. Immediately beneath tho
hook of the beater 18 is a knife 21 (see Figs. 18 and 20, Sheet 2) for cutting
off from the platt at certain periods bits of superfluous straw, which are taken
away by a pair of rollers 22, 22, supported by standards from the plate 1-4.
Rotary motion is communicated to these rollers in the following manner.
Upon the main axle A is a pulley 23, which gives motion to an endless
cord 24 passing round a pulley on the axle of one of the rollers 22, and
each roller being furnished with a pinion gearing into the other, they revolve
together.
I have now described the several movements of the machine for platting or
braiding straw, grass, &c.; it now remains merely to show how the various
motions combined effect the production of platt, which has hitherto been
obtained only by manual labor. a, b, c, d (see the plan view, Fig. 2), are
four fingers mounted on horizontal axles, to which a simultaneous reciprocating
motion is given, as before described. a is mounted on the axle of the pulley o,
6 on that of the pulley o*, c on the shaft v, and d on the shaft v*. These
fingers are intended to take up the forceps, and for that purpose they are
provided at their end with a socket similar to that which holds the forceps in
the wheel i. The fingers c and d are however each capable of taking up two
forceps at one time. The peculiar form of these fingers will be clearly seen
by referring to Sheet 3 of the Drawings. We will now suppose that there
are nine forceps in the groove s, in the position represented at Fig. 2, and
that the feeding wheel i has just brought down a tenth forceps charged with
a straw, the bent arm y will then drive forward that forceps in the direction
of the black arrow, sliding it out of its socket in the wheel i into the position

page_text: Whilst this lateral movement
the position shewn at Fig. 2,
of q', and put an empty forceps in its place.
is being effected the fingers a and b will be in
and the socket of the former will hold the forceps 2', which is slidden into
it as explained. The return motion of the wheel M, which carries the
bent arm Y in the direction of the red arrow, will also raise the finger into
the socket, of which two forceps have previously been slidden, and likewise
depress the finger c (also holding two forceps) which was formerly elevated, and
bring it to the position shewn by dots, at the same time the finger a holding
the forceps g, and the finger b, without a forceps, will pass over to the dotted
position, when the arm y will force the forceps q' out of the socket of the
finger a, and while doing so push another forceps 2 into the socket of the
finger b. While the finger a is thus carrying the forceps g' over to the other
side of the machine, the beater 18 will come forward and close upon the
end of the straw held in that forceps, and press it against the platt. The next
movement will be exactly the reverse of the preceding. The fingers a, b, will
return to their former position, the finger a going empty, and the finger b
carrying the forceps q'; the finger c will then take up two forceps to its ele-
vated position, and the finger d will return the two which it had previously lifted
to the groove s.
At the time that these movements are proceeding the beater
18 will retire, and the beater 17 advance and beat up the platt. It should
be here remarked that, owing to the lateral shiftings of the forceps, the fingers
c and d will lift a fresh forceps with one of the two which were just previously
raised, the other one being pushed in the direction of the arrows, either to be
taken up by the finger b and carried to the opposite side of the machine, or to
be pushed into a socket of the wheel i, and thus conveyed away to be supplied
with a fresh straw. It will now be evident that every fresh straw is first taken
up by the fingers a and thrown over to the other side of the machine; it is then
held up by the finger c to allow of another straw being platted underneath it,
and when brought down the finger & immediately takes it back to its original
side of the machine, where it meets with the finger d, and is again held up and
replaced on the groove s. These movements having been gone through, the
straw is supposed to be used up; the forceps which held it during this time
therefore lets it go, or rather the straw is drawn out by the tension of the
braid, and the empty forceps is finally pushed by the arm Y (which has effected
the shifting of the forceps from finger to finger, as explained) into the wheel i,
to obtain another supply of straw. The end of the straw thus let go will by
its own elasticity spring down, and be caught hold of by the rollers 22, 22, and
the next return of the beater 18 will allow the knife 21, situated under it, to
cut off the end of straw, which is then carried away by the rollers. The platt

page_text: is drawn off from the machine along the channel of the bed 19 by a weight
attached to the end of the platt, or other convenient means.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein shewn, as many modifications might
be readily suggested for obtaining the requisite movements. But I claim
generally the arrangement of machinery for platting and braiding straw, grass,
or other similar material, as above described, with reference to the several
Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, and particularly,―
First, the mode of supplying the straw, grass, &c. when held by forceps
to the machine by a rotating wheel, which is also capable of conveying away
the empty forceps, to be again supplied and returned to the machine.
Second, the form and arrangement of parts above shewn and described, for
throwing the forceps containing the straw, grass, &c. from side to side of the
machine, and holding them up at certain times to allow the platting movements
to proceed; and,
Third, the form and arrangement of beaters for beating up the platt or
braid after every throw of the forceps, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ross, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.