Improvements in Plaiting or Folding Machines for Piece Goods.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Plaiting or Folding Machines for Piece Goods.
I, WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE, of Pendle Street Mill, Nelson, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer and Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Its objects are, to dispense with the second-motion or counter shaft, crank, and
toothed gearing, hitherto employed in plaiting machines, and thus reduce the cost
of manufacture of same; to accelerate the speed at which such machines are usually
run, and thereby increase their efficiency; to obtain greater accuracy and regularity
in the stroke, diminishing the wear and tear of the moving parts, and the consequent
play of slackness; and to lessen the noise of the machine when running.
In order to successfully accomplish these desirable objects, I dispense entirely
with a second-motion or counter-shaft, crank and toothed gearing, and simply employ
the driving-shaft of the machine alone, on to which I mount, at each end, outside
the frame of the machine, a plate-wheel, (driven by means of a strap from a line
shaft or other moving object) having an adjustable stud on one of its faces.
This stud carrys one end of a connecting rod, the other extremity engaging with
a movable stud on the usual pendulum lever on the rocking shaft.
The driving shaft of the machine is also provided at the driving end with a loose
pulley, and at the opposite extremity the plate-wheel is utilized for the brake.
The plate-wheels for driving the machine are larger in diameter than the driving
wheels hitherto used on this class of machine, so as to drive the machine direct, at
the speed required, instead of indirectly, through the medium of a second motion or
counter-shaft.
The large plate-wheel also permits of a wider margin for regulating the stroke of
the pendulum-levers, and gives greater power and control over the working parts of
the machine generally.
The necessity for these improvements has been indicated by the fact that the
conditions under which plaiting machines now work, as a rule, are considerably
changed.
Previously the "cut looking" or examination of the cloth for the purpose of
discovering flaws and blemishes, was done simultaneously with the folding or plaiting
operation, which, of course, necessitated the machine being run at a comparatively
slow speed, compared with what it may be driven at when the "cut looking" is being
done by an experienced band or expert, and the plaiting machine is attended by a
young lad, and may, consequently, be run at a much higher speed than heretofore,
and its efficiency greatly increased.

page_text: Improvements in Plaiting or Folding Machines for Piece Goods.
I, WILLIAM SUTCLIFFE, of Pendle Street Mill, Nelson, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer and Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Its objects are:-
1st. To dispense with the second-motion or counter-shaft, crank, and toothed
.gearing, hitherto employed in plaiting machines, and thus reduce the cost of
manufacture of same.
.
2nd. To accelerate the speed at which such machines are usually run,
increase their efficiency:
and thereby
3rd. To obtain greater accuracy and regularity in the stroke, diminish the wear
and tear of the moving parts, and the consequent play or slackness:
4th. To render the action of the table more efficient, and
5th. To lessen the noise of the machine when running.
The necessity for these improvements has been found by the fact that the
conditions under which plaiting machines have hitherto worked, as a rule, are
considerably changed. Previously, the "cut-looking" or examination of the cloth
for the purpose of discovering flaws and blemishes, was done simultaneously with
the folding or plaiting operation, which, of course, necessitated the machine being
run at a comparatively slow speed, compared with what it may be driven at when
the "cut-looking" is being done, (either before or after the "piece" has left the
plaiting machine), by an experienced hand or expert, and the plaiting machine is
attended by a young lad, and may, consequently, be run at a much higher speed
than heretofore, and its efficiency greatly increased.
The drawing, which forms a part of this specification, is a perspective view of a
plating machine showing my improvements.
In order to successfully accomplish the desirable objects, herein before mentioned,
I dispense entirely with the second-motion or counter-shaft, crank and toothed
gearing hitherto used in plaiting machines, and simply employ the driving-shaft (1)
of the machine, on to which I mount, at each end, outside the frame, a plate-
wheel (2) (driven by means of a strap from a line shaft or other moving object),
having an adjustable stud (3) on one of its faces, which may be so arranged as to
slide in a slot therein, if necessary.
This stud (3) carrys one end of the connecting rod (4), the other extremity
engaging with the movable stud (5) on the usual pendulum- lever (6) on the rocking
shaft (7).
The driving shaft (1) of the machine, is also provided at the driving end with a
loose pulley (8) and at the opposite extremity the plate-wheel (2) is utilized for the
brake.
The plate-wheels (2) for driving the machine are larger in diameter than the
driving wheels hitherto used, on this class of machine, so as to drive the machine
direct, at the speed required instead of indirectly, through the medium of a second
motion or counter-shaft.
These plate-wheels (2) permit of a wider margin for regulating the stroke of the
pendulum levers (6), and give greater power and control over the working parts of
the machine generally.
The usual form of brake-motion may be employed, and be actuated in the wellknown
manner by the stop-rod (9) when stopping or starting the machine..

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1st. The construction of plaiting or folding machines without the counter or
second motion shaft, crank and toothed gearing, hitherto used on such machines.
2nd. In plaiting and folding machines, the combination therewith of all the parts
numbered 1 to 8 inclusive, substantially as specified.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1897.
JOS. T. PEARSON,
Registered Patent Agent, Burnley, Agent for the Applicant.