Improvements in and in Machines for Making Ruffles, Ruchings, and similar Trimmings.
Year: 1891

page_text: Improvements in and in Machines for Making Ruffles, Ruchings,
and similar Trimmings.
I, WILLIAM HENRY HOLEYWELL of 30, Watts Street, in the City, County,
and State of New York, United States of America, Machinist, 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 :-
My invention relates to machines, for making ruffles, ruchings, and similar
trimmings, capable of automatically forming a strip of material fed into the
machine into a ruffle or ruching flat or puffed and providing integral with the body
of the trimming a continuous strip to be utilized for the attachment of a suitable
band.
The invention also comprises the new article of manufacture being a ruffle or
ruching in the form of shell-like puffs or projections emanating at intervals from a
strip or base, as hereafter described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, a portion of the presser-bar being
broken away and the forming bar and presser foot being shewn in section.
Figure 2 is a front end view of the machine.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken practically on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an elevation of one side of the machine.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the opposite side, the finished material being
represented as passing out of the machine, and
Figure 6 is a detail view of the completed ruffling or ruching.
The same letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts in all the
figures.
The frame of the machine consists mainly of two side pieces 10 and 11 usually
provided about centrally of their upper edges with vertical extensions 12 and upon
their lower edges with legs 13. The side pieces are connected at their legs through
the medium of rods 14 or their equivalents and at the extension 12 by a transverse
plate 15 and a second transverse plate 16 parallel with and below the upper one,
the lower plate connecting the sides at their lower edges. About midway of the
height of the sides, between the centres and ends, transverse bars 17 are
permanently located, which transverse bars serve as a support for a longitudinal
bar 18 placed centrally between the sides of the frame, as best shewn in Figures 1
and 3. At or near the ends of the frame, shafts 19 and 20 are respectively
journaled, the one shaft 20 being journaled in adjustable slide blocks 21, shewn in
Figure 4. The other shaft 19 extends beyond both sides of the machine, and has
secured upon one extremity a bevel wheel 22 and near its opposite end a ratchet
wheel 23. Fast upon each shaft 19 and 20, about mid-way between the sides of
the frame is a drum 24 provided with a peripheral groove 25, the drums carrying
an endless chain A of moulding cups or dies, the drums being fluted to correspond
to the shape of the links of the chain which are adapted to engage therewith, as
shewn in Figure 3. The bar 18 serves as a support for the upper member of
the chain between the drums. Each link 26 carries a moulding cup 27 open at the
top and either attached to, or made in one with, the link 26. Ordinarily the
moulding cups are cylindrical and closed at the bottom, but I desire it to be
distinctly understood that their shape in cross-section may be varied, as, for instance,
they may be oval or polygonal and they may be open at both top and bottom, and
the links may likewise be of different form. The links 26 are alternately thick and
thin or double and single, the ends of the latter being pivoted between the
bifurcated or double ends of the former in the manner of a pitch chain. The inner

page_text: surfaces of the moulding cups may be plain or figured in any suitable manner,
preferably the latter configuration. The object of journalling the shaft 20 in
adjustable bearings is to enable the slack of the chain to be taken up when
necessary. Two vertical ironing cylinders 28 and 29 are mounted between the
upper and lower cross plates 15 and 16 one at each side of the endless chain of
dies, each being a hollow cylinder a open at the bottom and closed at the top and
provided at the upper end with a flange a¹ and a spindle a². The ends of the
spindles a which are preferably made integral with the ironing cylinders are
journaled in the upper and lower tie-plates 15 and 16. One iron 28 is incapable
of other than a rotary movement but the other iron 29 is laterally adjustable as its
spindle turns in boxes 30 mounted to slide in the tic-plates 15 and 16 and manipu-
lated by set screws 31 or their equivalents, as shewn in Figures 1 and 5. The
bodies a of. the irons are of sufficient length to extend below and slightly above
the endless chain of dies, that part of the iron bodies above the chain being their
head flanges a' and the flanges of both irons revolve in engagement or in close
proximity. The adjustment of one of the irons is produced in order that their
head flanges may be carried out of engagement, or made to bear with more or
less pressure against one another. The irons are heated, each by a separate
burner, both of which have a common T-shaped air-inlet 31", the burners resting
upon the bottom plate 16 and entering each of the irons at the open bottom portion
thereof. The burners may be supplied with gas, gasoline, or with any other
heating agent capable of such use. Beneath the lower tie-plate 16 the spindles of
the irons are geared together by wheels 32 and 33 (see Figure 2) the latter wheel
gearing with a pinion 34 which in turn gears with a second pinion 35, both of these
pinions being mounted upon pins upon the frame. The pinion 35 gears with a
tooth wheel 36 fast upon the lower end of a vertical shaft 37 journaled in bearings
on the side 11 of the frame. The upper end of this shaft carries a bevel wheel 38
gearing with a similar wheel 39 fixed to the forward end of a horizontal shaft 40
also journaled in bearings upon the side 11 of the frame. The other end of the
shaft 40 carries another bevel wheel 41 gearing with a wheel 22 upon the chain-
driving shaft 19. By this means, the irons have movement only when the chain of
dies moves, the connection between the driving shaft 19 and the irons, as described
and shewn, being that preferred although I do not confine myself to such an
arrangement. The main driving shaft 42 extends transversely of the frame near
the front of the machine below the endless chain of die-links and is journaled in
the sides of the frame. It is rotated either by power or by hand and at the side 10
of the frame has fixed upon it a disc 43, carrying a wrist pin 44 on which the
forward end of a connecting rod 45 is journaled, the other end being connected in
like manner with a pin 46 capable of radial adjustment in a slot 47 in a crank-
arm 48 loosely mounted upon the drum shaft 19, outside of which the ratchet
wheel 23 is fixed. The crank arm carries a spring-pressed pawl 49 which engages
with a ratchet wheel 23 (as shewn in Figure 5) and by which an intermittent
motion is imparted to the shaft 19 and consequently to the chain of moulds. At
the front of the machine above the chain of dies A a table 50 is fixed and extends
preferably beyond the forward end of the frame and is supported by brackets 51,
attached to the forward cross-bar 17, as shewn in Figure 2. The inner end of
the table is made to conform substantially to the contour of the irons below their
head flanges, and at the central portion of the table in its inner or rear end a
longitudinal opening 52 is made of slightly greater width than the diameter of
bodies 27 of the dies. The table is provided at either side of the opening 52 with
a vertical guard 53, (see Figure 1) each extending upwards about flush with the tops
of the irons and each being provided with an aperture for the passage of threads,
as hereinafter described and as shewn in Figure 1. It is preferable that the upper
ends of the dies, when they present themselves at the opening 52 in the table,
should be practically flush with the upper face of the latter and to that end a
longitudinal groove 54 is made in the central under portion of the table, in which
groove the dies enter as they ascend. Bearings 55 are located upon the sides 10

page_text: and 11 of the frame, near their forward ends, in which bearings a feed shaft 56 18
mounted. The feed shaft carries a series of feed wheels 57 fixed upon it, and
spaced a slight distance apart. These feed wheels are serrated and feed the
material to be converted int ruching or ruffling at a proper rate of speed. The
feed shaft 56 has direct movement from the arm 48 on the shaft 19 and moves in
unison therewith, the connection between the two being effected in the following
manner: The feed shaft 56 projects some little distance beyond the side 10 of the
machine and has fastened on it a ratchet wheel 58 and, preferably between said
wheel and the contiguous bearing 55, a crank arm 59 is loosely mounted upon the
feed shaft and having at its upper end a longitudinal slot 60 and a spring-pressed
pawl 61, as shewn in Figure 5. The forward end of a connecting rod 62 has a
radially-adjustable connection with the crank arm 59 effected through the medium
of a pin 63 secured in the slot 60 and passing through the connecting rod, which
rear end is pivotally connected with the crank arm 48 through the medium of the
pin 46 (shewn in Figures 1 and 5) by which the feed shaft will have movement
only when the chain of dies and the irons are in motion. Upon the table 50 and
in front of the feed shaft 56, a yoke 64 is erected upon the outer face of which is a
slide-way 65 in which a block 66 is capable of vertical movement only, effected by
a screw 67 swivelling in the upper face of the block and screwing through a lug 68
on the top of the yoke. The block 66 is also provided with a set-screw 69 to hold
it in place after it has been adjusted. The block carries a series of presser
arms 70, which extend downward in front of, and through the spaces between
the feed wheels some distance along the table, rearward of the wheels (see
Figures 1 and 3). On each side piece 10 and 11 a standard 71 is erected and
provided with a vertical slide 72 in each of which a block 73 slides, said blocks
having secured to them downwardly-projecting slide-bars 74 moving between
guides 75 upon the outer faces of the frame. Springs 76 are placed between
the blocks 73 on the one hand and the caps of the slide 72 on the other hand
and serve to force the blocks quickly downward, as hereafter described. The
blocks 73 are raised by cams 77, one being secured upon each extremity of the
shaft 42. The cams, as shewn in Figure 4, have the major portion of their
peripheries of volute form, the remainder being concentric, a step 77 being
produced. The action of the cains on the slide bars 74 is effected through friction
rollers 78 located at the lower ends of the bars and resting on the peripheries
of the cams, as shewn in Figures 1 and 4, so that while the rollers travel upon
the volute faces of the cams the blocks will be raised and held elevated by the
concentric portion, but as soon as the step 77" is reached the rollers 78 and the
blocks 73 will quickly drop downwards, assisted by the springs 76. The blocks 73
form a portion of a shaping head B, the remainder of which consists of a trans-
verse bar 79 secured to the inner arms of the blocks, as shewn in Figure 1, and a
second parallel and shorter bar 80 held a slight distance to the rear by means of
studs 81. A shaping bar or plunger 82 is adjustably held in a socket 83 situated
on the front face of the bar 80 directly over the endless chain of dies and also
over the opening 52 in the table. On the rear face of said bar a cylinder 84 is
secured preferably near its lower end and through which a presser bar 85 passes,
provided with a collar 86 having a pin 87 extending through a slot 88 in the
cylinder, as shewn in Figure 3. Above the collar, the presser bar is surrounded by
a spring 89 which normally forces it downwards and at its lower end the presser
bar has a presser foot 90 which is horizontal and adapted to engage longitudinally
with the upper ends of the endless chain of dies. At its forward end, upon its
under face, the presser foot has a knob 91 corresponding in shape to the cross-
sectional contour of the dies, so as when the presser foot is forced downward the
knob 91 will enter the body of one of the moulds, while the remaining portion of
the foot has a bearing upon the tops of the moulds at the rear of the one entered.
Both the shaping bar or rod 82 and the presser foot descend at the same moment,
but the shaping bar is elevated in advance of the presser bar and the
foot
presser
is not removed from the chain of moulds until the shaping bar has passed out of

page_text: the mould in which it had been previously forced. Immediately in front of the
presser bar, the upper tie-plate 15 is recessed to disclose, to the operator, the dies
or moulds of the chain as they are presented at the opening 52 in the table and
which are being operated upon. At the rear central portion of the upper tie-
plate 15 a box 92 is located, containing adhesive material, in which a block of
absorbent material is located or a roller 93 is journaled, and a second roller 94 or
a round bar is placed at the front upper side of the box, as shewn in Figure 3.
Angle-irons 95 and 96 are fixed on opposite sides of the frame, upon the horizontal
members of each of which two spools 97 are placed, containing thread 98 carried
beneath the roller 93 in the box containing adhesive material and upward from
the box over roller or bar 94 from whence the threads are passed forwardly
through the apertures, heretofore alluded to, in the guards 53 upon the table, as
shewn in Figure 1, and thence rearwardly in engagement with the head flanges of
the irons and out therefrom. In order that the trimming or ruching when finished
may not cling to the irons, curved guards 99 project from the sides of the machine
at the rear of the irons in the direction of the centre and bear against the heads of
the irons.
With reference to the operation, the position of the parts in the accompanying
drawings represents the presser foot and plunger as elevated free from the chain
of moulds or dies, the crank arm 59 of the feed shaft being vertical and the corre-
sponding arm 48 of the drum or chain shaft being forwardly inclined. The material
to be operated upon is mull, crêpelisse, tulle, silk, or other fabric (which may have
been previously fluted or crimped). It is fed to the feed wheels between guides
upon the table. For the purpose of illustration, I will assume that one ornament
or member of the trimming has been formed. At the further revolution of the
main driving shaft, the rollers 78 of the shaping head will be bearing upon the
concentric portion of the cams 77 and will thereby maintain the head in an elevated
position. At the same time the main driving shaft, through the medium of the
connecting rods 45 and 62 will have revolved the feed shaft and driving drum or
chain shaft through the medium of their respective ratchets and pawls and the
material to be operated upon will be fed forward by the feed wheels when the chain
of moulds will be moved forward a distance equal to the pitch of the link moulds
and the irons will be revolved and will press the threads 98 which pass in contact
with opposite sides of the flattened section or strip D above the formed pattern of
the trimming and will iron said strip flat and hold it in that position by forcing the
gummed threads into or upon it and simultaneously drying them. The moment
that this is accomplished, the cams 77 will have revolved a sufficient distance to
present the step 77" to the rollers 78 of the shaping head which will thereupon drop
downwards. During this movement of the shaping head, the crank arms 59 and 48
will be moving backward idle, the chain of dies or moulds being stationary. When
the shaping head is down, the knob 91 upon the presser foot will enter the die in
which the last pattern of the trimming or ruching has been formed and will hold it
there, and the spring 89 will be compressed, at the same time the plunger 82 will
force the material which is over the next forward die downward into the same,
sufficient slack for this purpose having been provided by the feed of the machine.
As soon as the plunger 82 has forced the material into the die, the cams 77 will
begin to raise the head B upward and likewise the plunger 82, but the presser
foot will still remain down upon the die, by reason of the spring 89, until the
shaping head has been raised such a distance as to cause the pin 87 upon the collar
of the presser bar to be raised by the lower end of the slot in the cylinder 84 in
which said bar has movement. When this position has been reached, which is at a
time when the plunger is entirely removed from the link into which it has last
pressed the material, by a continued revolution of the cams 77, and a further
upward movement of the shaping head will remove the foot from the mould or die,
whereupon the ratchets will move the feed shaft and the driving drum shaft, the
latter moving the chain and moulds forward, and likewise the irons, the distance of
one mould or die, as stated at the outset, in this explanation of the operation.

page_text: When the material is forced down into the die links a strip is formed above the
links, by the two outer edges of the strip of material, from which the ruching or
ruffling is to be made, being brought together, and with opposite sides of this shank
or strip portion of the ruching, the gummed threads 98 are made to adhere by
being ironed between the head flanges of the irons, and at the same time the threads
are firmly and evenly pressed in or upon the sides of the strip or shank, and the
adhesive material carried thereby is dried, firmly binding them in the desired
position. The object of the knob 91 on the presser foot is to hold the shaped
inaterial in the die covered by the presser foot and thereby prevent the tension on
the fabric, due to the downward action of the plunger 82, from drawing the formet
pattern out of its die; aud the object of maintaining the presser foot in its lower
position until the plunger 82 has been carried out of its die, is to prevent any possibility
of the shaped pattern being disturbed should the plunger tend to drag the material
out of the die. As the machine operates, the finished material is delivered at the
rear in a continuous strip, comprising the shank section D and the body or pattern
section D which, when the die-links are circular in cross-section, will be tubular
or hollow, and shaped to simulate a complete shell, that is a shell with two convex
sides, each side having the usual rib formation of a shell. The product is shewn
in Figure 6, and a band D2 is sewed, or otherwise attached, to and made to enclose
and conceal the shank or strip section of the ruching. It is obvious that the
machine, for such a purpose as is intended, is exceedingly simple and that it is
automatic in its action after the material has been fed to it.
I desire it to be distinctly understood that, if in practice it is found desirable,
the feed mechanism may be omitted, or other forms of feeding devices may be
employed, and that the arms carrying the thread reels or spools, and the receptacle
containing the adhesive material, may be differently located.
It will be observed, by reference to Figure 6, that the product of the machine
consists of a grouping or chain of figures, each simulating a complete ribbed shell,
and having an inflated or somewhat cylindrical appearance when viewed from the
sides, tops, or edges, and that all of the shell-like figures apparently form a portion
of a common base.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1. In a machine for the manufacture of rufflings, ruchings, and like trimmings, a
belt composed of a series of dies, substantially as described.
2. In a machine for the manufacture of ruchings, rufflings, and like trimmings, A
belt composed of a series of dies, a plunger entering the said dies, and a driving
mechanism connected with the plunger and belt, substantially as shewn and
described.
3. In a machine for the manufacture of ruffles, ruchings, and similar trimmings,
a chain or belt-composed of a series of dies, a plunger, and an intermittent or stop
mechanism connected with and driving the plunger and the belt as and for the
purpose specified.
4. In a machine for the manufacture of ruffles, ruchings, or like trimmings, a
chain or belt composed of a series of dies, a spring-pressed plunger located above
and entering the dies of the belt or chain and an alternating driving mechanism
connected with, and operating, the chain or belt and the plunger, substantially
as described, whereby, when the chain is stationary, the plurger is in operation, as
set forth.
5. In a machine for the manufacture of rufflings, ruchings, and like trimmings, a
chain or belt of dies, a plunger entering the dies, and a presser foot operating in
conjunction with the plunger, substantially as specified.
6. In a machine for the manufacture of ruchings, rufflings, and like trimmings,
a series of connected dies, a plunger entering the dies at intervals, and a presser

page_text: foot provided with a projection capable of entering a die, the said presser foot
operating in conjunction with the plunger when the dies are raised, substantially as
described.
7. In a machine for the manufacture of ruchings, rufflings, and like trimmings, a
chain or belt of dies, a plunger entering said dies successively, a presser foot
engaging with the dies in succession to the plunger, and an actuating mechanism
operating simultaneously upon the plunger and presser foot in one direction and
upon one in advance of the other in another direction, substantially as described.
8. In a machine for the manufacture of ruchings, rufflings, and like trimmings, a
chain or belt of dies, a plunger adapted to enter said dies, a presser foot operating
in conjunction with the plunger, and a time mechanism imparting a stop motion
alternately to the chain or belt and the plunger and presser foot, substantially as
described.
9. In the manufacture of ruffles, ruchings, or like trimmings, a reciprocating die,
a plunger and presser foot acting upon the dic, and a driving mechanism acting
alternately upon the plunger and presser foot and the die, as and for the purpose
set forth.
10. In a machine for the manufacture of ruffles, ruchings, and like trimmings, a
chain or belt of dies, a plunger entering said dies, a presser foot operating in
conjunction with the plunger, irons operating in conjunction with the dies, and a
time mechanism imparting a stop motion alternately to the dies and the irons on the
one hand and to the presser foot and plunger on the other hand, substantially as
shewn and described.
11. In a machine for the manufacture of ruchings, rufflings, and like trimmings,
a series of dies and a shaping head, and a time mechanism imparting alternate
motion to the dies and head, substantially as set forth.
12. In a machine for the manufacture of ruffles, ruchings, and like trimmings, a
shaping head comprising a plunger and presser foot, a series of dies open at their
upper ends and having movement beneath the lead, and a driving mechanism
actuating at intervals the head and the dies, substantially as set forth.
13. In a machine for the manufacture of ruchings, rufflings, and like trimmings,
vertically-disposed irons acting on opposite sides of the trimming, as and for the
purpose set forth.
14. In a machine for the manufacture of rufflings, ruchings, and like trimmings,
vertically-disposed hollow irons adapted to act on opposite sides of the trimming,
threads carrying adhesive material fed between the trimming and the irons, and a
heating agent distributing heat into the interior of the irons, substantially as
set forth.
15. In a machine for the manufacture of ruffles, ruchings, and similar trimmings,
vertically-disposed tubular heating irons provided with flanged heads, one adjust-
able toward the other and adapted to act on opposite sides of the trimming, guards
leading to and from the irons, and threads carrying adhesive material passed
between the heads of the irons and the trimming, as and for the purpose set forth.
16. In a machine for the manufacture of rufflings, ruchings, and like trimmings,
a series of dies having a chain-like connection, said dies comprising a base and a
hollow body portion having an opening for the reception of the material to be acted
upon, substantially as set forth.
17. In a machine for the manufacture of rufflings, ruchings, and like trimmings,
the combination, with a series of dies having a pivotal or chain-like connection,
said dies comprising a base and a hollow body having an opening to receive the
material to be acted upon, of a plunger and presser foot, one pressing the material
into a die while the other presses upon a contiguous die, as and for the purpose
set forth.
18. In a machine for the manufacture of rufflings, ruchings, and like trimmings,
the combination, with a series of dies having a chain-like connection and having
their body portions hollow and provided with an opening for the reception of the

page_text: material to be acted upon, of a plunger which forces the material into the dies, and
an actuating mechanism for raising and lowering the plunger, as and for the
specified.
purpose
19. In a machine for the manufacture of rufflings, ruchings, and like trimmings,
the combination, with a series of dies having a chain-like connection each die having
a hollow body open to receive the material to be acted upon, of a shaping head
comprising a plunger and a presser foot the former forcing the material into the
die and the latter maintaining the finished trimming safely within the contiguous
die or dies, and a driving mechanism imparting movement to the dies when the
plunger and the presser foot are raised and movement to the plunger and presser
foot when the dies are at rest, as and for the purpose set forth.
20. In a machine for the manufacture of ruffles, ruchings, and like trimmings,
the combination, with a shaping head carrying a plunger and a presser foot and a
series of dies having movement beneath the shaping head, of a feed mechanism and
vertically-disposed irons, located one at each side of the series of dies, all operating
substantially as shewn and described.
21. In a machine for the manufacture of ruchings, rufflings, and like trimmings,
the combination, with a series of dies having a pivotal or chain-like connection,
each of said dies consisting of a base and a body portion hollow and provided with
an opening to receive the material to be operated upon, and a shaping head
comprising a plunger and presser foot located above the chain of dies, of irons
located one at each side of the chain of dies at the rear of the shaping head, a drive
shaft and driven shafts connected with the drive shaft, the said driven shafts
actuating the chain of dies and the irons and the shaping head, one in advance of
the other the shaping head remaining stationary while the dies and the irons are in
operation, substantially as shewn and described.
22. As an improved article of manufacture, a ruffling or ruching consisting of
a base section and shell-like projections emanating from the base and arranged at
intervals apart, which shell-like projections have the appearance of being inflated,
a space intervening between their inner side faces or inner edges, substantially as
shewn and described.
Dated this 17th day of Ortho 1001
W. H. HOLEYWELL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.