Improvements in Mechanism for Crimping or Gauging Fabrics with Sewing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Crimping or Gauging Fabrics with
Sewing Machines.
I, JOHN GORDON POLLOCK of 46 Paignton Road, Stamford Hill in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to enable ordinary sewing machines to be used
more readily than heretofore for crimping and gauging fabrics.
Gauging is the
term used in the trade for crimping fabrics to bring them to a certain size.
Usually in sewing machines the material being sewn is held down on the feed plate
of the machine by a foot, pressed by a spring and is fed forward by serrated teeth
acting from under the feed plate which rise above and advance a certain distance
through orifices provided in the feed plate and retire under it, a motion which is
common to most sewing machines and will be understood by all mechanics and
others handling or using them.
To enable the sewing machine to be used for crimping or gauging fabrics, I
substitute for the ordinary presser foot a special presser foot, the underside of
which, from the needle to the front of it, rests upon the feed above referred to,
while the hinder portion of it is cut away sufficiently, so that when the fabric is
crimped or gauged the serrated teeth of the feed do not interfere with it. On the
top front part of the special presser foot above referred to a forked spring is
fixed, the ends of which pass through two slots, one on each side of the hole in
which the needle descends. The ends of the forked spring above referred to,
descend through and project below the under surface of the presser foot so that
when the presser foot is resting on the needle plate during the return and inactive
part of the feed movement the projecting ends of the spring in question are level
with the under side of the presser foot, but when the feed becomes active and lifts
to a certain extent the presser foot, the projecting springs retain their hold and
retard the movement of the material so that it is crimped or plaited up to a more
or less degree, dependent upon the pressure applied to the presser foot, and the
length of stitch given to the feed mechanism.
Generally this appliance will be used without a needle in the sewing machine
and any sewing required will be effected by a later operation, but sewing and any
other adjuncts may be used while the plaiting process is being done.
When this specia! presser foot is not required to provide for stitching at the
same time as plaiting or gauging the fabric it is immaterial whether the spring be
in a line with the needle hole or not, it may be in other positions across the under
side of the foot and in that case need not necessarily be forked.
Dated this 21st day of November 1891.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
.Improvements in Mechanism for Crimping or Gauging Fabrics with
Sewing Machines.
I, JOHN GORDON POLLOCK of 46 Paignton Road, Stamford Hill, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to enable ordinary sewing machines to be used

page_text: more readily than heretofore for crimping and gauging fabrics. Gauging is the
term used in the trade for crimping fabrics to bring them to a certain length.
Usually in sewing machines the material being sewn is held down on the feed plate
of the machine by a foot pressed by a spring and is fed forward by serrated teeth
acting from under the feed plate which rise above and advance a certain distance
through orifices provided in the feed plate and retire under it, a motion which is
common to most sewing machines and will be understood by all mechanics and
others handling or using them.
To enable the sewing machine to be used for crimping or gauging fabrics, I
substitute for the ordinary presser foot a special presser foot, the underside of which,
from the needle to the front of it, rests upon the feed above referred to, while the
hinder portion of it is cut away sufficiently so that when the fabric is crimped or
gauged the serrated teeth of the feed do not interfere with it. On the top front
part of the special presser foot above referred to a forked spring is fixed, the ends
of which pass through two slots, one on each side of the hole in which the needle
descends. The ends of the forked spring above referred to, descend through and
project below the under surface of the presser foot so that when the presser foot
is resting on the needle plate during the return and inactive part of the feed
movement the projecting ends of the spring in question are level with the under
side of the presser foot, but when the feed becomes active and lifts to a certain
extent the presser foot, the projecting springs retain their hold and retard the
movement of the material so that it is crimped or plaited up to a more or less
degree, dependent upon the pressure applied to the presser foot, and the length of
stitch given to the feed mechanism.
Generally this appliance will be used without a needle in the sewing machine
and any sewing required will be effected by a later operation, but sewing and any
other adjuncts may be used while the crimping process is being done.
When this special presser foot is not required to provide for stitching at the
same time as plaiting or gauging the fabric, it is immaterial whether the spring
be in a line with the needle hole or not, it may be in other positions across the
under side of the foot and in that case need not necessarily be forked.
Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings annexed are vertical sections of the fixed feed
plate serrated feeding teeth and upper presser foot adapted as above described for
crimping or gauging fabrics. In Figure the serrated feeding teeth are up and
in position for feeding the fabric forward whilst in Figure 2 they are in their
lower position.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the fixed feed plate.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are a side elevation, vertical section and plan of the upper
presser foot, and
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are a side elevation, end view and plan of the serrated feeding
piece.
In these figures a is the fixed feed plate with slots a' in it for the toothed
portions of the serrated feeding piece to rise through. c is a central hole through
which the needle descends in the ordinary manner.
As before stated the piece is caused to move upwards and downwards and
backwards and forwards in any ordinary way adapted in sewing machines.
d is the upper presser foot pressed downwards by a spring in the ordinary
manner. is a hole down through which the needle descends when the fabric is
to be stitched as well as crimped. dare two slots one on either side of the
hole de is a forked spring fixed by a screw e to the top of the foot. are
the two limbs of the forked spring which descend through the two slots d² and
normally tend to project somewhat below the under surface of the presser foot.
e is the fabric uncrimped as it comes up to the presser foot d and crimped as it
is moved past it.
It will be seen that the teeth at the centre of each of the serrated portions of
the piece are lower than the remainder of the teeth so that when the piece b

page_text: rises and lifts the presser foot d it leaves the ends of the forked spring free to
project downwards below the under surface of the presser foot.
The action of the parts in crimping the fabric is clearly explained above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of mechanism substantially as herein described for crimping
or gauging fabrics.
2. The presser foot with spring teeth projecting from its under side and formed
to rest on the needle plate in front of these spring teeth and to slope away from
the plate in rear of these teeth.
Dated this Sixteenth day of August 1892.
Witness to the signature of J. G. Pollock :-
ROBT. W. R. ROBERTSON,
Clerk, 39, Foster Lane, London, E.C.
JOHN GORDON POLLOCK.