IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FOLDING FABRICS AND INSERTING CARDBOARD OR OTHER SUBSTANCES BETWEEN THE FOLDS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Tonge, of the City of Manchester, Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FOLDING
FABRICS AND INSERTING CARDBOARD OR OTHER SUBSTANCES BETWEEN THE
FOLDS."
Sealed the 25th January 1867, and dated the 24th August 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Tonge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
August 1866.
I, RICHARD TONGE, of the City of Manchester, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR FOLDING FABRICS, AND INSERTING CARDBOARD OR OTHER SUBSTANCES BETWEEN
THE FOLDS," to be as follows:-
My improved machinery consists of two pair of vibrating levers, which are
connected together by links so as to move simultaneously when motion is
given to one by a crank or other equivalent; to the upper ends of each pair of
levers is connected a curved table or frame, and as the levers vibrate these
tables come alternatively over the pile of folded fabric, which accumulates on a
table supported by springs as described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to me on the Fifth day of October One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-five, No. 2550. The table with the pile of fabric is supported by four
uprights, and the ends or corners of the cardboards are held down by springs

page_text: or weighted catches, which yield to the cardboard when it is inserted into the
fold of the fabric. The edges of the tables or frames connected to the levers
serve as guides for the fabric, and as the levers vibrate they lay the fabric in
folds over the cardboard, which is supplied from a heap at one or both sides
of the machine, either by hand or by self-acting mechanism. The table on
which the fabric and cardboard accumulate is drawn down by a strap passing
around a shaft driven by a ratchet wheel and catches, or other equivalents,
and the cardboard when put into the fold of fabric is guided and prevented
from being bent by a table or frame placed above the pile of fabric and
traversing tables or frames, or the fabric may be carried to and fro by means
of tables or frames moving horizontally, and raised near each end of the
traverse by inclines to raise the table acting on the fabric over the cardboard
last inserted. .
Another part of my Invention consists in a self-acting apparatus for sup-
plying cardboards to the machine shewn in Figure 4 of the Drawing of the
Specification above referred to; this apparatus consists of a segment-shaped
case supported above each moveable table, in these cases are placed the card-
boards, and at each traverse of the table the case is moved by a catch or
otherwise to release a card, which card then drops on to the moveable table
ready to be inserted into the fold of fabric, or the cardboards may be released
from a vertical or horizontal case by moving the bottom of the case, or by
pushing the case forwards, or by selecting and pushing forward the card-
boards separately.
-SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Tonge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
TONGE, of the City of Manchester, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Tonge, Her special license that I, the said Richard Tonge,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Richard Tonge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during'

page_text: the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR FOLDING FABRICS, AND INSERTING CARDBOARD OR OTHER SUBSTANCES
BETWEEN THE FOLDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Richard Tonge, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Tonge, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say) :-
My Invention consists in certain improvements in machinery for folding
fabrics, and inserting cardboard or other substances between the folds.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 an end elevation of my improved
machinery, and Figure 8 is a section of part of the machine.
motion to the shaft f, to each end
requisite vibrating motion to the
The levers c, c, have sockets for
with studs, on which are bowls
a, a, are the frame sides supporting the axles b, b, on which the two pairs
of vibrating levers c, c, are fixed; d is the driving shaft, which by means of the
pinion d', carrier wheel e, and wheel f¹, gives
of which is fixed a crank få for giving the
levers c, c, by the connecting links g and h.
the sliding bars c¹, c', which are provided
running in the slots of the guide plates i, i, the upper ends of the sliding
bars c', c¹, are connected by stay rods c³, the object of which is to draw the fabric
off the roller r; the inner parts of the plates i bave points ¹ to shunt the
bowls from the lower to the upper slots. To the studs in the bars c¹ are also
connected the ends of the side bars j, to which the tables k and Z are fixed,
these tables when out as shown to the left-hand side of Figure 1, rest upon
the rollers m, supported in brackets fixed to the framing. The table n on
which the fabrics and cardboards accumulate is supported at or near each
corner by the india-rubber or other springs n³, which pass round studs pro-
jecting from the table, and are suspended to other studs fixed to the framing,
as described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me on

page_text: upon
the Fifth day of October One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five,
No. 2550. The table is gradually pulled down as the fabric accumulates
it by means of straps connected above to the table, and passing around
the pulleys o¹ fixed on the shafts o, these shafts are turned very slowly round
by the tappet on the shaft f; this tappet lifts up the longer end of the
lever p, to the shorter end of which is jointed the catch p¹, taking into the
ratchet wheel q on the shaft q, and to this shaft is fixed the pinion q³, gearing
into the wheels o on the shafts o. The shaft q may also be turned round by
hand, or by a treadle in order to lower the table expeditiously when the pile
of fabric and cardboard has to be removed from the machine, or for other
purposes. The mode of operation is as follows:-The fabric to be folded
is brought from the roller r, or otherwise, and taken between the guide rods c³,
which connect the slide bars c¹ of the vibrating levers c, and a pile of cardboards
or other material to be inserted between the folds of fabric is placed on a table
close to the machine. When the parts of the machine are in the positions
shewn in Figure 1, the attendant places a cardboard on to the table l, and as
the levers c move in the direction of the arrow the table l is withdrawn from
under the cardboard upon it, and the table k lays the fabric over the card-,
board; as soon as the table k has arrived near the end of its traverse another
cardboard is laid upon it, and the fold of fabric is folded over it by the return
move of the table l, and so the operations proceed until the required length of
fabric has been folded. The machine is then stopped, and the attendant by
turning the handle g³ on the shaft q lowers the table n until the pile of fabric
comes opposite the recesses a¹ in the framing when the pile is withdrawn, and
the table is at liberty to be again raised ready for the next operation.
Another part of my Invention consists in a self-acting apparatus for sup-
plying cardboards or other substances to the machine shewn in Figure 4 of
the Drawing of the Specification above referred to, this apparatus consists of
a segment-shaped case supported above each moveable table; in these cases
are placed the cardboards, and at each traverse of the table the case is moved
by a catch or otherwise to release a card, which card then drops on to the
moveable table ready to be inserted into the fold of fabric, or the cardboards
may be released from a vertical or horizontal case by moving the bottom of
the case, or by pushing the case forwards, or by selecting and pushing forward
the cardboards separately.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,―
First, the improved combination of machinery shewn and described in
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, consisting of vibrating levers, moveable

page_text: tables, and parts connected therewith, for folding fabrics and inserting card-
board or other substance between the folds.
Secondly, I claim the apparatus described for supplying cardboards or
other substances to machines for folding fabric.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Tonge, have hereto set my
hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-seven.
RICHARD TONGE. (L.S.)