Improvements in Tuck or Plait Forming Attachments for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
[Communicated from abroad by THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of New
York, in the United States of America, Sewing Machine Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Tuck or Plait Forming Attachments for Sewing
Machines.
1, WILLIAM HARVEY INSLEE, Manager of The Singer Manufacturing Company,
Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to that class of plaiting attachments for sewing machines
adapted to form a plurality of parallel plaits or tucks simultaneously, and has for its
object to provide a novel and simple attachment for effecting this result. -My new
plaiting device is intended to be applied to a sewing machine having a plurality of
needles and complemental stitch forming devices, to form a plurality of independent
seams simultaneously, and my invention is carried into effect by means of a cloth
crimping or corrugating device arranged at some little distance in front of the needles,
and a series of guiding and plait turning blades which extend between the ribs of
cloth formed by the corrugating device and which partially turn the same over in
such a manner that when they pass beneath the presser-foot of the machine they will
all be laid over evenly and folded down as plaits so as to be properly stitched by the
multiple needle sewing machine.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my invention applied to a four-needle "Singer
sewing machine, and as it appears in operation.
"
Fig. 2 is a partial front end view of the machine, showing the attachment in side.
view.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the attachment as applied to the machine..
Fig. 4 is a partial plan view showing the lower crimping and guiding devices.
Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the upper crimping and guiding devices.
Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the upper guiding blades and the bracket by
which they are supported, and
Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.
A denotes the work-plate and B the depending "head" at the forward end of
the arm B of the machine. Attached to the work-plate A is a plate a provided
with a corrugated or ribbed and grooved portion a', and rearward of the said
corrugated portion a¹ are slightly twisted guiding blades a² equal in number to the
ribs of the part a' and preferably formed as continuations of said ribs, as more clearly
shown in Fig. 4. Secured to the head B is an arm or bracket 6 having two depending
rigid arms 61, 62. C is a plate or foot arranged above the corrugated part a¹ of the
plate a, said plate C having a corrugated or ribbed and grooved under surface the ribs
of which are so located as to register with the grooves of the corrugations beneath
it. The plate or foot C is provided with a shank c having a sliding connection with
the arm b², said shank being joined by a link c¹ with a lever c² pivoted at c³ to the
bracket b so that the said plate or foot C may be readily raised or lowered. The ribs
and grooves of the parts and a' extend approximately in the direction of the feed
of the material but preferably converge slightly toward each other rearwardly or
oward needles.

page_text: Attached to the arm b' is an angular bracket d the horizontal part of which supports
a series of guiding and turning blades e which are so arranged as to intermesh or
extend between the blades a² and closely adjacent to the presser-footf of the machine.
These blades a and e are so placed as to extend between the ribs of cloth formed by
the corrugating devices and are slightly twisted so that their rear portions are rather
more inclined relative to a vertical plane than their front portions, so that the said
ribs of cloth will be somewhat inclined over as they pass beneath the presser-foot, and
will thus all be pressed down flat in one direction by the latter, to be stitched down
by the needles and their co-operating stitch-forming devices.
In the operation of my invention the corrugating plate or foot C is first lifted by
means of the lever c³ and the work is then inserted beneath it, and when the foot
has been lowered the work is drawn forward to the presser-foot, and then when the
machine is started a series of closely placed parallel plaits or tucks will be formed
by the folding and guiding devices, and will be stitched down by the sewing mechanism.
The rearwardly converging arrangement of the ribs and grooves of the corrugating
devices serves. to permit the cloth to be drawn together properly in forming the
tucks or plaits, these ribs and grooves as they converge being somewhat tapering
or of gradually diminishing size in cross-section rearwardly:
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―
1. A tuck-forming attachment for sewing machines consisting of upper and lower
flat corrugated plates having rearwardly converging intermeshing ribs and grooves
extending in the direction of the feed of the work, or approximately so, combined
with upper and lower intermeshing and partially twisted guiding blades arranged
between the said corrugated plates and the presser-foot and stitch forming, devices. of
the machine..
2. A tuck-forming attachment for sewing machines consisting of upper and lower.
corrugated plates the upper one of which is vertically movable, said plates having
rearwardly converging intermeshing ribs and grooves arranged to extend in the
direction of the feed of the work, or approximately so, combined with upper and
lower intermeshing and partially twisted guiding and plait or tuck turning blades
located between said corrugated plates and the presser-foot and stitch forming devices
of the machine.
3. A tuck-forming attachment for sewing machines consisting of the combination
with the plate a having, the corrugated portions a' and the blades a², of the supporting
arm or bracket 6 having the depending arms b1, 62, the plate or foot C having a
corrugated lower face and provided with the shank c having a sliding connection with
the said arm 62, the link c¹ and lever c² for raising and "lowering said plate or foot C,
and the bracket d attached to the arm b' and provided with a series of guiding and
turning blades e.
Dated this 18th dow
1007
WALLACE. FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,.
Chartered Patent Agents.
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.