IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING FABRICS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Barkly Charles Wilson, of the Firm of Wilson, Collet, and
Company, of the City of London, Lace Manufacturers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLAITING FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Barkly Charles Wilson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th September
1877.
BARKLY CHARLES WILSON, of the Firm of Wilson, Collet, and Company, of the
City of London, Lace Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR PLAITING FABRICS."
This Invention relates to a peculiar combination and arrangement of machinery
or apparatus worked by foot treadles or otherwise for plaiting or kilting fabrics
independently of a sewing machine, whereby any variation in the width of
the plaits as well as in the intervals between such plaits may be readily
obtained.
In my improved plaiting machine I employ the three following essential elements,
namely:
"
1. A stationary surface, heated or not (acting when heated as a smoothing iron)
and which I shall herein-after designate as the "iron."
2. A single pressing roller (covered in some cases with an ironing blanket
or flannel) and having a continuous rotary motion in contact with the said
'iron."
3. An adjustable reciprocating plaiter, consisting of a number of separate and
independent narrow tongues of thin steel, placed side by side, and severally
secured by screws to a carrier bar, so that in case of injury to the plaiter
any one or more of the damaged tongues can be readily replaced by per-
fect ones.
The plaits as fast as they are formed by the plaiter are pushed between the
Prvi di

page_text: pressing roller and the "iron," and whilst being pressed and flattened are also ironed
or smoothed by being drawn by the friction of the ironing blanket or flannel (when
used) over the heated surface of the "iron."
The "iron" consists of a plate or chamber bolted to the table of the machine and
heated, when required, by internal gas jets, or by any other suitable appliance. On
the front part of this "iron," which may be of any width, works the edge of the
plaiter, and upon the top of the said "iron" presses the roller. The back part. of
the "iron," behind the roller, is, by preference, sloped downwards at an angle,
80 as to allow the work as it is drawn forward over the "iron" to enter
more easily into a receiving guide or trough which directs it into any convenient
receptacle.
The pressing roller, of which only one is employed, is, for the convenience of
removal and replacement, carried on bearings in the lower ends of two vertical
spindles sliding freely through a fixed overhanging bracket arm, somewhat
resembling the " goose-neck of a sewing machine; the upper ends of such
spindles being pressed upon by an adjustable spring or springs. By this arrange-
ment I dispense with the two fixed side standards hitherto employed, and I cheapen
and simplify the construction of the machine.
In order to drive this roller there is mounted on the inner journal thereof a spur
wheel in gear with a corresponding wheel, running loose on a stud or fixed pin and
mounted on the boss of a bevel wheel, which gears into a bevel pinion on the
upper end of a vertical shaft, which derives its motion by bevel gearing direct from
the crank or driving shaft worked by foot levers or otherwise, and having a fly
wheel mounted thereon.
The carrier bar of the plaiter is adjustable by means of a screw towards or from
the roller between two guides, which are hinged to brackets attached to and verti-
cally adjustable upon two upright vibrating levers mounted on a rocking shaft,
working between vertically adjustable centres in slotted uprights. A slotted
lever arm secured to the rocking shaft is connected by a connecting rod with
a crank pin in a disc or crank, mounted on a cam shaft at the back of the machine,
the throw of the said crank pin being by preference adjustable.
Through one of the hinged guides there is passed a screw spindle for adjusting
the height of the acting edge of the plaiter, and in order to raise the plaiter clear of
the work at the moment it has completed its forward stroke, and thereby allow it
to return free, I employ a lifter consisting of a lever carrying an adjustable pin and 3
elevated by a cam or eccentric on the cam shaft, a spring drawing it down again.
This cam shaft carries a cone-driving pulley, and a corresponding reversed cone
pulley is keyed on to the crank or driving shaft, which transmits the motion to the
cam shaft by a driving band. By shifting this band along the reversed driving
pullies it is obvious that the cam shaft may be driven faster or slower as regards 4
the roller which is driven direct from the crank shaft, and that the number of
strokes of the plaiter may be varied without changing the speed of the roller,
thereby varying the fullness of the plaiting.
The width of the plaits is varied by simply raising or lowering the acting edge
of the plaiter and the centres of the rocking shaft, whilst the forward and backward 4
adjustment of the plaiter along its hinged guides enables fabrics of various thick-
nesses to be plaited.
The fabrics are guided to the plaiter by a plate having a trough or sunk part made
therein, within which trough there is placed longitudinally a round spindle, under
which and over the edges of the trough, the fabric is more or less strained on its 5
way to the plaiter. Adjustable collars on the said spindle serve to guide the edges
of the fabric and keep it in a straight course.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Barkly Charles Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
March 1878.
BARKLY CHARLES WILSON, of the Firm of Wilson, Collet, and Company, of the
City of London, Lace Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR PLAITING FABRICS."
My said Invention relates to a novel combination or arrangement of machinery or
apparatus suitable for being worked by foot power, steam, or otherwise, for plaiting
or kilting fabrics, whereby I obtain a more ready adjustment for making plaitings of
different patterns; the machine is more simple in its construction, more effective and
rapid in its action, and works with less wear and tear of the parts, whilst at the
same time it is almost practically noiseless when in operation.
According to my Invention, I use a single pressing roller (covered or not with
flannel) mounted in sliding bearings contained in an overhaning bracket arm, some-
what similar to the "goose-neck" of a sewing machine standard, in lieu of using
two side standards as heretofore, by which mode of construction I not only simplify
and cheapen the machine, but I obtain greater facility for readily removing and
replacing the pressing roller when required.
In combination with a roller mounted as above described, I employ a stationary
smooth curved or inclined surface, consisting of a hollow, chamber bolted to the
table of the machine, and curved or inclined in front, whilst the rear side slopes
suddenly downwards, in order to facilitate the free passage or delivery of the
plaited work.
The pressing roller works in contact with the said hollow chamber, being
pressed thereon by an adjustable bow spring or otherwise, as is well understood,
and the said chamber is heated or not as required by internal gas jets, or other
convenient arrangement.
A reciprocating plaiting blade is employed, which may or may not be composed
of a number of narrow thin steel flexible and clastic tongues, each of which is
separately and independently secured by a screw or otherwise to a carrier bar, such
bar being carried in dovetail grooves in two guides hinged to the upper ends of
two vertical oscillating lever arms.
The carrier bar of the plaiter is made adjustable along the said grooves by means
of a special adjusting screw which adjusts the acting edge of the blade nearer to or
further from the pressing roller, by which arrangement I am enabled to set or
adjust the plaiter so as to operate equally well upon heavy and thick fabrics and
upon fabrics of the lightest and most delicate texture. In my machine the acting
edge of the plaiting blade does not come into contact with the surface upon which
the plaits are folded until at the moment it is about to plait, the first part of its
stroke being made entirely out of contact with any surface, and hence unnecessary
friction and wear and tear of the machinery are avoided.
The width of plaits in my machine is regulated by simply raising or lowering the
acting edge of the plaiter by the aid of a single adjusting screw convenient to the
hand of the operator, hence I obviate the necessity for changing the throw of the
plaiting blade, thus considerably facilitating and simplifying the adjustment of the
machine for making plaits of any desired width. I vary the fulness of the plaiting,
that is to say, the distance between each plait, whether such plaits be wide or
narrow, by increasing or diminishing the number of strokes of the plaiter in pro-
portion to the speed of the pressing roller, and this I accomplish in a more simple
manner than heretofore, by the aid of two reversed cone pullies and a shifting
driving strap or band, the motion of the pressing roller being constant and con-
tinuous in lieu of intermittent, as in nearly all other plaiting machines working with
a reciprocating plaiting blade.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now pro-
ceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the

page_text: several Figures on the explanatory Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a front elevation of my improved plaiting or
kilting machine (drawn to a scale of one third the full size), the lower part of the
supporting standards and the treadles being removed; Figure 2 is a corresponding
end elevation and partial section of the same, the supporting standards of the table
being omitted.
Figure 3 is a detail plan (half size) of the adjustable plaiter.
Figure 4 is a sectional detail of the stationary hollow chamber or plaiting surface
(herein-after referred to as the "iron," from the fact of its acting as a smoothing
iron when heated) and the adjustable plaiter, shown at half stroke.
And Figures 5 and 6 are details respectively of the adjustable crank motion
for, working the plaiting blade, and of the cam motion for actuating the lifter of the
said blade.
The plaits as fast as they are formed by the plaiter A are pushed between the
pressing roller B and the "iron" C, and whilst being pressed and flattened are
also ironed or smoothed by being drawn over the smooth heated surface
of the "iron" by the friction of the ironing blanket or flannel on the pressing
roller.
The "iron" consists of a hollow chamber bolted to the table of the machine and
heated (when required) by internal gas jets, supplied by the pipe D, or it may be
heated by any other suitable appliance. On the front curved part of this "iron,"
which may be of any width works the edge of the plaiter, and upon the top of the
said "iron" presses the roller B. The back part of the "iron," behind the roller, is,
by preference, sloped downwards at an angle, so as to allow the work as it is drawn
forward over the "iron" to enter more easily into a receiving guide or trough (not
shown in my Drawings) which directs it into any convenient receptacle.
The pressing roller B, of which only one is employed, is for the convenience of
removal and replacement carried in bearings in the lower ends of two vertical
spindles E, E, sliding freely through a fixed overhanging bracket arm F, somewhat
resembling the "goose-neck" of a sewing machine, the upper ends of such spindles
being pressed upon by an adjustable spring or springs G. By this arrangement I
dispense with the two fixed side standards hitherto employed for carrying the
rollers of plaiting machines, and I cheapen and simplify the construction of the
machine itself.
In order to impart a continuous rotary motion to this roller, there is mounted on
the inner journal thereof a spur wheel H in gear with a corresponding wheel I,
mounted on the short axle or centre of a bevel wheel K, carried in bearings K', K¹,
which wheel gears into a bevel pinion L on the upper end of a vertical shaft M,
such shaft deriving its motion by the bevel gearing at N, direct from the crank or
driving shaft O, which is worked by foot levers or otherwise, and has a fly wheel P
mounted thereon.
The carrier bar Q of the plaiter A is adjustable by means of a screw R towards
or from the pressing roller B between two dovetailed grooved guides S, S, which are
hinged at T to brackets V, attached to and vertically adjustable upon the two
upright vibrating levers V, V₁, carried by the rocking shaft W, which rocks
between vertically adjustable centres X, X, in the stationary slotted brackets Y, Y.
A slotted lever arm Z secured to the rocking shaft is coupled by a connecting
rod a with a crank pin b in a disc, mounted on the cam shaft c at the back of the
machine; the throw of the said crank pin being by preference made adjustable, as
shown in the Drawing, Figure 5.
The plaiter has a compound motion (as indicated in Figure 4, at half stroke), its
acting edge first moving in an arc described from the centre below it at X, then
after striking the curved surface of the "iron" it follows such surface by turning
upon the hinges T, and so forms the fold or plait.
Through one of the hinged guides S, S, there is passed a screw spindle d for
adjusting the height of the acting edge of the plaiter, the lower end of such spindle

page_text: resting on the top of one of the upright levers V₁ (see Figure 4); and in order to
raise the plaiter clear of the work at the moment it has completed its forward stroke
and thereby allow it to return free from contact with the fabric, I employ a lifter,
consisting of a lever e, working on a fixed fulcrum at e¹, attached to the table, and
carrying an adjustable pin f, which is elevated against one of the hinged guides S
by a cam or eccentric h (Figure 6) on the cam shaft, a spring g drawing the plaiter
down again. By suitably adjusting the regulating screw d, it follows that the edge
of the plaiter will first strike the curved surface of the "iron" at a higher or lower
level, and consequently will take up less or more of the fabric at each fold, as the
case may be, thus making narrow or broad plaits. The cam shaft c carries a cone
pulley i, and a corresponding reversed cone pulley k is keyed on to the crank or driving
shaft O, which transmits the motion to the cam shaft by a driving band k. By
shifting this band along the cone pullies, it is obvious that the cam shaft may be
driven faster or slower as regards the pressing roller B, which being driven direct
by a positive motion from the crank shaft, as already explained, has practically an
uniform continuous rotary motion. Now by varying the number of strokes of the
plaiter in relation to the speed of the roller, it follows that the fulness of the plaiting
will be varied in like proportion.
The width of the plaits may be varied, if .desired, by raising or lowering the
adjustable centres X, X, or by changing the throw of the crank; but I prefer to
use the adjusting screw d for that purpose, as already explained. The separate and
independent forward and backward adjustment of the plaiter along its hinged
guides S, S, by the screw spindle R, enables fabrics of various thicknesses to be
plaited by suitably regulating the distance of the edge of the plaiter from the roller
when in its extreme forward or advanced position.
The fabrics are guided to the plaiter by a plate 1, having a trough or sunk part
made therein, within which trough there is placed longitudinally a round spindle m,
under which and over the edges of the trough the fabric is more or less strained on
its way to the plaiter. Adjustable collars may, if desired, be fitted on to the
said spindle, in order to guide the edges of the fabric and keep it in a straight
course.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that I am aware that intermittent feeding rollers, in com-
bination with reciprocating folders or knives, actuated in sequential time, alternately
have been used for plaiting fabrics; also that plaiting blades mounted upon a cross
bar and moving when in the act of plaiting in slide ways have been proposed for
the same purpose, and therefore I lay no claim to such arrangements, but what
I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The peculiar combination and arrangement of mechanism for plaiting fabrics,
as herein-before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
Secondly. The application and use in combination with a single pressing roller
of the peculiar shaped "iron" or plaiting surface as herein-before described, and
illustrated by my Drawings.
Thirdly. The mounting the feed rollers in vertical sliding bearings carried by an
overhanging arm or bracket for the facility of removing and replacing the roller as
herein-before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
Fourthly. Making the carrier bar of the plaiter adjustable in hinged guides, as
and for the purpose herein-before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
Fifthly. The peculiar mode of mounting and actuating a reciprocating plaiter,
whereby its acting edge shall only come into contact with the plaiting
surface at the moment of commencing to make the plait, as herein-before described,
and illustrated by my Drawings.
Sixthly. The mode of varying the width of plaits by simply raising or lowering
the acting edge of the plaiter, without changing the stroke or traverse of the same,
as herein-before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.

page_text: Seventhly. The mode of varying the fulness of the plaits by the aid of cone
pullies and a shifting strap or band, as herein-before described, and illustrated by my
Drawings.
Eighthly. The peculiar arrangement of lifter lever with its adjustable pin acting
against the under side of one of the hinged guides S, as and for the purpose herein-
before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Barkly Charles Wilson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
14, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
B. C. WILSON. (L.S.)