US919591A - Apparatus for folding cloth. - Google Patents

Description

A. KAY & M. TRATTLES. APPARATUSQFOR FOLDING CLOTH.V APPLICATION FILED Nov. 27, 190e.

919,591 `Pat-,ennea- Apr@ 27, 1909.

ATTN/5 UNITED sTaTns PATENT onirica.

ALFRED KAY, OF ROCHDALE, AND MATTHEW TRATTLES, OF BRADFORD, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR FOLDING CLOTH.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED KAY, of 1 Grandidge street, Rochdale, in the county of Lancaster, England, and MATTHEW TRAT- TLEs, of 3 Alban street, New Hey Road, Bradford,in the county of York, England, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to A paratus for Folding Cloth, of which the fol owing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for folding cloth in folds, and has for its object the arrangement and construction of an apparatus whereby a simple and substantially parallel motion is given to the folding blades, and the width of the folds may be regulated, as desired, the folding blades being so mounted on their operating' arm or arms that they may be moved out of their horizontal positions in either direction by means of adjustable guides and tappets, for the purpose of placing the cloth under adjustable clamps which are automatically operated by the operating arm carrying the folding blades.

Indescribing our invention in detail, reference is madeto the accompanying sheets of drawings, similar letters indicating similar parts, in which,

Figure 1 represents an elevation of a cloth folding machine showing our improvements. Fig. 2 represents a part elevation of the rising and falling clamps. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of one of the clamps. Fi 1 represents a detail of the folding blades and tappet hereinafter referred to. Fig. 4 represents an elevation of a concave table showing a modified form of clamp. Figs. 5, 6, and 7, represent diagrams showing the motion.

In carrying out our invention, the mechanism is mounted in a suitable frame A. Power is sup lied through, by preference, toothed whee s B1 and B. On the shaft C1 of the wheel B is mounted a crank or thc like O, such crank being provided in one end with a slot or like O2, in which works one end of a pin C3, the other end working in a slot D1 in one end of an arm or connecting rod D, such arm being provided with a slotted end D2 in which works a pin or the like E1 attached to the operating arm E on which are mounted the folding blades F. The arm Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led November 27, 1906.

Patented April 27, 1909.

Serial No. 345,414.

I E is pivoted to the frame A, toward the base of same, by means of a pivot E2 working in a pivot E3.

Above the stud E1 and attached to thc blade operating arm E is mounted a roller or rollers G, and to the bearing carrying such roller or rollers is mounted a roller or tappet PI. The rollers G pass into a curved slot J in the frame A, and the tappet II passes a little beyond or through such slot, the tappet H being for the purpose of operating the rising and falling clamps K which are placed a suitable distance apart, depending on the width of the folds required. The curved slot J acts as a guide for the folding blade operating arm.

The construction of the clamps K is sub#Y stantially as follows The clamps comprise an inner and outer portion K1 and K2, the outer portion K1 being mounted at its base ou a threaded shaft L, in such a manner that it may be moved toward or from the center of the machine. A stud K6 attached to the portion K1 passes into a guide or slot K7 formed in the machine frame, as shown, To the lower end of the inner portion K2 which carries the clamp proper, and which is of the ordinary construction, when a flat table such as T (Fig. 1) is used, is mounted or pivoted one end of a lever H1, a small amount of play being, by preference, allowed to the said pivoted end. A further pivot such as H1 passes from the lever H1 through a slot in the outer portion K1. The free end of the lever H projects toward the center of the machine in a slightly downward direction, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that when the tappet H on the blade operating arm E travels in the slot J, such tappet will press down the lever H1 and raise the clamp K. A spring K3 connects the two portions K1 and K2, in order that the clamp may return automatically to the down posi tion and be held there, that is to say, 0n to the cloth. It will be understood that the portion K2 slides in the portion K1, the latter portion, as it were, being a fixture. Should, iowever, a concave or curved table such as T1, Fig. 4- be used, clamps of the ordinary construction would not grip the cloth sulficiently, therefore the shaft KA1 on which the clamp itself is carried is provided in its bearings with a set screw such as K5 which may be loosened, and the clamp K inclined, the set screw being then tightened; as shown in Fig. 4. This construction is also shown in Figs. l and 2, though same is not essential when a straight table T is used.

On the outer end of the blade operating arm E are pivoted the ordinary folding blades F, such blades being held in the vertical position by means of a suitable spring or springs F1. Mounted on the upper face of the bracket F2 which carries the "folding blades and in the center thereof, is a tappet or the like F3 and mounted in the frame of the machine above such blades are adjustable guides or the like M, so arranged that as the "folding blade operating arm is moved to one side or the other, the tappet VF3 will come in contact with the guides M, and cause the said blades to be tilted, and place the cloth under one or other of the clamps K, which will now be raised. On the return stroke of the blade operating arm, the blades return to their upright position at the center of the stroke, owing to the action of the spring or" springs before mentioned. The diagrams, Figs. 5*'7, show the central and eXtreme positions of the knives, also the course of the cloth. As the operating arm and blades thereon travel backward and forward with a substantially parallel motion, the said arm E may move slightly up and down owing to its pivot working in the slot before mentioned.

The table T is operated substantially in the ordinary manner, with the exception that the construction of the machine will allow Aof a greater rise and fall of such table, than has been usually permissible, and the method shown, namely, chains and weights will be understood by those skilled in the art without further description.

Instead ofv using. a curved slot as above described, the slot may be straight and the operating arm shorter than described, and moved in a straight line, substantially in the manner of an engin-e slide.

By constructing a cloth folding machine as before described, and substantially as shown in the drawings, the machine may be constructed lighter than the ordinary class of machine used for this purpose; further a perfectly horizontal motion is obtained, and the cloth is folded evenly as regards the length of such folds further, the use of complicated mechanism in the folding blade carrier, is obviated, and such blades need not b-e changed.

frame having a slot therein having upwardly curved ends, a vertical arm having a slot 1n its lower end, a pin on the frame engaging with said slot, a roller on the arm engaging with the curved slot in the frame, means for oscillating the arm whereby the curved slot and roller will cause the upper end of said arm to move in a horizontal plane, folding blades pivoted on the upper end of the arm,

a tappet on the blades and guides engaging Y with the tappet to tilt the blades.

3. A cloth folding machine comprising a frame, an arm pivot'ed at its lower end to the frame so as to have longitudinal movement, folding blades pivoted on the upper end of the arm, a roller on the arm, said frame having a slot therein having upwardly curved ends in which the roller engages, means for oscillating the arm whereby the curved slot and roller will cause the upper end of the arm to move in a horizontalplane, clamp mechanism, a curved lever for actua-ting the clamp mechanism, said lever projecting into proximity to the curved end of the slot, and a tapp et on the operating arm projecting into said curved slot and adapted to contact with the lever to cause the same to operate the clam mechanism.

4. Lln a cloth folding machine a .clam-p mechanism comprising a stationary part K1, a part K2 sliding therein, a clamp K carried by said part K2, a spring connecting the part K2 with the part K1 and holding said part K2' in its lower position, a leverv pivote-d on the stationary part K1 and connected tothe movable partvK2, and means contacting with said lever for raising said movable p-art.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the resence of twoy witnesses.

A FRED KAY. MATTHEW TRATTLES. lVitnesses Lnwrs l/VAUGH, Josnrn T. KIRBY.

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