Plaiting device

Nov. 28, 1933.

1,936,668

M. HAMILTON ET AL

PLAITING DEVICE

Filed Oct. 13, 1930

<img file="US1936668A_D0001.tif" />

Patented Nov. 28, 1933

1,936,668

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,936,668

PLAITING DEVICE

Mary Hamilton and Gerald John Sutton, London, England; said Sutton assignor to said Mary Hamilton

Application October 13, 1930, Serial No. 488,520, and in France October 22, 1929

Claims. (Cl. 223—39)

This invention relates to a device for producin plaits in textile material by relative movement between the device and the material in the direction of the length of the plaits and more 5 particularly to devices of the character described in the specification of our prior patent No. 1,797,340.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved plaiting device of this character which 10 'will produce more uniform and consistent plaits. A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will be cheap to manufacture and which is simpler in operation and adjustment.

In order that the invention may be more clear15 ly understood, a preferred example thereof will now be described with reference to the 'accompanying drawing, in which—

Figure 1 is a plan, looking from above, of the under part of the device.

Figure 2 is a plan, looking from below, of the upper part of the device.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the saw-gate.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the device attached to a flat iron, parts of the device being 25 broken away, and

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the device with certain parts removed.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The two portions of the device are indicated generally by the reference numerals 10 and 11. The lower part 10 consists simply of a plate of sheet material which at its forward end, in the direction of movement of the device with respect 35 to the material, is bent upwardly to afford an abutment 12 having a rounded edge 13 (as shown in Figure 4). The sides of the part 10 are bent upwardly and shaped to constitute guiding fins . 14. A third guiding fin 15 is attached to the 40 plate in the middle by means of rivete 16. The upper part 11 comprises a casing 17 formed with a top and two sides of sheet metal. Half way down each side the material is bent to afford on its inner side a groove 27 for the reception of 45 a flat plate 18 which can be slid into the casing from its forward end. The plate 18 carries two strip guides 19 attached to it obliquely as shown in Figure 2 and bent as shown in Figure 4. The sides of the casing 17 have at their lower edges 50 projections 20 which are bent into a plane parallel with that of the plate 18. Rearwardly of the strips 19 the sides of the casing 17 are bent outwardly and then inwardly at their lower edge to afford a groove 21 for the reception of a saw55 gate 22. This saw-gate, as shown in Figure 3, consists of a rectangular plate, one half of which is bent at right angles to the other half, and each half of which has in it parallel slots 23, 24 extending from its margin in a direction oblique to the margin. The slots 23 in one half so of the saw-gate are in the opposite direction to the slots 24 in the other half, and thus when one half is received in the channels 21 and the slots in the other half are operative the plaits will be turned in one direction, whereas when the 65 saw-gate is inserted the other way round, the plaits will be turned in the opposite direction.

In Figure 4 the device is shown attached to a specially constructed fiat iron 25 by means of an extension 28 of the top of the casing 17. The 70 extension 28 is clamped between the handle and the body of the iron by means of one of the bolts which hold the handle in position. Parts of the sides of the casing 17 embrace the nose of the iron. If preferred, however, it may be shaped 75 for attachment to an existing iron of any ordinary shape.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The part 10 is placed underneath the material to be plaited on a fiat surface, the part 11 is so; then located on top of the material in such a position that the fins 14 and 15 project upwardly in the spaces between the strips 19 and the projections 20. The part 11 is then pushed forward over the material by means of the iron 25. The E5 forward end 26 of the plate 18 presses through the interposed material on the forward end 13 of the part 10 and thus moves the part 10 along underneath the material. The material passes between the edges 13 and 26 and beneath the 90 strips 19. As the material passes down the strips 19 folds are formed between and on either side of the strips by means of the fins 14 and 15. As the material passes along the fins the folds become closer together and are thus permitted to 95 become deeper. On leaving the fins 14 and 15 the material is obliged to pass beneath the sawgate 22 but the folds of material pass through the slots 23 or 24 and are over-turned thereby on to the surface of the material after which the fold ¹⁰⁰is pressed by the flat iron into a flat plait.

It will be appreciated that the number of slots and guides may be altered as desired and a plurality of saw-gates having different numbers of slots may be provided, with a plurality of plates 18 and parts 10 constructed to produce a corresponding number of plaits. In an extreme example the parts may be constructed for the production of only one plait at a time. 110

1,936,668