Mechanism for adjustment of pleat folder
United States Patent [1 1 Farney l l MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTMENT OF PLEAT FOLDER [76] Inventor: Wesley P. Farney, RD 1 Soule Rd..  
 Holland Patent NY 13354 22 Filed: July 5, 1974 [21] Appl.N0.:485,908  
 1 Apr. 8, 1975 Primary E.\&#39;uminer-Geo. V. Larkin [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to an apparatus for adjustment of a fabric folder used to form a one-piece&#34; pleat in a fabric, such as a shirt front It involves a frame for carrying the folder which permits the folder to be moved literally across a table on which the fabric is conveyed. A rod is pivotally attached at one end to the bottom of the table and intermediate its ends is pivoted on the frame carrying the folder Means are provided for laterally moving the rod thus pivoting it at the point of attachment to the folder frame and thereby permitting accurate adjustment of the folder laterally. Such adjustment is desirable in order to accommodate the pleating of different thicknesses of fabrics.  
 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTMENT OF PLEAT FOLDER BACKGROUND Previously. pleats in fabric, such as shirt fronts have been formed by sewing machine operators using folding devices to form the pleat which is then stitched on a sewing machine. In my recently-filed US. patent application entitled Automatic Pleating Device.&#34; filed Jan. ll, I974, Ser. No. 432,665, is disclosed an automatic device for performing the same function. That apparatus consists basically of a table having a series of conveyor belts on it to carry the fabric in which the pleat is formed; a plurality of driven endless lower hembelts at an edge of the table on which the fabric is conveyed; and a plurality of driven endless upper hembelts travelling in the same direction but directly above the lower hem-belts. In forming a pleat in a fabric such as a shirt front) the upper and lower hem-belts grip the fabric and transport it from one end of the table to the other through a conventional folder and the pleat formed in the folder is then sewn by a conventional sewing machine.  
  In US. Pat. No. 1,371,600, issued to G. Braf on Mar. 15, l92l, there is disclosed a hemming device which provides means for adjustment of the hemmer which is mounted on the sewing machine table.  
  The invention of this application is an improvement over the device shown in that prior patent. In combination with the automatic pleating device of my aboveidentified co-pending U.S. patent application the invention of this application provides a simple and accurate means for lateral adjustment of the folder used to form a pleat in the fabric such as a shirt front. While such an adjustment may appear simple to accomplish. actually it is very difficult to do because small lateral adjustments are necessary. The adjustment of the folder is needed because of the varying thickness of fabrics passed through the folder. When a fabric of say a greater thickness than one previously used is passed through the folder, its center line is moved slightly away from the other end of the fabric as the fabric is folded and the pleat is formed in the folding device. This requires adjustment ofthe folder laterally in order to align the center line of the pleat being formed in relation to the needle in the sewing machine which immediately follows the folder.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The invention is a mechanism for adjustment of a conventional folder used to form a one-piece pleat in a fabric such as a shirt front. It is used in conjunction with the automatic pleating device of my co-pending application previously identified.  
  The apparatus comprises basically a conventional folder mounted on a two-legged frame which is carried by a pair of laterally disposed carrier shoes secured to the bottom of the table on which is carried the fabric to be pleated. Each leg of the frame rides in slots in each pair of the shoes. The folder is therefore free to move laterally at right angles to the direction of travel of the fabric conveyed through the folder. A rod rectangular in cross-section) several feet long is pivotedly connected at a first end to the base of the table and at a point a small distance from the end is pivotally connected to the frame carrying the folder. The rod is free to move to the left or right, and when it is moved in a direction, the frame carrying the folder is moved in the same direction. The folder thus&#39;is adjustable in either direction laterally to accomodate varying thicknesses of fabrics which are moved through the folder. The leg of the rod from its first end to its pivot point on the folder frame is less in length than the leg from pivot point to the second end of the rod. Because of the difference in these legs. movement of the longer end of the rod is laterally greater than the movement imparted to the folder frame. For example, if the rod is 30 inches long and the pivot point is 6 inches from the first end of the rod the lateral distance moved by the long end of the rod is about four times greater than the distance moved by the folder. Therefore. if the long end of the rod is moved say an eighth of an inch this imparts movement of approximately one thirty-second of an inch to the folder. This readily permits very minor adjustments in the lateral displacement of the folder. This is an essential feature of the invention as such minor adjustments are necessary, and, though apparently sim ple, very difficult to make in fact. Because of minor variations in thicknesses of. fabrics being passed through the folder, an apparatus performing such minor adjustments in a simple manner is extremely useful and valuable.  
  In a preferred form of the invention a first end of a second rod is pivotally connected to the second end of the first rod and a hand knob is connected to the second end of the second rod. A pin connecting the hand knob to that end of the second rod passes through a slot in a support member. The length of the slot is selected so as to limit the amount of travel which may be imparted laterally to the folder. There is also provided means, which may be locked and unlocked. between the pin and the support so that when the knob is moved laterally and reaches a selected position the second rod may be locked to the support. thus locking the position of the folder.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of this invention. That Figure also shows the automatic pleating device which is more fully described in my copending application referred to above.  
  FIG. 2 is a top view showing the apparatus of this invention.  
 FIG. 3 is a partial side view of that apparatus; and  
  FIG. 4 is a partial side view taking along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, reference 10 shows generally the automatic pleating device of my co-pending application referred to above and the apparatus of this invention which is used in conjunction with that automatic device. The automatic device basically comprises a table 11 a series of conveyor belts one of which is shown as 12 in FIG. I. A particular feature of the automatic device is the upper and lower hem belts which are shown to the right of the table in the foreground in FIG. I. These hem belts are comprised of one or more lower hem belts, three of which are shown as I4, 15 and 16 in FIG. 1 and one or more upper hem belts three of which are shown as l7, l8 and 19 in that Figure. Fabric, not shown, is carried by the conveyor belts and upper and lower hem belts from the left to right along the table 11. The edge of the fabric is gripped between the upper and lower hem belts and passes through a folder, which is conventional, shown as 50 in FIG. 1. After the edge of the fabric is formed into a pleat by passage through the folder 50 it then goes to a sewing machine 22 (FIG. ll where it is engaged by a presser foot 23 and sewn by one or more needles, one of which is shown as 24 FIG. 1). As previously explained, when a fabric of a particular thickness is run through the automatic device, the folder is adjusted to position the pleat formed in that fabric in relation to the sewing needle 24 if, thereafter, another thickness of fabric is run through the automatic device, because of the different thickness and the folding of the edge of the fabric as it goes through the folder, it is necessary to adjust the folder laterally. For example, if a fabric has been pleated using the automatic device and thereafter another fabric of greater thickness is to be pleated because of the greater thickness and the folding of the pleat in the folder 50, the center line of the pleat will be slightly displaced to the left on table 11 from the po sition of the pleat which had been previously formed with a thinner fabric. A concomitant adjustment to the left of folder 50 is therefore required.  
  The invention of this application simply and accurately permits adjustment of the folder 50 laterally either way (at right angles to the direction of travel of the fabric on table II).  
  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a conventional folder 50 mounted on a frame 42 which has two legs 43 and 44 which are disposed laterally to the direction of travel of the fabric on table 11. Four shoes 45, 46, 47 and 48 are secured to the bottom of the table II, as shown in FIG. 4 in relation to shoe 48. Each of these shoes, 45 and 48 and 46 and 47, has a machined slot in it in which the respective legs 43 and 44 of frame 42 are carried. Legs 43 and 44 are free to more laterally either way in those slots. The entire frame 42 and thus the folder 50 which is attached to it are free to move laterally either way, that is at right angles to the direction of travel of the fabric on the table 1]. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a rod 60, which is moved laterally to adjust folder 50, is rectangular in cross-section and several feet in length. It is pivotally connected at one end by pin 54 to a support member 52 which is attached to the bottom of table 11 beyond the end of folder 50. The pin 54 is fixed to support 52 by any conventional means and at its end (not shown) it has a head which is larger than the hole in rod 60 through which it passes. That hole (not shown) is machined closely to apparoximately the diameter of pin 54 and its length is preferably on the order of I percent larger than that diameter. For example, if the diameter ofthe pin 54 is one quarter of an inch, the width of that hole in rod 60 is one quarter of an inch plus one thousandth of an inch, and its length is one-half of an inch. The provision of that hole in slot-form is necessary as rod 60 will move slightly towards the front of the table as it moved laterally either way to adjust the folder. Rod 60 is pivotally connected to frame 42 by pin 6], which is fixed to that frame. As with pin 54, pin 61 has a head (not shown) which is larger than the hole in rod 60 through which pin 61 passes. Rod 60 is therefore free to rotate on pin 61.  
  When it is desired for example. to move folder 50 to the left, the other end of rod 60 is moved to the left and, pivoting on pins 54, and 61, moves frame 42 and folder in the same direction.  
  Rod has two legs. The first leg 62 is that length of rod 60 between point 54 and 63. The second leg 63 is between pin 61 and the other, second, end of rod 60. It is desirable that leg 62 be two to six, and preferably on the order of four, times longer than leg 63. This permits a minor adjustment laterally of folder 50 to be made accurately made. This is possible because a movement of rod 60 at its second end is translated into a reduced movement of folder 50. Therefore if, for example, leg 61 is four times longer than leg 62 and the second end of rod 60 is moved to the left (FIG. 2) a distance of one-half of one inch of the folder 50 moves to the left one eighth of an inch. Thus, this reduction of movement feature permits an operator to easily make small adjustments in the lateral position of folder 50.  
  Referring to FIG. 2, at the lower end of rod 60 and its leg 63 rod 60 is pivotally connected to another rod 36 through pin 38 on which both rod 60 and 36 are free to rotate. Fixed to the frame of the table is a support member 30 which has cut in it a slot 34 (FIG. 1), which has a predetermined length to limit the extent of lateral movement of folder 50. Pin 33 (FIG. 1) is fixed to rod 36 and passes up through slot 34. The top portion of pin 33 is threaded and knob 32 is also threaded and screwed on it. In order to move folder 50 an operator unscrews knob 32 and moves rod 36 to the left or right. This moves rod 60 in the same direction and to the same extent. This movement is transmitted to folder 50 which is moved in the same direction but to a reduced extent, because of the differences in the lengths of legs 62 and 63, as previously explained. When folder 50 is in the position desired, the operator then screws knob 32 down on pin 33 fixing rod 36 in place in slot 34 thereby fixing the position of folder 50. As stated, slot 34 has a length corresponding to the ultimate lateral length through which it may be desirable to move folder 50. When rod 60 is parallel to folder 50 and it thus is in the center of that length, pin 33 is centered in the length of slot 34.  
  As described, my invention provides a simple and accurate appparatus for adjusting a folder to accommodate varying thicknesses of fabrics in which a pleat is formed by use of the folder.  
 I claim:  
  I. In combination with an apparatus comprising a table; a plurality of driven endless conveying belts travelling in a selected direction on the top of and below the table; a plurality of driven endless lower hem belts near an edge of the table and travelling in said direction on top of and below the table; a plurality of driven endless upper hem belts travelling in said direction directly above the lower hem belts, whereby the lower portions of the upper hem belts are adapted to grip fabric being conveyed on the lower hem belts; the improvement comprising a folder in which a pleat is formed in said fabric while passing from the front to the end of said folder, the folder being supported by a frame which is movable in either direction laterally to the direction of travel of the fabric; and a first rod, having a first and second end, which lies substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the fabric and is at its first end pivotedly connected to the table at a point beyond the end of the folder and pivotally connected to said frame, a length between the point of connection at the first end of the rod and the point of connection on the frame forming a first leg of said rod, and the length between the point of connection on the frame and the second end of the rod forming a second leg of said rod, the second leg of the rod being substantially longer than the first leg of the rod. said rod thereby being adapted to adjust the lateral position of said folder.  
  2. The combination ofclaim I wherein the second leg is on the order of two to six times longer than the first leg.  
  3. The combination ofclaim 2 wherein the second leg is on the order of four times longer than the first leg.  
 4. The combination of claim 2 comprising also a second rod, laterally disposed to the first rod, having a first end pivotedly connected to the second end of the first rod and a second end having hand means for moving the second rod laterally in either direction; support means for the second end of the second rod comprising also means for limiting the extent of travel of the second rod and means for locking the second end of the second rod on said support means, the movement of the second rod thereby serving to adjust the position of the folder and said locking means serving to fix the lateral position of the folder.