Abstract: A tucking attachment for a sewing machine having a tucking blade with one end positioned adjacent material and a tucking blade drive with an output shaft mechanically coupled to the tucking blade. A control, connected to the tucking blade drive, is operable to command the tucking blade drive to move the tucking blade through a programmable displacement to form a tuck in the material adjacent a presser foot of the sewing machine. Thereafter, the sewing machine is operated to sew a number of stitches in the tuck, and the tucking blade is then retracted. Repeating the above cycle of operation permits successive tucks of different lengths to be formed in the material.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an elongated cloth support having gaps wherein crease blades pass folded portions of cloth for creasing. Heated presser bars are spaced apart to receive selected portions of cloth passed from the gap by the crease blades into gaps between the presser bars which operate to apply pressure for creasing portion of cloth between the press bars. Elongated crease blades are lifted vertically from between the presser bars to allow additional creasing by the press bars under increased pressure. After creasing the presser bars are separated and elongated crease support bars are moved vertically to engage the crease for unfolding the reversely extending cloth portion while supported along a crease line. Filler applicators are positioned downwardly in close proximity to the crease lines for discharging a filler along the crease lines while supported by the elongate crease support bar.

Abstract: An automatic curtain pleat sewing apparatus for forming and sewing pleats for a curtain, comprising: a sewing machine having sewing needles; a pleat forming-supplying unit having forepart holding plates for holding the leading end portion of the curtain fabric and the remainder thereof; pleat folding plates for pleating the curtain fabric thus held by the forepart holding plates; a pleat portion supply unit for integrally rotating the forepart holding plates and the pleat folding plates so as to insert the pleated portion of the curtain fabric in the sewing part of the sewing machine; a rear-end holding unit capable of moving the rear end portion of the curtain fabric forward and backward while holding the rear end portion thereof; and a full-width measuring unit capable of measuring the full width of the curtain fabric when the rear-end holding unit moves backward.

Abstract: An improved pleating machine and method for creating a variety of pleated patterns that are not limited to repeating variation. Pairs of pleating blades move forward and rearward in a pleating motion. During the forward pleating motion, the pleating blades advance the material and create folds therein. The pleating blades then force the folds against heated cylinders resulting in pressed pleats in the material. Displacement of the pleating blades prior to the forward pleating motion causes a reverse pleat in the material; lack of such displacement causes a forward pleat. A cross-member moves to an engagement position and back to a resting position prior to each forward pleating motion. Switching devices, such as sliding blocks, slotted cams, or switch pins, attached to the cross-member selectively engage push-up rods which, in turn, selectively displace the coinciding pleating blades. The switching devices are electronically controlled to alternate positions.

Abstract: A pleated skirt to contact with side portions of the body of a wearer in which a width of each of the pleats in contact with side portions of the body of a wearer is larger than a width of each of the pleats in contact with front and back surfaces of the body of the wearer. The pleated skirt is produced by forming linear pleats in front and back pieces of fabric material by use of pleat pattern molding boards in which a width in right and left side portions is larger than a width in an intermediate portion and sewing up the front and back pieces of the fabric material at the side portions.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming pleats in fabric includes a vertically movable head which can accommodate one centrally located rod, or alternatively, two spaced apart rods. One rod is used to form two pleats and the rod is movable towards a work surface to a position where the rod traps fabric between a work surface and the rod. Two gripping arms are laterally movable and grip the fabric and move towards the central rod. If three pleats are desired, the two spaced apart rods are used, and a vertically movable blade positioned below the work surface can be actuated, which moves the blade upwardly intermediate the two spaced apart rods, carrying the fabric with it, forming a first pleat. The same laterally movable arms can be actuated which grip the fabric and move it inwardly towards the central rod, to form the other two pleats.

Abstract: A textile web corrugating machine comprises a support table along which a textile web is transported, a folding plate disposed above the support table for folding in a generally zig-zag fashion the textile web then as it passed below the folding plate, a retainer member positioned above the support table in face-to-face relationship with the folding means for urging folds successively formed on the textile web into a web transport passage positioned downstream of the support table with respect to the direction of transport of the textile web, and a compressing unit disposed along the web transport passage for applying a compressive force to the successively formed folds from above and also from a lateral direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying a crease-setting composition for setting a crease in textile material in which the composition is forced out of a nozzle at a controlled delivery rate while the nozzle is guided along the crease line.

Abstract: French pleated draperies of any selected length are manufactured by serging panels of fabric together to provide a wide section of material. After hemming the bottom and serging a strip of buckram to the top of the section, the upper and lower edges of the section then are positioned on a pleat marking table. Ultraviolet markings then are made on the fabric to produce invisible marks at the locations of the centers of the pleats to be formed and also to indicate where fan folds should be formed at the bottom of the drapery. After a desired width of the section has been pleat marked, that width is cut from the section of material. After sewing the side hems, pleats are formed using a conventional pneumatic pleat forming machine by illuminating each ultraviolet sensitive pleat center mark with a center blade of the pleat forming machine and then forming that pleat. The pleat then is sewn by two pleat sewing machines.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of cloth pleating machines, and in particular, to a pleating machine for pleating cloth with mutually converging folds. The technical problem to be solved was that of providing a pleating machine which could also work accurately and reliably on highly flabby and/or hard-to-fold fabrics. The problem has been solved by providing a pleating machine having an angularly oscillating arm and an abutment wall for said arm, which are configured comb-like to be mutually interleaved, and provided with control and guiding devices for said wall which are operative to drive the same through a cyclic oscillation along a closed path causing said wall to move from a position close against a cloth to be pleated to one of insertion in said arm over and past a cloth flap which has been folded by said arm.

Abstract: In an apparatus for guiding the folding blades (3,5) and for actuating the tilting arm (24) of a blade bar (4) mounted pivotably on the jib (10) of a blade shaft (11), a reversible individual drive (23) with a pivoting member (21) which can move a rocker (16) to and fro between two positions serves for actuating the tilting arm (24). Mounted pivotably on the rocker (16) is an intermediate member (14) on which the tilting arm (24) is articulated on a pivot pin (13) at a distance from the point of articulation of the intermediate member (14) on the rocker (16). The geometry of the articulated chain formed by the jib (10), the pivoting member (21), the rocker (16), the intermediate member (14) and the tilting arm (24) is, at the same time, selected so that the tip of the particular folding blade (3) is guided along on the upper or lower contact plate (7,8 ) of the pleating machine as a function of the position of the pivoting member (21).

Abstract: In a pleating machine having intermittently driven pleating rolls (4,5), between which a pleatable fabric can be inserted with the aid of pleating blades which are disposed on an upper and a lower blade beam and work in the manner of feed tongs, and in which machine the blade beams are pivotably mounted on arms on a blade shaft (13) which in turn is adapted to be swivelled to-and-fro and optionally to perform axial reciprocating movements, individual drives (17, 18, 19, 20, 21) are provided for driving the individual components participating in the pleating, which drives are associated with the individual components and whose functions are controllable by an electronic control device (22).

Abstract: This relates to a drive mechanism of the rack and pinion type wherein the length of the rack is less than the required travel and there are plural drive pinions which singly and then sequentially engage the rack. The drive pinions may be driven in any manner, but when a variation in speed is desired in addition to reciprocation, it has been found that a cam type drive will provide the desired mechanical movement. The rack may be beneficially used to effect the controlled movement of a shirred casing strand along a mandrel.

Abstract: A pleating machine for automatically forming pleated drapes from blank drapery panels. The pleating machine is comprised of six stations which cooperate automatically under the control of a controller. The pleating machine is comprised of a loading station, a loop-forming station, an overhead transfer assembly, a corner sewing station, at least one pleat and sewing station and at least one ejection assembly. After a drapery panel is loaded in the pleating machine, the machine automatically forms a header in the panel, determines the spacing required to form pleats uniformly across the panel just loaded and forms uniformly spaced single loops along the header. Thereafter, the corners of the header are sewn, and the entire panel is transferred to the pleat and sewing station, where each loop is formed into a pleat and sewn. After the last pleat is sewn the entire panel is ejected.

Abstract: Improved apparatus is provided for crushing cloth, such as velvet or other pile type fabric, by continuously forcing lengths of the cloth into an elongated treatment chamber to form random creases therein. The cloth is stuffed into the treatment chamber by a bank of individual pusher feet which are reciprocated back and forth adjacent the entrance end of the treatment chamber. The pusher feet are moved downwardly into resilient driving engagement with the cloth during each forward movement and are lifted out of driving engagement with the cloth during each rearward movement by a cam and control lever. A cloth retaining gate or comb is provided on the entrance end of the treatment chamber to aid in retaining the crushed cloth in the entrance end of the treatment chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming triple type of tucks in a curtain cloth is disclosed. The apparatus comprises on a base frame a first sewing machine with a first presser, a second sewing machine with a second presser, a movable base plate arranged for movement in the transverse direction of the cloth, and a stationary base plate arranged adjacent the second sewing machine. Further, a pair of upper and lower keep plates, a pair of upper and lower expansion spatulas, and a width setting spatula are mounted on the movable base plate for movement in the lengthwise direction of the cloth, and extend therefrom over a face plate. A double tucking plate with two sheet metals extends from the stationary base plate over the face plate.

Abstract: A pleating machine for automatically forming pleated drapes from blank drapery panels. The pleating machine is comprised of six stations which cooperate automatically under the control of a controller. The pleating machine is comprised of a loading station, a loop-forming station, an overhead transfer assembly, a corner sewing station, at least one pleat and sewing station and at least one ejection assembly. After a drapery panel is loaded in the pleating machine, the machine automatically forms a header in the panel, determines the spacing required to form pleats uniformly across the panel just loaded and forms uniformly spaced single loops along the header. Thereafter, the corners of the header are sewn, and the entire panel is transferred to the pleat and sewing station, where each loop is formed into a pleat and sewn. After the last pleat is sewn the entire panel is ejected.

Abstract: An apparatus having cooperating upright structures each having a series of air carrying tubes acting on opposite sides of a drapery to press same into desired folds. The two series of tubes and upright structures are adapted for opening and closing movement during a pressing cycle. Ducting admits a pressurized airflow and steam into communicating ducts of the upright structures for dispersal by the air tubes. Some of said air tubes are covered with fabric jackets which inflate during a pressing operation.

Abstract: A fabric creasing machine is disclosed for applying one or more creases in fabric. Only that portion of fabric to be creased is sucked by vacuum into the space between a pair of heated creasing bars by vacuum, and is subjected to steam while being pressed by the pressing bars.