"Fixed upon the forward side of the frame, A, in front of the roller, B, is a horizontal supporting-brace, m, which has fixed upon it an inclined plate, n, upon which is supported the inclined guide, E, which is composed of two pieces of sheet metal, secured one over the other, at such a distance apart as to permit the passage of the cloth or fabric between them; and those parts of this guide, E, in front of the plain cylindrical portions, C', of the rollers, are curved upward or arched transversely, as shown at a', in such manner that the width of the fabric passed between each pair of the plain portions, C', will be greater, if stretched out to its full extent, than the width of the said portions, so that the said fabric, by means of its increased width, will be crinkled or puffed in passing between the aforesaid portions, C', as will be presently fully set forth.

"The end of the strip of cloth or fabric from which the fluted puffing is to be formed is passed into and through the guide, E, and between the rollers, B C, and a rotary motion in the direction of the arrow, shown in Fig. 2, is communicated to said rollers by turning the crank b, or by other suitable means.

"The fabric is drawn lengthwise between the rollers, those portions thereof which pass between the several opposite series, A', of grooves and flutes of the two rollers being fluted, as shown at g, in Fig. 4, while those portions of the said fabric which pass between the smooth, narrow annular faces, B', of the rollers, being formed into gathers by the fluting of the fabric at the sides or edges thereof, are pressed flat by passing under the pressers, D, as the fabric is drawn along, at the same time that those portions of the fabric drawn through the curved or arched parts, a', of the guide, E, being, if stretched to their full extent, of a width greater than that of the smooth cylindrical portions, C', and being also gathered by the fluting formed at their sides or edges, are caused to assume a crinkled or puffed form, as they are passed between the aforesaid portions, C', the distance between the opposite smooth portions, C', aforesaid being such that no pressure is exerted upon the fabric passing between them beyond that required to simply press the convex surfaces thereof downward to a sufficient degree to insure the shaping thereof into the puffed condition just herein described.

"The extent to which the material will be thus contracted laterally, as it were, or drawn up between the flutes, will be governed by the excess in length of the arched portions, a', of the guide over a straight line or lines connecting such arched portions at their base.

"By these means, the fluted puffing is brought into the form required in the finished article without the necessity of washing the same, in order to bring the puffing into such form.

"To complete the puffing, longitudinal rows of stitching are formed in the flat parts, h, of the puffing, to retain it in shape; and, when desired, the puffing as thus completed may be divided longitudinally in the said parts, h, to separate it into narrow pieces, as required for various trimming purposes.

"What I claim as new, and desire to secure by letters-patent, is

"The guide, E, constructed with one or more curved or arched portions, a', in combination with suitable fluting-rollers, substantially as herein set forth, for the purpose specified."

The drawings referred to in the foregoing specification are as follows:

The reissued letters-patent No. 3001 were for a new article of manufacture therein described, being an improvement in fluted puffing.

Werner, to whom were granted letters-patent No. 134,621, bearing date Jan. 7, 1873, for an improvement in crimping and fluting machines, denied the infringement, and insisted that the letters-patent granted to King were void, for want of novelty. The specification forming part of the letters-patent granted to Werner is as follows:

"To all whom it may concern :

"Be it known that I, Robert Werner, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudson, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and improved combined crimping and fluting machine, of which the following is a specification:

"Fig. 1 represents a vertical transverse section of my improved crimping and fluting machine, the line, c c, Fig. 2, indicating the

plane of section. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device for holding the fluting against the rollers. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of a modification of my invention; Fig. 5, a face-view of the crimping and fluting produced on the machine; Fig. 6, a transverse section; and Fig. 7, a longitudinal section of such fluting and crimping.

"Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

"This invention relates to a new machine for producing a fluted and crimped fabric, substantially like that for which a design patent was granted to me on the twenty-ninth day of November, 1870, from a smooth and flat woven fabric; and the invention consists principally in the application to fluting-rollers of a detent, or finger, by which a portion of the fabric is held back, and thereby formed into V-shaped, but more or less irregular, lateral waves and crinkles, whereby the stated and desired effect is produced. This finger is made to bear against a platform over which the fabric is passed to the fluting-rollers, or directly against one of the rollers, as may be desired. The invention also consists in a new arrangement and connection, with said fluting-rollers, of a device for holding the fluted fabric in contact with the same while the crinkled portion of the fabric is being elevated and puffed up by a projecting rib or stationary plate, all as hereinafter more fully described.

"In the accompanying drawing the letter A represents the frame of the machine. In the same are the bearings of two fluting-rollers, BB, which are parallel with each other, and, by preference, in a horizontal position, as indicated. The rollers, B, are provided with zones, a a, of fluting or toothed portions, which will cause certain strips of the fabric which pass between the said rollers to be fluted, while the remaining portions of the same fabric will not be fluted. C is a platform secured to the framework, A, in front of and about in line with the space between the two rollers. D is a detent or spring fastened to a bar, b, which rests by posts, d, upon the platform, C. The free end of the spring, D, bears against said platform midway between the two inner zones, or any pair of zones, a a, on said rollers. The fabric is passed over the platform, C, before it enters the rollers, or rather in its passage to the said rollers, and is consequently passed under and subjected to the pressure of the spring, D, being fed or drawn forward by and between the rollers. That portion of the fabric which is subjected to the pressure of the spring, D, will be detained or held back or stretched back to be drawn into the V-shaped crinkles or crimping, which is indicated

in Fig. 5, at e. This effect, of course, can only be produced if the detent, D, bears upon the fabric previous to its being acted upon by the rollers, so that the portion affected by said spring can be drawn back by the detent in the manner shown. The same effect can be produced by the modified form of detent shown in Fig. 4, in which case the said detent is made to bear against one of the rollers, B, and fastened to the under side of a plate, C. This modification can only be used when the detent bears against the rollers so far forward of the line that connects the two axes of the two rollers that sufficient material will be at the command of the detent to draw the fabric back into the V-shaped crimping; for, if the detent would apply to the middle of the roller when the fluting has already hold of the fabric, the drawing back could not be produced, inasmuch as the fluting would take up all the surplus fabric, and none would be left for the effect by the detent. EE are metallic plates or bars provided with projecting cheeks, f, which said cheeks bear against the fluted portions of the fabric as it emerges from between the two rollers, and hold said fluted portion in contact with the lower roller, while a projecting rib, g, moves the centre of the crinkled portion from off said roller. This gives the transverse wave of the fabric which is indicated in Fig. 6. The plates or bars, E E, can, by setscrews, hh, be adjusted nearer to or further away from the fluted portions of the rollers for the purpose of holding the fluted portion of the fabric more or less firmly against the rollers, and for flattening portions of the fluting between the zones, a. The rollers may be made to be hollow, to be heated by steam or otherwise, so that the fabric which is passed between them-preferably in a moist state - may retain the form into which it is put by the action of the machine. It will be found convenient to raise the detent, D, off the platform, C (or withdraw it from contact with the roller, B, when placed as in Fig. 4), in order to enter the end of the fabric between the rollers. With this object, the bar, b, is made detachable, and locked by keys, 77 (or the plate C made to be drawn back and forward).

"Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by letters-patent, –

"1. The detent, D, arranged in combination with the flutingrollers, B B, to produce the crinkles or puffing on the fabric, which is partially fluted, as set forth.

"2. The platform C, or C', arranged in combination with the detent, D, and rollers, B, as specified.