WOOSTER V. BLAKE. 431 �against which it acts to form the material between it and the surface into a ruffle. This blade is adjustably attached to bar, 8, actuated by the rocking or elbow lever, 9, hung to a support or pendent connected with the bed-plate o£ the machine. This lever, 9, is vibrated on its axis 10 by means of the vibrat- ing member or rod, 11, connected with and operating the needie and its carrier, which rises against the horizontal portion of the lever, and causes it to move the blade forward, and form the cloth on which it bears into a ruffle. *Sh& movement of the blade back trom the needle is regulated by meajis of a set- screw, 12, which restricts the return of the lever aud blade. The bar, 8, and consequently the lever, 9, are drawn back from each forward vibration by a spiral spring, 13, which is attached at one end to this bar, and at the other end to the bed of the machine; and the end of the blade may be made to terminate at a greater or less distance from its carrying bar by means of a slot and set-screw. The operation of the lever is to press the spring blade on the goods when advancing to form the rufling, while it is rocked or lifted from the goods during its retreating movement, and the pressuj'e of the blade on the material is thereby diminished or removed. The strip of cloth to be ruffled is passed under the blade and between it and the presser, and the plain or band material is led through guide, 5, when the plain piece is to rest on top of the ruffled strip and under the presser, where, as the material is ruffled and sewed, it is carried forward by the feeding mechanism such as is usually employed for that purpose, and in the ordinary manner. The edge or edges of the cloth to or between which the rufling is to be sewed, is or,are folded in by the guides, as bef ore stated, and the strips used are f ed or moyed forward in the same manner that other fabrics are moved on the savne machine. The ruffle is formed by blade, 7, which is made to reciprocate, at each stf oke of the needle, a sufflcient distance over and above the support or surface adapted to sustain the material to be ruffled against the action of the blade, to form a ruffle having folds or plaits of the size desired, the size of the fold, to form varions grades of ruffling, being deterrained by the means already described.
- * * I am aware that a rough-surfaced feeder and ruffler have been
employed to engage a piece of material te be ruffled, forming the gather in and moving the ruffled piece forward, the ruffler and feeder both engaging the ruffled strip; and, in connection with such mechanism, a aeparator bas been employed to separate a band from the ruffled strip, the band being laid on the surface of the ruffled strip engaged on its under side by the rufflcr and feeder, made as four-motioned feeding devices; and lam also aware of United States patent No. 14,47.5." �The defendants' rufflers are called the Toof ruffler and the Johnson ruffler, and are sold by them to be attached to sewing machines for ruffling purposes. �The Crosby and Kellogg tape-trimming patent of August 5, 1862, does not show anything to anticipate No. 6,565. It had flexible blades, but they did not press, in working, on the table: or surface which supported the goods, nor were their acting edges turned or bent towards the surface against which they acted. The Crosby and ��� �
