GB1111506A - Fabric compactor - Google Patents

Abstract

1,111,506. Shrinking fabrics. J. D. RIORDAN and G. C. LIBBY. 24 Aug., 1965 [25 Aug., 1964], No. 36331/65. Heading D1S. A textile fabric is compacted between two endless belts 50, 52 of stretchable, resilient material, e.g. rubber, having a portion of each maintained in face-to-face contact by a continuous pressure. The belts 50, 52 being driven at equal speeds and the portions thereof approaching the point of juncture therebetween being maintained in a longitudinally stretched condition as compared with the mutually contacting portions. As shown, the belts 50, 52 pass through the nip between rollers 34, 36 and 42, 44, the rollers 42, 44 being driven at a slower speed than the rollers 34, 36. The rollers 34, 36 are mounted on shafts 30, 32 carrying meshing gears 20, 22 driven in opposite directions by an idler pinion 18 meshing with a gear 14 on a driven shaft 12. Similarly, the rollers 42, 44 are mounted on shafts 38, 40 carrying meshing gears 26, 28 driven in opposite directions through an idler pinion 24 by a gear 16, smaller than the gear 14, mounted on the shaft 12. The belts 50, 52 are stretched as they pass upwards from the rolls 42, 44 to the rolls 34, 36 and as they pass through the nip between the rolls 34, 36 they contact and compact the fabric (not shown) also passing therethrough. The belts 50, 52 are of substantial thickness, eg. at least # inch. Idler rolls 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64 arranged in staggered formation urge the contacting portions of the belts 50, 52 together and into a sinuous path. Also, the rolls 36, 44 are mounted slightly higher than the rolls 34, 42, respectively. The idler rolls may be mounted for individual lateral adjustment on a slide 66, Fig. 3 (not shown), horizontally movable in a groove in a supporting panel 68 mounted on a fixed panel 70. A bolt 72 secures the slide 66 in position. Before compacting, the fabric may be steamed by a steam box 80, Fig. 1 (not shown).