GB2140838A

GB2140838A - A device for holding fabric in a drying stenter

Info

Publication number: GB2140838A
Application number: GB08324208A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nitin Shantilal Mehta; Vasant Vyankatesh Apte
Original assignee: PRIMATEX MACHINERY
Current assignee: PRIMATEX MACHINERY
Priority date: 1983-06-03
Filing date: 1983-09-09
Publication date: 1984-12-05
Also published as: GB2140838B; GB8324208D0; IN156429B

Abstract

The present invention provides a device for holding the edge of a piece of fabric (7) conveyed through a stenter. The device includes a pin carrier (2) that carries pins (4) that hold the fabric edge (7). A locking arm (12) carries pins (9) that can be interposed between the pins (4) to prevent the fabric being removed from pins (4). The locking arm (12) is pivotable about a pivot (6) to move the pins (9) from between the pins (4) to allow fabric to be engaged and disengaged from pins (4) before and after (respectively) the fabric has passed through the stenter. The invention also covers the locking arm (12). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A device for holding fabric in a drying stenter This invention relates to a device for holding the edge of a piece of fabric in a pin-and-clip type or pin-type stenter.

In a stenter, fabric is held tightly stretched between two parallel conveyor chains. The conveyor chains have attached to them at regular intervals a plurality of devices holding the edges of the fabric. In one type of device known as "pin-and-clip" type, or "pin" type, there is a pin-bar. The fabric edges are en gaged by pins of the pin bar and thus conveyed along with the chains inside the stenter.

In most modern stenters, the drying cham ber has provisions for drying the fabric by jets of hot air or superheated steam. The jets impinge on the fabric from above and below the fabric at high velocities. Even though the velocity of jets from above and below are the same, due to turbulence in the system, there is distinct possibility of the fabric becoming detached from the pins holding it and thus decrasing the tension in the fabric with consequential irregularities. In order that the fabric does not become detached from the pins, it is necessary to reduce the air/steam jet velocity of the bottom air/steam jet either by providing resistance in that air/steam jet using dampers or by reducing the speed of the fan providing that jet. However, the reduction in velocity reduces the overall drying speed of the machine.It is an object of this invention to obviate the possibility of fabric becoming detached from the pins without reducing the velocity of air/steam jet.

This invention therefore provides a device for engaging the edge of a piece of fabric to carry the fabric through a stenter, the device comprising a carrier carrying a plurality of pins for piercing and retaining the edge of a piece of cloth, a locking arm that is movably mounted with respect to the pins, the locking arm carrying spaced elements that in one position of the locking arm, are interposed between the pins, and means for maintaining the locking arm in the said one position.

The present invention also provides a locking arm as defined above for fitting to existing pin-and-clip or pin-type devices to convert them into devices according to the present invention.

A device in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows in vertical section, a pin carrier of the device; Figure II shows in vertical section a locking arm of the device; Figure lil shows in vertical section the device including the pin-carrier of Fig. I and the locking arm of Fig. II, the two parts being in one operational position; Figure IV shows the device with the locking arm and the pin carrier in a second position, and Figure V shows in vertical section the device in a totally folded condition when not in use.

Fig. I shows a clip including a clip body 1, one end of which is attached to a conveyor chain of a stenter (not shown) and the other end carries a pin carrier 2 which is secured to the clip body 1 by means of a pivot pin 6. A pin bar 3 composed of sharp pins 4 is se cured to the pin carrier 2 by a screw 5. The reference number 7 shows the edge of a textile piece held on the pins 4.

Fig. il shows the locking arm 1 2 of the device. It is this locking arm 1 2 which differentiates the present device from known devices.

The locking arm 1 2 has a pin-bar carrier 8 holding pins 9 and a lever 10 for raising the pins 9. The locking pins 9 are in a row separated by such a distance that they can be interposed between the pins 4 shown in Fig.

I. The locking arm 12 is pivotable about the same pivot 6 as the pin carrier 2.

Fig. III shows the assembled device including the clip of Fig. I, and the locking arm 12 of Fig. II, both of which are pivotable about a pivot 6. Fabric 7 is held by pins 4 and is prevented from leaving the pins 4 under the influence of a jet of drying air or steam directed on the underside of the fabric 7 by pins 9. Thus, the fabric 7 is locked between the pins 4 and 9 and held in this manner passes through the drying chamber of a stenter.

A spring 11 which is not visible in Figs. II and IV but is shown in Fig. V connects the pin carrier 2 and the locking arm 12 shown in Figs. I and IB. The tension in the spring urges these two parts into the position shown in Fig.

111.

After the fabric has passed through the stenter, the lever 10 is pressed by a tapered plate (not shown) whereby the pins 9 of the locking arm 1 2 are raised and fabric can thus be removed from the pins 4. The lever 10 disengages from the tapered plate (not shown) and the pins 9 along with the locking arm 1 2 assumes the position as shown in Fig. II (but without the fabric 7) because of the tension of the spring 11.

For pinning the fabric 7 on pins 4, a tapered plate (not shown) presses the lever 10 (Fig. II) which raises the pins 9 and makes the pins 4 free to receive the fabric 7. After the fabric has been pinned, the lever 10 disengages from the tapered plate (not shown) and assumes the position shown in Fig. III because of the spring 11 (Fig. V).

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A device for holding fabric in a drying stenter This invention relates to a device for holding the edge of a piece of fabric in a pin-and-clip type or pin-type stenter. In a stenter, fabric is held tightly stretched between two parallel conveyor chains. The conveyor chains have attached to them at regular intervals a plurality of devices holding the edges of the fabric. In one type of device known as "pin-and-clip" type, or "pin" type, there is a pin-bar. The fabric edges are en gaged by pins of the pin bar and thus conveyed along with the chains inside the stenter. In most modern stenters, the drying cham ber has provisions for drying the fabric by jets of hot air or superheated steam. The jets impinge on the fabric from above and below the fabric at high velocities. Even though the velocity of jets from above and below are the same, due to turbulence in the system, there is distinct possibility of the fabric becoming detached from the pins holding it and thus decrasing the tension in the fabric with consequential irregularities. In order that the fabric does not become detached from the pins, it is necessary to reduce the air/steam jet velocity of the bottom air/steam jet either by providing resistance in that air/steam jet using dampers or by reducing the speed of the fan providing that jet. However, the reduction in velocity reduces the overall drying speed of the machine.It is an object of this invention to obviate the possibility of fabric becoming detached from the pins without reducing the velocity of air/steam jet. This invention therefore provides a device for engaging the edge of a piece of fabric to carry the fabric through a stenter, the device comprising a carrier carrying a plurality of pins for piercing and retaining the edge of a piece of cloth, a locking arm that is movably mounted with respect to the pins, the locking arm carrying spaced elements that in one position of the locking arm, are interposed between the pins, and means for maintaining the locking arm in the said one position. The present invention also provides a locking arm as defined above for fitting to existing pin-and-clip or pin-type devices to convert them into devices according to the present invention. A device in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows in vertical section, a pin carrier of the device; Figure II shows in vertical section a locking arm of the device; Figure lil shows in vertical section the device including the pin-carrier of Fig. I and the locking arm of Fig. II, the two parts being in one operational position; Figure IV shows the device with the locking arm and the pin carrier in a second position, and Figure V shows in vertical section the device in a totally folded condition when not in use. Fig. I shows a clip including a clip body 1, one end of which is attached to a conveyor chain of a stenter (not shown) and the other end carries a pin carrier 2 which is secured to the clip body 1 by means of a pivot pin 6. A pin bar 3 composed of sharp pins 4 is se cured to the pin carrier 2 by a screw 5. The reference number 7 shows the edge of a textile piece held on the pins 4. Fig. il shows the locking arm 1 2 of the device. It is this locking arm 1 2 which differentiates the present device from known devices. The locking arm 1 2 has a pin-bar carrier 8 holding pins 9 and a lever 10 for raising the pins 9. The locking pins 9 are in a row separated by such a distance that they can be interposed between the pins 4 shown in Fig. I. The locking arm 12 is pivotable about the same pivot 6 as the pin carrier 2. Fig. III shows the assembled device including the clip of Fig. I, and the locking arm 12 of Fig. II, both of which are pivotable about a pivot 6. Fabric 7 is held by pins 4 and is prevented from leaving the pins 4 under the influence of a jet of drying air or steam directed on the underside of the fabric 7 by pins 9. Thus, the fabric 7 is locked between the pins 4 and 9 and held in this manner passes through the drying chamber of a stenter. A spring 11 which is not visible in Figs. II and IV but is shown in Fig. V connects the pin carrier 2 and the locking arm 12 shown in Figs. I and IB. The tension in the spring urges these two parts into the position shown in Fig. 111. After the fabric has passed through the stenter, the lever 10 is pressed by a tapered plate (not shown) whereby the pins 9 of the locking arm 1 2 are raised and fabric can thus be removed from the pins 4. The lever 10 disengages from the tapered plate (not shown) and the pins 9 along with the locking arm 1 2 assumes the position as shown in Fig. II (but without the fabric 7) because of the tension of the spring 11. For pinning the fabric 7 on pins 4, a tapered plate (not shown) presses the lever 10 (Fig. II) which raises the pins 9 and makes the pins 4 free to receive the fabric 7. After the fabric has been pinned, the lever 10 disengages from the tapered plate (not shown) and assumes the position shown in Fig. III because of the spring 11 (Fig. V). CLAIMS

1. A device for engaging the edge of a piece of fabric to carry the fabric through a stenter, the device comprising a carrier carrying a plurality of pins for piercing and retaining the edge of a piece of cloth, a locking arm that is movably mounted with respect to the pins, the locking arm carrying spaced elements that, in one position of the locking arm, are interposed between the pins, and means for maintaining the locking arm in the said one position.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking arm is pivotably mounted with respect to the pin carrier.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pin carrier is pivotally mountable on the stenter for pivoting about a pivot and the locking arm is pivotable about the same pivot as the pin carrier.

4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pins on the pin carrier are arrayed in one or more rows.

5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the spaced elements are so located in the said one position of the locking arm that they are spaced above the base of the pins on the pin carrier, thereby being located, in use, above the fabric edge.

6. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the means for maintaining the locking arm in said one position is a spring that urges the locking arm into said one position.

7. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pins on the pin carrier are part of a pin bar that is secured to the pin carrier.

8. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the spaced elements are pins.

9. A device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, any one of Figs. III to V.

10. A locking arm as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A locking arm substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. I, III, IV and V.