GB571821A - Process and apparatus for preshrinking fabrics - Google Patents

Abstract

571,821. Shrinking fabrics. REDMAN, F. R. June 16, 1943, No. 9652. [Class 42 (i)] A textile fabric is shrunk by a process comprising compressively rumpling it lengthwise and widthwise over its entire surface repeatedly in the presence of moisture and heat and maintaining the fabric substantially free from tension during and intermediate the repeated rumplings to which it is subjected. The fabric F is fed by resilient-faced rollers 11, 12 and belts 13, 14 to the downwardly inclined portion 1a of the work table 1 whereon the fabric becomes folded as at f. Fingers 10 disposed spirally about the circumference of rollers 9 feed the fabric forward in irregularly arranged bunches f<1>, the fabric being meanwhile moved towards the centre line of the table 1 by a dam 7a which extends in concave fashion across the table and is formed with a concave upper surface. To prevent the fabric clinging to the fingers 10, stripper rings 60, driven by a roller 65, are positioned therebetween, the rings 60 being guided by grooved rollers 61. Steam at about 215 ‹F is applied to the fabric by a transverse pipe 17a. The above operations are repeated several times throughout the first portion of the length of the treating chamber 5, the side walls of which are arranged gradually to converge, until a barrel-shaped fluted roller 8a feeds the bunched material to a downwardly inclined portion 1h of the next section of the treating chamber. Here the fabric is again subjected, a plurality of times, to similar treatment to that of the first section. The fabric is now fed by a second barrel-shaped fluted roller 8b to a further section of the treating chamber for further similar treatment, being thereafter fed by a further barrel-shaped fluted roller 8c to the drying chamber 21 through which air, heated to about 240‹F, is circulated by a fan. In this chamber the fabric is supported by two sets of belts, arranged alternately, the one set driven by pulleys fast on the shaft 32 and running over loose pulleys on shaft 35 and the other set being driven by pulleys fast on shaft 35 and running over loose pulleys on the shaft 32. Shafts 32, 35 are driven by elliptical gears from a common shaft 44, the driving gears being arranged at 90‹ to each other. In the drying chamber the fabric runs over rollers 50a, 50b formed with staggered corrugations so that the folded portions of the fabric are tumbled transversely. In a modification, the apparatus comprises transverse forwarding soft-faced rollers arranged alternately with pairs of similar rollers whose axes meet on the centre line of the machine and rotate to bunch the fabric transversely. The linear speed of fabric through the apparatus may be from 45 to 100 yards per minute. If the fabric was dry before processing, the moisture absorbed up till roll 8c is preferably not more than 80 per cent. of the dry weight of the fabric per sq. yard.