GB785139A - Compressive shrinking and finishing machines for fabric webs and improvements thereto - Google Patents

Abstract

785,139. Finishing fabrics. CLUETT, PEABODY & CO., Inc. July 12, 1955 [Aug. 3, 1954], No. 20165/55. Class 42 (1). A machine-for treating a woven fabric web to reduce -the extent to which it will elongate or shrink in subsequent laundering operations comprises means for feeding the web at a predetermined rate, means for progressively shrinking the web compressively, a dryer for the web, means for delivering the web, and means whereby the ratio between the speeds of feeding and delivering the web is indicated to show the amount of lengthwise shrinking. The indicated reading can then be kept at the desired figure by controlling the delivery speed. As shown, Fig. 1, fabric web 2 is fed forward by a drum 12 driven by a motor M. A measuring roller 13 is coupled to a tachometer generator 19 producing a voltage directly proportional to the speed of feed. The fabric then passes through a conditioning unit 15 in which it is moistened, through a bias straightening device 24 and around a heated drum 25 to a clip expander mechanism 31, Fig. 2, which pulls the fabric to a width predetermined by test to be that which the fabric when laundered would normally assume. Thence the fabric is compressively over-shrunk in a rubber belt shrinking machine 32. The drum 34 of machine 32 is heated above 212‹ F. so that as the fabric leaves the drum much of the water in the web is vaporized quickly. The fabric then travels to a felt belt dryer 49, Fig. 3, whence it passes along either of the two paths shown to a plaiter 65; alternatively, a can-type dryer having heated drums 133-136, Fig. 4, may be used. A second tachometer generator 118 operated from the drive to the dryer drum 50, Fig. 3, or the heated drums 133-136, Fig. 4, produces a voltage directly proportional to the speed at which the web is delivered by the dryer. The two tachometer generators are connected electrically to two coils in an indicating instrument; the two coils influence a pointer so that the latter gives a dial reading proportional to the ratio between the voltages generated by the two generators and hence between the feed and delivery speeds of the web, the dial being calibrated in percentage gain or shrinkage. A motor 77, Fig. 1, drives both the shrinking machine and the dryer, the latter being driven through a variable-speed drive 93 which enables the delivery speed to be controlled so as to give the desired shrinkage reading on the indicator.