GB920384A - Machine for the engagement of fabrics, particularly of sheets - Google Patents

Abstract

920,384. Feeding webs. R. L. DUFLOT. April 20, 1961 [April 20, 1960; March 31, 1961], No. 14347/61. Class 100 (1). Lengths of fabric, such as table cloths, are fed to a drying or other machine by apparatus which tensions the fabric both longitudinally and laterally during feeding to remove folds or creases therefrom. As shown in Fig. 5, the fabric piece 4 is removed from a trolley 3, its leading edge placed on a conveyer belt which is mounted on driving rollers 5, 6 and is opposed by a conveyer belt 10 driven by a roller 9, and the fabric is fed forward by the rollers and belts to a drier (not shown). The rest of the fabric 4 depends freely and is engaged by a ribbed roller 26, which is initially in a lower position adjacent the trolley 3 and is driven in the direction of the arrow and at a higher speed than the rollers 5, 6, 9. Thus, the free end of the fabric 4 is rapidly fed by the roller 26 so that it falls between the roller 26 and a driven roller 25 and prevents a light beam 33 from impinging on a photo-electric cell 34: when this occurs, a pneumatic or hydraulic device 30 swings a pivoted lever 28 carrying the roller 26 into an upright position. The fabric 4 is now being pulled forward by the rollers 5, 9 and is retarded by the two rollers 25, 26 which engage the fabric on opposite sides. Since the rollers 25, 26 rotate faster than the fabric speed, and since they each have two sets of helical ribs thereon meeting at the centre and of opposite pitch, the fabric is stretched longitudinally and transversely before it reaches the drier. In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the length of fabric 4, after its leading edge is gripped by the conveyer belts 7, 10, is fed by a belt 20 so that it falls down over a roller 15 and cuts off the light beam 33 from the photo-cell 34, whereupon the latter initiates a pneumatic or hydraulic apparatus 39 to swing a roller 35 on an arm 36 towards the roller 15. The rollers 15, 35 are driven in opposite directions to oppose the feed of the fabric, and at a higher speed than the fabric, and each has two sets of helical ribs thereon which meet at the centre and are of opposite pitch. The opposed ribs on these rollers are offset so that one fits between the other to cause lateral spreading of the fabric: a screw-stop 40 regulates the degree of interengagement of the rollers. In a further modification (Figs. 1-4, not shown), the photo-cell device and movable ribbed roller are omitted, the conveyer belts and rollers are similar to 7, 10 and 5, 6, 9 shown in Fig. 5, the belt 20 and ribbed roller 15 of Fig. 7 are used, and the length of fabric falls over the roller 15 and around a second ribbed roller to trail on a bottom conveyer belt.