US1203719A - Cloth stretcher and straightener. - Google Patents

Description

J. EDMUNDS. CLOTH STRETCHER AND STRAIGHTENER.

4 APPLICATION FILED OCT-8. 1915.

PatentedNov. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- Fig.1

- John Edmunds 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Fig.

5| .7! 294 an 3 A I 6' 33 V 6 34 I; 70 37 x 7a 35 l9 F12. 6. L F" "1 v 4 m 5 29 7 i I l T- vY 1 InvenToc John Edmunds b /wwkm JOHN EDMUNDS, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLOTH STRETCHER AND STRAIGHTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916,

Application filed October 8, 1915. Serial N 0. 54,781.

7 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN EnMUNns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waltham, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Cloth Stretchers and Straighteners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to an apparatus for stretching and straightening cloth and it has for one of its objects to provide a novel apparatus of this nature which is so constructed that it acts on the edges only of the web or cloth to be stretched and straightened, thus avoiding the disadavantages which are inherent in those machines which involve the use of calender or other rollers that have contact with the cloth across its entire width.

Where stretching or calendering rollers are used that do thus have contact with the cloth throughout the entire width of the latter it sometimes happens that the rollers will either leave a mark on the cloth or that the contact of the rollers withthe cloth will flatten down the surface of the cloth. My improved machine avoids this difliculty by using rollers which contact with the edgesonly of the cloth.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a novel machine which can be used either separately as an independent machine or may be used in connection with drying machines, or other machines used in the finishing of cloth.

Other objects of the invention are to pro-- vide a novel machine of this' character by which the relative speed of movement of the two edges of a fabric can be varied as it is fed through the machine and which is so constructed asto operate on different widths of cloth. a 1 Other objects are to improve cloth-stretching and straightening machines, all as will be more fullyhereinafter described and then,

pointed out in the appended claims.

In order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will I now be described.

Referring to' the drawings, Figure 1 is a planview of a machine embodying my invention; Fig; 2 is an enlarged sectional viewon the line.22, Fig. 1; Fig, 3" is a. .sectlon on the line 3 -3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is and straightened, said rollers being set with their axes at an angle to the direction of movement of the cloth so that the action of the rollers will be to stretch the cloth. The

machine also is provided with means for varying the relative speed at which the rollers operate, thus providing for feeding one edge of. the cloth faster or slower than the other, this construction being made use of to straighten the cloth and bring it into a condition wherein the weft threads will extend at' right angles to the length of the cloth. The machine is also constructed so that thetwo pairs of cloth-feeding and stretching rollers can be adjusted toward and from each other thereby adapting the machine for use on different widths of cloth.

The cloth feeding and stretching rollers of one pair are designated 1 and 2, nes'pectively, and those of the other pair are indicated at 3 and 4. All of these rollers are suitably mounted in a frame 5 which is herein constructed to, present two upper cross members 6, the two lower cross members 7, and the end tie members 8 which secure the cross members together. This frame 5 is supported on standards 9. Each of the rollers 1s journaled in a yoke which in turn is mounted in the frame 5 for 'turning movement about an axis perpendicular to that about which the roller turns, thus providing for setting the rollers at the-de-. sired angular inclination. The lower rollers 52 and 4, are each journaled vin a yoke 10 lwhich is, swiveled to a carrierior support 11 thatizis sustained on the lower frame members 7,'= -'-'said yokes being pivoted to the supports. at 12. The upper rollers 1 and 3 are j ounfi aled in yokes 13, each of which has a' stemel i extending upwardly therefrom that'is mounted for turning movement in a supportf 15 that is mounted on the upper framemembe-rs 6. The axes of the stems 14- are in line with the pivots 12 so that the yokes of each same axis;

The under rollers 2 and 4 of each pair conpair of rollers turn about the stitute the. driving rollers and the upper rollers 1 and 3 constitute the Presser rollers.

Each driving roller 2 and 4 is driven from a pulley 16 fast on the shaft of the roller and which is connected by a belt 17 to a driving roller or drum 18. These rollers 18 are mounted on shafts 19 which are ournaled in the brackets 9 and the center bracket 20 respectively. The means for driving the rollers 18 is such that the speed of rotation of said rollers can be varied relative to each As herein shown one shaft 19 is other. belted to a driving shaft 21 by means of a belt 22 and the other shaft 19 is belted to the driving shaft 21 by means of another belt 23 which operates over the cone pulleys- 24 and 25 on the shafts 19 and 21, respectively. The driving shaft 21 may be driven from any suitable source, such as a driving pulley 26. The speed of rotation ofrthe shaft 19 which is connected to theQdriving shaft 21 through the belt 22 has a fixedrelathe relative speed at which the driving roll-- ers 2 and 4 are operated can be varied. The purpose of this construction will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

27 indicates a table or rest over which the cloth is'delivered to the rollers, this table or rest being suitably secured to the frame 5.

In order to effect the desired stretching of the cloth, the rollers are set so that their axes have an angular relation to the direction of movement of the cloth, as seen in the diagram Fig. 5, wherein 28 designates. the cloth'which is moving in the direction of p the arrow, and wherein the rollers are shown diagrammatically at 1 and 3. Tf the rollers are placed in the angular position shown in Fig. 5, the action of said rollers on the cloth will be to draw the cloth through the rollers and at the same time to stretch the cloth, as will be obvious. The degree to which the cloth is stretched depends upon the'angular position of. the rollers, and my apparatus provides means for adjusting the yokes 10 and 13 of the rollers so as to give the rollers any v desired angular relation to the direction of the movement of the cloth. Each yoke has rigid therewith a segmental gear or rack 29 which is formed on the arc of a cir-. ole having as its center the aXis about which the yokes turn. These racks mesh with pinions 30 carried by vertically-arranged shafts 31 and 32 that are suitably journaled in the frame 5, each shaft having two pinions 30 thereon, one of which meshes with the rack 29 for the upper yoke 13 and the other of which meshes with the rack29 for the lower yoke 10. By turning the shafts 31* and 32 the yokes will be turned about their axes thereby changing the angular position of the axes of the rollers. The two shafts 31 and" 32 are connected so that they may be oper- V ated in unison from a single point, thus insuring that both pairs of rollers will have the same angular position. For this purpose each shaft 30 and 31 is provided at its lower end with .a worm gear 33 which meshes with a worm 34 on a roller-adjusting shaft 35 which is j ournaled in suitable bearings 36 carried by the frame and is shown as provided with a hand wheel 37 by which it may be operated. By this means the two pairs-of rollers will be simultaneously, adjusted and will always have the same anguvlar relation to the direction of movement of the cloth.- i

As stated above, the upper rollers 1 and -3 are in the nature of presser rollers and the pressure is given to said rollers by means of springs 40 situated within the stems 14 of the yokes 13 which are made hollow for this purpose. Each stem' is mounted for sliding as well as turning movement in .its support 15 and the spring 40 in each stem rests at its upper end against a nut 41 which is slidably mounted in the stem, but is held from rotation therein and which has screw-threaded engagement with aspindle or screw-threaded shaft 42 which is journaled in a bearing 43 carried by the frame 5, but is held frommovement longitudinally thereof. By rotating-the shaft 42 the'nut 41 will be moved up or down there by varying the tension of the spring 40 and thus varying the pressure of the rollers 1 and '3 against the cloth. I have. provided herein means for simultaneously adjusting.

the tension of both springs 40, and for this purpose each spindle-42 has a bevel gear 44 fast thereon which. meshes with a bevel pinion 45 on a shaft 46 mounted in suitable bearings 47 carried by the frame This shaft 46 is provided with a hand-wheel .48 by which it may be operated.v The tension of the springs 40 can thusbe' adjusted by simply turning the shaft 46- one way or the other.

In using the devices for stretching cloth, the cloth will be fed between the rollers and the angular position of the rollers will be adjusted. by turning the shaft 35 solt'hat the cloth will be stretched to the proper width as it is delivered from the machine. This angular adjustment the rollers can be easily efiected while the machine is in operation.

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- It sometimes happens that during the I process of finishing cloth it becomes dis-. 'torted soithat the weft threads -d0.not lie square across the cloth. This is illustrated I .in Fig. 5 whereinthe. weft threads are indicated by the lines a. and b. The weftl threads a extend in an inclined direction 0 across, the cloth and when the cloth becomes straightening the cloth. When the cloth be? distorted to produce this effect it is desirable that the cloth should be straightened so as to bring the weft threadssquare across the cloth. This straightening effect is herein accomplished by causing the rollers of one pair to rotate faster than those of the other pair so as to cause one edge of the fabric to move faster than the other untilthe two edges have suchrelative positions that the weft threads extend square across the cloth.

- the cloth, then he will shift the position of the belt 23' so as to cause one pair of rollers to rotate faster than the other, thus comes straightened he. will again shift the f belt 23 so as to cause the rollers of the two In order to adapt themachine'for use on pairs to rotate at the same speed, thus main taining thecloth. in its straightened condition.

[different widths of'cloth', I have provided means whereby the two pairs of. rollers can be adjusted toward and from each other.

.This is accomplished by making the upper ings 63 carried by the frame. 62 is provided with right and left screw threaded portions 75 and 76 so that as the supports 15 and also the lower supports. 11 capable of adjustment toward and-from each other. The supports 15 areslidably mounted between the upper frame members 6 and the frame members 7 and acting as guides for the supports 11. Each support. 15 has rigid therewitha nut or boss .61 which has screw-threaded engagement with a screwthreaded shaft 62 j ournaled in suitable bear- This shaft shaft is turned the supports 15 will be moved toward or from each other. Each of the supports 11 has rigid therewith a nut or boss 64 which has screw-threaded engagenient with a shaft 65 that is journaled in suitable bearings 66 carried by the frame.

J This shaft 65 is provided with the right and left screw-threaded portions 77 and 78 so that'as it is turned the supports 11 will be moved toward and from each other. The

- shafts 62 and 65 are provided with' bevel gears 67 and 68, respectively, that mesh with bevel gears '69 and 70 on a vertically-extending shaft 71 that is provided at its lower end with a hand-wheel 72 by which it may be operated. With this construction the pairs of rollers can be adjusted toward and from each other by simply turning the shaft 71 and thus the rollers can be adjusted to operate on cloth of anv width The driving rollers or drums 18 are elongated so that the belts 17 will have operative engagement therewith in any adjusted positions of the pairs of rollers relative to each other.

' Itwill be observed that the rollers have engagement with the cloth only at-the edges thereof, and, therefore, the central or body portion of the cloth is not liable tobecome injured or marked in any way by reason of its engagement with a stretching roller or straightening roller.

I claim:

1. In a machine for stretching and straightening cloth, the combination with two pairs of cloth-feeding and stretching rollers adapted to act on the edgesof a'web of cloth, of means for adjusting said pairs of rollers toward and from each other to correspond to different widths of cloth, means for positively driving one roller of each pair, and means operative in any adjusted position of said pairs of rollers to vary the relative speed of the driven rollers.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with two pairs of cloth-feeding and stretching rollers adapted to act on the edges of a'web of cloth, of means to adjust the rollers of both pairs simultaneously about an axis at right angles to the axis of the roller, and means operative in any adj usted position of the rollers for rotating the same.

3 In a device of the class described, the combination with two pairs of'cloth-feeding and stretching rollers adapted to act on the 1 edges of a web of cloth, of means to adjust said pairs of rollers toward and from-each other to correspond to different widths of cloth, means for rotating said rollers, and

means operative in any adjusted position of the rollers to adjust'the rollers of both palrs simultaneously about an axis at right angles to the axis of the rollers.

4'. In a device of the class described, the.

combination with two pairs of cloth-feeding and stretching rollers adapted to act on the edges of a web of cloth, of means for posltively driving one roller of each pair, means for varying the relative speed of .the driven rollers, and'means" to adjust the rollers of both pairs simultaneously about an axis at right angles to the. axis of-the rollers.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with two pairs of cloth-feeding and stretching rollers adapted to act on the edges of a web of cloth, of means for positively driving one roller of each pair, means for varying the relative speed of the driven rollers, and means to adjust the rollers of both pairs simultaneously about axes at right'angles to the axes of the rollers.

6. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a frame, of two pairs of.

cloth feeding and stretchingrollers, 'a yoke in which each roller is journaled, means for sustaining said yokes in said frame for turning movement about an axis at right angles to the axes of the roller, and means for turning all of said yokes simultaneously.

7 In a device of the class described, the

combination with a frame, of two pairs of cloth-feeding and stretching rollers mount ed in said frame, means for rotating one roller of each pair, means for adjustingthe pairs of rollerstoward and from eachother,

-means operative-inany adjusted position of the rollers forvarying the relative speed of roller of each pair, means for varying the relativeIspeed of the driven rollers, means for ad usting the pairs of rollers toward -and from each other, and means to adjust v the rbllers of. both pairs simultaneously about an axis at the roller. p 7 9. In a machine for right angles to the ams of v r V name to this specification. v I stretching and straightening cloth, the combination with" two pairs of cloth-feeding and stretching rollers adapted to act on the edges, of a web of cloth, of means for positively driving one roller of each pair, means for, varying the relative speed of the driven rollers of the two pairs, and means for holding the rollers of each pair yieldingly pressed toward each other.

10. In i a machine for stretching and straightening cloth, the combination with two pairs of cloth-feeding and stretching rollers adapted to act on the edges of a web of cloth, of means for positively driving one roller of each pair, means for varying the the two pairs, means for holding the rollers of each pair yieldingly pressed toward each other, and means to adjust the rollers of both pairs simultaneously about an axis at right angles to the'axis of the rollers.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my tons JEDMUNDS.

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