US1528065A - Cloth-piling machine - Google Patents

Description

Mar. 3. 1925.

' 1,528,065. J.. J. LYTH CLOTH FILING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1919 5 heetssheet 1 In en/or b/m James Ly/z J. J. LYTH CLOTH FILING MACHINE "Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,065

Mar. 3, 1925- v 1,528,065

' J; J. LYTH v CLOTH FILING MACHINE Fild Feb.- 21, 1919 5 Sheets- Sheet 5 Mar. 3, 1925.

J. J. LYTH.

CLOTH .PILING MACHINE Fil 'd F61 21', 1919 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 4 Mar. 3. 1925. 4 1,528,065

J. J. LYTH CLOTH FILING MACHINE 1 Filed Feb. 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 lm/enfor' B Jo/mJamesLy/fi Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED" 1,528,065 PATENT, oFFic-E.

JOHN JAMES LYTH, on AL EYFI'ELD, QUEBEC, CANADA.

ct'o'rrt-rrnme MACHINE.

Application fiIed'TebruaryM, .1919. Serial No. 278,364.

To all whom it mag concern: Y W

Be it known that I, J HN JAMEs LYT H,' a

subject of the King of Great Britain,ai 1 d resident of the city of Valleyfield, in the Province of Quebec and Dominionof- Cane ada,have invented certaln'new and'useful Improvements in Gloth-P1hng Machines, "of

which the following is full, clear, ande'x act description. I

This invention relates broadly-to improvements in a method of piling cloth and to machines for carrying out the mfetho d,and more particularlyto piling cloth in circular hiers and the like. 7

The object of the method is to enable't'he piling of cloth at a high rate of speed without the necessity of moving a piling means at high speed. The primary object of the apparatus is to pile cloth uniformly and quickly in kiers or other receptacles of circular formation.

A further object is to provide a machine which will operate through a comparatively small opening in the top ofthe'kier. I I

A still further object is to provide a machine which may readily'be moved from one l-IlGI' to another.

Another object is to provide a machine'sq constructed that droppings of oil ojr'other foreign .matter into the kier are absolutely prevented. 7

An additional object 18 to providea machine adapted to handle cloth impregnated with bleaching or other corrosive solutions; At the present time the cloth is for the most part piled in kiers or circular vats hand and, to do this, it is necessaryto have the cloth free from corrosive bleachingor other solutions. The form in which the cloth is handled is that of a rope and in order that it may be handled in this form the cloth must be wet. It therefore follows that when a kier has been filled and'the bleaching solution is introduced the water in the cloth must be replaced by the bleaching solution. The cloth being filled with water has no power of absorption and consequently the displacement of water must be'mechanical. This displacement of water and substitution of the bleaching solution occupies a considerable portion of the time of bleaching. The present method has also another considerable disadvantage, namely, that of producing kier stains.

Moreover, the cloth going 11i frequently acquires stains and when the bleaching solution is addedand b oilingcarried outthese stains are boiled'into thecloth, It is therefore-evident that if the cloth can be placed-inthe kier withoutstains' and al ready impregnated with the bleaching so'lu tion, substantial freedom from kier stains will result and'the time ofbleaching will be reduced. In" order tohandle" cloth impregis necessary and the design 'ofthis machinery must be such-that theclo'th cannot possibly come into contact with and be soiled by'the workingfpa'rtsof the machine. The machineinu'st also be of such naturefthat it will pile the cloth wi-tl'i 1 absolute regularity in-the kier, in order'to avoid sn'arlingwhe'n the cloth is withdrawn. The-cloth must also be protected from anydroppings of oil from the machine. As the kiers require to be sealed up-for boiling, it is also necessary to keep the opening at the top,through which the machine 'may operate, as small as possible owing to the difliculty of sealing-up large openmgsnated with corrosive solutions,machinery is fed, depends from the piling meohai'iism 7 through the aperture otthe'base plate into the kler. The p l ng mechan smis mounted upon and derives its power from a large horizontally disposed gear, which completely covers the opening in the'base plate and forms a continuous barrier excluding oil from the interior of the kier. The. piling .mechanism may be briefly described as a cloth conveying tube built up in relatively movable sections and provided with mechanism for moving the sections so as to direct cloth uniformly to all parts of the'kier.

In the drawings which illustrate the invention;

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is'a planvie w of same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view with the hood removed.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44, Fig ure 3.

ri tion? Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Figure 5.

Referring more particulary to the drawings, 11 designates a base plate'of rectangular form, to the four crners of which are attached pedestals 12 in which internally threaded gears 13 are journalled, the gears being horizontally disposed in a single horizontal plane and being held against vertical movement by the pedestals. Threaded suspension rods 14 pass through the gears and project upward a suitable distance. hese rods have free vertical and rotary movement in the pedestals. The upper extremities of the rods 14 are connected to wheelet trucks 15 traveling on tracks 16 above the plate 11. @bviously this arrangement may be reversed. To prevent straining of the rods 14, the trucks on each side may be connected by reach bars 17 and, if desired, diagonal braces 18 may be provided. An additional pedestal 19 is provided supporting an idler gear 20 adjacent one of the gears 13. Between the idler gear 20 and the adjacent 13, a driving gear 21 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 22 journalied in a framework 23 carried on the base plate. An endless chain 24 passes around the four nut gears 13 over the idler 20 and around the driving gear 21. t motor 25 is mounted in a suitable location on the plate 11 and is connected by any suitable gearing, such as a chain 26, with a counter shaft 27 mounted on the plate 11 in bearings 28. This counter shaft carries a worm 29 in mesh with a worm wheel 30 mounted in the frame 23. A bevel pinion 31 is rigidly mounted with respect to the worm wheel and meshes with a pair of facing bevel gears 32 freely revoluble on a shaft 33 mounted in the frame 23. Either of these gears 32 is adapted to be engaged by a clutch 34 slidably but irre-volubly mounted on the shaft 33 and controlled by a lever 35. fl. bevel pinion 36 is rigidly secured to the shaft and meshes with a gear 37 rigidly secured to the shaft 22. By this mechanism power is conveyed from the motor to the chain 24. A gear 38 is revolubly mounted on the counter shaft 27 and is connected by a chain 39 with a gear 40 rigidly mounted o the drive shaft 41 of the piling mechanism proper. This drive shaft is journalled in bearings 42 formed in a frusto-conical casing 43 mounted upon a ring 44 secured to the base plate around its central. opening 45. clutch 46 is slidably but irrevolubly mounted on the shaft 27 in position to engage and drive the gear 38. The controlling jaw 47 of this clutch may be secured to a vertical shaft 48 which carries an operating lever 49 adapted to interlock with the base 5 is a front elevation partly in secplate to hold the clutch either in or out of engagement with the gear 38.

The ring 44 is provided at its inner edge with a pair of spaced upstanding flanges 46 which form between them a ball-race and also a guide for a large horizontally disposed worm wheel 47, which closes the central opening of the ring and is held in position by a depending peripheral flange 48 which runs between the flanges 46 upon the ball bearing 49. The worm wheel 47 is revolved by means of a worm 5O rigidly se cured to the shaft 41 within the casing 43. All the parts of the piling mechanism proper are mounted upon and rotate with the gear 47 Toward its periphery the gear 47 is provided with a bracket 51 carrying a pinion 52 which meshes with a rack 5'3 formed on the upper edge of the casing 43, which is in effect a stationary internal gear. A worm 54 is mounted in a suitable frame 55 on the gear 47 and is driven from the gear 52 through bevel gears 56. The worm 54 drives a worm wheel 57 rigidly secured to a shaft 58, one end of which is journalled in the frame 55 and the other end in a pedestal 59 secured to the gear on the opposite side of its centre from the frame 55. A bevel pinion 60 is rigidly secured to the shaft 58 and meshes with a bevel gear 61 mounted on a stud 62 projecting upwardly from the pedestal 59. A heart-shaped cam 63 is rigidly secured to the gear 61 and operates a rack 64 by means of a roller 65 carried by the rack and bearing against the face of the cam. This rack is provided with a slot 66 through which passes a pin 67 projecting from the stud 62. The rack meshes with a pinion 68 rotatably mounted on an extension 69 of the bracket 51. One end of the rack is supported by the bracket extension 69 and is held in mesh with the pinion 68 by a roller 70 while the other end of the rack is supported on the cam. The rack is held in predetermined relation to the cam by the pin 67 and the roller 70. In order to keep the roller 65 against the face of the care, 'a spring 71 is secured between the rack and the bracket extension 69.- The pinion 68 in turn meshes with an intermediate gear 7 2 which meshes with a gear 73 fixedly mounted on the cloth feeding tube 74.

A standard 75 is mounted in the centre of. the gear 47 and carries at its upper end a cup 76, from the bottom of which a tube 77 leads in an inclined direction to a point over the tube 74, where it turns downwardly and passes into the enlarged upper end of the tube 74. The tube 74 passes downwardly through the gear 47, being provided with a thrust collar 7 8 resting on a ball bearing 79 carried by the gear 47. Below the gear 47 the tube 74 is rigidly connected to a further length of tube 74 which turns from a vertical to an inclined direction. A further gear length of-tube 80 is slidably mountedon the inclined portion of the tube 74 and terminates in a down-turned mouth. A gear toothed ring or part ring 81 is suspended from the gear 47 concentric withthe tube 7 4.

A bracket 82 is provided on the tube ,74 and supports a pinion 83 meshing with the ring 81. g .This pinion drives through matched gears'84 a shaft 85 journalled in the bracket'82 and extending transversely of the tube 74. Rigidly mounted on .this shaft 85 on each side of the tube arepinions'86, which mesh with racks 87 connected to the tube 80.

The cup is provided below its edge with mounted having flanges 94 engaging inthe gagement with one of the gears 32.

grooves 89 and 92 to hold the ring concentric with the cup. The inner diameter of this ring is somewhat larger than theouter diameter of the cup, so that an annular space 95 is formed into which a fluid such as air may be supplied through a pipe 96'. Leather washers 97 U-shaped in cross section are mounted inthc grooves 89 and 92to form fluid tight joints between the ring and its supporting flanges. Collars 98 are secured to the pipes 74 and 77. These collars are provided with annular spaces or channels 99, from which ducts 100 lead'into the tubes atan acute angle to the axes ofthe tubes and in a. downward direction.- Fluid is conveyed from the annular channel 95 to the annular channels 99 through flexible pipes 101. In order toenclose all the mechanism a hood 102 of approximately frusto-conical form is connected to the casing 43 and is overlapped at its upper edge by a cape 103 carried by the flange 88. I

The operation of the device is as follows When a kier is to be filled, the device is pushed along the tracks 16 to a position over the kier and the braces 18. if any are used, disconnected. The clutches 34 and 46 being thrown out, the clutch 34 is thrown into en- The motor is then started and drives the counter shaft 27 and the train of gears 29,30, 31, 32, 36, 37 and 21. The gear 21 drives the chain 24, which rotates each of the four nut gears 13, causing them to descend the threaded rods 14 and thus lower the pedestals 12 in .which they are mounted and consequently the whole mechanism; When the plate 11 rests on the kier top in proper positionthc clutch 34 is brought to neutral position. The end of a rope of cloth that is to'be fed into the kier is inserted through the cup 90 and cup 7 6 and worked down through the 7 tubes 77, 74, '74 and 80. This may be assisted by turning air or other fluid through the tubes as will be hereafter described. It will be noticed from Figures 4 and 5 that the lower part of the cloth conduit extends I below the plate 11 and into the kier, the opening 45 of the, plate 11 being substantially concentric with the opening in the top of the lrier. The clutch 46 is now thrown into mesh with the gear 38, so that the power of the motor is transmitted to the shaft 41 and worm 50. The worm slowly rotates the gear 47 which carries the piling mechanism.

As this'rotation progresses the 'pinion 52 Wlll be rotated by reason of its engagement with the stationary internal gear 53 and this motion is transmitted through the gear train 56, 54. 57,60 and 61 to the cam 63. This cam reciprocates the rack, which in turn causes rotation of the gear 68 alternately in opposite directions. This motion.

is transmitted through the gears 72 and. 73

motion to the rack 87. which is reciprocated and reciprocates the tube 80 on the tube a.

The gears are so proportioned and't-l'ie device so set that when the tubes 74 and 80 are inclining toward the centre of the apparatus, the tube. 80 is drawn up on the tube 74, but when they sweep around so that they are directed away from the axis of the machine the tube 80 is thrust outwardly on the tube 74 the mouth reaches further from its rotative centre, which is the axis of the tube 74, when it is directed away from the central axis of the machine than it does when it is directed toward the central of the machine. The object of this arrangement is solely to obtain a maximum sweep with a minimum distance between the axis of the tube 74 and the axis of the machine, upon which distancethe size of the kier opening depends. The closerthe rotative centre of In other words,

the distributing tube can be brought to the axis of the machine, the smaller will be the kier opening required. It willbe remembered that the gear 47 is constantly rotating at slow speed and therefore the tube 74 revolves about the centre of the gear 47 and so travels in a circular path at the same time that it rotates about its ownaXis. I

Preferably the proportioningof the various gears is such that the plate gear 47 rotates several times while the tube 74 rotates through two half revolutions, that is, while the lower inclined conduit portion oscillates through one complete cycle; say, from the kier center to the wall and back to the center. As the conduit is also revolved bodily by the gear 47 it is evident that the delivery end or mouth of the conduit will trace an approximately spiral path. The cam 63 which causes the oscillation of the conduit also causes the angular speed of its oscillating or swinging motion to vary; the speed increasing as the delivery end moves toward the kier center and vice versa. Since the revolution speed of the conduit is constant and the oscillation speed increases toward the center it follows that the convolutions of the path are not parallel as in a true spiral but are increasingly spaced apart as the kier center is approached. Since the whole conduit revolves about the kier center at uniform angular speed, it follows that the lineal speed of the conduit mouth, in its approximately spiral path, much greater at the circumference than at the center of the kier. The cloth feeds through the conduit at uniform lineal speed eater than the highest lineal speed of the mouth, with the result that the cloth falls i a pile along the path traced by the mouth of the conduit. The size of the pile increases from the wall to center of the kier owing to the decreasing lineal speed of the conduit mouth. This variation in the size of cloth pile is compensated for by the variation in the spacing of the path convolutions which enable the larger pile toward the center of the kier to be flattened out and expanded radially of the kier by the weight of successive layers of cloth, with the result that the cloth is deposited in a layer ultimately of uniform thickness and occupying a hori zontal plane. Each time the conduit mouth travels from the center to the circumference of the kier, or vice versa, one layer of cloth is deposited, the thickness of which layer is several times the thickness of the cloth rope owin to the greater lineal speed of 'the cloth reed compared to the lineal speed of the conduit mouth. To produce the desired piling of the cloth along the path, the speed of cloth feed must be at least twice the greatest lineal speed of the mouth and is preferably several times the mouth speed. 7

it will be understood that by appropriate variation of the gear ratios and consequently of the ratio of revolution to oscillation, the conduit mouth may be caused to trace any desired path between the approxi mately spiral and a substantially radial path.

Owing to the bends and the inclined disposition of parts of the cloth conduit it is apparent that there will be considerable friction between the cloth and the conduit, which would prevent the cloth passing through at the desired high lineal speed if the weight of the cloth hanging below the mouth was the only force drawing it through.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the cloth conduit has two distinct movements, namely, revolution of the Whole conduit about the axis of the gear 47 and rotation of its vertical intermediate portion, which rotation is preferably limited to about 180 and produces oscillation of the lower inclined portion. The path described by the mouth of the conduit is determined largely by the relative speeds of revolution and rotation and to a limited extent by the speed, extent and frequency of variation in the length of the lower conduit portions. It is obvious that by altering the speed ratios that the path traced by the mouth of the conduit can be altered as desired.

In order to pass the cloth through the conduit. with sufficient speed, air or other fluid under pressure is supplied through the pipe 96 to the annular distributing channel 95 and from thence through the pipes 101 to the collars 98. r The fluid flows into the conduit through the ducts 100. At an adequate pressure, this fluid forms a rapidly moving envelope around the cloth, holding the cloth for all practical purposes out of contact with the conduit and carrying or floating the cloth along with it. By this means, the cloth may be passed through the tube at such great lineal speed that a large kier may be filled in a very short time. When a liquid is used the cloth becomes loaded with the liquid and piles much more compactly than is possible with hand piling or where the cloth is substantially dry. If surplus liquid is drained out of the kier during the piling the cloth will be packed in course of piling to about the same density as ordinarily obtains after boiling. This dense filling largely or wholly obviates delays for cloth to settle and by the uniformity of filling ensures even bleaching and freedom from kier stains. If the fluid used is hot bleach liquor the boiling may be commenced as soon as the kier is filled and closed, thus eliminating delays usually necessary to impregnate the cloth with bleach liquor before boiling is commenced. As the whole mechanism revolves the slip ring 93 remains stationary, the fluid being confined by the packing 97.

When the kier is filled, the supply of cloth transporting fluid is cut off, the clutch l6 thrown out and the clutch 34 thrown into mesh with one of the gears The power of the motor is then transmitted through the gear train previously described but, owing to a proper selection of the gears 32, moves the chain in the opposite direction ltlli llo ' kier.

so thatthenut gears 13 .climb on the rods 14 and lift the whole" Ifil'fiChElIllSHl' off the kier. If the cloth has not come to attend, it is severed and the machine moved away on its tracks. The 'kier is now closed and the-treatment of the cloth co'memnced. The motor 25 may be supplied with current through a flexible cable (not shown), which will permit the device to be moved along to any one of a series of kiersand set in motion without any loss of time.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the device will handle cloth at a high rate of speed and that, asthe cloth passes througha conduit which completely isolates it from the mechanism of the piler and which obviates "any handling of the cloth by operators, it will be possible to impregnate the cloth with bleaching or other solutions before it is passed through the machine into the kier. All that is necessary is to provide a conduit of material, which will be unaffected by substances with which the cloth is impregnated. .By using a-fluid with which it is desiredto impregnatethe cloth as a transporting medium the cloth may be 'impregnatedla's it is fed through the machine. All the mechanism of the device with the exception of the few parts neces sary to regulate the elongation of the .conduit are located 'abovethe'gear 47, which forms a solid unbroken barrier to the passage of oil or other foreign matter into the gear projects above the central web, so that the gear becomes in eflect a pan. Should any oil overflow from this gear, it will fall on to the ring. 44 and will be prevented from flowing into the kier by both the flanges 46 of the ring. The provision of mechanism for elongating the conduit within the kie-r enables therotary. portion 74 of the conduit to be brought close to the axis of the machine, so that'the kier opening will not be unduly large. The cloth is piled with absolute regularity in the kier, so that not only is the maximum amount otcloth placed in the kier but the density of the mass is uniform and the; cloth may be removed without danger of snarling. The mechanism may be moved from kier to kier with great ease and in a minimum of time. The mechanism of the piler beingv entirely enclosed or covered, it 'is protected from drop from the cloth coming to it, which. is.

a particularly valuable feature especiallyit the cloth is impregnatedwith any corrosiv substances.

While the cloth directing means has be en' shown and described as a tubular conduit.

the lower portion. ofwh ich swings or oscillates in a horizontal plane, it will be'unden stood that other'devices'may be substituted It will be noted thatthe rim of this or "kier and also that the'lower portion or" conduit or equivalent mechanism may be arranged to swing or oscillate in a vertical or substantially vertical plane without departing from the. spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is V 1. In a cloth piling machine, a cloth directing means movable in a circular path and having a revoluble portion, means for oscillating'said revoluble portion about its axis and an angula-rly directed lower portion for the oscillating portion movable toward'and away from the path centre by oscillation.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the oscillatory portion of the directing means is mounted toswing across its circu lar path and constructed to move a greater distance outside the path than inside.-

3. A device according to, claim 1, in which the oscillatory portion of the cloth directing means is adjustable as to its length, in combination with means for automatically adjusting the length of said oscillatory portion.

1. A device according to claim 1, in which oscillation of said inclined portion to reclprocate the slidable extension.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which the means ior reciprocating the extension comprises a circularly curved rack c0ncentrio with the rotatable portion of the cloth directing means, a rack carriedcby the reciprocatable extension, and a gear train carried by the inclined portion of the directing means operatively connecting said-racks.

7. In a cloth piling'machine, a cloth directing means includinga rotatable portion, a rotatable support for said rotatable portion, and means for oscillating the rotatable portion about itsaxis within the support operative by the revolution'of the'support.

8. A device according to claim 1, in which the cloth directing means is a tubular cond'uit comprising a pair of inclined sections and in intermediate vertical section.

"9; In .a cloth piling machine, a cloth conduit including a rotatable section, a rotatable support for said section, a stationary in- ,ternal gearconcentric with the support, and

means'onthe rotatable support engaging sai'd'internal gear and operable by movement relative thereto-to; rotate the conduit portion.

10. In combination with a device according to claim 9, means to rotate the conduit portion alternately in opposite directions.

11. A device according to claim 9, in which the conduit rotating means includes a cam, a rack mounted for reciprocation by said cam, gear connection between said rack and the conduit. and gear connection between the cam and said internal gear.

12A device according to claim 9, in which the conduit rotating means includes a planet gear mounted on the conduit support and meshing with said internal gear, a gear train driven by said planet gear, a heart cam driven by said gear train, a slotted rack, a roller thereon engaging the cam, a pin at the centre of cam rotation passing through the rack slot, a pinion concentrically fixed upon said conduit, a second gear train in mesh with the rack and with said pinion, means holding the rack in mesh with said second gear train and a spring holding the rack roller against the 13. A device according to claim 9, in which the rotatable conduit portion is provided with means to rotate same alternately in opposite directions, and the conduit below the rotatable section is inclined relatively to the rotatable section and rigid therewith whereby it is oscillated by the first mentioned conduit portion.

14:. A device according to claim 9, in which the conduit includes a portion angularly disposed to and rigidly connected to the rotatable port-ion below the support in combination with a circular rack fixedly mounted on the conduit support concentric with the rotatable conduit portion, a gear train carried by said angular conduit portion in mesh with the rack, a conduit extension slidably mounted on the angular portion thereof, and a rack carried by said extension meshing with said gear train, where by said conduit extension is moved axially on the angular conduit portion upon rotation of the rotatable portion.

15. In combination with a device according to claim 1, means to move the oscillating portion of the cloth directing means at higher speed as it approaches the centre of rotation and at lower speed as it recedes from the centre of rotation.

16. In a device of the class described, a conduit including a rotatable portion and an inclined port on rigidly connected thereto, a rotatable support for said conduit arranged eccentric thereto, a slidable extension on the inclined conduit portion, and means operable upon rotation of the conduit to draw said extension up on the inclined portion as the inclined portion swings toward the support centre and to move said extension out on the inclined portion as the inclined portion swings away from the el'ipport centre, and means operable by rotation of the conduit support to rotate the rotatable conduit portion alter nately in opposite directions.

17. In a device of the class described, a

conduit revoluble about a fixed axis and rotatable on its own axis which is parallel with the axis of revolution, an angularly disposed portion on said conduit, and means for automatically rotating the conduit alternately in opposite directions whereby said angularly disposed portion swings toward and away from the axis of revolution.

18. In combination with a device according to claim 17, a slidable extension on said angular conduit portion, and means operative by rotation of the conduit to draw up said extension as the inclined portion swings toward the centre of revolution and to move out the extension as the inclined portion moves away from the centre of revolution.

19. A device according to claim 17, in which the conduit rotating means includes a support for said conduit rotating about the axis of conduit revolution, a fixed circular rack, and means carried by said support operative by engagement with the racl: to rotate the conduit alternately in opposite directions.

20. In a cloth piling machine, a cloth conduit including vertical and inclined portions, said conduit being revoluble about a fixed centre and rotatable in the VQItlfil portion about its own ax s, a cup communicating with the upper end of said conduit disposed in the axis of conduit revolution, means for revolving the conduit and simultaneously rotating the central portion thereof alternately in opposite directions.

21. In combination with a device accord ing to claim 20, a. pair of spaced flanges on the cup, a slip ring between said flanges spaced from the cup and forming with the cup and flanges an annular chamber, means connected to said ring for feeding a fluid into said annular'chamber and a conduit leading from the annular chamber into the cloth conduit.

22. In combination with a device according to claim 20, circularly grooved flanges on the cup, a flanged slip ring between the cup flanges spaced from the cup having its flanges engaging in the cup flange grooves and holding the ring concentric with the cup, elastic packing in said grooves. a conduit connection to the ring for feeding a fluid between the ring and cup and a second conduit leading from between the cup and ring into the cloth conduit.

23. In combination with a device accord ing to claim 20, a slip ring mounted on the cup and forming an annular space around the cup, means for feeding a fluid into sa d annular space, a collar surrounding the cloth conduit having an annular fluid space therein,- connection between said annular spaces, and ducts leading from the latter space into the conduit;

24. In a cloth" piling machine, .a cloth conduit revoluble about a fixed centre and including an intermediate portion rotatable about its own axis and upper and lower in clined portions, means for revolving said conduit and simultaneously rotating the intermediate portion about its axis alternately in opposite directions, whereby a lower inclined portion. is oscillated.

25. In a cloth piling machine, a casing, a rotatable plate therein, piling mechanism carried by said plate, a hood on the piling mechanism overlapping the cas ng and arranged to exclude from the interior ofthe casing drippings from cloth.

26. In a cloth piling'machine, a casing having a ball-race therein, a circular plate having a flange entering said ball-race, a ball bearing supporting the plate, and cloth piling mechanism carriedby said plate within the casing. p

27. In combination with a device accord ing to claim 26, means for rotating said plate and piling mechanism within the casing, the piling mechanism including means engaging the interior of the casing to drive the piling mechanism.

28. A device according to claim 26 in which the plate is peripherally toothed and the casing internallytoothed and in which the piling mechanism includes a planetary drive pinion meshing with thecasing teeth, in combination with a worm j onrnalsled in the casing and meshing with. theteeth of the plate, and driving means for said worm.

29. In a cloth'piling machine, a base plate having a circular opening therein, an annulus secured to the plate concentric with the opening thereof, a pair of upstanding flanges at the innerperiphery of said annulus forming betweenthem a ball-race and serving to-hold accumulations of oil on the annulus against passage therethrough, a circular plate above the annulus, a depending flange thereon engaging between the flanges of the annulus, a ball bearing supporting said plate, an upstanding toothed flange at the periphery of said plate whereby the plate constitutes a pan to catch liquid and exclude same from passage through the annulus, a piling mechanism mounted on said plate, and means for revolving the plate.

30. A device according to claim 29, including an internal gear secured to said annulus, the piling mechanism including a planet gear meshing with said internal gear and adapted to drive the piling mechanism, a casing for said piling mechanism carried by the internal gear, and a hood on the piling mechanism overhanging the top of said casing and excluding liquid droppings from the mechanism.

31. 'In a clothpiling machine, a movable cloth directing conduit, means for moving the discharge end of the conduit in simultaneously around and toward .or away from a fixed centre, and means for passing cloth through the conduit at a greater line-a1 speed than the lineal speed oi the discharge end of the conduit, whereby the cloth is depositedin a pile, said conduit moving means being arranged to increase speed of the latter conduit movement as it approaches the centre and to decrease the speed as it recedes from the centre, whereby the path of the conduit end and the size of cloth pile will be varied according to the lineal speed of the conduit end and the lineal speed of the cloth feed to deposit the cloth in'a layer of substantially uniform thickness.

32. A piling machine comprising a suitably, supported and vertically arranged pipe through which wet fabric may pass, a gear wheel rotating on the pipe, an extensible chute arranged'below the pipe and in line therewith, a cam mechanism for swinging the-chute in and out, and automatic'means for shortening and elongating the chute.

ence to its support, and means for shorten ing and lengthening the chute as itswings.

35. A cloth piling machine comprising a revoluble conduit including a rotatable portion and an inclined discharge portion con- 'nected to the rotatable portion, means to revolve the conduit, means operative by the revolution of the conduit to rotate the rotatable portion and oscillate the discharge portion. p

' 36. In combination with a device according to claim 35, a slidable extension on the inclined conduit portion, and means operative by rotation of the rotatable portion to reciprocate said slidable extension.

37. In combination with a device according to claim 35, means to pass cloth through said conduit.

88. In a cloth piling machine, means to lay cloth arounda central point including a cloth directing meansmovable toward and away from said central point, and means to move said directing means more rapidly when adjacent the central point.

39. In a cloth piling machi'ne, means to lay cloth around a central point including a cloth directing means movable toward and away from said central point, means to move the directing means, and means to shorten the directing means as it approaches the central point and to elongate the di recting means as it recedes from the central point.

40. In a cloth piling machine, a cloth directing means movable bodily in an endless path and including a part movable inwardly and outwardly from said path, the move ment inwardly of the path being of lesser extent and at greater speed than the movement outwardly of the path, and means to move the directing means in its path and to move its said part inwardly and outwardly of the path.

41. Means for piling cloth in kiers and the like including a support to rest on the kier mouth, a piling mechanism carried by the support including a conduit to depend into the kier, and means to swing the lower end of the conduit back and forth between the center and wall of the kier and to revolve the conduit about the kier axis as it swings.

42. Means for piling cloth in kiers and the like, including a support to rest on the kier mouth, a piling mechanism carried by the support including a conduit to depend into the kier, and means to swing the lower end of the conduit back and forth between the center and wall of the kier and to shorten and lengthen the conduit as it swings.

43. Means for piling cloth in kiers and the like, including a support to rest on the kier mouth, a pilin mechanism carried by the support including a conduit to depend into the kier having a laterally directed lower portion, and means to rotate the conduit and to shorten and lengthen the lateral ly directed portion as the conduit rotates.

44. In a cloth piling machine, a movable cloth directing conduit, means for moving the discharge end of said conduit, means for passing cloth through the conduit at a greater lineal speed than the discharge end of said conduit, whereby the cloth is deposited in a pile, said moving means being arranged to increase and decrease the speed of conduit movement, whereby the size of the cloth piling will be varied in predetermined manner from one part to another of the path traced by the conduit.

45. In a cloth piling machine, a conduit through which cloth may pass, a swinging cloth delivering device at the lower end of said conduit, and means for admitting a stream of fluid to said conduit to facilitate passage of cloth therethrough.

46. In a cloth piling machine, a conduit including an oscillatable lower portion to deliver cloth in predetermined manner to a pile and means for admitting a stream of fluid to the upper part of said conduit to facilitate passage of cloth therethrough.

47. In a cloth piling machine, a substantially upright rotatable conduit, a swinging cloth delivering device below the upright conduit, means to move said device in a circularly curved path additional to the swinging movement thereof, and means for establishing a stream of fluid through the conduit and said device to facilitate passage of cloth through the conduit and deliver ing device.

as. In a machine for piling cloth in kiers or the like, an articulated cloth directing means to depend into the mouth of the kier, means to revolve the directing means about the kier axis and to simultaneously move the lower part of the directing means between the aXis and wall of the kier, and means for establishing a current of fluid through the directing means to convey cloth therethrough.

49. In a cloth piling machine, a conduit through which cloth may pass, a swinging cloth delivering device at the lower end of the conduit, means for swinging said device toward and away from a fixed center and means for moving the delivering device around said center more than once during the swing thereof toward or away from the center.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN JAMES LYTI-I.

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