US1677303A - Selvage-opening device - Google Patents

Description

i in?" Patented July 1?, 1928..

Warren ear a r emea.

HARRY 0. SMITH, or ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 BLAKE'ELECTRIC SETTS.

SELVAGE-OPENING DEVICE.

Application filed September 2, 1924. Serial No. 735,325.

The presentinvention is concerned with a devlce or machine for opening and spreading out the selvage edges on webs of cloth which have become folded over during thev processes of dyeing, washing, drying, or otherwise finishing the cloth. The webs of cloth, both cottons and woolens, in passing through the finishing operations, and over or under the rolls by which they are guided in their course through the finishing apparatus, frequently become doubled over at their selvage edges throughout greater or less distances. This is particularly the case with woolen goods when coming to the drier after being washed. The lengths of, the folds thus occurring. are variable and their disposition and frequency are irregular. In some parts of its length, the Web will be fiat from edge to edge. In other parts there will be an overturned fold at one edge, and some times there will be folds at both edges, irregular in the characteristics of length, width, spacing, etc.

Horetofore in practice these folded over edges have been opened and spread out by hand, operators being stationed beside each edge of the traveling web of cloth watching for doubled places at the edges and using theirfingers to open the doubled over parts and spread them out flat. This is tedious and tiresome work,particularly in the case of woolen goods where the folded over stretches cling tenaciously, due to the felting and interlocking of the fibers which occurs when the goods are wet and when they are subjected to pressure.

I am aware that it has been proposed to do this work automatically by providing, adjacent to a tenter frame or other machine for operating on cloth, a blade or blades bearingagainst a face of the cloth, or both opposite faces. and crossing the edge or edges of the cloth obliquely, and designed to turn back foldedover parts and flatten out puck 'ered parts of such edges. Nevertheless, such automatic opening devices have not gone into use, so far as I have been able to learn, but in the commercial art the universal practice. has been to open the folded selvages main? The reason for the practical proposals is, I believe, to b found in'the following facts and conclusions.

When cloth is carried through the finishing operations, it is customary to sew the ends of lengths or webs of cloth together so that there may be a continuous progression of the clothand each preceding length may draw the foremost end of the next length after it through the various parts of the machine. The seamsby which the lengths of clothare thus connected are hastily and roughly made and project to some distance from'the surface of the cloth. Such a seam, passing the blades ofthe opening device, wouldcatch on the blade at that, side of the cloth to which the seam projects if the that, either thecloth would be torn or one of the blades would become bent or broken.

With this condition in view the object and accomplishment of my invention have been to provide, in combination with blades suitably constructed and arranged to turn back and flatten rolled or puckered selva'ges,

means to effect a separation'of the blades when such a'seam is about to pass between them, and to cause their return to working position after the sean has passed. The invention comprises such combination and the several parts thereof, together with their blades, or a blade and a complemental supequivalents as will more fully appear from the following specification.

I will nowv describe, with reference to the drawings, an apparatus embodying my invention and illustrating the principles thereof; Such apparatus exhibits the invention in the form which I now. prefer to use, but

since other constructions and arrangements embodying the same invention and included within the scope of the appended claims may be used this apparatus is to be considered as an illustration and not a limitation ofthe invention.

In the drawings p b ,Figure 1 is a side View of the apparatus above referred to, in its relation-to the cloth which: it operates? the cloth shown and in connection with various machines,

tenter frames! or other machines; It may, for instance, be mounted on some part of a drier in position to act on. the cloth going into the drier. 'In these drawings, then, I have merely shown the apparatus 111 operative relation to a web of cloth, but without attempting to show the details of any specific mounting.

- illustrates simply a possible means "tively supporting the apparatus. 'Thus the In. other words, the mounting here shown is diagrammatic and for operanumerals {Land 5 designate rolls mounted on any suitableframefi and over which a web of cloth 7 passes in being treated. These rolls'may be guide rolls or propeller rolls in any machine having to do, with the manufacture or treatment of cloth. 1 g

- The devices for opening thev folds which oe'curjmore or. less frequently along the selvage edges of the cloth web consist-preferably oft-wo blades 8 and 9lwhich lie opposite toeach other adjacent to the top and bottom sides, respectively, of the weband bear against the faces of the cloth, preferably with substantial pressure in order that, no inatter how thin the cloth may be or how irregular inv thickness, the extremities of the blades will be able to pass between the 'folded' over edge and the main body of the web. Eachbladc supports the, cloth against the pressure of the other, and thus combines in one structure means having the functions, respectively, of supporting the cloth and of flattening out its folded-for puckered edge. The operative parts of the blade extend outward from a position inside the edge of the web and terminate just short of, or at, such edge, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, or may extend across such edge, if desired, and be arranged at any desired suitable angle to the directiouin which the cloth travels. These extremities are fine enough to enter within such an edge fold, even though thesame lies close to the web'and is firmly felted to the body of the web, but are not sharp enough to cut the cloth. They; are also suitably formed to turn over-and spread out flat the I curled over edge after-entering within the 'In Figure same. a

the part numbered 10 represents a partof the selvage edge curled over and folded back against the top side of the cloth. As the cloth is traveling in the direction of the arrow a, the blade 8 is in condition to pass under the fold or flap 10 and is formed to open and'spread out such flap. In like manner the blade 9 is arranged and adapted to turn out a fold or flap ontlie under side of the web.

These blades are carried by holder's 11 and 12 supported by a suitable bracket 13, the latter being secured to the frame 6, As hereshown the holders 11 and 12 are bars sup ported at a distance outside of the edge of the cloth, extending from'their points of upport partly over the cloth and then curved toward the cloth and. outward in such manner as will form and locate the blades with the characteristics and in the positions previouslydescribed. The bar 12 A spring 17, formed as ahelix surrounding and guided by a pin 18, which is secured to the bar .12 and passes through the bar 11, tends to separate the bars and blades,or rather to lift the bar 11 and blade 8, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. An electromagnet 19 supported on the bar 12,- when energized, attracts an armature 20 attached to bar 11 and then brings the blades together'asshown by solid lines in all thefig ures.

The magnet coils of the electromaguet are connected in. circuit with a source of electric energy, indicated diagrammatically in Figure 1 as a generator 21, and with a stationary switch contact 22 and with a switch lever 23, said switch lever carries a flexible and resilient switch arm 24 adapted to cooperate with said contact. The conductors are in dicated diagrammatically at 25,126, 27 and 28.- The conductor 28 is connected to the movable switch lever and to the conductor 26 through a. binding screw29. Said bind ing screw and the switch contact 22 are mounted in a stationary base plate 30 which is supported over the web of cloth bymeans of a block or post 31 secured to the bracket 13, and a bracket 32 secured to said post 31., as shown in Figure 2. There is also secured to the switch base 30 a bar 33, forming with said base plate a frame structure, to one end of which is pivoted the switch lever 23'and to the otherend of which is pivoted a secondary lever 34 connected to the switch lever by a link or connecting rod 35.

therewith and the lever 34 extends toward and substantially in contact with the cloth.

These levers are at opposite sides of the some other clothsupporting means, or the cloth may be Stretched so taut between the 'rolls' that-it will not sag under them. At

any rate the switch lever and the secondary lever are so arranged, and the cloth is so held, that when any seam, as 37, between the connected ends of two successive pieces of cloth, passes the lever arm 36, it will move said arm from the full line position shown in Figure l to approximately that shown in dotted'lines in the same figure. And when the same seam passes the secondary lever 34, it will move the latter from the dotted line position to the full line position shown in Figure 1. The connecting rod isso attached at respectively opposite sides of the pivots of these levers that it transmits movement from one to the other, but with reverseddirection. Hence the seam, in passing the switch lever, opens the switch, and in 'passing the secondary lever 3%, causes the switchto beclosed. V hile the switch is opened the magnet, of course, is dead and the spring 17 is then permitted to separate the blades and provide space enough between them to permit passage of the seam withoutdamaging the machine or the cloth.

The above described mechanism is one of two'duplicate butreverse'mechanisms or devices which in practice are applied adjacent to the opposite edges of the cloth web.

Various modifications and rearrangements of the essential parts herein disclosed may be made within my contemplation and the scope of the protection which I claim.- Ga nerically the apparatus comprisesa suitable selvage opening device, and preferably a pair of cooperating devices at opposite sides of the web, each of wliiclrsupports the web and holds it against the other, combined with automatic means controlled by a scam in the cloth for displacing o'neor both of the openers when a seam passes, and means torreturning the opener or openers to operative position after the seam has passed by. That phase of the invention which comprises an electromagnet and opposed yielding means for so displacing the openers under the control of a seam operated switch, maybe modified in ways equivalent to the embodiment of the invention herein described, and within the scope of my generic claims.

This selvage opening apparatus, and its equivalents may be mounted and arranged in connection with various machines for operating on cloth. I

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Let. ters Patent is:

1. A means for-automatically opening the selvages of cloth comprising a blade lo cated' close to the surface of 'a traveling web of cloth and arranged with its outer extremity near the edge of such web, combined with means for wi.thdrawingsaid blade from the cloth when a seam in the cloth passes by.

2. An apparatus for opening folds V in the selvage edges of cloth webs'comprising supporting means outside of the edge of a traveling cloth web, an opener blade holder extending'over the cloth and across itsedge,

and an opener blade connected with said holder and extending thence toward the sur-' faceof the, web andoutwardly toward the edge of the web; combined with means for withdrawing said. blade from the surface of the web when a seam between two connected webs passes by.

3. An apparatus for opening the selvages of cloth webs comprising a supporting structure adjacent to the location of a traveling cloth web, blade holders extending over said supporting structure across the adjacent edge of the cloth at opposite sides of the web, opener blades carried by said holders and arranged to engage opposite "faces of the web in position to enter and turn back folded portions of-the adjacent edge, means tending to hold said holders and blades'in close proxy imity to the web, and means controlled. by the passage of a seam connecting two'webs a separation between said blades for causin when such seam passes them.

4. An apparatus for opening the 'selvages of cloth webs comprising opener blades su'i'tably supported opposite to each other adjacent to the edge of a traveling cloth web and with provision for such web to pass be,

tween them, electromagnetic and mechanical means associated with said blades, one of said means tending to bring the blades to gether toward the cloth and the other being operative to separate them, the electromagnetic means being more powerful than the mechanical means, and a switch arranged in the circuit of said electromagnetic means for opening and closing said circuit and being arranged for operation by a seam between two connected webs.

5. An apparatus for opening the selv-ages of traveling cloth webs comprising two opener blades arranged opposite to each other adjacent to the edge of a traveling web of cloth and at opposite sides of such web, said blades being constructed to open and spread out a folded over portion oflthe edge, a spring acting onsaid blades tending to separate them, an electromagnet coupled with said blades and of more powerful effect than said spring operative, when energized, to bring them together, and. a switch in the circuit of the electromagnet operated by seams between connected webs of clothto break said circuit when such seams pass the opener blades.

6. The combination with opener bladesiof the character set forth, of electromagnetic means and spring means associated with said blades and acting oppositely upon them,- ene of such means tending to bring the blades together and the other to separate them, the electromagnetic means being more powerful in effect than the spring means, a switch foropening and closing the circuit of said electromagnetic means, 'said'switch having an arm arranged adjacent to the path of a web of cloth, arranged to be moved in one direction by the passage of a seam connecting two webs together, and a secondary lever spaced apart from the switch lever in the direction of movement of the web, ar ranged to be similarly moved in the same manner by such seam and connected with the switch lever to impart reversed movement to the latter when so moved.

7. An apparatus for opening the selvages of cloth webs comprising opener blades situated at opposite sides and near the edge of a traveling webof' cloth, said blades being separable from one another, an electromagnet coupled to said blades and tending, when energized, to bring them nearer together, a spring having a. less powerful effect than said magnet engaged with the blades and tending to separate'them, a switch in the circuit of the magnet having an arm arranged inposition to be engaged and moved so as to break the circuit, by the passage of a seam connecting two webs together, and a secondary lever arranged to be subsequently moved by the same seam in a manner to cause closing of the circuit by such switch;

8. A means for automatically opening the curled selvage of a cloth web comprising a blade located close to the surface-of a traveling web of cloth and arranged in such proximity to the edge of the web that it will turn out folds occurring in such edge, said blade being movable towardand away from the surface ot' the cloth, and seam controlled means arranged and operable to cause suchseparation of the blade from the cloth when a seam in the web passes by.

9. An apparatus for opening the curled selvages of cloth comprising means for supporting and propelling aweb of cloth, a blade located and arranged in such proximity to the surface and to an edge of the web that it is able to turn out folds occurring in said edge, the blade and web support -be-- ing relatively movable apart so as to effect 'a separation between the web and the blade,

7 10,;An apparatus for'opening the curled selvages of cloth comprising means for sup porting and propelling a web of cloth, a

electromagnetic and mechanical ,means as 'sociated w th said blade and support, one of said means tending to bring the blade and cloth together and the other being operative to separate them, the electromagnetic means being more powerful than the mechanical means, and a switch arranged in the circuit of said electromagnetic means for opening and closing said circuit and being arranged for operation by a seam between two connected webs.

11. An apparatus for opening selvages of cloth comprising means for supporting and propelling-a web of cloth, a bl: de located and arranged in such proximity to the surfaceand to an edge of the web that it is able to turnout folds occurring in said edge, the blade and web support. being relatively movable apart so as to effect a separation between the web and the'blade, electromagnetic and yielding" mechanical means acting in opposition to one another betweensaid blade and the web support, one of said means tending to effect a separation and the other to effect approach between the cloth web and the blade, and the electromagnetic means being more powerful than the mechanical means, and circuit controllers for said electromagnetic means located at opposite sides of the blades in position to be moved by aseam in'the travelling web of cloth, one of said circuit controllers being operable by such seam to open the electromagnetic circuit, and the other to be similarly operated to close said circuit.

12". An apparatus for opening the curled sclvages of cloth comprising means for supporting and propelling a web of cloth, a blade located and arranged in such proximity to the surface and to an edge of the web that it is able to turn out folds occurring in said edge, the blade and web support being relatively movable apart so as to affect a separation between the web and the blade, and an electromagnet associated with said blade and operative to move the blade toward the surface of the web, a spring of less force than said magnet acting on said blade with tendency to separate it from the cloth,

and a circuit controller'for said magnet arranged to be moved by a seam in the web and operative when so moved to open the magnet circuit.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my I signature.

HARRY Gt SMITH.

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