US1701639A - Material-treating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 12, 1929.

A. E. SCHULZ MATERIAL TREATING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1924 Jill/@2275)" flrZWzzrESchal W Feb. 12, 1929. 1,701,639

A. E. SCHULZ MATERIAL TREATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 29, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 12, 1929.

I A. E. SCHULZ MATERIAL TREATING APPARATUS s sheets-sheet Filed Dec. 29, 1924 Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR EHRHOLD SCHULZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERN ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MATERIAL-TREATIN G APPARATUS.

Application filed December 29, 1924. Serial No. 758,581.

This invention relates to material treating apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for treating strip material.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved material treating apparatus.

In accordance with the general features of the invention there is provided a tank having compartments containin caustic cleaning and rinsing baths, throug which a plurality of metal tapes are drawn successively from supply reels over guide rolls to power driven take-up feed rolls and reels. A pair of relatively fixed rotary brushes are adapted to engage opposite surfaces of the tapes with any suitable degree of pressure while in each bath. Manually operable endless chains positioned beyond the ends of the rotary brushes carry a single interconnecting cross bar to which the ends of the tapes may be attached while being threaded through the cleaning apparatus, the chains remaining stationary during the cleaning operations.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment thereof, and in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a cleaning apparatus embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan fragmentary view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View in elevation showing the adjustably mounted brushes;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a detail plan View showing the manner in which the metal tapes are attached to the threading mechanism, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings wherein similar reference characters denote similar parts throughout the various Views, 10 indicates a supporting frame upon the top of which is mounted a tank 11 having a separating partition 12 intermediate its ends, thereby providing two compartments l3 and 14. The compartment 13 contains a caustic hot cleaning solution while the compartment 14 contains clear water or any other suitable rinsing liquid. Positioned above the tank 11 and at opposite ends thereof u on shafts 15 and 16 are a plurality of supp y and take-up reels 17 and 18, respectively, which may be of any suitable type. The supply reels 17 are freely mounted for rotation upon the shaft 15 which is supported at one end by brackets 21, the reels being retained upon the spindle 15 by a locking member 22. The take-up reels 18 are srcured for rotation through any suitable means to the shaft 16, the drive for which will be described hereinafter. Mounted within each of the compartments 13 and 14 are two power driven circular brushes 23 and 24 which engage opposite surfaces of the tapes while in each bath and are driven in o 0- site directions, thereby not affecting the pull on the tape from the take-up mechanism to be described hereinafter. The pairs of brushes are similarly mounted and driven so that a description of one will sufiice. Each brush is freely rotatable upon a shaft 25 which is ournaled at opposite ends in a double armed bracket 27, the brackets being rotatably mounted upon studs 28 disposed intermediate the spindles 25 and suitably secured to the side walls of the compartments (Fig. 4).

Freely rotatable upon the stud 28 secured to the right hand side Wall of the compartment as viewed in Fig. 4 is a sprocket wheel 29 and integral therewith is a gear'30 meshing at diametrically oppositepoints with gears 31 suitably secured to the brushes which are freely rotatable upon the spindles 25. A cross bar 32 extends between the brackets 27 of each pair and is secured at opposite ends to the brackets, thereby tying them together for n'iovemcnt in unionism. Secured to the left hand bracket 27, as viewed in Fig. 4, is a handle 33, more clearly shown in Fig. 3, for adjusting the angular position of the brushes carried by the brackets. An angle bracket 34 secured to a top side ledge of the tank 11 and provided with an arcuated slot 35 in its vertical arm cooperates with a stud 36 mounted in the handle 33 to maintain the handle and consequently the brushes in a set position during the operation of the machine. Suitably journaled within the compartments 13 and 14 and supported from the side Walls thereof by brackets 37 are a plurality of idler guide rolls 38, two being journaled within each compartment. Another idler guide roll 39 is disposed above the partition 12 separating the compartments 13 and 14 and is journaled in brackets 40 mounted upon the top surface of the tank. Associated with the roll 39 and above the caustic solution compartment 13 is a squeeze roll 42 rotatably and slidably journaled in brackets 43. The roll 42 is mounted in such a manner that it is drawn toward the periphery of the roll 39 by tension springs 44, one end of which is suitably secured at either end of the roll 42 while the opposite ends of the springs are suitably secured to a fixed point on the tank 11. The squeeze roll 42 cooperates with the roll 39 to prevent any of the caustic solution contained in the compartment 13 which may be carried by the metal tapes therefrom, from being carried into the compartment 14 containing clear rinsing water as the metal tapes travel from the compartment 13 to the compartment 14. The pressure of the roll 42 against the tapes traveling over the roll 39 causes the caustic solution to flow back into the compartment 13.

Secured to the shafts upon which the guide rolls 38 and 39 turn and beyond the ends of the rolls are sprocket wheels 45 which are substantially the same diameter as the rolls 38 and 39. Connectingeach set of sprocket wheels at either end of the rolls is an endless sprocket chain 46 which chains carry between them a bar 49 (Figs. 6 and 7). The bar 49 is provided with a plurality of equally spaced, rectangular shaped openings 50, each being substantially the same in area as the cross sectional area of the tapes and in alinement with the supply and take-up reels l7 and 18. A hand crank 51 secured to the shaft upon which the roll 38 turns furnishes the means for actuating the chains 46 and the bar 49 in the direction indicated by the arrows. When the machine is in operation the bar 49 may be positioned above the brushes 23 and 24 and the path of the tapes passing from the supply reels 17 to the take-up reels 18 by turning the crank 51 until it is positioned above the axis of the last roll at the extreme right hand end of the machine as viewed in Fig. 1. Sprocket wheels 47 and 48 suitably mounted serve as guides for the upper sections of the chain in traveling toward the left.

Adjacent the take-up reels 18 and mounted above and at the extreme right hand end of the compartment 14 are two rubber feed rolls 52 and 53 which serve to pull the tapes from the supply reels 17 under and over the various guide rolls and between each pair of brushes 23 and 24 and finally to the take-up reels 18. The rolls 52 and 53 are journaled in suitable brackets 54, the lower roll 53 being fixed for rotation with a shaft 55 suitably journaled, while the upper roll 52 is slidably mounted for vertical movement in guideways provided in the brackets. Compression springs (not shown), the compression of which may be adjusted by turning thumb screws 57, are suitably mounted in each of the brackets 54 in such a manner that they constantly urge the roll 52 toward the roll 53, thereby providing the necessary traction for feeding the tapes through the machine.

A motor 58 positioned below the tank 11, through a suit-able reduction gearing enclosed within a housing 59, serves to rotate the shaft 55 carrying the lower feed roll 53, the

reduction gearing being connected to the shaft 55 by sprockets and chain indicated at 60. The take-up reels 18 are driven through a belt 61 connecting pulleys fixed to the shafts 55 and 16. The sprocket wheels 29, the rotation of which through the gears 30 and 31, drive the cleaning brushes 23 and 24, are driven by suitable sprockets and chains indicated by the numerals (34, 65, (i6, and 67 as best shown in Fig. 2. The direction of rotation of the various rolls and sprockets and the direction of travel of the various sprocket chains are indicated by arrows throughoutthe drawings.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: Reels 17 containing a supply of metal tapes 68 and empty reels 18 are first mounted upon their respective shafts 15 and 16. The tape threading mechanism comprising the sprocket chains 46 and the bar 49 extending therebetween is operated by turning the hand crank 51 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, until the bar 49 is at a point between the sprocket wheel 47 and the sprocket wheel 45 adjacent the supply reels 17. The ends of the tapes coiled on the various reels 17 are then inserted in their respective openings 50 in the bar 49 and bent backwardly upon themselves as clearly shown in Fig. (3. Before threading the tapes through the apparatus the brackets 27 are preferably rotated clockwise a short distance from the position shown in the drawings Fig. 1) to provide a clear path for the bar 49 carrying the tapes between the brushes. This movement of the brushes is accomplished by turning the handle 33. The hand crank 51 is now turned clockwise which will cause the tapes to be drawn around the ,Q'HltlO roll 38 located below the supply reels 17 and between the pair of brushes 23 and 24 positioned in the caustic solution compartment 13, around the second guide roll 38 positioned therein, up over the guide roll 39 intermediate the two compartments, around the first guide roll 38 in the rinsing compartment 14, between the pair of brushes positioned therein and finally around the guide roll 38 adjacent the feed rolls 52 and 53. Upon the bar 49 reaching a point substantially midway between the last guide roll mentioned and the sprocket wheel 48, the ends of the tapes are then removed from the bar 49 and threaded between the feed rolls 52 and 53 and suitably secured to their respective take-up reels 18. The brackets are now rotated counter-clockwise to cause the brushes to engage the tapes upon opposite surfaces with any suitable degree of pressure and are retained in their set position through the slotted bracket 34 and the stud 36 mounted in the handle 33. The circuit to the motor 58 is now closed whereupon the takeup reels 18, feed roller 53 and the brushes 23 and 24 carried in each compartment are caused to rotate through the driving mechanism hereinbefore described. The brushes 23 and 24, it will be observed, rotate in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows and thus do not materially interfere with the pull on the tapes by the feed rolls 52 and 53. The linear speed of the brushes is much greater than that of the tapes so that as the tapes pass the brushes in the caustic solution compartment, they are given a Very thorough brush ing and thereafter pass into the rinsing compartment and are further thoroughly brushed with clear water by the brushes mounted therein and finally are coiled upon the reels 18. A suitable braking or retarding means (not shown) may be provided for the supply reels 17 to maintain the desired tension on the tape while being drawn through the apparatus and to prevent overrunning of the reels. To prevent the brushes 23 from throwing the cleaning solution and water from the apparatus, they are provided With guards 69 which surround the upper half thereof and are suitably mounted upon the brackets 27.

What'is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for treating strip material, a pair of positively rotated cylindrical brushes, a tension means for advancing the material in a straight path between said brushes, means for engaging the brushes with opposite sides of the strip material at points longitudinally spaced apart on the strip, and means for equally varying the pressures of the brushes on the strip.

2. In an apparatus for treating strip material, a pair of positively rotated cylindrical brushes for engaging the material, a tension means for advancing the material in a straight path between the brushes, a pivotal mounting for the brushes in the line of the path of the material, and means for adj ustably revolving the brushes about their pivot to vary the pressures of the brushes against the material.

3. In an apparatus for treating strip material, means for advancing the strip material through the apparatus, a bracket, a pair of cylindrical brushes for contacting with the material and mounted on the bracket, a central pivot for the bracket, means in axial alignment with the pivot for rotating the brushes in opposite directions, and means for equally adjusting the contact of the brushes with the material by rotating the bracket.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name' this 17th day of December, A. 1)., 1924.

ARTHUR EHRHOLD SCHULZ.

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