US173922A - Improvement in fulling-mills - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet I. R. EICKEMEYER.

FULLING-MILL.

zz Patented Feb. 22,1876.

N.PETER$, PHOTOL|TN( )GRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C SSheets-SheetZf R. EICKEMEYER.

FULLI'N'G-MILL. No.173,922. Patented- Feb. 22, 1876.

N-FETERS. PHOT0-L THOGRAPHER WASHING ON 0 C SSheetS -Sh eetS. R. EICKEMEYER;

'FULLING-MILL. No.173,922. Patented Feb. 22,1876

MPEI'ERS, FNOTO-LITHOGMPHER. WASHINGTON. I15.-

- UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIoE RUDOLF EIGKEMEYER, OFYONKERS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENTJN FULLlNG-NllLLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,922, dated February 22, 1876; application filed 7 December 22, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RU oLF EIOKEMEYER, of Yonkers, in the county of Westchcster and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fulling-Mills and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and complete description of a fulling-mill containing the several features of my invention.

The objects sought by me through my improvements may be stated as follows: A continuous changing of position of the fabricsundergoing the fulling operation with relation the bed, instead of operating, alternately, up-

on one-half of. the fabrics, as with the wellknown two-stock mill; to regulate the height from which the beater will be permitted to fall, inorder that it may be readily adjusted for operation on tough or tender fabrics, or graduated for properly operating through the several initial, intermediate, and terminal stages of the fulling operation, and also to regulate the speed of the driver so that it maybe made to correspond proportionately to the height from which the heater is dropped. For accomplishing these several objects my invention consists in certain novel combinations ofmechauism, which are specified in detail at the close of this specification.

The several features of my said invention or any number of said features less than the whole may be employed to the exclusion of the remainder, with desirable and valuable results. i. j v v In the operation of all fl'llling-mills heretofore known to meithe fabricsin the fullingbed are subjected to the alternate action oftwo heaters arranged side by side.

This mode of operation is not particularly objectionable when ordinary textile fabrics are being fulled,'although one-half of the 'mass of fabric in the bed acted upon sepaiubeater-mills', as heretoforeconstructed, in curred in one direction only, forming a rectangular corner with the sides of the mill.

These square corners ofler a greater resistance to the upward movement of the fabrics from the bottom of the bed than the smooth central surface of the curvedbed, and, therefore, those portions of the mass of fabrics which lie adjacent to said corners move less rapidly than those in the center, necessitating frequent removals of the fabrics from the bed, for the purpose of readjustment therein.

To avoid these practical ditficulties I employ a single beater, (having a breadth of face corresponding with thewidth of the bed,) in combination with a fulling-bed, which has a front interior surface curved in two directions-that is to say, it is not only curved vertically, as heretofore, but it is also curved laterally, whereby no liability exists either for any of the articles being drawn out of shape, or for aportion of them to drag at the corners, as in the ordinary bed, and the arti clcs are continually changed in their positions withrelation to each other to the curved sur face of the bed and to the face of the beater." may be combined in one fulling-mill, or either.

The heater in my improved mill is lifted in,

a different lllttllllefflOlll any heretofore known to me. So far as my knowledge extends, the lifting of heaters in fulling-mills has heretofore been effected either by means of a revolv ing shaft with tappets, which engage with projecting endsof the beat'er-helve's, or by segmental friction-pulleys, operating on a belt and terminal movements of the beater correspond with the speed of theintermediate movement.

By reason of myimprovement in this connection, the speed of the movement of my heater is slow at the commencement of the lift,is rapidly increased, and is then gradually diminished up to the moment at which it is dropped. This is accomplished by a peculiar manner in which a lifting-rod is operated through a crank, and is made to engage at its lowest point with the heater, and, after elevating it to its full height, is freely released therefrom. The lifting of the beater commences immediately after the crank-pin passes its lowest position, and it therefore moves slowly, increasing it speed as the crank revolves, until, as it approaches its highest position, the upward speed is gradually diminished until the heater is dropped.

.By this means 1 gain a smooth and easy lifting motion, practically free from sudden shocks and jars; and it is impossible to avoid these wearing and destructive influences upon the belts and operating mechanism of fullin g-mills as heretofore constructed.

To vary the height from which the heater is to drop, I have made the crank-pin adjustable on the face of the crank-plate, so that it may be located at any desirable point between the crank-shaft and the periphery of the crank wheel or plate; and toregulate the. resistance ofthe goods to the beater, I have hinged the adjustable portion of the apron of the fullingbed to the bottom of the mill, and connected its upper end with an adjustable crank-arm. This latte'rfeature, in connection with an apron curved in one direction, is found in my prior Letters Patent before herein referred to.

As in my prior patent, I have provided for this single beater a pawl, which is hinged in suitable hearings on the frame of the mill, and

' being. mounted on the shaft, from which power is immediately derived.

To more particularly describe my invention, lkwill refer to the drawings, which illustrate a fulling-mill embodying the several features of my invention in the best form at present known to me.

The three sheets of drawings, respectively numbered, contain as follows:

' Figures 1 and 2, on Sheets 1 and 2, respectively, represent side views of said fulling-mill with portions thereof removed. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, represents the same in top view with a portion of the beater removed. Fig. 4, Sheet 3,

represents an end view. Fig. 5, Sheet 3, represents a lateral vertical section of the same,

showing the interior of the fulling-bed at the apron. detail, on a larger scale, portions of the mechanism whereby the heaters are lifted and dropped. Figs. 8v and 9, Sheet 2, represent modifications of mechanism for performing a like service. Fig. 10, Sheet 3, represents the crank-Wheel and plate in lateral section. Fig.

11 represents, in section, a crank-wheel with adjustable crank-pin before referred to herein.

The falling-mill shown has but one beater or fulling-stock, as at A, provided with a helve, b, hinged at c to standards, as heretofore. B denotes the falling-bed, .which. with two side walls, constitutes the receptacle for the fabrics to be fulled. The beater is held in an elevated position when at. rest by means of the segmental rack a in the beater, and the pawl a on the top of the frame, as shown in Fig. 2. The front end or apron of the fulling-bed is shown at 0, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5. The curved contact-surface of the apron from top to bottom,'and from side to side, is clearly illustrated.

It will be seen that the vertical side lines of thebed merge with the surface-lines of the apron, and that no abrupt corners or edges exist with which the fabrics can possibly engage while being lifted in mass and changed in position by theaction of the beaten. This apron is hinged at 0 to the bottom of the metal-lined bed, so as to present a smooth contin-' uous surface at the joint. The hinge 0 occupies a straight line extending across the fulling-bed, and the apron O is curved gradually upward from that line, and each edge or corner is gradually concaved more and more 1111-. til, at the apex, it.forms an arch, as shown in Fig. 5. This gradual change in the shape of the bed and apron from a straight line to a circular arch, causes the fabrics to be continually changing their position with relation to each other, to the contact-surfaces of the bed, and to the foot of the beater, while passing from the bottom of the bed upward to the under side of the arch, from which they fall to the'bottom of the bed, to be again exposed to the blow of the beater.

At its upper end the hinged apron is connected by links to a shaft provided with acrank, as at d, which is provided with a segmental stop-plate, It, and set-screw 1, whereby it may be set atany desired point, and locate the apron in an advanced or retired position, accordingto the degree of resistance which the mass of fabrics is tooifer to the stroke of the beater.

In mills as heretofore constructed without the lateral curves and the arched top, and with beds curved upwardonly, the-articles move in a solid body without change of position with relation to each other, until, having arrived at the top, they fall forward tothe bottom of the bed.

It will be seen that this feature of my in- Figs. 6 and 7, Sheet 3, represent, in

vention has value in mills which do not require the adjustable or hinged bed or apron,

and I do not therefore limit this portion of my invention to the hinged bed, or to a fullin g-mill having but one beater.

The fulling-stock or beater A is raised and permitted to fall by means of mechanism which I will. now describe in detail: D denotes the driving-shaft, located near the bottom of the frame at its rear end, and mounted in suitable boxes. On this shaft is the cone driving pulley E, arranged to be driven in the direc tion indicated by the arrow thereon. (Shown in Fig. 4.) The crankwheel at F is keyed to the driving-shaft at one end, with its outer face parallel with the plane in which the beater moves. Mounted on its outer face is a segmental crank-plate, F, pivoted to the wheel at one end by a bolt, as at F, and provided at its opposite or curved end with gear-teeth, which engage with a worm-shaft, K, provided with squared ends, to receive a key or wrench. The crank-wheel has a lateral curved slot in which a bolt, as at F, projecting from the plate F, is fitted. The crank-wheel, segmental plate F, and bolts F and F, are shown in Fig. 10 in detail.

In order to prevent the slipping of the plate on the Wheel while in operation, I have constructed the bolts with suitable clampingnuts, and have placed between them and the rear side of the crank-wheel, recessed and flat metal washers, with a cushion of rubber between them, so that such wear as may occur at the coincident surfaces of plate and wheel may be taken up, at the same time affording a means whereby sufficient pressure may be applied to the plate for holding it in its proper position while the mill is in motion, without interfering with its easy adjustment for regulatingthe lift of the beater. This segmental plate carries the crank-pin, as at G, to which the lower end of the lifting-rod H is attached. By turning-the worm-shaft K, the crank-pin I may be located at any desired position between the periphery of the crankwvheel and the driving-shaft, and so regulate the height to which the. beater may be elevated preparatory to its fall.

The upperend of the lifting-rod H is provided with an oscillating guide, H, which is mounted on trunnions supported by brackets projecting rearward from the'frame at its top.

crank-wheel by means of a screw, which is housed in a tapped hole in the rear end of the crank-pin, and set-screws will preferably be employed in a manner well known, wherewith the crank-pin, after radial adjustment, may be rigidly secured in any desired position. This feature, however in combination with the single heater and the bed with the double curved surface, constitutes a valuable improvement.

The lifting-rod has an intermittent control over the beater by means of a clamp, which is linked to the helve of the beater at g and operates as a clamp from the moment the lifting-rod commences its upper movement until the crank-pin passes its most elevated position, at which time it ceases to operate. One form of clamp is shown at I, in several of the figures, and also in detail in Figs. 6 and 7, while another form is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. This clamp, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is to be provided with two V-shaped interior friction-surfaces at g, located on opposite sidesand one above the ther, so that when the foot of the lifting-rod is carried by the crankwheel toward the beater, both V-shaped friction-surfaces at g, clad as at g, with leather, rubber, or other suitable material, are made to engage with the opposite corners and sides of the rod, and, acting therewith, raise the beater. For giving the clamp sufficient power to maintain the weight of the beater, I

have devised the clamplever e and the spring centei of the crank or driving shatft, and. the

center of the oscillating guide H. The. upper end of the clamp-lever e is pivoted on a stud which projects rearward from the clamp,

as at h. The end of the stud is provided with a nut which bears upon and compresses a rubber spring at f, mounted on said stud and arranged to bear againstthe clamp-lever 6. When the lifting-rod is at its lowest position the clamp has no hold upon it, because the clamp-lever and rod are parallel, but, as the lower end of therod is carried inward toward the beater, the upper end of the clamp-lever is also carried inward, which tilts the clamp. on the hinged connection with the link that connects the beater with the clamp, causing the friction-surfaces, which are located one above and one below the axis, and on opposite sides of the lifting'rod, to firmly engage therewith, and thereby to lift the beater. When the lifting-rod approaches its highest position, the clamp-lever e, and the rod, again become parallel with each other, and there;

fore the clamp releases its hold on the rod and the beater falls. As the crank-wheel continues its movement, carrying the liftingrod downward, the clamp is wholly freed therefrom, because from its position its con-.- tact-surfaces are respectively moved away from the rod.

It will be seen that the clamp will engage with the rod at any height so long as the foot of the clamp-lever is within the straight portion of its guide, but that as soon asit is raised, so that the roller fairly occupies the curved portion of the guide, the clamp has no power to engage with the rod. When the pawl a is thrown forward during the operation of the mill it will first catch and hold the beater at the height to which it has been raised by the next movement of the lifting-rod, and at the next revolution of the crank-shaft it will be carried still higher, and there held for the convenient removal of fabrics from the bed. So, also, in operation, if the beater be held at any time by the goods at a given point above the lowest point, it will be lifted from that height by the rod to a pointproportionately as high therefrom as would be the case if the beater were lifted from its lowest position.

In Figs. 8 and 9, the lifting-rod, instead of being smooth, as previously shown, has its opposite edges transversely serrated. It has also two longitudinal grooves, which are loosely occupied by screw-pins in the clamp, as shown in Fig. 8 at i. The clamp, instead of having frictional .surfaces, is provided with serrated surfaces inversely corresponding with the serrated surfaces on the lifting-rod, and therefore the clamp positively engages with the rod instead of frictionally engaging therewith The serrated surfaces are of special value in connection withbeaters of more than usual bulk or weight.

For practical operation, the crank-pin is brought quite near to the center of the crankshaft. The hinged apron is thrown bacli, the

' fabrics put into the bed, and the mill put in motion at its highest speed. As the fulling operation progresses, the height of the lift is at intervals increased by moving the crankpin outward, and the apron is gradually moved toward the beater. The apron is thus kept in a position with relation to the beater which corresponds with the gradually-changing condition of the fabrics as the falling operation progresses.

As before stated the falling-bed curved in two directions is of value without the hinged feature, and is equally well adapted to mills wit-h more than one heater; and it is equally true that the griping and lifting mechanism described is also useful in mills having more than one beater, and also that in many cases it is not necessary to combine with such mechanism the feature whereby the height of the lift may be varied, I therefore do not limit some features of my invention to mills of any in two directions, substantially as described,

whereby the fabrics maybe made 'to move regularly, and constantly change their position while being fulled.

2. The combination, with a single beater, of a fulling-bed, having front interior surfaces which are curved in two directions, substantially as described, whereby the fabrics are not liable tobe torn or twisted while being fulled.

3. The combination, with or more heaters, of a jointed fulling-bed, having front interior surfaces which are curved in two directions, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a falling-bed, having its front interior surfaces curved in two directions, of one or more heaters provided with graduated lifting mechanism, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a jointed fullingbed, having its front interior surfaces curved.

in two directions, of one or more heaters and graduated lifting mechanism, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a fulling-mill beater, of a reciprocating lifting-rod and an automatically-operated clamp attached to the beater, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the beater of a fulling-mill, of a clamp, a lifting-rod, connect ed by means of a crank-pin to a crank-wheel,

and adjusting mechanism, substantially as de-

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