US1871766A - Method and apparatus for treating strings or strands - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 16, 1932 H. wlLLsHAW ET AL, 1,871,766

METHOD AND APPARATUS FR TREATING STRINGS OR STRANDS Filed July s1, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 Nm. m. A Q K x bx. S Ww Qn rf/ l/// 1 lll/lill l/ll /1 1/ ll lll/l l l lll/lll: l /l/ lZ/l//l/lll/ll/ A118216, l932 H. wlLLsHAw ET AL 1,871,765

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING STRINGS QR `STRANDS 'Filed July 31, 1928 nbawtoza HARRY l/s//LLs/m w, 'YoA/EY/VEv/LE @oom/m mvo Patented Aug. 16, 1932 p i UNITED STATES HARRrwILLsHAw, or' WYLDE GREEN,sYDNEY NEVILLE GooDHALL,- oEfMARsTON GREEN, AND oHARLEs EoLLIss, or BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, AssIGNoRs To DUNLOP RUBBER COMPANY LrMITED, or ERDINGTON, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, A :BRITISH` CORPORATION Y METHOD AND ArTARATUs roR TREATING STRINGS oR sTRANDs thereby developed is advantageously utilized tov actuate devices which maintain a continual longitudinal pull upon the strings, the tension so imparted comprising an essential feature ofthe treatment.

Another object is to construct such'apparatus so that thestrings or strands are continuously tensioned, irrespective of the degree to which they yield treatment.

A further object is in constructing such apparatus so that the tension imparted to the longitudinally during the strings or strands is proportioned to the heat to which theyV are subjected.

` The strings or strands to. which this invention relates are generally referred to in the ltrade as gut strings, not'` so much on account 3u of'their constituents, but more on account of their application. Such strings have a markedV application for stringingtennis rackets. The inventionis particularly applicavble to strings composed atleast in part of either rubber, gutta percha, or similarvege table resins. A A

In orderthat this invention may be clearly understood,'reference should be made to the accompanying drawings wherein- Fig. l is a part sectional side elevation of the apparatus; Y Fig. 2 is a plan viewof Fig. 1;

Figi?) is a cross-sectional view on line 3-3 s of Fig. 1;

Fig. l is a part sectional view on an enlarged scale of theY yielding hook member;

within the container. v f .In aconvenient embodiment of Ithe appara- `thereon lengths of the strings orv n Application filed July 31, 1928, Serial No. 296,588, and in Great Britain August 4, 1927.V

tus according to the invention, we employ essentially a heating chamber 1 having a door PATEN orales' or closure member z2 at one end, and being conclosed. Y Y

Capable of Ventering the heating chamber is a frame or carriage member 3 for receiving strands 4;

structed to make a gas-tight vjuncture'when to undergo the treatment.v

The frame or carriage may be rectangular in shane land comprises two end members 5--6 which correspond with the shorter sides of the rectangle and two side members cor# responding with the remaining longer sides y nipulation of the framewhen being placed into or removed from the heating chamber. Providedrupon the end members of the frame or carriage 3 and lsubstantially vin alignment with one another are hooks orV other retaining devices 9-10 for receiving the ends of the gut or other strings or strands 4.

The hooks or other devices 9 at the one struction and constitute an important feature of the invention. Each of these latter` hooks 10 comprises essentially a stem portion 11 having a hook at one end while-on the other end is a piston 12 of suitable proportions. This piston is adapted to work within an elongated cylinder 13 which is secured4 in a suitable manner to a chest or other hollow member 14: at the end 6 of the frame. l

Along the stem portion of this combined hook and piston member is a series of ratchet teeth 15 and coacting with those teeth is a gravity actuating pawl or detent 16 mounted upon a spindle 17 fixed in relation tothe cylinder.

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2.9; structing this apparatus Vaccording to this in-v Y the atmosphere. Sui-table provisionis made 'f5 to ensure that the joint between the extend- In order to support the cylinder 13 its eX- tended end 18 to which the pawl 16 is secured, is received within an aperture in a plate member 19upstanding from and mounted upon the frame member.

Further, to ensure the ease of movement of the stem along the cylinder, it may be adaptedto rest upon a roller or other member 20`mouiited at2'1 atthe open end of the entension 17.y The function of this combined hook and piston is asfollows The piston is forced.v along the cylinder in the direction' towards the end of the frame" or carriage to which it is secured in consequence of pressure acting upon it and as the piston traverses the cylinder, itv draws the stem and hook with it causing the distance between the two hooks to increase.

Another feature of importance in con vention refers 'to the cylinder members. `In order that the pistons may traverse along the, cylinders it is necessary to remove and insu# late the pressure from their inoperative faces.y

To accomplish this we cause the cylinders 1.3 to communicate with a. hollow chamber` 14 mounted at the end 6 of theframe or carriage.

Connected to this hollow chamber 14 anv `extending pipemember 22 which is capable of passing through an aperture23 in the wall `of the heating chamber-thereby placing this hollow chamber-in direct communication with ing pipe member and the .aperture inthe heatingchamber is steam or gas-tight and ina construction adopted we have. provided a somewhat conical shaped facing 24 near the end4 of the extending pipe vmember 22 and` whichis adapted to co-operate with a corresponding conical seating 25 around the aper:

ture within the heating chamber. The corresponding-.seating 25 is provided within Va ring 26 afndis. mounted to permit of radial dis- Y placement, so that it will readily align itselfl with the pipe member, the ring further contacting with a packing member 27 provided within the facing of one ofthe members of .its housing.-

In operation,` the extending pipe member 22 is. passed through the aperturein the heatingchaniber until the respective facil-lgs and seatings engage, the pressure within the chamber maintains them in engagement,V but in zorder to ensure of their more intimate engagement we' apply a nut-like. member 28` upon al screw/threaded portion 29 providedat the remote end 30 of the extendinggmember 22, l

If desired a buffer or eXtensible member 31 .acted upon -by-a spring 32 may be provided atthe end 5 of the. frame 3.

In operatiom the strings or strands are rst attached to the hooks or other retaining:

members 9-10. The frame or carriage is then placed into the heating chamber, after which the door or closure member'2 is tight.

ly secured and the nut-like member 28 placed in position on the extended pipe.

VWe now cause heat and pressure to develop within the heating chamber by forcing there-` into steam, or other fluid, through an aper# ture'as 33 in Fig. l or-by any other'nieans The heat developed bythe steamor other heated iiuid acts upon the strings of rubber or gutta percha and similar vegetable resins in a manner generally known as vulcanizing causing the characteristics of the strings orstraiids to somewhat alter, while the pressure operates the tensioning devices, it being appreciated that a dierence inpressure or` heat occasions difi'erentresultsfThus itis clear that the strings are simultaneously vul-r` canized under tension andpressure.v f

'Ihe term vulcanizing7 hereinbefore men,-4 -tioned refers generally to the treatment which may be applied to anytypes of strings and strands the characters of which Ialter when subjected to heat and does not solely refer to strings or strandswherein rubber is one of the components as the yterm may sug-' Gest. y y, When the required pressure-and'heat have been produced within the heating chamber,it

will be foundthat the pistons have ybeen forced into the cylinders and retained against return movement by( the gravity actuated pawlsengaging with the ratchet teeth'on the i stems of the combined pistons and hooks, reference should be made to Fig. 2, where one of the hooks 10 is shown in the position it.

assumes at the commencement of thevtre'atment, while theoth'er hook 10 is shown with the pressureV acting upon it7 and imposing a tension upon the 'strings-as atthe finish of the treatment. 'Upongthetreatment having vbeen completed, the strings or strands caribe removed from the apparatus by releasing the pawl from engagementr with the ratchet teeth. From the foregoing descriptionr it will'be observed that the gut strings 'or the like have."

been described as being treated in a single length and having each oftheir endsattached toa retaining device, but we may if-desired treat them in any other manner, such for instance as in doubled lengths as shown in- Fig.

2T where we provide two retaining hooks at to greater or lesser eXtennfthere isa pro rata` variation in the pressure within the chamber..-

This conditionis effected in. one instance by over the combined pistonv the characteristics of the iiuid, as for instance with steam, alternatively, and when other fluid is used for instance heatedv air, a thermionic or other valve may be used to control the admittance of the fluid according to its heat, and thereby govern the pressure within the chamber.

Also it will readily be appreciated that the Y frame or carriage may be constructed to receive any number of strings, see Fig. 3, where a number of apertures 34 are shown for receiving the hooks 9. According to the foregoing descriptiomthe hooks 9 are described as being of a rigid and unyielding nature, but it should be understood that the rigidity is required only in the longitudinal direction, but for convenience the apertures 34 are of keyhole formation, permitting the hooks of lateral displacement to allow them to be readily connected to` or disconnected from the frame, the enlarged part 35 of the hooks retaining the hooks in the narrow part of the aperture 34.

It will be appreciated that constructional details may be modified without departing from the objects of the invention.

The strings or strands referred to usually comprise a stranded core coated with gutta percha or similar vegetable resins. lSuchV stranded core may be'of the usual string-like iiber or in some cases it is made of one or more metallic wire strands.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is l. The method of treating strings of vulcanizable material of the kind described, which comprises subjecting Vsaid strings to fluid under pressure at a vulcanizing temperature and imposing a longitudinal tension upon said strings, said tension being a function of the pressure of said iuid.

2. The method of treating strings of vulcanizable material of the type described, which comprises subjecting said strings to fluid under pressure at a vulcanizing temperature and imposing a longitudinal tension upon said strings, said tension being directly proportional to the pressure of said fluid.

3. The method of treating strings of vulcanizable material of the type described, which comprises subjecting said strings to a fluid under pressure at a vulcanizing temperature, and continuously and constantly tensioning said strings during vulcanization irrespective of the length of stretch occurring in them, and with a tension proportional to the pressure of said liuid.

4. Apparatus for treating strings of the type described, which comprises a fluid-tight chamber, a frame having retaining devices for receiving and carrying said strings, said retaining devices being movable to and from each other, and means for moving said retaining devices toy increase the distance between them and to impose a. ,longitudinal tension upon; strings supportedr between said devices.

x5.. Apparatus of the type described,whi'ch comprises a pairof retaining devices for supporting-strings extending therebetween and comprises a pair of retaining devices for supporting strings extending there between and attached thereto, means for separating said devices from each otherzunder pressure toV tension said strings, means for Vretaining said devices in'l separated positions against vthe, tensioning action of said-strings,"and`means for supplying fluid under `pressure to said strings.`

7 Apparatus ,of the Vtype described, `which' comprises a-frame, string supportingl andi retaining devices, relatively movable on said'V frame to impose alongitudinal tension: upon strings; v supported between said. devices,

means `for movingsaid devices yfrom each other,means for-preventing the return move-4 ment of said receiving devices, and means for supplying fluid Vunderw'pressure ,tor said strings. f 'Y v l c 8. Apparatus of the typedescribed, which comprises relatively movable stringi retaining devices, a cylinder, a piston in said 'cylinder and connected tok one of said movable devices, means for imparting -a difference of pressur-e tol opposite sides of said piston ,to

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move said devices apart relatively to each other, and means -Afor supplyingfluid under pressure t0 saidstrings.

9. `Apparatus of thetype described, which f comprises relatively movablestriiig retaining-devices, a cylinder, piston inA said cylinder and `connected tolone-of'said movable devices, means forimparting a diiierence of pressure to opposite sides of said piston to move said devices apart relatively to each other, a ratchet and pawl means for preventing return movement of said movable retaining means, and means for supplying' fluid under pressure to said strings.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cylinder communicates with the atmosphere.

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l1. Apparatus of the type described, which' comprisesa Huid pressure chamber, means in fixed position in said chamber to engage a string to be stretched, movable-*means in said chamber for engaging said string, a cylinder in said chamber communicating with the atmosphere, and a. piston in said cylinder tween the atmosphere and the interior of'y 1' A said chamber,A and means for supplying.

heat-ed fluid underpressure'to saidchamber. 12. Apparatusk for treating stringsof the kind specied5 comprising -aA Huid tight Vchamber with iiuid admitting orice and.

with a displaceable end,v and having rails at its floor in combination with a frame or car-V riage mounted on said rails and capable` of being vrmovedinto or from said chamber, the

said frame or carriage having. string retain-v ing devices some offwhich can move under the pressure of. the iiuid to kimpose a longi- N tudinal `tension uponsaid strings, vwhereinV the cylinders for receiving the moving devices communicate with f the atmosphere through a hollow member extending through thewall of the container `and a fluid tight p y j uncture'between said hollow extending mem- Y 20' ber and said container. 1 n

13. In apparatus according to claim 12, a

Y fluid tight juncture comprising a male member having a conically shaped'surface receivedwithin a correspondingly shaped float-l ing female member, substantially as described. v

14. In apparatus Huid tight juncture comprising" a male member having a Vconically shaped surface received within a correspondingly shaped female member, the*` union between them being occasioned by the pressure of the fluid within the containenf l 1 15. In apparatusaccording to claim 12 wherein the union between the male andv female members is assured by a nut substantially as described.

V16. In apparatus according to claim 12 u -wherein Vretaining devcesare displ'aceable 4:0VA

laterally and received withinl a keyhole shaped aperture substantially as described.4

In witness whereof, we have f hereunto signed our names.` f f f Y HARRY VVIl'JLSI-IAI;V lSYDNEY NEVILLE GOODHALL.' GHARLESIOLLISS. A Y i 7 according toclaim l152,' a i

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