US2188665A - Fabric stretching and straightening apparatus - Google Patents

Description

lm 30L1940- P. A. SPL-:RRY 2,188,665

FABRIC STRETCHING'AND STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS Filed March 1l, 185'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I@ A mw" 11m||||||mmun||||m I mi INVENTOR- ATTORNEYS.

Jam 30,1940. RA, SP'ERRY 2,188,665

FABRIC STRETCHING AND STRAKIGHTENING APPARATUS Filed March ll, 193'? 2 Sheets-Shet 2 A v I @Ef-Vf" il ig i n i 1MM I t:Iii v M l NVENTOR. l /a'zzZ/ fp@ ffy ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l FABRIC STRETCHING AND STRAIGHTEN- ING APPARATUS 1 Claim. `This invention relates to cloth-stretching mechanisms, and in particular to an apparatus for opening out a web of moving fabric or cloth from rope-like form to straighten out the same 5 and provide a smooth web free from wrinkles,

puckers or folds along the edge of the cloth by the use of simple mechanical means. I

Another object of the invention is the provision of a reel for delivering a length of cloth in 10 rope-form to a pair of feed rollers and with guide rolls for use in opening out and also guiding the cloth from rope-like form into a straightened condition as it is inserted and passed between the feed rollers.

16 Another object of the invention is the provision of a, device for opening the cloth which will act diagonally thereon in a very simple and etlicient manner, while the cloth is travelling to and through the feeding rolls so that a continuous 20 straightening operation may be performed.

Another object of the invention is the use of guide rolls instead of scutchers, thereby using a more simple and less expensive apparatus for accomplishing the desired operation.

25 With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and

particularly 'pointed out in the appended claim.

`In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a fragmental portion of a straightened web of cloth showing myguiders arranged in position for holding the opposite marginal edge portions thereof to maintain the cloth in a stretched-out condition;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view' showing diagrammatically the reel and feed rollers in operating relationship and embodying my guide and opening means; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of my guiders and opener members.

In certain textile operations, it is desirable to cause an opening-out and straightening of the fabric while it is in motion and from a rope-like condition into a straightened smooth web as it is 'being continually moved in a rectilineal direction for the performance of various subsequent operations as it is being processed and without stopping the cloth; heretofore scutchers were used in this operation; and in order to accomplish this result in a simple manner, I have provided a cloth opening and straightening mechanism comprising a reel around which the fabric or cloth in rope form is conveyed, and from which it is delivered at right angles to the reel across a considerable distance to a pair 'of feed rollers (el. ca -54) and from thence on to a tenter or some other machine, and in order that the cloth Will be in serted and drawn between the feed rolls in a smooth, straightened, unwrinkled condition I have provided a pair of guide rolls adjacent to 5 and in advance of the feed rolls and disposed above and beneath the surfaces of the cloth for engaging the opposite borders thereof, with the axes of each pair of the guide rolls inclined at an. angle to the direction of motion of the cloth 10 to grip and move it outwardly. The rolls are operated by a iiuid actuated mechanism con-- nected with one of the rolls of each pair in order to cause engagement and release of the cloth to impart a nip thereto so that as they 16 rotate in unison on their inclined axes their surfaces act to exert a pull on the margins or borders of the cloth in substantially a transverse direction of the latter as it advances to transversely stretch the same and thus straighten out 20 the cloth and free the latter from its rope formation, th`us eliminating the use of the heretofore more complicated mechanism at this location and obtaining an equivalent satisfactory result; and the following is a more detailed de- 25 scription of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawings, I0 designates 30 a reel mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, shown as shaft II mounted in suitable bearings in the spaced hangers I2 which are supported in a depending position from the ceiling, beams or other convenient parts of the building. A pul- 35 ley I3 is xed on the outer end of the shaft II of the reel I II and serves to transmit the driving power for rotating the reel. Also depending from the ceiling of the building is the frame I5 having spaced upright members I 6, one of which 40 carries a pair of rings or pot eyes I1 which are mounted to conveniently guide the rope to the reel here shownvwith their axes at right angles and located in the same vertical plane. The pot eyes I1 may be made of any hard, smooth ma- 45 terial, such as porcelain or other well-known, wear-resisting material which will present a smooth surface.

As shown in Fig. 2, the cloth I8 in its twisted or roped form is drawn up through the open- 50 ing of the pot eyes II and passes around an upright I9 secured to the frame I5, then up and around the reel I0 from which it is drawn in a direction at right anglesto the axis of the reel and extends for a considerable rectilineal dis- 55 tance in a long span, which may often be some thirty or forty feet, to a feeding device 2li having a pair of power driven feed rollers 2| and 22. The reel I0 and the rollers 2| and 22 of the feeding device 20 are mounted to rotate about axes so related as to be disposed along substantially parallel lines. The cloth is opened out and straightened during its passage.

As shown in Fig. 1, the feed rollers 2| and 22 are suitably mounted for rotation upon parallel axes, or shafts (not shown) which are journaled in suitable bearings in the spaced hangers 24 and 25 suspended from the ceiling of the room, the cloth I8 being inserted and passed between the feed rollers in a straightened condition.

In advance of the feed rollers 2| and 22, I have provided guide rollers 26, 21, 28 and 29, arranged in pairs and oppositely disposed across the moving cloth for engaging theopposite edges thereof. Each pair of guide rolls 26, 21, 28 and 29 are inclined diagonally or set at an angle to the surface of the cloth and extend transversely thereof in the direction of feed of the fabric through the feed rollers 2| and 22 so as to grip and laterally spread and stretch the cloth to untwist the same. The pairs of guide rolls 26, 21 and 28, 28 respectively, are mounted in a hinged frame 38 which is moved by a iluid pressure device 3| having a diaphragm 32 automatically controlled by a feeler mechanism 33 which engages an edge of the moving fabric and so arranged that should the fabric run off a smallamount from center one of the pairs of guide rolls willy be rendered inoperative and caused to open up sufliciently torelease their grip on .the selvage edge of the cloth while allowing the other pair of guide rolls to transversely pull the cloth back into centralized position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the feed rolls. A guider device of this character may be constructed as shown and described in more detail in my co-pending application, Serial No. 88,585, led July 2, 1936, which became U. S. Patent No. 2,170,578.

These roll units by being located on the framework of the feed rolls heretofore described and being sufciently sensitive to operate quickly and cause a firm grip of the fabric, serve to open out the fabric toits desired extent and which assisted somewhat by the length of travel and Weight of the fabric also guide the fabric so that a substantial center line of feed may be maintained, and as far as I know, the location of these guiding and gripping rolls 26, 21, 28 and 28 for the purpose of serving to open out and also guide the fabric as it is delivered in rope form has never heretofore been done, but instead scutchers have been used for this purpose, vthe scutchers being amuch more expensive apparatus than the simple guider rolls which are utilized in this connection. v

. The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilegeA .of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claim.

I claim: f

A flat web fabric stretching and straightening apparatus comprising a reel, means for guiding the fabric in rope-form to said reel so as to conduct the fabric over said reel, means for rotating said reel, power driven feed rolls between which the fabric is passed positioned at a sufcient distance from said reel to provide a substantial sag in the fabric without support therebetween to partially open the rope formation'thereof to a substantially flat web formation, a pair of guide rolls adjacent to said feed rolls and in advance thereof, said guide rolls being mounted for rotation onv axes which are inclined diagonally in the direction of the movement of th'e fabric and movable toward and from each other to engage and grip the opposite marginal selvage surfaces of the moving fabric and pull the same laterally, so as to completely straighten out the moving fabric by exerting a transverse pull thereon.

PAUL A. SPERRY.

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