US2267483A - Cloth spreader for looms - Google Patents

Description

De."23, 1941. R, Q TURNER 2,267,483-

CLOTH SPREADER FOR LOOMS Filedl Deo. 9, 1940 NVENTOR FMCHARD TURNER ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1941 UNITED A,swr-re CLOTH SPREADER FOR LOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass., assigner to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 9, 1940, Serial No.'369,156 l 12 Claims. (Cl. 139-291) This invention `relates to improvements in cloth spreadersv for looms and it Vis the general object of the invention to provide a simple means for preventing wrinkles in the Vcloth as it is wound on the cloth roll.v

As cloth is woven on `a loom it is advanced by the take-up mechanism and then proceeds to the cloth roll on which it is wound. In the weaving of certain'fabrics wrinkles-are likely to be formed in the cloth before it reaches the cloth f roll and as the cloth winds up in Vlayers on the cloth roll the wrinkles form creases or marks in the cloth which are difficult to remove.

It is an important object of my present Vinvention to provide a bar so located as to require the cloth to have a slight contact with the cloth roll before being wound tightly on the roll. The

effect of this slight contact is to assist the Cloth roll itself in straightening out the wrinkles as a preparatory step to the ultimate winding-up of the cloth. I

It is a further object of my present invention to mount the bar on flexiblefsupports which can be wrapped partly around the cloth roll and are of such length as require the bar to maintain a' Another feature of my invention resides in the fact that the bar is acted upon by the tension of the cloth to move in the direction toward the axis ofthe cloth roll, thereby creating a condition of stability for the position of the bar even though the loom is not running and making unnecessary any adjustment of the bar to a position where it will remove wrinkles upon the resumption of weaving. This last named condition grows out of the fact that the bari is located between the two points of contact mentioned and that the tension in the cloth, being "substantially the same on both sides of the bar, tends to mov the latter toward the cloth roll axis. I

With these and other'objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in thecombination and arrangei ment of parts hereinafter described and set forth. I Y i In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a loom having my inventionapplied thereto,

4bar 25 as at 29.

`bar designated generally at 35.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale,

Fig.- 3 is a detailed front elevation of my invention looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a detailed plan View of one end of the top bar looking in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the relationship between the spreader bar and the cloth roll, indicating the operation of my invention as the cloth roll increases in diameter.V

Referring to the drawings, the loom frame I0 includes a breast beam II over 4which the `fabric or cloth F passes to the left from the point of weaving not shown as viewed in Fig, 2. The frame has a pair of upright brackets I2, one at eachside of the loom, in which are journaled an upper guide roll I3, a take-up roll I4 and a pressure roll I5. Below the latter is a second guide `roll I6 under which is located the cloth roll I'I.

The take-up roll is driven positively in wellknown mannerrby mechanism not set forth herein and turns in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 2 and likewise the cloth roll I1 is caused to rotate in the direction of arrow b, Fig. 2, by mechanism not shown during loom operation. The fabric after passing over Vthe breast beam passes under guide roll I3, around thegreater part of the takeup rollV I4, over the pressure roll I5 andin front `of the guide roll I6 and then passes downwardly toward the rear of the cloth roll I1.

The matter thus far described is of the usual construction and of itself forms no part of my present invention. As the loom continues to run the cloth accumulates on the roll I'I to increase its diameter.

The cloth spreader which is the subject of my present invention comprises an upper bar 25 each end of which is provided with a hook 26 to t over the ends of the guide roll I6 as suggested in Fig. 1. The forward face of the bar 25 `is provided'with a vertical groove 21 which receives thefront vertically extending end 28 of the hook after the same has passed through the The groove 2'I'prevents the hook from pivoting with respect to the bar 25 and holds it in proper vertical position for engagement with the roll I5.

VDepending from each end of the bar 25 is a spreader bar support 30 formed of flexible preferably transparent smooth sheet material. The support 30 is preferably formed of plastic material which is flexible enough to be curved around a part of the cloth roll. The supports 30 are secured to the bar 25 as at 3| and their lower ends are fastened to a cloth engaging spreader The spreader bar ispreferably made of two semi-cylindrical front and back sections 36 and 31, respectively, which are secured together as by screws or the like 33 which as shown herein pass from the front of the bar rearwardly entirely through the section 36 and into the rear section 31. Certain of the screws 38 pass through the lower edges of the flexible support as shown in Fig. 4 and are the means by which the lower bar 35 is secured to the supports 30. Y

The relationship of my invention with respec-t to the guide roll I 6 and the cloth roll I1 is indicated in Fig. 6, where it will be seen that the hooks 26 extend over the guide roll VI6 to hold the spreader in position on the loom. The small circle S in Fig. 6 indicates the perimeter of the cloth roll at the beginning of the cloth windingup operation, while the larger circle L represents the perimeter of the roll after a number of layers of cloth have been wound on it. From an inspection of Fig, 6 it will be seen that as the cloth F approaches the cloth roll it has a point of straightening or smoothing contact with the rear part of the cloth roll as indicated at 49 and then leaves the cloth roll to engage the rear part of the bar 35 as at AI. After extending around and under the spreader bar the cloth extends forwardly to have a second or winding contact with the cloth roll as at 42. The flexible supports 3i! are sufficiently long to allow the bar 35 to lie far enough below the axis of the cloth roll to establish the two-points of contact 40 and 42.

During operation of the loom Ythe cloth roll turns in the direction of arrow b, Fig. 2, and

that part of the cloth extending from points.

1I-42 moves forwardly. The spreader bar 35 is therefore acted upon by frictional forces tending to move it forwardly. As the cloth roll diameter increases provision must be made to move the spreader bar out of the path of the accumulating cloth layers. In order to accomplish this result the spreader bar 35 is given a progressive rearward motion by having the exible supports 30 contact with the cloth roll. As the cloth roll increases the supports are moved rearwardly to cause backward motion of the spreader bar to positions where it will not be subjected to a downwardV force sufficient to break the supports 30 or damage the cloth. As the cloth roll increases its perimeter from that indicated at S to that shown at L in Fig. 6, the cloth will have changing points of initial contact with the rear of the cloth roll Aas at 50 Fig. 6, from which it passes to the spreader bar 35 from and then to the cloth roll to have a second point of contact indicated at 5 I. When the cloth rol-1 is of small diameter the supports 30 will be curved downwardly and forwardly from the `.full to the dotted line position shown at the bottom of Fig. 4. As the cloth roll increases in diameter this curvature is reduced, but the bar 35 will still be located in position to cause the aforesaid two points of contact of the cloth with the cloth roll. rIhe pressure of the cloth acts on the bar 35 in a direction to force it toward the axis of the cloth roll I1, and since lthe pressures exerted on the bar 35 by those parts of the cloth on both sides of it are substantially the same, the bar tends to retain any given position with respect to the cloth roll Vwhen the loom is at rest and there is no need for adjusting'the position of theV spreader bar 'when weaving is resumed.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the cloth extends behind the flexible supports 30, and the latter ,project beyond the cloth selvage .55. That -part of the cloth leading down from roll I6 and located between the supports 36 has direct contact with the cloth roll at points 46 and 50, while the edges of the cloth slide along the relatively narrow supports 36.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple means for supporting the cloth spreader in such position as to require the cloth to have two points of contact with the vcloth roll, the first or straightening contact of which as indicated at 40 or 50 is a light contact the effect of which is to cause the cloth roll itself to exert a straightening effect on the cloth without converting the wrinkles into creases and the cloth so straightened then passes to the spreader bar 35=where it is subjected to further straightening, after which the cloth is directed to the cloth roll to be wound thereon at the winding point of contact 42 or 5I. In this way the cloth roll assists the spreader bar 35 in straightening the cloth before it finally reaches its second or winding point of contact with the cloth'roll. It will also be seen that the supports 35 are flexible and for this reason permit the location of the bar 35 in such position as will maintain the effective spreading of the cloth as the diameter of the roll I1 increases. Again, it will be seen that the two points of contact place the spreader bar at the vertex of an angle the bisector of which passes through the axis of the cloth roll and that the substantially equal pressures in the cloth on both sides of the spreader bar 35 tend to direct the latter toward the axial center of the cloth roll to stabilize the spreader bar. Furthermore, the fiexible supports are so located as to require the cloth selvages to travel `along it, thereby tending to straighten out any wrinkles which may tend lto develop `because of the difference in Ythickness of the `cloth and its selvage. Also, the increasing diameter of the cloth rolls acts on the supports 30 to give the spreader bar 35 .a progressive motion rearwardly so it will not interfere with the accumulating layers of cloth. `Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes -and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without kdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the kdetails herein disclosed, `but what I claim is:

l. In a loom `having take-up mechanism from which the fabric leads to and around a cloth wind-up roll, a spreader bar located between the fabric and the cloth roll in position to cause the fabric to have two lines of contact with Vthe cloth roll, the first line being between the take-up roll -and the spreader `bar on one side of the latter in Vsuch position as to'cause the fabric to have a comparatively slight straightening contact with the cloth roll as the fabric leads from the take-up roll to the spreader bar, and cause the fabric vex- Vtending from thespreader vbar to the cloth roll to have a Awinding-up contact withsaid cloth roll.

3. In a loom .having -atakeup roll from which the fabricmoves to and around a cloth roll, a spreader bar for the fabric, and means to support the spreader bar between the fabric and roll in such position as to cause the fabric to have contact with the cloth roll along two spaced lines one of which is on one side of the spreader bar between the latter and the take-up roll and the other of which is on the opposite s-ide of the spreader bar, the cloth roll tending to straighten the cloth along the rst line of contact and winding the fabric thereon along the second line of contact.

4. In aloom having a cloth roll toward which the fabric moves in a given plane, a spreader bar between the cloth and cloth roll and located on the same side of said plane as the axis of the cloth roll, and means to mountthe spreader bar in position to cause the fabric to have contact with the cloth along two'spaced lines the first of which tends to straighten the cloth and is located on one side of the spreader bar along the line of tangency between the cloth roll and said plane and the other line being located on the other side of said spreader bar where the fabric has wind-- ing-up contact with the cloth roll.

5. In a loom having a cloth roll toward which the fabric moves to be wound thereon, a spreader bar to be moved relatively to the cloth roll in a direction opposite to that in which the cloth roll tends to move said spreader bar, thereby maintaining substantially the same relationship between the spreader bar andthe points of contact between the cloth and the cloth roll as the diameter of the cloth roll increases.

9. In a loom having a frame and wherein the cloth moves downwardly and rearwardly to have vcontact with the rear part of a cloth roll and be wound on the latter and move forwardly below the cloth roll during loom operation, a spreader bar located between the fabric and the cloth roll,v i

and means to support the spreader bar and locate the latter in position to cause the fabric extending on opposite sides thereof to be tangential to the cloth roll along two spaced lines on opposite sides of the spreader bar.

6. In a loom having a cloth roll toward which the fabric moves to be wound thereon, a spreader bar located between the fabric and the cloth roll, and means to locate the spreader bar in position to cause the fabric extendingvon opposite sides thereof to be tangential to the cloth roll along two spaced lines on opposite sides of the spreader bar, those parts of the fabric leading from the spreader bar to said points exerting forces on the spreader bar tending to move the latter toward the axis of the cloth roll.

'7. In a loom having a cloth roll the diameter of which increases as cloth is wound thereon during loom operation, a spreader bar contacting the cloth and cloth roll and tending by reason of the frictional contact thereof with the cloth and cloth roll to move in the direction in which the cloth axis of the roll as the diameter of the latter increases and move said spreader bar in a direction opposite to that in which the cloth moves.

8. In a loom having a cloth roll the diameter of which increases as cloth is wound thereon during loom operation, a spreader bar contacting the cloth and cloth roll and tending by reason of the frictional contact thereof with the cloth and cloth roll to move in the -direction in which the adjacent contacting part of the cloth roll moves, supporting means for the spreader bar, and flexible means attached to said supporting means and the spreader bar and having a portion thereof in contact with the roll and of such length as to locate the spreader bar so that the cloth passing around said spreader bar will Contact the roll along lines on opposite sides of the spreader bar, the increasing diameter of the cloth roll moving the last named means in a direction away from the axis of the cloth roll and causing the spreader v bar located below the axis of the cloth roll at the start of the accumulation of cloth on the roll and having frictional contact with the cloth and the cloth roll which tends to move the spreader bar forwardly, and flexible supporting means for the spreader bar secured to the latter and mounted on the frame,said support means contasting and extending along the curved rear part of the roll and being moved rearwardly as the diameter of the roll increases to cause a progressive rearward motion of the spreader bar during loom operation. e

10. In a loom having a cloth guide roll in front of which the cloth passes toward the rear part of a cloth roll located beneath the guide roll, a

spreader bar located between the cloth and the cloth roll and tending by frictional contact thereof with the cloth and the cloth roll to move forwardly, said spreader bar being located below the axis of the cloth roll at the start of the accumulation of cloth on the roll and in the path of the successively accumulating layers of cloth as the diameter of the cloth roll increases during operation, and iiexible support means supported by the guide roll and extending around and in contact with the rear curved part of the cloth roll to be moved rearwardly as the diameter of the cloth .roll increases to cause rearward motion of the spreader bar in a direction away from the path of the accumulating layers of cloth and in a direction opposite to that in which the cloth travels.

11. In a loom having a frame and a guide roll from which the cloth moves toward the rear part of a cloth roll located beneath the guide roll, a spreader bar below the axis of the cloth roll at the start of the accumulation of cloth on the roll in a direction opposite to that in which the cloth travels and in a direction having a component extending away from the axis of the cloth roll.

12. In a cloth spreader for a loom having `a cloth roll and a cloth spreader supporting member; said spreader including an upper horizontal bar, means to attach the horizontal bar to the supporting member, fiexible sheet support means depending from said horizontal bar and normally flat and` lying in a plane parallel to the horizontal y bar, and a cloth spreader bar to engage the cloth roll and secured to the bottom of the flexible support means and substantially parallel to the normal plane of said sheet support means.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 4

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