US2416027A

US2416027A - Cloth drying machine

Info

Publication number: US2416027A
Application number: US474571A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wendell H Shields
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-02-03
Filing date: 1943-02-03
Publication date: 1947-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1964-02-18

Description

CONAC WHH SULIDS.

Feb. 18, 1947.

W. H. SHIELDS CLOTH DRYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 3, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 18, 1947. w, H, SHELDS 2,416,027

CLOTH DRYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 3. 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 as g Feb. 18, 1947. w. H. SHIELDS 2,416,027

CLOTH DRYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 3, 194.3 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 18, 1947. W H, SHELDS 2,416,027

CLOTH DRYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 3. 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Eil--- Feb. 18, 1947. w, H, sHlELDs 2,416,027

CLOTH DRYING MACHINE Filed Feb. s, 194:5 6 sheets-sheet 5 Feb. 18, 1947. w. H. SHIELDS 2,416,027

CLOTH DRYI NG MACHINE Fi'led Feb. 3, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Feb. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTH DRYING MACHINE Wendell H. Shields, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application February 3, 1943, Serial No. 474,571

1 Claim.

This invention relates to cloth drying machines. The machine of this invention is adapted to be used after a length of cloth has been dyed, washed and shrunk. rI'he cloth is passed through the machine where it is dried and then emerges on the other side where it is placed upon rollers for subsequent use.

Briefly the invention resides in several novel features of the cabinet wherein there is located two groups of rollers. The one group receives the cloth into the cabinet where the cloth travels over each of the rollers in that group. An intermediate roller is located between the two groups over which the cloth passes on its way to the second group where it passes over each roller and then out of the cabinet on to the final roller. In some cases the cloth, as it is being dried, may tend to either stretch slightly or may even shrink a little more, but it is necessary at all times to have the tension of the cloth substantially constant to prevent any tearing or ripping thereof. I have provided novel compensating or synchronizing means so that when such action in the cloth takes place the speed of the second group of rollers may be varied slightly by moving faster if the cloth has stretched or slower if the cloth has shrunk, thus insuring a substantially constant tension on the cloth at all times.

Another novel feature of the device is the provision below the bottom of the machine of a false bottom which is divided into chambers one of which is utilized to pass hot air into the cabinet and over the cloth, and the other of which is utilized to withdraw the air from the cabinet after it has removed the moisture from the cloth.

I have also provided means to increase the eiliciency of the air entering the cabinet by forcing it into the area where the cloth is present and by confining the air to this area before it is removed therefrom.

Other more specific objects and purposes of the invention will appear more fully as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The annexed drawing and following description set forth in detail 2 certain means for carrying out my invention, said means constituting, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the drying cabinet.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the cabinet looking in the same direction as Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation simi1ar`to Fig. 1 with parts broken away to show certain details 0f construction.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the cabinet.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the cabinet.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the false bottom showing the various chambers therein and the air conduits leading thereto.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary .longitudinal section through one of the rollers.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation showing part of the compensating or synchronizing means.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary end elevation similar to Fig. 8 looking toward the left thereof.

Fig. 10 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig 9, and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the clutch disclosed as a means for synchronizing the speed of rotation of the second group of rollers with the speed of the first group.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the cabinet is made up of a structure having sides l and 2, ends 3 and 4, a top 5 and a bottom 6. Between the sides I and 2 extend a plurality of rollers which are divided into two groups and, as seen in Fig. 1, I have indicated generally the group at the left of the center of the cabinet by A and the other group by the letter B. Besides utilizing all of the rollers for passing the cloth thereover, certain of the rollers have different functions and for this reason some of the rollers of group A have been designated by the numeral 1, one is denoted by the numeral 8 and the others of this group by the numeral 9. In like manner, in group B, certain of the rollers are denoted by the numeral I0, one is indicated at I I and the others by the numeral I2. While it is to be understood that these specific rollers need not be utilized for the same functions as herein described, this distinction is made to indicate, for example, that all of those rollers indicated by the numeral 1 have a common function; all of those indicated by the numeral 9 also have a common function different from the others and the one indicated at 8 has a still different function. The same holds true with the various rollers in group B.

At one end of the machine an arm I3 extends outwardly from which extends the bracket I4. A shaft I5 is mounted on the bracket and has a split pulley I6 thereon. Also on the shaft is a roller I1 and above which at each side thereof are the rollers I8. Adjacent the cabinet and secured to the arm I3 is a bracket I9 which has a shaft 20 thereon on which is located the pulley 2| and another roller 28a which cannot be seen viewing Fig. 1. In the opposite end 3 of the cabinet another bracket 22 is secured which supports the roller 23. The cloth itself, indicated at 24 may come from a vat (not shown) where it has been washed and shrunk, from whence it passes upwardly over the rst roller I 8, under the roller I1 and up over the second roller I8, from whence it drapes and passes upwardly over the roller 20a on the shaft 20. From this roller the cloth passes through an opening in the end 4 and over the larger rollers in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and emerges through an opening in the end 3 from whence it passes on to other rollers (not shown) where it may be shipped or stored for subsequent use.

The cabinet itself is provided beneath its bottom 6 with a false bottom generally indicated at 25 in Fig. 6. This bottom is divided into an upper chamber 26 and a lower chamber 21. The sides 28 of the lower chamber and the sides 29 of the upper chamber terminate in the same horizontal plane and abut against the bottom S of the cabinet, but the sides 29 of the upper chamber are approximately half the depth of the sides 28 of the lower chamber thus dividing the false bottom into its upper and lower components.

The sides of both chambers are of such configuration as to provide openings for ilues so that air may be conducted to or away from the cabinet. For example, at the rear of the false bottom the sides 29 of the upper chamber form the portions 30 and at the front side similar portions 3| are provided. The bottom chamber provides at the rear side thereof the two portions 32. The bottom 6 of the cabinet does not cover these portions 3|). 3| and 32 but they are left open so that the ues designated respectively in Fig. 5 by the numerals 30a, 3| a and 32a will be located over the respective portions 38, 3| and 32.

Under the false bottom 25 is located the conduit 33 which extends upwardly through the lower chamber and opens into the upper chamber to form the opening 34. At the lower end of the conduit it is provided with a fan 35 driven by the motor 36 and within the conduit the heating element 31 is positioned so that the air sucked in by the fan 35 will be heated as it passes over the heating element 31 and will be passed upwardly through the opening 34 into the upper chamber.

Adjacent the conduit 33 is a second conduit 38 which extends upwardly only to the lower chamber and has an opening 39 into the bottom of said lower chamber. A fan is also provided in the lower end of this conduit for the purpose lof drawing out the air from the cabinet.

In the bottom 6 of the cabinet substantially in the center thereof is an opening 40 immediately above the opening 34 leading from the conduit 33 to the upper chamber of the false bottom. Also, at each end of the bottom 6 a plurality of openings 4| are located as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. When the hot air is forced upwardly through the conduit 33 some of it passes upwardly into the cabinet through the opening 40 and the remainder of it is dispersed throughout the upper chamber and passes outwardly through the flues 30a and 3Ia. The openings 4| aid in removing the moisture-laden air from the cabinet as will appear more fully hereinafter.

Throughout the length of each of the conduits 38a and 3 Ia there are connected thereto in spaced apart relation and extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom a plurality of tubes 42 which connect with corresponding openings in said flues and extend inwardly for a distance through the ends of the various rollers. Also, throughout the length of the flues 32a there are secured in spaced apart relation similar tubes 43 connecting with corresponding openings in said flues. Each of the rollers 1 to I2 inclusive is provided with a greater number of openings 44 through its surface as clearly shown in Fig. '1.

Additional conduits 45 are located at the top of the cabinet wherein the fans 46 are located for the purpose of blowing air over the heating elements 41 through the conduits 45 and through corresponding openings 48 in the top 5 of the cabinet. At each end of the cabinet other conduits 49 are located also for the purpose of forcing heated air through openings in said ends and into the cabinet.` Thus we have air which has been heated being forced into the cabinet first by means of the conduit 33 which forces some of its air through the opening 40 in the bottom of the cabinet and the remainder thereof upwardly through the flues 30a and 3|a, which air then passes through the respective tubes 42 into the interior of the rollers 1, 8, I0 and II, and thence outwardly through the openings 44 in such rollers and through the cloth 24 which is passing therearound. The additional air being forced through the

conduits

45 and 49 passes directly into the cabinet and contacts the cloth on its outer surface rather than the inner surface thereof as above described with respect to the air being forced through the conduit 33.

The sucking action of the fan in the conduit 38 then draws all the air in the cabinet through, the rollers 9 and I2 and the tubes 43 which passes out through the ues 32a and downwardly into the lower chamber of the false bottom and through the conduit 38. The rest of the used air in the chamber, by means of this Sarre suction, is also passed downwardly through the openings 4| at each end of the bottom 6 of the cabinet. All of this air then passes downwardly through the opening 39 and into the conduit 38.

One of the novel means which I have provided for maintaining the air within a restricted area is the provision of the plates 50 located at each side of the machine and covering each group of rollers as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Each roller extends through openings in these plates so that they may be moved toward or away from each other longitudinally of the rollers depending upon lh v s the width of the cloth passing over them. In the upper part of the cabinet is located an elongated rod 5| for each opposed pair of plates 50 reversely threaded at each end thereof as at 52. This rod extends throughout the width of the cabinet and is rotatably mounted in bearings 53 at each side thereof. One end of each rod extends beyond the side of the cabinet and is provided at its outer end with a hand wheel 54. The upper ends of the plates 50 are each provided with bosses 55 with which the threaded portions of the rod 5| engage, and since these portions are threaded in opposite directions, a turning of the handle 54 will adjust the plates 58 equal distances from the center of the rollers. It is to be noted that the

various tubes

42 and 43 extend inwardly at least to the plane of these plates 50 so that air being forced therethrough will emerge from the rollers to an area between the plates 50, such plates confining the air to the area therebetween.

As heretofore mentioned, the roller 8 is constructed somewhat differently at one end thereof than the other rollers and this is because it acts as the connection between the motor to drive the rest of the rollers. Fig. '7 is a section through the roller 8 and while the right hand end thereof shows a construction typical of all of the rollers, the left hand end shows the specific construction of the driving roller. It is to be noted that a ring 56 is located within the left end of the roller 8 and is secured thereto by means of the screws 51. At the inner side of said ring there is either secured thereto or formed integral therewith a spider 58 which has an enlarged central portion 59 to which is secured the shaft 60, which shaft extends outwardly through the side I of the cabinet and completely through the flue 3|a. The ring 56 also has extending forwardly therefrom a'cylindrical portion 6| which terminates in an outwardly flanged portion 62, which has a plurality of teeth therearound providing a cog engaging with the chain 63.

Around the tube 42a which extends from the flue through the end of the roller is located a ring 64 which is spaced apart from the side I by means of the spacing members 65 and is secured to said side member by means of the bolts 66. There is a plurality of these spacing members 65 spaced apart around the ring 64 and at the opposite side of said ring is located the member 61 which has extending therefrom a short shaft on which is located the roller 68. There are a number of these rollers 68 which bear against the cylindrical portion 6| of the ring 56 and provide roller bearing surfaces for the rotation of the rollers. At the opposite end of the roller an identical construction is present with the exception that the ring 56a terminates in its cylindrical portion 6|a and does not have the cog thereon as at the opposite side of the machine. Each roller at its end adjacent the side I of the cabinet is formed exactly as shown in Fig. 7 and as just explained with the exception that the roller 8 is provided with the spider 58 so that when driving means rotates the shaft 60 it imparts a rotative movement to the roller 8. In this particular case the tube 42a is shorter than the

other tubes

42 and 43 because of the presence of the spider 58. The chain 63, as shown in Fig. 3, passes around each of the cogs 62 on each of the

rollers

1, 8 and 9. Located between substantially every two rollers as shown in Fig. 3 are the smaller cogs 69 mounted on stub shafts to keep the chain taut and to insure proper direction of rotation of each of the rollers. The same construction just described also holds true with the rollers I0, I I and I2 constituting group B, since they are also provided at their outer ends with the cogs 62, the chain 63 and the smaller cogs B9. The roller Il, however, has additional mechanism at its outer end the purpose of which will be described presently.

Adjacent the cabinet and at its lower end there is located a motor 1D which is provided with a pulley 1| driving a smaller pulley 12 on the shaft 13. Gear reducing means 14 is located adjacent the motor and has a shaft 15 thereon which has a cog secured thereto around which passes the chain 16. A bracket 11 is secured to the cabinet and has located thereon the stub shaft 18 (Fig. 5) adjacent the shaft 60. Referring now more particularly to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that the shaft 60 has near its outer end a gear 19 which meshes with a gear on the stub shaft 18. Also on the shaft 60 and spaced from the gear 19 is a cog over which the chain 16 passes. Adjacent the chain 16 is a larger cog 8| which has a chain 82 therearound passing over a smaller cog 83 on a shaft 84. On this same shaft is another cog around which passes the chain 85 and connects to another cog thereabove on the shaft 86. On this same shaft is located the pulley 81 which connects by means of the belt 88 to the pulley I6 so that the driving means through the

chains

16, 82 and 85 and the belt 88 will drive the rollers I1 and I8 over which the cloth 24 first passes and feeds it into the cabinet. Also, the driving means through the chain 16 rotates the shaft 60 which in turn moves the spider 58 and the roller 8- which, being connected to the other rollers in this group through the chain 63, will cause a continuous rotation of this group in the direction as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3.

Located intermediate between the two groups of rollers A and B is another roller 89, somewhat smaller in diameter, which is mounted on the shaft 9D extending between the sides I and 2 of the cabinet. This structure is clearly shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 and will be described with reference to one end only of the roller but it is to be understood that both ends and incidental mechanism is constructed identical. At each extreme outer end of the shaft 90 is secured a pinion 9| which meshes with a rack 92 located vertically and extending from the top to the bottom of the cabinet. Also extending vertically adjacent each end of the roller 89 is a rod 93 which is secured to the top and bottom of the cabinet. Loosely mounted on the shaft 90 adjacent the pinion 9| is a collar 94 which has integral therewith a solid portion 95 extending outwardly therefrom and having an opening therethrough to receive the rod 93. This structure aids in maintaining a meshing engagement between the pinion and rack as well as guiding the roller when it is to be moved in a vertical direction.

Between the pinion 9| and the collar 94 is another collar 95 also loosely mounted on the shaft 90 and which has arms 96 extending upwardly and downwardly at diametrically opposite points to which the ends of the sprocket chain 91 are secured. At the top and bottom of the cabinet and at each side thereof the brackets 98 are secured having a bearing portion 99 to receive the upper and lower shafts |00 which extend substantially the width of the cabinet. Each end of each shaft |00 is provided with a sprocket wheel or cog I0| around which the chain 91 passes as shown in Fig. 8. On the side of the chain opposite the roller there is hung a plurality of weights |02 which may be adjusted to give the proper tension to the cloth 24 passing over the roller 89 since, a weight on one side of the chain 97 will tend to move the roller in an upward direction, but its movement upwardly is limited because of the cloth passing thereover in a manner as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Therefore, the tension on the cloth at this point may be regulated by the number of weights |02 which are present.

At one end of the upper shaft |00, which shaft extends outwardly beyond the side of the cabinet, there is secured a lever arm |03 which in turn has pivotally secured to its outer end a link |04 to which is pivotally fastened at its opposite end another arm |05. Reference will now be had specifically to Fig. 11 which discloses the specific clutch mechanism I have designed to regulate the relative speed between the group of rollers B and the group A-to maintain constant the tension in the cloth as it passes through the cabinet. While it is to be understood that the mechanism I have shown here is merely illustrative, any other desired means may be used to accomplish the desired purpose. This mechanism acts in conjunction with the roller I I in group B which has centrally located thereof a shaft |06 extending inwardly for a distance within the roller and has a construction similar to that shown in Fig. 7 and described with reference to roller No. 8 having a spider at the inner end thereof connected to the roller so that a rotation of the shaft |06 will impart a rotative movement to the roller II. This shaft then extends outwardly through the flue 3|a and through the bracket |01 which is secured to the side I of the cabinet and its outer horizontal side is provided with a longitudinally extending rib |00. A collar |09 is secured to the shaft immediately behind the bracket |01 and between it and the outer side of the flue 3 Ia. The face of the bracket is then provided with a boss I which has an inclined face thereon as shown.

Adjacent the boss I0 the lower end of the arm is located through which the shaft |06 freely passes and which also has an inclined face thereon complementary to that on lthe boss I|0 so that any rotative movement of the arm |05 will cause its lower end to be moved longitudinally of the shaft |06.

At the outer end of the shaft |06 is secured a collar adjacent which is mounted a sprocket wheel II2 to which is secured the clutch plate ||3. Said clutch plate at spaced apart points around its periphery is provided with a plurality of arms ||4 to which is pivotally secured at the outer ends thereof the fingers I|5 substantially of the configuration shown in Fig. 11, the outer end of which is rounded outwardly in one direction as at I6 and adjacent the inner end of which is located the shoulder II'I. Keyed to the shaft but movable longitudinally thereof is the other clutch plate I|8 and adjacent the hub of this plate and mounted on the shaft I06is a disk IIS which bears against the ends ||6 of the ngers ||5. The shoulder portions |I1 of these fingers are adapted to bear against a side of the clutch plate I| 8 to force it against the other plate |I3 with various degrees of force to regulate the speed of rotation of the roller If desired, friction reducing means may be located on these shoulders bearing against the plate II3.

The sprocket wheel I |2 together with the clutch plate I I3 and the disk I I9 all are mounted loosely on the shaft but the clutch plate I|8 is keyed thereto and is rotatable therewith. A sprocket chain 20 passes around the wheel I2 and around a second sprocket wheel on the bracket |2| (Fig. 1) On the previously described bracket 11 which supports the shaft 18, and on said shaft there is located another sprocket wheel |22 around which passes the chain |23 and around another sprocket wheel |24 on the bracket I2 I. The shaft 18, being rotated by the motor through the chain 16 and the gears 19 and B0, will cause a corresponding 10 rotation of the sprocket wheel |24 and the wheel I|2 thereby causing a continuous rotation of the clutch plate ||3. Any rotation of the arm |05 which causes the clutch plate I I8 to bear with greater force against the clutch plate ||3 will tend to prevent slippage therebetween thereby rotating the shaft |06 at a rate of speed substantially equal to the speed of rotation of the shaft 60 which drives all of the rollers in group A.

The wheel I I2 should be slightly smaller than the wheel at the opposite end of the chain so that when the machine is first started there will be just enough slippage between the two clutch plates to drive the two groups of rollers at the same speed. If, then, the cloth in its travel through the cabinet should become stretched, the weights |02 will tend to return the cloth to its original tension by moving the roller 89 upwardly. When this occurs the shaft |00 will rotate slightly in a counter-clockwise direction thereby imparting a clockwise rotation to the arm |05 through the linkage |04. This movement of the arm |05, through the camming action of its face against the face of the boss |I0, will move the clutch plate |I8 back against the plate |I3 with greater force thereby speeding up the rotation of the shaft |06 and all of the rollers in group B which will result in a taking up of the slack in the cloth and returning the roller 89 to its original position which then in turn results in a reversal of the above described process to slow down the speed of the rollers in group B. Conversely, if the cloth shrinks slightly, a greater pressure will be exerted on the roller 89 causing it to be lowered and thereby causing the rollers in group B to rotate at a slower rate of speed until the original desired tension in the cloth is again maintained. The side of the cabinet is provided with a door |25 so that the cabinet may be entered either for repairs or for regulating the cloth and starting the machine.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that I have devised several novel features to be employed in a cloth drying machine, which features have proven to be both successful and economical in operation.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be used instead of the one here described, change being made as regards the 50 mechanism herein disclosed provided, however, that the means stated by the following claim or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I claim:

A cloth drying machine comprising a cabinet,

two groups of perforated rollers in said cabinet, means to force conditioned air into the rollers of one group and out through the perforations thereof into said cabinet, means for drawing the air out of said cabinet through the perforated rollers of the other group, means to feed cloth continuously and alternately around rollers of each of said groups, plates at each side of said cabinet to confine said air therebetween, openings in said plates through which the ends of Asaid rollers pass, means to move said plates toward or 2,416,027 9 away from each other and supply ducts extend- Number ing into said rollers beyond the planes of said 2,168,456 plat-es. 1,543,368 WENDELL H. SHIELDS. 543,578 v 5 1,594,394 REFERENCES CITED 2,219,857 The following references are of record in the 1,767,605 i-lle of this patent: UNITED STATES PATENTS lo 212521181 Number Name Date 2,054,391

2,283,699 Richardson May 19, 1942 2,301,249 Butterworth, Jr. et al. Nov. 10, 1942 2,286,595 B1eib1er June 16, 1942 Number 1,601,332 Whitehead et al. Sept. 28, 1926 15 647.772

SearchRoom Name Date Stiener Aug. 8, 1939 Carrier June 23, 1925 Hartley, Jr. July 30, 1895 Weston Aug. 3, 1926 Weston Oct. 29. 1940 Mortensen June 24, 1930 Hebley et al Jan. 14, 1936 Snoeck Jan. 23, 1883 Hunter et al Aug. 12, 1941 Schmidt Sept. 15, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date German July 12, 1937