US2737042A - Apparatus for striping textile fabrics - Google Patents

Description

March 6, 1956 MATHEWSON ETAL 2,737,042

APPARATUS FOR STRIPING TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Jan. 7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS MERGER! R. MAr/mwsan, mnrsn m. House a y WILLIAM E. covm Mar ie/.1.

March 6, 1956 H. R. MATHEWSON ETA!- 2,737,042

APPARATUS FOR STRIPING TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Jan. 7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 S N INVENTORS #588587 MATI/L'WJO/V, W417i? M HOUJC/f 5 y WILLIAM E C'Ol/l/V ATTORNEVJ United States Patent APPARATUS FOR STRIPING TEXTILE FABRICS Herbert R. Mathewson, Walter M. Housch, and William F. Covin, Lancaster, S. C., assignors to The Springs Cotton Mills, a corporation of South Carolina Application January 7, 1953, Serial No. 330,142

Claims. (Cl. 68202) This invention relates generally to the dyeing of textile fabrics, and more particularly to means adapted for converting a pad, such as is commonly used for dyeing textile fabrics in solid colors, so that the pad may be operated to produce a striped pattern in the dyed fabric, or otherwise produce striped effects in the fabric.

In copending application Serial No. 307,926, filed September 4, 1952, there is disclosed a method for stripe dyeing of textile fabrics by first applying an aqueous solution to the fabric in the pattern of the striping desired and immediately thereafter saturating the entire fabric with a second aqueous solution that prevents migration of the first applied striping solution and simultaneously dyes the remaining portion of the fabric if desired. The first applied striping solution may dye the fabric too, if desired, but in any case it serves to resist dyeing by the second solution at the striped areas. Likewise, the second applied solution serves to resist migration of the first applied solution from the striped areas so that a sharply defined stripe pattern is obtained, and it may also and usually will be employed to dye or color the remaining portions of the fabric.

The apparatus of the present invention constitutes means for carrying out the method of the above identified copending application. Generally characterized, this apparatus comprises, in combination with a pad of the type adapted for applying a solid color, or other overall liquid treatment, to a continuous textile fabric web, at leastone applicator roll mounted for rotation ahead of the pad entrance nip, means "for applying a striping liquid or solution to the peripheral surface of the roll, means for training a fabric web across the peripheral surface of the applicator roll before entering the pad, and drive means for rotating the application roll independently of the operating speed of the pad.

This arrangement provides very effective means for successively applying the treating solutions as required :by the method disclosed in the previouslynoted copending application, and further allows this to be done by a simple addition to a conventional pad withoutin any way modifying the structure of the :pad or qualifying normal use of the pad for solid color dyeing of fabric webs when desired. Also, the apparatus of the present invention may-be used in the same general manner for other fabric striping treatments. For example, it may be used in the preparation of pliss fabric by applying the striping'liquid ahead of caustic treatment in the pad, so that the caustic only acts to shrink the unstriped fabric areas, leaving the striped areas unshrunk and puckered in the pliss manner.

These and other features of the apparatus of the present invention are described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a representative embodiment of means for applying the striping liquid or solution in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the clamping nuts shown in .Fig. 2 for the applicator elements;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the clamping nut shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side face view of one of the applicator elements shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the applicator element shown in Pig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side face view of one of the applicator element spacers shownin Fig. 2; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the spacer shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now in detail .to the drawings, and more particularly at first to Fig. 1, a conventional three-roll pad arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 1 as indicated generally by the reference numeral it), the pad box being represented at 12 containing the treating solution to be applied by the pad 3.0 in the usual manner at an entrance nip 14 to a textile fabric web trained therethrough. The three-roll pad arrangement 10 is shown in the drawings purely as a matter of illustration, for a two-roll arrangement might be used just as well, as the fabric web being treated may be trained directly through the entrance nip id in accordance with the present invention as at W. Alternatively, the fabric web may be led as at W around immersion rolls in and '13 arranged ahead of and beyond the entrance nip l4, and then through the second or press nip 2% of the pad ill, or the web might be taken directly from the entrance nip lid to the press nip 2%) without passing under the second immersion roll '18, the important point being that the pad it? maybe used according to the present invention as it will operate to the best advantage for the purposes at hand. Beyond the entrance nip 14 or the press nip 20, the fabric web W .or W leaves the pad ill? to be directed through the usual .dye delevopment operations or other subsequent treatments that may be required.

The textile fabric web W is commonly led into the pad it) over guide rolls, such as the guide roll 22 from which the web W is shown trained to the previously mentioned pad entrance nip 14. Also, a specially mounted guide roll 24 is preferably arranged for pivoting about a mounting axis as indicated at 26 so that it may be lowered to the full-line positionshown for operation in accordance with the present invention, as will be described further presently, or raised to the dotted line position shown for allowing normal operation of the pad 10, by any conventional means such as the adjusting worm arrangement illustrated at 27.

When the above noted guide roll 24 is lowered to its full-line position, as shown in Fig. 1, it serves to train the web W in relation to applicator means provided according to the present invention, as indicated generally :by the reference numeral 28, for applying the previously mentioned striping solution to the web W from a fountain as at 30. The applicator means 28 comprises at least one roll or disc element, as will be described more fully below, which dips into the fountain 30 to pick up the striping solution on its peripheral surface from which the solution is applied to the web 'W when it is trained across this peripheral surface by the lowered guide roll .24 as seen in Fig. 1.

To provide for effecting this transfer of striping solution from the applicator means 28 to the web W at the best advantage under particular circumstances, theapplicator means 28 is arranged for rotation independently of "the :pad 10, which is normally equipped with a conventional drive (not shown) for the roll stand it incorporates, and the operating speed-of which determines the linear speed of travel for the web W. The independent arrangement "for rotating the applicator means 28 suitably comprises a separate 'drive motor as at 32 in Fig. 1 connected through a variable speed device as at 34 to rotate the applicator means 28 by anyconvenient mechanical connection as indicated at 36 in Fig. 1. Any other of the considerable number of speed adjustment devices commonly available might be used instead, and the operating speed of the pad 19 might be varied to vary the rate of travel for the web W with a constant speed of rotation for the applicator means 23, if desired.

For some fabrics, effective transfer of striping solution can be obtained with the applicator means 28 rotating at a peripheral speed equal to the linear speed of travel of the web W and in the same direction at the point of contact, but more usually the applicator means 28 needs to be rotated at a differential speed, either slower or faster or reversely, so that there is a wiping action of the web W across the peripheral surface of the applicator means 28 that enhances the striping liquid transfer. The proper relative speed of rotation of the applicator means 28 with respect to the speed of travel of the web W also needs to be regulated in relation to the nature of the striping solution being transferred by the applicator means 28 and the nature of the saturating solution employed in the pad If). The above described driving arrangement for independently rotating the applicator means 23 allows this relative speed to be regulated nicely and easily for adjustment to given conditions.

The structural arrangement of a representative embodiment of the applicator means 28 of the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 2 to 8, inclusive, of the drawings. As shown in Fig. 2 this arrangement suitably comprises a mounting shaft 38 carried for rotation in pillow blocks as at 40 and having an extending end portion fitted with a pulley 42 that is fixed thereon at a keyway 44 or the like to receive the driving connection 36 from the variable speed drive 34. The pillow blocks 4% for the mounting shaft 38 are in turn supported on upright framing elements 46 that are braced by a cross member 48 (which may also serve as a support for the striping solution fountain 30 shown in Fig. l) and are arranged to stand on bracket arms 50 which may be secured in extending relation from the frame structure (not shown) of the pad 10, or may form part of an independent frame structure (not shown) for the applicator means 28, but which in either case serve to position the applicator means 28 through the pillow blocks 40 and mounting shaft 38 ahead of and adjacent to the entrance nip 14 of the pad 10 so that following application of the striping solution at the applicator means 28 the web W is immediately subjected to the saturating solution at the pad entrance nip 14, as previously mentioned.

The applicator elements by which the striping solution is actually applied to the web W at the applicator means 28 may take a variety of forms. At least one applicator element is needed in any case, and usually it will be desired to use a plurality of such elements as shown at 52 in Fig. 2 arranged on the mounting shaft 38 in a regularly spaced group by means of interposed spacing collars 54 (compare Figs. 7 and 8) and contained thereon between clamping nuts 56 (compare Figs. 3 and 4). The applicator elements 52 illustrated in Fig. 2 takes the form of discs having a central opening 58 (see Figs. and 6) adapting them for arrangement on the mounting shaft 38.

These applicator elements 52 shown are relatively thin and accordingly present a restricted peripheral surface such as might be used in forming a pattern of regular spaced narrow stripes in a shirting broadcloth or the like. The regularity or degree of the stripe spacing may be readily varied, however, by simply varying the dimensions or the interposed number of the spacing collars 54, and the stripe width may also be varied at will by varying the thickness of the discs 52. In addition, the peripheral surfaces of some or all of the discs 52 may be notched to produce discontinuous stripes in the web W or varying line designs. In short, it will be recognized that the applicator elements52 in whatever shape or dimensions or spacing they may be provided operate upon rotation to dip in the striping solution fountain 30 and carry this solution on their peripheral surfaces to the web W for producing striped fabric in association with the pad 10 as previously described.

This invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for striping textile fabrics comprising, in combination with a pad, at least one applicator roll mounted for rotation ahead of and closely adjacent the entrance nip of said pad, means for applying a striping liquid to the peripheral surface of said roll, means for training a textile fabric web into said pad including a shiftable guide roll disposed ahead of said applicator roll and means for selectively positioning said roll to train said web directly to said pad and alternatively across the peripheral surface of said roll before entering said pad, and drive means for rotating said applicator roll independently of the operating speed of said pad.

2. Apparatus for striping textile fabrics comprising, in combination with a pad, a plurality of spaced applicator discs mounted for rotation on a common axis ahead of and closely adjacent the entrance nip of said pad,

means for supplying striping liquid to the peripheries of said discs, means for training a textile fabric web into said pad including a shiftable guide roll disposed ahead or" said applicator roll and means for selectively positioning said roll to train said web directly to said pad and alternatively across the peripheries of said discs before entering said pad, and drive means for rotating said applicator discs independently of the operating speed of said pad.

3. Apparatus for stripe dyeing of textile fabrics comprising, in combination with a dyeing pad, a plurality of spaced applicator discs mounted for rotation on a common axis ahead of and adjacent to the entrance nip of said pad, means for supplying striping liquid to the peripheries of said discs, means for training a textile fabric web into said pad including a shiftable guide roll disposed ahead of said applicator roll and means for selectively positioning said roll to train said web directly to said pad and alternatively across the peripheries of said discs before entering said pad, and variable speed drive means for rotating said applicator discs independently of said pad, whereby the peripheral speed of said discs may be regulated as desired in relation to the rate of web travel through said pad.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination with a pad of the type adapted for applying an overall treatment to a textile fabric web, a plurality of spaced applicator discs mounted for rotation on a common axis ahead of and adjacent to the entrance nip of said pad, means for supplying an aqueous striping liquid to the peripheries of said discs, means for training a textile fabric web into said pad including a shiftable guide roll disposed ahead of said applicator roll and means for selectively positioning said roll to train said web directly to said pad and alternatively across the peripheries of said discs before entering said pad, and means for rotating said applicator discs independently of the operating speed of said pad, whereby the peripheral speed of said discs may be determined as desired in relation to the rate of web travel through said pad.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination with a pad of the type adapted for applying a solid color to a textile fabric web, a striping liquid fountain disposed ahead of and adjacent the entrance nip of said pad, a pluarlity of spaced applicator discs mounted for rotation on a common axis with the peripheries thereof dipping in said fountain, means for training a textile fabric web into said pad including a shiftable guide roll disposed ahead of said applicator roll and means for selectively positioning said roll to train said web directly to said pad and alternatively across the peripheries of said discs before entering said pad, and means for rotating said applicator discs independently of the operating speed of said pad, whereby a desired peripheral speed of said discs may be obtained in relation 5 to the rate of web travel through said pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 521,816 Reffitt June 26, 1894 10 6 Lowe Nov. 7, Walstead Ian. 25, Cohoe July 12, Sidebotharn Dec. 27, Bergstein Sept. 12, Whitehead Jan. 25, Bryce May 24, King Apr. 18, Buck Sept. 7, Kagen July 12,

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