US3684273A

US3684273A - Cloth feed control for spreading machine

Info

Publication number: US3684273A
Application number: US34426A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert W Benson; Robert G Reed
Original assignee: Cutters Machine Co Inc
Current assignee: Saber Industries Inc
Priority date: 1970-05-04
Filing date: 1970-05-04
Publication date: 1972-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-15
Also published as: CA942876A; JPS582898B1; DE2121365C3; GB1342414A; DE2121365A1; DE2121365B2

Abstract

A cloth spreading machine supporting a cloth roll, a spreader unit, and means positively feeding the cloth from the roll to the spreader unit, a main drive motor for reciprocably moving the machine longitudinally over a cloth spreading table, a feed motor for driving the cloth feed means, a motor control circuit and a feed control circuit electrically coupled together for respectively energizing the main drive motor and the feed motor at corresponding varying speeds, a dancer roller responsive to the tension in the cloth and an overfeed potentiometer in the feed control circuit and operatively responsive to the movement of the dancer roller to vary the speed of the feed motor in order to supply the cloth feed demands of the spreading machine.

Description

Unite States Patent Benson et a1.

[ 1 Aug. 15, 1972 CLOTH FEED CONTROL FOR SPREADING MACHINE [72] Inventors: Robert W. Benson; Robert C. Reed,

both of Nashville, Tenn.

[73] Assignee: Cutters Machine Company, Inc.,

Nashville, Tenn.

[22] Filed: May 4, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 34,426

[52] US. Cl ..270/31, 242/7543 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65h 29/46 [58] Field of Search ..270/30, 31; 242/75.43

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,227,390 1/1966 Wendelken ..270/31 X 3,112,107 11/1963 Theodosiou ..270/31 3,400,927 9/1968 Martin et a1 ..270/31 Primary ExaminerRobert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-L. R. Orernland Attorney-Harrington A. Lackey ABSTRACT A cloth spreading machine supporting a cloth roll, a spreader unit, and means positively feeding the cloth from the roll to the spreader unit, a main drive motor for reciprocably moving the machine longitudinally over a cloth spreading table, a feed motor for driving the cloth feed means, a motor control circuit and a feed control circuit electrically coupled together for respectively energizing the main drive motor and the feed motor at corresponding varying speeds, a dancer roller responsive to the tension in the cloth and an overfeed potentiometer in the feed control circuit and operatively responsive to the movement of the dancer roller to vary the speed of the feed motor in order to supply the cloth feed demands of the spreading machine.

12 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAUS 15 I972 3.684.273

sum 1 [IF 3 INVENTORS'. I W ROBEQTWBEN5ON Z Rosem ($125 PATENTEDAuc 15 I972 SHEET 2 OF 3 1 .5 a v I I iiur INVENTORSI ROBERT \ALBENsoN ROBERT (M2551) BY Z I; ATTORNEY CLOTH FEED CONTROL FOR SPREADING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a cloth spreading machine, and more particularly to a cloth feed control for a spreading machine.

Many different types of mechanical and-electrical controls have been devised for controlling the cloth feed of spreading machines. Cloth feed mechanisms have been driven through mechanical linkages to the main drive of the machine, so that the cloth feed is driven simultaneously with the movement of the spreading frame. Dancer rollers have been employed to take up temporary slack in the cloth web as it is overfed. Furthermore, switches have been operatively coupled to such dancer rollers in order to energize clutch and/or brake means for controlling the unwinding of the cloth roll in response to the position of the dancer roller. Overrunning clutches have been employed in the transmission in order to overdrive the cloth roll faster than the driving of the frame in response to the feed demands upon the cloth. However, most of these apparatus operate on an on-off or gono go system so that the overfeeding or underfeeding is abrupt and jerky.

Moreover, in situations where the feed of the cloth is rather closely tied to the movement of the frame, the extra demand for cloth, created by the engagement of the spreader unit with the catcher mechanism, is not met. Thus, where the demand for cloth is greater than its availability at any moment, the cloth is stretched. Where the supply is greater than the temporary demand, then the cloth is slack and wrinkled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome the above enumerated disadvantages by providing a very nearly tensionless cloth feed.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a cloth speed control in which the movement of the cloth is electrically responsive to the movement of the frame and the simultaneous variations in speeds of both are gradual.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a very sensitive device for sensing the demands for cloth and for gradually responding to overfeed or underfeed, as required.

The cloth feed control pursuant to this invention basically includes an electrical main drive motor for reciprocably moving the machine frame longitudinally over a spreading table, a separate feed motor for positively driving a cloth speed mechanism, a motor control circuit and a feed control circuit electrically coupled together for synchronously driving both the main drive and feed motors.

The control also includes a dancer roller pivotally mounted upon the machine and counter-balanced to carry the moving cloth web and to pivot in response to the tension in the cloth. A rotary potentiometer is adapted to vary its resistance according to the pivotal position of the dancer roller, and forms a part of the feed control circuit for correspondingly controlling the speed of the feed motor in order to overfeed or underfeed the cloth web, as demanded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a cloth spreading machine incorporating the cloth feed control made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the spreading machine disclosed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the electrical control circuit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in more detail, FIG. 1 discloses a typical cloth spreading machine 10 including a frame 11 mounted on wheels 12 for longitudinal movement over a spreading table 13. Mounted adjacent the rear of the frame 11 is a cloth supply feed mechanism 15 supporting a cloth roll 16. A web 17 of cloth is fed from the roll 16 over the

guide rods

18 and 19 beneath the top feed roll 20, over the dancer roller 21 to the spreading unit 24, where the cloth web 17 is spread upon the table 13 in layers 25.

The frame 11 is moved longitudinally over the table 13 by driving the rear wheels 12 through a chain and sprocket transmission 27, drive shaft 28, and belt transmission 29 from the main drive motor 30 mounted on the frame 1 1.

The cloth supply feed mechanism 15 is practically identical to that disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 3,400,927, issued to Thomas W. Martin et al on Sept. 10, 1968. The supply feed mechanism 15 includes a pair of

feed rollers

33 and 34 positively driven through respective chain and

sprocket transmissions

35 and 36 from a common shaft 37 transversely reciprocable within, but rotatable with, sleeve 38, to permit transverse movement of the mechanism 15 in response to the edge control device 40, the operation of which forms no part of this invention. The sleeve 38 is in in turn driven by shaft 41, which in turn is driven through chain and sprocket transmission 42 from the feed drive shaft 43. The feed drive shaft 43 is in turn driven through chain and sprocket transmission 44 from the feed drive motor or feed motor 45.

The top feed roll 20 has a shaft 47 rotatably journaled in the frame 11 and is provided at one end with a driven sprocket 48. The driven sprocket 48 is driven from the drive shaft 43 through the chain 50, which is also trained about

guide sprockets

51 and 52.

The dancer roller 21 is journaled in the free or movable ends of several arm plates comprising an arm frame or am bracket. The opposite ends of the plates 54 are joumaled about the top roll feed shaft 47 so that the dancer roller 21 swings about the top feed roll shaft 47 as a pivotal axis.

The dancer roller 21 is also positively driven by sprocket 56, chain 57 and sprocket 58 fixed upon the top feed roll shaft 47. In this manner, the dancer roller 21 and the top feed roll 20 are driven at the same surface speed, but in opposite directions, in order to feed the cloth web 17 trained about the

respective rolls

20 and 21 in the same direction and at the same speed, as best disclosed in FIG. 4.

The arm plates 54 are counter-balanced into a desired operative position by means of the spring 60, secured at one end 60 to one of the arm plates 54 and at its opposite end to an adjusting screw 62. By manipulating the adjusting screw 62, the arm plate 54, and therefore the dancer roller 21, may be maintained in any desired operative position for supporting the cloth web 17. I

Carried by the outermost or remote arm plate 54 is a potentiometer bracket 64, to which is fixed a rotary potentiometer 65, which swings with the arm plate 54 and therefore the dancer roller 21. Fixed to the side of the frame 11 is a wiper bracket 66, carying a rotatably adjustable wiper 67 inserted into the rotary potentiometer 65. Thus, as the rotary potentiometer 65 moves with the dancer roller 21, the fixed wiper 67 varies the resistance of the potentiometer 65, correspondingly.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the control circuit 70 for operating the main drive motor and the cloth feed motor 45. The circuitry for controlling the edge sensor is not disclosed since it forms no part of this invention.

The control circuit 70 includes a main power switch 71 connected to a suitable source of alternating current. The main power switch 71 is adapted to close a main primary circuit 72 into the transformer 73 and step down the voltage in the secondary drive motor supply circuit 75 connected to the motor controller circuit 76, of any conventional design. The motor controller circuit 76 supplies voltage through the field circuit 77 to the field winding 78 of the drive motor 30. The motor controller circuit 76 also is connected through an SCR bridge 79 to a pair of normally open, motor relay switches 80 and 81. When the motor relay switches 80 and 81 are closed, as disclosed in dashed lines in FIG. 6, a current is fed to the reversing circuit, including reversing input lead 82 and reversing output lead 83. Input lead 82 is connected to the reversing input switches 84 and 85, while the output lead 83 is connected to the reversing

output switches

86 and 87. One side of the armature of the drive motor 30 is connected through armature lead 88 to the reversing

switches

84 and 87, while the opposite side of the armature is connected through armature lead 89 to the reversing

switches

86 and 85.

When the motor relay switches 80 and 81 are in their normally open or off positions, they connect the reversing leads 82 and 83 together through a braking resistor 90.

Connected in parallel with the drive motor supply circuit 75 is the starting circuit 92, including in series a normally closed momentary stop switch 93, a normally open momentary start switch 94, and a holding relay coil 95 which is connected through common line 96 to the other side of the drive motor supply circuit 75. Connected in parallel with the start switch 94 is the holding relay circuit 97 including holding relay switch 98 controlled by the holding relay coil 95. Thus, when the start switch 94 is momentarily despressed, the holding relay coil 95 is energized to close holding relay switch 98 to maintain the holding relay coil 95 energized, even after the start switch 94 is released to its open position.

Also actuated by the energization of the holding relay coil is the motor starting switch 100 which closes motor starting circuit 101, including starting coil 102 connected to a second common line 103, which is also connected to the other side of the drive motor supply circuit 75. Thus, when the motor starting switch 100 is closed, in the dashed line position of FIG. 6, to energize the starting coil 102, both motor relays 80 and 81 are moved to their closed dashed-line positions to connect the motor control circuit 76 to the reversing

circuits

82 and 83.

Connected in parallel with the holding relay circuit 97 is the high-speed circuit 105, including in parallel a pair of momentary high-speed switches 106, and in series a high-speed holding relay coil 107 also connected to the common line 96. One of the high-speed switches 106 is mounted in the plunger box 160 and adapted to be actuated by the release of the plunger 161 (FIG. 1), as the frame 1 1 is just leaving the catcher, not shown, in the manner described in co-pending U. S. Pat. application Ser. No. 857,509, of Robert W. Benson et a1, filed Sept. 12, 1969. The other high-speed switch 106 is located in a similar plunger box, not shown, on the opposite end of the frame 11 and functions in the same manner at the opposite end of the travel of the machine frame 11. The high-speed circuit 105 is connected to holding relay circuit 108, including holding relay switch 109, which closes the holding relay switch circuit 108 upon energization of the high-speed coil 107. The high-speed holding relay circuit 108 is also connected to a set of parallel relay switches and 11, each of which is adapted to be alternately closed with the first set of reversing

switches

84 and 86 and the second set of reversing

switches

87 and 85, respectively. When either of the relay switches 110 or 111 is closed, the high-speed holding relay circuit 108 is connected to the low-speed circuit 112, which includes in series normally closed low-speed switches 1 13 and 1 14. The low-speed circuit 112 is connected in parallel with the holding relay circuit 97. Thus, after either of the high-speed switches 106 is momentarily closed to energize the holding relay coil 107, the holding relay coil 107 is maintained energized by the closing of the highspeed holding relay switch circuit 108 which is connected through either of the relay switches 110 or 1 11 to the normally closed low-speed circuit 1 12.

The purpose of the alternate low-

speed reversing switches

110 and 111 is to open the high-speed circuit 105 at the end of each traverse of the frame 11, as a precaution against failure of the low-speed switches 1 13 and l 14 to be tripped open.

Also actuated by the high-speed holding relay coil 107 is the selective speed switch 115 which is connected by an input lead 1 16 to the motor controller circuit 76. In its high-speed dashed line position, the selective switch 115 closes the high-speed lead 117 to the high-speed potentiometer 118 in the motor controller circuit 75 to increase the speed of the motor controller circuit and thereby the drive motor 30 to a predetermined high-speed. When the high-speed holding relay coil 107 is de-energized, selective switch 115 closes the low-speed lead 1 19 to the low-speed potentiometer 120 in the motor controller circuit 76 to reduce the speed of the drive motor to a predetermined low speed.

Although not mechanically disclosed in the drawings, the low-

speed switches

113 and 114 are mounted on frame 11 so that each is adapted to be tripped or actuated by some type of tripping device stationarily mounted on the table 13 at a predetermined distance from the catcher, so that the machine travelling at high speed toward a catcher is automatically reduced to low speed before entering the catcher, in a manner described in the above co-pending application Ser. No. 857,509.

Also connected in parallel with the motor starting circuit 101 is the direction circuit 122 including direction switches 123 and 124. The direction switches 123 and 124 are also mounted in the plunger box 107 and adapted to be actuated to alternate their positions when the plunger 108 engages a stop plate on the catcher mechanism at the end of the travel of the machine frame 11. The direction switches 123 and 124 are so arranged, that when switch 123 is open, switch 124 is closed, and vice versa. Forward switch 124 is adapted to close forward circuit 125, while reverse switch 123 is adapted to close reverse circuit 126. Forward circuit 125 includes a forward relay coil 127 and reverse circuit 126 includes reverse relay coil 128, which are connected in parallel to the common line 103. The forward circuit 125 and reverse circuit 126 may also be provided with a selective manual switch 130 if desired. When forward relay coil 127 is energized, it actuates a selective reversing switch 131, connected to the high side of motor feed circuit 75 through lead 132, to a forward position energizing the forward motor relay coil 133. When relay coil 128 is energized selective switch 131 is shifted to its opposite dashedline position to energize the reverse motor relay coil 134. When the forward motor relay coil 133 is energized, the

switches

84, 110 and 86 are closed and the

switches

87, 111 and 85 are open. When selective switch 131 energizes reverse motor relay coil 134, switches 87, 111 and 85 are closed, while

switches

84, 110 and 86 are open.

The circuitry thus far described is substantially the same as that disclosed in the above co-pending application, Ser. No. 857,509.

Connected in parallel with the main primary circuit 72 is a cloth feed primary circuit 136 for a second transformer 137 supplying a step-down voltage through the secondary cloth feed supply circuit 139 to the feed controller circuit 140. The feed controller circuit 140 can be one of any numerous conventional designs. However, this particular controller circuit 140 includes elements for timing the firing or conductance of the SCRs in the SCR bridge 141 in order to vary the speed of the cloth feed motor 45 through the armature circuit 142. An SCR in the bridge 141 is fired or rendered conductive to alternating current for a period during each A.C. cycle depending upon the strength or magnitude of the input signal. The main motor controller circuit 76 may function in a manner similar to the feed controller circuit 140 to fire the SCRs in bridge 79. The feed controller circuit 140 also impresses a voltage through the field circuit 143 upon the field coil 144 of feed motor 45 In order to synchronize the speeds of the cloth feed motor 45 and the main drive motor 30, input or coupling leads 147 and 148 are connected to the positive lead 83 and the negative lead 82, respectively, of

the drive motor reversing circuit. A signal from the output of the drive motor SCR bridge 79 is transmitted to the coupling leads 147 and 148 when the motor relays and 81 are closed in the dashed-line position of FIG. 6. The back E.M.F. from the armature of the drive motor 30 is transmitted to the coupling leads 147 and 148 when the motor relay switches 80 and 81 are in their solid-line braking positions as disclosed in FIG. 6. The input signal transmitted through the coupling leads 147 and 148 is amplified through the input amplifier circuit 150, including transistor 151 and a Zener diode 152. The output from the amplifier circuit 150 is transmitted through the

leads

153 and 154 into the remainder of the feed controller circuit 140.

Also included in the input amplifier circuit 150 is the rotary overfeed potentiometer 65 and the wiper 67, which is connected to the base of the transistor 151.

Through the input amplifier circuit 150 a signal can be transmitted to cloth feed controller circuit from the main drive motor 30, or a combined signal from the main drive motor 30 and the overfeed potentiometer 65 can be transmitted to feed controller circuit 140 as the wiper 67 varies from its normal feeding position relative to the potentiometer 65.

The input signal to the amplifier circuit can be adjusted by means of the manual potentiometer 155. By manipulating the manual potentiometer 155, the speed of the cloth feed motor 45 could be slightly reduced relative to the speed of the main drive motor 30, in order to provide more tension in the cloth web 17 at it is fed from the supply roll 15 to the spreader unit 24.

It will also be noted that the input signal leads 147 and 148 are connected to the reversing leads 82 and 83 in such a manner that the signal impressed upon the input amplifier circuit 150 is always in the same direction, or of the same polarity, regardless of the direction of current through the armature of the main drive motor 30. Thus, as the main drive motor 30 reverses at each end of the travel of the spreader frame 1 1, the cloth feed motor 45 will continue to drive the cloth supply mechanism 15, the top feed roll 20 and dancer roller 21 in the same direction.

Furthermore, it is noted that the signal input leads 147 and 148 are connected so that they will receive a signal from the drive motor 30 regardless of whether the motor relays 80 and 81 are on or off, that is, in driving or braking positions. In other words, when the relay switches 80 and 81 are on so that the drive motor 30 is positively driven at high speed, through the high-speed potentiometer 118, or low speed through the low-speed potentiometer 120, or accelerating, or decelerating or at a constant speed, proportional signals will be transmitted through leads 147 and 148 to the feed controller circuit 140 so that there will be a corresponding speed in the cloth feed motor 45.

By the same token, when the motor relays 80 and 81 are in their solid-line braking positions, the back E.M. F. of the decelerating armature of the drive motor 30 is fed through the input leads 147 and 148 to produce a corresponding speed reduction in the cloth feed motor 45.

Where the demand for the cloth exceeds its supply, such as when the frame 11 reaches the end of its travel and extra cloth is required to interleave between the tuck blades of the spreader unit 24 and the catcher bar, not shown, the web 17 is pulled down, simultaneously pulling the dancer roller 21 down. The downward swinging movement of the dancer roller 21 rotates the potentiometer 65 relative to the wiper 67, changing the resistance of the potentiometer 65 to correspondingly increase the signal transmitted from the amplifier circuit 150 into the feed controller circuit 140, thereby increasing the speed of the feed motor 45 to feed the additional cloth required by the catcher. However, when the frame 111 reverses and moves the spreader unit 24 away from the catcher, not shown, the extra slack in the cloth 17 previously created by the interleaving of the tuck blades and the catcher bar, permits the dancer roller 21 to swing upward by the counter-balancing springs 60, varying the resistance in the potentiometer 65 in the opposite direction to reduce the output signal from the amplifier circuit 150 into the feed controller circuit 140. Accordingly, the speed of the cloth feed motor 45 is decreased below its normal speed corresponding to the speed of the main drive motor 30, until the slack is removed, and the dancer roller 21 and potentiometer 65 are restored to their normal operating positions.

By coupling the drive motor 30 and the cloth feed motor 45 in synchronous relationship electrically, and by gradually varying the speeds of the motors a smoother cloth feed has been perfected. Moreover, the

. electrical control circuits employed provide a more sensitive response to the demands of the cloth, so that the swinging movement of the dancer roller 21 is barely perceptible, except at the end of the travel of the frame 1 1, and under other exceptional conditions where there is an extra immediate demand for cloth.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cloth spreading machine having a frame movable longitudinally over a spreading surface and having a cloth supply and spreader means for spreading cloth from said supply on said surface, an electrical cloth feed control comprising:

a. a main drive motor,

b. means operatively connecting said main motor to said frame for moving said frame,

c. means for controlling said main motor to operate at different speeds,

d. cloth feed means for positively feeding said cloth from said supply to said spreader means, including an electric feed motor,

e. an electrical feed control circuit communicating with said feed motor to operate said feed motor at different speeds.

f. means electrically coupling said feed control circuit to said main motor controlling means so that the speeds of said feed motor and said main motor vary substantially proportionally and simultaneously,

a feed potentiometer in said feed control circuit,

. means responsive to the feed speed of said cloth and operatively connected to said potentiometer to vary the speed of said feed motor relative to the speed of said main motor, in order to maintain the feed speed of said cloth and the speed of said frame substantially equal.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the means responsive to the feed speed of said cloth comprises a dancer roller supporting cloth between said supply and said spreader means, arm means supporting said dancer roller and movably mounted on said frame to vary the length of the cloth path from said supply to said spreader means in response to the tension in said cloth, said potentiometer being operatively connected to said arm means to vary the resistance in said potentiometer corresponding to the movement of said dancer roller.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said arm means has a free end and a journal end, said dancer roller being joumaled in said free end, and means pivotally mounting said journal end on said frame for pivotal movement of said dancer roller, means operatively connecting said dancer roller to said feed motor for positively driving said dancer roller.

4. The invention according to claim 3 in which said cloth supply comprises a cloth roll, said cloth feed means further comprises a cloth supply feed means for positively unwinding said cloth roll, means operatively connecting said cloth supply feed means to said feed motor.

5. The invention according to claim 1 in which said main circuit motor controlling means comprises a main motor control circuit, a reversing circuit connecting said main motor control circuit to said main drive motor, reversing switch means responsive to the longitudinal position of said frame relative to said spreading surface for actuating said reversing circuit to reverse the direction of said main drive motor, said reversing circuit and said feed control circuit being connected in parallel.

6. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising speed switch means responsive to the longitudinal position of said frame relative to said spreading surface for energizing said main motor controlling means to change the speed of said main drive motor.

7. The invention according to claim 1 in which said main motor controlling means transmits a signal to said feed control circuit corresponding to the input voltage to said main drive motor, said feed potentiometer varying said signal by an amount corresponding to the difference in the actual feed speed of said cloth and the longitudinal speed of said frame.

8. The invention according to claim 1 in which said main motor controlling means comprises a main motor drive circuit, a braking resistor, a main motor armature circuit, and selective switch means for connecting said armature circuit alternately with said drive circuit and said braking resistor, said coupling means connecting said feed control circuit to said main motor armature circuit.

9. The invention according according to claim 8 further comprising speed control means for varying the speed of said main motor drive circuit.

10. The invention according to claim 1 in which said feed control circuit comprises an SCR bridge circuit connected to said feed motor, a source of alternating current for said feed motor, and electronic timing means responsive to an input signal from said main motor controlling means, to render one of said SCRs in said bridge circuit conductive for a predetermined period of time in each A.C. cycle corresponding to the magnitude of said input signal.

11. In a cloth spreading machine having a frame c. an electrical feed control circuit communicating movable longitudinally over a spreading surface and with said feed motor to drive said feed motor at having a cloth supply and spreader means for spreading Variable p cloth fr aid supply on id f an l t i l d. said feed control circuit being responsive to said cl th f d t l ri i signal from said sensing means to drive said feed a. sensing means detecting the longitudinal speed of motor at a Speed continuously Proportional to Said said frame relative to said spreading surface, and frame p producing an electrical Signal Continuously 12. The invention according to claim 11 further comprising electrical motive means for moving said frame, said sensing means detecting the speed of said motive means.

portional to said frame speed, b. cloth feed means for positively feeding cloth from said supply to said spreader means, including an electric feed motor,

Claims

1. In a cloth spreading machine having a frame movable longitudinally over a spreading surface and having a cloth supply and spreader means for spreading cloth from said supply on said surface, an electrical cloth feed control comprising: a. a main drive motor, b. means operatively connecting said main motor to said frame for moving said frame, c. means for controlling said main motor to operate at different speeds, d. cloth feed means for positively feeding said cloth from said supply to said spreader means, including an electric feed motor, e. an electrical feed control circuit communicating with said feed motor to operate said feed motor at different speeds. f. means electrically coupling said feed control circuit to said main motor controlling means so that the speeds of said feed motor and said main motor vary substantially proportionally and simultaneously, g. a feed potentiometer in said feed control circuit, h. means responsive to the feed speed of said cloth and operatively connected to said potentiometer to vary the speed of said feed motor relative to the speed of said main motor, in order to maintain the feed speed of said cloth and the speed of said frame substantially equal.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which said arm means has a free end and a journal end, said dancer roller being journaled in said free end, and means pivotally mounting said journal end on said frame for pivotal movement of said dancer roller, means operatively connecting said dancer roller to said feed motor for positively driving said dancer roller.

10. The invention according to claim 1 in which said feed control circuit comprises an SCR bridge circuit connected to said feed motor, a source of alternating current for said feed motor, and electronic timing means responsive to an input signal from said main motor controlling means, to render one of said SCR''s in said bridge circuit conductive for a predetermined period of time in each A.C. cycle corresponding to the magnitude of said input signal.

11. In a cloth spreading machine having a frame movable longitudinally over a spreading surface and having a cloth supply and spreader means for spreading cloth from said supply on said surface, an electrical cloth feed control comprising: a. sensing means detecting the longitudinal speed of said frame relative to said spreading surface, and producing an electrical signal continuously proportional to said frame speed, b. cloth feed means for positively feeding cloth from said supply to said spreader means, including an electric feed motor, c. an electrical feed control circuit communicating with said feed motor to drive said feed motor at variable speeds, d. said feed control circuit being responsive to said signal from said sensing means to drive said feed motor at a speed continuously proportional to said frame speed.

12. The invention according to claim 11 further comprising electrical motive means for moving said frame, said sensing means detecting the speed of said motive means.