US537445A - edmunds - Google Patents

Description

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VENTEIR M 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. EDMUNDS. WASHINGMAGHIN E FOR PIECE GOODS;

Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

THE NO RIS PETERSGO OO HO W w/m r 1 (No Model.)

WITNESSEEI No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. EDMUNDS, WASHING MACHINE FOR PIECE GOODS.

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No. 537,445 Patented Apr. 16, 1895. F'us 1 INVENTEIR JOHN EDMUNDS, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HARRY A. BURNHAM, TRUSTEE, OF SAME PLACE.

WASHING-MACHINE FOR PIECE GOODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,445, dated April 16, 1895.

Application filed August 23, 1894:. Serial No. 521 ,061. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN EDMUNDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waltham, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Washing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in washing machines, mangles, &c., with especial mention to certain features which willbe hereinafter set forth.

During the process of washing cloth preparatory to dyeing or bleaching, it is customary to employ a series of rolls, one of which is immersed in water, and about which the cloth is passed back and forth, the last two rolls in the series serving to compress the cloth between them, and thereby squeeze out the bulk of the liquid with which the cloth had become saturated during its passage about the submerged roll. The arrangement generally is to submerge the first roll in a pool of running water. At a point above in substantially the same vertical plane with the first roll, is a set of two rolls making contact with each other, and it is between this set that thecloth is compressed to extract the superfluous Water. These rolls are of the same length and all rotate in bearings supported in the frame of the machine.

When about to wash a piece of cloth, the attendant first passes one end under the submerged roll. It is then brought up and passed between the set of two, again passed round under the submerged roll, and the operation continued until a sufficient number of turns are taken to cover the desired extent of rolls, the end then being led on its final passage through the upper two ofi to a wringer or squeezer, and from thence to the dyeing or bleaching room.

By starting upon one side of the machine in Winding the cloth about the rolls, and at each turn passing it a little farther along the length thereof, when the winding is completed the cloth leaves the machine on the side opposite to that on which it is fed in. The same relative position of the different turns is maintained when the machine is in operation, the cloth entering at the submerged roll on one side and passing out from between the upper two on the opposite side. By this method, the

cloth in its progress through the machine is repeatedly saturated as it passes under the submerged roll, and compressed and relieved of the water as it runs between the upper two.

One of the difficulties encountered in the operation of the machine is the stretching of the cloth as soon as it becomes saturated in passing over and along the rolls. This causes the cloth in the last few turns to run slack, and if provisions are not taken to overcome the difficulty, the cloth would run on the rolls, the turns overlapping and becoming tangled.

It is to be understood that the cloth is not passed through the'machine extended to its full width. Just before reaching the submerged roll, it enters a circular eyelet, which folds and laps the cloth longitudinally to such an extent that it issues from the eyelet in substantially a ropy condition.

The method in common use to compensate for the stretching of the cloth is to subject it to tension, before it passes into the machine. This is done by leading the cloth over a joist running up obliquely from the floor to the framework. By varying the degree of 0bliquity as occasion requires, the slack due to stretching is provided for. This, however, is very unsatisfactory, since the presence of an attendant is necessaryto adjust the joist as required, and because of the danger of injuring the cloth. The cloth being in a ropy condition, the strain caused by its being passed over the joist is liable to produce in it a broken appearance where the folds occur called herring bone. It is also subject to considerable wear, and frequently tears upon passing over the joist. is not relieved of sufficient moisture when it has passed out of the machine to make it ready for the dyeing or bleaching fluid, which too much moisture would so dilute as to render its action ineffective. Therefore the cloth difficulty arises. It is evident that to pro- In addition the cloth too tween the twoor an injurious strainonit, according as the wring-er was slower or faster This 'nic'ety of adj ustment' than the washer. of the two machines relative to each other, is

difficult to maintain,"since'a very slight difference in the size of rollers, or a substantial variation of speed is sufficient to produce either of the'troubl'es abovementioned. By means of my invention these difficulties are met in a much more satisfactory, effectual and economical manner than has heretofore been possible. Bythe'additi'on of a singl'e squeeze roll to the existing type of'machine, with perfect means of regulatin g pressure,no additional wringer is necessary topreparethe clothfor'the dye or bl'eaching'flni'd.

A further object attained is'the compensation for stretching by an a'ntor'natic "means, thus doing awa withtheneed of an attendant, and accomplishing the object without the danger of injury to the cloth.

Referring to the drawings, Figure-Mean elevation of my improved washing inachin e, showing the beveled roll. "Fig.'-'2'is a View of part of the frame showingdetails ofmechanism for regulating" pressure or the squeeze roll,and Fig. 3 isa section on line'x-a:;Fig.'1.

Rotating in bearings secured in'th'e frame pieces A, A, is the roll A, submerged in water. At a silitable distanceabo'v'e in the same verticalplane' is thes'etof rollsB; B, also having shaft bearings apa secured in the frame pieces A, A. [The roll- 13 is slightly larger in diameter at the right end, the surfacebeing beveled'for' a purpose hereinafter described. 'I'nadjusting "the roll B it is so placed that" its upper" surface is level. R'oll B is provided with'a'dri'ving pulley 0. Roll B, resting upon B "makes with" it a'frictional contact and therefore rotates with B. The hearings in which the "shaft of roll'B turns, have a' certain range or vertical movement in the frame pieces A, A to allow for-the proper clearance between the rolls B and Bwhen the thickness of the material passing between them is varied.

Immediately above the roll B and bearing upon it is the short roll D. This roll is mounted upon the'shaft cl, both ends-of which turn in movable bearingssupported in a manner hereinafter described, the bearings for the inner end moving in a frame'depending from the cross beam A This'roll'is' provided with means for regulatingits pressure'upon' the roll B, best seen in Figsr2=and "The arrangements at both ends of the shafta're the same.

The shaft 01 is mounted in the bearings e, 6 adapted to move up and down within the guides f, f securely bolted to the frame work "of the machine. Between the guidesfif and secured to the bearings e, e isa'hollow'casing 9 within which is the coiled spring E resting 'fr'om'the' cross beam A upon the bearings e, e. Thetop of-the casing is perforatedand a screw F passes loosely through the perforation, and enters a threaded nut h contained in the casing and resting on top of the spring E. The casing is made of such shape'inside as to conform with that of the nut and .prevent its turning with the screw. Thescrew 'Fis provided with a fixed collar K which transfers the reaction of the spring E to the framework G. The frameworkG may alsobe of iron and is securely bolted to the guidesfif. The upper end of the screw E after passing through the cross piece of the framework G carries the beveled gearwheel m,*meshing with a similar gear at on the shaft 0. The shaft 0 turns at one end in bearings supported by-anextension of the frameworkG, and at the'other end in-bearings supported in the framework depending The gear it on the shaft 0 is provided 'with'a set screw 1). The

outer end of the shaft 0 carries a sprocket wheel P, fromwhich dependsa sprocket'chain R, easily reached by-an attend-ant.

The method of operating the'machine is as follows: 'lhe fold of cloth 8' entering the machine underneath the roll Apasses success- 'ivelybetween rolls B and B and underneath A, finally issuing from b'etween B and B and orbleaching room. Mot-ion now being communicated to' t'h'e rolls B and B the cloth rap 'idly passesthroughthemachine in the order above indicated. The end of overwhich the cloth last. passes being larger in diameter 't'h'anthe other endythe last turn therefore takes 'up more cloth than'the first turn, and this is sufficient to compensate for the stretching-of the clot-h during its passage through 1 the machine. The pressure of the roll D upon *B is regulated by the arrangement above described. By-turning the sprocket wheel P in 'the proper direction the'nut h is run down upon the screw F, compressing the spring E, whichthen forces downthe movable bearings e which in turn force the shaft d down with them, thus forcing roll D more firmly against B. To relieve the pressure it 'ismerely necessary to i turn the sprocket in the reverse direction.

shaft '0' is connected with thesame adjusting It has been' before'statedthat the mechanism with whichshaft d is provided at both'endsg and therefore the-turning of shaft 0 simultaneously raises or lowers both ends of shaft d exactly the same distance. Should a it become necessary for any reason, to raise or lower one end of d without altering the position of the other end, the set screw 19 may be loosenedand the :gear Wmove'd back on to each other is thus provided for, and this adjustment is limited only by the fineness of the screw threads and the pitch of the gears.

It is therefore possible to compensate for any unequal wear on the surface of roll D, and maintain a perfect parallelism in respect to the roll 13.

Since roll D turns by reason of its friction upon B, it moves uniformly with B, and as B also turns byreason of its friction on D, there is substantially no variation of speed between any of these rolls. The pressure of D upon B is sufficient to dry the cloth properly for bleaching or dyeing, without subjecting it to further pressure in another wringer.

WVith a machine of this construction it is only necessary to properly arrange the cloth before starting, and then no further attention is required. By running the machine slowly at first the cloth may be examined to ascertain if sufficient moisture has been removed to render it in proper condition for dyeing or bleaching. Should it be too wet, the sprocket wheel may be turned by means of the depending chain, thereby increasing the pressure be tween the rolls D and B, and forcing more Water out of the cloth as it passes between them.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a machine for washing cloth or the like, the combination with a roller submerged in a liquid, of a set of two rollers in the same vertical plane, all of said rollers being of substantialy the same length, and another roller shorter than the others, spring-pressed mov able bearings therefor, and means for simultaneously and exactly moving both ends of said roll.

2. In a machine for washing cloth or the like, the combination with a roller submerged in a liquid, of a set of two rollers in the same vertical plane, all of said rollers being of substantially the same length, and another roller shorter than the others, spring-pressed movable bearings therefor, a shaft substantially parallel to said roll, and connections between said shaft and bearings whereby the rotation of the shaft causes a simultaneous and exact movement at both ends of said roll.

3. In a machine for washing cloth or the like, the combination with a series of rollers over which the cloth passes, of a beveled roller bearing against one of said series, whereby the slack due to the stretching of the cloth is compensated for, substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for washing cloth or the like, the combination with a submerged roller about which the cloth passes, of a set of two rollers in the same vertical plane, and adapted to compress the cloth between them, the lower one of said set being beveled whereby the slack due to the stretching of the cloth is compensated for, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for washing cloth or the like, the combination with a submerged roller over which the cloth passes, of a set of two rollers between which the cloth also passes, one of said rollers having a beveled surface, and another roller adapted to compress the cloth against the other one of said set, substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine for washing cloth or the like, the submerged roller A in combination with the rollers B and B, one of which B has a beveled surface, the short roller l), and spring E, beveled gearings m and n, screw E and shaft 0 for causing the roller D to exert a uniform pressure against B, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereto set my Witnesses:

HARRY A. BURNHAM, N. F. HAYES.

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