US1462172A - Means for finishing fabrics - Google Patents

Description

July 17, 1923'.

A. A. GRUNDY MEANS FOR FINISHING FABRICS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed Sept. 1, 1921 WITNESS.

I IV/T/VESS;

MEA'NS FOR FINISHING FABRICS Filed t 1921 2 Sheets-Shee Patented July 1?, 1925.

UNITED srres insane PATENT ()FFICE.

ALFRED A. GRUNIDY, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNO R 0F 'ONFPTI-IIBD TO HIMSELF, ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE ZGRUSHLAW, AND' ONE-THIRD 'IO JOHN SICHEL, ALL OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR FINISHING FABRICS.

Application filed September 1, 1921. Serial no. 497,598.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ALFRED A. GRUNDY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State 5 of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Finishing Fabrics, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference be ng had to theaccompanying drawings, whlch form a part of this specification. My invention relates to means for finishing fabrics and more especially for finishing knitted fabrics. t

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism which will stretch, steam calender, and fold the fabric. I v As is well known to manufacturers of knitted fabrics, the fabric as it comes from the knitting machine is limp and it is necessary to treat it to set the stitch, to give to the fabric the desirable firmness, and to finish it. The stitch may be set by steaming and calendering, but heretofore cumbersome and expensive apparatus has been required for this purpose and the results obtained have not been consistent with economy.

Further, after the fabric is finished the piece must be measured off into lengths, if it is to beutilized inthe manufacture of garments, or folded if it is'to be shipped in the piece.

Heretofore separate folding machines have been used, which occupy an undue amount of space in the mill, are complicated in operation and expensive to install.

In accordance with my invention, I pro vide a machine of extreme simplicity which in a novel manner acts to stretch, steam, calender and measure or fold the fabric.

By virtue of my invention, the fabric is finished more perfectly than heretofore at a great saving in time and labor and with the utilization of a minimum of space in the mill.

Having now indicated in a general way the nature, purpose and advantages of my invention, I will proceed to a detailed description thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment, and in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig.2 is a plan view of the top of the machine. v

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the side of the machine opposite to that shown in Fig. 1, partly diagrammatic. i

Fig. 4 isa view of a detail of the machine.

Journalled in a suitable support a, which in turn is carried by framing b, is a pair of superimposed feed rolls 0, 0, adj acent. te which is a table {I having a slight upward slant toward the feed rolls. rolls 0, 0 and spaced therefrom is a pair of Parallel to the calender rolls d, cl journalled in the support a. The upper-and lower feed rolls and calender rolls are geared together by equal gears 11 as indicated in Fig. 2. The upper feed roll and the upper calender roll are provided with ordinary bearings, while the lower feed roll and the lower calender roll are supported by means of bearing blocks 6, e yieldingly I pressed up against the spindles by means of the action of levers f, f, pivoted to support a and acted on by springs g, g secured to the levers and to the support a. Bosses it receive the ends of the spindle of'the upper feed roll, and discs 2' having a fiat or cam surface j are fitted to the ends of the lower feed roll in position to contact with the bosses it, levers 70 extend from discs 11 (one of which is shown in Fi .4) providing means for rotating the disc. ormally the cam surface j of disc 2' contacts with boss. h, and

the feed rolls are in operative relation. However, by depressing lever 7c, disc i is rotated and its arcuate-surface brought into contact with boss 71, thus causing disc 2 to be depressed and causing the lower feedroll to o be forced downward away from the upper roll, against the action of the spring-pressed lever f which supports the spindle of the lower roll. Similar means may be applied to the calender rolls if desired. This separation of the feed rolls enables the end of the fabric to be inserted into the machine, as will hereafter be more specifically explained.

At one end of the upper feed and calender rolls are secured worm wheels Z, Z adapted to be driven by worms m, 4% carried on a shaft a suitably journalled on support a and driven by a motor 0 through reducing gearing 10. Should it be desirable to drive the calender rolls faster than the feed rolls, this maybe done by reducing the number of teeth on the worm wheel carried by the upper calender roll.

Between the feed and calender rolls and extending the width of the rolls is placed an arcnate sheet of light metal T closed at the ends, beneath which is placed agas burner 8, preferably of the Bunsen type, the metal sheet 1* being; ventilated by means of an upwardly extending pipe 2 7 An endless apron 11, adapted to pass over a suitably supported roller a, passes over a guide roll it, over the outer surface of the arcuate metal sheet 1', between the calender rolls which act to drive it, and over an idle roll a; which tends to keep tension on the apron. Beneath roller 1; is-positioned a pan of water into which the roller e dips and from which the roller transmits moisture to the apron a.

At the base of the framing F) is a transverse shaft on one end of which is a sproclrc ,el :2 adapted to be driven by a chain 3 from a sprocket t carried on an end of the upper feed roll. A sprocket- 5 is secured on the opposite end of shaft .2 and serves to drive a chain 6 which passes over a sprocket 7 adjustab secured to the base of framing Z). I

Pivotally secured to the chain (3 is an adjustable connecting rod 8, which in turn is pivotally secured to a car 9, adapted to be reciprocated by the connecting rod back and forth beneath the calender rolls.

In operation, the fabric 10, in this case a tubular fabric, is led up on table 9, and a spreader of the usual type comprising a roller 12 carrying a bale 13 inserted in its end. The spreader serves to hold the tube of fabric flat on its entrance to the feed rolls. The feed rolls are then separated by depressing levers 7c and the end of the fabric inserted between them. The motor is then started and the burner s lit. The fabric passes with apron it over metal sheet a" and between the calender rolls, from which it passes to car 9, which is reciprocated bacl: and forth to fold the fabric as shown in Figure 8, the chain 6 and connecting rod 8 having been adjusted to limit the movement of the car to cause the fabric to fold in the de sired lengths. t

v The apron a is constantly supplied with moisture by the roller o and is heated on passing over the hot surface of sheet 9. The heat serves to turn the moisture into steam which passes with heat into the fabric superimposed over the apron and serves to steam it. The fabric is also in a sense pressed in its passage with the apron over sheet 1". After leaving sheet 1 the steamed and heated fabric passes with the apron through the calender rolls, which serve to finish it and from which it passes to the car 9 which serves to fold it. In the passage downward to the car 9 the fabric is sufliciently aired and dried.

It will now be noted that by virtue of my invention the fabric is heated, steamed and simultaneously pressed; then, while still in the proper condition, calendered.

It will be obvious that my invention although described more particularly in connection with tubular fabrics is equally adaptable to plain fabrics, whether knitted vmven, or otherwise made,

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

Means for finishing fabrics comprising a pair of feed rolls, a pair of calendering rolls, a stationar arcuate ironing surface positioned between said pairs of rolls, means to heat said surface, an apron passing over said arcuate surface, a supply of liquid, and a roller adapted to pick up and transfer liquid from said supply to said apron.

In testimony of which invention, 1 have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pa, on this 30th day of August, 1921.

ALFRED A. GRUNDY.

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