US1504731A - Drying machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug, 12'. 1924. 1,504,731

" H. H-. WIGGLESWORTH ET AL DRYING MACHINE Filed April 10, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VE N TORS: Harry H. Wiggleaziwih H 0101 0.166111 mazm,

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'12 1924. 1,504131 4 H. H. WIGGLESWORTH ET AL DRYING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 H I l w: u r H .E

H. H. WIGGLESWORTH ET AL DRYING MACHINE Filed April 10, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 MmUNLN v INVENTORS:

Harry H Wzyyieawarfiz Harald wan, BY.

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

Aug, 12 WZQ. 1,504,733

'H. H. WIGGLESWORTH ET AL DRYING MACHINE Filed April 10 1922 5Sheets-Sheet I FZG- K Z5 g3 WITNESSES: 92 m INVENTORS:

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ITNESSES: INVENTORS:

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Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,504,731 PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY H. WIGGLFSWORTH AND HAROLD O. KAUFMANN, OF PHILADELPHIAPENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE PHILADELPHIA DRYING MACHINERY COMPANY,

OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

DRYING unc'nmn.

Application filed April 10, 1922. Serial No. 550,956.

'1 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY H. WIGGLES- WORTH and HAROLD O. KAUFMANN, citizens of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dryin Machines, of which the following is a speci cation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates generally to drying machines, and more especially to machines of a type useful in drying textile manufactures capable of being stretched upon thin, flat shaping forms, such, for example, as hosiery and the like.

Among the objects of our invention are to secure, in machines of the class specified, greater structural compactness with conse- I quent saving of space necessary for their accommodation; higher efficiency in operation than heretofore attainable; and to effect greater economy in cost of operation through minimization of manual labor incidental to such operation.

Other objects and attendant advantages will become readily apparent from the detailed description of a typical embodiment of our invention which follows.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a perspective view of a drying machine conveniently embodying our invention, with one side panel removed to disclose the interior.

Fig. II is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. III is a view of the machine in top plan. Fig. IV is an illustration, in plan, of a specially designed sprocket chain forming a part of the conveyor whereby the articles to be dried are carried through the machine, portions of the Ctain being shown in section at two different planes so that its construction may be more readily understood.

- Figs. V and VI are perspective views of the two main or side members which conthe line VIII- I of the discharging end of the drying conveyor illustrating a preferred .form of drying board dislodging means.

ig. X is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the parts shown in the immediately preceding figure.

XI is a view of the machine in lon- Fi giturIinal section on a plane extending through the drying chamber.

Fig. XII is a. fragmentary view in iongitudinal section 'of a series of board returlning conveyors, showing the receiving en s.

Fig. XIII is a view in longitudinal section of the discharge end of one'of the board returning conveyors.

Fig. XIV is a detail view in section taken on the line XIV--XIV of Fig. X.

Fig. XV is a-detail view in transverse section of the drying conveyor apron illustrating a modified formv of air current deflector; and

Fig. XVI is a fragmentary view in plan of a portion of the drying conveyor illustrating a modified form of rying board (118- lod ing means.

he structure herein represented as typical of our invention, comprises a fireproof enclosure 1 consisting of a skeleton frame 2 preferably of structural steel and a number of enclosing panels 3--3- removably hung to said frame. shown inFigs. I and VIII, is subd vided, by means of a longitudinally extending artition 5,-into a drying chamber 6 and a heating chamber 7. The latter of these chambers serves to accommodate suitable heating means herein shown as a bank ef steam coils 8 for heating the air as it is circulated throu h the enclosure in a manner to be presently escrioed. The machine has a peaked roof portion 10'which 1S arched across boththe heatin -chamber and the greater portion of the rying chamber and also subdivided by the longitudinal part1- tion 5 previously mentioned. At a point The enclosure 1, as clearly through a belt'connection (not shown with any suitable source of power. Re erring again to Fig. VIII, it will be noted that the lower edge of the partition 5 terminates short of the floor of the enclosure so as to afford a passage along the entire length of the structure, for communication of the drying chamber 6 and the heating chamber 7. Thus, under the pro ulsion of the fan 12, the air is circulated laterally of the enclosure as indicated by the arrows in Fig. VIII in a direction downward through the drying chamber 6, thence through the space beneath the partition 5 and upward through the heating chamber. If desired, or in case it should be required in the treatment of certain materials, the rotation of the fan may obviously be reversed to circulate the air in a direction opposite to that indicated.

The drying chamber 6 is traversed longitudinally by a conveyor 19 which comprises a sprocket chain 20 and a series of parallelly extending bands 21, 22, 23, 24,

moving synchronously with the chain and spaced at various lateral distances therefrom. Said bands are preferably attached to an endless foraminous apron which extends to the exterior through suitable openings in opposite ends of the enclosure and is supported upon drums 26, 27 whose shafts 28-28 are journalledfor rotation in bearings 29, 29 one of which is movable to permit tightening of the chain and secured to extended portions of the skeleton. frame 2. The sprockets 30, 30 upon which the chain 29 runs, are secured to the shafts 28, 28 adjacent one end of the drums 26, 27 as clearly shown in Figs. I and III. The shaft 28 ofv the drum 27 at the discharge end of the machine (at the right of Fig. I) is positively driven by means of gearing concealed withm a casing 31 and coordinated through a shaft 32 with similar gearing concealed in a casing 33, the latter gearing being in turn actuated by a shaft 34 carrying a pulley 35. The edges of the apron 25 along the upper stretch are preferabl run in grooves provided in supporting edges 36 which in turn are supported upon the walls of the machine, as shown in Fig. XV.

- As previously stated herein, the machine of our invention is especially adapted for drying articles. such for example as stockmgs, and the like, capable of bein stretched upon thin, flat, shaping forms. order to ect economy of. the space required for a machine of this character, the forms are, in the present instance, carried through the drying chamber while supported on edge in uniformly spaced relation and in horizontal position transversely of the conveyor. In order that this may be accomplished, the companion side members 37, 38 which constitute the links of the sprocket. chain 20, (see Figs. V and .VI) are formed with spaced upstanding projections 39, 39. These side members, as clearly shown, are made as rights and lefts and have, at one end, complementary, inwardly projecting trunnions 40, 40 which, when assembled in the chain, abut along the center line of the latter, (see Fig, IV) and jointly serve to support antifriction rollers such as shown in perspective at 41 in Fig. VII. The trunnions 40, 40 are axially bored as at 42 for reception of ins 43 which are headed as best seen in ig. IV to hold the parts of the chain links together. The lugs 4i from which the trunnions 40, 10 extend are offset somewhat from the general plane of the link members 37, 38 so as to accommodate the ears 45, 45 of adjacent links. Ily this arrangement, a continuous double row of projections 39 is afforded along one edge of the conveyor. The aligned pairs of adjacent projections of the respective rows are cooperative in engaging between them ends of the flat forms preferably those which protrude beyond the stocking tops, so that the fabric may not be injured, see Fig. VIII, and thus not only sustain the forms on their edges, but hold them separated and against displacement in horizontal position laterally or transversely of the conveyor. The bands 21, 22, 23, 24 are so spaced upon the foraminous apron 25 with relation to the chain 20 as to be at the proper distances t support, with minimum contact, either the heel or'toe ends of the foot portion (preferably the latter as herein shown) of forms of various sizes. In practice the said bands are preferably-made of a suitable soft absorbent material such as felt so as to preclude possible injury to the stocking fabric at the point of contact, and to be capable of absorbing moisture imparted thereto by virtue of such contact. Thus with a machine of our invention it will be seen that stockings of various sizes can be dried at one time without regard to order or sequence,

,thereby greatly enhancing the eiliciency of the machine in this respect.

In its traverse through the machine, the conveyor is guided between side rails 50, 50 secured'to the skeleton frame 2 and the upper stretch of the apron 25- ma be sustained against saggingunder loa by suitable means such for example as the su rting ledges 36 mentioned above. T e' ing of the air resultin from the arrangement of the forms on t e conveyor also assists materially in reducing the time of drying to a minimum.

The conveyor is loaded at the right hand end oft-he machine asconsidered in Fig. III, by a number of operators who are stationed along the conveyor. Adjacent this end of the machine a number of tables 55 are provided upon which forms may be supported in an upright position while the stockings are stretched thereon by the perative preparatory to being placed on the conveyor. After being properly mounted on the conveyor and engaged for support on edge by the upstanding projections 39, 39 of the sprocket chain 20, the charged forms are progressed at a comparatively slow but uniform rate'of speed through the drying chamber 6 and thoroughly sub'ected to the circulating air as already note In order to elfect'automatic removal of the forms from engagement between the sustaining projections 39 of the s rocket chain after the completion of the rying operation, We have provided, at the discharge end of the machine, (see Figs. IX and X) and adjacent said chain, a stationary inclined cam which engages the extremities of the forms from beneath and gradually lifts them from between said projections. This actionis clearly illustrated'in Fig. X. As the forms are thus raised, they are inter- I cepted by a stationary stop 61 which engages them near their upper edges and tilts them rearwardly so as to "fall fiat with the stocking toes pointing forwardly. As a consequence the forms are discharged, b further movementof the conveyor, in a de nite preordered position upon a receiving table 59 where another operative removes the dried stockings.

The forms are now to be returned to the operators at the loading end of the machine for reuse. This transferal is accomplished by means of a plurality of conveyors 62, 63 and 64, arranged parallel in superposed-relation at the side of the machine at which the loading operators are stationed. The uppermost conveyor is the shortest and the lowermost the longest, the other conveyor being of an intermediate length so that the loading ends of these conveyors may be disposed in step relation adjacent the discharging end of the drying conveyor as shown in Fig. XII. The discharging ends of said form conveyors are relatively spaced horizontally to a greater extent so that each conveyor may discharge upon its corresponding platform of a series of three indicated at 65. To facilitate entry of the forms u on and between these conveyors, the loa ing end of each is shrouded by means of a sheet metal shield 66; and the discharge of the forms from the conveyors to the platforms 65 is ensured by providing a roller 67, one at the discharge end of each conveyor, and driven from its respective conveyor in the same direction but at a higher rate of speed,

preferably through the medium of a belt prefera 1y. belt driven from. the above mentioned shaft 34 through the medium of a pulley carried by the latter. The intermediate portions of the form conveyors are run through a housing 76, shown Y in Fig. VIII, which receives heat'by radiation from the heating element 8 so that the forms are dried and warmed prior to the stretching of the wet hosiery thereon. The conveyor apron 25 may be retained under proper ten sion by the provision of a tightening or slack absorbing arrangement as shown in Fig. XI and consisting of a roller 77 beneath which the lower stretch of the apron travels in contact therewith, said roller 77 being supported at one or both ends by means of one or two arms 78, as the case may be, the roller being shiftable to place the apron under tension by virtue of set screws 79 engaging said arm or arms. The loading extremity of the drying conveyor may be enclosed, if desired, within a suitable housing 80.

To ensure the travel of the air current in the manner described against the possibility of its diversion owing to the movement of the forms through the entering and leaving end of the chamber we may provide at each of said ends a vestibule in the form of housings 81, theportals of which are closed by means of portleres of hanging felt strips, or the like, 82 which are parted and moved aside b the forms when the latter enter and leave t e said vestibules.

When half hose or childrens stockin s are to be dried shorter forms are used whic do notextend from edge to edge of the drying conveyor; Consequently there is a tendency for the air current to pass through the apron beyond the toe ends of the forms instead of between the forms, as the air current should be directed, and as a result the removalof moisture from the hosiery is not complete or accomplished as quickly as it should be. This contingency is avoided by a means shown in Fig. VIII and which consists of a plurality of depending slats 83 which are hinged from-any suitable stationary support and located beneath the upper stretch of the apron at a point adjacent the outer edge.

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A rod 84 is slidably mounted above the slats and'isprovided at suitably spaced intervals with lugs 85 which are designed to engage pins 86 of which each slat is provided with one. A spring 87 is provided to urge the rod toward a non-operative position, while a flexible connection 88 to the rod runs over a pulley and is connected to a lever 89 cooperating with a segment and locking arrangement. By rocking the lever the lugs 85 will successively engage the pins 86 of the slats 83 in the order of the outermost slat first, moving said slats successively upward against the apron to form a battle and thereby ensure the passage of the air current between the hosiery forms. One or more of the slats may thus be raised according to the length of the hosiery forms used.

The bafiiing of the air current for short forms may also be accomplished in the manner shown in Fig. XV wherein 90 indicates a plurality of leaves, hingedly connected in edge to edge relation, an end leaf being hinged to the outermost rail 37, so that the arrangement may be unfolded to dispose one or more leaf sections above the apron, thus forming a bafile. The entire arrangement may be folded back when not in use as shown in dotted lines. To support the upper stretch of the main conveyor apron 19 a plurality of longitudinal slats 91 are arranged therebeneath and preferably directly below and in contiguous relation to the bands 21-24. The lower stretch of the form carrying chain 20 is prevented from sagging unduly by providing a plate 92 mounted edgewise and upon which the chain runs, the fingers 39 being carried, one series at each side thereof. r

A slightly modified arrangement for dislodging the forms at the discharging end of the drying conveyor is shown in Fig. XVI wherein a stationary cam plate/93 is arranged in a horizontal position to be engaged by the ends of the forms so as to shift said forms transversely and horizontally from between the holding fingers 39. After such disengagement. the forms may: be knocked over, all in thesame direction by engagement against the stop member 61 described above.

It will be seen that the operating intervals of theseveral elements of the machine are so coordinated that no waste of time ensues by one operator waiting upon another tocatch up in work. Thus. since it requires three times as long to apply a piece of hosiery to a form as it does to remove the piece we have provided facilities for three loading operators who are required to keep the eon veyor filled to capacity, which may be unloaded by one operator.

Other advantages will readily occur to "*those familianwith the art to which this in- I vention appertains.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber; a traversing conveyor for supporting, on edge, a series of at forms with the articles being dried stretched thereon; and means for engaging the forms from beneath to elioct their discharge in a definite flat po sition from the machine after the conveyor has completed its circuit therethreugh.

2. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber; a'traversing conveyor for supporting, transversely thereof and on edge, flat forms with the articles being dried stretched thereon; and means for engaging the forms from beneath and ordering discharge of said forms from the machine in a definite flat position after the conveyor has completed its circuit therethrough.

'3. A drying machine comprising a drying r chamber; a traversing conveyor having a series of spaced, upstanding projections capable of sustaining, on edge between them, flat forms with the articles being dried stretched thereon; and elevating means whereby the forms are automatically disengaged from between the projections of the conveyor for discharge from the machine when the conveyor has completed its circuit therethrough.

4. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber; a traversing conveyor having a series of spaced upstanding projections capable of sustaining, on edge between them, fiat forms with the articles being dried stretched thereon; and a stationary incline cam for engaging the forms from beneath to effect their release from between said projections for discharge from the machine when the conveyor has completed its circuit therethrough.

5. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber; a traversing conveyor having a series of spaced, upstanding projections capable of sustaining, on edge between them, fiat forms with the articles being dried ilU luu

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stretched thereon; means for engaging the tions after the conveyor has completed its circuit through the machine; and a coo erative stationary stop for-enga ing the onus near their top edges to tilt't em uniformly chamber; and a traversing conveyor with means for engaging flat forms with articles being dried stretched thereon at one end only to sustain them on edge and in spaced relations for support in a horizontal .posi.

tion transversely of the conveyor. 8. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber; and a traversing conveyor having along one of its edges a series of spaced, upstanding projections betwcen which flat forms with the articles being dried stretched thereon are engaged at one end only and sustained on edge for support in a horizontal position transversely of said conveyor.

9. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber; a traversing conveyor for supporting a series of flat forms with stockings or the like stretched thereon, said conveyor having along one of its longitudinal edges, a series of spaced upstanding projections adapted to engage between them. those ends of the forms which protrude beyond the stocking tops to sustain said forms on edge for support in a horizontal position transversely of the conveyor.

10. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber; and a traversing conveyor having a double row of spaced, upstanding projections, aligned pairs of fingers of the respective rows servin to engage between them, flat forms with the articles being dried stretched thereon, for support on edge and in a horizontal position transversely of the conveyor. 7

11. A drying machine including a drying chamber; and a traversing conveyor comprising a pair of spaced, synchronously movmg bands for supporting opposite ends of flat forms with the articles being dried stretched thereon, one of said bands having means for sustainin the forms on edge.

12. A drying mac iine comprising a drying chamber; and a traversing conveying means including a series of spaced, syn.- chronously moving bands adapted for cooperation-in pairs in supporting opposite ends of fiat forms of different len ths with the articles being dried stretched t ereon.

13. A drying machine comprising a drying chamber; and a traversing conveying means for carrying transversely thereof a series of fiat forms with'the articles being vdried stretched thereon, said conveying I means 1ncluding a chain with upstanding projections for sustaining and supporting on ed e between them, one end of flat forms with t e articles being dried stretched thereon; and a companion band running parallel to, and moving synchronously with the chain for supporting the opposite ends ofthe forms. I p

14. A drying machine comprising a chamlength the entire operatin her within which a suitable drying medium is constantly circulated; a conveyor apron of foraminous material, capable of permitting ready passage of the drying medium therethrough, traversing said chamber; and means for sustaining fiat forms, with the articles being dried stretched thereon onedge and in spaced relation for support in a horizontal position on said conveyor apron.

15. A drying machine comprising a cham-' ber within which a suitable drying medium is constantly circulated, a conveyor apron of foraminous material, capable of permit.- ting ready passage of the drying medium therethrough, traversing the chamber,

means along one edge of the conveyor for engaging the ends of forms protruding beyond the tops of stockings stretched thereon to sustain them on edge during conveyance;

and a comparatively narrow longitudinally extending band of absorbent material attached to the conveyor a ron at a distance from the edge aforesaid or supporting th foot ends of said forms. a 16. A drying machine, comprising a drying chamber, a conveyor having a portion of its length enclosed by the chamber, means to support hosiery forms on the conveyor,

whereby hosiery mounted thereon may be dried in passing through the chamber, and the hosiery subsequently stripped from the forms, and means to convey the empty forms back to'the starting oint of the conveyor.

17. A drying machine, comprising a drying chamber, a conveyor havinga portion of its length enclosed by the chamber, means to support hoisery forms on the conveyor, whereby the hosiery mounted thereon may be dried in passing through the chamber, and the hosiery subsequently stripped from the forms, means to convey the empty forms back to the starting point of the conveyor,

. and means to dry and warm said empty forms while travelling to the starting point.

18. A drying machine, comprising a drying chamber, a conveyor having a portion of its length enclosed b said chamber, means to support hosiery orms on the conveyor, whereby the hosiery maybe stripped from the forms, and means to convey the empty forms, back to the starting point of the conveyor and to divide and deposit them at a series of stations whereby they may be filled by an operator located at each station and the conveyor thereby readily kept filled to capacity.

19. A drying machine, comprisin a conveyor, a drying chamber through w ich the conveyor passes, means to support hosiery forms on the conveyor so that when the latter is filled with hosiery forms of maximum surface of the conveyor will be covered t ereby, means to direct a current of air through the conveyor and between the forms, and means to cover a portion of the conveyor when shorter forms are used so as to direct the air current between said short forms.

20. A drying machine, comprisin a conveyor, a drying chamber through w ioh the conveyor passes, means to support hosiery forms on the conveyor so that when the latter is filled with forms of maximum length the entire operating surface of the conveyor will be filled, means to direct a current of air through the conveyor and between the forms, a plurality of means each designed to cover a portion of the conveyor when shorter forms are used, and means to move the units of said covering means successively to covering position to cause one, or several, or all of said units to cover the conve or according to the length of forms used.

21. A drying machine, comprising a drying chamber, means to convey hosiery forms set on edge through the chamber, a heating element in the chamber, and means to create a continuous air current passing between the forms, to the heating element and again to the forms.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto signed our names at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this seventh day of April, 1922.

HARRY H. WIGGLESWORTH.

HAROLD O. KAUFMANN. Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL,

E. L. FULLERTON.

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