US2002096A - Fabric expander for textile industry - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1935.

J. J. M CANN, JR

FABRIC EXPANDER FOR TEXTILE INDUSTRY Filed Jan. 28, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l l LLLlflllorney May 21, 1935. .1. J. M CANN, JR 2,002,096

FABRIC EXPANDER FOR TEXTILE INDUSTRY Filed Jan. 28, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q; a Q Q Q '5 Q E Q Inventor kiz fi k/272 flzmaarih May 21, 1935. J. J. MccANN. JR 2,002,095

FABRIC EXPANDER FOR TEXTILE INDUSTRY Filed Jan. 28, 19 32 s Sheets-Sheet :5

x I LU \Q n a k w R E I 3 4 QWL Inventor fig cZZZ-%22i2, 731

Patented May 21, 1935 UNITED TES FABRIC QEXPANDER For: TEXTILE INDUSTRY John J. McCann, Jr., Lowell, Masai Application January 28,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and ,useful improvements in the tentering of fabrics whereby to straighten the selvedge edges thereof and stretch the fabric widthwise, while at the 5; same time permitting a decrease in length proportional to the increase in width. Such improved tentering treatment of the fabric pro-- such an improved tentering treatment and an apparatus for carryingthe sameinto practice. These and other features of the invention will be best understoodand-appreciated from the following description of a preferred'embodiment thereof, selectedyfor purposes of illustration and shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which F ure l is a, top plan view of an apparatus erne bodying the inventions l a 1 Figures 2 and 3 are: transverse sectional elevational views therethrough taken substantially on thelines 2-4 and 3-3 respectively of Figure, 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional elevational viewfor more clearly showing, the construotion of my improved way or guide, and one of the clipsforming part of theexpander shown in an open position. 7 I p r 4 Figure 5 is a view similar to: Figure 4 with the clip shown in a closed-condition. v

Figure 6 is a fragmentaryhorizontal sectional elcvational view through-the way. c

Figure 7 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially entire line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, it willbeapparent that my invention is susceptible to use with any and all well known types of tenteringframes and for the sake of example l have shown the invention as applied to that type of tentering frame which includes among other parts, a bench for supporting the working parts of the expander, which parts include pairs of opposed-carriages 1 equipped with rollers ridable o n rails 9 The bars 117 connecting thecarriages of the respectivepairs are provided with lugs 1a having threaded, engagement with shaft 5 supported as at 6 and provided with hand wheels 3 for varying the distance between the conveyors or chains I which chainsv are trained over; idler sprockets l3 and driven sprockets ll that are suitably mounted and cause the chains to travel in the same direction and, atthe same speed. The parts herein above referred to are; conventional, to expander or tenter framenow in use,

1932,, Serial No. 589,521

and do not form vention. 0

As shown, each of the chains is provided with an endless series of fabric engaging clips 2 and while any preferred type of clip may be used, in the present instance, I- have shown clips of the type described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 592,373, filed Feb. 11, 1932. The clips are illustrated as integral with certain links of the chain, and merely by way of explana: 10 tion, it maybe stated that each clip includes a substantially horizontally disposed fixed jaw 2a and a pivotally mounted jaw 21) cooperable with the jaw 2a and provided with a fabric engaging lug 20. 0

V 'In accordance with the present invention, and to provide for a relative decrease in the length of the fabric proportional to an increase in the widththereof, I provide for each chain 1 a novel guide or way 8, and each guide or way is substantially loop shaped at the ends, and accommodates within the confines thereof at relatively opposite ends, the sprockets I1 and 13, the sprockets It larger than the sprockets l3 fora purpose hereinafter described.

, Each guide 8 comprises upper. and lower frames or plates" a and I) connected in spacedfrelation by studs 81), and each guide comprises a straight outer side 14 and an inner side 12, the latter the essence of the present in being straight'and parallel with the side H for 30.

a considerable length thereof and having its end adjacent to the sprocket wheel ll curved outwardly therefrom around this sprocket wheel. The chains 1 run in the guides between the plates a; and b and at least the inner sides I2 of the plates are provided withgchain engaging flanges a and 12 having their opposed edges in spaced relation for accommodating therebetweenfabric engaging clips 2 carried by the chain links'and ex: tending outwardly therefrom past the flanges and 40 toward the other chain I. As shown in Fig, 1, the two guides are arranged with the said outwardly curved portions of the sides 12 extending toward each other at theentrance end of the fabric path, whereby this entrance end portion of the path is narrower than the portion between the straight and parallel sections of the sides 12. The chainsaredriven in the direction of the arrows (Fig. 1) and it is. apparent that they will travel inthecourse defined by the guides Q or ways 8, with the result that opposed clips 2 will be closer together at the entrance end of the device and the-distance between opposed clips will gradually inerease as they proceed toward the relatively opposite or outlet end of the device and until their course becomes regulated by the straight portions of the sides l2 of the guides or ways whereupon such pairs of opposed clips will travel in spaced parallelism with the distance therebetween remaining constant until such clips have moved to the outlet end of the device. Such is thought apparent from a study of Figure 1.

At the outlet end of the space or path between the opposed portions of the chains, there is provided on each guide or way 8 a suitable abutment device l5 engageable with the free ends of the jaws 21) for opening said jaws to permit passage of the fabric from the expander and on to other suitable mechanism (not shown) whereby the fabric is subjected to a drying process or other step as may be next employed in the treatment of the fabric. 7

In actual practice, the web or cloth isfed to the tentering device at the inlet end of the latter, and the selvage edges of the cloth engage the lower jaws 2c of the clips 2 while the projections 20 of the jaws 2b engage the fabric in the manner suggested in Figure 4. As the'chains I travel in the guides or ways in the direction of the arrows (Fig. l), the jaws 2b, by reason of the engagement of the lugs 20 with the fabric, are gradually drawn into clamping relation with the jaws 2a was to clamp the selvage edges of the cloth in the manner suggested in Figure 5. This engagement of the jaws serves automatically to pull the selvage edges of the cloth following into the line of succeeding fabric engaging clips, as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1. As will also be noted from a study-of Fig. l, the distance between opposed clips 2 is at its minimum at the inlet end of the device. During operation, this distance between the clips gradually increases by reason of the curvatureabout the wheels H, in the sides I2 of the guides. When the distance between opposedclips reaches its maximum, this maximum distance preferably remains constant until the clips reach the outlet end of the device.

At said outlet end, the jaws 2b of the clips are I engaged by the devices I5 and swung to the No. 589,522, which device, as clearly set forth in said application, provides for the eflicient removal of water from the fabric. a I

Through the medium of my improved guides or ways for the tentering chains, a decrease in the length of the fabric beingexpanded in width is accomplished and thiswill be more apparent'from the following: Where the cloth is fed into the tentering device, the clips 2 of each chain, traveling around its drive wheel or sprocket H, are spaced at their maximum -distance apartfrom each other. As the clips pass from that path, imposed thereon by the drive wheels H, said clips move in a path defined therefor by the curved inner sides I2 of the guides or Ways, as clearly suggested in Figure '1. These curved portions cause the jaws to move gradually closer together as the chains travel therealong, since the curvature thereof is gradually reduced as said curved portions merge with the straight portions of the guides. Also, as the clips pass from this curved path into the straight path, the distance between opposed clips on the two chains increases, with the re'sult'that the fabric is expanded or stretched transversely in a manner increasing its width. Thus, as the clips pass through this zone of curvature, the jaws thereof close upon the selvage edge of the fabric and increase the width of the web, and simultaneously therewith reduce the length thereof. The distance between the clips thereafter preferably remains constant until the outlet end of the device is reached. It will also be noted that the jaws 2 travel faster at the fabric-engaging portion of the path than at the portion adjacent to the straight sides 12 of the guides, and it will, therefore, be apparent that the relatively wider fabric is discharged from the device at a speed slower than the entrance of the fabric into the device. The fabric is indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings by the reference character20.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a tenter frame embodying the features of the present invention will provide for a decrease in the length of the fabric proportional to the increase in the Width thereof and, consequently, when the fabric is thereafter subjected to any influence that would tend to change the relative tension of the threads thereof, for example, as

by pressing, sponging, steaming or the like, there will be little or no possibility of the fabric shrinking because of its subjection to any of these influences.

cloth. For example, should a cloth not of uniform width be passed throughthe tentering device, the clips 2 will not close as quickly on relatively wide portions thereof as on the relativelynarrow portions, it being" understood that the jaws engage the cloth strip at its selvage edges, as shown in Fig. 5. Consequently, and as is thought apparent, a greater stretching operation will take place relative to a narrow portion of the cloth than will take place relative to a wider portion thereof, so that such narrow portion of the cloth will be stretched sufliciently to make it of a width corresponding to the width of the wide portion or portions. By so correcting unevenness in the width of the cloth, a smoother looking weave, a permanent reduction in cockled bunched places in the cloth or fabric, and a permanent, definite and uniform width to the cloth is assured.

While I have herein shown and described one preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a tentering device, a pair of endless conveyors having two sides thereof in opposed and relatively spaced relation and in substantially the same plane along a path therebetween, a plurality of elements carried by the conveyors for gripping the edges of a strip of fabric located in said path, means for driving the conveyors to move said opposed sides thereof from the fabric entering end to the exit end of the path, and means supporting and guiding the conveyors in ways causing the said two sides thereof to approach each other at said fabric entering end of the path and to diverge outwardly therefrom in curvilinear lines toward the exit end of the path, the said fabric gripping elements of each conveyor being in outwardly diverging relation to each other when at said curvilinear portion of the path and coming into closer relation as they leave such portion of the path whereby fabric gripped by the opposed elements is stretched widthwise by the said opposed sides of the conveyors at said outwardly diverging portion thereof and permitted by said approaching movement of the elements to reduce in length a proportional amount. a

2. A continuous method of finishing fabric in strip form, consisting of feeding the fabric longitudinally along a predetermined path while holding the same gripped at its two side edges, and stretching the fabric to increase its width at a predetermined portion of said path and simultaneously therewith decreasing the, longitudinal feeding speed of the fabric an amount allowing a longitudinal contraction of the fabric proportional to said increase in width.

3. In a tentering device, a pair of endless conveyors having opposed portions lying in the same plane and relatively spaced to provide a path therebetween, said opposed portions extending along lines leading inwardly toward each other to a point of closest approach adjacent to one end of the path and diverging from said point through convexly curved portions and into straight and parallel portions, mechanism for driving the conveyors along said path in a direction away fromsaid one end, a plurality of clips carried by each conveyor and extending'from each of said portions toward the other portion, fabric engaging jaws on the free ends of the clips, and guides extending along and conducting said portions of the conveyor along said lines at the edges of the path, said clips on each conveyor being in outwardly diverging relation'when located at said curved portions and being in relatively closer relation when located at said straight portions whereby fabric in said path gripped by said jaws at the curved portions is stetched widthwise by said opposed and diverging portions of the conveyors and permitted to reduce a proportional amount in length by the relative approaching movement of the clips as the fabric passes to said straight portions.

JOHN J. McCANN, JR.

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