US2729964A - Machine for folding shearling strips - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 10, 1956 L. s. BROWN 2,729,964

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEARLING STRIPS Filed May 28, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet l Izweaaibfl:

Jan. 10, 1956 s. BROWN 2,729,964

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEARLING STRIPS Filed May 28, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 QM. Mm

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MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEARLING STRIPS Filed May 28, 1954 4 SheetsSheet 4 see I ,IFIIFIII, 48 64 of Fig. 2;

United States Patent 2,729,964 MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEARLING STRIPS Leslie S. Brown, Newton, Mass. Application May 28, 1954, Serial No. 433,636 6 Claims. (Cl. 69-7.5)

This invention relates to automatic strip folding or creasing machines, the machine here described being particularly suitable for creasing the edges of material or synthetic shearling strips of the type described in the inventors Patent No. 2,597,285.

As stated in the aforesaid patent, strips of genuine shearling skin, or fabric backing having an attached pile to simulate fur, are used in considerable quantity for making fur edgings or cuffs around the tops of storm boots to keep out snow, as well as for other ornamental purposes. Backing, as used here, may refer either to the hide of a fur or fleece bearing animal, or to a fabric sheet, and pile denotes either the fur or fleece of natural fur or shearling, or the fibers which are bonded to a fabric backing to make an imitation fur or fleece material. The pile of these natural and synthetic materials normally stands more or less upright on the backing so that when a strip is first cut, the raw edges of the backing are exposed. According to the improvement described in the aforesaid patent, a strip which is intended for a boot cult is creased along the lower edge, which is ordinarily not stitched to the boot, causing the pile to fan out over the edge and be flat against the boot, thus hiding the edge and also increasing the apparent width of the strip. The upper edge of the strip, which is seamed to the boot, need not be curled in this manner. The creasing or curling operation may be performed by running a heated tool along a line on the backer close to the edge, thus shrinking the fibers of the backer in that region.

The general object of this invention is to provide a machine for automatically creasing the edge of a shearling strip for the purpose described above. Other objects are to, provide means for creasing continuous lengths of stripping rapidly and uniformly, without crushing or matting the pile, to provide for readily controlling the temperature of the heated tool which performs the creasing operation so as to produce satisfactory results on various types of backings and on strips varying in thickness, and to provide means for cutting the stripping accurately into predetermined lengths as it emerges from the machine.

In the drawings illustrating the invention:

Fig. l is a plan view of a machine constructed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the machine;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the output end of the machine or the left end in Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a cross-section along line 55 of Fig. 2;

.Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail cross-section along line'6-6 Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-section of a strip prior to creasing;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged crosss-ection of a strip in the process of being creased; and

Fig. 9 is a detail of one of the creasing devices.

The various working parts of the machine are mounted on a suitable frame, shown here as a table 20, supported by four legs 21, 22, 23 and 24. The main drive motor 25 is mounted below the table on a beam 26 supported by legs 21 and 22, and is connected by a belt 27 to a conventional speed reducing gear box 28. On the output end of the gear box 28 is a sprocket 29, Which drives various parts of the machine by means of a chain 34) and sprockets 31, 32 and 33. Sprocket 33 drives a shaft 34 which is mounted in bearings 35 and 36. A pulley 37 is mounted on shaft 34. A second shaft 38 is mounted directly below shaft 34 on bearings 39 and 40 and carries an idler pulley 41. Sprocket 32 drives a shaft 42, mounted in bearings 43 and 44, which carries a pulley 45 (Fig. 2). Still another shaft 46 is mounted directly above shaft 42 on bearings 47 and 48, and carries a pulley 49. A belt 50 passes around pulleys 37 and 49 and is driven by pulley 37 in the direction indicated by the arrow 51 in Fig. 2. Another belt 52 passes around pulleys 41 and 45 and is driven by pulley 45 in the direction shown by arrow 54. The two belts grip the shearling strip 55 between them and advance the strip through the machine in the direction indicated by the arrow 56.

The strip is fed to the machine along table 20, entering first between two angle brackets 58 and 59 which serve as guides to align the strip approximately along the center of the table. The strip travels along the table to a centering device which is shown in detail in Fig. 6. A rod 60 having oppositely threaded portions 61 and 62 is mounted across a U-shaped bracket 63 which is mounted on the table alongside of pulleys 45 and 49. The rods carry two threaded blocks 64 and 65 to which are attached telescoping members 66 and 67, respectively, which form a rectangular opening for the strip. By turning rod 60, the members 66 and 67 can be moved toward, or away from, each other, leg 68 sliding over leg 69 to vary the width of the opening. The guide is aligned with the belts 5t) and 52, so that a strip 55, running through the rectangular opening is centered with the belts when it arrives at pulleys 45 and 49. The guide is adjusted to the width of the shearling strip which is being fed to the machine.

When the strip enters between pulleys 45 and 49, it is gripped by belts 5t) and 52 and passes along between pulleys 37 and 41. Mounted in the space between pulleys 41 and 45 is an idler roll 70 which is in contact with belt 52. A bracket 71 supports a loop of wire 72 which is electrically heated by current supplied through a cable 73. As shown most clearly in Figs. 3, 5 and 9, the bottom of loop 72 lies flat for a certain distance along the line of travel of strip 55 in the region about idler 70, to one side of the belt 50, and terminates in an upwardly curved free end 74. A leaf spring 75, suitably mounted on table 20, carries a block 76 (Fig. 9) of insulating material which presses down on the bottom part of loop 72. Pressure is thus applied to press the heated loop 72 down on to strip 55. As shown in Fig. 9, belt 52 extends under the full width of strip 55, whereas belt 50 covers only part of the strip, and idler roll 70 is wide enough to underlie the entire width of belt 52, so that the strip is firmly held against the pressure of wire 72. As the result of the heat and pressure, strip 55', which originally appears in cross-section, as in. Fig. 7, becomes curled along one edge, as in Fig. 8, due to the shrinkage of the backer 77 along the line of wire 72, and the pile 78 fans out around the curled edge so as to' produce the desired masking effect.

The temperature of wire loop 72 is controlled by varying the current. This is accomplished by means of an adjustable rheostat 79, controlled by a dial 80 which is connected in series with the cable 73. An air nozzle 81 is mounted on table 20 and directed toward the connection of the heated wire to cable 73. The nozzle is supplied with compressed air, from any convenient source, through an air hose 82 and valve 83. Air may be blown through the nozzle both to cool the connection and to cool the strip rapidly as it leaves the wire, to keep the trip s r ght in e l n udinal d c ion.- A uard pla e 99 is mounted alongside the wire so as to engage the edge of the strip and keep the pile from springing up into contact with the hot wire.

Mounted above, and in contact with, belt 50, is another roller 85. This roller carries a pin 86 which, upon each revolution, strikes the operating arm of a conventional revolution counter 87 suitably mounted alongside the roller. The circumference of the wheel is made to correspond to a specified amount of travel of the shearling, for example, one foot, so that the numbers on the counter indicate the footage'which has been processed.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the shearling strip 55, on

emerging from pulleys 37 and 41, travels downward through a cut-out 89 in table 20 between two guide plates 94) and 91. A motor 92 is mounted with its shaft vertical below table 20, and drives a rotary knife 93. The blade is surrounded toward the outside of the machine by a guard 94, The inner part of the blade lies just to one side of the normal line of travel of strip 55 after the strip passes between plates 90 and 91. A solenoid type of relay 95, having a plunger 96, is mounted under the table. A fork 97 is mounted on the end of plunger 96. When the solenoid is energized, the plunger travels to the left (as viewed inFig. 2) and the fork forces strip 55 against the knife blade 93 which cuts olf the strip. The solenoid may be energized by pressing a manual switch 98, mounted on the table 20 and suitably connected in the solenoid coil current, in which case an operator watches the counter and presses the button, when the desired footage is indicated. It is understood that the processed strip may drop into a bin, or a suitable receptacle of some sort, or may be passed to another machine and wound into rolls.

The quick control of the searing effect which can be achieved, because of the fact that both the speed of the strip and the temperature of the wire can be varied, makes it possible to produce uniform results on strips of nonuniform character, such as those made from natural pelts joined together. The operator can observe the searing action through the opening between plate 99 and belt 50, and make immediate adjustments for varying conditions.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for creasing shearling strips or the like, which have a pile mounted on a backer, comprising: a supporting frame; a first pair of pulleys mounted on said frame; a first belt running on said pulleys; a second pair of pulleys mounted on said frame; a second belt running on said second pair of pulleys, said belts running parallel, and adjacent to,'each other along part of their travel and being disposed there to grip between them the strip to be creased; means for driving said belts so as to advance the strip thus gripped along a predetermined path; a creasing tool mounted adjacent said path between said first pair of pulleys and disposed to bear on the backer of said strip; an idler roll mounted between said second pair of pulleys and disposed to support the pile side of the strip adjacent said tool; and means for heating and maintaining said tool at a temperature suitable for shrinking the portion of the backer which comes in contact with the tool.

2. A machine as described in claim 1, having a guiding device which aligns the strip in such a manner with said first belt as to leave one edge of the backer exposed, said tool being mounted to one side of the first belt so as to make direct contact with said exposed edge.

3. A machine as described in claim 1, said tool comprising an electrically heated wire having a straight port on di posed P allel t the line of travel of the. st ip, and the machine being further provided with a nozzle directed toward said strip in the region of the straight portion, and means for blowing compressed air through said nozzle to cool said strip in said region.

4. A machine for creasing shearling strips or the'like, which have a pile mounted on a backer, comprising: a supporting frame; a first pair of pulleys mounted on said frame; a first belt running on said pulleys; a second pair of pulleys mounted above the first pair; an upper belt running on said second pair of pulleys, having a portion parallel to and directly overlying a portion of said lower belt; said belt portions being adapted to grip the strip to be creased; means for driving one belt clockwise and the other counter-clockwise, whereby the'strip is advanced between the parallel portions of the belt; means for feeding a strip, pile side downward, to said belts and aligning the strip with respect to the upper belt so as to leave one margin of the hacker exposed; a wire having a straight portion disposed parallel to and adjacent said upper belt so as to make contact with said exposed margin; a leaf spring mounted adjacent said wire, having a free end bearing on said wire and pressing the same downward; an idler roll mounted under said lower belt in the region of said wire and arranged to support said strip against the pressure of said spring; and means for heating said wire and maintaining it at a temperature suitable for shrinking the portion of the backer in contact therewith.

5. A machine for creasing shearling strips or the like which have a pile mounted on a hacker, comprising: a belt adapted to support the full width of a strip to be creased; a creasing tool mounted adjacent to the belt and adapted to engage the backer of a strip disposed thereon; means for heating and maintaining said tool at a temperature suitable for shrinking the portion of the backer which comes in contact with the tool; means for driving said belt; and means for gripping a strip and causing it to move with the belt in the region of the creasing tool so as to cause a margin of the strip to pass between the tool and the belt. I

6. A machine for creasing shearling strips or the like, which have a pile mounted on a. backer, comprising: a supporting frame; a first pair of pulleys mounted on said frame; a first belt running on said pulleys; a second pair of pulleys mounted on said frame; a second belt running on said second pair of pulleys, said belts running parallel, and adjacent to, each other along part of their travel and being disposed there to grip between them the strip to be creased; means for driving said belts so as to advance the strip thus gripped along a predetermined path; a creasing tool mounted adjacent said path between said first pair of pulleys and disposed to bear on the backer of said strip; means for supporting the second belt between said second set of pulleys; and means for heating and maintain.- ing said tool at a temperature suitable for shrinking the portion of the backer which comes in contact with the tool. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,464,504 Fossa Aug. 14, 1923 1,886,870 Coffey Nov. 8, 1932 2,017,055 Douletto et al. Oct. 15, 1935 2,103,235 Winnett Dec. 28, 1,937 2,526,691 Roske Oct. 24, 1950 2,571,792 Tosi et al Oct. 16,

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