Patent GB-1491175-A (GB)
Title: Compactor shoe adjustment for compressive shrinking machines
IPC: D06C21/00
Filed: 1976-05-20
Abstract: 1491175 Shrinking fabrics COMPAX CORP 20 May 1976 [30 July 1975] 20961/76 Heading D1S In apparatus for compressively shrinking fabric 42 comprising a feeding roller 12 and a retarding roller 13 mounted in a frame 15  and forming a compacting nip 24, a compacting shoe 14 cooperating with the rollers 12, 13 and the nip 24 and having a bladelike tip 25 to form with the nip 24 a compacting zone C, and means for adjusting the position of the tip 25 about the axis of the roller 12, the adjusting means is characterised by (a) a pair of primary shoe mounting levers 26 positioned one at each end of the roller 12 and supported for limited rotational movement about the axis of the roller 12; (b) the levers 26 carrying the shoe 14 therebetween; (c) the levers 26 being independently movable about the axis of the roller 12; (d) each lever 26 having a positioning lug 28 extending therefrom; (e) a pair of jack shafts 50, 51 mounted in the frame 15, and guided for linear movement along axes extending tangentially with respect to the lugs 28; (f) connecting means 63 carried by each shaft 50, 51 and engaging the lugs 28 whereby movement of the shafts 50, 51 along their respective linear axes effects controlled rotational movement of the levers 26; (g) a pair of threaded worm wheels 57 rotatably supported by the frame 15 and threadedly engaging the shafts 50, 51 for effecting controlled axial movement thereof; and (h) a drive shaft 58 connecting the wheels 57 for effecting simultaneous rotation thereof and including an adjustable, normally fixed coupling 59 for controlling the rotational orientation of one wheel 57 relative to the other. In the embodiment described, Fig. 1, shaft portions 21 of the roller 13 are mounted on brackets 19 pivotable about an axis 20 by pneumatic actuators 23 to swing the roller 13 away from the roller 12, stops (not shown) limiting this movement. The adjusting means for the position of the shoe 14 and its tip 25, Fig. 4, includes the primary levers 26, Fig. 1, and secondary levers 27. The levers 27 are pivoted to the levers 26 by pins 29 and the levers 27 are connected to the levers 26 by pneumatic actuators 32 the operating rods 33 of which, when retracted, lift the shoe 14 clear of the roller 12, the shoe 14  being carried by a beam 34 pivotally mounted by shafts 35 to the levers 27. Rotational adjustment of the shoe 14 is effected by lugs 37 secured to the beam 34 and extending through apertures 38 in the levers 27, opposed bolts 39, 40 being manipulated to position the lugs 37. Bolts 41 control transverse adjustment of the shoe 14. The lugs 28, Fig. 5, of the levers 26 are each received between legs of a U-shape element of a universal clevis unit forming the connecting means 63 and comprising a slide block 62 rigidly secured to the respective shaft 50 or 51. Latch bars 71 hold the blocks 62 against the frame 15 to lock them against rotation. Raising or lowering of the shafts 50, 51, by rotation of a hand wheel 61 which rotates the worm wheels 57 and gears 57a, causes the units 63 to move vertically therewith but the lugs 28 travel in an arcuate path to shift the position of the levers 26 and thus the shoe 14.  The apparatus may be provided at each station of a double station shrinking machine, e.g. for shrinking opposite surfaces of a knitted fabric tube.