Patent GB-812824-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in fabric spreading machines
Inventor: BECKER GEORGE JOSEPH
IPC: B65H45/103
Filed: 1955-08-04
Abstract: 812,824. Folding fabric. CUTTING ROOM APPLIANCES CORPORATION. Aug. 4, 1955, No. 22463/55. Class 42 (2). [Also in Group XVI] A fabric spreading machine comprises a carriage moving back and forth over a surface and supporting fabric, feeding means including a feed roll, guiding means for guiding the fabric and from the feed roll, spreading means receiving fed fabric from the feeding means, for spreading successive superimposed layers upon the surface, and means for varying the speed of feed, by varying the amount of envelopment of the fabric around the feed roll, so as to correct any overfeed of fabric to the spreading means. Fabric feed arrangements.-As shown, Fig. 1, fabric 40 is drawn from a roll 38 by a feed roll 64 having a rubber or other friction surface, driven from a carriage wheel 22 via a gear-box 50 which provides uni-directional drive irrespective of the direction of rotation of wheel 22. The degree of engagement of the fabric with roll 64 is controlled by adjustment of a guide roller 80 carried on pivoted arms 84. From roller 80, the fabric falls into a trough 112 and thence passes downwards to layer-forming rollers 94, 96; trough 112 allows fabric to accumulate in the event of any over-feeding by roll 64. For the greater part of the carriage travel, rollers 94, 96 are stationary and spaced apart as shown in Fig. 10, the fabric being drawn over the smooth surface of one of the rollers against the pull of an end-fold retaining service. Near the end of the carriage travel, a lever on the carriage engages a cam surface on the table 12 and engages a clutch to impart drive from gear-box 50 to rollers 94, 96 via chains 118, 127, Fig. 1, and gears 182, 178, 176 and 240, Fig. 10. Roller 96 is carried on pivoted arms 236 and is normally held away from roller 94 by a spring 250; when roller 96 starts to rotate, a roller 242 on the same spindle rolls along a friction surface 246 to bring roller 96 into fabric-feeding engagement with roller 94. This positive fabric feed continues until the cam and lever disengage on the return motion of the carriage. Rollers 94, 96 are carried by blocks 126 which are vertically slidable in the carriage frame 16 on a ratchet mechanism; the blocks can be raised manually, and are automatically lifted at one end of the carriage travel, by cam and ratchet mechanism, a distance equal to the thickness of the fabric layers just laid down. In an alternative feed arrangement, Fig. 32, the fabric 40 passes around a feed roll 100 similar to roll 64 and thence over a guide roller 106 located as shown; in the event of overfeeding, a loop 110 forms which reduces the contact between the feed roll 100 and the fabric sufficiently to lessen the rate of fabric feed until the loop is taken up again. End-fold clamping arrangements.-In one arrangement, Figs. 14 and 15, a fold-clamp plate 288 is pivotally carried by a bar 274 slidable vertically in adjustable carriers 256. As the carriage reaches the end of its travel an arm 292 on block 126 rides over a roller 280 carried by bar 274 until it reaches the Fig. 14 position. On reversal of the carriage, arm 292 engages beneath roller 280 and lifts bar 274 so that plate 288 is withdrawn from the fabric as shown in Fig. 15. An arm 302 on block 126 then raises plate 288 so that, as the carriage moves on, the plate falls on to the newly formed fold In an alternative arrangement, Figs. 25 and 29, the last fold of fabric is trapped, as shown in Fig. 25, beneath one roller 332 of a pair carried in a frame 328 pivotally mounted at 326 on arms (not shown) which are pivoted at the end of the table. Hooked fingers 336 on the carriage ride over frame 328 as another fold is formed on top of the frame. On the return movement of the carriage, fingers 336 engage beneath the end of frame 328 and turn it over as shown in Fig. 29 so that the other roller 332 drops to trap the newly-formed fold.