Patent GB-732742-A (GB)
Title: Machine for printing fabrics through stencil frames
IPC: B41F15/08
Filed: 1953-05-29
Abstract: 732,742. Stencilling-machines; feeding webs. BLEY, J. May 29, 1953 [July 4, 1952], No. 15035/53. Classes 100 (1) and 100 (2). A machine for printing multi-colour designs on fabrics using a series of silk stencil screens mounted in frames comprises an endless conveyer 1 adapted to carry the frames 7 in succession to a stencilling station where they are applied to the fabric and submitted to a scraping action to force the colour through. The conveyer 1 comprises two endless chains driven either manually or by a motor 5 adapted, through gears 4, to drive one of the pairs of pulleys 2 over which the chairs pass. In the stencilling station the frames 7 are lowered into contact with the fabric by means of a lever 47 adapted to rotate an eccentric 49 raising or lowering a cage 50 carrying a rail section 51<SP>1</SP> forming part of a rail 51 receiving and guiding the frame as it moves into the stencilling station. After leaving the stencilling station the bottom of the screen is washed in a vat 15 and scrubbed by a rotating brush 16. Excess water is removed by a suction-pipe 17. The conveyer may also carry one or more infra-red drying frames 76 to dry the colour on the fabric before application of another colour. Inking.-Colour is supplied to the stencil frames from a series of pans 74 mounted for tilting on a rotatable structure 72 driven by gearing from a hand wheel 73. Feeding webs.-A second conveyer comprising a strip of rubberised fabric 20 feeds the fabric forward after each printing operation to position a fresh length in register with the stencilling station. The conveyer strip 20 passes round pulleys 21 ... 29 and is advanced by rotation of a spindle 55, either electrically or by a hand wheel 54, connected through gear-work to the axle of pulley 26. The tension of the conveyer strip is adjusted by displacing pulley 24. The fabric is attached to the strip by applying glue to the strip at 33 and pressing the fabric against it by a roller 36. The fabric is carried by the conveyer 20 under the frame 7 in the stencilling station and is supported during the stencilling operation by a plate 46. The fabric is then detached from the strip 20, passed through a first drying chamber 60 using infra-red radiation, over a movable compensating roller 61, through a second drier 67, over pulley 68 and is wound up on a reel 71. The compensating roller 61 is mounted on a slider and biased by connection to a hanging weight 66 to absorb the intermittent progression of the fabric, the winding-in pulley 68 being driven continuously by a motor 70. An indicator is provided including a dial 57 and a pointer which moves round the dial from a zero position, the repeat length of fabric being determined by a limit stop. An electromagnetic coupling between the indicator and the gear-work of spindle 55 is energized by a push-button which is pressed before the hand wheel is rotated. The hand wheel is then turned until the pointer reaches the stop and another button is then pressed to uncouple the indicator from spindle 55 and allow the pointer to return to zero position. The conveyer strip is washed by a spray 39 and rotary brushes 40 to remove glue before returning to the regluing position 33.