PROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR TENTERING STRETCHING AND OTHERWISE TREATING FABRICS PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1882

page_text: ROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Ashworth at the Office of the
Cominissioners of Patents on the 9th January 1882.
"IM-
JOHN ASHWORTH of Rochdale in the County of Lancaster Machinist
PROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR TENTERING STRETCHING AND
OTHERWISE TREATING FABRICS PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
My improvements relate principally to tentering machines, and some of them to
machinery and arrangements for treating fabrics before and after they pass through
the tentering machine proper, and these improvements may be used separate from,
but my Invention also consists in combining them with the tentering machine, so
that the treatinent of the fabrics operated upon will be a continuous process,
and some of my improvements to be hereinafter described though particularly
applicable to machinery and arrangements for tentering fabrics will be also appli-
cable to other processes, for treating fabrics, such as for bleaching, calendering,
printing and otherwise treating continuous fabrics or materials.
Firstly. My Invention relates to arrangements for opening, spreading and stretching
fabrics from a state of "rope," as it is termed, to their full width and these im-
provements are particularly applicable for fabrics to be tentered, but are or may be
used in other processes and this part of my Invention consists in applying for this
purpose a modification of the rollers and arrangements for guiding the selvages
of cloth to tentering machines described under the seventh head of the Specification
of Letters Patent granted to me and numbered 615 and dated the 14th day of
February 1881. According to this part of my Invention I prefer to employ two
rollers, with grooved or roughened peripheries each arranged to rotate freely on an
horizontal axis carried in a part which can swivel freely on a vertical axis or an
axis perpendicular to those of the rollers, and the axis of one of these rollers is
mounted so that its surface can be pressed against that of the other roller by a
spring-On the axis of each roller, or on one of them, there is another narrow roller
of the same diameter as the main rollers, and one of these narrow rollers has on its
axis a toothed pinion which gears with a segmental toothed rack secured to tho

page_text: bracket for the rollers, so that when the narrow roller or rollers rotate the vertical
axis of the rollers is changed in position
One of these sets of rollers is used for each side of the fabric, and they are
secured and adjusted on a cross bar or frame to suit the width of the fabric to be
treated, and set so that when the fabric is passing through the rollers at its full
width the selvages, nearly touch the nearest edges of the narrow rollers which are
in respect to the fabric at the outside end of the main rollers, and the action of the
rollers is such, that when one selvage spreads or moves to one side so as to come
upon or between the two narrow rollers, they begin to rotate and this causes the
toothed pinion to act upon the fixed rack to oscillate the frame and thus the rollers
on their vertical axis, to the position in which the rollers take less hold upon the
selvage, and when the selvage passes from between the narrow rollers they cease to
rotate and then the forward drag of the cloth, has a tendency to oscillate, and does
oscillate the rollers on their vertical axis in the opposite direction, to cause them
to take more hold of the fabric when the selvage of the cloth tends to leave the
rollers too much.
The brackets carrying the two sets of rollers are arranged on the cross bar or
frame by preference, so that they can slide to and from each other simultaneously,
being connected by rods and a lever or other means; and a weight or spring is made
to pull the brackets for the rollers to their widest distance apart, the weight or
spring giving way and allowing the brackets for the rollers to approach each other,
when the drag upon the cloth by the rollers is too great.
When the selvages of the cloth are slightly turned over, I sometimes combine
with the rollers hereinbefore described, a small pair of rollers grooved or roughened,
which are mounted on studs carried on the oscillating vertical axis of the main
rollers, and these small rollers are set slightly at an angle to the main rollers and
act upon the selvage of the cloth before it arrives at the main rollers.
Or in place of the small rollers, flat plates hinged together with diagonal grooves
in their surfaces are employed, carried by the said vertical axis, and the edges of the
cloth pass between these plates which serve to unfurl or open out the selvages of
the cloth, and to present it fully spread out to the main rollers.
The small supplementary rollers above mentioned, or narrow drums on their axes,
by another modification are used in place of the narrow drums on the axes of the
main rollers herein before mentioned, and when these small rollers are so used they
are geared up to act upon the stationary rack to change the position of the oscillating
frame as desired.
For the purpose of this part of my Invention, other modifications are or may be
used, which are improvements to be hereinafter described for guiding the selvages
to the mechanism of tentering machines.
Secondly. My Invention relates to arrangements and mechanism for squeezing, or
wringing and drawing away or removing the moisture from the cloth as it passes
along, and consists of a pair of rollers, one pressed against the other, between which
the cloth passes.-The rollers are of metal made hollow, and there peripheries are
finely perforated with holes, or they are covered with sieve material.
In the inside of each roller, opposite to the "nip," between them, there is a bar
that extends the length of the inside of the rollers and is made to fit close to the
inner periphery as air tight as possible, by suitable packing, each bar being
connected with and carried by, or from the axis of the roller.
Each bar has a cavity along its length, which communicates with the hollow
axis of the roller so that air or steam can be forced or allowed to pass into the
hollow of one bar, and be exhausted from that of the other bar, such air or steam
thus passing directly from one bar through the fabric passing between the rollers
to the hollow of the other bar, and the moisture is thus drawn away from the
cloth at the "nip” or greatest pressure of the rollers.
Thirdly. My Invention relates to means and apparatus for spreading and keeping
fabrics central when being fed forward for tentering and other purposes, and my
Invention refers to several modifications one more particularly adapted to one class,

page_text: and others to other classes of fabrics, and this part of my Invention as to one
modification, consists in jointing links diagonally between two bars, so that the
moving of one bar endways either way will cause the links to be more diagonal
on one half, and less so on the other half of the lengthway of the bar.
This arrangement is suspended on a pivot in the middle, so that when the fabric
is passing over the links centrally, it will be balanced, but when the fabric moves
to either side, one end will be depressed, and will bring teeth on that end of the
bar in gear with a worm constantly rotating, which will move one set of bars
endways and alter the inclination of the links which will cause the fabric to move
back into the central position.
"
The depression of the arrangement of bars at the other end, will alter the
inclination of the links in the reverse direction.
Another modification consists in forming pivots on each link or bar about the
middle, which pivots are secured in holes in a bar and the links have pivots or
projections connected with another bar for altering their inclination.
This arrangement is balanced same as that last described and is actuated in like
manner, or by any other suitable arrangement of gearing, either at one or both
ends.
By another modification, two rollers are used end to end on the same axis, but
one is or may be fast and the other loose on the shaft. The surface of each roller
has coiled once around it a series of diagonal or spiral ribs of increasing pitch, and
the ribs on one roller have an opposite inclination or spiral to those on the other
roller.
Both rollers are geared together, but so that when one rotates one way, the other
will rotate the reverse way-The fabric passes over both rollers, and as lorg as it
is in the middle equally on both it will rotate neither roller, but should it pass to
one side it will put more friction on one roller than the other, and this will causo
both rollers to partly rotate in opposite directions so that one roller will present
ribs of less and the other of greater inclination to the fabric, and this will cause the
cloth to move to the central position again.
By another modification, two bars are employed both of them with ratchet
toothed diagonal grooves in their surfaces the diagonal of each half being reversed.
Over these grooves the cloth passes, one bar is fixed the other is suspended on a
pivot.and when the fabric is passing centrally, the moveable bar is balanced, and
the diagonal grooves on both bars are acting equally, but should the cloth move
out of the central position, one end of the moveable bar is depressed, and the
grooves at that end, and those at the opposite end of the fixed bar cease to act or
have less action on the cloth while the grooves on the other ends of the fixed and
moveable bars have more action to take the cloth back to the middle position.
By another modification the spreader is formed by a series of rotating pulleys
which each rotate on a boss on a shaft or shafts as the cloth passes over them.
The hole in the boss to pass on the shaft is bored diagonally and each boss is
secured to the shaft thus with the pulley free to rotate in a diagonal position to
the axis of the shaft.
By turning the shaft, the pulleys will revolve at a different inclination in relation
to the passing cloth.
The pulleys are on two shafts end to end and those on one shaft are reversed in
inclinations to those on the other shaft-The shafts are geared together so as to
turn one reverse to the other.
The arrangement is on a pivot and is balanced when the cloth passes over
centrally, but should it move to either side one end is depressed and this brings
into gear wheels that rotate the shafts to change the inclination of the pulleys in
relation to the passing cloth and thus bring back the cloth to its central position.
By another arrangement the pulleys have conical holes in them to pass on &
shaft, and half the pulleys have one inclination and the other half the reverse
inclination.

page_text: This arrangement is balanced on a pivot and the cloth passes over its pulleys and
slightly touching or just clear of a bar or roller, behind the pulleys.
Should the cloth pass to one side, it then presses less upon the pulleys at that
end, and more upon the bar or rollers, but at the other end the cloth passes clear of
the bar or roller and the pulleys are at that end acting to bring tho cloth back to
the central position.
Two of any of the above described spreaders are or may be used together, so
that the fabric will pass under one and over the other, or so that one side of the
cloth will pass against one, and the other side of the cloth against the other
spreader
Fourthly. This part of my Invention relates to improvements upon the selvage
guiders hereinbefore referred to, as described in the Specification of my aforesaid
Letters Patent.
One improved modification consists of two rollers having one or both their
surfaces grooved or roughened, and one roller pressed upon the other, and mounted
on horizontal axes in a frame arranged to oscillate on a vertical axis, and the end
of the arm from this oscillating frame has a plate jointed to it free to come against
the selvage of the cloth at both ends, there being a screw between the joint and
arm for adjustment, and this screw is or may be geared to act at the sanie time upon
the plate at that end near the vertical axis.
There is a plate with diagonal grooves to act upon the selvage of the cloth after
it has passed the rollers and this plate is jointed as near the selvage, at its
furthest point from the rollers, to a bracket, the other end of the plate being
connected to move with the frame pivotting on a vertical axis.
In some cases I combine with these plates, a toothed gill arranged to slide or
move on a pivot in a diagonal direction.
The teeth of the gill are clear of the passing fabric and are stationary, but when
the junction between the ends of two pieces, where they are thicker and the cloth
is narrowed by the tension of the double fabric comes opposite the gill, the teeth
enter and the gill moves forward with the fabric in an oblique direction laterally,
and stretches it wider and conducts it to the gills or holders of the tentering
machine, when the teeth of the gill withdraw, and the gill is brought back to its
first position by a spring or weight.
When the ends of the pieces of cloth come, they are or may be arranged to lift
the upper diagonal plate which is made to act through a lever to press the gill
teeth at that time deeper into the passing cloth.
Another modification consists in forming the "feeler" on a arm or lever separate
from the oscillating frame, and in jointing the end of this lever with an arm from
the oscillating frame on a vertical axis, by which arrangement greater or less
angular movement is or may be imparted to the frame or axis as desired, with a
feeler at any required distance from the rollers,-Combined with the above
arrangement a pivotted plate for the selvage is or may be jointed to the arm of
the lever, provided with an adjusting screw.
By another modification a worm or screw or other mechanism is or may be used
to change the angular position of the frame on a vertical axis carrying the rollers,
and the feeler lever and a spring or weight is arranged to bring a constantly
rotating driver into gear with the screw to rotate it one way or the other, as required,
to change the angle of the rollers in relation to the fabric.
Another modification for this purpose consists of an arrangement with the broad
and narrow rollers similar to that described under the first head of my Invention but
with shorter main rollers.
Another modification consists of an arrangement similar to that last referred to,
but dispensing with the narrow drums, the bevel wheels in this case being upon the
axis of one drum, and the fixed rack is hinged to move in and out of gear with
the bevel wheel, being acted upon by an arm from the feeler lever coming against
an arm from the hinged fixed segmental rack to bring it into gear with the pinion
when the "fecler is moved outwards by the selvage.

page_text: Another modification consists in arranging a "feeler" to act upon and be moved
by the selvage of the fabric, this feeler being connected with two reversed pawls
which are both opposite, but just clear, in one position, of fine ratchet teeth in a
bar or lever having a constant and quick to and fro motion, imparted from any
suitable and convenient driver.
The pawls are jointed to an arm from the vertical axis of the rollers or to a lever
jointed with the arm from the vertical axis.
When the feeler is in its middle position neither pawl is acted upon, but when
it is moved by the selvage one way or the other, then one or the other of the
pawls is acted upon by the vibratory toothed surface, and the vertical oscillating
frame is moved accordingly to alter the angle of the guide rollers.
Another improvement coming under this head of my Invention is made upon
that modification described in and illustrated by Figs. 17 and 18 of the Specification
of my aforesaid Letters Patent, and consists in using an endless belt or chain to
work upon the pulleys or drums, which belt or chain has pins, gills, or clips upon
it to take hold of the selvage of the fabric.
Fifthly. My Invention relates to the system or mode of combining selvage
guiders described in the Specification of my aforesaid Letters Patent, or the improved
guiders herein before described with tentering machines, for producing what is
known as the "elastic finish," where cach side of the fabric being teutered moves
alternately.
My Invention consists in applying the guiders as for the simple tentering
machine, where both sides of the fabric move at the same uniform speed, but I
arrange the cloth before it comes to the guiders to pass over one or two bars or
surfaces or spreaders, one of thesebars or spreaders being at the centre of oscillation
of arms carrying the other bar, the ends of which are arranged to swivel with the
movements of cach selvage of the cloth, so that the cloth is retained in the saine
relative position to the selvage guiders.
Or the fabric after passing from a bar or spreader or roller forming the centre.
or fulcrum axis of two side arms ascends to selvage rollers, one pressed against
the other on studs in the arms and then passes to the selvage guiders.
Thus arranged the arms and the rollers carried by them oscillate with each
selvage of the fabric, the arms being weighted to pull back the levers after
each forward movement, or this may be done by mechanism worked by the
machine.
Sixthly, My Invention relates to the rails which carry and guide the chains
in tentering machines and refers to the jointed part of the rails where the cloth
first enters.
These have hitherto been made straight leaving a sharp angle at the joint
which is an obstruction to and produces unnecessary strains upon the chains, this
part of my Invention consists in forming these parts of the chain rails of
tentering machines into a gradual curvo from the joint to the entering end of
the rail.
Seventhly, My Invention relates to the chains or gill carriers of tentering.
machines which have hitherto been made of links jointed together and this chain
has been pulled along by toothed wheels, one tooth of the wheel entering into a.
hole formed in each link.
This part of my Invention consists in substituting detached links or blocks for
the jointed chains, which link, slides, blocks or gill carriers, have flat ends, which
come end to end against each other when in the guide rail, and each link or block
has a hole in it for the teeth of a wheel which enter and propel the blocks, the
block last acted upon by the wheel propels and slides along all the other blocks or
links which are in front of it in the guide rail.
The blocks or links by side projections carry the gill pins nearly in a line with
the inner side of the block or link, that is, that side of it which is nearest the
centre of the wheel or curves round which the blocks or links pass.
With this arrangement of gill carriers the drums at each end of the machine may

page_text: extend the full width of the machine, but for machines for giving the elastic
finish, the drums are made in sections.
Eighthly, The cloth as it comes from tentering machines is dry, harsh and brittle
and requires moisture to bring it to its natural condition.
This part of my Invention relates to means for imparting a uniform and equally
distributed quantity or weight of water or other fluid mixture to a given length
or weight of cloth, either as it comes from the tentering machine or at a separate
operation.
My Invention consists in arrangements of rollers placed in a frame for the cloth
to pass over, this frame is suspended on a weigh beam and counter balanced by
weight.
The fabric is fed by rollers to the rollers of the frame, and there are other rollers
to take it away from the frame, the feeding and taking away rollers are driven
at a uniform speed and arranged to put no strain, or only equal and opposite
strains upon the weighing frame.
The rollers of the weighing frame are driven by say two bevel wheels acting
upon opposite sides of a wheel in the weighing frame in gear with its rollers, so
that the forces of the driving wheels will act laterally on the frame and in opposite
directions, so that the strain upon the weigh frame produced by one driving wheel
one way is counter-balanced by the other the opposite way.
The length or weight of cloth passing through the weighing arrangement will
be known, and a weight corresponding to the quantity of fluid to be imparted to
this known quantity of cloth is added to the weigh beam, and by means of pipes
distributing water or a fluid mixture in fine spray upon the cloth passing through
the weigh frame, as much fluid is discharged upon and absorbed by the cloth as
will counter-balance the weight added to the weigh beam.
Should the beam show an increase or decrease of fluid its movement is made to
bring in or take out of action ratchet pawls, constantly reciprocating to turn a
screw tap one way or the other to regulate the supply of fluid accordingly.
This part of my Invention is or may also be accomplished by arrangements
discharging a given quantity of water upon the cloth as it passes, at a given speed,
the quantity discharged increasing and decreasing with the speed of the passing
cloth.
This is accomplished by gearing a pump with the gearing drawing the cloth
through the machine, this pump being worked by a crank, the pin of which is
adjustable to give a greater or less stroke for each revolution, thus the pump will
supply the fluid at the speed the cloth is passing.
Ninthly, My Invention consists in means and arrangements for ascertaining the
lengths of the two sides of a fabric as it passes to tentering and other machines,
and in regulating the "drag" on each side separately with the object of keeping
both sides of the same uniform length and tension, and thus also keeping the weft
threads square to the selvages, as near as possible.
For measuring, any Invention consists of two pin drums or two pairs of plain
druns one on each side, each pair adjustable to and from each other.
The edges of the fabrics being treated pass between each pair of drums which
are arranged to pinch the fabric, the drag of which in passing rotates them.
Indexes are geared with each pair of drums to record the length which passes.
The drag is regulated according to one modification by making the drag rollers
in two halves and in gearing up each half of the rollers separately.
Or by another modification the drag is effected by two rollers, the surface of one
of which is elastic to give way to the pressure of the other, the cloth passing
between the two, thus arranged a greater pressure between the rollers at one end
will give a less delivery and greater drag at that side of the fabric.
Combined with this latter inode of regulating the drag on each side of the cloth,
my Invention consists in selfacting means of regulating the pressure on the drag
rollers by moving a weight carried on a bar between two weight levers, acting to
press the rollers together, so that it will be nearer one side than the other, as way

page_text: be required, (or by acting through other suitable means) the change of position of the
weight or other mechanism being made selfacting by the difference of length
recorded by the measuring arrangements herein before mentioned which are or may
be geared with a "jack-in-a-box' or differential gearing, or each side measuring
drums drives a screw, one rotated reverse to the other, a worm wheel gearing
between the two screws, which moves along the screws one way or the other, as
one measuring apparatus exceeds the speed of the other.
Tenthly, In some cases the cloth does not require to be fed to the tentering
machine in tension, or with drag, but the reverse, and my Invention consists in
arranging the drag rollers to deliver the cloth uniformly in excess of the speed
of the chain gills, and in arranging a pin wheel or a pair of drums on each side
close to the chain to feed the fabric in a slack state to the gills, this slack being
taken up when the fabric is stretched by the gills to its full width.
The pin wheels or drums are driven at the speed required by bands or gearing
from the chain wheels.
Eleventhly, My Invention relates to clips, similar to those illustrated by Fig. 3
and Figs. 21 to 26, in the Specification of my aforesaid Letters Patent, and my
present improvements consist in making both jaws moveable by jointing them
upon the same joint pin, both jaws are brought towards each other and against
a stop in the middle position by a coiled helical spring, one end attached to one
jaw, the other end to the other jaw. Thero is an arm on the joint pin, by
moving which, by the fixed cam on the chain rails one way or the other, will
open either jaw, the spring closing the jaws, or this is assisted by cam pieces or
pulleys fixed on the chain rail which come against the jaws. Both jaws havo
overhanging gill teeth secured or cast in them.
Twelfthly, My Invention relates to a mode and arrangements for tentoring
fabrics by feeding two or more folds of cloth on to the same gill pins at the same
time, which I accomplish with the ordinary gill chain, or with gills, as according to
the seventh part of my Invention.
By this means tentering machines much shorter in length may be used.
The cloth is fed to the gills in the ordinary manner and it is allowed to pass
round two or more folds, then it is drawn off at one side of the machine.
By another modification and arrangement with gill carriers according the seventh
part of my Invention, I cause the gill carriers which are returning to cross close to
and on one side of those which are just entering and first taking the cloth,
which pass under or on a lower level than the return gill carriers, which pass half
round a wheel at one end, about a quarter round another wheel at the other end,
and nearly wholly round, the end wheel at that end.
The points of the entering gills are upwards and those of the return gills are
downwards.
When gill carriers are arranged as last described and several folds are to be
tentered upon the same pins at the same time, a pin, spur, hoop or wheel is employed
on each side on a roller to transfer the fabric from the upper down pointing gills,
to the lower up pointing gills.
The system of tentering several folds of fabric at the same time on the same gills,
is applicable when inachines are arranged to tenter several widths of fabrics side
by side in a compound machine, as described under the sixth head of my aforesaid
Specification.
Thirteenthly. My Invention relates to tentering machines for tentering several
widths of fabrics side by side, as described under the sixth head of my aforesaid
Specification, and consists in modifications to adapt that system, for producing what
is known as the "clastic "finish."
The chain rails between the two outside rails are double rails each for two
chains, or they are or may be single rails carrying links with a gill on each side.
In this latter case, the upper and lower rails are separate and are carried on
separate cross beams, with separate adjusting shafts and gearing, but each pair of
adjusting shafts are geared together.

page_text: The to and fro movement given to each side of the cloth, one side one way,
and on
the other side the other way alternately, is imparted to each chain separately by
gearing and a lever carrying wheels, which are oscillated to and from partly round
other gearing by a crank motion, the amount of which oscillation is adjustable.
The gearing is arranged to give a continuous advance to the chains except as
modified by the vibratory movement of the said lever,-carrying gearing.
But in place of this vibratory gearing, any other suitable mechanism may bo
substituted.
Combined with the mechanisin described, there is gearing for giving an oscillating
movement of variable amount to the shafts, for regulating the distance of the
chain rails apart, to cause these rails to approach to and retire from each other
twice during each single movement of the chains, to allow the fabrics to expand
and contract in accordance with the varying positions given by the operation, to
the weft threads of the fabrics being treated.