IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOTH STRETCHING AND CALENDERING MACHINERY
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOTH STRETCHING AND CALENDERING MACHINERY." A
communication from abroad by Charles Antiel Luther, of Pawtucket, Rhode
Island, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th April 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of -Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLOTH STRETCHING AND
CALENDERING-MACHINERY." (A communication from abroad by Charles Antiel
Luther, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States of America.
"
The machine hereinafter described belongs to that class of rotary cylindrical cloth
stretching or spreading machines which are furnished with parallel sets of stretchers
made up of "lags or short blocks having roughened or ratchet faces, and linked
together in longitudinal rows for taking hold upon a piece of cloth to be stretched
or spread transversely. These linked stretchers are arranged around the central
longitudinal. shaft or axis of the series of revolving stretchers, with the two end
blocks of each row in combination with circular guides or cams grooved upon their
peripheries and set opposite each other near the ends of the machine so as to occupy
converging planes which intersect diagonally the longitudinal axis of the central
shaft. The office of the said grooved guides or cams is to impart a lateral movement
to the respective rows of linked stretchers as the series of stretchers is revolved,
and by gradually extending each row in length from the minimum to the maximum
distance between the planes occupied by the said circular cams stretch the piece of
cloth in a transverse direction to the same extent as it travels along.
The novel characteristic of the said machine which distinguishes it from previous
machines of the class above specified is that the circular guides or cams which are
inclined toward each other for the purposes described, and which are always
required to be so mounted that the angle of their divergence may be varied to
properly stretch fabrics of different textures, are arranged to be vibrated for the
purpose of being adjusted in position upon pivots which are located in a plane

page_text: radial to the axis of the central shaft or stretcher-cylinder, and substantially at
the end of a radius of each cam respectively.
Heretofore the said guides or cams governing the movements longitudinally of
the rows of linked stretchers have been arranged to be vibrated for adjustment
upon pivots located at or near the axis of their central shaft, or so far within the
length of the radius of such cains that any change in the angle of divergence of
their planes necessarily varied the distance between their points of nearest approach,
and required the cams to be readjusted in a longitudinal direction relatively to cach
other to preserve a proper relation of the stretchers at the placo where the roll of
cloth to be spread is taken upon the machine.
Instances of such pre-existing machines will be found in the Specifications of
Letters Patent, No. 7655, A.D. 1838; No. 509, A.D. 1854; and No. 1317,
A.D. 1865.
This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a top view of the device.
Figure 2 is a side elevation having part of the exterior removed to shew interior
mechanism, and
Figure 3 is a vertical section lengthwise of the stretching-cylinder.
a represents the main shaft, on which are the centre boxes c, c, as shewn in
Figure 3. These centre-boxes are each furnished with two exterior trunnions
which fit into trunnion-rests in the interior of the adjustable guides or cams, and
which support the said cams and steady them when in operation.
These centre-
boxes are combined with the shaft by means of a spline, and are allowed a limited
sliding motion on said shaft to accommodate the variable relative position of the
adjustable guides or cams when the changes are made, as hereinafter described.
The said cams are composed of the two outer sides or discs d, e, the peculiar shape
of each of which, as well as the shape of the chambered ring hereinafter specified,
being more plainly illustrated in Figure 3.
The parts d, e, are firmly bolted together, and hold between them a superficially
chambered ring f, which fits into and is intended to revolve in the hollowed
periphery of the jointed sides d, e, as shewn in Figure 3.
Attached to each end of the shaft a is an angular arm g, the longer end of which
supports and firmly holds in place the bar h. The opposite end of this bar termi-
nates in a pivotal block i resting in a double curvilinear attachment k projecting
from the outer sides. This pivotal block i is the fulcrum on which the cam is
made to oscillate whenever a change of its position is effected, as hereinafter
described.
The parts forming the cam, as seen at d, e, are cast with a chamber, in which is
placed a smaller pivotal block m. The shorter projection of the arm g holds one
end of the threaded bolt or screw 2, the other end of which passes into and through
the said pivotal block m. By the operation of this screw and its connections the
adjustability of these parts is rendered available. The outer end of the screw
is furnished with shoulders on either side of the short projection of the arm g, as
seen in Figure 3, and has a nut shaped termination by which the said screw may
be operated.
The exterior of the machine consists of the ratcheted longitudinal strips or lags
n, n, which are supported by longitudinal bars o, o, extending between and con-
necting the outer circular rests p, p. Although only two of these sliding ratcheted
strips are shewn in the Drawings, yet the entire peripheries of the circular rests p, p,
and the space between them will be covered by these sliding lags in a completed
machine, the remaining strips being omitted from the Drawings in order to better
exhibit the mechanism and construction of the other parts of the device.
The parts n, n, are divided into sections, as seen in Figures 1 and 3, and these
sections are linked together by metallic rods or wires, as shewn, there being
sufficient play of each section upon its respective link to permit the sections to be
separated or spread apart, as shown at the upper part of Figures 1 and 3, and
afterward to be drawn together, as shewn at the lower part of the same Figures.
.

page_text: Each longitudinal row of sections in this instance is divided at the middle line, and
one half of such row is under the control of one of the cams or guides, and the
other half is under the control of the other fellow cam or guide. The outermost
of these sections 7, 7, bave a lug a projecting inwardly therefrom into a chamber in
the ring f, in which it is secured by the transverse pin or shaft t, and on which pin
or shaft it may have the rocking motion required by the changing positions of the
sections aforesaid.
Each of the Figures in the Drawings shew the guides or cams set in position
for use, their lines of divergence commencing at the line where the sliding strips n
receive the cloth to be stretched or the material to bo finished, and which is the
line of their nearest approach. Their lines of rotation then commence to diverge,
while the cloth or material remains in contact with the machine, and as soon as the
cloth leaves the stretcher the rotary lines of these cams will converge during the
remainder of their revolution.
In the form of the device herein shewn and described the shaft a and the jointed
parts of the cam d, e, are designed to be stationary, while the circular rests p, p,
and the sectional ratcheted strips aforesaid have a positive motion imparted to
them by the passage of the cloth, or otherwise by direct application of power, as
may be preferred. This positive motion of the lags n, n, coupled with the pro-
jecting lug 8, necessarily revolves the chambered ring f in the hollowed periphery
of the parts d, e, of the said cam. The combination of the said lags n, n, and lug 8
with the aforesaid chambered ring causes a gradual but inevitable spreading apart
of the said sections, and produces a consequent stretch of the cloth proportionate in
degree to the previous adjustment or setting of said cams or guides.
Whenever any change is desired in the position of the said cams to adapt the
machine to different kinds and grades of goods, the threaded bolt or screw must
be turned to the right or left, and the line of deflection of said cams will be imme-
diately increased or decreased. In effecting theso changes of position the cams are
made to oscillate on the trunnions projecting from the centre-blocks c. The proper
position of the fulcrum pivot i is obtained when the line of the bar h, if extended,
will pass through the ball-shaped end of the lug 8, as the latter in its revolution
comes opposite the end of said bar, accuracy in this particular being necessary
in order that the lags or sectional strips n may be always brought around to and
start from the saine point, whatever the angle at which the cams may be set. At
this starting-point the sections will have been all drawn together, but not tightly,
and will always have precisely the same position relatively to each other, for the
reason that the central longitudinal line of the section in that position will lie in
the same plane which passes through the line between the points of nearest
approach of the cams or guides respectively, and this line is fixed in its length
because it is the distance between the fixed pivotal points upon which the guides
or cams must vibrate when the angle of their divergence is to be changed.
Changes in the angles of inclination of the planes of the guides or cams relatively
to the central longitudinal axis of the stretching-cylinder may be made while the
machine is in operation, and the cam at one end may be changed without reference
to the other, as desired, to meet any irregularities in the manufacture or finish of
the goods. The said machine is thus adapted to the stretching and finishing of
coarse nettings, and similar grades of goods, the variable textures and diagonal
irregularities of the patterns being humored and corrected by means of the adjusta-
bility of the paris as above described. These changes are also made without loss
of time or derangement of construction, and are so easily and readily performed
that the finest cambrics and coarsest nettings may be successively finished upon the
same machine without material interruption.
The construction of the said machine may be so varied so as to have a rotary
instead of a stationary shaft without materially affecting the principle or manner
of constructing the adjustable cams aforesaid.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood

page_text: that I am aware that the sectional lags n, and the manner of linking them together,
as well as the manner of supporting them upon longitudinal bars running between
the circular rests p, p, are not new, I therefore do not claim these devices separately,
but I claim,―
First. The combination, substantially as above set forth, of the series of stretcher-
blocks and the adjustable cams or guides pivotted on fixed fulcrums located in a
plane radial to the axis of the stretcher cylinder, and at or near the end of a radius
of the cams or guides.
Second. The combination, substantially as above set forth, of the adjustable cams
or guides having fixed fulcrums near their peripheries, a revolving chambered ring
appropriate to each cam, and the series of linked stretcher-blocks.
Third. The combination, substantially as above set forth, of the adjustable cams
or guides, the fixed fulcrum-supports or pivots for the cams located near their
peripheries, and suitable devices for adjusting the cams to their proper planes of
divergence.
Fourth. The combination of the adjustable cams or guides, the central shaft, and
the radial arms fixed to the shaft for cach cam, and furnished with means whereby
the two ends of each of the said arins are hinge-jointed to the sides of the cams,
substantially as set forth.
•
Fifth. The combination of the adjustable cams or guides constructed with
interior chambers, pivotal blocks set in such chambers, radial arms fixed to the
central shaft, and adjusting-screws connecting the said arms with the pivotal
blocks for adjusting the planes which the said cams or guides shall occupy, substan-
tially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal' this Thirteenth day of Anzil in the wear of our Lord One