IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING FABRICS
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I ROBERT JAMES WALKER of Philadelphia Pennsylvania United States of
America Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for “IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING FABRICS" and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My Invention consists of mechanism for removing from the surfaces of fabrics
the superfluous fibres and small lumps, and at the same time agitating and
cleansing the fabric prior to the starching and calendering, the mechanism causing
the fabric to traverse under tension in contact with the rectangular edges of blades
of a rapidly revolving roller or rollers, and the object being to effectually trim the
surfaces of the fabric without injuring the same, and this with much less expensive
appliances than have been heretofore used for the purpose.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional diagram illustrating the
main feature of my Invention.
Figure 2 an exagerated diagram for the same purpose.
Figure 3 a side view of the machine by which my Invention is carried into effect.
Figure 4, a vertical section on the line 1-2 Figure 5.
Figure, 5, a vertical section on the line 3-4 Figure 4.
Figure 6, a sectional perspective view of one of the bladed rollers and
Figure 7, a view representing a modification of my Invention.
In the dressing of fabrics, one of the essential operations is to remove from their
surfaces the superfluous projecting fibres and small lumps-This has been done in
the case of cotton fabrics by singeing, but more recently by shearing machines in
which the fabric is traversed in contact with a sharp edged ledger blade against
which the fibres are struck.
I have found that more satisfactory results can be attained by dispensing with
sharp-edged cutting blades, and causing the fabric to traverse under tension against
the rectangular edges of blades on a rapidly revolving cylinder, as shewn in.
Figure 1 in which A is the cylinder revolving in the direction of the arrow and
a the blades, the fabric x which is under more or less tension being traversed in
contact with the edges of the blades.
I have applied the terms "rectangular edges" to the blades because the edge b
of each blade presents a flat surface at right angles or nearly so, to the sides a d,

page_text: :
as will be best understood by reference to the exaggerated view Figure 2, the
corner e where the side of the blade meets the edge performing the duty of
cutting off the projecting fibres and small lumps from the surface of the fabric and
this it does effectually, owing to the great speed of the cylinder, and without injury
to the texture of the fabric for this is prevented by the flat edges of the blades
against which the fabric under tension is brought to bear.
In addition to this trimming. of the surface of the fabric, the blades have a
tendency to agitate it and to thereby expel from the interstices such foreign
particles as may have become lodged therein.
To keep the blades in proper order, all that is necessary is to draw-file them
from time to time in order to keep the corners e in a sharp condition.
In carrying out my Invention, I prefer to use a number of rollers having
rectangular edged blades-four such rollers. A, A¹ A³ and A³ being shown in the
machine illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5-The shafts P of the rollers have their
bearings in standards B. B' erected on the base frame D, on which is also built a
box E forming part of the frame, and inclosing the rollers, so as to prevent the
dissemination of the lint throughout the room in which, the machine is situated,
the box being provided with suitable doors 2, 2, so that access may be had to the
rollers when necessary.
The fabric (Figure 4) passes under a tension bar f over a tension bar f' under
a bar g thence upward through a slot 6 in the bottom of the box E, then takes a
zigzag course in contact with the blades of the four rollers so that both sides of the
fabric will be acted on thence between the drawing rollers G and H and thence
over the roller I,to the portable receptacle, where it is deposited in folds as usual
in macliines of this class.
Σ
The tension bars f, f¹ are secured at each end to carriers h which are pivoted at i
to the frame or to any suitable attachment thereto and to one of the carriers is
secured an arm j, by operating which more or less tension may be imparted to the
fabric. It should be here understood however, that in carrying out my Invention
I do not desire to restrict myself to this special tension device.
The shaft of the lower drawing roller G is adapted to fixed bearings on the
frame of the machine but the shaft of the upper roller H has its bearings in a
frame J which is pivoted at m to the main frame and to which if necessary, may
be added weights for causing the roller H to bear with more or less pressure on
the fabric, so as to insure proper traction for which purpose other well known
mechanical appliances may be adopted.
A driving shaft K has its bearings on the frame of the machine and round a
pulley n on this shaft passes a belt p extending over a pulley q on the shaft of the
highest of the rollers A the belt traversing in contact with the pulleys q of the
other rollers and round a roller t to the said driving pulley. A belt n indicated by
dotted lines in Figure 3, passes round a pulley L on the driving shaft K, and round
a pulley 3 on the shaft of the roller G and a belt v passes round another pulley 3ª
similar to the pulley 3 and on the same shaft therewith and round a pulley.4 on
the shaft of the roller I. .
While other systems of belting may be adopted for driving the rotating parts of
the machine, I prefer that just described, as it has proved to be efficient in practice.
The several pulleys revolve and the belts traverse in the direction's pointed out
by their arrows.
In treating some kinds of fabric it is advisable, before the fabric is subjected to
the action of the bladed rollers, to raise or loosen burrs, sticks, or other foreign
matters that may be in the yarn-For this purpose I use two card or brush
rollers N, N2 the shafts of which have their bearings in the base frame D of the
machine.
When these rollers are used, the fabric will take the course indicated by dotted"
lines in Figure 4, and the driving belt will take the course shown by dotted lines
in Figure 3, that is round a pulley t' on the shaft of the lower roller N and thence
round the above mentioned pulley t on the shaft of the upper roller N.

page_text: The bladed rollers are preferably made in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 6.
The metal cylinder or roller A is grooved for the reception of the blades against
which the metal of the cylinder is caulked, and the blades are at each end confined
within the flanges of a disk w secured to the shaft P.
I prefer to make the intermediate bladed rollers A¹ and A² of the series laterally
adjustable for in trimming some fabrics it is advisable that they should not have
as extended a bearing against the blades of the rollers as other fabrics; for this
purpose, the shafts of the rollers A1 and A2 may be adapted to ordinary adjustable
bearings, but I prefer to hang these rollers to carriers W Figure 7 which are
pivoted at Z to the frame of the machine one of these carriers being provided with
an arm Z', by adjusting which the two intermediate rollers may be brought more
or less out of vertical line with the highest and lowest rollers.
There may be but three bladed rollers the middle one only of which is adjustable
laterally or there may be more than four rollers, the shafts of the highest and
lowest being in fixed bearings, and those of the intermediate rollers in adjustable
bearings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The combination, in a machine, of the following elements, namely: first, a
roller or series of rollers having blades with rectangular edges, and mechanism for
rapidly rotating the roller, or rollers; second, guides for directing fabric to the said.
roiler or rollers; third, drawing rollers for traversing the fabric; and fourth a
tension device by which the fabric is caused to bear with more or less pressure
against the blades of the rollers, all substantially as described.
2nd The combination of a series of bladed rollers, with mechanism for laterally
adjusting an intermediate roller or rollers of the series substantially as specified.
3rd The combination of a series of bladed rolles and card or brush rollers with
mechanism for causing the fabric to pass first in contact with the card rollers and
then in contact with the bladed rollers substantially as setforth.
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