IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING WALL PAPER
Year: 1882

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark of the Firm of A. M. and
W. Clark of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents,
for an Invention of 'IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING WALL
PAPER." A communication from abroad by James Sayre Warren, William
Henry Fuller, and John Henry Lange, all of New York, in the County and
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th May 1882.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the Firm of A. M. and W. Clark of
53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex Patent Agents "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING WALL-PAPER." A communication from abroad by
James Sayre Warren, William Henry Fuller, and John Henry Lange all of New
York in the County and State of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturers.
The object of this Invention is to produce a machine on which wall paper or
other paper or fabric can be dried immediately after the colors have been applied
thereto. To this end the Invention consists in combining festoon carriers with
endless belts or chains and with apparatus for moving said chains and for holding
the festoon carriers in the horizontal position and with means for dropping these
carriers into vertical position when the paper that is suspended from them has been
properly dried. The entire apparatus is intended to be suspended from ceiling
brackets so as to clear the floor and keep the paper or fabric to be dried entirely
free from contact with the floor and away from the danger of being soiled by dust
or otherwise. The Invention consists also in the new arrangement of parts
hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed
wherein -
Figure 1 is a plan or top view partly in horizontal section of the improved
apparatus for drying wall paper. Figure 2 is a side view of the same. Figure 3

page_text: a vertical cross section thereof on an enlarged scale. Figure 4 is a diagram showing
how the wall paper is suspended while being dried. Figure 5 is a vertical
longitudinal section on the line c-c Figure 1.
A B and C represent three vertical shafts that are respectively hung in brackets
DE and F which are fastened to the ceiling of the room in which the machine is
to be used. But posts standing on the floor may be used instead of the brackets.
The shafts A and B carry sprocket wheels a and b respectively, around which is
laid an endless chain G so that when rotary motion is imparted to either of these
shafts by suitable means (say by pulley attached to the shaft B) the chain G will
be revolved in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1. Directly below the
wheel b is loosely fitted around the shaft B another sprocket wheel d, and on the
shaft C is fitted a sprocket wheel e and around these two wheels d and e is laid
another endless chain H which when rotary notion is imparted to the wheel d by a
pulley or otherwise, as indicated in Figure 5, will cause the belt or chain H to
revolve in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 1. The chains G and H
have outwardly projecting buttons or lugs g and h respectively which are intended
to move the festoon carriers I. These festoon carriers are rods of wood or other
material more clearly shown in larger size in Figure 3, every such rod being
attached to a block i that is hollowed out on its lower side to fit over a rod j that is
rigidly attached to the brackets D E F by means of braces j* springing therefrom,
as is more clearly shown in Figure 3. The rod jis preferably a tube so as to be
light, but may be a solid rod of circular cross section. The braces j* are also pro-
vided with outwardly projecting arms that carry another guide rod on which
the festoon carriers I rest during their motion. The carrying rod j is an endless
rod extending around the wheel a and around the wheel e and straight along the
sides of the apparatus as is clearly shown in Figure 1, so that the festoon carriers
may be moved continuously by the chains G and H around the whole apparatus.
The chain G is between the wheels a and b guided in the straight direction if
desired and supported on the beams m that are rigidly suspended from the
brackets D and E, said beams having upwardly projecting ribs n (see Figure 3) for
further guidance of the chain. The blocks i of the festoon carriers extend down
far enough to be within reach of the projections g of the chain G and of the
projections of the chain H as is indicated on the left hand side of Figure 3. The
chain G is in practice very much longer than the chain H, and Figure 1 shows the
parts partly broken away at o to indicate that the chain G and all the appur-
tenances are much longer in fact than they are represented to be, whereas the chain
H is not broken away in said Figure. In fact, in practice, the distance between
the shafts B and C will be about 12 feet, while the distance between the
shafts A and B will be about 35 or 40 feet, or more. The outer supporting rod
is not continuous but begins at a point p opposite or nearly opposite the pulley e,
and ends at the point q opposite or nearly opposite the pulley b. Whenever the
chain H moving in the direction of the arrow which is shown in Figure 1, pushes
one of the blocks i as far as the end p of the rod 1, the attendant swings the
carrier I up into a horizontal position so as to rest it upon the rod l, or said festoon
carrier may be lifted upon the rod by a stationary cam or inclined plane so as to
dispense with the services of an attendant. The chain H has its lugs or projections h
much farther apart than are the lugs g of the chain G and it follows that the
festoon carriers I, while they are moved by the chain H, are farther apart than are
the festoon carriers while moved by the chain G which is clearly indicated by the
respective positions of the festoon carriers in Figure 1. Now, as is shown in
Figure 4, the paper to be dried is taken from the printing apparatus and placed
over the festoon carriers I whilst the same are under the influence of the chain H,
that is to say, while they are far apart, thus holding the paper in larger festoons
while it is still quite wet, but by the time that the festoon carriers are taken along
by the chain G and brought more closely together, as shown on the right hand side
of Figure 4, the paper has already been sufficiently dried to allow of the contraction
of the festoons, as indicated in the same Figure, and it is then carried along by the

page_text: festoon carriers under the influence of the chain G until the paper has been quite
dried, when it will be delivered to receiving rollers on the dropping of the carriers
off the rod at the point q.
It is evident that many features of the Invention can be utilised by the use of
but a single chain G, and also that more than two chains can be combined on the
plan described with the same series of festoon carriers.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent
is.
1st. In an apparatus for drying paper or other fabric, the travelling festoon
carriers I. I. combined with the guiding rail j and with one or more moving chains
GH and supporting rail substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The combination of the beams m, brackets jx, extensions k with the rail j,
supporting rail l, festoon carriers I and their blocks i, and with one or more chains
for moving the festoon carriers substantially as specified.
3rd. The apparatus for drying paper or other fabric consisting of series of
travelling festoon carriers which are combined with the supporting rail to be
dropped automatically when they reach the end of said rail, substantially as
specified.
4th. The combination of the chain G having closely set projections g with the
chain H having more widely set projections h, and with the festoon carriers I and
apparatus for supporting the same, substantially as herein shown and described.
5th. The festoon carrier I adapted to be moved by belt or chain and combined
with the round rod j on which it can slide and swing into vertical and into
horizontal position-substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof I the said Alexander Melville Clark have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, A.D. 1882.
AT DIZ