Improvements in Starching Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Starching Machines.
We, DANIEL HERBERT NEWTON Manufacturer, of Rochester, Minnesota, and
FRANK LOOMIS DARROW, Merchant, of the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, in
the United States of America do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to starching machines; and has for its object to simplify
the construction and lessen the cost of such machines, rendering them capable of
doing more work of better quality than existing machines.
The machine is especially adapte to the starching of collars and cuffs, but is
also capable of general application for starching articles of many other kinds.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, like letters in the several
views denoting like parts.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine;
Figure 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section ;
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the mountings for the wringing rollers;
and,
Figure 4 shews the bearing box used for all the rollers in the vat, except the
wringing rollers.
a a a² a³ a indicate the framework and casing of the machine, a being suitable
supporting legs, bolted to the floor b; a' the body or starch vat, a² the top, a³ the
feed table, at the one end of the machine; and at the delivery table at the other
end. The vat a¹ is preferably made with converging ends, its sides extending
above the tables a3 and a', and supporting the removable cover a³, the vat is open
at its receiving end above the feed table a³, but partly closed at the delivery end
above the table a', by a cross flange as below, and a cross plate as above, a sufficient
opening being left between for the passage of one of the aprons.
Within the vat are mounted a pair of receiving or feed rollers c c', a pair of
saturating rollers d d', a pair of wringing rollers ff, and suitable guide rollers h h';
aud on the delivery table a', a delivery roller k, mounted in bearings k¹, which are
fixed adjustably on the table a' by bolts k2, passing through slots k³. The saturating
rollers d d' are placed a little above the bottom of the vat, but below the starch
level in it.
They are preferably of polygonal form as for instance octagonal in cross section
as shewn.
The rollers c, d d', f h h and k, carry an endless apron p, and the rollers c³, d d¹
and f¹ carry another endless aprou p', these aprons p p run together, face to face,
throughout part of their travel through the vat, carrying between then the cuffs,
collars, or other articles to be starched and the lower apron p passes out through
the delivery opening and over the roller k, discharging the starched articles onto
the table a¹ or exposing on the apron, outside the vat, for removal by the attendant.
The rollers c c¹ are placed apart so as to afford a feed opening between the
aprons p pl, at the mouth of the vat; and the saturating rollers d d¹ are so placed
as to act successively on opposite sides of the aprons. All the rollers are
preferably made of tinned bronze, except the wringing rollers ff which are made
of rubber and have there journals mounted in sliding boxes held by vertical
guides the upper boxes being pressed by screws giving the wringing

page_text: rollers ffany desired pressure. The wringing rollers ff¹ are geared together by
pinions, the lower roller being driven from any suitable motor, as by a belt f' on
a pulley f
Means are provided, for circulation of steam, to keep the starch hot. This
may consist of a removable steam pan s connected to a valved steam supply pipe s',
at one end, and to a valved waste pipe s3, at the other end as shewn.
The vat is charged with starch above the level of the uppermost saturating
roller dd', of which there may be a number of pairs, one pair however arranged
substantially as shown, sufficing to do excellent work.
The aprons ppl are of flexible porous material, preferably of linen or like textile
fabric.
All the rollers in the vat, except the wringing rollers ff', are mounted in yoke-
like bearings t, as shown detached, in Figure 4, each bearing being open at one
side, but so placed, that the strain of the aprons p p', on the roller keeps the
journals in the bearings.
The rollers, so mounted can be readily removed and replaced when necessary.
The wringing rollers ff serve as the driving rollers imparting motion to the
aprons ppl and through them to the other rollers. zz Figure 1 indicate collars
entering and leaving the vat.
The collars, cuffs, or other articles, fed between the aprons p p' are conveyed
through the liquid starch which is forced through them first in the one direction by
the roller d and then in the reverse direction by d', so that the starch is forced
to and through all the insterstices of the article, thoroughly saturating it. Op
reaching the wringing rollers ff', above the starch level, the starch is squeezed
out to any desired extent, according to the pressure of the wringing rollers; the
starch thus wrung out returns into the vat, while the articles are carried out over
the delivery table a', upon the lower apron p.
The polygonal form of the saturating rollers dd is of importance in the
saturating action. Each corner between two of the faces separates the starch
bebind it from the starch in front of it thus as it were, confining the starch while
subjected to the action of the flat face of the roller, the presence of abundance of
starch being thus ensured for the pressing or saturating action of the flat faced
roller. If the roller were round, its action would be similar to that of a wringing
roller, the starch being forced backward rather than confined and squeezed through
the articles.
As the aprons have to convey motion to all the rollers except the wringing
rollers they are held tight in their forward travel while they serve as conveyor
of the articles to be starched there can therefore be no buckling or laps in the
aprons or the articles while under the starching action. If there is any slack of
the aprons this will shew itself in the return parts of their travel where it can do
no ların.
'
It will be seen that the articles are saturated with starch without any rubbing
action whatever, while they are held flat and tight, so that there is no injury or
mutilation of the fabric of the article, and no bagging or creasing of any part. As
the feed is continuous the output of the machine necessarily exceeds that of a
machine having an intermittent feed, and owing to the effective action of the
saturating rollers d d', this feed may be comparatively rapid, the only limit to
the output being the capacity of the operators to supply and remove the articles
treated. Even with a rapid feed, the articles are thoroughly starched, and
delivered free from mutilation or creases, therefore capable of a much finer finish,
when properly ironed or calendered, than articles starched by hand or by any
apparatus hitherto known. It has been found by experience that with a machine
having rollers nine inches long, and worked by hand, at the rate of fifty revolutions
of the wringing rollers per minute, twelve hundred collars or cuffs can be
thoroughly starched, per hour, the work being so perfect as not to require any
hand action whatever to complete the starching.
Machines of small size, for household use, can be worked by hand and, owing

page_text: to the rapidity or capacity of the machine, steam connections may be dispensed
with except in cases where continuous action is required for several hours at a
time.
The adjustable bearings k', serve as means of tightening the lower apron p; and,
for tightening the upper apron p', adjustable bearings may be provided for one of
the rollers cor f'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim in respect of a machine for starching collars, cuffs or other articles is :-
1. The combination with a starch vat, of a flexible conveyor consisting of a pair
of endless aprons running together face to face in part of their travel through the
vat, and two or more saturating rollers acting separately and successively on
opposite sides of the aprons and articles, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2. The combination with the starch vat, of the receiving or feed rollers c c¹, the
octagonal saturating rollers d d', the wringing rollers ff, the delivery-roller k,
and suitable guide rollers as h h', the textile fabric aprons p and pl and means for
imparting motion to said rollers and aprons, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Dated this 13th day of November 1806
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.