Improvements in Machines for Painting Fabrics.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd June, 1895--Accepted, 31st Aug. 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Painting Fabrics.
We,
EDWIN ARMITAGE, of 66 Macdonald Avenue, in the City of Toronto, in
the County of York, and Province of Ontario, Canada, Manufacturer, THOMAS
MCINTOSH, of 209 Yonge Street, in the said City of Toronto Merchant, and
MERCER JONES ADAMS, of 39 Grosvenor Street, in the said City of Toronto,
Gentleman, 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 :-
The object of the invention is to devise a machine for applying color to window
shade fabrics, and it consists, essentially, of a machine comprising a color tank, an
adjustable journaled double scraper, feed rollers and feed disks, and means for
conveying the painted fabrics into loops on drying frames, the whole being con-
structed in detail substantially as hereinbefore more particularly described.
Figure 1, is a perspective view of the machine.
Figure 2, is a perspective view showing a portion of one drying rack.
Figure 3. is a detail of the means for imparting an endwise motion to the
brushes.
In the drawings, like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the
different figures.
A, is the main frame of the machine, suitably shaped to carry the different parts,
and braced together by stays B.
C, is the roll of fabric, the roller of which is journaled on brackets D formed on
or connected to the rear of the machine.
E, is a color tank having a roller F journaled in the bottom thereof.
F¹ are a pair of flanged wooden rollers or agitators journaled on each side of the
roller F. These flanged rollers have sprocket wheels F" connected to their spindles
at one end.
Above the tank E is journaled the adjustable scraper G. This scraper is formed
of two heads a having trunnions b thereon, journaled on the main frame of the
machine. These heads are connected by ribbed side pieces c to which the scraping
blades d are secured by screws or bolts. To one or both trunnions b, an arm e is
connected, through the end of which a pin ƒ passes, which pin fits into any one of a
series of holes formed in the frame of the machine. From this construction it
follows that the double scraper may be set and held at any angle necessary to give
the required tension on the fabric passing through the machine.
H, are a pair of brushes having grooved pulleys I, I', connected to their spindles
(as shown in dotted lines) on the near side of the machine. It will be noticed that
the spindles of these brushes are set in adjustable slide bearings on the main frame
of the machine so that they may be set closer together or farther apart as may be
necessary. As these slide bearings are of ordinary well understood construction, a
further detailed description of them is unnecessary.
I is a grooved tightener pulley adjustably supported as shown.
In Fig. 3 is shown in detail the arrangement by which a slight end wise motion is
imparted to the brushes H.
rare grooved cams connected to the ends of the spindles of the brushes. Pins &
connected to the frame of the machine project into these grooves. In consequence
of this connection, as the brushes revolve, they are moved transversely backwards
and forwards.

page_text: Any other mechanism for the above-mentioned purpose will, however, answer the-
purpose of my invention.
J is a feed roller journaled at the top of the machine.
J' are disks fast on a shaft set in slide bearings similar to those used for the
brushes H, so that they may be made to grip the selvage of the fabric passing round
the feed roller as tightly as may be desired.
Lis a gear pinion meshing with the gear wheel K on the spindle of the feed
roller J. This pinion runs loosely on the shaft M, and when the machine is in use,
is rigidly connected with a driving pulley. This driving pulley and a corresponding
loose pulley are omitted from the drawing (Fig. 1) for the sake of showing more
clearly the parts behind.
O, is a shaft journaled in hangers O¹ pivoted as shown on the frame of the machine.
These hangers are retained in position by the bolts O" which pass through slots in
the hangers, and have nuts screwed thereon, as shown. On the far end of this shaft
is a pulley P, connected by a belt to the pulley Q, on the far end of the spindle of
the feed roller J.
R, are a pair of sprocket wheels (shown in dotted lines) at opposite ends of the
shaft O, inside its bearings.
S, is a shaft (partly broken away in the drawing) journaled on the frame of the
machine, as shown, and carrying on its far end a pulley U which is connected by a
bol to the pulley V on the far end of the spindle of the feed roller J. The shaft S
also carries a pinion W, meshing with the gear wheel g, on the shaft h, which is
also journaled on the main frame of the machine.
i are a pair of sprocket wheels (shown in dotted lines) on the shaft h inside its
bearings.
T is a sprocket wheel on the shaft S. A sprocket chain, as shown, passes round
this sprocket wheel and thence round the sprocket wheels on the spindles of the
flanged rollers F¹.
To the far end of the shaft M, a sprocket wheel M' is connected, from which is
driven by a sprocket chain a sprocket wheel M" on the far end of the shaft D',
suitably journaled on the frame of the machine. On the near end of this shaft is a
grooved pulley D".
His a rope passing round the pulley D", thence under and around the tightener
pulley 1, thence up and around the grooved pulley 1, thence under and around the
grooved pulley !', and thence back to the grooved pulley D".
In Fig. 2, j is a portion of the drying rack having loosely journaled_on
spindles at its opposite sides the two pairs of sprocket wheels k and l. The
sprocket wheels 1, are connected by sprocket chains m with the sprocket
wheels R. These chains have two lugs n, connected thereto at equal distances
apart.
o are sprocket chains passing round the pair of sprocket wheels i over the pair of
sprocket wheels k, thence round a similar pair of sprocket wheels.k' at the far end
of the drying rack.
p, are guide rails for the chains v. These rails also serve to support the loops of
drying fabric, as hereinafter more particularly explained.
Having now described the construction of the invention, we will now briefly
describe its operation-
The fabric on the roll C, is passed, as shown, by a single line C¹ under the
roller F; thence over one blade of the scraper G, and under the other; thence
between the brushes H, and the roller J and disks J. This roller being made to
grip the fabric tightly at its selvage by the disks J', serves to draw it through the
machine. From this roller the fabric drops down and is carried over towards the
drying rack by a stick 9 placed by an attendant against the lugs n.
When this
stick has been carried over to the drying rack j, it passes onto the chains o, and is
slowly carried along the rack. Meanwhile the fabric has been dropping in a loop
behind the stick q, and is caught by a second stick q placed in front of the second
pair of lugs n, so that another loop is carried forward and deposited on the drying

page_text: rack, to be carried along it by the chains O. So the process goes on till the
rack is full of the looped fabric; when this occurs, the chains are disconnected
and the machine is slid along its track in front of another drying rack similar
to j.
The arrangement of the adjustable double scraper G. is very important; as may
be seen from the construction, it scrapes both sides of the fabric at once, and that
by revolving it on its hearings, in the direction indicated by arrow, a greater tension
will be put upon the goods, so that more of the coloring is scraped off, or that by
revolving it in the reverse direction, the tension is decreased and a thicker coating
of color is allowed to remain on the fabric. By this means the coloring of the fabric
may be regulated with very great nicety. The brushes H give to the colored fabric
a hand-painted appearance which is sought after by some dealers, but these may be
used or not, as is considered desirable.
Although it is preferred to use disks J' to grip only the selvage of the fabric, it
will be of course understood that a continuous roller would be an equivalent and
would answer nearly as well, although the latter would be more liable to pick off
the paint from the fabric.
The use of the mechanical means for looping the fabric on the drying racks,
effects a great saving of time and labor, and is a valuable feature in the
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what is
claimed is:-
1. In a machine for painting fabrics, feed rollers and disks; a color tank; and
means for guiding the fabric through the color tank; in combination with a double
scraper located above the said color tank and arranged to scrape both sides of the
fabric, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a machine for painting fabrics, feed rollers and disks; a color tank;
and means for guiding the fabric through the color tank, in combination with
a double adjustable journaled scraper located above the said color tank and
arranged to scrape both sides of the fabric, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
3. In a machine for painting fabrics, a scraper comprising the following
elements-heads journaled in the frame of the machine; side pieces rigidly
connecting the said heads, and scraping blades formed on or connected to the said
side pieces, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a machine for painting fabrics, the combination of a color tank; means for
guiding the fabric through the color tank; a double scraper located above the said
color tank; a pair of revolving brushes; feed rollers and feed disks; and means for
imparting motion to said brushes and rollers, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
5. In a machine for painting fabrics, the combination of a color tank; means for
guiding the fabric through the color tank; a double scraper located above the said
color tank; a pair of adjustable revolving brushes; a feed roller and adjustable feed
disks; and means for imparting motion to said brushes and rollers, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
6. In a machine for painting fabrics, the combination of a color tank; means for
guiding the fabric through the color tank; a double scraper located above the said
color tank; a pair of transversely movable adjustable revolving brushes; a feed
roller and feed disks; and means for imparting motion to said brushes and rollers,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
7. In a machine for painting fabrics, two carrier chains, in combination with two
looping chains; one or more sticks carried by said looping chains; and means
for carrying and driving said chains, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
8. In a machine for painting fabrics, the combination of two pairs of sprocket

page_text: wheels and l, carried by the drying racks j; two pairs of sprocket wheels i and R,
carried by the main frame A; two chains m, supported on the rack j; the chains o,
adapted to carry one or sticks q, and means for imparting motion to the said sprocket
wheels and chains, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
9. In a machine for painting fabrics, a scraper comprising the following elements:―
heads a; trunnions b, connected to the said heads and journaled in the frame of the
machine; side pieces c, rigidly connecting the said heads; scraping blades formed
on or connected to the said side pieces; an arm e, connected to one of the said
trunnions and provided with a pin adapted to enter any one of a series of holes in
the frame of the machine, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
10. In a machine for painting fabrics, the combination of a color tank, means for
guiding the fabric through the color tank; a double scraper located above the said
color tank; a pair of feed rollers; two looping chains; lugs on the said looping
chains two carrying chains; a drying rack, and means for supporting and giving
motion to the several parts, substantiaily as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 22nd day of June 1895.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.