Improvements in Stentering or Stretching Machines for Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stentering or Stretching Machines for Textile
Fabrics.
We, SIR JAMES FARMER AND SONS LIMITED, of the Adelphi Works, Salford,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, and JOHN SPENLÉ, of the same address,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention relates particularly to stentering machines in which the selvedges
of the fabric are carried by clips or pins on travelling chains, and the chief object
of the invention is, in the case of clip chains, to facilitate the entrance of the fabric
into the clips; and in order to prevent the clips taking hold of any portion but the
selvedge of the fabric, in clip or pin stentering machines, we employ a pair of
short check or auxiliary chains which are equally applicable to machines with
vertical as well as with horizontal chains.
In applying the improvements to a clip stentering machine with vertical clip
chains we fit upon these chains the ordinary slotted plates and clips of an
improved construction the upper part of which can be pushed back by suitable
guides out of the way of the fabric at the point required, namely where the
fabric enters the machine so as to allow the fabric to readily enter between the jaws
of the clips and other guides or springs or weights to move the clips back into their
working position ready to grip the fabric. On the check chains are cast arms to
each of which are pivoted feelers and to these feelers are connected by link joints,
or equivalents fingers or catches which at certain times hold the gripping jaws out
of action.
In operation the check chains which carry teeth are driven at the same surface
speed, preferably by recesses in the clip chains or vice versa ; when the fabric is fed
into the machine its edges cover the slots in the clip chains and thereby support the
feelers on the check chains, the fingers or catches on the feelers fall over the
gripping jaws on the clip chains and hold them clear of the fabric until by
the divergence of the clip chains the fabric moves away from some of the slots
when the feelers fall into the slots thus exposed and thereby move one end of
the fingers or catches which release the corresponding gripping jaws and allow
their extremities to close upon and grip the selvedge which selvedge. they
continue to hold until released where the fabric passes out of the machine. The
check chains pass away from the clip chains after the grippers have taken hold of
the selvedges of the fabric and return again so bringing fresh catches on to the
gripping jaws of the clip chains until the fabric exposes the slots.
In a horizontal clip chain machine the movable jaws on the clips would be
pivoted to rigid arms in place of to movable arms but the check chains would be
employed as described.
In pin stentering machines we attach to the main or pin chains slotted plates, the
upper surfaces of which stand above the pins; to the arms on the check chains are
pivoted the feelers to which are fastened spring or other arms which carry a rubber
pad, stiff brush, or comb, so that when the fabric exposes some of the slots the
feelers fall and the spring arms bring the rubber pads, brushes, or combs, on to the
selvedge and drive it on to the pin or pins.
Dated this 27th day of February 1894
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Stentering or Stretching Machines for Textile
Fabrics.
We, SIR JAMES FARMER AND SONS LIMITED, of the Adelphi Works, Salford,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineers, and JOHN SPENLE, of the same address,
Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates particularly to stentering machines in which the selvedges
of the fabric are carried by clips or pins on travelling chains or on revolving wheels
or drums and the chief object of the invention is, in the case of clip stentering
machines, to facilitate the entrance of the fabric into the clips; and in order to
prevent the clips taking hold of any portion but the selvedge of the fabric, in clip
or pin stentering machines we employ a pair of short check or auxiliary chains
which are equally applicable to machines with vertical as well as with horizontal
chains.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will describe the accompanying three sheets of drawings reference
being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the front or entering end of a
return clip stentering machine with vertical clip chains made according to our
invention.
Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of one link of the clip chain with our improved
clip when open, viz., on its return to the entrance end of the machine. Fig. 4
represents the same with the link on the upper side of the carrier wheel ready for
the admission of cloth into the clip, and in dotted lines the clip is shown in a
different position, viz., after the cloth has entered the clip.
Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of the clip after the link has passed beyond the
carrier wheel, one link of a check chain being shown in connection with the clip
which is still open. Fig. 6 is a front view of Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 is a plan view of
Fig. 6. Fig. 8 represents the clip and the check chain with the clip closed upon
the selvedge of the fabric. Fig. 9 is a sectional side view of the clip still gripping
the fabric after the check chain has passed away from the clip chain.
Fig. 10 is a sectional side elevation of a link of a pin stentering machine,
Fig. 11 is a similar view to Fig. 10 but showing also a link of a check chain
supported by the fabric. Fig. 12 is a front view of Fig. 11.
Fig. 13 shows the fabric held upon the pins in the pin chain, and Fig. 14 is a
plan view of Fig. 13. Fig. 15 represents means for raising the feelers of the check
chain out of the slots in the pin chain to release them.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a represents the fixed side frames of the stentering machine,
bb the movable angular frames pivoted to parallel adjustable frames c c at c', these
movable frames have ledges 6' along which the links of the stentering chains d
travel. The usual screws e side shaft ƒ and gears for any other convenient
means are employed for adjusting the position of the frames b and c according to
the width of the fabric to be treated. On the driving shaft 9 are fast and loose
pulleys gg and a pinion g² which gears into a wheel h on a shaft h¹ that carries
chain wheels 2 h² for giving motion to the clip chains d.
On referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the clip chains pass from their driving
chain wheels h² h² to the under side of wheels ³ ³ supported in bearings on the
frames bb; these frames also support brackets jj on which are mounted guide
wheels jj around which the check chains n pass. The links of the check chains n
have teeth or projections which fit into corresponding recesses in the links of the
clip chains and so the check chains are caused to travel at exactly the same surface

page_text: speed as the clip chains. The function of the check chains n is to ensure that the
clips on the clip chains grip the fabric at the selvedges only, and to effect this
purpose short check chains suffice for any length or size of stentering machine.
projecting piece l¹.
By referring to the detail views, Figs. 3 to 9, inclusive, it will be seen that each
clip chain & consists of links d' with a pair of side arms d to which are secured the
usual slotted plate d³; to the arms d' is pivoted at d' a swinging frame k with a
projection and to the frame k is pivoted at a gripping jaw which has a
Fig. 3 represents our improved clip open as it comes upon the under side of the
wheel, see Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 shows the link after it has travelled to the upper
side of the wheel h³ the piece k' resting upon a flange of the wheel and holding the
jaw and its carrying frame k back so as to expose the slotted plate d³ and permit
the selvedge of the fabric to be brought readily over the slots. A curved guide m
fixed to the machine frame bears lightly against the projection land as the chain
travels forward beyond the wheel h³ the jaw is gradually moved by the said guide
into the position shown in dotted lines (Fig. 4) the jaw resting above the fabric on
the slotted plate d³.
In Fig. 5 a link of the check chain n is shown after it has come into gear with a
link of the clip chain d, the arms d² of which are supported as usual by the ledge 61
on the frame whereby the slotted plate d³ is held and guided in a horizor.cal
position. Each link of the check chain n carries an arm n¹ to which is pivoted
at n² a lever o with a projection o¹ at one end and at the other a hook of which
supports a pair of feelers p. These feelers p are pivoted to the arm n¹ at n³ and as
shown rest upon the fabric on the plate d³ whilst the projection o¹ is latched against
the projection and supports the parts in the position shown when the links pass
beyond the guide m. The clip chains guided by the frames b gradually recede
sideways from the fabric as the width apart of the frames & increases, and as this
spreading action of the clip chains takes place the selvedges of the fabric leave the
slots in the plates d³ and the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 8 where the
feelers p have dropped into the slots in 3 and moved the end o2 of the lever o
sufficiently to raise the end o¹ and unlatch the piece and allow the jaw to fall
upon and grip the selvedge of the fabric. When this has been done the check
chain n leaves the clip chain d and passes back over the pulleys j while the clip
chain d passes along through the machine in the position shown in Fig. 9, until the
fabric has to be released, and this is effected by a wheel, cam or other stop piece s
connected to the frame, see Fig. 1, which, as the links reach this piece s, moves the
projection outward to release the jaw and free the fabric which is conducted
away as shown in Fig. 1.
The check chains n could be applied to clip chains mounted upon horizontal
pulleys but in this case the arms k would be rigid instead of being arranged to
swing; and our checking apparatus consisting of check chains or their equivalents
could be applied to existing chain stentering machines as well as to circular
stentering machines without chains.
Our improvements in pin stentering machines are illustrated in Figs. 10 to 15.
Fig. 10 shows one link d' of the pin chain, and each link d', as in the arrange-
ment already described, has an arm & that carries a slotted plate d³ to which
pins are secured. An additional slotted plate d is placed above the plate d³ and
stands at a higher level than the points of the pins d³.
A check chain n, geared with the pin chain as previously described with reference
to the clip chain, is employed to push the selvedge of the fabric on to the pins.
Fig. 11 represents one link of this chain, each link of which has an arm n' to which
is pivoted at n a plate p' with two feelers p and a projection p² on its upper side
and to the front end of the plate p' is attached a slotted plate or comb
g.
In Fig. 11 the fabric is shown with its edge resting upon and extending over the
slotted plate d the fabric supporting the feelers p.
Fig. 13 represents the fabric moved away from over the slots in d and the
feelers p dropped into the slots in de and d³ thereby allowing the plate p¹ to fall and

page_text: bring the slotted plate 9 over the selvedge of the fabric and force it on to the
pins d. In order to allow the check chain n to travel out of gear with the pin
chain d we secure to each frame b a stop piece t at the front end of which is a
bevelled guide piece t¹ which stands close to the wheel or pulley j round which the
-check chain travels as it leaves the pin chain; as the projection p² meets with the
guide piece t¹ and travels along it, it is moved back into the position shown in full
lines, Fig. 15, thus disengaging the feelers p from the slotted plates d³ and do and
allowing the check chain n to pass freely on to the wheel or pulley j, the periphery
of which forms a latch for the projections p³ as seen in Fig. 15, until they reach
the upper surface of the pulley j.
We have sometimes spoken of a single clip or pin chain and a single check chain
but it is obvious that one on each side of the machine is required.
We have shown and described the use and application of a pair of short chains
as a checking appliance for controlling the gripping action of the clips or the
holding action of the pins as the case may be in order to prevent them from holding
the fabric except at a given distance from its selvedges but we wish it to be clearly
understood that we do not limit ourselves to the use of chains as any known
mechanical equivalents having the same or similar functions and operating as a
checking apparatus or appliance in substantially the same manner may be employed
in combination with clip or pin stentering machines of various constructions without
departing from the nature of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The use and application of an independent checking appliance such as a pair
of short chains actuated by and operating with the clip or pin holders of the
stentering machine substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. A stentering machine clip which is provided with a swivel jaw pivoted on a
movable frame attached to the link and arranged to act in combination with or
without a checking appliance substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The several constructions combinations and arrangements of parts embodying
our improvements in stentering machines substantially as and for the purposes
.herein described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of June 1894.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.