Improvements in Machinery for Washing, Impregnating, Stretching, and Drying Yarn. specially applicable for Carrying Out the Mercerizing Process.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1899-Accepted. 2nd Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Washing, Impregnating, Stretching,
and Drying Yarn. specially applicable for Carrying Out the
Mercerizing Process.
We, ALBERT RÖMER and EWALD HÖLKEN, both of No. 18, Bredderstrasse, Barmen,
Germany, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement: -
Our invention relates to a machine by means of which the yarn in hanks,
treated therewith, is placed round two rollers which can be turned either way and
which also can be approached to each other and set further apart from each other;
this is especially of importance when treating yarn according to the so called
Mercer-process, in which case the rollers must approach to each other and separate
themselves automatically; the machine shall further be able to allow treating
the yarn in various liquids in succession without requiring to take it off from the
rollers, the tanks containing the liquids being made movable and finally it shall
be able to dry the yarn.
We attain these objects by constructing the machine as described hereafter and
as shown on the accompanying drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 is a vertical side view, partly in section ;
Fig. 2 is a front view, seen from the left side of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a view seen from the top;
Fig. 4 shows the arrangement for raising and lowering the tanks;
Fig. 5 shows the main parts of this arrangement in detail and in an enlarged
scale;
Fig. 6. is a variation of the device for varying the pressure against the lower
yarn roller.
In the brackets 1 and 2 and in the bridge bearing 3 bolted to the bracket 1 is
carried the main shaft 4 to which are keyed the pullies 5, 6, 7 and 8, two of which
being loose pulleys, the other two carrying one an open belt, the other a crossed
belt; a spur wheel 9 is also keyed on shaft 4; this wheel is in gear with an other
spur wheel 10, turning freely on a shaft 11 journalled in the brackets 1 and 2.
This shaft 11 also carries two levers 12 connected together by stays 13. At the
upper ends of the levers 12 they carry in suitable eyes a shaft 14 passing through
curved slots 15 through the standards 1 and 2 at both sides. At one end a spur
wheel 16 is keyed to the shaft 14 meshing with the wheel 10; at the other side it
carries the upper yarn roller 18; the lower yarn roller being keyed to the shaft 4.
The shaft 14 being mounted on the levers 12 it will be seen that the yarn roller
at its outer end can be moved towards or away from the lower roller which is
fixed in its bearings, the wheel 16 thereby rolling on or along the wheel 10.
To the shaft 11 is also keyed a lever 20 carrying an adjustable weight 21 which
tends to raise the shaft and roller 18, the weight of which is counterbalanced by
weights 19 at the free ends of the levers 12, hence it follows that the yarn put
round the rollers 17 and 18 can be stretched at will, more or less.

page_text: In order to approach the rollers 17 and 18 to each other mechanically a chain 22
is fixed to the lever 20 passing over a roller 23 and being wound round a chain
wheel 24 which can be turned by means of the crank and worm gearing 25, 26.
A shaft 28 is supported on the standard 2 and the bracket 27 to which are
fastened two levers 29 carrying between them a roller 30 and in the middle of
said shaft 28 is fixed a lever 31 carrying an adjustable weight 32 by means of
which the pressure roller 30 can be pressed against the roller 17.
By means of a handle 33 and a finger 33¹ bearing against the short lever 332,
the shaft 28 can be turned and the lever 31 will be raised and thus the pressure
will be taken off from the roller 17 and the roller 30 can be held at such distance
from the latter roller that the yarn can be put on to or taken off from the yarn
rollers easily.
In place of the lever mechanism shown in Fig. 1 the device shown in Fig. 6
and indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 may be introduced when it is desirable
to exert a great pressure against the roller 17 by means of the pressure roller 30.
This mechanism consists of the two bars a and b; the bar a is connected by a link
joint to the lever 31 and the bar b is linked to a bar c supported in the standards 2
and 27 and both bars a and b are joined to the nut d on the screw spindle e which
at its front end is provided with a hand wheel while its rear end is held in a stay f
so that it can be turned round but that it is prevented from moving in an axial
direction. By turning the hand wheel the nut d moves towards the left or towards
the right, according to the direction in which the wheel is turned, and thereby the
pressure of the pressure roller 30 upon the lower yarn roller 17 can be increased
or diminished.
In order to be able to withdraw quickly the pressure roller 30 from the roller 17
when this mechanism is used, the bar a, instead of being connected direct to the
lever 31 is, by preference, jointed to this lever by means of a slide piece g as shown
in Fig. 6 and this slide piece is then connected to a bar 1 which is linked to a cam i
having a handle m and being itself fixed to a bolt n and it will thus be seen that
by turning or raising the cam the slide piece 9 will be shifted towards the end
of the lever 31 and at the same time the latter will be raised thus withdrawing the
pressure roller 30 from the yarn roller 17.
Between the standards 2 and 27 are arranged the tanks 34 and 34¹ containing
the liquid; these tanks may be constructed with double walls so that they can be
heated by steam. On bolts fixed to the said brackets are mounted guide
wheels 35, 36 and 37 round which is placed an endless chain 38. By means of a
crank 39 on a shaft 40 and by spur wheels 41, 42, to the latter of which is con-
nected a chain wheel 43 gearing into the chain 38 so that by this device that chain
can be set in motion.
The tanks 34 and 34¹ are suspended to and between the chains in the following
manner: From Figure 5 it will be seen that at each side wall of the tank there
is a boss 44 by means of which the tanks are connected to a projection of certain
chain-bolts 45. These bosses are arranged a little sideways and above the centre
of gravity of each tank or trough, so that these have the tendency to turn round
their suspension point, from which however they are hindered by arms 46 fixed at
both sides of the troughs and which also bear against one of the chain bolts lower
down than the bolts 45. By this means we also attain that the troughs do not
shake about.
The tanks are so arranged that the one taking the uppermost position will be
just situated underneath the roller 17 and so, that this roller will be partly
immersed in the liquid in the trough. The other tank (341 in Figure 1) will
then be in its lowest position.
Near the bottom of the frames 2 and 27 we arrange a shaft 47 carrying a cam 48
at each side the cams are connected by bars 49. In turning the shaft 47 the
cams 48 or rather their bars 49 can be raised so that the tanks in being lowered
slid over these bars and thus are turned as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4
and thereby are emptied automatically.

page_text: When the yarn is to be put on the machine the rollers 17 and 18 are approached
to each other and the pressure roller 30 is set away from the roller 17. This can
be done while the machine is in motion; the weight 21 on the lever 20 is then
adjusted according to the tension desired to act upon the yarn.
During the first period of action the machine is turned so that the yarn rollers
turn leftways and the tank is filled so much with impregnating fluid, that the
point of contact between the pressure roller and the lower yarn roller is immersed
in said fluid. In consequence of the yarn moving leftways the air in it is squeezed
out and it comes fully prepared for taking up the fluid into this and the air also
is expelled and can not oxydize or otherwise act upon the fluid.
When the yarn has been impregnated the trough 34 is so much lowered that
the roller 17 is above the level of the fluid and now the machine is reversed and
the pressure upon the roller 17 by the pressure roller is increased by the pressing
device used and the superfluous fluid is squeezed out. At the same time also the
weight 21 of lever 20 is shifted towards the end of the lever so that the yarn will
be stretched and regain the loss due to the shrinking during the impregnating
process. After this the trough 34' containing an other fluid, can be brought below
the rollers 17 and 30 and the machine can be turned leftways again as before;
the trough 34 may also be filled with pure water, in order to wash out the yarn
and by reversing the machine again and lowering the trough and putting on high
pressure upon the roller 17 the yarn can be dried. The drying process may be
assisted by heating the rollers 17 and 18.
The heating of the rollers 17 and 18 may be done by any of the means well
known in machines for finishing textile goods. So for instance by means of heated
bars placed into the rollers,,which in this case then of course are open at the outer
end, or it may be done by gas, as is often used in calenders or it may be done by
steam also by well known means. There is nothing new in this.
From the description given, it will be understood that the machine shown may
be used for carrying out various operations, which could only be effected by several
machines whereas certain of these operations as for instance the automatic stretch-
ing and shrinking of the yarn are new in themselves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1) A machine for impregnating, washing, squeezing, stretching and drying yarn
in hanks distinguished by a pair of rollers 17, 18 which may be turned right ways
or left ways as required, the lower one (17) of which is fast, the upper one (18)
being so journalled that it can be set closer to or further away from the lower one,
by being carried in weighted levers 12. Said levers oscillating on a shaft 11
which also carries the intermediate spur wheel 10 transmitting the motion from
the spur wheel 9 of the main shaft 4 to the spur wheel 16 on the shaft 14 of the
upper roller 18, and distinguished further by a pressure roller 30 pressing against
the lower roller 17 by means of a lever 29 on a shaft 28 and a suitable pressing
device turning this shaft 28 so as to press the roller 30 against the roller 17 or
releasing it from it. The whole as described and illustrated and for the purpose
set forth.
1
2) In a machine as specified in Claim One, the arrangement of fluid tanks 34
and 34 carried on an endless chain 38, so that either of them can be brought
underneath the roller 17 and the pressure roller 30 as described and illustrated and
for the purpose set forth.
3) In combination with the fluid tanks 34, 34' and the endless chain 38 the
arrangement of the cam 48 and bars 49 capable of being set in the way of the
tank being lowered so as to empty the respective tank automatically when desired.
4) In combination with a machine as claimed in the first claim the arrangement
for varying the pressure of the roller 30 against the lower yarn roller 17 and for
turning said roller 30 away from the roller 17, said arrangement consisting of the

page_text: toggle joint lever device abcde and of the levers 31 and 29 on shaft 28 and of
the cam i with handle m on shaft n and the bar connecting said cam to the
slide piece g on the lever 31, the whole as described and illustrated.
Dated this 10th dow of Aust 1900
ALBERT RÖMER.
EWALD HOLKEN.
Per Karl J. Mayer,
Agent.