IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR TENTERING, STRETCHING AND OTHERWISE TREATING FABRICS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES " PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John. Ashworth, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO
MACHINES FOR TENTERING, STRETCHING AND OTHERWISE TREATING FABRICS,
PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ashworth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th July 1882.
JOHN ASHWORTH of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR TENTERING, STRETCHING.
AND OTHERWISE TREATING FABRICS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE
FOR OTHER PURPOSES.”
My improvements relate principally to tentering machines, and some of them to
machinery and arrangements for treating fabrics before and after they pass through
the tentering machine proper, and these improvements may be used separate from,
but my invention also consists in combining them with the tentering machine, so
that the treatment of the fabrics operated upon will be a continuous process,
and some of my improvements to be hereinafter described though particularly
applicable to machinery and arrangements for tentering fabrics will be also
applicable to other processes for treating fabrics and materials such as for bleaching,
calendering, printing and otherwise treating continuous fabrics or materials.
Firstly, My invention relates to arrangements for opening, spreading and
stretching fabrics from a state of "rope," as it is termed, to their full width, and
these improvements are particularly applicable for fabrics to be tentered but are or
may be used in other processes, and this part of my invention consists in applying for
this purpose a modification of the rollers and arrangements for guiding the selvages
of cloth to tentering machines described under the seventh head of the specification
of Letters Patent granted to me and Numbered 615 and dated the 14th day of
February 1881.
According to this part of my invention I prefer to employ two rollers with.
grooved or roughened peripheries each arranged to rotate freely on an horizontal

page_text: axis, carried in a part which can swivel freely on a vertical axis or an axis
perpendicular to those of the rollers, and the axis of one of these rollers is mounted
so that its surface can be pressed against that of the other roller by a spring. On
the axis of each roller or on one of them there is another narrow roller of the same
diameter as the main rollers, and one of these narrow rollers has on its axis a
toothed pinion which gears with a segmental toothed rack secured to the bracket
for the rollers, so that when the narrow roller or rollers rotate the vertical axis of
the rollers is changed in position.
One of these sets of rollers is used for each side of the fabric, and they are
secured and adjusted on a cross bar or frame to suit the width of the fabric to be
treated, and set so that when the fabric is passing through the rollers at its full
width the selvages nearly touch the nearest edges of the narrow rollers which are
in respect to the fabric at the outside end of the main rollers, and the action of the
rollers is such that when one selvage spreads or moves to one side so as to come
upon or between the two narrow rollers they begin to rotate and this causes the
toothed pinion to act upon the fixed rack to oscillate the frame and thus the
rollers on their vertical axis, to the position in which the rollers take less hold upon
the selvage, and when the selvage passes from between the narrow rollers they
cease to rotate and then the forward drag of the cloth has a tendency to oscillate
and does oscillate the rollers on their vertical axis in the opposite direction to
cause them to take more hold of the fabric when the selvage of the cloth tends to
leave the rollers too much.
The brackets carrying the two sets of rollers are arranged on the cross bar or
frame by preference, so that they can slide to and from each other simultaneously
being connected by rods and a lever or other means, and a weight or spring is made
to pull the brackets for the rollers to their widest distance apart, the weight or
spring giving way and allowing the brackets for the rollers to approach each other,
when the drag upon the cloth by the rollers is too great.
When the selvages of the cloth are slightly turned over I sometimes combine
with the rollers hereinbefore described a small pair of rollers grooved or roughened,
which are mounted on studs carried on the oscillating vertical axis of the main
rollers, and these small rollers are set slightly at an angle to the main rollers and
act upon the selvage of the cloth before it arrives at the main rollers.
Or in place of the small rollers, flat plates hinged together with diagonal grooves
in their surfaces are employed carried by the said vertical axis, and the edges of
the cloth pass between these plates which serve to unfurl or open out the selvages
of the cloth and to present it fully spread out to the main rollers.
The small supplementary rollers above mentioned or narrow drums on their axes,
by another modification are used in place of the narrow drums on the axes of the
main rollers herein before mentioned, and when these small rollers are so used they
are geared up to act upon the stationary rack to change the position of the
oscillating frame as desired.
For the purpose of this part of my invention other modifications are or may be
used which are improvements to be hereinafter described for guiding the selvages
to the mechanism of tentering machines.
In some cases my invention consists in combining several pairs of rollers with
the swivel rollers herein before described, and one or more hinged diagonally grooved
or plain plates all mounted on the swivelling or oscillating frame for the rollers.
Secondly, My invention relates to arrangements and mechanism for squeezing or
wringing and drawing away or removing the moisture from the cloth or other
material as it passes along, and consists of a pair of rollers one pressed against the
other between which the cloth or material passes. The rollers are of metal made
hollow and their peripheries are finely perforated with holes or they a covered
with sieve material. In the inside of each roller opposite to the "nip" between
them, there is a bar that extends the length of the inside of the rollers and is made
to tit close to the inner periphery as air tight as possible by suitable packing, each
bar being connected with and carried by or from the axis of the roller.

page_text: Each bar has a cavity along its length which communicates with the hollow
axis of the roller, so that air or steam can be forced or allowed to pass into the
hollow of one bar and be exhausted from that of the other bar, such air or steam
thus passing directly from one bar through the fabric or material passing between
the rollers to the hollow of the other bar, and the moisture is thus drawn away
from the cloth or material at the "nip" or greatest pressure of the rollers.
In some cases several pairs of arrangements above described are combined
together and when operating upon fibrous materials cloth is used to convey the
fibrous materials between the rollers and exhausting apparatus.
Thirdly, My invention relates to means and apparatus for spreading and keeping
fabrics central when being fed forward for tentering and other purposes, and my
invention refers to several modifications one more particularly adapted to one class
and others to other classes of fabrics, and this part of my invention as to one
modification consists in jointing links diagonally between two bars, so that the
moving of one bar endways either way will cause the links to be more diagonal on
one half and less so on the other half of the lengthway of the bar.
This arrangement is suspended on a pivot in the middle so that when the fabric
is passing over the links centrally it will be balanced, but when the fabric moves
to either side one end will be depressed, and will bring teeth on that end of the
bar in gear with a worm constantly rotating which will move one set of bars
endways and alter the inclination of the links which will cause the fabric to move
back into the central position.
The depression of the arrangement of bars at the other end will alter the
inclination of the links in the reverse direction.
Another modification consists in forming pivots on each link or bar about the
middle, which pivots are secured in holes in a bar and the links have pivots or
projections connected with another bar for altering their inclination.
This arrangement is balanced same as that last described and is actuated in like
manner or by any other suitable arrangement of gearing either at one or both ends.
By another modification two rollers are used end to end on the same axis, but,
one is or may be fast, and the other loose on the shaft.-The surface of each roller
bas coiled once round it a series of diagonal or spiral ribs of increasing pitch, and
the ribs on one-roller have an opposite inclination or spiral to those on the other
roller.
Both rollers are geared together or connected by a lever and cords or chains but,
so that when one rotates one way the other will rotate the reverse way.
The fabric passes over both rollers, and as long as it is in the middle equally on
both it will rotate neither roller, but should it pass to one side it will put more
friction on one roller than the other, and this will cause both rollers to partly
rotate in opposite directions, so that one roller will present ribs of less, and the
other of greater inclination to the fabric and this will cause the cloth to move to
the central position again.
By another modification two bars are employed both of them with ratchet
toothed diagonal grooves in their surfaces, the diagonal of each half being reversed.
Over these grooves the cloth passes, one bar is fixed, the other is suspended on a
pivot and when the fabric is passing centrally the moveable bar is balanced and
the diagonal grooves on both bars are acting equally, but should the cloth move
out of the central position one end of the moveable bar is depressed and the grooves
at that end and those at the opposite end of the fixed bar cease to act or have less
action on the cloth while the grooves on the other ends of the fixed and moveable.
bars have more action to take the cloth back to the middle position.
By another modification the spreader is formed by a series of rotating pulleys,
which each rotate on a boss on a shaft or shafts as the cloth passes over them.
The hole in the boss to pass on the shaft is bored diagonally and each boss is
secured to the shaft thus with the pulley free to rotate in a diagonal position to
the axis of the shaft.

page_text: By turning the shaft the pulleys will revolve at a different inclination in relation
to the passing cloth.
The pulleys are on two shafts end to end, and those on one shaft are reversed in
inclination to those on the other shaft.
The shafts are geared together so as to turn one reverse to the other.
The arrangement is on a pivot and is balanced when the cloth passes over
centrally, but should it move to either side one. end is depressed and this brings
into gear wheels that rotate the shafts to change the inclination of the pulleys
in relation to the passing cloth and thus bring back the cloth to its central
position.
By another arrangement the pulleys have conical holes in them to pass on a
shaft, and half the pulleys have one inclination and the other half the reverse
inclination. This arrangement is balanced on a pivot and the cloth passes over
its pulleys and slightly touching or just clear of a bar or roller behind the
pulleys.
Should the cloth pass to one side, the cloth then presses less upon the pulleys at
that end and more upon the bar or rollers, but at the other end the cloth passes
clear of the bar or roller and the pulleys are at that end acting to bring the cloth
back to the central position.
1
1
Two or more of any of the above described spreaders are or may be used 2
together so that the fabric will pass under one and over the other, or so that one
side of the cloth will pass against one, and the other side of the cloth against the
other spreader.
With either of the modifications above described I combine one or two rollers
extending across the cloth in suitable bearings, these rollers have reversed spiral 2
grooved surfaces to act to open out the fabrics when required
Fourthly; This part of my invention relates to improvements upon the selvage
guiders hereinbefore referred to, as described in the specification of my aforesaid
Letters Patent.
According to one modification there are hinged plates either plain or with 3
diagonal grooves to act upon the selvage of the cloth after it has passed the swivel
rollers, and these hinged plates are jointed as near the selvage at its furthest
point from the rollers to a bracket, the other end of the plates being connected to
move with the frame pivotting on a vertical axis.
In some cases I combine with these plates a toothed gill arranged to slide or 3
move on a pivot in a diagonal direction.
The teeth of the gill are clear of the passing fabric and are stationary, but when
the junction between the ends of two pieces where they are thicker and the cloth
is narrowed by the tension of the double fabric comes opposite the gill the teeth
enter and the gill moves forward with the fabric in an oblique direction laterally 4
and stretches it wider and conducts it to the gills or bolders of the tentering
machine when the teeth of the gill withdraw and the gill is brought back to its
first position by a spring or weight.
When the ends of the pieces of cloth come they are or may be arranged to lift
the upper diagonal plate, which is made to act through a lever to press the gill 4
teeth at that time deeper into the passing cloth.
By another modification a worm or screw or other mechanism is or may be used
to change the angular position of the frame on a vertical axis carrying the rollers,
and the "feeler lever and a spring or weight is arranged to bring a constantly
rotating driver into gear with the screw to rotate it one way or the other as 5
required to change the angle of the rollers in relation to the fabric.
Another modification for this purpose consists of an arrangement with the broad
and narrow rollers, similar to that described under the first head of my invention,
but with shorter main rollers, and combined with this arrangement are hinged
diagonal plates.
Another modification consists of an arrangement similar to that last referred to
but dispensing with the narrow drums, the bevel wheels in this case being upon
•
5

page_text: the axis of one drum, and the fixed rack is hinged to move in an out of gear
with the bevel wheel, being acted upon by an arm from the feeler lever coming
against an arm from the hinged fixed segmental rack to bring it into gear with the
pinion when the "feeler " is moved outwards by the selvage.
Another modification consists in arranging a "feeler" to act upon and be moved
by the selvage of the fabric, this feeler being connected with two reversed pawls
which are both opposite but just clear in ono position of fine ratchet teeth in a
bar or lever having a constant and quick to and fro motion imparted from any
suitable and convenient driver.
The pawls are jointed to an arm from the vertical axis of the rollers or to a
lever jointed with the arm from the vertical axis.
When the feeler is in its middle position neither pawl is acted upon, but when
it is moved by the selvage one way or the other, then one or the other of the
pawls is acted upon by the vibratory toothed surface and the vertical oscillating
frame is moved accordingly to alter the angle of the guide rollers.
Another improvement coming under this head of my invention is made upon
that modification described in and illustrated by figs 17 and 18 of the specification
of my aforesaid Letters Patent, and consists in using an endless belt or chain to
work upon the pulleys or drums, which belt or chain has pins, gills or clips upon
it to take hold of the selvage of the fabric.
This part of my invention consists in combining with selvage guiding arrange-
ments, two pulleys on the same axis rotating in a bracket fixed on the framing,
one of these pulleys is a little larger than the other, and the larger pulley acts
upon the selvage while the smaller pulley is acted upon by the fabric away from
the salvage.
The cloth is pressed upon by two other pulleys each mounted to rotate freely.
and weight or press upon the cloth.-The object of this arrangement is to present
the selvage uniformly to the tentering arrangements.
The two pulleys on the same axis are or may be roughened or have pins upon
their peripheries in which case the weighting rollers or pulleys may be dispensed
with.
Fifthly. My invention relates to the system or mode of combining selvage
guiders described in the specification of my aforesaid Letters Patent, or the improved
guiders herein before described with tentering machines for producing what is
known as the "elastic finish" where each side of the fabric being tentered moves
alternately.
My invention consists in applying the guiders as for the simple tentering machine
where both sides of the fabric move at the same uniform speed, but I arrange the
cloth before it comes to the guiders to pass over one or two bars or surfaces or
spreaders, one of these bars or spreaders being at the centre of oscillation of arms
carrying the other bar, the ends of which are arranged to swivel with the move-
ments of each selvage of the cloth, so that the cloth is retained in the same relative
position to the selvage guiders.
Or the fabric after passing from a bar or spreader or roller forming the centre
or fulcrum axis of two side arms, ascends to selvage rollers one pressed against the
other on studs in the arms and then passes to the selvage guiders.
Thus arranged the arms and the rollers carried by them oscillate with each.
selvage of the fabric, the arms being weighted to pull back the levers after each
forward.movement, or this may be done by mechanism worked by the machine.
Sixthly, My invention relates to the rails which carry and guide the chains in
tentering machines and refers to the jointed part of the rails where the cloth first.
enters.
These have hitherto been made straight leaving a sharp angle at the joint which
is an obstruction to and produces unnecessary strains upon the chains; this part of
my invention consists in forming these parts of the chain rails of tentering
machines into a gradual curve from the joint to the entering end of the rail.
Seventhly, My invention relates to the chains or gill carriers of tentering:

page_text: machines which have hitherto been made of links jointed together and this chain
has been pulled along by toothed wheels, one tooth of the wheel entering into a
hole formed in each link.
This part of my invention consists in substituting detached links or blocks for
the jointed chains, which link, slides, blocks or gill carriers have flat ends, which
come end to end against each other when in the guide rail, and each link or block
has a hole in it for the teeth of a wheel which enter and propel the blocks, the block
last acted upon by the wheel propels and slides along all the other blocks or links
which are in front of it in the guide rail.
The blocks or links by side projections carry the gill pins nearly in a line with
the inner side of the block or link, that is, that side of it which is nearest the centre
of the wheel or curves round which the blocks or links pass.
With this arrangement of gill carriers the drums at each end of the machine may
extend the full width of the machine, but for machines for giving the elastic finish
the drums are made in sections.
Eighthly, The cloth as it comes from tentering machines is dry, harsh and
brittle and requires moisture to bring it to its natural condition. This part of my
invention relates to means for imparting a uniform and equally distributed quantity
or weight of water or other fluid mixture to a given length or weight of cloth,
either as it comes from the tentering machine or at a separate operation.
My invention consists in arrangements of rollers placed in a frame for the cloth
to pass over, this frame is suspended on a weigh bean and counter-balanced by
weight.
The fabric is fed by rollers to the rollers of the frame and there are other rollers
to take it away from the frame, the feeding and taking away rollers are driven at
a uniform speed and arranged to put no strain or only equal and opposite strains
upon the weighing frame.
The rollers of the weighing frame are driven by say two bevel wheels acting
upon opposite sides of a wheel in the weighing frame in gear with its rollers so
that the forces of the driving wheels will act laterally on the frame and in opposite
directions so that the strain upon the weigh frame produced by one driving wheel
one way is counter-balanced by the other the opposite way. The length or weight
of cloth passing through the weighing arrangement will be known, and a weight
corressponding to the quantity of fluid to be imparted to this known quantity of
cloth is added to the weigh beam, and by means of pipes distributing water or a
fluid mixture in fine spray upon the cloth passing through the weigh frame, as much
fluid is discharged upon and absorbed by the cloth as will counter-balance the
weight added to the weigh beam.
.
Should the beam show an increase or decrease of fluid its movement is made to
bring in or take out of action ratchet pawls constantly reciprocating to turn a screw
tap one way or the other to regulate the supply of fluid accordingly.
This part of my invention is or may also be accomplished by arrangements
discharging a given quantity of water upon the cloth as it passes at a given speed,
the quantity discharged increasing and decreasing with the speed of the passing
cloth. This is accomplished by gearing a pump with the gearing drawing the
cloth through the machine, this pump being worked by a crank the pin of which is
adjustable to give a greater or less stroke for each revolution, thus the pump will
supply the fuel at the speed the cloth is passing.
This part of my invention also consists in blowing air by a fan or other means
through spray, vapour, or steam, and driving the moisture thus carried by the blast
air against and through the fabric to be moistened.
Ninthly, In some cases the cloth does not require to be fed to the tentering
machine in tension, or with drag, but the reverse, and my invention consists in
arranging the drag rollers to deliver the cloth uniformly in excess of the speed of
the chain gills, and in arranging a pin wheel or a pair of drums on each side close
to the chain to feed the fabric in a slack state to the gills, this slack being taken
up.when the fabric is stretched by the gills to its full width,

page_text: The pin wheels or drums are driven at the speed required by bands or gearing
from the chain wheels.
Tenthly, My invention relates to clips, similar to those illustrated by fig 3 and
figs 21 to 26 in the specification of my aforesaid Letters Patent, and my present.
improvements consist. in making both jaws moveable by jointing them upon the
same joint pin, both jaws are brought towards each other and against a stop in the
middle position by a coiled helical spring one end attached to one jaw the other
end to the other jaw. There is an arm on the joint pin by moving which, by the
fixed cam on the chain rail one way or the other will open either jaw,
the spring
closing the jaws, or this is assisted by cam pieces or pulleys fixed on the chain
mil which come against the jaws. Both jaws have overhanging gill teeth secured
or cast in them.
Eleventhly, My invention relates to a mode and arrangements for tentering
fabrics by feeding two or more folds of cloth on to the same gill pins at the same
time, which I accomplish with the ordinary gill chain, or with gills as according to.
the seventh part of my invention.
By this means tentering machines much shorter in length may be used.
The cloth is fed to the gills in the ordinary manner and it is allowed to pass
round two or more folds, then it is drawn off at one side of the machine.
By another modification and arrangement with gill carriers according to the
seventh part of my invention, I cause the gill carriers which are returning to cross
close to and on one side of those which are just entering and first taking the cloth
which pass under or on a lower level than the return gill carriers, which pass half
round a wheel at one end, about a quarter round another wheel at the other end,
and nearly wholly round the end wheel at that end.
The points of the entering gills are upwards, and those of the return gills are
downwards.
When gill carriers are arranged as last described, and several folds are to be
tentered upon the same pins at the same time, a pin spur hoop or wheel is
employed on each side on a roller to transfer the fabric from the upper down
pointing gills, to the lower up pointing gills.
The system of tentering several folds of fabric at the same time on the same
gills is applicable when machines are arranged to tenter several widths of fabrics
side by side in a compound machine as described under the sixth head of my
aforesaid specification.
Twelfthly, My invention relates to tentering machines for tentering several
widths of fabrics side by side as described under the sixth head of my aforesaid
specification, and consists in modifications to adapt that system for producing what
is known as the "elastic finish."
The chain rails between the two outside rails are double. rails, each for two
chains, or they are or may be single rails carrying links with a gill on each side.
In this latter case the upper and lower rails are separate and are carried on
separate cross beams with separate adjusting shafts and gearing, but each pair of
adjusting shafts are geared together:
The to and fro movement given to each side of the cloth, one side one way, and
on the other side the other way alternately is imparted to each chain separately
by gearing and a lever carrying wheels which are oscillated to and fro partly round
other gearing by a crank motion, the amount of which oscillation is adjustable.
The gearing is arranged to give a continuous advance to the chains except as
modified by the vibratory movement of the said lever carrying gearing.
But in place of this vibratory gearing any other suitable mechanism may be
substituted.
•
Combined with the mechanism described there is gearing for giving an
oscillatory movement of variable amount to the shafts for regulating the distance
of the chain rails apart, to cause these rails to approach to and retire from each
other twice during each single movement of the chains to allow the fabrics to
•

page_text: expand and contract in accordance with the varying positions given by the
operation to the weft threads of the fabrics being treated.
Thirteenthly. My invention relates to means for stretching and guiding the
fabrics and bringing the weft threads square to the selvage, and consists in
employing a pair of selvage guiding rollers on each side of the fabric together
with two or more pairs of cone rollers.
The cone rollers are mounted on an arm which is arranged to swivel horizontally
on the vertical axis for the selvage guiding rollers.
Each lower cone roller is positively driven, and the pair of cone rollers furthest
from the selvage guiding rollers is driven at the slowest speed, and the next pair
at a greater speed and so on.
All the cone rollers on one side are geared together by a shaft having bearings
on the arm carrying the cone rollers and bevel wheels, and the shaft driving the
cones for one selvage is geared with the shaft driving the cones for the other
selvage of the fabric.
Springs or weights are employed to put strain on the arms carrying the cone
rollers so as to tend to stretch the fabric wider.
On the vertical axis for the selvage guider there is another separate horizontal
arm to carry hinged plain or grooved selvage plates which come in front of each
pair of cone rollers, and this arm is adjustable in relation to the arm carrying the
cone rollers.
Fourteenthly, My invention relates to improved means for pressing the selvages
of the fabric on the pins of tentering machines which is an improvement upon the
brushes hitherto used for the purpose which rapidly wear out, and this part of my
invention consists in the use of a jet of air or steam for each selvage brought by
a pipe close over the ends of the pins without touching them, the force of the
escaping jet pushing the cloth on the pins, and this part of my invention also
consists in the use of a pulley in place of a brush free to rotate on a stud for each
selvage with one or more grooves in each pulley, the pins passing through the
grooves while the edges of the pulleys on each side of the grooves press the
selvages upon the pins.
Fifteenthly, My invention relates to circular tentering machines, and to such
machines for producing either a plain or elastic finish and for treating either a
single width or two or more widths of cloth at the same time.
My invention consists of the following arrangements,-for a single width two
large rings or hoops are used which are arranged in a vertical position, and are
guided and made to rotate by pulleys on three or more shafts in suitable framing,
the pulleys of one shaft have spur teeth which gear with teeth on the exterior
periphery of the rings or hoops, one of the rings or hoops is made adjustable to and
from the other, the guiding pulleys being capable of being slided on the shafts for
this purpose.
The pins or clips to take hold of the selvages of the fabric are placed or secured
on the edges of the rings or hoops.
The fabric to be operated upon is fed on to the pins or to the clips on the rings
or hoops by two inclined endless chains carrying pins, and the cloth is first fed upon
these endless chain gills by which it is stretched to the full width and is then carried
by and delivered from the endless chain gills to those on the large rings or hoops
by which it is carried round and exposed to the drying action of hot or cold air.
The cloth is supported widthway by rollers placed near together the bearings
of which are carried in fixed frames. My invention consists in causing the cloth
to leave the gill pins or clips after it has passed nearly round the rings or hoops,
or as I prefer according to the eleventh part of my invention several folds of cloth
pass on to the gills of the large rings or hoops, and then it is taken off the gills
from the inside at one side of the ring or is wound on to a rull.
To produce the elastic finish one ring is alternately moved in advance of the
other by any well known arrangement of gearing, and motion is given to one
large ring to and from the other accordingly.

page_text: For operating upon two widths of fabric in the same machine, three large rings
or hoops are used arranged and driven in like manner as for single widths, the
middle ring having gills or clips on both edges, and the two outer rings or hoops
are adjustable to and from each other, and when giving the elastic finish the two
outer rings are moved to and from the middle ring accordingly.
If more than two widths are to be operated upon at the same time additional
large rings or hoops are added, arranged as above described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Ashworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th January
1883.
JOHN ASHWORTH of Rochdale, in the county of Lancaster, Machinist,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR TENTERING, STRETCHING
AND OTHERWISE TREATING FABRICS, PARTS OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE
FOR OTHER PURPOSES,”
My improvements relate to tentering machines and machinery and arrangements
for treating fabrics before and after they pass through the tentering machine.
Some of my improvements besides being applied in combination with my improved
tentering machine proper in such manner that the treatment of the fabric operated
upon will be a continuous process may also be used separate from the said machine
and some of them besides being applicable to machinery and arrangements for
tentering fabrics may be used also for other purposes such as treating fabrics and
materials for bleaching, calendering, printing and otherwise.
One part of my invention relates to means and apparatus for spreading and
keeping fabrics central when being fed forward for tentering and other purposes
and includes several modifications one more particularly adapted to one class, and
others to other classes of fabrics. According to one arrangement represented in
plan in Figs. 1 and in end view in Fig. 2 two rollers A A' are used end to end in
a common axial line. The surface of each roller has around it a rib each turn of
which around the roller is composed of half a turn a in a spiral direction, and half
a turn b in a plane at right angles to the roller axis and the coiled portions of
the ribs on one roller have an opposite inclination to those on the other roller as
shewn.
The two rollers are so connected that when one rotates one way the other will
be caused to rotate the reverse way. Any suitable arrangement of gearing may be
used for this purpose: In the arrangement shewn each roller has fixed at its axis
a pulley B B below which is another pulley CC¹ with its axis at right angles
to B B. The two pulleys B B¹ are connected by a cord D one end of which is

page_text: fastened to B and the other end to B'; this cord passes down from B under C, then
under C and up to B¹.
The fabric passes over both rollers A A¹ and whilst in the middle, that is to say,
equally on both rollers, it will not rotate either of them, but should it pass to one side
it will put more friction on one roller than on the other and thus will cause both
rollers to partly rotate but in opposite directions so that one roller will present less
and the other will present greater inclination of rib to the fabric by which means
the fabric will be caused to resume its central position in relation to the rollers.
It is to be noted that at least two pairs of rollers are to be used as represented in
the drawing, so that the fabric may pass as indicated by arrows over one pair (for
example the lower pair shewn in Figs 1) and under the other pair (the upper pair
shewn in Figs. 1)
Figs. 3. 4 and 5 represent a modification; Fig. 3 being a front elevation Fig. 4 a
plan, and Fig 5 an end view. In this case the spreader is formed of a series of
rotating pullies or rollers each of which rotates on a boss on a shaft as the fabric
passes over them. E is the upper shaft and F the lower shaft; G is a frame in
which the shafts are fixed so that they cannot rotate.
e, e are cylindrical bosses through each of which is bored diagonally a hole for
the shaft to pass through. All the bosses are threaded on the shaft and tightened
up together by suitable nuts at the respective ends of the shaft. In the centre is
a collar or boss H having its two outer faces inclined in opposite directions as
shewn and the bosses E are threaded on the shaft so that those to one side of the
central boss are inclined reversely to those on the other side of the central boss as
illustrated in Fig. 4.
The pulleys or rollers e are free to rotate on the bosses about their axes which
are thus diagonal to the axes of the shafts.
The frame G is pivotted at Q' and when the fabric passes between the upper and
lower rollers centrally the direction of the shafts will be at right angles to the
direction in which the fabric is travelling, but should the fabric move to either side
the effect will be to cause the frame Ğ to turn somewhat on its pivot so that by
the action of the pulleys or rollers the fabric is caused to resume a central position
after the manner already described with reference to the arrangement in Figs. 1
Figs. 6 & 7 shew an arrangement wherein pulleys or rollers have conical holes
in them to pass on a shaft I and half the pulleys have one inclination, and the
other half the reverse inclination.
This arrangement is balanced on a pivot, cloth passes over its pulleys and
slightly touching, or just clear of a bar or roller K behind the pulleys e
Another part of my invention relates to improvements upon selvage guiders of
the kind described in the specification of Letters Patent granted to me the 14th day
of February 1881. No. 615.
This part of my invention is illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. 00 are the feed
rollers between which the fabric passes in the direction of the arrow. P is the
swivelling bracket that carries the axes of the rollers.
The axis of the upper roller O is jointed at P¹ to the bracket. P² is an arm
projecting from the bracket. This arm carries an arrangement of apparatus
whereby an auxiliary feeler L when acted on by the selvage of the fabric changes
the angular position in relation to the roller axes of the feeler Q which normally
serves for regulating the angular position of the roller axes in relation to the
longitudinal travelling direction of the fabric.
The feeler Q is jointed at Q¹ to the bracket-at Q³ it passes between flanges on
a nut that fits the screwed end of a pin R.
On this pin is fixed a wheel with dovetail teeth.
At each side of this wheel is fixed to the pin a crank arm and these two crank
arms carry the axis M* of the double reversing pawl M M'. The same axis has
fixed to it the auxiliary feeler L.
On the plain part of the screwed pin O' is a lever with three arms. One arm 0°
is operated by a stud O' on the lower roller

page_text: Another arm 0 carries a counterbalance weight tending to move 0³ towards the
roller axis. The third arm is in one with or rigidly attached to one of the crank
arms before referred to-The effect is that the three armed lever gives a recipro-
cating movement to the pawl axis.-Normally the pawls do not gear with the
dove-tail teeth-But if the fabric should travel out of the ordinary line the selvage
acting against the auxiliary feeler will cause one of the pawls to gear with one of
the teeth thus rotating the screwed pin R so as by the nut Q to alter the angular
position of the feeler Qin relation to the feed roller axis. Another part of my
invention is illustrated in sheet 2 of the Drawings. It relates to the rails which
carry and guide the chains in tentering machines and refers to the jointed part of
the rails where the cloth first enters. These have hitherto been inade straight
leaving a sharp angle at the joint L which is an obstruction to and produces
unnecessary strains upon the chains, this part of my invention consists in forming
these parts of the chain rails of tentering machines into a gradual curve from the
joint to the entering end of the rail as shewn. In my provisional specification I
proposed various arrangements of apparatus which as therein set forth I do not
now deem so advantageous as I then considered them to be and to which there-
fore I lay no claim. They included apparatus for opening, spreading, and stretching
fabrics from a state of rope, as it is termed, to their full width. Also arrangements
and mechanism for squeezing or wringing, and drawing away or removing the
moisture from the cloth as it is passed along. Also other arrangements than those
hereinabove described for spreading and keeping fabrics central when being fed
formed for tentering and other purposes. Also other modifications of selvage
guiders. Also a system or mode of combining selvage guiders with tentering
machines for producing what is known as the "elastic" finish when each side of
the fabric being tentered moves alternately; also an arrangement of chains or gill
carriers of tentering machines wherein detached links or blocks with flat ends are
employed each link or block having a hole in it, into which the teeth of a wheel
enters to propel the links or blocks; also means for imparting a uniform and
equally distributed quantity or weight of fluid to a given length or weight of
cloth; also arranging the drag rollers to deliver the cloth uniformly in excess of
the speed of the chain gills, & arrangements for feeding the fabric in a slack
state to the gills; also the clips with movable jaws; also to a mode and arrange-
ment for tentering fabrics by folding two or more folds of cloth on to the gill pins
at the same time; also to modifications to adapt the system of tentering fabrics
side by side, as described under the sixth head of my aforesaid Specification for
producing what is known as the elastic finish.
Having described the nature of my said invention and the manner of performing
it, I claim:
1. The use for spreading and keeping fabrics central when being fed forward for
tentering or other purpose of an arrangement of rollers arranged end to end in a
common axial line such rollers being provided with ribs & being so connected
that when one rotates one way the other will rotate the reverse way substantially
as described with reference to Figs 1 & 2 of the Drawings.
2. The use for spreading and keeping fabrics central when being fed forward for
tentering or other purposes of pulleys or rollers arranged on bosses or shafts in
such a manner as to be free to rotate in positions diagonal to the shafts substantially
as described with reference to Figs 3, 4 and 5 of the Drawings.
3. The use for spreading & keeping fabrics central when being fed forward for
tentering or other purposes of pulleys or rollers e on a shaft J in conjunction with
roller K substantially as described with reference to Figs 6 and 7.
4 In a selvage guider, adjusting the angular position of the feeler in relation to
the feed roller axes by self acting meaus operated by the passing selvage acting
upon an auxiliary feeler substantially as described with reference to Figs 8, 9,
& 10 of the drawings.
5. In a tentering machine constructing the jointed parts of the rails where the
.

page_text: cloth enters the machine of a gradually curved form from the joints to the entering
ends of the rails so as to dispense with sharp angles at the joints substantially as
described.
}
In witness whereof I the said John Ashworth have hereunto set my hand
and seal this eighth day of January in the year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three
(8"1) RIHOMESV NHÓI.