IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA- RATUS FOR DELIVERING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Kerr, of the Firm of F. Steiner and Co., of Church,
in the County of Lancaster, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPA-
RATUS FOR DELIVERING WOVEN FABRICS."
aled the 28th March 1879, and dated the 8th January 187
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Kerr at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th January 1879.
JAMES KERR, of the Firm of F. Steiner and Co., of Church, in the County of
Lancaster. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING WOVEN FABRICS."
My improved apparatus consists of two or more rollers, taper or otherwise, over
which the fabrics in transit pass; these rollers are so arranged that whilst guiding
the fabric they tend at the same time to widen it, thus keeping the fabrics straight,
for which manual labour was formerly required.
The rollers are supported in brackets at an angle or otherwise, the whole being
fastened on a board or plate acting on a centre or otherwise, so that when the
fabric moves either to one side or the other the roller receiving the most weight is
immediately stopped by a catch or other means acting upon the roller or rollers,
thereby arresting or decreasing their revolution, thus causing an inequality of fric-
tion, which tends to carry the fabric to the moving roller or rollers, which at once
liberates the catch or other means employed for stopping or decreasing the speed,
and both are then free, the result being the same on the opposite side; thus the
whole is almost entirely self acting, doing away with manual labour.
The advantages I claim for my improvements are as follows:
First. The manual labour formerly required for straightening and guiding fabrics
before entering any machine is almost entirely dispensed with.
Secondly. That two or more pieces of fabric can be run through any machine sido
by side without touching each other.
Thirdly. That by two or more sets of these rollers and certain other appliances
fabrics can be opened from the rope without manual labour.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Kerr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th July
1879.
JAMES KERR, of the Firm of F. Steiner and Co., of Church, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING WOVEN FABRICS."
My improved apparatus for delivering woven fabrics to any machine used in the
various processes of bleaching, printing, dyeing, drying, or finishing, consists of two
or more rollers parallel or taper, grooved or otherwise, over which the fabrics in
transit pass, these rollers are so arranged and supported that whilst guiding the
fabric they tend at the same time to widen it, thus keeping the fabric straight and
economising or superseding manual labour.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
Fig. I is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan of my improved apparatus. a is a
cross beam, which is secured to the uprights b, b, or to any other suitable fixture; in
the centre of the cross beam a are the bearings c, c, supporting the trunnions of the
deflecting frame d, to which is fixed the centre bearing e and the outer bearings fif;
these bearings support the axles of the rollers g, g. The outer bearings f, f, are
adjustable in radial slots in the deflecting frame d, so as to be able to vary the angle
at which the rollers are set, and all the bearings and f can be adjusted by screws
and nuts to vary the plane over which the fabric travels.
In the cross beam a are fixed the studs h, h, and to the outer end of each roller is
fixed a catch plate gl; the object of these studs and catch plates will be explained
hereafter.
The mode of operation is as follows: So long as the fabric passing over the
rollers g,, remains in the central position the rollers are carried round by the
fabrics, and the deflecting frame & remains about parallel to the cross beam a, but as
soon as the fabric begins to travel to one side the increased pressure of the fabric
on one of the rollers 7 causes the corresponding end the framed to deflect and
approach the cross beam a, until the catch plate gl comes in contact with the stud h
and arrests the revolution of one of the rollers, while the other continues to revolve
freely; this in conjunction with the increased friction of the fabric on the roller
that has been arrested causes the fabric to travel laterally from the stationary roller
to the revolving one, until it again approaches its central position, at which time
the deflecting frame d regains its former position, and the fabric proceeds as before.
Instead of the catch plates g I also in some cases employ a friction plate to act
against a friction block; by this arrangement the rotary motion of the rollers may
be retarded instead of being arrested. Or the catch plate may act on a curved
spring stud h, as shewn in Fig. 2. By means of this Invention every deviation of
the fabric to the right hand or the left causes a deflection of the framed, and brings
one of the catch plates in contact with the corresponding stud h, or one of the
friction plates against its friction block, to arrest or retard one of the rollers, thus
bringing the fabric back automatically to its central position.
Fig. 3 represents a modification of my Invention; in this arrangement the axles
of the rollers g. 9, are supported in an adjustable central bearing e, passing through
the cross beam a, and the outer ends of the axles of the rollers g are supported in
the bearings f, f, the shanks of which pass through sockets fl in the cross

page_text: beam a, to which are also fixed the studs h. In the centre of the cross beam a is
the fulcrum c for the balance lever 1, the outer ends of which bear against the ends
of the shanks of the bearings f, f. When the fabric is passing centrally over the
rollers g, g, the parts remain in the position shewn in Fig. 3, but as soon as the
fabric traverses to one side, the roller on which the greater quantity of fabric accu-
mulates approaches the cross beam a until the catch plate g' comes in contact with
the stud h, or until the friction plate comes against its block, and arrests or retards
the roller, the balance lever 1, which before had been parallel to the beam a, is
moved by the shank of the bearing f into the diagonal position shewn by a dotted
line, thereby causing the other roller 7 to move to the same extent but in the cou-
trary direction.
When one roller has been depressed by the lateral motion of the fabric it is
arrested or retarded as before described, but the other roller remains free, and by it
the fabric is brought back to its central position.
Fig. 4 represents another modification of my Invention; in this arrangement the
parts marked a, e, g, g¹, and h are similar to those before described, but the shanks
of the bearingss f fitting in the sockets are made with a shoulder, as shewn
detached in Fig. 5; these shanks are provided with springs fo, which press the
bearings outwards, but their action is limited by a cross piu passing through the
shank.
When the lateral motion of the fabric depresses one of the rollers g it has to over-
come the force of the spring f until the catch g' comes in contact with und is
arrested by the stud h, or until the friction plate comes against its block, the other
roller remaining free causes the fabric to traverse back until it regains its central
position. The spring that had been compressed then regains its former position,
and liberates the catch g from the stud h or the friction plate from its block. The
centre bearing e is adjustable to vary the level of the inner ends of the rollers g.
My Invention may be modified, as shown in Fig. 6, by supporting each roller g
in two movable bearings cand f, the shauks of which bear against the levers m, m,
jointed to the fulcrum studs n, n. When the fabric traverses sideways to the extent
required for depressing the outer end of one of the rollers g the deflection of the
roller brings the catch plate g' or the friction plate before referred to into operation
to arrest or retard the motion until the fabric regains its central position.
In Fig. I have shewn another mode of supporting the rollers and gº; in this
case the bearing of the outer end of the roller g is connected by the lever o to the
bearing e of the inner end of the roller g, and the bearing of the outer end of the
roller is connected by the lever to the bearing of the roller g; the action of
these rollers on the fabric would be similar to that before described.
C
The advantages I claim for my improvements are as follows:
First. The manual labour formerly required for straightening and guiding fubrics
before entering any machine is entirely or almost entirely dispensed with.
Secondly. That two or more pieces of fabric can be run through any machine
side by side without touching each other; and
Thirdly. That by two or more sets of these rollers, and certain other appliances,
fabrics can be opened from the rope without manual labour.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described several modes of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit
myself to the details given, as the same may be varied or modified according to the
particular purpose to which the apparatus is applied. I claim, The use of a pair
of rollers supported and acting in the manner before described when employed for
delivering fabrics to any machine used in bleaching, printing, dyeing, drying, and
finishing fabrics.
I also claim, the self acting apparatus shewn and described, or any equivalent
arrangement of machinery for arresting or retarding the motion

page_text: the other roller is left free to revolve, whereby the fabric is kept in its properposition
for entering the machine to which it is being delivered.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Kerr, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and seventy