Improvements in Machines for Sizing and Painting Cloth or Fabrics.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Sizing and Painting Cloth or
Fabrics.
A communication from DUSTAN AMOS PAGE and RICHARD CHRISTOPHER BIRD,
Gentlemen, and MARGERY E. BIRD, all of the City of Chicago, in the County of
Cook, in the State of Illinois, United States of America.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 to an improvement in a machine for sizing and painting cloth
or fabrics especially applicable to window curtains: and it consists in certain
peculiarities of the construction and arrangement of the same, whereby the cloth is
taken from a roll at one end of the machine, sized either upon one or both sides
according to the quality of the cloth employed, thoroughly dried, painted upon both
sides, again dried, and finally rolled up at the opposite end of the machine, all at one
operation, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.
The cloth is sized upon both sides or one side only according to the quality used.
In the first case a special cloth is employed starched upon both sides and it is
therefore necessary to size this cloth upon both sides, for if one side were sized and
the other not the colours on the cloth would appear different when painted upon.
When one side only of the cloth is to be sized a cheaper material starched on one
side only is employed the starched or smooth side fits snugly against the roller and
the rough side will be sized and made smooth to correspond with the other side, the
sizing sufficiently permeating the cloth to dampen the smooth side without removing
the starch and both sides will then be alike for the reception of the paint and when
painted the colour of both sides will be similar.
In order to enable others skilled in the art to which this invention pertains to make
and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation
referring to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figures 1, 2 and 3 taken together represent a side elevation of this machine.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 represent in like manner, a vertical, longitudinal section of the
machine.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 show a top plan view, with in some parts, the web of cloth
broken away to expose the steam coils beneath them.
Figure 10, is a side elevation of a section of one of the endless carriers.
Figure 11, is an enlarged cross-section of one of the side frames, showing the
carrier and a portion of the steam coil, in proper relative position.
a represents the main frame of the machine which is of course made of any material
and in any size and form deemed most suitable to the work to be done.
At the head of the machine as seen in figs. 1 and 4 is located the roll a¹ from
which the material to be treated, is drawn in a continuous web or sheet and passed
through the machine. This roll is journalled in the frame in any convenient way so
it may be readily removed and replaced, and adjacent thereto, is properly supported
in the frame, the sizing tank or receptacle a². This tank is made of proper size and
form to hold the proper quantity of the sizing which must be applied to the cloth
before it can be properly painted. As clearly seen in fig. 4 the sizing tank is jacketed
or surrounded by a casing a' in which is placed a quantity of water and in the bottom
of the jacket, is placed a coil of pipe a provided with proper supply and exhaust
connections. Through the coil steam is circulated and the consequent heating of the
water, warms the sizing tank and prevents the contents of the latter from thickening
up, but always retains it in a proper state for application to the cloth.

page_text: Within the sizing tank is suspended or hung a large roller b, so as to have about
one half of the roller immersed in the size within the tank, around which the cloth
from original roll is passed and sized on one side as presently explained.
The main frame of the machine, is on each side, on its upper face, formed with a
guide groove & extending longitudinally in each of which grooves is placed the
upper part of an endless carrier 62. The construction of this carrier will be best
shown in figs. 10 and 11 in which it is seen that upon an endless rope or cable 6*
are secured a series of short blocks 64, provided with projecting pins 65 on their
outer face.
The cable, preferably of steel, is recessed in the under faces of the blocks, which
are placed close together and the whole forms a carrier belt, which travels forward
in the guide grooves of the frame, these serving to hold the two belts always in the
same relative position, while they are performing the work under operation. At
each end of the belts they run over suitable transverse rolls c in the main frame,
one or both of which is provided with movable journal boxes as at c¹ in order that
sufficient tension may always be had to move the belts positively and in unison and
this movement is greatly facilitated by a series of small friction rollers set in the
sides of the guide grooves of the frame as clearly seen in figure 11.
From the roll from which it is unwound the cloth is passed over a guide roller c*
suitably journalled above the frame, and is thence passed down into the size in the
tank, close around underneath the large roller band up over another small roller ª
journalled on the other side of the tank similar to the first small roller c³, the cloth
as it passes through the size fits so snug and close to the large roller b that only
one side of the cloth will be sized or coated the other side remaining dry and
unsized which is a very important result desired, the cloth is then carried down
to the carrier belts. A shaft d across the machine above the belts is provided with
a pair of discs or wheels d¹ which have soft or elastic faces made in any suitable
way, but shown herein as formed similar to a brush. The soft faces of these discs
run over the upper faces of the spiked carrier belts and press the edges of the cloth
down over the pins so that the belts have a positive and certain hold upon the
cloth, to hold it in a rigid horizontal position without wrinkles, and carry it forward
bodily. By reference to Fig. 7 it will be noted that for a short distance from the
point where the endless carrier belts enter them, the guide grooves in the frame
incline outwardly and then run forward parallel. The reason for this is that when
the cloth is wet with the sizing it shrinks and after its engagement with the carriers
the latter are spread apart by their grooves to stretch the material and enable it to
dry properly.
In the frame or between the side frames a beneath the cloth as it lies upon the
carrier belts, is placed a coil of steam pipe d* of course provided with suitable inlet
and outlet connections and through this coil is circulated, live steam, the heat from
which rises and rapidly dries the cloth as it is carried along, so that when it
arrives at the opposite end of the coil, at the point seen in figs. 2 and 5 it is
thoroughly dry. The distance required for the purpose is naturally greater than the
proportion seen in figs. 1 and 2, but as this intermediate part of the machine
is exactly like the ends herein shown, the illustrations will be quite sufficient
to enable anyone to clearly comprehend it.
At or near the centre of the machine, as seen in figs. 2 and 5 is located the paint
tanke of proper size and form and in the lower part of this tank are placed a pair of
spiral agitators, which are in constant motion and serve to prevent the liquid paint
from settling. This is seen at el in fig. 5. The paint box or tank is also provided
with a vertical series of rollers e² over and around which the web of sized material is
carried and which serve to more equally distribute the paint upon both sides of the
material as it is drawn through the tank. Just above the tank is a pair of flat faced
brushes e extended transversely of the machine and having an end wise reciprocation
in guides e by connection to the cranked shaft held in suitable brackets upon one
side of the main frame, and which is operated by being belted to an adjacent pulley
as in fig. 2 at eº.

page_text: Above the flat reciprocating brushes is again arranged a pair of cylindrical ones
which run toward each other as indicated by the arrows and the material as it leaves
the tank, is carried up between the faces of the reciprocating and then of the revolving
brushes and their combined action not only distribute the paint and rub it in with
perfect equality on the whole of both surfaces of the material, but they effectually
remove all surplus colour, which drops back into the tank, below the pair of brushes,f
A pair or more of smooth polished brushes of any suitable material preferably of
polished steel, is arranged which smooth or calender the surface of the cloth after it
has left the paint and the other brushes; and the cloth is pulled through upon a
straight line.
As will be noted in fig. 5, at the point where the web of cloth leaves the carrier,
a small roller is placed under which the material is carried, to prevent its being
pulled off the pins of the carriers too soon. From this point the material, now
thoroughly dried, is carried up around a pair of rolls f2f and between a pair of
trimming rolls f*, which are provided with circular knives and trim the edges of the
web to proper size. The cloth is next passed down into the paint tank, and around
the vertical series of rollers therein, and then passes straight up between the faces of
the reciprocating and revolving brushes, to and over a roll journalled at a considerable
height so that the colour may have sufficient time to set before contacting with this
roll, to prevent any injury to its appearance by such contact. From this elevated
guide roll the material is again brought down and beneath a roll gl, and is thence
carried along horizontally and pulled through over a series of supporting rollers g²,
to the foot of the machine.
Beneath this horizontal part of the material, is also placed a steam coil / provided
with the usual connections and it is of sufficient length to thoroughly dry the painted
cloth before it arrives at the end of the machine, as in figs. 3 and 6. At the foot of
the machine is provided a pair of large rolls h¹¹ over and under which the material
is led, to smooth it out thoroughly and it is finally wound in its finished state upon a
shaft journalled in the main frame, and provided on one end with a friction pulley h³.
Hinged to a bracket arm on an adjacent part of the frame, is an arm k provided with
an adjustable weight and also with a small friction pulley, which rests upon and
drives the pulley and is itself driven by a belt from any convenient part of the
machine. This arrangement of friction pulleys serves the twofold purpose of drawing
the material through the machine from the time it is disengaged from the spiked
carrier-belts and ruling it up on the shaft 2, but also allows for a slip of the parts
which is essential as the size of the ruled material slowly increases, so that the web
will not be injured by any tendency to pass it through the tail of the machine, faster
than the carrier belts will supply it. To take a portion of the strain of pulling the
cloth and relieve the ruling shaft of a portion of its strain, a pair of rolls m m¹ is used
as in figs. 2 and 5 one of which is driven from the adjacent shafting and the other rests
loosely upon it and the cloth passing between these rolls, is drawn along at the same
speed given the carrier belt upon the other end of the machine this being readily
regulated by well known mechanical means. It will be noticed in fig. 2, that a series
of gears are used to connect the machinery of the two ends of the machine, but this
particular construction is not at all material to this invention and may be altered
as dictated by experience and the proper adaptation of the machine to particular
work.
I do not desire to be confined to the location of the trimming rolls at the particular
point herein shown as it is quite evident they may be placed at the points on the
machine with equal effect.
In the illustrations herewith, is shown the guide grooves for the endless carrier
belts as formed in the side pieces of the main frame and this will be found the most
convenient mode in machines intended to work but one width of material, but it is
often desirable to use the same machine for material of different widths, and in such
cases these grooves will be formed in separate longitudinal bars adjustable to and from
each other to accommodate fabrics of various widths and this will be readily
comprehended without further description.

page_text: From the foregoing description it will be seen that the cloth is sized either upon
one or both sides dried, painted upon both sides and again dried in one operation and
at one continuous passage through the machine, requiring no extra handling and
producing a product equal in any respect to handmade goods, which will not crack,
is perfectly flexible, of an even texture and colour and which will not roll at the edges
when hung in place in a window. This is an important consideration as besides the
economy of performing the whole work at one operation, the quality of the goods is
raised to an equality with the best hand made article which has not heretofore been
possible in machine goods.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner. the same is to be performed, as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. In a cloth sizing machine, the combination with a main frame and the sizing
apparatus, of the carrier belts, each consisting of a cable and a series of short spiked
sections recessed upon their undersides, in which recesses are secured the cables and
grooved guides in which the said belts run, substantially as described.
2. In a machine for painting or sizing cloth the combination with the tank and
the positive cloth feeding devices which engage with the cloth after leaving the tank,.
of a winding shaft or drum for the finished cloth provided at its end with a friction
pulley, a friction driving wheel, engaging with the pulley, a hinged arm in which
said pulley is mounted, and a weight adjustable upon the said arm substantially as
described.
3. In a machine for sizing and painting cloth, the combination of the main frame,
the size tank, the positive cloth moving and stretching belts engaging with the cloth
after leaving the tank, the paint tank, the spreading brushes: the friction driving
wheel and the friction driven winding shaft for receiving the cloth after leaving the
painting device, substantially as set forth.
4. In a machine for painting and sizing cloth, the combination with a sizing tank
through which the cloth is drawn and a drying steam coil over which it is passed,
of a paint tank through which the cloth is also drawn, also a second drying steam
coil and a reeling device for winding the cloth, whereby the material is sized, dried
and painted, again dried and reeled up all at one operation, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
5. The process of painting and sizing cloth consisting of taking the cloth from the
roll, passing it through a sizing tank, thence over a drying apparatus, thence through
a paint tank, thence over a drying apparatus or steam coil and thence reeling it up
ready for shipment, all in one operation and by one machine, whereby the cloth is
painted on both sides and sized on one or both sides substantially as set forth.
Dated this 30th day of Anril 1889