Improvements in Means and Apparatus for use in Napping Cloth or like Fabric.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means and Apparatus for use in Napping Cloth or
like Fabric.
I JOSEPH HENRY STONE of Andover in the State of Massachusetts one of the
United States of America, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention is an improvement in that class of napping machines wherein a
series of small card clothed rollers have their journals in drum heads fastened upon
a shaft, the said shaft in practice being revolved in a forward direction, while the
card-clothed rollers are revolved about their axes, usually at a faster speed and in
a direction opposite that of the travel of the cloth through the machine.
In this class of machines the forward movement of the drum heads or drum
carrying the napping rolls, effects the napping of the goods, while the backward
rotation of the separate rolls determines the quantity and quality of the nap raised
upon the goods.
The fine sharp-pointed wires or teeth of the napping rolls are so set into the
leather or other foundation as to incline forward in the direction of revolution of
the drum, and if the napping rolls were held stationary on the drum the teeth
would tear the goods into shreds; but by rotating the napping rolls in a direction
opposite the travel of the drum and of the cloth through the machine, or by
rotating them backwardly at a high velocity, the points pick up or
"
tease up
This invention contains novel mechanism for positively rotating the small napping
rolls carried by the rotating drum, and for controlling the speed of rotation of the
said napping rolls.
the nap.
65
The arches on the main frame have suitable bearing stands to receive shafts of a
series of feed-rolls arranged about the drum at suitable distances apart, they
deriving their rotation, from a chain passed around suitable sprocket wheels fast
thereon.
Between these bearing stands and upon the arches are other stands which receive
the journals of shafts having arms provided with cloth-depressing rolls or rods
which by their action upon the cloth, keep the same borne down in contact with
the napping rolls with more or less force, the cloth being removed from the path of
the napping rolls by elevating the said bearing rolls.
According to one form in which this invention may be embodied, the gear for
rotating the napping rolls in their bearings in the drum is a gear loose on the
drum-shaft but driven therefrom positively at a speed which may be made more or
less according to the speed at which it may be desired to rotate the napping rolls in
their bearings as the drum is rotated.
An internal toothed gear is preferred for rotating the napping rolls, as thereby
better napping may be accomplished, for the speed of rotation of the internal
toothed gear to accomplish the same effect may be much less than should the said
napping rolls be rotated by peripheral teeth upon a gear; and when the internal

page_text: toothed gear is used, the said gear will be moved usually in a direction opposite the
rotation of the drum, while with the external toothed gear, the rotation must be in
the same direction as the drum in order to rotate the napping rolls in the proper
direction.
The speed of rotation of the napping rolls for effective use must be very rapid,
and with iron gears it would not be possible to get sufficient speed without breaking
so many gears as to render the use of the machine undesirable.
To overcome this breakage the napping rolls have been provided with gears
having teeth made of vulcanized fiber, leatheroid, or like suitable material.
The devices for laying the cloth into a pile, may be of any suitable or usual kind.
The frame-work of the machine may consist of end pieces suitable to support the
bearings for the working parts, said ends being held together by suitable tie-rods.
The main-shaft provided at one end with any usual or suitable driving pulley or
pulleys to receive a belt, has heads attached thereto, the heads having suitable
journal boxes attached thereto in any usual manner, which receive the journals of
the napping rolls clothed with any usual card-clothing, the teeth being preferably
sharp-pointed wires inclined forwardly in the direction of rotation of the heads and
shaft constituting the main drum.
The journals of the card clothed napping rolls, any desired number of which may
be used, may have attached to them suitable pinions.
Upon the shaft at one side of one of the said heads is placed loosely a gear,
having a series of internal teeth, and a series of external teeth, the internal teeth
being engaged by the pinions on the card cloth napping rolls the external teeth
being engaged by a pinion on a short shaft.
The main-shaft outside the frame-work has a pinion which through intermediate
gears, engages a pinion upon and rotates the short shaft referred to, causing the
pinion to rotate the loose gear.
The said pinion on the main shaft engages an idle wheel mounted on a stud, the
idle wheel engages a second idle wheel on another stud and this wheel in turn
engages a third idle wheel or pinion mounted on another stud these two studs being
adjustably mounted in slots of a movable pivotted plate said plate having a
transverse slot which is entered by a suitable bolt on the frame-work, the said bolt
serving to keep the plate in any position in which it may be put by the operator
moving the plate through a handle.
By changing the gear or wheel on the short shaft referred to for those of other
sizes, the speed of rotation of the said shaft and consequently of the loose gear may
be made more or less.
Instead of the small gear there may be substituted a large gear and the third
idle gear may be omitted, thus letting the second gear or idle wheel engage the
large wheel.
The movable adjustable arm, and changeable gears constitute one form of speed-
changing mechanism, and instead of the means shown for changing at times, as
desired, the relative speed of the drum and loose gear any other usual or suitable
speed-changing mechanism, or device may be used.
The speed of rotation of the napping rolls, due to the loose gear with which they
are engaged, determines the energy of the napping process, and this energy may be
indefinitely increased beyond that effected when the internal gear is stationary, by
revolving the internal gear in the same direction with the drum.
Instead of the series of teeth on the loose gear there may be attached to the said
gear near its centre a sprocket wheel and a sprocket pinion may be put on the
short shaft in place of its pinion and connect the sprocket wheel and pinion by a
sprocket chain.
In all these plans the loose gear may be driven positively from the drum shaft,
so that when the machine is in motion and the relative speeds of rotation of the
drum, napping rolls, and loose gear have once been determined, said speed may be
kept uniform.
Feed rolls feed the cloth through the machine, and they may derive their rotation

page_text: from a chain passed around a suitable sprocket wheel fast on the shaft of each roll,
the said chain deriving its motion from a sprocket wheel on a shaft having upon it
at its opposite end a pulley about which is a belt from a pulley on the main shaft.
The said sprocket wheel shaft has a second pulley which by belt on a pulley fast
on a shaft, rotates the clearer or stripper roll, which in its rotation clears or strips
the napping rolls.
Between the gearing or feed rolls the arches have suitable stands for rock-shafts
having arms which support cloth depressing rolls or rods, which act upon the cloth
in pairs, to keep the said cloth pressed down upon the card clothed napping rolls
the rock-shafts having handles by which, when moved, the depressors may be
raised or lowered, they moving toward or from the napping rolls in a circular path
eccentric to the surface of the said rolls more or less of the surface of each roll
acting on the cloth as desired, devices such as bolts being employed to adjustably
lock the said handles with the stands.
The cloth to be napped will come to the machine from a pile or any other
source and will be led under a guide roll, over the first feed roll then under a
guide-bar thence under the depressing rolls or bars, over the second feed roll, again
under bars, and over the third feed roll and so on, the cloth being brought in
contact with the napping rolls between each pair of bars.
The napped cloth may be delivered from the machine in any convenient
manner, such as by a pair of rolls between which the cloth is taken away from the
machine.
Dated the 2nd day of Ma 1900
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for use in Napping Oloth or
like Fabric.
I, JOSEPH HENRY STONE of Andover in the State of Massachusetts one of the
United States of America, Manufacturer 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 is an improvement in that class of napping machines wherein a
series of small card-clothed rollers have their journals in drum heads fastened upon
a shaft, the said shaft in practice being revolved in a forward direction, while the
card-clothed rollers are revolved about their axes, usually at a faster speed and in
a direction opposite that of the travel of the cloth through the machine.
In this class of machines the forward movement of the drum heads or drum
carrying the napping rolls, effects the napping of the goods, while the backward
rotation of the separate rolls determines the quantity and quality of the nap raised
upon the goods.
The fine sharp-pointed wires or teeth of the napping rolls are so set into the
leather or other foundation as to incline forward in the direction of revolution of
the drum, and if the napping rolls were held stationary on the drum the teeth
would tear the goods into shreds; but by rotating the napping rolls in a direction
opposite the travel of the drum and of the cloth through the machine, or by
tease up
rotating them backwardly at a high velocity, the points pick up or
66
"
the nap.
This invention contains novel mechanism for positively rotating the small napping
rolls carried by the rotating drum, and for controlling the speed of rotation of the
said napping rolls.
The arches on the main frame have suitable bearing stands to receive shafts of

page_text: a series of feed-rolls arranged about the drum at suitable distances apart, they
deriving their rotation, as herein represented, from a chain passed around suitable
sprocket wheels fast thereon.
Between these bearing stands and upon the arches are other stands which
receive the journals of shafts having arms provided with cloth-depressing rolls or
rods which, by their action upon the cloth, keep the same borne down in contact with
the napping rolls with more or less force, the cloth being removed from the path
of the napping rolls by elevating the said bearing rolls.
According to one form in which this invention may be embodied, the gear for
rotating the napping rolls in their bearings in the drum is a gear loose on the
drum-shaft but driven therefrom positively at a speed which may be made more or
less according to the speed at which it may be desired to rotate the napping rolls
in their bearings as the drum is rotated.
An internal toothed gear is preferred for rotating the napping rolls, as thereby
better napping may be accomplished, for the speed of rotation of the internal
toothed gear to accomplish the same effect may be much less than should the said
napping rolls be rotated by peripheral teeth upon a gear; and when the internal
toothed gear is used, the said gear will be moved usually in a direction opposite
the rotation of the drum, while with the external toothed gear, the rotation must
be in the same direction as the drum in order to rotate the napping rolls in the
proper direction.
The speed of rotation of the napping rolls for effective use must be very rapid,
and with iron gears it would not be possible to get sufficient speed without breaking
so many gears as to render the use of the machine undesirable.
To overcome this breakage the napping rolls have been provided with gears
having teeth made of vulcanised fibre, leatheroid or other like suitable material.
Fig. 1 is a partial right hand end view of a portion of a napping machine
embodying this invention.
Fig. 14, a detail showing part of a napping roll and its gear.
Figs. 1 and 1º, details of speed-changing gearing.
Fig. 2, a left-hand end view of the arch, its stands and devices shown in Fig. 1
being omitted to more clearly show the drum, the pinions of the napping rolls, and
the gears for rotating the napping rolls about their own axes, and the speed-
changing gears.
Fig. 3 a view of the front or receiving side of the machine, broken out centrally,
the carrying rolls at the left of the machine as well as the cloth-depressing rolls
or rods being broken away, the drum and internal toothed gear at the left being
also broken out, one of the napping roll gears being in section, the card-clothing
or teeth of the napping rolls being but partially shown on the said napping rolls.
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the path of the cloth through the machine.
Fig. 5, an enlarged view of the wheel C, the pinions of the napping rolls, and a
modified form of speed-changing gear; and
Fig. 6, is another modification.
It has been considered unnecessary to show on the drawing the devices for
laying the cloth into a pile, because not of my invention, and in practice such
mechanism may be of any suitable or usual kind.
The frame-work of the machine may consist of end pieces A, A of suitable shape
to support the bearings for the working parts, said ends being held together by
suitable tie-rods.
The main-shaft A³ of the machine, see Fig. 1, provided at one end with any
usual or suitable driving pulley or pulleys to receive a belt A°, has heads attached
thereto, the heads having suitable journal boxes b attached thereto in any usual
manner, which receive the journals of the napping rolls b' which in practice, as
shown partially in Fig. 3, will be clothed with any usual card-clothing, the teeth being
preferably sharp-pointed wires inclined forwardly in the direction of rotation of
the heads and shaft A³ constituting the main drum, the said drum being rotated in
practice in the direction of the arrow 2, Figs. 1 and 2,

page_text: As herein represented the journals of the card-clothed napping rolls, any desired
number of which may be used, have attached to them suitable pinions 63.
I tried cast metal gears for the ends of the napping rolls, but could not run the
machine practically or at high speed because the gears would not last, so the said
gears have been made from vulcanised fibre, as shown in Fig. 1^, holding the
toothed part between washers 10, 10, by suitable rivets 100, the gears being fastened
on the napping shaft firmly in suitable manner.
Upon the shaft A³ at one side of one of the said heads B, as herein shown, is
placed loosely a gear C, it, as represented in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, having a series of
interual teeth c, and a series of external teeth c¹, the internal teeth being engaged
by the pinions b, the external teeth being engaged by a pinion c³ on a short shaft 5,
to be described.
The main-shaft A³, outside the frame-work and to the left in Fig. 3, has fast
upon it a pinion C', which, through a suitable train of intermediate gears, engages a
pinion C upon and rotates the short shaft 5 referred to, causing the pinion & to
rotate the gear C.
As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the pinion C₁ engages an idle wheel C³ mounted on
a stud 2, the idle wheel engages a second idle wheel C on a stud 3, and wheel C*
in turn engages a third idle wheel or pinion C7 mounted on a stud 4, the studs 3
and 4 being adjustably mounted in slots of a movable plate H having its pivot
upon the stud 2, the said plate having a transverse slot 8 which is entered by a
suitable bolt 12, shown in Fig. 1B, connected to the frame-work, the said bolt
serving to keep the plate in any position in which it may be put by the operator
moving the plate through the handle 13.
By changing the gear or wheel C8 referred to for those of other sizes, the
speed of rotation of the shaft 5 and consequently of the loose gear C may be
made more or less.
In Fig. 5 representing some of the parts shown in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale
instead of the small gear C³, there has been substituted a large gear C and the
gear C' has been omitted, thus letting the gear or idle wheel Co engage the said
wheel C¹º
The movable adjustable arm, and changeable gears constitute one form of speed-
changing mechanism, and instead of the means shown for changing at times, as
desired, the relative speed of the drum and gear C, any other usual or suitable
speed-changing mechanism, or device may be used.
In the plan shown in Figure 5, the rotation of the gear C will be in such
direction as to cause the napping rolls to be rotated in the direction of rotation of
the drum.
The speed-changing contrivance shown in Fig. 5 is illustrated to show the
possibility rather than the desirability of rotating the napping rolls in the direction
of rotation of the drum.
In the plan shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the drum is rotated at one speed in the
direction of the travel of the cloth thus causing the napping rolls to strike the
cloth one after the other in quick succession, at the same time the said napping
5 rolls being rotated about their own axes have given to them a planetary motion,
their rotation in their bearings in a direction opposite the direction of the travel of
the cloth being at a speed more or less than the speed of the drum, that depending
upon the speed imparted to the gear C.
The speed of rotation of the napping rolls, due to the gear C, with which they
are engaged, determines the energy of the napping process, and this energy may be
indefinitely increased beyond that effected when the internal gear is stationary, by
revolving the internal gear in the same direction with the drum.
Referring to Fig. 6, instead of the series of teeth on the gear C, one may
attach to the said gear near its centre a sprocket wheel w, and put a sprocket
5 pinion won the shaft 5 in place of the pinion c³, and thus connect the sprocket
wheel and pinion by a sprocket chain w².
In all these plans the gear C is driven positively from the drum-shaft, so that

page_text: when the machine is in motion and the relative speeds of rotation of the drum,
napping rolls, and gear C have once been determined, said speed may be kept
uniform.
The end frames or arches A will in practice have mounted upon them suitable
stands & having bearings, as shown in Fig. 1, and at the right only in Fig. 3, for
the journals of the gearing or feed rolls d', Fig. 1 showing four such rolls, they
being located in practice at any desired distance apart.
The rolls feed the cloth through the machine, and they derive their rotation,
as herein represented, see Figs. 1 and 2 from a chain passed around a suitable
sprocket wheel de fast on the shaft of each roll, the said chain deriving its motion
from a sprocket wheel d' on a shaft d, see Fig. 2, the said shaft having upon it at
its opposite end, see Fig. 3, a pulley o, about which is extended a belt Ğ¹ extended
from a pulley o' on the shaft A'.
The shaft d' has a second pulley G³ which, by belt G* on a pulley G³ fast on a
shaft Go, rotates the clearer or stripper roll G³, which in its rotation clears or strips
the napping rolls.
Between these gearing or feed rolls the arches have suitable stands e for rock-
shafts having arms e which support cloth-depressing rolls or rods e³, which
act upon the cloth in pairs, substantially as represented in the diagram, Fig. 4, to
keep the said cloth pressed down upon the card-clothed napping rolls 6, the said
rock-shafts e¹ having handles e by which, when moved, the depressers may be raised
or lowered, they moving toward or from the napping rolls in a circular path
eccentric to the surface of the said rolls, more or less of the surface of each roll
acting on the cloth as desired, devices shown as bolts being employed to adjustably
lock the said handles with the stands e.
The cloth to be napped will come to the machine from a pile or any other source,
and will be led under a guide-roll m, over the first feed-roll d', then under a guide-
bar m', thence under the depressing rolls or bars e³, over the second feed roll d²,
again under bars e³, e³, and over the third feed roll, and so on, the cloth being
brought in contact with the napping rolls between each pair of bars e³.
The napped cloth may be delivered from the machine in any convenient manner,
I having shown in Fig. 4 a pair of rolls n, n', between which the cloth is taken
away from the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am
aware that it has been previously proposed to construct napping machines wherein
a series of small card-clothed rollers have their journals in drum heads fastened
upon a shaft, the said shaft in working being revolved in a forward direction, while
the card-clothed rollers are revolved about their axes, and in particular I am aware
of Moser's Patent No. 11640 of 1885 and I make no claim to anything described
or claimed therein but what I claim is :-
1. In a napping machine, the following instrumentalities, viz. :-A rotating drum ;
and series of napping rolls having their journals mounted in bearings carried by
the said drum and provided with a series of toothed pinions, combined with a loose
gear having its teeth engaged by the teeth of the pinions mounted on the napping
rolls, and gearing between the said drum-shaft and the said toothed gear, whereby,
while the said drum is rotated carrying with it the napping rolls, the latter are
positively rotated about their own axes by the engagement of the roll pinions with
the said loose gear, substantially as described.
2. A napping machine containing the following instrumentalities, viz. :-A
rotating drum; a series of napping rolls having their journals mounted in bearings
in the said drum; a series of pinions fast upon the journals of the napping-rolls;
a gear mounted loosely on the shaft of the said drum; and speed-changing gearing
to rotate the said gear positively, and cause the napping rolls, the pinions of
which are engaged by the said gear, to be rotated about their own axes at a faster
or slower speed, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In a napping machine, the rotating drum having bearings for the journals of
the napping rolls; a series of card-clothed napping rolls having each a pinion; a
gear loosely mounted upon the shaft of the drum and having internal and external
teeth; and a positively driven gear, combined with speed-changing gearing
located between the said positively driven gear and the said loose gear, whereby
the speed of rotation of the said loose gear may be made more or less as compared
with the rotation of the drum, to thereby effect the positive rotation of the napping
rolls at a predetermined speed, thus enabling the napping to be done uniformly,
substantially as described.
4. In a napping machine, a rotating drum provided with a series of card-clothed
napping rolls; a series of feed rolls surrounding the said drum; a series of rock-
shafts; independent adjustable depressing bars, rolls or rods carried thereby
between the said feed rolls and arranged in pairs one upon each side of the napping
rolls and to depress the cloth more or less toward the said napping rolls, said rods
moving toward and from said rolls in a curved path eccentric to the surface thereof,
substantially as described.
5. In a cloth-napping machine, the rotative cylinder provided with a series of
card-clothed rolls; and a surrounding series of feed rolls, combined with a series of
rock-shafts having arms, cloth-depressing rolls or rods carried by said arms, handles
to rock said shafts to adjust the rods, and with locking devices to confine the said
handles in adjusted position, substantially as described.
6. In a napping machine, a rotating drum; a series of card-clothed napping
rolls carried thereby, and having pinions provided with non-metallic teeth, an
independent gear loose upon the shaft of the drum carrying the napping rolls,
and having teeth engaging the pinions of the napping rolls, combined with a
train of gearing driven by or from the drum-shaft, and adapted to engage and
rotate the said loose gear in the desired direction at the desired speed, substantially
as described.
7. A napping machine containing the following instrumentalities, viz. :-A drum ;
a series of napping rolls carried by and having their bearings on the said drum;
a gear fast on the shaft of the said drum; means to engage the said napping rolls;
removeable change gearing intermediate said means and the gear fast on the drum
shaft, to positively actuate said means engaging the napping rolls and rotate the
said rolls on their axes as the drum is rotated; an idle gear intermediate the said
change gear and the said gear on said drum shaft; and means to adjust said idle
gear to mesh correctly with said change gear, substantially as described.
8. In a napping machine, a rotating drum; a series of card-clothed napping
rolls carried thereby, and provided with pinions having non-metallic teeth, com-
bined with a gear engaging a series of the said gears, and actuating them during
the rotation of the drum, substantially as described.
Dated the 24th day of December 1892.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.