IMPROVEMENTS IN GIG MACHINES FOR NAPPING CLOTH
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GIG MACHINES FOR NAPPING CLOTH." A communication from abroad by
Christian Woelfel and James Massey, both of Chester, in the County of
Delaware, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Sealed the 14th March 1879, and dated the 8th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Cominissioners of Patents on the 8th October 1878.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GIG MACHINES FOR NAPPING CLOTH." [A
communication from abroad by Christian Woelfel and James Massey, both of
Chester, in the County of Delaware, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in gigging machines by which the cloth
may be dressed in a superior manner, the napping cards adjusted to the cloth
during the passage of the same through the machine, and the cloth taken up at the
lower part of the machine and carried from one side to the other without dragging
the cloth or throwing the power required to move it on the taking-up and stretching
rollers.
The Invention consists of the combination of guide rolls and reciprocating
napping cards with adjustable bracket plates of the main frame, said bracket plates
being guided in recesses of the frame and set by suitable screw gear while the
napping cards are reciprocated at right angles or at any other lateral angle of
|inclination to the cloth by means of eccentrics and vertical shafts.
The supporting frame of the machine is of rectangular shape, and of a size
corresponding to the number of wire cards employed. The wire cards are of squaro
shape with wire clothing on one or all the sides, and are attached by clamping
screws or otherwise to the ends of slide rods which are guided in sleeves projecting
Posice 6d1

page_text: from detachable bracket plates that are supported in an adjustable manner on the
uprights of the frame. The cards are arranged between pairs of guide rolls turning
in bearings of the bracket plates, the cloth being passed between the guide rolls and
moved through the machine to be exposed to the action of the cards by the taking-
up and stretching rolls.
The napping cards are reciprocated in planes at right angles to the cloth by
means of two upright shafts having a number of eccentrics on each shaft, the
eccentrics being connected by encircling straps and arms with the slide rods, and
so arranged. on the shafts that they will work all the cards at the same time, but
one after the other.
The slide rods may also be arranged at a suitable lateral angle of inclination to
the bracket plates, whose sleeves are then cast or otherwise arranged at a corre-
sponding angle, so that the cards strike the cloth at a plane at a right angle thereto,
but at a lateral angle to either side, by which the bottom of the warp may be
reached and the warp raised much better than when all the wire cards strike the
cloth at right angles.
The upright shafts and eccentrics impart to the cards a steadier motion without
jar or loss of motion, and cause them to strike the cloth more evenly. The
mechanism is more durable, capable of being run at greater speed, and not as
liable to get out of order as the crank and lever mechanism heretofore employed.
The bracket plates are guided by side rails on horizontal dovetail guides of the
frame, and are made adjustable therein by suitable gearing and screws so as to
move the bracket plates forward or back, and bring the guide rolls and the cloth
closer to or farther away from the napping cards.
The degree of striking force of the cards may be regulated while the machine is
in motion, saving thereby much time, for when the wire cards are once set on the
slide pieces they remain set thereon, and need not be moved or taken off as the
striking of the cards on the cloth is regulated by adjusting the bracket plates with
the screws and gear. It is therefore not necessary to take off the wire cards either
to put the cloth on the machine or while the nap is being laid on by the napping
rollers at the top of the machine, the striking of the cloth being quickly regulated
for all grades of cloth while the machine is in motion.
At the lower part of the machine is an endless apron or table which is slowly
moved by gear wheel and worm connection with the stretching rolls, for the purpose
of receiving the cloth and carrying it from one side to the other to be delivered to
the taking-up rolls. The apron saves the power required by the stretching rolls
for dragging the cloth forward under the machine, and gives a more even tension
to the cloth.
The stretching rolls are revolved by suitable gear, belt, or other connection with
the driving shaft, and the tension of the cloth regulated by the speed imparted to
the stretching rolls.
The nap may also be raised on both sides at the same time if desired by an
extension of the guide sleeves and brackets from the frame of the machine, the cards
being arranged at alternate sides of the cloth.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th April 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GIG MACHINES FOR NAPPING CLOTH." A
communication from abroad by Christian Woelfel and James Massey, both of
Chester, in the County of Delaware, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America.
This Invention relates to improvements in gigging machines by which the cloth
may be dressed in a superior manner, the napping cards adjusted to the cloth during
the passage of the same through the machine, and the cloth taken up at the lower
part of the machine and carried from one side to the other without dragging the
cloth or throwing the power required to move it on the taking-up and stretching
rollers.
The Invention consists of the combination of guide rolls and reciprocating
napping cards with adjustable bracket plates of the main frame, said bracket plates
being guided in recesses of the frame and set by suitable screw gear while the
napping cards are reciprocated at right angles or at any other lateral angle of
inclination to the cloth by means of eccentrics and vertical shafts. At the lower
part of the machine is an endless movable table or apron that is slowly moved by
suitable gear connection with the stretching rolls to carry the cloth from one side
of the machine to the other.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 represents a sectional side elevation of
the improved gigging machine; Figure 2, a plan view of the same partly in hori-
zontal section on line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a detail side view of the adjustable
bracket plate, supporting guide rollers, and napping cards; and Figure 4, a detail
side view of the mechanism for moving the cloth conducting table or apron.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A represents the supporting frame of the improved gigging machine, the frame
being of rectangular shape and of a size corresponding to the number of wire
cards B employed. The wire cards B are of square shape with wire clothing on
one or all the sides and are attached by clamping screws or otherwise to the ends
of slide rods C, which are guided in sleeves a of detachable bracket plates D that
are supported in an adjustable manner on the uprights of frame A. The cards are
arranged between pairs of guide rolls E that turn in bearings of the bracket plate D,
the cloth being passed between the guide rolls and moved through the inachine
to be exposed to the action of the cards by taking-up and stretching rolls E¹, E.
The napping cards are reciprocated in planes at right angles to the cloth by means
of two upright shafts F having a number of eccentrics b on each shaft, the eccentrics
being connected by encircling straps and arins with the slide rods C, and so
arranged on the shafts that they will work all the cards at the same time, but one
after the other. The slide rods C may also be arranged at a suitable lateral angle
of inclination to the bracket plates D, whose sleeves are then cast or otherwise
arranged at a corresponding angle, so that the cards strike the cloth at a plane at
a right angle thereto but at a lateral angle to either side, by which the bottom of
the warp may be reached and the warp raised much better than when all the wire
cards strike the cloth at right angles. This angular motion of the cards to the cloth
is clearly shown in Figure 2. The upright shafts and eccentrics impart to the
cards a steadier motion without jar or loss of motion, and cause them to strike the
cloth more evenly. The mechanism is more durable, capable of being run at
greater speed, and not as liable to get out of order as the crank and lever mechanism
heretofore employed.
The bracket plates D are guided by side rails e on horizontal dovetail guides e¹
of frame A, and are made adjustable therein by suitable gearing and screws, as

page_text: shown in Figures 1 and 3, so as to move the bracket plates forward or back, and
bring the guide rolls and the cloth closer to or farther away from the napping
cards.
The degree of striking force of the cards may be regulated while the machine is
in motion, saving thereby much time, for when the wire cards are once set on the
slide pieces they remain set thereon, and need not be moved or taken off as the
striking of the cards on the cloth is regulated by adjusting the bracket plates with
the screws and gear. It is therefore not necessary to take off the wire cards either
to put the cloth on the machine or while the nap is being laid on by the napping
rollers G at the top of the machine, the striking of the cloth being quickly regulated
for all grades of cloth while the machine is in motion. At the lower part of the
machine is an endless apron or table H, which is slowly moved by gear wheel and
worm connection with the stretching rolls (shown in Figure 4), for the purpose of
receiving the cloth and carrying it from one side to the other to be delivered to the
taking-up rolls E¹. The apron saves the power required by the stretching rolls for
dragging the cloth forward under the machine and gives a more even tension to
the cloth. The stretching rolls E are revolved by suitable gear, belt, or other
connection with the driving shaft and the tension of the cloth regulated by the
speed imparted to the stretching rolls.
The nap may also be raised on both sides at the same time if desired by an
extension of the guide sleeves and brackets from the frame of the machine, the
cards being arranged at alternate sides of the cloth.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
1st. The combination with the stretching and the guide rolls for the cloth of
napping cards arranged between cach pair of guide rolls and adapted to reciprocate
at right angles to the cloth, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. In a gigging machine the combination with the supporting main frame of
horizontally adjustable bracket plates carrying the guide rolls, guide sleeves, and
the napping cards to regulate the striking of the cloth while the machine is in
motion, substantially as and for the purpose sot forth.1
3rd. The combination of the adjustable bracket plates having guide sleeves,
guide rolls, and the card carrying slide rods with the operating upright shafts,
eccentrics, and connecting straps and arms, substantially as specified.
4th. The combination with taking-up and stretching rolls and guide rolls alter-
nating with the napping cards and mechanism, substantially as described, to
reciprocate the same in planes at right angles to the cloth, and also at a suitable
lateral angle of inclination thereto, whereby the bottom of the warp is reached,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
5th. The combination in a gigging machine with the taking-up and stretching
rolls, reciprocating cards, and guide rolls of an endless movable table or apron at
the lower part of the machine to carry the cloth from one side to the other, sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One