Improvements in Cloth Napping Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Cloth Napping Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to cloth napping machines and is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figures 1 and 2 are perspectives of the machines showing, respectively, the rear
with one end and the rear with the opposite end.
Figure 3 is a perspective with certain mechanism omitted showing the front
with one end.
Figure 4 is a cross section taken in a plane at the middle of the drum.
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are details.
ог
The frame is composed of the upright end pieces 1, 1' connected at the bottom
by the girders 2, 21 (which are united again crosswise by brackets
stays 41 and 41") and at the top by the girders 53 and 531, and carries upward
extensions 1b, 1, 1d and a yoke on the side marked 1". 3 is the main shaft
carrying the heads c, c, on the outer periphery of which heads are mounted the
napping rollers a, which I term workers, and the contact rollers b, which I call
travellers. 4 is the fast pulley by which the main shaft is driven and 5 is the
loose pulley. 6 is a pulley fast on the main shaft from which, by the belt 52,
is driven a pulley 52ª fast on the inside of pulley 49 from which the shaft 47 is
driven through the belt 50 and pulley 51. The stripper-roll or fancy 48 is fast
on the shaft 47.
The napping rolls a are covered with card clothing, the points of which are
inclined in the direction in which they act upon the cloth. The traveller rolls b
are covered with card clothing having substantially straight or radial points. The
napping rolls at their points of contact with the cloth move in non-unison with
the cloth so that their points raise the nap. The traveller rolls move substantially
in unison with the cloth at their points of contact with the cloth. The two
series of rolls therefore act differentially.
The mechanism for driving the workers a consists of the disk 7 fast to the main
shaft 3, the belt 8 and comical roller 9 co-operating with said disk, the shaft 10
upon which said conical roller is mounted having its bearings in the
brackets 11 and 12, and carrying, at its lower end, the pinion 13 which drives
the gear 14 fast upon the countershaft 15. Upon this countershaft are fixed on the

page_text: inside of the frame, sprocket-wheels 16, 16 (there being one for each end of the
machine) from which, through the sprocket-chain 17, are driven the sprocket
wheels, 18, 18 (there being one at each end of the napping-cylinder) fast to the
spiders 19 which carry the belt 20 which passes around the series of
pulleys a, a, on the ends of the shafts all of the workers a. By raising or
fowering the belt 8, any desired speed may be given to the workers a for increasing
or decreasing their napping capacity independent of the speed at which the cloth
may be running and independent of the speed at which the travellers b may be
running; and independent, also, of the speed at which the main shaft is running.
The mechanism for driving the cloth feed-rolls of which 31 is one, is as
follows: 21, 22 and 23 are sprocket-wheels fast to the main shaft. 21, 221 and 231
are corresponding sprocket-wheels fast to the countershaft 24. 45 is the sprocket-
chain by shifting which from one pair of said sprocket-wheels to another, the
speed of the countershaft 24 may be varied with respect to the speed of the
napping-cylinder. 25 is a pinion fast on the shaft 24 and which drives a gear 26
fast on the shaft 29. The pinion 27 is fast to the gear 26 and drives the gear 28
fast on the shaft 30 to which shaft the cloth feed-roll 31 is fast. On the
opposite end of the shaft 30 is fixed the sprocket 46 from which may be driven
all other cloth feed-rolls in the machine.
The entrance tension roll 60 is driven as follows: On the shaft 30 of the
rear draft roll 31 is fast a sprocket wheel 61 which drives a chain 62, which
drives a sprocket 64 fast on a shaft 65 carrying a cone 67 which drives a belt 68
which drives cone 69 fast on shaft 70 of said entrance tension roll 60. The
chain-idler 63 serves as a take-up for chain 62. By shifting the belt GS on the
cones 67 and 69 the speed of the entrance tension roll 60 may be varied at will
relatively to the speed of the other feed rolls and traveller rolls. This
adjustment is a feature of the utmost importance because it vastly increases the
scope of the machine with respect to the range of materials which may be
successfully treated by the workers a. For the purpose of enabling this
adjustment to be made while the machine is running and to be regulated to a
nicety the following mechanism is provided whereby the operator may shift the
belt 68-71 and 72 are belt forks fastened to carriage 73 which is made to slide
upen ways on the bracket 74 fast to bracket 41. By a screw spindle 76 with hand
wheel 75, nut 77 fast to carriage 73 is moved so as to shift said forks and belt 68
at will by the operator while the machine is running.
By the adjustment last described the tension of the fabric being treated can
be regulated to suit very tender fabrics which, by too great a tension, are liable
to be torn or stretched and narrowed and by too little tension are liable to be
dragged forward by the workers a and thus slacked up in a manner causing
disaster.
The mechanism for driving the travellers is as follows: Upon the opposite
end of the shaft 29 from the gear 26 (see Fig. 2) is fixed a pinion 32 which drives
a gear 33 turning upon a stud 56. The gear 34 is fastened to the gear 33 and
drives gear 35 fixed on the shaft 36 having its bearings upon the stays or
brackets 4, 41. The pulleys 37, 37, are fixed on the shaft 36 and drive the
belts 38, 38, which extend around the pulleys at opposite ends of the
travellers b. These belts 38, 38, run under the idlers 39, 39 and over the
idlers 43, 43, respectively, so as to substantially encircle all of the travellers b.
Whenever the chain 45 is shifted from one pair of sprocket wheels to another
for the purpose of varying the speed of the cloth relatively to the speed of the
main shaft, a corresponding variation will be produced in the speed of the
belts 38, 38. Wherefore, any change in the speed of the cloth feed-rolls, as 31,
will be accompanied by a corresponding change in the speed of the travellers b.
The mechanism above described is so proportioned that the surface speed of
the cloth feed-rolls, as 31, is substantially the same as the surface speed of the
travellers b (which surface speed of the travellers 6 is the resultant between the

page_text: speed of the travellers 6 upon their own axes and the speed at which they are
carried bodily by the cylinder heads c. In other words, if the diameter of each
pulley is the same as the diameter of their respective travellers b, the
belts 38, 38, will always have substantially the same speed as that at which the
cloth being treated is travelling through the machine. This identity of speed
is maintained constantly in the operation of the machine notwithstanding, and
independently of, any variation which may be made in the speed of the working
rollers a or of the main shaft. The shaft 29 constitutes a common actuator for
the cloth-feed-rolls and traveller rolls. The connections between this
common actuator 29 and the cloth-feed-rolls, as 31 are invariable. Likewise,
the connections between this common actuator 29 and the travellers b are
invariable so that for a given speed of this common actuator, a corresponding
speed will be communicated both to the travellers and the cloth-feed-rolls and
the speed of one will be invariable with respect to the speed of the other. In
the connections, however, by which the common actuator is driven, the shifting
of the sprocket chain 45 affords a speed adjustment whereby the speed of the
common actuator 29 may be varied with respect to the speed of the other parts
of the machine.
The belt 38 can be taken up and tightened by turning the hand wheels 80
which are screw-threaded to the rods 81 that engage, respectively, with the swing
arms 82, which are loosely mounted on shaft 36 and carry on their free ends
the idlers 43.
The broken line d indicates the cloth being treated. In leaving the napping
rolls it passes under a roll 55 (shown in Figures 4 and 8) fast to the two
idlers 39, 39, and turned with them at the same surface speed as the surface
speed of the travellers b by the power of belts 38, 38. Thence it passes under
and partly around the feed-roll 31 and under weighted roll 54 and upward and
over driven feed-roll 57, over idler 58 (overhead of the operator) and driven
feed-roll 59 whence it is delivered through folder 59 behind the operator. The
chain 96 is held taut by the idler 91 and drives the shaft 93 to which the feed-
roll 57 is fixed; thence the driving power is transmitted through chain 92 to
shaft 94 on which feed-roll 94 is fixed; thence the driving power is applied to
vibrating the folder 59" through the wheel 59b and connecting rod 59°.
The cloth enters the machine under the bar 83 and over the adjustable tension
bar 84, the adjustment of which is controlled by segment 85 and catch 86 and
hand lever 87 at the end of the bar 83. Thence it proceeds under idler 88, over
the tension roll 60, under and around idler 89, directly in front of the napping
cylinder. The idlers 88, 89 and tension roll 60 are mounted in brackets 90
which are fastened to brackets 41 and 41 extending across between the
girders 2 and 21.
The directions of movement of the drum cylinder of each series of napping
rolls, and of the cloth are respectively indicated by the arrows 100, 101, 102
and 104. The direction in which the brush 48' moves is indicated by the
"
arrow 103.
By the use of the machine above described manufacturers of knitted goods
are now napping so-called "flat" goods, "straight ribbed" goods, and "jersey
ribbed goods, none of which goods, to the best of my knowledge, had ever
before been successfully napped on planetary nappers. Moreover, on other
knitted goods, such as "fleece backs" от plush backs" and such woven goods
as "flannelettes "and kindred fabrics as had before been napped by planetary
nappers, the nap now being produced by my machine, is so far different and
better as to make this kind of cloth practically a superior material; the nap being
very much shorter, thicker, more evenly distributed and velvety; being also
much less matted into knots or bunches by rubbing or washing, the fabric
handling much thicker and fuller even after washing and use. In accomplishing
these results, my machine removes and wastes less stock and is successful with

page_text: goods woven or knitted from the ordinary unselected staple, thus turning out
a better finished fabric, notwithstanding the poorer stock in such material.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Cloth Napping Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
Referring to the drawings left with my Provisional Specification, Figures 1
and 2 are perspectives of the machine showing, respectively, the rear with one
end and the rear with the opposite end.
is a perspective with certain mechanism omitted showing the front
Figure
with one end.
Figure 4 is a cross section taken in a plane at the middle of the drum
Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are details.
The frame is composed of the upright end pieces 1, 1¹ connected at the bottom
by the girders 2, 21 (which are united again crosswise by brackets or stays 41
and 41) and at the top by the girders 53 and 531, and carries upward
extensions 1b, 1°, 1d and a yoke on the side marked 1ª. 3 is the main shaft
carrying the heads c, c, on the outer periphery of which heads are mounted the
napping rollers a, and the contact rollers b, which I call crimper-rolls because
their contact against the ends of the napped fibres serves to bend or crimp the
fibres with a result on the whole analogous to felting. 4 is the fast pulley by
which the main shaft is driven and 5 is the loose pulley. 6 is a pulley fast on
the main shaft from which, by the belt 52, is driven a pulley 52 fast on the
inside of pulley 49 from which the shaft 47 is driven through the belt 50 and
pulley 57 (Fig. 2). The stripper-roll or fancy 48 is fast on the shaft 47.
The napping rolls a are covered with card clothing, the points of which are
inclined in the direction in which they act upon the cloth. The crimper rolls b
are covered with card clothing having substantially straight or radial points.
The napping rolls at their points of contact with the cloth move in non-unison
with the cloth so that their points raise the nap. The two series of rolls act
differentially; the napping series serving, as it were, to comb out the nap and
the crimper series serving to crimp or felt the nap.
The mechanism for driving the workers a consists of the disk 7 fast to the
main shaft 3, the belt 8 and conical roller 9 co-operating with said disk, the
shaft 10 upon which said conical roller is mounted having its bearings in the
brackets 11 and 12, and carrying, at its lower end, the pinion 13 which drives
the gear 14 fast upon the countershaft 15. Upon this countershaft are fixed
on the inside of the frame, sprocket-wheels 16, 16 (there being one for each end
of the machine) from which, through the sprocket-chain 17, are driven the
sprocket wheels 18, 18 (there being one at each end of the napping-cylinder) fast
to the spiders 19 which carry the belt 20 which passes around the series of
pulleys a a¹, on the ends of the shafts a" of the workers a. By raising or
lowering the belt 8, any desired speed may be given to the workers a for increasing

page_text: or decreasing their napping capacity independent of the speed at which the
cloth may be running and independent of the speed at which the crimper rolls b
may be running; and independent, also, of the speed at which the main shafi
is running.
The mechanism for driving the cloth feed rolls of which 31, is one, is as
follows: 21, 22 and 23 are sprocket-wheels fast to the main shafts 211, 221
and 231 are corresponding sprocket-wheels fast to the countershaft 24. 45 is the
sprocket-chain by shifting which from one pair of said sprocket-wheels to another,
the speed of the countershaft 24 may be varied with respect to the speed of the
napping-cylinder. 25 is a pinion fast on the shaft 24 and which drives a gear 26
fast on the shaft 29. The pinion 27 is fast to the gear 26 and drives the gear 28
fast on the shaft 30 to which shaft the cloth feed-roll 31 is fast. On the opposite
end of the shaft 30 is fixed the sprocket 46 from which may be driven all other
cloth feed-rolls in the machine.
The entrance tension roll 60 is driven as follows: On the shaft 30 of the rear
draft roll 31 is fast a sprocket wheel 61 which drives a chain 62, which drives
a sprocket 64 fast on a shaft 65 carrying a cone 67 which drives a belt 68 which
drives cone 69 fast on shaft 70 of said entrance tension roll 60. The chain-
idler 63 serves as a take-up for chain 62. By shifting the belt 68 on the cones 67
and 69 the speed of the entrance tension roll 60 may be varied at will relatively
to the speed of the other feed rolls and traveller rolls. This adjustment is a
feature of the utmost importance because it vastly increases the scope of the
machine with respect to the range of material which may be successfully
treated by the workers a. For the purpose of enabling this adjustment to be
made while the machine is running and to be regulated to a nicety the following
mechanism is provided whereby the operator may shift the belt 68:-71 and 72
are belt forks fastened to carriage 73 which is made to slide upon ways on the
bracket 74 fast to bracket 41. By a screw spindle 76 with hand wheel 75, nut 77
fast to carriage 73 is moved so as to shift said forks and belt 68 at will by the
operator while the machine is running.
By the adjustment last described the tension of the fabric being treated can
be regulated to suit very tender fabrics which, by too great a tension are liable
to be torn or stretched and narrowed and by too little tension are liable to be
dragged forward by the workers a and thus slacked up in a manner causing
disaster.
The mechanism for driving the crimper-rolls b is as follows:-Upon the opposite
end of the shaft 29 from the gear 26 (see Figure 2) is fixed a pinion 32 which
drives a gear 33 turning upon a stud 56. The gear 34 is fastened to the gear 33
and drives gear 35 fixed on the shaft 36 having its bearings upon the stays or
brackets 41 41. The pulleys 37, 37, are fixed on the shaft 36 and drive the
belts 38, 38 which extends around the pulleys 6' at opposite ends of the crimper-
rolls b. These belts 38, 38, run under the idlers 39, 39 and over the idlers 43, 43,
respectively, so as to substantially encircle all of the travellers b. Whenever the
chain 45 is shifted from one pair of sprocket wheels to another for the purpose
of varying the speed of the cloth relatively to the speed of the main shaft. a
corresponding variation will be produced in the speed of the belts 38, 38.
Wherefore, any change in the speed of the cloth-rolls, as 31, will be
accompanied by a corresponding change in the speed of the crimper-rolls h.
b
The mechanism above described is so proportioned that the surface speed of
the cloth feed-rolls, as 31, is substantially the same as the surface speed of the
crimpers (which surface speed of the crimpers b is the resultant between the
speed of the crimpers & upon their own axes and the speed at which they are carried
bodily by the cylinder heads c. In other words, if the diameter of each pulley 61
is the same as the diameter of their respective crimpers b, the belts 38, 38 will
always have substantially the same speed as that at which the cloth being treated
is travelling through the machine. The relationship between the speed of the
crimpers and of the feed is maintained constantly in the operation of the machine

page_text: notwithstanding, and independently of, any variation which may be made in
the speed of the working rollers a or of the main shaft. The shaft 29 constitutes
a common actuator for the cloth-feed rolls and the crimper rolls. The connections
between this common actuator 29 and the cloth-feed-rolls, 31, are invariable.
Likewise the connections between this common actuator 29 and the crimper
rolls are invariable; so that for a given speed of this common actuator, a
corresponding speed will be communicated both to the crimper-rolls and the
cloth-feed-rolls and the speed of one will be invariable with respect to the speed
of the other. In the connections, however, by which the common actuator is
driven, the shifting of the sprocket chain 45 affords a speed adjustment whereby
the speed of the common actuator 29 may be varied with respect to the speed
of the other parts of the machine.
The belt 38 can be taken up and tightened by turning the hand wheels 80
which are screw-threaded to the rods 81 that engage respectively, with the swing
arms 82. which are loosely mounted on shaft 36 and carry on their free ends the
idlers 43.
The broken line d indicates the cloth being treated. In leaving the napping
rolls it passes under a roll 55 (shown in Figures 4 and 8) fast to the two
idlers 39. 39, and turned with them at the same surface speed as the surface
speed of the crimper-rolls 6 by the power of belts 38, 38. Thence it passes under
and partly around the feed-roll 31 and under weighted roll 54 and upward and
over driven feed-roll 57 over idler 58 (overhead of the operator) and driven feed-
roll 59 whence it is delivered through folder 59 behind the operator.
The
chain 96 is held taut by the idler 91 and drives the shaft 93 to which the feed-
roll 57 is fixed; thence the driving power is transmitted through chain 92 to
shaft 94 on which feed-roll 94 is fixed; thence the driving power is applied to
vibrating the folder 59 through the wheel 59 and connecting rod 59°.
The cloth enters the machine under the bar 83 and over the adjustable
tension bar 84, the adjustment of which is controlled by segment 85 and
catch 86 and hand lever 87 at the end of the bar 83. Thence it proceels under
idler 88, over the tension roll 60, under and around idler 89, directly in front
of the napping cylinder. The idlers 88, 89, and tension roll 60 are mounted in
brackets 90 which are fastened to brackets 41 and 41" extending across between
the girders 2 and 21.
The directions of movement of the drum cylinder of each series of napping
rolls. and of the cloth are respectively indicated by the arrows 100. 101, 102
and 104. The direction in which the brush 48 moves is indicated by the
arrow 103.
By the use of the machine above described manufacturers of knitted goods
are now napping so-called "flat" goods, "straight ribbed" goods. and " jersey
ribbed"
goods, none of which goods, to the best of my knowledge, had ever
before been successfully napped on planetary nappers. Moreover, on other
knitted goods, such as "fleece backs" or "plush backs" and such woven goods as
flannelettes" and kindred fabrics as had before been napped by planetary
nappers, the nap now being produced by my machine, is so far different and better
as to make this kind of cloth practically a superior material: the nap being very
much shorter, thicker, more evenly distributed and velvety: being also much
less matted into knots or bunches by rubbing or washing, the fabric handling
much thicker and fuller even after washing and use. In accomplishing these
results, my machine removes and wastes less stock and is successful with goods
woven or knitted from the ordinary unselected staple, thus turning out a better
finished fabric, notwithstanding the poorer stock in such material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said.
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed. as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a planetary cloth napping machine, in combination, a napping drum, a

page_text: cloth feed roll, means for operating the same, a series of napping rolls mounted
upon the drum and containing points inclined in the direction in which they act
upon the cloth, mechanism whereby the same are driven, crimper rolls containing
substantially straight points mounted upon said drum and interposed in said
series, mechanism whereby said crimper rolls are driven, a tension roll arranged
to act on the cloth in advance of the napping action, means whereby said tension
roll is positively driven and means whereby the speed of said tension roll may
be adjusted independently of the speed of the feed rolls while the machine is
running, substantially as described.
2. In a planetary napping machine, in combination, a napping drum, a
plurality of series of nap-treating members mounted upon said drum, mechanism
whereby a differential action is produced between the members of one series and
the members of another series, a cloth-feed-roll, a tension roll acting upon the
cloth as it advances towards the napping-cylinder, means for positively driving
said tension roll and means whereby the speed of the same is adjustable during
the running of the machine and independently of the speed of the feed rolls,
substantialy as described.
3. In a planetary napping machine, in combination, a drum carrying alternately
arranged rolls operating, differentially and having respectively incline and
straight points a train of mechanism whereby said inclined pointed rolls are
driven, a means of speed adjustment therein, an independent train of mechanism
whereby said straight pointed rolls are driven from the drum-shaft, cloth feed
rolls feed-roll-operating mechanism, a cloth-tension-roll, mechanism whereby
said tension roll is driven, and a means of adjustment whereby the speed of said
tension-roll may be varied independently of the speed of the feed-rolls while
the machine running, substantially as described.
4. In a planetary napping machine, in combination, a drum carrying
alternately arranged rolls operating, differentially and having respectively
inclined and straight points, a train of mechanism whereby said inclined pointed
rolls are driven, a means of speed adjustment therein, an independent train of
mechanism whereby said straight pointed-rolls are driven from the drum shaft,
cloth feed-rolls, and feed-roll-operating mechanism branching from said last
named train whereby the feed-rolls are driven to feed the cloth in opposition to
the rotation of the drum, a tension-roll acting upon the cloth as it advances
towards the napping cylinder, means for positively driving said tension-roll and
means whereby the speed of the same is adjustable during the running of the
machine and independently of the speed of the feed-rolls, substantially as
described.
5. In a planetary cloth napping machine, in combination, a series of napping-
rolls, mechanism whereby the same are driven, mechanism for adjusting the speed
of the same, crimper rolls interposed in said series, the main shaft, a cloth-feed-
roll, an actuator common to said crimper rolls and said cloth-feed-roll and
mechanism whereby said common actuator is driven from said main shaft,
substantially as described.
6. In a planetary cloth napping machine in combination, a series of napping
rolls, mechanism whereby the same are driven, mechanism for adjusting the speed
of the same, crimper rolls interposed in said series, the main shaft, a cloth-feed-
roll, an actuator common to said crimper rolls and said cloth-feed-roll,
mechanism whereby said common actuator is driven from said main shaft
and mechanism for adjusting the speed of said common actuator, substantially
as described.
7. In a planetary napping machine, in combination, a drum carrying
alternately arranged rolls operating, differentially and having respectively inclined
and straight points, a train of mechanism whereby said inclined pointed rolls are
driven, a means of speed adjustment therein, an independent train of mechanism
whereby said straight pointed rolls are driven from the drum shaft, cloth feed-

page_text: rolls, and a feed-roll-operating mechanism branching from said last named train,
substantially as described.
8. In a planetary napping machine, in combination, a drum carrying alternately
arranged rolls having respectively, substantially straight and inclined points
a train of mechanism whereby said inclined pointed rolls are driven, a means of
speed adjustment therein, an independent train of mechanism whereby said
straight pointed rolls are driven from the shaft, cloth-feed-rolls, and a feed-roll-
operating mechanism branching from said last named train, substantially as
described.
Doted this Ond
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.