IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING PIECE GOODS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Worrall, of Ordsall, Salford, in the County of
Lancaster, Dyer, and John Kershaw, of Wadsworth, Halifax, in the County
of York, Manager, for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
DRYING PIECE GOODS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Worrall & John
Kershaw at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April
1882.
JAMES WORRALL of Ordsall, Salford, in the County of Lancaster Dyer, and
JOHN KERSHAW of Wadsworth Halifax in the County of York, Manager,
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING PIECE GOODS.'
This Invention relates to improvements upon a Patent granted to one of the
present applicants and bearing date September 29th 1881 No. 4213 for "Improved
apparatus for drying cut pile fabrics."
According to that invention the piece goods to be dried were attached to pairs
of tenter chains, which travelled over serpentine guides through the drying
chamber, and were held apart so as to give lateral tension to the fabric which
they carried by means of weighted levers acting upon one of the serpentine guides,
which was made moveable for the purpose.
In this apparatus a slow continuous travelling motion through the drying
chamber was given to the fabric, but each width of fabric required a pair of tenter
chains to guide it, and these again required a pair of serpentine guides with chain
pulleys to operate the chains.
We now propose to simplify the apparatus by making one pair of chains carry
any desired number of widths of fabric, which fabrics will be held in lateral
tension by means of tenter pins that will be self-adjusting.
The chains which we propose to use will be made of malleable cast iron links of
about 3 inches in length. Every alternate link we propose to cast with a
projecting boss at its side, and to this boss we attach a rod which extends from
one chain to the other, say for a length of from 90 inches to 150 inches, more
or less.
The rods which thus couple the chains together we prefer to make tubular, and
upon them we mount tenter pins for entering respectively the selvages of the
several widths of fabric intended to be operated upon at one and the same time.
Supposing the rods to be of a sufficient length to take 3 widths of fabric side by

page_text: side, we fit them at their opposite sides with three sets of tenter pins, the three sets
on the one side of the rod to hold three widths of fabric, and the three sets on the
other side of the rod to take threo other widths of fabric.
To carry the tenter pins, a pair of holders is employed for each width of fabric,
one of these holders being fast upon the rod, and the other free to slide thereon.
When the rod is tubular, which is the arrangement preferred, we form
longitudinal slots in the tube, one for ench moveable tenter pin holder, to allow of
that holder being connected with a slide inserted in the tube.
For the convenience of construction, the moveable holders on one side of the
tubo will bo to the right of their fixed tenter pin holders, and on the other side of
the tubo to the left of their respective fixed holders.
This allows for the insertion, within the tube, of coiled springs, that will each bo
confined between a pair of slides, and thus act upon two moveable holders.
The rods thus fitted 'aro attached to the chains at about six inches apart, the
projecting hubs of the links of the two chains entering respectively the opposite
ends of the rods, and being secured thereto by a transverse rivet.
These chains pass over, and receive a transverso motion from chain-wheels
mounted in the upper part of the drying chamber, and driven by worms from a
common slinft.
To provide for the attachment of the fabrics to the tenter pins, the coupled
chains, as they leave the drying chamber, pass up vertically through a chamber
provided with two sets of stripping rollers, to which rotary motion is imparted.
As the ends of the dried fabrics rise to theso rollers, the attendants strip the
ends of the fabrics from the tenter pins and lay them upon the stripping rollors,
which taking a firm hold of the fabrics, continue, by their slow rotary motion, to
strip the fabrics from their respective pins, and coil them into rolls.
The stripped chains then pass up into a second chamber, where they are led over
guide rollers, first to the left, then to the right, and then to a guide roller, which
leads them into a third overhead chamber constituting a small supplementary
drying chamber. There the chains are passed over chain wheels, and hang in loops 3
between each successive pair in the same manner as in the main drying chamber.
By giving the chains the zigzag direction which they take in the second
chamber, the tenter pins on the one side of the rods will be presented to one set of
attendants to receive the several widths of fabric which those tenter pins (now
uppermost) are to carry.
As the chains are turned over in the opposite direction, the tenter pins on the
opposite side of the rods will be presented to another set of attendants, who in
their turn will attach other widths of fabric to these pins as the chains are
travelling forward.
In this way the chains will be laden with fabrics for the drying chamber, the
operations of feeding, drying, and stripping off the fabrics being simultaneously
performed, and that continuously.
To facilitate the feeding on and stripping off the fabrics, we provide, in the
chamber where these duties are performed, adjustablo switches, which coming in
contact with the moveable tenter pin holders; as the chains are travelling forward,
will cause them to slacken their tension on the fabric, and in the one case allow
the stripping rollers to act freely, and in the other case render it unnecessary for
the attendants to strain the fabrics over the pins.
From the foregoing it will be understood that the widths of fabric treated may
vary at pleasure, the coiled springs adjusting themselves to suit different widths of
fabric placed upon the tenter pins. The slots in which the tenter pin holders
traverso will require to be of such length as will accommodate the holders to the
extreme widths of fabric to be treated.
If thought desirable, guide rollers may be mounted in the lower part of the
drying chamber, to act as distance pieces for the pendent loops of the chains.
3

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Worrall & John Kershaw in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th October 1882.
JAMES WORRALL of Ordsall, Salford, in the County of Lancaster Dyer, and
JONN KERSHAW of Wadsworth, Halifax, in the County of York Managor "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRYING PIECE GOODS."
This Invention relates to improvements upon a Patent granted to one of the
present applicants and bearing date September twenty ninth One thousand
cight hundred and eighty one No. 4213 for "Improved apparatus for drying cut
pile fabrics."
According to that Invention the piece goods to be dried were attached to pairs
of tenter chain which travelled over serpentine guides through the drying chamber
and were held apart so as to give lateral tension to the fabric which they carried
by means of weighted levers acting upon one of the serpentine guides which was
made movable for the purpose
In this apparatus a slow continuous travelling motion through the drying
chamber was given to the fabric, but each width of fabric required a pair of tenter
chains to guide it and these again required a pair of serpentine guides with chain
pulleys to operate the chains.
We now propose to simplify the apparatus by making one pair of chains carry
any desired number of widths of fabric which fabrics will be held in lateral tension
by means of tenter pins that will be self adjusting.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig: 1 shows in side elevation our improved
arrangement of drying apparatus, the side of the drying feeding and doffing
chambers being removed to show the interior thereof. The drying chamber is also
broken away horizontally to reduce its height to manageable proportions. Fig: 2
is a sectional plan view of the drying chamber Fig: 3 is a vertical section of the
drying chamber taken at the line 12 of Fig: 2 its height being reduced to
correspond to Fig: 1, and Fig: 4 is a transverse vertical section through the
feeding and dofling chambers taken at the line 3, 4 of Fig: 1
The apparatus, as illustrated in the drawings, is intended to carry five breadths
of fabrics side by side on its tenter pins and as the endless chains to which the
tenter pins are fitted carry double sets or internal and external tenter pins double
this number of breadths of fabric are capable of being operated upon by this
apparatus at one and the same time.
In the drying chamber A is mounted an upper and a lower series of chain
wheels a a' for receiving a pair of endless chains B which pass over and under the
upper and lower series of chain wheels and receive a traverse motion from the
wheels & the axles of which carry worm wheels a² and are driven by worms a³.
keyed to a longitudinal shaft at extending the whole length of the chamber and
passing through one end thereof.
"
The chains B take a serpentine course through the drying chamber A and are
led from that chamber to the doffing chamber C whence they pass upwards to the
feeding chamber D and thence back to the drying chamber A.
The chains may be made of any approved construction their object being to
carry a series of horizontal rods b to which the tenter pins c are fitted. We prefer
however the construction of chain shown on an enlarged scale at Figures 5 and G.
The chain it will be seen is composed of pairs of link plates hinged together with
spacing pieces between them. To every third link is fitted on its inner face a
projecting plug to carry one end of a rod b which is conveniently made of a
tubular form,

page_text: The pair of chains thus constructed will carry between them a series of these
hollow rods the length of which will depend upon the width and number of widths
of fabrics the apparatus is intended to receive at one filling. Fig: 7 is a partial
longitudinal section of one of these rods detached from its chain but several of
these are shown in place at Figures 5 and 6.
Each width of fabric it will be understood has for its support a pair of holders c'
in each tube of the series. These holders ench carry tenter pins c and one of each
pair of holders is fixed while the other is moveable in the tubo.
The fixed holder is rivetted to the tube but the moveable holder is screwed to n
slide which is free to move up and down in the tube a short longitudinal slot
being cut therein to allow of the insertion of the screw which couples the holder
with the slide and of its free movement longitudinally of the rod
The rod it will be seen is slotted similarly on its opposite sides the one series
of slots to receive the coupling screws of the outer tenter pin holders and the other
series of slots to receive the screws of the inner tenter pin holders.
Between the slides c of these noveable holders a coiled spring c³ is inserted,
the ends of the spring being coiled to a smaller diameter than the contro to ensure
their bedding upon the ends of the slides and offering no obstruction to the
movement of these slides.
From the foregoing it will be understood that as the tenter pins of each rod are
intended to carry ten widths of fabric, five on one side and five on the other sido
of the chains, ten pairs of holders will under these circumstances be fitted to each
rod. One of ench pair of holders will bo n fixture and the other moveable. These
moveable holders are intended, as will bo hereafter explained, to approach the fixed
holders, both when the cloth is to be placed on the chains for drying and when it
is to be stripped therefrom after drying. While however the cloth is passing
through the drying chamber the tenter pin holders are required to keep the cloth
stretched laterally whatever may be the width of the cloth presented to them.
For this purpose a tendency is given to the moveable holders to recede from the
fixed holders, and this tendency is created by inserting between every two
moveable holders a coiled pressure spring c³. as shown at fig: 7.
The length of the longitudinal slots in the rod b is such as to provide for this
movement of the holders, and at the samo time to limit their motion.
The rods we connect to the chains by slipping their hollow ends over the
projecting cylindrical plugs carried by the chains, and securing them in place by
binding screws. This arrangement facilitates the removal of any rod which may
become injured.
To prevent the engging of these rods b. we propose to connect them together by
means of links at intervals along their length, as illustrated at Fig; 8, where b. B².
are the links embracing the rods b. and we also provido hexagonal wheels b. as
shewn at Fig; 9. for these links to pass over. By this means the rods b. will bo
enabled to sustain tho weight of their load without sagging.
We have said that as the chains pass through the chambers C and D, the
movenblo tenter pin holders are caused to approach the fixed holders, in the one
case to facilitate the attachment of the cloth to the chains, and in the other, to
facilitate the stripping of the cloth therefrom.
This approach of the sliding holders to the fixed bolders is effected by means of
a double set of adjustable stationary switch bars d. d. for each chamber (seo
figures 1 and 4).
These bars are carried by transverse bars d'. to which they are pivotted, and
their upper ends are secured to transverse slotted bars d. by means of clamping
screws.
The bars d. and d. are carried by cast iron standards d³. The chains B on
leaving the chamber A, enter the chamber C, pass round a pair of chain wheels a³.
and upwards between the double set of switch bars in that chamber for the purpose
of presenting the cloth to the guido rollers e.
Supposing theso switch bars to be set to a proper inclino from a vertical plano

page_text: the moveable tenter pin holders on both sides of the rods b will as the chain passes
upwards, be carried past the edges of these inclined bars and will thereby be forced
inwards or against the pressure of the coiled springs. This will cause all the
widths of cloth to slacken, and thus allow of the forward ends of the fabrics being
stripped off the tenter pins, laid over one or other of the rollers e. and conducted
up to one or other of the stripping rollers el. which delivers them to folders e². of
the ordinary construction whereby they will be laid in folds on the floor in the
usual manner.
As the chain pass upwards clear of the switch bars in the chamber C. their
moveable holders, as they leave the switch bars, will be thrust back by the pressure
of the coiled springs to the end of the slots in the rod :
As the chains, travel upwards through the chamber D. they will pass over a pair
of chain wheels a. then under and over a pair of large chain wheels a. and from
these chain wheels they pass under and over a second pair of large chain wheels a".
and thence into the chamber A, whence they are guided by a small pair of chain
wheels a. to the top series of chain wheels a.
The zigzag course given to the chains in the chamber D is for the purpose of
presenting the tenter pins to two sets of attendants situate at opposite sides of the
travelling tenter rods. The duty of these attendants is to attach the several
widths of fabric to the rods as they are brought up into position, and it is to
facilitate this attachment that the chamber D is also furnished with two sets of
switches.
In this instance the switch bars are hent to correspond to the curve of the chain
wheels a. a. but in other respects they correspond to the switch bars in the lower
chamber.
As the moveable switch holders pass over their respective switch bars, they will
be forced inwards against the pressure of their springs, and by the space between
the moveable and the fixed holders being thus contracted, the attendants will bo
enabled to lay the cloth on the tenter pins with great facility.
So soon as the holders have passed clear of the switch bars, the springs will como
into action, thrust back the moveable tenter pin holders, and put a lateral tension
on the fabrics, and this, whatever width the fabrics may be within the limits
provided for in the machine.
The power for imparting a travelling motion to the chains is taken from a short
horizontal shaft f. mounted inside the chamber D, and provided with fast and loose
belt pulleys.
This shaft is also fitted with two worms f¹. which gear into worm wheels ƒ³.
keyed on the axles of the chain wheels a". a
Besides driving the chains through the chain wheels a. a. the shaft f. serves to
drive the chains through the chain wheels a. For this purpose there is keyed on
the inner end of the shaft f. a bevil wheel f. which drives a vertical shaft g. (see
the detached view Fig: 1) through a bevil pinion g'. such shaft being mounted
vertically outside the chamber A and extending from the chamber D to near the
top of the drying chamber.
At the upper end of this shaft g. is a bevil wheel g³. which gears into a bevil
pinion as on the outer end of the horizontal shaft a' by the driving of which
shaft rotary motion is transmitted directly through gearing to each of the chain
wheels a.
The stripping rollers e'. which are clothed with card filletting or equivalent
material, derive their motion from the chains themselves. For this purpose chain
wheels e². gearing into the chains are mounted loosely upon stud axles, and fitted
to these wheels are band pulleys e³, which drive through bands, pulleys e', keyed on
one end of the stripping roller shafts.
By providing these pulleys e. with crank pins, and hanging the folder frames on
fulcrums above their respective stripping roller shafts, vibratory motion may be
readily imparted to the folders, the crank pins playing in longitudinal slots made in
the pendent frames,

page_text: It will be understood that that chamber A may be heated in any approved
manner and that the heat of that chamber will bo oxcluded from both the
stripping and the feeding chambers.-This will be requisite in order to enable the
attendants employed in placing the fabrics on the chains and removing them
therefrom, to work with comfort to themselves and with duo regard to their health.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in apparatus
for drying pieco goods" and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
We claim.
First: The means above described for putting an elastic lateral Lension upon
travelling piece goods, and for removing the tension therefrom for the purpose abovo
set forth.
Secondly-Mounting the tenter pins of travelling chains upon transverse rods
in such manner as to provide for the chains receiving a double load of fabrics, or
fabrics on opposite sides of the transverse rods.
In witness whereof we the said James Worrall and John Kershaw havo
hereunto set our bands and seals the seventeenth day of October in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness to Signatures of
James Worrall and John Kershaw.
W. M. CROMPTON,
Cashier
17th Oct. 1882.
West View,
47 Howard St.
Salford.
JAMES WORRAL (1..5.)
JOHN KERSHAW. (L.S.)