IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR TENTERING OR DRYING FABRICS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Heap, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster,
Fuller, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINES
FOR TENTERING OR DRYING FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Heap at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1881.
CHARLES HEAP, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Fuller. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR TENTERING OR DRYING FABRICS,"
The object of my Invention is to cause the selvages of fabrics under treatment
in tentering machines to dry more rapidly than they do in machines of ordinary
arrangement, and without the use of pipes heated by steam known as "list
pipes," though my improvements are or may also be combined with "list pipes" if
desired.
.
To dry the fabric in tentering machines, air is heated by any ordinary means,
and is blown between the sides of the machine, and under or between the fabric
being operated upon, but the current of air is not controlled or directed so as to
pass in any particular direction, and the result is that the middle part of the
fabric being operated upon becomes dry long before the selvages. My Invention
consists in directing the hot air blown in so that it will first come against the
selvages by a pipe with two branches, one for each side, or by a pipe and directors
or deflectors, which may be arranged in any convenient manner, but so that the
hot air when entering will first come in contact with the selvages on those parts of
the cloth near the selvages, and then pass to or in contact with the other portions
of the fabric.
Or my Invention consists in arranging one pipe, or a pipe on each side of the
machine, so as to discharge the air or hot air blown into it from a slit or series of
holes along the lengthway of the pipes against the selvages.
Or my Invention consists in causing the current of air or hot air, after having
been first directed to the selvages and then to the body of the fabric to be
again directed towards the selvages, and so on, several times if desired in passing
from one end of the machine to the other; this object being accomplished by
arranging partitions or deflectors to change the direction of the currents as they
pass along.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Heap in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th August
1881.
"IMPROVE-
CHARLES HEAP, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Fuller.
MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO MACHINES FOR TENTERING OR DRYING FABRICS."
The object of my Invention is to cause the selvages of fabrics under treatment
in tentering machines to dry more rapidly than they do in machines of ordinary
arrangements, and without the use of pipes heated by steam known as "list" or
selvage pipes, though my improvements are or may also be combined with "list
pipes." if desired.
To dry the fabric in tentering machines where air is used for the purpose, the
air is heated by any ordinary means, and is blown between the sides of the
machine and under or between the fabric being operated upon, but the current of
air is not controlled or directed: so as to pass when it leaves the pipe in any
particular direction, and the result is that the middle part of the fabric. being
operated upon becomes dry long before the selvages.
My Invention consists in directing the air or heated air blown in so that it will
be taken to the sides, and then first come against the selvages by a pipe with two
branches one for each side, or by a pipe and directors or deflectors, which may be
arranged in any convenient manner, but so that the hot air when entering will
be driven or conveyed to the sides so as to first.come in contact with the sides or
selvages, or those parts of the cloth near the selvages, and then pass to or in contact
with the other portions of the fabric.
Or my Invention consists in arranging a pipe or trough on each side of the
machine so as to discharge the air or hot air blown into it from a space, slit, or a
series of holes along the lengthway of the pipes against the selvages or parts.near
the selvages of the cloth.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation, partly in section, of so much of a tentering
machine,as will be necessary for explaining my Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan; and
Fig. 3, a cross section of the same.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section through one side or chain rail of the machine,
and Fig. 5 an elevation of the arrangements for deflecting and conducting the air to
the sides of the machine.
a base of machine, a¹ stands, each set of which carry a cross beam a³, and the
right and left handed screw b, which screws through the sides c, carrying the endless
chains having the gills upon them for the cloth.
The sides c for the chains have wheels c¹ that run'upon the cross beams a³ when
the chain rails c are adjusted to the width of the fabric.
x is the cloth being operated upon extending between the gills on the two
sides c, and b' is a drum on each screw shaft b to partly support the cloth.
x is the cloth going to the gills of the upper chains, and x¹ the cloth passing away
from the gills of the lower chains, as shown by the arrows.
d is the ordinary pipe by which the hot air is brought to and discharged.between
the sides (c) for the endless chains and the fabric upon and extending between the
upper and lower chains.
The parts above referred to by letters of reference are some of the ordinary parts
of tentering machines.
I prefer to carry my Invention into effect by the following arrangements:-
I divide the outlet of the ordinary pipe d.in the middle by two boards of placed
at an angle so as to divide and throw the air discharged from the pipe to the two
idea

page_text: Then I continue these boards at an angle until they come to within a few inches
of the two sides c carrying the chains and attach a board f by a piece ƒ³ to each
side c for the chains, which boards f³ extend, say, to the length of two bays of the
machine.
The boards are arranged parallel to the side c, do not extend close to the cloth,
but there is a space left along the entire length of the boards between them and the
cloth for the air to escape between the edges of the boards f¹ and the cloth near
the selvages (see Fig. 4).
The air which escapes from the channel formed between the boards f² and sides c
strikes first against the selvages and then passes against the whole surface of the
upper and lower cloth and then forward to the cloth furthest from the feeding end
of the machine.
A portion of the air not escaping between the edges of the boards f³, and the
selvages may pass if desired out at the termination f4 of the boards f².
To admit of the machine being adjusted to suit different widths of cloth, the
angle boards f are made in two pieces splicing over each other, as shown, and are
connected together by bolts which can slide in slots f' in the boards f¹ (see Fig. 5),
and the two ends of the boards are hinged at f* and fº.
When my Invention is applied to tentering machines where the fabric only passes
on the upper chains, the hot air is first conveyed to the sides and is allowed to escape
at the selvages and then pass under the cloth.
The air may be brought to the machine by a pipe at one side or at both sides if
desired, so that when it escapes from the pipe or pipes it will first come in contact
with the selvages of the fabric and then pass as herein before explained.
I have spoken of boards f, f¹, f, and f³, but sheet iron or other suitable material
may be used in place of boards of wood.
I have now particularly described the nature of my Invention, and the mode of
carrying the same into effect, and claim as my Invention,-
The combination with tentering machines of arrangements by which the air for
drying the fabric is deflected, conveyed, or conducted to the sides so as to be dis-
charged against or upon the fabric being operated upon at or near the selvages,
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Heap, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
CHARLES HEAP. (Ls.)