Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1897--Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
I, LOUIS JOSEPH VAN VRECKOM of 152 Chaussée de Tervueren, Etterbeek, Belgium,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
It frequently happens that tissues and articles of apparel made thereof, when left
with dyers to be dyed, cleaned, or restored, shrink in consequence of the operations they
undergo, to an extent that depreciates their value or renders them useless. A want
has therefore been felt of an apparatus, which would allow of the materials, so treated,
being dried without any danger of shrinkage.
The apparatus, which is the object of the present invention, answers to this require-
ment from every point of view. It is composed of two distinct parts, one of which is
fixed and the other is moveable. The latter can be placed entirely or partly within
the fixed portion, in order to give the apparatus a greater or less development,
according to the size of the object to be dried and that the dimensions of the latter,
both horizontally and vertically, may be preserved. The two parts above referred to as
constituting the apparatus, whatever may be the material employed-wood metal or
tissue-to form their surfaces, are pierced with holes sufficiently near each other to
allow a free circulation of air, in order to regulate and hasten the drying of the
material under operation. They are provided, at the bottom, with a fixed pin or
needle crown and, at the top, with a moveable one allowing the materials under
operation to be stretched to the necessary extent before drying and thus to preserve
their natural or original dimensions.
A further advantage of my apparatus is that the drying is effected more rapidly and
more regularly than by any other method. Time is economised, labour is saved and
the smoothing of the articles is easier and more perfectly accomplished owing to the
tension which they preserve after being dried.
The fixed portion of the apparatus is composed of a framing resting on feet provided
with rollers or castors. This frame is of triangular form, in its elevation, and
rectangular in transverse section. The moveable part resembles the fixed part in its
shape; its frame is pivoted, by its upper extremity, at the top of the frame of the
fixed part. The base of the frame of the moveable part carries a rack-bar operated
by a toothed wheel keyed on an axle moved by a crank. This axle is lodged at the
base of the frame of the fixed part and its movement, to the right or left, causes the
moveable part to enter or leaves the other part, owing to the engagement of
the toothed wheel with the rack-bar. In the extended position of the apparatus the
axle is held immoveable, by means of a ratchet wheel and a spring catch or pawl. To
introduce the moveable part the catch or pawl is raised, thus allowing the rotation of
the axle in an opposite or contrary direction.
The moveable needle-crown part consists of a piece of horse-shoe shape, embracing
that extremity of the fixed part, which is opposite to the moveable part. This piece
is connected with the pin or needle crown by three rods joined by a cross-bar which
is pierced at its centre with a screw-threaded opening, through which passes the

page_text: threaded part of an oblique axle, turning, at its extremities, in the frame of the fixed
part and operated, at its lower end, by means of a crank. The revolution of the
oblique axle causes the needle-crown to rise or fall and thus the materials, or objects,
under operation can be stretched vertically, whilst the moveable part, stretches them
horizontally. The latter part is covered with a sheath, at its outer end, for its whole
height, the sheath being perforated with numerous openings for the circulation of
air. At its lower part, it is covered, for its whole length, with a cloth to prevent any
contact of the objects, under treatment, with the metallic part of the apparatus.
The bottom of the fixed part is also covered with a cloth, whilst the needle-crown
part is provided with a curved perforated plate.
This plate rises and falls with the needle-crown.
I, LOUIS JOSEPH VAN VRECKOM of 152 Chausée de Tervueren, Etterbeek, Belgium,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be perforined to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
It unfortunately happens too often that stuffs or clothes which are given to dyers,
either for finishing, dyeing or cleaning, are subject to shrinking through these
operations and are often unfit for further use. This is of serious consequence to the
dyers who are sometimes obliged to keep the deteriorated articles and pay their value.
What is wanting is an apparatus which allows stuffs and clothes of all kinds to dry
and at the same time preserve their dimensions after undergoing the operations of
washing, cleaning, dyeing and the like.
The apparatus which forms the object of my invention answers in every point the
purpose to be attained. It is composed of three distinct parts: a fixed part A. and
two moveable parts B and M which can be completely introduced into, or taken out
of the fixed part, in order to give different developments to the apparatus according
to the size of the object to be dried and to preserve its dimensions by the horizontal
or vertical tensions.
These three distinct parts whatever may be the matter of which their surface is
composed, whether wood, metal or tissue, are pierced with holes sufficiently close to
afford a circulation of the air so as to regulate and to push on the work on hand.
They are furnished at the lower part, with fixed needle-crowns and at the upper part
with a movable needle-crown which allow the object to be stretched at pleasure,
according to the necessity before drying and by this tension, preserving their original
dimension. Moreover the drying under these conditions, is made more regularly and
quickly and procures an economy of time and labour and an easier and more regular
cleaning owing to the tension which the object preserves after its drying.
In the annexed drawing which illustrates my invention, Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2
an end view, Fig. 3 a bottom view, Fig. 4 a side view open, of iny apparatus, Figs. 5-6
detail of movable needle-crown.
The fixed part A of the apparatus is composed of a frame-work a resting upon four
feet b with rollers c. This frame-work is of a triangular form in elevation and
rectangular in its transversal section,

page_text: The two movable parts Band M have a similar form to that of the fixed part; the
frame-work of the part B is pivoted by its upper extremity to the summit of the
frame-work a of the fixed part. The base of the frame-work d bears a rack f worked
by a cog-wheel h wedged upon an axle g worked by a crank j. This axle is fixed at
the base of the frame-work a of the fixed part and its right or left movement work
the movable part B in and out by means of the communication of the cog-wheel h
with the rack f. In the open position the axle g is kept immovable by means of a
ratchet-wheel k and a catch e. To put back the part B the catch is lifted to allow the
rotation of the axle g in the reverse direction.
The part M which is of the same form as the first is also articulated, at the upper
part of its frame near the summit of the frame d. It falls on the part B and enters
with it the fixed part A, in the closed position the part B being opened by the means
already alluded to above, if the object to be dried requires a larger extension of the
apparatus, the part M is lifted with the hand its fixity being obtained by means of a
key wedged into a mortise made at the base of the frame-work of the part B.
The part C or movable needle-crown comprises a part m in the form of a horse-
shoe encircling the part A. This part m is joined to the needle crown n, by means
of three rods o joined by a part p having a threaded hole at its centre, through which
passes the threaded part of an oblique axle q turning on its extremities in the frame-
work a and worked at its lower extremity by means of the crank ¹. The rotation of
the axle q causes the part C or the movable needle crown to rise and descend and
allows the tension of the object in its length, whilst the movable parts B and M
stretch it in its width. The movable parts have their outside extremity sheathed to
their full height perforated with holes for the circulation of the air and at their lower
extremity to their full length, have a sheet to prevent the contact of the objects with
the metallic part of the apparatus. This sheet is susceptible of being plaited, or warped
and is not lowered to the bottom of the frame-works of B and M it is only lowered to a
certain distance from this edge, but kept perfectly stretched by tension squares drawn.
towards the bottom by small wormed rods whose winged nut rest-upon the lower
edges of the frame-works.
The bottom of the fixed part A is likewise covered with a sheet applied in the same
way as on the two movable parts with small lower stretchers. The part C or needle-
crown is supplied with a bent plater perforated with holes. This plate rises and falls
with the needle-crown. The extremities of the horse-shoe fixed to the needle-crown
are also supplied with small sheet plates or wood perforated with holes.
The tissues or clothes to be dried are placed upon the closed apparatus so as to
surround it more or less closely.
The upper part of said tissues or clothes is fixed to the needle-crown n and the
lower part to the lower sheet by means of clothes-pegs.
The movable part C is then raised to the desired height to secure a suitable
stretching.
The movable parts B and M (or only the first) are withdrawn from the fixed part A
as far as the tissues or clothes enables it.
For tissues or fabrics not made up in clothes, their ends may be fastened together
by means of clothes-pegs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. A drying and stretching apparatus for all kinds of tissues, characterized by a
fixed part composed of a frame-work resting upon roller legs, two movable parts to
stretch out the cloth in width, composed each of a frame-work turning on a pivot the
one on the summit of the fixed frame-work, the other on the summit of the first,
both of which can be inserted in the fixed frame-work, one of the two movable frame-
works falling completely upon the other, or being drawn from it by means of a rack
gearing with a cog-wheel fixed to an axle which turns at the bottom of the fixed
part,

page_text: 2. In combination with the apparatus Claimed in 1, a movable needle-crown to
stretch out the tissues in height characterized by a part in the form of a horse-shoe
joined to a needle-head and moving upon an oblique axle partly wormed, by means of a
connecting piece provided with a threaded opening.
3. A drying and stretching apparatus substantially as described and shown in the
annexed drawings.