An Improved Machine for Dry Cleaning Fabrics or Woven Materials or the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 4th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Dry Cleaning Fabrics or Woven Materials
or the like.
I, CARL SCHARRER, of Heidenheim on the Brenz, in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a machine for dressing and cleaning or removing impurities
adhering to woven materials or fabrics, paper, felt and the like.
Such machines have hitherto been very imperfect inasmuch as they necessitated
a considerable expenditure of labour and even then their efficiency left much to be
desired.
÷
By my invention these objections are entirely overcome. The material is so..
completely cleaned that no particle remains attached thereto and a large amount of
work can be performed by the apparatus with a minimum expenditure of labour.
According to my invention I construct the apparatus of a suitable case in
which I arrange beating mechanism, consisting of beating rods fastened to
revolving shafts, parallel therewith by means of bands, chains or the like, which
rods as the shafts rotate are thrown centrifugally against the material to be cleaned
and beat out the dust or other impurities or bring them to the surface.
In the said case I also arrange revolving brushes which operate on both sides of
the material..
Outside the case there is another set of brushes which also operates on both sides
of the material and which precipitate the impurities into dust collectors which are
in communication with an exhauster.
The dust arising in the case may also be drawn off by an exhauster.
Guide rollers serve to guide the material to the brushes.
..It is difficult and in fact almost impossible with the apparatus I have described
to prevent dust and fibre particles from flying off the brushes and settling on
the cleaned end of the material, because tlie whole of the dust is not thrown-into
the dust collectors but a certain portion of it remains attached to the brushes
which is thrown off upwards by the centrifugal force of the latter as they
swiftly rotate. I therefore provide in another case or in another portion of
the same case two nozzle shaped blast pipes arranged opposite each other, between
which the material is conducted and a dust collector which is also traversed by the
material and into which the blast pipes discharge air and out. of which the air,
together. with the dust or flocks it sets free is conducted away.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Dry Cleaning Fabrics or Woven Materials
or the like.
I; CARL SCHARRER, of Heidenheim, on the Brenz, in the Empire of Germany,
0 Engineer, 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:
1.
yold
.1.
My invention relates to a machine for dressing and cleaning or removing impurities
adhering to woven materials or fabrics, paper, felt and the like.

page_text: Such machines have hitherto been very imperfect inasmuch as they necessitated
a considerable expenditure of labour and even then their efficiency left much to
be desired.
By my invention these objections are entirely overcome. The material is so
completely cleaned that no particle remains attached thereto and a large amount of
work can be performed by the apparatus with a minimum expenditure of labour.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 shews a cross section of a machine for dry cleaning fabrics or woven
materials or the like constructed according to my invention:
Figure 2 is a front elevation partially in section along the line 2-2 of
Figure 1:
Figure 3 shews a horizontal section along the line 3-3; and,
Figure 4 a horizontal section along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.
The whole machine consists of two principal portions which may be and may be
used as two separate machines. In the one portion of the machine the textile or
other fabric is subjected to a process of beating and brushing whilst in the other
part the particles of flock or dust which have flown back on to the fabric are removed
by being blown off.
The former portion of the apparatus consists essentially of a closed chest S in
which two beating and brushing mechanisms are situated and which is traversed
by the textile or other fabric to be treated.
The fabric is taken off the stock cylinder A led over the guide rollers and through
the tension mechanism v, and through the slot a in a condition of slight tension into
the chest in the direction of the arrow.
In the inside of the apparatus the fabric is first brushed by two knife or brush-
rollers revolving in opposite directions, as shewn by the arrows, these rollers only
pressing lightly upon the fabric.
Above the rollers w is a knocking or beating mechanism which consists of the
beating staves s connected to the revolving spindle N by means of straps,
chains or steel ribbons s¹. As the spindle N rotates these beating staves which
hang parallel to it fly flat against the fabric as the latter moves onward, and
exert an effective beating action upon it so that even those impurities which lie
more deeply in the fabric G are removed from it, or brought up to the surface.
After the tissue has been treated as described upon the one side, it is so guided
round that the other side is in its turn submitted to the action first of the brushes w¹
and then of the second beating mechanism.
The dust and dirt beaten and brushed out of the tissue in the chest S is exhausted
through the suction tube h by means of a ventilator or exhauster.
The fabric leaves the chest S through the slot-like opening a¹ and is guided by
means of the guide-rollers to the revolving brushes b, which brush the fabric
thoroughly on both sides so that the impurities and particles of dust brought to the
surface by the beating apparatus and still adhering to the fabric are removed.
These impurities are thrown by the brushes b into the dust catching box k which is
also connected with an air-exhausting arrangement by the tubes e. If desired, a
special exhauster may be employed for this purpose, or the tubes e may, as indicated
in the drawing, be led into the beating chest S so that the exhaustion is effected
through the latter chest only by means of a single exhauster. It is, however, very
difficult to prevent any particles of dust or flock from flying up from the brushes,
and again adhering to the cleaned portion of the fabric. Experience shews that
this is, in fact, impossible, since the whole of the dust is not thrown off into the box
provided to catch it, but that a certain amount remains adherent to the brush, and
is only thrown off by the centrifugal action of the rapidly rotating brush.
It is to meet this difficulty that the second portion of the machine, the mechanism
for blowing off the dust, has been provided. This mechanism consists of a closed
chest K which to admit of the passage of the material is provided with two
corresponding slots a³ and 6.
Above the slot 6* is placed, on both sides of the fabric, a blast tube d, the cross
.

page_text: section of which has the form of a nozzle, and the length of which corresponds to
the breadth of the material. The nozzle-like slots c of both tubes are situated
exactly opposite each other so that the fabric cannot be blown hither and thither
by the current of air but passes steadily through the apparatus. The blast tubes d'
are connected to each other by tubes r, and are fed with compressed air by means
of a suitable air-pump by ventilators or the like. It is further advantageous that
two tubes r¹ should run off from the chest K', one on either side, these tubes joining
to form a single one, and being connected to an exhauster if desired. These tubes
may, however, as shewn in the drawing, open into the chest S so that the exhauster
connected with the chest S may also be utilized for the dust-catching chest K'..
An air-trap t, in the form of a funnel, is attached to the slot-like opening into
the chest K', this co-operating with the blast tubes d in acting as an injector so that
the air which is driven against the fabric G as the latter passes through the
apparatus cannot fail to enter the chest K'.
The place of entry of the fabric is also provided with a funnel-shaped attach-
ment ending in the slot a³, and this attachment is best constructed of two spring-
plates which press lightly upon the fabric, and thereby effect a closure of the
dust-catching box on the side on which the fabric enters and lead off the air
laterally. The air as it emerges from the blast. tubes d meets the fabric which is
moving in a direction obliquely inclined to the stream of air which it meets, and
the air stream removes all particles of flock and dust from the fabric and carries
them off through the tubes r, r².
.
The fabric thus cleaned may finally be wound upon the store cylinder B which
is protected against contamination by dust by a dust-shield i. The machine is
driven in any way preferred by means of the belt-pulleys fixed upon the axles of
the rollers, these axles projecting through the casing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A machine for dry cleaning fabrics or woven materials or the like with
beating rods parallel to the axis, characterized by the fact that the rods which
are secured to the axis by means of bands, straps, or other means act upon the
whole width of the material to be cleansed, and, are thrown in a flail-like manner
against the material as the axle revolves, substantially as herein before described.
2. In a machine for dry cleaning fabrics or woven materials or the like apparatus
for removing loosely adherent particles of fluff, dust, or the like from the surfaces
of the fabrics, characterized by the arrangement of two air-nozzles standing at an
angle to each other, between which the material to be cleansed is made to pass,
and by means of which air under pressure is driven against both sides of the fabric
whilst an exhaust arrangement removes the air charged with dust or fluff which has
been removed, substantially as herein before described.
3. A machine for dry cleaning fabrics or woven materials or the like consisting
of a beating mechanism in which the rods connected to the axle by means of bands,
straps, etc. extend over the whole width of the material to be cleansed, and as the
axle rotates are thrown in a flail-like manner against the surface of the fabric, in
combination with a mechanism for blowing off the particles of fluff, dust or the
like which may adhere to the surface of the fabric, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4. A machine for dry cleaning fabrics or woven materials or the like consisting
of a beating mechanism with an appliance for removing the particles of fluff,
dust, etc. which may still adhere to the fabric loosely, such appliance consisting of
two air-nozzles placed at an angle to each other between which the fabric to be
cleansed is caused to pass and through which compressed air is driven against both
sides of the fabric whilst an exhaust apparatus removes the air charged with the
loosened particles of dust or fluff, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. A machine for dry cleaning fabrics or woven materials or the like consisting

page_text: of a beating apparatus in which the rods which are secured to the axle by means of
straps, bands or the like, extend over the whole width of the fabric to be cleansed,
and as the axle rotates are thrown in a flail-like manner against the fabric, in
combination with an apparatus for blowing off the particles of fluff, dust or the like
which may still adhere to the surface of the fabric, such apparatus consisting of
two air-nozzles placed at an angle to each other, between which the fabric is caused
to pass, and through which compressed air is forced against both sides of the fabric
whilst an exhaust apparatus removes the air charged with the dust or fluff so
removed from the fabric, substantially as herein before described.
6. The improved machine for dry cleaning fabrics or woven materials or the
like, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the. accompanying
drawings.
Dated the 4th day of March 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.