IMPROVEMENTS IN SILK-DRESSING MACHINERY
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Greenwood, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Machine Maker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SILK-DRESSING
MACHINERY." A communication from abroad by A. Schüle, of Basel,
Switzerland.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Greenwood at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th July 1881.
ARTHUR GREENWOOD, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SILK-DRESSING MACHINERY." [A communication from abroad
by A. Schüle, of Basel, Switzerland.]
This Invention relates to an improvement on the well known rotary silk dressing
machine, which is provided with presses to receive books of silk, which are
submitted in turn to the action of carding or combing rollers.
The object of the improvement is to facilitate the gripping of the books tightly
in their presses, and their release from pressure after the silk has undergone the
carding or combing operation. Each press is provided with a pair of gripping
bars, which when advanced towards each other will grip the inserted books, and
hold the silk firmly in place against the drag of the card rollers. When the pressure
of these bars ceases the books will be released, and may be removed from their
press by the attendant, who then recharges the press with fresh books while the
cylinder is still rotating. The automatic action of each pair of gripping bars is
effected by means of a pair of rock shafts which have their bearings in the end
castings of the cylinder. Each bar is connected at its opposite ends by a pair of
arms to its respective rock shaft, and the two rock shafts of each press are connected
by rigid arms to a toggle joint which is pivotted to a link rod. The lower end of
this rod is jointed to a rock lever which has its fulcrum at the side of the cylinder.
The link is extended upwards and passes between guides, which ensure its retaining

page_text: a radial position with respect to the axis of the cylinder. This rock lever terminates
at its lower extremity in two projections, one of these projections having a flat
spring firmly attached to it to carry a bowle which rides upon a cam fixed to the
inner side of the main framing, and as the cylinder is rotated rocks the lever to
which it is attached, and through the link and toggle joints rocks the shafts
carrying the gripping bars, and thereby tightens up the books of silk. The
loosening of the books is effected by the other projection of the rock lever coming
in contact with the pin or the inner face of the fixed cam. This causes the, toggle
joints to contract, and to reverse the motion of the rock shafts and the gripping
bars secured thereto.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Arthur Greenwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th January.
1882.
ARTHUR GREENWOOD, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine Maker.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SILK-DRESSING MACHINERY." A communication from abroad
by A. Schüle, of Basel, Switzerland.
This Invention relates to an improvement on the well known rotary silk dressing
machine, which is provided with presses to receive books of silk, which are
submitted in turn to the action of carding or combing rollers.
The object of the improvement is to facilitate the gripping of the books tightly
in their presses, and their release from pressure after the silk has undergone the
carding or combing operation.
Each press is provided with a pair of gripping bars, which are automatically
advanced towards each other to press or grip the inserted books or stricks of silk,
and hold the silk firmly in place against the drag of the card rollers. When the
combing is completed, the books are automatically released from pressure to allow
the attendant to remove them from the presses, and recharge the presses with fresh
books while the cylinder is still rotating.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a silk dressing
machine fitted according to this Invention, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in
section, the better to illustrate some of the acting parts of the mechanism for
gripping the books.
A is the ordinary cylinder, mounted as usual in the framing B, and receiving a
slow rotary motion in the direction of the arrow from gearing taking its motion
from one of the carding or combing rollers C. D, D', are three pairs of gripping
bars set longitudinally of the cylinder, and extending from end to end thereof.
These bars are notched at their ends to embrace annular guides projecting inwards
from the end plates of the cylinder A, and over which they are free to slide.
Each pair of these bars form a press for receiving the books of silk to be combed,
and it is by their advancing towards each other that the books are gripped and
held firmly, and by their recession that the books are freed for removal and
replacement.
The automatic action of each pair of gripping bars D, D¹, is effected by means
of a pair of rock shafts E, E', which have their bearings in the end castings of the
cylinder. Each bar is connected at its opposite ends by a pair of arins F to its
respective rock shaft. The arms F at one end of the cylinder extend inwards, as
at F1, and through these extensions the two rock shafts of each press are connected
to a toggle joint G. Pivotted to each toggle joint is a link rod H. The lower end
of the rod H is jointed to a rock lever I, which is keyed to a rock shaft I' carried
by the cylinder ends. The link rod H is extended upwards, and passes through a
guide formed by antifriction rollers mounted on the cylinder ends, thus ensuring
the rod retaining a radial position with respect to the axis of the cylinder. The
rock lever I is formed with two projections i, i¹. The projection has firmly
attached to it a flat spring carrying a bowle, which rides upon a cam K fixed
to the inner side of the main framing. This cam as the cylinder is rotated rocks
the lever I, and through the link H and toggle joints G rocks the shafts carrying
the gripping bars 1, D1, and thereby tightens up the books of silk. The loosening
of the books is effected by the projection of the rock lever I coming in contact
with a pin on the inner face of the fixed cam K. This causes the toggle joints
to contract, and to reverse the motion of the rock shafts E and the gripping bars
secured thereto.

page_text: It will be understood that as the gripping bars D, D¹, are each connected to
arms F, carried by similar rock shafts E, which are connected together by toggles
carrying a radial link rod, which rod connects the toggle with a lever I, similar to
that just described, the several presses will in turn be caused to grip and release
the books or stricks of silk fed into them, holding the same firmly while the silk
is under the action of the combing rollers C, and slackening their grip of the books
as they are brought round in front of the attendant.
Having now set forth the nature of this Invention of "Improvements in Silk
Dressing Machinery," as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
The application to silk dressing machinery of the means above described for
automatically gripping the books and releasing the same from pressure while the
combing action is proceeding.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Greenwood, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
ARTHUR GREENWOOD. (L.S.)