IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF STRETCHING-MACHINES FOR DRESSING AND FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CONTROLLING THE
OPERATION OF STRETCHING-MACHINES FOR DRESSING AND FINISHING WOVEN
FABRICS communicated to him from abroad by La Societé Anonyme des
Teintures et Appréts do Tarare, of Tarare, France
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th August 1883.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake. and Co Patent Agents,.
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM CHIEFLY
"
DESIGNED FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF STRETCHING-MACHINES FOR
DRESSING AND FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS [A communication to him from
abroad by La Societé Anonyme des. Teintures et Appréts de Tarare, of Turare,
France]
This invention relates to mechanism which although chiefly designed for
controlling the operation of stretching machines for dressing and finishing woven
fabrics, is also applicable for other purposes.
The stretching of the fabrics has for its object to bring the threads thereof into
a position parallel with each other and to equalize the distance between the said
threads. This operation has been heretofore performed by hand and consisted in
stretching the threads and at the same time causing them to assume an inclined
position in such a manner that by bearing upon one another they gradually.
assume their proper relative positions. This operation has also been performed by
means of a frame.
The fabric is stretched by means of its selvage upon a rectangular frame which
is articulated and can be converted alternately in both directions into a more or
less acute parallelogram. Movement is imparted by hand to the two clamping
bands which secure the selvage aud form the longer sides of the rectangle. Such
is the operation by means of which the mechanical stretching of fabrics is performed
by those engaged in the dressing of light fabrics and which is now well known.
The efforts exerted during the performance of the above operation are considerable
and fatigue the operatives. In order to avoid hand labour it has been sought to
set the frame in motion by means of an excentric actuated by a motor in such a
manner as to perform automatically the regulating and softening of the fabric,
CD G.71
:

page_text: The mechanical combination which forms the subject of the present invention is
entirely different from those heretofore employed, First because the movement of
the frame is effected by an endless screw and a worm wheel which is substituted
for the excentric above mentioned; Secondly because the movement, instead of
being automatic, is entirely and constantly under the control of the operative, the
frame advancing in one direction, stopping at any desired point, and returning in
the opposite direction, and thus faithfully imitating the movements imparted by
the operative to the extremity of a lever. This invention offers the same advantages
as are secured by the above described process, with this difference that the motive
power is transmitted by belts and is not that of a steam cylinder. It is this first
motive power which constitutes the main feature of this invention; it is moreover
capable of various applications.
In carrying the said invention into practice a drum or pulley is fitted upon a
motor shaft and a uniform rotary motion is imparted thereto; the said pulley
-transmits the movement to a straight belt and to a crossed belt. Two drums or
pulleys are mounted, loosely upon another shaft which carries also another pulley.
A double fork conducts the said two belts and carries either of them over the last
named pulley in such a manner as to cause the second shaft to rotate either in the
same direction as the first drum or pulley when the straight belt is carried over
the pulley or in a contrary direction when the crossed belt is carried over the said
pulley. A bar which carries the said double fork may be provided with a
counterweight or springs which tend to bring the belts back to the loose pulleys
-but this accessory-arrangement is not necessary; the only advantage resulting
therefrom being to render smooth the movement of the mechanism in throwing in
or out of gear..
The said bar terminates at one end in a rack the stroke of which is limited in
both directions to the extent necessary to cause the belts to pass from the loose
pulleys on to the pulley keyed upon the second shaft. A pinion gears with the
said rack, the shaft of the said pinion being controlled by means of a forked
connecting rod fixed to the extremity of a bar. When this bar is actuated the
pinion turns upon the said rack. Another rack gearing with the said pinion is
fixed upon a piece to which is imparted a to and fro movement similar to that
which it is desired to obtain.
In applying this mechanism to a frame for the stretching of fabrics, the second
shaft is provided at one extremity with an endless screw which when rotated
causes a worm-wheel mounted upon a vertical shaft to rotate. To the extremity
of this vertical shaft is fixed a cast iron piece in which slide two arms for actuating
the bands of the frame. In order that the second rack shall move in the samo
manner as the said frame the said rack is fixed upon another rack which gears
with the endless screw in such a manner that the said two racks advance in the
same direction as the wheel and to the saine extent, in proportion to the rotation
of the endless screw. The maximum angle which the vertical shaft can describe
in one direction or the other is limited by means of stop-pieces for regulating the
stroke of the shaft of the pinion.
The arrangement above described obviously permits of obtaining, by means of a
pinion and two racks, a movement caused by friction in the same manner as by
means of belts.
In the case where the apparatus is driven by friction, the first rack acts upon a
double cone and causes it to slide upon the second shaft in order to apply either of
the cones against a friction cone to which notion is imparted by any suitable
means. In this case the distance traversed in order to throw the mechanism in or
out of gear is less than that which must be traversed in order to cause a bolt to
pass from one pulley to the other, and consequently the motion is more perfect, but
the power which has to be transmitted is limited by the friction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Patent Office on the 13th February
1884.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM CHIEFLY
"
DESIGNED FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF STRETCHING-MACHINES FOR
DRESSING AND FINISHING WOVEN FABRICS A communication to me from abroad
by La Société Anonyme des Teintures et Apprêts do Tarare, of Tarare, France
This Invention relates to mechanism which, although chiefly designed for
controlling the operation of stretching machines for dressing and finishing woven
fabrics, is also applicable for other purposes.
The stretching of tho said fabrics has for its object to bring the threads thereof into
a position parallel with each other and to equalize the distance between the said
threads. This operation has been heretofore performed by hand and consisted in
stretching the threads and at the same time sloping them or causing them to
assume an inclined position in such a manner that by bearing upon one another
they gradually assume their proper positions relatively to each other. This result
has also been obtained by means of a frame and this mode of operation is terined
mechanical stretching.
The fabric is stretched by means of its selvage upon a rectangular frame which
is articulated and can be converted, first in one direction and then in the other
direction, into a more or less elongated parallelogram. Movement is imparted by
hand to the two clamping bands which hold the selvage and form the longer sides
of the frame. Such is the operation which constitutes the mechanical stretching
of fabrics practised by those engaged in the dressing of light fabrics and which is
now well known. The effort required to effect this operation is considerable and
fatigues the operator. In order to avoid hand-labour it has been sought to impart
motion to the frame by means of an excentric actuated by a motor in such a
manner as to perform automatically the stretching and softening of the fabric.
.
The mechanical combination which forms the subject of the present invention is
entirely different from those heretofore employed; first because the movement of
the frame is effected by an endless screw and a worm wheel which are substituted
for the excentric above mentioned; secondly because the movement, instead of
being automatic, is entirely and constantly under the control of the operator, the
frame advancing in one direction, stopping at any desired point, and returning in
the opposite direction, faithfully imitating the movements imparted by the operator
to the extremity of a controlling lever.
The present invention offers the same advantages as a governor, with this
difference, that it governs or controls the motive power transmitted by belts, and
not that of a steam cylinder. It is this governing or controlling mechanism
which constitutes the main feature of the present invention; it is moreover capable
of various applications.
I shall now proceed to describe the said invention with reference to the
accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation
Figure 2 a horizontal section on the line a b Figure 1.
Figure 3 a vertical section on the line c d Figure 1, and
Figure 4 a plan of the improved mechanism.
A is a drum or pulley, fitted upon a shaft to which a uniform rotary motion is
imparted: this nulley transmits movement to the straight belt. B. and to the crossed

page_text: belt C. Two drums or pulleys D E are mounted loosely upon the shaft F which
carries also the pulley G. A double fork H conducts the two belts B and C and
carries either of them over tho pulley G in such a manner as to cause the shaft F
to rotate either in the same direction as the drum or pulley A when the straight
belt is carried over the pulley G, or in a contrary direction when the crossed belt
⚫is carried over the said pulley. The bar I which carries the said belt-shifting fork
may be provided with a counterweight or springs which tend to bring the belts
back to the loose pulleys, but this accessory arrangement is not indispensable, the
only advantage resulting therefrom being to render smooth the movement of the
.mechanism when being thrown in or out of gear.
1
The bar I terminates at one end in a rack J the stroke of which is limited in
both directions to the extent necessary to cause the belts to pass from the loose
pulleys on to the pulley keyed upon the shaft F. The pinion K gears with tho
rack J, the shaft of the said pinion being controlled by means of a forked
connecting rod fixed to the extremity of the bar L. When the bar L is actuated 1
the pinion K turns upon the said rack J. Another rack M gearing with the
pinion K is fixed upon a piece to which is imparted a to and fro movement
similar to that which it is desired to obtain.
Assuming that the rack M being at rest, the bar Lis actuated in either direction,
then the pinion K being situated between the two racks with which it is in gear
will bear upon the rack M which is at rest and will cause the rack J to move in
the same direction as the said pinion, but double the distance, thereby bringing one
of the two belts over the pulley G and producing the desired movement. As soon
as the rack M is set in motion, the movement imparted to the bar L is either
continued or stopped; when it is continued the pinion K will move forward by
rolling between the two racks, and if the speed of this pinion is equal to half tho
speed of the rack M, the rack J will remain in the position into which it was first
brought by the pinion, the belt will remain upon the pulley G, and the movement
will continue so long as the pinion is able to move forward. But as soon as the
bar L is stopped the to-and-fro movement of the pinion will cease, the said pinion
being then actuated by the rack M which will cause the same to rotate and to
bring the rack J.back in a reverse direction to the movement of the rack M, and
will also bring the belts over the loose drums and stop the motion.
Moreover if the rack M has a tendency to continue its movement after the
mechanisin has been thrown out of gear, the movement of this rack will cause the
pinion K to rotate in its place, and the rack J being thus pushed in a contrary
direction to that of the rack M, will bring upon the pulley G the belt that will
impart a reverse motion to the machinery.
It will be easily understood that the mechanism is set in motion in the same
direction as the bar L, and that it stops as soon as tho said bar ceases to move.
In applying this governing or controlling mechanism to frames used for
stretching fabrics, the shaft F, Figures 2 and 3, is provided at one extremity with
an endless screw N, which, when rotated, causes a worm-wheel O keyed upon a
vertical shaft P to rotate. To the upper extremity of this vertical shaft P is fixed
a cast iron piece Q in which slide two arms R R for actuating the bands S S¹ of
the frame. In order that the rack M shall move in the same manner as the said
frame the said rack is fixed upon another rack T which gears with the endless
screw N in such a manner that the said two racks advance in the same direction
and go over the same distance as the wheel O, and to the same extent, in
proportion to the rotation of the endless screw. The maximum angle which the
vertical shaft P can describe in one direction or the other is limited by means of
stop-pieces for regulating the stroke of the shaft of the pinion.
The arrangement above described obviously permits of obtaining, by means of a
pinion K and two racks M and J, a control by friction as well as by belts. In tho
case where the apparatus is driven by friction the rack J acts upon a double cone
and causes it to slide upon the second shaft F in order to apply either of the cones
against a friction cono to which motion is imparted by any suitable means. This

page_text: modification is shewn in Figure 5. In this case the distance traversed in order to
throw the mechanism in or out of gear. is less than that which must be traversed
to cause a belt to pass from one pulley to the other and consequently the motion is
more perfect but the power which has to be transmitted is limited by the friction
The governing or controlling mechanism above described may be used in
machines or apparatus other than that herein before mentioned.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it
understood that I claim :-
First. The governing or controlling mechanism characterized by the combination
of two racks between which is arranged a pinion capable of being rotated in either
direction by means of a hand-lever, ono of the said racks controlling the
mechanism for putting the machine in or out of gear, and the other having
movement imparted to it by the machine after the same has been put in gear,
substantially as set forth.
Second. The movement resulting from the above described combination and
causing the putting in gear of the apparatus, its motion in one direction or the
other, and the continuation of the said motion so long as the lever which actuates
the pinion is operated, the stoppage of the movement when the lever is no longer
operated, and a reverse motion if the lever is operated in the reverse manner,
substantially as described.
Third. The application of this governing or controlling mechanism to the
operation of machines for stretching woven fabrics the stretching apparatus boing
combined with the said mechanism substantially as described with reference to tho
accompanying drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this thirteenth day of February in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
HENDY TT T