Improvements in Self-acting Clips for Stretching or Stentering Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1899 —Accepted, 21st Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-acting Clips for Stretching or Stentering
Textile Fabrics.
We, WILLIAM HAMILTON YOUNG, of Stubbins Print Works, Stubbins, near
Ramsbottom, and JOHN HUNT, of Blackford Bridge Print Works, Bury, both in
the County of Lancaster, Calico Printers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates principally to that kind of machine for stentering or
stretching textile fabrics which consists of a pair of travelling chains either
carrying pins, or provided with clips to hold the selvages of the fabrics, such
chains being gradually caused to recede from each other as they travel along
and so to stretch the fabric as it passes through the machine; and the object of
our invention is to provide such chains with special self-acting clips, having the
advantages of both pins and clips without the disadvantages attending the present
use of either of these devices.
When upwardly projecting pins are used the fabric has to be carefully guided
thereon by hand, and the pins or hooks are liable to be strained out of place by
the stretching of the fabric.
When automatic grips of the usual construction are used, especially after having
been worked for some time with heavy goods, uniformity of catch or grip on
the selvedges cannot be ensured, owing to the hinged grip or upper jaw becoming
strained by the tension of the fabric.
Our invention consists in making an automatic clip with the bottom plate of
similar form to that now in use having a central slot through which a projection
on the upper jaw or plate can pass when the selvage of the cloth no longer
supports it, but we further provide this plate with a series of holes along its edge
at such a distance beyond the end of the slot that a series of corresponding pins
projecting downwards from the upper jaw can pass accurately through the selvedge
of the fabric at the desired distance from its edge, and into the holes in the
bottom plate.
The upper jaw is made to slide vertically in a bracket or brackets formed with
the link of the chain, and is provided with a crank or other device by which the
jaw can be raised and the pins can be disengaged from the fabric when desired.
The upper jaw may be made removable from the said bracket or brackets, and
we propose to provide for each of the links a sliding block to fit the said bracket
or brackets and to carry a hinged grip or jaw similar to those now in use; and
thus the same chain can be used for our new pin clip or for the ordinary automatic
clip according as each may be found more desirable. The sliding block is kept
firm in its bracket by a pin or cotter passed through the same.
L
It will be observed that by passing the pins downwards into holes in the bottom
plate they will not be liable to be strained sideways while the fabric is being

page_text: stretched, and the fabric can be fed upon the bottom plates as in the case of the
automatic clips now in use, and will not require the constant and strained atten-
tion of two or more persons to pin the selvages to the chains.
Dated this 19th day of November 1898.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.
Improvements in Self-acting Clips for Stretching or Stentering
Textile Fabrics.
We, WILLIAM HAMILTON YOUNG, of Stubbins Print Works, Stubbins, near
Ramsbottom, and JOHN HUNT, of Blackford Bridge Print Works, Bury, both in
the County of Lancaster, Calico Printers, 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:-
This invention relates principally to that kind of machine for stretching or
stentering textile fabrics which consists of a pair of travelling chains, either
carrying pins, or provided with clips to hold the selvages of the fabrics, such
chains being gradually caused to recede from each other as they travel along,
and so to stretch the fabric as it passes through the machine; and the object of
our invention is to provide such chains with special self acting clips having the
advantages of both pins and clips without the disadvantages attending the present
use of such devices.
When upwardly projecting pins are used the fabric has to be carefully guided
thereon by hand and the pins or hooks are liable to become strained out of place
by the stretching of the fabric; and when automatic grips of the usual construc-
tion are used, especially after having been worked for some time with heavy
goods, uniformity of catch or grip on the selvages cannot be ensured, owing to
the hinged grip, or upper jaw, becoming strained by the tension of the fabric,
and our invention is designed to remedy these defects.
The manner in which our said invention is to be performed or carried into
practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the two sheets of
drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawings is a side elevation of one of our improved self acting
clips provided with pins and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Figs. 3 and 4
are similar views of one of our improved self acting clips provided with automatic
hinged "grippers." In all these views a represents a link of the ordinary chain.
Our invention consists principally in making an automatic clip with the bottom
plate of similar form to that now in use having a central slot c into which a
projection d on the upper jaw e can pass when the selvage of the cloth no longer
supports it, but we further provide this plate 6 with a series of holes f along its
edge at such a distance beyond the edge of the slot c, that a séries of corresponding
pins g, projecting downwards from the upper jaw e (see Figs. 1 and 2) can pass
accurately through the selvage of the fabric at the desired distance from its edge,
and into the holes f in the bottom plate b.
The upper jaw e is made to slide vertically in a bracket, or brackets h formed
with the link a of the chain, and is provided with a' crank e* or other device by
which the jaw e can be raised, and the pins can be disengaged from the fabric
when desired.
It will be observed that by passing the pins 'g downwards into the holes fin

page_text: b
the bottom plate 6 they will not be liable to be strained sideways while the fabric
is being stretched, and the fabric can be fed upon the bottom plate 6 as in the
case of the automatic "grippers" now in use and will not require the constant
and strained attention of two or more persons to pin the selvages to the chains.
In the modification shown at Figs. 3 and 4 the upper jaw or block e which
slides vertically in the bracket h (instead of being provided with downwardly
projecting pins g.) has attached to it a hinged "gripper" i which "gripper" is
provided at the back with a projection d which passes into the slot c in the
bottom plate b, when the selvage of the cloth no longer supports it, and allows
the hinged "gripper" to fall and take hold of the selvage of the cloth
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is: -
1. A self acting pin clip for stretching or stentering textile fabrics having a
bottom plate provided with a series of holes (or a slot) into which a corresponding
row of pins projecting downwards from a sliding upper jaw can pass accurately
at a certain definite distance from the selvage substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings hereunto annexed.
"
2. A self-acting clip for stretching or stentering textile fabrics having a bottom
plate with a slot and a sliding upper jaw or block fitted with a hinged "gripper"
provided at the hack with a projection which passes into such slot to allow the
gripper to act substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 3
and 4 of the annexed drawings.
"
3. The arrangement (substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated)
whereby we are enabled to remove the upper sliding jaw carrying the pins and
to substitute there for a sliding block carrying an automatic hinged "gripper'
so that the same chains and brackets can be used with either pins or grippers
as may be preferred.
7011
1000
ated this 18th day of August 1900.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.