Breadthening, and Beaming Machines.
Year: 1885

page_text: Breadthening, and Beaming Machines.
I, DAVID PICKEN SMITH, of 46 Stanley Street, Paisley Road, Glasgow,, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED DEVICES FOR GUIDING:
FABRICS INTO STENTERING BREADTHENING AND BEAMING. MACHINES," to be a
follows:-
In passing fabrics through stentering breadthening, beaming and similar machines
it is usual to employ an attendant to guide the fabric evenly in and ensure its
being gripped at the edges by the clips or pins of the machine.
The object of my invention is to provide means for automatically guiding in the
fabric and dispensing with the services of an attendant.
b
I attain that object by forming each of the side frames which carry the chain of
clips of the stentering or other machine in two parts, the rear part being stationary
and the front or feeding in ends being hinged or jointed so that they may oscillate
in a horizontal plane and accomodate themselves to the position of the fabric as it
passes off the feed rolls as also to variations in the width of the fabric.. The lower
feed roll from under which the fabric passes direct to the stenter frame is fitted
with a series of loose pegs or pins which are fitted as close together as practicable
in a series of radial holes in the roller and are arranged to drop freely down and
project outwards at the underside as the roller revolves but to fall in as they come
round towards the upper side of the roller. These pins are fitted at each end of
the roller near the lines over which the edges of the fabric travel, and those pins
which the fabric overlap are prevented from dropping down by the fabric itself.
The pins on each side beyond the edges of the fabric drop down as the roller rotates
and the innermost pins of the series come in contact with or simply press against
an inclined horn or projecting piece fitted on the end of each of the swivelling
stenter frames. A spring or weight tends to draw the swivelling frames outwards
to bear against the projecting pins, and the spring clips or pins of the front part
of the frame are thus kept in line with the edge of the fabric which they grip, any
uneveness of the width or of the position of the edges of the fabric having the
effect of keeping back the pins or permitting them to drop to act on the horn pieces
of the stenter frame.
In the case of jigging stenter frames the rear portion of the side frames may. be
connected to the journal bearings or frames which carry the feed roller in order
that they may act on the roller and, slightly "skew" it to direct the fabric to one
end or the other of the roller.
i

page_text: improved Devices for Guiding Fabrics into Stentering,
Breadthening, and Beaming Machines.
I, DAVID PICKEN SMITH, of 46 Stanley Street, Paisley Road, Glasgow,
Lanarkshire Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference being had to
the accompanying sheet of Drawings, and to the reference letters and figures
marked thereon that is to say:-
In passing fabrics through stentering, breadthening, beaming, and similar
machines, it is usual to employ an attendant to guide the fabric evenly in and
ensure its being gripped at the edges by the clips or stenter pins of the machine.
The object of my invention is to provide means for automatically guiding in the
fabric to these machines, and dispensing with the services of attendants for this
purpose.
And in order that the nature, and novelty of my said invention or improvements,
and the mode and means of putting the same into effect or practice may be properly
understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the sheet of
Drawings which I have hereunto appended for that purpose, the same reference
letters indicating the same parts in the different Figures where shown.
Figures 1 and 2 are. respectively, an end, and a side elevation, and Figure 3 a
plan corresponding to Figure 2, all of the front entering end feeding-in mechanism
on a frame F, F, of its own, separate from the main frame of an ordinary stentering
machine, for stretching and. finishing muslins, and other woven web-fabrics, or
cloth; many of the parts in the several Figures being shown in irregular section,
and other parts indicated as broken away, to show the details of construction more
clearly. All embodying, or having one modification of my said invention, or
improved arrangement of mechanism or devices for guiding the edges of the fabric
into, the chain clips A a, a, at the two sides leading into the stentering finishing
machine, not shown in the Drawings. Figures 4 and 5 show an end elevation and
plan of two links of the chain clips A, a a¹ to indicate its mode of action and
gripping the cloth as it leaves the new feeding-in roller B, to grip the selvages 2 of
the fabric as they are fed into the clips; the upper clip a¹ is hinged to the lower
one a, in such a position that the spiral spring all closes it with great power against
the latter to grip the cloth, while it is opened up by the finger a³, above, as will
hereinafter be explained.
Referring to these Drawings, the ordinary fixed side frames and the transverse.
stays of the long stentering machine, are not shown in the Drawings, neither are
the movable and carrying guide frames and rollers of the two sets of long chain of
clips A a, a, at each side of the machine shown.
But these shifting guiding frames are as usual mounted on right and left handed
transverse screw spindles and gearing (or other equivalent) to move the chains out
or in to suit the various widths of and stretching effect desired to be given to the
fabric while passing through the machine gripped and stentered in the chain clips
after passing from the feeding-in mechanism herein shown.

page_text: To attain the object of my invention or improvements, each of the said widening
side frames which carry the stretching chain of clips A, a, a', of the stentering
machine, or it might be other stretching or finishing machine, have the two rear
parts set stationary to the width desired, and have the front parts hinged or so
jointed that their feeding-in front ends and the chains on them may oscillate
outwards in a horizontal plane, or be otherwise left loose to accomodate themselves
to the position of the fabric as it passes off the feeding-in or front chain roller at A*
as also to the variations in the width of the fabric.
The fabric z, to be fed into and through this improved guiding-in mechanism
into the chain clips of the stentering machine, is unrolled from a beam Z, carried
in bearing brackets Z¹, on the top of the side frames F, F, and is led up over the
stretching rails y, y¹, and guide roller y, above and down round, and under the
new or improved construction of guiding and feeding-in rollers or drums B, B,
carried in slide bearing bushes C, C, by their fixed central spindle B¹ in strong
vertical standards C₁, C, secured on the top of the frames F, F, in front and above
the chain barrels A¹ of the two sets of chain clips A a, a, all so that the selvage
edges of the fabric, indicated by the arrows and dotted lines z, will be led and fed
forward into the upper set of clips a, a, of the chains A on each side as these pass
up over their barrels A, A', as will hereinafter be more particularly explained.
Each pitch chain barrel A, A¹, is mounted by anti-friction rollers on its square
actuated shaft A, these shafts being carried in side bearing brackets A³, and at
their inner journal ends by a central bracket A111, secured on a transverse stay F1
of the frame F; all so that these barrels may be shifted to suit the width of cloth
desired to be stretched for the time being as it is fed on, by their shifting
brackets A, mounted loose between collars on bosses at the extreme ends of the
barrels A, and by anti-friction rollers at their front ends on a spindle D fixed in
the standards C¹. Each shifting bracket A2 has a cord and weight D¹, D³, attached
to it, the cord being passed over a guide pulley D³, carried on a bracket F³, secured
to the transverse frame F¹, which pulls these brackets A2, and their chain barrels A¹
outwards to suit the width of cloth desired, regulated accurately by the edges of
the cloth and the curved brackets E secured to the brackets A, and the feeding-in
barrels B, B, as will bereinafter be described. Instead of this cord and weight for
so shifting the brackets A' and the chain barrels A¹ outwards, helical or other
springs might be employed.
The selvages of the cloth z, as they are led off from the under side of the feeding
rollers or drums B, B, take into and are caught by the clips a, a, in passing up
over the front and upper part of the chain barrels A¹, the upper clip a¹ being raised
and opened up by fingers a², against the power of its spring a", acting on a curved
plate or cam c formed on the bracket c¹ secured to the upper part of the bracket A
of each barrel A¹, allowing the upper clips a¹, to close immediately the cloth has
properly entered between these clips a and a¹.
The feeding-in rolls B are constructed of two short barrels B, B, one at each
edge of the fabric, mounted by end discs B" on hollow shafts B2 revolving on the
fixed central spindle B¹ and driven at both sides of the machine by the wheels G
from the wheels G₁ on the revolving shafts A" of the chain barrels A¹ in the
direction indicated by the arrows. A light sheet-metal barrel B³ fills up the space
between the two short end barrels B to keep the cloth straight and parallel while
passing over the feeding-in barrels B. Each of the feed barrels B, is fitted with a
series of loose pegs'or pins b, which are fitted as close together as practicable in a
series of nearly radial or slightly angled holes in the outer circumferential body of
the roller B, and are arranged to drop freely down and project outwards at the
underside as the roller revolves, but to fall in as they come round towards the
upper side of the roller, as seen particularly in Figures 2 and 3. The feeding-in
rollers B, so constructed andjfitted are raised out of acting position, or lowered into
gear and action by the stationary or non-rotating central spindle B¹ and slide
bushes C in the guides of the standards C₁, by the links H jointed above to the
outer ends of the spindle B, and below to short levers H, secured on the outer
الدنيا

page_text: ends of the cross shaft H2, carried in bearings h, in the lower part of the
standards C, all actuated by the long hand lever H³, secured on one end of the
shaft H, and projecting out to the front of the machine at one side of the frame F,
to which is attached a securing catch h¹, for retaining the feed rollers B in their
raised position. These pins b, are fitted at each end of the rollers B, near the
lines over which the edges of the fabric travel, and those pins which the fabric
overlap are prevented from dropping down by the fabric itself. The pins on each,
side beyond the edges of the fabric drop down as the roller rotates, and the inner-
most pins of, the series which have dropped down come in contact with or press
against the outer curved part of the curved bracket or inclined horn E, carried on
the brackets A of the barrels A¹, of the chains A, a, a, fitted at each side of the
stenter frame. The cord and weight D¹, D3, (or springs when these are used) tend,
to draw the shifting brackets A', outwards and cause the curved brackets E, to
bear against these projecting pins b, thus drawing out the barrels A¹ so as to keep,
the spring clips a, a, (or stenter pius, when these are used on the chains instead of
clips) of the front part of the chains A in line with the edge of the fabric 2,
which they grip; any uneveness of the width or of the position of the edges of
the fabric in front having the effect of keeping back the pins b, or permitting
them to drop to act on the horn pieces E of the stenter frame, which thus set the
'chain barrels A¹,
Instead of making weights or springs shift the chain barrels A¹, as described,
they might be made to shift the feeding-in roller or rollers B, so as to bring the
pins b, left projecting up against the curved guides E, (when these and the chain
barrels were not preferred to be shifted) to feed the edges of the fabric accurately
and automatically on to the gripping clips or stenter pins substantially as herein
before described. And other or equivalent arrangements of these details or devices
than those described may be used for so shifting the chains of gripping clip or
stenter pins to receive the edges of the fabric, or the feeding-in rollers B and edges
of the cloth on it on to the clips or stenter pins of the chains, all in any case
accurately and automatically effected from the primary action of the revolving
feed rollers B, and its loose projecting self acting pins b.
In the case of jigging stenter frames the rear portion of their side frames
carrying the chain A, a, a¹ may be connected to the frames carrying the journal
bearings of the shafts A and B of the barrels A', and the feed rollers B, in order
that the journal bearings may slightly "skew." the rollers to suit or regulate the
direction of the fabric z, to suit the jigging action of the stenter chains.
When these improvements are to be applied to beaming machines, the cloth may
be led or fed from the stretching or breadthening chains at the delivery end of
stentering or breadthening machines, direct on to the driving rollers with the
beams mounted above them to have the cloth wound on these in the beaming
machines as is well understood, when the cloth is to be beamed in'a stretched form.
But when the cloth is to be beamed in a loose or easy manner without special
stretching or stentering, this may be done simply by substituting plain shifting
rolls for the shifting chain barrels, and mounting the beams, on which the cloth is
to be wound over this by their journal spindles in slotted brackets secured on the
top of the skifting frames of the said barrels or rolls, the cloth being fed forward
over the upper surface of these rolls on to their beams, so that as the rolls are
turned, they wind the fabric on to the beams in succession as they are mounted in.
the slotted brackets and fed forward with the edges always even, although in a
loose breadthened manner without being specially stretched, as they would be by
stentering chains and clips, or stentering pins on these chains.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same. is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
First. The general construction or arrangement and combination of the parts of
mechanism or devices for accurately and automatically feeding in the edges or
Belvages of woven fabrics to stentering or other stretching, breadthening, and
I 17

page_text: beaming machines, substantially as herein described, and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The constructing of the feeding-in rollers, of stentering and other cloth
breadthening and finishing or beaming machines, with loose pins pressed in by the
fabric and so that those not pressed in, but left projecting beyond it, automatically
shift the gripping chain clips (or other equivalent stenter pins) by their barrels to
the proper position to accurately catch the edges of the fabric, substantially as
herein described, and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In stentering and other cloth breadthening or beaming and finishing
machines, the construction and arrangement of feeding-in rollers with the device
of loose pins in their outer circumference for and so that the projecting pins (not
pressed in by the fabric passing over them) are made to automatically and
accurately feed the edges of the fabric on to the gripping clips or stenter pins of
the carrying and stretching chains of such machines, substantially as herein
described, and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. In stentering, and other cloth breadthening or beaming and finishing
machines the construction and arrangement of chain barrels shifted on their shafts
so as to bring their chain clips in proper line to grip the edges of the woven fabric
as it is fed in, substantially as herein described, and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.