An Improved Machine for Softening Paper.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Softening Paper.
We, JOHN ABRAHAM WILKINSON, FREDERICK CHARLES WILKINSON and
ALBERT THEODORE WILKINSON, all of Shelton, Connecticut, United States of
America, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of the class of paper which is used in
various ways in the manufacture of clothing either as a lining or as puffing where a
bouffant effect is desired as for example in bustles and puffed sleeves, and the
object of the invention is to devise a novel process of and mechanism for softening
the paper. With these ends in view we have devised the novel process aud
mechanism of which the following description in connection with the accom-
panying drawings is a specification, numbers being used to designate the several
parts.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the.machine. complete.
Fig. 2 an elevation as seen from the left in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 an elevation as seen from the right in Fig 1
Fig. 4 a diagrammatic view, illustrating the position of the blades relatively to
the rolls when the machine is in operation, the rolls being in vertical-section as on
the line a-x in Fig. 1, and
Fig. 5 is a detail sectional perspective on an enlarged scale, illustrating the
construction and arrangement of the rolls and blades.
The essential feature of the invention is that the paper is continuously folded or
doubled, at the point of contact, hetween pairs of rolls and held in place by blades
or knives, the edges of the blades being in no sense cutting edges but being sharp
enough to impart a sharp fold to the paper as it is drawn over them by the rolls or
in any suitable manner and serving as a guard only to hold the paper in place.
A denotes framework which may be of any ordinary or preferred style and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9 denote rolls journaled in the framework. These rolls are shown as made
hollow and are each provided with an outer surface "a," of rubber or other
suitable material. Power is applied. by means of a belt, not shown, passing.over belt
pulleys 10 on a shaft 11. 12 denotes a gear wheel on this shaft which meshes with
a gear wheel 13 on a shaft 14. 15 (sec dotted lines in Fig. 2 and full lines in
Fig. 1) denotes a pinion on shaft 14 which meshes with a gear wheel 16 on roll 1,
imparting movement to said roll, and also with a gear wheel 27 on roll 6.imparting
movement thereto. Roll 6 also carries a gear wheel 26 which meshes with a gear
wheel 25 on roll 3 imparting movement thereto. Roll.8 receives movement by
means of a gear wheel 28 on said roll which meshes with gear wheel 27 on roll 6.
On the opposite end of shaft 14 (see Fig. 3) is a pinion 17 which meshes with a.
gear wheel 18 on roll 2, imparting movement thereto. Gear wheel 18 meshes with
a gear wheel 19 on roll 4, imparting movement thereto. Roll 4 also carries a gear
wheel 20. which meshes with an idler 1 which in turn meshes with a gear wheel 22
on roll 7 imparting movement thereto, also with a gear wheel 42 on roll 5,
imparting movement thereto. Gear wheel119 on roll 4.also meshes with an idler 23
which in turn meshes with a gear wheel 24 ou roll 9 imparting movement thereto.
We are thus enabled to reduce the number of pinions and gears to the smallest
number possible, dividing the driving. strain between the two ends of the frame and
Fig.
Fig. 4 a diagrammatic view, illustrating the position of the blades relatively to
the rolls when the machine is in operation, the rolls being in vertical-section as on
the line - in Fig. 1, and
Fig. 5 is a detail sectional perspective on an enlarged scale, illustrating the
construction and arrangement of the rolls and blades.
The essential feature of the invention is that the paper is continuously folded or
doubled, at the point of contact, hetween pairs of rolls and held in place by blades
or knives, the edges of the blades being in no sense cutting edges but being sharp
enough to impart a sharp fold to the paper as it is drawn over them by the rolls or
in any suitable manner and serving as a guard only to hold the paper in place.
A denotes framework which may be of any ordinary or preferred style and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9 denote rolls journaled in the framework. These rolls are shown as made
hollow and are each provided with an outer surface "a," of rubber or other
suitable material. Power is applied. by means of a belt, not shown, passing.over belt
pulleys 10 on a shaft 11. 12 denotes a gear wheel on this shaft which meshes with
a gear wheel 13 on a shaft 14. 15 (sec dotted lines in Fig. 2 and full lines in
Fig..1) denotes a pinion on shaft 14 which meshes with a gear wheel 16 on roll 1,
imparting movement to said roll, and also with a gear wheel 27 on roll 6.imparting
movement thereto. Roll 6 also carries a gear wheel 26 which meshes with a gear
wheel 25 on roll 3 imparting movement thereto. Roll.8 receives movement by
means of a gear wheel 28 on said roll which meshes with gear wheel 27 on roll 6.
On the opposite end of shaft 14 (see Fig. 3) is a pinion 17 which meshes with a
gear wheel 18 on roll 2, imparting movement thereto. Gear wheel 18 meshes with
a gear wheel 19 on roll 4, imparting movement thereto. Roll 4 also carries a gear
wheel 20. which meshes with an idler 1 which in turn meshes with a gear wheel 22
on roll 7 imparting movement thereto, also with a gear wheel 42 on roll 5,
imparting movement thereto. Gear wheel 119 on roll 4 also meshes with an idler 23
which in turn meshes with a gear wheel 24 ou roll 9 imparting movement thereto.
We are thus enabled to reduce the number of pinions and gears to the smallest
number possible, dividing the driving. strain between the two ends of the frame and

page_text: to provide that the rolls of each pair or group shall all turn in the same direction.
29 denotes tie bars extending between the end pieces of the frame to make the
frame rigid. Our invention is not limited to any special number of pairs of rolls
or to any special arrangement of the rolls. It is of course obvious that the rolls must
be so arranged relatively to the blades that two rolls operate in connection with each
blade. In the present instance we have shown five blades arranged in such a manner
that the two sides of the paper are brought alternately in contact with the blades
and have shown nine rolls so arranged as to draw the paper over the edges of the
five blades. In order to provide for different thicknesses of paper, it is necessary
that one roll in each pair of rolls should be adjustable. In the present instance we
have shown rolls 2, 4, 6, 8 as stationary and rolls. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, as journaled in
boxes 30, which are made adjustable, by means of screws 31. B denotes the blades.
In the present instance we have shown the edge or operative portion of the blade
as detachable from the body of the blade. This is in order that the edge may be
sharpened without removing the entire blade. It will of course be apparent that
the blades must be adjustable relatively to the rolls. In the present instance we
have shown the blades as provided with trunnions 32 which are journaled in
levers 33, themselves pivoted to rods 34 which extend across the machine from
between the end pieces of the frame, there being a lever at each end of each of the
rods 34. 35 denotes adjusting plates which are pivoted on rods 34 concentrically
with the levers and are provided with curved slots 36 tbrough which set screws 37
рава. The object of these adjustitig plates is to give the finest possible adjustment
to the blades, this adjustment being obtained by loosening the screws and moving
the adjusting plates in either direction as may be required. Each adjusting plate
is provided with a locking notch 38 which is adapted to receive one of the levers
and hold the blade out of the operative position as shown in dotted lines at the
right in Fig. 4, and with a locking notch 39 which when engaged by a lever locks
the blade at the operative position as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, it being under-
stood of course that as soon as the adjusting plate is swung to the inoperative
position the blade will drop down wholly out of the way of the rolls. 40 denotes
a roll of paper to be operated upon and 41 a roll of paper that has passed through
the machine. These rolls are carried by suitable standards C which may be of any
ordinary or preferred construction and are ordinarily wholly disconnected from the
framework of the machine proper.
The operation is as follows:-The manner in which the machine is threaded up,
i.e., the manner in which the paper to be softened is passed about the rolls and over
the edges of the blades is clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. The function of the rolls is
to fold the paper, retain it in position and draw it over the blades while it is held
folded by the rolls. It will be understood that each blade lies close in between a
pair of rolls. In the present instance the paper from the roll 40 first passes
partially around roll 1, then over a blade and then partially around roll 2, the rolls
acting to fold the paper over the edge of the blade and to draw it over said edge
as it is held folded. In the present grouping of rolls the strip of paper that is being
operated upon passes next to rolls 3 and 4 between which is another blade, the
operation of folding and drawing the paper over the edge of the blade being
repented as before. The same operation is repeated by another blade acting in
connection with rolls 5 and 6 and the same operation is repeated twice more in
connection with rolls 7, 8 and 9 which are so grouped with relation to two blades
as to perform two folding and drawing operations upon the paper. As already
stated the number of rolls and blades used and consequently the number of folding
and drawing operations is not of the essence of our invention and may of course
be varied to suit the special quality of paper that is being operated upon and the
use for which the paper is intended. Should the machine be changed from thicker
to thinner paper, the adjustable rolls in the present instance rolls 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9
are moved toward their companion rolls more or less as may be required, if changed
from thinner to thicker paper, the adjustable rolls are moved slightly away from
their companion rolls. Should it be necessary at any time to change the position

page_text: of any of the blades relatively to the rolls in connection with which they operate,
the adjustment of the blade may be readily effected by lifting the levers 33 corre-
sponding to the blade it is desired to adjust, out of the locking notches 39, then
loosening the corresponding set screws 37 and moving the adjusting plates slightly
toward or from the rolls as may be required. The adjusting plates are then locked
in position by tightening up the set screws and the blade is again placed in position
by means of levers 33 which are placed in the locking notches 39. Should it be
desired at any time to place any of the blades wholly out of the way of the rolls,
the corresponding levers are removed from locking notches 38 and placed in
locking notches 39 in the adjusting plates. The blades will then drop down out of
the way as clearly shown in dotted lines at the right in Fig. 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The process of softening paper which consists in folding the paper over a
blade and drawing the paper over the edge of the blade while held in the folded
position.
2. In a machine of the character described the combination with a pair of rolls,
of a blade adapted to lie close in between said rolls and mechanism for turning
the rolls in the same direction so that a strip of paper will be folded over the
blade by the rolls and will be drawn over the edge of the blade while held
folded.
3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a plurality of
groups of rolls, of a series of blades adapted to lie close in between the rolls and
mechanism for rotating the rolls of each pair or group in the same direction so that
the paper is folded over the blades by the rolls and is drawn over the blades
while held in the folded position.
4. In a machine of the character described the combination with a pair of
rolls, mechanism for adjusting one of said rolls toward or from the other, of a blade
adapted to lie close in between said rolls, mechanism for adjusting said blade toward
or from the rolls and mechanism for rotating the rolls in the same direction so that
the strip of paper will be folded over the blade by the rolls and will be drawn over
the edge of the blade while held folded.
5. In a machine of the character described the combination with a pair of rolls
and mechanism for rotating said rolls in the same direction, of a blade having
trunnions at each end and levers in which said trunnions are journaled and adjusting
plates pivoted concentrically with the levers and having locking notches engaged
thereby so that the blades may be locked either in or out of the operative
position.
6. In a machine of the character described the combination with a pair of rolls
and mechanism for rotating said rolls in the same direction, a blade having trunnions
at each end and levers in which said trunnions are journaled, of adjusting plates
pivoted concentrically with the levers and provided with locking notches for the
levers and curved slots 26 through which set screws 37 pass so that a fine adjustment
of the blades relatively to the rolls may be effected.
7. The combination with the frame the groups of rolls and the blades, of gearing
substantially as described and shown whereby the driving strain is divided between
the two ends of the frame and the rolls of each group are caused to rotate in the
same direction.
Dated this 30th day of October 1896.
JOHN ABRAHAM WILKINSON.
FREDERICK CHARLES WILKINSON.
ALBERT THEODORE WILKINSON.