Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Regulating and Adjusting the Feed of Cloth or Paper to Printing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Regulating and
Adjusting the Feed of Cloth or Paper to Printing Machines.
We GEORGE BENJAMIN BEHRENS, of the Firm of Daniel Lee and Co. of the
Castleton Print Works, Castleton, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Calico Printers, JOHN CECIL WATSON, Manager with the said firm and JOHN
WOOD of Ramsbottom, in the aforesaid county, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The
Our said invention relates to improved mechanism whereby the calico or paper
being fed to printing machines, is automatically controlled and regulated so as to
ensure a constant speed of feed and an equal strain upon the material.
apparatus constituting our invention contains as its chief feature a compensating
arrangement whereby the speed of the drawing rollers is increased or diminished
according as the cloth or paper is being fed too quickly or too slowly.
For example when applied to a calico printing machine, the cloth is drawn from
the roll or batch and passed over several stenting bars to the nipping and drawing
rollers which are driven from any suitable source.
The presser roller is pressed down upon the drawing roller by weights or
springs, and the drawing roller is driven by a belt passing around a strap cone on
the axle of the roller. A belt fork confines this belt and the fork is mounted so
as to be capable of being moved to and fro over the strap cone by means of a
screw, upon the end of which is a chain wheel driven by a chain from another
This shaft carries
chain wheel on the end of a shaft carried in the frame.
another chain wheel which engages with an endless chain, the two extremities of
the endless chain being attached to a sleeve which slides freely upon an upright.
One bight of the chain is carried over a pulley at the top of the upright while at
the foot the chain passes partly around the aforesaid chain wheel on the shaft.
Another upright with sliding sleeve is upon the other side of the machine and the
two opposite sliding sleeves carry a roller which extends between the uprights.
The cloth after passing between the drawing and pressing rollers passes up to a
roller extending between the uprights at the top, and thence down and beneath
the roller carried by the two sleeves. From this the cloth again ascends and
passes over another" roller at the top of the uprights, and so down to a roller at
the foot, from whence it passes to the usual brake rollers, upon leaving which it
enters the printing machine.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that the bight or loop of cloth
between the two rollers at the top of the uprights, carries in its lap the roller
which extends between the sliding sleeves on the uprights.
The weight of the roller and of the sleeves is sustained by the lap of cloth, so
that the roller and sleeves act as a weight. Now let it be supposed that the
drawing and presser rollers are revolving too slowly to supply the cloth at the
needful speed to the printing machine. The result of the extra demand made on
the feed by the printing machine would be to shorten the bight or loop of cloth in
which the sleeve roller is carried. The roller would therefore be lifted and the
sleeves moved up the uprights. This would operate the chain and chain wheels
already described and turn the screw in such a direction as to move the strap fork
towards the lesser end of the cone. This would increase the speed of the drawing

page_text: roller and consequently the speed of feed would be raised to the required degree.
If on the other hand the drawing and presser rollers are revolving too rapidly
and feeding more cloth than the printing machine can take, then the reverse of
what has been described will happen. The sleeve roller will be lowered and the
chain gearing operated but in the contrary direction so as to decrease the speed
of the drawing roller. Nevertheless during these changes practically an equal
tension will be kept upon the cloth as the weight of the suspended sleeve roller
acts as a compensating arrangement.
"
or cloth
The hereinbefore described mechanism may be applied either to duplex or to
ordinary printing machines and in addition to regulating the feed of cloth to be
printed, it might be employed to regulate the feed of the "back grey
which is usually interposed between the blanketing and the calico being printed.
The arrangement is also applicable in the feeding of paper to printing machines.
Our invention is calculated to effect a considerable saving in time and material.
The pieced ends of the cloth have not the same hurtful effect in throwing the
print out of register and as the equality of the feed is certain after the cloth
passes the drawing and pressing rollers we can disengage the last few yards from
the batch roller, stitch the end to the beginning of the next batch, lift the fresh
batch into position and be ready to continue the feeding, all without stepping the
machine, and without wasting the last few yards as is often done.
No lap end or "bump" cloth is required except when changing the colours.
It might be pointed out that instead of the strap cone pulley for increasing or
diminishing the speed of the feed as described, we might use an expanding pulley
capable of being expanded or contracted by the same means which shift the strap
on the cone; or we might use a friction plate and bowl arrangement for varying
the speed similar to that used in a potter's jigger and in other apparatus.
Dated this 16th day of March 1894.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Regulating and
Adjusting the Feed of Cloth or Paper to Printing Machines.
We GEORGE BENJAMIN BEHRENS, of the Firm of Daniel Lee and Co., of the
Castleton Print Works, Castleton, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Calico Printers, JOHN CECIL WATSON, Manager with the said firm and JOHN
Wood of Railway Foundry, Ramsbottom, in the aforesaid county, Engineer, do
bereby 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 and accompanying drawings:-
Our said invention relates to improved mechanism whereby the calico or paper
being fed to printing machines, is automatically controlled and regulated so as to
ensure a constant speed of feed and an equal strain upon the material. The
apparatus constituting our invention contains as its chief feature, a compensating
arrangement whereby the speed of the drawing rollers is increased or diminished
according as the cloth or paper is being fed too quickly or too slowly.
The accompanying three sheets of drawings illustrate the invention as applied
in connection with a calico printing machine.
On Sheet 1.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the compensating apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the strap cone which produces the variations in the
sneed of the drawing rollers

page_text: A
The cloth a is drawn from the roll or batch A and passed over several stenting
bars to the nipping and drawing rollers c c. The top presser roller c is pressed
down upon the drawing roller c' by weights d or springs, and the drawing roller o
is driven by a belt e passing around a strap cone on the axle of the roller c'.
belt fork confines this belt e and the fork is mounted so as to be capable of
being moved to and fro over the strap cone by means of a screw 9 upon the end
of which is a chain wheel g' driven by a chain g from another chain wheel g³ on
the end of a shaft carried in the frame. This shaft h carries a chain wheel /¹
which engages with an endless chain the two extremities of the endless chain h
being attached to a sleeve i which slides freely upon an upright j. One bight of
the chain is carried over a pulley at the top of the upright while at the foot
the chain passes partly around the aforesaid chain wheel 'ou the shaft h.
Another upright with sliding sleeve is upon the other side of the machine and
the two opposite sliding sleeves ii carry a roller k which extends between the
sleeves.
The cloth a after passing between the drawing and pressing rollers ce
C passes
up to a roller extending between the uprights at the top and thence down and
beneath the roller carried by the two sleeves ii. From this the cloth again
ascends and passes over another roller at the top of the uprights, and so down
to a roller at the foot, from whence it passes to the usual brake rollers m n upon
leaving which it enters the printing machine.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that the bight or loop of cloth a
between the two rollers at the top of the uprights jj carries in its lap the
roller which extends between the sliding sleeves on the uprights.
The weight
of the roller k and of the sleeves ii is sustained by this lap or bight of cloth, so
that the roller and sleeves act as a weight. Now let it be supposed that the
drawing and presser rollers c c¹ are revolving too slowly to supply the cloth a at
the needful speed to the printing machine. The result of the extra demand made
on the feed by the printing machine would be to shorten the bight or loop of cloth
in which the lap roller is carried. The roller k would therefore be lifted and
the sleevesi i moved up the uprights. This would operate the chain ² and con-
nected chain wheels already described and turn the screw in such a direction as
to move the strap fork towards the lesser end of the cone c. This would increase
the speed of the drawing roller and consequently the speed of feed would be
raised to the required degree. If on the other hand the drawing and presser
rollers are revolving too rapidly and feeding more cloth than the printing
machine can take, then the reverse of what has been described will happen. The
lap roller & will be lowered and the chain gearing operated but in the contrary.
direction so as to decrease the speed of the drawing roller.
じ
Nevertheless during these changes practically an equal tension will be kept upon
the cloth as the weight of the suspended lap roller & with its sleeves acts as a
compensating arrangement.
Instead of operating the shaft h and chain wheel from the sleeve i by a
chain as described, we might as in Fig. 3 make one of the sleeves i carry a
toothed rack o gearing with a pinion o¹ on the axis of a chain wheel g³ from which,
motiou would be imparted by a chain 9' to the wheel g¹ on the end of the
regulating screw as plainly appears in Figs. 1 and 2. The bracket of carrying
the chain wheel 93 and shaft as appearing in Fig. 3 would be mounted on the beam
or girder pappearing in Fig. 1.
It need scarcely he pointed out that there is nothing material or essential in
the employment of the strap cone and parts for increasing and diminishing the speed
of the feed as described. We might use any other convenient existing means
which will act as a substitute for the said cone. For instance we might use the
well known and now commonly used expanding pulley, and modify the connections
to suit such a substitute.
Sheet 2 illustrates the apparatus in conjunction with an expanding pulley. In
Fig. 4 we connect the chain h' to the end of a double lever y pivotted to a

page_text: bracket o carried on the beam or girder p. A link q' at the other end of the
lever q connects it to a lever g' which is secured to one end of a shaft r. The
other end of this shaft carries a forks which engages with the boss of the
expanding pulley t. The movement of the chain ', correspondingly moves
the lever and actuates the forks so as to increase or decrease the circumference
of the expanding pulley t, and thus obtain the required variations of speed in the
drawing roller.
'
Among other means which might be used as a substitute for the cone and strap
we might refer to a friction plate and bowl arrangement such as is used in con-
nection with potter's jiggers and other apparatus, the bowl being moved by the
operation of the rising and falling sleeves, towards or away from the centre of the
flat plate so as to increase or diminish the speed.
In Fig. 5 as will be seen, we dispense with the chain wheels and chains and
connect the end of the rising and falling lap roller & with a pivotted lever u. A
link g connects this lever with a lever on the shaft and this shaft by
means of the forks operates the expanding pulley just as in the case of Fig. 4.
This arrangement is somewhat simpler than in the foregoing instances.
It will be obvious that it is not essential to our invention that the lap roller k
should act vertically by dint of its own weight as in the foregoing figures.
For instance the roller and sleeves might be arranged horizontally as shown in
Fig. 6, Sheet 3.
The stays are carried in brackets attached to the beam p. We attach a
chain w to the sleeve and lead the chain over pullies ww2 suspending a weight w³
to the free end. The sleeves carry two rollers kk and the cloth a is led over
these rollers and over the rollers in the manner indicated. One of the rollers,
for example the roller k, has a pinion at each end and these pinions gear with
racks y formed in or attached to the stays jj. This rack and pinion arrangement
is shown clearly in the enlarged view Fig. 7. By this means the rollers k k¹ are
kept straight and do not bind on the stays jj. The weight o³ always tends to
pull the rollers and sleeves in the direction of the arrow Fig. 6.
The pulley w is secured upon the screw 9 and the revolution of the pulley wo
as the chain w moves in one direction or the other, operates the fork and strap e
so as to shift the belt upon the cone and thus increase or diminish the speed of
the feed roller. Although the arrangement of double rollers kk gives a better
balance to the sleeves ii we might use one roller only.
Instead of a roller kas described in all of the foregoing figs. we might use a rod
or bar or rods or bars.
The hereinbefore described mechanism may be applied either to duplex or to
ordinary printing machines and in addition to regulating the feed of cloth to be
printed it might be employed to regulate the feed of the "back greys" or cloth
which is usually interposed between the blanketing and the calico being printed.
The arrangement is also applicable in the feeding of paper to printing machines.
Our invention is calculated to effect a considerable saving in time and material.
The picced ends of the cloth have not the same hurtful effect in throwing the print
out of register and as the equality of the feed is certain after the cloth passes the
drawing and pressing rollers we can disengage the last few yards from the batch
roller, stitch the end to the beginning of the next batch, lift the fresh batch into
position and be ready to continue the feeding, all without stopping the machine and
without wasting the last few yards as is so often done.
No lap end or "bump" cloth is required except when changing the colours.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our Baid
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
1. In apparatus for automatically regulating and adjusting the feed of cloth or
paper to printing machines, causing the cloth or paper to pass under or over or
partly around a roller or rollers or a rod or rods vertically, horizontally

page_text: or diagonally movable and acting by virtue of their own gravity or by virtue of
attached weights or springs so as to yield or move in accordance with the exigencies
of feed or delivery, the said movements being transmitted by suitable apparatus to
mechanism which will increase or diminish the speed of the feed or delivery
roller or rollers and correspondingly increase or diminish the rate of feed or delivery
of the cloth or paper, substantially as hereinbefore set forth and as illustrated.
2. In apparatus of the indicated nature, the roller & suspended between vertically
sliding sleeves, the latter or one of them or in some instances the roller itsel
being connected by a chain, rack, lever or other suitable means with gearing
which will shift a belt fork and belt upon a cone or expand and contract an
expandable pulley or otherwise operate so as to alter the speed of the delivery
roller, for the purposes and substantially by the means herein before described anl
illustrated.
3. In apparatus of the indicated nature, a roller or rollers kk capable f
sliding movements horizontally and weighted by weights or springs so as to yiel
to the different tensions of the passing fabric, the said yielding movements being
transmitted to suitable speed governing arrangements for controlling the delivery
roller, for the purposes and substantially as described aud as illustrated.
4. The general arrangement, construction and combination of mechanism for
automatically regulating the feed of cloth or paper to printing machines,
substantially as described and as illustrated on Sheet 1 of the drawings.
5. The general arrangement, construction and combination of the modified
arrangements for the indicated purposes, substantially as described and as illustrated.
in the figs. on Sheet 2 of the drawings.
6. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts constituting
the horizontally arranged mechanism, for the purposes and substantially as described
and shown on Sheet 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 15th day of January 1895
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.