Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching and Smoothing Fabrics.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching and Smoothing Fabrics.
I, WILLIAM PENN MATHER of 97 Kenyon Street, Providence, Rhode Island,
United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for stretching fabrics in the direction of their
width, this apparatus being applicable also for smoothing fabrics and giving them
a soft finish.
I provide two rollers geared together so as to revolve in opposite directions with
adjusting screws connected by gearing for moving the end bearings simultaneously
nearer to or farther from one another. From the middle of the one roller to its
one end there is formed a helical thread of rounded section, and to its other end a
similar helical thread to the opposite hand. The other roller is threaded in like
manner, but oppositely handed, so that when the rollers are brought near together
and caused to revolve, the projecting rounded ridges of each fit into the corre-
spondingly rounded furrows of the other. Fabric being passed through between
the rollers is strained both ways from the middle of its width so as to become
stretched. The rollers may be slightly tapered each way from the middle so as
to be somewhat closer together at the ends than in the middle. Also either or
both rollers may be divided at the middle and provided with an adjustable bearing
at the division, so that the middles of the rollers can be adjusted nearer to or
farther from each other. For the purpose of giving fabrics a soft finish, I employ
hollow rollers of the kind described and heat them by steam or otherwise, or when
only one side is to be finished I may heat only the one roller keeping the other
cool by circulation of water through it.
Dated this 27th day of June 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching and Smoothing Fabrics.
I, WILLIAM PENN MATHER, of 97 Kenyon Street, Providence, Rhode Island,
United States of America, Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus for stretching fabrics in the direction of their
width, this apparatus being applicable also for smoothing fabrics and giving them
a soft finish.
I provide two rollers geared together so as to revolve in opposite directions with
adjusting screws connected by gearing for moving the end bearings simultaneously
nearer to or farther from one another. From the middle of the one roller to its
one end there is formed a helical thread of rounded section, and to its other end a
similar helical thread to the opposite hand.
The other roller is threaded in like manner but oppositely handed, so that when
the rollers are brought near together and caused to revolve, the projecting rounded
ridges of each fit into the correspondingly rounded furrows of the other. Fabric
D

page_text: being passed through between the rollers is strained both ways from the middle of
its width so as to become stretched.
The rollers may be slightly tapered each way from the middle so as to be
somewhat closer together at the ends than in the middle.
Also either or both rollers may be divided at the middle and provided with an
adjustable bearing at the division, so that the middles of the rollers can be adjusted
nearer to or farther from each other. For the purpose of giving fabrics a soft
finish, I employ hollow rollers of the kind described and heat them by steam or
otherwise, or when only one side is to be finished I may heat only the one roller
keeping the other cool by circulation of water through it.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation of a pair of screw threaded
rollers according to my invention with their adjusting gear.
Fig. 2 is a part longitudinal section shewing to an enlarged scale portions of the
rounded screw threads.
The rollers A and B have bearings carried in housings C and provided with
adjusting screws D connected by bevil gear so as to be turned simultaneously.
From the middle of roller A a right hand screw thread extends to the right, a left
hand thread extending to the left, and from the middle of roller B a left hand
thread extends to the right, a right hand thread extending to the left; or the
threads may be all reversed.
Both rollers A and B taper from their middles to a somewhat larger diameter at
their ends, so that the screw threads interpenetrate more and more deeply from the
middle to each end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
For stretching and smoothing fabrics, apparatus consisting of a pair of helically
threaded rollers, arranged and operating substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of February 1894
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.