IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM APPLICABLE TO TENTERING STRETCHING PRINTING CALENDERING AND OTHER MACHINES PROVISIONALATIONREA- FACTURING FABRI
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ashworth of Rochdale in the County of Lancaster
Machinist for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM APPLICABLE
TO TENTERING STRETCHING PRINTING CALENDERING AND OTHER MACHINES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ashworth at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th November 1882.
JOHN ASHWORTH of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM APPLICABLE TO TENTERING STRETCHING,
PRINTING, CALENDERING AND OTHER MACHINES FOR TREATING AND MANU-
FACTURING FABRICS,"
Firstly, My invention relates to improvements upon selvage guiders described in
the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me N° 615 AD 1881, and in the
Provisional Specification of an application for Letters Patent N° 3239 AD 1882.
The principal object of my present improvements is to make the arrangements
more perfect and capable of operating upon fabrics of different character and upon
cloth having irregularities in its width, so as to require less attention.
According to one modification of my invention I employ a guider which is
hinged on a vertical axis. This guider has a surface for the cloth to slide along,
while another surface (hinged at that end of the guider where the cloth passes
away) rests and presses upon the passing selvage of the cloth.
At the end of the guider, at which the cloth enters, there is another small separate
hinged surface to press upon the cloth.
This hinged surface lifts when the thick part formed by the seam between the
ends of two pieces enters, and it lifts the other or main hinged surface, and when
the thick part has passed the small hinged surface descends again upon or just
clear of the entering cloth.
The main hinged piece presses with more force upon the seam part as it
approaches the hinged end, and thus that part of the cloth is held more securely
and is extended out to the full width.

page_text: The surfaces acting upon the cloth are in some cases grooved with diagonal
grooves which tend to stretch the selvage outwards, but in some combinations
they are or may be plain, and sometimes they have intersecting side projections.
According to another modification I combine a roller or use rollers either plain
or grooved or roughened or pinned with the swivelling hinged guiding surfaces,
and in this case the under roller rotates in a bearing on an arm from the bracket
forming the guiding surface, and the upper roller is mounted with its bearings on
an arm jointed on the swivel bracket carrying the guiding surfaces, so that the
upper roller is free to press by its own weight and the action of a spring, upon the
cloth passing over the lower roller. The centre of these two rollers is in a line
with the vertical axis of the bracket on which the guiding surface oscillate, and
the rollers are arranged so as to be got close up to the chain wheel of tentering
machines.
In this modification the main hinged pressing plate is hinged to the axis of
the upper roller and has combined with it a gill or clip to slide along the guide
plate.
In some cases the guiding surfaces are set or are made adjustable to an angle in
relation to the axis of the swivel rollers, more or less as required.
In some cases a spiral or other spring is arranged, so that its tension can be
adjusted to cause the guiders to press more or less against or away from the
selvage of the cloth. According to another modification the small separately
hinged plate. is jointed to the upper main hinged plate of joint.
The hinged guiding plates are also according to one modification jointed.]to the
bracket, carrying, the axes of the rollers, so as to be adjustable on an axis parallel to
the vertical axis of the swivel part for the roller, and set horizontally more or less
at an angle to the axes upon which the rollers Totate. A and M
Behind the rollers but carried on the stationary bracket which carries the swivel
axis are diagonally grooved or plain hinged plates, through or between which the
cloth passes after leaving the swivel rollers, and these plates are arranged so as to
be adjusted vertically or horizontally in any desired angle in relation to the selvage
of the cloth.
And in some cases a pair of rollers are or may be combined behind these
diagonally grooved plates, and the selvage of the cloth passes between tliese rollers,
one of which is pressed towards the other and the rollers are driven by a band, to
help to draw the cloth through the hinged plates and swivel guiding rollers. The
rollers are or may be driven by bands or gearing.
The swivel rollers are arranged so that the lubricant cannot escape from the
bearings
The hinged plates in some cases are hinged 'at the side instead of at the end, and
in some cases three or more separate hinged plates are employed.
Sometimes the hinged plates and the surfaces coming in contact with the cloth
are made of glass or other suitable material or of metal faced with glass or other
suitable material.
Another modification of my invention consists of a pair of rollers arranged to
swivel on a vertical axis or of one roller having pins upon it combined with guiders
formed of one lower and another upper hinged plain or grooved plates, the end of
the guiders at which the cloth enters having combined with it a small pair of
rollers on horizontal axes arranged in a frame to swivel on a vertical axis, the upper
roller or rollers is upon a hinged joint or lovers so as to lift; The lower roller is
formed by a broad and narrow roller on the same axis, the broad roller or drum
is loose on the axis, and the narrow drum or roller is or may be fixed or loose on
the axis.
A cord is secured to the axis so as to wind and unwind upon it when the axis
rotates forward and backward, and the end of this cord is attached to the
guide arm.
If the selvage spreads and extends on to the narrow drum it is rotated by the
pressure of the drum above, and this winds up the cord and 'swivels the frame
1

page_text: carrying the drums or rollers so that they will take less hold of the selvage, and
when the selvage gets too much on the broad drum or roller the drag of the cloth
or the action of a spring swivels the frame carrying the drums or rollers in the
opposite direction to cause them to take more hold of the selvage, and so on.
The cord is or may be arranged to wind and unwind on one part of the axis, and
wind and unwind from another part of smaller diameter, so that the rollers will be
swivelled by the difference in the speed of winding and unwinding, the cord
passing from one part of the axis round a pulley on a projection from the guiding
arm and then to the other part of the axis.
Gearing is or may be used in place of the cord.
By another modification of my invention the two rollers are placed one over the
other, and arranged to swivel on a vertical axis and connected with guiders formed
by a stationary and hinged plate, plain or grooved, between which the cloth passes.
But the guiding arm and the rollers are not free to swivel only when moved by a
worm wheel segment on the vertical axis, which worm wheel segment gears with a
worm on a shaft having bearings on a stationary bracket.
This modification is or may be used without the guiding arm by putting a
narrow drum on the axis of the bottom roller with string or cord attachment.
On the worm shaft there is a spur wheel in gear with a pinion on one arm of a
lever, which pinion is in gear with another pinion. on the other arm of the same
lever, the fulcrum being between the two pinions.
On the ax of each pinion there is a drum, and each drum when the lever is
depressed at that end will come in contact with and be driven by the friction of
contact with the upper drum or roller of the pair acting upon the cloth, and thus
will drive the worm and alter the position of the guiding arm accordingly.
The small drums may be dispensed with and the small pinions only used, a spur
wheel in this case being secured on the axis of the drum or roller acting upon the
cloth.
At the entering end of the guiding arm there are two. rollers each free on an
axis one over the other, the lower roller is on a stationary. axis, the axis of the
upper roller is hinged to lift, and the roller on this latter axis is in two separate
parts, one loose on the axis, and the other fast to it, so as to rotate the axis when
the roller rotates (as when the selvage widens and spreads over this roller) and
this winds a cord upon or it unwinds from the axis. The winding up of the cord
which at its lower end is connected with the lever upon which the two pinions are
mounted brings the drum of one of the pinions in contact with the driving drum
(or one of the pinions in contact with the wheel on the driving drum) and this
rotates the worm to alter the position of the guiding arm accordingly.
When the winding action of the cord ceases, and the selvage is clear of the drum
6xed on the axis, the lever for the pinions is weighted to bring the drum of the
other pinion, or the pinion itself, into action, to reverse the rotation of the worm;
and the descent of this lever unwinds the cord from the axis to a corresponding
extent.
f
Another modification consists of a pair of swivel pulleys, a swivel guiding arm
with hinged plain or grooved plates for the cloth to pass through, and a series of
small rollers with their axes on the same line carried on the swivel arm, and
another series of rollers hinged to lift above and coming between and over the first
series of lower fixed rollers.
The selvage of the cloth passes between these series of rollers, then between the
hinged plates, and then between the pair of main swivel rollers. The above named
two series of rollers are or may be mounted on a fixed bracket apart from the
swivel guiding arm.
Another modification consists of a guiding arm swivelling round a vertical axis
having a disc upon it free to rotate, and against the face of this disc, near its edge;
roller on a horizontal axis is free to work, the roller swivelling with the arm
round the axis of the disc, and the cloth passing between. the roller and face of: the
lisc,
:

page_text: For some fabrics instead of the cloth passing between rollers it only passes over
the rollers which have pins in this case to take hold of the cloth.
For stretching and steadying the feed of the cloth to the tentering machines a pair
of rollers or bars are used between which the cloth passes.
Secondly, My invention relates to arrangements principally intended for
bringing the weft threads of fabrics under treatment square to the selvages,
and also putting tension or drag upon it as it passes along to the tentering or
other machine, and my invention consists in the use for this purpose of two or
more pairs or sets of long rollers between which the cloth passes. Each pair of
these rollers comes nearly close together end to end, and the ends of the two pairs
of rollers are in about the middle of the passing fabric and the rollers extend
across it.
Each pair of rollers are or may be coned, being larger at the ends were they come
together, and smallest at the outside ends or the reverse. The top rollers are or
may be made in sections free on a rod or tube.
They are mounted in bearings so as to be at an angle to each other horizontally,
and are or may be arranged so that this angle between them may be increased or
decreased by means of suitable slides or guides and adjusting screws.
The rollers are or may be geared together and driven from the gearing driving
the tentering or other machine.
The action of these rollers is to stretch the cloth passing between them from the
middle to the sides or selvages, and the tension thus obtained tends to bring the
weft threads of the fabric square or at right angles to the selvages, and at the same
time gives the requisite drag to stretch the fabric lengthways.
The above mechanism is also used for stretching fabrics simply and is then
arranged to swivel on a centre.
The angular rollers above described are or may be combined in another modi-
fication, with a pair of bars between which the cloth passes after going through the
rollers, one bar being weighted against the cloth and the other bar. These bars
are arranged to swivel on a vertical axis, and an arm from each of them carries the
bearings of a pulley, one above and the other below the cloth.
If the cloth should tend to pass more on one side than the other the bars swivel
accordingly carrying the pulleys with them, and these pulleys then act to bring or
guide back the cloth to the central position.
The angular rollers are in some cases made by winding wire in a helical form
round a core to make the surface flexible.
Another modification of this part of my invention consists in a roller which can
be expanded and contracted by screws and cones or other arrangements, the surface
of the roller being formed by hoops of steel or other suitable material which are
arranged to open and close to increase or decrease the circumference of the roller.
The cloth passes over this roller and between a weight roller rotating upon it, and
the expanding roller is acted upon by hand or by selfacting mechanism to change
the diameter of the roller at either or both ends.
The selfacting arrangements are a pulley or pulleys on each side of the fabric
which the cloth does not act upon when in the central position, but when it passes
to one side or the other, the cloth then comes upon or between the roller or rollers
on that side and rotates it or them and the screws geared with them for expanding
and contracting the rollers.
This arrangement of expanding roller is sometimes used in two parts, one placed
at an angle horizontally to the other. It is also used in combination with the
angular arrangement of rollers first described under this head of my invention.
Thirdly, My invention refers to arrangements for guiding selvages of fabrics to
tentering and other machines and giving a gradually increasing stretch, and my
invention consists in a modification of the guiding arrangements forming the first
part of my invention, and in arranging the rollers so that they can be swivelled as
the selvage requires by a worm and segment. wheel, or by any other suitable means,
and in driving the rollers by gearing, to drag the selvage along; one pinned roller or,

page_text: pair of rollers being driven at a greater speed than the other rollers, thus the first
roller or pair of rollers acting upon the selvage will be driven at the slowest speed,
the next at a little greater, and the next greater still, and so on, thus gradually
stretching the selvages of the cloth being treated.
Fourthly My invention relates to arrangements for stretching fabrics width way
by passing the cloth between driven rollers having spiral grooves in their surfaces,
the rollers are used in two halves end to end, and the spiral of one half of the rollers
is reversed to those of the other half.
These rollers are or may be used in a stationary position or mounted on a central
axis so that they will or can be swivelled if the cloth comes to one side to an angle
to cause the cloth to move back to the central part of the rollers.
The spiral grooved rollers, when used for spreading purposes only, are driven
reverse ways, but when used for spreading and keeping the cloth central, when the
apparatus is allowed to swivel, the spiral grooved rollers are both driven in the
same direction.
When the spiral grooved rollers are stationary and driven in opposite directions
for placing the weft threads square to the selvage of the cloth after leaving the spiral
grooved rollers passes between a plain roller, and a roller with ribs and spaces
which drag the cloth intermittently.
The swivel bars and guiding pulleys referred to under the second head are or
may be used in combination with the spiral rollers for keeping the cloth central,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Ashworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th May
1883.
-
JOHN ASHWORTH of Rochdale in the County of Lancaster, Machinist " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MECHANISM APPLICABLE "TO
t.
TENTERING, STRETCHING PRINTING,
CALENDERING AND OTHER MACHINES FOR TREATING AND MANUFACTURING
FABRICS
"
13
My Invention consists in the first place of improvements in the selvedge guiders
described in the specification of former inventions for which Letters Patent
Nos. 615. A.D. 1881 and 3239 A.D: 1882 have been granted to me and has for its
object to render the apparatus more perfect in action and capable of operating upon
fabrics of varying characters and irregular widths. I employ guider plates; or
surfaces or rollers or combinations of such parts which are mounted in frames to
swivel so as to self-actingly vary the angular directions of the axes. In the second
place I employ pairs of coned rollers to act upon fabrics to bring the weft threads
square with the selvedges or to stretch the fabrics.
1;
In order that my invention may be fully understood I have attached hereunto a
sheet of drawings made to a scale of about six inches to the foot and marked with
letters of reference. Referring to the said drawings Fig. 1 represents a side view,
Fig 2 a plan and Fig 3 an end view of one form of my improved apparatus. In
the said Figs. a is an arm which swivels upon a vertical axis having pivots a'
which work in sockets in a fixed bracket b. The said arm carries a bed plate c
which is formed with diagonal grooves as indicated by the dotted lines. Above this
plate is a second plate d and a short piece d¹ the two extending the length of the
lower plate. The shorter piece d is hinged by means of an arm d² to the back of
the plate d. The plate is hinged by means of an arm d³ to a stud or fulcrum e
which is carried by the arm a. The lower surfaces of the plates d and d' are
grooved diagonally to correspond with grooves in the bottom plate. The back
edges of the plates are formed with interlocking teeth the teeth on one plate
entering the spaces between the teeth on the other plate in order to prevent the
selvedge of the fabric from passing out between the back edges of the plates. The
weight of the parts is balanced by means of a weight a³ upon an extension of the
arm ct. The arm a is free to swivel upon the vertical axis but a spring which is
attached by one end to the bracket 6 tends to move the mouth or point of entry
for the fabric towards the selvedge. The cloth enters between the piece d¹ and the
end of the plate c and passes between the plates in the direction indicated by the
arrow. When a thicker portion of the cloth-as for example a seam-passes between
the plates the piece d' yields first and descends again as the seam enters between
the plates c and d. The plate d presses with increased force upon the seam as it
passes towards the outlet end so that the cloth is firmly held at that part and is
extended to the full width by the action of the diagonal grooves. In some cases
I may dispense with the diagonal grooves and also in some cases I may make the
apparatus without the interlocking teeth. It will be seen that as the frame can
swivel upon the vertical axis it has a self-adjusting action so as to accommodate
itself to the width of the fabric. Figs 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a modification in the
apparatus In this example a pair of rollers is applied to the delivery end. One
roller g is carried by an arm which is secured to the lower plate or to the arm a.
The other roller g² is carried by the end of a link g' which is hinged to the arm a
so that the said roller can yield as the cloth passes through. The axes of the two
rollers are in line with the vertical axis upon which the arm a turns The said

page_text: roller may simply rest upon the cloth or may be loaded or pressed upon the cloth
by means of a spring or of springs. The delivery end of the upper plate d is' hinged
by means of an arm d³ to the axle of the upper roller so that both move together,
The peripheries of the rollers may be smooth or be grooved or roughened. The
apparatus is fixed so that the rollers are close to the chain wheel of the tentering
machine indicated by the curved line h. In some cases the plates c and d are
arranged to be set at an adjustable angle with respect to the axes of the rollers or
to be otherwise set or adjusted with reference to the said rollers. Figs 78 and 9
illustrate another form of the apparatus wherein pairs of rollers are substituted for
the grooved plates or are used in combination with grooved plates which may be
shorter than in the cases of the previous examples. In this example two pairs of
rollers are carried by a frame i which is mounted to swivel upon a vertical axis
being pivoted at to the fixed frame or bracket ; which is secured to the
tentering machine. The lower roller k of one pair is mounted upon a stud which
is fixed in a slot in the frame i and can be adjusted in a higher or lower position
in the said frame by moving the stud in the said slot. The upper roller k³ is
mounted upon a stud which is hinged to the frame so that it can yield to
accommodate itself to the varying thicknesses of the cloth. This roller may
simply rest upon the cloth or may be loaded or pressed upon the cloth by means of
a spring. In the example the stud upon which the roller is mounted is made in
the form of a bell-crank lever and a spring acts upon the vertical member A
of the lever to press the roller upon the cloth. It will be seen that each roller is
in two sections a front broad section and a back narrow section. In some cases
only one roller is formed in two sections. In the example the back section k¹ is
formed with a groove for a cord or chain m which is attached by one end to the
said section and passes over a guide pulley mounted on the end of an arm ª
on the frame i the other end of the cord being secured to the bracket j or to a
fixed part or the cord is carried over a second pulley which is mounted upon an
axis which is carried by the said bracket the end of the cord being brought back
and secured to the frame i. In either case when the cord is wound upon the
roller the arm i is drawn by the tightening of the cord towards the bracket so
that the frame is caused to swivel and thereby to vary its angular position with
respect to the selvedge of the cloth. The object of this arrangement is to obtain a
self adjustment of the said angular position. When the selvedge of the cloth
extends so far towards the back of the rollers as to turn the back sections or the
back section of one of the rollers the angular position of the frame is changed so
that the rollers take less hold of the selvedge and on the contrary when the selvedge
is too near the front ends of the rollers the frame is pulled by the drag into a
position which causes the rollers to take a better hold of the selvedge. It will thus
be seen that the frame i will be caused to vary its position by swiveling on its
vertical axis so as to constantly accomodate itself to the irregularities in the width
of the cloth. I also construct loom temples in accordance with this part of my
Invention. The bottom roller n of the second pair is carried by arms which
extend from the frame i the upper roller being carried by the outer end of a link o
which is hinged to the frame as in the case of the upper roller in Fig. 5. Between
the two pairs of rollers is a pair of short pressing plates p between which the
selvedge of the cloth passes on its way from one pair of rollers to the other. The
said plates are mounted to swivel upon a horizontal axis and also to slide horizon-
tally having an arm p' which is acted upon by the tentering pins to keep the
part. p in line with the pins. The rollers are plain or grooved or roughened and
are cylindrical or conical. I prefer to make one roller-say for example the upper
roller in each pair conical as seen in Fig. 8 but in some cases I make both rollers
conical and in some cases I so arrange the rollers in a pair as that the front end of
one roller shall be the largest diameter and the front end of the other roller the
smallest diameter. In the example the roller n is made in two sections.one the.
back section being made of rubber or elastic material or being a brush roller as
seen in Fig 9 which is a plan of part of Fig. 7. and the front section is grooved but

page_text: I may vary these formations and dispositions as found to be most suitable in each
case. The fabric passes from the rollers n directly to the tentering wheel. In
some cases I dispense with the pressing plates and use only the rollers. The form
of the apparatus may be greatly varied and the two pairs of rollers may be brought
close together and also the position of the vertical axis with regard to the axes of
the rollers may be varied as for example if the said vertical axis is situated to the
left of the line through the axes of the rollers k in Fig. 7 the effect of the cord in
lessening the hold of the rollers upon the selvedge will be increased. The axis of
the upper roller kl. may be arranged to be moveable vertically in any suitable
manner instead of being hinged as in the example. The cord may be arranged to
wind upon one part at the time that it unwinds from another part, of smaller
diameter so that the roller-frame will be swiveled to an extent due to the difference
in the diameters of the said parts. If preferred gearing may be used in place of
the cord or chain as for example à pinion on the axle of the narrow roller section
may gear with a fixed sector or may give motion to a wheel or pinion gearing with
such sector or to a worm gearing with a worm wheel quadrant or other arrangements
may be adopted so long as the turning of the said section by the selvedge is caused
to vary the angular position of the roller axes for the indicated purpose. I may
substitute pin-wheels or serrated or roughened wheels for the said narrow roller
sections. In place of the rollers in a pair being one above the other they may be
in a horizontal line as indicated by Fig. 10 the cloth passing downwards and around
a roller and upwards and over a rounded bar as in the case of the bar 8 in Fig 11
or the rollers may be otherwise arranged and be combined with other rollers or
parts not shewn in the drawings so long as the angular adjustment of the frame
When applying my
carrying the rollers is effected by the indicated means.
Invention to elastic finishing machines I pass the cloth over a vibrating roller so
as to ensure the selvedges being delivered to the guiders. The second part of my
Invention is illustrated by Fig 12 wherein t, t are four conical rollers which are
pivoted to revolve within a frame u the larger ends of the rollers being inwards
and the smaller ends outwards. The rollers may or may not be geared together
and the upper rollers are pressed towards the lower rollers by means of weights or
springs. When the fabric is drawn between these rollers it is stretched from the
middle towards the sides or selvedges the tendency being to bring the weft threads
into positions square or at right-angles with the selvedges or thereabouts and at
When used only
the same time to give the necessary drag or stretch lengthwise.
to stretch fabrics the frame is provided with pivots u' or is suitably arranged to
swivel upon a central vertical axis. I may make the upper rollers in sections to
revolve upon bars or axles. In my provisional specification I included parts which
were described under the heads "thirdly "and "fourthly" but I have not included
such parts herein and thereof make no claim thereof.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said invention and
the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect I would have it to be
understood in conclusion that I claim :-
First the apparatus constructed and acting substantially as and for the purpose
set forth and indicated herein before and in and by Fig 1, 2 and 3 of the accom-
panying drawings.
Secondly the fixed and hinged diagonally grooved plates carried by a swivel
frame and acting to guide the edges of a fabric on to the wheels of a tentering
machine substantially as set forth and indicated.
Thirdly the combination of fixed and hinged diagonally grooved plates with
rollers in a swivel frame substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated.
Fourthly constructing one or both of the rollers in a pair mounted in a swivel
frame in sections and attaching a cord or chain to the back section substantially as
and for the purpose set forth and indicated
Fifthly the employment of a narrow roller or a wheel at the back end of a
roller in a pair mounted in a swivel frame to effect the angular adjustment of such

page_text: frame by means of the action of the selvedge upon the said narrow roller
substantially as and for the purpose set forth and indicated.
Sixthly the combination of parts arranged and acting substantially as and for
the purpose set forth and indicated with reference to Figs 7, 8 and 9 of the
drawings
And lastly the combination of conical rollers arranged and acting substantially as
and for the purpose set forth and indicated hereinbefore and by Fig 12 of the
attached drawings.
In witness whereof I the said John Ashworth have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty fourth day of May one thousand eight hundred and
eighty three
Signed sealed and delivered
by the said John Ashworth
in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON
41 John Dalton Street Manchester.
Agent to the Patentee.
JOHN ASHWORTH (L.S.)