Improvements in Machinery for Opening and Stretching Fabrics.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in Machinery for Opening and Stretching Fabrics.
I EDWARD WEILD of Shakespeare Street, Manchester, Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a machine for opening and stretching
fabrics in which a series of rapidly revolving surfaces or stretching rollers projecting
through orifices formed in the cylindrical surface of a drum casing or mounted upon
a flat or curved table are presented in continuously extending lines across the entire
surface of the fabric passing over the same and which stretching rollers run in the
same direction and at the same speed as or at an accelerated speed over that of the
cloth or the fabric itself.
In performing my invention I employ two sets of my improved stretching rollers
arranged in opposite or divergent directions on each side of the central line of the
machine.
Each of these rollers is grooved on the outside with a series of parallel angular
grooves and each such roller is hollow on the inside and at one end is formed with a
hollow or sleeve bearing to enable it to be mounted in an adjustable bracket secured
on the inside of the drum casing or on the outside of the table.
Through each set of these hollow rollers so arranged as aforesaid, a single driving
shaft passes and communicates revolving motion to each such rollers by a pin project-
ing (from a suitable collar keyed to such shaft) into a longitudinal groove formed
along the inside of the hollow sleeve.
In this manner each stretching roller although inclined at an angle with the axis of
the common driving shaft is yet capable of being driven by such shaft and thus I am
enabled to revolve a number of stretching rollers at variable angles and at the same
speed as or at an accelerated speed over that of the fabric as aforesaid.
A stretching action is thus obtained (across the entire surface of the fabric) and
the degree of which stretching is capable of adjustment (by inclining the brackets more
or less) to the greatest nicety.

page_text: I EDWARD WEILD of Shakespeare Street Manchester 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 :-
The object of this invention is to construct a machine for opening and stretching
fabrics in which a series of rapidly revolving surfaces or stretching rollers projecting
through orifices formed in the cylindrical surface of a drum casing or mounted upon a
flat or curved table are presented in continuously extending lines across the entire
surface of the fabric passing over the same and which stretching rollers run in the
same direction and at the same speed as or at an accelerated speed over that of the
cloth or the fabric itself.
In performing my invention I employ two sets of my improved stretching rollers
arranged in opposite or divergent directions on each side of the central line of the
machine. Each of these rollers is grooved on the outside with a series of parallel
angular grooves and each such roller is hollow on the inside and at one end is formed
with a hollow or sleeve bearing to enable it to be mounted in an adjustable bracket
secured on the inside of the drum casing or on the outside of the table. Through
each set of these hollow rollers so arranged as aforesaid a single driving shaft passes
and communicates revolving motion to each such roller by a pin projecting (from a
suitable collar keyed to such shaft) into a longitudinal groove formed along the inside
of hollow sleeve.
In this manner each stretching roller although inclined at an angle with the axis of
the common driving shaft is yet capable of being driven by such shaft and thus
I am enabled to revolve a number of stretching rollers at variable angles and at
the same speed as or at an accelerated speed over that of the fabric as aforesaid.
A stretching action is thus obtained (across the entire surface of the fabric) and the
degree of which stretching is capable of adjustment (by inclining the brackets more or
less) to the greatest nicety.
And in order that this my said invention may be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed drawings illustrative of my
improvements and will now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the
letters of reference marked on the several Figures.
Fig. 1 is a side sectional view and Fig. 2 an end view of one of my improved
stretching rollers marked a mounted in its bracket marked b and Fig. 3 is a plan of
the base of the bracket.
As illustrated this stretching roller is grooved on the outside with a series of parallel
angular grooves and is hollow on the inside and at one end such roller is constructed
with a hollow or sleeve bearing c to enable it to be mounted in the adjustable
bracket b. This adjustable bracket b is arranged to be secured on the inside of

page_text: the drum or cylindrical casing d as in Fig. 4 which illustrates an end view of
my improved stretching machine shewing the improved stretching rollers projecting
through orifices in its periphery or on the outside of the curved table as in Fig. 5
which illustrates an end view of another arrangement of my improved cloth or fabric
stretcher. In Figs. 4 and 5 the fabric is marked 2. The segmental slots e in the base
of the bracket and through which the clamping bolts pass serve to allow of the
adjustment of the bracket and thus the angle of the roller may be regulated within
the limits of such slots to the greatest nicety.
In Fig. 6 I illustrate a plan view or diagram shewing how the two sets of these
improved stretching rollers a whether employed on the inside of the cylindrical
casing or on the top of a curved or flat table are arranged in accordance with my
invention and as and for the purpose aforesaid in opposite or divergent directions on
each side of the central line of the machine indicated by the letters xx. The
direction of the fabric is indicated by the arrow.
h
Through each set of stretching rollers a so arranged I pass a single driving shaft g
as seen more clearly in Fig. 1 also seen in Figs. 4 and 5 and in dotted lines
in Fig. 6. This shaft g carries a pin projecting from a collar i keyed to such
shaft and projecting into a longitudinal groovej formed along the inside of the
hollow sleeve c of each roller and thus by having a similar collar for each roller
and gearing such shaft to any revolving part of the machine 1 am enabled to
revolve a number of stretching rollers at variable angles as aforesaid.
The pitch lines of the roller shaft g driving mechanism are indicated by dotted
lines in Fig. 4 and consist of a large central spur wheel k gearing with a surrounding
series of smaller spur wheels . The intermediate rollers m in Fig. 5 are mounted in
pedestals n seen on a larger scale in Figs. 7 and 8-and which are formed in two
parts as illustrated and fitted with spiral springs o to facilitate the adjustment in
height of such rollers and to keep the fabric properly distended across from one set of
stretching rollers a to the succeeding set.
In Fig. 9 I represent a side view of a stretching roller and bracket forming a
modification of my invention and which is designed to be driven or revolved by
the fabric passing over it and in Fig. 10 I shew a plan view of the bracket alone.
This bracket is mounted upon a central pivot p and is adjustable by being connected
to a nut screwing upon a screw 3. In Fig. 11 I represent a plan view of a
series of these modified rollers t arranged in accordance with my invention in sets
and in opposite or divergent directions upon each side of the central line y y and
in variable lengths numbers and positions so as to cover the entire surface of the
This view also shews how
fabric passing across the same in the direction of the arrow.
a right and left hand screw u may be applied to the brackets of my improved
stretching rollers for adjusting the angles of all the brackets on opposite sides of
the centre line simultaneously.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The combination and arrangement of mechanism for opening and stretching
fabrics substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated.
2nd. The employment of a cylinder with orifices on its periphery to admit of grooved
stretching rollers projecting through substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated.
3rd. The mounting of the improved stretching rollers at an angle and in an opposite
or divergent direction on each side of the central line of the cylinder substantially as
herein before described and illustrated.
4th. The driving of the small stretching rollers substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated.
5th. The mounting of a series of stretching rollers of variable lengths or diameters
on a flat or curved surface in an opposite or divergent direction on each side of the

page_text: central line of the machine with the right and left hand screw adjustment and the
curved slot adjustment in brackets substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
6th. In the opening and stretching of fabrics the employment of two sets of grooved
stretching rollers arranged in divergent directions on each side of a central line and
so mounted and driven as to be capable of adjustment substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated.
TAL: SHALL 1
CAT
1
1000
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office,
55, Market Street, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.