Improvements in Machines for Coating Fabrics.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1900 -Accepted, 15th Dec., 1900
Date of Application, 27th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1900-Accepted, 15th Dec., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Coating Fabrics.
I, JOHN WILLIAM HARGREAVES, of 29, Booth Avenue, Mauldeth Road,
Withington, in the County of Lancaster, Works Manager, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to spreading machines for treating fabrics in order to
produce that class of goods known as leather-cloth and the like and the improve-
ments have for their objects to prevent the jerk hitherto occurring in machines
in which the fabrics are treated in an endless band, and whereby serious defects
are caused to the material under treatment; also to produce a more uniform
tension in the fabric while being coated and to prevent the fabric when charged
with electricity from adhering to the rollers through which it has to pass, and
thereby becoming creased or torn.
In carrying out my invention, I prevent the jerking due to the varying
tension in the fabric in the following way. I do away with the usual side
shaft which is used for driving the front and back cylinders at an equal speed.
I drive the back cylinder by means of belting and pulleys, direct from the
shafting, the front cylinder on which I arrange a friction brake being used only
for obtaining a tension upon the fabric. In machines hitherto used the fabric
lies in loose folds underneath the machine, which makes it impossible to get
an even tension all the way through the piece, and, when the tension is decreased,
the machine commences to work quicker, but owing to the torsion of the side
shaft the back cylinder increases its speed a little later than the front cylinder
thereby causing the fabric to bag and the coating material to go on thicker in
such places. According to my arrangement these sudden alterations in the
tension and thereby in the speed of the machine do not in the least degree
affect the even spreading.
In order to produce a still more uniform tension I pass the fabric over a
series of rollers and then between a pair of rollers which are driven and which
take up the fabric as it comes from the drying tables.
In order to prevent the coated fabric from sticking to the rollers through
which it has to pass, owing to the generation static electricity upon its surface,
I make the top roller of the pair of metal and I carry a wire or wires making
contact with the roller to the earth for the purpose of carrying away the elec-
tricity.
As an additional safeguard, I have a pair of fluted rollers which draw the
fabric from above rollers and pass it in folds under the machine where it again
travels to the front for its next coat.
1
1
1000
R. J. URQUHART,
Chartered Patent Agent, Manchester and Liverpool

page_text: improvements in Machines for Coating Fabrics.
I, JOHN WILLIAM HARGREAVES, of 29, Booth Avenue, Mauldeth Road,
Withington, in the County of Lancaster, Works Manager, 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:-
This invention relates to spreading machines for treating fabrics in order to
produce that class of goods known as leather-cloth and the like and the improve-
ments have for their objects to prevent the jerk hitherto occurring in machines
in which the fabrics are treated in an endless band, and whereby serious defects
are caused to the material under treatment; also to produce a more uniform
tension in the fabric while being coated and to prevent the fabric when charged
with electricity from adhering to the rollers through which it has to pass and
thereby becoming creased or torn.
On the drawing appended hereunto
Figure 1 shows a side view of the front part of the machine;
Figure 2 a side view of the back part of the machine;
Figure 3 an end view from the back end.
The machine consists of front and back frames A, B, connected by stays a
long steam drying table and cylinders or drums and rollers for forwarding
the fabric to be coated. In the spreading machines hitherto made, the front
cylinder or drum a Fig. 1 is driven by a belt from the shafting and the back
drum is driven from the shaft of the front drum by bevel wheels and a side
shaft. With this arrangement it is impossible to obtain an even tension all
the way through the piece. The cloth which lies in loose folds on the apron c
under the machine does not have the same amount of grip on the drum a all
the time but this varies as the folds open out or stick together more or less. In
consequence when the drag on the drum is reduced, its speed increases, but
owing to the torsion in the side shaft, which in machines for manufacturing
leather cloth is about 40 feet long, the back drum b does not increase its speed
at the same fime but a little later. In consequence the length of fabric between
the two drums bags more or less and the coating material is spread on thicker
at such times, causing streaks across the fabric.
To prevent these jerks and obtain an even tension and coating of the fabric,
I do away with the side shaft and drive the back drum b from the shafting,
taking the front drum around by the fabric and placing a brake of any suit-
able kind upon the shaft of the drum a. I also make use of a pair of rollers
between which the fabric passes after leaving the back drum, these rollers being
likewise driven.
Referring to the drawings, the back drum bis driven by the belt pulleys b
and the spur pinion 62 and wheel 3. Upon the other end of the drum shaft a
broad pulley is mounted, driving by one belt the pulley on the roller e
and by another crossed belt f2 the pulley f on the roller f. Upon this roller f
rests a metal top roller f³. A chain wheel b on the back cylinder shaft drives by
another chain wheel and a pinion and spur wheel the roller, round
which and a similar roller at the front end of the machine the travelling
apron or lattice c passes.
A pulley f on the shaft of roller f drives by a belt g¹ a pulley g² on the
fluted roller g, which drives by means of spur wheels another fluted roller gt.
These rollers rotate at a higher circumferential speed than the drum band
rollers ff.

page_text: The fabrics made up into an endless band and indicated on the drawings by
a stroke and dot line, is drawn from the front end to the back by the drum b
and the gripping rollers f f³. It passes at the front from the lattice e past
the straightening rail h, over the guide roller h, round the drum a, the guide
rollers hhh, under the knife or gauge z in front of which the fabric is spread
with the coating material, over the roller and the long steam heated drying
table C to the drum b. The latter is covered with felt or the like to obtain a
good grip. From the drum b the fabric passes round the rollers
between the gripping rollers f f³, thence between the fluted rollers g g and
again on to the lattice c.
and 72
The drum a is thus not driven from the shafting but only used to keep a
tension on the fabric; a pulley with a rope and weight or a band break with
tightening screw or equivalent are used to regulate the tension according to the
strength of the fabric. In consequence of this arrangement of the machine
and conduction of the fabric the tension between the two drums remains uniform
and an even coating results.
In order to prevent the fabric when charged with electricity from adhering
to the rollers over or between which it passes, more particularly to the roller f
and thereby becoming creased or torn the fluted rollers g g are arranged,
which do not grip the fabric but are set apart so as to stroke it and prevent it
from adhering to the rollers f³ or f. The ends of the rollers for the bearing
for the same may be provided with contacts and wires leading to the earth,
more particularly when the machine stands upon a wooden floor. In addition
to these I preferably arrange a metal rail m provided with a number of pointed
pegs extending to near the fabric below the fluted rollers by which the
electricity remaining therein is carried off, the rail being connected to the
earth by wires when required. This prevents the fabric from adhering to any
of the guide rollers at the front ends.
When the fabric is finished it is wound upon the spindle », which is driven
by pulley and a belt n² from a pulley n³ on the roller f.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The general arrangement of a machine for coating fabrics substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings.
2. In spreading machines for coating fabrics, driving the back cylinder and
a pair of gripping rollers for drawing the fabric under the gauge and over the
drying table, and turning the front cylinder, provided with a brake, by means
of the fabric, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and as
illustrated by the drawings.
3. In spreading machines for coating fabrics the arrangement of a pair of
fluted rollers having a higher surface speed than the fabric, between which the
fabric passes without being gripped, in combination with appliances for carry-
ing off the electricity of the fabric, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 26th day of Sentombar 1000
R. J. URQUHART, C.E.,
Chartered Patent Agent, Manchester & Liverpool.