US1233257A - Automatic web-guiding device. - Google Patents

Description

W. I. LEWIS.

AUTOMATIC WEB GUIDING DEVICE.

. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I3, I911. 1,33,5K. Patented July 10, 1917.

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AUTOMATIC WEB GUIDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED FEB- 1-3. 1911.

Patented July 10, 1917.

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AUTOMATIC WEB GUIDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-13,1911.

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WILLARD I. LEWIS, OF WALPOLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC WEB-GUIDING DEVICE.

Application filed February 13, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WHLLARD I. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Walpole, in the county of Norfolk, State of Massachuse ts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic vVeb- Guiding Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in novel. automatic web-guiding devices for use in machines for operating upon continuous webs, and in the combination of the same with an elastic tentering machine. Also, in means for open ing out the selvages of a web as it is fed into a machine to be operated upon. Also; in various novel features of construction and combinations of parts which are described hereinaft r and pointed out in the claims.

An embodiment of the features of the invention in practical form is shown in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a partly-sectional view of certain portions of an elastic tentering machine at the entering end of the latter, looking from one side of the machine, with the dif ferent features of the invention combined therewith Fig. 2 is a view looking from the lefthand side in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view from the right hand side in Fig. 1, with some of the parts at the top in the latter figure omitted.

The drawings represent sufficient of the parts of an elastic tenter, at the end thereof at which the web of cloth is fed to the traveling endless chains 1, 1, thereof, to render clear the nature, relations, and mode of op oration of the different features of the invention. The supporting sprocket-wheels for the said chains which are located at the said end are shown at 2, 2, as well as portions of the o].)] )ositely- movable sideframes 3, 3, on which the said sprocketwheels and endless chains are mounted. One of the transversely-extending swinging carriers 4 for the said side-frames is represented. and a portion of the supporting post or pillar 5 upon the top of which the said carrier lis mounted to swing in a horizontal plane about a vertical axis as usual. One of the hand-operated right-and-left screw threaded adjusting shafts by which the sideframes and chains at the opposite sides of the machine are set nearer together or far thcr apart is shown at G, the hand-wheels Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Serial No. 608,448.

of said shaft being marked 6 6. It is well-known that in machines of this class the side-frames and chains are reciprocated endwise lengthwise of the machine, during the operation of the machine, the side-frame and chain at one side of the machine moving in one direction at the same time that those at the other side move in the opposite direction, and then vice versa.

For the purpose of automatically guiding the selvages or margins of the web a. of cloth to the chains 1, 1, I employ carriers which engage with the said selvages or margins and move or travel therewith, the said carriers presenting the selvages or margins in proper position for reception by the chains, and delivering the same to the latter, and in conjunction with the said moving or travcling carriers I employ detecting means acting to ascertain the positions of the said selvages or margins as they advance toward the chains, and automatically adjust the receiving portions of the carriers into proper relations to the oncoming selvages or margins to receive and engage with the same. The carriers and the detecting means may vary in specific character and construction. Herein I have shown carriers 7, 7, that are constituted by rotatable wheels, and a detecting and controlling means therefor which embodies the principles of the corresponding means of my prior Letters Patent No. 678,121, granted July 9, 1901; and No. 905,720, granted Dec. 1, 1908. The chief elements of the said detecting and controlling means are the rotatable detector-roll 8, furnished with radially- movable detectorpins 9, 9, and with the sleeves 10, 10, which are adjusted longitudinally upon the supporting-shaft 11 through the agency of the said pins and of the cams (shown and described in the said patents) in connection with the said sleeves, the said detecting roll and its appurtenances being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as in the Letters Patent just mentioned. As will be understood, the positions of the sleeves 10,

width of the machine from supports 13, 13.

These supports. are pivotally mounted in connection with sideframes 3, 3, so as to be capable of swinging transversely with respect to the machine. Thus, each support 13 is formed with downwardly-extending I V with respect to the receiving portion of the adjacent chain 1. In other words, the support and'carrier swing about an axis which is' in the same plane with the delivery-point of the carrier. This is necessary in order that there may always be a proper depth of sel'v'age or margin of the web taken hold of by the engaging members of the links of each chain. If the swinging movement of the support and carrier involved lateral displacement of the delivery-portion of the periphery of the carrier with relation to the chain, the depth of selvage or margin engaged bythe chain would be varied. The said delivery-point of the carrier also is ar ranged close to the point at which the chain receives and becomes'engaged with the sel- Vag'e or margin as the latter leaves the carrier 7 The receiving-point on the carrier 7 likewise is located close to the point at which the web leaves the detector-roll. For

7 the purpose of-enabling the detector-devices to automatically adjust the receiving portions of the two carriers so as to maintain =such portions at all times in the positions required by the oncoming portions of the ,7 ted to receive a pin 20 projecting from the upper portion of the corresponding swing ing support 13. By means of the saidrextension lS, arm 19, and pin 20, the support 13 and carrier 7 are swung automatically in unison with variations in the position of the corresponding selvage or margin toward or from the middle of the width of the machine, so that the receiving-point or the pe riphery of the carrier is always maintained in proper position relative to the said selvage or margin. In order thatthe said correspondence may be attained the more correctly, the pin 20 islocated in the same plane with the receiving-point on the periphery of the carrier. Hence the position of the said receiving-point transversely of the machine always corresponds exactly with that of arm 19, and that is determined with precision through the action of the dctector-roll to accord with the position of the selvage or margin itself. Extension 18 is supported by means of a tube 21, extending across the machine and supported by portions of the fixed frame-work of the latter, the said extension being forked to embrace and slide upon the said fixed tube. To provide for relative adjustment of the arm 19 transversely of the machine with relation to the extension 18, so as to enable the receiving-portion of carrier 7 to be brought into different working relations with relation to the cam within the detector-roll, and to the selvages or margins of the web, the said arm is combined with the extension by means of an adjusting screw 22. By turning the said screw the arm may be shifted transversely of the machine relative to the said extension and cam to the extent required. Thereby it is made possible to adjust the extent to which the selvage or margin of the web is entered into the grasp of the clips of the corresponding chain.

The detector-roll is mounted upon fixed supports, but the respective carriers 7, 7, have a movement in the direction of the length of the cloth. Each carrier accompanies the bodily movement of the corresponding chain and side-frame. This is necessary in order that the longitudinal tension on each selvage or margin of the web may remain uniform, because the selvage or margin would fly out of the clips of the chain if there were looseness between the delivery portion of a carrier 7 and the receiving clips. To provide for thesaid movement, the supports 13 for the said carriers are mounted upon the longitudinallyreciprocating side-frames. This has been explained. In order to keep the cloth uniformly taut, each stand 17 supporting a support 13 is longitudinally slotted at 23,23,

.for the passage of the bolts 21, 24, which.

hold it in place upon the correslmnding sideframe, the slots providing for a certain amount of movement of the stand independently of the side-frame in the direction of the length of the machine. Each stand has connected therewith a pull-back chain, strap, or cord 25 that passes over a guide-pulley 2(5 and has a weight 27 attached thereto. The

'Weight tends to draw the stand 17, support 13, and carrier 7 backward, while the forward pull of the cloth tends to draw the carrier forward against the pull of the weight. It will be obvious that without this automatic taking-up and letting-out or compensating arrangement there would be an alternating tightening and slackening of the web in regular succession as the sideframe and carrier are moved to and fro.

It is well-known that in elastic tentel's the traveling movement of the chains is produced through the agency of driving conrequired.

nections at or near the delivery-end of the machine, such driving connections including a transversely -extending shaft which is geared to the chains, said shaft being mounted upon one of the horizontal-swinging transverse supports or carriers 4 and being driven through gearing comprising bevel gear-wheels One of such bevel gear-wheels is disposed in a horizontal plane concentric with the vertical pivot around which the said transverse support or carrier l swings, and the other is fixed upon the transverselyextending shaft. The result of this arrangement is that while the horizontal bevel gear-wheel serves by its rotation to transmit rotation through the second bevel gearwheel to the transversely extending shaft to cause the chains to travel, there is a regular acceleration of the rate of advance of the chains, succeeded by a retardation, and so on. This is due to the travel of the second bevel gear-wheel back and forth around the horizontal bevel gear-wheel as the said support or carrier 1 swings. The swinging movement which causes the second bevel gear-wheel to travel around in the direction in which the horizontal bevel gear-wheel is rotating operates to occasion the retardation, while the travel in the reverse direction occasions the acceleration. I employ means to compensate for this acceleration and retardation. Such means includes a rockshaft 28 which is mounted in hearings in fixed portions of the machine framework at the entering end of the latter. The said rockshaft is rocked in proper timing with respect to the to-and-fro reciprocating movements of the side-frames and chains, through connections comprising an arm 29 fixed upon the rockshaft and extending downward therefrom, and a link 30 having one end thereof engaged with the adjacent trans- VGI'SQlY-GXtQIldlDg swinging support or carrier 4. Arm 29 is slotted to permit the point of connection of the link 30 therewith to be shifted, so that the extent of the rocking movement of the rockshaft may be varied as At each side of the middle of the width of the machine, the rockshaft 28 has fixed thereon a downwardly-extending bail 31 of a length somewhat greater than the range of ad ustment of the side-frame 3. Upon the rock-shaft within the bail 31 is loosely mounted a smaller bail 32, which is capable of turning upon the rockshaft. This smaller bail 32 carries a roll 33 arranged to engage with the longitudinal portion of the outer bail 31. An upwardly-extending portion of this bail 32 has attached to it one extremity of a flexible connection 3 1-, which preferably is constituted by a chain. This chain 3-1 extends rearwardly to and partly around a guide 35, constituted by a toothed wheel, and then forward to an extension of the corresponding side-frame 3,

.to which its other end is attached.

The guide 35 is carried by a block 36 which is mounted on shaft 15. Such guide may be fixed upon the stand 17, but the effect secured is the same by mounting the block 36 immediately adjacent the rear lug let of the swinging carrier 13, so that the block and lug may make contact with each other. The action of the weight 27 in drawing the stand 17, swinging support 13, and carrier 7 rearward causes the rear lug 1 1 to engage the block 36 and press the same and the guide 35 rearward, tightening the chain 3st and rocking the smaller bail, 32, upon rockshaft 28 so as to hold the roll 33 in contact with the actin portion of the bail 31. Consequently, each time the said bail 31 is swung rearwardly through its connection with the adjacent transversely-extending horizontal support or carrier 1, the bail 32 is rocked so as, through chain 3ft, to draw guide 35, block 36, stand 17, swinging support 13, and carrier 7 forward, thereby yielding up the web sufiiciently to compensate for an acceleration on the rate of the chains. its the rockshaft 28 is rocked reversely, the chain at is slacked, allowing the weight 27 to operate to produce a relative rearward movement of the parts, including carrier '7, whereby to take up the web sufiiciently to compensate 9 for a retardation in the rate of travel of the chains.

In the present instance the block 36 is mounted loosely upon the shaft or red 15.

To hold such block and the guide 35 which is carried thereby from displacement by swinging transversely, the block is provided with a. pin 361 projecting through a hole in an arm 362 that is made fast by means ofa set-screw 363 upon the shaft or red 15-. The pin slides through the hole in the arm in the relative movements of the parts taking place in the direction of the length of the machine, but remains at all times in engagement with the arm so as to prevent the block 36 and guide 35 from swinging transversely as aforesaid; The same mode of operation and results are secured in the case of the pin 20 carried by the swinging support 13, and the arm 19 in the'slot of which the said pin 20 is received. The pin 20 remains at all times in engagement with the arm 19 while the mov ing or traveling carrier 7 moves forward and backward lengthwise of the machine.

It is important to maintain substantial uniformity in the tension of the cloth as it passes to the detector-roll 8 and from the latter by way of the intermediate or traveling carriers to the chains. I therefore provide power-driven feed-rolls by means of which the web is supplied to the detectorroll, etc., at a rate of speed properly correlated with the rate of movement of the chains. A pair of such feed-rolls is shown at 37, 38, the web passing between them,

and from such pair the web passes to and partly around a guide and tension roll 39,

' from which last the web passes to and partly around the detector-roll 8. The feed- rolls 37, 38, and if desired the roll 39 also, may

a be driven by any convenient means.

The

drawings show the feed-roll 37 positively driven and the roll 38 driven by frictional contact therefrom. The driving of the roll 37 is effected by means of a sprocket-wheel 40 which is fixed to the same, and a sprocketchain 41, the latter passing partly around and being driven by a sprocket-wheel 42,

1 part of the machine.

Fig. 1, upon a rotating shaft 43 in the lower The same sprocketchain, 41, is employed for rotating the detector-roll 8, it passing partly around a sprocket-wheel 4a which is fixed upon one end of the'shaft 11 of the said detector-roll. In a great variety of machines in which websof cloth are handled, it is important that the selvages or margins should be fiat and open, and not curled or doubled over.

There is a great tendency to doubling and curling over of the selvages or margins of a f web which is being fed into a machine, or 1 which is traveling through the latter. This has necessitated in many cases heretofore .the constant attention of one or two operators to a machine to keep watch upon the selvages or margins and open or straighten them out. It has also compelled a lower rate of speed inthe working of machines than would otherwise be attainable. In accordance with one portion of the invention I provide devices for opening out the selvages or margins of a traveling web so that they shall'travel forward in a fiat and open condition.

These devices are arranged to act at points inward of the edges of the web with a tendency to draw the marginal or selvage portions of the web toward the middle of thewidth of the latter, while at the same time the web is subjected to longitudinal j tension or strain tending to extend in a straight longitudinal line each portlon of the web at and adjacent the selvages or margins. By communicating to the web a positive pull inward toward the middle of its Width, while the web'at and near its selvages or margins is-maintained in a stateof lon- 'gitudinal tension, any wrinkles which lie between the iii-pulling devices and a selvage words, the intermediate portion or body of l the web is pulled-inwardly away from the selvage-portions or margins, and thereby the latter are opened and flattened out.

I have herein shown this portion of the invention reduced to practice by applying the in-pulling devices to the web intermediate the guide and tension-pulley 39 and the detector-roll 8. The web extends in a straight line and in a taut condition from one of these rolls to the other thereof. Two sets of devices are employed, one set arranged toward one side of the middle of the path of travel of the web, and the other set arranged toward the other side of the said middle. Each set comprises in the drawings two members 45, 45, located at one surface of the web, and a member 4-6 located at the other surface thereof. The member i6 enters between and interlaps with the two members l5, 45, so that the Web is bent and deflected by member 46 between the two members l5, 4-5. This tends to strain the web transversely, operating to draw the side-portions thereof i11- wardly toward themiddle of the path of the web. The three members also are inclined relative to the length of the web so that they operate with a tendency to guide the side-portions of the web transversely inward. The members 45, L5, are composed of bars or strips disposed side by side and carried by an arm 4:7 rising from sleeve 10, and the member 4:6 consists of a revolubledisk that is journaled upona support 48 attached to a bracket 49 that is also carried by the arm 47. The support 48 is hung upon the said bracket by means of a pivotal bolt 50, upon which it is adjustable to vary the extent to which the peripheral portion of the member 46 enters betaveen the two members i5, 45, the support being secured in the desired position of adjustment by tightening up the said bolt and its nut. It will be perceived that the width of the web as it passes onward from the inpulling devices is less than its width as it approaches such devices. The in-pulling devices, in consequence of being supported upon the sleeves of the detector-roll, are automatically adjusted through the action of the detector-roll so as thereby to be maintained in proper relations with the respective selvages or marginal portions of the web.

The operator or attendant whose duty it is to keep watch over the cloth as it passes into the machine stands 'or sits a little to the right in F 1. To assist in keeping the web in substantially the required path, side-guides 51 are provided at each side of the machine. Each of these guides is mounted upon a support 52, which in turn is mounted upon the transversely-extending fixed tube 21. The support 52 is movable along the said tube transversely of the machine. Arms 53, 53, extending from the supports 52 carry flanged rolls 54, 54. The cylindrical bodies of these rolls are intended to make rolling contact with the end-portions of the cylindrical. periphery of the detectorroll 8. The flanges of the said rolls 54, 54, are intended to engage with the ends of the body of the detector-roll. The supports 52 normally occupy positions in which thle', flanges of the rolls 54, 54, engage with the corresponding end 01' the said body. This determines the position of each support 52 and of the guide 51 extending from such support. The support may be moved by hand into such position, or the supports 52, 52, at the opposite sides of the machine may be connected by a contracting spiral spring 521 tending to draw them together, and acting to automatically keep the flanges of rolls 54, 54, engaged as stated. hen the detector-roll S is extended in length, in manner which is clearly indicated in the Letters Patent to which reference has previously been made herein, the outward movement of the respective ends of the detector-roll, through the engagement of such ends with the flanges of the rolls 54, 54, shifts the supports 52 outwardly, carrying outward the guides 51. lVhen the detector-roll. is reduced in length, the supports 52 either are moved inward by hand, or, in case the spring 521 is employed, are automatically shifted by means of such spring. The guides 51 are designed chiefly to serve as visual gages or indi-- cators to show the proper path for the respective selvages or margins of the web as the latter travels toward the machine, and, when pins are employed as edge-guides upon. the front-rail (not shown) over which the web passes on its way into the machine, such guides 51 serve the operator in propor y locating the said pins.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, tentering devices for the opposite selvage-portions or margins 01 a web, reciprocating oppositely with respect to each other, carriers around which the cloth passes on its way to said tentering devices, and supports for said carriers movable to permit the latter to conform to the movements of the tentering devices and take up slack in the respective selvage or marginal portions of the web as they are received by the said tentering devices.

2. In combination, tentering devices reciprocating oppositely with respect to each other while carrying the web onward, and devices movable bodily forward and back in unison with the respective sets of tentering devices for obviating slack in the respective selvage or marginal portions of the web as they are received by the said tentering devices, and means for compensating for the recurrent acceleration and retardation of the onward movement of the tentering devices and web.

3. In combination, tentering devices reciprocating oppositely with respect to each other while also carrying the web forward,

moving or traveling web-carriers maintaining the respective selvage-portions or margins of the web free from slackness and delivering them to the said tentering devices, and web-selvage or margin detecting devices which automatically adjust said webcarriers to the oncoming portions of the said selvage-portions or margins.

4. In combination, tentering devices reciprocating oppositely with respect to each other while also carrying the web onward, moving or traveling web-carriers maintaining the respective selvage-portions or margins of the web free from slackness and delivering them to the said tentering devices, web selvage or margin detecting devices which automatically adjust said web-carriers to the oncoming portions of the said selvage-portions or margins, and means for compensating for the recurrent acceleration and retardation of the onward movement of the tentering devices and web.

5. In combination, selvage -detecting means, separate moving or traveling carriers for the respective selvages or margins of a web, and transversely swinging supports for the said carriers operatively controlled by the said detecting means to adjust the receiving portions of the said carriers to correspond with the oncoming portions of the selvages or margins.

6. In combination, selvagedetecting means, moving or traveling carriers receiving the respective selvages or margins of a web and delivering the same at predetermined points, and transversely swinging supports for the said carriers operatively controlled by the said detecting means to adjust the receiving portions or the said carriers to correspond with the oncoming portions of the selvages or margins.

7. In combination, selvagedetecting means, moving or traveling carriers independent of each other receiving the respective selvages or margins of a web, and transversely movable carriersupports adjacent the respective selvages or margins, operatively controlled by the said detecting means to correspond with the oncoming portions of the selvages or margins.

8. In combination, means, rotating carrier-wheels for the re spective selvages or margins of a web, and transversely movable carrier-supports on which said carrier-wheels are mounted to rotate, operatively controlled by the said detecting means and'thereby adjusted to correspond with the oncoming portions of the selvages or margins.

9. In. combination, selvage-detecting means, rotating carrier-wheels for the respective selvages or margins of a web, and transversely swinging carrier-supports on which said carrier-wheels are mounted to rotate, operatively combined with the detectselvage detecting mg means and thereby. adjusted to correspond with the oncoming portions of the selvages or margins.

v 10. The combination with the selvage-ca-rriers of an elastic tenter, having alternating movements, of bodily-movable automatic guides delivering to said carriers, and operating through such bodily movement to compensate for the said alternating movement tion and retardation of the forward travel of the respective selvage-portions.

12. In combination, a. vlbrating .tenter,

' bodily-movable carriers delivering the sel vage-portions' or margins of a web to the tentering devices, means for yieldingly actuating said carriers for taking up slack in the web as the tenter .vibrates, and means for V compensating for the alternating acceleration and retardation of the tenter-chains as the tenter vibrates.

1 3. In combination, a vibrating tenter, means for automatlcally guiding the selvageportions or margins of a web to the tenterchams, including carriers. dellvermg sald selvage-portionsor margins to the tentermg devices, means for actuating said carriers to take-up slack in the web as the tenter vibrates, and means for compensating for the alternating acceleration and retardation of the tenter-chains as the tenter vibrates.

14. In a web-handling machine, means operating to produce longitudinal tension in a traveling web, and means acting upon an intermediate portion of the width of the web with a tendency to pull the side-portions of the web inwardly, to thereby flatten out the selvage or marginal portions.

j 1 5. In a web-handling machine, means opcrating to produce longitudmal tension on a traveling Web at and adjacent a selvage or margin thereof, and pulling-in means acting inward of the said selvage or margin and operating to open and flatten, out the said selvage or margin. 7 V i r 16. In combination, a selvage-opener and flattener, a'selvage-detector, and a selvagecarrier, the said opener and flattener and the said carrier operatively controlled by the said detector and automatically adjusted thereby to suitthe position of the selvage.

17 In web-handling devices, a. selvageopener and flattener actingto draw a sideportion of a web inwardly and to guide the web into narrower width.

18. In web-handling devices, the combination with means which produce a longitudinal tension in a traveling web, of a selvagefia-ttener comprising a pair of members at one surface of the web and an intermediately located member at the other snrface of the web which deflects the web between the members first named.

19. In a web-handling machine, the com bination with automatic guiding devices ineluding a selvage-detector, oi carrier-means automatically adjusted under control of said selvage-detector, and means receiving the web from said carrier-means, of positivelydriven feed-rolls for the web at the supplyside of the selvage-detector.

20. In combination, the detector-roll, a traveling carrier to which the web proceeds from the detector-roll, a mo able support for said carrier, means by which the said detector-roll automatically adjusts the said support to thereby adjust the carrier to suit the position of the selvage, and means for independently adjusting the carrier transversely to vary its relation to the selvage.

21. In combination, a longitudinally adjustable detector-roll, a side-guide for the entering web, and means in connection with such side-guide engaging an end-portion of the detector-roll to define the position of the side-guide.

22. In combination, selvage-deteeting means, traveling carriers for the respective selvages or margins of a web, definitely controlling the same until the delivery thereof to the means for receiving the said selvages from the said carriers, said carriers automatically adjusted to the said selvages or margins under the control of the said selvage-detecting means, and the said receiving means.

523. In combination, selvage detecting means, a traveling selvage-carrier wheel, and means controlled by said detecting means for bringing the receiving portion of the rim of said carrier wheel automatically into predetermined relations with the selvage of the web, compensating thereby for variations in the line of travel of the said selvage.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLARD I. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. RANDALL, NATHAN B. DAY.

Cuties of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C.

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