US1831969A - Island - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17, 1931. l. B. MERRIMAN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WARP THREADS Filed Dec. 17. 1929 Wziiwm Patented Nov. 17, 1931 PA/TENT OFFICE ISAAC B. MERRIMAN, OF BARRINGTON, RHODE 'ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MANV'ILLE annexes COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, ISLAND RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE METHQD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING WARP 'THREADS,

Application filed December 1,7, 1929. I Serial No. 414,666.

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for printing warp threads.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved method of and apparatus for hand printing warp threads.

In the manufacture of printed fabrics, it has been found desirable to dye the threads before they are woven to the fabric in order to insure that the dye thoroughly permeates the threads and to secure fast colors. Where it is desired to print warp threads to secure some specified design in the finished fabric, the threads are customarily guided over a printing roll or some similar printing device and are then wound on a warp beam, beingmaintained at all times in the same parallel relationship, so that the threads as they are unwound from the warp beam during the weaving operation on the loom will-be positioned with relation to each other to preserve the design intact in the finished fabric. Commercially successful warp printing machines now in use ordinarily are-provided with a continuously rotating printing roll over which the warp threads are carried and which produce a recurring design on the threads corresponding in length to the circumference of the roll. The desi ns produced on machines of this type are obviously limited in size by practical considerations in the construction of the roll and are not well adapted for the production of intricate varicolored designs such as are ordinarily produced by hand block printing.

The principal feature of the present invention consists in the method herein disclosed of printing warp threads which comprises placing the threads under a tension and in aligned relationship to each other across a printing table, printing a deslgn on the threads which held in this position, and thereafter winding the printed portion of the threads onto a warp beam, while maintaining unchanged the relative positions of the threads.

A further feature of the present invention consists in the provision of means for positioning the warp threads on a printing table in predetermined position so that the warp maybe printed by hand with designs which may be varied at will and may be made of any desired size. g

The'several features of the invention consist also in the severalsteps of the method herein disclosed and in the combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed which, together with the advantages to be obtained thereby, will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which F ig. 1 is a plan View of the printng table, guiding rolls and comb for positioning the warp threads for the hand printing operation; Figais a view in side elevation of the parts shown in' Fi'g. 1 vwith aportion of the rail broken away to showm'ore clearly the construction of the bed of the printing table; Fig; 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation on reduced scale showing in a somewhat diagrammatic form the complete apparatus for printing, drying and winding the warp threads on a warp beam, the warp threads as shown in this view being raised ofi'the table preparatory to windlng these threads through the drier onto the warp beam.

In carrying out the present invention, a method and apparatus for printing warp threads particularly adapted for use in the production of comparatively large fabrics such as'bedsprea ds has been devised which makes it possibleto print designs of any variety or size on warp threads and to handle the threads rapidly andeificiently in such a manner as to permit the design to be woven intact in the finished fabric. To this end,

the applicant has found it possible to lay the warp threads out one large printing table and to hold them in parallel relationship under tension in the relative positions which they are to occupy in the finished fabric so that the warp threads may be printed easily and accurately by hand with designs which may be of any shape or size and may readily be changed as it is found expeditious to do so. The printing table disclosed may be made wide enough to accommodate fabric of any width and is preferably made long enough to permit the printing of several successive designs on the fabric at one time. In order to prevent rolling or misplacing 0f the warp threads and to hold them in parallel relationship, they are passed through a comb at each end of the table. The threads are drawn off of a beam and laid along the printing table in the relative positions which they are to occupy in the finished fabric. After the printing operation, they are passed through a drier and are finally wound onto a warp beam ready for the loo-m. The threads are held at all times under a sufficient tension on the table to maintain their parallel relationship by means of a friction brake on the beam from, which the threads are drawn and a corresponding tensioning device at the other end of the table.

As herein disclosed, the printing of the warp threads is done by means of printing frames or screens which are carefully registered at designated points on the table so that a varying design may be continued for any distance desired along the warp and different colors may be used in the composition of the design.

To prevent running of the colors or otherwise injuring the Warp when the freshly printed portion of the warp threads are drawn off the printing table, a number of rollers are inserted under the warp to raise the threads out of contact with the table and may either be permitted to rotate or are carried along with the fabric to reduce the frictional contacts with the wet threads to aminimum.

i The apparatus herein disclosed for carrying out the method of the present invention comprises a printing table 6 ,onto which the warp threads are drawn in predetermined parallel relationship and which is provided at each end with a comb 8 to maintain the threads at all times parallel with each other and to prevent them from rolling or becoming disarranged as they are drawn into position on the table. In order further to secure the threads in their relative positions while they are being moved along the relatively long table or through the drying apparatus, strips of gum paper may be pasted across the warp threads. The warp threads are taken from a beam 10 situated at the right hand end of the table as shown in the drawings, passed through the comb 8 across the table 6,

through a similar comb 8 on the left hand end of the table, over the idler roll 12, through the drying apparatus generally indicated at 14, over the tensioning roll 16, and from there through a comb 18 onto the Warp beam 20. The beam 10 is provided at one end with a brake drum 22 over which extends a brake band 24 secured atone end to the floor by means of a bracket 26, an d at its other end is provided with a weight 28 to provide a suitable tension for the warp threads on the table. During the printing operation, the warp threads are firmly clamped down on the printing table by means of a clamping bar 42 at a point adjacent to the idler roll 12 which, as will vbe evident from an inspection of the drawings, is positioned at a level considerably above the bed of the printing table. The table bed on which the warp threads are printed comprises a metal plate on which is carried a rubber covered felt pad 30. In order to prevent any'running of the colors, a blotting cloth is stretched over the print- ,ing bed, being unwound as needed from a roll 82 at the right hand end of the bed, as shown in the drawings, and being wound When it is found necessary to replace the blot ting surface with a fresh piece of cloth onto asimilar roll 34 supported at the left hand end of the bed.

The design is printed on the fabric b3 means of printing frames of any ordinary construction as shown at 86, Figs. 1 and 2, which carry trunnions 38 at each end which are adapted to fit in corresponding slots 40 at each side of the printing table so that the different colors in the design may be accurately superimposed upon each other. WVith this arrangement of the apparatus, it will be seen that by the use of appropriate screens designs of any description and of any size extending lengthwise of the warp threads may be produced, and that these designs may be varied at will as the occasion requires.

Afterthe design has been printed on the portion of the warp threads on the printing table, the warp beam 20 is rotated to cause the printed portion of the warp to be passed through the drier 14 and finally wound on the warp beam 20. Inorder to prevent any damage to the warp threads or running of the colors by dragging the threads over the wet blotter on the table, a series of rollers indicated at 44 are passed underneath the warp to lift the threads out of contact with the table. At the same time, the clamp 42 is removed so that the threads are permitted to ride directly from the rollers 44 to the idler roll 12, as shown in Fig. 4. As the warp is Wound up on the warp beam, the rollers 44 may either be rotated or carried along with the fabric to reduce the frictional contact with the wet threads to a minimum.

With the method and apparatus for hand printing warp threads above described, the applicant has been able to achieve a new result in the production of print fabrics of comparatively large size such, for instance, as bedspreads which are preferably printed with a single large design extending over the whole area of the fabric. The advantages of the present construction will be the more readily appreciated by a comparison of the present apparatus and method with the commercial automatic machines for handling and printing the warp threads today in use which, as above pointed out, can be utilized only to print a recurring design which is limited both in variety and size by practical considerations in the construction of the printing roll, where as with the present apparatus, there are substantially no limits to the width and length of the designs which may be printed on the warp threads.

The method and apparatus for hand printing warp threads herein disclosed as embodying the several features of the present invention combines the advantages of a semiautomatic method for the rapid and efficient handling of the warp threads with the further advantages of block printing by hand, in permitting an almost infinite variation in both the extent and the nature of the desi ns which may be changed at will by substituting a new set of screens.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. A method of printing warp threads which comprises placing the threads in aligned relationship to each other across a printing table, successively placing a series of printing blocks on the threads while held on the table in successive predetermined positions along the table to print a series of designs on the threads, and thereafter winding the printed portion of the threads onto a warp beam while maintaining unchanged the relative positions of the threads.

2. A method of printing warp threads which comprises placing the threads in aligned relationship to each other across a printing table, block printing a series of designs on the threads by means of printing blocks registered successively at each of sev eral points along the table advancing the threads to permit the printing of the successive portions of the threads on the table, passing the printed threads through a drier, and

winding the printed portion of the threads onto a warp beam while maintaining unchanged the relative positions of the threads.

3. A method of printing warp threads which comprises placing the threads in aligned relationship to each other across the printing table, printing a design on the threads, raising the threads out of contact with the table, and advancing the threads held out of contact with the table to wind them onto a warp, beam While maintaining unchanged the relative positions of the threads.

4. A method of printing warp threads warp beam while maintaining unchanged the relative positions of the threads.

5. A machine for printing warp threads having, in combination, a printing table, a series of supports on the table arranged to receive and register printing blocks at a pinrality of predetermined points along the.

table, an unrolling stand from which the Warp threads are drawn, a comb situated at each end of the table to secure a proper alignment of the threads on the table, a warp beam situated at the end of the table opposite the unrolling stand, and a drier for the threads interposed between the warp beam and the printing table.

6. A machine for printing warp threads having, in combination, a printing table, an unrolling stand from which the warp threads are drawn, a comb situated at each end of the table to secure a proper align-ment of the threads on the table, supporting elements adapted to raise the printed threads off the table, and a warp beam situated at the opposite end of the table onto which the printed threads are rolled while maintaining unchanged the relative positions of the threads.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ISAAC B. MERRIMAN.

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