US2179692A - Machine for shaping forms from fabric materials - Google Patents

Description

H. B. FUCHS New. 14, 1 939.

MACHINE FOR SHAPING FORMS FROM FABRIC MATERIALS Original F iled Sept. 7, 1934 2 Sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 14, 1939. H. 5. FUCHS I J 2.179.692

MACHINE FOR SHAPING FORMS FROM FABRIC IATERIALS Original Filed Sept. 7, 1934 2 sheets-shat 2.

INVENTOR Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOB SHAPING FORMS I'BOH FABRIC MATERIALS Harry Bricker Fuchs, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 7, 1934, Serial Renewed May 2, I930 10 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for shaping forms from woven, felted, knitted and other materials.

. One object of my invention is to establish a 5* new industry similar to the pressed metal industry.

Another object of my invention is to produce shaped fabric articles, such for instance as hollow articles for industrial and commercial pur- W poses, hat forms, and containers for enclosing many different kinds ofglassware, and electrical, mechanical, automotive and other specialties, accessories, tools, instruments, parts, etc. Another object'of my invention is to consume large quantities of fibers that can be produced by farmers in many parts of our country, and to provide employment in the conversion of the iibers into finished products.

Further objects of my invention will appear 20 hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists 'in the method, system, combinations of elements, arrangementoi parts and in the several steps and relation and order of each of the same to one 5 or more of the others, as will be described herein. The many novel features embraced in this invention are far-reaching in their scope and are applicable in many embodiments other than that described, and I therefore do not wish to be' 5 limited except as indicated in the appended claims Referring to the accompanying drawings.-.in Figure l I have illustrated in perspective a suitable form oi machine embodying an application 5 of my invention, and in Figure 2' an electrical device for openingand closing the machine by means of a switch.

ll indicates the frame of the machine, and-.2 the drive shalt, which may be driven by any suitable 40 means such as a motor, sprocket chain, or pulley belt, not shown. Upon this drive shaft isse,

cured a disc 3 adapted to give reciprocating motion upon which is adapted to ride a roller I, held in the yoke i, in the ends of which are se- 45 cured the rods 8, I, carrying at the top the yoke 8, across which are secured cross-pieces 9, it, hav

in; frictional surfaces such for instance as the rubber ends ii, for holding the goods while the" shaping operation is in progress. It will be 50 understood that clamps for gripping the goods orpinsforpiercingthegoodsmaybeusedinstead f frictional ends it for holding the goods. l2 indicates the female shaping member which is preferably held by pins or rods IS, in the yoke l, 56 as shown. It indicates the male shaping mem-.

her, which is suitably secured upon the table it, which in turn is suitably secured to the frame I, as indicated at I6. I! indicates a vertically movable platform having a central hole IT for the passage of the shaping member It, and is provided with four depending legs it, from the corners thereof as shown, the ends of said legs passing through the table It. I! indicates-springs retained upon the table It, by the collars 20, secured to the legs 18, so that when the ends Ii press down upon the platform ll, they are opposed by the action of the springs i9, which are compressed thereby. v

The ends ii may be liaced sufliciently close to form a ring. Only four are shown for purpose of clearness. The ends ll cooperate with the opposing yielding platform to hold the material It. as the ends Ii press on-the platform ll, causing the shaping member It to increasingly stretch the material 21 as the platform i1 descends. The purpose of the holding and stretching is to obtain a formed producthaving a minimum of wrinkles. The relative-motion between the material and the platform I! when the material is held and stretched during the forming operation, depends 25 on the elasticity of the material and the force exerted by the springs it against the multiple ends ii, permitting the material to slide therebetween under suilicient pull to obtain a mini-- 'mum of wrinkles in the formed product. It will be understood that when clamps are used to grip the material or pins to pierce the materialgthe material can not slide as between the ends ii and the platform ill, and a product with a minimum of wrinkles is obtained by the stretching of the material to an extent permitted by its elasticity.

; ii indioatesa roll of, woven, felted, knitted or other suitable material, upon the rod 22, held-in the arms 23, secured to the frame of the machine 40 I, orpiatform II, and the free end 24, of the material passes between the rollers 25, 26, re- .tained, in the frame '11, which also carries a trough II, provided with impregnating material such as sizing or water, in which the lower roller 5 25 rotates, thereby impregnating the material as it is: fed rlghtwardly over the table II between the turned-inguldes 2!,19, and between the shapingmembers I: and It. The trough It may oontain'sizingior stiflening the material, or water or steam for softening material which has albeen sized. -It'will be understood that a device producing steam may be used instead of the trough 2 8, for moistening the material,- and that a device for producing the steam for which have a gripping surface moistening the material may tion with the trough 28.

30, 3| indicate standards secured to the table 32 as shown, and provided with a shaft 38, carrying segmental feeders 34, 35, the peripheries of as indicated by 38, to engage the material 24 as the same passes over ,the roller 88, which is pressed upwardly against the engaging peripheries of the feeders 34, 35, by the springs 38, 31, the said springs being retained in the shelf 32, secured to the frame of the machinein any suitable manner, such as indicated at 4|. This shelf is further supported by the bracket 42, secured to the bracket 43, which is also provided with the bracket 44 slidably adjustable upon the bracket 43 by any suitable means such as the screw 45. 68 is an ex tension of the shelf 32, also slidably adjustable, and securable by the screw 41, and the extension :86 is provided with a cutting edge 88 to which is pivotally secured the knife 48, as indicated at58, the short end of the said knife being provided with a slot 5|, through which passes the screw 52, secured in the plunger 53, passing through the bracket 44, and provided at the lower end with a roller 54, adapted to ride upon the disc be used in conjunc- 55 adapted to give reciprocating motion upon the shaft 56, carrying sprocket wheel 51. 58 indicates a tension spring, the upper end of which is secured to the upper portion of the vertically moving plunger 53, as shown, and the lower end of which is secured to the bracket 44, at 58, as shown, the said spring tending to keep the knife open and up as shown in the drawings. The sprocket 51 is driven by the sprocket chain 88, which also passes over the sprocket 8|, upon the shaft 2, which also carries the sprocket 82, provided with sprocket chain 88, engaging sprocket wheel 64.

As the material 24 is fed from the. roll 2|, it is moistened and/ or impregnated with suitable substances while passing between the rollers 25, 25, and as the ends come down upon the material on the vertically moving platform II, the material is held sufficiently smooth thereby while it is formed between the shaping members. While this operation is going on, the feeders 34, 35, are rotating free of the roller 38, and the knife 48 is above the extension platform 32. When the material has been formed, providing a hollow shape such as 65, the upper shaping member l2 lifts sufliciently high, as shown, to clear the formed shape 55, which is then drawn rightwardly by the gripping surface 38 of the feeders, which now pinch the material against the roller 38, and in rotating anti-clockwise pass the formed shape 85 to the position shown in dotted .outline, and when in that Position the material 24 which is now again stationary, is cut by the descending knife 48, while the shaping member |2 may also descend, forming another shape.

The upper shaping member I2 is drawn downwardly by the action of the tension spring 53,

and is lifted by the disc 3 adapted to give reciprocating motion as previously stated, these springs 68 being of greater tension than the compressibility of the springs l8, which yield thereto as the platform I! descends under pres-, sure of the ends H. The lateral depth of the guides 28, 28, may, of course, be greater than as shown, in order to maintain guiding control of the material 24, the same being shown of less depth than may be required for purpose of clearness.

While Figure 1 shows a machine which may continuously operate to form shapes from the roll of material 2|, Figure 2 shows electrical means for opening and closing the machine as ,may be necessary when shaping forms from individual blanks instead of from the roll of material 2|.

In Figure 2, 81 indicates a disc of electric insulating material secured to hub 88 which is secured to drive shaft 2. 68 indicates a segment of electrically conductive material such as metal secured to the periphery of disc 6?. l8 and H indicate electric current-carrying brushes supported by electric insulating holder 12 and tensioned by springs 13 and 14 to bear against disc 81. I5 and '|6 indicate electric current-carrying brushes supported by electric insulating holder 11 and tensioned by springs 18 and 18 to bear against disc 51. 80 indicates an electric motor connected to drive shaft 2 by gearing, belting or sprocket chain; or it may be an electrical device, such for instance as a clutch, for controlling the connection of drive shaft 2 to a mechanical source of power. 8| and 82 indicate lines connected to a source of electric current. 83 indicates a switch blade connected to line 82 and adapted to be biased to engage with either of contacts 84 or 85.-

The rotation of shaft 2 of the machine shown in Figure 1 is anti-clockwise. It will be understood tbat in other embodiments of my invention the shaft may rotate clockwise. As illustrated'in Figure 2, disc 81 should be adjusted on shaft 2 so that when shaping members l2 and l4'are either completely engaged or disengaged, electrically conductive segment 89 will contact brushes l0 and H. Assuming that the machine is open and shaping members l2 and I4 disengaged from each other as shown in Figure 1, when switch blade 83 is biased to engage with contact 84, current from line 82 flows through switch blade.83, contact 84, lines 86, 81, spring 14, brush ll, segment 68, brush l0, spring 13, lines 83, 88, 88, electrical device 88, line 9| to line 8|, thereby energizing electrical device 88 to operate shaft 2, in anti-clockwise direction, until segment 58 deenergizes electrical device 88 and stops the rotation of shaft 2 by disengaging from brushes 1. and II. The machine is now closed,

. shaping members l2 and 4 engaged, segment 68 r is disconnected from brushes l8 and 'H and contacts brushes 15 and 16.

To-open the machine and disengage shaping members l2 and H from each other, switch blade 88 is disconnected from contact 84 and biased to engage contact 85, and current from line 82 flows through switch blade 83, contact 85, lines 82, 83, spring 18, brush I5, segment 68, brush 15, spring I8, lines 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 98, electric device ll, line 8| to line 8|, thereby energizing electrical device 80 to operate shaft 2, in anticlockwise direction, until segment 68 deenergizes electrical device 80 and stops the rotation of shaft 2 by disengaging from brushes l5 and 15. when segment 88 disengages fromvone set of brushes, the momentum of shaft 2 causes it to engage the other set of brushes, so that the maadapted to move transverse to the line of feed of the material, and a feeder adapted to draw the material from the forming mechanism when the forming mechanism is disengaged therefrom.

2. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, forming mechanism adapted to shape material, a platform for guiding the material adapted to move transverse to the line of feed of the material, and means connected with a continuously rotating shaft adapted to draw the material from the forming mechanism when the forming mechanism is disengaged therefrom.

3. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, resilient means for supporting material, a shaping member, and spring means of greater resistance than the resistance of the resilient means adapted to move the shaping member to engage the material.

4. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, resilientmeans for supporting material, a shaping member, spring means of greater resistance than the resistance of the resilient means adapted to move the shaping member to engage the material, and a drive shaft adapted to move the shaping member from the material.

5. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, resilient means for supporting material, a shaping member, spring means of greater resistance ,than the resistance of the resilient means adapted to tension-the shaping member, and a drive shaft adapted to overcome theresistance of the spring means and move the shaping member.

6. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, two shaping members, one moving relatively to the other, a resilientlymoving platform for supporting material, means for moving one of said shaping members into engagement with the material and with the other shaping members, means for moving the material from between said shaping members when one of said shaping members is disengaged therefrom, and in timed relation therewith means for severing the shaped part of said material.

'7. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, two shaping members, one moving relatively to the other, means whereby one shaping member will stretch the fabric material, a shaft, connections between said shaft and one of the said shaping members for moving said shaping member into engagement with the material, means for moving the material laterally away from the path of movement of one of said shaping members, and connections between said shaft and said means for moving the material whereby the means for moving the material will move the material in timed relation with the disengagement of one of said shaping members from the material.

v8. In a machine for shaping forms from fabric materials, means for feeding a strip of material, a resiliently moving platform with relation to which said material is guided, shaping mechanism extending at both sides of said platform, the shaping mechanism at one side of said platform and said platform adapted to be moved in one directionwith said strip, and adapted to move in an opposite direction, and means controlled by the operation of the shaping members adapted to draw said strip from between said shapers when the said platform is at a predetermined position.

9. In a machine for'shaping forms from fabric materials, means for feeding and impregnating a strip of material, a vertically moving platform with relation to which said material is guided, shaping mechanism extending above and below said platform, the shaping mechanism on one side of said platform, and said platform adapted to be moved in one direction with said strip, and adapted to move in an opposite di-' shaping mechanism. extending on one side and onthe other side of said platform, the shaping mechanism on one side of said platform, and said platform; adapted to be moved in one direction with said strip, and adapted to move in an opposite direction, and means for severing the shaped part of said strip.

- HARRY BRICKER FUCHS.

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