US2104402A - Steaming and drying machine - Google Patents

Description

2', wmmz Jan, 4 193% A. RFEFFEL. I STEAMING AND DRYING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheei l Filed NOV. 9, 1934 INVENTOR:

WI TNESSES:

A u GQST E/EFFEL 51m, 93. A. RIEFFEL. ZJMAGZ STEAMING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed Nov. 9, 1934 5SheetsSheet 2 Run a WITNESSES: Y INVENTOR: gnaw WW. I Ava/5T F/EFFEL 4W; .W v I Patented Jan. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to steaming and drying machines, and has for an object to provide an improved mechanical device for stretching, steaming and drying a tubular fabric, as for instance,

a knit fabric.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for applying the steam to the fabric during its progress through the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for. stretching the fabric during the steaming process.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved feeding and drying mechanism, applicable subsequent to the steaming step.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for controlling the steaming device for fabrics of different widths.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved heating and feeding roller.

The invention comprises means for supporting a roll of tubular material, with means introduced into the interior of the tube for stretching the fabric to an exact required width and applying steam thereto, with heated rollers between which the fabric is passed after such steaming and stretching, for the purpose of drying and setting the fabric and to wind the fabric upon a receiving roller, and including means for maintaining the fabric properly centered relative to the drying and winding rollers, also including a perforated steaming pipe having a sleeve mounted to oscillate thereon, said sleeve being provided with slots of such size and contour as to uncover predetermined and variable perforated areas of the perforated pipe.

The drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine showing the fabric mounted thereon with a part broken away,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the machine, as indicated by arrow 2 at Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through substantially the middle of the machine, 45 Figure 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the heating and drying rollers,

Figure 5 is a view in plan of the stretcher,

Figure 6 is a plan view of the steaming device,

Figure '7 is a sectional view through the steaming device, taken on line 'l--'I of Figure 6, and

Figures 8, 9, l0 and 11 are diagrammatic views of the steaming device showing different steps in the regulation of the steaming area.

Like characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

of angle material is purely illustrative. 5

The frame carries a pair of arms 2| properly braced as by the strap 22 and provided with slots 23 to receive a bar 24 carrying a roll 25 of tubular fabric. While this device is applicable to tubular fabric of varying construction, it is especially adapted to carrying tubular knitted goods which require stretching, steaming and setting before being employed for the manufacture of garments or other articles.

From the roll 25, the tubular knit fabric, as shown at 26, passes over a roller 21 which is driven by means of a sprocket 28 over which passes a sprocket chain 29. The sprocket chain 29 receives power from a shaft 30 which is driven from any approved source of power, a motor 3| being shown as illustrative of such power, and connected through the pulley 32 through the medium of the clutch 33, manually controlled by the lever 34 on one side of the machine, and the lever 35 upon the opposite side of the machine.

The sprocket chain 29 in its travel passes over an idler 36, a second sprocket 31 upon the roller 38, and a sprocket 39 on the roller 40, a chain tightener 4| being introduced into the run of the chain. go

The fabric 26, after passing over the driven roller 21, also passes over the driven rollers 38 and 40, and is introduced between the lower roller 42 and the upper roller 43, passing partly about such. upper roller 43, as shown more particularly at Figure 3, and wound about a beam 44, mounted to slide in slots 45 in uprights 46 so that the fabric wound upon the beam 44 rests upon the upper roller 43 and receives motion therefrom for rolling the fabric about said beam 44.

Before the fabric is introduced into the bite between the rollers 42 and 43, a stretcher is introduced into the tube. This stretcher comprises a bar 41, preferably round, and of such diameter that it will not pass between the rollers 42 and 43. The bar 41 carries a frame 48 of wire or like material, of such width as to correspond to the width of the fabric after it has been stretched as required, tapered sides 49 being provided to properly thread the stretcher through the fabric, such sides being connected by the cross bar 50.

While the fabric is stretched over the stretcher, shown at Figure 5, it is subjected to moistening by steam from the steaming device 5|, and in such moistened condition, passes along the stretcher v pulley 68 which r ceives I: 69 from the shaft 36.

and between the rollers 42 and 13, where it is heated and dried before being Wound upon the beam 44. Guide rollers 52 are adjustably mounted upon a bar 53, and adapted to bear against the edges of the fabric as it passes along the edge of the stretcher to insure the proper uniform winding of the fabric upon the beam 44.

The heating and drying rollers 42 and 43 are constructed as hollow cylinders, as indicated at 54 in Figures 1 and 4, having heads 55 in the opposite ends with passages 56 therethrough to accommodate the connecting sleeves 5?, fed by the steam pipes 58 from any convenient source of steam supply, indicated conveniently by the boiler 59 at Figure 1.

The passages 56 through the hubs of the rollers, are slightly larger than the connecting sleeves 5'! to provide for a very limited variation of the bite of the rollers 52 and 43. Within these rollers 42 and 43, drums 8B are provided, in communication with the steam pipes 58, and preferably these drums will be provided with heat radiating surfaces, indicated by the circumferential corrugations GI at Figure 4.

The rollers 42 and 43 are provided With friction-increasing surfaces as the reticulation 62, and are intergeared by means'of gears 63 and 64 which are also provided with passages to accommodate the steam pipes 58.

These rollers 42 and 43 are driven by means of a sprocket 65 carried upon one of the rollers, as the roller 42, and provided with a chain 66 passing over a sprocket $7 rigidly connected with the power through the band The steaming device 5! comprises a pipe 16 rigidly connected with the steam pipe ll which is a branch from the'steam pipe 58, and has means for discharging the spent steam, as the drip pipe 12. The pipe 76 is provided with a plurality of rows of perforations i3, some of which run the entire length of the pipe 16.

Mounted upon the pipe 19 is a sleeve 14 having adjacent the middle thereof cut-out parts 15 of sufficient circumferential area to uncover two rows of perforations, and to provide a margin over said two rows to permit the rotation of the sleeve by means of the hand lever 76.

As shown at Figure 6, the sleeve 14 is in position to uncover two rows of perforations 73 the entire length of the pipe it. This position is shown also at Figure 7.

By moving the hand lever 15 in the direction opposite to the arrow at Figure 7, one row of perforations is covered, leaving only a single row exposed, as shown at Figure 8. By movement in the direction indicated by the arrow at Figure '7, two complete rows of perforations are exposed through the middle and proximate openings in the sleeve 74, with one row at the extreme. At Figure 10 the sleeve F4 is rotated a step farther in the direction indicated by the arrow at Figure '7, whereby all of the perforations in the end sections are covered, a single row of perforations being exposed in the sections next nearest the center, while at the middle sections two rows of perforations are still exposed.

This arrangement of perforations is exposed for the treating of fabrics of different widths, and also to regulate the amount of steam discharged for the purpose of moistening the fabric of any Width, as it will be apparent from the various steps illustrated in the diagrammatic Figures 9 to 11 inclusive that a great variety of adjustments is possible whereby the steam discharge may be regulated to a nicety.

In operation, a roll of tubular fabric, as for instance knitted fabric, indicated by the roll 25, is mounted upon the arms 2 I The fabric is then unwound to expose the end and the stretcher shown at Figure 5 is inserted into the end of the fabric. The end of the fabric is now introduced into the bite between the rollers 42 and 43, the central line disclosed at Figure 1 being employed for the purpose of centering the fabric.

The rollers 52 are moved along the bar 53 into engagement with the fabric bearing against the sides of the stretcher. Enough of the fabric is now drawn between the rollers so that winding about the beam 44 may be initiated.

The machine is now ready to operate. The sleeve 74 of the steaming device is adjusted to discharge the required amount of steam onto the fabric, which is drawn over the several rollers 21,

38 and 46. The stretcher, it will be understood,

is Within the tube of the fabric, with the bar 47 prevented from passing through the bite of the rollers 42 and 43 by reason of its size, and, therefore, held constantly Within the tubular fabric, which is progressing by reason of the rotation of the rollers 42 and '53.

The rollers 42 and 43 are heated by the drums 69 within the rollers, fed by the steam pipe 58, fed from the source of steam supply indicated conveniently by the boiler 5:3. The heating of the rollers tends to set the fabric which has been stretched to the exact required limit by the stretcher; also to dry the moisture imparted thereto by the steam, and the fabric then rolled upon the beam 44 for further use.

Especial emphasis is laid upon the heating of the rollers 42 and 43 by means of the internally positioned steam drums which are fed by the steam pipes, these drums being stationary and, therefore, there being no movable joints requiring glands or other packing to prevent the escape of steam, all joints being steam-tight and fixed.

Of course, the steaming and drying machine illustrated may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:--

1. In a steaming and drying machine, a hollow roller, means to drive the roller, a drum within the roller fixed against rotation, said drum being provided with a contour enlarging the radiating surface, and means to supply a heated fluid to the drum.

2. In a steaming and drying machine, a fixed drum, means for conducting a heating fluid to the drum, a roller mounted to rotate about the drum and provided with axial openings to accommodate the fluid conduit, said openings being larger than the conduit to accommodate yielding movement of the roller.

AUGUST RIEFFEL.

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