US2200328A - Propelling means for long strips of material - Google Patents

Description

May 14, 1940. s. coHN ETAL I PROPELLING MEANS FOR LONG STRIPS 0F MATERIAL 4- Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1937 ATTORNEY May 14, 1940. s. COHN HAM 2.200.323

PROPELLING MEANS FOR LONG STRIPS 0F MATERIAL Filed Aug. 26, 1937 4 She ets-Sheet 2 &m

J (II-S- 6744 AfioRNEY 7 I Fun... 1 a. a. 1.

May 14, 1940. col-IN AL 2,200,328

BROPELLING MEANS FOR LONG STRIPS OF MATERIAL Filed Aug. 26, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY f May 14, 1940. I s. coHN ET AL 2.200.328

PROPELLING MEANS FOR LONG STRIPS OF MATERIAL Filed Aug. 26, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 .,7 ,6: M ATTORNEY ?atented May M, was

UNETE arcane PROPELLING MEANS FOR LONG STRIPS F MATERIAL Samuel Colin, New York, and Jules G. Walter,

Ridgewood, N. EL; assig'nors to Samcoe Holding. Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York The present case is continuation-in-part, of our application Serial No. 691,522, filed the 29th day of September 1933.

Our invention relates to means for propelling long strips of material, and especially woven or knitted fabrics, where it is desired to maintain a uniform and regulated tension on the strip while it is being propelled, or to cause propulsion of the strip in a manner which will cause no appreciable l0 tension upon the strip. While our invention is adapted for use in different types of machines, it is especially useful as means for propelling long and continuous strips of fabric, either woven or knitted, in a series of runs which may be vertical or horizontal, within a drying chamber where the strip is subjected to heat for extracting moisture from it, and we have illustrated our invention as adapted for this particular use without, however, intending to limit our invention to a particular use.

In our copending'application Serial lfIo. 108,318, filed October 30, 1936, we have shown a fabric drying machine and the present invention is adapted to be used for propelling the fabric in that type of machine.

In passing a strip of fabric, and especially knitted fabric, in a tortuous path through a drying chamber for the purpose of extracting the moisture from the fabric, a number of variable conditions are met with. That is to say, in some cases it is desirable to maintain a slight tension lengthwise of the strip and to control this tension and maintain it uniform throughout all portions of the strip while it is being subjected to a drying operation; and in other cases it is'desirable to propel the fabric without subjecting it to any longitudinal tension, and the present apparatus is adapted to accomplish either of these results.

5 Long strips of knitted tubular fabric are subject to wide variations, especially when propelled, and especially in a drying chamber, because this type of fabric by its very nature is easily stretched in the direction of its length, in which case it has a tendency to become narrower in width and on the other hand if it is stretched laterally it has a tendency to shorten in length. In addition, the extraction of moisture from the fabric has a tendency to shrink it as moisture is gradually ex- 0tracted, and this shortens'the fabric. While a strip of knitted fabric is passing through a drying chamber in a number of runs or courses, different portions of the strip will undergo changes different from other portions. That is to say, as

the fabric travels towards the point where it .be-

comes driest, it will have received maximum shrinking action, whereas where it enters the chamber in its wettest condition the shrinking action will not have taken place but will become effective gradually as the fabric travels, so that ti different runs of the long strip of fabric may change and become different from the portions in other runs.

By means of our present invention it is possible to propel the fabric at different places along its 10 length and to modify the speed of propulsion not only for the whole strip of fabric but to modify the propulsion locally to suit the variable conditions in the different portions of the long strip.

Under the present invention the strip of fabric 15- itself controls the speedof propulsion at different points along its length so that either a uniform and regulated tension may be created in the fabric, or a looseness may be maintained in the different portions of the fabric but the drive can be 20 so regulated as to prevent the excess accumulation of the fabric at different parts of its length within the drying chamber. In other words, the present invention while controlled by the fabric itself, provides means for maintaining either a 25 definite and uniform tension, or a looseness without excessive accumulation of the fabric.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for varying the speed of operation of the different feed rollers which propel the fabric,

in which the speed regulating means for the individual rollers may be controlled by very slight forces so that the feeder rollers engaging a delicate fabric may cause the variation in speed of the propelling rollers, even where the fabric is of a delicate nature. For this reason we have employed slippable means between the source of power and the propelling rollers for effecting adjustment of the speed of the feeding rollers under the control of delicate orlight fabrics. 40

Where delicate fabric, such as knitted tubular goods, is acted upon by the present invention,- very light force can originate at the fabric for controlling the speed regulation, as otherwise the fabric itself would be distorted by the feeder rollers and in the present case the control of the speed is very sensitive.

Other advantages and objects will be set forth in the following detailed description of our invention.

In the drawings forming part of this application,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a strip of fabric guided to move in a series of superposed 8 dancer roller device,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a propelling device like that shown in Figure 2 except that the dancer roller is disposed to affect a propelling roller adjacent thereto, whereas in Figure 2 the control of-.each roller is from a remote point,

Figure 6 is an elevation of the dancer roller device and speed regulator corresponding to that shown in Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a sectional view showing a modified form of the invention wherein a slip clutch is used to control the speed of the propelling roller and wherein the slip clutch is controlled by a dancer roller,

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figure '7,

Figure 9 is a sectional view showing the propelling roller controlled through a slip clutch without a dancer roller,

Figure 10 is an elevation showing a series of propelling rollers with a slip clutch device controlled by a dancer roller for controlling the speed of the propelling roller, and

Figure 11 is a sectional view of parts shown in Figure 10.

We will first describe the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. In Figure 1 we have shown a strip of fabric l of considerable length, which is propelled in a number of horizontal or substantially horizontal runs 2, 3 superposed so that each successive run is disposed below the one next above it, which arrangement may be conveniently used in the drying chamber for drying long or continuous strips of fabric, as indicated in the parent application. The horizontal runs of the fabric are supported, preferably, at short intervals by rollers t acting as idlers, and serving to support the weight of 'the fabric, so that the weight of a whole run of fabric will not rest merely upon the propelling rollers and cause excessive stresses in the fabric.

Where the fabric starts in its course through the present device, it passes first between the guide rollers 5 as it comes from any machine or device in which the fabric may have been previously moistened or treated; and as it is about to be dried it first passes around a small guide roller 6, then partly around a larger, driving roller 7, thence around another small guide roller 8 which follows in position the propelling roller 7.

From there, the fabric extends horizontally or substantially so, over the upper row of guide rollers 6 until at the left hand end of the machine the fabric travels partly around another propelling roller 9, after which it travels from left to right over the second row of supporting rollers 4 and at the right hand end of the machine it again passes partly around another propelling roller 1 which is like the first propelling roller I. In this manner the fabric passes .back and forth between the several propelling rollers l, 9 in a series of horizontal or substantially horizontal superposed runs, and there may be any number of these runs, according to the length of time required to dry the fabric.

It is understood that the several runs of fabric and the propelling rollers may all be used in a drying chamber so that the fabric is subjected to a current of heated air for a suflicient time to extract the desired proportion of moisture from it.

The means for propelling the fabric and for controlling the propulsion locally is controlled by the fabric itself whereby the condition or the fabric in reference to its loosenew or tautness will cause local propulsion of the fabric to maintain a definite looseness or tautness in different parts of the fabric. In Figure 2 we have shown the movable parts of the device for controlling the propulsion of the fabric. In this view we have shown at the left a shaft III which is the shaft on which one of the propelling rollers 9 is mounted and as all of the propelling rollers 9 and the control means associated therewith are alike the description will apply to each.

In the right of this figure we have shown another shaft I l which is one of the shafts on which one of the propelling rollers l at the right in Figure 1 is mounted. At the left in Figure 2, and mounted on the shaft it we have shown a pulley wheel l2 which is preferably disposed outside of the heating chamber, the shaft It) being extended through the heating chamber and the pulley being mounted on the extended portion of the shaft. There is a bracket 13, preferably supported on the shell of the heating chamber, and on the stud l4 mounted in the free end of this bracket, there is a lever IS the upper end of which is pivotally mounted on the stud so that the lever may swing toward and from the pulley l2.

Intermediate the ends of this lever there is shown a stud IS on which is mounted an idler pulley l! which presses on the left side of the belt IE to press the right side of this belt against the pulley I 2. Preferably, the axis of the idler i1 is disposed slightly below the axis of the shaft II] as shown in Figure 2, so that if the general direction of the belt i8 is vertical, pressure of the idler l1 against the belt will cause a local bending of the belt to slightly wrap it around the surface of the pulley IE to increase the traction action between the belt and the pulley.

The lower end of the lever I5 is provided with a hub; l9 having a threaded bore into which is threaded a sleeve 20. The latter is adjustable by being turned so that the position of the sleeve in relation to the hub l9 may be varied to take up slack in a connecting wire to'be referred to. Once the position of the sleeve 20 is adjusted in relation to the hub I9 it may be fixed by means of a lock nut 2| which is threaded over the sleeve and which abuts against one end of the hub 19. It is understood that thebelt I8, which is endless, may be disposed in a vertical position and engage a number of pulleys l2 in a vertical row. Preferably, this belt is rather thick and is made of a rubber composition to provide suflicient traction between the belt and the pulleys.

There is a coiled spring 22 disposed between one end of the sleeve 20 and surrounding a wire 23 which runs through the hollow sleeve 20. The other end of this spring abuts against a block 24 which is slidable on the end of the wire 23 and is adapted to be fixed in different positions of adjustment by a set screw 25. In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 the wire 23 extending from the right hand end of the sleeve 20 in Figure 2 extends lengthwise of the machine and its opposite end is connected by an attaching member 26 to a short arm 21 of one of the dancer roll devices to be described hereinafter.

The pulley 28 at the right side of Figure 2 corresponds with the pulley I! but it is attached to the shaft II which is one of the shafts carrying one of the propelling rollers I. The bracket 29 attached to the exterior of the housing of the drying chamber has a stud 30 on its free end on which is pivotally mounted a lever 3|. On the upper end of. this lever there is revolvably mounted on the stud 30 the roller 32 which corresponds in function with the roller ll but it acts on another vertically disposed propelling belt 33 which co-operates with all the pulleys 28 of the vertical row on the right hand end of the machine. The lower end of one arm of the lever 3| has a hub 34 corresponding to the hub IS in the left of the figure, and the sleeve, lock nut, spring and stop carried by the lower end of the lever is the same as on the lever l5'except that the parts face in the opposite direction.

The wire 35 which passes through the right with a short arm 21 which is mounted on the shaft 36, which carries one of the dancer rollers. As shown in, Figures 3 and 4, the shaft 35 of the dancer roller device has mounted upon it two laterally extending and parallel lever arms 31 the hubs 38 of which surround the shaft and are fixed by set screws 39. The free ends of these lever arms have hubs 40 in which is journaled a shaft 4| carrying a dancer roller 42. This roller is shown as consisting of end blocks43 fixed on the shaft 4| and a cylindrical member 44 is fitted over these blocks to be carried there- The cylinder 44 is shown as covered with a fabric 45 to prevent injury to the strip of fabric with which the roller engages. The dancer roller is arranged inside the drying chamber as indicated in Figure 3, and between the side walls 46 thereof and the dancer roller 42, is so positioned that it will engage against the fabric preferably on the top of the second, fourth, sixth and similar horizontal runs of the fabric, as'indicated in Figure 1. We have shown the dancer roller as engaging the top surface of these runs of the fabric between one of the guide rollers 8 which is adjacent one of the propelling rollers and the first supporting roller 4 next to it as indicated in Figure 1.

' On the shaft 36 on which the arms 31' are mounted and which shaft projects through the two walls of the drying chamber, there is mounteda counterbalancing arm 41 having a weight 48 which is adjustable along. this arm. The weight is provided with a tooth 49 which'is adapted to drop into any one of the recesses 50 of the counterbalancing arm to hold the Weight-in different adjusted positions along this arm. The weight is so adjusted as to partly counterbalance the weight of the arms 31 and the dancer roller, so

that the dancer roller will press very lightly on the top surface of the strip of fabric in order that the-dancer roller device may be sensitive and will exert very little pressure on the fabric so as not to stretch it in the'directionof its length.

In Figures 3 and 4 we have shown'one of the propelling rollers, and all of the propelling rollers l and 9 shown in Figure 1 may be constructed like the roller shown in Figures 3 and 4. The shafts l 0 or I l on which theserollers are mounted extend across the dryingchamberand have their bearings in bearing members 51 mounted in blocks 52 which are themselves mounted in the'walls of the drying chamber. On the shaft In or H are mounted flanges or heads 53 secured to the shaft by a set screw 54 and on the peripheries of these heads there is mounted a cylindrical shell 55 to complete the 'roller.. The cylin-.

drical shell is preferably covered by a fabric 56 to provide proper traction between the roller and the strip of fabric and to prevent injury to .the latter. One end of the shaft l0 or'l I promeans described above.

' Operation This form of the invention operates in the following manner: There is preferably a dancer roller disposed adjacent each of the propelling rollers 1 and 9 in Figure 1, but in this form of the invention the dancer roller at one end of the apparatus controls the drive of the propelling roller at the opposite end of the apparatus by acting through one ofthe wires 23 or 35. The vertically operating belt l8 engaging all of the pulleys I 2 at the left end of the apparatus tends to drive all of the pulleys l2 at a given maximum speed and all alike. The vertically operating belt 33 at the opposite endof the apparatus tends to drive all of the pulleys28 at this end of the machine and all at the same maximum speed. But the speed of each individualpropelling roller is modified in accordance with the action of the dancer roller controlling each pulley.

If, for instance, one of the dancer rollers at the right of the machine "shown in Figure 2 moves up or down in accordance with the tautnes's or looseness of the fabric where this dancer roller engages the fabric it willcause the shaft 36 to turn right or left, according to the movement of.

the dancer roller and the short arm 21 acting'on the free end of the wire 23 will cause this'wire to be moved'either right orleft in Figure 2. Ifthe wire is drawn to the right in this figure, the block 24 attached to the left hand end of this wirepage between the belt and the pulley will be decreased and thereby. the speed of the pulley I2 will be gradually increased. As this pulley is mounted on one of the propelling rollers 9 it will increase the propulsion of the fabric whereit engages around one of these pulleys at the left hand end of the machine. Conversely, if the wire 23 is moved to the left in Figure 2, the block 24 will release the pressure on the sleeve 20 and therefore allow the lever l5 to rock clockwise until the pressure of the roller I! againstthe beltv decreases.

As this pressure decreases there will be a-greater slippage between the belt! and the pulley [2 so that the latter slows down and a point may be reached where there is no pressure of the roller ll against the belt l8, whereupon the pulley l2 will cease to be driven. This will slow down or stop the driving action of one of the rollers 9 so thatthe fabric ceases to be driven at this particular point and it allows the upper run of the fabric engaging the particular drive roller to slacken. During the operation of the machine the dancer rollers undergo up and down movements almost continually, so that the propulsion of the strip of fabric is being varied rapidly in accordance with the looseness or tautness of the fabric at each propelling roller.

If the dancer roller connected with the shaft 36 at the left of Figure 2 moves up or down and rocks this shaft, the action is transmitted through the short arm 21 to the wire 35 and the action on the lever 3| and pressure roller 32 will be the same as just described in connection with the pulley 12 so that the pulley 28 will be driven at varying speeds by the belt 33. This pulley being mounted on the shaft l I of one of the propelling rollers I at the right in Figure 1, the same action will take place as with the propelling roller at the left side of the machine, as just described, but the speed of the right hand propelling roller will be modified in accordance with the corresponding dancer roller at the left hand end of the machine.

It will be apparent that different portions of the strip of fabric, while travelling over the sup-. porting rollers 4 undergo changes in tautness or looseness adjacent the different propelling rollers, and the speeds of the latter are changed or modified so that different runs of the strip of fabric will be propelled faster or slower to maintaina definite tautness or looseness in the fabric at difierent points throughout its course of travel ,through the drying chamber.

In the device shown in Figures 5 and fifthe arrangement is such that the dancer roller controls the speed of operation of the propelling roller at the same end of the machine. The pulley I2 shown in Figure 6 is mounted on the shaft H! of one of the propelling rollers 9 at the left hand end of the machine, and this pulley performs the same function as the pulley I2 in the first described form of the invention. The belt l8 corresponds with the belt i8 described above. The lever 51 which carries the pressure pulley is shown as of bell crank form and pivoted upon the stud 59. One arm 60 of this lever extending horizontally is connected pivotally with a link 6i and the upper end of this link is pivotally connected with the lever arm 41 which is fixed upon the shaft 36. The lever arm 41 corresponds with the lever arm 41 in the first described form of the invention and it carries a similar counterweight 48 which is adjustable along this arm. There is a pair of arms 31 also attached to the shaft 36 and they carry a dancer roller 42 between them at their free end. This dancer roller is shown as resting on the top surface of one run of the strip of fabric so that it moves up and down in accordance with the condition of this run of the fabric. p c

When the dancer roller moves downwardly the lever arm 41 moves upwardly. and this lifts the link 6! and rocks the lever 51 so that the roller 58 presses the belt 18 against the pulley l2, thereby increasing the pressure of the belt upon the pulley and causing the latter and the corresponding fabric propelling roller to be driven faster, thereby taking up the fabric with which the dancer roller engages. When the dancer roller moves upwardly due to the tightening of the run of fabric with which it engages, a reverse action takes place and the roller 58 is more or less withdrawn from the belt 18 to release the pressure of this belt upon the pulley l2 and thereby allow slippage or complete stopping of the pulley i2, thereby decreasing the drive of the fabric, or at least that run with which the dancer roller in Figure 6 engages.

Similar devices may be arranged to engage the fabric driving rollers I at the right hand end of the machine, except that the parts will be arranged in the opposite position. By providing a device of this character for each fabric propelling roller the several runs of the fabric will be driven faster or slower to maintain a definite tension in the fabric or to maintain any definite looseness in the fabric. a

In Figures 7 and 8 we have shown another.

form of the invention wherein the dancer roller device is combined with a friction clutch device to control the operation of the fabric propelling roller. In this case the fabricpropelling roller 9 has its shaft Ill extending through the wall 45 of the drying chamber and on the projecting end of this shaft there is fixed a disc 62 by means of a pin 63. There is another disc 64 mountedric roller is propelled from any suitable source of power. There is also mounted on the shaft ill a disc 68 and between this and the disc 64 there is disposed a ball bearing device 69 whereby pressure may be applied laterally against the sliding disc 64 without any retardation by the pressure means of the disc 64.

A bell crank lever 10 is mounted ona stud 1| which is shown as supported by a bracket I2 mounted on the wall of the drying chamber. One arm of this lever has a fork 13 which straddles the end of the shaft l0 and the turned ends of this fork press againstthe disc 68 at opposite sides of the shaft to apply lateral pressure to the disc 64. The other arm of this bell crank lever has a hub 14 through which a link 15 passes, the link being slidable in the aperture in the hub; and the upper end of the link is provided with a fork 16 which is pivotally attached to a short lever arm TI mounted on the shaft 36 of the dancer roller device.

Between the collar 18 pinned on the link 15 and the top of the hub I4 there is a compression spring I3 surrounding the link so that downward pressure of the link 15 in relation to the lever 10 applies a resistibie or spring pressure to the bell crank lever. on the shaft 36 there is mounted an arm 41 carrying an adjustable weight 18 which serves the same purpose as the adjustable weight 48 in the previously described form of our invention. The lever arms 31 disposed in the drying chamber also carry a dancer roller 42 which serves the same purpose as the dancer roller in Figure 6.- I

The operation of this form of the invention is as follows: The dancer roller 42 resting lightly against one. run of the propelled fabric will rise and fall, according to the tightness or looseness of the fabric strip. When the dancer roller rises spring pressure on the bell crank lever and thereby releasing the lateral pressure on the disc the lever arm Tl lifts the link 15 releasing the 64 so that the sprocket member can revolve without revolving the disc 62 which is secured to the shaft of the fabric propelling roller, or permit a slippage between the parts so that the speed of operation of the fabric propelling roller is reduced.

Conversely, if the dancer roller moves downwardly due to a slackening in the fabric, the link 15 will move downwardly and act on the spring 19 to apply downward pressure to the bell crank lever 70 and this will cause one arm thereof to move to the left in Figure '7 and apply pressure against the disc 66 which will be transmitted through the ball bearing device to the disc 62. This will cause more or less pressure as between the discs 62, 6d and the intervening sprocket wheel, thereby causing the fabric propelling roller to be driven more nearly in accordance with the speed of motion of the sprocket wheel or even up to that speed. This action will tend to drive this particular fabric propelling roller at a greater speed, thereby taking up the slack in that run of the fabric with which this particular dancer roller engages.

In Figure 9 there is shown a slip clutch device "for modifying the speed of the fabric driving roller and wherein the dancer roller device is omitted. In this case the fabric propelling roller 9 mounted within the drying chamber has one end of the shaft in projecting through the wall of the chamber. At this projecting end of the shaft there is a'disc 80 secured by the pin 8| and opposed to this there is a disc 82 which slides along the shaft. Between these two discs there is mounted a sprocket wheel 83 the central portion of which formsa disc which is interposed between the faces of the discs 80, 82 and if desired leather or similar material may be used as Washers between the opposite faces of the sprocket to permit slippage between the several sprockets. There is a coiled spring 84 surrounding the shaft 18 with one end pressing from right to left in Figure 9 against the hub of the 'disc 82 and the other end pressing against acollar 85 slidable on the shaft l8.

' There is a block 86 adjustably secured to the shaft ID by a set screw 81 and the pin 88 on this block forms a pivot for an adjusting member 89.'

This adjusting member has three flat surfaces 98, 9|, 92 disposed at different distances from the pivot pin 88 to vary the compressive action of the spring 84 against the friction disc 82 to vary the action of the clutch on the shaft. When this device is in operation, if the fabric propelling roller 9 which is being driven through the action move in relation to the two discs so that the speed of the fabric propelling roller due to the slippage will be less than the speed of the sprocket wheel.

This will decrease the speed of propulsion of that portion of the fabric with which the roller 9 engages so that some other roller in the series which is delivering the fabric to the roller 9 will have fed forward enough fabric to decrease the resistance to the operation of the roller 9 and gradually allow the latter to be propelled at or near the speed of the sprocket 83. Slippage due to excessive tension on the fabric at any of the fabric propelling rollers will prevent the development of excessive tension on the fabric and prevent it from being distorted by the driving means which in the case of knitted tubular fabric is important because it is easily distorted if subjected to excessive longitudinal tension.

4 In Figures 10 and 11 it is shown how the features of the construction shown in Figures 7 and 9 can be combined. In the left hand side of Figure 10 the several runs of the fabric are shown as travelling around the fabric propelling rollers 9 corresponding with the similarly numbered rollers in Figure 1. The shafts IU of these rollers extend to the exteriorof the drying chamber and they are provided with the members as shown in Figure 9, that is to say, each shaft is provided with a sprocket wheel 83 mounted loosely thereon and disposed between the discs 80 which are fixed to the shaft and the disc 82 which is slidable on the shaft, similar to the construction shown in Figure 9. The chain 94 engages all of the sprocket wheels 83 of all the rollers 9 in the vertical row, the chain passing around small idler sprockets 95 as shown in the left of Figure 10. At the right hand end of the machine each of the rollers 1 corresponding with the roller 1 in Figure l, have their shafts extended through the wall of the drying chamber.

In the construction shown at the right in Figure 10 and in Figure 11, there is a dancer roller 96 mounted on lever arms 9': which are secured to a shaft 98 and this dancer roller engages a run of the fabric just as it leaves one of the rollers l and an adjacent idler guide roller 99. This dancer roller, however, does not control the speed of the upper propelling roller 1 in Figure 10, but the one next below it. The shaft 98 is mounted in a bracket I08 attached to thewall of the drying chamber similar to the bracket 12 in Figure '7.

There is another arm llll fixed to the shaft 98 and extending in the opposite direction to the arms 91, this arm preferably being disposed outof the levers 91 and it slides freely in an aperture in the hub I06 of the bell crank lever In! which corresponds with the bell crank lever 10 in Figure '7. The spring I08 also correspondsfwith the spring 19 in Figure '7 so that the collar I09 on this link is adapted to press downwardly on the spring and apply a resistible pressure to the bell crank lever. The fork III! on one 'armof this lever presses laterally against the friction disc I l I to cause this disc to press against the sprocket H2 and the latter to press against the friction disc H3 which is fixed to the shaft I8 thereby applying sufilcient friction to cause the fabric propelling roller 1 to be driven at a greater speed which in an excessive case may reach the speed of the driven sprocket H2.

As'shown in' Figure 10, the dancer roller which engages the fabric near the upper fabric propelling roller 1 modifiesthe speed of the fabric propelling roller next below it which result corresponds more nearly to the results obtained by the device shown in Figures 1 and 2. The clutches at the left in Figure 10 should slip under light tension.

It will be understood that the propelling rollers 9 at the left in Figure 10 may have associated with them the same dancer roller control device as is shown in the right of Figure 10 with the parts simply reversed in position to correspond with the relative position of the fabric and the propelling rollers.

The positions of the counterweights 48 may be adjusted along the lever arms 41 so that the pressure of the dancer rollers upon the fabric may be very light when handling light or delicate fabrics, and the weights may be adjusted in the opposite direction when heavier or stronger fab-s rics are being handled. The collar 24 at one end of the wires 23, 35 or the set screw in 26 at the other end of wires 23, 35 may be used to obtain an approximate original setting of the length of the wires 23, 35 after which the threaded sleeves 20 may be adjusted in position to regulate the .normal positions of the dancer rollers in relation to the runs of the fabric with which they respectively engage. By the adjustment of the position of the counterweights 48 the operation of the device may be adjusted for various types of fabrics.

If desired, the several pulleys l2 and 28 may be decreased in diameter, say, a few thousandths of an inch from the top row of the pulleys l2 and 28 toward the bottom row, so that there will be a definite increase in the surface speed of the propeller rollers I and 9 from the locations where they engage the fabric, near its entrance into the drying chamber toward the lower runs of the fabric, which increase of the surface speed of the rollers I and 9 will make up for any slight stretching of the fabric during its propulsion through the machine. This will provide a fixed and definite increase in the propelling action of the rollers throughout the drying operation so that the dancer rollers and the devices controlled by them need only effect such changes in the individual drive of the several propelling rollers as may be necessary to meet the varying conditions which cannot be predetermined.

With the present machine any of,the fabric propelling rollers may come to a complete'stop under the control of the dancer rollers as our drive is designated to permit this result. This is desirable because with delicate fabrics it is often necessary to bring about a complete cessation of the operation of one or more of the propelling rollers in order to prevent injury to the fabric. In the present machine the speed of any propelling roller will therefore range from zero to the maximum speed when the friction drive operates from zero to maximum pressure. In other words, the driving power and speed of any of the propelling rollers is in proper proportion to the pressure allowed by the cloth on the dancer roll itself.

From the above it will be apparent that we have provided means for propelling a long length of fabric by means of fabric propelling rollers engaging the strip of fabric at various separated points within the drying chamber, and means for automatically regulating the speed of the individual fabric propelling rollers in accordance with the condition of the fabric, that is, its looseness or tautness at different places along the strip of fabric which is being propelled. This arrangement may be used to prevent excessive accumulation of the fabric at any point of its travel, or to prevent excessive tension on the fabric. This is necessary in the handling of knitted tubular fabric because of its tendency to elongate due to the propulsion action and also to accommodate the various portions of the drive to any decrease in length of the fabric due to shrinkage, and it permits the fabric to be propelled through the drying chamber and to be brought out uniform as to width and length.

, While we have illustrated and described certain forms of the invention, we are aware that many modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims. Therefore we do not wish to be limited to the particular forms shown and described nor to the details of construction thereof.

Having described our invention, what we claim is:

l. A device for propelling a strip of fabric, including a roller with which the strip of fabric engages, said roller adapted to apply local propelling action to the strip of fabric, a powerdriven belt adapted to rotate said roller by friction engagement of said belt with a pulley member attached to said roller, means engaging the strip of fabric and controlled by the tension thereon, and means operated by said latter means for applying variable pressure to said belt against said pulley to vary the speed of operation of said roller.

2. A device for propelling a strip of fabric, including a roller with which the strip of fabric engages, said roller adapted to apply local propelling action to the strip of fabric, a powerdriven belt adapted to rotate said roller by friction engagement of said belt with a pulley member attached to said roller, means engaging the strip of fabric and controlled by the looseness or tautness thereof, and means operated by said latter means and including a roller which-applies variable pressure to said belt against said pulley to vary the speed of operation of said roller in response to variations of the tautness of said strip.

3. A device for propelling a strip offabric, including a plurality of rollers engaging the strip of fabric at difierent points in its path of travel, and adapted to propel the strip of fabric, pulleys associated with said rollers, an endless belt engaging the several pulleys adapted to propel said rollers, members engaging the strip of fabric at different points in its path and controlled by the looseness or tautness of the fabric at different points thereof, and means operated by said members individually to vary the pressure between said belt and individual ones of said pulleys.

4. A device for handling a strip of fabric. including a plurality, of rollers for engaging a strip of fabric at different remote points in the course of travel thereof, pulleys associated with said rollers, belts slippably engaging said pulleys to drive said rollers, levers having rollers for pressing said belts against said pulleys at variable pressures, dancer rollers engaging the strip of fabric at remote points in the course of its travel, sleeves adjustable in relation to said levers, wires connecting said dancer roller devices with said levers and passing through said sleeves, and

springs interposed between said sleevesand members on said wires to cushion the action of said dancer rollers in relation to said slip devices.

5. Apparatus for handling a continuous strip of fabric comprising a plurality of fabric conveying rolls adapted to receive the fabric and propel it back and forth around successive rolls accuses in a plurality of successive lengths, a drive means for supplying power to said rolls to propel the fabric through the apparatus at successive local points, and individual friction drives for said rollsfrom said drive means permitting the respective rolls to differin speed with relation to the speed of the drive and with relation to each other and including control means for varying the speed of successive rolls according to the looseness or tautness of the length of fabric passing between each respective controlled roll and an adjacent driven roll.

6. Apparatus asset forth in claim in which the rolls are arrangedin banks at opposite ends of the apparatusand act to feed the fabric strip back and forth in generally horizontal runs between successive rolls.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which the controlled means for varying the speed'of certain of the rolls includes dancer rolls, each engaging a length of the fabric passing between the roll to becontrolled and an adjacent driven roll, each such dancer roll moving between the rolls in a direction intersecting the fabric length engaged by it.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which the relative peripheral speeds of successive rolls have definite predetermined differences under normal operating conditions, the variations of speed of said rolls effected by the individual control means being superposed on said predetermined differences.

9. Apparatus for continuously treating lengths of fabric which comprises a plurality of fabric conveying rolls arranged to convey the fabric in a succession of runs, a power-operated means for driving said rolls, an individual friction drive-having friction members for each of said rolls and through which said rolls are individually rotated from said power-operated means, a plurality of movable members each individually engaging a corresponding fabric run between said rolls and riding on said fabric in a direction intersecting said run between said rolls, and each such movable member being operably connected to the individual friction drive at the end of the respective run to vary the friction between the friction members thereof.

10. Apparatus for continuously treating lengths 'of fabric which comprises means for propelling the fabric in a series of substantially horizontal I runs including propelling rolls engaging the fabric atthe ends of the runs, a feeler device riding upon a fabric run between said rolls, an actuating means including a variable friction drive for one of said rolls, and means automatically controlled by the feeler device and acting to vary the speed of the roll in accordance with vertical movements of the feeler device.

, 11'. In a machine for propelling a strip of fabric, a roll for propelling said strip, a powerdriven belt adapted to rotate said roll by friction engagement between said belt and a part connected to said roll, a movable device engaging said -belt adapted to vary the pressure between said belt and said part, a movable member having fabric, a roll for propeiling'said, strip, a power driven belt adapted to rotate said roll by friction between said belt and a pulley connected to said roll at a point of contact between the roll and the belt, a movable device contacting the opposite side of said belt at a point longitudinally displaced from said point of contact of belt and pulley, the movement of said device being adapted to flex said belt to vary the area of traction and the pressure between said belt and said pulley, a dancer roll riding upon said fabric strip, connecting means transmitting the motion of said dancer to move said device to different positions to vary said area of traction and said pressure in response to movements of said dancer due to changes in looseness or tautness of said strip.

13. A machine as set forth in claim 12, in which the mounting of the movable member permits it atone extremity of movement to exert pressure through said belt directly upon said pulley. i

SAMUEL COHN. JUL-ES G. WAL'I'ER.

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