US2342266A - Open-width washer - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 22, 1944. D. GEssNEl OPEN-WIDTH WASHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 16, 1942 f 127M876. ,wfiG essvez- Feb.- 22, 1944. D. GESSNER OPEN-WIDTH WASHER Filed M rch 16, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Nu fiv/emx' ,Rw/Ja" Gas-vex m??? Feb. 22, 1944. D. GESSNER OPEN-WIDTH WASHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 16, 1942 llllllllllllllll I! Illlllllllllll-ll l llm "IL w bm;

lllllllll l lllll Patented Feb. 22, 1944 OFFICE OPEN -WIDTH WASHER David Gessner, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Gertrude C. Gessner, Worcester, Mass.

Application May 16, 1942, Serial No. 434,931

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for washing or otherwise treating woolen cloth and certain types of worsted cloth in full or open width, rather than in the more usual rope form.

While particularly designed for washing cloth, my improved machine is also adapted for other similar purposes, such as carbonizing and neutralizing operations.

It is the generalobject of my invention to provide an open-width washer of improved construction and so designed that operations therein may be much morev rapidly and satisfactorily performed.

A-further object is to provide a machine in which the cloth is so guided that it is repeatedly and effectively opened out on each face during its passage through the machine. I also provide improved and simplified means for applying and maintaining'pressure on the cloth and for feeding the cloth through the machine, and improved means for rapidly removing the worn-out suds or scum and entrained dirt from the washing tank.

Another feature of my invention relates to the provision of improved devices for mixing and agitating the liquid in the tank and such materials as may be added to it.

My invention further relates to certain ar rangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation of one of my improved open-width washers and a portion of a second washer;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of my improved washer, with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial end view, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged lpartial sectional side elevations, taken along the lines 44 and 55 left in Fig. 1, or may comprise a plurality of such units which may be combined as also shown in Fig. 1.

Each unit or washer comprises a frame [0 supporting a tank I I in its lower portion and further comprises a large carrying drum or cylinder l2 rotatable in fixed bearings I4 (Fig. 3) and preferably having an outer covering l5 of rubber or similar material. For some purposes, the rubber covering may be replaced with a coating of chrome or nickel on a suitable metal base. The cylinder I2 is mounted on a drive shaft IE to which power may be supplied from any suitable source to rotate the cylinder continuously during the operation of the machine.

A plurality of guide rolls 20 are segmentally arranged below the cylinder 12, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and each guide roll 20 may also be providedwith arubber covering 2!. Each guide roll 20 is mounted on a shaft 22 rotatable in bearing blocks 23 (Fig. 5) at each end of the washer. These blocks 23 have upwardly extending slide portions 24, loosely mounted in guideways in the fixed end frame of the washer and held in said guideways by cover plates 25 (Figs. 3 and 5).

Each guide-roll shaft 22'is also provided with a (pulley 21 at each end thereof, by which pulleys the guide-rolls are rotated. An additional guide pulley 30 is mounted on a fixed bearing 3| at each end of the machine, and a second additional guide pulley 33 is mounted at each end of the machine on the short arm of a lever 34, pivoted at 35 on a fixed bracket 36.

Each lever 34 is pivotally connected to the head 38 (Fig. 3) of a piston rod 39 which is connected to a piston 40 slidable in a cylinder 4| pivoted at 42 to a fixed bearing block 43. Pipes 44 and 45 selectively receive liquid under pressure from any suitable source of supply or'act as discharge pipes for the cylinders.

Belts 5!! are mounted on the pulleys 30 and 33 and each belt is engaged and driven on its upper run by contact with a drive pulley 5|, fixed to the cylinder shaft Hi. The lower runs of the belts are disposed outside of the pulleys 21 on the rolls 20 and engage said pulleys along their outer portions. The peripheral surfaces of the cylinder l2 and rolls 20 are driven at the same speed.

If pressure is supplied through the upper pipes 44, the levers 34 will be swung counter-clockwise and the belts 50 will be tensioned against the drive pulleys 5| and against the guide-roll pulleys 2 1,the same action taking place at both ends of er may comprise a single unit as shown at the II theguide-rolls. Such application of pressure to the levers 34 also causes the roll bearing blocks 23 to slide radially inward, so that the rolls 20 engage theiouter face of the cylinder I2 or engage the outer surface f the cloth C, if the machine has been threaded up and is in readiness to operate. By relieving the pressure in the pipes 44 and applying pressure through the pipes 45, the rolls 20 will be moved outward to provide clearance for re-threading.

My improved washeris also provided with a plurality of fixed rub bars 60 (Fig. 1), which bars are preferably of the grooved or corrugated cross section shown in Fig. 8, with a plurality of projecting ribs or cloth-engaging portions 6| separated by grooves or depressed portions 62. These rub bars 60 are also preferably provided with square end portions 54, adapted to be secured in fixed position by U-shaped clamps 55 mounted in fixed frame members 56 and secured therein by nuts 51.. The bars may be adjusted angularly to present new rubbing surfaces. The frame members 56 are spaced inward from the end frames of the machine to provide clearance for parts of the agitating devices to be described.

The tank II has an edge portion I0 (Fig, 1) which is cut away or depressed to receive an overflow collector II, which may be hooked over the edge 10 and which extends substantially the full width of the machine. A drain pipe "I2 is provided for the collector II. The tank II is also provided with a discharge pipe 14 (Fig. 1) controlled by a quick-acting valve 15 and a weighted lever I6. The valve I5 is normally maintained closed but may be quickly and easily opened by raising the lever 16 to empty the tank.

As the cloth C leaves the washer, it passes around fixed guide-rods 80 and 8| (Fig. 1) and into an auxiliary tank 82, preferably filled with clear rinsing water, and then passes between a pair of squeeze rolls 83. A spray pipe 84 is preferably provided to spray the cloth just before it enters the squeeze rolls.

After leaving the squeeze rolls 83, the cloth may pass to any suitable receptacle or it may be' conducted alongside an additional spray pipe 85 and into a succeeding washer which is preferably of the same construction as the washer above described. Thecloth C may be fed to the first washer by a pair of feed rolls 90 and may be moistened from a spray pipe 9| as it enters the washer. Three or four or even more successive machines may be used.

The method of threading the cloth through the machine is clearly shown in Fig. 1, with the cloth passing from the feed rolls 90 to the cylinder I2 and around the first guide-roll 20, after which the cloth is carried downinto the tank II and around the first rub bar 60. The cloth then passes successively around the succeeding guiderolls 20 and rub bars 60, and then passes from the last roll 20 upward to the guide-bars 80 and BI and rinsing tank 82 previously described.

In Figs. 2, 9 and 10 I have shown my improved devices for agitating the contents of the tank II. These devices comprise cross bars I00 mounted on depending supports I 0| (Fig. 10), the upper ends of which are secured to carriages I02 mounted on flanged wheels I03 which run on tracks I04 secured to the fixed end frames of the washer. The cross bars I00 and the tracks I04 are preferably made from sections of angle iron when the machine is used for washing-but the bars I00 may be of wood when used with an acid solut'ton for carbonizing.

The mechanism for driving the agitating devices comprises abelt or chain I I0 (Fig. 9) mounted on sprockets III and H2 which are pivotally supported on fixed brackets H4. The sprocket II2 has a larger pulley II5 associated therewith, which is connected by a belt II6 to a pulley II! on a drive shaft II8, rotated by suitable driving mechanism not shown.

Each carriage I02 has a second depending member II9 (Fig. 10) which is slotted as shown at I20 (Fig. 9) to receive a stud I2I mounted on the associated belt or chain IIO. Consequently, as the sprockets II2 are rotated through the driving connections above described, the chains III] will be moved continuously in closed paths and the carriages I02 will be moved back and forth along their tracks I04, thus carrying the agitating cross bars I00 back and forth from one side to the other of the tank II. It will be understood that the driving mechanism above described is preferably duplicated at each end of the washer.

These agitating devices are useful in thoroughly dissolving and uniformly mixing the soap with the water when the machine is used for. washing,

and the agitating devices are also particularly useful when the machine is used for carbonizing or neutralizing, as the chemicals used for these operations are thereby more uniformly distributed throughout the contents of the bath.

The amount of squeezing pressure is easily regulated by controlling the pressure of the liquid entering the upper ends of the cylinders 4| (Fig. 3). Having described the details of construction of my improved washer, the method of operation and advantages thereof will be readily apparent. As the cloth C passes through the washer at full width and along the path indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the cloth is sharply and reversely bent each time it passes over one of the guide-rolls 20 or under one of the rub bars 60, thus opening up the meshes of the fabric so that the washing liquid will very effectively enter the fabric and thereafter be squeezed therefrom. 1 Also, as the cloth passes around the rub bars 60, it is subjected to successive rubbing or washboard actions and is alternately exposed to free access of the washing liquid to both surfaces as it passes from one rib to another of the rub bars. I

These successive bending, rubbing and squeezing actions are performed repeatedly during a single passage of the cloth through the machine, so that the washing and cleansing of the fabric proceeds at a much more rapid rate than when the cloth is handled in a rope and is squeezed only once and without abrupt bending at each passage through the machine.

Where a further or more complete washing is desired, the cloth may be passed successively from one washer to another as shown in Fig. 1, and any desired number of washers may be arranged for such successive operation, preferably with rinsing tanks as 82, spray pipes as 84, and squeeze rolls as 83 provided between each two successive machines. In this way the washing liquid in one machine is largely removed from the cloth before it enters the next machine and the cloth is rinsed and merely damp but not wet as it enters the next machine;

By thus handling the cloth at full width and subjecting the cloth to successive bendings or ,foldings in opposite directions, together with suc- .cessive immersion and extraction operations, I

The wide overflow arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is also of particular importance, as it rapidly skims of! the spent suds and entrained dirt from the upper surface of the washing liquid, thus keeping the liquid much cleaner than would be the case if the usual small overflow pipe were provided in one comer of the tank.

The agitating devices are also very useful in keeping the liquid in the tank I l in a uniform condition throughout, which is particularly desirable if the machine is used for carbonizing and the tank contains an acid solution which must be constantly replenished. It is very necessary that such an acid solution should be of uniform strength throughout, and it is also desirable that the subsequently-used neutralizing bath should also be of uniform strength.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. An open-width washer for woolen or worsted cloth comprising a carrying cylinder rotatable in fixed bearings, a plurality of guiderolls mounted below said cylinder and in segmental relation thereto, means to force each guide-roll yieldingly inward along a substantially radial path against said cylinder, means to rotate said carrying cylinder and guide-rolls, a. tank for treatment liquid positioned below said cylinder and guide-rolls, a plurality of rub bars alternating with said guide-rolls in the path of travel of the cloth and disposed in said tank below the normal liquid surface, and means to prevent rotation of said rub bars.

2. An open-width washer for woolen or worsted cloth comprising a carrying cylinder rotatable in fixed bearings, a plurality of guiderolls mounted below said cylinder and in segmental relation thereto, means to force each guide-roll yieldingly inward along a substantially radial path against said cylinder, a tank for treatment liquid positioned below said cylinder and guide-rolls, a plurality of rub bars alternating with said guide-rolls in the path of travel of the cloth and disposed in said tank below the normal liquid surface, means to prevent rotation of said rub bars, and driving means to rotate said cylinder and each of said guide-rolls, all at the same peripheral speed.

' 3. An open-width washer for woolen or worsted cloth comprising a carrying cylinder rotatable in fixed bearings, a plurality of guiderolls mounted below said cylinder and in segmental relation thereto, means to move said guide-rolls simultaneously toward and away from said cylinder, a tank for treatment liquid positioned below said cylinder and guide-rolls, a plurality of rub bars alternating with said guide-rolls i the path of travel of the cloth and disposed in said tank below the normal liquid surface, means to prevent rotation of said rub bars, and means to rotate said carrying cylinder and guide-rolls.

4. In an open-width washer for woolen or worsted cloth, a carrying cylinder, a plurality of guide-rolls disposed for segmental engagement with the under side of said cylinder, a large pulley on said cylinder, small pulleys on said guide-rolls, and a driven belt having its upper run between said large pulley and said small pulleys and'having its lower run below said small pulleys.

5. In an open-width washer for woolen or worsted cloth, a carrying cylinder, 'a plurality of guide-rolls disposed for segmental engagement with the under side of said cylinder, a large pulley on said cylinder, small pulleys on said guide-rolls, a driven belt having its upper run between said large pulley and said small pulleys and having its lower run below said small pulleys, and pressure-operated means by which said belt is tightened and said guide-rolls are pressed upward against said cylinder.

6. In an open-width washer for woolen or worsted cloth, a carrying cylinder, a plurality of guide-rolls disposed for segmental engagement with the under side of said cylinder, a large pulley on said cylinder, small pulleys on said guide-rolls, a driven belt having its upper run between said large pulley and said small pulleys and having its lower run below said small pulleys, radially-slidable bearing blocks for each guide-roll, and pressure-operated means by which said belt is tightened and said guide-rolls are pressed upward against said cylinder.

- DAVID GESSNER.

Images