US2557492A - Apparatus for guiding gripping means - Google Patents

Description

June 19, 1951 H. L. YOUNG APPARATUS FOR GUIDING GRIPPING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001:. 21, 1947 H. L. YOUNG APPARATUS FOR GUIDING GRIPPING MEANS June 19, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 21, 1947 Patented June 19, i951 APPARATUS FOR GUIDING GRIPRING MEAN S Harvey L. Young, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application October 21, 1947, Serial No. 781,233

2 Claims. (Cl. 271-2.1)

This invention relates to the tentering of sheet material such as textile material and is especially useful in guiding the gripping means where it engages the fabric.

the treating of fabrics Where the fabric is to be dried after a wetting or coating operation, gripping members are successively applied to the margins of the fabric for the purpose of maintaining the width of the fabric during a drying operation. Difficulty has been experienced in H) for engaging chain I4 and support 36 is simie leading the grippers to the margins of the fabric larly provided with stub shafts and sprockets for when the fabric varies in width or has wavy engaging chain l5. margins. For gripping the margins of the fabric, the The present invention has for its object to chains I i, i have secured thereto, at intervals overcome this difiiculty. i5 therealong, gripping members .45. Each gripping Another object is to provide for lateral adjust; member has a fixed jaw 46 and a movable jaw ment of the grippers to follow the margins of the ll hinged thereto, as at 48. A coil spring 49 fabric independentl at opposite margins of the keeps the jaws closed, as in Figs. 2 and 5 except fabric, at the positions where the fabric approaches and Further objects will appear from the following leaves the chains. description and the accompanying drawings. At the position of approach of the fabric 50 Of the drawings, in the region of sprocket 42, a cam bar 5| at- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus contached to the gate-like support 35 engages a structed in accordance with and embodying the projecting arm 52 of the movable jaw 41 and invention, parts being broken away. 7 2 holds it open, as seen in Fig. 4 throughout the Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View thereof taken extent of the cam bar. e on line Z; 9f Fig. l. At the leaving position, a stationary cam bar Fig. 3 isa plan view of a portion'of the appa- 54 similarly engages the arm 52 of the movable ratus, jaw and opens the jaws to release the fabric Fig. 4 is a sectional detail View thereof, 'taken which proceeds about aguide roller 55. n1in 4 ll0fFig 1, The invention provides for manipulating the Fig. .5 is a sectional detail view thereof, taken suppo ting Sprockets M, 42 and through them online5-5 of Fig.1. the chains Hi, l5 and then grippers 45 at the Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the control position of entry of the fabric so as to follow mechanism and piping. 5 the margins of the fabric. For this mrpose, Referring to the drawings, the numeral [0 brackets 6| are fixed b0 the frame a iadesignates a treating chamber supported on a t e gate-like SWiIlging pp 36 r frame H. The chamber may be provided with spectively and have fluid pressure operated cylinheating elements (not shown) for drying the ders 62, 63 pivotally mounted thereon. Each fabric. A pair of endless tentering chains I 4, 4O cylinder holds a piston 64 or 65 having a piston l5 extend in substantially parallel relation with rod 66 or 6! fixed thereto. The piston rods are portions thereof within and portions thereof pivotally secured to swinging supports 35, 36 rewithout the chamber. Within the chamber, upspectively. Each cylinder contains a compression per and lower horizontal reaches of the chains coil spring 68 or 69 between its piston and the are guided by guideways l6, l1, I8, I 9. Also rod end of the cylinder under compression and within the chamber are driving sprockets 20 normally tending to force the piston rod inwardand guide sprockets '2l for engaging the chains. ly of the cylinder, thereby swinging the adjacent Driving sprockets 20 are fixed to a shaft 22 eX- Support 35 or 36 away from the adjacent margin tending through the chamber and journaled in of the fabric. Pressure fluid to counterbalance bearing secured to the chamber walls. Asprocket the spring is supplied to the head end of the 23 is fixed to shaft 22 outside the chamber and cylinder from a supply line 15. The pressure is adapted to be driven by a chain 24 from a fluid, usually compressed air, enters cylinder 62 sprocket 25 on a speed reducer 26a which in turn by way of a branch line 16 and a valve 17. Simiis driven byamotor 26. larly, air enters cylinder 63 by way of a branch Guide sprockets 2| are fixed to a horizontal line 78 and a valve 19. A diaphra m p rated shaft 21 journaled in bearings 28 which may be adjusted along guideways '29, as by adjusting screws 38 for tensioning the chains l4, I5. Outside .the chamber {9, portions of the chains I4, l5 are supported respectively on a pair of gatelike supports 35, 36 projecting from and hinged to the chamber, as at 31, 38. Support 3.5 has secured thereto, stub shafts 39, 40 for rotatably supporting a pair of sprockets 4|, 42 respectively 3 bleeder valve 80 is directly connected by a line 8| to the head end of cylinder 62 and a similar bleeder valve 82 is connected directly to cylinder 63.

For holding the bleeder valves 88, 82 normally closed, the diaphragm chamber of each is connected to the supply line through a branch line by way of a pressure regulating valve. For this purpose, a branch line 83 connects the diaphragm chamber of valve 80 through a pressure-regulator valve 84, a pressure gauge 85 and a cracked valve 86. A normally springclosed bleeder valve 81 is secured to swinging arm 35 and is connected directly to the diaphragm chamber of valve '80. -The bleeder valve 81 has a finger 88 normally holding the valve 81 closed by reason of its spring 88. A second bleeder valve 90 like valve 81 is mounted on swinging arm 36 and is connected to the chamber of valve 82. The fabric sheet 58 in approaching the chains l4, l passes between the fingers of valves 81 and 90.

The arrangement is such that line 15 supplies air under high pressure to a cylinder 62 forcing the arm 35 toward the margin of the fabric and with it the sprockets, chain and grippers, the chamber of valve 88 being supplied with air at low pressure through pressure regulator 84 and cracked valve 86. by spring 89 until the finger 88 contacts the margin of fabric 50. At contact with fabric 58, valve 81 opens, releasing pressure on diaphragm of valve 80, thereby opening valve 80 releasing pressure in cylinder 62, whereupon spring 88 forces arm 35 away from the margin of the fabric. As arm 35 moves laterally, it moves chain l4 and its grippers therewith. The opposite swinging arm is similarly controlled by valve 90 to follow its fabric margin.

The operation of the apparatus will be apparent from the description of the mechanism. The valves being properly adjusted to regulate the air pressures on the valves, the fabric 58 is started by clamping it between opposite grippers. The motor 28 is then started to draw the fabric into the apparatus. Thereafter the chains carrying the grippers are automatically caused; to follow the adjacent margins of the fabric as it is presented thereto.

Very sensitive control of the apparatus is provided as the chains are moved laterally to follow the margins and shifting of heavy rolls of fabric is avoided.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for treating sheet material, said Valve 88 is held closed,

apparatus comprising a pair of tentering chains each having grippers for clamping the margins of the sheet material, guide means for said chains comprising a pair of generally parallel guide rails and in extension thereof a pair of arms each pivoted for lateral swinging movement at an end of a guide rail in the plane of travel of one of said chains, each arm having a free-running guide sprocket mounted thereon for engaging one of said chains in advance of said guide rails, cam means on said arms for opening said grippers in the region of approach of the sheet material to said grippers, means for swinging said arms toward and away from the margins of the sheet material, means for controlling such swinging movement, and fingers connected with the last said means for contacting margins of said fabric and controlling said arm-swinging means to maintain alignment of the chains with said margins.

2. Apparatus for treating sheet material, said apparatus comprising a pair of tentering chains each having grippers for clamping the margins of the sheet material, guide means for said chains comprising a pair of generally parallel guide rails and in extension thereof a pair of arms each pivoted for lateral swinging movement at an end of a guide rail in the plane of travel of one of said chains, each arm having a plurality of guide sprockets mounted thereon for engaging one of said chains in advance of said guide rails, cam means on said arms for opening said grippers in the region of approach of the sheet material to said grippers, fiuid 0perated cylinders for swinging said arms toward and away from the margins of the sheet material, valves for controlling said cylinders in such swinging. movement, and fingers on said valves for contacting margins of said fabric and controlling said arm-swinging means to maintain alignment of the chains with said margins.

HARVEY L. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 977,146 Von Glahn Nov. 29, 1910 1,858,436 Dickhaut May 17, 1932 1,982,685 Muller Dec. 4, 1934 2,088,984 Tandel Aug. 3, 1937 2,114,716 Kunzle Apr. 19, 1938 2,381,030 King Oct. 5, 1943

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