Apparatus for handling materials in strand or rope form

摘要

Apparatus for treating textile material in strand or rope form comprises a tapered roller which is driven to advance the material in a given direction over the roller and a restraining member which is situated transversely of the direction of travel of the material, the rate of travel of the material being determined by the radius of the roller at the point of contact of the material which is automatically determined by the tension in the material between the roll and the restraining member. Figs. 2 and 3 show the application to a washer comprising a liquid containing tank 14 partitioned at 15 through which the material M in rope form is passed in zig-zag fashion via driven tapered rollers 18 associated with tapered rollers 17 and lower restraining rollers 19. The material is prevented from running-off the rollers by upper and lower limit rods 38 and the tension in the material may be regulated by angular adjustment of roller 19 by arm 27 and handle 28. When roller 19 has been set to any given angle the material M moves towards the end of the roller 18 having the lesser or greater radius in dependence upon the tension in the material being greater or lesser respectively than that existing at an equilibrium condition. The upper squeeze roller may be biased downwardly against roller 18 by the provision of compression springs, (Fig. 5, not shown) or the nip between them may be inclined at an angle to the horizontal (Fig. 9, not shown). In a modification (Fig 6, not shown) a single tapered drive roller is employed instead of the squeeze rollers 17, 18 shown in Fig. 3. The tapered drive rollers may be slotted (Figs. 7, 8, not shown). The bottom roller may be free to move angularly (Fig. 10, not shown) the weight of the bottom roller then determining the tension on the material being treated or the roller may be tapered (Fig. 11, not shown) or replaced by a single inclined bar having flanged ends, (Fig. 12, not shown).