Compliant drive link for tenter

Abstract

A tentering machine having a compliant drive link allows for a considerable rate of stretch in a tentered fabric, web or film without the distortion or bowing frequently observed with the tentering machines of the prior art. The tentering machine includes two conveyor tracks adjacent to and facing one another, each conveyor track having a number of fabric edge holders slidingly directable thereabout. A fabric, web or film, grasped on opposite edges by the fabric edge holders, is conveyed thereby through the tentering machine in the space between the two conveyor tracks. Widthwise stretching occurs where the conveyor tracks of the tentering machine have sections on each side of the fabric which diverge from one another, while the two conveyor tracks may be parallel to each other on the two sides of the fabric in applications where prevention of shrinkage is of interest. The fabric edge holders on each conveyor track are run at a substantially common speed by drive chains. Elongated, spring-like compliant drive links extend from the drive chains to the fabric edge holders, but are not connected thereto. The compliant drive links allow adjacent fabric edge holders to move relative to one another, permitting a considerable rate of stretch without the distortion or bowing of the fabric, web or film observed during the use of prior-art tentering machines.