Apparatus for irregularly dyeing yarn and the like

Claim 1

A YARN PRINTING MACHINE FOR DYEING IRREGULARLY SPACED PORTIONS OF A MOVING SHEET OF YARNS COMPRISING A SERIES OF SPACED PRINTING ROLLS OF VARYING DIAMETERS, A DYE TRANSFERRING ROLL SPACED BENEATH EACH PRINTING ROLL AND ABOVE WHICH SAID SHEET MOVES IN NORMALLY SPACED RELATION THERETO, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING DIFFERENT COLORS OF LIQUID DYE TO THE PERIPHERIES OF SUCCESSIVE TRANSFERRING ROLLS, AT LEAST ONE SEGMENTAL PRINTING BAR FIXED TO THE PERIPHERY OF EACH PRINTING ROLL AND BEING ADAPTED TO PRESS SAID SHEET AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE TRANSFERRING ROLL THEREBENEATH DURING EACH REVOLUTION OF THE RESPECTIVE PRINTING ROLL, AND MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID PRINTING ROLLS AND SAID TRANSFERRING ROLLS AT SUCH SPEEDS THAT THE PERIPHERIES OF THE TRANSFERRING ROLLS AND THE OUTER SURFACES OF ALL THE PRINTING BARS MOVE AT THE SAME SPEED AND IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE MOVING SHEET OF YARNS, THE DIAMETERS OF SAID PRINTING ROLLS VARYING WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER IN A RELATIONSHIP NECESSITATING A PLURALITY OF REVOLUTIONS OF EACH ROLL TO FORM A PATTERN REPEAT AND WHEREIN THE QUOTIENT OBTAINED BY DIVIDING THE DIAMETER OF THE LARGEST PRINTING ROLL BY THE DIAMETER OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER PRINTING ROLL IS A FRACTIONAL NUMBER.