EP0953667B1 - Method and device for treating tubular knitwear - Google Patents

Abstract

Tubular knitted fabric, with an elastomer and natural fiber content, is relaxed while spread out into a tube. It is heated below the softening temp. of the elastomer and moved through at an initial speed. It is then fixed longitudinally and laterally at a different speed at a temp. which softens the elastomer fibers. The fabric is cooled at a temp. below the softening point of the elastomer. The speed of fabric movement during fixing is faster than the first speed. The fabric is fixed with simultaneous stretching of the material across the dia. and along its length within a thermal fixing chamber using a circular spreader. The fabric is drawn out of the chamber at the second speed level by a rotating roller assembly. The relaxation temp. is 80-110 degrees C. The thermal fixing temperature is ≥ 200 degrees C while the material is moved at a speed of ≥ 18 m/min. The fixing temp. is ≤ 200 degrees C at a fabric movement speed of ≤ 18 m/min. The heat is delivered by a high temperature medium, and the cooling is through a low temperature medium. The heating during relaxation is preferably through high temperature steam. The fabric, held out by a circular spreader, is at least affected for its length during the relaxation phase. The circular spreader is within the relaxation and/or thermal fixing chamber. The fabric length is affected by rotating roller assemblies upstream and downstream of the circular spreader. The speeds of the roller assemblies are set independently of each other. An Independent claim is included for an assembly with a relaxation chamber (7) fitted with an inlet (6) and outlet (13) opening, and a heater (12). The circular spreader (9) in the relaxation chamber (7) is flanked by upstream and downstream rotating roller units (5,15). A thermal fixing chamber (18), separated from the relaxation chamber (7), has an inlet (21) and outlet (22) opening and has a circular spreader (19) occupying most of it, flanked by upstream and downstream rotating roller assemblies (16,35). A heating unit (24) generates a high temp. medium, to be blown into the chamber (18) by a fan (28). A cooling chamber is after the outlet opening (22), with the circular spreader (19) extending at least partially into the cooling chamber.

Description

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for treatment tubular knitted fabric made from a proportion of natural fibers and from one There is a proportion of elastomeric fibers.

Tubular knitted fabric, which is made from the above-mentioned fiber materials, is prestressed in a treatment process and heat-set in a desired width.
Thermal fixation in about half the unclamping area of the tubular raw material is ideal. By adjusting the width and length of this raw material, the desired width and the desired square meter weight can be precisely specified using suitable devices.
To fix the tubular raw material, it was previously necessary to cut this raw material, to stretch it flat in a tenter and to fix it in a heat setting unit. The heat setting takes place in the plastic area of the elastomer material at approx. 170 to 190 ° C and with an exposure time of 20 to 40 seconds. The material web is then sewn together again to form a tube for further processing, for example the dyeing process, in order to prevent the edges of the goods from rolling in and the uneven dyeing associated therewith.
Relaxation is usually carried out before heat setting. Relaxing serves to maintain a uniform appearance of the knitwear.
Relaxation takes place through heat treatment at 100 to 110 ° C.
The previous heat-setting was costly due to the cutting and re-sewing of the tubular goods and entailed a corresponding material scrap.

The earlier European patent application EP 0 902 116 A2 (state of the art according to Art. 54 (3) EPC) describes a method for thermosetting elastic tubular textile goods, which textile goods have a proportion of natural fibers and a proportion of synthetic fibers. When heat setting, the goods go through at least one basic treatment stage in a stretched state. The basic treatment step is preceded by a stage of treatment with ged _e hnter goods guide in which the goods are first heated to at least the softening temperature of the synthetic fiber portion and is abruptly subsequently cooled to a temperature below the envisaged for the intended use of the product temperature range.

Furthermore, from DE-OS 23 31 340 a method and a device for heat treatment is known, with which or a heat treatment of, for example, tubular cloth or fabric, in particular tubular knitted or knitted goods, which goods can also consist of synthetic fibers ,
The heat treatment of the tubular goods is characterized in that the tubular goods are continuously passed through a heat treatment zone in a first step with simultaneous expansion thereof and thereby exposed to heated air, and in a second step the tubular goods are treated with cooling air.
A spreading arrangement for expanding the tubular goods is provided as a device for carrying out the goods handling, the spreading arrangement extending along the goods handling chamber and through the entrance and exit opening.
After the exit opening of the heat treatment chamber, a cooling device is provided, through which the tubular goods are also continuously passed until they are finally stacked or deposited in layers.
The above-mentioned relevant prior art does not disclose at which temperature and speed parameters tubular knitted fabrics with a proportion of natural fibers and with a proportion of elastomeric fibers are subjected to one of the relaxation and the fixing as work steps for heat treatment and the work step cooling, in order to to achieve tubular, elastic knitwear as the end product.

The invention has for its object a method and an apparatus for Treat to create tubular knitted fabric containing elastomer, through which an elastic knitted fabric is achieved as the end product.

This task is solved according to the process by the characteristic features of the Claim 1 and device according to the characterizing features of Claim 14.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention according to claim 1, it is provided that the knitwear is guided continuously before the heat setting at a transport speed v ₁ in a relaxation chamber which has a temperature T ₁ which is below the softening temperature T _{0 of} the elastomeric fiber material. The relaxation chamber is also constructed similar to a heat-setting chamber with regard to the width and length expansion of the knitted fabric, with the difference that the relaxation chamber is preferably heated by steam, and only temperatures T ₁ between 80 ° C and 110 ° C for relaxation at a transport speed v ₁ of preferably less than 18 m / min. An electric, gas or oil-powered heating is also possible.
The relaxed knitted fabric is heat-set at a temperature T ₂ and a second transport speed v ₂ , which is greater than the transport speed v ₁ .
After heat setting, the knitted fabric is cooled at a transport speed of at least v ₂ to a temperature T which is below the softening temperature T _{0 of} the elastomeric fiber material.

The relaxation chamber and the heat-setting chamber can merge directly into one another or separated from each other by an intermediate chamber.

According to claim 1 it can further be provided according to the invention that the tubular knitted fabric is continuously fed to a heat-setting chamber, the heat-setting chamber passes through at a temperature T ₃ and its length and width are expanded by suitable devices. The temperature T ₃ in the heat-setting chamber is greater than 200 ° C. and the transport speed v _{2 of} the tubular goods is greater than 18 m / min.
After heat setting, the knitted fabric passes through process step c) of claim 1.

The method according to the invention has the advantage that the tubular knitted fabric can be processed as tubular knitted fabric directly, ie avoiding the above-mentioned cutting and re-stitching, and that a high transport speed v _{2 is achieved} during the heat setting due to the high fixing temperatures used.

The knitwear is stretched in width by circular spreaders, whereas the Elongation by means of independently adjustable speed, above (upstream) and below (downstream) of the rotary spreader, rotationally driven roller arrangements.

Heating the heat setting chamber is e.g. by blowing a high temperature Medium reached, the temperature of the medium, e.g. Air, before blowing is achieved by an electric, gas or oil powered heater.

After fixing, the tubular knitted fabric is cooled in a nearly round-spread and in the elongated state in a cooling chamber to a temperature T which is below the softening temperature T _{0 of} the elastomeric fiber material in order to fix the knitted fabric in the predetermined width and length; the fixed knitted fabric is then led out of the system.

Figur 1:

eine teilweise im Schnitt dargestellte Heizkammer einer ersten Ausführungsform der Relaxier- und Thermofixierkammer mit gasbetriebener Heizung in der Seitenansicht;

Figur 2:

eine Schnittdarstellung der Relaxier- und Thermofixierkammer gem. Figur 1 in der Vorderansicht;

Figur 3:

eine Schnittdarstellung nach der Linie II in Figur 2;

Figur 4:

die Draufsicht der Relaxier- und Thermofixierkammer gem. Figur 2;

Figur 5:

eine gegenüber Figur 2 abgewandelte Ausführungsform mit direkt ineinander übergehenden Relaxier- und Thermofixierkammem;

Figur 6:

eine gegenüber Figur 2 abgewandelte Ausführungsform mit elektrischer Heizung;

Figur 7:

eine Schnittdarstellung der Anlage mit einer Relaxier- und Fixierkammer in der Vorderansicht und mit einem der Relaxierkammer vorgeschalteten Dämpfer und

Figur 8:

eine weitere Schnittdarstellung der Anlage mit einer Relaxier- und Fixierkammer in der Vorderansicht mit Mitteln zur Dampfzuführung in der Relaxierkammer.

Furthermore, the invention is explained in more detail using several exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing figures. Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Figure 1:

a side view of a heating chamber shown in section of a first embodiment of the relaxation and heat-setting chamber with gas-powered heating;

Figure 2:

a sectional view of the relaxation and heat-setting chamber acc. Figure 1 in front view;

Figure 3:

a sectional view along the line II in Figure 2;

Figure 4:

the top view of the relaxation and heat setting chamber acc. Figure 2;

Figure 5:

an embodiment modified compared to Figure 2 with directly merging relaxation and thermofixing chambers;

Figure 6:

an embodiment modified from Figure 2 with electrical heating;

Figure 7:

a sectional view of the system with a relaxation and fixing chamber in the front view and with a damper upstream of the relaxation chamber and

Figure 8:

a further sectional view of the system with a relaxation and fixing chamber in the front view with means for supplying steam in the relaxation chamber.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the tubular knitted fabric 2 is one Goods stack 1 removed and stirred via a so-called inlet spreader 3, the Knitwear 2 smoothes. The knitted fabric then runs over a deflection roller 4 and is detected by an inlet roller arrangement 5 with rotationally driven rollers, which the Knitwear 2 transported to a relaxation chamber 7.

The relaxation chamber 7 is completely insulated and has a sealed inlet opening 6 Mistake. The relaxation chamber 7 serves to relax and preheat the tubular knitted fabric 2. The width expansion, i.e. the so-called Circular spreading of the knitted fabric 2 is carried out by a circular spreader 9 known per se made by means of appropriate fixing rollers 8 and 11 in the relaxation chamber 7 is arranged and stored. The spreader 9 has in a known manner on his Perimeter a plurality of roller segments 10. Depending on the chosen dimension of the radial Spreading of the spreading arms with the roller segments 10 arranged thereon becomes one Circular spreading of the knitted fabric achieved.

Steam direct heating is used as the heater for the relaxation chamber 7, the steam opening into the relaxation chamber 7 via a steam pipe 12 which has a large number of outlet openings. In addition to the required heat T ₁ of 80 ° C to 110 ° C, the steam also brings with it a desired moisture level for relaxation.

According to Figure 2 is downstream of the circular spreader and outside of the Relaxation chamber 7 in an intermediate chamber 14 with a take-off roller arrangement 15 arranged several take-off rollers, of which at least one take-off roller not one shown rotary actuator has. The speed of rotation of the inlet and take-off roller assemblies 5 and 15 are steplessly controllable and adjustable in their Rotation speed changeable relative to each other to a calculated To be able to build up longitudinal tension in the tubular knitted fabric 2.

The relaxed knitted fabric 2 leaves the relaxation chamber 7 through an outlet opening 13 and enters the intermediate chamber 14, in which the take-off trolley arrangement 15 and an inlet roller arrangement 16 arranged downstream of the take-off roller arrangement 15 are positioned. After the knitted fabric 2 has left the inlet roller arrangement 16, the knitted fabric 2 enters the heat setting chamber 18.
The heat-setting chamber 18 is also completely insulated and has an approximately round inlet and outlet opening 21; 22 at the top and bottom for feeding or withdrawing the knitted fabric 2. Inside the chamber 18 there is a round spreader 19 known per se, the lower end of which is through the Opening 21 and its upper end protrudes through opening 22, the associated lower and upper fixing rollers 17, 23 also being arranged outside the heat-setting chamber 18. A round nozzle 29 is mounted directly above the inlet opening 21 in the heat-setting chamber 18, through which hot air flows into the chamber 18 at a temperature T ₃ . The hot air acts like an airlock and "seals" the chamber 18 to the outside. In the case of small goods diameters, additional cover plates (not shown) can be attached. The blown hot air is generated by a heating device 24 installed in an outer air shaft 30. The air is heated, for example by means of a direct gas heater 25, to the temperature T ₃ from 200 ° C. to 250 ° C. The hot air is transported by a blower 28 to the round nozzle 29 and blown into the space 18a of the chamber 18. The “used” hot air is drawn off through an air shaft 30 or through an exhaust ring nozzle (not shown) and the exhaust air shaft 30 and is circulated back to the gas heater 25. A dust filter is preferably provided in front of the gas heater 25. At the upper end of the heat-setting chamber 18, an outlet opening 22 leads into the space 31 a of a cooling chamber 31.

An inlet roller arrangement 16 and a take-off roller arrangement 35 are positioned in the intermediate chamber 14 and in the outlet region of the cooling chamber 31. The two roller arrangements 16, 35 each have at least one rotary drive, not shown, the speeds of which can be set and regulated independently of one another.
In combination with the rotary drives of the roller assemblies 16, 35 and the adjustment drive for the radial adjustment of the roller segments 20 of the circular spreader 19, different longitudinal and width tensions of the knitted fabric 2 can be achieved.

In the cooling chamber 31, a round nozzle 33 is attached directly above the lower opening 22, through which the circular spreader 19 is guided, through which cold air with a temperature T, which is below the softening temperature T _{0 of} the elastomeric fiber material, from the outside via a blower 32 is sucked in and blown onto the goods. This circular nozzle 33 also acts like an airlock towards the heat-setting chamber 18. Above the air nozzle 33 is the upper end of the circular spreader 19 with the fixing rollers 23. The “used” cold air leaves the cooling chamber 31 via an exhaust duct 34.

The cooled knitted fabric is in the exit region of the cooling chamber 31 arranged take-off roller arrangement 35 is detected with a rotary drive, not shown and spread out flat in the direction of a fold layer 36. The Rotary drive of the take-off roller arrangement 35 is infinitely variable. The drive is furthermore the take-off roller arrangement 35 for driving the lower inlet roller arrangement 16, which is arranged in front of the heat setting chamber 18, in the rotational speed relative changeable to achieve the calculated longitudinal elongation in the knitted fabric.

In the so-called outlet field of the system, a folder 36 is attached, which the Knitted fabric 2 piled up to a stack 37.

With the thermal fixation device described, the circular spreader an effective length of about 3 m, with an assumed fixing time of 7 seconds Goods throughput speed or transport speed (v) of 25 m / min reachable.

The sectional view in FIG. 3 again shows the arrangement and shape of the round nozzle 29, which is arranged in a ring around the round spreader 19 of the heat setting chamber 18. The round nozzle 29 is supplied with hot air by the blower 28 arranged outside the heat-setting chamber 18.
One can also clearly see in the relaxation chamber 7 the roller segments 10 of the circular spreader 9, which are mounted so that they can be expanded radially outwards, so that an adjustable width expansion of the knitted fabric 2 running over the circular spreader 9 is possible.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the relaxation and heat-fixing device. The directions shown by the arrow show the path that the knitted fabric takes the device takes. The knitted fabric occurs in the area of the deflection roller 4 in the Device is then through the inlet roller assembly 5 in the Transported relaxation chamber 7, then passes through the relaxation chamber 7 and Thermofixierkammer 18 and finally leaves the device on the rotationally driven take-off roller arrangement 35 in the direction of the fold layer 36. Furthermore, the gas supply 26 for the gas heater 25 is shown schematically, the Gas is fed via a blower and a pipe to the burner of the gas heater 25 (see also Figure 1).

The arrangement shown in Figure 5 corresponds essentially to the arrangement of Figure 2. The main difference to the arrangement according to Figure 2 is in Formation of the relaxation chamber 7. Here there is no intermediate chamber 14 as is the case is shown in Figure 2, but the entire volume is through the relaxation chamber 7th filled. The lower fixing rollers 11 and 17 of the circular spreaders 9 and 19 as well the take-off roller arrangement 15 of the relaxation chamber and the inlet roller arrangement 16 of the heat-setting chamber are arranged inside the relaxation chamber 7. advantage this arrangement compared to that of Figure 2 is less heat loss between the Relaxation chamber 7 and the heat-setting chamber 18.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 6 essentially corresponds to the arrangement shown in FIG. The difference lies in the type of heating, which is now not designed as a gas heater but rather as an electric heater 40. It is advantageous that the electric heater 40 has greater operational reliability and is easier to maintain than a gas heater.
It is also advantageous that the relaxation chamber and the heat-setting chamber can be designed and used as a compact machine unit (system) or as individual machines.

FIG. 7 shows an improved device for treating tubular knitted fabrics.
In the relaxation chamber 7, there is no need for a relatively expensive circular spreader. Instead, the relaxation chamber 7 is equipped with a plurality of deflecting elements 7a arranged at a distance from one another, for example in the form of rollers, over which the tubular fabric 2 is guided in a flatly spread shape. The relaxation chamber 7 is preceded by a device 41, known per se, for applying steam to the goods 2, whereby the goods 2 are relaxed for the first time in a flat state.
The goods 2 pass into the relaxation chamber 7 via a goods passage 7b provided in the wall of the relaxation chamber 7, in which the goods are passed through an arrangement of so-called draw-off rollers 15 when they are deflected several times and finally reach the thennofixing chamber 18.
As shown in FIG. 5, the relaxation chamber 7 is approximately L-shaped. The heat-setting chamber 18 adjoins the horizontally formed section of the relaxation chamber upstream in the transport direction 42 of the tubular fabric 2. The lower end of the circular spreader 19 projecting into the relaxation chamber 7 opens the tubular fabric 2 which has been spread out flat; whereby the tubular fabric is drawn through the thermofixing chamber 7 in an almost circular shape in the manner described above.

It should be noted that the relaxation chamber 7, is supplied by the Therm _l ofixierkammer 18, starting, through a passage 18b with the throttle valve 18b 'and the Warendurchfllhrung 18c in the bottom of heat-setting chamber 18 with hot air.

FIG. 8 shows an improved device for treating tubular knitted fabrics. Here too, a relatively cost-intensive circular spreader is dispensed with in the relaxation chamber 7. Likewise, a device upstream of the relaxation chamber 7 for damping the flat tubular material 2 is dispensed with. The steaming of the goods 2 takes place instead in the relaxation chamber 7, which is supplied with hot steam via pipes 12.
The knitted fabric 2, deflected several times in the relaxation chamber 7, after relaxing, reaches a preheating chamber 43 which is arranged separately from the relaxation chamber 7 and in which a rotationally driven take-off roller arrangement 15 is arranged. The knitted fabric 2 is guided through the arrangement 15 and opened by a circular spreader 19 supported in the preheating chamber 43 and guided into the heat-setting chamber 18 arranged after the preheating chamber 43 in an almost round shape.

The preheating chamber 43 is either over the goods diameter 18c or over a independent heating device heated.

drawing Legend

1

stack of goods

2

knitwear

3

Inlet spreader

4

deflecting

5

Running-roller arrangement

6

inlet port

7

relaxation chamber

7a

deflecting

7b

Were implementing

8th

fuser rollers

9

Circular expander.

10

roll segments

11

fuser rollers

12

steam pipe

13

Aüslassöffnung

14

intermediate chamber

15

Deduction roller assembly

16

Running-roller arrangement

17

Fixierwälzen

18

heat-setting

18a

room

18b

channel

18b '

throttle

18c

Were implementing

19

Circular expander

20

roller segment

21

inlet port

22

Aüslassöffnung

23

fuser rollers

24

heater

25

gas heating

26

gas supply

27

Blower (supply air for gas line)

28

Blower

29

Round nozzle

30

ventilation shaft

31

cooling chamber

31a

room

32

Blower (cold air)

33

Round nozzle

34

ventilation shaft

35

Deduction roller assembly

36

tucker

37

stack of goods

38

steam supply

40

electric heating

41

damping

42

transport direction

43

preheating

Claims (19)

1. Method for the treatment of tubular knitted goods, which consist of a proportion of natural fibres and a proportion of elastomeric fibres, characterised by the successive process steps:

   a) relaxation of the knitted goods in a substantially circularly expanded state under the action of heat at a first transport speed (v₁), the effective heat having a temperature (T₁) that lies below the softening temperature (T₀) of the elastomeric fibre material,

   b) setting the breadth and length of the relaxed knitted goods by the action of heat at a second transport speed (v₂), the effective heat having at least a temperature (T₂) that causes softening of the elastomeric fibre material and

   c) cooling the knitted goods heat-set in breadth and length, whilst maintaining at least the second transport speed (v₂), to a temperature (T), which lies below the softening temperature (T₀) of the elastomeric fibre material.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that setting of the knitted goods is effected by simultaneous stretching of the knitted goods in diameter and length inside a heat-setting chamber by means of a circular expander and at the second transport speed (v₂) of a rotatably driven roller arrangement that draws the knitted goods from the heat-setting chamber.
3. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the relaxation temperature (T₁) lies between 80°C and 110°C.
4. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the second transport speed (v₂) is greater than the first transport speed (v₁).
5. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the second transport speed (v₂) is less than 18 m/min.
6. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the heat-setting temperature (T₃) at a second transport speed (v₂) of more than 18 m/min is more than 200°C.
7. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the temperature (T₂) at a second transport speed (v₂) of less than 18 m/min is less than 200°C.
8. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the action of heat is effected by a substantially high-temperature medium.
9. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that cooling of the heat-set knitted goods is effected by a low-temperature medium.
10. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the action of heat during relaxation is effected preferably by means of high-temperature water vapour.
11. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that during relaxation the substantially circularly expanded knitted goods are influenced at least in their length.
12. Method according to claim 1 and 2, characterised in that the substantially circular expansion of the knitted goods is effected by a circular expander known per se arranged inside the relaxation and/or heat-setting chamber.
13. Method according to claim 1 and 2, characterised in that the length of the knitted goods in the heat-setting chamber is influenced by a respective rotatably driven roller arrangement provided downstream and upstream of the circular expander, the rotary drive of the roller arrangements being variable in speed independently of one another.
14. Device for implementing the method according to claim 1, characterised by a relaxation chamber (7) having an inlet opening (6) and an outlet opening (13),
    a circular expander (9) arranged inside the relaxation chamber (7),
    rotatably driven roller arrangements (5,15) having a variable-speed drive and disposed respectively upstream and downstream of the circular expander (9),
    a heating device (12) connected with the relaxation chamber (7),
    a heat-setting chamber (18) arranged separately from the relaxation chamber (7) and having an inlet opening (21) and an outlet opening (22),
    a circular expander (19) arranged largely within the heat-setting chamber (18), rotatably driven roller arrangements (16, 35) having a variable-speed drive and disposed respectively upstream and downstream of the circular expander (19),
    a heating device (24) for producing a high-temperature medium and a fan (28) for blowing the high-temperature medium into the heat-setting chamber (18), and
    a cooling chamber (31) arranged after the outlet opening (22) of the heat-setting chamber (18), the circular expander (19) extending partly into the cooling chamber (31).
15. Device according to claim 14, characterised in that an intermediate chamber (14) is arranged between the outlet opening (13) of the relaxation chamber (7) and the inlet opening (21) of the heat-setting chamber (18).
16. Device according to claim 15, characterised in that a first rotatably driven roller arrangement (15) of the relaxation chamber (7) and a first rotatably driven roller arrangement (16) of the heat-setting chamber (18) are arranged inside the intermediate chamber (14).
17. Device according to claim 15, characterised in that the roller arrangement (15) of the relaxation chamber (7) and the roller arrangement (16) of the heat-setting chamber (18) are arranged inside the relaxation chamber (7).
18. Device according to claim 14, characterised in that the relaxation chamber (7) merges directly into the heat-setting chamber (18).
19. Device according to claim 14, characterised in that the heating device (24) comprises an electrically-heated, gas-heated or oil-heated heating system (25; 40).

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