GB2059477A

GB2059477A - Stretcher for tubular fabric

Info

Publication number: GB2059477A
Application number: GB8025586A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: WEISS TEXTILMASCHINEN
Current assignee: WEISS TEXTILMASCHINEN
Priority date: 1979-09-27
Filing date: 1980-08-06
Publication date: 1981-04-23
Also published as: FR2466562A1; IT8068356A0; GB2059477B; FR2466562B1; DE2939085A1; IT1129140B; DE2939085C2

Abstract

To provide for reliable relative locking of two telescopic tubes 31, 32, connected respectively to longitudinal webs 10, 11 of an internal stretcher for tubular fabric and providing a transverse support 13 therebetween, and to permit release of the tubes 31, 32 for adjustment of the spacing between the webs 10, 11, an axial threaded rod 34 secured to the one tube 31 extends into a control tube 35 one end of which abuts a swivel lever 47 and the other end of which is radially split and is formed with a frusto-conical stop nut 39 shaped to be complementary to a conical surface of a foot part 37 secured to the tube 32, a spring 43 loading the nut 39 to the position shown to engage with the thread on the rod 34 to lock the two tubes. For releasing the tubes to adjust their overall length, lever 47 is swivelled anticlockwise. This moves the nut 39 to the left and enables it to expand radially to disengage from the threads of the rod 34. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Temple or stretcher for tubular fabric This invention relates to a temple or stretcher for arrangement within tubular fabric, in the form of a flat or shallow frame which is adjustable in width by means of telescopic tubes which are positively lockable and are connected, at their outer ends, by way of respective head parts, to the frame.

A temple having these features is known from United States Patent Specification No. 34 79 706.

It has the disadvantage, however, that it is adjustable only in course stages. Moreover, in order to adjust it, one has to reach right into the centre of the device, or the temple has to be removed from apparatus in which it is being used.

Thus, not only is the setting period of the apparatus relatively extended, but also some force is required to remove the temple from the device.

Accordingly, there is also a considerable risk of accident and a danger that parts of the temple may be damaged as a result of improper handling.

Known from United States Patent Specification No. 25 53 074 is a temple in which a more sensitive adjustment can be achieved with the aid of an adjusting spindle. However, operation of the temple for the purposes of adjusting it is complicated. Moreover, it does not have a locking device, so that there is a danger of it shifting in operation. This danger is further increased by the presence of an external sleeve with which the tubular fabric can come into contact.

The problem underlying the invention is to design a temple or stretcher for arrangement within tubular fabric, in such a way that its width adjustment can be effected in stepless manner, without it having to be removed from a mechanism of the apparatus, for this purpose, and without there being the risk of self-adjustment.

The problem posed is solved, in accordance with the invention, by providing a temple or stretcher for arrangement within tubular fabric, in the form of a flat frame which is adjustable in width by means of telescopic tubes which are positively lockable and are connected, at their outer ends, by way of respective head parts, to the frame, characterised in that fastened rigidly to the head part of the outer telescopic tube is one end of a concentric threaded spindle which projects into a concentric control tube which is axially displaceable in the inner telescopic tube against spring force and arranged at the inner end of which is a split expansible stop nut which can be brought into engagement with the threaded spindle and which represents an abutment for the inner end of the inner telescopic tube.

The split stop nut advantageously has a frusto conical end which, in the rest position, butts against a matching cone surface at the inner end of the inner telescopic tube.

The stop nut which engages into the threaded spindle ensures secure locking of the two telescopic tubes which together form a transverse support for the adjustable frame, in the set relative position. This secure locking is very important, since longitudinal adjustment of this transverse support under the loading of the frame by the tubular fabric, and also by advance rollers butting under pressure from the outside against the temple, must not occur. On the other hand, with the stop nut disconnected from the threaded spindle, the two telescopic tubes can be mutually displaced in stepless manner, so that very accurate adjustment in width of the temple is possible.

A compression spring, which biasses the stop nut into its engagement position and rest position and against the force of which the control tube is displaceable for opening the stop nut, is advantageously designed as a helical compression spring which is disposed around the control tube and which abuts by one end against the inner end of the inner telescopic tube and by the other end against a stop on the control tube.

Unlocking and locking of the telescopic tubes is advantageously effected by means of a two-armed swivel lever which is mounted in the head part of the inner telescopic tube and which protrudes through a lateral opening in the inner telescopic tube and one arm of which butts against the end of the displaceable control tube. On this swivelling lever there may act an adjusting drive which at the same time is used for other machine parts, for example for conveyor-belt-supporting frame parts and pairs of advance rollers of the temple.

A temple designed in accordance with the invention thus does not have to be removed from any mechanism or its machine for its adjustment.

Rapid adjustment of the device to tubular fabrics having different diameters is thus ensured, and the burdening of an operator with the risk of accident as well as danger of damage to the temple are completely avoided.

One exemplified embodiment of the temple in accordance with the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an elevation illustrating the exemplified temple which is for a shrinkage treatment device for knitted hosiery; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the transverse supports, comprising two telescopic tubes, of the temple of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the line ill-Ill of Fig. 2.

The temple illustrated in the drawings comprises a flat frame which includes two identical longitudinal webs 10 and 11 which are arranged in mirror-inverted manner relative to one another and which are connected to one another by two transverse supports 12 and 1 3 which are each adjustable in length. The temple is intended to be arranged completely inside a knitted hose 14 which is to be treated and which is merely indicated with its contours. The temple is held there by quasi-positive engagement therewith of two outer advance rollers 1 5 and 16, which constitute a first pair of advance rollers, these locating respectively with the longitudinal webs 10 and 11.Adjustable holders for the pair of advance rollers 1 5 and 16, and for a further pair of advance rollers 29 and 30, and also further parts of a shrinkage treatment device (with which the temple is employed) are not shown in Fig. 1.

At the feed end, the two longitudinal webs 10 and 11 of the temple have inwardly-curved end portions or lead-on portions, 1 Oa and 11 a to facilitate slipping on of the knitted hose 14. In the central region of the temple, and up to its other end, which is its of fake end, its periphery is formed by respective endless conveyor belts 17 and 18 which are guided in the respective longitudinal webs 10 and 11 by means of freely rotatably mounted guide rollers 19, 20, 21 and 22, 23, 24 respectively and deviating rollers 25, 26 and 27, 28 respectively.The two advance rollers 1 5 and 1 6 locate with the respective guide rollers 19, 20, and 22, 23, with interposition of the knitted hose 14 which is thereby pressed against the conveyor belts 17, 18. In so doing, in addition to locating the frame-like temple, the rollers 15, 16 impart drive to the conveyor belts 17 and 18.

For adjusting the width of the temple, both of the transverse supports 12 and 13 are formed so as to be adjustable in length and comprise two telescopic tubes namely an outer telescopic tube 31 and an inner telescopic tube 32, as shown in Fig. 2. The transverse supports 12 and 13 are each provided with a locking device, evident from Figs. 2 and 3, for fixing a selected relative position of the two telescopic tubes 31 and 32 by locking them relative to one another The outer telescopic tube 31 of each transverse support 13 (or 12) is closed, at its end connected to the longitudinal web 10, by a head part 33 in which a threaded spindle 34, extending concentrically in the transverse support 13, is fastened by one of its ends.The other or inner free end of the threaded spindle 34 lies within a control tube 35 into which the threaded spindle 34 projects and which is mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable in a head part 36 of the inner telescopic tube 32 of the transverse support 13. The control tube 35 is, moreover, freely movable in a foot part 37 with which the inner end of the inner telescopic tube 32 is sealed. The foot part 37 is securely connected, by means of a screw 38 to the inner telescopic tube 32.

Arranged at the inner end, extending through the foot part 37, of the control tube 35 is a three part stop nut 39 comprising three parts 39a, 39h and 39c which can move apart radially with simultaneous enlargement of separating slots 40 therebetween, as is evident from Fig. 3, and can thereby be brought out of engagement with the central threaded spindle 34. The stop nut 39 thus forms a disengageable coupling part. The outer contour of the parts 39a, 39b and 39c of the stop nut 39 is frusto-conical and co-operates with a cone surface 42 at the front end of the foot part 37.In the rest position of the device, the stop nut 39 is drawn against this cone surface 42 by a helical compression spring 43 which is compressed between a stop ring 44 fixedly clamped on the control tube 35, and the inner end face of the foot part 37 of the inner telescopic tube 32. Upon being drawn against the cone surface 42, the parts 39a to 39c of the stop nut 39 are forced together and the stop nut 39 is brought into engagement, by an internal thread therein, with the external thread of the threaded spindle 34. Then the outer and inner telescopic tubes 31 and 32 are prevented from carrying out any relative displacement.

If a length adjustment of the transverse support 1 3 in the one or other direction (indicated in Fig. 1 by a double arrow 45) to enlarge or reduce the spacing between the two longitudinal webs 10 and 11, is desired, a two-armed swivel lever 47, swingable about an axis 46 in the head part 36 of the inner telescopic tube 32 (see Fig. 2) is swivelled in the anti-clockwise direction as considered in Fig. 2. The two-armed swivel lever 47 then butts by its inner lever arm 47a against an end disc 48 sealing the end of the control tube 35 which is within the head part 36. The other lever arm 47b of the lever 47 projects outwardly through a lateral opening 49 in the inner telescopic tube 32 and is coupled with an actuating device (not shown in the drawings) by way of a lever linkage.Upon the occurrence of an adjusting movement of the two-armed swivel lever 47 in the anti-clockwise direction, the control tube 35 is shifted to the left (considered in Fig. 2) against the force of the helical compression spring 43 relative to the inner telescopic tube 32 and the foot part 37 thereof. In this way, the frusto-conical end 41 of the stop nut 39 is lifted away from the cone surface 42 of the foot part 37.

As a result, the parts 39a to 39c of the stop nut 39 can expand and move out of engagement with the threaded spindle 34. The locking device is thus released whersupon the two telescopic tubes 31 and 32 can be shifted relative to one another into a new adjusted position. As soon as the twoarmed swivel lever 47 is swung back into its initial position, the helical compression spring 43 draws the stop nut 39 once again into engagement into the threaded spindle 34, so that further relative movement of the two telescopic tubes 31 and 32 is prevented.

Claims

1. A temple or stretcher for arrangement within tubular fabric, in the form of a flat frame which is adjustable in width by means of telescopic tubes which are positively lockable and are connected, at their outer ends, by way of respective head parts, to the frame, characterised in that fastened rigidly to the head part of the outer telescopic tube is one end of a concentric threaded spindle which projects into a concentric control tube which is axially displaceable in the inner telescopic tube against spring force and arranged at the inner end of which is a split expansible stop nut which can be brought into engagement with the threaded spindle and which represents an abutment for the inner end of the inner telescopic tube.

2. A temple or stretcher as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the split stop nut has a frusto-conical end which, in the rest position, butts against a matching cone surface at the inner end of the inner telescopic tube.

3. A temple or stretcher as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that clamped between the inner end of the inner telescopic tube and a stop on the control tube is a helical compression spring which provides the spring force and is disposed around the control tube.

4. A temple or stretcher as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, characterised in that mounted in the head part of the inner telescopic tube is a two-armed swivel lever which protrudes through a lateral opening in the inner telescopic tube and one arm of which butts against the displaceable control tube.

5. A temple or stretcher for arrangement within tubular fabric substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.