GB2147329A

GB2147329A - Fabric milling machine

Info

Publication number: GB2147329A
Application number: GB08420997A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Linda Marini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-09-23
Filing date: 1984-08-17
Publication date: 1985-05-09
Also published as: IT8309522A0; GB8420997D0; IT1198688B; DE3434250A1; GB2147329B

Abstract

A fabric milling machine comprises a pair of milling rollers (5) which feed fabric to a milling box (10), from which it is discharged down a chute (12). An air jet nozzle 18 surrounds the fabric as it falls towards the vat (1) and repositions it before it is drawn back through the rollers (5). A plurality of milling boxes 10 may be provided and arranged side by side in which case a duct 20 provided with a plurality of nozzles 18 and supplied with air from an air blower is arranged. The blower can take air from outside or inside the assembly 3 of the vat 1. The nozzles 18 are rectangular or of a horizontally elongate shape. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fabric milling machine The present invention relates to machines for milling fabric.

Fabrics milling machines typically comprise a vat, a pair of drums or milling rollers, and a milling box which receives the fabric from the rollers and discharges it along a chute towards the vat from which it is drawn back by the rollers.

Prior art milling machines have provided complex fabric stretching devices to prevent creases developing in the fabric so that the fabric may be continuously moved.

The prevent invention provides a milling machine for fabric comprising a vat, a pair of milling rollers, a milling box which receives the fabric from the rollers, a chute for receiving fabric discharged from the box towards the bottom of the vat, the rollers being adapted to draw the fabric back from the bottom of the vat, and means for providing an air jet which strikes the fabric falling along a free path from the milling box to the vat, to move over the fabric which will settle in the vat.

The air jet imparts movement to, and stretches the fabric before it settles in the vat.

In a preferred embodiment, a blowing nozzle is provided under the milling box and the chute so as to blow air onto the falling fabric.

In an embodiment of a milling machine with several milling units side by side, the required nozzles which produce the air jets may be supplied by one transverse duct only or by several ducts and by a single blower or several blowers.

In a preferred embodiment, the blown air is drawn by suction in a closed cycle from or from the outside of the vat. This provides a better energy balance.

The invention further provides a method of milling fabric comprising the steps of drawing the fabric back and forth through a pair of milling rollers, and striking the fabric as it emerges from the rollers with a jet of air adapted to reposition and stretch the fabric prior to its being fed back through the rollers.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagram of a milling machine in cross section; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic front view of a row of milling units in a multiple milling machine.

A vat 1 forms part of an assembly 3 of a multiple milling machine. The fabric runs over an idle roller 7 to a pair of milling rollers 5 of the milling machine. The fabric is drawn by the rollers 5 through a funnel unit 9. The fabric is compacted by the rollers 5 in a traditional milling box 10. The fabric is gradually discharged along a first arrow f1 from the milling box 10 along a chute 12 flanked by side panels 14. The fabric then falls freely until it reaches the vat 1, along a path approximately indicated by a second arrow f, in Fig. 1. The fabric is taken up by a return action of the rollers 5, passing through the funnel unit 9 to the idle roller 7 which acts as a return roller.

A problem with machines of the above described type is the correct positioning of the fabric as it passes through the milling box and between the rollers 5, so as to prevent too pronounced impressions being formed on the fabric extracted from the milling machine. A continuous variation of the position of the fabric in transit in the machine is also necessary to ensure uniformity of treatment of the fabric.

To solve this problem it is proposed to strike the fabric with an air jet as it falls freely in the direction of the arrow f1, in order to shift the fabric over so that it settles along the chute of the vat 1 always in a substantially different position which is substantially non-repetitive.

In practice nozzles 18 are provided which blow from inside towards the rear wall and the closed rear window of the milling machine.

As already stated, and indicated in Fig. 2, a plurality of milling boxes may be provided side by side in a multiple machine which has a common vat and common actuating axes. In this construction a duct 20 is provided supplied by an external blower 22 which can take air from outside or inside the assembly 3 of the vat 1. The nozzles 18 are dimensioned to ensure a substantial uniformity of the jets. The nozzles 18 are advantageously rectangular or of a horizontally elongate shape. Other shapes may be used provided they ensure continual lateral inclined movements of the issuing fabric and thereby stretch it, eliminating the waviness caused by the compression suffered in the box 10.

1. A milling machine for fabric comprising a vat, a pair of milling rollers, a milling box which receives the fabric from the rollers, a chute for receiving fabric discharged from the box towards the bottom of the vat, the rollers being adapted to draw the fabric back from the bottom of the vat, and means for providing an air jet which strikes the fabric falling along a free path from the milling box to the vat, to move over the fabric which will settle in the vat.

2. A milling machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air jet means comprises a blower nozzle situated under the milling box and the chute, which is adapted to blow air onto the falling fabric and move it from side to side.

3. A milling machine as claimed in claim 2, comprising several milling units side by side, each having a respective nozzle, said nozzles being supplied by a single blower.

4. A milling machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein a single duct connects the blower to each of the nozzles.

5. A milling machine as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the nozzles are of horizontally elongate section.

6. A method of milling fabric comprising the steps of drawing the fabric back and forth through

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Fabric milling machine The present invention relates to machines for milling fabric. Fabrics milling machines typically comprise a vat, a pair of drums or milling rollers, and a milling box which receives the fabric from the rollers and discharges it along a chute towards the vat from which it is drawn back by the rollers. Prior art milling machines have provided complex fabric stretching devices to prevent creases developing in the fabric so that the fabric may be continuously moved. The prevent invention provides a milling machine for fabric comprising a vat, a pair of milling rollers, a milling box which receives the fabric from the rollers, a chute for receiving fabric discharged from the box towards the bottom of the vat, the rollers being adapted to draw the fabric back from the bottom of the vat, and means for providing an air jet which strikes the fabric falling along a free path from the milling box to the vat, to move over the fabric which will settle in the vat. The air jet imparts movement to, and stretches the fabric before it settles in the vat. In a preferred embodiment, a blowing nozzle is provided under the milling box and the chute so as to blow air onto the falling fabric. In an embodiment of a milling machine with several milling units side by side, the required nozzles which produce the air jets may be supplied by one transverse duct only or by several ducts and by a single blower or several blowers. In a preferred embodiment, the blown air is drawn by suction in a closed cycle from or from the outside of the vat. This provides a better energy balance. The invention further provides a method of milling fabric comprising the steps of drawing the fabric back and forth through a pair of milling rollers, and striking the fabric as it emerges from the rollers with a jet of air adapted to reposition and stretch the fabric prior to its being fed back through the rollers. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagram of a milling machine in cross section; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic front view of a row of milling units in a multiple milling machine. A vat 1 forms part of an assembly 3 of a multiple milling machine. The fabric runs over an idle roller 7 to a pair of milling rollers 5 of the milling machine. The fabric is drawn by the rollers 5 through a funnel unit 9. The fabric is compacted by the rollers 5 in a traditional milling box 10. The fabric is gradually discharged along a first arrow f1 from the milling box 10 along a chute 12 flanked by side panels 14. The fabric then falls freely until it reaches the vat 1, along a path approximately indicated by a second arrow f, in Fig. 1. The fabric is taken up by a return action of the rollers 5, passing through the funnel unit 9 to the idle roller 7 which acts as a return roller. A problem with machines of the above described type is the correct positioning of the fabric as it passes through the milling box and between the rollers 5, so as to prevent too pronounced impressions being formed on the fabric extracted from the milling machine. A continuous variation of the position of the fabric in transit in the machine is also necessary to ensure uniformity of treatment of the fabric. To solve this problem it is proposed to strike the fabric with an air jet as it falls freely in the direction of the arrow f1, in order to shift the fabric over so that it settles along the chute of the vat 1 always in a substantially different position which is substantially non-repetitive. In practice nozzles 18 are provided which blow from inside towards the rear wall and the closed rear window of the milling machine. As already stated, and indicated in Fig. 2, a plurality of milling boxes may be provided side by side in a multiple machine which has a common vat and common actuating axes. In this construction a duct 20 is provided supplied by an external blower 22 which can take air from outside or inside the assembly 3 of the vat 1. The nozzles 18 are dimensioned to ensure a substantial uniformity of the jets. The nozzles 18 are advantageously rectangular or of a horizontally elongate shape. Other shapes may be used provided they ensure continual lateral inclined movements of the issuing fabric and thereby stretch it, eliminating the waviness caused by the compression suffered in the box 10. CLAIMS

6. A method of milling fabric comprising the steps of drawing the fabric back and forth through a pair of milling rollers, and striking the fabric as it emerges from the rollers with a jet of air adapted to reposition and stretch the fabric prior to its being fed back through the rollers.

7. A milling machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of milling fabric substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.