US2597528A - Apparatus for treatment of tubular knitted fabrics - Google Patents

Description

F. R. REDMAN May 20, 1952 APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF TUBULAR KNITTED FABRICS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 22, 1948 F. R. REDMAN May 20, 1952 APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF TUBULAR KNITTED FABRICS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 22, 1948 y 20, 1952 F. R. RED'MAN 2,597,528

APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF TUBULAR KNITTED FABRICS Filed Oct. 22, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 F. R. REDMAN May 20, 1952 APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF TUBULAR KNITTED FABRICS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 22, 1948 Patented May 20, 1952 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE ABPARATUS FOR. TREATMENT OF TUBULAR, KNITTED FABRICS Frank R, Bellman, Yardley, Pa.

Application October '22, 1948, Serial No. 55,963

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to treatment of tubular knitted fabrics and more particularly to treatment of such fabrics to eliminate effectively the shrinkage of garments made therefrom. By a tubular knitted fabric is meant one which knitted in tubular form or one which is knitted in flat form and then converted to tubular form.

The problem of shrinkage has plagued the textile industry for many years, and this problem has been particularly troublesome in respect to knitted fabrics. From the standpoint of the buying public, shrinkage has been responsible for huge monetary loss in unusable garments rendered so by severe shrinkage. Shrinkage of a garment upon repeated laundering thereof is due to the fact that the fabric Was'subjected to tensional forces in the processing or treatment thereof prior to the manufacture of the garment. Laundering causes the fabric to return to its untensi oned condition, with consequent shrinkage of the garment. In the case of a knitted fabric, such fabric is distorted (a) slightly by the ten sion under which the fabric is rolled after it is knitted, and (b) greatly by the extreme tension to which the fabric is subjected during the wet processing thereof which includes scouring, bleaching, dyeingand extraction of excess water. Since the present invention is concerned with the treatment of tubular knitted fabric, a preliminary discussion relative to such fabrics will be helpful and will facilitate a clear understanding of the invention.

After a tubular fabric is knitted, it is :wet processed in continuous rope form. .If knitted in fiat form, the longitudinal edges are sewn together to make a tube. The fabric is knitted in lengths of, for example, one hundred yards and these are fastened together in succession. As the fabric goes through the wet processing in continuous rope form, it is subjected to tensional forces lengthwise which -impart considera'ble stretch to it. First, it is rolled under tension on the knitting machine. Then it is passed through a scouring solution under tension between rolls. It is then packed in a bleaching k'eir and, after about eight hours in the process of bleaching, it is pulled upward from the packed position in the keir between rollers which subject it to great stretching. It

then passes through a washing machine, still in In some-instances, the water removal is effected- 2 ypassing the fa r c b t n; two s u eze rolls under very high tension. v

The above-described processing of the fabric may be varied somewhat, but in any case the fabric is subjected to great tension. "Where the fabric is scoured and bleached in continuous rope form in a continuous operation, it is subjected to even greater tension than in the process as above described.

At the conclusion of .the wet processing, the fabric will have been stretched lengthwise very substantially, the degree to which it is stretched by the wet processing depending upon the type and weight of the fabric. General y Speaking, the fabric may be stretched from a minimum'of about 8% to a maximum of about 35% of its length. Thus, a heavyweight fabric, which does not stretch as readily as a lightweightfa bric, may stretch from 8% to 15%, while a "lightweight fabric may stretch from 15% to 35%. The stretching of the fabric in the :Sqft wet state elongafies n tted stitches to such an extent that the stitches are substantially deformed.

If the stretched fabric is allowed todry the,

customary manner and garments are then made from it, such garments will shrink very substantially upon laundering thereof and will .continue to shrink upon successivelaunderings until each stitch finds its own equilibrium. T e shrinkage causes the garment tojbecome short.- er and wider, so that it loses its original shape and size and, in some instances, becomes unusable. 7

An important step toward solution of the problem of shrinkage was the development, by me of a process which involves relaxation and compressive Working of the fibers of the fabric while drying the same, following the wet processing of the fabric. However, it has been found that there is a variation in the results obtained by the said process, as applied to tubular knitted fabrics, due to a wide variation between the knit-ted stitches. Thus, after treatment of a knitted fabric by the said process, one-partpof the fabric may have-a residual shrinkage of;1-%

another part may have a residual shrinkage of 3% and still another part may have a residual shrinkage of 6%. This causes an undesirable variation between garments, some of which may be satisfactory, while others are not, from the standpoint of shrinkage.

The principal object ofthe present in-veption'is to provide an apparatus fortreatfment of tubular knitted fabrics to the end that residual shrinkage I of such fabrics may-be uniformly reduced to 3 a small permissible percentage, for example less than 2%. The method or process performed by the apparatus of the present invention may be aptly termed normalizing, while an apparatus for performing such method may be termed a normalizer. The reason for these designations is that the method and apparatus accomplish normalization of the knitted fabric, i. e. the return thereof substantially to the unstretched condition which prevailed immediately following the knitting of the fabric and prior to the wet processing thereof. Stated differently, the treatment according to the present invention removes the causes of shrinkage by repositioning the elongated knitted stitches to their original state and then allowing them to relax and find their own equilibrium. When such normalization of the fabric is effected preparatory to treatment thereof according to my prior process above mentioned, the end result is a reduction of the residual shrinkage in the entire fabric uniformly to a low percentage as above mentioned.

The normalizing method is claimed in my copending application Serial No. 159,296, filed May 1, 1950.

I have discovered that the above-mentioned normalization of wet-processed elongately deformed-tubular knitted fabric can be accomplished by expanding the tubular fabric widthwise to a circumferential dimension substantially equal to the circumferential dimension at which the fabric was knitted, and simultaneously feeding the tubular fabric lengthwise with sufficient lengthwise freedom to permit such widthwise expansion of the fabric without subjecting it to any appreciable lengthwise tension. In accordance with the present invention, the wet-processed tubular fabric is passed lengthwise through a treatment zone, and it is subjected to the above-mentioned widthwise expansion in said zone while it is simultaneously being fed lengthwise to said zone. The widthwise expansion of the tubular fabric may involve a number of successive repeated expansions of progressively increasing magnitude, the tubular fabric being relaxed after each expansion and being supplied lengthwise to enable the expansion.

In further accordance with the invention, there is provided an apparatus which is adapted to perform the normalizing process and which includes spaced-apart wheels over which the tubular fabric is caused to move to effect the widthwise expansion thereof. One form of the apparatus includes a plurality of successive pairs of wheels having different spacing to effect the preferred progressive widthwise expansion above mentioned.

By way of example, suppose that a tubular fabric was knitted on a head machine, 1. e. a machine having a knitting head with a 15" diameter. The circumferential dimension at which the fabric was knitted, therefore, was 47.124". After wet processing in rope form, as above mentioned, the circumference of the tubular fabric is much smaller and the knitted stitches are elongated. In treating the wetprocessed fabric according to the present invention, the normalizer is adjusted so as to internally expand the tubular fabric widthwise to a circumferential dimension of about 46 or 47", the rate of feed of the fabric being sufficiently great to permit such expansion without subjecting the tubular fabric to appreciable lengthwise tension. If the fabric was stretched, say, 25% in length, it must be expanded at least 25% and hence must be overfed at least 25% to allow for the expansion, because the fabric becomes shorter to the same extent that it is expanded.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings illustrating certain forms of apparatus of the present invention for performing the normalizing method, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of one form of the apparatus provided by the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, taken from the right-hand side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a larger-scale sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the normalizing device;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the normalizing device;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of a part of the normalizing device;

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken along line 88 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the action of the normalizing device;

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken longitudinally of the tubular fabric in Fig. 9, and also illustrating the action of the normalizing device;

Fig. 11 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment; and

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 11.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, reference character I0 designates generally a supporting framework which may be part of the general framework of a relaxation drying and shrinking machine of the character disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 68,936, filed January 3, 1949. A pair of power-driven feed rolls ll, I2 are rotatably supported by the framework l0 and serve to feed the tubular fabric 13 to a power-driven take-off roll ll of relatively large diameter also supported by the framework l0, and with which there is associated an idler gripping roll I5. The roll I5 is rotatably supported by a pair of arms 46, I! which are pivotally mounted on the stationary framework It). Springs [8, l9 are secured to said arms and to the stationary framework, and serve to urge the idler roll toward roll I4. As described hereinafter, the normalizing treatment of the tubular fabric [3 according to the present invention is performed as the fabric is fed the feed rolls ll, l2 toward the take-off roll The take-off roll [4 may feed the fabric to a power-driven conveyor 20 forming part of the drying and shrinking machine of the above-mentioned copending application. As shown in Fig. 3, the fabric is deposited upon the conveyor 20 in relaxed condition, the conveyor being driven at a linear speed less than the peripheral speed of roll [4. A baliie 2| and an associated air jet 22 serve to produce an undulate or wavy condition of the fabric as it is deposited on conveyor 20 and as it moves into the housing 23 of the relaxation drying and shrinking machine. It will be understood, however, that the present invention is not concerned with the treatment of the fabric after it leaves the roll l4.

As will be seen later, it is necessary for the purpose of the present invention that the feed V which are spring urged toward one another.

rolls I I, I2 be driven at a greater peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of the roll I4. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rolls may be driven from a single variable speed motor 24 and an associated gear reduction unit 25 through a driving belt or chain 26. The latter directly drives the feed roll I2, and the two feed rolls are operatively connected through gears 21, 28. The roll I4 is driven from the shaft of roll I2 by means of a, V pulley 29 and a drive belt 35 which passes around a relatively large V pulley 3| on the'shaft of roll I4. The V pulley 29 is of the self-adjusting type comprising relatively movable flanges An auxiliary pulley 32 is adjustably mounted on a jack screw 33 carried by the stationary framework I0. Adjustment of the pulley 32 serves to vary the driving ratio, since the self-adjusting character of the driving pulley 29 causes the effective diameter of that pulley to vary according to the position of pulley 32. It will be apparent, of course, that any other suitable drive arrangement could be employed.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a normalizing device designated generally by reference character 34, in cooperative association with the feed rolls I 5, I2 and the roll I4. Referring particularly to Figs. 4 to 8, the normalizing device comprises a body or support 35 on which there are mounted upper rollers 35, 3'! and lower rollers 38, 39, which serve to support the normalizing device on the feed rolls I i, I2. As shown in Fig. 5, the body or support 35 is interposed between the feed rolls II, I2, and the aforementioned rollers engage the said rolls, the upper rollers 36, 31 resting on the feed rolls. Pivotally supported by the body 35 are a pair of upwardly divergent arms 40, M which have associated intermeshing gear portions 42, 43. Rotatably mounted on each of the arms 45, 4I is a series of wheels which constitute the fabric expanding elements of the normalizing device, as hereinafter described. As shown in Fig. 8, each of the wheels comprises a pair of flanges disposed on opposite sides of the supporting arm and secured together axially to form the complete wheel which is ball-bearing mounted. In the particular embodiment shown, there are five wheels on each arm, those on arm 4!} bein designated '44 to 48 and those on arm 4I being designated 49 to 53. It will be seen that the arrangement is such that there are successive pairs of horizontally spaced wheels, starting with the pair 44, 49 and proceeding upward, and the horizontal spacing of the successive pairs increases progressively upward. The reason for this will be apparent presently.

Secured to the bottom of the bodyor support 35, and extending downwardly therefrom, is a rod 54 with which there is slidably associated a member 55. As shown in Fig. 7, the rod 54 is provided with a longitudinal slot '56, and the member 55 carries a key 51 projectin into said slot"and preventing the member 55 from rotating. Associated with the slidable member 55 is an adjustment wheel 58 which threadedly engages the rod 54 and serves to position member 55 therealong. A pair of links 59, 64 interconnect the arms 40, 4| with the member 55, so that adjustment of the latter-serves to adjust the arms 43, 4|.

At the'lower end of rod '54, there is provided a bracket BI which carries four rollers 62 to 65. Also carried at the lowerend of'rod 54 is a generally 1 (I -shaped resilient member-Iiii'whose arms are upwardly divergent and carry rollers .51, 68.

The mechanical structure of one form of the apparatus having been described above, let us now consider the operation of said apparatus and the manner in which it performs the normalizing method according to the invention. As previously mentioned, the purpose is to take elongated tubular knitted fabric as it comes from the wet processing and expand it widthwise to :a circumferential dimension substantially equal 'to the circumferential dimension at which the fabric was knitted, Without subjecting the :tubular fabric to appreciable lengthwise tension. As it comes from the wet processing, the tubular fabric is in moist condition and is in the form of an elongated tubular rope. As shown inFigs. 1 to 3, 9 and 10, the elongated tubular fabric .-is passed over the rollers 62 to 65, then :over the rollers 61, 68, then over the rollers 3311039 between the feed rolls II, .I 2, then over the-expanding wheels 44 to 53, and then between the roll I4 and the associated gripping roll 15. The lowermost rollers 62 to 65 serve to open'thet-ubular fabric, and the rollers 61, 68 serve to spread the fabric to generally flattened form for passage upward about the expanding wheels 44 to 53. As the tubular fabric is fed to said wheels by the feed rolls II, I2, it is progressively expanded widthwise to a, predetermined circumferential dimension as above mentioned.

The roll I4 is driven at a peripheral speed less than the peripheral speed of rolls I], I2 so that the tubular fabric is supplied to the expanding wheels with sufficient lengthwise freedom to permit the-desired widthwise expansion without subjecting the tubular fabric to appreciable'lengthwise tension. As may be seen in .Figs. 9 and 10, the tubular fabric immediately above the feed rolls -I I, I2 is loose; or in other words, there is continually sufficientexcess fabric material at the point where it leaves the feed rolls to enable the desired widthwise expansion. Assuming that'the normalizing device has been adjusted, for any particular fabric the variable speed motor "24 is adjusted to drive the rolls I I, I2 at a proper speed, and the pulley 32 is then adjusted to adjust the speed of roll I4 so as to cause the excess fabric condition shown in Figs. 9 and 10, or in other words to maintain the desired lengthwise freedom of the fabric.

As the tubular fabric passes over the expanding wheels, it is subjected to a series of successive expansions to progressively increasing circumferential dimensions, and it is permitted to relax after each expansion. This allows the knitted stitches to adjust themselves to their original condition.

It should be noted that the overfeed by rolls I I, I2 does not cause accumulation of fabric between those rolls and the take-oifroll I4, because-the same area of fabric is being removed in agiven time by roll I4 as is being fed by rolls II, I2. Suppose, for example, that the'fabric as supplied to the feed rolls is I5" inwidth doubled. i. e. 30" if it'were opened'out fiat, and that it'ls expanded by the normalizer to a doubled width of 22.5", i. e. 45" if it were opened out flat. Now if the'feed'rolls II, I2 move the fabric at a rate of 3,or 36", per minute and the take-61f roll I4 movesthe fabric at a rate of 2', or 24' per minute, the area of fabric being fed per minute by rolls II, I2is 30" x 36":1060 square inches, andthe area of fabric being removed per minute by'roll I4 is'24 x 45":1060 squareinches. Hence-there is no accumulation of the fabric. -'Q'f-eourse,-in

7 any instance the relative speeds of the feed rolls and the take-off roll must be adjusted according to the expansion of the fabric.

As previously mentioned, the tubular fabric is expanded widthwise to a circumferential dimension substantially equal to the circumferential dimension at which the fabric was knitted. This requires that the expanding wheels be adjustably positioned so that the pair of wheels having the greatest transverse spacing are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to one-half the circumferential dimension at which the fabric was knitted. Suppose for example that the tubular fabric to be treated was knitted on a machine having a knitting head with a diameter of 15", so that the fabric was knitted at a circumferential dimension of 47.124". In order to treat such tubular fabric, the arms 40 and ll of the normalizer are adjusted so that the uppermost wheels will be effective to expand the tubular fabric to a widthwise dimension of about 23". Then, the tubular fabric will be expanded to a circumferential dimension of about 47", since it is expanded in fiat form and an allowance of about 1" is made for the thickness of the expanding wheels.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the method according to the present invention involves passing the elongated tubular fabric in moist condition lengthwise through a treatment zone, expanding the tubular fabric widthwise in said zone to the circumferential dimension above mentioned, and supplying the tubular fabric to said zone with sufiicient lengthwise freedom to permit the widthwise expansion without subjecting the tubular fabric to lengthwise tension.

While the apparatus disclosed efiects progressive expansion of the tubular fabric, the invention contemplates expansion of the tubular fabric in a single expanding step by means of a single pair of spaced expanding elements.

Referring now to Figs. 11 and 12, there is shown an alternative arrangement for moving the tubular knitted fabric from the normalizing device to the roll I4. The normalizing device 34a has associated with it flanged rollers or wheels 69, 10 which are arranged cooperatively with the two upper pairs of expanding wheels. The structure of the normalizing device is similar to that shown in Figs. 4 to 8, and it operates in the same manner.

The rollers or wheels 69, 10' are mounted on arms H, 12 pivotally supported by bolts 13, 14 on a cross bar 15 provided on the stationary framework. The rollers 69, 10 have pulley portions to accommodate a connecting crossed belt 16. Roller 10 also has a pulley portion to accommodate a drive belt 11.

In this instance, the tubular knitted fabric I3 is fed longitudinally over the expanding wheels by the feed rolls as before, and sufficient lengthwise freedom of the fabric is maintained to prevent any lengthwise tension, the roll I4 being driven at a peripheral speed less than the peripheral speed of the feed rolls. In this arrangement, however, the driven rollers or wheels 69, I effectively push the fabric from the normalizing device to the roll [4, eliminating the need for the gripping roll l5 of the previously described apparatus. The arrangement of Figs. 11 and 12 is particularly useful where delicate fabrics are being treated.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments of the apparatus, it will be understood that the apparatus may take any form which is capable of performing the method contemplated by the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus forreducing shrinkage in tubular knitted fabric which has been elongated lengthwise and narrowed widthwise by processing subsequent to knitting of the fabric, comprising means for moving the tubular knitted fabric lengthwise through a treatment zone while affording lengthwise freedom of the fabric, means within said zone for internally expanding the tubular fabric widthwise to effect lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric, and fabric-handling means permitting the fabric to relax, whereby to effect repositioning of the fabric stitches substantially to their original knitted form and restoration of the fabric substantially to its normal condition.

2. Apparatus for reducing shrinkage in tubular knitted fabric which has beenv elongated lengthwise and narrowed widthwise by processing subsequent to knitting of the fabric, comprising means for moving the tubular knitted fabric lengthwise at a predetermined speed to a treatment zone, means for moving the fabric beyond said zone at a second predetermined speed sufficiently less than said first speed to permit lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric, means within said zone for internally expanding the tubular fabric widthwise to effect lengthwise shortening 01' condensing of the fabric. and fabric-handling means permitting the fabric to relax, whereby to effect repositioning of the fabric stitches substantially to their original knitted form and restoration of the fabric substantially to its normal condition.

3. Apparatus for reducing shrinkage in tubular knitted fabric which has been elongated lengthwise and narrowed widthwise by processing subsequent to knitting of the fabric, comprising means for moving the tubular knitted fabric lengthwise at a predetermined speed to a treatment zone, means for moving the fabric beyond said zone at a second predetermined speed sufficiently less than said first speed to permit lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric, laterally spaced elements within said zone over which the tubular fabric passes and which internally expand the tubular fabric widthwise to effect lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric, means for adjusting said elements to positions such that the tubular fabric is expanded widthwise to a predetermined circumferential dimension, and fabric-handling means permitting the fabric to relax, whereby to effect repositionmg of the fabric stitches substantially to their original knitted form and restoration of the fabric substantially to its normal condition.

4. Apparatus for reducing shrinkage in tubular knitted fabric which has been elongated lengthwise and narrowed widthwise by processing subsequent to knitting of the fabric, comprising means for moving the tubular knitted fabric lengthwise at a predetermined speed to a treatment zone, means for moving the fabric beyond said zone at a second predetermined speed sufficiently less than said first speed to permit lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric, means for opening the tubular fabric as it approaches said zone, means within said zone for internally expanding the tubular fabric widthwise to effect lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric, and fabric-handling means permitting the fabric to relax, whereby to effect repositioning of the fabric stitches substantially to their original knitted form and restoration of the fabric substantially to its normal condition,

5. Apparatus for reducing shrinkage in tubular knitted fabric which has been elongated lengthwise and narrowed widthwise by processing subsequent to knitting of the fabric, comprising means for moving the tubular knitted fabric lengthwise at a predetermined speed to a treatment zone, means for moving the fabric beyond said zone at a second predetermined speed sufficiently less than said first speed to permit lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric, means for opening the tubular fabric as it approaches said zone, laterally spaced elements within said zone over which the tubular fabric passes and which internally expand the tubular fabric widthwise to efiect lengthwise shortening or condensing f the fabric, means for adjusting said elements to positions such that the tubular fabric is expanded widthwise to a predetermined circumferential dimension, and fabric-handling means permitting the fabric to relax, whereby to effect repositioning of the fabric stitches substantially to their original knitted form and restoration of the fabric substantially to its normal condition.

6. Apparatus for reducing shrinkage in tubular knitted fabric which has been elongated lengthwise and narrowed widthwise by processing subsequent to knitting of the fabric, comprising an expansion station including means for internally expanding the tubular knitted fabric widthwise,

means for moving the fabric lengthwise to and from said station while aiiording lengthwise freedom of the fabric to permit lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric as it is expanded widthwise by said expanding means. and fabric-handling means permitting the fabric to relax, whereby to effect repositioning of the fabric stitches substantially to their original knitted form and restoration of the fabric substantially to its normal condition.

7. Apparatus for reducing shrinkage in tubular knitted fabric which has been elongated lengthwise and narrowed widthwise by processing subsequent to knitting of the fabric, comprising an expansion station including means for internally expanding the tubular knitted fabric widthwise, power-driven means at said station for propelling the fabric lengthwise to said expansion means at a predetermined speed, power-driven means for propelling the fabric from said expansion means at a second predetermined speed sufl'iciently less than said first speed to permit lengthwise shortening or condensing of the fabric as it is expanded widthwise by said expanding means, and fabrichandling means permitting the fabric to relax, whereby to effect repositioning of the fabric stitches substantially to their original knitted form and restoration of the fabric substantially to its normal condition.

8. Apparatus for treating elongated tubular knitted fabric which has been wet processed and has acquired substantial lengthwise stretch due to the wet processing, said apparatus comprising: a stationary frame; a pair of power-driven horizontally disposed and spaced feed rolls supported by said frame; a normalizing device extending vertically between said rolls and supported thereby, said device having a pair of upwardly divergent arms carrying wheels above said rolls and means for adjusting said arms to adjust the horizontal spacing of said wheels, said feed rolls being adapted to effect passage of the tubular knitted fabric upward over said wheels to expand the tubular fabric widthwise to a circumferential dimension substantially equal to the circumferential dimension at which the fabric was knitted; and a power-driven horizontally disposed take-off roll supported by said frame to receive the tubular fabric from said normalizing device, said feed rolls being driven at a peripheral speed sufliciently in excess of the peripheral speed of said take-off roll that the tubular fabric is supplied to said wheels with sufficient lengthwise freedom of the fabric as it approaches and passes over said wheels to permit the widthwise expansion of the tubular fabric without subjecting the fabric to appreciable lengthwise tension.

9. A device for normalizing longitudinallystretched tubular fabric, comprising a succession of pairs of laterally spaced expansion elements over which the tubular fabric may be passed while in moistened condition, and a generally V-shaped supporting structure for said elements providing increasing lateral spacing of the elements to effect expansion of the moistened tubular fabric, the arms of the V-shaped structure being adjustable to provide varying degrees of divergence thereof, and drivable rollers arranged to engage the outside of the tubular fabric adjacent the expansion elements having the greatest spacing, whereby to move the fabric over and from the normalizing device.

FRANK R. REDMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 964,088 Chatfield July 12, 1910 1,298,006 Chatfield Mar. 25, 1919 2,011,935 Kasanof Aug. 20, 1935 2,110,520 Cunnius Mar. 8, 1938 2,187,644 Cohn et al. Jan. 16, 1940 2,189,166. Cohn et a1. Feb. 6, 1940 2,294,642 Wedler Sept. 1, 1942

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