US3196723A - Method and means for slitting and opening tubular material - Google Patents

Description

July 27, 1965 s. COHN ETAL 3, 96,723

METHOD AND MEANS FOR SLITTING A N D OPENING TUBULAR MATERIAL Filed April 18, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTCRS SAMUEL COHN JOSEPH COHN BY EUGENE COHN FRANK CATALLO Yw /MJ ATTORNEYS July 27, 1965 s. COHN ETAL 3,196,723 METHOD AND MEANS FOR SLITTING AND OPENING TUBULAR MATERIAL Filed April 18. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllll'" FIG. 2

mmvroks SAMUEL COHN TOSEPH COHN BY EUGENE COHN FRANK CATALLO w w/ma idww ATTORNEXS V July 27,: 19 65 s. COHN ETAL METHOD AND MEANS FOR SLITTING AND OPENING TUBULAR MATERIAL Filed April 18, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 .IHIHIIL.

I TORS SAMUEL COH N JOSEPH COHN BY EUGENE COHN FRANK CATALLO 777W W ATTORNEYS s. COHN ETAL r umuon AND MEANS FOR suwme AND OPENING TUBULAR MATERIAL Filed April 18, 1961 July 27, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS SAMUE L COH N TOSEPH COHN BY EUGENE COHN FRANK CATALLO 747MHz;

ATTORNEYS July 27, 1965 s. COHN ETAL.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR SLITTING AND OPENING TUBULAR MATERIAL United States Patent 3,196,723 METHOD AND MEANS FOR SLITTING AND OPENING TUBULAR MATERIAL Samuel Colin and Joseph Cohu, New York, Eugene Cohu,

Great Neck, and Frank Catallo, Elmont, N.Y., assignors to Sarneoe Holding Corporation, Woodside, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 103,927 18 Claims. (Cl. 83-23) The present invention relates to the processing of fab: rics, and particularly tubular knitted fabrics. More specifically, the invention is concerned with novel and improved arrangements for the slitting, opening and handling of tubular material, especially distortable material such as tubular knitted fabrics, whereby significantly improved control is maintained over the material throughout and undesirable distortions of the material are reduced to a practical minimum. Although it is contemplated that the invention may be used to advantage in connection with any easily distortable tubular material, its anticipated area of greatest utility is in connection with the slitting, opening and handling of tubular knitted material, and the specific description of the invention will be made with particular reference to such materials.

Conventionally, knitted materials are manufactured in tubular form on circular knitting machines and, usually, the end use of the material is calculated to take advantage of the existing tubular construction of the material. However, for some end uses it is desirable to use the knitted material in flat form, which requires that the circularknit-rnaterial be slit longitudinally, opened, and laid flat for further proceessing.

In the processing of knit material it is always important to reduce to a minimum distortions, tensions and like influences, which may impart an irregular appearance to the material and render it subject to non-uniform shrinkage or stretching during subsequent processing and use. The maintenance of constant, effective control over the material, to eliminate undesirable distortion and tensions is extremely difficult and has been the subject of great experimental effort, even in connection with knit materials handled in tubular form. The problems and difficulties are greatly magnified when dealing with knit material in slit,.fiat form, particularly with respect to edge portions of the material, which are unsupported on one side and have a strong tendency to curl. able tensions and distortions significantly affect the widthwise dimensions of the material, and uneven or uncontrolled changes in width dimensions can result in severe losses of material in subsequent cutting operations, for example.

In accordance with the present invention, tubular knitted material is converted to open width material in a novel and greatly improved manner, such that the material is at all times under close control and in a condition of uniform absence of tensions. The resulting open Width material is reliably uniform in width, free of dis- Moreover, undesir-- tortions, and is presented in rolled or folded form, ready for such further handling or treatment as may be necessary or desirable.

In the handling of the material, in accordance with the invention, the tubular material is first passed onto a frame, which positions and controls the material and advantageously puts it in the form of a flattened tube. The positioned and controlled material is advanced longitudinally past a slitter knife, which severs the tube longitudinally and centrally between the edges of the tube. The slit material continues its longitudinal movement and is opened by turning back and laying flat the margins of material on opposite sides of the slit.

- As a particularly important feature of the invention,

3,196,723 Patented July 27, 1965 the opening of the slit material is carried out in a novel and improved manner, such that all longitudinal portions of the material are controllably caused to travel through the same total distance while the material is being opened to its full width. In this respect, central portions of the fabric are diverted and caused to pass through predeter mined lengthened paths equal in length to the oblique path followed by a slit edge portion, for example, in travelling from the center area of the intact tube to the extreme edge of the fiat, open width material.

As a further important aspect of the invention, the slit material is advanced longitudinally, during the opening thereof to full width, by maintaining driving engagement with central portions of the material. This procedure maintains the sensitive edge areas of the material free of tension and effectively avoids curling of the edges. Further, the improved procedures and arrangements of the invention are such that, as the material progressively is opened from tubular form to fiat form, progressively increasing center areas of the material are gripped and brought under control until, when the material is completely flat, it is under effective control from edge to edge.

In accordance with a more specific, but nevertheless significant aspect of the invention, the tubular material is conditioned for slitting and opening by first bringing the material under effective control, spreading and steaming the material to set it to predetermined width and to uniformly pre-condition it, and then delivering the material directly and in' a controlled manner to the slitting and.

opening station. Particularly advantageous results are achieved by spreading and steaming the material directly in advance of slitting and opening and without the interposition of any intermediate handling operations, since accurate guidance and control of the material is better assured and, perhaps more important, the formation of creases or folds at the edges of the tube is avoided, allowing the material to be opened to a perfectly fiat condition after slitting.

For a better understanding of the invention and for a further discussion of the above and other advantageous features of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description and to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention for slitting and opening distortable tubular materials, such as tubular knitted fabrics;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, with parts broken away. to show details of the drive system therefor;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, with parts thereof shown in section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross sectional view of slitting and guiding means incorporated in the apparatus of FIG. 1; i

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a novel guiding and opening frame incorporated in the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the apparatus of FIG. 1, incorporating means, directly in advance of the slitting and opening means, for controlling, setting to width and preconditioning the material.

Referring now to the drawing, and initially to FIGS. 1-3 thereof, the apparatus of the invention comprises, broadly, means 10to supply tubular knitted fabric, a guiding frame portion 11, a slitting station 12, an opening frame portion 13, a control conveyor 14 and means 15 to receive the slit and opened fabric. In the first illustrated arrangement of FIGS. 1-3, the tubular material 16, pre-set to uniform width and uniformly preconditioned, is presented in loosely folded but evenly stacked- 3 form in a receptacle 17. The fabric is drawn from the receptacle 17 and passed over the guiding frame portion 11, which controls and aligns the fabric and arranges it in uniform flattened condition for slitting. The fabric is advanced over the guiding frame portion 11 and carried past the slitting station 12, where it is progressively slit longitudinally, advantageously exactly along the center.

After slitting, the bottomlayer of the flattened tubular material is directed relatively sharply downward by the opening frame portion 13, while the slit edge portions of the material are directed generally outward and forward; The bottom layer, after a predetermined downward diversion, is then directed upward and forward by the opening frame, such that all'portions of the fabric ultimately merge at and continue to travel in a single plane. In" accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the configuration and proportions of the opening frame portion are such that'all longitudinal portions of the fabric are controllably and reliably caused to travel through substantially identical distances in reaching a predetermined line of a common fiat plane, whereby distortions of and undesirable tensions in the fabric are avoided effectively.

At the point where the bottom layer of the slit fabric is directed upward, it' advantageously is brought into control contact with a conveyor blanket 18, which grips the fabric and advances it underneath the opening frame portion 13. At the point of initial control contact, the conveyor blanket engages a center area of the fabric equal to about half its width. As the blanket and fabric advance beneath the opening frame portion, the outer margins of the fabric tube are opened progressively, so that increasing areas of the fabric are brought into control contact with the blanket 18 until, when the material is fully open, the entire width of the fabric is in contact with the blanket. The blanket then conveys the material to a folder or roll-up, while maintaining effective dimensional control of the fabric.

Of great significance, the fabric is maintained completely free of undesired tension and distortion throughout, so that the finished, open width material, in rolled or folded form, has even predetermined width dimensions andis free. of curl at the edges. In its folded or rolled form, the fabric isready for cutting or for such further processing or handling as may be desirable or appropriate at that time. i

The specific apparatus .of FIGS. 16 includes a frame 19 having a platform 20 at its front end for supporting a basket or receptacle 17 containing folded tubular fabric 16. A guide roller 21 is journaled at the front of the frame and guides the fabric in its travel from the basket 17.

Also journaledon the machine frame 19 is a feed roller 22, arranged to underlie and receive material traveling from the basket 17. The feed roller 22 advantageously has its-outer surface covered with felt, for example, or other material adapted to maintain an effective gripping and control contact with the fabric.

As shown best in FIG. 2,,the feed roller 22 is arranged to be driven at: apredetermined speed by a motor 23, through a speed reduction system comprising variable pulley 23a, pulleys 24f-26and belts 2749, and sprockets 39', 31 and chain 32. The speed relationship between the motor 23 and feed roller 22 is adjustable by varying the vertical positioning of the motor 23, using means such as a hand wheel 23B, for example.

In accordance with the invention, a combined guiding and opening frame. 11, 13 is mounted at its trailing end to the frame 13 and is supported'at its other end by the feed roller 22 or by other means. Advantageously, the guiding and opening frame comprises a pair. of rod- like sections 33, 34, of symmetrical. design, which are adjustably connected to accommodate variations in width.

The leading portion of the frame comprises parallel rod portions 35, 36, which are generally horizontally disposed and are bent inward, toward each other, at the ends and are received within a tubular section 37, with which at least one of the rod portions is slidably related for adjustment.

On the trailing side of the feed roller 22, the frame sections are formed by parallel rod'portions 38, 39, which extend downward, advantageously at an angle ofabout 120 with respect tothe horizontal portions 35, 36. At the base of tie downwardly extending portions 38, 39, an adjustable.interconnection is made by means of tubular section as, secured to'the rod portion 39, in which is slidably received a transverse rod 41, secured to the opposite rod portion 38.

Extending outward, somewhat upward, and in the direction of fabric travel, from the base of the rod portions 38, 39 are diverging rod portions 42, 43, which extend to a width somewhat greater than twice the width of the parallel rod section at the leading end of the guiding and opening frame. The diverging rod portions advantageously make an angle of slightly more than with respect to the rod portions 38, 39, when viewing the apparatus in elevation, as in FIG. 2. At'the trailing edge extremities of the diverging rod portions, there are secured transverse tubular sections 44, '45, which are received slidably on a transverse support rod 46, mounted on the machine frame 19.

The two symmetrical sections of the guidingand opening frame are arranged to be held in a predetermined, adjusted position for aparticular width of fabric and, as willbe described in greaterdetail, the sections of the frame are disposed in a special geometrical arrangement to effect conversion of the fabric from tubular to open width form without distortion.

Journaled in the machine frame 19, generally below the trailing portion of the guiding and opening frame, are a pair of transverse rollers 47, 48, about which is trained the conveyor blanket 1'8. Advantageou-sly, the leading end roller 47 is disposed directly under the base portion of the guiding and opening frame, formed by the junction of the parallel portions 38, 39 and the diverging portions. The arrangement is such that the frame rests upon the blanket 18, directly over the roller 47. In addition, the frame advantageously is urged downward, into firm contact with the blanket 18, by means of an adjustable pressure bar 49, which acts between the transverse connecting sections 49, 41 and a cantilevered structure 54 to be described, supporting a slitting head 51.

The trailing end of the guiding and opening frame also rests upon the blanket 18, somewhatin advance of the trailing roller 48. In this respect, the transverse rod 1 6 is received in vertically slotted brackets 52, which permit the frame to bear against the blanket by'its own Weight. In addition, a support plate 53 advantageously is positioned underneath the upper reach of the blanket, supporting the blanket between the rollers 47, 43 and providing for contact between the blanket and'frame along substantially the full extent of the diverging rods 42, 43.

As shown best in FIG. 2, the conveyor blanket is drawn in variable speed relationship with the feed roller 22, through a drive system including a variable pulley 54 rotating with the pulley 25. A belt 55 connects the variable pulley 54 with a pulley '56 mounted on the end of an adjusting arm 57. The arm 57 is pivoted between its ends, on a shaft 58, and is engaged at. its upper end by a threaded shaft 59 having hand wheels 60 at each end. By manipulation of the hand wheels so, the pulley 56 may be swung toward or away from the variable pulley 54, so that the effective diameter of the latter may be varied to change the speed of the pulley 56 relative to the feed roller 22.

Driving of the conveyor blanket 18 is done through the trailing end roller 48, which is journaled by the shaft 53 and is fixed to a sprocket 61. The sprocket 61 is, in

turn, driven by a chain 62, from a sprocket 63 fixed to the pulley 56.

Mounted in cantilever manner at one side of the machine frame and extending over the top of the fabric 16 is the slitter assembly 50, which includes an elongated support tube 64 journa'ling a shaft 65 (FIG. 4-). At its free end, the shaft 65 mounts a circular slitter blade 66, which is positioned substantially exactly between the edges of the fabric tube passing over the guide frame. The slitter shaft is driven by a separate, high speed motor 67, independently of the feed roller 22 and conveyor blanket 18.

A guiding and supporting tongue 51a forming part of the slitter head, extend-s toward the leading edge of the guide frame, between upper and lower layers of fabric passing over the frame. The tongue guides the upper layer of the fabric properly into the slitting edge and also supports the fabric as it passes the blade, so that the slitting action is positive and efficient.

In one form of the invention, the open width material advanced by the conveyor blanket 18 is folded loosely, back and forth on a platform 68. For this purpose, the platform may be mounted on suitable tracks 69 for to and fro movement and may be driven by an endless chain 70 engaging the platform through a crank 71. The chain 70 is driven in variable speed relation to the con- Veyor blanket through a series of belts and pulleys 7 77, including an intermediate, variable pulley 75 mounted on an adjustable bar 78. The bar 78 is movable by a threaded shaft 79 and hand wheel 86. The arrangement is such that movements of the platform 68 normally follow in fixed relation to rotations of the roller 48, but may be adjusted with respect thereto to assure uniform, even folding of material discharged from the conveyor blanket 18.

In another form of the invention, the open width fabric discharged from the conveyor blanket 18 is rolled up on a bar 81 (FIG. 6) resting on the blanket and guided for vertical movement by slotted rails 82. In the apparatus of FIGS. 1-6, roll-up and folding facilities are provided for alternate use, as may be desirable or expedient.

In the operation of the apparatus of FIGS. 16, a supply of tubular knitted material, previously set to prede termined width, preconditioned and arranged in folded or other useable form, is positioned in substantial alignment with the guide frame and is threaded over the leading end of the frame. The material is drawn over the guiding frame snfficiently to establish control contact with the feeding roller 22 and, advantageously, sufficiently to be brought into control contact with the conveyor blanket 18. As indicated in FIG. 2, the guide frame is slightly wider than the relaxed width of the fabric, such that the fabric passing over the frame is sufficiently taut to be wrinkle-free and capable of accurate handling and control.

The fabric tube is drawn continuously past the rotating slitter knife by the feed roller 22, which is driven at a preset speed by the motor 23 and intermediate system. By means of the guide frame 35-37, the tube is accurate- -ly aligned with the knife and brought into uniform dimensional condition prior to reaching the knife.

As the material passes the slitting knife, the top layer of material is slit, and the slit edges are caused to diverge toward an open width condition.

In accordance with an important aspect of the inven-. tion, the controlled handling of the material, immediately following slitting and while the material is being converted to an open width condition, is such that all longitudinal portions of the material are caused to travel through paths of equal length, with particular regard to maintaining the slit edge areas of the material in a completely tension free condition. To this end, the bottom layer of the material, as for-med by the fiattube passing over the guide frame, is kept in a flat condition but is diverted downward by portions 38, 39 of the opening frame. -After downward travel through a predetermined distance, designated A in FIG. 5, the bottom layer of material (which actually is the center area of the slit fabric) passes around the bar 40-41 and is brought into firm control contact with the conveyor blanket 1-8, which is traveling along an upward incline.

The diverging portions 42, 43 of the opening frame, lying upon the blanket 18, cause the fabric to be spread flat on the blanket, in a progressive manner, working from the edges of the already fiat center area outward toward the slit edges.

When the space between the divergent opening frame sections 42, 43 equals the full width of the slit fabric, the fabric passing under that portion of the frame will have been laid flat on the conveyor blanket, in a fully open condition. The point at which this occurs is indicated by a transverse dotted line B in FIG. 5.

As will be understood, the flat center portion of the fabric, in moving from the slitting knife to the fully open condition indicated by the line B, will travel downward through a distance A and outward along the conveyor blanket a distance C (curvatures at the principal bends in the frame being ignored for purpose of this explanation). Accordingly, as one of the principles of the invention, the angle of diversion of the opening fra'me portions 42, 43 is calculated and adjusted such that the straight line distance D, from the slitting knife to the intersection of the opening frame and the line B, is equal to the sum of the distances A and C. Thus, the distance D to he traveled by the slit edge extremity is the same as the distance A-i-C to be traveled by the center portion of the fabric. Further, it is capable of geometric demonstration, that the longitudinal portions of the fabric lying between the slit edge extremity and the fiat center portion likewise will travel through equal distances in moving from the slitting line to the open width line B.

As will be understood, by controlling the angle of divergence of the opening frame sections 42, 43, the distance C can be controlled in relation to the distance D, to insure equality between the distance D and the sum of the distances A and C. In a typical apparatus, only limited adjustment is required, and this may be effected by moving the tubular sections 44, 45 to predetermined positions along the rod 46 and securing them in position by clamping screws 44a, 45a, for example.

As one of the significant, specific aspects of the invention, the opening of the fabric to full width is accomplished by maintaining control contact between center areas of the fabric and the moving conveyor blanket 18, which is made from a dimensionally stable material with good gripping characteristics. When the material first passes under the bar 40-41, only the flat bottom layer of the fabric (constituting about one-half the width) is gripped and advanced by the blanket. But, as the fabric continues to advance, the material is progressively flattened from the center area out toward the edges, and progressively wider center areas are brought into control contact with the blanket, being thereafter driven forward by the blanket and maintained thereby under effective dimensional control. The extreme edges of the material are not brought into driving contact with the blanket until the fabric is fully open, and this helps assure that no tensions are applied to the fabric edges while the fabric is being drawn into its open width condition.

After the fabric is fully open and lying flat on the blanket, it is advanced by the blanket in a completely tension free condition and under effective dimensional control. If the fabric is rolled up directly from the blanket, dimensional control is effectively retained until the fabric subsequently is unwound for further processing. However, even where the fabric is deposited in folds on the reciprocating platform 68, wholly adequate dimensional control is realized, because of the completely tension free condition of the material, its uniform open width dimensions, resulting from distortion, and tension-free slitting and opening, and the accurate registry of the side edges.

With especially distortable, light Weight materials, itmay be advantageous to drive the conveyor blanket at a Very slightly slower speed than the feed roller 22. This promotes even further assurance of a tension, free condition in the fabric.

The form of the invention shown in FIG. 7 incorporates, in combination with the apparatus of FIGS. l6, means for preconditioning the fabric in a way to achieve a unique and particularly advantageous final result. in the modified form of the invention, tubular knitted material ltltl is drawn from a suitable supply ltll and passed over a'calender 192, where the fabric is laterally distended, steamed, set to predetermined width and, if desired, relaxed in a lengthwise direction. The thuspreconditioned material is passed directly onto the guide frame section of the slitting and opening apparatus previously described and is further processed in the manner outlined.

The modified procedure has certain particularly advantageous aspects, one of which resides in the fact that the material passing directly onto the guide from the calender is very accurately aligned with the guide frame, and this avoids certain distortions which might otherwisev be induced in the material'prior to slitting and cause a measure of unevenness in the open width material through no deficiency of the actual slitting and opening operation. Further, and perhaps more important, the fabric is converted to open width directly after calendering, without the intervention of folding, roiling or other intermediate handling from which the edges of the tubular material could become creased. As will be understood, edge creases in the tubular material will appear as longitudinal ridges in the open Width material, which is not only undesirable from the standpoint of appearance, but may cause irregularity in open Width dimensions and nonuniformities in the material as subsequently processed.

Referring more specifically to the apparatus of FIG. 7, there is mounted directly in advance of the previously described slitting and opening apparatus a calender ltlZ, comprising a spreader frame 103a, steamers 1M mounted above and below the trailing portion of the spreader frame, and an air screen nozzle 18 5 positioned between the steamers and an edge drive roll mechanism M31: of the spreader. The spreader advantageously maybe of the type shown and described inthe S. Cohn et al. US. Patent No. 2,589,344, issued March 18, 1952, or in the S. Cohn et al. US. Patent No. 2,228,001, issued January 7, 1941. In spreaders of such construction, the fabric is gripped internally by belts, at the edges of the flattened tube of material, and driven by the edge drive assemblies N31). If

positive lengthwise relaxation; is desired, separate belts are provided on the leading and trailing portions of the spreader, and the leadingbelts travel at a somewhat greater speed than the trailing belts.

Fabric 109, drawn from the source ltll, is drawn over the spreader frame 103a, which laterally distends the fabric and maintains it at a predetermined uniform width. The fabric is then steamed, and thereby uniformly conditioned and set in its dimensions.

As shown in FIG. 7, the. discharge end of the spreader frame advantageously is directly oppositeto and carefully aligned with the leading end of the guide frame, such that the preconditioned and aligned fabric passes directly onto the guide frame for slittingand opening under con ditions of uniquely superior uniformity. The resulting, open Width material is particularly uniform and is free of longitudinal creases and other undesirable distortions.

Advantageously, the'preconditioning apparatus is driven in direct relation to the feed roller 22 of the slitting and opening apparatus. The apparatus of FIG. 7 effects this result by driving the edge rolls 1035 from a pulley 24 driven in fixed relation to the pulley 24 (FIG. 2) driving the feed roller. However, where desirable or expedient, variable drive relationships may be introduced between the feed roller 22 and the edge rolls 16311, Where particular processing effects are sought.

The new method and apparatus constitute a significant advance in the practice of converting distortable, tubular materials to fiat, open width materials. By. following the procedures and using the apparatus of this invention, greatly improved results are realized, in terms of uniform, distortion-free open Width material. The substantial uniformity of width dimension enables significant economies to be realized in the use of the material since, for many end uses, the minimunr width of an irregular material must be used as the eifective width of the entire quantity. Moreover, since the material is free of distortions, it is much more easily managed in subsequent operations and is significantly less subject to'non-uniform dimensional changes in the finished product.

it should be understood that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

lVe claim:

1;. An apparatus forslitting and opening distortable tubular knitted material, which comprises guiding means, means for advancing the material over said? guiding means and along a predetermined axis, means mountedadjacent said guiding means for slitting one layer of said material longitudinally as it is advanced, an opening frame positioned to receive slit material from said guiding means, said opening frame comprising a first portion guiding a central longitudinal area of the slit material through a predetermined path disposed at an angle to said predetermined axis and into a flat plane disposed at an angle to said predetermined path and a second portion controllably guiding outer longitudinal areas of said slit material through predetermined divergent paths and into said flat plane, said opening frame being so related to said predetermined aXis and to said flat plane that all longitudinal portions of said material are controllably guided through paths of equal length in travelling to a predetermined transverse line in said plane.

. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which said plane is formed by a conveying and supporting blanket positioned below said opening frame and having an upper surface positioned to engage and advance longitudinal areas of said material guided to said plane by said opening frame, said material being slit along its upper layer.

3. An apparatus for slitting and opening distortable tubular knitted material, which comprises means for advancing and guiding the material in a controlled manner along a predetermined axis, means for slitting one layer of the advancing material, unitary means having a first portion for controllably directing the slit edges of the material divergently through paths of predetermined length into a predetermined plane offset from the slitting means on the side opposite said one layer, said unitary means having a second portion for controllably directing the intermediate longitudinal portions of said material at an angle to said predetermined plane through respective paths of predetermined length into said predetermined plane, said means for controllably directing the slit edges and intermediate longitudinal portions of the material being arranged to guide said material from the point of slitting to a predetermined transverse line on said plane in such manner that all longitudinal portions of the material travel through equal distances, whereby all longitudinal portions of said material are maintained substantially free of tension.

4. The method of slitting and opening tubular material which comprises advancing the material longitudinally,

slitting one layer of the rnaterial along one side as it advances past a predetermined point, immediately thereafter directing the slit edges of the material in divergent directions until the material is in flat open width form in a predetermined plane, and controllably directing the intermediate longitudinal portions of the material, between the points where the material is slit and where it is in flat form, through a predetermined path having a first portion disposed at a substantial angle to said plane and a second portion lying in said plane, such that the distance traveled by said intermediate longitudinal portions between said points equals the distance traveled by said slitedges.

5. Apparatus for slitting and opening distortable tubu lar knitted material comprising means for advancing the material longitudinally, cutter means mounted in predetermined relation to the advancing means for slitting one layer of the tubular material as it is advanced past a predetermined cutting point, unitary guide frame means having a first section for divergently directing the slit edges of the material immediately after the material advances to said cutting point to fiat open width form ina transverse line of a predetermined plane, said guide frame means including a second section for controllably directing the intermediate longitudinal portions of the material, between said cutting point and said predetermined plane, through a predetermined pathdisposed at a substantial angle to said plane, said guide frame means so directing the longitudinal portions of the slit material that the distance traveled by said intermediate longitudinal portions of the material between said cutting point and the transverse line in said plane equals the distance traveled by said slit edges between said points in thelongitudinal advance of said material.

6. The method of slitting and opening tubular material which comprises slitting the tube longitudinally, engaging and advancing a center longitudinal area of the slit material while directing the slit edges thereof through divergent paths to open said material, and progressively engaging and advancing additional longitudinal areas of the material on both sides of the center area until the material is engaged and being advanced across substantially its entire open Width, the material being delivered in the form of a flat tube, one fiat surface of the tube being slit longitudinally and substantially centrally between the edges of the flat tube, said center longitudinal area comprising the other flat surface of the tube, the respective longitudinal areas of said material being engaged and advanced in a single plane, said other fiat surface of the slit tube being directed toward said plane at a large angle thereto, and the slit edges of the material being directed toward said plane at a substantially smaller angle thereto.

7. The method of claim 6, in which said large angle is in the order of 90.

8. An apparatus for slitting and opening tubular material, which comprises guiding means, means for advancing the material over said guiding means and along a predetermined axis, means mounted adjacent said guiding means for slitting one layer of said material longitudinally as it is advanced, an opening frame positioned to receive slit material from said guiding means, said opening frame comprising a first portion guiding a central longitudinal area of the slit material through a predetermined path into a fiat plane and a second portion guiding outer longitudinal areas of said material through predetermined divergent paths and into said fiat plane, said opening frame being so related to said predetermined axis and to said flat plane that all longitudinal areas of said material are guided through paths of equal length in travelling to a predetermined transverse line in said plane, said plane being formed by a conveying and supporting blanket positioned below said opening frame and having an upper surface positioned to engage and advance longitudinal areas of said material guided to said plane by said frame, said predetermined axis being generally horizontally disposed, a portion of said opening frame constituting said guiding means being mounted in a generally horizontal plane including said axis, the plane of said blanket being below said generally horizontal plane, said first portion of said opening frame diverting said central longitudinal area of the material downward at a relatively sharp angle from said generally horizontal plane into the plane of said blanket.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the second portion of saaid opening frame comprises a pair of divergently related guide members disposed directly over said blanket and operative to progressively divert outer longitudinal areas of said material into the plane of said blanket.

10. An apparatus for slitting and opening tubular material, which comprises means for advancing and guiding the material in a controlled manner along a predetermined axis, means for slitting one layer of the advancing material, unitary means having a first section for controllably directing the slit edges of the material divergently through paths of predetermined length into a predetermined plane and a second ection for controllably directing the intermediate longitudinal portions of said material through respective paths of predetermined length into said predetermined plane while maintaining all longitudinal portions of said material substantially free of tension, and means for advancing the slit material in said plane, said means comprising a conveyor blanket engageable first with central longitudinal portions of said material and subsequently and progressively with outer longitudinal portions of the material.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, in which the advancing and guiding means comprises means to guide the material in the form of a flat tube, and a roller gripping the layer of the material opposite the slitting means and driven to advance the material at a predetermined speed, said con veyor blanket being engageable with a central longitudinal portion corresponding to the last mentioned layer of the tubular material, and means for driving the conveyor blanket at a predetermined speed.

12. An apparatus for slitting and opening tubular material, which comprises means for advancing and guiding the material in a controlled manner along a predetermined axis, means for slitting one layer of the advancing material, means for controllably directing the slit edges of the material divergently through paths of predetermined length into a predetermined plane, and means for controllably directing the intermediate longitudinal portions of said material through respective paths of predetermined length into said predetermined plane while maintaining all longitudinal portions of said material substantially free of tension, the means for controllably directing the slit edges and the intermediate longitudinal portions of the material comprising an opening frame, said opening frame comprising first and second portions related at an angle in the order of the first portion of said frame controllably directing the intermediate longitudinal portions of said material as aforesaid and comprising parallel guide elements spaced apart a distance corresponding to the flat width of the tubular material, and the second portion of said frame comprising a pair of divergent guide elements forming a plane and extending from the first mentioned guide elements to a width at least as great as the open width of the slit material.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, which includes conveyor means having a portion lying substantially in the plane defined by said divergent guide elements and operative to engage and advance material passing said divergent guide elements.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, in which the conveyor comprises a dimensionally stable blanket having good gripping characteristics with the slit material and operative to engage the slit material across the full width thereof lying in said plane.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, in which the conveyor blanket has a material engaging and advancing portion extending lengthwise throughout the effective length of said divergent guide elements.

1 16. The apparatus of claim 14, which includes roll-up means resting on and'driven by said blanket.

17. The apparatus of claim 14-, which includes-folding means mounted adjacent and below the discharge end of said blanket for receiving and arranging into loose folds the slit and opened rnaterial.

18. The method of slitting and opening tubular material'which comprises delivering the material in the form of a flattened tube, advancing the tubelongitudinallypast a. slitting station and slitting one fiat surface portion of the tube longitudinally along the center thereof as it passes the slitting station, directing the slit edges of said oneflat surface portion of the material along divergent paths and through a predetermined distance'to a conveying and supporting surface, directing-the other fiatlongitudinal surface portion of said material between the slit edges thereof along predetermined paths equal in length to said predetermined distance, said other'flat surface portion: of the material being advanced directly and in a.

substantially flat plane from said slitting station to said conveying and supporting surface and thereafter advancedin a different plane by said conveying andsupporting surface, whereby all longitudinal portions of said material travel equal distances in advancing from said slitting station to a predetermined line on said conveying and supporting surface at which said material is fully open, the longitudinal portions of said material between said slit edges and said other fiat surface portion firstengaging said conveying and supporting surface at points between the line at which said material is fully open and the line at which: said other flat surface portion engages said conveying and supporting surface,. and thereafter conveying the fully open material from said line at which said material is fully open' by engaging the material across its open width.

, References Cited by the Examiner UNlT ED STATES PATENTS 1,450,701 4/23 Murray 26-54 1,801,757 4/31 Shippling 83-475 2,108,127 2/38 Kasanof 26-55 3,015,145 1/62 Cohn et al. 2655 x DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, MERVIN STEIN, Examiners.

Claims (2)

1. AN APPARATUS FOR SLITTING AND OPENING DISTORTABLE TUBULAR KNITTED MATERIAL, WHICH COMPRISES GUIDING MEANS, MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE MATERIAL OVER SAID GUIDING MEANS AND ALONG A PREDETERMINED AXIS, MEANS MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID GUIDING MEANS FOR SLITTING ONE LAYER OF SAID MATERIAL LONGITUDINALLY AS IT IS ADVANCED, AN OPENING FRAME POSITIONED TO RECEIVE SLIT MATERIAL FROM SAID GUIDING MEANS, SAID OPENING FRAME COMPRISING A FIRST PORTION GUIDING A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AREA OF THE SLIT MATERIAL THROUGH A PREDETERMINED PATH DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS AND INTO A FLAT PLANE DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO SAID PREDETERMINED PATH AND A SECOND PORTION CONTROLLABLY GUIDING OUTER LONGITUDINAL AREAS OF SAID SLIT MATERIAL THROUGH PREDETERMINED DIVERGENT PATHS AND INTO SAID FLAT PLANE, SAID OPENING FRAME BEING SO RELATED TO SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS AND TO SAID FLAT PLANE THAT ALL LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS OF SID MATERIAL ARE CONTROLLABLY GUIDED THROUGH PATHS OF EQUAL LENGTH IN TRAVELLING TO A PREDETERMINED TRANSVERSE LINE IN SAID PLANE.

4. THE METHOD OF SLITTING AND OPENING TUBULAR MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES ADVANCING THE MATERIAL LONGITUDINALLY, SLITTING ONE LAYER OF THE MATERIAL ALONG ONE SIDE AS IT ADVANCES PAST A PREDETERMINED POINT, IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER DIRECTING THE SLIT EDGES OF THE MATERIAL IN DIVERGENT DIRECTIONS UNTIL THE MATERIAL IS IN FLAT OPEN WIDTH FORM IN A PREDETERMINED PLANE, AND CONTROLLABLY DIRECTING THE IN-

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