US3619831A

US3619831A - Process for avoiding creases in tubular knit acrylic fabrics

Info

Publication number: US3619831A
Application number: US828893A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert M Oberholtzer
Original assignee: O B DYERS Inc
Current assignee: O B DYERS Inc; Ob Dyers Inc
Priority date: 1969-05-29
Filing date: 1969-05-29
Publication date: 1971-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-16

Abstract

A PROCESS FOR AVOIDING CREASES IN TUBULAR KNIT ACRYLIC FABRIC INTENDED FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOTHING COMPRISING HEATING A MOVING WET KNITTED TUBE OF SAID FABRIC SO THAT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FABRIC''S SURFACE WATER IS RAISED TO BETWEEN 130* TO 160*F., EXPOSING SAID MOVING FABRIC TO THE ACTION OF LIVE STEAM WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SURFACE WATER IS RAISED TO BETWEEN

180* TO 210*F., AND THEN RAPIDLY CHILLING THE FABRIC BY QUENCHING IT IN TAP WATER, AND THEN PLAITING AND DRYING THE FABRIC.

Description

Nov. 16, 1971 R. M. OBERHOLTZER 3,619,831

PROCESS FOR AVOIDING CREASES IN TUBULAR KNIT ACRYLIC FABRICS Filed May 29, 1969 m x mm H L m M0 n VH 0 6 F A 0 MM m J z ma United States Patent 3,619,831 PROCESS FOR AVOIDING CREASES IN TUBULAR KNIT ACRYLIC FABRICS Robert M. Oberholtzer, Wyomissing, Pa., assignor to O. B. Dyers, Inc., Reading, Pa. Filed May 29, 1969, Ser. No. 828,893 Int. Cl. B08b 3/00 US. Cl. 8-1491 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A process for avoiding creases in tubular knit acrylic fabric intended for use in the manufacture of clothing comprising heating a moving wet knitted tube of aid fabric so that the temperature of the fabrics surface water is raised to between 130 to 160 F., exposing said moving fabric to the action of live steam whereby the temperature of the surface water is raised to between 180 to 210 F., and then rapidly chilling the fabric by quenching it in tap water, and then plaiting and drying the fabric.

This invention is directed to a process for avoiding creases in tubular knit acrylic fabrics, and in particular, to a process for avoiding creases in dyed wet tubular knit acrylic fabrics intended for use in clothing.

By acrylic fabrics, as used herein, is meant fabrics formed from fibers designated acrylic fibers or modacrylic fibers pursuant to Rule 7 of the rules and regulations promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act. Examples of acrylic fibers include: Creslan, Acrilan, Zefran and Orlon. Examples of modacrylic fibers include: Verel, Dynel, Kanekalon and Teklan.

Tubular knit acrylic fabrics intended for use in clothings, such as mens and childrens shirts, mens coats, and ladies dresses, are conventionally Beck or paddle dyed and then steamed, quenched, plaited and dried. However, such tubular knit acrylic fabrics have suffered from what the art has termed casual creases, namely small irregular creases or cracks, which appeared as depressions in the knit fabric. These are unsightly, and have proved to be a detriment in the finished fabric.

This invention has as an object a process for treating tubular knit acrylic fabrics intended for use in clothing so as to avoid casual creases.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The aforesaid objects are accomplished by the pr ceSS of the present invention in which a preheating step is employed intermediate the dyeing and steaming steps as conventionally practiced with tubular knit acrylic fabric intended for use in clothing. In particular, this invention involves the heating of a tube of tubular knit acrylic fabric intended for use in clothing that is moving at a speed of between 30 to 60 yards per minute, and which has been dyed and is wet to a temperature such that the surface water on the fabric is raised to between 130 to 160 F., followed by steaming with high pressure steam so that the temperature of the surface water is raised to between 180 to 210 F., followed by rapid chilling through contact with tap water, then conventional plaiting and drying.

In order to illustrate the process of the present invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings which disclose an embodiment thereof.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic flow sheet demonstrating the subject process for avoiding creases in tubular knit acrylic fabrics intended for use in clothing.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

In the process of the present invention, the tubular knit acrylic fabric is designated 10 in the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of illustration, such tubular knit Patented Nov. 16, 1971 acrylic fabric is Orion, and is a tube approximately 32 inches wide that has been knit so that the same constitutes useful piece goods for the manufacture of mens shirts.

The fabric 10 has been Beck or paddle dyed using conventional processing, and moves through the process shown in FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrow, namely from left to right.

The fabric 10 may be conveyed at a speed of between 30 to 60 yards per minute. It should not be taut, although as will be noted below, it is spread by means of the spreader which serves to guide it through the processing of the present invention.

The wet fabric which may be at a temperature of to R, such as 90 F., at the commencement of the process, such initial temperature not being critical, is passed through the idler rolls 12 between the heaters 14.

The heaters 14 are preferably spaced above and below the fabric tube, and may comprise infra-red heaters, although other types of heating elements may be used.

The heaters 14 should dispense sufficient heat to raise the temperature of the moving tube to a temperature such that the surface water of the fabric attains a temperature of between to 160 R, such as F.

The heated tubular fabric passes from the heaters 14 over the spreader 16 through the steam box 18. The spreader 16 consists of spaced guides which are disposed within the fabric tube 10, as seen particularly in FIG. 2.

The steam box 18 is a conventional steam box, such as is presently used to steam tubular knit acrylic fabrics intended for use in clothing. As such, it consists of a plurality of nozzles which discharge high pressure steam, such as steam having a pressure of the order of 80 to 120 pounds per square inch gauge. No particular steam pressure need be used. However, the size of the steam box, and the steam pressure should be such as to raise the temperature of the surface water to a temperature of the order of 180 to 210 F.

The distance between the heaters 14 and the steam box 18 is between about 1 and 5 yards. Hence, the dwell time of the surface water at a temperature of between 130 to F. should be between 2 and 10 seconds.

Following the steaming, the fabric is conventionally processed. This includes the steps of passing the fabric between the rubber-coated squeeze rolls 20, over the idler roll 22 and into the quenching bath 24. The quenching bath 24 is a trough through which circulating tap water is passed. The dwell time between the steam box and the quenching bath 24 is less than between the heaters 14 and the steam box 18.

The quenching bath 24 effects rapid chilling of the fabric 10. I have determined that such rapid chilling is necessary, or casual creases and/or cracks will develop in the surface of the knit fabric.

The chilled fabric is conveyed from the quenching bath 24 over the idler 26 through the rubber squeeze rolls 28, the idler 30, the guide rolls 32 and into the plaiting unit 34.

The plaiting unit 34 is a conventional plaiting unit, as is presently used for the accordion plaiting tubular knit acrylic fabric.

I have determined that the elimination of either the heating step involving the heaters 14, or the chill quenching step subsequent to the steaming results in the presence of creases or crack marks in the tubular knit acrylic fabric. However, when both of these steps are present in the process of my invention, casual creases, and/or crack marks or depressions in the tubular knit acrylic fabric can be eliminated or substantially eliminated.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof.

I claim:

1. In a process for avoiding creases in tubular knit acrylic fabric used in the manufacture of clothing comprising the steps of dyeing, steaming, quenching, and drying said fabric the improvement comprising heating a continuously moving wet knitted tube of said fabric such that said fabrics surface water is raised to a temperature of between 130 to 160 F. after the dyeing and prior to steaming, steaming said heated moving fabric so that said fabrics surface water is raised to a temperature of between 180 to 210 F., and rapidly chill quenching said steamed moving fabric with cold water.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fabric is plaited between the quenching and drying steps.

3. A process in accordance with claim 1 in which the fabric is moved through the process in a non-taut state.

4. A process in accordance with claim 3 in which the continuously moving wet knitted tube is moving at a rate of between to yards per minute, and the steaming of the heated moving fabric is at a distance of between 1 to 5 yards from where the fabrics surface water is raised to a temperature of between to F.

5. A process in accordance with claim 4 in which the fabric is Orlon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 8149.3; 685D