Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06C—FINISHING, DRESSING, TENTERING OR STRETCHING TEXTILE FABRICS
  • D06C5/00—Shaping or stretching of tubular fabrics upon cores or internal frames

Definitions

• the invention concerns a method and apparatus for subjecting a knitted tubular fabric to a dry high temperature in order to reorient the knitted stitch geometry of the fabric while maintaining a predetermined width of the fabric under a controlled longitudinal tension condition and allowing the fabric to set while maintaining the controlled longitudinal tension condition.
• Steam treatment is not applicable for altering the stitch geometry of knitted fabrics made from synthetic fibers, blends of synthetic and natural fibers or from fibers treated with thermo setting resins and where any alteration is permanent enough for the fabric to be transported from the steam treatment station to a cutting table where the fabric is cut into garment segments.
• fabrics made from synthetic fibers or resin treated fibers have memories that may be altered only by subjecting the fibers to temperatures near to that at which the fibers were f-ormed or near to that which the resins become reactive which temperatures are usually on the order of 300-400°F. and well above the temperature of steam at atmospheric pressure.
• Apparatus has been utilized in the past to transport synthetic knitted tubular fabrics through a dry high temperature heat treating station in an attempt to alter stitch geometry but no means was provided in such apparatus for holding the tubular fabric out to a desired or predetermined width in the heat treatment zone. Instead the fabric was pre-spread and steamed before entry into the high temperature zone with the purpose of providing a temporary set in the fabric while the temperature of its fibers was increased to the plastic state in the high temperature zone. However in such instances the fabric almost always contracted in width because there were no means provided for holding the width and usually the fabric grew in length because of the longitudinal .tensions imparte to the fabric by pulling it through the heat treatment station.
• Such method and apparatus will allow the stitch geometry of fabrics made from snythetic fibers, blends of synthetic and natural fibers or fibers treated with thermo setting resins to significantly alter and to set so that a balance! shrinkage control of the fabric is maintained in both lateral and longitudinal directions and so that the fabric may maintain predetermined sizes after being cut into garment segments.
• the method of my invention comprises the steps of moving a knitted tubular fabric over a spreader means to spread the fabric into a flattened tubular form of a predetermined width while at the same time imparting a lateral tension to the fabric.
• the inside edges of the flattened tubular form are engaged by a first edge drive means to move the flattened tubular form over the spreader means towards an edge drive transfer station while maintaining the predetermined width.
• the first drive means is removed from engagement with the tubular form and replaced by a second edge drive means while still maintaining the predetermined width.
• the speed of the first drive means is regulated with respect to the second drive means in order to control longitudinal tension in the flattened tubular form while it is engaged by the second drive means.
• the tubular form is then moved by the second drive means through a dry temperature heat treating station while maintaining the predetermined width and control of longitudinal tension to the form in the heat treating station to cause the knitted stitch geometry to 'alter and remove lateral tension therefrom.
• the fabric is then removed from the heat treatment station and allowed to cool and set while engaged by the second drive means.
• the fabric if desired may be treated with steam prior to passing through the heat treatment station in order to provide a temporary set while being subjected to the dry heat treatment.
• the apparatus of my invention comprises broadly a spreader means for spreading a knitted tubular form to a flattened form of predetermined width.
• a first drive means is provided for engaging the inside edges of the flattened tubular form to move the form over the spreader means to give the predetermined width and which results in a lateral tension being imparted to the form.
• a drive transfer station is provided for transferring engagement of the first edge drive means to a second edge drive means while maintaining the predetermined width of the tubular form.
• Means for varying the speed of the second drive means with respect to the first drive means is provided so that the speed of the fabric moved by the first drive means may be regulated with respect to the fabric engaged by thesecond drive means to control longitudinal tension.
• the second drive means extends through a teat .treating station in which dry heat preferably in excess of 300°F. may be applied to the fabric to alter the stitch geometry of the fabric and to remove the latexal tension.
• a cooling station is provided through which the second drive means extends wherein the fabric may cool to impart a permanent set to the altered stitch geometry.
• first and second edge drive means each comprise a driven endless belt for engaging an inside edge of the flattened tubular form and wherein the belt of the second drive means extending through the heat treatment station comprises a heat resisting material.
• apparatus may include an air cooler at the cooling station for directing a blast of cooling air onto the tubular form to expedite setting of the modified stitch geometry.
• Figure 1 is a side view of the device constructed according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a broken plan view of the device of Figure
• Figure 3 is an enlarged view. of a portion of Figure 2 illustrating a spreader means and an edge drive means;
• Figure 4 is an enlarged side view of Figure 2 taken along lines 4-4;
• Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view, of a portion of
• Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of Figure 3 taken along lines 6-6;
• Figure 7 is an enlarged partial sectional view of Figure
• Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view of Figure 2 taken along lines 8-8.
• FIG. 1 there is illustrated a machine 1 for heat treating knitted tubular fabrics where.the apparatus has an entry station 10, a spreader-control station 20, an edge drive transfer station 60, a heat treating station 70, a cooling- station 80 and a batcher station 90.
• the entry station 10 comprises a frame 11 supporting a supply roll 12 of a knitted tubular fabric.
• a tubular web W is drawn from the roll 12 and extends over upper idler rolls 13 and 14 and passes over tension rods 15 and thence over idler rolls 16.
• the web W then passes over a spreader means 21 which extends into the interior of the tubular fabric to spread the fabric to a predetermined width and at the same time to impart a lateral tension to the tubular web W.
• the spreader-control station 20 including the spreader means 21 is illustrated in greater detail in
• Figure 3 as comprising in part a smooth bow portion 22 adapted to engage the inside edges of a tube of fabric to spread the same into a flattened tubular form of a desired width.
• the bow portion 22 is connected to spreader side frames 23 which extend through a major portion of the length of the machine 1 from ahead of the spreader-control station 20 through and including the cooling station 80.
• Frames 23 serve to support two first edge drive means
• each of the edge drive means is adapted to engage an inside edge of the flattened tubular form.
• each first edge drive means 24 comprises an endless belt 24' which passes over a front idler pulley 26, a rear driven pulley 27, a pl ⁇ rality of supplemental idler pulleys 28 and a moveable tension adjusting pulley 29 where all of the pulleys are rotatably carried by frame 23.
• the belt passes over a frus-toconical idler wheel 30 carried by frame 23 which, through the medium of the web W as . shown in Figure 7, is supported by the rubber covered rolls 31 mounted on shafts 32. Rolls 31 thus serve to freely support the forward end of the spreader means within the tubular form of fabric.
• the spreader-control station 20 may, but not necessarily, also include an upper control roll 35 and a lower control roll 36 adapted to be respectively driven in opposite directions by a variable speed drive not shown. Rolls 35 and 36 are adjustable by means illustrated in my Patent
• control station may be used as a straightening calendar for finishing transversely striped or patterned circular knit fabrics in the manner disclosed and described in my Patent No. 3,973,305.
• An abutment roll assembly 45 as more fully illustrated in Figure 4 is mounted onto the spreader frame 23 and includes rolls 46 rotatably mounted with respect to the spreader frame 23 and over which the web W passes such that the web is interposed between the rolls 46 and the control rolls 35 and 36.
• the abutment rolls thus serve to position the spreader means longitudinally in the machine 1 and prevent the spreader means from being pulled through the machine when fabric is run through the machine.
• the second edge drive means 25 like the first edge drive means 24 is adapted to engage each inside edge of a flattened tubular form and comprises an endless belt 50 which passes over a forward idler pulley 51, supplemental idler pulleys 52 and a rear driven pulley 53.
• the belt 50 comprises a heat resistant material and preferably a stainless steel belt which may withstand the high temperatures generated at the heat treating station.
• FIG. 5 An edge drive transfer station 60 by which driving engagement of the first drive means with respect to the tubular form is transferred to the second drive means is illustrated in detail in Figures 5 and 6.
• the rear driven pulley 27 of the first edge drive means comprises a center portion 61 fixedly mounted on shaft 62 and over which belt 24' extends.
• outer portions 63 each of which has a convex end surface 64.
• the convex end surfaces 64 of portions 63 are complementary to concave surface 65 of a driven edge drive member 66 as shown in Figure 6.
• drive member 66 engages the outer edge of the web W, it will transfer driving force through the web to the outer portions 63 and in turn to the center portion 61 and onto the drive belt 24' to provide the driving force necessary to pull the web over the spreader means 21 and cause the web to be stretched to a predetermined width. Further, because of the engagement between the concave surfaces 65 and convex surfaces 64, the driven member 66 will provide a vertical support for the rear driven pulley 27 and the associated spreader frame 23.
• the first drive means could comprise the rear driven pulley 27 alone and where the bow portion 22 would be extended to the transfer station.
• the pulley 27 driven by the drive roll 66 would engage the inside edges of the tubular fabric toact as an edge drive means and to provide sufficient force to move the tubular form over the spreader to the transfer station. and to-control the feed of the tubular form with respect to the second edge drive means.
• the forward idler pulley 51 of the second edge drive means 25 is mounted on a shaft 54. Also mounted on shaft 54 are sections 55 which are freely rotatable with respect to pulley 51 and which have convex outer surfaces 56. Surfaces 56 act with concave surface 65 through the web W to provide a vertical support to the spreader frame in the same manner as with the first edge drive means.
• Driven member 66 is connected by means of a variable speed control 67 and belt 68 to a drive motor 69 of the machine such that the speed control provides means for regulating the speed of the first edge drive means.
• the rear pulley 53 of the second edge drive means has a convex outer surface 57 which is complementary to a concave surface 58 of a drive pulley 59 such that the drive pulley will provide a vertical support for the idler pulley 53 and the associated spreader 23.
• Driving force for the second edge drive means to move the tubular form from the edge drive transfer station is thus provided by the drive pulley 59 through the web W onto the driven pulley 53 and thence to the belt 50 which engages the inside edges of the tubular form.
• Drive pulley 59 is connected to a variable speed control unit 85 in turn connected to the main drive motor 69 of the machine by belt 86.
• the heat treating station 70 comprises a housing 71 having a plurality of dry high temperature heaters 72 therein positioned beneath and above the fabric which may heat fabric passing through the heat treating station in excess of 300°F.
• the heaters are infra-red heaters but could be of another type, for example gas heaters.
• the number of heaters required is in part determined by the speed of the fabric moving through the heat treating station with more heaters needed as faster speeds than at lower speeds since the fabric temperature must be raised to high temperatures in less time than when moving at slower speeds.
• the heating station may also include an air knife blower unit 73 which circulates air lengthwise of the tubular form in the heat treating station when the machine is stopped to prevent overheating of the fabric.
• an exhaust housing 74 is provided to remove smoke generated in the heat treating station.
• Cooling station 80 includes air coolers 81 for blowing cooling air on to both sides of the tubular form of fabric in order to assist and expedite setting. If the cooling station is sufficiently long and the speed of movement of the fabric sufficiently slow, the coolers 81 may be dispens with as the fabric would cool enough to set prior to batching.
• the batching station 90 includes conventional driven draw rolls 91 and 92 for moving fabric from the cooling station and a driven wind-up roll 93 where the treated fabric is wound.
• a steam unit 75 may be provided for this purpose.
• the spreader frames extend. from aposition prior to the control station 20. to a position after the cooling station 80.
• This length of the spreader allows the tubular form of fabric to be shaped to the predetermined width by the bow 22 and this width is maintained throughout passage of the fabric through the machine, and particularly through the heat treating station where the stitch geometry is altered to relieve lateral tension and in the cooling station where the reoriented fibers are set.
• the vertical support required for a spreader of such length is provided in at least two positions by the edge drive transfer station construction utilizing the concave driven member 66 and the edge drive construction of the second edge drive means utilizing the concave driven pulley 58.
• support may be provided by the rubber covered rolls 31 of the control station but it is to be understood that the control station and its components are not necessary parts of my invention.
• the operation of the machine is as follows. As the tubular web W is pulled over the bow 22 by the first edge drive means 24, the tubular web is shaped to a flattened tubular form with the belts 24' engaging both inside edges of the form. The spreading of the tubular form imparts a lateral tension to the form. The flattened form is moved to the edge drive transfer means by the belts 24' where the outer edge of the form is engaged by the drive pulley 66 and moved over to the parts 55. of the second edge drive means. The speed of the first edge drive means is usually set greater than that of the second edge drive means such that the tubular form bunches up on the second edge drive means to form traverse or laterally extending pleats P as shown in Figure 2.
• This bunching up relaxes the fabric in the longitudinal direction to reduce and control longitudinal tension.
• the bunched up tubular form is then carried into the heat treating station by the second edge drive means where the stitch orientation of the fabric is altered by the heat and where lateral tension is relieved or balanced with respect to the longitudinal tension. In some instances, however, it may be desirable to impart longitudinal tension into the fabric while it is treated. In such event the speed of the first drive means would then be set lower than that of the second drive means such that the fabric moving to the transfer means is underfed with respect to the fabric moving from the transfer means.
• the second edge drive then moves the tubular form to the cooling station where the fibers of the reoriented stitches are allowed to set.
• the tubular form is then pulled from the second edge drive means by the draw rolls 91 and 92 of the batcher station and by the winding up movement of the wind-up roll 93.
• the machine 1 provides a support to the tubular form through means of the second edge drive means both in the heat treating station and in the cooling station to insure that the lateral and longitudinal tensions of the fabric will be balanced and that the fabric when cooled will retain their balanced condition.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=25503827

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (5)

Citations (3)

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• 1979
  • 1979-11-14 DE DE792953321A patent/DE2953321A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 1979-11-14 GB GB8022036A patent/GB2048974B/en not_active Expired
  • 1979-11-14 JP JP50210279A patent/JPS55500912A/ja active Pending
  • 1979-11-14 FR FR7928114A patent/FR2441677A1/fr active Granted
  • 1979-11-14 WO PCT/US1979/000977 patent/WO1980001084A1/en unknown
  • 1979-11-14 CA CA339,808A patent/CA1110840A/en not_active Expired
  • 1979-11-15 IT IT69214/79A patent/IT1119486B/it active

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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