Patent Grant
7395587
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling a compression zone in a compressively shrinking fabric web, more particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus for adjusting positions of: a removable slip sheet in a compression zone defined by a pair of rollers of an open width textile compressive shrinking machine to adjust a size of the compression zone for various thickness and types of textiles; a wedge between the pair of rollers for spacing apart the pair of rollers a predetermined dimension; and a upper shoe in the compression zone for allowing for different thickness and types of textiles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The knitting industry uses, for manufacture of garments, various compacted knitted textile fabrics of different constructions, generally accepted as having been shrink-proofed. For such compressive shrink-proofing, two-pass types of compactor have been in vogue; as disclosed in each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,689,862 and 5,655,275; which compactors are typical of machines used for knitted fabric made of natural and/or man-made fibers. Although these compactors produce generally acceptable shrink-proofing results, they are temperamental and require frequent re-adjusting of their compression zones.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,329 uses two stationary opposing blades to form a compression zone. A fabric being compacted is required to change direction abruptly on entering and exiting the compression zone. Applicant's GULL-WING brand compactor, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,562, employs a compression zone consisting of an apex (or nadir) of a stationary notched shoe and an opposing impact blade with the fabric being compacted required to make a “V” turn in passing through a compression zone. Common to the prior art compactors presently used for shrink-proofing knitted textile fabrics is a requirement for an abrupt change of direction of fabrics due to an organized obstruction in their respective compression zones. The abrupt change of direction contributes tojamming; for example, at the apex of the GULL-WING brand compactor. A single-pass in-line compression zone taught by Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,461, whose disclosure is included herein by reference, eliminates the abrupt change of direction to render the compactor taught by Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,461 more operator-friendly, knit-friendly and produces trouble-free superior shrink-proofing on a wide variety of constructions of knitted textile fabrics and other fabrics having characteristics kindred to knitted textile fabrics.
Compressive shrink-proofing of knitted textile fabrics, formed from interlocked loops of yarns made usually of natural fibers or man-made fibers had its origin in shrink-proofing of woven textile fabric webs. With increased popularity of knitted garments, compressive shrink-proofing of knitted textile fabrics evolved from prior experience obtained by working with flat woven textile fabric webs. Woven textile fabrics webs are rectilinear grids ofthreads having longitudinal warp threads interwoven by transverse fill threads. Emphasis in compaction for shrink-proofing of woven textile fabric webs naturally focused on a need for longitudinal compression. The woven textile fabrics were, and are, manufactured in such continuous webs which inevitably get stretched lengthwise while being woven, transported, and processed. So it was, and is logical, convenient and effective to shrink compressively the woven fabric webs in a longitudinal direction along their flat continuous webs. However, knitted textile fabrics, like randomly deposited fabrics made of natural or man-made fibers, are neither formed nor structured similarly to woven textile fabrics.
Knitted textile fabrics, for example, are composed of yarns, usually of natural fibers, formed in interlocking curvilinear loops which are arranged in stitch rows sometimes aligned perpendicularly to and sometimes skewed from perpendicular orientations relative to alignment of their continuous webs. The loops generally interlock with each other substantially at right angles (orthogonally) to their respective stitch row. It is sometimes convenient to visualize stitch rows ideally as being straight and aligned transversely relative to a longitudinal path of the fabric, like soldiers marching on parade through their compactor. Yet such an ideal image of stitch rows through a compactor rarely finds its counterpart in the real world. Knitted textile fabrics frequently are not designed with straight transverse stitch rows. Handling and treatment of knitted textile fabrics warp, bend, twist, and otherwise distort their stitch rows. Further, the stitch rows themselves are formed as a progression of repeating series of curvilinear loops of yarn. So as far as compacting of knitted textile fabrics is concerned, terms such as “straight” or “aligned” stitch rows are wishful euphemisms.
A loop of yarn in a knitted fabric actually exhibits behavior characteristics quite different from those that logically might be expected from an ideal image of stitch rows. Applicant examined behavioral characteristics of actual knitted structures as they undergo compaction, so as to deal on their own terms with the loops and stitch rows as they actually exist.
The knitted textile fabrics, when composed of natural fibers, typically are manufactured in the form of continuous tubes which are then flattened and compacted in a longitudinal direction in analogous fashion to compacting of woven textile fabrics. Alternately, the knitted tubes may be split open, spread, and subjected to longitudinal compacting as open webs. Knitted textile fabrics, with small loops or fine yarns making up the loops, require compaction as open webs. As has been noted herein, technology which evolved from compacting of woven textile fabric webs generally has achieved inconsistent success in treating knitted textile fabrics. Lack of consistent success has been common to compaction of knitted textile fabrics both as tubes and as open webs. Accordingly, some people look upon compressive shrinking of knitted fabrics as an occult art.
In actual knitted textile fabrics, we frequently can expect unreliable orientation (skewing) of stitch rows formed of interlocked yarn loops. And, alignment of the loops has been recognized by Applicant to occur orthogonally, each individual loop relative to its related skewed stitch row. Applicant's recognition, acceptance, and accommodation of the skewed orientation of the stitch rows and inherent behavior of the loops relative to their respective stitch rows are at the crux of Applicant's successful, consistent and reliable compacting of knitted textile fabrics and other similar fabrics made of natural and/or man-made fibers. It followed that organizing apparatus and a related method for freeing the interlocked loops of yarn to move easily, as they naturally choose, toward each other orthogonally relative to their skewed stitch rows, opened the door to Applicant's success.
Effective compressive shrink-proofing of knitted textile fabrics of natural fibers depends in part on expansion of heated and/or moistened yarn caused by partial unraveling of their fibers. Steam puffing and lubricating effects on natural yarn loops of knitted textile fabrics are discussed in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,938, whose disclosure is included herein by reference. Another reality of compaction is that the fabric reduces in volume by mechanical pushing of the interlocked loops of yarn preferably toward each other. Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,461 focuses on the mechanical pushing action.
The loops interlock generally at right angles (orthogonally), each relative to its related stitch row. With the stitch rows unreliably organized, and the yarn loops arranged orthogonally thereto, application of longitudinal compaction through a crimped, bent, kinked, or otherwise obstructed compression zone was effective along a series of longitudinal vectors from a continuum of points along a curvilinear loop of yarn. Simultaneously, a series of companion transverse vectors of any, or all, of the same points could thereby be either wasted or they could contribute to counterproductive stretching. Accordingly, a substantial portion of longitudinal compacting effort on knitted textile fabrics was self-defeating when performed though the crimped, bent, kinked, or otherwise obstructed compression zones of the prior art. By eliminating abrupt direction change, due to obstruction, as the web of knitted fabric passes through the compression zone, Applicant frees the loops, each to move according to its own natural preference, which Applicant recognized to be orthogonally relative to its related stitch row, unaffected by likely skewed orientations of the stitch rows that make up the web of knitted fabric.
Applicant had in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,461 approached compacting of knitted textile fabrics by delivering and removing a confined web of the fabric, usually heated and/or moistened, through a substantially in-line compression zone wherein the loops of yarn of the fabric web, while expanding due to partial unraveling, are allowed to reduce in volume by the loops being pushed together, each according to its own natural preference orthogonally relative to a skewed axis of its respective stitch row. By eliminating crimps, bends, kinks, and other obstructions at the compression zone, Applicant avoided limiting the compacting effort to being only longitudinally directed relative to the fabric web and thus Applicant avoids the counterproductive stretching. Employing this approach, Applicant allowed the expanding loops to move as they choose according to inherent influences of their composition, history, and knitted structure in the easiest and most natural way they can find so as to each reduce its own volume. By this teaching, the direction of movement of the interlocked yarn loops is toward each other orthogonally relative to their respective stitch rows, independent of how bent, warped, twisted, or otherwise skewed those stitch rows may be.
Because of Applicant's novel, useful, and non-obvious approach, the apparatus taught by Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,461 is inexpensive to build, easy to operate, and more reliable than apparatuses of the prior art. He achieved operator-friendly, knit-friendly, superior and more reliable compaction of knitted textile fabrics and similar fabrics than has heretofore been achievable. His compactor contributed toward its goal by eliminating counterproductive tensions. He achieved his objective without polishing, crimping, or grabbing of the knitted fabric. Applicant's apparatus and related method for shrinking of knitted textile fabrics made of natural fibers taught by Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,461 also is applicable to fabrics made from man-made fabrics, non-woven textiles, papers, papers with additives, and the like; because their formations and structural characteristics are generally random and much more similar to those of knitted textile fabrics than they are to those of woven textile fabrics. Further, the invention taught by Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,461 was easily retrofittable into a wide variety of existing compressive shrink-proofing apparatuses. Single-station double-roller compressive shrink-proofing apparatuses are the most likely candidates for retrofitting.
Numerous other innovations for fabric shrinking related devices have been provided in the prior art. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they each differ in structure and/or operation and/or purpose from the present invention since they do not teach devices for adjusting positions of: a removable slip sheet in a compression zone defined by a pair of rollers of an open width textile compressive shrinking machine to adjust a size of the compression zone for various thickness and types of textiles; a wedge between the pair of rollers for spacing apart the pair of rollers a predetermined dimension; and a shoe in the compression zone for allowing for different thickness and types of textiles.
ACCORDINGLY, AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide devices for adjusting positions of: a removable slip sheet in a compression zone defined by a pair of rollers of an open width textile compressive shrinking machine to adjust a size of the compression zone for various thickness and types of textiles; a wedge between the pair of rollers for spacing apart the pair of rollers a predetermined dimension; and a shoe in the compression zone for allowing for different thickness and types of textiles that avoid the disadvantages of the prior art.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide devices for adjusting positions of: a removable slip sheet in a compression zone defined by a pair of rollers of an open width textile compressive shrinking machine to adjust a size of the compression zone for various thickness and types of textiles; a wedge between the pair of rollers for spacing apart the pair of rollers a predetermined dimension; and a shoe in the compression zone for allowing for different thickness and types of textiles that are simple to use.
BRIEFLY STATED, STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide devices for adjusting positions of: a removable slip sheet in a compression zone defined by a pair of rollers of an open width textile compressive shrinking machine to adjust a size of the compression zone for various thickness and types of textiles; a wedge between the pair of rollers for spacing apart the pair of rollers a predetermined dimension; and a shoe in the compression zone for allowing for different thickness and types of textiles.
The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.
The figures of the drawing are briefly described as follows:
Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to
The specific configuration of the device 10 for adjusting the position of the removable slip sheet 16 in the compression zone 18 defined by the pair of rollers 20 of the open width textile compressive shrinking machine 22 to adjust size of the compression zone 18 for various thickness and types of textiles can best be seen in
The device 10 comprises a bracket 38. The bracket 38 is for having the removable slip sheet 16 depend therefrom and for being movably mounted to the intermediate arm 30 so as to allow the removable slip sheet 16 to move in the compression zone 18.
The bracket 38 comprises a body 40, an adjuster 42, and a retainer 44. The body 40 of the bracket 38 is mounted for up and down movement on the intermediate arm 30. The adjuster 42 of the bracket 38 is for mounting to the intermediate arm 30 and is operatively connected to the body 40 of the bracket 38 so as to allow selectively movement of the body 40 of the bracket 38 up and down on the intermediate arm 30. The retainer 44 is for having the removable slip sheet 16 depend therefrom and is operatively connected to the body 40 of the bracket 38 so as to allow the removable slip sheet 16 to move in the compression zone 18 when the body 40 of the bracket 38 is moved by the adjuster 42 of the bracket 38.
The body 40 of the bracket 38 is substantially C-shaped, and as a result thereof, has an upright portion 46 and a pair of transverse portions 48. The upright portion 46 of the body of the bracket 38 is for mounting to the inner side 32 of the intermediate arm 30. An upper transverse portion 48 of the body 40 of the bracket 38 is operatively connected to the adjuster 42 of the bracket 38, while a lower transverse portion 48 of the body 40 of the bracket 38 has the retainer 44 depend therefrom. The upper transverse portion 48 of the body 40 of the bracket 38 has a threaded through bore 50 that extends axially therethrough,
The adjuster 42 of the bracket 38 comprises a plate 52 and a bolt 54. The plate 52 of the adjuster 42 is for affixing to the top 34 of the intermediate arm 30 and extends outwardly therefrom to above and over the upper transverse portion 48 of the body 40 of the bracket 38. The plate 52 of the adjuster 42 has a through bore 56 that extends axially therethrough and which is in alignment with the threaded through bore 50 in the upper transverse portion 48 of the body 40 of the bracket 38.
The bolt 54 of the adjuster 42 depends into the through bore 56 in the plate 52 of the adjuster 42 and threadably into the threaded through bore 50 in the upper transverse portion 48 of the body 40 of the bracket 38 so as to allow the body 40 of the bracket 38 to move up and down on the intermediate arm 30 when the bolt 54 of the adjuster 42 is rotated by virtue of the bolt 54 of the adjuster 42 threading into and out of the threaded through bore 50 in the upper transverse portion 48 of the body 40 of the bracket 38.
The retainer 44 of the bracket 38 comprises a housing 57, a shaft 58, and a bolt 60. The housing 57 depends from the lower transverse portion 48 of the body 40 of the bracket 38 and moves therewith, is for abutting against the inner side 32 of the intermediate arm 30, and has a bottom 62, a cutout 64, and a bore 65. The cutout 64 in the housing 57 of the retainer is defined by downwardly tapering walls 66 which extend laterally therethrough. The cutout 64 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44 communicates with the bottom 62 of the housing 57 of the retainer 44 and is for having the removable slip sheet 16 depend therefrom. The bore 65 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44 extends therethrough, in line with and communicates with the cutout 64 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44.
The shaft 58 of the retainer 44 extends laterally and freely in the cutout 64 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44, is captured in the cutout 64 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44 by the downwardly tapering walls 66 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44, and is for being as wide as the removable slip sheet 16 and is for capturing the removable slip sheet 16 between itself and a wall of the downwardly tapering walls 66 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44.
The bolt 60 of the retainer 44 extends threadably in the bore 65 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44, and when tightened, abuts against and forces the shaft 58 of the retainer 44 against the downwardly tapering walls 66 of the cutout 64 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44 thereby trapping the removable slip sheet 16 between the shaft 58 of the retainer 44 and the wall of the downwardly tapering walls 66 in the housing 57 of the retainer 44.
The specific configuration of the device 12 for adjusting the position of the wedge 24 between the pair of rollers 20 of the open width textile compressive shrinking machine 22 for spacing apart the pair of rollers 20 a predetermined dimension can best be seen in FIG. 5, which is an enlarged diagrammatic cross sectional view of the area generally enclosed by the dotted curve identified by ARROW 5 in
The device 12 comprises a housing 68, a shaft 70, an inclined plane 72, and a handle 74. The shaft 70 is mounted in the housing 68, moves up and down therewith, and has a lower end 76 for having the wedge 24 depend therefrom and move therewith.
The inclined plane 72 is contained in the housing 68. The housing 68 moves up and down relative to the inclined plane 72 and is affixed to the shaft 70. The handle 74 extends through the housing 68 and has an inner end 78 that engages the inclined plane 72. The housing 68, with the shaft 70 and the wedge 24 affixed thereto, is caused to move up and down when the handle 74 is rotated by virtue of the inclined plane 70 riding up and down along the inner end 78 of the handle 74.
The shaft 70 has a spring 80 therearound that is external to the housing 68 and which biases the inclined plane 72 against the handle 74.
The specific configuration for the device 14 for adjusting the position of the shoe 26 in the compression zone 18 for allowing for different thickness and types of textiles can best be seen in
The device 14 comprises a housing 82, a shaft 84, an inclined plane 86, and a handle 88. The shaft 84 is mounted in the housing 82, moves up and down therewith, and has an upper end 90 for having the pivot arm 28 stop thereupon.
The inclined plane 86 is contained in the housing 82. The housing 82 moves up and down relative to the inclined plane 86 and is affixed to the shaft 84. The handle 88 extends through the housing 82 and has an inner end 92 that engages the inclined plane 86. The housing 82, with the shaft 84 affixed thereto, is caused to move up and down when the handle 88 is rotated by virtue of the inclined plane 86 riding up and down along the inner end 92 of the handle 88.
The shaft 84 has a spring 94 therearound that is external to the housing 82 and which biases the inclined plane 86 against the handle 88.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in devices for adjusting positions of: a removable slip sheet in a compression zone defined by a pair of rollers of an open width textile compressive shrinking machine; a wedge between the pair of rollers; and a shoe in the compression zone, however, it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20060053603 A1 | Mar 2006 | US |
