Textiles: knitting – Fabric manipulation – Take-ups
Patent
1990-03-12
1991-04-09
Reynolds, Wm. Carter
Textiles: knitting
Fabric manipulation
Take-ups
66147, D04B 1592
Patent
active
050053817
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to apparatus for hosiery finishing which has a conditioning function and may be retro-fitted onto knitting machines or incorporated as original equipment.
BACKGROUND ART
When knitting hose for ladies tights for example, the newly knitted fabric on the knitting machine is pulled down under tension, generally exerted by means of a suction take-down mechanism. When the article of hose is completed, it is pressed off from the knitting machine and a butterfly valve is switched to cause the pressed off article to be conveyed by suction through a U-tube to a dispenser. Upon arrival at the dispenser the article passes through a pivotable trap door and then falls into a bag.
The article is next subjected to a finishing procedure which includes in many cases the placing of a pair of knitted tubes on a Takatori automatic seaming machine. Here two tubes are slit, and the slit portions of adjacent tubes are linked to produce a pair of tights with a waistband, a body portion and a pair of leg portions. The article can then be stored, and/or subjected to a dyeing process to customer requirements. During the dyeing process the stockings or tights shrink because of the attendant treatment in hot water.
The articles pressed off from the knitting machine may alternatively be collected and subjected to a tumbling process involving steam, so to ensure that they are shrunk to a standard length, before the Takatori linking operation. However, even with this refinement, it has been difficult to ensure that the articles which are linked together have an equal length and can easily be placed on the Takatori machine. Furthermore, eveness of appearance is sometimes not provided by the tumbling process: indeed the tumbling process itself can contribute to variations in appearance.
Significant benefits in finishing can be obtained by subjecting the individual articles to a reproducible relaxation or shrinking treatment in association with individual knitting machines.
Patent Specification U.S. 3996771 (Routh) relates to such apparatus in which hosiery discharged from the knitting machine is transferred by air in timed sequence with the machine to a heat assembly for a prescribed time to set the stitches. The displacement of the knit garment is controlled by air jets, the operation of which is controlled by the pattern drum of the knitting machine.
THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a fan is connected through a valve to the take-down tube. (The take-down may in fact be upward). The valve has a first position in which the fan draws air through a by-pass from the take-down tube, and a second position in which the fan draws ar through a trap from the chamber and blows air through the by-pass into the take-down tube.
The chamber opening is controlled so that an individual article propelled by suction into the chamber is subjected to a relaxation or shrinking treatment whilst a subsequent article is being knitted. Tumbling and like disturbance of the fabric are avoided.
Shrunk articles collected from the trap can be collected in bags, which can be packed directly, or which can be stored. before further finishing treatments such as seaming together of the legs of a pair of tights on a Takatori machine, or on other forms of equipment.
Preferably, the articles are subjected in the chamber to a treatment such that partial relaxation is achieved. That is to say if the article were subjected to a subsequent tumbling treatment, it would be able to relax them further, beyond the stage reached in the chamber. By selecting appropriate conditioning parameters, it is possible to produce an article which has a reproducible length and diameter, like other articles knitted on the machine. The variation from article to article can be greatly reduced. The conditioning treatment can be sufficiently mild to allow the treatment to progress gradually through the article during the knitting cycle in a mildly compacted condition, so to produce an article which has a smooth, even stitch-structure, subs
REFERENCES:
patent: 2459688 (1949-01-01), De Vever
patent: 3686726 (1972-08-01), Glaze, Jr. et al.
patent: 3738123 (1973-06-01), Mazzi
patent: 3996771 (1976-12-01), Routh et al.
patent: 4179651 (1979-06-01), Coggins et al.
Adria Limited
Reynolds Wm. Carter
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