Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for
supplying a continuous feed of fabric material, handling the
material, cutting the littoral into pieces and transporting the
material to a subsequent work station.
By the term "fa~ric'l, as used throughout the
specifications and the claims, it is intended that that term
include both woven and non woven fabric, webbing material, film,
such as plastic film, reinforced and unreinforced, such as
polyethylene film, and sheet materials, all supplied in a
continuous form.
This invention particularly relates to an apparatus and
method for supplying non woven web fabric such as that used to
produce caps as described in United State Patent No. 3~B20,484 to
William M. Nell and George A Burt, Jr. ox June 28, 1974,
: 15 which illustrates the utility of the invention and provides
additional detail as to the apparatus and
. method of this invention.
A particular problem in continuous manufacturing
operations utilizing pieces of fabric, it to handle the material
from large rolls, which are an essentially inexhaustible source,
us the fabric into pieces and move them to a subsequent work
station Roy later ~anu~a~turing steps are taken, such as that of
he Nell patent described hereinabove.
In particular the large rolls of fabric are extremely
US envy, are not necessarily balanced or of even union and in any ¦
aye Mary su~t~ntially as to the pulling power necessary I pull
the fabric off the roll the amount ox fabric Minoan on eye
: oil degree en. Russ large rolls have I tendency IO be header to
get started rotating and then difficult to stop when the material i
is being pulled off on an intermittent basis. Thus an uneven
supply of the continuous fabric to a cutter is a problem that had
not been solved.
In addition, certain types of fabric and in particular
the non woven, lightly structured, almost diaphanous material used
in the Jill patent is difficult to handle to maintain a smooth
uniform positioning during the cutting process and later handling
processing of the cut pieces. Reese problems as well as others
illustrated later, constituted a great need to allow the
developments of the Nell patent and live continuous processes to I
be fully developed into an operational production apparatus and
method.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention includes a device for continuous supply of
fabric including a supply device to provide a continuous supply of
Fabric material, such as a large roll of fabric from the
manufacturer. A "nip roll" device, defined as including any
5 device to intermittently ply the material from the supply at a
certain rate of speed and including but not limited to using
standard nip rolls as the operative device. A vast feed roller
device is interpose between the supply and the nip roll device,
inclu~lng at least two continuously rotating feed rollers, each
10 roller rotating with the flow of the material. Preferably, there
are two rollers rotating in opposite directions. The rollers are
positioned to be in pressure contact with the surface of the
fabric such that the surface area of contact with the fabric is of
a surface area greater than 1~0 degrees of the combined radial
15 surface on the rollers. Preferably two rollers aye each in
contact with greater than sun degrees of their radial surface area.
The weed rollers are operated at a rotating speed faster than the
nip roller device pulling speed, and have a coefficient of
friction between the roll surface and -the fabric material to allow
Jo the roller to slide over the surface of the fabric. The
coefficient is preferably low.
A particular embodiment of the apparatus includes an
intermittent second feed roller, positioned to contact the fabric
after it leaves the fast feed roller device. The second feed
25 roller rotates at the time interval and concurrently with the nip
roll device with the slow of material. The contact between the
wrier an the material has a surfs urea greater than about 90
percent of the roller's radial surface, with a coconut of
friction between this roller end the fabric to allow the roller to
to over the fabric. Preferably the rotational pickle ox to
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second feed roller is faster than the nip roll, but less than that
of the fast fee roller device. Toe preferred range of speeds lo
that the fast feed roller device rotate at about I percent or
more faster than the nip roll, and more preferably about I to
5 about no percent faster. Similarly, the second feed roller is
priorly rotated at about in to about I percent faster than the
nix roll.
particular embodiment includes a table surface
positioned to receive the material from toe nip roll device and a
10 horizontal surface bar element device providing a hori70ntal
surface above the table over the flow position of the fabric. An
air jet device providing concentrated air jetting above the
material in a general horizontal direction immediately below the
horizontal surface, provides in combination a positioning device
15 to cause the fabric to extent on to and spread upon the table
surface in an even fashion.
A particular embodiment includes a slot in the table's
surface transverse to the flow of fabric along the table surface
and a damping device to hold toe material on both sizes of the
20 slot against toe tale surface. A cutting device includes a blade
with two vertical cutting eyes racing in opposite directions,
extending through the slot of toe plane of the table top surface,
preferably in a downwardly direction. A blade traveling device
is provided to hold the blade and to propel it along the slot to
25 effect a cut ox the fabric from on edge Jo the other edge to cut
off a piece of material. The blade traveling device also propels
the cutting lade back along the slot to equity the succeed cut
for the next piece of fabric, with each cut using only one of the
two vertical gutting edge.
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A particular embodiment includes a pair of continuous
belts located above the fabric and positioned along the
edges of the fabric along the flow line of the fabric on
the table surface. A horizontal length of belt surface is
positioned parallel with the table surface, equipped with a
drive device to intermittently upon demand move that horizontal
length of belt surface to the table surface to hold the
fabric against the surface. A second drive device is
provided to move the belts while in contact with the fabric
along the table surface.
It is an object of an aspect of this invention to
provide a method and an apparatus with the capability of
drawing fabric from a continuous source in such a fashion
to provide to nip rolls, a uniform supply, despite the
varying force required Jo draw on thy continuous supply.
An additional object of an aspect of this invention
is to provide a take off system from a continuous roll of
fabric that does not impart substantial stretching and
stress to the fabric, which might cause failure or distortion
of the fabric structure.
It is a further object of an aspect of this invention
to provide a -take off device to remove light weight fragile
webs from large rolls without stretching or destroying the
webs and supplying the material on a continuous and standard-
iced condition.
It is a further object of an aspect of this invention to provide a method and apparatus which will position and
move the fabric past the nip rolls ! causing it to spread
evenly and uniformly over a transport table surface.
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It is a particular object of an aspect of this
invention to control and position the light weight, non oven
web used in cap making without having it become folded,
bunched ox stretched prior to -the cutting process.
It is a further object of an aspect of this invent
lion to provide a cutting apparatus that: allows slitting the
fabric but does not cause a net movement of the fabric
in the direction of the cut.
It is an additional object of an aspect of this
invention to provide a cutting device that reduces the need
to replace blades of sharpen edges of the cutting blades.
It is an additional object of an aspect of this
invention to provide a device for handling the fabric
pieces after they have been cut from the continuous supply,
allowing these pieces to be moved to eke next work station
while keeping the fabric flat and completely under control
of the handling device.
It lo a particular object of an aspect of this
invention to handle the light weight, airy, non woven webs
used in cap making, holding them in a fashion to prevent
any possible movement out of alignment as they aye moved Jo
the next work station.
It is a particular object of an aspect of this
invention to provide an improved supply and handling apparatus
and method to deliver fabric pieces, one after the other,
to an attaching apparatus as ~escriDed no the Nell patent
incorporated herein by reference.
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-- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. l is a perspective view of the material handling
device of this invention, supplying fabric pieces to a cap making
apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the material take off
I-device of this invention supplying continuous material to the I -
table top.
Fig. 3 is a schematic, partial cross-sectional view of
the cutting and positioning apparatus of this invention in the
Jo lope position to receive the fabric.
Jo 10 'l Fig. 4 is identical to that of Fig. 3 except that the
fabric has been clamped in place for cutting.
If Fig. 5 is a top view of the fabric piece handling
Davis ox this invention, looking downwardly to the table top.
c 'l Fig. 6 is a side view of the fabric piece handling
Jo 15 device of this invention.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
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Preferred embodiments of the invention include all the
following and in particular include a tension bar device placed in
contact with the fabric in the flow before the fast fee roller
Levis in position to cause the fabric to pass against the bar and
5 provide tension against the fabric generally in the form of a
vertical force moment. A power device is provided to provide
notation of the various rollers at the relative speeds and at the
required time intervals. The supply device is generally a large
supply roll of a continuous length of fabric to supply material to
10 two rubber nip rolls, equipped to intermittently pull the material
at a chosen rate of speed. The tension bar device is preferably
positioner to cause the web of fabric to pass over toe top of a
bar having a low sliding coefficient of friction with the fabric
and providing an upwardly vertical force on the fabric. If
15 additional tension is required, a pair of tension bars may be
utilized wherein the fabric is passed over one and under the other
to provide substantially increased surface area of sliding
friction to increase the tension. The fast roller device
preferably includes a first fast feed roller continuously notating
20 counterclockwise, positioner above the fabric in a position to
provide surface contact with the fabric. A second fast feed
roller is continuously rotating clockwise, positioned below the
surface of the fabric, such that the fabric is in contact with a
substantial position of its surface. In each case, the surface
contact should be with at least I degrees of the radial surface
area of the roller. The preferred diameter of the feed rollers
being at least two inches, up to about ten inches in diameter,
more preferably about three to four inches in diameter. The
coefficient of friction between the fabric and toe fast feed
roller device it not as critical when the nip roller means lo not
pulling the material, but is considerably more important when the
nip roll device is pulling the material through the fast feed
roller device.
he supply device described above is particularly
effective in combination with various additional handling devices,
including a gutting device to slice the fabric into pieces, and a
lo piece transfer device to advance the fabric pieces, one after the
other, to an operational device to effect a further manufacturing
step to the fabric piece. This operational device includes the
cap mixing device described above, generally described as an
apparatus for forming a cap, including advancing the fabric pieces
lo one after toe other to an attacking device, a device for rotating
the fabric piece about an axis through a central portion of the
piece, a device for gripping the central portion of the fabric
piece, and a device operative simultaneously and in limed relation
to toe rotating device, to attach a stretch elastic material to
the fabric piece in a predetermined closed curved about the axis
of rotation, A trimming device is included positioned radially
outward of the attaching means and operative in timed relation
thereto for removing excess material from the fabric piece.
In the fabric positioning device, it is preferred that
the air jetting be directed slightly upwardly a an angle toward
the horizontal ~urfaee. This straightening device copied with a
cutting device and a piece handling device to advance the ~abrLc
pieces one after another form a Particularly uphill combination,
; end is particl1larly effective with the cap mixing decal described
above. The horizontal sllrFace element is preferably a hold-~30wn
bar element ~ositi.onet1 above the Fabric, connected to a clalllpi1lg
mean to Cole the horizontal surface bar to deckhand 'hok1irlc~ the
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fabric against the table surface, where it may be cut into pieces.
The blade traveling device for the cutting device is preferably a
cutting blade attached to a holler element, sliming on a
horizontal rod, first in one direction to cut off one piece of
fabric, and then in toe opposite direction back to the starting
place, cutting off a second piece of fabric, preferably powered by
pneumatic equipment. The horizontal lengths of the belts of the
fabric piece supply device are preferably each angled slightly
away from the parallel relationship with each other. In that
fashion, as the belts move carrying the fabric along the table
surface, the fabric is slightly stretched. The surface of the
belts in contact with the fabric have a high coefficient of
friction with the fabric as compared to the coefficient of
friction between the surface of the fabric and thy table surface.
The methods of this invention induce pulling on an
I, intermittent basis upon demand from an essentially continuous
Jo supply of fabric material, an imposing between the supply source
ox; of the fabric and the device accomplishing the pulling, a fast
weed roller device including at least two continuously notating
feed rollers, each roller rotating with the flow of the material,
the rollers positioned to pressure contact the fabric on a surface
, area greater than 180 degrees of the combined radial surface ox
the rollers. The feed rollers are operated at a notating speed
faster than the speed of pulling and have a coefficient of
friction between the roll surface and the fabric material -to alto-
the roller to slide over the fabric surface. The method includes
dispensing the fabric on a table surface device, positioned to
receive the material and placing a horizontal surface bar element
device which provides a horizontal surface above the table over
30 the flow position ox the fabric, and directing an air jet
r~rovi~linq concentrated air jetting above the fabric material in a
generally horizontal direction below the horizontal Ursa. The
-nethoa also may include clamping the material on both sides of a
slot in the table surface, cutting the material along the slot in
the table, positioning a pair of continuous belts above the table
along the edges of the fabric, along the flow line of the fabric
on the table surface, with a horizontal length ox belt surface
parallel to the table surface, moving the belts intermittently
upon demand to the table surface to hold the fabric, and driving
the belts while in contact with the fabric to carry the fabric
'along the table surface.
Referring now to Fig. 1, cap making device I is it
illustrated as generally embodying the characteristics of the cap
making apparatus and method described in the Nell patent referred!
lo above. The device is constructed on frame 12 all essentially
l¦settlin~ around and directed to table top surface 14. Continuous
15 If light weight webbing is drawn from supply roll 16, rotating on rod
18. webbing 20 is first drawn under tension bar 22 around and
over up to second tension bar I around it and downwardly to
first fast feed roller 26, partially hidden in swig. I rotating on
jjrod 28. In this area, it is useful to refer to the schematic
drying of Sue. 2 showing the flow of webbing material through Al
this feed apparatus, under roller 2&, around it to return at about
a 200 degree angle to second S at feed roller 30, passing
underneath the roller around o'er the top and returning awkwardly
toward to weed ankle a Gore Han a l30 degree ankle. r~nslon
I jars 22 and 3 are constructed ox one and only; lnln dilutor_--
polished stainless Swahili, alloying the ebbing to Sue over and
round the bars, mdint~lning a tension on the t~bric. Llshese bars
may be adjuster as to oositLon an tension to snows the tension
~,gairlst the eye so Wi~.rsOilt LnCr~ in -eye rod
I co Sue point of damaging eye webbing Assyria I may be ` e I
scream as a :~r~S~_r._~ii edema
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Rollers 26 and 30 are each four inch polished stainless I
steel rollers, each rotating at a radial speed approximately twice
that of the speed of wake off from roll 16. Roller 26 is
positioned in reference to the other rollers such that there is
S more than 180 degrees of the roller radial surface in contact with
the webbing as the roller rotates counterclockwise. Roller 30 is
essentially identical to that roller 26, except that it rotates at
approximately the same speed in a clockwise fashion, and it is
also positioned to be in contact with the webbing over more than
o f lo degrees of its radial surface. It is preferred that the
surface contact Sutton rollers 26 and 30 be more than 90 degrees
luff eke radial surface, tore preferably 90 to asset 225 degrees of
flits radial surface, and more preferably 100 to 200 degrees of its
radial surface. As can be imagined, the positioning of these
lo Trollers may lo such that surface contact may be substantially
different and the preferred embodiments may be considered as a
total of the surface contact area of the two rollers r preferably .
being greater than about 1~0 degrees, more preferably about 180 Jo
about 450 degrees and most preferably 300 degrees to 400 degrees f
. 20 of their combined radial surface areas.
; After webbing 20 passes around roller 30, it is di~ectedl
launder, around and over roller 32~ nick is essentially identical f
to rollers 26 and 30 as far as construction is concerned.
However, feed roller 32 rotates on rod 33 only with and at me
US same crime as material is drawn trot roll it by nip roils I -end
36. the rotational speed of roll 32 i preferably sli3tlC~f laser
than that of the actual speed of toe web movement and thus ox isle
radial speed OX the nip rollers I and JO. It is roared aye
toe speed ox roller 32 be I to percent toaster than rune azalea
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steed us- tune ino~in~;s we. standard rur~b~r tulip rulers I Ed JO
aye of standoffs design, Congo wer~bi~g 20 and Roy no no
Wise (J t:lrC)~S~ iota I L-i us Ark, sly t
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webbing on the table top surface 14. Feed roller 32 is positioned
such what webbing 20 is in contact with greater than 180 degrees
of the radial surface of the roller and the preferences for
llcontact surface are essentially identical with that of the
¦ preferences for rollers 26 and 30. As webbing 20 is drawn between
nip rollers 34 and 36, it is pulled taut against rollers 26, 30
and 32. Rollers 26 and 30 are continuously operated at a higher
rate of speed than the flow of the webbing, even when the nip
rolls are operating at full speed. The fabric slides over the
surface of rollers 26 and 30 at a speed relative to the surface of
the rollers, essentially equal to its actual surface speed.
Webbing 20 is pulled taut over now rotating roller 32, which is
preferably rotating at a slightly higher speed than the speed of
the fabric, causing it to slide slightly over the surface of
roller 32.
Returning now to Fig. 1, cap sewing apparatus 38 is
constructed to operate above table surface 14 on which webbing 20
is deposited from standard rubber nip rolls 34 and 36. Most of .
the movement of the various parts other than rotation is by
pneumatic pressure, operated through tubes 40 connected to the
various elements. Referring also to Fig. 3, webbing 20 is
deposited on front lip 42, supported on bracket 44 to form slot ~61
in front of table surface 14. Webbing 20 passes under hold-down
art 48, welded to bracket 50, firmly attached on rod winch is
I twisted by pneumatic cylinder I to move arm erotically.
Positioned on the free end ox rod I is horizontal surface Tao
held in a generally horizontal plane above table surface I
i Although not quite pictured, air jet I positioned to jet air
lldirectly ullder the bottom horizontal surface of place I is angled
¦sligncly upwardly toward that slate surface. Prerecabl~.~, one
~ettinq is diehard upwardly about 1 to Doria. awry nold-down
arm I is atcacned to rocket I rotacin~ my cod no, powered my
pneumatic cylinder 63. south arms I and 58 are operated
pneumatically and as illustrated in jig. 4, are capable or
rotating downwardly to trap webbing 20 against surface I and the
top surface ox twenty lip I with hold-down melnber 58 and
horizontal plate 54 holding the webbing in place, knife blade 64
Held in bracket ox rides on rod I racket 56 is powered by a
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pneumatic line and is essentially shot from one side of the fabric
to the other, cutting as it passes one fabric piece off. Knife
Blade 64 is a "V" shaped knife blade having cutting edges on both
slides, each at an angle from the vertical of about 30 to I
degrees, positioned such that the cutting blade bisects the planar
surface of table 14 and lip 42. After blade 64 passes one
direction, it stays in that position until a second fabric piece
' is in position to be cut. Bracket ox is shot back across slot I
Lo 1 to cut the succeeding fabric piece and returns to its initial
llposition. Although movement of the fabric while in the clapped
; position is only slight with one pass, cumulative passes in the
! same direction ultimately force the fabric toward one side of the f
tale. Return cutting in opposite directions as described above
eliminates that problem. The top view of the fabric piece
I handling mechanism 70 is illustrated in a top view in Fig. 5,
looking down on table cop surface 14. The mechanisms on Opposite
sides of table 14 are essentially mirror images of earn other and
For the purposes of simplicity, only one side Jill TV described
the other side being designated wit a "Roy". It should ye
recognized that essentially identical parts art poisoned access
trot the described parts to form the dual structure, kindling tune
fabric pieces along their outside edges along the flow pattern of
the process. 3cacl~ets 72 an I attach to tar lo Cue I an
I rigidly hold rod 60 in a horizvrltaL position. Awns end I'
Cody to ousnings Jo and rotate van rod ox. runs Ed In
rigidly .;uppoc anti nod norizorl.al luff hvidi.l~ no or ox in
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horizontal position above table surface 14. Belt 88 rides on main
follower pulley 90 and minor follower pulley 92, driven by drive
pulley I drive pulley 94 is driven by rod 96, passing through
bushings in member 86 and extension 98 of rod I to upper belt
1 drive pulley 100, driven by belt 102 by lower belt drive pulley
104 turning on rod 106. Although it may not be apparent from Fig.¦
5, belts 88 and 88' diverge slightly in the horizontal direction
as they approach work station 38, the sewing apparatus. Belts as
and 88' diverge approximately 1 degree from parallel arrangement
and preferably diverge about 1/2 to about 5 degrees from parallel
arrangement. Pneumatic cylinders 110 and 112 operate to lift
holding member 86, rotating on rod 76 to both lift belt 88 from
table surface 14 and to, later in the work cycle, press bottom
horizontal belt surface 114 against table surface 14, trapping
fabric pieces between the two surfaces and allow them to be moved
horizontally along surface 14 to sewing apparatus 38. This bottom
surface 114 is best illustrated in the side view of Fig. 6. .
kite this invention has been described with reference
to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, it is not confined
to the details set forth and the patent is intended to include
modifications and changes which may come within and extend from
the following claims.
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