Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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The invention concerns an improved working method to give a worn-out aspect to
articles of clothing, in particular to articles of clothing made of denim
materials and
an improved machine suited to apply such a method.
It is a known fact that the present fashion trends sometimes require for the
articles
of clothing, especially for those articles of clothing made of denim
materials, to have
a worn-out aspect.
In order to meet such requirements the manufacturers treat articles of
clothing with
proper enzymes or with pumice powder during a washing operation, thereby
producing the discolouring of the cloth which gives the article of clothing
the required
worn-out aspect.
Sometimes it is also required that the articles of clothing present a worn-out
aspect
which is localized only in particular areas. This is obtained by concentrating
in the
concerned areas a particularly strong discolouring operation through
supplementary
treatments.
One of these supplementary treatments consists in a very energetic manual
blasting
operation of the areas of the article of clothing, where the discolouring is
to be
concentrated; by means of a jet of compressed air mixed to sand, thereby
obtaining
what in the technical jargon of this industrial sector is called 4sanded
effect".
One of the inconveniences of such a method of operation consists in the length
of
time and the high cost required by this operation because of the high
employment
of labour. Moreover, since such a method must be performed manually and,
therefore, it depends exclusively on the operator's skill, it is very hard to
have a
reproduction of the finishing and thus maintaining the same finished quality
in the
product.
Another method consists in spraying localized areas of the article of
clothing, with
a permanganate solution which realizes a localized discolouring of the article
of
clothing. This method presents the same inconvenience presented by the before
described method with the addition that it is also highly polluting.
It is with the purpose of eliminating the mentioned inconveniences that the
patent
having the Italian Patent Application No. V191A000147 granted as Italian
Patent No.
IT01253347 and corresponding to the European Patent EP 0 616 066 in the name
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of the same inventor has been disclosed, said patent describing a working
method
suited to give a worn-out aspect to articles of clothing, in particular to
articles of
clothing made of denim material and a machine equipped with rotating brushes
suited to apply such a method.
The method and the machine object of the mentioned invention, solve the above
mentioned problems but present the limit in that the rotating brushes present
only
a rectilinear motion in relation to the articles of clothing to be treated,
therefore, it is
rather problematic to obtain a wom-out aspect only over predetermined areas
where
such a treatment is required.
Another inconvenience consists also in that not all the areas of the article
of clothing
to be treated can be reached during the brushing operation, since the reach of
the
brushes with which the machine is provided, does not allow it.
It is with the purpose of overcoming also such limitations that the improved
method
and the machine suited to apply it, object of the present invention, are
realized.
In particular, one of the purposes of the present invention is to realize a
working
method and a machine suited to apply such a method with the result of
obtaining an
easier and more precise localized wom-out aspect in articles of clothing, in
particular
in articles of clothing made of denim material, as compared to methods and
machines belonging to the known technique.
Another purpose of the invention is that such a localized worn-out effect can
be
obtained in any area of the article of clothing.
Not the last purpose is to maintain in the course of time the repetition of
the quality
of the finished product.
The described purposes are reached through a process for giving a worn-out
aspect
to articles of clothing, in particular to articles of clothing made of denim
materials,
which, in accordance with the main claim, comprises the following operations:
- the application of at least one article of clothing to be treated on at
least one
supporting manikin, said manikin being suited to arrange said article of
clothing in
the shape that it will essentially acquire once it is worn by a
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person;
- the treatment of said at least one article of clothing by means of the
abrasive
action generated by the relative displacement of said article of clothing and
of one
or more rotating brushes in contact with said article of clothing, following
the
lengthwise direction of the article of clothing itself, said one or more
rotating brushes
performing a swinging motion over a plane which is transverse to the
lengthwise
direction of the article of clothing itself; and
the removal of said at least one article of clothing from said at least one
manikin
after the treatment has been completed.
The machine suited to apply the described working method comprises:
- at least one manikin each being suited to support at least one article of
clothing
to be treated;
- a plurality of brushes rotating around their axes, placed opposite to each
other
and supported by vertically moveable support means on a supporting structure;
- means for moving said manikins from a first position for fitting and/or
removing
said at least one article of clothing to be treated to a second position for
treating it
between said rotating brushes;
- drive means co-operating with said vertically moveable support means and
with
said supporting structure, suited to realize the relative displacement of said
brushes
in relation to each other and in relation to said article of clothing to be
treated; and
- at least one kinematic structure for mechanical co-operation with said
rotating
brushes joined to said supporting structure and suited to realize said
swinging
motion of said brushes in a plane which is transverse to the lengthwise
direction of
the article of clothing itself and following alternate directions opposite to
one
another.
According to one preferred embodiment the machine according to the invention
comprises a pair of manikins supporting the articles of clothing to be
treated,
connected with a moving device which consists of a horizontal beam being
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supported in the middle by a vertical fixed upright. Said vertical upright is
provided
with drive means suited to drive into rotation said horizontal beam so as to
bring the
manikins attached to the ends of the beam itself, alternatively in the area of
fitting/removal and in the area of treatment, under the action of the rotating
brushes.
The latter are supported by a slide joined to a supporting structure which
insists on
the basement plate of the machine.
The brushes perform the treatment on the article of clothing by combining
their
rotational movement with a translating movement which is essentially
30
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rectilinear in relation to the article of clothing to be treated with which it
comes into contact. Said brushes also perform a swinging transversal
movement in relation to the article of clothing itself, which consists of an
alternate swinging rotational movement around an axis essentially
_ - hortogonal to their rotational axis wherein said swinging rotational
movement is impressed on them by a kinematic structure. Such a
swinging rotational movement is suited to bring into contact each brush with
any area of the article of clothing to be treated.
According to a different solution, all of the brushes oscillate with the same
~o angular rotation, which can be adjusted as it is required, by intervening
on
adjusting means.
According to another different solution, each of said brushes oscillates with
an angular rotation differing from the others and it can be adjusted as
required
by intervening on adjusting means.
t~ Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become
apparent
from the detailed description given hereinafter.
However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific
examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are
given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications
?u within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those
skilled in the art from this detailed description and from the drawings,
wherein:
- Fig. 1 shows the axonometric schematic representation of the machine
according to the invention where an article of clothing is in the working
2~ position while another article of clothing is being fitted on the manikin;
- Fig. 2 shows the machine of Fig. 1 with the article of clothing already
fitted
on the manikin;
- Fig. 3 shows the machine of Fig. 2 with the article of clothing fitted on
the
manikin having the shape it will acquire when it is worn by a person;
;o - Fig. 4 shows the detail of the front view of the manikin without the
article
of clothing to be treated;
- Fig. 5 shows the manikin of Fig. 4 with the article of clothing to be
treated
fitted on it;
- Fig. 6 shows the manikin with the article of clothing to be treated arranged
.>> in the position it will acquire when it is being treated, a position that
it
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essentially acquires when it is worn by a person;
- Fig. 7 shows the terminal part of the manikin and the devices for stretching
the article of clothing, not applied to the- article of clothing fitted on the
manikin;
Fig. 8 shows the same stretching devices of Fig. 7 applied to the article of
clothing supported by the manikin;
- Fig. 9 shows the unit blocking into position the article of clothing
arranged
on the manikin;
- Fig. 10 shows the blocking unit of the article of clothing of Fig. 9
supporting
an article of clothing to be treated;
- Fig. 11 represents in a schematic top view, the blocking unit represented in
Fig. 9;
- Fig. 12 represents in a schematic top view, the blocking unit represented in
Fig. 10;
i; - Fig. 13 shows the axoriometric schematic representation of a pair of
brushes supported by the relative slide and by the supporting structure;
- Fig. 14 shows the unit represented in Fig. 13 seen from the back of the
brushes;
- Fig. 15 shows the detail of the blocking device of the end of the manikin
?« when this is supporting the article of clothing to be treated in the
working
position;
- Fig. 16 shows the detail of the drag link/crank unit which cause the
swinging rotation of the brushes;
- Fig. 17 shows another view of the drag link/crank unit of Fig. 16;
Fig. 18 shows the top view of the machine according to the invention;
- Fig. 19 shows the detail of the brushes each supported by its
corresponding slide, in a different embodiment of the machine according to
the invention;
- Fig. 20 shows in a top view the schematic representation of the swinging
unit
?« of the brushes realized according to the different embodiment represented
in
Fig. 19;
- Fig. 21 represents the lateral view of the schematic representation of
Fig. 20.
As can be observed in Fig. 1, the machine according to the invention,
indicated as a whole with 1, comprises a pair of manikins 2, each of them
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consisting of a supple structure 4 supported by central cores 5, attached to
a blocking unit 3 which secures the article of clothing to be treated 6 in the
working position, after it is has been fitted on said supple structure 4.
Said supple structures 4 are essentially air chambers which are inflated by
inflating means, not represented in the drawings, which are held inside a
device 8 for moving the manikins 2. In particular, said moving device 8
consists of a vertical upright 81 supporting a rotating beam 82 at the
extremities of which there are the blocking units 3 to which the central cores
of each manikin 2 are attached.
to When the article of clothing is fully fitted on the supple structure 4, the
fatter is inflated by compressed air and the article of clothing acquires the
shape which essentially reproduces the shape it will have when it is worn by
a person.
It is useful to specify that the present description refers to the manikins 2
> which consists of the supple structures 4 suited to receive an article of
clothing to be treated, which in the specific case is a pair of pants 6.
It is understood that said description is given by way of illustration only,
since the articles of clothing to be treated can be of any kind, such as
shirts,
jackets or others. In order to treat these it suffices to change the shape of
the
2u manikins 2 and of the supple structures 4 on which they are fitted.
Moreover, the manikins, that in the solution which is being described are
two in number, in a different embodiment can be of any number and they
can..~so be applied to moving devices presenting a rectilinear movement
or others, however, different from the swinging motion.
2~ The machine according to the invention also comprises two pairs of rotating
brushes 9, counterposed to each other and between which the article of
clothing to be treated 6 is comprised. Said brushes are supported by slides
11 which, in turn, as can be observed in the Figs. 13 and 14, can move
vertically along guiding rails 13 belonging to a frame 15.
Said frame 15 presents its extremities 7 pivoted according to the vertical
axis
14 and by means of pivots 71, to a supporting structure consisting of a
portal element 16.
Said portal element 16 is jointly connected to the basement plate 17 of the
machine through sliding means, indicated as a whole with 18 which, as can
:> be observed in Fig. 15 in particular, comprise a guiding tube 181 joined to
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the portal element 16 and a rod 182, sliding inside said tube 181, the
extremity of which is attached to said basement plate 17. Each portal
element 16 can thus be shifted following any of the directions pointed by
the arrow 19 in Fig. 15, through second motorizing means, indicated
as a whole with 20.
Said motorizing means 20 comprise a belt 201 attached to a bracket 202
connected to the portal element 16, which is driven into rotation by a motor
203 visible in Fig. 14. Said belt 201 matches a driving gear 205 attached to
the basement plate 17 and consequently, when the motor 203 is in
!o operation it causes the rotation 206 of belt 201 around the driving gear
205, thus causing the displacement of the portal element 16 in either
direction of arrow 19, depending on the direction of rotation of belt 201.
In a similar way, both the slides 11 are vertically displaced along the rails
13 and according to either direction of arrow 21 visible in Fig. 14, by means
ua of first motorizing means indicated as a whole with 22, which, as can be
observed, comprise a chain 221 attached to slide 11 through a bracket 222,
wherein said chain is arranged between two driving gears 224 and 225
visible in greater detail in the Figs. 13 and 14, and rigidly connected'to
frame
15 and it is driven into rotation by a motor 223.
Thus, by driving said first motorizing means 20 and said second motorizing
means 22, it is possible to remove the brushes 9 away from the article of
clothing to be treated and also to displace them longitudinally along the
article itself.
In order to begin the working cycle, it is indispensable to arrange the
article to be treated 6 on the inflatable supple structure 4, as can be
observed in Fig. 1, then fit it exactly on structure 4, as can be observed in
Fig. 2, and finally, inflate structure 4, itself so as to cause it to acquire
the
shape it will have when it is worn by a person.
The article of clothing described herein is a pair of pants, but, as has
already
_~c~ been said, it could be any other kind of clothing.
The article of clothing 6 is attached to the manikin 2 through a blocking unit
belonging to manikin 2, and indicated as a whole with 3, which is visible in
the Figs. 4, 5 and 6. As can be observed in the Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, said
unit consists of a pair of plates 31 arranged opposite to each other and
attached to a supporting structure 32 which in turn is attached to beam 82,
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wherein each of said plates 31 supports a jaw 33 which arranges itself
inside the article of clothing 6 in correspondence with the belt 61 and which
supports. one of the central cores 5. As can be observed in the Figs. 11 and
12, said plates 31 are made mobile by displacing means 30 which comprise
a pair of racks 131, each of which is attached to one of said plates 31, and a
cog wheel 132, attached to the supporting structure 32, which engages at the
same time both of said racks. One of said plates 31 is connected with stem
134 of a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator, indicated as a whole with 34, and
belonging to said displacing means 30, whose liner 234 is attached to the
<i> supporting structure 32, so that the displacement in direction 35 of stem
134
causes the plates 31 to be removed following the directions 36 opposite to
each other. As can be observed in the Figs. 10 and 12, this forces the jaws
33 against belt 61 of the article of clothing 6 which remains steadily blocked
to the blocking unit 3 and arranged in a vertical position.
In order to improve the stretching of the article of clothing in the position
for
the treatment, the machine is also complete with a stretching unit, indicated
as a whole with 24, and visible in the Figs. 4, 5 and 6, which holds the
article of clothing 6 stretched in the position necessary for the
treatment. It comprises a pair of guiding tubes 324 each of them, as can be
?c~ observed in particular in Fig. 9, being attached to the rotating beam 82,
inside which there is a stretching rod 524 which is vertically displaced in
either direction of arrow 25 by third motorizing means, indicated as a whole
with 26, consisting of a pinion 226 which engages a rack 424 belonging to
said stretching rod 524. Said third motorizing unit 26 also comprises a motor
326 which, by means of a unit 426 consisting of a worm screw and of a
helicoidal wheel, drives into rotation a shaft 526 at the extremity of which
the pinion 226 is attached.
As can be observed in the Figs. 7 and 8 in particular, the extremity 124
of each of said stretching rods 524, presents a pair of pliers 23 to which
.>c~ the extremity of the article of clothing is attached. Once the article of
clothing has been blocked between the jaws 33 in correspondence with belt
61 and its extremities are blocked between the pliers 23, as can be
observed in Fig. 8, it is vertically stretched when the stretching rod 524
is displaced downwards by the rotation of the pinion 226 driven by motor 326
of said motorizing unit 26.
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In some cases, the pliers 23 can be more than one pair for each of the
stretching rods.
When the article of clothing 6 is arranged _in the stretched position and
according to the shape it will essentially acquire when it is worn by a person
and which is represented in Fig. 6, it is ready to undergo the treatment.
The beam 82 is driven into rotation by the rotating means present inside
the vertical upright 81 so as to arrange the article of clothing 6 between the
brushes 9, as can be observed in Fig.1.
At the same time, the first article of clothing which has previously been
it~ treated is removed from manikin 2, which is now outside the range of the
brushes, and then another article of clothing to be treated is fitted on it,
according to the sequences represented in the Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
When the article of clothing to be treated 6 is arranged between the brushes,
as can be observed in the Figs. 2 and 3, the central cores 5 of the manikin 2
:~ are blocked in correspondence with their bottom extremities by means of a
bottom blocking unit 27 which, as can be observed in the Figs. 13 and 15,
comprises two brackets 127 hinged to one another in the point 227 and
placed opposite to each other. They move one against the other with a
divaricating movement by means of the jack 327. Moreover, one of said
brackets 127 is provided with claws 427 which block the extremities of the
cores 5 on which the article of clothing 6 is arranged, as can be observed in
the Figs. 2 and 3.
In ..the meantime, the brushes 9 start approaching the article of clothing 6
following the horizontal opposite directions 62, as can be observed in Fig. 2,
until they come into contact with the article of clothing 6, as can be
observed
in Fig. 3.
In order for the treatment of the article of clothing 6 to occur, the rotating
brushes 9 are driven into rotation following either direction of arrow 91 by
means of motors 92 and the transmission unit contained in housing 93 and
:~c> they are also vertically displaced following direction 21 through the
already
mentioned first motorizing means 22 which consist of motor 223, of chain
221, of the driving gears 224 and 225 and of bracket 222 which connects
said chain 221 to each of said slides 11.
At the same time, in order to make it possible for the brushes 9 to perform
their action all over the surface of the article of clothing, said brushes 9
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present a concave profile 691 visible in greater detail in Fig. 18, and they
are
also driven into rotation around the vertical axis 14 which, as can be
observed
in Fig. 13, goes through the pivot 71 which connects said frame 15, to which
said slides belong, with the portal element 16.
s In particular, each of said frames 15, together with said extremities 7,
with said pivots 71 and with said rails 13, forms a kinematic structure which,
by means of a drag link/crank unit, indicated as a whole with 50 and visible
in
the Figs. 16, 17 and 18, drives into rotation said frame 15 alternatively
following the directions of arrow 51 and around said pivot 71.
~c~ It can be observed in particular in Fig. 18, that in each of said drag
link/crank
unit 50, the crank consists of a disk 52 which presents an eccentric button
53. One end of the drag link 54 is connected with said eccentric button,
while its other end is connected with a bracket 151 belonging to said frame
15, as can be seen also in Fig. 14. In turn, each of said disks 52 is driven
into
la rotation by a reduction gear 153, whereby said reduction gears are
connected with each other by means of a shaft 155 which is driven into
rotation by a motor 154.
Shaft 155 is complete with an extensible universal joint (not represented in
the drawing) which allows the structures of the portal element 16 to move
together and apart from each other.
It is, therefore, easy to understand that when the machine is in operation,
the
article of clothing 6 is subject to the combined action of four brushes, each
of which performs the intrinsic rotational movement around its own
essentially horizontal axis, a vertical translation movement 21 upwards and
2s downwards and, at the same time, also an alternate swinging motion 51
around an essentially vertical axis 14. The combination of said motions
guarantees the optimization of the treatment process, since it makes it
possible for the brushes to reach every point of the article of clothing to be
treated.
;c> Moreover, because it is possible to move the position of button 53 in
relation
to the centre of the disk 52 to which it belongs, it is also possible to vary
the
latitude of the swinging motion of the brushes 9 around the vertical axis 14,
so as to generate, to the discretion of the user, a more or less concentrated
and localized worn-out effect in determined areas of the article of clothing.
A different embodiment of the machine according to the invention, based on
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x
the same inventive idea, is represented in the Figs. 19, 20 and 21 and it
consists of a different shape of the kinematic structure which achieves the
swinging rotation of the brushes around an essentially vertical axis.
In the mentioned Figures it can be observed that said different embodiment
a - of said machine indicated with 100, presents rotating brushes, indicated
with
90, which are supported by a slide 110 which slides along rails 130
belonging to a supporting structure, which in this embodiment, too, is also a
portal element 160 which insists on the foundation basement plate 170 of the
machine.
io The kinematic structure which performs the swinging rotating motion of
the brushes 90 around an essentially vertical axis comprises, as can be
observed in the Figs. 20 and 21, a central rod 500 which is fulcred through a
pivot 501 on said slide 110.
One end 502 of said central rod supports a pair of preferably pneumatic
1~ actuators 503, each of them presenting stem 504 connected with a tie-rod
505 fastened to a pivot 506 belonging to the housing 507 which supports one
of said rotating brushes 90.
On the other hand, the opposite end of said rod 500 is fulcred to~ a drag
link/crank unit, indicated as a whole with 600, and which comprises a drag
_u link 601 connected with said rod 500 through a support 570, while the
_ opposite side is connected with a crank button 602 belonging to a crank 603
which, in this case, consists of a rotating disk 603 keyed to the rotating
axis
604 of a motor 605.
When disk 603 is brought into rotation in any direction of arrow 610, the
?s central rod 500 swings around pivot 501 following any of the directions of
arrow 510 and thereby it transmits to the tie-rods 505 and to the housings
507 supporting said rotating brushes 90, a swinging rotational motion 520
around pivot 506.
The rotating brushes 90, therefore, perform the rotational motion around their
c> horizontal axis 530 and the longitudinal displacing motion along the
article of
clothing to be treated, because of the action of motor 700 and of chain 701
attached to slide 110 visible in Fig. 9. They are also alternatively displaced
with a swinging motion 520 so as to acquire all the positions comprised
between the two limit positions indicated with a dotted line 560, 550 and
represented in Fig. 20.
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The latitude of such a swinging rotational motion 520 varies for each brush,
since the connection of the drag link 601 with the central rod 500 can be
changed, to the discretion of the user, by properly displacing the support 570
also visible in Fig. 21, by means of actuator 700, so as to obtain more or
less
s wide swinging motions. The adjusting of the stroke of the cylinders 503,
also
permits to vary the latitude of the swinging motions of both brushes, even
independently from one another.
This fact yields the advantage of making it possible to differentiate the
swinging motions of the brushes in relation to one another in order to obtain
particular effects, concentrated in some areas of the article of clothing.
On the basis of what has been described, it is easy to understand that the
working method according to the invention and the machine to apply it,
achieve~the proposed purposes.
First of all, it has been seen how the first purpose of the invention is
achieved, that is to obtain a working method and a machine suited to apply
such a method which give a worn-out localized aspect to the articles of
clothing, said method being much easier to apply and more precise than
the methods and machines belonging to the known technique. It has been
seen that this is achieved by adding to the rotating brushes, which
20 longitudinally move along the article of clothing to be treated, a swinging
motion of each one around an essentially vertical axis.
Moreover, it has been seen how the further purpose of giving such a
differentiated worn-out effect to any area of the .s.article of clothing and,
eventually, to particular areas, has also been achieved. This is obtained by
?; properly adjusting the relative positions between the drag link and the
crank of the corresponding units which operate the kinematic structures
supporting the brushes.
Also the purposes of obtaining the repetition of the same quality on the
finished product time and again have been achieved, since the machine can
o operate in the same conditions in the long run.
Advantageously, the machine according to the invention can be used not
only to obtain the so called worn-out effect on the articles of clothing, but
also to perform particular treatments suited to give the articles of clothing
themselves softness and "coat", both on the inside and the outside of the
articles of clothing themselves.
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During the manufacturing process the machine according to the invention
may undergo changes with the purpose of improving its performance or
making its construction less costly.
Moreover, the machine according to the invention can be realized with a
number of brushes differing from the number described, which can also
present different profiles from the profiles described and represented in the
drawings.
Furthermore, again the machine according to the invention can be complete
with more working stations and, therefore, it can have more manikins suited
m to fit, remove and treat more than one article of clothing at the time.
In addition, it is pointed out that the machine can also be realized by
arranging the brushes with the rotating axis not horizontal and by making
said rotating brushes move not following a vertical direction in relation to
the
article of clothing to be treated.
All said variations and other possible ones must, however, be considered
as falling within the spirit and the scope protected by the present invention.
~o
.;~>
