APPARATUS FOR FORMING A ROLL OF FABRIC CONTINUOUSLY WITH THE KNITTING THEREOF

• Main Authors: VINCENT A. IANNUCCI, RONALD S. SCHARTEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.03.1971
• Subjects: BRAIDING; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; TEXTILES; TRIMMINGS

1,224,957. Knitting machines. NORTH AMERICAN ROCKWELL CORP. 19 Sept., 1969 [16 Dec., 1968], No. 46371/69. Headings DIC and D1K. Take-down apparatus for a knitting machine comprises a core 23 on which the fabric is wound by the engagement of rotating means 34 with the outside of the roll being formed, the means supporting the core being moved away from the rotating means as the diameter of ithe roll increases. As shown, the apparatus produces flattened tubes of thermoplastic knitted fabric to be heat set and unravelled to produced crinkled yarn. The fabric is knitted on individually driven stationary cylinder knitting machines 10 from yarn on pirns 16 mounted on pirn holders 15 carried on a rack above the knitting machines and fed through guides 17 and a feed roll 18. The knitted fabric spread out flat by spreaders and take up rolls 12 is collected to form a roll 22 on a core 23 to which its end is secured. Mounted on bearings on the ends 25 of the core shaft 24 are rollers 26 which run on tracks 31 with flanges 33 carried on the machine frame. The fabric rolls are driven frictionally by a common drive roll 34 carried on a shaft driven through gearing by a motor which also drives the take-up means 12. Collars 27 on the shaft ends 25 are engaged by the upper ends 62 of arms 52 whose lower ends are secured to a bracket 54 with a bearing sleeve 55 pivoted on a horizontal shaft 56 perpendicular to tracks 31. Secured to sleeve 55 are two rods 63, 67 carrying adjustable weights 66, 70 the weight of the parts are such that, without weight 70, the system is in equilibrium and arms 52 will remain in any position. The weights 70 bias the arms 52 so that they hold their associated fabric roll 22 in engagement with the drive roll 34. A lever 71 can hold the arms 52 in their outermost position if their associated knitting machine is out of action. A switch 76 may be provided which controls a stop motion or actuates a visual signal when the fabric rolls reach the desired diameter.