Method and apparatus for forming yarn elements and producing products therefrom
AssigneeEnterprise Incorporated
InventorsRonald H. Marks, Paul D. Marks, Lawrence R. Goodman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved apparatus capable of carrying out a continuous method of forming yarn elements from a supply roll of thermoplastic film, which method is characterized by slitting the roll into flat strips of preselected width, simultaneously subjecting the strips to heat and to a pulling or drawing force to elongate the strips which reduces their width and at the same time minimizes their subsequent stretch capability, and thereafter interengaging said strips on a textile-forming machine, such as a knitting or weaving apparatus, to form a desired product. The method is particularly adaptable to the production of an improved knitted bag formed of said flat yarn elements.
Claims11
An apparatus for forming yarn elements including,
- a supply roll of thermoplastic web material which is a relatively thin film and which is easily distorted when unequal pulling forces are applied to the web in a direction longitudinally of the web,
- a set of rotatable holding rollers engageable with the web material,
- at least one of said holding rollers being located beneath the web material and another of said holding rollers being located above the web material with both of the rollers extending completely across the web material and applying equal holding force to said web material throughout its entire transverse width,
- a set of rotatable pulling rollers,
- a cutter assembly between the holding rollers and the pulling rollers,
- means for conducting the web material to said holding rollers,
- means for directing said web material through the cutter assembly to cut the web into strips,
- a heater forming a heating zone located between the cutter assembly and the pulling rollers, whereby the strips pass through said heater to soften the same,
- means forming part of the heater for preventing the edges of the strips from fusing to each other as they pass through the heating zone, and
- means for operating the holding rollers at a slower rotative speed than the pulling rollers, whereby said pulling rollers pull the web material through the cutter assembly and heater and simultaneously exert a pulling force upon the softened strips to elongate the strips and reduce their width.
An apparatus for forming yarn elements including,
- a supply roll of thermoplastic web material,
- a set of rotatable holding rollers,
- a set of rotatable pulling rollers,
- a cutter assembly between the holding rollers and the pulling rollers,
- means for conducting the web material to the cutter assembly to cut the web into flat strips which have their flat surfaces in a horizontal plane,
- a heater forming a heating zone located between the cutter assembly and the pulling cutters,
- said heater including an elongate casing having an inlet end wall and an outlet end wall at opposite ends thereof,
- the outlet end having a horizontal opening through which the strips pass in leaving the heater,
- the inlet end wall having a plurality of vertically disposed slots through which the strips are directed as they enter the heater,
- said inlet end wall forming the inlet side of the heater casing and being located a sufficient distance from the slitter that the strips may undergo a twisting movement to position the strips with their flat surfaces in a vertical position upon entry through the vertical slots of said end wall, whereby the strips pass through the heater in spaced relationship to prevent fusing the strips to each other during passage through the heater, and
- means for operating the holding rollers at a slower rotative speed than the pulling rollers, whereby said pulling rollers exert a pulling force upon the softened spaced strips within said heating zone to elongate the strips and reduce their width.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.