Machine for continuous bias cutting of tubular fabric

A machine for continuously cutting bias strips from tubes of material, including:

• (a) a supply of tubular material,
• (b) cutting means for cutting the tubular material into at least one helically cut strip,
• (c) a rotatable mandrel for winding cut strips of material into rolls,
• (d) at least two skewable, transversely spaced, rotatable cylinders for supporting to tubular material internally and advancing the tubular material axially from the supply to the cutting means,
• (e) means for skewing the cylinders selectively relative to each other, to cause the tube of material to advance to the cutting means at a selected rate of speed,
• (f) material tensioning means interposed between the supply of material and the skewable cylinders, said tension means being disposed internally of the advancing tube of material,
• (g) means associated with the tension means for imposing a selected tension on the advancing tube of material and
• (h) adjustment means automatically operative during machine operation to monitor the advance of the tube of material and to adjust the skew of the cylinders and the tension imposed on the material, whereby the tube of material is advanced continuously in a substantially wrinkle-free condition at a uniform rate of feed.

A machine for continuously cutting bias strips from tubes of material, including:

• (a) a supply of tubular material,
• (b) cutting means for cutting the tubular material into at least one helically cut strip,
• (c) a rotatable mandrel for winding cut strips of material into rolls,
• (d) at least two skewable, transversely spaced, rotatable cylinders for supporting the tubular material internally and advancing the tubular material axially from the supply to the cutting means,
• (e) adjustment means for skewing the cylinders selectively relative to each other, to cause the tube of material to advance to the cutting means at a selected rate of speed,
• (f) sensing means for monitoring the rate of advance of the tubular material to the cutting means and
• (g) control means responsive to the sensing means and associated with the adjustment means, said control means being automatically operative to adjust the skew angles of the cylinders, as required during machine operation, to maintain the rate of advance of the tubular material at the selected rate of speed.

A machine for continuously cutting bias strips from tubes of material, including:

• (a) a supply of tubular material,
• (b) cutting means for cutting the tubular material into at least one helically cut strip,
• (c) a rotatable mandrel for winding cut strips of material into rolls,
• (d) positive feeding means for advancing the tubular material from the supply to the cutting means,
• (e) material tensioning means interposed between the supply of material and the positive feeding means, said tension means being disposed internally of the advancing tube of material, and including means for imposing a frictional drag on the advancing tube of material,
• (f) adjustment means associated with the material tension means for varying selectively the frictional drag imposed on the material,
• (g) sensing means for monitoring the advance of the tubular material to the cutting means and
• (h) control means responsive to the sensing means and associated with the adjustment means, said control means being automatically operative to adjust the frictional drag imposed by the tension means on the material, as required during machine operation, to maintain the tube of material substantially wrinkle-free as it advances to the cutting means.

A machine for continuously cutting plural bias strips from an advancing tube of material, including:

• (a) a supply of tubular material,
• (b) a plurality of cutters for cutting the tubular material into a plurality of individual strips,
• (c) a plurality of skewable, transversely spaced, rotatable cylinders for supporting the tubular material internally and advancing the tubular material axially from the supply to the cutters,
• (d) a rotatable mandrel for winding the cut strips of material into plural rolls,
• (e) said mandrel being surface driven from one of the cylinders, whereby the cut strips are wound into rolls on the periphery of said cylinder, and
• (f) doffing means automatically operative to remove the plural rolls of material from the mandrel, after the rolls have reached a predetermined size.

A machine for continuously cutting bias strips from tubes of material, including:

• (a) a supply of tubular material,
• (b) cutting means for cutting the tubular material into at least one helically cut strip,
• (c) positive feeding means for advancing the tubular material from the supply to the cutting means,
• (d) a rotatable mandrel for winding cut strips of material into rolls,
• (e) said mandrel being movable between a first position proximate the machine for winding cut strips of material into rolls on the mandrel and a second position remote from the machine where the rolls are removed from the mandrel,
• (f) means automatically operative for moving the mandrel from the first position to the second position, after the rolls have reached a predetermined size, and for returning the mandrel to the first position following removal of the rolls from the mandrel, and
• (g) means automatically operative to remove the rolls from the mandrel while the mandrel is in the second position

A method for the continuous bias cutting of an elongated tube of material into a plurality of helically cut strips, and winding the cut strips into a plurality of separate rolls, comprising the steps:

• (a) providing a supply of material,
• (b) advancing the tubular material by positive feeding means from the supply to a plurality of individual cutting means at a uniform rate of feed,
• (c) opening the tubular material and applying a selected tension thereto as it advances from the supply, to maintain the advancing tube substantially wrinkle-free as it advances to the cutting means,
• (d) cutting the advancing tube of material into a plurality of strips, and forming the cut strips into a batch of separate rolls of material, and
• (e) continuously monitoring the advancing tube of material, and adjusting automatically its rate of advance and the tension applied thereto, as required during cutting of the material, whereby to advance continuously the tube of material to the cutting means in a substantially wrinkle-free condition at the uniform rate of feed.

A method for the continuous bias cutting of an elongated tube of material into at least one helically cut strip, comprising the steps:

• (a) providing a supply of material,
• (b) advancing the tubular material by positive feeding means from the supply to a cutting means at a uniform rate of feed,
• (c) opening the tubular material and applying a selected frictional drag on the material as it advances from the supply, to maintain the advancing tube substantially wrinkle-free as it advances to the cutting means,
• (d) cutting the advancing tube of material into at least one helically cut strip, and forming the cut strips of material into rolls, and
• (e) continuously monitoring the advancing tube of material, and adjusting automatically its rate of advance and the frictional drag applied thereto, as required during cutting and rolling of the material, whereby to advance continuously the tube of material to the cutting means in a substantially wrinkle-free condition at the uniform rate of feed.