Apparatus and process for ultrasonically cutting off predetermined widths of selvages and sealing the cut edges of textile fabric

An apparatus for ultrasonically cutting off undesirable selvage and sealing the longitudinal cut edges of continuous lengths of textile fabric having at least some thermoplastic fibers therein and being characterized by a construction designed to cut off a predetermined width of the undesirable selvage from each side edge of the textile fabric regardless of transverse variations in the path of travel of the fabric through the apparatus or width of the fabric, said apparatus comprising

• frame means;
• means carried by said frame means for feeding the textile fabric in a longitudinal path of travel through said apparatus;
• first ultrasonic cutting and sealing means mounted in a stationary position on said frame means for receiving one side edge of the moving textile fabric and for cutting off undesirable selvage and simultaneously sealing the cut edge along the one side edge;
• means mounted on said frame means in advance of said first ultrasonic cutting and sealing means in the path of travel of the textile fabric through said apparatus for transverse shifting of the moving textile fabric to align the one side edge of the textile fabric with said stationary ultrasonic cutting and sealing means so that a predetermined width of the undesirable selvage will be cut off from the one side edge, said textile fabric shifting means comprising friction roll means transversely engaging the moving textile fabric and mounted on said frame means for movement transversely of the path of travel of the textile fabric for shifting the textile fabric therewith, drive means mounted on said frame means and connected with said friction roll means for being actuated to move said friction roll means back and forth predetermined distances, and means mounted on said frame means in advance of said friction roll means in the path of travel of the textile fabric for sensing the position of the one side edge of the moving textile fabric and for actuating said drive means;
• second ultrasonic cutting and sealing means mounted on said frame means after said textile fabric shifting means in the path of travel of the textile fabric for movement in a direction transverse to the moving textile fabric and for receiving the other side edge of the moving textile fabric and for cutting off undesirable selvage and simultaneously sealing the cut edge along the other side edge;
• and
• means mounted on said frame means and connected with said second ultrasonic cutting and sealing means for transverse shifting of said second ultrasonic cutting and sealing means to align said second ultrasonic cutting and sealing means with the other side edge of the moving textile fabric so that a predetermined width of the undesirable selvage will be cut off from the other side edge of the textile fabric regardless of transverse shifting of the textile fabric by said fabric shifting means or variations in the width of the textile fabric;
• said means for shifting said second ultrasonic cutting and sealing means comprises drive means connected with said second ultrasonic cutting and sealing means for being actuated to move said second ultrasonic cutting and sealing means back and forth predetermined distances, and means mounted on said frame means between said second ultrasonic cutting and sealing means and said textile fabric shifting means in the path of travel of the textile fabric for sensing the position of the other side of the moving textile fabric and for actuating said drive means.

Process for ultrasonically cutting off undesirable selvages and sealing the longitudinal cut edges of moving continuous lengths of textile fabric having at least some thermoplastic fibers therein and being characterized by cutting off a predetermined width of the undesirable selvage from each side of the moving textile fabric regardless of transverse variations in the path of travel of the fabric or width of the fabric, said process comprising

• feeding the textile fabric in a longitudinal path of travel;
• cutting off undersirable selvage and simultaneously sealing the cut edge along one side edge of the moving textile fabric by the use of a stationary ultrasonic mechanism as the fabric is fed thereby;
• transversely shifting the moving textile fabric in advance of the stationary ultrasonic mechanism to align the one side edge of the fabric in a predetermined position with the stationary ultrasonic mechanism so that a desired width of the undesirable selvage will be cut off from the one side edge;
• thereafter cutting off undesirable selvage and simultaneously sealing the cut edge along the other side edge of the moving textile fabric by the use of a transversely movable ultrasonic mechanism as the fabric is fed thereby;
• and
• transversely shifting the movable ultrasonic mechanism into a predetermined position relative to the path of travel of the fabric past the movable ultrasonic mechanism so that a desired width of the undesirable selvage will be cut off from the other side edge.