Level lining apparatus and method

A method for simultaneously feeding a first material and a second material to a fabric processing system, said materials being fed to said system as adjacent layers, wherein said method maintains said layers in alignment, said method comprising the steps of:

• feeding a first material to said fabric processing system at a constant tension;
• feeding a second material to said fabric processing system simultaneously with said first material, said second material being superimposed with said first material;
• applying a predetermined amount of tension to said second material;
• and
• applying an adjustable force to said second material, said force counteracting said predetermined amount of tension for lessening the total amount of tension applied to said second material, wherein said force is adjusted in response to said constant tension being applied to said first material in order to feed said second material simultaneously with said first material into said fabric processing system.

An apparatus for simultaneously feeding at least two rolls of material into a fabric processing system, said apparatus comprising:

• a first roll let-off for supporting a roll of a first material;
• a first tension control unit for receiving said first material from said first roll let-off and for feeding said first material to said system at a constant tension, said tension control unit including a power driven roll in operative association with a tension supplying means, wherein said tension supplying means delivers a constant and predetermined amount of tension to said first material, said tension supplying means varying the speed of said power driven roll in response to changes in fabric tension occurring downstream such that the speed of said power driven roll is increased when tension in the fabric downstream increases and such that the speed of said power driven roll is decreased when tension in the fabric downstream decreases;
• a second roll let-off for supporting a roll of a second material that is to be fed to said system simultaneously with said first material;
• a second tension control unit for receiving said second material from said second roll let-off, said second tension control unit including a power driven roll in operative association with a tension supplying means, wherein said tension supplying means delivers a constant and predetermined amount of tension to said second material;
• a drive roll for receiving said second material from said second tension control unit;
• and
• a torque supplying device in operative association with said drive roll for supplying a constant torque thereto, wherein said torque supplying device in combination with said second tension control unit applies a resulting tension to said second material, said torque supplying device being adjustable for adjusting the tension placed on said second material for maintaining said second material in alignment with said first material as said materials are fed through said fabric processing system.

An apparatus for simultaneously feeding a first material and a second material into a fabric processing system comprising:

• a first tension control unit for applying a constant and predetermined amount of tension to said first material, said first tension control unit comprising a weighted dancer roll;
• a second tension control unit for applying a constant and predetermined amount of tension to said second material;
• and
• a torque supplying device in operative association with a drive roll upon which said second material is supported, said torque supplying device adjustably supplying a constant torque to said drive roll for counteracting said predetermined amount of tension being exerted on said second material by said second tension control unit, wherein said torque applied to said drive roll by said torque supplying device is adjusted to feed said second material simultaneously with said first material into said fabric processing system.

An apparatus for simultaneously feeding a first material and a second material into a fabric processing system comprising:

• a first tension control unit for applying a constant and predetermined amount of tension to said first material;
• a second tension control unit for applying a constant and predetermined amount of tension to said second material;
• and
• a torque supplying device in operative association with a drive roll upon which said second material is supported, said torque supplying device adjustably supplying a constant torque to said drive roll for counteracting said predetermined amount of tension being exerted on said second material by said second tension control unit, wherein said torque applied to said drive roll by said torque supplying device is adjusted to feed said second material simultaneously with said first material into said fabric processing system, wherein said torque supplying device comprises a motor in operative association with a hysteresis clutch.