Apparatus for forming large rolls of tubular knitted fabric
AssigneeFlynt Amtex, Inc.
InventorHermann Daiber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing large rolls of tubular fabric knitted on a small diameter circular knitting machine of the type having fabric takedown rollers for pulling the fabric from the knitting cylinder, and a takeup roller for winding up the fabric into a roll, including a traversing mechanism that is operatively associated with and positioned upstream of the tubular fabric takedown rollers so that the fabric is moved back and forth along the length of the take down rollers, so that the width of the fabric roll wound upon the takeup roller is substantially the length of the take down rollers. Further, the fabric leaving the takedown rollers is surface driven to provide constant speed and tension.
Claims28
An apparatus for producing large rolls of tubular fabric knitted on a small diameter circular knitting machine of the type having fabric takedown rollers for pulling the fabric from the knitting cylinder, and a takeup roller for receiving the fabric from the takedown rollers for winding up the fabric into a roll, comprising:
- (a) a traversing mechanism operatively associated with and positioned upstream of the tubular fabric takedown rollers so that the fabric is moved back and forth along the length of the takedown rollers as it moves therethrough;
- and
- (b) wherein the fabric roll wound upon the takeup roller extends along a length greater than the width of the fabric to provide larger packages.
An apparatus for producing large rolls of tubular fabric knitted on a small diameter knitting machine of the type having fabric takedown rollers for pulling the fabric from the knitting cylinder, and a takeup roller for receiving the fabric from the takedown rollers for winding up the fabric into a roll, comprising:
- (a) a surface engaging windup roller mounted at a predetermined distance downstream of said takedown rollers, the windup roller being operatively connected to said takedown rollers and driven responsive thereto at a constant angular velocity;
- (b) the takeup roller being freely rotatable and biased toward the windup roller, whereby the fabric being wound on the takeup roller is engaged by and moved by the windup roller at a constant surface speed;
- and
- (c) whereby the fabric is wound on the takeup roller at a substantially constant tension.
A small diameter circular knitting machine, comprising
- (a) a knitting cylinder
- (b) a plurality of fabric takedown rollers for pulling fabric from the knitting cylinder;
- (c) a takeup roller for receiving the fabric from the takedown rollers for winding the fabric into a roll;
- (d) a traversing mechanism operatively associated with and positioned upstream of the tubular fabric takedown rollers so that the fabric is moved back and forth along the length of the takedown rollers as it moves therethrough;
- and
- (e) wherein the fabric roll wound upon the takeup roller extends along a width greater than the width of the fabric to provide larger packages.
A small diameter circular knitting machine, comprising:
- (a) a knitting cylinder and dial;
- (b) a plurality of fabric takedown rollers for pulling fabric from the knitting cylinder;
- (c) a takeup roller for receiving the fabric from the takedown rollers for winding the fabric into a roll;
- (d) a surface engaging windup roller mounted at a predetermined distance downstream of said takedown rollers, the windup roller being operatively connected to said takedown rollers and driven responsive thereto at a constant angular velocity;
- (e) the takeup roller being freely rotatable and biased toward the windup roller, whereby the fabric being wound on the takeup roller is engaged by and moved by the windup roller at a constant surface speed;
- and
- (f) whereby the fabric is wound on the takeup roller at a substantially constant tension.
A method for forming large rolls of tubular fabric knitted on a small diameter circular knitting machine of the type having fabric take-down rollers for pulling the fabric from the knitting cylinder, and a takeup roller for winding the fabric into a roll, comprising:
- (a) engaging the tubular fabric between the knitting cylinder and the takedown rollers by a traversing mechanism that moves the fabric back and forth along the length of the take down rollers;
- and
- (b) winding the fabric on a takeup roller to form a fabric package wider than the width of the tubular fabric.
A rolled package of small diameter tubular knitted fabric for use in making knit cuffs and holding at least five times the amount of tubular knit fabric as a roll the width of the tubular knit fabric, the fabric on the roll being under substantially constant tension and the surface of the fabric package being relatively even along its width.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.