System and method for producing a continuous fabric strip for a use in manufacturing paint roller covers

A method for producing an extended length knitted pile fabric strip from a plurality of knitted pile fabric strips, comprising:

• joining a plurality of knitted pile fabric strips together at their respective ends to produce an extended length knitted pile fabric strip;
• removably supporting a hollow cylindrical take-up core member for rotation at a controlled rate to thereby control rotational displacement of said take-up core member;
• accumulating the portion of said extended length fabric strip which has been made by joining said plurality of fabric strips together in an accumulator and detecting whether said accumulator has more or less than a particular amount of said extended length fabric strip contained therein;
• supplying said extended length knitted pile fabric strip from said accumulator to be wound onto said take-up core member;
• controlling and guiding said extended length fabric strip in a manner which restricts its lateral movement and controls its lateral position as it is presented to said take-up core member to be wound onto said take-up core member, said extended length fabric strip being moved laterally with respect to said take-up core member as said take-up core member is rotated to thereby substantially spirally wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length fabric strip being located close adjacent each other;
• winding said extended length knitted pile fabric strip onto said take-up core member to produce a spool of knitted pile fabric strip while simultaneously controlling both the rotational displacement of said take-up core member and the lateral position in which said extended length knitted pile fabric strip is presented to said take-up core member to thereby substantially spirally wind said extended length knitted pile fabric strip onto said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length knitted pile fabric strip being located close adjacent each other, and with consecutive rows of said extended length knitted pile fabric strip overlaying each other on said take-up core member;
• and
• rotating said take-up core member at a higher rate of rotational displacement if said accumulator has more than said particular amount of said extended length fabric strip contained therein and rotating said take-up core member at a lower rate of rotational displacement if said accumulator has less than said particular amount of said extended length fabric strip contained therein.

A method for producing an extended length fabric strip from a plurality of fabric strips, comprising:

• joining a plurality of fabric strips together at their respective ends to produce an extended length fabric strip;
• supplying said extended length fabric strip to be wound onto a take-up core member;
• and
• winding said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member to produce a spool of fabric strip while simultaneously controlling both the rotational displacement of said take-up core member and the lateral position in which said extended length fabric strip is presented to said take-up core whereby said extended length fabric strip is substantially spirally wound on said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length fabric strip being located close adjacent each other, and with consecutive rows of said extended length fabric strip overlaying each other on said take-up core member.

A system for producing an extended length fabric strip from a plurality of fabric strips, comprising:

• a seamer station for joining a plurality of fabric strips together at their respective ends to produce an extended length fabric strip;
• a winder support which removably supports a take-up core member for rotation at a controlled rate to thereby control rotational displacement of said take-up core member;
• a guide member which is used to supply said extended length fabric strip to be wound onto said take-up core member;
• a lateral position controller to vary the lateral position of said guide member from which said extended length fabric strip is presented to said take-up core member to be wound thereupon;
• and
• a motorized winder to rotate said take-up core member to thereby wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member to produce a spool of fabric strip, the amount of rotational displacement of said take-up core member and the lateral position of said guide member being simultaneously controlled to thereby substantially spirally wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length fabric strip being located close adjacent each other, and with consecutive rows of said extended length fabric strip overlaying each other on said take-up core member.

A system for producing an extended length fabric strip from a plurality of fabric strips, comprising:

• a seamer station for joining a plurality of fabric strips together at their respective ends to produce an extended length fabric strip;
• a winder support which removably supports a take-up core member for rotation at a controlled rate to thereby control rotational displacement of said take-up core member;
• an accumulator for accommodating the portion of said extended length fabric strip which has been made joined at said seamer station, said extended length fabric strip being removed from said accumulator to be wound onto said take-up core member;
• a guide member which is used to supply said extended length fabric strip to be wound onto said take-up core member;
• a lateral position controller to vary the lateral position of said guide member from which said extended length fabric strip is presented to said take-up core member to be wound thereupon, said lateral position controller being operable to precisely vary the position of said guide member;
• a motorized winder to rotate said take-up core member to thereby wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member to produce a spool of fabric strip, said motorized winder being operable to precisely rotate said take-up core member, the amount of rotational displacement of said take-up core member and the lateral position of said guide member being simultaneously controlled to thereby substantially spirally wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length fabric strip being located close adjacent each other, and with consecutive rows of said extended length fabric strip overlaying each other on said take-up core member;
• and
• a control system for operating said lateral position controller and said motorized winder, said control system automatically determining the interrelationship between said lateral position controller and said motorized winder.

A method for winding an extended length fabric strip onto a take-up core member comprising:

• providing said extended length fabric strip formed from a plurality of fabric strips;
• removably supporting said take-up core member for rotation at a controlled rate to thereby control rotational displacement of said take-up core member;
• controlling the lateral position at which said extended length fabric strip is presented to said take-up core member to be wound thereupon and varying said lateral position with respect to said take-up core member;
• and
• winding said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member to produce a spool of fabric strip while simultaneously controlling both the rotational displacement of said take-up core member and the lateral position in which said extended length fabric strip is presented to said take-up core member to thereby substantially spirally wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length fabric strip being located close adjacent each other, and with consecutive rows of said extended length fabric strip overlaying each other on said take-up core member.

A method for winding an extended length fabric strip onto a take-up core member comprising:

• supplying said extended length knitted pile fabric strip to be wound onto said take-up core member;
• removably supporting a cylindrical take-up core member for rotation at a controlled rate to thereby control rotational displacement of said take-up core member;
• controlling and guiding said extended length fabric strip in a manner which restricts its lateral movement and controls its lateral position as it is presented to said take-up core member to be wound onto said take-up core member, said extended length fabric strip being moved laterally with respect to said take-up core member as said take-up core member is rotated to thereby substantially spirally wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length fabric strip being located close adjacent each other;
• winding said extended length knitted pile fabric strip onto said take-up core member to produce a spool of knitted pile fabric strip while simultaneously controlling both the rotational displacement of said take-up core member and the lateral position in which said extended length knitted pile fabric strip is presented to said take-up core member to thereby substantially spirally wind said extended length knitted pile fabric strip onto said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length knitted pile fabric strip being located close adjacent each other, and with consecutive rows of said extended length knitted pile fabric strip overlaying each other on said take-up core member;
• and
• rotating said take-up core member at a higher rate of rotational displacement if said accumulator has more than said particular amount of said extended length fabric strip contained therein and rotating said take-up core member at a lower rate of rotational displacement if said accumulator has less than said particular amount of said extended length fabric strip contained therein.

A system for winding an extended length fabric strip onto a take-up core, said system comprising:

• a guide member which is used to supply said extended length fabric strip to be wound onto said take-up core member;
• a lateral position controller to vary the lateral position of said guide member from which said extended length fabric strip is presented to said take-up core member to be wound thereupon;
• and
• a motorized winder to rotate said take-up core member to thereby wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member to produce a spool of fabric strip, the amount of rotational displacement of said take-up core member and the lateral position of said guide member being simultaneously controlled to thereby substantially spirally wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length fabric strip being located close adjacent each other, and with consecutive rows of said extended length fabric strip overlaying each other on said take-up core member.

A system for winding an extended length fabric strip onto a take-up core comprising:

• a winder support which removably supports said take-up core member for rotation at a controlled rate to thereby control rotational displacement of said take-up core member;
• a guide member which is used to supply said extended length fabric strip to be wound onto said take-up core member;
• a lateral position controller to vary the lateral position of said guide member from which said extended length fabric strip is presented to said take-up core member to be wound thereupon, said lateral position controller being operable to precisely vary the position of said guide member;
• a motorized winder to rotate said take-up core member to thereby wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member to produce a spool of fabric strip, said motorized winder being operable to precisely rotate said take-up core member, the amount of rotational displacement of said take-up core member and the lateral position of said guide member being simultaneously controlled to thereby substantially spirally wind said extended length fabric strip onto said take-up core member with consecutive windings of said extended length fabric strip being located close adjacent each other, and with consecutive rows of said extended length fabric strip overlaying each other on said take-up core member;
• and
• a control system for operating said lateral position controller and said motorized winder, said control system automatically determining the interrelationship between said lateral position controller and said motorized winder.