Milliken Research Corporation

Milliken + Co

George C Varner

Steven W Cox

Harold Lee Johnson

Jerome L Wood

Jerome Wood

Steven Cox

Disclosed herein is an electronic digital control system for printing a pattern onto the surface of a moving substrate in accordance with digitally-defined pattern data using a plurality of individually controllable colorant-dispensing applicators arranged in a series of arrays positioned along the path of said moving substrate, with each array containing a colorant representing a separate process color. The digital control system converts the pattern data, expressed in terms of a color assignment for each individual pattern element comprising the desired pattern, into a series of logical firing instructions for each applicator as required to reproduce the assigned color on the substrate using one or more process colors.

Digital control system

Method and apparatus for automatically loading at least one look-up table in a textile dyeing system with firing time data. The machine operator enters a list of entries including a base entry, machine color loading entries and a stock entry into the system. A firing time table of firing times is generated for each of a plurality of color bars with respect to a given base, from the base entry. A machine color table of color data is generated for each of the plurality of color bars from the machine color loading entires and a pattern color table of pixel codes and their associated colors with respect to a given pattern is generated from the stock entry. The system correlates the firing times, color data and pixel codes to obtain a modified firing time for each pixel code for each color bar and loads the look-up table with the modified firing time data.

Automatic generation of look-up tables for requested patterns and colors

A plurality of jet gun bars are spaced apart along the path of travel of a textile material and responsive to pattern data to form patterns on the material. Each gun bar stores and supplies different color dyestuff to color the material. A computer, on each periodic request, supplies pattern data to a predetermined number of gun bars, thereby providing dyestuff to different pattern lines for each request. During a change from printing one pattern to printing another different pattern, for each such request the computer provides data for the other pattern to a first predetermined number of gun bars and data for the one pattern to a second predetermined number of gun bars subsequent to the first number, thereby simultaneously completing the printing of the one pattern and starting the printing of the other pattern.

Pattern designs printed with computer controlled pattern dyeing device

Printing of pattern designs with computer controlled pattern dyeing

Growing community of inventors

Moore, SC, United States of America

George C Varner