Bunker Ramo Corporation

Borg Textile Corporation

Norman C Abler

James D Golladay

Ralph A Koegel

Wayne A Swihart

Earlyn E Zimmerman

A control system is provided for maintaining a constant predetermined transverse width in a continuous elastic or extensible web while the web is traveling longitudinally and while simultaneously transversely aligning the longitudinally moving web in register with a transversely extending work station which transversely extends across the web path at a preset location. The invention further provides contoured electrifier apparatus which is adapted for use in the polishing of three dimensional deep pile surface contoured fabrics and the like. In addition, the invention provides ways of adapting the control system for use with a plurality of transversely extending processing units, each one of which can have transversely varying process conditions such as required in a contour shearing device or contoured electrifier.

Width control and alignment means for continuous extensible web

Process technology is provided for making a synthetic fur piece from a sliver knit, high pile, differentially transversely knitted, longitudinally patterned, unstabilized starting fabric having a pile containing heat shrinkable fibers. The process involves stabilizing the starting fabric, contour shearing same, and then further processing the resulting sheared fabric under conditions which result in heat shrinking of the heat shrinkable pile fibers therein. The preferred product is a synthetic fur piece comprised of seemingly seamed together animal pelts. Various finishing operations typically and preferably are performable upon such a product to enhance fur-like properties and to simulate the appearance and qualities of specific desired animal furs, such as, for example, mink.

Manufacture of knitted synthetic fur fabric

A pile fabric knitting apparatus has controllable means, several representative embodiments of which are disclosed, separate from fiber supply means and responsive to dynamic control means, i.e., transducer, control tape, etc., functioning during operation of the apparatus, for regulating the quantity of pile fibers transferred to or retained by the reciprocating knitting needles from respective fiber zones provided by pile fiber feeding means to which the fibers are delivered by the supply means. Such controllable means may operate in addition to or alternatively to fiber supply control at the supply means. In a preferred form the needles comprise companion relatively slidably operative needle elements, one of which elements is adapted to transfer more fiber than the other of said elements, and the controllable means are operative to select the elements for picking up fiber in any of the respective fiber zones.

Apparatus for producing patterned deep pile circular knitted fabrics

A contour shear rest is disclosed for use in a plane shearing machine to simulate, in a three dimensional deep-pile fabric, the effect obtained by sewing together small animal pelts such as mink. The shear rest has a contour surface made up of elements forming a mirror image of a desired contour. The contour surface is formed so that the length of the travel path of fabric drawn across its face is uniform. Tension applied to fabric drawn across the various surfaces is therefore uniform and fabric distortion is substantially eliminated. Subsequently, as the fabric is sheared, it is provided with desired natural-looking contours.

Contour shear device for pile fabrics

A pile fabric knitting apparatus has controllable means, several representative embodiments of which are disclosed, separate from fiber supply means and responsive to dynamic control means, i.e., transducer, control tape, etc., functioning during operation of the apparatus, for regulating the quantity of pile fibers transferred or retained by the reciprocating knitting needles from respective fiber zones provided by pile fiber feeding means to which the fibers are delivered by the supply means. Such controllable means may operate in addition to or alternatively to fiber supply control at the supply means.

Method and apparatus for producing patterned, deep pile, circular

In a deep pile fabric knitting machine which includes carding wheels from which fibers are transferred to rotary doffers and from which the fibers are selectively taken by knitting needles traveling with a rotary cylinder, but with at least some untaken fibers remaining on the doffers, remaining fibers are scavenged from the doffers, substantially uniformly dispersed and returned for recycling in the same carding paths from which the fibers were originally transferred to the doffers. Returned fibers may be applied directly to the perimeters of the carding wheels, or to sliver leading to the carding wheels. Scavenging may be effected by high speed scavenger rolls and return of the fibers effected pneumatically with mechanical dispersion. Loose fibers are blown from the knitting needles and recycled in the same system with the fibers scavenged from the doffers. Sharp separation and definition between pattern features such as stripes is maintained even where fibers of different characteristics are selectively alternately supplied to and by a common fiber feed path. Monitoring of the density of fibers in the fiber delivery for fiber feed paths is provided for.

Manufacturing of patterned deep pile circular knitted fabric

Rotating baffle supported from below substantially closes opening at knitting level of tubular fabric produced by circular pile fabric knitting machine, and deflects air jet carrying stray fiber up toward exhaust intake above machine. Secondary rotating baffle at lower level further reduces movement of air with entrained fiber into tubular fabric, and carries stop motion ring. Rotation of the ring with the goods minimizes skewing at the tube slitting point.

Air control system for pile knitting machine

A pile fabric knitting apparatus has controllable means, several representative embodiments of which are disclosed, separate from fiber supply means and responsive to dynamic control means, i.e., transducer, control tape, etc., functioning during operation of the apparatus, for regulating the quantity of pile fibers transferred to the knitted fabric by the reciprocating knitting needles from respective fiber zones provided by pile fiber feeding means to which the fibers are delivered by the supply means. Such controllable means may operate in addition to or alternatively to fiber supply control at the supply means.

Growing community of inventors

Menominee Falls, WI, United States of America

Norman C Abler