The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 08, 1990
Filed:
Jun. 28, 1989
Robert A Miller, New Ringgold, PA (US);
J. E. Morgan Knitting Mills, Inc., Tamaqua, PA (US);
Abstract
A method for preshrinking tubular knit fabrics in which the fabric is treated as a continuous length in tubular form. The elongated tube is continuously fed lengthwise into a series of liquid baths which include a wetting agent, scouring and washing constituents and rinses and any finish is to be applied to the fabric. The fabric tube is caused to advance into and through the bath in a substantially tensionless state by pushing the fabric into the flow of liquid and through the bath to avoid applying substantial tension. From the washing and rinsing baths, the saturated fabric is flattened, again without application of substantial tension, and is fed through a two-stage dryer. In the initial stage, the fabric is air-dried to a moisture content of substantially less than 40%. Before introducing the fabric into the second stage of the dryer, the moisture content is raised, for example in a steam atmosphere, to substantially 40%. The final drying is performed in multiple steps to assure uniform treatment of the fabric throughout its length to ultimately reduce the moisture content in the fabric to less than 8%. The illustrated combination of apparatus for accomplishing the fabric treatment includes a relaxing and washing washing range, for the liquid treatment of the fabric, a padding apparatus for the flattening of the fabric while saturated, a drum-type air dryer for air-drying the fabric in the first stage, a steam chest intermediate stage in advance of the final dryer stage, and a tumble-type compartmentalized continuous length dryer in the final stage.