Cloth-spreading machine

[57] ABSTRACT

A cloth spreading machine. A spreading carriage is mounted to reciprocate to-and-fro along a spreading table. A support for a bale of cloth is carried by holding means mounted on the table, and a calender assembly is mounted on the carriage. The cloth-bale support is adjustable relatively to the carriage in a direction parallel to the direction of reciprocation of the carriage, as by a photocell responsive to changes of position of the vertical plane of the web of cloth hanging from the bale and passing between two pull-off rollers of the calender assembly.

Claims, 5 Drawing Figures

<img file="US3779541A_D0001.tif" />

PATENTED OEC 181973

3,779,541

SHEET 1 OF 3

FIG.1

<img file="US3779541A_D0002.tif" />

INVENTOR

GIJNTER STUMPF

BY

<img file="US3779541A_D0003.tif" />

ATTORNEYS

PATENTED DEC 181973

30779.541

SHEET 2 OF 3

<img file="US3779541A_D0004.tif" />

INVENTOR

GUNTER STUMPF BY

ATTORNEYS

PATENTED DEC 18 1973

3.779.541

SHEET 3 OF 3

FIG. 3 a

<img file="US3779541A_D0005.tif" />

FIG. 3 b

<img file="US3779541A_D0006.tif" />

INVENTOR

GUNTER STUMPF

BY

ATTONEYS

3,779,541

CLOTH-SPREADING MACHINE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cloth-spreading machine.

In this machine, a spreading carriage is mounted to reciprocate to-and-fro along a spreading table, and a support for a bale of cloth is carried by holding means mounted on the table. A calender assembly is mounted on the carriage and has two motor driven pull-off rollers and a cutting device.

Prior art spreading machines, even fully automatic spreading machines, are quite capable of spreading out unfolded, i.e. single-layer webs of cloth; Such a machine begins at the right-hand end of the spreading table and lays out the web of cloth on the table free of tension, with the edges accurately aligned. Shortly before reaching the end of the layer, it switches over to slow running, stops at the pre-set length and automatically cuts off the web of fabric. The machine runs back again idling, switches over again to slow speed shortly before the beginning of the layer, stops, resumes feeding of the cloth web, and begins to spread out the next layer. The necessary edge accuracy is guaranteed by light barriers which scan one or both edges of the web of cloth.

However, present day machines do have difficulties in laying out a doubled web, i.e., a web folded down the middle to form a double layer. At certain positions in the known cloth-spreading machines, where reversing rollers cause a change of the direction in which a web of cloth extends as it is unwound from a bale of cloth, the sides of the web of cloth which rest on each other in a doubled web become displaced, and this distorts the folded edge. Moreover, the relatively small diameter reversing roller mounted on the cutting-off means of known spreading machines results in a kinking of the fold.

An object of the invention is to provide a clothspreading machine in which the unwinding of the web of cloth is adversely affected by as few as possible or by no reversing points at all between the bale of cloth and the cutting means, and in which the aforesaid disadvantages are avoided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, the cloth bale support is adjustable relatively to the carriage in a direction parallel to the diretion of reciprocation of the carriage. Thus, although the diameter of the cloth bale progressively decreases, the web extending from it can be kept in a vertical plane. This important adjustability may be achieved by providing the cloth bale support with a pair of parallel horizontal support rods that are adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the spreading table, and the means for adjusting the cloth bale support may be power driven. For example, the adjusting means may be controlled by a photocell responsive to changes of position of the plane of the web of cloth between the bale and the pull-off rollers.

Further features and details of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description of one specific embodiment, given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a spreading ma2 chine embodying the principles of the invention, looking at the operating side;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the main parts of the machine of FIG. 1, and

FIGS. 3α, 3b and 3c are diagrammatic views in elevation of several possible positions of adjustment of the calender arrangement in the machine of FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The cloth-spreading machine shown in FIG. 1 has a stationary spreading table 1 with a table top 2. Extending along the front of the table 1, between its legs, is a round rail 3. A spreading carriage 4 runs on grooved rollers 5 to reciprocate it. Along the rear of the table 1, the spreading carriage 4 may run on ordinary wheels (not shown) on the longitudinal edge of the table top 2. The carriage 4 may be driven by a direct current geared motor 6. A receiving means 7 for a cloth bale is mounted on the carriage 4 so as to be adjustable transversely to the length of the table 1, and on each of its side walls is a cloth bale support rod 8 to carry a bale 9 of cloth.

In this invention, these support rods 8 are, as explained below in greater detail, adjustable longitudinally in a horizontal direction by means of a geared motor 41 (FIG. 2) located in the receiving means 7. The motor 41 receives control pulses from a photocell 10, the pulses being emitted upon a change in distance between this photocell 10 and a web 11 of cloth, due to the gradual change in the diameter of the bale 9. The pulses are generated by a well-known type of capacitance circuit, there being a pair of spaced-apart plates in the feeler head, one plate at ground potential, while the other plate is at an oscillating potential determined by . the oscillations of the emitted light pulse. A light barrier 12 provided beneath the photocell 10 serves, in the case of poorly folded webs of cloth, to control their folded edge 13 (FIG. 2) and in the case of satisfactory folded webs of cloth to control the edges of the open sides.

On the spreading carriage 4, beneath the light barrier 12, are two motor-driven calender pull-off rollers 14α and 14b between which is drawn the vertically hanging web 11 of cloth unwound from the cloth bale 9, and of which the right-hand roller 14b, is horizontally adjustable. This adjustability is very important in the case of the folded material, since the fold edge of web of cloth wears more than the open edge.

It should also be mentioned that the bale 9 of cloth is rotated in a clockwise direction by a drive (known per se but not shown) which can be brought into engagement with the periphery 9α (FIG. 2) of the bale 9, or with the bale shaft 38. ;

The vertically hanging web 11 of cloth, after passing through the calender arrangement 14α and 14b, arrives in the region of a cut-off means 15 which, to allow for thickness of a stack of layers 16 located on the table top 2, can be adjusted in height by means of a handwheel 17. The motor-driven rotary cutter 18 is mounted to move transversely to the table top 2, to cut through the web 11 of fabric. The cutting means 15 also includes a cutter guard 19 with a deflector plate 20 mounted on it, to avoid wrinkles at the folded edge of the web 11 of cloth which is to be spread.

On the front or operating side of the spreading carriage 4, at the top on the right, is an eccentric lever 22 connected to the front end of the shaft of the right3,779,541 hand calender pull-off roller 14ft to adjust the latter horizontally. A similar lever at the back (not shown) adjusts the rear end of the same shaft. Beneath the eccentric lever 22 is a control box 23 containing switching and regulating means. On the left, beside the handwheel 17, there is a slipping clutch 24 which in the main serves to safeguard the machine in the event of heavy overload. It also comes into operation when the machine is started, in that the slipping clutch 24 gives constant acceleration of the machine from the state of rest up to maximum spreading speed. Without such a clutch 24, the machine would start abruptly, and the final speed would be achieved immediately.

FIG. 2 shows in perspective the essential parts of the apparatus according to the invention, from the righthand end face of the spreading carriage 4. Of the two panelled side parts of the spreading carriage 4, in which gearwheels, chain transmissions etc. are accommodated, only the front part 27 is shown with its horizontal panelling 28 at the top and its right-hand vertical panelling 29.

The two side parts are connected to each other by round cross-struts, of which only the cross-strut 30 is shown. On the left of it and at the same height is a second cross-strut, not shown. The cloth bale holding device 7 is mounted on these cross-struts 30 etc. by means of guide rollers 31 that are transversely adjustable. The rollers 31 are mounted on the underside of a rectangular-section frame 32. Counter rollers 33 prevent tipping of the cloth bale holding device 7 when it is being charged with a cloth bale 9 and prevent displacement of the guide rollers 31 off the cross-struts 30 etc', for any other reason.

On some or all the inner faces of the frame 32, at least on the inside faces of two narrow sides and of one broad side there are supporting walls, e.g. the front supporting wall 34, these being reinforced at the upper end by a rectangular hollow section frame 35. Telescopically received in the open end of each of the front and rear sides of the hollow frame 35 is the cloth bale support rod 8 which is likewise preferably rectangular in cross-section. The exposed end of each is provided with a pillow 37 to receive one end of the shaft 8 of the cloth bale. The opposite end of each supporting rod 8, located in the hollow profile frame, is constructed as a rack 39. Inside the box formed by the supporting walls are the two geared motors 41, driving pinions 40 meshing with the rack part 39 of each supporting rod 8.

Both geared motors 41 receive their control pulses from the photocell 10, and the pulses are emitted when there is a change in the distance between the photocell 10 and the vertically hanging web 11 of cloth. As the radius of the cloth bale 9 becomes smaller, therefore, the pinions 40 of the geared motors 41 start to rotate slowly, thereby advancing the supporting rods 8, and thus also the cloth bale holding rod 38 with the bale 9 of cloth, to the right as viewed in FIG. 1. According to the invention, this ensures that the web 11 of cloth always extends in a constant vertical plane. Instead of being automatic, this control can also be carried out by means of a handwheel, not shown.

Located underneath the photocell 10 is the light barrier 12 which scans the folded edge 13 of the web 11 of cloth. The light barrier 12 comprises a source of light and two opposed photo diodes having variable resistance, which is amplified to actuate a relay that actuates a motor control. The zero condition of the light barrier 12 is achieved when one of these diodes is illuminated and the other is darkened by the web of cloth. If both diodes are illuminated — or if both are darkened — by the migration of the web of cloth, the web of cloth is adjusted toward the zero position. Both the light barrier 12 and the photocell 10 are mounted on a rod 42, which, to allow for different widths of cloth webs, is adjustable in a bush 43 mounted on the front part 27.

The calender arrangement which then follows in the direction of movement of the web 11 of cloth comprises the previously mentioned calender pull-off rollers 14α and 14ft, which can be engaged and disengaged by a pivot lever 45 and a coupling 44. The drive of both rollers may be by chains and sprockets mounted at the back and not shown, operating synchronously with the drive of the spreading carriage 4, i.e. the drive of the rollers 14α and 14ft is coupled to the drive of the spreading carriage 4 through a chain.

Applied by adhesion on each calender pull-off roller 14α, 14ft is a foam plastics material 46 which, by reason of its good adhesion, permits of slip-free pull-off of the folded web 11 of cloth. This coating of foam plastics material 46 is shown only in connection with roller 14α, although it is preferably on both rollers.

The shaft ends of the horizontally-displaceable calender pull-off roller 14ft run in bearings 47 which are adjustable by hand on a rod 48 and can be locked in the desired position by means of a recessed head screw.

The cut-off means 15 located beneath the calender pull-off roller 14α is secured at each end by a bracket to a plate 50 mounted on the spreading carriage 4. As already mentioned, the cut-off means 15 is vertically adjustable by means of the handwheel 17. The danger of wrinkling the folded edge 13 of doubled material downstream of the cutting-off means 15 is reduced by the deflector plate 20 mounted on the cutter guard 19. The guard 19 has a longitudinal slot 19α in which the cutting edge of the rotary cutter 18 travels, so that it serves as a cutter guard 19. The cutter guard 19 is supported by stub shafts 19ft mounted at its ends and each secured against rotation in a plate 51 carried by the cut-off means 15. As the cloth web 11 is unwound from the bale 9 of cloth it interrupts a light barrier 21 located on the cut-off means 15.

On the front, above the control box 23, is a rotary handle 52 for controlling the speed of the spreading carriage 4 and for reversing its direction of movement. A protective box S3 may contain a potentiometer for that purpose, and also a switch.

The possibilities of adjusting the calender arrangement 14α, 14ft which are envisaged in the case of the apparatus according to the invention are illustrated in FIGS. 3α to 3c, where once again the bearing 47 and the rod 48 which carries the bearing 47 are shown.

The rods 48 extend into the side parts of the spreading carriage 4 formed by the walls 27, 28 and 29 and are operatively connected to the pivot lever 22 on each side of the spreading carriage 4.

In the case of an unfolded, in other words singlelayer, web 11 of cloth, the two calender pull-off rollers 14α and 14ft could be located parallel as shown in FIG. 3α. However, when spreading a double web 11 of cloth, parallel rollers produce an undesirable ironing effect on the fold 13 since the folded edge, according to the structure of the material, is subject of a few millimetres

3,779,541 more stretch than the open side of the web 11 of material.

In order to avoid this, the horizontally adjustable roller 14h is inclined either as shown in FIG. 3b on the operating side or as shown in FIG. 3c on the opposite side 5 of the spreading carriage 4. In the first case, the light barrier 12 controls the edge of the fold, and in the second case it controls the open side of the web 11 of cloth.

Instead of the otherwise conventional threading of 10 the web 11 of cloth into the calendering arrangement by hand, automatic threading is provided in the apparatus according to the invention.

An essential condition of this is a sufficiently great feed-in distance between the calender pull-off rollers 15 14α and 14b. This is achieved by a manual reversal of the eccentric lever 22, i.e. the holding rods 48 are extended by a definite amount with the bearings 47 secured thereon and thus with the right-hand calender pull-off roller 14b. 20

Subsequently, by means of a known cloth bale drive, not shown, which can be brought into engagement with the periphery 9α of the cloth bale 9 or with the cloth bale shaft 38, the web 11 of cloth wound on to the bale 9 of cloth, can be slackened by means of a known fan 25 generating a stream of air on the periphery of the cloth bale 9 and unwound until such time as the light barrier 21 is interrupted. Then the calender pull-off roller 14b is adjusted horizontally to the left, again by means of the eccentric lever 22, and brought to bear on the web ³⁰11 of cloth, whereupon the spreading process can begin.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will ³⁵suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.