U.S. patent number 3,759,507 [Application Number 05/136,879] was granted by the patent office on 1973-09-18 for machines for the continuous manufacture of cloth by superposing several layers of a textile web.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Intissel. Invention is credited to Jules Imbrecht.
United States Patent |
3,759,507 |
Imbrecht |
September 18, 1973 |
MACHINES FOR THE CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURE OF CLOTH BY SUPERPOSING
SEVERAL LAYERS OF A TEXTILE WEB
Abstract
The web is fed onto a horizontal surface moving parallel to the
width of the web leaving the feed device. It is laid by alternate
sweeping movements of the feed device in a relatively impervious
enclosure having a slot for the incoming web lined therein and two
flaps inside the slot oscillating to deflect the web and preserve a
reduced pressure created inside the enclosure. The receiving
surface is air-permeable at its longitudinal edges but impermeable
at its central region.
Inventors: |
Imbrecht; Jules (Hem,
FR) |
Assignee: |
Intissel (Roubaix,
FR)
|
Family
ID: |
22474796 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/136,879 |
Filed: |
April 23, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
270/60;
270/39.05; 270/30.01; 493/413 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H
45/107 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65H
45/00 (20060101); B65H 45/101 (20060101); B65h
045/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;270/62,69,73,79,30,31,39 ;274/11 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Michell; Robert W.
Assistant Examiner: Heinz; A.
Claims
I claim:
1. Machine for the continuous manufacture of cloth by superposing
several layers of textile web, comprising a feed device for
introducing the web into the machine, a moving receiving surface
having longitudinal edges and a central portion situated in a
substantially horizontal plane and movable in a direction situated
in said horizontal plane, means arranged between the feed device
and said receiving surface to deposit the web on the receiving
surface by alternate lateral swinging movements and thus to form
the cloth on said surface, said means being constituted by a
relatively pressure-tight enclosure which comprises: above the
receiving surface, an elongated opening for the introduction of the
web and having a vertical plane of symmetry; inside the enclosure,
two elongated flaps defining, by their respective upper edges, the
longer parallel sides of said elongated opening and adapted to
oscillate along said upper edges so that one flap and then the
other flap alternately occupies a substantially vertical position,
in which its free or lower edge is at a slight distance from said
receiving surface, whilst the other flap occupies a retracted
position in which its free edge is spaced both from said receiving
surface and from said vertical plane of symmetry; an entry opening
in a first outer wall of the enclosure for the entry of the
receiving surface alone; an exit opening in an outer wall of the
enclosure opposite said first outer wall for the exit of said
receiving surface lined with the cloth; means for creating a
pressure-drop between the web-introduction opening and the inside
of the enclosure; and drive means to actuate the flaps in their
oscillating movement and to move the receiving surface from the
entry opening to the exit opening; the receiving surface being
permeable to air at its longitudinal edges but impermeable in its
central region, auxiliary openings being arranged on each side of
the elongated web-introduction opening at the side remote from said
vertical plane of the corresponding flap so as to be freed or
obturated by said corresponding flap according as the latter
occupies its substantially vertical position or its retracted
position.
2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for creating a
pressure-drop are means producing a reduced pressure in the
enclosure.
3. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the receiving surface is
constituted by a portion of an endless belt which passes through
said entry and exit openings,over parallel drive and guide rollers
situated outside the enclosure.
4. Machine according to claim 3, wherein the endless belt is
entirely permeable to air through itself and rests inside the
enclosure on a solid and fixed plate, of width less than that of
the endless belt.
5. Machine according to claim 3, wherein two of the said rollers,
approximately tangential between themselves and at said opposite
outer wall, are arranged on each side of said exit opening, so as
to enable the exit of the endless belt lined with cloth whilst
preventing air from entering into the enclosure through said exit
opening, wherein the means adapted to create a pressure-drop are
means producing a reduced pressure in the enclosure.
6. Machine according to claim 1, including a hopper with a
convergent profile placed between the feed device and the
web-introduction opening, leading into said latter opening.
Description
The invention relates to machines for the continuous manufacture of
cloth by superposing several layers of a textile web, these
machines comprising a feed device adapted to introduce the web into
the machine, a substantially horizontal receiving surface, arranged
below this device and adapted to be driven in a direction parallel
to the width of the web leaving said device, and means arranged
between the feed device and said surface to deposit the web on the
latter by an alternate lateral sweeping and thus to form the cloth
on this surface.
Due to the fact that the cloth already formed moves away parallel
to the direction of the width of the web in proportion as the
latter is deposited on the receiving surface by bands of equal
widths and going alternately from right to left and from left to
right over this surface, this cloth is constituted by a
superposition of bands or layers of web, the number of which is
proportional to the ratio between the speed of introduction of the
web and the speed of displacement of the receiving surface and to
the ratio between the width of the web and of the cloth.
Hitherto, the above said means were of a mechanical nature. Thus,
in the machine known under the name "camel-back," the web passes
over a roller, practically tangential to the receiving surface, on
which is imposed a to-and-fro movement perpendicular to the width
of the web, that is, to the direction of displacement of the
receiving surface. However, mechanical solutions possess a number
of drawbacks among which are difficulties of regulation, relatively
noisy operation and insufficient speeds of cloth formation (actual
upper limit : 50 to 55 meters/minute).
It is an object of the invention to overcome these drawbacks.
To this end, the machine according to the invention is
characterized by the fact that the abovesaid means are constituted
by a relatively impermeable enclosure which comprises : above the
receiving surface, an elongated opening for the introduction of the
web ; inside, two flaps limiting, by their respective upper edges,
the large parallel sides of the opening and adapted to oscillate
along these upper edges so that one occupies a substantially
vertical position, for which its free or lower edge is at a small
distance from the receiving surface, whilst the other occupies a
withdrawn position for which its free edge is spaced both from this
surface and from the vertical plane of symmetry of the said
introduction opening for the web, and vice versa ; and introduction
opening for the receiving surface alone ; an exit opening for this
surface lined with the cloth ; means for creating a pressure drop
between the introduction opening for the web and the inside of the
enclosure ; and drive means for actuating the flaps in their
oscillating movement ; and by the fact that the receiving surface
is arranged to be permeable to air on its longitudinal edges but
impermeable in its central region.
In this way, the portion of the web which enters through its feed
opening is sucked towards the edge (permeable to air) of the
receiving surface which is neighbouring to the flap in retracted
position whilst the flap in substantially vertical position exerts
on the cloth a slight pressure which holds it in place on the
receiving surface in motion. It will be understood that the
synchronized oscillating movement of the flaps actuates the
sweeping movement sought for the web.
Perferably, the receiving surface is constituted by an endless belt
which passes over parallel drive and guide rollers situated outside
the enclosure, which facilitates the extraction of the cloth.
The abovesaid endless belt can be permeable to air over its entire
surface and be supported inside the enclosure on a solid and fixed
plate, of width less than that of the endless belt and than that of
the cloth to be manufactured. Due to the solid plate, the endless
belt behaves as if it was only permeable to air along its edges
even though it may be perforated in a homogeneous manner, to
facilitate its manufacture and reduce its weight.
Two of the said rollers, approximately tangential between
themselves and to the outer wall of the enclosure, can be arranged
on each side of the abovesaid exit opening, so as to enable the
exit of the endless belt lined with the cloth whilst preventing air
from entering the enclosure through this opening, in the case where
this enclosure is placed under reduced pressure.
On both sides of the elongated web introduction opening, the
enclosure can possess auxiliary openings arranged so as to be freed
or obturated by the neighbouring flap according as the latter
occupies its substantially vertical position or its retracted
position. In this way, there is established through the auxiliary
opening thus freed, a current of air which adds its effect to that
of the flap in substantially vertical position to maintain the
already formed cloth in position, on the side opposite that towards
which the web arrives.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a
preferred embodiment thereof is described below, purely by way of
illustrative and non-limiting example, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which :
FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically one embodiment of a machine
constructed according to the invention, in vertical cross-section
through a plane parallel to the width of the cloth formed ;
FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 in vertical section along the
line II--II of FIG. 1 ; and
FIG. 3 shows the same embodiment in perspective with portions cut
away.
With regard to the machine as a whole, this is constructed so that
it comprises a feed device 1 adapted to introduce the web A into
the machine (in the direction indicated by the arrows f) ; a
substantially horizontal receiving surface 2 arranged below the
device 1 and adapted to be driven in a direction (the direction
indicated by the arrows F) parallel to the width of the web A
leaving the device 1 ; and means 3 arranged between the device 1
and the surface 2 to deposit the web on the latter by alternate
sweeping and thus to form the cloth B on this surface.
According to the invention, the means 3 are constituted by an
enclosure 4, relatively impermeable, which comprises :
above the receiving surface 2, an elongated opening 5 for the
introduction of the web A ;
on the inside, two flaps 6 and 7 limiting, by their respective
upper edges 6a and 7a the large parallel sides of the opening 5,
these flaps being adapted to oscillate along these upper edges so
that one (flap 6 in the Figures) occupies a substantially vertical
position, for which its free or lower edge 6b or 7b (6b in the
Figures) is at a small distance from the receiving surface 2,
whilst the other (flap 7) occupies a retracted position for which
its free edge 7b or 6b is separated both from this surface and from
the vertical plane of symmetry (practically contiguous with the
plane of section II--II of FIG. 1) of the said opening 5, and vice
versa ;
a web introduction opening 8 for the receiving surface 2 alone
;
an exit opening 9 for this surface 2 covered with the cloth B ;
means 10 for placing the enclosure 4 under reduced pressure ;
and drive means 11 for actuating the flaps 6 and 7 in their
oscillating movement.
In addition, the receiving surface 2 is arranged to be permeable to
air on its longitudinal edges (i.e., parallel to the direction of
its movement) but impermeable in its central region.
As shown in the Figures, the enclosure 4 can have an approximately
parallelopipedic shape with a bottom 12, a front wall 13 provided
with the opening 9, a rear wall 14 provided with the opening 8, two
lateral walls 15 and a roof 16 upwardly convex or with a double
slope, the central upper portion of this roof being provided with
the opening 5. The flaps 6 and 7 are borne respectively by axles 17
and 18 pivoted in the walls 13 and 14, these axles being situated
near the upper edges 6a, 7a of the flaps.
The means 10 for placing the enclosure 4 under reduced pressure can
be constituted by a blower 19 housed in a passage 20 which is
adapted to one of the walls of the enclosure, for example one of
the lateral walls 15, and which penetrates as far as about the
center of the enclosure, as shown in FIG. 1.
As for the means 11 for driving the flaps 6, 7, they can be
constituted by a cross element 21, of which the horizontal arms are
pivoted respectively on two identical parallel levers 22 keyed
respectively on axles 17 and 18 and of which the vertical bar is
provided with a groove 23 also vertical, and by a drive shaft 24,
parallel to the shafts 17, 18, on which is fixed a lever 25 bearing
a pin 26, which is engaged in the groove 23. It will be understood
that the levers 22 constitute two sides of the parallelogram of
which a third side, defined by the shafts 17, 18, is horizontal and
that consequently the other side constituted by the arms of the
cross 21 is held horizontal in the course of its oscillations under
the action of the pin 26. The continuous rotation of the shaft 24
hence causes oscillation of the flaps 6 and 7 in the same direction
and with the desired angular displacement.
The receiving surface 2 is constituted by an endless belt 27 which
passes over parallel drive and guide rollers situated outside the
enclosure 4. As shown on the Figures, it can have five rollers 28
situated inside the endless belt, one of them at least being a
drive roller. Four of these rollers can be arranged respectively at
the corners of the enclosure 4 and the fifth roller in the same
horizontal plane as the upper rollers and at a distance from the
front wall 13, so that the surface 2 has the most favourable extent
for the extraction of the cloth.
The endless belt 27 can, itself, be permeable to air only on its
edges. However, it is more advantageous for it to be entirely
permeable to air and to rest inside the enclosure 4 on a solid and
fixed plate 29, of width less than that of the endless belt 27 and
than that of the cloth B.
Two rollers, namely one of the rollers 28 and a roller 30,
approximately tangential between themselves and to the front wall
13 of the enclosure, are arranged on both sides of the exit opening
9 and their axles are borne by solid plates 31 contiguous with the
lateral walls 15 and projecting with respect to the front wall
13.
On each side of the web introduction opening 5, the roof 16 of the
enclosure has auxiliary openings 32 arranged so as to be freed or
obturated by the neighbouring flap 6 or 7 according as the latter
occupies its substantially vertical position (flap 6 in FIGS. 1 and
3) or its withdrawn position.
The feed device 1 can be constituted either (as shown) by a pair of
rollers 33 of which one is driven through its shaft, or by a simple
deflection bar situated downstream of a machine for forming the web
A.
Lastly, it is advantageous to place between the feed device 1 and
the opening 5 a hopper 34, with a convergent profile, leading into
the said opening, so that the air current is accelerated at the
level of the latter.
The machine which has just been described operates in the following
manner.
The web A is introduced continuously by the device 1 and forms a
strand free between this device and the cloth B already formed. In
the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the flap 6 fills two
roles : on one hand, it exerts on the cloth B a slight holding
pressure which does not interfere with the advance of the latter in
the direction of the arrow F (FIGS. 2 and 3) and, on the other hand
it isolates, with the plate 29, two chambers above the surface 2.
The chamber in which the free strand of the web occurs
communicates, through the edge of the endless belt 27 which extends
beyond the plate 29 (right hand edge in FIG. 3), with the lower
portion of the enclosure 4 which is placed under reduced pressure
by the means 10. By reason of the difference in pressure which
exists between the two surfaces of the web, the latter is drawn
towards the edge concerned of the belt 27 on which it is deposited
flat. At the same time, the opening 32, which is liberated by the
flap 6, allows a current of air to pass into the second chamber
which flattens the portion of the cloth B which extends beyond the
plate 29 against the belt 27.
Then, the means 11 rocks the flaps 6 and 7 towards a position
symmetrical with that of FIGS. 1 and 3, which moves the web towards
the left of these Figures, and so on. For an observer at the
surface 2, there is thus obtained a zigzag movement of the web, the
result of which is a cloth formed of several layers of web.
The opening 8 (FIG. 2) has dimensions just sufficient to permit the
passage of the endless belt and hence does not interfere with the
establishment of the reduced pressure inside the enclosure 4. As
for the opening 9, which is necessarily larger since it must allow
the cloth B also to pass, it is rendered impermeable by the pair of
rollers 28, 30 in cooperation with the plates 31. It is clear that
the lower strand of the belt 27 does not have to pass through the
enclosure 4 but passes below the lower wall 12.
This machine is capable of numerous adjustments. In particular, the
flaps 6 and 7 can have a width (or dimension perpendicular to their
respective axles 17, 18) adjustable as a function of the thickness
of the cloth B. In addition, the mutual angular displacement of the
flaps 6 and 7 can be adjusted according to operating needs.
In a given machine, the width of the cloth B can be regulated by
acting on the ratio between the speed of introduction of the web A
and the number of beats of the flaps in unit time. Finally, by
acting on the blower 19, the reduced pressure in the enclosure 4
can be adapted to the permeability of the web A and to its
mechanical strength.
This machine is particularly useful in the case where the web is
formed of a non-woven textile.
As is self-evident and as emerges already from the foregoing, the
invention is in no way limited to those of its types of
application, nor to those embodiments of its various parts, which
have been more especially indicated ; it encompasses, on the
contrary, all modifications. In particular :
means adapted to create a pressure drop between the introduction
opening 5 and the inside of the enclosure 4 could be arranged to
create an increased pressure at the level of the opening 5 or of
the hopper 34, the blower 19 then being eliminated;
the drive means 11 could be arranged with a view to driving the
flaps 6 and 7 in an intermittent movement making them pass suddenly
from one to the other of their extreme positions ;
the flaps 6 and 7, instead of being flat as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3,
could be curved or skew.
* * * * *