EP0533631A1

EP0533631A1 - Apparatus for finishing cotton or cotton-synthetic fiber tubular fabrics

Info

Publication number: EP0533631A1
Application number: EP92830349A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mario c/o Officine Fonderie Monti Monti
Original assignee: OFFICINE FONDERIE MONTI SpA
Current assignee: OFFICINE FONDERIE MONTI SpA
Priority date: 1991-09-18
Filing date: 1992-07-03
Publication date: 1993-03-24
Also published as: ITMI910806V0; ITMI910806U1; IT222731Z2

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for finishing cotton or cotton-synthetic fiber fabrics, comprising continuous conveying means for continuously conveying a fabric strip (2) to be processed along a given path extending inside the apparatus and progressively including: a bath (6) with a pad squeezing station (7a,7b), a fabric vaporizing station (10), a drying station (9), a spreading station (18), a compacting and calendering station (19), a fabric strip decatizing station (26), so as to provide the fabric with the required size stability and finishing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for finishing cotton or cotton-synthetic fiber fabrics.
As is known, the cotton or cotton-synthetic fiber fabrics, upon weaving are subjected to several finishing processing operations, in order to provide the fabric with the required size stability and finished condition.
This finishing processing operations, comprise, for example, the steps of impregnating the fabrics with suitable substances, subjecting the impregnated fabric to steam jets and drying, or to calendering and decatizing steps, which steps are performed by specifically designed apparatus which, on the other hand, are so constructed as to carry out exclusively one or a few number of the above mentioned finishing operations.
Because of the above mentioned fact, during these fabric processing steps, the fabric must be conveyed, wound in rolls or in lap form, from an apparatus to a subsequent processing apparatus, which requires a lot of labour with a comparatively poor yield.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks by providing an apparatus which is specifically designed for carrying out continuously all of the required finishing processing operations, so as to provide a yield greater than that which can be obtained by prior finishing apparatus.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus which, while being operated by a very reduced number of operators, is very reliable in operation.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an apparatus for finishing cotton or cotton-syntehtic fiber tubular fabrics, characterized in that said apparatus comprises means for continuously conveying a fabric strip along a conveying path extending inside said apparatus and successively including: a bath with a pad squeezing station, a fabric vaporizing station, a drying station, a spreading station, a compacting and calendering station, and a fabric strip decatizing station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Further characteristics and advantages of the apparatus according to the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of an embodiment of this apparatus which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative example, in the accompanying drawing, where:
Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation view of the apparatus according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the figure of the accompanying drawing, the apparatus according to the invention, which has been generally indicated at the reference number 1, comprises continuous conveying means for causing a fabric strip 2 to be continuously conveyed through a processing path including in cascade several processing stations.
More specifically, at the inlet of the apparatus there are provided two parallel-axis rollers 3 and 4 which are rotary driven in opposite directions for taking up the lap fabric strip arranged on a bed 5 and for conveying it to an impregnating basin or bath 6.
At the output of the impregnating basin 6 there are arranged two squeezing rollers 7a and 7b for performing the so-called "pad squeezing operation" on the fabric strip, in order to evenly spread, by the desired amount, the bath material on the fabric fibers.
Downstream of the squeezing rollers 7a and 7b, in the advancing direction of the fabric strip inside the apparatus, there is arranged a net conveyor belt 8, which extends horizontally and passes through a drying station.
Upstream of the drying station 9 there is provided a vaporizing or steaming station 10 including one or more steaming nozzles 11, which face the underside of the belt 8 supporting the fabric strip 2.
In particular, the fabric strip 2 is conveyed on the belt 8 by means of an over supplying roller 12, which supplies or feed the fabric strip in a loose condition on the belt or web 8.
In this connection it should be pointed out that the web 8 can be vibrated, in a known way, by means of a vibrating roller 13 contacting the web 8.
The drying station 9, in particular, comprises a box-like construction 14, inside which there are arranged air circulating fans 15 and a heat exchanger battery 16.
At the top and bottom of the leg of the web 8 supporting the fabric strip 2, there are arranged with a longitudinally offset pattern, a plurality of air delivery nozzles 17 which eject air on the two faces of the fabric strip 2.
At the output of the drying station 9 there is arranged a spreading station 18, for spreading the fabric strip, and which subjects the fabric strip to a transversal or cross tension or pulling force, for example by means of a known type of spreading means.
Downstream of the spreading station 18 there is arranged a compacting and calendering station 19 comprising two calendering machines 20 and 21, tandem arranged, thereagainst the fabric strip 2 is conveyed by means of adhesion felts 22 and 23 supported by rollers 24 and 25 which define, for the mentioned felts, a path which extends for a portion on the related calendering apparatus 20 or 21.
Downstream of the calendering apparatus 20 and 21 there is arranged a decatizing station 26, downstream of which the fabric strip is conveyed to a device 27 for arranging the processed fabric in lap form or to a winding roller 28, depending on requirements.
Thus, the apparatus according to the invention, which is specifically adapted to continuously operate, will have a yield much larger than that of prior fabric finishing apparatus, since it overcomes the dead time necessary for transferring in these prior machines, the fabric to be processed from a machine to another machine.
Moreover, the apparatus according to the invention can be controlled by a single operator.
While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiment is susceptible to several modifications and variations all of which will come within the spirit and scope of the appended Claims.

Claims

An apparatus for finishing cotton or cotton-synthetic fiber tubular fabrics, characterized in that said apparatus comprises means for continuously conveying a fabric strip along a conveying path extending inside said apparatus and successively including: a bath with a pad squeezing station, a fabric vaporizing station, a drying station, a spreading station, a compacting and calendering station, and a fabric strip decatizing station.
An apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that said conveying means comprise a vibrating net conveyor belt for supporting and conveying said fabric strip to the vaporizing station and drying station.
An apparatus according to Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that at the inlet of said vibrating net conveyor belt there is arranged a supplying roller for supplying or feeding said fabric strip.
An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said drying station comprises air delivery nozzles arranged at the top and at the bottom of said vibrating net conveyor belt or web, and that said air delivery nozzles are oriented toward the conveyor belt or web and are offset with respect to one another along the longitudinal direction of said conveyor belt or web.
An apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the calendering station comprises at least a calendering machine including adhesion felts arranged on rollers defining a path which is extended at least for a portion on the calendering machine in order to entrain the fabric strip between said felts and calendering machine.