Apparatus for forming an unbalanced, circular knit fabric and a coated fabric produced therefrom
View Patent ↗An apparatus for forming an unbalanced, circular knit fabric for coating in a subsequent operation, the apparatus comprising: a circular knitting station; and a thermal relaxation station downstream from the circular knitting station for relaxing the fabric in all directions. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes a slitting station downstream from the circular knitting station. Also in the preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a thermal finishing station downstream from the thermal relaxation station for setting the desired width of the fabric thereby also setting the desired stretch of the fabric in its length direction. A coated fabric, the coated fabric comprising a circular knitted, single knit fabric substrate, wherein the stretch of the fabric in the wale direction is greater than the stretch of the fabric in the course direction. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the coated fabric further includes an outer coating. Also in the preferred embodiment, the fabric is formed by a four feed repeat.
1. An apparatus for forming an unbalanced circular knit fabric for coating in a subsequent operation, said apparatus comprising:
(a) a circular knitting station;
(b) a slitting station including a spreader and a slitter, said spreader directly downstream from said slitter, said slitting station downstream from said circular knitting station; and
(c) a thermal relaxation station downstream from said spreader for relaxing said fabric in all directions.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further including a thermal finishing station downstream from said thermal relaxation station for setting the desired width of the fabric thereby also setting the desired stretch of the fabric in its length direction.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said thermal finishing station is an overfeed tenter frame.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said overfeed tenter frame is a pin-type tenter frame.
5. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said application temperature of said thermal finishing station is between about 100° F. and 300° F. fabric temperature.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said application temperature is about 200° F. fabric temperature.
7. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said thermal finishing station further includes a fabric width trimmer.
8. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said thermal finishing station further includes a take-up roll.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circular knitting station forms a single knit fabric.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said single knit fabric is a modified LaCoste construction.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said modified LaCoste construction is a four feed repeat.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said four feed repeat has a cam set up according to the following table:
where K=
F1
F2
F3
F4
T1
K
K
W
T
T2
W
T
K
K
Knit, W=Welt, and T=Tuck.
13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said four feed repeat has a needle set up according to the following table:
where X=
F1
F2
F3
F4
T1
X
X
T2
X
X
Needle In.
14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circular knitting machine is between about an 18 inch and 60 inch diameter cylinder.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said circular knitting machine is a 30 inch diameter cylinder.
16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said circular knitting machine is between about a 12 and 28 cut.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said circular knitting machine is an 18 cut.
18. An apparatus for forming an unbalanced circular knit fabric for coating in a subsequent operation, said apparatus comprising:
(a) a circular knitting station;
(b) a slitting station including a slitter and a spreader, said spreader directly downstream from said slitter, and said slitting station downstream from said circular knitting station; and
(c) a thermal relaxation station downstream from said slitting station for relaxing said fabric in all directions.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said thermal relaxation station includes an overfeed device for overfeeding said fabric in the wale direction.
20. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the overfeed of said overfeed device is greater than the fabric length shrinkage.
21. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the ratio of said overfeed to said fabric length shrinkage is about 1.4.
22. The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said overfeed device includes a tensionless dryer.
23. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein said tensionless dryer is a three zone dryer.
24. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein said first zone is about 150° F. air temperature, said second zone is about 200° F. air temperature and said third zone is about 230° F. air temperature.
25. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said thermal relaxation station is between about 100° F. and 400° F. average air temperature.
26. The apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein said thermal relaxation station is about 225° F. average air temperature.
27. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein said slitter is a side slitter.
28. The apparatus according to claim 27 , wherein said slitting station further includes an accumulator downstream from said spreader.
29. The apparatus according to claim 18 , further including a substantially tension free transfer station downstream from said thermal relaxation station.
30. The apparatus according to claim 29 , wherein said substantially tension free transfer station is an accumulator.
31. The apparatus according to claim 29 , wherein said substantially tension free transfer station is a buggy.
32. The apparatus according to claim 27 , wherein said substantially tension free transfer station is a belt conveyor.
33. An apparatus for forming an unbalanced, circular knit fabric for coating in a subsequent operation, said apparatus comprising:
(a) a circular knitting station;
(b) a slitting station including a slitter and a spreader, said spreader directly downstream of said slitter, and said slitting station downstream from said circular knitting station;
(c) a thermal relaxation station downstream from said spreader for relaxing said fabric in all directions; and
(d) a thermal finishing station downstream from said thermal relaxation station for setting the desired width of the fabric thereby also setting the desired stretch of the fabric in its length direction.
34. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said thermal finishing station is an overfeed tenter frame.
35. The apparatus according to claim 34 , wherein said overfeed tenter frame is a pin-type tenter frame.
36. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said application temperature of said thermal finishing station is between about 100° F. and 300° F. fabric temperature.
37. The apparatus according to claim 36 , wherein said application temperature is about 200° F. fabric temperature.
38. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said thermal finishing station further includes a fabric width trimmer.
39. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said thermal finishing station further includes a take-up roll.
40. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said circular knitting station forms a single knit fabric.
41. The apparatus according to claim 40 , wherein said single knit fabric is a modified LaCoste construction.
42. The apparatus according to claim 41 , wherein said modified LaCoste construction is a four feed repeat.
43. The apparatus according to claim 42 , wherein said four feed repeat has a cam set up according to the following table:
where K=
F1
F2
F3
F4
T1
K
K
W
T
T2
W
T
K
K
Knit, W=Welt, and T=Tuck.
44. The apparatus according to claim 42 , wherein said four feed repeat has a needle set up according to the following table:
where X=
F1
F2
F3
F4
T1
X
X
T2
X
X
Needle In.
45. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said circular knitting machine is between about an 18 inch and 60 inch diameter cylinder.
46. The apparatus according to claim 45 , wherein said circular knitting machine is a 30-inch diameter cylinder.
47. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said circular knitting machine is between about a 12 and 28 cut.
48. The apparatus according to claim 47 , wherein said circular knitting machine is an 18 cut.
49. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said thermal relaxation station includes an overfeed device for overfeeding said fabric in the wale direction.
50. The apparatus according to claim 49 , wherein the overfeed of said overfeed device is greater than the fabric length shrinkage.
51. The apparatus according to claim 50 , wherein the ratio of said overfeed to said fabric length shrinkage is about 1.4.
52. The apparatus according to claim 49 , wherein said overfeed device includes a tensionless dryer.
53. The apparatus according to claim 52 , wherein said tensionless dryer is a three zone dryer.
54. The apparatus according to claim 53 , wherein said first zone is about 150° F. air temperature, said second zone is about 200° F. air temperature and said third zone is about 230° F. air temperature.
55. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said thermal relaxation station is between about 100° F. and 400° F. average air temperature.
56. The apparatus according to claim 55 , wherein said thermal relaxation station is about 225° F. average air temperature.
57. The apparatus according to claim 33 , wherein said slitter is a side slitter.
58. The apparatus according to claim 57 , further including an accumulator downstream from said spreader.
59. The apparatus according to claim 33 , further including a substantially tension free transfer station downstream from said thermal relaxation station.
60. The apparatus according to claim 59 , wherein said substantially tension free transfer station is an accumulator.
61. The apparatus according to claim 59 , wherein said substantially tension free transfer station is a buggy.
62. The apparatus according to claim 57 , wherein said substantially tension free transfer station is a belt conveyor.