Heating and setting machine and method
A machine and method for heating and setting a garment to a desired shape. The machine includes heating chambers, heating device, and a conveying device. The heating chambers are selectively isolateable from one another. The heating device provides dry heat or moist heat to each of the heating chambers. The conveying device moves a plurality of carriers through each of the heating chambers. The carriers have the desired shape and receive the garment thereon. The method includes loading the garment on a carrier having the desired shape, moving the carrier through a plurality of heating chambers; exposing the carrier to dry heat or moist heat in each of the plurality of heating chambers; and selectively isolating the plurality of heating chambers from one another so that the garment absorbs a desired heat profile during movement through the plurality of heating chambers.
1 . A machine for heating and setting a garment to a desired shape, comprising:
a plurality of heating chambers being selectively isolateable from one another;
a heating device for providing dry heat or moist heat to each of said plurality of heating chambers; and
a conveying device for moving a plurality of carriers through each of said plurality of heating chambers, said plurality of carriers having the desired shape and being configured to receive the garment thereon.
2 . The machine as in claim 1 , wherein said heating device comprises a separate heating device for each of said plurality of heating chambers.
3 . The machine as in claim 1 , wherein said heating device heats said plurality of heating chambers up to about 220 degrees Celsius.
4 . The machine as in claim 1 , wherein said heating device heats said plurality of heating chambers to between about 160 to about 220 degrees Celsius.
5 . The machine as in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of isolation doors for selectively isolating said plurality of heating chambers from one another.
6 . The machine as in claim 5 , wherein said plurality of isolation doors and said heating device cooperate to maintain said plurality of heating chambers at the same and/or different temperatures.
7 . The machine as in claim 1 , further comprising an exit chamber, said conveying device moving said plurality of carriers through said exit chamber after said plurality of heating chambers, said exit chamber having a cooling device for removing heat from said plurality of carriers.
8 . The machine as in claim 1 , further comprising a wetting chamber, said conveying device moving said plurality of carriers past said wetting chamber before said plurality of heating chambers, said wetting chamber applying a wetting agent to said plurality of carriers.
9 . The machine as in claim 1 , further comprising at least one station for loading and/or unloading the garment from said plurality of carriers.
10 . A method of heating and setting a garment to a desired shape, comprising:
loading the garment on a carrier having the desired shape;
moving said carrier through a plurality of heating chambers;
exposing said carrier to dry heat or moist heat in each of said plurality of heating chambers; and
selectively isolating said plurality of heating chambers from one another so that the garment absorbs a desired heat profile during movement through said plurality of heating chambers.
11 . The method as in claim 10 , wherein exposing said carrier to dry heat or moist heat comprises heating said plurality of heating chambers up to about 220 degrees Celsius.
12 . The method as in claim 10 , wherein exposing said carrier to dry heat or moist heat comprises heating said plurality of heating chambers from between about 160 to about 200 degrees Celsius.
13 . The method as in claim 12 , further comprising maintaining said plurality of heating chambers at the same and/or different temperatures.
14 . The method as in claim 10 , further comprising moving said carrier through an exit chamber to remove heat from the garment after said carrier absorbs said desired heat profile.
15 . The method as in claim 10 , further comprising moving said carrier through a wetting chamber to apply a wetting agent to the garment before the garment absorbs said desired heat profile.