Abstract: A method and apparatus by which selected pile across the face of a web of pile fabric such as carpet may be raised or lowered in accordance with a pattern as the fabric passes through shearing apparatus so that certain pile of the pile may be sheared more than other pile to provide a sculptured affect. Nozzles extend across the width of the fabric and apply jets of air from controllable valves to impinge on the pile in its path to compress or raise selected pile in accordance with a pattern controller which controls the valves. Locating the nozzles so that jets of air impinge on the pile upstream from the shearing apparatus in a direction downstream toward the shearing apparatus will raise the pile while locating the nozzles so that the jets of air impinge upon the pile prior to the shearing location in an upstream direction will compress the pile. The pile which is raised is cut further than pile which is not raised and cut even further than the pile that is compressed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tenter frame for treating web materials such as woven or knitted fabrics, film or the like, to apparatus for removing a web from a tenter while controlling the web and to a process for removal of a web from a tenter. A pair of endless opposed tenter chains having a plurality of pins thereon engage opposite edges of the web material for holding it as it is treated on the tenter frame. Pinned rolls are provided for engaging and transferring the web material from the pins of the tenter frame with the web taken off of the tenter chains without loss of control over the web. A cutter unit is also be provided for trimming the edges from the web after it has been removed from the tenter chain, and while the web remains under control of the pinned rolls, after which trimmed edges are automatically removed from the pins for discarding.

Abstract: A film stretching machine is also capable of shrinking undulating film by gripping film to be treated at its longitudinal edges by pivotable clips which are disposed spaced apart on a chain conveyor and are guided in a chain conveyor guide. The film is shrunk by a longitudinal adjustment of the film areas lying between the gripping members of neighboring clips. In the apparatus, the longitudinal adjustment or shrinking occurs in that each clip is constructed as a pivoting clip and includes a rolling part on which the gripping part is mounted so as to be pivotable about an axis which is disposed parallel to the film plane.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tenter frame for treating web materials such as woven or knitted fabrics, film or the like, to apparatus for removing a web from a tenter while controlling the web and to a process for removal of a web from a tenter. A pair of endless opposed tenter chains having a plurality of pins thereon engage opposite edges of the web material for holding it as it is treated on the tenter frame. Pinned rolls are provided for engaging and transferring the web material from the pins of the tenter frame with the web taken off of the tenter chains without loss of control over the web. A cutter unit is also provided for trimming the edges from the web after it has been removed from the tenter chain, and while the web remains under control of the pinned rolls, after which trimmed edges are automatically removed from the pins for discarding.

Abstract: A web transport apparatus that will not cause the web to break by exerting external forces in different ways on two lateral sides. The transport apparatus includes a group of pins that are studded on flat plates connected together to form a chain on either side of a web so that it is transported in multiple stages as it is retained on two lateral sides. An annular member supports the web from the inside by pins in each of the reversing sections that rotate to reverse the direction of web transport, with the piercing end of each pin facing either inward or outward. The annular member has a central shaft located at the center of the locus of rotation of the flat plates and has an outside diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the locus of rotation of the web. Preferably, the annular members rotate at the same speed as the web.

Abstract: An apparatus for a tenter frame feeds a fabric web to the nip region of vertical pins and cooperating rollers of a pair of endless belt assemblies which transport the web through a drying chamber. The apparatus includes a guide member which guides the web into the nip at a relatively steep angle, preferably in the range of +.degree. to 60.degree.. The guide member can be supported on a pair of swivel supports, each of the swivel supports being movably supported on one of the endless belt assemblies. Additionally the guide member can be a roller rotatable about its axial length which can be rotated in synchronization with the feed of the web.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to improvements in tenter frames which typically function to move fabric through a fabric processing step which might be fabric curing or drying. The tenter frame contemplated herein includes various adjustable devices for optimizing the position of the fabric as it is being moved to thereby minimize or eliminate any distortions in the fabric construction which can occur in open-type knits, such as pattern distortions and the like. In addition, the apparatus utilizes a series of mechanical variable speed drives and controllers which are all synchronized with an electric driver motor to better control the operation of a tenter frame as it moves fabric through a processing step.

Abstract: A tenter entry feed assembly and method is disclosed for a tenter which includes a pair of spaced entry feed assemblies (A, 25, 27). Each entry feed assembly includes a parallel pinning rail section (B), an adjacent elongated fabric conveyor (C, 40), and an elongated contoured feedplate (55) adjacent to each conveyor. Also carried by each entry feed assembly is a sprocket wheel (46) at least one of which is keyed for rotation with a shaft (48). The fabric conveyors (C) and contoured feed plates (55) extend next to a main feed roll (54) of the entry system. In this manner, a pinning point (29) is defined which is very close to the main feed roll and the distance between the feed roll and the pinning point is substantially reduced so that control over the fabric may be had positively by conveyor (40) in the zone. Pinning of the selvages of the fabric (F) occurs in a natural relaxed state generally without tension. An output (88) of shaft (48) is connected to a phase adjusting drive ( 94).

Abstract: A stretching machine for webs of textile material includes a feeding region of the machine for receiving a web of material in a given travel direction, a driven drawing-in cylinder for engaging the web of material, mutually and adjustably spaced apart chain tracks being pivotable about vertical axes in the feeding region, endless needle chains each being deflected in a respective one of the chain tracks for running into and out of the web of material, a needle engagement device downstream of the drawing-in cylinder in the given travel direction of the web of material for running the web of material onto the needle chains, a support for the drawing-in cylinder being movable in the given travel direction of the web of material, and a device connected to the support for maintaining a constant distance between the drawing-in cylinder and the needle engagement device.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying and attaching stiff crimpable sheet material at its selvedges to pin chains of a tenter frame includes an overfeed means for squeezing the material at each selvedge into a wavy shape and a pinning brush having a peripheral surface that corresponds to the wavy shape of the selvedge of the material. The pinning brush synchronously moves with the selvedge of the material so that the crests and valleys of the peripheral surface of the brush are maintained in alignment with valleys and crests, respectively, of the selvedge.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the yield of fabric material from a tenter frame having spaced apart belts driven by drive means and an overfeed roll at its entry end. In a start-up or style change mode of operation a predicted dry yield is computed from data signals received before the fabric enters the tenter frame, then compared with a target value to produce a control signal to the overspeed roll. In the steady state mode of operation, actual yield is computed from data taken at the output end of the tenter frame; then is compared with a target yield value and thereafter modified by a correction factor proportional to variations in predicted dry yield computed from inputs taken at the entry to the tenter frame; the modified control signal again being applied to the overspeed roll.

Abstract: A continuous padding type dyeing machine particularly suitable for handling elastic fabrics, the machine including a padding bath with at least a pair of main and auxiliary padding rollers and a dryer having a pair of spaced endless conveyors means provided on opposite sides of a path of travel of the fabrics for transferring them through the dryer without causing excessive tensioning thereto. The endless conveyors are movable in and along a number of adjustable guide members and provided with a number of pin members for holding longitudinal side edge portions of the fabrics. A pair of detectors are provided at a lower end of a vertical section of the path of travel of the fabric through the dryer in association with opposite longitudinal side edges of the fabric for adapting the guide members to the particular width of the fabric under treatment.

Abstract: The disclosure is that of conditioning equipment for performing either straightening or overfeed calendering operations upon circular knit fabric tubes and includes a feed stand, a control roll station, a drive roll station, a steaming station and a calender station. A horizontal spreader extends from the control roll station to the calender station and provides a circumferential drive for the fabric tube at the control roll station, a face drive therefor at the drive roll station and an internal edge drive therefor along at least that portion of the length of the spreader that extends from the control roll station through the drive roll station. Thermo-fixing of the conditioned fabric tube also may be effected.