Abstract: The present invention includes aligning ring guides disposed at opposite angles to each other to force the tubular knitted fabric to turn in a spiral direction allowing the wales or rows of stitches to rest at an angle with respect to the edge of the tube of fabric. This is the normal or resting state and position of the wales in a wash-tested sample or laundered garment. This is accomplished by a pair of add-ons for torque and skew reduction in a tubular knitted fabric, which includes a crossbeam and a pair of angled ring guide assemblies that depend from the crossbeam. Each angled ring guide assembly has a mount with a fixed portion and a movable portion, and further has a guide ring, with each angled ring guide assembly being disposed on the movable portion. The fixed portion contains a crescent-shaped slot, with the movable portion containing a peg that rides in the slot.

Abstract: An apparatus for pliabilizing tubular materials including a frame, a ring holder, and a mandrel assembly. The ring holder assembly is mounted to the frame and includes a circumferential ring, and a plurality of pairs of non-mechanically driven, rotatable wheels mounted around the ring and having a recess extending circumferentially around an outer edge. The mandrel assembly includes a mandrel having proximal and distal ends and a maximum outer circumference, and a plurality of non-mechanically driven, rotatable wheels spaced apart about a circumference of the mandrel and mounted thereto so as to extend radially beyond the maximum outer circumference. The wheels of the mandrel assembly are positioned between and so as to mate with respective pairs of the wheels of the ring holder assembly, and the wheels of the mandrel assembly are sized shaped to mate with the recesses of the respective pairs of wheels of the ring holder assembly.

Abstract: A sieve for the wet-end section of a paper machine is described, in which the sieve has been compressed by at least one of increased temperature, pressure and/or moisture. Such a treatment leads to a sieve which has at least one side wherein the thread floats and knuckles are reshaped and the sieve presents at least one substantially flatter surface for the production of paper. This process does not cause any physical damage to the surface of the sieve, as current techniques of abrasively polishing the surface do, and therefore leads to cloths with improved properties and lifetimes.

Abstract: The circular stretchers are arranged in front and back of a ring-shaped die, and must ensure that the tubular fabrics are transported on the ring-shaped die pressed down smoothly and without any folds. The circular stretchers each have a spreader ring, which is held within the tubular goods completely free of attachment, and a centering ring locked to the spreader rings, which are positioned directly in front and back of the ring-shaped die in the running direction of the tubular fabrics. The ring-shaped die is used for water removal or wet finishing dry tubular fabrics through vacuum extraction.

Abstract: A stretcher comprising: two stretcher arms (1), the stretcher arms being provided with idle shaped rings (5), driving wheels (2a, 2b), and two pairs of inclined wheels (4, 4′) in correspondence with the shaped rings (5), in which the inclined wheels (4, 4′) are respectively mounted on two plates (12, 13) that are adjacent to the arms (1) and detachably interconnected to each other with the possibility of disengaging the arms (1) from the plates (12, 13).

Abstract: A stretcher for tubular knitwear fabric comprising: two arms (5, 6), driving wheels (7a, 7b), wheels (10, 11) with inclined axis (12), rings (8) mounted on the arms (5, 6) and magnets (17, 18) the magnets attracting the arms (5, 6), respectively, such that the rings (8) are offset from the inclined wheels (10, 11) and attracted against the driving wheels (7a, 7b).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for guiding a textile tube to the rollers of a machine, which reduces the tensioning of the fabric and accordingly reduces post-production shrinkage. A feeding arm mounted on a support, preferably at a slight downward incline, provides a spreader having a breadth sufficient to flatten the textile tube. In a preferred embodiment a plurality of feeding arms are rotatably mounted to the support, so that as one feeding arm is being used to feed the fabric into the machine another feeding arm can be loaded with a textile tube.

Abstract: An expanding device (11) for tubular knitted fabrics (34) comprising a translating unit (12) on which two magnets (17), 17'), two pairs of traction wheels (15, 16, 15', 16') and two lateral expanders (22, 22') are fastened by a plurality of supporting plates (13, 13'), and on which two metal plates or, preferably, two magnets (23, 23') are attached closely facing the magnets (17, 17'); where the lateral expanders (22, 22') are fitted on swiveling pins with four pairs of sliding rollers (26-29, 26'-29') associated with four pairs of guiding belts (30-33, 30'-33') engaged with the traction wheels (15, 16, 15', 16'), so that the lateral expanders (22, 22') become rigidly connected to the translating unit (12) thanks to the force of attraction between the facing magnets (17, 17', 23, 23'); where the lateral expanders (22, 22') each hold two bipolar magnets (24, 25, 24', 25'), and four pairs of magnets or electromagnets (18-21, 18'-21') are fastened to the supporting plates (13, 13').

Abstract: The invention relates to a stretcher for tubular knitted fabrics comprising two separate stretcher arms (5, 6) bearing pulleys (23) in contact with belts (22) for carrying fabric (4), driven by drive wheels (11A, 11B) borne by supports (8) suitable to horizontally move in opposite directions and bearing pairs of support rolls (19, 20) with angled axle (21), each pair (19, 20) supporting on the opposite sides a ring (17) which has a particular profile, is idle on each arm (5, 6) and is in contact with each drive wheel (11A, 11B), wherein the above mentioned pairs of rolls (19, 20) are motor-driven.

Abstract: A fabric expander apparatus for tubular fabrics includes at least two first internal wheel and belt assembly groups kept in position inside and on the sides of the fabric tube by second external corresponding wheel and belt assembly groups. Each first internal wheel and belt assembly group includes a plate which has a wheel conducted by counter-wheels of the second external group and driven wheels. All these wheels from the first internal wheel and belt assembly group have a part of the perimeter exposed outside the plate and in a direction of the second external group, to receive a conveyor belt, which moves in a desired direction to transport the fabric tube. Motor wheels of the second external group are pressed against the conveyor belt and against the wheels of the first internal wheel and belt assembly group to compress the fabric and to contribute to transport it in the desired direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for use with fabric measuring and cutting machines for the purpose of assuring that tubular fabric that is drawn from storage is forced into an essentially flat, wrinkle free form prior to its entry into the measuring and cutting machine. The apparatus consists of a rectangular frame which is adjustable in width and is required to sit in a clamped position atop the feed rollers of the measuring and cutting machine so that the tubular fabric in forced over the device just prior to its being pulled into the cutting and measuring device.

Abstract: An expander for tubular fabric is described having roller arrangements provided left and right in a frame for flat spreading of the tubular fabric, whereby each roller arrangement has a driven drive roller, which bears on the inside of a guide roller around which the tubular fabric is laid. The drive roller in turn is supported by a support roller also arranged on the inside. Thus, a trouble-free transport of the tubular fabric in the expander is assured by the drive roller's position between the guide roller and the support roller.

Abstract: An apparatus for placing a folded web of film under tension comprising at least one pair of rollers, a first side of the folded web of film being fed between the pair of rollers, the pair of rollers being mounted out of parallel to the first side of the folded web of film and pulling the first side of the folded web of film in a first direction, and a member for preventing a second side of the folded web of film from moving in the first direction. Preferably, the member biases the second side of the folded web of film in a second direction opposite the first direction. A method for placing a folded web of film under tension is also provided.

Abstract: Mercerisation plant for tubular fabrics comprising a tank for impregnating a tubular fabric with caustic soda, a station for stretching the impregnated fabric and for washing and rinsing the impregnated stretched fabric. The fabric is stretched in a station comprising at least one support structure of tower shape, members for feeding the fabric through the tower structure, at least one pair of expanding vertical rod elements for the fabric arranged inside thereof and support members engaging the expanding rod elements and adapted to enable these elements to approach or withdraw from each other to adjust the tension or stretching of the fabric in the direction of its width.