Patent GB-1403144-A (GB)
Title: Cloth spreading machine
IPC: B65H23/182
Filed: 1973-09-28
Abstract: 1403144 Laying fabric CUTTERS MACHINE CO INC 28 Sept 1973 [22 Jan 1973] 45409/73 Heading D1S A fabric laying machine comprises a laying frame 11, a fabric laying surface 14, means for relatively moving the surface 14 and the frame 11 longitudinally, a laying element 32 mounted on the frame 11, fabric supply means 20 on the frame 11, means 31 for feeding fabric 21 from the supply 20 to the element 32, means for driving the relatively movable means so that the surface 14 and the frame 11 move relatively away from each other in a laying mode, means 40 for normally driving the means 31 at a speed faster than the relative speed of the surface 14 and the frame 11 in the laying mode, a sensing station 42 on the frame 11 in the path of the fabric 21 between the feed means 31 and the surface 14, radiant energy sensing means 45, 46 at the station 42 for sensing a slack portion of fabric, and control means 48 to actuate the drive means 40 when the sensing means senses less than a predetermined amount of slack in the slack fabric portion and to de-acuate the means 40 when the sensing means senses excessive slack. As shown, the frame 11 is stationary and the surface 14 is formed on the upper run of an endless conveyor belt 13 drivable from an electric motor 17. A fabric supply roll 20 is supported upon rollers 22 driven from a motor 24 and mounted upon a carriage 25 having rollers 26 laterally movable on rails 27 fixed to the frame 11. The fabric 21 passes from the roll 20 through an edge sensor device 30, if desired, which actuates a reversible electric motor 34 to rotate a drive shaft 35 to shift the carriage 25 to maintain longitudinal alignment of the fabric. The fabric 21 passes over and in light feeding contact with feed rollers 31 driven by a motor 40 and is laid on the surface 14 by a laying ramp 32 having a depending lip 75 and the angle of inclination of which depends upon the coefficient of friction of its upper surface and the fabric 21 to be laid. The rollers 31 feed the fabric at a faster speed than that of the surface 14 so that a slack loop 53 is formed. The sensing station 42 comprises a trough having a wall 43 with a highly reflective interior face and an opposite wall 44 in which is mounted a lamp 45 and a photocell 46 connected to a control box 48 which controls the motor 40. When the loop 53 breaks either the incident or reflected light beam 51 or 52, the motor 40 is stopped and, as soon as the loop 53 rises above the beams 51, 52, the motor 40 is re-started. If desired, a second sensing trough 55, having a light 59 reflected by a face 56 to a photocell 60, is mounted on the frame 11 between the carriage 25 and the device 30. The fabric 21 is fed by the rollers 22 at a slightly faster speed than the rollers 31 so that a slack loop 63 is formed. When the loop 63 breaks light beams 61, 62, the motor 24 is stopped and, as soon as the loop is raised above the beams 61, 62, the motor 24 is restarted. Preferably, the device 30 and the rollers 31 are mounted on a carriage 85 having rollers 83 running on rails 84 fixed to the frame 11. A stripe sensing or alignment head 80 is connected to a reversible motor 81 to laterally shift the carriage to maintain stripe alignment in the fabric 21.