Patent Publication Number: US-7905116-B1

Title: Fabric collection structure for fabric cutting apparatus

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a fabric collection structure for fabric cutting apparatus and particularly to a high-stand fabric collection structure adopted for use on a knitting machine to collect fabric cut by a fabric cutting apparatus at high speeds. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional knitting machine such as a circular knitting machine generally relies on a fabric rolling machine to roll finished knitting fabric in a bundle. Depending on different fabric usage, some fabrics are cut before rolling. For instance, R.O.C. patent Nos. M360247 and M307018 disclose such a technique. They have a fabric cutting apparatus to cut fabric and a fabric collection means to collect the fabric. The fabric collection means mainly have two side chests that have two diagonal tracks located in the middle section and extended upwards to receive two ends of a fabric rolling rod, and two transverse first fabric directing shaft and second fabric directing shaft that are parallel with each other and located below the tracks. During the fabric rolling machine rolls the fabric, the first and second fabric directing shafts drive the fabric to the fabric rolling rod to be rolled. While the fabric increases gradually on the fabric rolling rod, the fabric rolling rod moves upwards along the tracks to collect the fabric. 
     However, after the fabric is split the width is doubled, the weight increases during fabric rolling, and the fabric on the fabric rolling rod presses the fabric directing shafts. With the weight increased gradually, the density of the collected fabric varies. The thickness of the fabric rolled at distal ends is thinner due to a greater downward pressure during rolling. As a result, one bundle of fabric usually has only the fabric rolled at the front end meeting required density standard, and the rest of fabric does not meet requirements. Thus waste of fabric occurs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid disadvantages and provide a uniform pressure on the fabric rolling on the fabric rolling rod to form a uniform density of the rolled fabric. 
     To achieve the foregoing object, the present invention provides a fabric collection structure for fabric cutting apparatus. The fabric cutting apparatus splits fabric knitted by a knitting machine and has a driving means to drive the fabric collection structure to collect the fabric. The fabric collection structure includes a fabric rolling rod and a fabric pressing means. The fabric rolling rod is located axially on the fabric collection structure and driven by the driving means to rotate axially to roll the fabric. The fabric pressing means has a fabric spread rod and a fabric pressing rod that are also located axially on the fabric collection structure. The fabric spread rod is driven by the driving means to rotate axially to flatten the fabric split by the fabric cutting apparatus. The fabric pressing rod presses the fabric rolled on the fabric rolling rod and is driven by the driving means to rotate axially to drive the fabric rolling rod to roll the fabric. The fabric pressing rod is lifted by the fabric during fabric collection process by the increasing thickness of the fabric rolled on the fabric rolling rod. 
     Thus, the fabric rolling rod rolls the fabric at a fixed position, and the fabric pressing means provides a constant downward pressure on the fabric rolled on the fabric rolling rod. Compared with the conventional techniques, the present invention provides the fabric at a uniform density and improves fabric collection quality of the fabric cutting apparatus. 
     The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the invention. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are schematic views of the invention in fabric collecting conditions. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the control means of the invention. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are schematic views of the control means in operating conditions. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the safety means of the invention. 
         FIGS. 7A through 7D  are schematic views of the safety means in operating conditions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present invention provides a fabric collection structure for fabric cutting apparatus that is to collect fabric at high stand and high speeds. The fabric cutting apparatus  50  has a cutter  51  to split fabric knitted by a knitting machine and a fabric prop rod  52  to prop the fabric. The fabric collection structure aims to collect the fabric, and has two side chests  1  and also includes, between them in this order from the lower side to the upper side, a driving means  10 , a fabric rolling rod  20 , a fabric pressing means  30  and a fabric conveying means  40 . The fabric cutting apparatus  50  is located above the fabric conveying means  40  to split the fabric. Then the split fabric is sent to the fabric collection structure through the fabric conveying means  40 . 
     The driving means  10  is located between the two side chests  1  close to the bottom, and has a shaft  11  extended from the interior with two ends running into the two side chests  1 . The fabric rolling rod  20  is axially held between the two side chests  1  close to the center. The fabric pressing means  30  includes arms  31  respectively pivotally located on the two side chests  1  and a first fabric spread rod  32  and a fabric pressing rod  33  that are axially located between the two arms  31 . The fabric conveying means  40  is located between the two side chests  1  at the top, and has a second fabric spread rod  41  and a plurality of rolling rods  42  that are located axially on the two side chests  1 . There are also a plurality of transmission wheels and transmission belts winding the transmission wheels in the two side chests  1 . When the driving means  10  is in operation, it drives the fabric rolling rod  20 , fabric pressing means  30  and fabric conveying means  40  simultaneously. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , when in operation, fabric  80  is first split by the fabric cutting apparatus  50 ; through the rolling rods  42  and second fabric spread rod  41  of the fabric conveying means  40 , the fabric  80  is directed to the fabric pressing means  30  which flatly unfolds the fabric  80  through the first fabric spread rod  32  and prevent the split fabric  80  from rolling back due to tension at two edges; next, the fabric  80  is sent to the fabric rolling rod  20  through the fabric pressing rod  33  (referring to  FIG. 3A ); as the fabric rolling rod  20  rolls the fabric  80  at a fixed location, with progress of operation, the quantity of fabric  80  rolled on the fabric rolling rod  20  increases, and the fabric pressing rod  33  is in contact with the fabric  80  and lifted upwards (referring to  FIG. 3B ); due to the fabric  80  receives a constant pressure from the fabric pressing rod  33 , the density of the rolled fabric  80  is uniform. Hence the problem of the conventional fabric cutting apparatus  50  that adopts a movable fabric rolling rod  20  to roll the fabric and results in non-uniform density of the fabric  80  due to increasing pressure on the fabric  80  caused by increasing thickness of the fabric  80  can be prevented. 
     After the fabric  80  is split by the fabric cutting apparatus  50 , the width of the fabric  80  doubles. Hence the length of the first fabric spread rod  32  and fabric pressing rod  33  also have to be doubled to mate the width of the split fabric  80 . This results in a greater weight of the fabric pressing means  30  and difficulty of manual lifting, and unloading the fabric after the fabric collection operation is finished or inspecting the fabric during operation is difficult. To overcome this problem, the fabric collection structure of the invention further provides a control means  60  coupling with the fabric pressing means  30  to adjust the elevation thereof. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the control means  60  includes an oil pressure buffer  61  connecting to the arm  31  of the fabric pressing means  30  and an oil pressure control box  62  to control oil pressure of the oil pressure buffer  61 . The oil pressure control box  62  has an oil pressure control switch  63  to boost or release the oil pressure of the oil pressure buffer  61  to do adjustment desired and a pressure boosting handle  64  to boost the oil pressure of the oil pressure buffer  61 . Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , during fabric collection process, the oil pressure control switch  63  is opened to release the oil pressure of the oil pressure buffer  61  so that the fabric  80  can lift and move the fabric pressing rod  33  (referring to  FIG. 5A ). When the fabric collection process is finished and the fabric has to be unloaded or fabric inspection is needed during operation, wrench the oil pressure control switch  63  tightly to boost the pressure of the oil pressure buffer  61  and press the handle downwards to further increase the pressure of the oil pressure buffer  61 , and turn the arm  31  upwards to move the fabric pressing rod  33  away from the fabric  80 , the fabric can be unloaded or inspected (referring to  FIG. 5B ). Thus the fabric pressing means  30  can be lifted without relying a lot of manpower and manual operation is easier. 
     When the fabric  80  rolled on the fabric rolling rod  20  increases gradually, the arm  31  is turned pivotally at a greater angle and could hit the fabric conveying means  40  above. To prevent such a problem from happening, the invention further provides a safety means  70  on the moving path of the fabric pressing means  30  lifted by the fabric  80 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , the safety means  70  includes a swivelable rod  71  hinged in the side chest  1  and an elastic element  73  connected to the side chest  1  and the swivelable rod  71 . The swivelable rod  71  has a trigger switch  72  located thereon. Referring to  FIGS. 7A through 7D , when the arm  31  is turned pivotally by excessive amount of the fabric  80  and contacts the trigger switch  72 , the trigger switch  72  issues a signal to the driving means to stop driving operations. Meanwhile, the arm  31  butts the swivelable rod  71  to make it swiveling, and the elastic element  73  provides a buffer effect. Thus there is no need to provide manual monitoring, and an automatic stop can be achieved when the fabric collection structure is fully loaded with fabric. 
     As a conclusion, the present invention provides the fabric rolling rod  20  to rotate axially at a fixed location to roll the fabric  80 , and the fabric pressing means  30  to press the fabric  80  rolled on the fabric rolling rod  20 . The fabric pressing means  30  is lifted upwards with increasing thickness of the fabric  80 . Thus a constant downward pressure is applied on the fabric  80  rolled on the fabric rolling rod  20  to achieve a uniform density of the fabric  80 . As a result, fabric collection quality of the fabric cutting apparatus  50  improves. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.