US3656177A - Method and apparatus for formulating fabric patterns - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for formulating fabric patterns Download PDF

Info

Publication number: US3656177A
Authority: US; United States
Prior art keywords: needle; coordinates; instructions; fabric; punched hole
Prior art date: 1970-03-18
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.): Expired - Lifetime

Application number

US20853A

Other languages

English (en)

Inventor

Seng Fang Chung

William L Kuechler

George J Steinbronn

Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)

Proctor and Schwartz Ltd

Original Assignee

Proctor and Schwartz Inc

Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)

1970-03-18

Filing date

1970-03-18

Publication date

1972-04-11

1970-03-18 Application filed by Proctor and Schwartz Inc filed Critical Proctor and Schwartz Inc

1972-04-11 Application granted granted Critical

1972-04-11 Publication of US3656177A publication Critical patent/US3656177A/en

1987-02-17 Assigned to PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ (GLASGOW) LIMITED reassignment PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ (GLASGOW) LIMITED CHANGE OF NAME (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ LIMITED

1987-02-17 Assigned to PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ, INC. reassignment PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ (GLASGOU) LIMITED A CORP. OF PA.

1989-04-11 Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Status Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F30/00—Computer-aided design [CAD]
- G06F30/20—Design optimisation, verification or simulation
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F30/00—Computer-aided design [CAD]
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F2113/00—Details relating to the application field
- G06F2113/12—Cloth

Definitions

ABSTRACT Primary Examiner-Malcolm A. Morrison Assistant Examiner-Edward .1. Wise Att0mey-Robert S. Vermut [57] ABSTRACT The application of computer technology to the needle punching of fabric wherein the input data of needle density, needle positions, strokes per minute, and fabric feed rate give rise to the plotting of a pattern of needle punches which can be reviewed for desirability. Coextensive webs of fabric of the same color or of different colors may then be fed into a needle punching machine under input data found desirable with needle penetration of the webs forcing the fibers into the desired pattern including an evenly punched pattern for single color fabric or for surface finishing and a special, designed pattern for multi-color fabric.
PAIENTEDIPR I I I972 COMPUTE PUNCHED POSITIONS PER STROKE GENERAL PURPOSE DIGITAL COMPUTER FIG.I
This invention relates to the application of computer technology to fabric pattern forming and, more particularly, to fabric pattern forming by subsequent use of a needle loom.
This invention is directed toward the use of a digital computer with input data of board needle density, needle positions 'in X and Y coordinates, strokes of the needle punching machine per minute (or, as otherwise stated in industry, revolutions per minute), and feed rate of the fabric into the needle loom.
the computer is programmed to print out a plot of holes punched under a set of input data, and the plot is read as a simulation of the pattern which would be formed if the fabric were run through the needle loom.
the input data in whole or in part may be varied on a trial and error basis until a plot simulating the desired pattern is viewed.
Fabric with the desired pattern formation may be obtained from the infeed of a plurality of webs coextensive with each other as desired and of varied color under a conventional needle punching process but utilizing the input data giving rise to a simulation of the desired pattern.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a general purpose digital computer with its inputs and outputs in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the method proposed to be carried out on the computer.
Conventional needle boards which are fastened to the ec centric arm of a needle punching machine have needle densities in the order of magnitude of 64, 77, l09 and 122 needles per inch.
the measure of such density is the number of needles along the width of the board for each inch of length of the board, the width being that dimension of the board along the Y axis and the direction of fabric movement.
Conventional boards of any of these needle densities have readily determinable X and Y coordinates for each needle position appearing on the board.
the needles could be programmed for movements within the slot in reaction to stroke numbers to give rise to an X and/or Y coordinate increment variance within a single plot printout.
needle presence may be governed by programmed control to change needle density, and of course, feed rate and strokes per minute may also be modified within a single plot printout to give rise to an X and/or Y coordinate increment variance.
the disclosure hereinafter is directed toward fabric pattern formulation with conventional needle boards (constant needle density and positions) and constant feed rate and strokes per minute for a single plot printout in order to facilitate an understanding of the convepts involved.
the computer calculates and prints out the X and Y coordinates of the punched hole positions of each stroke based on the original X and Y coordinate data and the advancing increments thereto as determined by the fabric distance moved per stroke and examines whether there are coincident punched hole positions or not.
the feed orientation is such that only the Y coordinate will have an increment.
Coincidence of holes is undesirable because of the resultant improper fiber concentrations and, therefore, is best eliminated where a clear pattern is desired.
the examination of coincident positions is accomplished by determining whether any Y coordinates of hole positions are the same and if so whether the X coordinates of those positions are the same; of course, if both X and Y coordinates of punched hole positions are the same, then the holes are coincident.
a printout of the number of coincident holes and their X and Y coordinates follows.
the computer In order to obtain an enlarged approximate (because of the typewriter terminal printout spacing) plot of the punched hole positions for viewing of the simulated pattern, the computer (because the printout by the computer is keyed to the Y coordinate positioning of the punched hole positions) must rearrange the punched hole positions in the order of magnitude of the Y coordinates. For those holes having the same Y coordinates, rearrangement is according to the order of magnitude of the X coordinates. With the punched hole positions arranged in magnitude of Y coordinates, the computer may print out the rearrangement of punched hole positions and plot the punched hole positions on the enlarged scale (approximately times actual scale).
improper pattern formulation such as bunched hole positions et cetera
the resultant impact force in operation of a needle loom is directly proportional to the needle density, it is preferable to have a plot printout to assist in determining unnecessary needles for a desired pattern to thereby reduce the needle density.
needles may be removed merely to improve an undesirable printout.
Local needle density may be obtained by having the computer count the number of punched holes per designated area.
the previously mentioned steps may be repeated with a change in at least one of the input data, as, for example, a change in the feed rate and/or strokes per minute to obtain the desired pattern formulation.
the desired pattern formulation is obtained through trial and error, the input data resulting in such desired formulation is utilized on a needle loom.
BASIC 5 cswcs No. of coincided positions punched hole position in Y axis punched hole position in X axis local hole densities overall needle hole density in. holes/in. holes/in.
the fabric pattern may be formed in numerous ways.
One of the principle ways of obtaining a pattern under desired input data is to utilize a pair of webs (or more) each of a different color and coextensive with each other as desired.
the areaof needle penetration gives rise to a blending of the fibers of the webs from the top of one web to the bottom of the other.
penetration of a needle will give rise to the fibers of one web of one color penetrating through and blending with the fibers of the different colored web.
the melds or blends of differently colored fibers in the areas of needle penetration will contrast with the surrounding non-blended areas to thus give rise to the desired pattern.
a general purpose digital computer has been disclosed as a special purpose digital computer under a defined program to accomplish fabric pattern formulation, the input data of formulation being transferable to a'needle loom for actual pattern forming.
the preferred embodiment may be modified in numerous ways within the scope of the present invention, as, e.g., by varying needle lengths or removing needles in accordance with a plot printout of the computer to obtain varying depths of penetration of blends of fibers of the fabric being fed into the needle loom or by formulating patterns for concurrent use under double needling principles from above and below the webs et cetera, the preferred embodiment should be viewed as illustrative and not in a llfllilllllg 89 What we claim is:
a general purpose digital computer which is capable of storing input data including needle density, needle coordinate positions, intended needle loom strokes per minute and intended needle loom fabric feed rate, having stored in its memory a set of program instructions for formulating fabric patterns to be formed on a needle loom, the program comprising instructions for calculating the distance of fabric moved per stroke and the coordinates of the punched hole positions of intended, successive strokes of the needle loom, in instructions for storing the coordinates of said punched hole positions, instructions for rearranging the said stored coordinates in the order of magnitude of at least one of said coordinates thereof, and instructions for initiating commands to print out a plot of the punched hole positions according to the said stored coordinates.
program further comprises instructions for rearranging identical ones of said at least one coordinate according to the order of magnitude of another of said coordinates.
program further comprises instructions for calculating the number of strokes of the needle loom required before obtaining the intended overall needle hole density and instructions for controlling said storing of the punched hole position coordinates to preclude said storing until said number of strokes has occurred.
a method of formulation of fabric pattern designs to be formed by a needle loom employing a general purpose digital computer comprising the steps of storing in said computer input data including needle density, needle coordinate positions, intended strokes per minute of the needle loom and intended fabric feed rate of the needle loom operating said computer under instructions for, calculating the distance of fabric moved per stroke, instructions for calculating and storing the coordinates of the punched hole positions of intended successive strokes of the needle loom, instructions for rearranging the coordinates of said punched hole positions in accordance with the order of magnitude of at least one of said coordinates thereof, and instructions for printing out a plot of said coordinates.

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Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
Evolutionary Computation (AREA)
Geometry (AREA)
General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
Looms (AREA)
Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)

US20853A 1970-03-18 1970-03-18 Method and apparatus for formulating fabric patterns Expired - Lifetime US3656177A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number	Priority Date	Filing Date	Title
US2085370A	1970-03-18	1970-03-18

Publications (1)

Publication Number	Publication Date
US3656177A true US3656177A (en)	1972-04-11

Family

ID=21800957

Family Applications (1)

Application Number	Title	Priority Date	Filing Date
US20853A Expired - Lifetime US3656177A (en)	1970-03-18	1970-03-18	Method and apparatus for formulating fabric patterns

Country Status (4)

Country	Link
US (1)	US3656177A (fr)
BE (1)	BE764485A (fr)
CA (1)	CA919796A (fr)
GB (1)	GB1296623A (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number	Priority date	Publication date	Assignee	Title
US3909891A (en) *	1972-01-18	1975-10-07	Dilo Kg Oskar	Needling Apparatus
US4794678A (en) *	1983-11-09	1989-01-03	Veb Forster Tuchfabriken	Method for the determination and elimination of visible defects in non woven textile webs
US4891870A (en) *	1987-10-01	1990-01-09	Textilmaschinenfabrik Dr. Ernst Fehrer Aktiengesellschaft	Needling apparatus for making a patterned felt web
US20140182097A1 (en) *	2011-10-14	2014-07-03	Wai Tai Technology Co., Ltd.	Method for manufacturing conductive fabric

1970
- 1970-03-18 US US20853A patent/US3656177A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
1971
- 1971-02-02 CA CA104249A patent/CA919796A/en not_active Expired
- 1971-03-18 BE BE764485A patent/BE764485A/fr unknown
- 1971-04-19 GB GB1296623D patent/GB1296623A/en not_active Expired

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number	Priority date	Publication date	Assignee	Title
US3909891A (en) *	1972-01-18	1975-10-07	Dilo Kg Oskar	Needling Apparatus
US4794678A (en) *	1983-11-09	1989-01-03	Veb Forster Tuchfabriken	Method for the determination and elimination of visible defects in non woven textile webs
US4891870A (en) *	1987-10-01	1990-01-09	Textilmaschinenfabrik Dr. Ernst Fehrer Aktiengesellschaft	Needling apparatus for making a patterned felt web
US20140182097A1 (en) *	2011-10-14	2014-07-03	Wai Tai Technology Co., Ltd.	Method for manufacturing conductive fabric
US9371605B2 (en) *	2011-10-14	2016-06-21	Wai Tai Technology Co., Ltd.	Method for manufacturing conductive fabric

Also Published As

Publication number	Publication date
BE764485A (fr)	1971-08-16
CA919796A (en)	1973-01-23
GB1296623A (fr)	1972-11-15

Legal Events

Date

Code

Title

Description

1987-02-17

AS

Assignment

Owner name: PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ, INC.,PENNSYLVANIA

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ (GLASGOU) LIMITED A CORP. OF PA.;REEL/FRAME:004689/0040

Effective date: 19860915

Owner name: PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ, INC., 251 GIBRALTER RD., HORSH

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:PROCTOR & SCHWARTZ (GLASGOU) LIMITED A CORP. OF PA.;REEL/FRAME:004689/0040