Apparatus and method for reducing torque in garments

Abstract

A method of reducing torque in garments includes calculating a needle wale skew measurement for the fabric. A knitting machine can orient fabric along its negligible torque line. The knitting machine includes a cylinder having a plurality of needles for knitting the fabric, a take-down component for pulling the fabric from the cylinder, and the knitting machine is adapted for rotating the take-down component at a predetermined rotation ratio relative to rotation of the cylinder. The predetermined rotation ratio can be calculated using the needle wale skew measurement. Torque can be accurately measured at all textile / apparel processes.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 741,440, filed Jul. 20, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 853,061, filed Mar. 28, 2013, which are both incorporated herein by reference. In addition, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 930,777, filed Jan. 18, 2011, now abandoned, is incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to an apparatus and method to reduce torque in fabric and garments. One embodiment of the invention comprises a textile apparel process to eliminate torque in garments made from single end spun commodity yarn.[0003]Prior art attempts to address fabric torque, also referred to as fabric skew, include relatively inaccurate de-twisting at wet processing, and relatively expensive plied yarns. The prior art has not provided an efficient means to produce a skew specification, orient the fabric to a neglig...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides methods for manufacturing textile garments with minimal torque and shrinkage. By orienting fabric to negligible torque, garments made from greige fabric yield no torque, and can be made last minute dyeing decisions. This efficient process reduces the amount of fabric dyed, cost of inventory, and produces garments with high quality standards. Additionally, non-destructive testing eliminates the need for wash testing for torque and shrinkage conformance. The invention can also be used with open width or tubular goods, and solves torque / skew on feed stripe knits.

Problems solved by technology

Prior art attempts to address fabric torque, also referred to as fabric skew, include relatively inaccurate de-twisting at wet processing, and relatively expensive plied yarns.

The prior art has not provided an efficient means to produce a skew specification, orient the fabric to a negligible torque state, or non-destructive testing for torque.

Such processes are not controllable to the level that yields fabric with negligible torque thus fabric, cut parts and garments are produced that skew after wash and tumble drying.

Prior art destructive testing for fabric skew can involve a very ambiguous process, because pass or fail depends on the chance that a single (statistically insignificant) sample randomly taken accurately represents the entire production order because of single sample destructive testing.

Also, prior art tests typically allow for a significant amount of bow and skew that would be objectionable on higher cost garments.

Thus today a significant volume of garments are objectionable after washing and tumble drying, because of fabric skew / torque.

Current linear finishing technology does not allow the fabric to achieve the negligible torque state during processing.

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