Page 77 - Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

64 Industrial Cutting of Textile Materials

Cradle system to Spreader truck turret
unroll the fabric

Double sensor to
align the edge

Spreader truck body Cutting device
Fig. 6.2 Main parts of a spreading machine with cradle type of feeding system.

6.3.1 The fabric spreader truck
A spreader truck ensures the transportation of a fabric roll above a spreading table in
the lengthways and transverse directions. It consists of two main parts – a body and
a turret.

6.3.1.1 The spreader truck body
The body of a spreader truck is fixed on wheels. It ensures lengthways transporta-
tion of a fabric roll above a spreading table (see Fig. 6.2). After laying the fabric to
a specified length, the body of a spreader truck stops and then moves in the opposite
direction. The speed of the spreader can be adjusted according to the fabric type and
properties. The body of the truck also carries several special spreading machine de-
vices: a cutter (to cut the laid fabric ply), a zig-zag spreading device (for spreading in
the 'face to face in both directions' mode), a tubular fabric spreading device (to spread
tubular fabrics in the zig-zag mode), a fabric tearing device (for tearing light fabrics).

6.3.1.2 The spreader truck turret
A fabric roll is placed on the turret of the spreader truck. The turret ensures transverse
transportation of the roll during the spreading process (see Fig. 6.2). It can move up to
15 cm laterally to adjust the fabric roll in order to achieve a perfect alignment of one
fabric edge on the table. This movement is controlled by a double sensor that reads
the position of the fabric during the spreading process and moves the whole turret as
required (see Fig. 6.2).
To perform the ‘face to face in both directions’ and ‘face to face in single direc-
tion’ spreading modes (for napped and piled fabrics) (see Sections 4.3.4 and 4.3.5),
the turret of the spreader truck must be equipped with an extra device – a turntable.
Automatic machines turn, rewind, thread, and position the roll of fabric automatically