The present invention relates to a brushing machine used in the field of surface treatment of fabrics.

It is well known that the brushing of fabrics is carried out by means of specific machines that perform, through the use of one or more brushes, a surface brushing of a fabric while it is in the form of a continuous web.

Currently, brushing machines comprising a sequence of brushes interleaved with idle rollers are well known, wherein the rollers cause a feed of the web of fabric along a zig - zag path, in such a way as to increase an angle of winding of the web of fabric on the brushes and to exert a traction action on the web itself, such that it adheres to the brushes.

Disadvantageously, in the brushing machines of the type described above the action of the rollers is not sufficient to guarantee a sufficient stretching effect and the web of fabric is not correctly held in contact with the brush. In particular, situations can occur, in which the web of fabric is not sufficiently pressed against the brush and, consequently, the brush cannot exert a sufficiently energetic action. This can leads to the need for further treatment of the web or to the discard of the treated portion if the web of fabric is thereby damaged.

The technical aim of the present invention is to provide a fabric brushing machine that allows the disadvantages described above to be solved.

Within this technical aim, the object of the invention is to provide a fabric brushing machine, which allows high efficiency in surface treatment of fabrics.

This specified object and further objects are substantially achieved through a fabric brushing machine, according to claim 1 and/or one or more of the dependent claims.

Below there is the description, by way of no limiting example, of a preferred embodiment of a fabric brushing machine, according to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• figure 1 is a side view of a fabric brushing machine according to the present invention;
• figure 2 is an enlarged side view of a portion of the machine of figure 1;
• figure 3 is a perspective view of a component of the machine of figure 1.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, number 100 indicates, in its entirety, a fabric brushing machine, in particular for fabrics in the shape of continuous web. In figures 1 and 2, the continuous web of fabric is indicated with the reference number 101. The continuous web 101 is delivered from a feed station 200 and is subsequently fed to an exit station 300, for example in order to be subjected to further treatments.

The machine 100, having a configuration of substantially known type, comprises six consecutive stations 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, through which the web 101 is made to advance and in correspondence of which a brushing treatment is carried out on a first side 101 a of the web 100.

The machine 100 further comprises three rotating brushes 108, 109, 110, each of which is rotatable around a respective rotation axis. Each brush 108, 109, 110 is positioned in correspondence of a respective pair of stations 102, 107; 103, 106; 104, 105 in such a way as to treat simultaneously two distinct portions of the same web 101 of fabric. In particular, each brush 108, 109, 110 acts simultaneously, in correspondence of two diametrically opposite portions thereof, on two distinct portions of the web 101.

According to the embodiment shown in figure 1, the machine 100 comprises a plurality of guide rollers "R1", some of which are idle and some motorized, in order to transfer and to guide the web 101 according to a desired path passing through the above mentioned stations 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107. The machine 100 further comprises suitable auxiliary rollers "R2", which are interleaved with the brushes 108, 109, 100, in order to increase an angle of contact of the web 101 on each of the brushes 108, 109, 110.

The stations 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 are identical to one another. Therefore, only one of the above mentioned stations 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 will be described hereunder, and in particular the station 106. The station 106 is shown in figure 2 as regards the contribution given to it from the present invention, whilst the known components thereof are not included for the sake of simplicity of description.

The machine 100 comprises a contrast element 1 for each station 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107. The contrast element 1 is suitable to act on a second side 101 b of the web of fabric, opposite to the above mentioned first side 101a. At this end, the contrast element 1 is mounted opposite to the respective brush 109 with respect to the web 101 of fabric, and it defines, in cooperation with the brush 109, a nip through which the web 101 is made to advance.

Advantageously, the contrast element 1 can abut the brush 106 in order to press the web 101 against the brush 109, thus increasing the brushing effect on the first side 101 a of the web 101. At this end, the machine 100 comprises thrust means, not shown, that act on the contrast element 1 in order to maintain it pressed against the brush 109 and, possibly, to move the contrast element 1 towards or away from the brush 109. According to the view of figure 2, the feed of the web 101 occurs according to a direction indicated with "A", whilst the brush 109 rotates around its own axis "X" according to a direction of rotation indicated with "D", which is opposite to the direction "A" of feed of the web 101.

Figure 3 shows the contrast element 1 according to a preferred embodiment. The contrast element 1 extends along an axis "Y" between a first end 2 and a second end 3, in correspondence of which support means 4 are provided, which have the function of supporting and guiding the support element 1 during operation of the machine 100. The support means 4 are shown in shape of cylindrical terminals 4a.

In the illustrated embodiment, the axis "Y" of the contrast element 1 coincides with a prevalent direction of development thereof. Furthermore, the axis "Y" is preferably parallel to the axis "X" of rotation of the brush 109.

The contrast element 1 has an outer surface 5, which can be directly engaged with the second side 101 b of the web 101 of the fabric, in order to maintain the web 101 pressed against the brush 109 and therefore in contact therewith.

The outer surface 5 has a first intermediate cylindrical portion 6, which is preferably entirely cylindrical, designed to abut the brush 109 during an operation of the machine 100. Preferably, the above mentioned axis "Y" of the contrast element 1 is an axis of axial symmetry of the first cylindrical portion 6.

In a position adjacent to the first portion 6, and in correspondence of opposite ends thereof, i.e. between said intermediate first portion 6 and the ends of the contrast element 1, the outer surface 5 has two second portions 7 with partially cylindrical shape. The first portion 6 and the second portions 7 have preferably circular cross section and are mutually coaxial. However, the second portions 7 have a flattened area, which defines a tapered shape of said potions, as will be described in more detail here below. Furthermore, the first portion 6 and the second portions 7 have a same curvature radius, and are mutually connected in a continuous manner, i.e. they form a continuous outer surface. According to figure 3, the first portion 6 and the second portions 7 are convex.

According to the view of figure 3, the second portions 7 define an extension of a part of the cylindrical surface of the first portion 6, in such a way so as to eliminate discontinuities and/or variations in the diameter during passage from the first portion 6 to the second portions 7.

According to the preferred and illustrated embodiment, the outer surface 5 of the contrast element 1, surface which is suitable to engage with the brush 109, can be obtained through intersection between a cylindrical surface, preferably with circular cross section, and a pair of planes inclined with respect to the above mentioned axis "Y" of the contrast element 1, i.e. to an axis of symmetry of the above mentioned cylindrical surface. The portion of the above mentioned cylindrical surface not affected by the intersection with the inclined planes forms the first cylindrical portion 6 of the contrast element 1, whilst the portions affected by the intersection with the inclined planes form the second portions 7. In other words, the two end portions 7 have an outer surface which is cylindrical except for the two flattened areas 8, each of which is planar and gradually extends from the outer cylindrical surface towards the respective end and the axis of the contrast element 1.

From the configuration described above, and from the view of figure 3, it is clear that the second portions 7 present a tapered conformation extending away from the first portion 6. In other words, the cylindrical part of the second portions 7 becomes narrower moving from the first portion 6 towards the corresponding end 2, 3.

The tapered configuration of the second portions 7 allows to vary the contact area between the contrast element 1 and the brush 109 by varying the angular position of the contrast element 1 around its own axis "Y".

In fact, the above mentioned second tapered portions 7 can be seen as chamfers 8 obtained on a cylindrical surface, which would normally extend between the ends 2, 3 of the contrast element 1, i.e. as removals of material from this cylindrical surface in order to increasingly reduce the thickness of the contrast element 1 towards the respective one of the above mentioned ends 2, 3. Consequently, by orienting the contrast element 1 in a different manner around its axis "Y" it is possible for the above mentioned flattened portions 8 to face more or less the brush 109 and this leads to a smaller or larger contact surface between the contrast element 1 and the brush 109.

What described above has the effect of allowing setting of the dimension, measured along the axis "X" of rotation of the brush 109, of a contact surface between the contrast element 1 and the brush 109, thus avoiding that the brush 109 comes into direct contact with the outer surface 5 of the contrast element 1. This in particular can occur if the web 101 of fabric has a limited width, i.e. a width (i.e. a dimension in the cross-machine direction) smaller than a corresponding width of the potential contact surface between the contrast element 1 and the brush 109. Under these circumstances, only a part of the brush 109 intercepts the web 101, whilst the remaining parts could impact on the outer surface 5 of the contrast element 1 causing a surface abrasion thereof and a damage of the brush 109 itself.

Advantageously, the contrast element 1 can move around an adjustment axis, which coincides with the axis "Y" thereof and the orientation, i.e. the angular position, of the contrast element 1 around said axis "Y" can be adjusted according to the width of the web 101 of fabric to be treated. In particular, the contrast element 1 can be fixed in a stable manner according to a desired angular orientation which is maintained during the entire working cycle of the machine 100. If the web 101 has a decrease in width, or if it is replaced with a web 101 of different width, the angular orientation of the contrast element 1 around its axis "Y" can be adjusted, in such a way that the dimension of the contact surface between the outer surface 5 of the contrast element 1 and the brush 109 is substantially equal to the width of the web 101.

The chamfers 8 can be thus positioned advantageously in such a way as to cover the excess of the outer surface 5 of the contrast element 1 with respect to the width of the web 101.

In order to perform the above described adjustment , the machine 100 comprises adjusting means, not shown, which act on the contrast element 1 in order to position it according to a desired angular orientation around its axis "Y" and to maintain it stably in said angular orientation during normal operation of the machine 100. Preferably, the adjusting means are suitable to set the contrast element 1 in any one of a a plurality of angular orientations around its axis "Y", and more preferably to vary in a continuous manner the orientation of the contrast element 1 around the axis "Y". Continuous variation of the angular orientation of the contrast element 1 around its adjustment axis "Y" allows to vary in a continuous manner the dimension of the contact surface between the brush 109 and the outer surface 5 of the contrast element 1, said dimension being measured along the above mentioned axis "X" of rotation of the brush 109.

According to figure 3, the contrast element 1 is symmetrical with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis "Y" of the contrast element 1 itself. According to an embodiment not shown, which is however comprised within the scope of the concept on which the invention is based, the contrast element 1 has only one tapered portion 7, arranged atone end of the first cylindrical portion 6 and extending between said intermediate cylindrical portion 6 and the respective axial end 2 or 3 of the contrast element 1.

The above description refers to a preferred embodiment, but it is understood that the geometry of the contrast surface of the element 5 can be different from what was described, for example presenting a curvature analogous to that of the brush mounted on the brushing machine.

The invention was described with reference to a preferred embodiment, but it is understood that equivalent modifications can be made, without however departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.