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| CLAIMS 1. Fabric for cover, protection and packing of cotton bales which is best described as a knitted fabric of various constructions, yarn counts and qualities 100 per cent cotton and processed. The yarns have a count NE 14/1 to NE 16/1. The twist factor α (alfa) is 3.5 to 4.5. The knitted structure is the simplest of all. Plain knit single jersey. The yarn loops have a density of 7.5 to 8.5 loops per square centimeter. The weight is 95 to 105 grams per square meter processed with organic phosphoric chemical bonds. 2. Fabric according to the first claim which is characterized by the fact that it offers protection against contamination and mix up with foreign matter. 3. Fabric according to the first and second claim which is characterized by the fact it offers protection against fire, it is chemically processed and fire retardant. 4. Fabric according to the first, second and third claim which is ecological, friendly to the environment and 100 per cent possible to recycle. 5. Fabric according to the first, second, third and fourth claim which is can also be produce by other textile raw materials for different requirements and uses. However, it is important that all man-made fibres and natural fibres used as raw materials should be always packed with fabric made of the same raw material. |
The fabric, is a knit structure, produced on a circular knitting machine, and used, as an external protective cover to pack bales of ginned cotton. The machine is a circular knitting machine with one needle bed and needles positioned around the outer surface of a single cylinder. Such a machine produces a circular weft knit fabric with a single surface structure. The simplest form of weft knit structure that can result from the interaction of needles and yarn is a single jersey fabric. This fabric is most suitable for the majority of applications. In some cases and for some applications the knit structure can be rib or interlock of various knitting constructions. These fabrics are produced on cylinder and dial knitting machines with two needle beds. The knit fabric produced is constructed from 100 percent cotton yarns. The yarns employed have specific counts and technical parameters. The fabric specifications are analyzed in three (3) entities covering the yarns, the fabrics and the chemical processing procedures which give specific characteristics to the final product.
The fabric produced exhibits satisfactory properties and performance characteristics. The fabric is lightweight, elastic and relatively low cost to produce in relation to the effective protection it provides against fire and contamination to the cotton fibres of the cotton bale.
The specific knitted fabric is intended for use solely in cotton ginning plants. The intended use is, as a packing medium, to cover and protect externally the cotton bale offering protection from fire, contamination and foreign matter. The fabric is suitable for all ginning plants and types and sizes of bales independently of the type of bale machines. The cotton which is grown on farmland and agricultural establishments when ripe, is harvested and collected manually or mechanically, in general.
Today in Greece and in many other parts of the world cotton is harvested from the fields using machines. It is subsequently transported with various means to the ginning plants, in loose, bulk form.
The cotton delivered to the ginning mills is ginned and processed. The purpose of the ginning process is to separate the cotton fibres from all other foreign materials, and bale it. All foreign materials such as plant leaves, or pieces of them, reminants of cotton plant stems, cotton seeds, frequently soil, sand, small stones, and other foreign matter such as plant residues and generally anything normally found on agricultural land.
The ginning process is completed with the formation of cotton bales with the use of hydraulic presses.
In order that the masses of ginned cotton fibres can be contained for ease of handling subsequently, the cotton mass is compressed, baled and held into place with the use of metal wires or metal bands, normally, sometimes also plastic tapes are used.
At the same time an external cover material for protection of the bale surface is introduced. After the baling process has been completed the finished bales can be handled and transported to their final destination. These are the yarn spinning mills.
This protective cover in the past was usually a woven fabric. This fabric was normally constructed using Jute yarns and the fabric construction was a 1/1 plain weave. In the last couples of years in Greece and several other countries worldwide, producers of cotton, use polyethylene sheets or fabrics from man made fibres which are normally woven. The most common new material used for the yarn is polypropylene tape yarns woven with 1/1 plain weave construction. Some countries use conventional yarns of various types, composition and blends. They are frequently produced from man made fibres or blends of natural and man made fibres. In some other countries non woven fabric structures in web form made of man made fibres, are used. All the materials used in the construction of the fabrics described above, due to their composition and construction, create many costly and serious problems. Of all the different categories of problems, two are the most serious ones. The first of the two categories, relates to fire safety problems in ginning plants and mainly in the warehouse facilities for bales in ginning mills. The cotton bales are stored in rows and stacked in columns in contact with each other. In the event of a fire, the transfer and speed of travel depend and are affected to a great extend with the current packing materials used, which are extremely flammable. Most packing materials today are by-products of petroleum. This specific property causes a significant increase in the risk in the event of fire. These materials due to their physical properties create the appropriate conditions for the maintenance and spread of fire. The second of the two categories, relates to problems of contamination of the raw material which is the cotton fibres of the bale. This problem is created in the subsequent stages of processing and production of cotton yarns, fabric and ready to wear garments. Reminants of the packing materials can accidentally mix with cotton fibres and entangled spread in sizeable quantities of yarns, fabrics and ready to wear garments. This is a frequent event. The presence of foreign matter cannot be trayced and be removed promptly. This results in defective products and increased risk of fire. In the past, as a result of field research activities in several manufacturing companies and organizations, involved in harvesting, ginning and processing cotton yarns, the problems relating to fire protection and contamination of cotton fibres were studied and assessed.
Following research, trials and experiments with various raw materials, structures of woven and knitted fabrics an alternative packing medium for cotton bales has developed. The new packing medium is a knitted fabric in tube form, from 100 percent cotton, and can be applied directly, as is, on the bales as a piece of tubular stretch cloth like a sock, open on both ends, with no seams.
The current invention refers to the creation of a knit fabric from a circular weft knit single jersey knitting machine using solely cotton yarns. The yarn cross section is defined by the weight of the yarn in grams per 1000 meters.
The yarns employed are singles and usually produced on open-end spinning machines to achieve a low cost of yarn production.
The twist factor is alfa 3.5 to 4.5 and is dependent on the specific dimensions of bales of different ginning plants. With the use of the English yarn count system NE, the yarn title should be from NE 14/1 to NE 16/1 usually. For some applications the yarn count titles could be from NE 10/1 to NE 30/1 , to obtain a different surface and elasticity of the knit tube. The fabric is constructed employing a plain weft knit structure. A knitting machine with a cylinder and a single needle bed is used, and with the yarns described above. The yarn for the construction of one complete row of loops is 533 centimeters per turn. One complete turn lays one course or row of loops. The number of loops per square centimeter is 7.5 to 8.5. The weight in grams per square, meter of fabric produced is 95 to 105.
The elasticity or stretch of the tubular fabric expressed as a per cent of the original dimensions is 25 to 35 per cent.
The chemical processes and materials which improve the fire retardant properties to acceptable, tested levels of performance, have resulted from the use of organic phosphoric chemical compositions and have a chemical character of organic salts in most forms.
In the event that other natural or man made fibre raw materials are to be packed, it should be done using a fabric cover of the same materials as the fibres packed. For example natural wool fibre should be packed in a wool fabric, acrylic fibre in an acrylic fabric and so on.
The cotton fabric is used as an external and protective cover for bales of ginned cotton.
The knitted fabric of specific construction and yarns either in the from of a tube or sheets proved to be a suitable substitute for conventional forms of packing materials following field trials and experiments, and at a relatively low cost.
The main advantage of this knitted fabric from 100 per cent cotton raw material, is that its friendly to the environment and ecological. Because it is a cellulose product and dicomposes completely in time and without side effects. It provides increased protection against the risk of fire due to its fire retardant properties. It does not contaminate the cotton yarns produced and other subsequent processes with foreign matter transfer and can be completely recycled. It is an effective packing medium which minimizes the risks of foreign matter transfer in subsequent processing stages and mainly in spinning.
It is more effective packing medium in reducing the risks in the event of fire and the spread of fire.
At the same time, the risks of highly poisonous hazardous gases produced with the use of other types of covers in the event of a fire are minimized.
At the same time with the additional processes the fire retardant properties of the fabric are improved.