1-13. (canceled)
14. A system for applying loading ledges onto a unit load positioned on supporting means, the system comprising an application machine,
means for separating the unit load from the supporting means in the vertical direction,
means for applying at least one loading ledge to at least two opposite, lower edges of the unit load when separated from the supporting means.
15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the application machine is placed between a loading conveyor and a feeding conveyor.
16. A system according to claim 14, wherein the application machine is provided with at least one pair of ledge feeders.
17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the means for separating the unit load from the supporting means is a vertically movable separating frame.
18. A system according to claim 16, wherein each ledge feeder comprises an essentially L-shaped frame having a vertical frame part, a horizontal frame part, and a support frame placed under the two frame parts.
19. A system according to claim 18, wherein each ledge feeder further comprises a detachment device for automatically removing a lowest loading ledge from a loading ledge above it.
20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the detachment device is a pneumatically, hydraulically, or electrically driven mechanism.
21. A system according to claim 14, wherein the supporting means are fixed supports.
22. A system according to claim 14, wherein the supporting means are conveyors.
23. A system according to claim 17, wherein the vertically movable separating frame is made of flat bars placed edgeways.
24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the vertically movable separating frame comprises at least one part having a shape when seen from above essentially corresponding to a H.
25. A method according to claim 14, comprising the steps of:
placing a unit load in a first application position in the application machine;
separating the unit load from the supporting means in the vertical direction so that the unit load is positioned in a second application position;
applying at least one loading ledge onto at least two opposite, lower edges of the unit load;
moving the unit load in the vertical direction into contact with the at least two loading ledges;
removing the unit load with loading ledges from the application machine.
26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising the steps of transporting each unit load into the application machine by means of a loading conveyor, and a subsequent step of transporting each unit load with loading ledges out of the application machine by means of a feeding conveyor.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A knitted spacer fabric comprising:
an upper textile;
a lower textile; and
mutually crossing supporting threads arranged between the upper textile and the lower textile which connect the upper and the lower textiles to one another wherein at least parts of a plurality of the supporting threads are connected to one another at crossing points by one of adhesive bonding, chemical dissolving or heat welding and wherein if connected by adhesive bonding or heat welding a plurality of the supporting threads include a coating or sheath disposed over a thread core having a higher melting point than the coating or sheath.
2. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the supporting threads comprise monofilaments, twisted supporting threads or spun coresheath assemblies.
3. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the supporting threads are coated or sheathed.
4. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 3, wherein the coating or sheathing has a lower melting point than a core of the supporting thread.
5. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 3, wherein 20% to 80% of the supporting threads are coated.
6. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 3, wherein the coating comprises a synthetic material or a thermally activatable adhesive.
7. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the supporting threads have different diameters.
8. The knitted spacer fabric according to claim 1, wherein the supporting threads are connected to one another in a materially integral manner or are adhesively bonded to one another.
9. A method for producing a knitted spacer fabric comprising the steps of connecting an upper textile to a lower textile in a spaced manner by supporting threads, wherein at least parts of a plurality of the supporting threads are connected to one another at their crossing points by one of adhesive bonding and heat welding and wherein the supporting threads include a coating or sheath disposed over a core having a higher melting point than the coating or sheath.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the knitted spacer fabric is heated to a temperature below a melting point of the core and above a melting point of the coating to connect the supporting threads.
11. The method according to claim 9, wherein between 20% and 80% of the supporting threads are connected to one another, in order to set a hardness of the knitted spacer fabric.
12. The method according to claim 10, wherein after the supporting threads are connected to one another, the knitted spacer fabric is heated to a temperature below the melting temperature of the coating for a defined period of time.
13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the supporting threads are coated with a thermally activatable adhesive, and wherein the knitted spacer fabric is heated to an activation temperature.
14. A method for producing a knitted spacer fabric comprising:
providing an upper textile and a lower textile;
connecting the upper textile and the lower textile to one another by supporting threads such that the upper textile and the lower textile are spaced apart from one another; and
connecting at least parts of the supporting threads to one another by chemically dissolving at least parts of the supporting threads at crossing points.
15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising coating a core of the supporting threads.
16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising heating the knitted spacer fabric to a temperature below a melting point of the core and above a melting point of the coating.
17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising heating the knitted spacer fabric for a defined period of time after the supporting threads are connected to one another.