CA1075287A - Picking device - Google Patents
Picking deviceInfo
- Publication number
- CA1075287A CA1075287A CA283,369A CA283369A CA1075287A CA 1075287 A CA1075287 A CA 1075287A CA 283369 A CA283369 A CA 283369A CA 1075287 A CA1075287 A CA 1075287A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tufts
- filament
- picker
- pickers
- fused
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46D—MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
- A46D3/00—Preparing, i.e. Manufacturing brush bodies
- A46D3/04—Machines for inserting or fixing bristles in bodies
- A46D3/045—Machines for inserting or fixing bristles in bodies for fixing bristles by fusing or gluing to a body
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B3/00—Brushes characterised by the way in which the bristles are fixed or joined in or on the brush body or carrier
- A46B3/06—Brushes characterised by the way in which the bristles are fixed or joined in or on the brush body or carrier by welding together bristles made of metal wires or plastic materials
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46B—BRUSHES
- A46B9/00—Arrangements of the bristles in the brush body
- A46B9/02—Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A46—BRUSHWARE
- A46D—MANUFACTURE OF BRUSHES
- A46D1/00—Bristles; Selection of materials for bristles
- A46D1/08—Preparing uniform tufts of bristles
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
- Brushes (AREA)
- Spinning Methods And Devices For Manufacturing Artificial Fibers (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
This invention relates to brush making apparatus which allows the manufacture of a wide variety of brush constructions having flared tufts. The apparatus is capable of picking, trim-ming, and assembling all the synthetic filament tufts required in a tufted brush construction simultaneously, and fusing the tufts at different angles one from another onto a substrate.
The apparatus includes a filament stock box for dispensing cut-to-length synthetic filament, a new and improved picking element containing movable means for changing the parallel attitude of at least two adjacent picker tubes, melting means for fusing one end of the synthetic filament, and mounting means for attaching fused filament ends onto a substrate.
This invention relates to brush making apparatus which allows the manufacture of a wide variety of brush constructions having flared tufts. The apparatus is capable of picking, trim-ming, and assembling all the synthetic filament tufts required in a tufted brush construction simultaneously, and fusing the tufts at different angles one from another onto a substrate.
The apparatus includes a filament stock box for dispensing cut-to-length synthetic filament, a new and improved picking element containing movable means for changing the parallel attitude of at least two adjacent picker tubes, melting means for fusing one end of the synthetic filament, and mounting means for attaching fused filament ends onto a substrate.
Description
10752l~7 This invention relates to new and useful brush ma~ing machinery for continuously fabricating synthetic filament con-structions. The apparatus is particularly adapted to form a wide variety of filament constructions wherein the ends of the fila-ments are fused and supported before they cool, so that the cooled, prefused ends connect the filament unit and support or hold the filament unit onto the support in a non-parallel atti-tude whereby at least two separate tufts extend from the support at an angle to each other.
The ~rush industry and the brushmaking art during the past fifty years has remained, for the most part, unchanged.
Major changes have come about in the raw materials employed (i.e., synthetic filaments replacing vegetable fibers, molded thermo-plastic handles replacing wooden handles, and the like), but little or no change has taken place in the forming of tufts and/-or the tufting of multi-tufted constructions.
With the economic changes taking place during the 1970's and the dependence on oil and oil derivatives (i.e., plastic resins used for synthetic filaments and molded brush blocks), coupled with increasing costs for energy and these raw materials, there comes a need to find new ways to construct tufted synthetic brushes and filament constructions so that raw material can be conserved and fabrication will utilize less energy.
Picking devices for fabricating tufted constructions from synthetic filaments are described in my United States Patents 3,471,202 (now U.S. Reissue 27,455), 3,799,616, 3,910,637, 4,009,910, and my Canadian patents 885,893, 886,467 and 1,016,575 among others. However, the improved devices of the instant in-vention while similar in construction have the additional capa-bility of allowing one to pic~ and trim angled (flared) tufts and constructions wherein filament conservation and utility are achieved.
For example, conventional tufted brushe~ comprise at least three raw materials: one, the handle; two, filament with a length more than twice the finished tuft length out of the handle; and three, a wire staple. Handle thicknesses of at least three-six tenths inches must be employed to accommodate drilled holes in order that the stapled tuft (held by wire staples) can be supported in the handle. The brush construction of this in-vention, in contrast, can comprise a handle with a thickness only in the range of forty thousandths of an inch with filament attached thereto, both constructed preferably from polypropylene.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that a wide variety of different filament constructions, in addition to ordinary household brushes, may be made utilizing the machinery of this invention to be hereinafter described.
For example, the machinery of this invention may be adapted to form tufted constructions wherein the prefused tuft end is mounted on a heat-softened depression on a sheet or handle of the filamentary material.
Additional tuf~ed constructions also may be formed where-in the prefused tuft end is mounted on a small diameter rod, or on a woven and nonwoven mesh. The rod or mesh may be wire, cell-ulose or plastic material, which is embedded in the prefused tuft end before the end cools.
Finally, the tuft may be picked by or inserted into a sheet support exposing both the working and non-working ends of the tuft. The non-working end then may be heat-sealed to retain the tuft in the support.
Related methods and apparatus are described in my U.S.
Patents 3,774,782, 3,471,202 (U.S. Reissue 27,455), 3,596,999, 3,604,043, 3,633,974, 3,798,699, 3,799,616, 3,910,637, and 4,009,910, and my Canadian Patents 885,893, 886,467, 912,228, and 1,0l61575. Reference may be made to these related patents for additional information regarding the manufacture of synthetic tufted brush constructions.
It is an object of this invention to provide new and use-ful brush making machinery adaptable for use in forming multiple fiber tufts, complete brush or tufted components simultaneously formed, and continuous modular brush or tufted constructions.
A feature of this invention is the provision of a machine which will simultaneously pick fiber tufts, assemble the tufts in a predetermined pattern while imparting a flare to them, and form an integral fiber tuft support modular tufted construction.
One aspect of this invention is the provision of a brush machine wherein the picking unit comprises movable picking tube supports, which include means for changing the attitude of the picking supports during tufting.
Another aspect of this invention is the provision of a machine for forming tufted constructions which includes means for heat-sealing the fiber tufts integral with a support.
A further feature of the invention is the provision of a machine for making flared tufted constructions which assembles cut-to-length thermoplastic fibers into fiber tufts, each of the tufts having a prefused end for mounting and a working end which does not require trimming.
~ n accordance with this invention, an-apparatus for making tufted constructions comprises a stock box for sup~orting parallel cut-to-length synthetic filaments, means~or picking a plurality of the filaments to form a plurality of tufts thereof, and means for heat sealing and fusing the non-working ends of the tufts. The apparatus includes means for supporting the tufts in a mutually spaced relationship while the ends of the tufts simul-taneously are individually heat fused. Means are provided for subsequently orienting the tufts so that the fused ends converge towards each other. The oriented tufts then are simultaneously mounted on a synthetic support to form a tufted construction wherein the working ends of the tufts diverge from each other.
The invention now will be described in further detail by reference to the description of exemplary embodiments and the associated drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a side view of a tuft-forming picker of this inven-tion;
Figure 2 is a front sectional view of a tuft-forming picker, taken along line A-A of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line ~-B of Figure ~;
Figure 4 is a side view of the tuft-forming picker of Figure 1, showing it at an angled attitude prior to forming the angled tuft-construction;
Figure 5 is a longitudinal view of the tuft-forming picker of Figure 1, prior to its indexing into a filament stock box;
Figure 6 is a longitudinal view of the tuft-forming picker of Figure 5, as indexed into a filament stock box;
Figure 7 is a longitudinal view of the tuft-forming picker of - Figure 6, as withdrawn from a filament stock box with the picking tube support and trim ends in a closed attitude and filament ends ; fused against a melter block;
Figure 8 is a longitudinal view of the tuft-forming picker of Figure 7, in the angled fusing attitude;
Figure 9 is a side view of a tufted article made in accordance with this invention;
Figure 10 is a longitudinal view in partial section of a picking means for tufting an entire brush in accordance with this inven-tion;
Figure 11 is a frontal view, with portions broken away, of the picking means, taken along line C-C of Figure 10;
Figure 12 is a longitudinal view of the picking means of Figure 10, with picked filament ends melted and fused to a brush body;
Figure 13 is a longitudinal view in partial section of a tufted flared counter duster brush made in accordance with this inven-tion; and Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line ~-D of Figure 13.
In order to describe this invention more fully, reference now is made to specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings.
The invention is directed to houseware brush articles and the like wherein tufted synthetic filament is attached directly to a substrate at different angles employing a tuft-forming picker in such a manner that tufts are simultaneously pickea in parallel attitudes, simultaneously heat-sealed for mounting, simultane-ously angled and mounted onto a support, thus forming a complete angle-tufted construction in the same time required by a conven-tional brush machine to pick and staple-set one fiber tuft. This new and novel way of picking angled filament tufts is achieved by employing longitudinal, generally tubular pickers having a pre-selected cross-sectional configuration, and in a preferred embo-diment, a series of picker tubes mounted to more than one movable picker tube support means. The tuft-forming picker means of this invention is shown in Figure 1.
5 _ ~,o7s287 The specific tuft-forming picker 16 of Figure 1 is shaped as a circular picker, in cross-section. Alternative, cross-sectional shapes, i.e., oval, square, rectangular, triangular and the like, are all possible, and are also intended to be included within the scope of this invention.
The tuft-forming picking means of Figure 1 has picker tubes 16 and 16' mounted within separate picker tube supports 13 and 13'. In each picker tube 16 and 16', there are contained slidable trim end elements 17, which act as pistons to index cut-to-length filament, when contained in picker tubes 16 and 16', thus trimming and allowing the extended filament ends to fuse when contact is made with a melting means. Each movable picker tube support 13 and 13' is attached to a plate 12 and ~2', res-pectively, by means of springs 15 and mount pins 14. In turn, each plate 12 and 12' is attached to a hinge 11 and one portion of hinge 11 is attached permanently to picker means mount 10.
Cam follower 18 is attached to support 12 by means of pin 18' and serve~ to index the lower picker plate mount 12 upward, thus changing the parallel relationship of pickers 16 and 16' to an angular attitude.
Figure 2 illustrates the front view of Figure 1 taken in the direction of A-A of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is in cross-section, taken along line B-B of Figure 2. Hinge 11 is attached to mount 10 by screw attachment 11' .
Figure 4 illustrates the closing of tube supports 13 and 13' by indexi~g picker device support 10 into cam closure means 19 in the direction of H, causing the end of picker tube 16' to converge toward the end of tube 16 in direction I.
The picking and tufting of angular (flared) tufts now will be described. The picking device illustrated in Figure 5 is indexed in direction J, causing picker tubes 43 and 43' to pass through the front of stock box 46 and filament retaining gasket 47 to engage cut-to-length filaments 48. As this sequence takes place, tube supports 42 and 41 remain open, held by springs 45 so that sliding trim pins 44 may be displaced toward the hinge 40 and support 41. The parallel relationship of picker tubes 43 and 43' is maintained during picking. In Figure 6, the trim pin ele-ment 44 is shown pushed back into support 41 allowing filaments 48 to fill the picker tubes 43 and 43' whereby the filament is contained entirely within the picker tube and abuts trim pin ele-ment 44. After picking is complete, the filled picker device is indexed in direction K, withdrawing the tubes from the stock box.
In order to allow filament ends 48 to become fused, the picking device of Figure 7 is indexed in direction L and closed in direction M. The picker tube support 42, with picker tube 43, then contacts support 41, causing filament ends 48' to emerge from the picker tube 43 and contact melter block surface 49.
Block 49 is heated by cartridge heaters 50. During the fusing of filament ends 48', the parallel relationship of picker tubes 43 and 43' ia maintained. After fusing the picking device is with-drawn from the fusing block 49, and indexed in direction N.
While indexing in direction N, the picker tube supports 42 are allowed to change attitude by moving hinge 40, thus causing picker tubes 43 and 43' to come together, and fused filament ends 48" to meet. As the picker tubes 43 and 43' close one toward the other in direction O, the fused portion is contacted with tuft support 51 causing the filament to be attached to tuft support 51 by fused portion 48".
Figure 9 illustrates the angle-tufted support 51 with 1075Z8~7 tufts 52 attached to support 51 by fused filament ends 48", whereby an angle P exists between the two non-parallel tufts.
In order to better illustrate the invention, attention is now directed to the manufacture of a tufted counter duster brush, illustrated in Figures 10 to 14.
The picker device of Figures 10 and 11 is mounted on mount 60 having five rows of picking tubes, 63, 63', 63", 63"' and 63"", all attached to fixed supports 62, 62', 62", 62"', and 62"". The pickers in this embodiment each have a stationary trim 10 end pin 64 located at the base of each tube for trimming the fil-aments 80, and automatically allowing a given amount of filament 80' to extend from the picker tube. Each tube support 62 is attached one to the other by means of hinges 65 and screws 66.
Of the five rows of picker tubes, only picker tube support 62" is attached to stationary picker device 60 by means of bar 61 and screw 67. Fastening screw 68 holds bar 61 to the picker support 60. Cam followers 71 are attached to picker supports 62 and 62""
by pins 72, and the picking tube supports are held in parallel alignment by springs 69 attached between pins 72 and pins 70 20 located on support 60.
With attention to Figure 12, after picking ~ilaments 80, and fusing the ends 80' of filaments 80 into fused ends 80", as above described, the picking device 60 is indexed in direction Q
into cam closing means 73, whereby cam followers 71 cause picker tube supports 62, 62', 62"' and 62""to change attitude, thus the distal portions of tubes 63, 63', 63"' and 63"" converge in directian R-R' for fusing filament ends 80" to brush body 81 held in holder 74.
When picking device 60 is indexed away from brush body 74 30 in opposite direction o Q, a completely angle-tufbed counter duster 10'75~87 brush 82 results with angled tufts 83 as shown in Figure 13.
Figure 14 illustrates the flare imparted to the tufts 83.
The tufts 83 are angled S, S', S" and S"' and are supported at fused portion 80' onto handle 81. The distance Y across the base of the tufts is significantly different than the distance X
across the working ends of tufts 83.
The tuft-forming pickers of this invention as hereinabove described can be constructed from any conventional metal elements or thermoplastic materials such as polypropylene polyacetal, polyamide and the like. The angle-tuft-forming pickers are not limited to any given size, internal diameter or dimension, or internal cross-sectional configuration, Picking devices of all angular configurations can be fabricated using apparatus of this invention.
It has been found that the angle-tuft-forming picker of this invention will pick tufts from assembled parallel cut-to-length synthetic filament having any cross-sectional configura-tion, such as circular, X-shaped, star-shaped, hollow and the like. The diameter of the filament picked ranges from .005 inches to at least 0.250 inches. The length of the cut-to-length can range from about 0.5 up to 30 inches. The composition of the ; synthetic filament picked and assembled into filament tufts is not limited, and thermoplastic filaments whether oriented or un-oriented can be used to form tufts in accordance with this inven-tion. Polymers such as polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, copolymers from polypropylene and ethylene, polyfluoride, and the like may be employed.
The ~rush industry and the brushmaking art during the past fifty years has remained, for the most part, unchanged.
Major changes have come about in the raw materials employed (i.e., synthetic filaments replacing vegetable fibers, molded thermo-plastic handles replacing wooden handles, and the like), but little or no change has taken place in the forming of tufts and/-or the tufting of multi-tufted constructions.
With the economic changes taking place during the 1970's and the dependence on oil and oil derivatives (i.e., plastic resins used for synthetic filaments and molded brush blocks), coupled with increasing costs for energy and these raw materials, there comes a need to find new ways to construct tufted synthetic brushes and filament constructions so that raw material can be conserved and fabrication will utilize less energy.
Picking devices for fabricating tufted constructions from synthetic filaments are described in my United States Patents 3,471,202 (now U.S. Reissue 27,455), 3,799,616, 3,910,637, 4,009,910, and my Canadian patents 885,893, 886,467 and 1,016,575 among others. However, the improved devices of the instant in-vention while similar in construction have the additional capa-bility of allowing one to pic~ and trim angled (flared) tufts and constructions wherein filament conservation and utility are achieved.
For example, conventional tufted brushe~ comprise at least three raw materials: one, the handle; two, filament with a length more than twice the finished tuft length out of the handle; and three, a wire staple. Handle thicknesses of at least three-six tenths inches must be employed to accommodate drilled holes in order that the stapled tuft (held by wire staples) can be supported in the handle. The brush construction of this in-vention, in contrast, can comprise a handle with a thickness only in the range of forty thousandths of an inch with filament attached thereto, both constructed preferably from polypropylene.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that a wide variety of different filament constructions, in addition to ordinary household brushes, may be made utilizing the machinery of this invention to be hereinafter described.
For example, the machinery of this invention may be adapted to form tufted constructions wherein the prefused tuft end is mounted on a heat-softened depression on a sheet or handle of the filamentary material.
Additional tuf~ed constructions also may be formed where-in the prefused tuft end is mounted on a small diameter rod, or on a woven and nonwoven mesh. The rod or mesh may be wire, cell-ulose or plastic material, which is embedded in the prefused tuft end before the end cools.
Finally, the tuft may be picked by or inserted into a sheet support exposing both the working and non-working ends of the tuft. The non-working end then may be heat-sealed to retain the tuft in the support.
Related methods and apparatus are described in my U.S.
Patents 3,774,782, 3,471,202 (U.S. Reissue 27,455), 3,596,999, 3,604,043, 3,633,974, 3,798,699, 3,799,616, 3,910,637, and 4,009,910, and my Canadian Patents 885,893, 886,467, 912,228, and 1,0l61575. Reference may be made to these related patents for additional information regarding the manufacture of synthetic tufted brush constructions.
It is an object of this invention to provide new and use-ful brush making machinery adaptable for use in forming multiple fiber tufts, complete brush or tufted components simultaneously formed, and continuous modular brush or tufted constructions.
A feature of this invention is the provision of a machine which will simultaneously pick fiber tufts, assemble the tufts in a predetermined pattern while imparting a flare to them, and form an integral fiber tuft support modular tufted construction.
One aspect of this invention is the provision of a brush machine wherein the picking unit comprises movable picking tube supports, which include means for changing the attitude of the picking supports during tufting.
Another aspect of this invention is the provision of a machine for forming tufted constructions which includes means for heat-sealing the fiber tufts integral with a support.
A further feature of the invention is the provision of a machine for making flared tufted constructions which assembles cut-to-length thermoplastic fibers into fiber tufts, each of the tufts having a prefused end for mounting and a working end which does not require trimming.
~ n accordance with this invention, an-apparatus for making tufted constructions comprises a stock box for sup~orting parallel cut-to-length synthetic filaments, means~or picking a plurality of the filaments to form a plurality of tufts thereof, and means for heat sealing and fusing the non-working ends of the tufts. The apparatus includes means for supporting the tufts in a mutually spaced relationship while the ends of the tufts simul-taneously are individually heat fused. Means are provided for subsequently orienting the tufts so that the fused ends converge towards each other. The oriented tufts then are simultaneously mounted on a synthetic support to form a tufted construction wherein the working ends of the tufts diverge from each other.
The invention now will be described in further detail by reference to the description of exemplary embodiments and the associated drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a side view of a tuft-forming picker of this inven-tion;
Figure 2 is a front sectional view of a tuft-forming picker, taken along line A-A of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line ~-B of Figure ~;
Figure 4 is a side view of the tuft-forming picker of Figure 1, showing it at an angled attitude prior to forming the angled tuft-construction;
Figure 5 is a longitudinal view of the tuft-forming picker of Figure 1, prior to its indexing into a filament stock box;
Figure 6 is a longitudinal view of the tuft-forming picker of Figure 5, as indexed into a filament stock box;
Figure 7 is a longitudinal view of the tuft-forming picker of - Figure 6, as withdrawn from a filament stock box with the picking tube support and trim ends in a closed attitude and filament ends ; fused against a melter block;
Figure 8 is a longitudinal view of the tuft-forming picker of Figure 7, in the angled fusing attitude;
Figure 9 is a side view of a tufted article made in accordance with this invention;
Figure 10 is a longitudinal view in partial section of a picking means for tufting an entire brush in accordance with this inven-tion;
Figure 11 is a frontal view, with portions broken away, of the picking means, taken along line C-C of Figure 10;
Figure 12 is a longitudinal view of the picking means of Figure 10, with picked filament ends melted and fused to a brush body;
Figure 13 is a longitudinal view in partial section of a tufted flared counter duster brush made in accordance with this inven-tion; and Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line ~-D of Figure 13.
In order to describe this invention more fully, reference now is made to specific embodiments illustrated in the drawings.
The invention is directed to houseware brush articles and the like wherein tufted synthetic filament is attached directly to a substrate at different angles employing a tuft-forming picker in such a manner that tufts are simultaneously pickea in parallel attitudes, simultaneously heat-sealed for mounting, simultane-ously angled and mounted onto a support, thus forming a complete angle-tufted construction in the same time required by a conven-tional brush machine to pick and staple-set one fiber tuft. This new and novel way of picking angled filament tufts is achieved by employing longitudinal, generally tubular pickers having a pre-selected cross-sectional configuration, and in a preferred embo-diment, a series of picker tubes mounted to more than one movable picker tube support means. The tuft-forming picker means of this invention is shown in Figure 1.
5 _ ~,o7s287 The specific tuft-forming picker 16 of Figure 1 is shaped as a circular picker, in cross-section. Alternative, cross-sectional shapes, i.e., oval, square, rectangular, triangular and the like, are all possible, and are also intended to be included within the scope of this invention.
The tuft-forming picking means of Figure 1 has picker tubes 16 and 16' mounted within separate picker tube supports 13 and 13'. In each picker tube 16 and 16', there are contained slidable trim end elements 17, which act as pistons to index cut-to-length filament, when contained in picker tubes 16 and 16', thus trimming and allowing the extended filament ends to fuse when contact is made with a melting means. Each movable picker tube support 13 and 13' is attached to a plate 12 and ~2', res-pectively, by means of springs 15 and mount pins 14. In turn, each plate 12 and 12' is attached to a hinge 11 and one portion of hinge 11 is attached permanently to picker means mount 10.
Cam follower 18 is attached to support 12 by means of pin 18' and serve~ to index the lower picker plate mount 12 upward, thus changing the parallel relationship of pickers 16 and 16' to an angular attitude.
Figure 2 illustrates the front view of Figure 1 taken in the direction of A-A of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is in cross-section, taken along line B-B of Figure 2. Hinge 11 is attached to mount 10 by screw attachment 11' .
Figure 4 illustrates the closing of tube supports 13 and 13' by indexi~g picker device support 10 into cam closure means 19 in the direction of H, causing the end of picker tube 16' to converge toward the end of tube 16 in direction I.
The picking and tufting of angular (flared) tufts now will be described. The picking device illustrated in Figure 5 is indexed in direction J, causing picker tubes 43 and 43' to pass through the front of stock box 46 and filament retaining gasket 47 to engage cut-to-length filaments 48. As this sequence takes place, tube supports 42 and 41 remain open, held by springs 45 so that sliding trim pins 44 may be displaced toward the hinge 40 and support 41. The parallel relationship of picker tubes 43 and 43' is maintained during picking. In Figure 6, the trim pin ele-ment 44 is shown pushed back into support 41 allowing filaments 48 to fill the picker tubes 43 and 43' whereby the filament is contained entirely within the picker tube and abuts trim pin ele-ment 44. After picking is complete, the filled picker device is indexed in direction K, withdrawing the tubes from the stock box.
In order to allow filament ends 48 to become fused, the picking device of Figure 7 is indexed in direction L and closed in direction M. The picker tube support 42, with picker tube 43, then contacts support 41, causing filament ends 48' to emerge from the picker tube 43 and contact melter block surface 49.
Block 49 is heated by cartridge heaters 50. During the fusing of filament ends 48', the parallel relationship of picker tubes 43 and 43' ia maintained. After fusing the picking device is with-drawn from the fusing block 49, and indexed in direction N.
While indexing in direction N, the picker tube supports 42 are allowed to change attitude by moving hinge 40, thus causing picker tubes 43 and 43' to come together, and fused filament ends 48" to meet. As the picker tubes 43 and 43' close one toward the other in direction O, the fused portion is contacted with tuft support 51 causing the filament to be attached to tuft support 51 by fused portion 48".
Figure 9 illustrates the angle-tufted support 51 with 1075Z8~7 tufts 52 attached to support 51 by fused filament ends 48", whereby an angle P exists between the two non-parallel tufts.
In order to better illustrate the invention, attention is now directed to the manufacture of a tufted counter duster brush, illustrated in Figures 10 to 14.
The picker device of Figures 10 and 11 is mounted on mount 60 having five rows of picking tubes, 63, 63', 63", 63"' and 63"", all attached to fixed supports 62, 62', 62", 62"', and 62"". The pickers in this embodiment each have a stationary trim 10 end pin 64 located at the base of each tube for trimming the fil-aments 80, and automatically allowing a given amount of filament 80' to extend from the picker tube. Each tube support 62 is attached one to the other by means of hinges 65 and screws 66.
Of the five rows of picker tubes, only picker tube support 62" is attached to stationary picker device 60 by means of bar 61 and screw 67. Fastening screw 68 holds bar 61 to the picker support 60. Cam followers 71 are attached to picker supports 62 and 62""
by pins 72, and the picking tube supports are held in parallel alignment by springs 69 attached between pins 72 and pins 70 20 located on support 60.
With attention to Figure 12, after picking ~ilaments 80, and fusing the ends 80' of filaments 80 into fused ends 80", as above described, the picking device 60 is indexed in direction Q
into cam closing means 73, whereby cam followers 71 cause picker tube supports 62, 62', 62"' and 62""to change attitude, thus the distal portions of tubes 63, 63', 63"' and 63"" converge in directian R-R' for fusing filament ends 80" to brush body 81 held in holder 74.
When picking device 60 is indexed away from brush body 74 30 in opposite direction o Q, a completely angle-tufbed counter duster 10'75~87 brush 82 results with angled tufts 83 as shown in Figure 13.
Figure 14 illustrates the flare imparted to the tufts 83.
The tufts 83 are angled S, S', S" and S"' and are supported at fused portion 80' onto handle 81. The distance Y across the base of the tufts is significantly different than the distance X
across the working ends of tufts 83.
The tuft-forming pickers of this invention as hereinabove described can be constructed from any conventional metal elements or thermoplastic materials such as polypropylene polyacetal, polyamide and the like. The angle-tuft-forming pickers are not limited to any given size, internal diameter or dimension, or internal cross-sectional configuration, Picking devices of all angular configurations can be fabricated using apparatus of this invention.
It has been found that the angle-tuft-forming picker of this invention will pick tufts from assembled parallel cut-to-length synthetic filament having any cross-sectional configura-tion, such as circular, X-shaped, star-shaped, hollow and the like. The diameter of the filament picked ranges from .005 inches to at least 0.250 inches. The length of the cut-to-length can range from about 0.5 up to 30 inches. The composition of the ; synthetic filament picked and assembled into filament tufts is not limited, and thermoplastic filaments whether oriented or un-oriented can be used to form tufts in accordance with this inven-tion. Polymers such as polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, copolymers from polypropylene and ethylene, polyfluoride, and the like may be employed.
Claims (7)
1. Apparatus for making tufted constructions, which apparatus comprises a stock box for supporting parallel cut-to-length synthetic filaments, means for picking a plurality of said filaments to form a plurality of tufts thereof and means for heat sealing and fusing the non-working ends of said tufts, said appa-ratus including means for supporting said tufts in a mutually spaced relationship while the ends of said tufts simultaneously are individually heat fused, means for subsequently orienting said tufts so that said fused ends converge towards each other, and means for mounting said oriented tufts simultaneously on a synthetic support to form a tufted construction wherein the work-ing ends of said tufts diverge from each other.
2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said tufts are supported in a parallel spaced relationship while said ends are fused.
3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for orienting said tufts comprises means for moving said tufts into rows of parallel, spaced-apart tufts whose fused ends con-verge toward a central row of tufts.
4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, including cam means and cam follower means carried by said orienting means which orients the rows of tufts as said follower is displaced relative to said cam in a first direction.
5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein each of said tufts is picked from said stock box by hollow cylindrical pickers, each of said pickers being normally supported in parallel, mutually-spaced rows, and wherein said apparatus includes support means mounting said pickers and said follower means.
6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, in which said sup-port means comprises a plurality of segments, each segment mount-ing a row of pickers, hinge means interconnecting adjacent seg-ments for rotating said segments and the pickers supported there-on into a converging orientation responsive to displacement of said follower relative to said cam in said first direction.
7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, in which said sup-port means includes bias means connecting each of said segments to the apparatus for normally urging said segments and the pick-ers supported thereon into a parallel orientation responsive to displacement of said follower relative to said cam in a direction opposite to said first direction.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US05/757,564 US4109965A (en) | 1975-10-10 | 1977-01-07 | Picking device |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1075287A true CA1075287A (en) | 1980-04-08 |
Family
ID=25048316
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA283,369A Expired CA1075287A (en) | 1977-01-07 | 1977-07-22 | Picking device |
Country Status (4)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1075287A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE2800146C3 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB1562550A (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA774341B (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2139483B (en) * | 1983-01-20 | 1985-06-05 | Tucel Industries | Tufted constructions |
| DE3506548A1 (en) * | 1985-02-25 | 1986-08-28 | Henkel KGaA, 4000 Düsseldorf | BRUSH FOR APPLICATING HAIR COLORING AGENTS |
| DE3712962C2 (en) * | 1987-04-16 | 1996-08-14 | Coronet Werke Gmbh | Process for the production of bristle goods |
| DE4027288C2 (en) * | 1990-08-29 | 2001-08-09 | Coronet Werke Gmbh | Device for producing bristle bundles and method for producing bristle goods by means of the device |
-
1977
- 1977-07-19 ZA ZA00774341A patent/ZA774341B/en unknown
- 1977-07-22 CA CA283,369A patent/CA1075287A/en not_active Expired
- 1977-12-28 GB GB53998/77A patent/GB1562550A/en not_active Expired
-
1978
- 1978-01-03 DE DE2800146A patent/DE2800146C3/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE2800146B2 (en) | 1979-08-23 |
| DE2800146C3 (en) | 1980-04-17 |
| DE2800146A1 (en) | 1978-07-27 |
| GB1562550A (en) | 1980-03-12 |
| ZA774341B (en) | 1979-06-27 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |