EP1493858A2

EP1493858A2 - Method and apparatus for sizing the warp

Info

Publication number: EP1493858A2
Application number: EP04014938A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Akira Takata; Kenichiro Aiki
Original assignee: Tsudakoma Industrial Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tsudakoma Corp
Priority date: 2003-07-04
Filing date: 2004-06-25
Publication date: 2005-01-05
Also published as: JP2005029925A; EP1493858A3

Abstract

A warp sizing method performs pretreatment to adhere the pretreatment liquid (36) to a plurality of warps (12) arranged in a sheet-like form and squeeze, and divides the pretreated plural warps (12) into a plurality of warp groups (38, 40) to adhere a sizing liquid (42) to each of the divided warp groups (38, 40). A dividing treatment includes bringing the warps (12) of the warp group (38, 40) to be divided into contact with a guide roller (80, 82) of each warp group (38, 40). A pretreatment liquid (36) contains a sizing liquid (42) having the same or less size concentration as or than that of the sizing liquid (42) to be used in the sizing treatment or water.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for sizing the warp, in which a plurality of warps pretreated by using a sizing treatment device are divided into a plurality of warp groups to be sized.

Description of Prior Art

As one of methods and apparatus for sizing the warp, there is known a technique for performing pretreatment in which a plurality of warps arranged in a sheet-like form, so-called warp sheet, are subjected to adhesion of a high-temperature preparation liquid (sizing liquid for pretreatment or water) in a pretreatment device and squeezed, and then a sizing liquid is adhered to the pretreated plural warps in a sizing treatment device (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In the former conventional art, a sizing liquid with the same size concentration as that of the sizing liquid of the sizing treatment device as the pretreatment liquid is used, the warps are dipped in the pretreatment liquid in the pretreatment device, the pretreatment liquid infiltrates into the fibers of the warp, and impurities such as cotton wax and the like which are contained in the warps and prevents adhesion of the size enter the pretreatment liquid. Thereafter, when the pretreatment liquid is squeezed out, the impurities such as the cotton wax are squeezed out of the warps together with the pretreatment liquid, and enter the pretreatment liquid in a pretreatment liquid tank of the pretreatment device. Since, for this reason, the pretreatment liquid contains a lot of impurities, in the foregoing conventional apparatus, if the warps to which impurities and pretreatment liquid are adhered are dipped in a sizing liquid in a sizing treatment device on a subsequent stage to size the warps, part of the pretreatment liquid containing the impurities stuck to the warps is separated from the warps and mixed into the sizing liquid.

As a result, the sizing liquid in the sizing treatment device is rapidly contaminated by the impurities to be carried by the warps together with the pretreatment liquid, so that the pretreated warps are sized by the contaminated sizing liquid containing the impurities.

Also, if a pretreatment liquid with a concentration lower than the sizing liquid for sizing treatment or, as in the latter conventional art, if a high-temperature water containing no sizing material is used for the pretreatment, the sizing liquid of the sizing treatment device on the subsequent stage is not only contaminated by the impurities, but also the size concentration in the sizing treatment device is rapidly lowered by the pretreatment liquid carried by the warps, so that the size concentration in the sizing treatment device becomes more difficult to control, thereby making it difficult to maintain an adhering rate of the size to be adhered to the warps at a predetermined value.

In any case, since the warps are moved in a state of being arranged at a high density in the pretreatment device, they are to be sized at small intervals between adjoining warps. As a result, it is not possible to size the pretreated warps sufficiently and homogenously.

Also, the warps are dried with insufficient intervals between the warps, it is not only impossible to raise drying efficiency but also the warps interfere with each other and adhere to each other because of the size to generate fluffs at the time of separating the adhered warps and expose the fluffs which were bound. Adhesion of the warps and increase of fluffs cause failure in shedding of the loom to spoil weaving property.

On the other hand, it is also considered that two processing machines each including a pretreatment device and a sizing treatment device are provided, and size a plurality of warps by dividing them into two warp sheets. In this case, generally, adjoining warps from a yarn feeding device are divided into one and the other warp sheets. Also, each pretreatment device sandwiches the warps of the warp sheet between a dip roller and a squeeze roller to squeeze, and the pretreatment liquid is accumulated between the warps in a gap between the rollers.

However, if every warp sheet is pretreated and sized, since there is a few warps to be squeezed in each pretreatment device, the interval between adjoining warps are widened, and as a result, much pretreatment liquid accumulates between warps on the outer periphery of the rollers, and the pretreatment liquid is carried by the warps to the sizing treatment device.

Consequently, even by the conventional art for sizing the warps by dividing them into two warp sheets, the sizing liquid of the sizing treatment device is rapidly contaminated and it is not possible to avoid rapid lowering of the concentration within the sizing liquid treatment device, as a result of which the size concentration becomes difficult to control and the impurities stick to the warps.

[Patent Document 1] Patent Appln. PD No. 2003-129369

[Patent Document 2] Patent Appln. PD No. 2002-242070

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to make it hard for a pretreatment liquid of a pretreatment device to be mixed into a sizing liquid of a sizing treatment device on a subsequent stage.

A sizing method according to the present invention comprises: performing a pretreatment to adhere a pretreatment liquid to a plurality of warps arranged in a sheet-like form and squeeze; performing a dividing treatment to divide the plurality of pretreated warps into a plurality of warp groups; and performing a sizing treatment to adhere a sizing liquid to each divided warp group.

A first sizing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a pretreatment device for adhering a pretreatment liquid to a plurality of warps and squeezing; a pretreated warp dividing device disposed on the downstream side of the pretreatment device in a moving direction of the warps so as to divide a plurality of warps pretreated by the pretreatment device into a plurality of warp groups; and a plurality of sizing treatment devices disposed on the downstream side of the pretreated warp dividing device in the moving direction so as to adhere the sizing liquid to each of the warp groups as divided.

A second sizing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a yarn feeding-side warp dividing device for dividing a plurality of warps, from a yarn feeding device, arranged in a sheet-like form into a plurality of warp groups; a plurality of processing machines disposed on the downstream side of the yarn feeding-side warp dividing device in the moving direction of the warps, in which each of the processing machines has pretreatment device for adhering a pretreatment liquid to the warps and squeezing; and a sizing treatment device disposed on the downstream side of the pretreatment device in the moving direction for adhering a sizing liquid to the warps passed through the pretreatment device; and a pretreated warp dividing device disposed between the pretreatment device and the sizing treatment device of the processing machine located on the most upstream side in the moving direction, among the plural processing machines, so as to divide the warps pretreated by the pretreatment device of the processing machine into a plurality of warp groups to be individually sized in the sizing treatment devices of the plural processing machine.

In the present invention, a plurality of warps are divided into a plurality of warp groups after pretreatment and sized per warp group by a sizing liquid.

According to the present invention, therefore, since the number of warps to be pretreated is more than a case of pretreating each warp group by dividing the warps from the yarn feeding device into a plurality of warp groups, the interval between adjoining warps is narrow in pretreatment, and the amount of the pretreatment liquid accumulating between the adjoining warps in the gap between rollers becomes less, so that the amount of the pretreatment liquid to be carried by the warps to the sizing liquid of the sizing treatment device becomes smaller.

As a result, even when using a liquid (sizing liquid) lower in size concentration of the sizing apparatus as a pretreated liquid, or when using water, diluting of the sizing liquid of the sizing treatment device is retarded, thereby facilitating control of the size concentration, so that it is easy to maintain the warps at a predetermined size adhesion rate.

Also, while the impurities stuck to the warps are in the pretreatment liquid, there is a little pretreatment liquid carried by adhering to the warps in the sizing treatment device, so that rapid contamination due to the impurities in the sizing liquid can be suppressed.

Further, since the warp density in each divided warp group is small, in a sizing treatment, the warps can be sized with a broad interval between warps, and it is possible to perform sufficient and homogenous sizing.

The method and apparatus according to this invention can comprise subjecting each warp group separately to drying treatment after a plurality of warps are subjected to sizing treatment per warp group. Thus, the warps can be dried with the intervals between the warps kept wide, so that efficiency in drying is raised, that interference between the warps can be suppressed, and that a shedding failure of the loom due to adhesion of the warps, generation of fluffs due to separating of the adhered warps, or shedding failure of the loom due to exposure of fluffs bound by the adhesive can be suppressed as well.

The dividing treatment can include bringing the warps of the warp groups to be divided into contact with a guide roller of each warp group.

The pretreatment liquid can include a sizing liquid having the same size concentration as or less than the size concentration of the sizing liquid to be used in sizing treatment or water. However, if a sizing liquid having the same size concentration as that of the sizing liquid of the sizing treatment device is used as the pretreatment liquid, the pretreatment liquid is carried to the sizing liquid of the sizing treatment device by the warps, but the sizing liquid of the sizing treatment device is not diluted.

The pretreatment warp dividing apparatus may have a plurality of guide rollers disposed in correspondence with the sizing treatment device individually and in contact with the corresponding warp groups, and further, may have a first and a second guide rollers arranged above and below so as to guide one of the divided warp groups to pass to the underside of the sizing treatment device located on the upstream side.

According to the second sizing apparatus, it is possible to divide the plural warps into a plurality of warp groups by the pretreatment warp dividing device as already mentioned and pass one warp group through the sizing treatment device located on the upstream side among the plural sizing treatment devices, and to pass the remaining one of the warp groups through the corresponding sizing treatment device to size, and to divide into a plurality of warp sheets by a yarn feeding side warp dividing device and pass each warp group of the warp sheets through the processing machine to size.

In case of the former, it is possible to make the pretreatment device located on the downstream side either inoperable or operable.

As a result, according to the second sizing apparatus, it is further possible to properly choose a channel of a plurality of warps according to the number, thickness, kinds and the like of the warps to be sized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schematic front elevation of the sizing apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the major portion of the sizing apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing another example of use of the sizing apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing yet another example of use of the sizing apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing still another example of use of the sizing apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the sizing apparatus 10 is used as a take-up device for taking the warps 12 around a take-up beam after the plural warps 12 to be treated are pretreated, sized and dried. Each roll described later extends in the direction of the warp sheet width and has a length longer than the width dimension of the warp sheet 34.

The sizing apparatus 10 comprises: a first and a

second pretreatment devices

14 and 16 for performing pretreatment; a pretreated warp dividing device 18 for dividing the plural warps 12 from the pretreatment device 14 into a plurality of warp groups; and a first and a second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22 for sizing the plural warps 12.

The

pretreatment devices

14 and 16 and the

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22 in the moving direction of the warps 12 are disposed in the order of the first pretreatment device 14, the first sizing treatment device 20, the second pretreatment device 16, and the second sizing treatment device 22 from the upstream side. The pretreated warp dividing device 18 is disposed between the first pretreatment device 14 and the first sizing treatment device 20.

The first pretreatment device 14 and the first sizing treatment device 20 act as a first processing machine, while the second pretreatment device 16 and the second sizing treatment device 22 act as a second processing machine.

As shown in Fig. 1, on the upstream side in the moving direction of the warps 12 of the sizing apparatus 10, a beam stand 24 is disposed as a yarn feeding device. The beam stand 24 removably supports a plurality of warp beams 26 around which the warps 12 are wound respectively.

Instead of the warp beams 26, creels may be used as a yarn feeding device. Though not shown, a plurality of warp beam groups respectively formed by four warp beams 26 are disposed in the beam stand 24.

The warp 12 extending from each warp beam 26 is stretched along the underside in Fig. 1 of a guide roller 28 disposed on the downstream side of each warp beam group and below the warp beam group and extends rightward (toward the downstream side).

The plural warps 12 extending from the plural guide rollers 28 extend so as to be directed toward a plurality of guide rollers 30 located rightward (toward the downstream side) of the guide roller 28 in Fig. 1, and guided further to the underside of a guide roller 32 of the pretreatment device 14 as a warp sheet 34 arranged in a sheet-like form.

The pretreatment device 14 performs a pretreatment to adhere a pretreatment liquid 36 for pretreatment to the warp sheet 34 and squeeze. The pretreated warp dividing device 18 performs a dividing treatment for dividing the pretreated warp sheet 34 into a plurality of warp groups. The first and second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22 respectively perform a sizing treatment for sizing the divided warp sheets (warp groups) 38 and 40 by sizing

liquids

42 and 44.

As the pretreatment liquid 36, a high temperature sizing liquid or water is used. As the

sizing liquids

42 and 44, liquids having the same size concentration are used according to kinds of the warps to be treated. In case the pretreatment liquid 36 is a sizing liquid, its size concentration is selected to be the same as those of the sizing

liquids

42 and 44 or thinner one.

According to the kind of the warps 12 to be treated, in case the pretreatment liquid 36 is a sizing liquid, its size concentration can be the same one as those of the sizing

liquids

42 and 44. Thereby, even if the sizing liquid as the pretreatment liquid 36 is mixed with the sizing

liquids

42, 44 for sizing treatment, those sizing

liquids

42, 44 are not diluted.

The sized divided

warp sheets

38 and 40 are respectively subdivided into redivided

warp sheets

48, 50 and 52, 54 between the first and second

sizing treatment devices

20, 22 and a drying device 46, and fed into the drying device 46.

The drying device 46 includes a plurality of predrying cylinders 56, a plurality of guide rollers 58, a plurality of main drying cylinders 60, etc., for drying the warps 12 of the sized redivided

warp sheets

48, 50 and 52, 54.

Each of the redivided

warp sheets

48, 50, 52 and 54 is heated and dried by moving while in contact with the surface of the corresponding predrying cylinder 56. The redivided

warp sheets

48, 50, 52, 54 which passed the predrying cylinder 56 are reintegrated into the warp sheet 34 to be stretched along the surface of a main drying cylinder 60 on the subsequent stage.

The integrated warp sheet 34 moves while in contact with the surface of the main drying cylinder 60 to be heated and dried again. The dried warp sheet 34 is taken up by a take-up beam (not shown) via the take-up guide rollers (not shown).

Each of the

pretreatment devices

14 and 16 has a pretreatment tank 62 containing the pretreatment liquid 36, an equalizing tank 64 of the pretreatment liquid 36, a pair of

dip rollers

66, 68 for dipping the warps 12 in the pretreatment liquid 36, and a squeeze roller 70 for squeezing the pretreatment liquid from the pretreated warps.

The

dip rollers

66, 68 are disposed so that the dip roller 66 may be located more upstream in the moving direction of the warps 12 than the dip roller 68 and that a part of the dip roller 66 may be in the pretreatment liquid 36 within the pretreatment tank 62.

The squeeze roller 70 is disposed on the upside of the dip roller 68 so as to squeeze the pretreatment liquid-impregnated warps in cooperation with the dip roller 68. The dip roller 66 and the squeeze roller 70 of each of the

pretreatment devices

14 and 16 are enabled to change the physical relation in the vertical direction relative to the corresponding dip roller 68.

The

dip rollers

66 and 68 are disposed so as to be adjacent in the moving direction of the warp sheet 34 (the rightward and leftward direction in Figs. 1 and 2). In the illustration, the lower halves of the

dip rollers

66 and 68 are dipped in the pretreatment liquid 36.

In the examples shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the second pretreatment device 16 is placed in an inoperable state. That is, the dip roller 66 and the squeeze roller 70 of the pretreatment device 16 are displaced to be upper than the corresponding dip roller 68, whereby a running path of the divided warp sheet 40 from a guide roller 90 provided in the second pretreatment device 16 to a guide roller 92 provided in the second sizing treatment device 22 is formed among the dip roller 68 and the dip roller 66 and the squeeze roller 70, and the divided warp sheet 40 is passed into the pretreatment device 16 without being dipped in the pretreatment liquid of the pretreatment device 16.

In the pretreatment tank 62 of the first pretreatment device 14, the pretreatment liquid 36 overflowing from the pretreatment tank 62 is temporarily recovered into the equalizing tank 64. The pretreatment liquid within the equalizing tank 64 is always circulated to the pretreatment tank 62 through a filter (not shown), a pretreatment pump 72 and a pipe 74.

Impurities in the pretreatment liquid 36 are dross inclusion such as cotton wax contained in the warps 12 which prevents adhesive from adhering of size, cotton flies, fluffs and the like. Most of such impurities are dropped from the warps 12 and removed when the warp sheet 34 passes through the pretreatment device 14 and are mixed into the pretreatment liquid 36 of the pretreatment tank 62.

The impurities such as droppings in the pretreatment liquid 36 are carried to the equalizing tank 64 together with the pretreatment liquid 36 which overflowed from the pretreatment tank 62. Since the pretreatment liquid 36 of the equalizing tank 64 is constantly circulated through a filter (now shown), a pretreatment pump 72 and a pipe 74, much of the impurities in the pretreatment liquid 36 of the equalizing tank 64 is recovered by the filter.

The warp sheet 34 is stretched along the upside of the guide roller 76, the downside of the dip roller 66, the upside of the dip roller 68 and the downside of the squeeze roller 70 in this order. This makes the pretreatment liquid 36 adhere to the warps of the warp sheet 34. The impurities in the pretreatment liquid 36, therefore, adheres to the warps together with the pretreatment liquid 36.

The warp sheet 34 is reasonably squeezed when passing between the dip roller 68 and the squeeze roller 70. By this, the pretreatment liquid 36 is infiltrated into the warps 12.

The dip roller 68 and the squeeze roller 70 apply squeezing action simultaneously to all the warps of the warp sheet 34. Since the warps of the warp sheet 34 are not yet divided by the pretreated warp dividing device 18, and the space between adjoining warps in a state of being in contact with the outer periphery of the dip roller 68 and extending is narrow, the pretreatment liquid 36 is effectively squeezed, and only a little remains between adjoining warps 12.

As a result of the above, the amount of the residual pretreatment liquid among the warps squeezed together with the impurities and carried to the first and second

sizing treatment device

20 and 22, attaching to the warps 12, is a little, thereby suppressing dirtying of the sizing

liquids

42 and 44 with the impurities. Further, in case of a sizing liquid in which the pretreatment liquid 36 is water or thinner than the sizing

liquids

42 and 44 in size concentration, the quantity of the pretreatment liquid 36 carried by the warps to the sizing

treatment device

20 and 22 is a little, so that dilution of the sizing

liquids

42 and 44 by the pretreatment liquid 36 is retarded. Therefore, controlling of the size concentration of the sizing

liquids

42 and 44 of the first and second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22 is facilitated, thereby enabling the warps 12 to be maintained easily at a predetermined sizing adhesion efficiency.

The pretreated warp dividing device 18 has, in the moving direction of the warp sheet 34, guide

rollers

80, 82 and 86 for division disposed between the pretreatment device 14 and the first and second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22. The guide roller 80 guides a part of the pretreated warp sheet 34 to the first sizing treatment device 20, and the

guide rollers

82 and 86 are respectively installed on the upside and the downside to guide the other part of the pretreated warp sheet 34 to the second sizing treatment device 22. Thus, the pretreated warp dividing device 18, by guiding a part and the other part of the warp sheet 34 respectively to the sizing

treatment devices

20 and 22, divides the warp sheet 34 into two.

The pretreated warp dividing device 18 divides the warps 12 arranged widthwise of the warp sheet 34 into the guide roller 80 and the guide roller 82 generally alternately. In other words, the warps 12 to be guided to the guide roller 80 and the warps 12 to be guided to the guide roller 82 are in a relation to be adjacent in the state of the warp sheet 34.

The warps of one and the other warp groups (38, 40) guided to the

guide rollers

80 and 82 become a first and a second divided

warp sheets

38 and 40 respectively having substantially the same width as the width of the warp sheet 34. Consequently, the warp density in the first and second divided

warp sheets

38 and 40 is smaller than the warp density in the state of the warp sheet 34.

This embodiment uses the same devices for the first and second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22, and disposes the pretreatment device 16 of the same type as the pretreatment device 14 on the upstream side of the second sizing treatment device 22.

The guide roller 80 is disposed on the upstream side of the first sizing treatment device 20 and acts as the guide roller of the first sizing treatment device 20.

The second divided warp sheet 40 guided to the guide roller 82 is changed its direction to downward by the guide roller 82, stretched along the downside of the guide roller 86 disposed under the first sizing treatment device 20 to pass the downside of the first sizing treatment device 20, stretched along the downside of the guide roller 88 disposed under the pretreatment device 16, stretched along the upside of the guide roller 90 provided on the upside of the pretreatment device 16, and further, extends to a guide roller 92 of the second sizing treatment device 22.

The guide roller 92 of the second sizing treatment device 22 has the same shape as the guide roller 80 and is attached to the second sizing treatment device 22 so that the position for attachment to the second sizing treatment device 22 may become the same position as the position for attachment of the guide roller 80 to the first sizing treatment device 20.

The first and second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22 respectively accommodate the sizing

liquids

42 and 44 in sizing

tanks

94 and 96. The sizing

liquids

42 and 44 are made to have a size concentration which is the same or higher than that of the sizing liquid to be used as the pretreatment liquid 36. The sizing

liquids

42 and 44 are the same sizing liquid.

The first and second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22 respectively dispose

dip rollers

98 and 100 extending widthwise of the divided

warp sheets

38 and 40 as well as

dip rollers

102 and 104 in the sizing

tanks

94 and 96 in such a state as to adjoin in the moving direction of the divided

warp sheets

38 and 40.

On the upsides of the

dip rollers

102 and 104 respectively, squeeze

rollers

106 and 108 are disposed so as to be adjacent to the

dip rollers

102 and 104 vertically.

Further, the first and second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22 respectively dispose

dip rollers

110 and 112 as well as

squeeze rollers

114 and 116 on the downstream side of the

rollers

102, 106 and 104, 108 such that they are adjacent in the moving direction of the divided

warp sheets

38 and 40. The downsides of the

rollers

98, 102, 110 and 100, 104, 112 are respectively dipped in the sizing

liquids

42 and 44.

The divided

warp sheets

38 and 40 are respectively stretched along the upsides of the

guide rollers

80 and 92, the downsides of the

dip rollers

98 and 100, the upsides of the

dip rollers

102 and 104, as well as the downsides of the

dip rollers

110 and 112 in this order.

The divided

warp sheets

38 and 40 respectively, after the adhered sizing

liquids

42 and 44 are reasonably squeezed between the dip rollers 102 and the squeeze rollers 106 as well as the dip rollers 104 and the squeeze rollers 108, and between the dip rollers 110 and the squeeze rollers 114 as well as the dip rollers 112 and the squeeze rollers 116, are directed toward the drying device 46.

The divided

sheets

38 and 40 are respectively subjected to sizing treatment in the first and second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22 in a state that the warps are widely apart from each other, the sizing liquid, in which the warps are fully dipped and which is squeezed sufficiently, is infiltrated into the inside of the fibers, thereby bringing about a full sizing effect.

Also, in the drying device 46, since each of the divided

warp sheets

38 and 40 is dried by using the predrying cylinders 56 of separate systems, sufficient spaces between warps can be obtained, thereby raising the efficiency in drying and suppressing interference between the warps. As a result, it is possible to suppress a failure in shedding of the loom due to adhesion of the warps, generation of fluffs due to separation of the adhered warps, and a failure in shedding of the loom due to exposure of the fluffs which have been bound by adhesive as well.

In the first and

second sizing tanks

94 and 96 respectively, the sizing

liquids

42 and 44 of the first and second equalizing

tanks

118 and 120 are constantly circulated through a filter (not shown), first and second sizing pumps 122 and 124 as well as

pipes

126 and 128.

The sizing liquids which overflowed the overflow walls of the first and

second sizing tanks

94 and 96 are respectively recovered into the first and second equalizing

tanks

118 and 120.

Each guide roller can be a driven roller to be rotated by a movement of the warps or the warp sheet. On the contrary, the

dip rollers

68, 102, 104, 110 and 112 can be drive rollers to be rotated by drive means. It is, however, preferable that the

other dip rollers

66, 98 and 100 as well as the

squeeze rollers

70, 106, 108, 114 and 116 may be driven rollers to be rotated by contacting rollers.

Referring to Fig. 3, the sizing apparatus 10 can treat the warp sheet by not only forming the warp channels as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to treat the warps, but also forming another warp channels by using as shown in Fig. 3 the

guide rollers

30, 32, 76, 88, etc., acting as a yarn feeding side warp dividing device which divides the warps from the yarn feeding device.

In case the warp channels shown in Fig. 3 are formed, the warp sheet 34 is divided into two warp groups (38, 40), that is, a first and a second divided

warp sheets

130 and 132 by the

guide rollers

30, 32, 76, 88, etc., and the pretreatment device 16 disposed on the upstream side of the second sizing treatment device 22 is turned operable like the pretreatment device 14 for pretreatment of the divided warp sheet 132.

The first and second divided

warp sheets

130 and 132 are respectively subjected to pretreatment and sizing treatment by the first and

second pretreatment devices

14 and 16 as well as the first and second

sizing treatment devices

20 and 22.

The sizing apparatus 10, also, can form a warp channel as shown in Fig. 4 or 5, and can use only a set of the pretreatment device 14 and the sizing treatment device 20 or only a set of the pretreatment device 16 and the sizing treatment device 22.

Thus, the sizing apparatus 10 can select various pretreatment and sizing treatment, without changing the

devices

14, 16, 18, 20 and 22, but by changing the warp channel where the warps 12 pass, according to the kind, thickness and number of the warps to be treated.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments but can be variously modified without departing from its spirit.

Claims

A warp sizing method comprising steps of:

conducting a pretreatment to adhere a pretreatment liquid (36) to a plurality of warps (12) arranged in a sheet-like form and squeeze;

conducting a dividing treatment to divide said plurality of pretreated warps (12) into a plurality of warp groups (38, 40); and

conducting a sizing treatment to adhere a sizing liquid (42) to each divided warp group (38, 40).
A sizing method according to claim 1, further comprising step of conducting a drying treatment the plurality of warps (12) per warp group (38, 40) after said sizing treatment.
A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said dividing treatment includes bringing the warps (12) in the warp groups (38, 40) to be divided into contact with a guide roller (80, 82) per warp group (38, 40).
A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said pretreatment liquid (36) comprises a sizing liquid having the same or less size concentration as or than the sizing liquid (42) to be used in said sizing treatment or water.
A method according to claim 4, wherein said pretreatment liquid (36) comprises a sizing liquid having the same size concentration as the size concentration of the sizing liquid (42) to be used in said sizing treatment.
A warp sizing apparatus (10) comprising:

a pretreatment device (14, 16) for adhering a pretreatment liquid (36) to a plurality of warps (12) and squeezing;

a pretreated warp dividing device (18) disposed on the downstream side of said pretreatment device (14, 16) in a moving direction of said warps (12) so as to divide a plurality of warps (12) pretreated by said pretreatment device (14, 16) into a plurality of warp groups (38, 40); and

a plurality of sizing treatment devices (20, 22) disposed on the downstream side of said pretreated warp dividing device (18) in said moving direction so as to adhere the sizing liquid (42) to each of said warp groups (38, 40) as divided.
A sizing apparatus (10) according to claim 6, wherein said pretreated warp dividing device (18) has a plurality of guide rollers (80,82,86,) which are arranged in one-to-one correspondence to said sizing treatment device (20, 22) and which are in contact with the corresponding warp groups (38, 40).
A warp sizing apparatus (10) comprising:

a yarn feeding-side warp dividing device (30, 32, 88) for dividing a plurality of warps (12), from a yarn feeding device, arranged in a sheet-like form into a plurality of warp groups (38, 40);

a plurality of processing machines disposed on the downstream side of said yarn feeding-side warp dividing device (30, 32, 88) in the moving direction of said warps (12), in which each of said processing machines has pretreatment device (14, 16) for adhering a pretreatment liquid (36) to the warps (12) and squeezing; and a sizing treatment device (20, 22) disposed on the downstream side of said pretreatment device (14, 16) in the moving direction for adhering a sizing liquid (42) to the warps (12) passed through said pretreatment device (14, 16); and

a pretreated warp dividing device (18) disposed between said pretreatment device (14, 16) and said sizing treatment device (20, 22) of the processing machine located on the most upstream side in said moving direction, among the plural processing machine so as to divide the warps pretreated by said pretreatment device (14, 16) of said processing machine into a plurality of warp groups (38, 40) to be individually sized in the sizing treatment devices (20, 22) of said plural processing machine.
A warp sizing apparatus (10) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said pretreated warp dividing devices (18) are further disposed vertically and have a first and a second guide rollers (82, 86) for guiding the divided plural warp groups (38, 40) to pass to the underside of the sizing treatment device (20, 22) located on the upstream side, among the plural sizing treatment devices (20, 22).