GB1587821A

GB1587821A - Open-end spinning machines

Info

Publication number: GB1587821A
Application number: GB4326876A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Platt Saco Lowell Ltd
Current assignee: Platt Saco Lowell Ltd
Priority date: 1976-10-19
Filing date: 1976-10-19
Publication date: 1981-04-08
Also published as: IT1087641B; CH623085A5; FR2368555A1; DE2746231A1; JPS5352746A; ES463306A1

Abstract

The roller (1) has a bush part (9), through the casing of which there is a plurality of pins (10). Each of the pins (10) consists of a cylindrical main part (13) and of a narrowing tooth part (14) which projects from the bush casing and which terminates in a tip. The toothed parts (14) are provided with a hard covering (15) made of abrasion-resistant material, for example ceramic or hard metal, especially chromium carbide. The toothed parts grasping the fibres are thus abrasion-resistant in respect of wear caused by the fibres. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO OPEN-END SPINNING MACHINES (71) We, PLATT SACO LOWELL LIM ITED, a British Company, of Holcombe Road, Helmshore, Rossendale, BB4 4NG, Lancashire, England, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to apparatus for open-end spinning textile yarns and more particularly to opening rollers used in such apparatus.

In one known type of open-end spinning machine a sliver of fibrous material is fed to an opening roller which performs an opening and combing operation on the sliver.

The opened and combed fibres from the sliver are subsequently supplied to a spinning rotor on the internal collecting surface of which they are collected as a fibrous ring.

The fibrous ring is twisted into a tail end of previously spun yarn to form a continuous yarn.

In order to perform the opening action on the sliver, the opening roller is provided with fibre-engaging teeth formed either on a continuous base wound in a helical path around the peripheral surface of the opening roller or as points on a plurality of pins protruding from the outer surface of the roller. In operation, it has been found that the abrasive action of the fibres causes rapid wear of the teeth. This quickly reduces the effectiveness of the opening roller in that the fibre opening action is impaired and results in the production of an inferior yarn.

The use of teeth made from steel and then subjected to heat-treatment to produce hardened teeth has not satisfactorily overcome the problem.

According to the invention there is provided an opening roller for opening textile fibres in an open-end spinning machine, said opening roller having a cylindrical shell portion and a plurality of pins passing through said shell portion, said pins comprising a body portion and a fibre-engaging tooth portion which protrudes outwardly from said shell portion, wherein a coating of wear-resistant material is applied to the fibre engaging tooth portion.

According to a further aspect of the invention the wear-resistant material is a ceramics material.

According to a still further aspect of the invention the wear-resistant material is a metallic material.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional end elevation of an opening roller according to the invention.

Figures 2, and 3 are cross-sections through a fragment of the opening roller of Figure 1 showing the pins in greater detail.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, an opening roller 1 is mounted on one end of a shaft 2 which is rotatably mounted in a housing 3.

A cavity 4 is formed in the housing 3 to accommodate the opening roller 1 and is closed by a cover member 5. Communicating with the cavity 4 is a duct 6 through which, in operation, a sliver is fed to the opening roller 1.

The opening roller 1 comprises a boss portion 7, an end wall 8 extending radially from one end of the boss portion 7 to form an end face of the roller and a cylindrical shell portion 9 which provides a location for a plurality of pins 10. Extending from the shell portion 9 at the end thereof are peripheral flanges 11, 12, the inner surfaces of which form a channel with the outer surface of the shell portion 9.

As best seen in Figures 2, and 3 each pin 10 is formed by a body portion 13 of constant circular cross-section and a tapering tooth portion 14 protruding from the outer shell portion 9 and terminating in a point. The junction of the body portion 13 and the tapering portion 14 is set below the outer surface of the shell portion 9. The body portion terminates within the recess defined by the inner surfaces of the shell portion 9, the end wall 8, and boss portion 7. Each pin is forwardly inclined with respect to the direction of rotation of the opening roller 1 indicated by the arrow A.

In operation, a sliver is fed to the opening roller 1 by a sliver feeding device (not shown) through the duct 6 formed in the housing 3. The opening roller 1 is revolved at high speed by drive means (not shown) operating on the shaft 2 so that the sliver is subjected to an opening and combing action by the tooth portion 14 of the pins 10. The fibres from the sliver are conveyed by the opening roller 1 to the entrance of a fibre feed passage where they are removed from the opening roller 1 and transferred down the fibre feed passage to a spinning element such as, for example, a spinning rotor where the fibres are continuously spun into a yarn.

To counteract wearing of the pins, at least the tooth portion 14 protruding from the outer surface of the shell portion 9 is coated with a material having a high hardness value.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, a coating 15 of ceramics material is sprayed so as to coat the whole of the protruding portion of tooth 14, the outer surface of the shell 9 and the inside surfaces of the flanges 11 and 12. Thus a hard smooth surface of uniform finish covers the fibre covering surfaces of the roller. In addition to providing a wear-resistant surface, the smooth ceramics coating provides a surface free from fibre snagging points and thus deters the detrimental build-up of fibres.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3 a coating 16 of ceramics material is applied to the whole surface of the pin 10 before the pins are fitted in the roller shell 9.

The coating may be a hard metallic material such as carbo-chrome applied to the pin by known surface treatment or metal finishing techniques, such as, for example, carburising, diffusion coating or electrodeposition.

The hardness value of the wear-resistant coating according to the Vickers Hardness Test is within the range 650 - 1400 and preferably is of the order of 1075. The thickness of the wear-resistant coating is preferably of the order of 0.035 mm.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An opening roller for opening textile fibres in an open-end spinning machine, said opening roller having a cylindrical shell portion and a plurality of pins passing through said shell portion, said pins comprising a body portion and a fibre-engaging tooth portion which protrudes outwardly from said shell portion, wherein a coating of wear-resistant material is applied to the fibre-engaging tooth portion.

2. An opening roller according to claim 1, wherein the coating of wear-resistant material is a ceramics material.

3. An opening roller according to claim 1, wherein the coating of wear-resistant material is a metallic material.

4. An opening roller according to claim 3, wherein the metallic material is carbochrome.

5. An opening roller according to any of the preceding claims wherein the coating is applied to the whole surface of each of the pins.

6. An opening roller according to any of claims 1-4 said roller further comprising a flange extending from an outer circumferential surface of the shell portion at each of thereof, each of said flanges having an inner surface to form with the circumferential outer surface a channel into which the tooth portion of each pin protrudes, wherein the coating is applied to the protruding tooth portion of each of the pins, the outer surface of the shell portion and the inner surfaces of the flanges.

7. An opening roller substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. outer shell portion 9 and terminating in a point. The junction of the body portion 13 and the tapering portion 14 is set below the outer surface of the shell portion 9. The body portion terminates within the recess defined by the inner surfaces of the shell portion 9, the end wall 8, and boss portion 7. Each pin is forwardly inclined with respect to the direction of rotation of the opening roller 1 indicated by the arrow A. In operation, a sliver is fed to the opening roller 1 by a sliver feeding device (not shown) through the duct 6 formed in the housing 3. The opening roller 1 is revolved at high speed by drive means (not shown) operating on the shaft 2 so that the sliver is subjected to an opening and combing action by the tooth portion 14 of the pins 10. The fibres from the sliver are conveyed by the opening roller 1 to the entrance of a fibre feed passage where they are removed from the opening roller 1 and transferred down the fibre feed passage to a spinning element such as, for example, a spinning rotor where the fibres are continuously spun into a yarn. To counteract wearing of the pins, at least the tooth portion 14 protruding from the outer surface of the shell portion 9 is coated with a material having a high hardness value. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, a coating 15 of ceramics material is sprayed so as to coat the whole of the protruding portion of tooth 14, the outer surface of the shell 9 and the inside surfaces of the flanges 11 and 12. Thus a hard smooth surface of uniform finish covers the fibre covering surfaces of the roller. In addition to providing a wear-resistant surface, the smooth ceramics coating provides a surface free from fibre snagging points and thus deters the detrimental build-up of fibres. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3 a coating 16 of ceramics material is applied to the whole surface of the pin 10 before the pins are fitted in the roller shell 9. The coating may be a hard metallic material such as carbo-chrome applied to the pin by known surface treatment or metal finishing techniques, such as, for example, carburising, diffusion coating or electrodeposition. The hardness value of the wear-resistant coating according to the Vickers Hardness Test is within the range 650 - 1400 and preferably is of the order of 1075. The thickness of the wear-resistant coating is preferably of the order of 0.035 mm. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An opening roller for opening textile fibres in an open-end spinning machine, said opening roller having a cylindrical shell portion and a plurality of pins passing through said shell portion, said pins comprising a body portion and a fibre-engaging tooth portion which protrudes outwardly from said shell portion, wherein a coating of wear-resistant material is applied to the fibre-engaging tooth portion.