GB2065728A

GB2065728A - Cotton wadding and process and apparatus for producing same

Info

Publication number: GB2065728A
Application number: GB8039923A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: MARUSE KOGYO CO Ltd
Current assignee: MARUSE KOGYO CO Ltd
Priority date: 1979-12-15
Filing date: 1980-12-12
Publication date: 1981-07-01
Also published as: JPS5685453A; DE3047196A1; SE8008774L; FR2472043A1; DK533680A

Abstract

A wadding A for use in bedclothes or winter clothes comprises a multiplicity of fiber balls 1 having crimped fluffs 2 intertwining with one another. Such wadding is formed by a process in which synthetic fiber 3 is loosened by an opener 5 and then blown to pass through a feed pipe 9 of an insulating material having a plurality of bends 8. The fiber becomes charged to form itself into a multiplicity of fiber balls having crimped fluffs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cotton wadding and process and apparatus for producing same The present invention relates to a cotton wadding for bedclothes or winter clothes.

Conventional wadding of this type may be produced by mixing raw cotton with waste cotton in a suitable mixing ratio, loosening the mixture by means of an opener, combing it on a carding machine into a web form, and putting several webs one upon another to form a sheet of wadding of desired size and thickness. The size and weight of a final sheet of wadding depend upon the kind of clothes for which it is to be used and it has been troublesome to adjust the size and weight of the wadding according to the clothes.

In the production of raw cotton of synthetic fiber, an antistatic agent and a resin treatment agent are sprayed onto the synthetic fiber to prevent charging with static electricity and to increase the compressive elasticity, respectively.

Another problem in conventional cotton wadding is that such agents tend to come off in the production process, particularly on the carding machine.

A further problem in the prior art is that it is impossible to mix feather or other material with the conventional wadding because the latter is in a web shape.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cotton wadding which obviates or alleviates the above-mentioned shortcomings.

Another object is to provide a process and apparatus for producing such a cotton wadding.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partial view showing cotton wadding according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an apparatus for producing the same; and Fig. 3 is a view showing another embodiment of this invention which comprises the wadding of Fig. 1 mixed with feather.

Referring to Fig. 1 showing one embodiment of this invention, a cotton wadding A comprises a multiplicity of balls or flocks 1 of polyester group synthetic fiber. Each fiber ball 1 is an assembly of short fibers and has crimped fluffs 2. Balls or flocks 1 intertwine with one another at their fluffs to form a bulky, elastic mass.

Fig. 2 shows an apparatus for producing cotton wadding according to the present invention. Raw cotton 3 of synthetic fiber is conveyed on a lattice 4 to an opener 5 where the raw cotton is loosened and separated by means of a beater 6.

The loosened and separated cotton is sucked into a blower 7 and is blown vigorously into a feed pipe 9 made of an insulating material such as plastics and having a plurality of bends 8, 8', 8" and 8"'.

In the feed pipe 9, the fiber is further loosened by turbulent flow occurring adjacent to each bend.

Also, it becomes charged with electricity by friction between fiber and fiber and between fiber and the inner wall of the feed pipe so that the fiber forms into small balls or flocks 1 of cotton. In a preferred embodiment, the raw cotton is passed through two sets of the blower 7 (7') and the feed pipe 9 (9') connected to each other to increase the degree of charge. The number of sets consisting of a blower and a feed pipe can be selected according to the type of material, desired property of the final product, productivity, etc.

Preferably, raw cotton not treated with an antistatic agent should preferably be used as the material. The raw cotton may be polyester or any other synthetic fiber.

The end of the second feed pipe 9' opens into a storage chamber 10 through its ceiling. The loosened fiber is discharged from the end of the feed pipe 9' and sprinkled by a distributor 11 having a plurality of rotary blades. The balls or flocks pile up in the storage chamber 10. Adjacent to the ceiling of the chamber 10 there is provided a plurality of nozzles 13 which communicate with an atomizer 12. The balls or flocks discharged are sprayed via the nozzles 1 3 with a resin treatment agent such as urea resin and silicon resin, and/or an anionic, cathionic or nonionic surface active agent, and/or a softening agent to increase the compressive elasticity, sun-expansiveness or thermal expansion and slimness or thickness which are important properties of the wadding for bedclothes and winter clothes.

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment B of the present invention which comprises the abovementioned wadding A (shown in Fig. 1 ) mixed with about 50% by weight of feather C. In the wadding B, the balls or flocks 1 intertwine with one another and with the feathers to form a light elastic member. The ratio of wadding to feather can be selected freely according to the application.

The wadding of the present invention may also be mixed with natural cotton or wool or any other cottony material.

The wadding according to the present invention has the following advantages.

Conventional cotton wadding in a web form has required a storage container or place of a size according to the size of web. The cotton wadding of this invention does not require a container or space of a particular size for storage because it is not in a web form.

Conventional cotton wadding in a web form often had to be adjusted to the desired size or weight before wadding it into bedclothes. This necessarily produced some loss of material loss.

The wadding of this invention can be wadded into bedclothes or winter clothes of any shape or size without any material loss. It can also be introduced therein through a feed pipe under pneumatic pressure. This highly increases wadding efficiency.

The cotton wadding of the present invention can be mixed in any desired ratio with feather, natural fiber such as cotton or wool, or any other cottony material to produce wadding products of different properties.

Since the wadding of this invention is an assembly of fiber balls having crimped fluff intertwined with one another, it has higher elasticity than the conventional wadding in a web form. It can also maintain bulkiness for a longer period of time. Further, it holds more air and thus retains warmth better.

The wadding of this invention is produced simply by opening raw cotton of synthetic fiber on an opener and charging the opened fiber with electricity. Thus, it requires only relatively simple facilities for its production. In particular, a carding machine incurring high maintenance cost can be eliminated. This means a substantial decrease in the production cost.

A resin treatment agent and/or a softening agent can be sprayed to the wads after they have been formed. Therefore, the agents are not susceptible to unwanted removal during production of the wads as in the production of conventional wadding.

Claims

1. A cotton wadding for use in bedclothes or winter clothes, characterized in that said wadding comprises a multiplicity of balls of synthetic fibers, said bails having crimped fluffs and intertwining one another.

2. A cotton wadding as claimed in claim 1, wherein after having been formed, said balls are sprayed with a resin treatment agent and/or a softening agent.

3. A cotton wadding as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said wadding is mixed with feather, natural fiber, such as cotton or wool, or other cottony material.

4. A process for producing a cotton wadding for use in bedclothes or winter clothes, said process comprising the steps of opening raw cotton of synthetic fiber to loosen it, and forcing or otherwise passing the loosened fiber through a feed pipe of an insulating material having a plurality of bends to charge it with electricity, whereby turning the fiber into balls having crimped fluffs.

5. A process as set forth in claim 4, further comprising the step of spraying a resin treatment agent and/or a softening agent to said balls.

6. An apparatus for producing a cotton wadding for use in bedclothes or winter clothes, said apparatus comprising an opener for loosening raw cotton of synthetic fiber, a blower connected to said opener for sucking the loosened fiber and blowing it to subsequent steps, and a feed pipe of an insulating material connected to said blower and having a plurality of bends for charging the fiber with electricity.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein at least one further set of blower and feed pipe connected to the first set of blower and feed pipe to increase the degree of charge with electricity.

8. Cotton wadding substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A process for producing cotton wadding substantially as hereinbefore described.

10. Apparatus for producing cotton wadding substantially as herein before described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.