JP2004533560A - A processing machine that dries and processes fibers with a rotating drum that can change the inclination - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine comprises a transport path for the fibers (T) to be treated; a fiber feeder (1) and a fiber take-off device (5); provided along said transport path, inclined with respect to the horizontal, A number of rotating drums (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) having an inlet and an outlet for transferring the fibers; means (7, 3) provided between adjacent drums for transferring the fibers from the upstream drum to the downstream drum; 9). The drum is continuously positioned such that the outlet of the upstream drum is juxtaposed with the inlet of the downstream drum with respect to the fiber advance direction.

Description

【Technical field】
[0001]
The present invention relates to a machine for processing cord fibers by continuously processing, for example, drying, fibers (woven fabric, fabric, cloth).
[0002]
More particularly, the invention relates to a transport path for the fibers to be treated; a feeder and a remover for the fibers; a feeder for the fibers and a remover for the fibers; A plurality of rotating drums which are inclined and transfer the fibers to be subjected to a continuous treatment process; and means provided between adjacent drums for transferring the fibers from the upstream drum to the downstream drum. Related to the machine.
[Background Art]
[0003]
A continuous fiber processing machine of the type described above includes a number of drums provided in series along a fiber transfer path (see Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1]
Italian Patent Application No. PR99A00002 (filing date: January 12, 1999)
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
[0004]
The invention consists in improving a machine of the above type in order to optimize the features and solve some technical problems.
[0005]
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a machine of the above type that makes it easier and more efficient to transfer fibers from one drum to another.
[0006]
This and other objects and advantages that will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description are that, in effect, the drum is positioned such that the outlet of the upstream drum (with respect to the direction of fiber advancement) is juxtaposed with the inlet of the downstream drum. This is achieved with a machine of the type described above which is positioned continuously. In this way, the transfer path of the fibers through the machine is substantially reduced as the fibers are transferred to the unloading zone of one drum with respect to the loading drum of a subsequent drum. This improves the efficiency of fiber transfer between one drum and the next.
[0007]
The same inventive concept relates to a machine for discontinuous processing, i.e. the fiber bundle is closed with a ring joining its two ends and circulates along a closed transport path for a certain period of time, It can also be applied if the fiber bundle is configured to be opened again and removed from the machine after the passage of. In this case, according to the present invention, there is provided a transfer path of the fiber to be treated; provided along the transfer path, inclined with respect to the horizontal, each having an inlet and an outlet, and transferring the fiber to perform a treatment process. A plurality of rotating drums for receiving the fibers; and a transfer means provided between adjacent drums for transferring the fibers from the upstream drum to the downstream drum. A fiber processor is provided wherein the drum is continuously positioned so as to be juxtaposed with the inlet of the drum. In this case, the ring-closed fibers are continuously and repeatedly transported through two or more drums positioned along the transport path, rather than being continuously supplied and removed in an open transport path. Circulating along the transfer path.
[0008]
Advantageously, the transfer of the fibers, which preferably does not necessarily have to have a closed cross-section, can be performed entirely or partially hydrodynamically by the flow of air in the duct. This is known per se and is described in US Pat.
[0009]
Nevertheless, in prior art machines, the air flow was not improved, and a certain amount of energy loss occurred with increasing undesirable densification of the fibers.
[0010]
It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to further improve the efficiency of the machine in this regard and to eliminate the disadvantages of prior art machines. For this purpose, the fluid power duct that transports the fibers from one drum to the next is configured to communicate through the fiber inlet to the interior of the drum. In this way, the air used for transfer enters the drum. The air is typically controlled in temperature and humidity conditions to thermally affect the fibers during transport. By allowing the duct to pass into the drum, this conditioned air is also used to treat the fibers in the drum, unlike prior art machines where the air is substantially dispersed at the exit of the duct. Used. This saves energy and improves the quality of the process.
[0011]
Further advantageous features of the machine according to the invention are described below with reference to embodiments and are defined in the claims.
[0012]
The invention will be better understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show practical embodiments which do not limit the invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0013]
First, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the illustrated machine is provided with an inlet 11 for continuously supplying the fiber T by a feeder 1 configured as a reel in the illustrated example. The fibers T are adapted to be transported through a series of machine parts, designated 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, each machine part comprising a respective rotating drum 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D. The machine parts 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D and the rotating drum are positioned along the fiber path. In the illustrated example, the four machine parts are provided side by side with four respective drums substantially identical to each other. One of the machine parts, in particular the machine part 2A with the rotating drum 3A, is shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3 and will be described below. It should be understood that the number of machine parts and drums can be varied depending on the complexity and size of the machine.
[0014]
The fibers T which have been transported through the respective machine parts 2A-2D and thus the respective drums 3A-3D in turn are designated by the reference numeral 5 and (in the example shown) constituted by separate reels from the machine. Taken out. In each of the drums 3A-3D, in which the fibers travel along the feed path, the fibers T are substantially known per se and are mechanically similar to those described in US Pat. Undergoes a heat treatment.
[0015]
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the mechanical part 2A (and also in the remaining mechanical parts 2B, 2C, 2D), the rotating drum 3A is, for example, about 5 to 20 ° with respect to the horizontal, preferably 5 to 20 °. It is positioned on a 15 ° (not constrained to these values) inclined axis AA. The cord fibers T are fed into the drum 3A by the transfer means 6, which in the example shown comprises a reel 7 driven by a motor, which is only schematically indicated by 7M in FIG. In addition to the reel 7, the transfer means 6 comprises a duct 9 in which air flows from a blower and, if necessary, a heating source (not shown) via an annular distributor 9A or equivalent. Supplied. In fact, the assembly 9, 9A forms an ejector that pulls the fiber. The air blown into the duct 9 draws in the fiber T that has been mechanically fed by the reel 7, or in any case helps the movement of the fiber T along the duct 9 until it reaches the interior of the rotating drum 3A. In the example shown, the duct 9 is curved and communicates into the drum 3A via an inlet 11 in the drum arranged on the side of the machine part 2A where the transfer means 6 is arranged.
[0016]
The inlet 11 of the drum 3A is arranged at the highest end of the drum 3A, and an outlet 12 is provided at the opposite lower end, and the fiber T is dropped from the rotating drum 3A through the outlet 12 to the collection tab 13. From this collecting tab 13, the fibers are taken out by the reel 7 of the subsequent machine part 2B and sent to the rotating drum 3B. Similar devices are provided in the machine parts 2B, 2C. Conversely, in the last part 2D of the machine, as seen in FIG. 1, the fibers are removed from the respective tabs 13 by the reels 7B and transferred to the removal device 5.
[0017]
The highest end of the drum 3A (and similarly the other drums 3B-3D) is supported by a hinge having a horizontal axis 15, which forms a 90 ° with respect to the axis AA of the drum 3A in a planar projection. are doing. The opposite lower end of the drum 3A is hung on a pair of substantially vertical rods 17A, 17B, each of which is connected to actuators 21A, 21B via joints 19A, 19B. Actuators 21A, 21B are represented in the form of mechanical jacks or may be piston-cylinder actuators or any other type of suitable mechanism. Similarly, rods 17A, 17B can be replaced by other mechanical components, such as chains and cables. In this case, the actuators 21A and 21B can be configured with respective winches or a single winch.
[0018]
At ends opposite to the joints 19A and 19B, the rods 17A and 17B are rotatably supported by support frames 25 of the rotating drum 3A at 23A and 23B. In this configuration, the inclination of the axis AA of the rotating drum 3A can be changed by adjusting the rods 17A, 17B by the actuators 21A, 21B for the purpose described in detail below.
[0019]
The support frame 25 of the rotating drum 3A has a shaft 27 extending parallel to the axis AA of the rotating drum 3A, on which two toothed wheels 28 are keyed, and these toothed wheels 28 It meshes with the corresponding toothed ring gear 29 integral with 3A. The drum is also mounted on the support frame 25 in substantially the same manner as described in US Pat. Instead of a toothed wheel, a friction wheel whose surface is made of a material suitable for transmitting motion by simple friction may be used. In this case, the ring gear can be omitted. In general, the rotational movement can be performed by any suitable means. The shaft 27 receives rotational movement from the motor shaft 31, and the motor shaft 31 is controlled by a motor 33 (FIG. 2) via a universal joint 35 provided between the shaft 27 and the motor shaft 31. The universal joint 35 is substantially aligned with the vibration axis 15 of the drum 3A, so that the inclination of the drum 3A can be changed without being hindered by the mechanical transmission between the motor 33 and the drum 3A. You.
[0020]
Motor 33 rotates drum 3A about its axis A-A. The rotational movement can be continuous, intermittent or alternating, or depending on the requirements of the operating cycle and depending on the settings made by the operator in a special control unit, schematically indicated by reference numeral 37 (FIG. 2). It can be a combination of exercise. Other systems that transmit rotational movement to the drum can also be used, as they are only concerned with the flexibility of changing the tilt of the drum.
[0021]
The mechanical components associated with supporting the drums and their rotation are substantially the same for the various parts and have been omitted from the plan view of FIG. 1 to simplify the drawing.
[0022]
The tab 13 is arranged at an angle to the support frame 25 of the drum 3A, so that it can vibrate around an axis 39 parallel to the vibration axis 15 of the drum 3A. At the opposite end of the frame 25 to the location where the tab is located, the tab is attached to a tie rod 41, the top end of which is connected to a bracket 43, which is integral with a stationary frame 45 of the machine. The actuators 21A and 21B are connected to the fixed frame 45. A sensor, for example, a load cell 47 is inserted between the bracket 43 and the tie rod 41 and detects the traction force applied to the tie rod 41 due to the weight of the fiber in the tab 13 for the purpose described in detail below.
[0023]
The load cell 47 is interfaced with the control unit 37 in the same way that the actuators 21A and 21B are interfaced with the control unit 37.
[0024]
The tie rod 41, the associated bracket 43 and the load cell 47 can be doubled, just like the rods 17A, 17B for the drum 3A, but this is not absolutely necessary because the tabs have a lower mass than the drum 3A. Absent.
[0025]
The configuration described for the mechanical part 2A with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 is repeated for the other mechanical parts 2B, 2C, 2D, and the only control unit 37 for all mechanical parts is Interface with other actuators and sensors.
[0026]
The operation of the above machine is as follows.
[0027]
The fiber T feeder 1 feeds the fiber T to the reel 7 of the machine part 2A and passes through the duct 9 into the drum 3A. Here, the fibers T are mechanically treated by continuous or alternating rotational movement of the drum, and the inside of the drum may be provided with suitable ribbing or equivalent means. The fibers T move gradually along the drum 3A due to the inclination of the drum 3A relative to the horizontal, and are discharged from the outlet 12 to the tub 13 of the machine part 2A. From the tab 13 the fiber T is captured on the reel 7 of the continuous machine part 2B, in which the fiber is treated in the same way on the drum 3B and is thus continued until it is unloaded into the tab 13 of the machine part 2D. The completely processed fiber T is taken out from the tab 13 of the machine part 2D by the reels 7B and 5.
[0028]
The speed of each reel 7, feeder 1 and unloader 5 must be controlled to achieve progressive fiber T through the various drums and to prevent excessive accumulation of fiber on each tub 13. For this purpose, the amount (by weight) of fiber stored in each tab 13 is detected by a load cell 47. The control unit 37 controls the speed of the reel 7 based on this information. Furthermore, if it is necessary to change the unloading speed of the fibers T from each drum 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, the inclination of each drum can be recorded individually by a respective actuator 21A, 21B, 21B raises and lowers the rods 17A and 17B according to the two-way arrow F17 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Increasing the inclination of the axis AA of each drum 3A-3D relative to the horizontal increases the speed at which the fibers are unloaded from the drum to the tub 13. Reducing the angle of inclination relative to the horizontal decreases the speed at which the fibers are unloaded from the drum to the tub 13.
[0029]
According to a modified embodiment of the present invention, a load cell or a pair of load cells may be provided in combination with rods 17A, 17B (in addition to or instead of load cell 47), for example, at joints 19A, 19B. It is positioned and shown at 48. In this way, the load on the rods 17A, 17B, which is proportional to the weight and thus the amount of fiber T present in the drum at that moment, can be detected. This information is used directly alone or in combination with information from the load cell 47 to control the actuators 21A, 21B and change the drum tilt. For example, if an excessive amount of fibers is detected in the drum, the tilt of the drum may be increased to increase the speed of the fibers T unloaded from the drum. The speed of the reel 7 downstream of the drum 7 is correspondingly increased so as to prevent the accumulation of excess fibers on the tub 13. Alternatively, instead of directly interlocking with the signal from the load cell in combination with the load cells 17A, 17B, the speed of the reel 7 may be interlocked (if combined) with the signal from the load cell 47. The signals from the load cells on the tie rods 41 and / or rods 17A, 17B regulate the air flow in each duct 9 by the control unit 37 as a function of the transport speed of the fibers T from one machine part to another. It can also be used to
[0030]
FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the second embodiment. In this case, each of the mechanical parts 2A-2C (three in the illustrated example) is configured to be linearly aligned. The structure and operation of the means for controlling the inclination of the drum of each machine part are the same.
[0031]
It is understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of non-limiting embodiments of the present invention and that forms and configurations may be changed without departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Reference numerals in the claims are merely for ease of understanding in view of the above description and the accompanying drawings, and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention in any way.
[Brief description of the drawings]
[0032]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a machine according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along arrows II-II in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along arrows III-III in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a machine according to the present invention in a second embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (8)

A transport path for the fibers to be treated;
A number of rotating drums provided along the transfer path, inclined with respect to the horizontal, each having an inlet and an outlet, for transferring the fibers to undergo a treatment process;
A transfer means for transferring fibers from an upstream drum to a downstream drum, provided between adjacent drums,
A fiber processing machine, wherein the drum is continuously positioned so that the outlet of the upstream drum is juxtaposed with the inlet of the downstream drum with respect to the direction in which the fiber advances. The fiber processing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a fiber feeding device and a fiber take-out device for continuously feeding the fiber along the transfer path so as to continuously process the fiber. For each rotating drum, the transfer means includes a fiber transfer duct, the fiber transfer duct receives the fiber sent toward the drum, and introduces the fiber into the drum through an inlet of the drum. 3. The fiber processing machine according to claim 1, wherein a duct communicates with the drum through the inlet. 4. A fiber processing machine according to claim 3, wherein air blowing means for drawing in the fiber or easily drawing it along the duct are combined with the duct. The fiber processing machine according to claim 3, wherein a reel is combined with the duct. A tab for collecting fibers is positioned at the outlet of each drum, and each transfer means is arranged side by side with the tab at a position higher than the tab. Fiber processing machine. The fiber processing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drums are arranged side by side, and the entrance of the drum is positioned on the same side as the exit of the drum immediately upstream in the fiber advance direction. . The fiber of claim 1, wherein the drums are aligned with one another, the inlet of one drum facing the outlet of the drum immediately upstream in the direction of fiber advancement. Processing machine.