JPH0336646B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention provides an apparatus for forming chips into strips by discharging a molten polymer from a die head and conveying the strand group to a cutting machine while cooling and solidifying the strand group. The present invention relates to a cooling and conveying device for strands.

[Conventional technology]

The strands are made by discharging molten polymer in the form of a string from the die head. A large number of strands are arranged in a line, and using an appropriate means, they are continuously cooled and solidified while being guided to a cutting machine and cut into strips of chips or chips. Pellets are made and the chips or pellets are used as raw materials for synthetic fibers and synthetic resin products.
Incidentally, various types of devices have been proposed in the past for guiding the strand discharged from the die head to a cutting machine while cooling and solidifying it. For example, a method in which strands are discharged onto an inclined chute through which cooling water is flowing down (Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-36938, German Patent
P2218210.1 and 1983.2.15 Published by Plasticage Co., Ltd., extrusion molding, page 214, Fig. 4.413), a method in which the discharged strand is sandwiched between a pair of belts and passed through a cooling bath (Jikkosho 52-
42149), rinse the discharged strand with running water 2
A method of cooling and conveying by sandwiching the belt between a pair of belts (Patent application 177134/1989 filed by the present applicant)
etc. are disclosed.

The device that conveys chips by sandwiching them between two belts conveys a large number of strands by sandwiching them between the belts, so the strands can be conveyed in an aligned state without disturbing the rows of the strands, and uniform chips can be obtained. Since the strands discharged from the strand are sandwiched between two belts, the discharged strands can be automatically captured and taken away at the start of operation. Widely used as a device.

In addition, in a cooling conveyance device of the type that conveys the strand by sandwiching it between two belts, not only one pair of belts consisting of two belts but also two belts are used.
Devices are known in which a pair or a plurality of pairs of two or more belts are connected so that the strand is sequentially transferred from a first pair of belts to a next pair of belts, and finally guided to a cutting machine. A strand cooling and conveying device in which a plurality of pairs of strand conveyor belts are connected and arranged is a combination of a plurality of belt pairs having different structures, materials, configurations, functions, etc., and/or a combination of a plurality of belt pairs and a strand cooling means. The combination has the effect that it is possible to easily design a strand cooling and conveying device system with an optimal configuration according to the characteristics of the polymer or polymer composition to be processed, desired chip characteristics such as chip size and uniformity, and productivity. Various configurations have been proposed. For example, in Fig. 1, in Utility Model Publication No. 52-42149, there is a first belt pair that captures the discharged strand and transports it downward, and a strand that is passed from this first belt pair horizontally and then upward. A cooling conveyance device for strands is disclosed in which a second pair of belts for conveying the strands are connected and disposed in a single cooling bath, and the extrusion molding method published by Plastics Age Co., Ltd. 213
The page shows a first belt pair that captures the discharged strand and conveys it downward, and a second belt pair that receives the strand from the first belt pair and conveys it horizontally and then upward. A third belt pair is disposed in series in the cooling bath, and a third belt pair is further disposed in the second cooling bath, and the strand is transferred from the second belt pair in the first cooling bath for further cooling conveyance. A cooling conveying device for the strands installed is shown.

In a device that transports discharged strands while cooling and solidifying them using multiple belt pairs arranged in series, it is possible to carry out necessary and sufficient cooling and solidification and to smoothly receive a large number of strands from one belt pair to the next belt pair. Transferring the strands is an important factor in maintaining and improving the operability and operational efficiency of the strand cooling and conveying device, and thus of the entire chip manufacturing device. There has been no known cooling conveyance device that allows for smooth operation.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In conventional strand cooling and conveying devices in which multiple belt pairs are arranged in series to cool and convey a large number of strands, the transfer of the strands from the upstream belt pair to the downstream belt pair is not always satisfactory. This often resulted in operational and operational efficiency problems.

When starting a new operation of the chip manufacturing equipment from strand discharge to cutting, or when cutting all the strands due to a problem, wiping the surface of the discharge die, and restarting discharge, it is necessary to The front end of each strand in a row of tens to hundreds of strands is completely free or has a completely abnormal lump shape, so it is transferred rearward from the end of the first belt pair and becomes a part of the belt pair. Each strand released from restraint tends to move freely, especially in the case of a strand that has not yet been completely cooled and solidified in the first belt pair, or when the belt pairs are arranged consecutively in the horizontal direction. This tendency is strong in the case of belt pairs, resulting in inconveniences such as the strands protruding outward from the gap between the belt pairs. Therefore, in order to capture such open strands with free ends in the subsequent belt pair and continue cooling and conveying them, it is necessary to collect a large number of strands that are successively released from the ends of the preceding belt pair. All of the belts had to be guided correctly to the entrance of the next pair of belts by hand, which inevitably resulted in waste, such as the need for a full-time worker. In addition, even if one or several strands are cut for some reason during continuous discharge, the free end of the strand newly discharged after cutting will be dislocated between the preceding belt pair and the following belt pair. Not only do they tend to move irregularly and may not be captured by the following belt pair, but they can also become entangled with or interfere with other normally conveyed strands, resulting in defective chips such as fused chips and irregularly shaped chips. It was also the cause of. In particular, in a conveying device in which a pair of conveyor belts are connected and arranged in a horizontal or nearly horizontal state, there is a strong tendency for the free ends of the strands to protrude from the gap between the connecting parts, so manual processing is essential.

This invention attempts to solve such problems found in conventional known techniques. That is, in this invention, the strand row discharged from the die head is conveyed while being cooled and solidified by passing it sequentially through a plurality of belt pairs each including two belts arranged in series, and then conveyed while being cooled and solidified. Cooling and conveyance of strands that can be stably transferred from any belt pair to the following belt pair without requiring human intervention, even at the start of operation or in a machine that cuts some strands, in equipment that manufactures chips by guiding the strands. The aim is to provide equipment.

[Means to solve the problem]

Means for solving the above problems will be explained below using FIG. 2 corresponding to the embodiment.

In this invention, the connecting portion between the plurality of belt pairs is configured as follows. That is, in FIG. 2, the rear ends of the leading belt pair A on the upstream side are arranged in a staggered arrangement in which one of the two belts 6 and 7 forming the belt pair A is longer than the other belt. , and the front end of the subsequent belt pair B is connected to the two belts 13 and 14 that constitute the belt pair B.
The belt on the side opposite to the belt on the extension side of the upstream belt pair A is retreated, the belt on the other side is extended, and gaps 4 and 5 are created so that it faces complementary to the staggered belt arrangement of the preceding belt pair A. The belts are arranged in different ways.

Furthermore, in the gap between belt pair A and B,
Each of the opposing belts A and B is provided with a jetting slit for spouting a cooling fluid in the longitudinal direction of the belt between the belts running while holding the strand therebetween, and is arranged complementary to each other. It is constructed by providing a cooling fluid ejecting device C having a member shaped to bridge between belts.

[Effect]

Next, the operation will be explained with reference to FIG.

When the chip manufacturing equipment is newly started, a large number of strands discharged from the die head are captured by the belt pair A while being cooled, and conveyed as the belts 6 and 7 run while being held between the two belts 6 and 7. The tip of the strand, which is the free end, reaches the outlet of belt pair A. In this invention, since the upstream belt pair A and the downstream belt pair B are configured in a staggered arrangement, the free ends of the strands are located in either of the two gaps 4 and 5 formed by the belt pairs A and B. First reach the gap on one side. This gap 4 has a cooling fluid ejecting device C.
are arranged like a bridge, so the free ends of the strands are fed between the upper surface of the top of the jetting device C and the belt 6 on the extended side, and are further conveyed and cooled by the frictional propulsive force of the belt 6. Fluid ejection device C
Pass through the bridge section. That is, the free end of the strand can smoothly pass through the initial gap 4 without getting stuck in the gap 4 or protruding outward from the gap 4.

The free end of the strand that has passed through the bridging portion of the cooling fluid ejecting device C is once held between the extension belt 6 of the upstream belt pair and the extension belt 14 of the downstream belt pair, and further advances. A, B
The other gap 5 in between is reached. At this time, since the cooling fluid is jetted out from the fluid jetting slit of the cooling fluid jetting device C in the direction in which the strand travels, the strand is cooled and propelled by the jetting of the cooling fluid in addition to the propulsive force from the belts 6 and 14. By applying the force and the direction regulating force, the strand is further cooled and solidified, and the free end of the strand is more actively fed between the belts 13 and 14 of belt pair B. Therefore, the strand can pass through the gap 5 without protruding outward from the gap 5 or disturbing the alignment. Due to the above-described effects, even in the strand take-up work at the start of operation, the transfer of strand rows between multiple belt pairs is carried out in an orderly manner without requiring human intervention, and the technical problems are solved. be.

〔Example〕

Below, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire strand cut type chip manufacturing apparatus using the strand cooling and conveying apparatus of the present invention.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a die head connected to the end of a polymerization pot, autoclave, extruder, etc. (not shown), and is equipped with a number of nozzle holes (not shown), and the molten polymer is passed through each nozzle in the form of a string. to form a strand row S. Although 12 strands are shown in the figure, it goes without saying that in industry, one to several hundred strands may be formed as needed; for example, in die heads,
It is also possible to form 100 strands with two rows of 50 nozzles each. A chute 2 is provided close to the die head 1, and the strand row S discharged from the die head 1 falls onto the chute 2, and is cooled by cooling water flowing out from a cooling fluid outlet provided on the chute. While being cooled, it flows down on the chute 2 together with the cooling water and reaches the inlet of the conveyor belt pair A. Since the die head and chute are of known technology, their detailed description will be omitted.

A, B, and C constitute a cooling and conveying device for strands according to the present invention;
B is a pair of upstream conveyor belts whose entrance faces the end of the chute 2, and B is a pair of upstream conveyor belts arranged downstream of the pair of upstream belts A, and conveys the strand row S transferred from the upstream belt pair A to a feed roller. 3 and 3', the pair of downstream belts is conveyed to the cutting machine D while being cooled, and C is a cooling fluid ejecting device provided in the gap 4 between the pair of upstream conveyor belts A and the pair of downstream conveyor belts B. It is. In the strand cooling and conveying device according to the present invention, two or more pairs of belts can be connected horizontally, vertically, or in a combination of both, but in this embodiment, the upstream and Two pairs of belts on the downstream side A
and B are arranged in a nearly horizontal direction.

The upstream belt pair A has two belts 6 and 7 in contact with each other, and each belt runs in the direction of the arrow by rollers 8, 9 and 10, 11. The downstream belt pair B also has two belts 13, 14 in contact with each other, each belt having a roller 15, 16.
and 17, 18 to travel in the direction of the arrow.
Here, the upper belt 6 of the belt pair A has a staggered arrangement with respect to the lower belt 7, with its entrance side tip set back in the downstream direction and its exit side terminal end extended in the downstream direction. The tips of the upper belt 13 and the lower belt 14 on the entrance side of belt pair B are made to correspond complementary to the staggered arrangement of belt pair A, so that the upper belt 13 is retreated in the downstream direction and the lower belt 14 is moved in the upstream direction. Two belt pairs A and B with this staggered belt arrangement are arranged in series with a suitable gap 4, 5 in between. That is, the extended portion of the upper belt 6 of the upstream belt pair A is placed in contact with the extended portion of the lower belt 14 of the downstream belt pair B. In addition, downstream belt pair B
The ends of the upper belt 13 and the lower belt 14 on the exit side are aligned without any difference.

Furthermore, a cooling fluid ejecting device C is provided in the gap 4.
is provided, and the upstream side portion of the top portion formed in a flat plate shape is made to protrude toward the upstream side from the gap 4 to bridge the gap 4. Further, a slit is provided at the downstream end of the top portion, and cooling water is spouted in the downstream direction.

Now, the strand row S that has reached the entrance of the pair of conveyor belts A flows down onto the lower belt 7, moves as the belt 7 runs, and moves along with cooling water to the belt 7.
and 7 and transported while being cooled. Then, the strand row S has gaps 4 and 5.
, is further cooled and conveyed by the downstream conveyor belt pair B, and sent out from the outlet on the downstream side. 3,
3' is a cutting machine consisting of a feed roller, D is a fixed blade 19, and a rotating cutter 20, and the strand row S sent out from the downstream conveyor belt pair B is cut by the feed rollers 3, 3'. It is supplied to D and cut into a predetermined length to produce chips E.

In addition, 21 and 22 are cooling water receivers,
It is provided below the pair of conveyor belts A and B, and collects the cooling water that falls from the pair of conveyor belts A and B. The collected cooling water is circulated from the drains 23 and 24 by a pump (not shown) to a chute and a cooling water jetting device through a filtration device (not shown) as necessary for reuse. Since the feed roller, cutting machine, cooling water receiver, and cooling water circulation device are of known technology, their detailed description will be omitted. The above is an explanation of the structure and operation of the entire chip making machine according to the embodiment.However, regarding the structure and operation of the strand cooling and conveying device based on the present invention,
This will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG.

Figure 2 shows the vicinity of the outlet of the upstream conveyor belt pair A;
This figure shows the vicinity of the entrance of the downstream conveyor belt pair B and the cooling water jetting device.

The outlet of the upstream conveyor belt pair A and the inlet of the downstream conveyor belt pair B have mutually complementary staggered belt arrangements, as already explained with reference to FIG. The pair of conveyor belts A and B has appropriate gaps 4 and 5 between the lower belts 7 and 14 and the upper belts 6 and 13, respectively.
are arranged in series. Furthermore, a cooling water jetting device C is provided in the gap 4 on the upstream side of these two gaps. This cooling water spouting device C has a substantially T-shaped cross section, and extends from the lower belt 7 of the upstream conveyor belt pair A to the lower belt 14 of the downstream conveyor belt pair B. It is sandwiched between the upper belt and the lower belt so as to bridge the gap 4 over almost the entire width of the belt. A slit 26 having a length longer than the width of the aligned strand row S and shorter than the width of the belt is provided at the downstream end of the top portion 25 in the width direction of the belt, and cooling water is supplied from the supply port 27 to pass through the passage 28. The liquid is ejected from the slit 26 in the downstream direction as shown by the arrow. Further, the upstream portion of the top portion 25 has a tip 29 projecting further upstream from the gap 4.

Upper belt 6 and lower belt 7 of conveyor belt pair A
The strand row S, which has been conveyed in an aligned state while being held between It rides on the flat plate-like top 25 and moves as the upper belt 6 runs while being held between the top surface and the upper belt 6 and passes over the top surface. This top 25 is the upstream tip 2
Since the strand 9 is disposed so as to protrude upstream from the gap 4 and bridge the gap 4, the free end of the strand passes through the gap 4. During the passage, the strands are held between the top portion 25 and the upper belt 6, so that the alignment of the strands is not disturbed. The top part 25 of the flat plate, therefore, the gap 4
The strand S that has passed through is once conveyed while being held by the upper belt 6 of the conveyor belt pair A and the lower belt 14 of the conveyor belt pair B, and then passes through the terminal end of the upper belt 6 and reaches the gap 5. This gap 5
In this case, the strand row is not held between the belts, but the lower part is supported by the lower belt 14, and the cooling water jetted in the strand traveling direction from the slit 26 of the cooling water jetting device C cools the strand. At the same time, since a positive direction regulating action is given to the strand, the free end of the strand reaches the front end of the upper belt 13 without disturbing its alignment, is caught by the belt 13, and is thereafter held between the belts 13 and 14 for conveyance. can continue. That is,
The free end of the strand can pass through the gap 5 without protruding or being disturbed. at the same time,
Of course, cooling and solidification of the strands further progresses due to the jetting cooling water.

Although water was used as the cooling fluid in this example,
If necessary, an aqueous solution containing a stabilizer, a wetting agent, etc. or a liquid other than water can also be used.

The upper surface of the top of the cooling fluid ejecting device inserted between the upper and lower belt pairs is flat, but may be provided with a suitable number of grooves for guiding the individual strands. The thickness of this top portion 25 is
It can be set arbitrarily within a range that does not impede the gripping and conveyance of the strand by the pair of conveyor belts when the strand rides on the upper surface of the top. Further, the length of the slit through which the cooling fluid is jetted is set to an arbitrary length within the range of being longer than the width of the entire strand row and shorter than the width of the belt. If the slit is shorter than the width of the strand row, it will be difficult to maintain the alignment of the strands.
If the length is longer than the width of the belt, the cooling fluid will spray out of the belt, deteriorating the working environment and reducing the clamping effect of the strands.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In FIG. 3, the cooling fluid jetting device C has cooling fluid jetting slits 26, 26' at both upstream and downstream ends of the flat plate-like top, cooling fluid passages 28, 28' communicating with the respective slits, and Inflow ports 27, 27' are provided,
Each slit portion has a projecting bottom 36, 36'. Among the cooling fluids that flowed in through the inflow ports 27 and 27', the fluid that flowed in through the flow path 27 passes through the passage 28 and is ejected from the downstream slit 36 in the direction in which the strands travel. ', and is ejected from the upstream slit 26' in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the strand. Since the bottom portions 36, 36' of the slit portions protrude, the cooling fluid is ejected obliquely upward. Therefore, the strand end can run on and pass over the upper surface of the top portion 25 more smoothly.

Further, in FIG. 4, the cooling fluid ejecting device C also has slits 26, 26' at both ends of the top portion 25, but the top end portion on the upstream side is formed into a partially folded double structure. The cooling fluid flowing in from the inlet 27' heads upstream through the passage 28'.
At the upstream end, the flow changes direction by 180 degrees and flows in the strand traveling direction over the top portion 25 excluding the double structure portion 25'. This fluid flow allows the free ends of the strands to pass over the top 25 more easily and stably.

The above shows embodiments of this invention, and
The method and apparatus of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments, but can be modified in design within the scope of the invention. For example, the upstream belt pair and the downstream belt pair may be arranged in a staggered manner so that the lower gap in which the cooling fluid ejecting device is installed is located downstream from the upper gap; A cooling fluid ejecting device can be disposed in the gap, or the belt pairs can be connected vertically, or each belt pair can be immersed in a cooling fluid tank.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the present invention, a plurality of pairs of strand conveyor belts are connected with each other in a complementary staggered arrangement, and at least one of the gaps between the connected portions is connected. A cooling fluid ejecting device having a flat plate-like top with a cooling fluid ejecting slit in the downstream direction was provided, and the technical means of bridging the gap with the flat plate-like top was taken. It is possible to smoothly transfer the strands from one belt pair to another without disturbing the alignment of the strands or causing the strands to protrude in the gaps. Therefore, the process of transferring strands between a pair of conveyor belts at the start of chip production operations, which conventionally had to be done manually, and the process of transferring strands when the strands are cut due to an accident, can now be carried out automatically and stably without the need for human hands. This has the effect of saving labor and stabilizing the process, and since the alignment of the strands is actively maintained, the number of defective chips can be reduced.

In addition, since the cooling fluid is ejected from the cooling fluid ejection slit, it has the effect of promoting the cooling and solidification of the strands and easily responding to improvements in chip production speed.Furthermore, since multiple conveyor belt pairs are connected in multiple stages, the strands can be Since cooling conditions such as cooling temperature and cooling rate can be easily adjusted to match the target polymer, it also has the effect of improving chip quality and productivity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chip manufacturing apparatus using the strand cooling conveyance device of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views showing an embodiment of the connection of the strand conveyance belt pair and the cooling fluid jetting device of the present invention. ,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a different embodiment of the cooling fluid ejecting device. In addition, A is an upstream belt pair, B is a downstream belt pair, C is a cooling fluid jetting device, 26, 26 are cooling fluid jetting slits, 4 and 5 are gaps between the pair of conveyor belts, 25 is a flat plate top, and S is a strand sequence.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Discharging a molten polymer such as a polymer in the form of a strand from a die head having a plurality of nozzles, 2.
In a method for cooling and conveying strands in a chip manufacturing method, in which the strands are conveyed while being cooled by two pairs of endless belts or a plurality of pairs of two or more pairs of belts, and are guided to a cutting machine to form chips in the form of strips. , the rear end of one of the upstream belt pairs is extended from the rear end of the other belt, the belt on the downstream side facing the extended belt is moved backward, and the belt on the other side is extended. This creates a gap between the upstream and downstream belts, and allows the strand, which is sandwiched and fed by the upstream belt, to cross at least one gap by the cooling water flow. A cooling conveyance method for strands, characterized in that the strands are conveyed to a downstream belt. 2 A molten polymer such as a polymer is discharged in the form of a strand from a die head having a plurality of nozzles, and 2
In a cooling and conveying device for strands in a chip manufacturing apparatus, in which the strands are conveyed while being cooled by two or more pairs of belts, each consisting of a pair of endless belts, and guided to a cutting machine to form chips in the form of strips. , the rear end of one of the upstream belt pairs is extended from the rear end of the other belt, the belt on the downstream side facing the extended belt is moved backward, and the belt on the other side is extended. The belt is placed close to the other belt on the upstream side, thereby forming a gap in the shape of a difference between the belts on the upstream side and the downstream side, and at least one of the gaps is provided with a slit at the tip for jetting cooling fluid. A cooling and conveying device for strands, characterized in that a cooling fluid ejecting device having a flat top is disposed such that the top bridges the gap. 3. The strand cooling and conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the cooling fluid jetting device has cooling fluid jetting slits that are longer than the width of the strand group and shorter than the width of the belt. 4. The strand cooling and conveying device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the flat top of the cooling fluid ejecting device projects upstream from the rear end of the strand traveling upstream belt.